Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky

The Blurb On The Back:

Meeting an anonymous client on a sizzling summer night is asking for trouble. Especially when the client lies and tells V. I. Warshawski he’s the prominent banker John Thayer, looking for his son’s missing girlfriend. But V. I. soon discovers the real John Thayer’s son – and he’s dead.

As V. I. begins to question her mysterious client’s motives, she sinks deeper into Chicago’s darker side: a world of gangsters, insurance fraud and contract killings. And whilst she must concentrate on saving the life of someone she has never met, it becomes clear that she is in danger of losing her own.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

It’s a little too stiff to be truly enjoyable and definitely a product of its time. However, you can see why Warshawski has become such a long-running character and I am intrigued enough to want to read more in this series.

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

The Blurb On The Back:

The sole survivor of a shipwreck, Robinson Crusoe is washed up on a desert island. In his journal he chronicles his daily battle to stay alive, as he conquers isolation, fashions shelter and clothes, first encounters another human being and fights off cannibals and mutineers. With Robinson Crusoe, Defoe wrote what is regarded as the first English novel, and created one of the most popular and enduring myths of literature. Written in an age of exploration and enterprise, it has been variously interpreted as an embodiment of British imperialist values, as a portrayal of "natural man" or as a moral fable. But above all it is a brilliant narrative, depicting Crusoe's transformation from terrified survivor to self-sufficient master of his island.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

It is a book of its time, which means you have to take it as you find it (complete with uneven pacing, constant musing about God and unacceptable attitudes towards people who aren't white). I also think that it should be read simply so that you can see what the childrens' versions take out. However, it is a difficult read and can be tedious at times - although you'll learn a lot about making pots and capturing goats.