I listened to about 3/4s of it on the train to work and the reviewers were very keen on The Crossroads and I've only just got to the reviews about The Coroner. Maxine at Petrona is enjoying the review copy we've received.Books: Niccolo Ammaniti & Matthew R. Hall, 15 Jan 09
Simon is joined by the book reviewers Charlie Fletcher, Boyd Hilton and Joel Morris to take us through this weeks picks which include Niccolo Ammaniti’s The Crossroads and M.R Hall’s The Coroner.
The Crossroads has already been made into a film and has won the Italian equivalent of the Booker Prize.
The Coroner carries a cover quote from Lynda La Plante - M R Hall has created a wonderful heroine in a genre we haven't seen before.
Publisher's blurb: I'm a Coroner. I spend my life laying things to rest...When small-town lawyer, Jenny Cooper, is appointed Severn Vale District Coroner, she's hoping for a quiet life and space to recover from a traumatic divorce, but the office she inherits from the recently deceased Harry Marshall contains neglected files hiding dark secrets and a trail of buried evidence. Could the tragic death of a young boy in custody be linked to the apparent suicide of a teenage prostitute and the fate of Marshall himself? In the face of powerful and sinister forces determined to keep both the truth hidden and the troublesome coroner in check, Jenny embarks on a lonely and dangerous one-woman crusade for justice which threatens not only her career but also her sanity...
Priscilla Masters also has a series featuring a Coroner and her second book in that series, Slip Knot (2007), revolved around the death of a young boy in custody.
The programme's definitely worth a listen, especially for a definition of 'muscular writing' :)
I finished The Coroner this morning - I just had to! It is extremely good, I loved it. Must get around to writing a review, now.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing January - The Coroner, Burial and The Girl who Played with Fire....and Skin and Bone has just arrived in today's post....
This is one of my favourite podcasts as there always seems to be a good mix of opinion in the reviews. I've got a few recommendations from the show - not all crime fiction either. I put both books from this episode on my wishlist.
ReplyDeleteMayo also does a film review podcast with Mark Kermode which is equally entertaining if you're interested in movies.
Thanks Bernadette I've added the film one to my subscription list. I hadn't spotted that one. When will I have time to listen to my talking books with all these podcasts!!
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