Book reviews Archives - Page 21 of 30

16Mar 2022 by Luke Harkness 2 Comments

Book review of The Outsider by Albert Camus

I was lent The Outsider by a friend who said it was a book he was interested to hear my thoughts on. It's a book that tells a very simple tale of a man who is arrested after committing a murder and the interesting discussions to be had from the hearing that subsequently takes place. The Outsider follows Meursault in Algeria as he navigates life after his mother's death and subsequent funeral and then the murder of an Arab man in French Algiers who was involved in a conflict already with one of his neighbours. He is arrested, taken to prison and then we follow his brief journey with prison and the court hearing. The Outsider plot - 4/5 The Outsider, as written above, covers the story of Meursault who…

14Mar 2022 by Luke Harkness

Book review of 1979 by Val McDermid

Book reviews, Crime, Mystery, Thriller

I've heard quite a bit about Val McDermid so when I saw her latest novel on offer in my local supermarket, it was a bit of a no brainer. I've heard Val McDermid as one of the best writers of her generation and certainly a leader in the crime genre. 1979 was a brilliant new book in her series and one I'd recommend to all crime fans. 1979 is a novel set in 1979 (shock eh?) which follows the life of Allie Burns, a new investigative journalist at her local newspaper. When she comes across a big case that could not only jumpstart her career but also potentially stop a terrorist act, she does everything in her power to get the answers she needs to write the honest story of…

11Mar 2022 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book review of The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Book reviews, Mystery, Thriller

I've been a big fan of Lucy Foley's last two books - they brought with them a perfect sense of progression and intrigue throughout the book that kept you on tenterhooks throughout. However, The Paris Apartment fails on these two fronts and really didn't interest me. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any products via the links below, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the products. The Paris Apartment is technically Foley's sixth book, though to many it may feel like her third after The Hunting Party shot her into the mainstream and The Guest List solidified her as an author…

08Mar 2022 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book review of This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay

Book reviews, Nonfiction

Working in the NHS, I've wanted to read This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay for quite some time. I finally picked up recently and it was so interesting to read from the point of someone who has worked in the NHS for about 2.5 years now. Pin me to Pinterest! This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay is essentially a book of chosen diary entries from Kay himself of his time working for the NHS as a Junior Doctor from 2004 to 2010. It's a fascinating look into the workings of the NHS and the less-than-glamorous lives that the majority of doctors actually work in the NHS. This Is Going To Hurt plot - 5/5 How do you rate the plot of a book that is literally…

03Mar 2022 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book review of It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Book reviews, Contemporary Fiction, Romance

Colleen Hoover is an author I've been meaning to pick up for quite some time. I've seen a lot of her books on my social feeds as books that are often five-star reads. It Ends With Us was a book gifted to me recently and so it's my first Hoover book. I'll let you into a secret early on: it's absolutely bloody brilliant. It Ends With Us is a book that focuses on some dark matters and some uncomfortable matters but Hoover writes these in such a raw but intelligent way that will have you caring far too much. It Ends With Us plot - 5/5 It Ends With Us is a story about Lily and inevitably her relationship with two men: Ryle and Atlas. We follow the tale of…

23Feb 2022 by Luke Harkness 1 Comment

Book review of American Assassin by Vince Flynn

Book reviews, Thriller

When talking about the action thriller genre, it would be wrong to talk about some of the greats of the game without talking about Vince Flynn and his Mitch Rapp books. American Assassin is technically a prequel that has since gone to become accepted as the first in the book series. It introduces us to a very talented but flawed character whose job it becomes to hunt down some of the most dangerous people in the world. Pin me to Pinterest! Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase American Assassin via any of the links below, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the book. American Assassin…

20Feb 2022 by Luke Harkness 2 Comments

Book review of The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

Book reviews, Thriller

Jason Bourne is one of the most famous action stars you can find in books. Ludlum was one of the first to do it (despite Fleming of course) and has gone on to write a very successful trilogy and then have many other books written under the Bourne name as a result. The Bourne Identity is the first in the series - but is it my sort of action thriller? Pin me to Pinterest! The Bourne Identity introduces us to Jason Bourne who wakes up without much memory of his previous life. He doesn't know where he has come from, why he's ended up where he has and these talents he has are unknown to him. It's a great premise for a story: a man doesn't know why he's a…

09Feb 2022 by Luke Harkness 1 Comment

Book review of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Book reviews, Fantasy

Continuing my Harry Potter reread and review sees me next reviewing The Prisoner of Azkaban. This is the third book in the series and sees our three heroes return back to Hogwarts ready for another year not knowing the massive discoveries they're going to uncover and the new friends they're going to make over the coming year. Is the Prisoner of Azkaban the first where things really start to get good? Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban via any of the links below, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not have an effect on my final opinion of the product. Pin me to Pinterest!…

04Feb 2022 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review of The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

Book reviews, Mystery, Thriller

The Hunting Party was arguably Lucy Foley's first big hit. In it, she harkens to the many tropes of some great horror films we've seen throughout cinema history: a group of friends go on holiday to a remote place and then a murder takes place and they're all stuck there, terrified. But does she do it very well? Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase any of the products via any of the links in this article, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley is a murder mystery/horror novel that, as aforementioned, takes a modern twist on the classic…

01Feb 2022 by Luke Harkness No Comments

Book Review of The Night She Disappeared

Book reviews, Contemporary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

The Night She Disappeared is Lisa Jewell's latest book, having come out in the middle of last year. It focuses on the night a mother's daughter disappears (shock) and the resulting search her mother and a lady who also gets involved partake in. Please note that this article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase The Night She Disappeared via any of the links in this article, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These affiliate links do not affect my final opinion of the product. The Night She Disappeared follows a similar form to a lot of Lisa Jewell's books - it covers the tale of a very dark night and switches between two different times which both eventually build towards…

Category: Book reviews