The Savage Garden by Mark Mills

It is 1958 and Adam Strickland has reached the end of his second year studying at Cambridge. He is not the most diligent of students and when his tutor asks to see him he presumes he is in trouble for slacking. Instead he is offered a dissertation topic, studying the garden of a Tuscan villa owned by a friend of his tutor. Intrigued and desperate not to follow in his father's footsteps Adam agrees. What he does not anticipate is that the garden hides a 400 year old mystery and a curse that has followed the owners for years. Armed with his intellect alone Adam feels he must solve the mystery of the garden and the mystery that surrounds the current owners in the few short weeks he has.

I picked this book up as I hoped it would be something different to what I usually read. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. Although the first few chapters had me wondering if anything was going to happen as the story unfolded I was gradually drawn in. Like any good detective story by the end I was heading in the right direction although I hadn't quite guessed what was going on. There are plenty of twists and turns but for fans of fast paced action you will find this book very slow and lacking in action. Much of the story line involves looking at the garden and several of the older characters reminiscing, as well as family dinners.

It is certainly one of the better representations of Italy I have read of late. The descriptions make you want to visit but they don't drown the story line. The family at the centre of the book feel convincingly Italian. There is good food, good company and a general happiness that you expect from your stereotypical Italian experience.

Its a book that is well worth trying and persevering with past the first few chapters. Its not a difficult read and if you want a detective story with more similarity to Rosemary and Thyme than Waking the Dead then this is probably for you.


*3 stars*

Sovereign - by C.J. Sansom

This is the third book in the Matthew Shardlake Series (Dissolution and Dark Fire are the previous two). The book is set in the reign of Henry VIII at the time of the Reformation. Matthew is a lawyer in London who in the previous two books has managed to get embroiled in political intrigues. In this installment Matthew is sent to York on two assignments. One is to act as one of the lawyers on Henry's royal progress to York and deal with the petitions from the locals. The other is to ensure that a conspirator against the crown is brought safely to London to be questioned. Yet somehow Matthew finds himself in the middle of a plot against the crown and some deadly court intrigues.

When I first read Dissolution I felt that Sansom was competent and the storyline was ok. In this third installment Sansom has created an intricate story, well written and with as many twists and turns as one can imagine. I couldn't put the book down and wanted to know what would happen with each of the threads of the story. The characters are three dimensional and you can't help but loathe the likes of Sir Richard Rich whilst cheering for the likes of Matthew Shardlake. Also the book is well tied into the period in which it is set. The story of Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine Howard provides some of the background events in this novel and known events such as the Pilgrimage of Grace and the creation of the Council of the North contribute to the storyline.

As far as storyline itself goes I truly did not see the last section of the book coming. I won't spoil it by telling you what happens but hope you agree that given how careful Matthew is how unexpected it is. Other than that it is complex enough to keep the reader interested but the twists and turns are not so convoluted as to loose the reader in a mire of words. I found the story addictive and found it hard to put the book down.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone with an interest in the Tudor period of English history and anyone who enjoys a well written murder mystery/thriller.

**5 stars**

The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price

The Sterkarm Handshake is a time travel tale set in the 16th and 21st centuries respectively. The Sterkarms are a family of Border Reivers, a law unto themselves on the English and Scottish Border in the 16th century. Their simple lives of tending sheep, raiding cattle and defending against other bands of robbers is interrupted by the 'Elves'. These 'Elves' are from the future and hope to exploit the seemingly backward Sterkarms, their neighbours and the unspoilt landscape in which they live. As past and future collide, who will win and is it really possible for love between an Elf and a Sterkarm to survive all these odds?

Susan Price is a well established writer and as one might expect has produced a well written, readable piece. The premise of the story is good and has excitement, action, romance and adventure all mixed in. It is an enjoyable read and a good romp, definitely something to try.

Where unfortunately this story falls down is that it has to have one of the most annoying lead characters I've ever come across. The girl has no backbone, is forever incapable of choosing what to do and spends a lot of time whinging or whining. Perhaps Price should be congratulated for the fact that despite this character the book is still readable.

Another problem with the story was the romance side of it. I just didn't understand the relationship between Andrea and Per. I couldn't quite understand why either of them would go for the other and a lot of the time I just felt they were doing things because they had to. I know life in the 16th century is vastly different from today and to be honest I expected there to be more conflict between Andrea and Per. It almost felt as if they were just settling for each other and kept going back to each other even if they weren't wholly suited because they couldn't be bothered to do anything else. Perhaps I was searching for something that wasn't there. Perhaps what I was hoping for was that the relationship would grow, evolve etc.

I would still recommend this book to read, although possibly not as whole heartedly as some of the others I've read lately.

**3 stars**