Mr. S. A. H. Done

Everything but a likeable detective..., 22 Feb 2010

I've read all of Martin's books from the first and like so many of the other reviews, I am struggling to actually LIKE Jim Stringer. It is the first time really, that I have encountered a series of detective books in which I actively wish the detective would go somewhere else... Sadly, as they are all written in the first person, this is not a possibility!

However, Martin really can write, and some of his descriptions are superb, the atmosphere can be nicely evocative and I am not worried about his knowledge - or otherwsie- of Bradshaw's guide, but do enjoy the period locomotives etc. It is worth mentioning that for books marketed as railway detective fiction, they can at… Read more

Not bad...but..., 19 Feb 2010

I have been reading Martin's Jim Stringer books since his very first, and they are entertaining and nicely written, full of good period atmosphere and have some excellent characters- though oddly, I have never quite warmed to Stringer himself, though his wife is a great personality, and is Stringer's fiery 'Chief'. Perhaps it is because it is written in the first person (never easy) Stringer does not say much about himself or how he looks?

Still, I like his books and snap them up. This one is perfectly readable, ticks most of the boxes..but the plot is very ill-defined. I was left not wholly convinced about the setting up of the situation, and his attempts to create a series of… Read more

Sadly not her best, 14 Mar 2008

I have been reading Donna Leon since her very first book, and rate her very highly, and is a real favourite. Brunetti and his family become like friends as you read her books, and her evocation of Venice is always done with a delicacy of touch that is pleasing. She is a truly fine crime writer...but... sadly there is a caveat. In Blood From a Stone, and indeed in her last couple of books, I fear that she is either: Slightly jaded and bored wih her creation, or under pressure to turn out more books when she is not really inspired.
The storyline is thin, rather obvious and unengaging. There is no 'magic' in the storytelling, and she appears equally uninspired by it. I feel sad to write… Read more