5 recent reads: Whispers of the Dead and more

Whispers of the Dead

by Simon Beckett, Random House, $28.99

When you are recovering from a brutal knife attack by a homicidal maniac you really don't want to get involved in a serial killer investigation.

However, that's what happens to British forensics expert David Hunter when he heads to the United States to do research on body decomposition at the Tennessee body farm.

A body turns up that is in a worse state than it should have been for the length of time it has been there - and the killer is far from finished as he toys with the investigative team and then starts to target its members.

Whispers of the Dead scores well on body count and for a good twist in the tail. Sprinkling the killer's ramblings into the story adds another dimension and Beckett builds strong relationships between his characters.

Julie Taylor

The Tenth Chamber

by Glenn Cooper, Random House, $39

This stirring story is set in the Perigord region of France in modern times. The author also takes us back from time to time to the Middle Ages and back further still, about 30,000 years to when cave painting was the norm. The villagers of Ruac have known about the cave paintings in their town for many years and they aren't happy about them being discovered. They are concerned their secret will be uncovered and they are prepared to kill to avoid publicity. This story also touches on the life of St Bernard, a French abbott and doctor. Excellent entertainment.

Iain Duffy

Warbirds Over Wanaka 2010

by Ian Brodie, Penguin, $25

Put a ring around Easter 2012. That's when the next Wings Over Wanaka airshow is scheduled, and it's on this reviewer's list of things to do. In the meantime, Brodie's official record of this year's show will have fans of vintage and classic aviation salivating. The author of nine aviation books and commentator for the show (among other things), Brodie matches his photography skills and vast knowledge of aviation to create books that have become collectors' pieces. The latest one is a slim volume, 48 pages as against 96 in 2008, but at $25 the price also comes down from $40 four years ago. A priceless record of historic aircraft which may not be around too much longer.

Kevin Ball

Battlefields of the New Zealand Wars

by David Green, Penguin, $40

This is a visitor's guide. As such it is a travel guide and also a backgrounder of the history of the various wars - the Northern War (1845-6), the Wellington War (1846), the Taranaki Wars (1860-1, and 1863-4), the Waikato War (1863-4), Bay of Plenty and Taupo (1864-9), South Taranaki and Whanganui (1847, 1865-9), and the East Coast (1865-9). Not all the battle sites are covered, but the main ones are. There are numerous photos, both in colour and black and white, and maps. Advice on how to get there and what is available to see and do when there comes with each site. Although the book does not claim to be a detailed history, there is, nevertheless, a good deal of information here - enough to satisfy the majority of scholars, and those interested in history.

Graeme Barrow

Dear Sweet Harry

by Lynn Jenner, Auckland University Press, $24.99

This is not your usual kind of novel. Rather, it is a collection of almost random thoughts and poems forming an exquisite creation. The concept reminds me of a Book of Days from Victorian times when the reader would pick a page at random and read an excerpt to give inspiration and pause for thought. Lynn Jenner has written a beautiful and poignant book which brings together Houdini, Mata Hari, Katherine Mansfield and Jenner's own history into a special collection which will enhance any bookshelf.

Elisabeth Marrow