book number 10 - No Time For Goodbye

Book number 10, is No Time For Goodbye, by Linwood Barclay published by Orion books and is available to buy from amazon in both paperback and hardback

Imagine walking downstairs in the morning and your whole family mother, father and brother have vanished without a word. That's what happened to teenager Cynthia Archer after waking with a hangover and a feeling she is going to be in even more trouble than she was the night before with her mother and father after rolling in drunk. The house is oddly quiet though. When gets down stairs she discovers the house is empty. No sign of her parents or younger brother Todd. Her family has simply disappeared.

25 years later Cynthia is still in the dark about where they went, having not heard a word from them in the years that had lapsed since they went missing. She's filled with questions and consumed with guilt, about the night she came home drunk, did they leave because of her? she has nothing but unanswered questions. Were her family murdered? If so, why was she spared? And if they're alive, why did they abandon her in such a cruel way? Now married with a daughter of her own. Cynthia lives in constant fears that her idyllic family will be taken from her just as before.

She agrees to take part in a TV documentary revisiting the case, in the hope that somebody somewhere will remember something - or even that her father, mother or brother might finally make contact with her. Then she receives something in the mail that makes her wonder if she has made the right decision to pursue this mystery. This is a great story, with plenty of thrills but it is also very well written

This is the first one of Linwood Barclay's that I've read, and it was great. The story flows at what feels like warp speed, and because of this you can skip over some of the thinner parts of the plot, which there is a couple of bits towards the end which are stretched a little thin, but it fits with the story, without detracting from it.

When I read this book I couldn't help myself from finishing it in one day, really it was one sitting, the story's pace just seemed to ebb and flow at the right tempo with enough page turning excitement to keep me hooked all day, With the exception of The Book With No Name there aren't many books that I think should be made in to a film or TV series, but this is one that even after reading the book, I'd sit down and watch in much the same way as I already do with Dexter.

book number 5 - Martin Missunderstood by Karin Slaughter

Book number 5 is Martin Missunderstood by Karin Slaughter published by Random House, and is available to buy in both paperback and audiobook from amazon, and in paperback from play.com

I must say when Martin Missunderstood arrived I was a little sad to see that it was so thin, But I shouldnt have been as this book is smart, funny and fast paced and what it misses out on in page's it more than makes up for in the story.

Martin Reed, who the book is about is the made fun of by everyone from his controlling mother who constantly wants him to have an addiction of any sort be it drink, drugs or whatever takes his fancy, to the people he works with, even the woman he shares his office with, although from the outside looking in you'd be forgiven for thinking it was Unique Jones's office which he was allowed to use.

The book follows him working as a accountant for Southern American Toilet Supply. He's become resigned to the life he has, and doesnt hope for anything to get better even at work because the bully's that made his school days a misery are still picking on him in his place of work. Infact his arch enemy is now his supervisor. The only escape he can get it to lose him self in one of his vast supply of crime novels. which when he arrives at work to find the police investigating the murder of a woman who worked there, he decides to try and offer his insight that he's got from years of reading Kathy Reichs and the like. With referances to pop culture it feels very fresh and bright and is a pleasure to read.... although I'd still have liked another couple of hundered pages, but thats the same with any enjoyable book.

Martin only see's when its too late that the light thats shinning on him now isnt the long waited spotlight but the bright glare of the interrogators spot lamp, Is he being framed? is he killing his co-workers? why doesnt he remember if he is killing them? and who would try to frame him?. Can he find out before its too late....does he even want to? you have to ask yourself is he guilty or just missunderstood?

If you want to find out I'd suggest buying the book like I did, you wont regret it. If your anything like me it'll send you searching for more books by Karin Slaughter.