A Reading Update and The Science Fiction Novel - M.T. Anderson

I finished my 4th book of March (well, actually I gave up on one of those four, but who wants to be pedantic, eh?). I'll update that and also provide the synopsis of the next book I'm starting. I'll also continue with my look at the Sci-Fi novel. This will be a short one.

Just Finished

1. The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn by Colin Dexter (Chief Inspector Morse #3).

"The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn is the 3rd book in the Chief Inspector Morse mystery series by Colin Dexter. All in all it was an entertaining, well-written, enjoyable story to read.

Nicholas Quinn is a partially deaf man who works for a university agency at Oxford, the Oxford Examination Syndicate. Basically this agency prepares O - level exams for students in foreign countries so they can pass their high school exams and possibly go to university. (In its simplest form) Quinn is newly appointed to this agency. It basically has five members plus admin staff. Each member is responsible for a different subject; history, sciences, English, etc.

Shortly after his appointment, Quinn is found dead in his apartment, seemingly murdered with cyanide. This brings CI Morse and his erstwhile assistant, DS Lewis, on to the case. This begins a fascinating case with possible exam cheating, sexual indiscretions, etc. Morse and Lewis seem to spin their wheels for the early parts as they try to grasp the people involved, what the agency actually does and how the crime could have been committed.

Morse is a fascinating character, on the elderly side of middle-aged, a bit of a misogynist, or maybe he's just a lonely man, and an investigator who relies on his instincts to solve cases. This case is confusing with little side lanes that crop up with possible clues that might influence the case. The 'suspects' are all interesting; Miss Height is a sexy, intelligent manipulator who grabs Morse's attention, Dr Bartlett runs this agency with strict rules and seems to want to make it an honorable, dedicated organization, Mr. Ogleby is a secretive man, intelligent but what's he hiding? Everybody seems to be holding something back. And what does Quinn's upstairs neighbour know? Was she having a relationship with Quinn? And then there is the invigilator in the Arab country of Al-jamara, who had previously held Quinn's position, Mr. Brand. What's he all about?

There are neat little threads that make the story more interesting and teasing. The investigation follows both the plodding interviews and forensic examination (cue Lewis) and bouts of insight and imagination (cue Morse). All in all a most enjoyable, flowing mystery. (4.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone #20). I've been working my way through this series for a few years, saddened to know that I've only got 5 more to read after I finish this one.

"Before letting someone into your house and granting access to the intimate details of your life, it's a good idea to run a background check. But as Kinsey Millhone is about to discover, a clean record means nothing if it belongs to a stolen identity. And the consequences can be deadly..."



The Science Fiction Novel - M.T. Anderson

M.T. Anderson

Matthew Tobin (M.T.) Anderson was born in Cambridge Massachusetts in 1968. He writes children's books from picture books to young adult novels. I have only recently heard of him and have been looking for one book in particular. This book was Feed, a young adult book set in a future dystopian America. Feed was published in 2002. 

1. Feed (2002).











"Identity crises, consumerism, and star-crossed teenage love in a futuristic society where people connect to the Internet via feeds implanted in their brains.

For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. Following in the footsteps of George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., M. T. Anderson has created a not-so-brave new world — and a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now."

I told you this was a short one. The complete listing of Anderson's works can be found at this link.