Hadddon, Mark: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

I don't know why it has taken me as long as it has to read this Whitbread Book of the Year for 2003. While I have to accept on trust that the description of the lead character is correct in the way Asperger's Syndrome is shown, it certainly reflect what I have read elsewhere. The behaviour patterns are brilliantly maintained throughout what is actually a very straightforward story. There are moments of humour and of sadness but the overall impression is one of the indominatable nature of the hero who is aware he is different but seems to ride over the problems the difference creates. Simply written, this is an outstanding work of fiction which well deserves the praise it has been given.

Berry, Steve: The Templar Legacy

A lengthy tale based on the stories surrounding Rennes-le-Chateau in the area of France near Carcassonne. Starting in Copenhagen where a retired spy has an antiquarian bookshop, the action soon moves to the south of France with some scenes in Avignon but most in the French Pyrennees. A lot of factual inserts dealing with the Templars and the various tales that have evolved about Rennes-le-Chateau do not really hold up the action though this is rather far-fetched at times. There is a fair amount of co-incidence though not more than seems common in this sort of thriller and, by and large, the novel is one of the better attempts in this particular genre.

Sarrantonio, Al (Ed): Red Shift

To quote the subtitle of this 2001 book 'Extreme visions of speculative fiction' are the collective aim of the short stories this anthology contains. Their length varies considerably from a page or two to around 50 pages and all are considered by the editor to be excellent offerings - otherwise he would not have included them, I suppose. I found them very variable both in style and content with the better ones very good but a number all but unreadable. That is, of course, a feature and danger of collections, especially with what is a rather disparate theme. The book of over 600 pages in paperback including the introductions did take me quite a whil to work through.