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Mary Carnegie

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Brilliant

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 06-11-24

Ian Rankin’s short stories are gripping (as are his novels) but a short story has a different form. Overall Rebus provides a modern history of the best city in the world- I’m biased of course having lived there from 17 to 28 & it’s capital of my native land! Rebus isn’t an attractive character but he’s compelling, explores even worse aspects than I knew. Rankin is also a good writer & narrator is perfect; can portray different Scots accents convincingly.

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Political autobiography of the century!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 24-10-24

Listened to whole book in one session. Herbie is wonderful. His observations of his time working in No 10 are as sharp and amusing as those of his male human.

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A covert attack on Unionists?

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 23-05-24

The narrator manages extremely well shifting between several accents. He even uses two different Scots voices without making a fool of himself! The story is lively and it’s easy to listen. Probably a novel better in audible form than in print. Characters are easily differentiated by their accents. But where’s the Scots embassy in all this diplomacy and subterfuge? Asleep at Scotland Yard??

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Mystery and humour

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-05-24

Tha annual treat of this series never disappoints. Old friends and continuing enmities. Twists in the tale. Dry humour. Well narrated.

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Heaven forfend he’s re-elected

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-04-24

Compelling in spite of the repetitiveness & crass grandiosity of 45. Bob Woodward has such patience with Trump’s rants & boasts. It’s an extraordinary relationship; Trump seems to need Woodward’s approval. Imagine the phone ringing at home & there’s Trump blethering on interminably & bombastically with the same old stories. Trump’s teetotal but he sounds like the boring old f**T everyone avoids in the pub. Except dangerous with it. He’s a security threat to USA. Surely that country has better than the two candidates for November 2024??

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Interesting but spoiled by narrator

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-04-24

When the narrator mispronounces the name of my home town and the local landowner early on that’s only the start! (Ardrossan & Eglinton btw) I’ve got an Ayrshire mindset (the rank is but the Guinea’s stamp!) no respecter of persons so overall Bryant is preaching to the converted. Our Scots aristos went more English than the English after the Unions & the old English ones were aye fighting us or the French or often both. At least today’s Tory life peers don’t retain title & privilege for endless generations!

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Relevance renewed.

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 30-03-24

Darroch is a diplomat and so he pulls his punches to an extent. The book has become topical again as the possibility of Trump being reelected approaches. Heaven forfend! Ambassadors know so much but with Trump in power they can’t even tell their own government- even if everyone else knows it. PS it’s sad he can’t pronounce his own surname properly!!

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He’s not wrong about the English

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 30-03-24

I’m a Scot who’s lived in Kent half my life and I still don’t understand why the English vote against their own interests (& that of their nation). This book goes some way to explain how & why they do so in such numbers. With the Tories plus ça change plus c’est la même chose..

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Gripping family history

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-03-24

The author narrates the extraordinary story of his parents and grandparents in the years of Hitler & Stalin. I’m too stunned just now to write more but it is a brilliant book.

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A kind evaluation of Tory government

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 04-03-24

I don’t often hear an account of Tory rule from 2010 from a right wing perspective. The author seems to have much access to those involved and although he is critical of some of their actions he certainly pulls his punches! Perhaps he doesn’t want to be excluded, as other journalists have been.

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