Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben

Three words to describe this book: Witty, tense and satisfying

It was Harlan Coben that first got me interested in mystery thriller books after reading his first novel Play Dead about 3 or 4 years ago. Since then, I seek out his books when I want to read a good mystery.

I picked up Deal Breaker during one of my trips to Oxfam and as you can probably tell, it was a bargain! The book is about ex sports star, now sports agent Myron Bolitar trying to uncover the truth about Kathy, a young girl who went missing over a year ago and who everyone thinks is dead, until now.

The sarcastic personality of Myron is enough to keep you reading, even when the plot slows down a bit half way through. His seemingly fearless attitude and witty comebacks towards even his biggest threats adds humour to the occasionally grim story.

Alongside the main plot of the search to find out what happened to the missing girl, Myron is fighting his feelings for ex-partner Jessica who is also the sister of Kathy. I liked that the book had a bit of romance, even if it what happened was a bit predictable.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and contained all of the twists and turns that a mystery should. By the end of the book, all of pieces start coming together and questions get answered. It didn't leave me feeling shocked like some mysteries do, but I would still recommend it.  

5 reasons why I like George Orwell

1)      1984

Although this is a predictable way to begin my reasons, this is the book that began my interest in George Orwell and is still my favourite book 3 years on. From the first page I was captivated by his way with words and ability to make a fantasy world scarily realistic.

2)      His dissatisfaction with the world

Not content with society and the middle class, Orwell used writing to communicate his observations as well as making people think about the control and influence that the mass media has. I like that he wrote for a purpose, which in my opinion he does in an entertaining way.

3)      The influence he still has today 

I like that Orwell’s views are still relevant and that his writing is still discussed decades later but it isn't in an over the top and tiresome way. The fact that he invented important terms such as Cold War, Room 101 and Big Brother is just evidence of his original thoughts.

4)      He coined the term ‘Big Brother’

Despite this phrase most commonly being associated with the reality TV show, the expression which was first used in ‘1984’ for the dictator of totalitarian state Oceania which was constantly under surveillance by cameras. This prediction of what life would be like is worryingly accurate when you think of all the cctv cameras about.

5)      His rules of writing

In his 1946 essay ‘Politics and the English Language’, Orwell writes 6 rules of writing which emphasise the importance of keeping writing simple which is sometimes something that is easily forgotten at the sake of sounding clever.

These are the rules from his essay:

i.                     Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

ii.                   Never use a long word where a short one will do.

iii.                  If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

iv.                 Never use the passive where you can use the active.

v.                   Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

vi.                 Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann

Three words to describe this book: Clever, alluring and enjoyable

Walking past a British Heart Foundation shop, I was very happy to see this book displayed in the window. It is a book that I have wanted to read for months, but I considered it to be quite expensive when I had my Kindle. So I was even more overjoyed to see that it was just £1!

This Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller is based on the deceptively perfect lives of Nick, her cousin Helena and all of the people that are closest to them. The story is centred around several important events between the 1944 and 1969 from the different perspectives of the five main characters. As you delve further into the story, pieces start to come together in an unexpected, shocking and slightly disturbing way.

Initially the book fools you into thinking that it is about the glamorous lives of Nick and Helena, and their long hot summers spent at Tiger House filled with enviable parties and cocktails but as the story develops, it takes a serious turn with murder and drugs.

It is rare in a story to get such an in depth insight into the feelings and motives behind so many characters, but it is something that Liza Klaussmann does very effectively with each character playing a crucial role throughout.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a book with the themes of a typical chick lit but with a little edge.