THE STRANGER by Harlan Coben

I read this book in 1 day. It was racy, incredibly clever and suspenseful. And all with no bad language, a sure sign of a good writer. This was my first book by Harlan Coben and it won't be the last. I can see why he has been called 'master of the plot twist'. While this story is about a stranger, it shows that none of us are really strangers in 21st century where we are all vulnerable through technology which can trace anyone, find anyone and expose anyone.  This means that in a world such as ours, secrets are fragile and fair game. While we all have them, this novel asks us to examine to what extent we would go to keep them from others and how far we would go to protect our families from knowing the truth? By the end of the book you cannot help but conclude that it is best not to know some things. The story of this book is intriguing and the plot brilliant and far too complex to summarise. I look forward to reading more of Harlan Coben. He is clearly the writer to turn to when you want a good adrenalin rush.

NEW YORK by Edward Rutherfurd

Do you want to know how New York got its' name? Do you know if the name Wall Street has anything to do with a wall? And what's with the name 'Broadway'? This book will tell you all this and much more. From the time that New York was an Indian hunting ground to the occupation of the Dutch who named it New Amsterdam to the English takeover and renaming of this pivotal American island that became a bridge between the old and the new worlds and which ended up being one of the biggest financial pulses of the world, you will be enthralled with the history of this great city. I am always in awe of authors who successfully weave an interesting story of human lives into historical events and this book delivered this for me without the fictional characters taking over the historical panorama of the novel. It taught me in more simplistic terms about many historical and political milestones  I had not previously known about or understood. I found this side of the book captivating. This book made me appreciate Rutherfurd's research skills and his ability to turn historical fact into interesting reading. My biggest thrill - discovering he has written a book on Paris, London and Russia - my three passions. Is there a better way to learn history than through a cleverly crafted novel where fictional characters bring their day to life and make you remember them long after you have closed the book on the final page? I have ear-marked this book in 21 places, I want to remember....