Books I read in April

Catherine Aird Dead Heading (local library)
A strange book, almost a pastiche of a golden age novel, with some oddly anachronistic elements. More telling than showing.

Andrew Martin Soot (local library)
Fairly entertaining if not always entirely credible eighteenth century murder mystery romp (why are things set in the eighteenth century always romps?)

Gail Honeyman Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (local library)
Best seller, Costa award winner... disappointing. Heavy handed novel with entirely predictable plot that falls between the stools of chick-lit and traumatic psychodrama and does neither well. While the central character probably isn't meant to be sympathetic, I didn't find her credible either.

Lisa Jewell The Making of Us (local library)
Plodding and obvious, but strangely compelling.

Robert Barnard A Stranger in the Family (local library)
Very strangely written little book, stilted; almost entirely in dialogue, which succeeds in making dramatic subject matter achingly dull. I just wasn't sure if it was deliberate.

Kate Atkinson Transcription (Kindle)
Very good, gripping, moving; almost credible.

M.C. Beaton Death of a Dentist (local library)
Classic old fashioned crime mystery. Don't expect credible characters, and it's a perfectly enjoyable puzzle. Plenty more where that came from, so just as well.

Mark Billingham The Killing Habit (Tescos)
While Stephen Booth gets worse, Billingham gets better - I'm sure his touch is getting lighter. Still not up there with the very best, but moving in the right direction.

Ann Cleeves Offshore (Kindle)
Short story collection - they work, but suffer from the inevitable problem of all crime short stories of not having the time and space to unpack the plot. As nicely written as you'd expect though.

Carol Mason After You Left (Kindle)
Cheap, and just as well. Clunking, cliched and formulaic.

Cara Hunter No Way Out (Kindle)
Also cheap, but what a find. I had read one of hers before, but don't remember it being this good. A touch of the Sophie Hannah, but more down to earth. I've just started the second in the series (this was the third) and have pre-ordered the fourth.