The sixth lamentation - William Brodrick

Came across this author's first novel via an accidental conversation with a colleague. A fascinating read into the minds of a range if diverse characters - a Fransiscan monk (an ex lawyer) a Nazi collaborator, a death camp survivor, a woman who risked her life smuggling Jewish children out of Paris and a vast array of their families whose paths cross over the course of the novel.

While no actual historical link for the characters, they are based on people that Brodrick has come across or have links to his family.

The story moves across time periods from the Fall of Paris (1940) to the present day - and the final action is not fully revealed until the last page.

Circle Of Gold (Book of Time, book 3) by Guillaume Prévost & Send Simon Savage by Stephen Measday

Time travel books seem to be very popular at the moment (maybe they have never been out of fashion!

Circle of Gold completes the Book of Time trilogy.
Sam travels time in an attempt to rescue his father who is lost
somewhere in time AND prevent the death of his mother. Until he can control the time he arrives in, he can land anywhere, anytime and in any circumstance - in the middle of a battle, or the middle of a revolution. Action packed and fast-paced.

Send Simon Savage is obviously the first in a series to come. Simon Savage has also lost his father, a scientist who discovered the ability to travel through time. Simon is recruited to by a special government agency, to travel time trouble-shooting a range of problems.

If you like a snap-shot of historical events and eras these will interest you.

Monsters of men - Patrick Ness

The third of the Chaos Walking trilogy brings to a conclusion the conflict between the three groups that are vying for control of the 'new world'. We hear for the first time the 'noise' of the indigenous inhabitants, the 'spackle'. Todd and Viola continue to support the opposing forces of the Mayor Prentiss and Mistress Coyle in the hope that they can bring a negotiated peace with the three parties. Mankind's hunger for power and inability to bargain with integrity are key thematic concerns.
Fast-paced and unpredictable - I didn't want to it down until I'd finished.

Tom Robb Smith : Child 44 & The secret speech

These two have been on my shelf for a little while - but really enjoyed both books.

Crime fiction set against a background of Stalinist and post-Stalinist Russia - a fascinating look at the mentality that 'convinced' the Soviet people that they had a 'perfect' society.

Child 44 - how can there be a serial killer at work when there is no crime in this 'new Russia'? Leo, a Chekha agent grapples with this reality. For his efforts he (and his wife) is exiled to the outer regions of the state. With the assistance of the local militia (who are highly suspicious of an ex-agent) he works to solve the case.

The secret speech deals with Russia after Stalin's death and Kruschev's 'secret speech' denouncing all past actions of the secret police - putting agents like Leo at high risk. The close up look at a Siberian Gulag (prison camp) seems very real.

As an ex-history teacher I found both books kept my interest - both with their storyline and the social commentary - on the communist revolution, the state orphanges and 'welfare' system and the total fear of authority in particular.

Patrick Ness - The ask and the answer

Finally got round to reading the second instalment in the 'Chaos walking' series.
Action packed from the first chapter - pretty riveting reading. The parallels to historical events are very clear - segregation and branding (banding) - have clear links to racial cleansing of the not too distant past.
The bond between Todd and Viola is believable as are the lengths they go to in order to survive.
The underlying question of moral responsibility in a time of war, makes for a very thought provoking book - for a mature junior reader.

Let the right one in - John Ajvide Lindqvist

Mmmm - a vampire story - bleak and yet with some redemption - that leaves the Twilight saga for dead (for adults anyway). Modern day themes are interwoven with the ageless tale of the cult of the vampire.
A fascinating read - the movie must be scary!

Ship of Rome & Captain of Rome - John Stack

If you are a fan of action packed-historical fiction and love the world of Ancient Rome then John Stack is the author for you.

Both novels are set during the lead up to and in the Punic Wars (between Carthage and Rome) and signaled the beginning of the end for the ancient civilization of Carthage. Detailed accounts of Roman army and navy life make for fascinating reading - as does the fictional insights into the wheelings and dealings of Romans senators.

The main characters Septimus and Atticus represent both the ancient traditions of Rome and the new worlds of the empire - and naturally the tensions created by this mix. The final in the trilogy - Master of Rome - in 2011.