We take a look at the sequel to James Patterson’s NYPD Red, and Nicole Mowbray’s account of giving up sugar in Sweet Nothing
NYPD Red 2
by James Patterson and Marshall Karp
James Patterson and Marshall Karp return with a gripping second helping of the crime-fighting adventures of detectives Kylie MacDonald and Zach Jordan. The duo are on-hand to tackle sensitive cases that involve the rich, powerful, and often famous, members of New York’s society.
When a body is found spinning on a carousel at the heart of Central Park, dressed in a Hazmat suit, it is discovered that the female victim is not only a high-influence political operator with vast political connections and wealth – but she is also the fourth victim of a serial killer. The killer dishes out their own brand of justice against those they judge guilty of getting away with murder, and makes each victim confess to their crime on camera.
To get to the bottom of who is playing judge, jury and executioner, Zach and Kylie need to be on top form. However, Kylie is far from being her usual self, and whatever it is she’s holding back could derail the biggest case of her career so far.
Kylie’s homelife is teetering of the edge of destruction, as her marriage starts to falter and her attention is divided. Can Zach stay focused for the two of them as the tension heats up and the chase to stop a fifth murder begins in earnest? Not forgetting a tight deadline set by City Hall.
For those who have read thrillers by Patterson before, there is a familiar pace to the book. Like a film the scenes are quick and snappy, which keeps the reader turning that page. Before you know it you are hooked from the very first introduction to when the penny finally drops about how everything is linked.
The authors have managed to weave a tale where the extent of corruption touches and links so many different walks of life, you truly don’t know what turn the killer will take next. This is one of the best books from the Patterson camp. Hopefully a NYPD Red 3 won’t be far behind.
The Way Back Home by Freya North
The bestselling author returns with a new tale about one woman’s courage to face up to her past in order to change her disillusioned life. Oriana Taylor grew up in a commune for artists in Derbyshire alongside the Bedwell brothers Malachy and Jed. When her mum left, her father avoided his paternal duties, staying in his study to paint. During the summer when Oriana was 15, tragedy struck and she was sent away. But Oriana has decided to come home after nearly 20 years. After a few weeks of moping around, she decides to visit her childhood home, carefully avoiding her estranged dad. Once there, she encounters Jed, then Malachy later in town – and is forced to deal with her inner demons and comtemplate why she has returned. Will she resolve her issues and will she realise her true feelings for the brothers? A delightful read, which evokes the summers of our youth.
Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey
Maud has forgotten something. The problem is she isn’t sure what. She isn’t sure why her daughter sighs at her so often, why she has bruises up her arm or why her cupboard is so full of tinned peaches. As age fogs her mind, the details of Maud’s life because frustratingly hazy and unsettled. However one memory remains, the most upsetting of them all: Elizabeth is missing. The novel follows Maud as she collects clues – writing them on scraps of paper and reading them back so that she doesn’t forget again – trying to piece together the mystery which haunts her and leaves her with a hollow sense of longing for the one person who still makes her feel like herself. Emma Healey’s debut novel masterfully alternates between hilarity and heartbreak, giving us a poignant insight into the mind of a person suffering from this most confusing of illnesses. Healey’s vivid and sympathetic narrative allows you to put yourself in the place of both Maud and her carers – a panoramic view point that is incredibly engaging.
I Am China by Xiaolu Guo
Translator Iona Kirkpatrick has been given a pile of seemingly unimportant letters and diaries by a publisher. They belong to a pair of lovers: exiled punk musician Kublai Jian, who is in a detention centre in Dover, and his girlfriend Deng Mu, a poet, who is desperately trying to track him down. Gradually, Iona unravels their story, from their first meeting at Beijing University in 1989 to the pro-democracy Jasmine Revolution of 2011. She is captivated by their story, but the lovers seem to be drifting further and further apart, both emotionally and geographically. Iona wants to reunite them, but time is against her. Guo’s cleverly crafted novel is a damning indictment of China, past and present, and a regime that suppresses artistic expression and free speech. Above all, however, it is a love story that explores the relationship between ancient tradition and modern multiculturalism, the individual and the state.
Sweet Nothing: Why I Gave Up Sugar And How You Can Too by Nicole Mowbray
It’s impossible to avoid the bitter truth – sugar is bad for us, and just how bad, we’re only beginning to find out. From news stories to documentaries, there have been growing noises against the white stuff recently that would give even the most hardened sugar addict pause for thought while reaching for the biscuit tin. Nicole Mowbray was one of those sugar junkies and in Sweet Nothing she tells us about the incredible effects on her body and moods once she kicked hte habit. Mowbray is the first to admit she isn’t a scientist, but some of the medical argument is a little shaky – a possible link between sugar consumption and cance hasn’t been proved yet in scientific studies, and Mowbray insists she feels she was addicted to sugar even though experts tell her that’s not possible. I’d also like to have seen more suggestions for meals you can eat since there’s so much you can’t, but none of this stopped me from being convinced cutting back on sugar is something we all definitely need to address.