reviews

Western horror... Author:  Cormac McCarthy Darkest of the dark. Famous for his violent and depressing works, most notably No Country for Old Men (2005) and The Road (2006), which were both successfully adapted to the screen, Cormac McCarthy is frequently found on the short list of the greatest living American novelists.  Although it didn’t gather much attention when it was published in 1985, Blood Meridian is often referred to as his greatest novel.  Savage, horrific and disturbing in ways I didn’t think possible, it’s sure to generate strong feelings from anyone brave enough to tackle it. Based on the historically [...]

Revolt on the high seas... Author:  Greg Grandin There was a lot of money to be made. For more than three centuries, traders generated enormous profits by transporting slaves from the African coast to the Americas and trading them for raw materials like cotton, sugar and rum, which could be exchanged for guns and other factory products back in Europe.  These items could then be used to buy more slaves in Africa, completing the triangle.  With every transaction, the profits went higher.  Traditional accounts of slavery in the US, while recognizing the horrors of the Middle Passage from Africa, tend [...]

Deadly Secrets are Stewing in Beakley Author: J.A. Lang The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, Hamilton the micro-pig is finding life full of outdoor enjoyment . . . and Chef Maurice is hopping around dressed as a giant, fluffy tailed rabbit. This can only mean one thing – murder has come to the quiet Cotswold bliss of Beakley. At the yearly fayre and traditional bake off, more than just blow-touched smartie cakes are cooking; broiling just beneath the placid surface is a recipe for long-awaited revenge. When stiletto strutting celebrity chef Miranda Matthews takes Chef Maurice’s acclaimed spot [...]