Thirteen - Steve Cavanagh

Rating: ✫✫✫✫✫

Thirteen first came to my attention because it was recommended by a number of people. When I first picked it up, the plot description jumped out to me immediately, and I just knew it was going to be right up my street. A crime novel based inside the courtroom, but with an intriguing twist: the killer is actually on the jury.

I loved this book. If I could have read it all in one sitting, I probably would have. The short, sharp chapters made this a real possibility, as they ensured the book was easy to read, despite the dark subject material. Eddie Flynn also makes for a really endearing protagonist; he is just the right balance of sharp and sweet. Switching between his viewpoint and the perspective of the murderer keeps the reader on their toes through an exciting and intriguing story. 

✼

This is the murder trial of the century, with Hollywood star Bobby Solomon charged with the murder of his wife. When the defence contact lawyer Eddie Flynn, he isn't sure whether or not he should involve himself with the case. But then he meets Bobby, and Eddie knows instantly that he is innocent.

As the trial begins and a series of fatal incidents happen outside the court room, Eddie starts to wonder if there is more to the trial than meets the eye. And if Bobby is really innocent, then where is the real killer?

What if they're on the jury?

*spoiler alert*

Nineteen Eighty-Four - George Orwell

Rating: ✫✫✫✫✫

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."

This is obviously a classic book, and looking back, I'm amazed it took me so long to get round to reading it. It is such an interesting concept, and is one of those rare stories that gets more relevant the more time passes. It's very difficult not to be mindful of dictatorships in history, as this is obviously what caused a major inspiration for Orwell; propaganda, censorship, and the Thought Police instil fear in the population, and, as we know from the past, this was a very real possibility at the time the novel was published.

✼

Nineteen Eighty-Four is a different world, where society is controlled by The Party, a totalitarian ideology from which nobody can escape. Big Brother is always watching, and the Thought Police will catch anybody who opposes The Party, even if only in their mind.

Winston works for the Ministry of Truth, just one cog in a huge machine of people plugging out propaganda. Most employees think nothing of their everyday role - but Winston is different. He sees what The Party don't want him to see, and he begins to question the society in which he lives. Then Winston meets Julia, and he realises life could be so much more than the mundane existence that he has grown used to. But the Thought Police are watching, and Winston may find that their methods of manipulation can be very persuasive...

*spoiler alert*

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton

As soon as I heard the premise for this book, I couldn't wait to read it. It was a thriller, a mystery, and also (strangely) fantasy all wrapped up into one. The idea of being able to solve a mystery by viewing it through the eyes of multiple different witnesses is a very clever one, and it had so much potential for a fantastic plot. 

And I really did enjoy the book. The way the whole network of 'hosts' was established, and the way the intricacies of this impacted upon the plot throughout the whole book, were very intriguing, and that part of the story was consistently very neat. However, I found in many chapters that there was just too much going on. In Turton's eagerness to have a believable web of characters, I feel he confused the plot a little more than I would have liked. This is already a plot that requires a lot of attention in order to be followed fully, and I think certain aspects of the story made this unnecessarily worse. I loved the concept behind the story, and the way we follow Aiden Bishop through his hosts. I just wish (and I almost never say this) that the plot had been simplified just a little bit. This would have allowed the reader to follow the complex story wholeheartedly, without pausing to try and work out which character is which, and whether they've missed anything important.

Rating: ✫✫✫✫

✱

Evelyn Hardcastle is destined to be murdered. She has already died, many times, living the same day over and over until somebody can solve her murder.

Aiden Bishop has another chance at saving her. Trapped in a cycle where he witnesses the murder through the eyes of other people - 'hosts' - Aiden begins the cycle again. Waking up every day as a different witness should give him the clues he needs to solve the murder, and escape his eternal prison. 

But things aren't quite so simple, as Aiden learns that he is not the only person trapped in this world, looking for the culprit. And the competition may not be as keen as him to win the race fair and square.

*spoiler alert*