Born and raised in Strabane, Northern Ireland, Paul Brady is one of Ireland’s most highly regarded singer-songwriters. His songs have been covered by artists such as Santana, Bonnie Riatt and Tina Turner, while he has recorded with the likes of Eric Clapton, Loudon Wainwright III and Larry Mullen Jr. Brady is probably best known as an Irish folk / trad artist. His recording career began in the 1960s as a member of the Johnstons, before joining Planxty in the 1970s – a group whose members also included Christy Moore and Andy Irvine. Between 1976 and 1978, he worked with Irvine, producing an album that is still regarded as a folk classic.

“Hard Station” was released in 1981, three years after his solo folk album “Welcome Here Kind Stranger”. It has eight tracks, all self-penned, and was Brady’s first non-trad release. It has also been referred to, in some quarters, as a classic in Irish rock. The opening track, “Crazy Dreams”, is one of the album’s better songs – a cheerful, up-tempo song that was released as a single. (You might also want to check out Maura O’Connell’s version, on her “Just In Time” album). For me, the album’s other standout tracks are “Hard Station” and “Nothing But The Same Old Story” – these songs aren’t quite so cheery though. “Hard Station” tells the story of someone totally out of luck. “Nothing But The Same Old Story”, meanwhile, deals with an Irish immigrant’s experiences in London.

“Hard Station” would sit comfortably in my all-time list of favourite albums and it showcases Brady’s songwriting abilities superbly. However, it is probably something of an acquired taste and his other albums probably give a better indication of his playing abilities. My advice ? Take a chance on it – I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

It seems that Suzanne Vega has always been bubbling away in the background – though, for a long time, I quietly wondered what all the fuss was about. When she first broke through with “Marlene on the Wall”, all the cool kids at school seemed to really like her. I also remember the really cool fans discussing what was really going on in “The Queen and the Soldier” (and, generally, just how nasty the Queen was). “Luka”, released a couple of years later, proved much more popular – and this time, with a much wider crowd. A year or two later, a holiday in France saw “Small Blue Thing” become so associated with a certain girl that, even now, I can’t think of one without thinking of the other. After that, the DNA remix of “Tom’s Diner” hit the charts just as I was discovering the joys of Guinness. When “No Cheap Thrill” was released, the radio only seemed to play it on Friday evenings as I was driving home from the worst job in the world. Even now, it brings a smile to my face.

I’m not sure if my musical tastes have changed as I’ve grown older or if it’s nostalgia having some sort of effect. Whatever it is, the indifference I once had is now gone. I was about to start picking up her back-catalogue, when I discovered she’d released this Greatest Hits album – just the perfect time for me. All the songs I mentioned above make their appearances, and would form the main highlights for me. (In fact, “Tom’s Diner” manages it twice, as both the original version and the DNA remix are included).

The version I have comes with a ‘bonus’ CD. With 21 tracks on the ‘main’ CD and a further 8 on the bonus CD, you certainly get your money’s worth with this album. It also means that – given this is the first album by Suzanne I’ve bought – there’s a lot of material I’m not familiar with. It’s also interesting to hear the different styles she’s produced – something I certainly didn’t expect. There’s a big difference, for example, between “Solitude Standing” (a folk-based song, the style I would most have associated Vega with) and “Blood Makes Noise” (taken from “99.9F” – which won a New York Music Award as Best Rock Album of 1992). Of the songs I hadn’t heard before, “Blood Makes Noise” (with its industrial influences) would be one of those I prefer.

Six of the tracks on the bonus CD were taken from a concert, recorded in May 2003. Only one of these tracks, “Widow’s Walk” doesn’t feature on the main CD – and, of all the songs I hadn’t heard before, is the one I like best. It also features two versions of “In Liverpool” (a spoken word version and a song) in addition to the version on the main CD. This would probably be the only criticism I have – three versions of essentially the same thing is a bit much. It also features a new song, called “Anniversary”, which is more of the traditional Vega song – an acoustic number, no whistles and bells, with Suzanne singing.

All in all, an excellent package – of all the “Best Of” albums in my CD rack, this is the one I’d rate highest. While this may have been the first album by Suzanne Vega I’ve bought, it certainly won’t be the last.

Greg Iles was born in Germany, raised in Mississippi, and and spent several years on the road with a band Frankly Scarlet. After marrying, he settled down and started writing and saw his first novel – “Spandau Phoenix” – published in 1993. “Mortal Fear” is his third book, and was first published in 1996.

Harper Cole, was born, raised and still lives in Rain, Mississippi. A former musician who now makes his living trading futures, Cole is married to Drewe, his childhood sweetheart. Drewe, a doctor, has a sister called Erin and a very well-connected father. She also has hopes of starting a family very soon, something that Harper himself isn’t quite so keen on. Harper also works as a sysop for an online computer service called EROS – as the name would imply, it provides an outlet for those who need a certain spark in their lives. The service is very expensive, but makes certain arrangements to protect the users’ anonymity. Harper was brought into EROS by Miles Turner, an old friend from childhood and a very highly qualified IT expert.

Karin Wheat, a high-profile author, had been a member of EROS. Unfortunately, she has also been recently murdered. The book opens with Cole contacting the police, believing he has some information which may prove crucial to the case. Harper not only suspects that Wheat was the victim of a man called David Strobekker – another EROS client who, Cole believes, is using EROS to target his victims. Having studied his account, Harper believes that Strobekker has possibly killed six other women – however, this would involve Strobekker somehow having gained access to the company’s master client list. This list, which contains the contact details for all EROS’s users, is not very easy to acquire – only very few people have access to it, Harper and Miles among them. Following a meeting with the police and the FBI, Harper learns that the six missing women he’d identified were, indeed, murdered. Unfortunately, it turns out the ‘real’ David Strobekker has also been dead for nearly a year – with the killer, presumably, taking over his account at EROS. This means that a new suspect is required – and Harper and Miles appear to be the leading contenders…as a result, Harper finds himself working the case unofficially, in an attempt to prove his innocence and protect his family.

This was the first book by Iles I’ve read and I certainly enjoyed it. Despite its size, I was able to race through it at a fair pace – some sections were a little overlong, but I’ve read shorter books that were harder work. It’s also nice to read a book, once in a while, where the hero has a few skeletons in the closet. (There’s one of these skeletons that’s putting Harper under a great deal of pressure). The villain, meanwhile – who Harper and Miles refer to as ‘Brahma’ – is as intelligent as he is dangerous : not only an IT expert, it becomes clear he also has a medical background. Easily good enough for me to keep an eye out for more of Iles’ books.

“Grotesque”, first published in Japan in 2003, is the second of Natsuo Kirino’s novels to be translated into English. Kirino is one of the leading lights of Japanese mystery writing – she has won both the Naoki and Edogawa Rampo Prizes, while the English translation for “Out” was nominated for the 2004 Edgar Award.

“Grotesque” is told largely by a thirty-nine year old office-worker, only ever identified as Miss Hirata. Her father was a Swiss national, her mother was Japanese and she had one younger sister called Yuriko. There were big differences between the two girls though : Yuriko was considered exceptionally beautiful, while our narrator was – apparently – widely considered unattractive. Where Yuriko, in time, gained entry to the prestigious Q High School for Young Women thanks to her beauty, her elder sister was admitted through hard work. While our narrator works in the Day Care Section of the Welfare Division, Yuriko was murdered two years before the book opens – having spent much of her life working as a prostitute.

Our narrator had a old classmate – Kazue Sato – who, barely a year later, died the same way as Yuriko. However, unlike Yuriko, Kazue had worked exceptionally hard through school, attended a prestigious university and was employed in high-ranking firm. She remained desperate for recognition and, frowning on marraige, worked as a prostitute in the evening. Within a year of Yuriko’s death, Kazue was also dead – killed in very similar circumstances. Although one man has been charged with both murders – Zhang Zhe-zhing, an illegal Chinese immigrant – it’s only Kazue’s murder people are interested in.

The book isn’t told entirely by Yuriko’s sister : both Yuriko’s and Kazue’s voices are heard through their old journal entries. Even the man charged with the murders pleads his case, through his own statement to the court. While it’s interesting to see the same events from a number of different points of view, the only characters I felt any sympathy for were Yuriko and Mitsuru – one of the book’s supporting characters and another former classmate of Yuriko’s sister. She, like Kazue, had worked very hard at school and went on to study medicine at Tokyo University. However, Mitsuru also had her troubles after completing her studies – like Yuriko, she had been manipulated by those who should have been protecting her. In Yuriko’s case, this manipulation set her on a path that eventually led to her death. Mitsuru, on the other hand, went on to serve a six-year prison sentence. However, she survived and appeared to be the only character who properly came to terms with her past. Yuriko’s sister, the narrator, proved to be a thoroughly dislikeable character. She had considered Yuriko a monster from childhood, and felt no sadness when her younger sister died. She had developed a malicious, spiteful streak throughout her teenage years – Kazue was a regular target at school – but this streak remained with her into adult life.

“Grotesque” is a very different book to “Out” and a little different to the standard novel – where four characters give their own version of events. It’s a dark book, and isn’t always an easy read – though it is well worth reading.

“Right Ho Jeeves” was first published in 1934 in the UK, though was first published in the US under the name “Brinkley Court”. The book is set in England and features Wodehouse’s best known creations : Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves. Bertie is the book’s wealthy, good-natured and rather dim narrator. He’s a member of the “idle rich” and, rather than having to work for a living, lives off an allowance provided by his uncle. He spends much of his time in the bar-room of the Drones Club, is fond of the occasional wager and has an appalling dress sense. Luckily, Bertie has Jeeves, to look after him. Without Jeeves, Bertie’s life would be a mess : he makes an excellent hangover cure, his bets usually win and is intelligent enough to rescue Bertie from nearly any situation. He disapproves of Bertie’s more garish items of clothing, and will – occasionally – take it upon himself to deal with the offending item.

The book opens with Bertie’s return from Cannes, having spent two months on holiday with his Aunt Dahlia, his cousin Angela and Madeline Basset – Angela’s best friend. Arriving back at his flat, Bertie is surprised to learn that Gussie Fink-Nottle has been a frequent caller in his absence. Gussie, an old school-friend of Bertie’s, is something of a reclusive character : he doesn’t drink, looks rather like a fish, prefers country life to the city and is a noted newt-fancier. Gussie has apparently fallen in love, and has – wisely – taken to visiting Jeeves for his advice on how to win the young lady’s heart. However, following a disagreement with Jeeves about a white mess jacket purchased in Cannes, Bertie decides to take over Gussie’s case.

By sheer coincidence, the object of Gussie’s desires is none other than Madeline Basset – who, after the trip to Cannes, has returned to Brinkley Court (Aunt Dahlia’s stately home). Bertie sends Gussie off to the stately home in question – though his motives aren’t entirely noble. As well as spending time with Madeline, Gussie will also be delivering a speech at the local grammar school’s prizegiving day – a job Aunt Dahlia had intended for Bertie. However, when word comes through that Angela has brokern off her engagement with Tuppy Glossop, Bertie and Jeeves race off to the countryside to offer their support. Naturally, Bertie’s attempts to ease smooth things over land everyone in a great deal of bother.

A very easy and enjoyable read.

Umberto Eco is internationally renowned as an author, a philosopher, a literary critic and a historian. He is also a professor of Semiotics at the University of Bologna and lives in Milan. “The Name of the Rose”, his debut novel, was first published in Italy in 1980 and became a bestseller throughout the world. It was also adapted for the big screen in 1986, a version that starred Sean Connery and Christian Slater. “Foucault’s Pendulum” was first published in 1988.

The story is told by Casaubon, as he looks back over the previous fifteen years of his life. A graduate of the University of Milan, he’s something of a specialist on the Knights Templar – having researched their trial for his thesis. It was in the late sixties, while still a student, that Casaubon first met Jacopo Belbo at Pilade’s Bar. Belbo was an editor with Garamond Press deals largely with reference books and university textbooks. (There is another side to Garamond – Manutius, a vanity press where the authors pay for the priviledge of seeing their books in print). However, Belbo also has to deal with the occasional submission on the Templars – which is unfortunate, as he believes that if “someone brings up the Templars he’s almost always a lunatic”. As a relative ‘expert’, it’s almost inevitable that Casaubon starts spending a little more time with Belbo at the publishing house…

At Garamond, Belbo works most closely with Diotavelli – a cabalist who insists he’s an albino Jew. However, of the two, Belbo is by far the more developed character. Although quite witty at times, he’s a rather pessimistic character, with a very low opinion of himself. He sees himself as a coward, seems doomed to be unlucky in love and is frustrated at being an editor instead of an author. He’s also the proud owner of a recently acquired computer, which he christens Abulafia – into which, in time, Belbo pours his innermost thoughts.

From the book’s outset, it’s clear the three are in trouble : Diotavelli is in hospital, apparently gravely ill, while “They” are pursuing Belbo. Convinced that “the Plan” is real, Jacopo is in Paris and seems to believe the Templars are after him. Unfortunately, when his phone call to Casaubon is interrupted, it would appear it would appear the Templars (like the Mounties) always get their man. The Plan had been little more than a game for the three friends, something they had developed after having read too many of the conspiracy-inspired manuscripts landing on their desks at work. Although they didn’t realise it at the time, it was a manuscript submitted by Colonel Ardenti that was to become the launchpad for their Plan. The manuscript is, naturally, written about the Templars and the Grail and incorporates – he claims – some recently rediscovered information.

While “Foucault’s Pendulum” isn’t exactly a short read, it is an absorbing, interesting and enjoyable one. There’s plenty happening – Templar history, the Rosy Cross and Rosicrucians, a stint in Brazil, numerology (thirty-six and one hundred and twenty seem to be quite popular), ‘the’ Sophia and a man called Aglie – someone who seems to enjoy masquerading as the (apparently immortal) Comte de Saint-Germain. There’s even a touch of sexy pinball, courtesy of Lorenza Pellegrini. An outstanding book, and absolutely recommended.

Orphaned as a baby and subsequently raised (in the loosest possible terms) by his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, Harry’s early years were thoroughly miserable. Although he had been told his parents had been killed in a car crash, in reality they were murdered by an evil wizard called Voldemort. Harry, however, somehow survived this attack and Voldemort subsequently disappeared for many years. Tracked down by an apparent giant called Hagrid on his eleventh birthday, Harry discovered he was a wizard and has since been attending Hogwarts – a very prestigious school for training young witches and wizards. His time has Hogwarts has provided also him with some of the happiest moments of his life : he has made friends for the first time (Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Hagrid being the most notable) and has become the Seeker on Gryffindor’s Quidditch team. (Gryffindor is Harry’s house, while Quidditch is the most popular wizard sport). Unfortunately, it has also become apparent that Voldemort’s disappearance was only temporary, and his desire to kill Harry has not lessened. In fact, according to a prophect, one of the pair must die at the other’s hand. Now, having reached the final book of the series, Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Albus Dumbledore, who had been the school’s headmaster, was killed by Professor Snape at the end of “The Half-Blood Prince”. This is a devastating blow – considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times, Harry in particular idolised him. Snape, the teacher who killed Dumbledore, had once been a loyal follower of Voldemort’s – however, for some reason, Dumbledore had always trusted him.

Before Dumbledore died, he had been giving Harry some additional lessons on Voldemort’s past. In an attempt to achieve immortality, Dumbledore believed that Voldemort had split his soul into seven peices : six parts were stored in horcruxes, with the seventh remaining in Voldemort’s restored body. While even one of his horcruxes remains intact, Voldemort will never be truly dead. A Horcrux could be anything – though it is believed each item used held some significance to He Who Must Not Be Named. While some of the items have been already dealt with, Harry has decided to search for the remaining horcruxes and destroy them – before dealing with the Dark Lord himself. “The Deathly Hallows” sees Harry, Ron and Hermione on their final quest.

I really enjoyed “The Deathly Hallows”, and it gives the series a great send-off. Harry, Ron and Hermione have a very difficult year : Harry’s under attack from the off, the Ministry of Magic falls to Voldemort’s forces early in the book, while Snape – Dumbledore’s killer, and once more a Death Eater – is appointed Hogwart’s headmaster. Although they never planned to return to Hogwarts, they are now on the run and spend the year living as renegades. Harry has a difficult time dealing with his mission – he feels ill-prepared, which is something he partly blames Dumbledore for. Furthermore, a recently published biography of his hero makes Harry question whether Dumbledore was quite the noble wizard he’d always believed.. It is, however, also a very sad book – and not only because the series is now at an end. With the final battle approaching and Voldemort’s forces on the march, there are several characters killed – and they aren’t all saved for the book’s climax. Only one thing left me feeling a little unsatisfied – while all the major questions were answered, the epilogue left a few things frustratingly up in the air. Still, despite saying JK Rowling she’s done with the wizarding world, it does give her the option to return to Hogwarts once again…

Colin Dexter was born in 1930 and, over the course of his writing career, has won CWA Gold Dagger and Silver Dagger awards. “Last Bus to Woostock” was his debut novel, was first published in 1975 and introduced the world to the famous Inspector Morse.

However, the book’s victim is introduced before the hero. Sylvia Kaye and a friend are travelling into Ocford city centre for a night out – unfortunately, believing they had missed the last bus, the pair had hitched into town. Several hours later, Sylvia’s body is found in the car park at the back of the Black Prince, with the murder weapon – a heavy tyre spanner – conveniently lying beside her. The case sees Morse paired up with Sergeant Lewis for the first time. The pair seem to have little in common : where Lewis is married and reads the Daily Mirror, Morse is single, lives alone and enjoys the cryptic crosswords in the Times. Morse is fussy about spelling and grammar, enjoys classical music and is partial to a few drinks. The crime scene, being a pub, would appear to be a case of the Inspector mixing work and pleasure – and, although he isn’t supposed to drink on the job, he happily bends that rule once in a while. (He also seems to take great pleasure in refusing to allow Lewis do the same). When the investigation gets up and running, Morse is very curious about two people in particular : Sylvia’s friend – who, strangely, remains anonymous and doesn’t come forward – and whoever it was picked the pair up.

“Last Bus to Woodstock” is quite possibly the politest murder-mystery book I have ever read – for example, Morse’s arrival at the scene of the crime is announced with the exclamation “How he hated sex murders !”. There didn’t really seem to be much method to the investigation – it’s built on assumptions and leaps of faith – while I found it a little odd there was no apparent lab work. (The murder weapon, which was found at the scene, was roundly ignored !). I realise the book was written in the 1970s, but surely some fingerprinting and forensics work would have been available – even in Oxford? Overall, the book is a little slow and plodding, and by the time the book reached its climax – where Morse revealed all – I really didn’t care all that much. Based on Morse’s popularity, I can only assume the series improves drastically as it goes along.

Martin Cruz Smith is a former journalist and magazine editor. “Gorky Park” is his first novel to feature Arkady Renko, was first published in 1981 and is largely set in the Moscow before the collapse of the USSR. Renko, the hero, works as the Chief Homicide Investigator for Moscow’s militia – unlike the KGB, who deal with matters if ‘State interest’, the militia are more or less the standard police force. Renko, therefore, deals with the ‘everyday’ murders. Displaying one unfortunate trait for a homicide investigator, however, he has a distinct aversion to corpses – though he has a 100% success rate in clearing cases. Unhappily married and somewhat cynical, he’s not quite as active a Party member as his wife would like him to be – something that has also had a negative effect on his career. He also appears to be something of a disappointment to his father, a very famous retired General. Renko’s boss, Prosecutor Iamskoy, seems to have a certain amount of affection for him though – the Prosecutor actually won an appeal for a worker wrongly convicted of murder thanks to Renko’s work.

The book opens in Gorky Park, first park of the Revolution and favoured above all others. Three corpses have been found buried in the snow and, as a result, have been very well preserved. This means that, initially, the time of death can only be estimated as sometime that winter. All three victims – three men and a woman – were all shot through the heart, with the two men also having been shot through the head. The killer, clearly an expert marksman, also has access to a weapon Muscovites cannot typically lay their hands on. No papers could be found on the bodies, which have also been mutilated – the fingerprints and flesh on the faces has been removed, making a quick identification unlikely. One early lead, however, comes from the ice-skates the victims were wearing…

One of the other detectives assigned to the case, Pasha Pavlovich, had worked with Renko previously. Then, three corpses were found at the Kliazma River in remarkably similar circumstances to the Gorky Park killings. The pair immediately suspect the same individual is responsible in this case. However, as the chief suspect at the Kliazma River was a KGB Major called Pribluda, the pair promptly lost that case to the KGB. As Pribluda – who’d actually taken over the Kliazma River case – makes an early appearance at the scene in Gorky Park and interferes with the corpses, Arkady and Pasha expect the KGB to again quickly snatch this case from them. (Pribluda will, of course, be kept right up-to-date : a third detective assigned to the case, Fet, is a known KGB informant). In fact, as the cases progresses, even Renko thinks it looks more and more like a KGB case…though he suspects they would have little desire to ‘solve’ it.

Overall, a very good book and well worth reading – for me, it would comfortably rest in the top tier of the murder-mystery genre. Renko is a very likeable character and, probably because of his `flaws’, is very easy to relate with. Recommended.

Martin Cruz Smith is a former journalist and magazine editor. “Red Square” is his fifth novel – a series that began with “Gorky Park” – to feature Arkady Renko and was first published in 2004.

Renko, the hero, works as an Investigator with Moscow’s militia – more or less the standard police force – and has something of a chequered career. Never a truly ‘practising’ member of the Party, Renko hasn’t always been thought highly of by those in authority. He has always wanted to catch the people responsible for the crimes he’s investigating, regardless of the ‘political’ consequences – as a result of this, he was once dismissed from the Party for a lack of ‘political reliability’ and sentenced to a life in Siberia. He has been rehabilitated for several years now, though he always remained something of a disappointment to his father – a very famous ex-General. His father has been dead for some time, something Arkady never seemed too bothereed about. However, he hasn’t yet entirely gotten over the death of his wife, Irina.

Pasha Ivanov was one of the ‘new’ Russia’s most successful businessmen – President of NoviRus and worth an absolute fortune. However, the businessman has – it would appear – jumped to his death through his apartment window. The book opens in the apartment, with Arkady peering through the window towards the corpse on the pavement. Among those also present are Prosecutor Zurin (Arkady’s boss), Bobby Hoffman (Ivanov’s American assistant) and Lev Timofeyev – an old friend of Ivanov’s and a Senior Vice-President at NoviRus. The pair had studied together at the Institute, and were two particular favourites of the noted Academican Gerasimov. Zurin is happy to write it off as suicide, and there is little – other than, possibly, a large pile of salt in the closet – to make Renko think anyone else was involved. At Hoffman’s insistence, Arkady keeps looking into it though – something that doesn’t make him very popular with neither Zurin, nor Colonel Ozhogin – Head of Security at NoviRus. Naturally, when the pile of salt in Ivanov’s closet turns out to be radioactive and Timofeyev turns up murdered in Chernobyl, it’s Arkady sent to investigate.

I’ve really enjoyed the Renko books to date – though, after a brief trip to Cuba for “Havana Bay”, I’m glad to see the action taking place a little closer to home. The introduction of Zhenya – an eleven year old boy who lives at one of Moscow’s shelters – was an interesting one. Arkady occasionally spends a free day with the boy, who seems to have some difficulty relating to people. I’m hoping, though, their relationship will continue in later books.