"The Last 10 Seconds', by Simon Kernick

I have been a fan of mysteries and of exciting thrillers for ever and I am always looking for an author that can top all that I have read in the past. Mr. Kernick has definitely caught my attention and his novels will command a prominent position on my TBR list. “The Last 10 Seconds”, is just what the title suggests, a fast paced action- packed thriller filled with lots of graphic crime scenes and murders, a captivating story that leaves plenty for the imagination and little time to speculate, it is like a kayaker’s white water ride of a life time, you hang on and go with the flow. 

It didn't take me long to get drawn in by the writer’s style, the story grabbed my attention from the beginning and never wavered one minute. The plotting has all the right ingredients needed: plenty of twist and turns, a well-paced momentum and a drama that unfolds smoothly. The hand to hand fighting is particularly well done, very descriptive and easy to visualize. The story is narrated in the first person by the two well- developed protagonists, Sean and Tina, their point of views alternate in punchy chapters that are just the right length.

In this thriller there are two threads that eventually converge. We start with Sean Egan an undercover cop who poses as a gang member looking for a new challenge. He is snapped up by another far more dangerous criminal gang and his test of allegiance is to free the “The Night Creeper” from the hands of the authorities so the gang can deal with him in their own sadistic manner, he has become a loose cannon to all gangs and gang members, he has to be silence. Sean is faced with difficult decisions that break all protocol and his actions can jeopardise his career and even his life.

On the other hand, D.I. Tina Boyd, has worked hard to track down and apprehend the sadistic killer Andrew Kent known as “The Night Creeper”, he is suspected of torturing five women to death but claims he has an alibi for one of the murders and important information that would incriminate an important gang member. He is a hot target for the underworld so when Kent is snatched right from under Boyd’s nose,  her career is on the line, it quickly becomes a chaotic chase, a race against time to find him and extract the invaluable information the police force now needs in order to save face. 

The two threads run parallel and eventually collide in an explosion of violence and it becomes touch and go whether our two protagonists will survive the clash between good and evil.

"Anne of Green Gables", by L.M. Montgomery

Book 1, in the Anne Shirley series

Originally written in 1908 this heartwarming story set in Prince Edward Island recounts a part of Anne Shirley's life (age 11 to 16) when she came to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert of Green Gables, siblings in their fifties. They were looking to adopt a male orphan in order to help them with their Avonlea heritage farm in the late 1800's but fate and circumstances blessed them with Anne. They immediately fell in love with this bright, quick, eager to please, talkative and extremely imaginative red-headed little girl and they never looked back.

Ms. Montgomery has drawn her inspiration from her own childhood experiences, memories and people of the period thus creating one of the most loved stories of all times. In later years, the little red-headed girl and her pig tails has become an icon not only on paper but also in theater and made for TV movies.

The writing style has an impressive sense of humour and the third person narrative helps to unfold the plot. The vivid description of nature and the beautiful portrayal of the places are so detailed that I am not surprised this wonderful classic has delighted many readers throughout the years and made numerous fans around the world. It is an enchanting and captivating tale that has to this day enticed many to visit the magical setting of Green Gables to explore and let their imagination travel back in time. Prince Edward Island is very proud of their little Anne and has developed many tourist attractions to satisfy the interest of its visitors.

The story of Anne Shirley has a number of sequels taking us further into Anne's adventures and mishaps. "Anne of Avonlea " is the next one and I am looking forward to reading it.

"Nemesis", by Jo Nesbo

Book 2 in the Harry Hole series (English version according to Fantasticfiction.uk)

This is the second book in the Oslo trilogy although one wonders if it is the 3rd or 4th book written in the series, actually it all depends where you source your information. The order in which you read them is somewhat irrelevant, they have not been translated in the same order they were originally written. "Nemesis" is a thrilling, gripping and brilliant thriller, a bit lengthy but well worth the time.

The main plot is fortified with a multitude of sub-plots creating plenty of mystery and intrigue, this one opens with a bank robbery creating instant tension. Cloaked in a balaclava, the armed suspect grabs a teller and demands the bank manager open the safe within 25 seconds or else.... All hell breaks loose and in all the confusion the suspect escapes from under the nose of the police, leaving them red faced and empty handed.

Investigator Harry Hole of Crime Squad is known for his drinking problem and his knack of rubbing his superiors the wrong way, however it is decided he work the case in collaboration with Robberies Unit. Harry's strong character takes him on a tangent that leaves the other department out in left field. Harry convinces his boss to give him more rope, so he and his partner Beate Lonn, a promising young video analyst, can work their own theory. Beate discovers discrepancies in CCTV footage, this leads to clues that up until now had been overlooked, and this eventually proves to be the game changer.

This clever book has so much going on it would take a book in itself to summarise. There are many twists and turns, dozens of red herrings and a pile of dead bodies. At one point the investigation brings Harry to Brazil, in another instance he looks into a gang of gypsies and still another he delves into the lives of cheating spouses and jealous brothers, this just covers only a few leads he had to follow. There are so many layers, it is a mind game to piece everything together and make sense of it all. I took it as a challenge and went with the flow and enjoyed every tense moment. It all becomes clear at the end.

This book is complicated, immensely rewarding and an enjoyable suspense filled mystery