#13: The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell It is a testament to Henning Mankell's skill as a writer that a story that had the potential to be completely and ludicrously unbelievable (Swedish policeman gets involved in post-cold war Latvian political intrigue and goes undercover under a fake identity to save the day) somehow manages to be both convincing and entertaining. Once again it's the protagonist...

#12: The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indriðason While all Erlendur mysteries deal with how events in the past affect the present and how long-buried secrets can come back to haunt people, and usually the ones that deserve to leave it all behind, this particular one made me wish that it had had at least a B-story with something current in it. Yes, the story was sad and tragic, and as always, the book...

#11: Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin I am a little ashamed that it took me so long to finish this, as it's a well-researched, well-written biography that strikes just the right balance between presenting facts and offering commentary. My only excuse is that there were much flashier books around that were keeping me distracted (although I'm not really sure that 'flashy' is the right word for...

It took me a few days to finish #10: The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale, but this was mostly due to a busy week, not the quality or readability of the book. I really enjoyed this book. I love books by or about Victorians, I love detective stories, and I am fascinated by real-crime accounts. Three for the price of one, and told in an unobtrusive yet very engaging way. Throw in some...

Just read # 9: Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell I seem to recall seeing this book added to the new updated version of the 1001 books list, so for now I'll add it to the 1001 category. I'll double check in the morning and edit if necessary. Well, if it isn't on there, it should be, as it's more deserving than some of the books I've seen on that list. A very good read, very human, well fleshed...

I've just finished # 8: Frozen Tracks by Ake Edwardson Probably my favourite of the series so far. I will keep looking out for more of this series. Holy crap am I tired. Need to sleep NOW. Another hour at work to go though. Next up? Oh, I don't know, maybe I'll try a Scandinavian Crime Novel for a change

# 7: Never End by Ake Edwardson A decent read. A little run off the mill, but well crafted and suspenseful.

#6: 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill I did like this book, despite the fact that I don't normally go for short stories. I prefer novel as I enjoy getting drawn into the atmosphere of a story for a while, and short stories tend to be too short for that. That being said, I was really glad to get through some of these stories quickly- not because they were bad, which they weren't, but because they...

I'm still cold and thus procrastinating, so still reading. #5: Sun and Shadow by Ake Edwardson This is the second book I've read in the Erik Winter series, and both times I've been a little disappointed with the ending. The suspense seems to build and build for ages, and then the denouement happens so quickly and briefly that it's a bit of a let down. Still, I liked it well enough to look out...

While I've been trying to avoid cleaning the kitchen (it's cold there!) I've finished #4: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Cute. While I think that there are better slightly creepy books for the same age group ( Krabat springs to mind), it was a nice little read. It even had a vampire in it, so I'll count this as my first vampire book of the year, which is a bit of a stretch, I admit.  However...