The Coffin Dancer - Jeffery Deaver

Three witnesses to an military deal cover up could put a millionaire arms dealer behind bars for good. When one of them, the co-owner of Hudson Air, is blown up in a plane bombing with the Dancer's fingerprints all over it, the FBI takes the other witnesses into protective custody. Only Rhyme can decipher a crime scene, read the residue of a bombing, or identify a handful of dirt well enough to keep up with the killer before the 48 hour deadline arrives. Helped by Amelia Sachs, his brilliant and able-bodied assistant, Rhyme traces the Dancer through Manhattan streets, airports, and subways. The psychological tension builds rapidly from page one all the way to the stunning and unexpected end.

Jeffery Deaver is a master of suspense writing. There were so many twist and turns throughout this novel that it could easily become confusing and lose it’s impact, but he has it nailed down to a fine art and I was absorbed in the story from beginning to end.

The characters are rich and intense and 100% believable, and at times I felt that I was working alongside Rhyme and Amelia feeling their frustration, pain and excitement.

A book I would definitely recommend, even if you are not a fan of murder/mystery, this one is sure to hook you until the end.

Savages - Shirley Conran

When a group of Nexus executives brings their wives to the South Pacific paradise of Paui, vacation is not on their minds. Having found rare minerals on the island, they are determined to strike a swift deal for mining rights. But in their greedy rush to claim the prize, the men fail to take into account a rapacious general, who takes control of the island in a military coup and brutally executes all of them. Returning from a sail in time to see the massacre, the women escape into the jungle, where they painfully learn survival tricks from the ship's captain. His subsequent death leaves the once shy Annie in charge of the rest: Silvana, a wealthy, distant matron; the athletic, high-strung Patty; outspoken Carey; and Suzy, a sensuous, spoiled child. Although misfortune rains down on the group, opportunity also has a way of magically appearing as these castaways battle jungle, cannibalistic natives and their own frightening desires with a gritty determination that belies their pampered pasts.

Shirley Conran did a fantastic job of transporting me to a remote island of Paui, Papua New Guinea.
The characters were vivid and exciting and complemented each other. It was a large book but not once did I get bored, and that is a compliment to Conran that she kept the thrilling pace up for the entire book.

It helped make the long train ride to and from work bearable, and I would recommend it as a good read.