Reader Reviews

The Rosary Girls by Richard Montanari

On the streets of Philadelphia a serial killer is praying  on vulnerable Catholic schoolgirls.  Two detectives are assigned to the case, one a veteran, the other rookie.  As the murder rate increase, so, understandably, does the pressure on the police to apprehend the killer.  The twin strengths of The Rosary Girls are the tension Montanari builds as the narrative progresses, and the empathy we feel for the characters.  The novel is well written and involving; with the credibility of the two main protagonists never compromised in order to facilitate an unlikely plot twist.

The only downside is  the lack of originality with regard to theme.  A serial killer using religious symbolism has been used too many times previously for it to be in any way challenging or innovative.  However, what this novel lacks in originality it more than compensates for in terms of pace, excitement and emotional involvement.

(Bunny Hill Library Staff)

Cell by Stephen King
A virus known as The Pulse is transmitted through mobile phones.  Upon receiving a call the listener will either die or become a kind of walking zombie.  A young artist, Clayton Riddell estranged from his family, along with several survivors goes in search of his missing son.  The ostensibly  random acts of violence committed by the walking dead begin to follow a distinct, though puzzling pattern.
Cell is reminiscent of King's horror roots and something of a return to form.  However, enjoyable though it is, it does not match his creative best.  Like much of his work the ending is somewhat anticlimactic. Definitely worth reading if you are a fan, but regretfully, further evidence that King's glory days are, arguably, behind him.
      
(Sandhill View Library Reader)

Tokyo by Mo Hayder

If you like your crime fiction laced with a undercurrent of horror then this is for you.  It tells the tale of Grey, a disturbed female student who travels to Japan in search of answers.  However, she finds more than she is looking for.  A genuinely disturbing and oddly moving book that I suspect will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

(Southwick Library Staff)

The Secret Purpose by David Baddiel

This tells the story of Jacob, a Prussian Jew, who ostracized from his Rabbi father, flees the onset of Nazi persecution.  He takes his wife with him expecting to find refuge in Britain.  However he soon finds himself interred as a German on the Isle of Man.  Here he meets June Murray, a translator from the Ministry of Information and a relationship develops that will have consequences none of them could have foreseen.  This is a  beautifully written novel with an impressive eye for historical detail.  David Baddiel draws heavily from his own Jewish ancestry and nothing in either his on screen persona or his previously written work could have prepared the reader for a work of such humanity or depth of feeling.  Heartfelt and poignant "The Secret Purpose" is a moving love story, which skilfully avoids sentimentality.

(Southwick Library Staff)

How to Cook a Tart by Nina Killham 
Jasmine March is a larger than life celebrity chef, who has just been dumped by the television network as she uses the "wrong" ingredients in her recipes resulting in them having too many calories.  Meanwhile, her husband who is going through a mid life crisis - and having an affair with one of his stick thin students.  Jasmine's daughter disgusted by her mothers size is almost anorexic, but Jasmine is determined to fight back and battles to save her marriage and her career.
         
(Washington Town Centre Library Reading Group)

Double Act by Jacqueline Wilson

I choose Double Act because it is a very good book and I enjoyed reading it because it was funny and enjoyable.  I think twins are good, I know some twins and they are funny just like the ones on Double Act.
        
(East Herrington Children's Library Reader)

The Bed and the Breakfast Star by Jacqueline Wilson
I choose this because I think it is really funny when she tells her jokes.  She is really good at telling jokes.  She lives in this lovely house but her family cannot afford to live there so they go to a horrible hotel.  There was a fire so she moved to a lovely posh hotel.  She was very happy there.  The book "The Bed and Breakfast Star" is really good for children 6 years and over.
       
(East Herrington Children's Library Reader)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
A touching story about 15 year old Christopher, who has Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism).  When the neighbour’s dog is mysteriously killed, Christopher begins an investigation in the true spirit of his hero Sherlock Holmes. 

The story is Christopher's own unique take on the world, which in part is darkly funny and very sad.  A truly fantastic read which you can't put down.
         
(City Library & Arts Centre Staff)

If you would like to recommend a good read please email your review to libraries@sunderland.gov.uk 
or hand your review to staff at your local library