M R HALL

***

FIRST impressions of Jenny Cooper, the heroine of M R Hall's debut novel, are far from favourable.

Come to think of it, second and third impressions aren't all that brilliant, either.

True, she's just taken on a highly-responsible new position as the Severn Vale District Coroner. But as she starts to get to grips with the job, it's not really possible to warm to her. She's prickly, sometimes to the point of rudeness. The sort of person who couldn't "abide" being called by her first name at work.

So, Mrs Cooper it is, then.

To be fair, though, she does have a troubled past. She's been through a messy divorce, has failed to win custody of her 15-year-old son and is undergoing psychiatric therapy. Worst of all, her therapist has uncovered a traumatic event in her childhood which, although still a mystery, is obviously continuing to affect her deeply.

It's enough to make anyone a bit on edge. No wonder she gets through the day by popping temazepam (she hides them inside Polo mints at inquests) and hitting the bottle when she gets home.

However, any thoughts Mrs Cooper harbours of her new job turning out to be a bit of a breeze are quickly dispelled. Her recently-deceased predecessor has bequeathed her a dark mystery to solve – one that will involve unearthing deeply-buried evidence.

Now, I've a rough idea of a coroner's job; investigating the cause of deaths and the odd spot of treasure trove evaluation would seem to cover it. However, Jenny (now we've got to know one another a bit better, I think we can be on first-name terms) has other ideas. She's definitely the hands-on type, and as soon as she starts probing the death of a youngster in a nearby young offenders' institution, she begins ruffling feathers.

In fact, she's so determined to unearth the truth that at one point we find her taking part in a spot of breaking-and-entering at the local pathology lab, hacking into the computer records before climbing out through a window and legging it to a getaway car.

Somehow, I don't think that's part of the job description.

Full marks to Hall, though; he's come up with a highly-original central character who allows him to take a refreshingly-new slant on the crime fiction genre. I reckon she's going to be around for quite some time.

PAN MACMILLAN, £10


CHEF'S TALES

MICHAEL SAXON

***

HE'S come a long way from Harrogate, has chef Michael Saxon.

Now the general manager of the prestigious Eastern & Oriental Hotel at Penang in Malaysia, he arrived there via, well, just about everywhere in the world.

As learning curves go, Saxon's was, to say the least, eventful.

He's experienced volcanically-tempered chefs who make Gordon Ramsay look like a Sunday school teacher.

He's seen things in hotel bedrooms that have come straight out of an X-rated movie.

He's been to the wildest of parties, and has spent a happy afternoon playing pool with Dustin Hoffman.

And once, he accidentally sat on his chef's prize pate.

You won't believe what happened next.

Saxon's memoirs, related in an engagingly self-deprecating fashion ("the full-time lettuce washer was smarter than me"), prove as mischievously informative as they are entertaining. RC

MELROSE BOOKS, £12.99


The Unicorn Road

Martin Davies

Benedict is a small child when he is sent to work for the great scholar, Antioch. But while his father thinks he is giving his son the chance of a better life, filled with knowledge and discovery, the young boy soon becomes part of a dangerous adventure.

Antioch is sent on a new expedition by the ruler of his land, Lord Manfred. His task is to find rare species of beast, including unicorns and mermaids, which Lord Manfred can use as political bargaining tools.

Benedict is soon sailing to strange lands with Antioch, a renowned interpreter, and the formidable warrior, General Decius.

Each member of the team has their own agenda, and it's not long before the group is in grave danger. Meanwhile, Benedict's father is sitting at home wondering what has become of his son.

This is an outstanding book in which each character is perceptively described.

With plenty of adventure, danger and love, it is a pleasure to read from start to finish.

Hodder & Stoughton, £12.99

Review by the Press Association


Published EP 31 January 2009