Anna Dale

Advantages: Great reading
Disadvantages: Not well known

...Dale Brown is an American author who's been around a few years now, writing military thrillers of the Tom Clancy type. Surprisingly he's relatively unknown - surprisingly because in my opinion Dale is actually a much better writer than Clancy. His books (including 'Flight of the Old Dog', 'Night of the Hawk', 'Hammerheads' and many others) are set in the same fictional world of the late 80's and the 90's. Whereas Clancy's books are set around one major character, Brown has a whole set of them, all given equal status and development, which gives us a much more realistic picture of his 'world'. The plots are perhaps a little far-fetched, but then this *is* fiction and they are well developed, in-depth and make fascinating reading if this is the type of thing you go for. Give him a try.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Gives an unbiased and informed view of Charles years from 40 on.
Disadvantages: None that I can think of

...including Diana Her True Story and the Anna Pasternack drivel covering the love affair with James Hewitt, I have to say Charles - A Biography is one of the best I have come across. It is extremely well written and researched and gives an insight into the dramatic events of that period. Holden criticises Charles cold unemotional upbringing which he feels results in the loveless marriage, but he also points out Diana's manipulative and often theatrical and hysterical ways which must have been extremely hard to live with. The overall story will, of course, never change, but this book contains material which I personally haven't come across before.....did you know for example that Lady Dale Tyron (nicknamed Kanga) was a former lover of Charles and there are apparently old love letters somewhere which may surface in the near future! Similarly... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Fantastic and unique plot, excellent characters, extremely stylish
Disadvantages: Some might find it a little complicated

...Striking. That's the word that Anna Franklin's best friends use to describe her appearance when she goes missing and it also describes Mapping The Edge perfectly. The most striking thing about this novel is that it's a thriller in two parts: when Anna goes missing, there are two versions of what happens to her. Anna goes missing when visiting Florence, without telling her best friends (Stella, who lives in Amsterdam, and Paul, who's the gay surrogate father to her daughter) and her daughter, Lily. Stella flies to Anna's London home to take care of Lily and attempt to contact Anna, facing the possibility that Anna might not come home. Dunant focuses on the horror of missing people by telling Stella's side of the story in the first person, rather than Anna's. She disproves the old adage that ignorance is bliss as Stella and Paul imagine... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful