Since this site is so new and I have only suggested a few books I might be wise to stay away from a novel that has been reviewed very well on other sites and has caused a stir among readers who are devoted Sherlock Holmes fans.
However, I don’t consider these entries as reviews as much as recommendations for “a good read”. Laurie King’s series with the wonderful character of Mary Russell is a very good read indeed.
Mary Russell as a young girl meets and amazes the retired Sherlock Holmes. We see her develop a first rate mind with a first rate education both in school and as an apprentice to the great detective. This first book has plenty of action and deduction. But, it is not a story about Sherlock Holmes. This is a series of stories about a very strong woman in very difficult times. It is the story of a complicated complex individual. A biblical scholard that is not sure she believes in God she certainly know her mind and use it to present a wide range of ideas and interesting stories. It is a story that may seem to be about known territory but through Ms Russell’s eyes the path become fresh and new. The complexity of the character as well as the quality of the stories will have you reading more than the first book.
My wife and I are both avid readers; however, we seldom read the same books. This is one series that we both love and can discuss at some length. It is also a series that I have not completed as we both space the books out as a delayed gratification, something to look forward too.
Swords and conquest
I want to read about history and I want it to be fun. Cato and Macro two legionaries of the Roman army battling their way from Germany to the conquest of Britain are a lot of fun. Macro is an experienced veteran with a new hard won appointment as a centurion. Cato, an educated servant of the royal palace, favored with a royal appointment is forced on Macro as his second in command.
Simon Scarrow gives us plenty of action in this book without skimping on plot. These two are always in the wrong place and involve themselves in the intrigues of rich and powerful. Pawns, they must fight for their lives both friend and foe.
When I visited Jamestown Va. Last summer one of the tour guides were asked why the colonist hadn’t broken from England at the first opportunity. The answer was interesting. “They simply would never have thought of it. Obedience to the king was accepted. No one would understand the idea of independence.”
Mr. Scarrow lets us see the minds of his characters and how they view their role in their world. They defend the Roman conquests as best for all concerned, an interesting insight considering modern political problem. All this in a book difficult to put down and fast to read.
