It is fitting that the Fool becomes the protagonist of Christopher Moore's Shakespeare-based novels, because Moore's writing has a wit, inventiveness and charm worthy of the Bard's greatest comedy characters. Following on from the novel Fool, where we first meet the jester Pocket, his apprentice Drool and monkey Jeff, against the backdrop of King Lear, comes The Serpent of Venice. This book sees our hero Pocket embroiled in a hilarious tale of revenge, within a shared world of Othello, The Merchant of Venice, and Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. The result is one of the most wildly imaginative novels I have read in some time.

Full review here: http://www.imwithgeek.com/books/review-the-serpent-of-venice-by-christopher-moore

Despite having seen numerous film adaptations of her work, I had never, until now, read a Patricia Highsmith novel. The Talented Mr Ripley was one of the adaptations I'd seen, but it was so long ago that it felt like I was coming to the story with fresh eyes. Highsmith writes in a style that I particularly enjoy. Despite writing in third person, Tom Ripley remains the sole perspective character, and his sociopathic nature permeates the text. No matter his actions, one cannot help but love Tom Ripley. Although in the text he describes himself as unremarkable, he is incredibly charming and intelligent, and the reader desperately wants him to get away with his crimes. The prose is gripping yet uncomplicated, and as we are reading from the perspective of a criminal, the pace and the motivation of Ripley are not bogged down by a need to generate mystery. I will definitely be reading the rest of the Ripley series and more of Highsmith in general.