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Colin Dexter – Death is Now My Neighbour | Review

Title: Death is Now My Neighbour

Author: Colin Dexter

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 418

Rating: 8/10

Colin Dexter – Death Is Now My Neighbour

Here we have yet another one of Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse novels, and this particular book takes its title from the fact that the action centres on a small street. There’s a murder at one of the houses, and the investigation immediately begins to centre on the other residents of the street. You see, it seems like someone knows something, and in fact there’s an entire web of lies and conspiracy that the whole street is tangled up in.

One of the problems that I have with detective novels is that it’s often difficult to remember all of the different characters who are involved. That wasn’t such a problem here, and in fact it was one of the few Morse books that I think I’d struggle to re-read, because I’d remember all of the different twists and turns that the reader experiences along the way.

One character in particular – Owens, the murder victim’s next-door neighbour and a reporter at the local paper – seemed to stand out to me, although I still found that Morse, Lewis and Strange were my favourite characters throughout. It was also interesting to visit Lonsdale College, where two men – Julian Storrs and Dr. Denis Cornford – are competing for the position of Master. It’s intriguing, because the academic world of Oxford is so far removed from my own experiences with life and education, and yet Dexter paints such an evocative picture that it’s easy to be absorbed by the story.

Colin Dexter

Meanwhile, Morse is facing his own crisis, and it’s interesting to learn a little more about the great detective’s personal life. In fact, at the end of the book, he even reveals his Christian name to Lewis, something which I didn’t expect – you, as the reader, get to find out what that is, and I was under the impression that Morse’s first name would never be revealed.

Overall, then, I’d have to say that this is one of the better Inspector Morse novels, and it was a lot of fun to read. Despite being a little longer than some of the other books in the series, it only took me a couple of days to get through it, because it was just so damn addictive. It really was a page-turner, the type of detective novel that keeps you guessing right up until the very end. It’s just a great read!

Colin Dexter Quote

Click here to buy Death is Now My Neighbour.

Michael Pickering – The Compass Dances | Review

June 3, 2016 danecobain

Authors P-T (By Surname)Poetry

Title: The Compass Dances

Author: Michael Pickering

Type: Poetry

Page Count/Review Word Count: 338

Rating: 7/10

Michael Pickering – The Compass Dances

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.

This book is an interesting one because it spans an entire lifetime – what we have here is Michael Pickering’s selected poetry, spanning from 1955 to 2015. The author himself certainly has a strong set of credentials – he’s a graduate of University College in Oxford, as well as several other universities, and he even taught English and applied linguistics in Finland for 27 years.

Now, this isn’t necessarily the type of poetry that I’d typically go for, but it was still an interesting enough read. One thing that I would say is that it’s the sort of poetry that tries to flaunt the author’s education, something which is mirrored later on in the book with the inclusion of a number of self-reflective essays that the author wrote about his work. He also uses far too many footnotes, at least in my opinion – it hampers the reader’s ability to draw their own conclusions, which is what good poetry is all about.

Still, as you’d expect from someone who spent a lifetime writing poetry, there’s also a lot here to interest and to tantalise the reader, especially if we’re talking about a reader who loves words. Whilst it wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea, I did have to admire the skill with which the author works words to his advantage. True, it often felt like you were reading the intellectual equivalent of dad jokes, with plenty of half-developed puns, but there were also moments of clarity where the author was able – with just a few, short words – to communicate a sense or a feeling.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this unless you’re a serious fan of poetry – it can be pretty heavy, especially to someone who only reads prose, but it can also be rewarding if you stick with it. I’ll leave it up to your judgement.