http://books.the-world-in-focus.com Reviews of the latest additions to my library Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:30:15 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en About Face by Donna Leon Donna Leon is a fantastic writer, even if her last couple of books have been lacking a bit of her usual flair.The Brunetti series paints such a vivid image of Venice and the cast of characters adds to the overall sense of the city. The crime ... http://books.the-world-in-focus.com/?p=121 Assegai by Wilbur Smith This is classic Wilbur Smith. It has a hero, a villain, a beautiful woman (if flawed), natives and a stunning African backdrop. WS is a master at painting the landscape of Africa. His last couple of novels have not been that great, but this one sees him ... http://books.the-world-in-focus.com/?p=120 Product Description Charles McCarry has long been heralded as one of the select espionage writers who shines as a brilliant and unique novelist in his own right. Second Sight is the seventh in the series that follows the legendary spy Paul Christopher--a man ensnared by a line of work that never ... http://books.the-world-in-focus.com/?p=117 Synopsis Bagdad, Arizona, is a town once prosperous but now in decay, a place where the lives of those shackled by age or circumstance are played out against the backdrop of the visible horizon. A weird event attracts the media and puts Bagdad back on the map. http://books.the-world-in-focus.com/?p=115 This is a fun adventure novel set in the Jewish kingdom of the Khazars. It follows the adventures of Zelikman and Amram. They find themselves in the middle of a struggle for control of the Khazar Empire, supporting the son Filaq of the deposed (killed) former ruler. The son soon ... http://books.the-world-in-focus.com/?p=113 I'd like to think this is the kind of spy book Umberto Eco would write. Well-researched, plausible plot. This is not James Bond. Instead, the reader is draw into a facinating puzzle: how does somebody sneak into a top secret military base in Siberia? And, how do you get out? ... http://books.the-world-in-focus.com/?p=111 I purchased this book many moons ago from a junk shop. It is the first U.K. edition (1968) and I've not read it for years. It is always a pleasure to dip back into reads from the past and this was no exception. It captures the state of Russia during ... http://books.the-world-in-focus.com/?p=109 The last Patricia Cornwell novel I thought was very weak, but being a fair kind of chap I thought I would give her a second chance because in the past she's written some good books. Now I wished that I had saved my money. This really is rubbish. It is ... http://books.the-world-in-focus.com/?p=107 This is classic Baldacci, which at times can be a little bit of a shalow read but I do enjoy a good  conspiracy and this is classic conspiracy fodder. It is a bit of a James Bond romp, with a Mega villain out for world control and one man (and ... http://books.the-world-in-focus.com/?p=105 A good swashbuckling novel, that's a fun and enjoyable yarn. The only thing (and a small thing) I disliked about it was the referencing to past novels in the series. There are lots of interesting historical snippets which adds some real depth and interest both to the time and location ... http://books.the-world-in-focus.com/?p=103