Book Review – Dangerous Curves by Peter Cheyney

A private detective is hired by a woman to find her missing stepson she admits she hates.  He employs deception and disinformation to achieve his means.  There are many twists and turns in the story.

It was written in 1939 when all the characters are heavy smokers, particularly the detective who chain smokes his way through the narrative.  Such a practice would not take place today when the health issues are known.  I would not nave expected him to survive into old age.

This is an intriguing tale told by a master thriller writer.

 

Keith Jahans

 

Available as an ebook, paperback and in hardcover

Rice Feeding

I was honoured to be invited by two friends from Nepal to attend the Rice Feeding ceremony for their baby Thea.

In Nepal when a baby girl reaches 5 months she will be weaned off milk and start to be fed solid food.  This involves a ceremony whereby the baby is bathed in milk.  In Nepal they use sheep milk but as our friends and their baby are living in the UK they used diluted cows milk.  After the baby is bathed she is dressed in traditional clothes as are the parents and grandparents.  Myself and my partner stood in for the absent grandparents as they are in Nepal (they live in kathmandu).

During the ceremony the baby is presented with toys and a tiny amount of loose money.  The toys represent items that my indicate what will be her occupation once she grows up ( a stethascope to signify a doctor, a pen to signify a writer etc.)  A similar ceremony is carried out for baby boys but at 6 months as boys mature slightly later.  Our friends are Hindu but this is different to the Hindu followed in India.

 

 

Temple Church

Hidden away near the Royal Courts of Justice and Fleet Street is an important historic building.  It has been here since the 12^th Century and was built by the Knights Templar.  The church was badly damaged during the bombing of London in 1941 but was later repaired to recreate its pre-world War II structure.

Within the churh lies the body of William Marshall who was chiefly responsible for negotiating the terms of the Magna Carta which forced King John to sign the terms on which every person in the UK’s human and legal rights are based.  These rights are still in forced today but have largely been made subservient to the anti-terrorism laws passed in the 20^th Century.

 

Keith Jahans

 

Temple Church

 

Effigies of William Marshall and his decedents
William Marshall’s effigy is top left

 

Statue of Templar Knight in Temple Church

 

Tomb

Book Review – Cop Hater by Ed McBain

Ed McBain invented the police procedural thriller.  I began reading his 87^th Precinct books in the late 1950s after watching the television series staring Robert Lancing, Norman Fell and Gina Rowlands.  Rowlands is a blond whereas in the novels her character has raven black hair but she portrays Lancing’s deaf-mute sweetheart beautifully.

Perpetrators, cops and the detective squad-room are realistically drawn.  The forensic procedures are dated against the modern use of DNA typing but they seem accurate for the time.  The wise cracking of the cops and the interrogation of the villains may the characters real.  McBain is an expert at conveying tension and mystery.  I have read a number of books in this series and can recommend each one as standing in their own right.

 

Keith Jahans

Available as an ebook, hardcover, paperback and audiobook

 

 

 

 

Book Review – When The Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridezen

This is an absorbing read narrating the thoughts of an old man as he nears the end of his life. I highly recommend it even though it brought tears to my eyes towards the end. Lisa Ridzen is a very accomplished writer.

 

Keith Jahans

 

Available as an ebook, audiobook and paperback

Book Review – The Turquoise Spider by Elizabeth Hunter-Payne

This book seems like a synopsis that a writer would submit to a publisher or agent. It has a good plot but has so much more potential to flesh the story out to turn it into a crime or mystery thriller.

As it is it makes a quick read but I wish the writer had the patience to develop it more as it would be a much better narative.

Keith Jahans

Available as a Kindle ebook.

 

Book Review – She Seduced Me. A love Affair with Rome by Mark Tedesco

I visited Rome on 16th November 2025 for just three days. I had visited the city at least three times before but this visit was the most recent and I wished I had bought this book before I went there.

It is not a conventional guide book but contains many insights into the modern and ancient city and includes anecdotes from Roman citizens, expats and tourists. I very much enjoyed the descriptions it contained and thoroughly recommend it to anyone wishing to visit this wonderful city.

Keith Jahans

 

Available as a kindle ebook and in paperback,

Book Review – The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith

A crime thriller about two private detectives’ efforts to take down a pseudo religious cult.  This is a compelling read and part of a series featuring a continuing pair of central characters.  The characters are well described especially the villains whose actions are particularly vicious.  The female member of the detective team infiltrates the cult and is subject to the same abuse as other cult members so much so that the reader is in constant fear for her safety.  The narrative kept me on tender hooks.

The only criticism I have is that the exposition near the end seemed overlong and complicated.  Perhaps the story might have benefited from including a short passage from the villains point of view.  I thoroughly recommend this book to all fans of detective thrillers.

Keith Jahans

 

Available as an ebook, paperback,
in hardcover or as an audiobook

 

Book Review – Murder at the Seven Dials by Cara Devlin

A police procedural thriller set in London in1819.  This novel is set in a time when the police service was in its infancy and London was policed by the Bow Street Runners.  The characters and the time of the story are expertly described.

Instead of forensic science the lady detective protagonist relies on the psychic ability she has of being able to view the details of the crime by touching the objects the murderer has left at the scene.  While this ability works to move the plot along I would have preferred her to use more conventional means of investigation.

The author has a great deal of knowledge of the attitudes and social standings of the time which add to the atmosphere of the narrative.  I found it an enjoyable and compelling read.

 

Keith Jahans

 

Available as a kindle ebook, in paperback,
hardcover and as an audiobook

 

 

 

Book Review – Black Widow: The true story of Giggling Granny Nannie Doss by Ryan Green

I do not usually read true crime stories but this one looked intriguing as femaile serial killers are rare.

Nannie Doss had an extremely unhappy childhood, abused and neglected by her parents.  Her escaped was to immerse herself into romantic novels.  This led her into a succession of unfulfilled marriages.  Her way out of each when they filled to live up to her expectations was to kill them, usually by poisoning.  She similarly disposed of members of her own family including a grandchild.

The author provides an insight into activities of an unrepentant serial killer who remained undetected for many years.  This is a sad story about a bitter woman and is worth a read.

 

Keith Jahans

 

Available as a kindle ebook, audiobook,
in hardcover and paperback.