Ameise1's 50 in 2014

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Ameise1's 50 in 2014

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1Ameise1
Edited: Jan 25, 2015, 6:50 am

I'm back again and I'm looking forward to a new fantastic reading year.

2011: 51 books
2012: 77 books
2013: 74 books




January

# 1 Die Feuer von Muraono by Giuseppe Furno ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
# 2 The Case Of The Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall (4 stars)
# 3 Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie (4 1/2 stars)
# 4 The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry (3 stars)
# 5 Nelson Mandela by Biography Series Member Giveaway (4 stars)
# 6 Beneath The Bleeding by Val McDermid ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 1/2 stars)

February

# 7 Even Money by Dick Francis (4 stars)
# 8 The Spy Game by Georgina Harding (4 1/2 stars)
# 9 Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker (4 stars)
#10 L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 1/2 stars)
#11 Table for One by Daniel Kelley Member Giveaway (4 1/2 stars)
#12 The Private Patient by P.D. James ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)

March

#13 Continuance by Marta Tandori Member Giveaway (3 stars)
#14 The Lost Diaries Of Adrian Mole, 1999 2001 by Sue Townsend (3 1/2 stars)
#15 Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear (4 stars)
#16 Digital Fortress by Dan Brown ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (3 1/2 stars)
#17 Blindman's Bluff by Faye Kellerman (4 1/2 stars)
#18 The Infinities by John Banville (4 stars)
#19 Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (4 stars)

April
#20 Pitch Black by Alex Gray ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 1/2 stars)
#21 In The Kitchen by Monica Ali (2 1/2 stars)
#22 First Family by David Baldacci (4 stars)
#23 No Lovelier Death (DI Joe Faraday) by Graham Hurley ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#24 TheAssociate by John Grisham (3 1/2 stars)
#25 Fear The Worst by Linwood Barclay (4 1/2 stars)
#26 The Ritual by Darren Kirby Member Giveaway (2 stars)
#27 False Impression by Jeffrey Archer Audiobook (4 stars)
#28 NO HARD FEELINGS (A Kate Stanton Mystery) by Marta Tandori Member Giveaway (4 stars)

May
#29 White Jazz by James Ellroy ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#30 Brooklyn by Colm Toibin (4 stars)
#31 Family Album by Penelope Lively (4 stars)
#32 Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (4 stars)
#33 The Poison Pen by Marjorie Owen Early Review (4 stars)
#34 Diver Down (Mercy Watts Mysteries) by A.W. Hartoin Member Giveaway (4 1/2 stars)
#35 The Templar's Quest by C.M. Palov ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)

June
#36 One morning like a bird by Andrew Miller (5 stars)
#37 The Aunt Paradox (Reeves & Worcester Steampunk Mysteries) by Chris Dolley Early Review (3 1/2 stars)
#38 The Fire by Katherine Neville (5 stars)
#39 The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#40 Veteran by Frederick Forsyth ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 1/2 stars)

July
#41 Deception Point by Dan Brown ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (3 stars)
#42 Library of the Death by Glenn Cooper ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#43 Vanished by Joseph Finder (4 stars)
#44 Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories by Nancy Christie (4 1/2 stars)
#45 Open Season by C. J. Box ROOT - 2014 Read Our Own Tomes Group (3 1/2 stars)
#46 Second Honeymoon by James Patterson (3 1/2 stars)

August
#47 Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare Stories) by William Shakespeare (4 stars)
#48 The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (4 1/2 stars)
#49 Vulture au Vin by Lisa King Early Review (3 stars)

September
#50 The Winter Boy by Sally Wiener Grotta Member Giveaway (4 1/2 stars)
#51 The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse (4 1/2 stars)
#52 The Fifth Floor by Michael Harvey (4 stars)

October
#53 The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (4 stars)
#54 The Glass Room by Simon Mawer (4 1/2 stars)
#55 The Devil's Feather by Minette Walters (3 1/2 stars) Audiobook
#56 Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann (4 stars)
#57 Voice of an Angel by Becky Lower Early Review (1 star)
#58 The Night Season by Chelsea Cain (4 stars)

November
#59 The Empty Family by Colm Tóibín (4 stars)
#60 The Skull Beneath the Skin by P. D. James (4 stars)
#61 Last 10 Seconds by Simon Kernick Audiobook (4 stars)
#62 Storm Front by John Sandford (3 1/2 stars)

December
#63 Gooseberry by Michael Gallagher Early Review (4 1/2 star)
#64 Catch Me When I Fall by Nicci French Audiobook (4 stars)
#65 Emerald City by Jennifer Egan (3 1/2 stars)
#66 Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie Audiobook (3 1/2 stars)
#67 Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith Audiobook (4 stars)
#68 Siege by Simon Kernick Audiobook (3 stars)
#69 Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio (4 1/2 stars)
#70 La Belle Femme by Aine Greaney (4 stars)
#71 Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck (5 stars)
#72 The Life of Hunger by Amélie Nothomb (4 1/2 stars)
#73 A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh (3 1/2 stars)
#74 Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich ( 3 1/2 stars)
#75 Wolkenbruchs wunderliche Reise in die Arme einer Schickse by Thomas Meyer (4 1/2)

2rocketjk
Jan 4, 2014, 2:56 pm

Good luck and happy reading in 2014. I'll be starting a 2014 thread myself in a day or two.

3Ameise1
Jan 4, 2014, 4:01 pm

# 1



This is a wonderful story which is set up in the 16th century in Venice. It's a historical mystery wherein the inquisition with all its implication is manipulating the plot. The story starts with the blast in the arsenal. With this fulminant beginning all main characters are introduced, although one doesn't know it immediately. Andrea Loredan, an advocat for the poor and son of the Doge, is the centre of all characters. He keeps a tight rein on everything. On the one hand he tries to solve foul plays and therefore he has to help the good ones as well as the evil ones, on the other hand he has to unravel the puzzle his late mother has set. She was a member of a guild which were keeper of banned books. The inquisitors are to him on the heels. He is captured and has to serve his sentence on a galley which is involved in a naval battle with the Turkish armada. Back to Venice he is able to solve all the mysteries.
It is very gripping.


4glwebb
Jan 4, 2014, 4:09 pm

Good luck again, and a belated Happy New Year.

5LGKerr
Jan 4, 2014, 4:16 pm

That sounds right up my street. Do you know if there's an English or Spanish translation? I can only find a German translation.

Linds.

6Ameise1
Jan 4, 2014, 4:28 pm

Hi Jerry, thanks a lot for stopping by. I'm looking forward to seeing your thread.
Happy New Year and happy reading to you, too.

7Ameise1
Jan 4, 2014, 4:31 pm

Hi glwebb, thanks for stopping by. Happy New Year and happy reading to you, too.

8Ameise1
Jan 4, 2014, 4:33 pm

Hi LGKerr, I'm sorry there is only the original in Italian and the German one which was released in November 2013.

9LGKerr
Jan 4, 2014, 6:51 pm

That's a shame, I've just started learning Italian, it might be a bit too ambitious!

Linds.

10Ameise1
Jan 7, 2014, 1:16 pm

# 2



This was an easy-going reading. Detective Vish Puri is a very loveable person who is on the one hand the Boss but on the other hand a cunning fox and has a heart of gold, not only for his family and friends but also for his employees. He gives his clientele one reason to hire him: CONFIDENTIALITY IS MY WATCHWORD. Therefore his clients have the feeling that he isn't putting much effort into their case even though he is working long hours. He is a sucker for food and that's his 'only' weakness completely to the chagrin of his wife, because his doctor has put him on diet, but Puri finds always ways and means to get around this.
He has to solve different cases at the same time which are keeping him up busy but he has tricks and his employees which are helping him. For example he has several phones and if a client is phoning the operator is working like an actor because she has to act for completely different situations like a wealthy person as well as a clerk, a doctor or a lawyer.
His mother would also like to be a detectiv and she is the one who is solving his personal problem without his knowing, because he has strictly forbidden her to make inquiries.
It's a fabulous cosy mystery.

11Ameise1
Edited: Jan 14, 2014, 2:10 pm

# 3



This reading was very gripping. A woman (wife and mother of a little girl) went missing and nobody knows where she has gone. A couple of monthe later the husband went away and never returned. The little girl is staying with the anxiously nanny who is calling the husband's closest friend who is a friend of Gemma and Duncan and so the investigation is starting. Since a lot of rich and important persons are involved, the investigation can't be conducted straightforward. Therefore is Ducan's team working on an officially bases whereas Gemma and Melody are more going undercover. Gemma's reason to solve the crime is based on the girl's welfare which should go to live with her grandmother who is involved into drug traffic. During the investigation another major crime was discovered. Young girls, still children, from Asia were married to English men, were abused and sometimes murdered.
It was a breathtaking reading and let me guessing until the very last page who are the evil ones and how all parts are linked to each other.


12PaperbackPirate
Jan 20, 2014, 2:42 am

Looks like you're off to a good start! Happy reading in 2014!

13Ameise1
Jan 20, 2014, 7:28 am

Thanks PP, I'm really into the reading as much as I can :-D

14Ameise1
Jan 25, 2014, 2:20 pm

# 4



O.k., this was my fifth book from Steve Berry's serie Cotton Malone and I've to admit that this one was the weakest one. During the first third the plot was just bobbing up and down and it wasn't very gripping nor was it very interesting. The second half was much more the Cotton Mallon's way to solve a mystery and the pace was getting faster.
In this story an old treasure from Napoleon I has to be found. Several parties are on this hunt. There is also a hunt for a man which is accused to have murdered the son of Malone's best friend. Sometimes I've got the feeling that the link and connection between those parts are a bit far fetched.

15Ameise1
Jan 25, 2014, 3:59 pm

# 5



This wonderful biography about Nelson Mandela is written in an easy spelling style but nonetheless very informative. It doesn't put Nelson Mandela as a hero without mistakes. It shows his life with all his failure as well his strength, what he has gained not only for the people of South Africa but also personally. This is a book which should be in each school libraries and it would be suitable for the secondary school.

16utbw42
Jan 26, 2014, 3:27 pm

Ameise1, most of Berry's books follow that formula. I enjoy the research and history he puts in his books, but the pace of the plot suffers a lot in his books. I just get out of them what I can...

17Ameise1
Jan 26, 2014, 3:50 pm

Thanks Andy, I keep that in my mind when I'll read another one. I wish you a lovely evening.

18Ameise1
Feb 1, 2014, 6:01 am

# 6



This is the fifth book from the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan serie. It's a very gripping British crime mystery. Tony Hill who is a profiler, has been attacked and seriously wounded by an inmate of the mental institution. After the surgery he has to stay in the hospital and he felt rather bored of his immobility.
In the meantime different mysteries are taking place. On the one hand famous rich people are dieing of being poisoned and on the other hand a bomb detonated in the local football stadium. Carol Jordan and her team have got their hands full and a special team has taken them away the bombing case. Carol and her team won't give away the case so easily and therefore have to investigate it secretly. In the meantime Tony tries to help from the hospital bed and is very often doing his own thing because Carol won't believe in his guts feeling. But without Tony's doggedness Carol couldn't have solved all mysteries.
It was a fast-paced reading and it let me guess until the very last page.

19Ameise1
Feb 2, 2014, 3:44 pm

# 7



I enjoyed this reading very much. It was fast-paced and breathtaking. Teddy is a bookmaker which he has inherited from his grandfather. At the Ascot horse-racing week his believed dead father turns up. They could speak to each other only briefly because he was stabbed infront of Teddy. Teddy is playing detective and would like to find out what happened with his father (and mother) 36 years ago and why was he murdered. Soon, he detects that in the horse-racing scene nothing looks like it should neither with horses nor the betting. Teddy's wife is in a mental institution due to her bipolar illness. Teddy loves his wife very much and therefore he doesn't tell her that he is into deep trouble. The police isn't any help and Teddy has got the feeling that the inspector hates him. With the help of his employees and his doggedness he is able to solve the mystery. It let me guess about the outcome until the very last page.


20Ameise1
Feb 8, 2014, 6:11 pm

# 8



I seldom have read a book which gave me goose bumps, but that one definitely did. It wasn't because of violence on the contrary it is such a lot of love, the deep missing of Anna and Peter's mother and the search for her roots that made me quivering. After their mother's death the children have got the feeling that her mother must have been a spy. Therefore they started their own spy game with the intention to find their mother because both of them were believed devoutly that her mother is still alive. Her mother hadn't told them much about her past and also their father wasn't about to tell them more. In the beginning Anna and Peter were very close but with the times they drifted apart. It was Anna who went to the East to search for her mother's roots.
It's a mystery within a mystery and thoughtfully written.


21Ameise1
Feb 16, 2014, 3:36 am

# 9



I enjoyed the reading very much. I like the main character Bruno Courrèges the chief of police at St. Denis in the departement of Périgord. He is very fond of everybody in his community and tries to protect them as well to help them in different situations. On the other hand he is sceptical to intruders. He is very gifted for changing his boss' opinon but only for the best of everyone.
In this story American investors try to buy every vineyard of St. Denis. They take each instrument to be successful and even don't flinch from murdering. Bruno has got his hands full to solve this mystery but also to think about his love life which is more than complicated.
As in the first book of this serie wine and food are very important. Bruno is not only a wine connoisseur but also a fantastic Chef and he spoils his friends with gorgeous meals.


22Ameise1
Feb 23, 2014, 8:52 am

# 10



It took me a while to dip into the story because of the concise and strong spelling style which was switching from one event to the next one. Once, I became accustomed to it I wasn't able to put it away. What made me most impressed was the unimaginable corruption within the police department and the politic. The gangster had more or less free hand to deal with drugs, prostitution and blackmail and some of the police officers were playing alongside with them. There were only two police officers who tried to solve this state. They couldn't have been more opposed characters and through the most part of the story I've got the feeling that they were trying very hard to put each other obstacles in the way.
The story is very gripping and praise of James Ellroy's spelling style and historical knowledge a must-read.

23Ameise1
Feb 24, 2014, 4:21 am

# 11



It was an easy-going reading which I liked very much. Daniel Kelley writes short stories which are grabed of the real life. Those stories could be experienced by everybody. In this book five persons declare their love life. Some are looking back what could have happened if years ago they would have done another twist in their relationship. They are lost in their memories and are very happy when they are returning to their present life. Others are struggling with their actual life and would like to know what the future will bring them.

24Ameise1
Feb 27, 2014, 1:40 pm

# 12



As always I was very impressed how PD James builds up her stories. It's not the murder which is the centre of the plot, it's more an addition to the stories of all characters. PD James can outline all the characters so vividly and with a great love that you can get the feeling to have met them personally and have spent some time with them. In this story a journalist who went for a plastic surgery in a Manor (also a privat clinic) has been throttled. A few days later another person was killed, too. Adam Dalgliesh and his team had to solve the puzzles. The path to solve them led Dalgliesh's team to different places and life stories. Some of them were related to each other whereas some were unrelated. The outcome was a surprise especially the murderer's action and I was happy that Dalgliesh didn't let it stand like that but was searching for answers.

25Ameise1
Mar 2, 2014, 5:10 am

# 13



This was a fast reading. It tells a part of a family feud which is lasting over 100 years. Therefore the story is changing between the very early 20th century and nowadays. I was a little bit dispersed by this switching because I got the feeling that the main clue of the story wasn't introduced profoundly. There were hints of it but in my opinion other incidences of the past outweighed much more. In the end I was a little bit disappointed.
The spelling style is lovely and the part of the past is exciting but regrettably too little related to the present.

26Ameise1
Mar 3, 2014, 3:15 pm

# 14



I had to giggle during the reading because Adrian Mole is such a hopeless schlemiel. In his diary he tells his daily life as a single parent with crazy parents as well as friends or neighbours and his disturbed sex and love life. Sometimes I've got the feeling the only normal humans in this story are his two sons. He depends on social service and is living in a council house. He feels that he is responsible for everything and everybody but it looks like nobody is doing the same for him.

27Ameise1
Mar 7, 2014, 7:40 am

# 15



That was my first book of the Maisie Dobbs Mystery serie, but definitely not the last one. I like this kind of cosy mystery. I love the character of Maisie Dobbs. She is caring for the people next to her and very tough and specific in the way of her investigations. She is a person who won't let up a lead and therefore can be uncomfortably for her counterpart. She sees a murderer not only as a evil person but also as a victim of his life. As a side-effect I love it when a woman is a step ahead of her male colleagues.

Chemical and biological weapons are parts of this story. What gives to think to me mostly is the fact that the development of those weapons were tested with human beings and nowadays they are still tested with creatures. In my simple understanding as a citizen of the world, I thinks it's unforgivable that those terrible weapons still are produced and used.

28Ameise1
Mar 9, 2014, 9:17 am

# 16



This is a typical Dan Brown story. It's very fast-paced, the evil one is an insider and a little romance isn't left out. The key can only be found in the very last second. The story is placed in the USA as well as Spain. The BIG spy machine which is spying on emails, sms and phone calls is infected. To stop the destruction a key has to be found.

The most funniest thing during the reading was that in the book everybody tries to protect the fact that NSA is able to read and listen everything and everywhere. Well, the same exclamation is actually now going around the globe. Presidents all over the world are accusing the USA for spying on their personal phone etc.. Sometimes I have the feeling that most people are really ignoramuses. Why don't they know that all those different communication mediums can be watched.

29Ameise1
Mar 15, 2014, 10:59 am

# 17



This was a very gripping reading. A tycoon, his wife and some of the staff are murdered whereas his sons and other members of the staff got badly injured. It looked like it was an inside affair but because most people of the household were dead or injured, it made it difficult for Peter Decker and his team to find the solution of this case. It was the way how to solve this puzzle which gave me the eagerness and therefore I had to read it straight through. There were such a lot of twists and turns that it kept me guessing until the very last page.

30Ameise1
Mar 22, 2014, 11:52 am

# 18



That was a very interesting reading. It's something like the old Greek mythology but put into nowadays. The patriarch had a stroke and is dying. He isn't able to speak anymore and he won't contact his family or his visitor with his eyes, but he thinks, or is he dreaming, that he can fully understand everybody and knows what is going on in his house. All family members and two strangers are returning home. Each of them has their own problems which are related to each other or which are in use from no person other than the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes. Hermes is the narrator of this story and takes only small influence in this plot whereas his father Zeus, like in the old Greek mythology, is begetting a child with one of the characters. During this story everybody is telling his view of the relationship to each other and that he is searching for sympathy from the others. Sometimes I've got the feeling that everybody is very self-seeking and that there isn't much empathy for others.

31Ameise1
Mar 29, 2014, 10:46 am

# 19



This was my first paranormal shapeshifter's story and before I started to read it, I wasn't sure if I'll like it. Now, I've to admit that it was a magnificent reading with a lot to giggle. In some way it reminds me of the Stephanie Plum's serie. Both main female characters have got the same attitude of solving a mystery as well as a complicated love life.

In this story Sookie is confronted with an old family feud as well as to be wedded to a vampire. Luckily she has got a lot of friends within the vampires and the shifters but also from the good fairies which are helping her to solve the puzzle as well as to protect her life.


32Ameise1
Apr 5, 2014, 9:51 am

# 20



I love the DCI Loimer's serie very much. It's not only that he and his team have to solve a puzzle but also his private life gets enough room. It makes him so human.
In this case some players, a referee and a journalist were murdered. Will someone bring Glasgow's football club Kelvin to fall? DCI Lorimer was on his way back from his holiday when he met the first victim's wife on a ferry. Henceforward his investigations take him deeper into the football scene with all its corruption, jealousy and hope.
It was a very gripping reading and it kept me guessing until the very last page who the evil one was.

33Ameise1
Apr 13, 2014, 11:20 am

# 21



It took me a length to drop into the story and it wasn't an easygoing reading. I was very often confused about all the subjects which were leading the plot. There were bipolar disorder, conflicts and exploitations of in-migrants, complicated love lives and family matters as a dying father, a demented grandmother and learning secrets about a dead mother. In my opinion the introduction and links of all those subjects haven't been so straight. Only in the last quarter of the story the reading went fluently and made for me some sense.

34Ameise1
Apr 18, 2014, 5:12 pm

# 22



It was a very gripping and fast-paced reading. I love Baldacci's stories. This was my first one of the King-Maxwell series and it won't be the last one I'll read. In this story a lot of different family stories are told especially the different kind of love and protective instinct within those families. Some are based on jealousy, others on revenge and others on keeping power. Sean King and Michelle Maxwell have their hands full trying to solve the cases and bring the evil ones to justice.

35Ameise1
Edited: Apr 20, 2014, 5:16 pm

# 23



I'm a huge fan of the DI Joe Faraday' series and that one didn't disappointed me neither. DI Joe Faraday keeps himself more in the background and his younger colleague Jimmy Suttle is doing the most work up front. They are facing not only the homicides of two young people but also the murders of persons which are related to Faraday's nemesis Bazza Mackenzie. Mackenzie has got help in an ex-cop and Faraday's ex-colleague Paul Winter. Winter holds the threads and clues in his hands and therefore it's not only difficult for Faraday and his team to solve the puzzles but also to lay the blame on Mackenzie.
It was a very fast-paced and gripping reading and let me guess until the very last page.

36Ameise1
Apr 26, 2014, 7:56 am

# 24



It was a nice reading. The plot is very well set, also some times I got the feeling it is a bit too far-fetched and it tends to bad guys / good guys thriller. A graduate from a law college is under a blackmail pressure by some dubious persons. Therefore he takes a job as an associate in a big law firm in New York. He feels very uncomfortable with the task to steal confidential documents from his employer. He gets the ability to detect his shadows and all the equipments which were tailing him and he tries to turn over the rules. With the help of his lawyer and different security agencies he was able to send off his persecutors.
I have to admit that I miss a proper end because it is still open for which side the blackmailers are working.


37Ameise1
Edited: Apr 28, 2014, 8:48 am

# 25



That was a very gripping reading. It tells the story how a father is looking for his teenage daughter who didn't turn up after work and everybody, he is asking about her whereabouts, turns him down. He fears the worst case and on his searching path there are more dead people than he wishes to have them. The police isn't much of a help and he is mostly on his own. Only his ex-wife and her new lover are helping him. During his investigation he stumbles across human trafficking and he gets nearly shot several times. It let me guess until the very last page how the outcome would be.

38Ameise1
Apr 28, 2014, 11:39 am

# 26



That was the second book from this author which I've read. Whereas I enjoyed frequency very much, I've to admit that I don't like this one. Why I give it two stars? I like the spelling style, how the plot is leading to the result. The plot itself is not my genre and in my opinion it is too unrealistic. It has nothing to do with fantasy and I can't put it within thriller or mystery. I really have no clue where I should put it.


39Ameise1
Apr 30, 2014, 6:33 am

# 27 Audiobook



I love Jeffrey Archer's books, also his fiction books have some historical background and he is a master to embed it into a story. In this case the historical background is 9/11 and its aftermath. The places in this plot are NY, England and Japan. Two picture gatherers are hunting the same Van Gogh self-portrait. One of them is an admirer with good intention and the other one is an evil one who not only will keep this drawing away from the public but also likes to destroy the previous owner's reputation and life. In the middle of those two a female broker tries to protect the owner's life and the self-portrait.
It's very fast-paced and gripping and it takes a lot of turns and twists which make the story so interesting. It kept me guessing until the very end.



40Ameise1
Apr 30, 2014, 2:56 pm

# 28



It was a very enjoyable reading. It took me a while to get accustomed to all the characters. They were introduced from the beginning but it was a bit jumping around. The most difficulty I had with Kate and Karen. Both names are so similar and that got me sometimes confused.
It's the history of all the characters, how they are related to each other, which is very complicated, and what they are doing for a living. It's very well written and I couldn't put it away. I would call it more a cosy mystery even though the homicide and events from the past aren't very nicely. The idea that the main characters are all females strikes me well.

41Ameise1
Edited: May 6, 2014, 1:46 pm

# 29



This is the last book of the L.A. Quartet series. I enjoyed all four books. This one is following up without much time difference to L.A. Confidential and therefore all main characters are the same ones. This story is closing the unimaginable corruption within the police department, the jealousy between some major players within the LAPD and how one detective/lawyer is trying to solve some of the main puzzles and could go away with his criminal acts to live a peaceful life far away. They are his memories of all actions which are written down.

42Ameise1
May 9, 2014, 1:34 pm

# 30



This is a very caring written story about a young Irish woman who hasn't found work in her home country and therefore emigrated to Brooklyn. This was arranged by her older sister and an Irish priest from Brooklyn was taking her under his wing. He organised where she could live, where she could work and also the night classes in a college. After the first homesickness and with the help of 'good angels' she soon became familiar with the life of her new place. She met an Italian fellow and fell in love with him.
Unfortunately, there was a death at her family place and after finishing her studies she returned back to Irland. There everybody tried to wed her. She had to decide staying in Irland or going back to her new life in Brooklyn.
I loved the reading very much and can strongly recommend it.

43Ameise1
May 13, 2014, 3:50 pm

# 31



This is a wonderful and thoughtful written family story. It's written in a kind of retrospective from each family member. The most interesting thing is that the offspring's point of view, how their childhood and the family life were, is very much related to each other whereas the adult's view is completely different rather like a misty-eyed one.
There is also a family secret, nobody is speaking about, but everybody knows about it. Only in the end the offspring is discussing this matter. There is a major solidarity among the offspring which helps them to be independent. A death in the family brings all members together and is also a restart.

44Ameise1
May 18, 2014, 12:05 pm

# 32



This reading took me in from the first page. It was very gripping and I never knew if the plot is crazy like the people on this island or if it could be true. It's brilliantly written and I couldn't put it away.
A marshal is on this island looking for an evader. His partner is helping him and even though it's the first time they are working together there is a strong feeling of care among them. A hurricane hits the island and it's then when the story takes another turn. Suddenly I wasn't sure anymore who are the good guys and who the evil ones. The outcome was a major surprise which I never thought of.


45PaperbackPirate
Edited: May 19, 2014, 8:17 pm

I loved Shutter Island and was totally shocked by the ending!

46Ameise1
May 20, 2014, 3:04 am

Hi PP, me too and what has me astounded most, that it took only two pages for this shocking end.

47Ameise1
May 24, 2014, 10:23 am

# 33



This is a fantastic cosy mystery set in a little town near London. The manager from a department store was found murdered with arsenic. DCI Richard Hayward and his team have to solve the puzzle. It isn't an easy task because the dead man has been hated by everybody and therefore everyone was quite happy about his death and aren't very forthcoming in helping the police. DCI Hayward has his own method of solving a mystery which isn't always acceptable with his surrounding.
Next to the professional business he has also some familiar matters to struggle with. His young wife is due to deliver their first child and his DS is hopelessly fallen in love with his sister-in-law.


48Ameise1
May 25, 2014, 2:55 pm

# 34



What an enjoyable cosy mystery! I never had to giggle so much as during this reading. Mercy Watts who is from time to time working as a nurse but is also the daughter of a famous police officer is regularly dropping a clanger. She is with her mum, aunt and a friend on a so called 'girl vacations' which turns out to be far away from being a relaxed one. She tries to protect the daughter of a famous crime boss. During her investigation who is trying to harm the lady Mercy stumbles across other incidents which should be solved as well. Luckily, she has help from Aaron who is is able to appear like a ghost but also can cook fantastically and keeps everybody fed.
It's a book I can strongly recommend.

49Ameise1
May 30, 2014, 9:22 am

# 35



This a a fast-paced, gripping and breathtaking reading. The group of seven, heirs of very important SS leaders, are trying to fix a energy bridge between now and 1940 to send their ancestors the most important news, so that they could win the war and the whole history would turn into another direction. For this mission they need the knowledge of the Templar as well as the Holy Grail. An US army sergeant found a medallion which is the key for the location of the Holy Grail. The group of seven is hunting him. With the help of a woman and her ex-English professor who was serving the British M5, the trio is trying to stop the evil ones but time is running very short.


50Ameise1
Jun 7, 2014, 9:13 am

# 36



What a wonderful reading! The story takes place in Tokyo from the Eve of 1944 until March 1945. The main character is stumbling between different worlds. First, his Japanese world full of traditions but in the middle of two wars and secondly the love to a half French woman with her ancestor's heritage of European lifestyle and literature. He is writing poems and stories about authors. It's difficult for him to find work, so that he would be able to support his family. His father is fallen in disgrace and therefore unable to earn money. His mother is very ill. His friends are turning away from him. He is lucky that he could escape from the military service due to his illness. He derives comfort from the daughter of a French man. They fall in love, get separated, find each other again only to lose each other due to the war.
It's brilliantly written with a lot of love for the characters and all the details.

51Ameise1
Jun 9, 2014, 4:22 am

# 37



It was a fast-paced reading. I like the idea with the time travel machine. Unfortunately, I have the feeling there is a major interruption between the part where they solve the problem with the multiple Aunt Paradox and the second part where Reeves and Worcester's life is involved. I have to admit that this disruption isn't taken to a great length and soon everything makes sense again but nevertheless I'm bothered with it.

52Ameise1
Jun 20, 2014, 1:33 pm

# 38



What a fantastic story. It was gripping from the first until the very last page. The centre is a very ancient chess which was created in the 13th century with a major secret enwrought in the chess board. Since then different people were trying to decrypt the message but it looks like nobody was able to do so. All people which were involved in those Games have taken a part of a chessman. The Games could be fatal and power was very important. The story is switching between nowadays and earlier times and that made the reading very enthralling.
A young woman from the present had to solve the puzzle. Unfortunately, she never knew whom she could trust and that made the task very complicated for her. By and by other players showed up and suddenly old enemies were turning into reliable accomplices whereas friends showed their true faces and had to be shunned.

53Ameise1
Jun 22, 2014, 4:06 pm

# 39



This was a fast-paced reading. In the beginning I was just collecting loose ends as Jane Rizzoli was doing so. By and by I was able to put the pieces together. Nevertheless it was very enthralling.
The story is positioned in Boston's Chinatown even though the evil ones aren't Chinese. From the very beginning all characters are in position and therefore it makes the guessing so interesting. The main question is who has abducted all the young girls many years ago and why? There is old Chinese mythology involved as well as western crime.

54Ameise1
Jun 29, 2014, 8:47 am

# 40



This was a completely other Forsyth than I've read before. It contains five stories which have one in common: justice for the little man. In the first story The Veteran the police is searching for the identity of a victim and to put the responsible persons behind the bars. Unfortunately, a famous lawyer is freeing the two evil ones, but the end serves justice. The Art of the Manner shows how simple people came to their money. Important art dealers are beaten at their own game. It's a very amusing story. The Miracle is a story with a religious touch. A miracle which took place 1944 in Siena and nobody is able to explain how this events could have taken place The Citizen shows that the best planning for a crime always has a hole. It took me until the very last page to find out the puzzle - very well written. Last but not least Whispering Wind which is starting 1876 and is leading the main character into 1977. Ben Craig is a scout who serves under General Custer at the Little Bighorn (06-25-1876) where he helps a young Cheyenne girl flee from the soldiers and where he finds her soul again 100 years later. It's a wonderful story.

55Ameise1
Jul 6, 2014, 9:33 am

# 41



It was an easy-going reading, Unfortunately, it was not so gripping. There were parts which were drawn to length and also the plot wasn't too enthralling. A so called meteoric stone should save the poll for the acting president but everything is faked and good scientists had to die and it took a long time until the evil ones got their pain. A lot of action were too obvious and therefore took the story's suspense.

56Ameise1
Jul 14, 2014, 10:02 am

# 42



I read the sequel earlier and because I liked it very much I bought this one. I'm glad that I did so many things are much more clear now. It was a very fast-paced reading. The secrets are located in the past (1350 years ago) on the Isle of Wight. There was born a boy who couldn't speak but was addicted to write down names and dates of birth and death. After WWII this hidden library was found but the English government asked the US government to take this library over. Therefore the Areal 51 in the desert of Nevada was built. Unfortunately, there was a leak and 9 people died in New York. Nobody was able to find out the relationship between these cases of death. Will Paper and his partner Nancy Lipinski tried to solve the puzzle.

57Ameise1
Jul 19, 2014, 10:40 am

# 43



This was a fast-paced thriller which introduces the Nic Heller series. In this book Nic Heller has to struggle not only with his employer but also with his family. His brother is making racketeering with the help of his wife and their father who was imprisoned also for the same thing. Nic Heller isn't corruptible and luckily he has friends who are helping him.
It's a breathtaking plot and let me guess until the very last page.

58Ameise1
Jul 20, 2014, 2:59 pm

# 44



This book contains several short stories. Earlier I read from all those stories Annabelle and Alice in Wonderland which I liked very much. In each story the main character is a very special person (deranged, old and lonely, mentally disordered, psychical stressed or just to be at the wrong time at the wrong place). There is a lot of love for each main character and they are described with care. The spelling style in each story is very gripping. It's fast-paced and the outcome is never obvious in the beginning.

59Ameise1
Jul 26, 2014, 5:32 pm

# 45



This is the first from the Joe Pickett series. It's an interesting start into a new serie. Joe is working as a game warden. He lives with his family (his pregnant wive and two daughters) in a small house in Twelve Sleep County. He isn't working there since a long time. Unfortunately he trusts people who are working with him but are on the evil side. They lay a lot of stones in his way and he is very close to lose his job but with his stubbornness he is able to solve the puzzle.

60Ameise1
Aug 2, 2014, 1:24 pm

# 46



This was a quick fast-paced reading. John O'Hara is struggling with his personal life and therefore he got suspended. A very wealthy man is hiring him to investigate the murder of his son and daughter-in-law during their honeymoon. Soon it was clear that a serial killer is doing his work because other newlyweds which are on their honeymoon got killed, too. A second mistery which is starting to be solved by Sarah Brubaker turns out to be another serial killing. Only people who are called John O'Hara were killed. Therefore John and Sarah joined each other for sovling the puzzles.


61Ameise1
Aug 2, 2014, 1:34 pm

# 47



This is a perfectly abstract of the Shakespeare play. I bought this because I will see the play at the Globe in London and I needed a short insight of the story. This book is written for children with wonderful illustrations. It's the story of Mark Antony and Cleopatra told from the view of Servius who is Antony's bodyguard. During the reading all my history knowledge came back. It's written simple but with a lot of care.

62Ameise1
Aug 24, 2014, 9:11 am

# 48



Wow, what an enthralling reading. Even though with 868 pp it takes its time reading it, it's worth every minute. I dropped very quickly into the story and felt like being a part of it. Sometimes I had the feeling I would like to be Theo's guardian angel, trying to keep him away from bad moves. On the other hand all other main characters were challenging figures, too and the interactions among them were fascinating.

63Ameise1
Aug 31, 2014, 10:08 am

# 49



This was an easygoing reading. A bunch of people were invited by a very rich and self-centred man for some wine degustations at his vast home. A journalist who is also an amateur detective and her friend as a photographer were there to make a big story for a wine magazine. Already before the degustation's weekend as well during and after the event there were several murders which soon made clear that they were related to each other. Half away through the story it was clear who the evil ones were and therefore the suspence was unfortunately broken. The second part wasn't so gripping anymore.

64Ameise1
Sep 13, 2014, 5:36 am

# 50



What a wonderful reading. It's very difficult in which genre I should put it. Is it a fairy tale for adults or more a fiction? It could also be a very realistic story packed in a fairy tale. From the beginning the reader is put into another world, whithout a clue in which date he is landed and at what place. It could be almost everywhere on this planet. The central theme is the story between a young man and his female mentor who leeds the young man into adulthood. Amongst other things they are reading stories to each other. The meaning of those stories are very important to them but also for us because they show how people are living and working together and how peace among everybody could and should be and how it could be maintained or gained. At this so called peaceful place where this young man spends his special winter season, is smouldering displeasure among those wise women and there are some major conflicts which the young men shouldn't know about it. The outcome is a big surprise because finally the timeline where this story is set, is declared. I never would have guessed it.
I can strongly recommend this book because the central theme regards everybody.

This book will be released on the 6th of November 2014.

65Ameise1
Sep 13, 2014, 1:36 pm

# 51



This was a very fast-paced gripping reading. I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. A man trapped in the mourning of his brother is on a trip in the Pyrenees to consult a librian who should translate a letter which is written in an ancient language. Before the librian will translate this letter the man has to explain how he came across it. Kate Mosse is a master to put historical facts into a novella. In this case the background of this story is based on the Christian heresy now referred to as Catharism which took place in the 12th/13th century.
I read a lot of books about Catharism and this one I enjoyed very much.

66Ameise1
Sep 15, 2014, 12:45 pm

# 52



This was a fast-paced reading about a private detective in Chicago. When he is hired from an old girlfriend he is stumbling across scheming in politic but also within the police. He has not only to solve the puzzle but also to keep himself out of all those feuds. His work is like a balancing act on a high wire with one foot always in the abyss.
It was a gripping reading.

67Ameise1
Oct 6, 2014, 4:45 pm

# 53



It was a very interesting reading but not so fast-paced I'm used to. It's a kind of a diary about the live of an American-Mexican citizen which describes his life with Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Lev Trotsky with all the busy and turbulent time during communism and how the USA was thinking about it. Also it's a fiction the historical part of thoses events are true. It took me in the maelstrom of the historical facts and therefore I loved the reading also at some times I had the feeling that it was too protacted.


68Ameise1
Oct 11, 2014, 3:28 pm

# 54



This was a fantastic reading. Although the author claims it is a fiction but this house does really exist. The real history of this house which is called Villa Tugendhat (in the story it's called Villa Landauer) is strongly related to Mawer's story. A young married couple, he is Jewish and she is German, commissioned to build this villa which was based on the plan of a German architect. This took place in 1929. In this house there took place a lot of artistic events. The young couple wasn't able to live a very long time in this house due to the WWII. They emigrated to the USA. During the war this house became a scientific labour and after the war it was a children's physiotherapy center who were fallen ill with the polio. In the late 60s it was turned into a museum.
The story is written with a lot of love for all the characters and the time before and during the war as well the time of the Iron Curtain.

69Ameise1
Oct 15, 2014, 7:11 am

# 56



This was a very interesting reading. It starts with two Irish boys who will later go to New York. The main setting takes place in different parts of NY with there residents of different social backgrounds. What me struck most was how the author linked all those different characters to a whole. First they are each introduced in someone else 'biography' but with every new chapter each protagonist gets his own view of the events.
It was a fast-paced reading and I loved it until the very last page.


70Ameise1
Oct 16, 2014, 7:45 am

# 57



I was really disappointed from this book. I had expected something completely different when I read the introduction of this book but it is merely about sex, lust and desire. The plot itself which was introduced on LT but also on amazon could have been written within ten pages.

71Ameise1
Oct 19, 2014, 12:03 pm

# 58



This was an easygoing fast-paced reading. The plot was fascinating due to how the murders have been done. There were several stories linked to each other and everything started in the past but unfortunately with a lot of misapprehensions and ignorance. It was looking like time was running out and only at the very end it was clear how all links were related.
It was very gripping and I liked it.

72Ameise1
Nov 2, 2014, 9:41 am

# 59



This was my second Tóibín's reading and I liked it very much. This is a book full of short stories. What all the main characters have in common is that they have a special family background, childhood or adolescence and also some of them are gay. The scenery where the stories are taking place are Ireland or Spain (mostly Barcelona). In any case, there is a lot of love for each protagonist and his story. It's written very carefully and as a reader I got soon the impression to be familiar with all of them.

73Ameise1
Nov 4, 2014, 12:11 pm

# 60 Audiobook



This was a very pleasant listening because it wasn't a reading by one person, it was like a theatre with different actors. Secondly, the plot itself was very gripping and diverting there was no second of boredom. Thirdly, the whole story takes place on a small island and is therefore manageable. Fourthly, even though I had the feeling who was the evil one it let me guess a very long time with all the turns and twists.

74Ameise1
Nov 19, 2014, 10:39 am

# 61 Audiobook



It was gripping from the very first sentence. There are two crimes which are going on side by side. Whereas in one case a team is trying to solve the puzzle the other case is worked undercover. Both detectives which are responsible aren't aware that their cases are related to each other and therefore they get into big danger. When time goes by both become aware of having a mole amongst the police department. Even tough as a listener I could see how they had to struggle for solving the cases it let me guess until the very end about the outcome.


75Ameise1
Nov 22, 2014, 2:51 pm

# 62



It was an easy reading. Sometimes I had the feeling that some parts of the story could have been shorten but nevertheless I enjoyed it. Virgil Flowers has to chase an ancient stele which was smuggled to his district from Israel illegal. Several parties are interested to put their hand on this artefact and Flowers is rather occupied to find out whom he can trust and whom he should put behind the bars. Sometimes he is acting unconventionally especially when his 'lady friend' Ma is involved.

76Ameise1
Nov 30, 2014, 6:57 am

# 63



This is a lovely cosy mystery which is set in the Victorian age. The main character who was himself once a pickpocket and now is working as a detective for a lawyer is draw back to work underground and is faced by his old nemeses as well as old friends. He has to solve a mystery which includes not only the underworld but also the upper-class as well the Queen and her husband. The spelling style is absolutely gorgeous because there are parts of street language as well as the proper English.

77Ameise1
Dec 7, 2014, 8:22 am

# 64



This was a very gripping listening. The first two-thirds was from the view of Holly who is suffering from a bipolar disorder. During her manic stage she was going out with men she didn't no, she bought a sculpture for a little fortune and lost a lot of money in a poker game. Her best friend Mel and her husband Charlie weren't able to stop her nor to help her. They thought that the only way to get her out would be a stay in a mental hospital which Holly refused to go first. When Holly was drifting into the depression she tried to kill herself by a pill overdose.
The last third is narrated by Mel who found out who drove Holly into all the mess and who was trying to kill her.
The outcome of the story let me guess until the very last sentence.

78Ameise1
Dec 7, 2014, 1:27 pm

# 65



This book contains 11 short stories which have in common that the narrators have something to hide, to reveal or were once struggling a personal failure in their relationships. Each story is written like a story within a story. As a reader I always had the feeling that it starts very harmless - nothing to worry about the narrators or their surroundings but with the time being I was surprised what kind of history the narrators had to tell and with each new story I couldn't wait what kind of human fate would be released.

79Ameise1
Dec 9, 2014, 12:26 pm

# 66



As it should be it is a cosy mystery with Hercule Poirot in action. I liked the listening very much because it is a BBC Radio Drama and therefore with all those different players and voices it makes it very vividly. Poirot is helping to solve an old mystery so that a new generation finds peace and is able to move on with its future life.
It was very gripping and it let me guess a long time how the outcome would be.

80Ameise1
Dec 13, 2014, 7:02 am

# 67



This was a lovely listening. It was my first McCall Smith's story but won't be the last one. First it took me some time to get the clue, that different everyday events are told which seem to be related to each other or are taking place at the same locality. Furthermore I loved the idea that those events were told by characters from different ages. I loved all of them and the children's view, especially Bertie's one, is adorable. I had the feeling to sit amongst them as an observer and being a part of this community.

81Ameise1
Dec 19, 2014, 10:11 am

# 68



It was a quick listening. First I had that feeling that I won't like it because it was too violent but by the time I got to like it. There were different stories behind this story. A police officer's husband was murdered and her children were being taken hostage. An islamic terror group has taken a MP hostage and with him a lot of innocent people and a father and former soldier was looking for revenge.

82Ameise1
Dec 19, 2014, 10:43 am

# 69



This is a fantastic story. I loved the reading very much. It's written with a lot of love for the characters. There are two stories within one story which are related to each other in many ways. Both women had lost their only child. The first one because it was taken from her when her little son was three years old in 1933 and the other one lost her unborn child when she got involved in an accident (nowadays). The younger woman is a journalist and she got the task to write a story about a late snowstorm in May which is called Blackberry Winter. During her research she found out that such a snowstorm took place in 1933 and that a little boy went missing. When she started to look into this case she wasn't aware that that story is very close related to her story.


83Ameise1
Dec 19, 2014, 12:19 pm

# 70



This is a wonderful short story about a woman and man who would like to put an end to their affair. Both are married to somebody else. Whereas one marriage will end the other one will restart after their daughter went to college.
Both involved persons are rehearsing how to tell the other part that their affair is over. The writing is very loveable and in some parts I had to giggle loud.
The outcome is a surprise.

84Ameise1
Dec 21, 2014, 4:24 pm

# 71



This book is a must-read. The language is so strong and colourful. I wasn't able to put it aside. It's the story about a house and a landscape which saw a lot of different inhabitants starting before WWII and ending nowadays. It's the story from a Jewish family who lost this house due to WWII but also the stories from people who were living in East Germany. There was a gardener who seemed the only one who had met all those different residents and also was the only one who knew how to care for the landscape and the wishes of every new owner. Alternately their is a chapter about the gardener and a resident. In each chapter there is the whole story of the person, where she/he cames from, his profession, all his family links, his love life, his anxieties and happiness. It's written with a great love and understanding for each character.

85Ameise1
Dec 25, 2014, 9:57 am

# 72



What a formidable reading. It's a kind of a fictional autobiography about the author's childhood and teenage years which she spent in Japan, China, New York, Bangladesh and Laos due to her father being a Belgian diplomat.
She describes the enormous hunger she had not only for food but also for experience, for life, for sweetness, for books and for hunger due to her afflicton of anorexia during her teenage years.
She is telling the story in a speedily way and as a reader it's sometimes difficult to keep up with her pace.
The spelling style is vividly and I couldn't put it away. It's a story which I can strongly recommend.

86Ameise1
Dec 27, 2014, 3:46 pm

# 73



This was an easy and fast-paced reading. The story is set in the wonderful world of Regency England. It's a love story which explains that there are no barrier when true love has to succeed. What I liked most was the fact that the woman was so inventive.

87Ameise1
Dec 28, 2014, 11:20 am

# 74



First I wasn't so excited. I rather thought that will be a bored reading and therefore I was a bit disappointed because usually I like this serie. From the middle away I was disabused because the story turned for the better and I had to snort with laughter what crazy stuff Stephanie and her takers were doing. Only the thought of getting a horse into a lift and what can happen made me giggle.
In the end I have to admit that it was a very funny story.

88Ameise1
Dec 29, 2014, 12:36 pm

# 75



This was a fantastic listening. First, the story takes place in my home town Zürich. Second, the reading is a mix between German and Yiddish and I love this kind of mixed language. Third, it gaves a kind of insight how marriages are arranged in the Jewish culture. Wolkenbruch's mother is trying to find a wife for him. However, he has other plans for his life. Therefore he doesn't buy new galsses anymore from a Jewish shop, he doesn't like to wear black and white clothes and to the dismay of his family he is deeply in love with a non Jewish girl. He is struggling with his feelings for his family and a free life of convention.

89PaperbackPirate
Dec 29, 2014, 11:53 pm

Hooray you made it to 75!!!

90Ameise1
Dec 30, 2014, 4:05 am

Thanks so much PP. I hope you'll be back in 2015 too.