Category: Book Reviews

The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson My rating: 3 of 5 stars I studied psychology in university and used to be quite interested in the psychopath, what made them tick, how to deal with them (warily). Back then, there was no scientific or physiological explanation for the psychopath. And…

Instruments of Darkness by Robert Wilson My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was looking for the Canadian author Robert Wilson in the virtual branch of the Toronto Public Library. He wasn’t listed, but this Wilson was. The blurb sounded interesting, and even more relevant, it was available to borrow right away. Most books in…

Sacred and Profane: A Decker/Lazarus Novel by Faye Kellerman My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sacred and Profane is one of those infrequent books with a perfect title. The title tells you exactly what the book is about; even better, it is lifted out of a dialogue in which this concept is emphasized. Titles are…

The Busy Woman’s Guide to Murder by Mary Jane Maffini My rating: 3 of 5 stars Like the other books in the series, this one was light and breezy. The characters are familiar, the story not deep, a good read when you want to switch your brain off. My only quibble with it was that…

The Dead Place by Stephen Booth My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read recently that this series featuring Diane Fry and Ben Cooper, two police detectives in Derbyshire, England, is popular in Canada. It’s nice to know I’m amongst much company. But I’m not surprised. This is British to the core but not in…

Murder On Monday by Ann Purser My rating: 2 of 5 stars Somebody wrote that this is British to the core. It is very British, that’s for sure. I sometimes wondered if almost stereotypically so. It was an OK read. Lots of domestic details that were I think put in not so much to move…

By a Spider’s Thread by Laura Lippman My rating: 3 of 5 stars I wouldn’t call this hair-raising or a cliff-hanger, but it is a darn good read. It’s interesting how Lippman focuses on different regular characters in each book. In this one, she gets rid of Crow in a convenient way, and Kitty plays…

The Last Place by Laura Lippman My rating: 3 of 5 stars Creepy. Compelling. And classic Tess Monaghan. My only quibble: I didn’t like what Lippman chose to do with a character near the end, which is the one and only thing I remembered from my previous reads of this mystery novel. But that’s author…

Harperland: The Politics of Control by Lawrence Martin My rating: 4 of 5 stars Lawrence Martin has an engaging, effortless writing style that draws you in right from the first sentence. I wanted to read Harperland because of Parliament’s increasing dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. I put it on hold at the Toronto Public…