Here are the rest of the books that I have read since June this year.
Forms of Water by Andrea Barrett. Another family story with a twist. Uncle Brendan is head of a fragmented family, his niece, Wiloma, member of a weird religious sect, wants to take him into her home to live his final days. Brendan wants none of this and asks his nephew, Henry, to take him to visit his childhood home. He gulls Henry into believing he has permission for the trip and to borrow the nursing home's transport. What ensues is what could be looked at as a crazy chase across some USA states,as Brendan urges Henry to their destination, Henry being unaware of the train of people following them, wonders from time to time about his uncle's urgency. The novel is well balanced and doesn't fall into the farce or the maudlin, as it could very easily have done. I enjoyed it.
The Adventures of Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte. Madrid in the 1620s. Captain Alatriste hires himself out as a swordsman. He is approached by two masked me to attack a pair of travellers. The job is no ordinary job, and Alatriste gets into to some sticky situations. Told by the son of a dead colleague, who is now acting as Alatriste's apprentice, the story is entertaining , with just the right amount of "hero worship" from Inigo Balboa. An entertaining read.
The Kingdom of the Golden Dragon by Isabel Allende. This is a "teen" novel, and I found out the second about Alex Cold and Nadia, and Alex's grandmother, Kate.
Not having read the previous book is no detriment.
A mysterious stranger, called "The Collector" is plotting to steal the Golden Dragon from an isolated hidden high land in the Himalayas. It has all the excitement of this type of novel, and is told in a way that makes it accessible to both teen and adult alike.
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney. A man has been brutally murdered, and a woman sets out on a quest to find her son, who everyone thinks committed the murder, as he disappeared at the same time. She is convinced that he is following the murderer. In the course of clearing his name some uncomfortable truths come to light. A great read.
The Awakening by S.J.Bolton. Clara, a vet, finds herself called to the local hospital, when a man dies from what appears to be a snake bite. this is not a freak accident, but something far deeper is going on. The plot unfolds at a satisfactory pace, as did the plot in S.J.Bolton's first novel, The Sacrifice. A brilliant second novel, full of suspense and mystery. A brilliant read.
On Green Dolphin Street by Sebastian Faulks. This is the first Faulks book I have ever read, and was so absorbed I know I will be reading others by him.This novel is set in USA 1959, a little later than previous books. His characters were believable, although I did start to feel annoyance towards Charlie, the husband, but I think this was what Faulks expected of his readers. It's the first book I read after Blonde Bombshell so a little hazy now, but I remember enjoying it.
As for the other two books I mentioned previously being unable to "get into", one I gave away to someone I knew would enjoy it, and the other is being slowly read.