Welcome to my weekly post about the books I have been reading. I have two very different books to write about today. Here is the first one…

Regular readers of these posts may remember that I have enjoyed books by Will Dean for quite a long time. This one, The Last Passenger, was a real change from his Tuva Moodyson Mystery series. First we have the blurb:

“When Caz steps onboard the exclusive cruise liner RMS Atlantica, it’s the start of a vacation of a lifetime with her new love, Pete. On their first night they explore the ship, eat, dance, make friends, but when Caz wakes the next morning, Pete is missing.

And when she walks out into the corridor, all the cabin doors are open. To her horror, she soon realizes that the ship is completely empty. No passengers, no crew, nobody but her. The Atlantica is steaming into the mid-Atlantic and Caz is the only person on board. But that’s just the beginning of the terrifying journey she finds herself trapped on in this white-knuckled mystery.”

Well, this book left me shocked and stunned! My Goodreads review may enlighten you a little. It was impossible to write a comprehensive response…

The Last Passenger by Will Dean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To be quite honest, I am sitting here shaking a little as I am completely shocked by this book! The whole thing was a rollercoaster ride with so many surprises and turns that I could hardly put the book down. I drove everyone mad in the house because I was so reluctant to stop reading.

It is impossible to give a proper outline of the plot without giving things away. Let me just say that this has finally cured me of any desire to go on a cruise!

View all my reviews

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After this stunning experience, I had to choose something completely different…

The book I selected was The English Führer by Rory Clements, #07 Tom Wilde. I was delighted to find another book in this excellent series. Anyway, here is the blurb:

“Autumn 1945 – Off the east coast of England, a Japanese sub surfaces, unloads its mysterious cargo, then blows itself to pieces.

Former spy Professor Tom Wilde is enjoying peacetime in Cambridge, settling back into teaching and family life. Until a call from senior MI5 boss Lord Templeman brings him out of retirement.

A nearby village has been locked down by the military, its residents blighted by a deadly illness. No one is allowed in or out.

There are rumours the Nazi machine is still operational, with links to Unit 731, a notorious Japanese biological warfare research laboratory. But how could they possibly be plotting on British soil – and why?

What’s more, Wilde and Templeman’s names are discovered on a Gestapo kill list. And after a series of assassinations an unthinkable question emerges: could an Englishman be behind the plot?”

This is my response:

The English Fuhrer by Rory Clements
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another excellent and gripping episode in this great series. As I read this book, I realised that I had accidentally skipped over the previous one and so I have remedied that by putting in a library reservation request.

These books are always well researched and the series is taking an interesting turn in moving on to post-war matters. There was plenty to keep the reader guessing and I definitely fell into a couple of clever traps on the way, as the author intended.

The book and the series is well worth reading and I am already looking for to the next book.

View all my reviews

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I must apologise to any of you who come to these regular posts hoping for lengthy and detailed reviews. Unfortunately, I am finding it increasingly difficult to write any more than a swift response. OK, I must admit that book reviewing is definitely not one of my skills, despite being a librarian! I read purely for my own pleasure and escapism from difficult circumstances, and I am not at all a “literary” kind of person. These posts are written mainly to remind myself of what I have been reading and if other people visit and get something out of them, then that is a nice bonus!

Right! Now I am off to read my next book!

Happy Reading to you all.

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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