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Good Reading : February 2005
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general fiction word of mouth Past Mortem Ben Elton Detective-Inspector Edward Newson is five feet four, pale and freckly, a ‘ginger shortarse’. Ed is in love with his sergeant Natasha Wilkie, who thinks she is in love with her sexist thug of a boyfriend, leaving Ed in a perpetual state of frustration. Ed and Natasha investigate a gruesome murder – a man has been tied to his bed, stabbed 347 times with a small, sharp instrument and left to die. For the first time in his successful career Ed is having trouble cracking the case and time is running out as the killer bumps up the body count. Ed decides to claw back some sort of control by delving into the security of his schooldays via a website call Friends Reunited. A series of sexual encounters with an old best friend and the cool girl from school he has lusted over since he was 14 doesn’t relieve Ed’s ache for Natasha, but it does put him on the trail of the bizarre serial killer. Past Mortem has a ludicrous storyline and over-the-top characters but Elton cleverly uses the classic murder/mystery plot, adds a zeitgeisty twist and wraps it all up with his characteristic thought-provoking black comedy. ★★★ RG Bantam $29.95 Reviewed by Jody Lee The Sunday Philosophy Club Alexander McCall Smith Precious Ramotswe is a hard act to follow and I’m afraid Isabel Dalhou- sie, the heroine of McCall Smith’s latest series, just doesn’t compare.Where Mma Ramotswe is busy making a living, looking after her family and solving the intriguing cases her clients bring to her, Isabel has too much money, too much time and pokes her nose in where it’s not warranted.The whole thing is a bit too twee, too close to home and, sadly, disappointing. ★ Little, Brown $29.95 Reviewed by Ann Kendall The Student Conductor Robert Ford This compelling story of the relationship between master and student is set in the new political arena of a united Germa- ny in the 1990s.The master is a renowned maestro honed into almost god-like author- ity by his national lineage.The student is American; an innocent from a New World culture who, in his master’s eye, has only an indulgent approach to offer his art.The inevitable clash results in the student seeking to unravel the mystery of his master’s character. Those readers who have a connection with the professional orchestral world will have no trouble identifying with some aspects of the personalities on display here. ★★★ Allen & Unwin $22.95 Reviewed by Chris Bearman ���� ��� ����������� ������ �� ������� �� ������ ���� ��� ���� �� �� ������ ���� ��� �� ����� �� ��� ��������� ���� �������� ������� ��� ������ ��� �������� ��������� ��� ��������� �� ����� ��� ����� ������� ������ ����� ������ ������ ������ �������� �� ��������� ��� ���� ���� ������� ������ ������� � ���� ������ ��� ���� ���� ��������� �������� � ���� ������� ��� ����� �� ��� ��� ���� ��� ��������� �� �� �������� ���� ���� ���� ���� ����� ������� ��� ������ ��� �������� ���������� ���� ����� ������� ����� �������� ��� ������������ ������� ��� ������� ������ ����� ��� ����� ��� �������� � ����� �������� ����� ������ ��� ����� ��������� ��� �� ������ ������ �� ������� ����� ������ ��� ������� ���� �� ����� �� ���� ���� ��������� �������� ��� � ����������� �� ����� �� ��� ����� �� ����� ����� ���� ����� ���� ������ ��������� ����� ������� �� ����� ���� ��������� ���� ��� ����� ��� �� �� ��� ��������������� ��� ����� �� ��� ������� ���� ��� ������� ������ �� �� ������ ������ ��� ���� ���� ���� ���� ������� ����� ��� � ����� ���� ���� ���� ��� ��� ��� ��� ������� ���� ���� �� ��� ����� ����� ������ ������� ��� ���� ����� �� ��� ����� ���� ������� �� ��� ���� �� ������� ������ ���� �������� �� ������ �� ������ � �������� ���� ���� � �������� ��������� �� � ���� ����� �� ������ ���� �� �������� ���� ���� ��� ����� ������� ������ ���� ���� ��� ���� � ������ ��� ������ ��� �� ���� ����� ������� ��� ���� ������ ��� ���� ��� ����� �� ������� ��� ��� ����������� ��� �� ��� ��������� ������ ��� ���� ���� ������ ����� �� ���� ������ ���� ��� ���� �� ������������� �� ���� ����� ������ ��� �� ������ ������� ����� ���������� �������� ���� ��� �������� ���� ��� ���������� ������� ���� ��� �� ������ ������� ���������� �������� ���� ����������������������� ��� �������� ���� ��� ���������� �������� ���� ����� �� ��� �����
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