‘Murder in Picadilly’ by Charles Kingston

First published in the 1930s, Murder in Picadilly is a brilliant murder/mystery novel set in Soho and London. It follows Massy Cheldon, a rich, upper-class man who lives in Broadbridge Manor in the countryside. He is then found with a dagger in his back at Picaddilly Underground Station. And the only one who seems to benefit from Cheldon’s murder is his nephew, Bobbie Cheldon, who inherits the Manor and gets £10,000 a year. It is up to  Inspector Wake, however, to work out if Bobbie Cheldon is the true culprit or if he is just a small part of a bigger plan.

This book is brilliant and full of many twists and turns. Unlike a conventional murder/mystery novel, however, the reader knows who the murderer is quite early on in the book but the rest of the characters have to work it out. The book is mainly set around London featuring places like Soho, Shaftesbury Avenue and Picadilly. Although this book is relatively old, I still found it easy to understand and still quite enjoyable. Even though you know who committed the murder it still has you speculating and wondering throughout how they managed to do it. 

The writer describes the places and people in these books quite well too. From the outlandish “common” Nancy Curzon trying to impress her upper-class partner Bobbie Cheldon to the character Nosey Ruslin and his cheerfulness and confidence in all circumstances and situations. The places they visit are described well too, from the streets of Soho to the great Broadbridge Manor in the countryside. Also since the writer was alive during the time it was set, you get a true feeling of what 1930s London was like.

My only fault with this book is the last seven chapters. This being a fourteen chapter book, it is quite a big fault. First of all, Massy Cheldon is only killed in chapter 7 so the first six are just setting the scene. Then I found it was all a bit rushed at the end, and it wasn’t entirely clear how Inspector Wake managed to work out who the culprit was. It wasn’t like any other murder/mystery I’ve read before, where the mystery would unfold before you over the course of the book. But perhaps that is the appeal of this novel, the originality of it. So out of ten I would have to give it seven purely because of its rushed ending.

7/10.

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The ‘Gone’ Series by Michael Grant

Like my previous review on the ‘Percy Jackson’ books by Rick Riordan, the story of the Gone series is spread over multiple books: Gone, Hunger, Lies, Plaugue, Fear and Light. The books are about Perdido Beach, a small town on the American coast. Suddenly one day, everyone over the age of fifteen disappears from inside the town and a massive dome surrounds the town. The children left in the town have to learn to survive while some develop mutant, freakish powers. There are multiple subplots inside the stories and all the books are fast-paced and lively. 

There are many characters inside the Gone series but the main ones are as follows: Sam Temple, who becomes a leader of Perdido Beach; Caine Soren the opposing leader to Sam with his henchman, Drake Merwin; Astrid Ellison, Sam’s friend and co-leader of Perdido Beach; Peter Ellison, Astrid’s autistic brother who develops powers far greater than everyone else in Perdido Beach and the Darkness or the Gaiaphage, a dark being that festers at the bottom of an abandoned mine. There are many other characters with many different traits and powers that grow and mature throughout the books that readers could relate to. Michael Grant describes the hardship these children go through (as the barrier is impenetrable, there is hardly any food or water) and the characters themselves, so you can sympathise for some of them.

The dome (or FAYZ as it is called in the books – Fallout Alley Youth Zone) was in fact caused by Peter Ellison (or Little Pete) after the Gaiapage awoke. Before the FAYZ, the nuclear power plant had been hit by an alien asteroid that had brought the Gaiaphage with it. Little Pete, who had powers before the FAYZ, had created the dome as the Gaiaphage planned to destroy the whole of Earth and Pete knew that he would be trapped inside the FAYZ if he created it. This is discovered throughout the six books by many adventures that Sam Temple and his friends undertake to try and break free from the FAYZ. In the fourth book, Plaugue, Michael Grant writes about what has been happening outside the FAYZ and what the outside world thinks and feels about the big barrier. It mainly focuses on Connie Temple, Sam Temple’s mother, in the scenes outside of the FAYZ.

Although the six books are very serious, there are quite humorous parts in them, too. The character Brianna is perhaps the funniest, with an arrogant and naïve personality, telling in Light, when the barrier becomes transparent, about her many slaughters of people who threatened Perdido Beach to the people outside in the muted interviews. Other characters, too, bring some humour to the stories and make the books even more enjoyable. My only fault with the books is that some plots can be a bit long-winded and not as interesting as the other stories happening inside the book. This means that I would have to give the Gone series nine out-of ten but would still recommend them to my friends.

9/10.

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‘Percy Jackson’ Series by Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan has written thirteen books including Percy Jackson, the original ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ pentalogy, then followed by the five ‘Heroes of Olympus’ novels and three spin-off stories. The exciting story of Percy Jackson and his friends is spread through all ten novels so it would be impossible to review just one of the stories. The series is about Percy Jackson, a Greek demigod – half god, half human. Percy is the son of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea. This then means that Percy has powers over water and the oceans such as his ability to breathe underwater and control the waves. Percy is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he meets many more demigods and goes on any adventures to save the Earth from despicable forces.

The first five books are based all around Greek mythology whereas the Heroes of Olympus series includes Roman mythology and gods. These stories have the gods suffering from ‘split personality disorder’ where they are constantly changing from Greek to Roman form. Percy and his Greek friends also meet a few Romans and together they sail in the flying ship, the Argo II, to stop the Earth mother, Gaia, from awaking and destroying the Earth.

I find both series thoroughly enjoyable as it is non-stop action and fast-paced. The novels focus on friendships forming in the mist of battle and adventure. The books are aimed at children from about eleven upwards but I think adults would enjoy them just as much – especially the later Heroes of Olympus books which, although still being humorous and funny, are slightly darker than their predecessors. The stories are worth reading, I think, because you also get to see the characters develop and grow. Riordan does a brilliant job at having a diversity of characters with different personalities and traits. He describes characters’ origins too, so you get a sense of what some of the people in the stories have been through and you can empathise with them.

I really love the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series and urge you to read the series, whatever your age. The book’s teach you a lot too; who knew Greek mythology could be so interesting! Riordan describes character so well, too, so you are bound to find one that you can relate to and empathise with. As soon as you’ve read the first Percy Jackson book, ‘Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief’, you’ll be hooked and want to read the rest. So out of ten, I have to give these two series ten as I can’t find fault in either of them. Riordan writes well and I look forward to reading his other two book series, the ‘Kane Chronicles’ and ‘Magnus Chase’. Read the Percy Jackson series – you won’t regret it. 

10/10.

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‘The Monogram Murders’ by Sophie Hannah

The Monogram Murders in the latest of Agatha Christie’s Poirot stories. It is written by Sophie Hannah, an acclaimed crime author and poet, and follows Hercule Poirot and his lodging partner policeman Edward Catchpool. At the start of the book, an anxious woman called Jenny confides in Poirot that she fears that she is going to be murdered but that she does not want her killer to be caught. Meanwhile, Catchpool is on a case where three seemingly unrelated people are murdered at the expensive Bloxham Hotel. All the bodies are laid out in a perfect straight line and each have a cufflink in their mouths with the initials ‘PIJ’. Although Catchpool dismisses the idea, Poirot tries to find out how the murders and Jenny are linked and discovers a devious plot.

 The Monogram Murders is full of twists and turns and unpredictable scenes. The book is mainly set in 1929’s London at the Bloxham Hotel although Catchpool has to visit the small country village of Great Holling where it is discovered that all three murder victims originated from. Both of these settings are described spectacularly by Sophie Hannah, as are the people who live there. Poirot is described as a quick-thinking, slightly OCD character who needs everything to be perfect. Catchpool, on the other hand, does not think about things as much as Poirot and eventually realised that Poirot was in charge of his case, not Catchpool.

I thoroughly enjoyed all twenty-five chapters of The Monogram Murders and thought Sophie Hannah used Agatha Christie’s original character well. I thought, however, she could’ve included some reocurring characters in the original novels such as Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp. I still think, though, that The Monogram Murders was a brilliant book and well worth reading for both avid Agatha Christie fans and people just looking for a good read. This is a great murder-mystery which I would personally recommend. For anyone interested in learning a bit more, you can visit the official website for the book and watch some scenes from the story. Out of ten I would give this eight, just because two of the most famous characters in Poirot do not feature in this book.
8/10. 

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‘Awful Auntie’ by David Walliams

David Walliams is one of the most popular children’s authors in the UK and his books are flying off the shelves. His latest story, Awful Auntie, is no different, selling 50,000 copies on the week of its release. Walliams’ writing style is always witty and funny, and the illustrations by Tony Ross show this well. His stories follow a main protagonist child who befalls some extraordinary experience.

Walliams’ seventh book, Awful Auntie, is just the same, following the story of Stella Saxby and her aunt, Alberta. Unlike most of Walliams’ books, however, this story is not set in the present day but in the 1930s, so some reoccurring characters in Walliams’ stories, such as the shopkeeper Raj, do not appear in this book. 

The story is about young Stella Saxby who awakes in a full-body cast locked in her bedroom at the start of the book. She is informed by her Aunt Alberta, who Stella hates with a passion, that she was involved in a car crash which led to her mother and father’s unfortunate death. This then meant that Stella was the Lady of Saxby Hall, where she lived with her aunt. Her aunt, however, wanted the Hall for herself and knew that if her niece signed the document that handed the estate to her, Alberta would be Lady Saxby. 

 The story is full of twists and turns as Alberta desperately tries to find the fabled document and persuade her niece to sign it. She is assisted by her pet Bavarian Owl, Wagner, to find the document while Stella by the ghost of a chimney-sweep, Soot. The story shows the growing friendship between Soot and Stella as they fight to protect Saxby Hall from Alberta’s devious plan. Using there ‘detective skills’, Soot and Stella reveal that Aunt Alberta had caused the car accident killing Lord and Lady Saxby herself.

 Awful Auntie is a great book for all ages, with lots of humour and wit. This is a good tale for the whole family, not just children, although I would recommend it to readers aged between six and ten for the best enjoyment. It may seem a bit off-putting for some children, though, as it seems quite thick at first glance. However I managed to read the book in about an hour-and-a-half and enjoyed it greatly. Out of ten I would give this a solid eight as it is a thoroughly enjoyable book to read. 

 8/10.  
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Welcome to The Story Critic

Hello Internet! Welcome to The Story Critic, a blog full of reviews of the newest books. Careful for spoilers in the posts as I may reference to things that happen in the stories. If you are wondering about whether a certain book is worth reading or you’re just looking for a good read, look no further than The Story Critic. You can also request a book for me to review by clicking the button at the top of the page. I hope my posts are enjoyed and that you learn something from them. Happy reading!