Books I read in April

Val McDermid Fever of the Bone
McDermid's titles rarely bear much resemblance to the contents. This one was OK, imaginative plot, and sympathetic characters, but she's not the best writer around and the exposition is sometimes laboured. Tony inherits a narrowboat though!

Natasha Walter Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism
Thought I should read something improving for a change. Rather depressingly confirmed what I thought anyway - I belong to the most fortunate generation of women, and things are steadily getting worse again.

Ruth Rendell Portobello
Coasting on her reputation - unengaging characters, not very interesting plot, and not very credible premises.

Reginald Hill A Pinch of Snuff
1970s period piece now, in which you can render a household incommunicado by cutting the phone wire, and it's possible to destroy all the copies of a film. Readable as always.

Paul Adam Knife Edge
Formulaic but well written thriller, set in the murky world of Fenland migrant labour and supermarket exploitation. A bit didactic in places, but in a good cause.

Shirley Williams Climbing the Bookshelves: The Autobiography
Doesn't write as well as her mum. Boring with occasional unintentionally hilarious pomposity.

Peter Robinson The Price of Love
Short stories don't really work for me when it comes to crime. All plot and no character.

Mo Hayder Skin
Preposterous plot but strangely unputdownable.

Susan Hill The Pure in Heart
Pained artistic detective (where have we heard that before?). Doesn't quite convince. Think I may be getting a bit bored with the genre.