Michael Mortimer

Linnaeus apprentice Daniel Solander makes a startling discovery on New Zealand: A rock with strange qualities that challenge his master’s view on nature. The stone ends up in four pieces and during the time, they end up with people like Niels Bohr, Frank Sinatra, Greta Garbo and Josef Stalin.

This Swedish book, Jungfrustenen (virgin rock) is an easy read adventure book, a perfect summer book. I can’t say I was overly impressed with the book, but I enjoyed reading it. This is the kind of book I pick up when need something lighter to read.

This is the first book of six and I will read the next one since I want answers to question from the first book. Hopefully, the next book is as enjoyable as this one.… (plus d'informations)

Fossildrottningen (Fossilqueen) is a sequel to Jungfrustenen (Virginrock) and even though the first book had its problems (mainly not perfect written and the main character was a bit annoying) did I want to read the sequel. Also, I needed to read the next book since the ending in the first book was a cliffhanger.

I had a lot more problems with this book than the first. First, it's badly written. The story in its essence is interesting but OMG how frustrating it is to read a book clearly lacking a good writer (well lacking two good writers since Michael Mortimer is a pseudonym for two writers) the dialogue is often bad and the characters act so stupid sometimes that it's wonder that the cops haven't gotten them yet. I mean you are wanted by the police and Interpol for murder and you risk everything by deciding to sit in a café because you need a little alone time. Meh!

Also, the books have pages of facts. I mean you read something like they have to steal a popemobile and you get a small chapter about popemobile, the history of it. It's not like someone in the book explains for the other characters or the reader what a popemobile is, instead it can be a Wikipedia page or facts from a book. Yes, I like information, but I want it immersed into the story not separated. If I will google it if want to know more of something.

Will I read the next book? Yes, I will not buy it but I will borrow it from the library like this one. I will read the next only because the story in itself is interesting, but if the story in any way gets bad then I will stop...so perhaps I will be able to read all six planned books...or not...… (plus d'informations)