Giselle Green: Little Miracles

Julia Fearon arrives in Spain with fiance Charlie and their 18-month old son Haydn, excited to meet his family and plan their forthcoming wedding. But Julia's happiness is short-lived as she must grapple with a clan steeped in tradition, ritual and Catholicism and a day at the beach leads to a terrible tragedy. A freak storm causes chaos and amidst the pandemonium Haydn disappears. Whilst the authorities presume him drowned, Julia is tortured by the possibility that her child is alive - and has been snatched.

This was a great read, as the views of both Charlie and Julia are presented. In places though, I found both characters unlikable, because they both keep too many secrets from one another. I was quite disappointed with the final scene, but overall I found the topic interesting and the emotional side of the topic well-developed.

Donna Leon: Brunetti 18 - About Face

At a dinner party given by his parents-in-law Comissario Brunetti meets Franca Marinello, the wife of a prosperous Venetian businessman. He’s charmed by Signora Marinello's love of Virgil and Cicero, but shocked by her appearance. A few days later, Brunetti is visited by Carabinieri Maggiore Filipo Guarino, who wants information about the owner of a trucking company found murdered in his offices. Soon after that he himself is dead. Was he killed because he got too close? And how is it that Franca Marinello has often been seen in company of the suspect, a vulgar man with Mafia connections and a violent past?

Rather typical of any Donna Leon crime fiction, this was an entertaining and distracting read, and as usual Brunetti and his wife Paola are likeable and interesting. The usual cast of the Venetian police, Patta, Scarpa, Vianello and Pucetti add to the delightful mix of characters. However, for me this was the first Leon novel, where the solution and denouement were disappointing and left me wanting more detail and more of a conclusion.

Wendy Leigh: Patrick Swayze - One last dance

For almost thirty years, Patrick Swayze has been an icon of masculinity and sex appeal, strong but sensitive, romantic yet dangerous. In this intimate and revealing biography, bestselling author Wendy Leigh shares the inspiring untold story of Patrick's incredible life.

This book was a great surprise. I didn't expect it to be that interesting, but actually I was taken by surprise as to how many films and theatre productions Patrick Swayze was involved in. Due to the many quotes and references the style of writing was sometimes a bit difficult to follow.

Frank W Abagnale: Catch me if you can

Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams and Ringo Monjo, was a daring conman, forger, impostor and escape artist. In his brief but notorious career, Abagnale donned a pilot's uniform and co-piloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as a member of hospital management, practised law without a licence, passed himself off as a college sociology professor and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was 21. Known by the police of 26 foreign countries and all 50 US states as "The Skywayman", Abagnale lived a sumptuous life on the run - until the law caught up with him. Now recognized as a leading authority on financial foul play, Abagnale is a charming rogue whose hilarious, stranger-than-fiction international escapades and ingenious escapes - including one from an aeroplane - make "Catch Me If You Can" an irresistible tale of deceit.

This story has been a great read. It's absolutely unbelievable that Abagnale got through with his cons. Also, it's funny to see that even in the most impossible situations he still thought of ways to make money with cons....