Posts

Showing posts from February, 2023

BOOK REVIEW: The ‘2600 Feet Per Second’ heart-pumping revenge thriller

Dyslexic author Nick Love’s debut novel follows the life of Chris ‘Laser’ Beem, an ex-Royal Marine sniper whose happy family life is turned upside down as his military past catches up with him in dramatic style. The story unfolds as Chris struggles to protect his family while he executes a grizzly series of assignments, set for him by a ruthless foreign pursuer whose motive is initially a mystery.  The wealthy heiress uses Beem’s finely-tuned military skills to carry out her decades-old vendetta against an apparently unconnected group of people, most of whom appear to live a relatively normal existence in the UK.  As the plot unfolds, the identity of the heiress and her connection to Beem becomes apparent, as does the connection between her victims.  The novel’s twists and turns keep the reader on the edge of their seat, right through to an exciting climax, which leaves the door open for the planned sequel, due for release later in 2023.  The book is a heart-thumping...

Will The Metaverse demolish your property investments?

Image
  Even the best educated and most wealthy people can be short-sighted or dismissive about innovations which subsequently change our lives. In 1943, Thomas J Watson, former IBM Chairman said: “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers”. Microsoft founder Bill Gates reportedly said, while at the 1994 Comdex conference in Atlanta: "I see little commercial potential for the Internet for at least 10 years". In July the same year, former hedge fund executive Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com and the rest is history. Much has been written about the Metaverse, how it might impact consumers, how early investors such as Meta Labs (formerly Facebook) and Microsoft could control and profit from its growth potential. According to Peter Levine, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz: "The metaverse is the next big thing after the internet. It will change the way we interact with technology and with each other, and it will be a game-changer for business and society"...

A four-day cooking course in Tuscany sounded like an experience of a lifetime. But did Flavours disappoint?

  Having attended many cookery schools over the years (Rick Stein’s in Padstow, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison in Oxfordshire and Gordon Ramsey’s in Chelsea, to name a few), I was more than excited to visit Italy for my first foreign residential course. Following a chaotic transfer from Pisa, we arrive at the venue. Villa Selvatelle is a pretty Tuscan villa, set amongst olive groves in typically stunning countryside. It’s roughly half-way between Pisa and Florence. The ensuite rooms are generously proportioned. Some have a balcony. Even in early May, the huge swimming pool in the grounds is inviting, particularly in the afternoon sunshine, when temperatures reach the mid-20s. There is a large common area with a long dining table, where the seven course attendees, and my wife, are served dinner each evening, with lashings of local Chianti. Apart from the Chef, I am the only man. The course, run by Flavours Holidays, is a four-d...

BOOK REVIEW: Sunday Times best-selling author Scott Mariani’s 22nd Ben Hope thriller The Demon Club follows a tried-and-tested template, but does it bring anything new?

  The Demon Club , published in 2020, is book 22 in the Ben Hope series by Scott Mariani, an Oxford-educated Sunday Times best-selling Scottish author. Mariani’s hero, Benedict Hope, is the ultimate man’s man. Ex-SAS Major, combat-skilled and tougher than shoe leather, he ruthlessly eliminates the steady stream of crooks and assailants that cross his path. Yet his career began with a classical Oxford education, destined for the clergy, loves his dog, Storm, and profoundly regrets a series of broken romantic relationships. All the books follow the same basic plot: Hope, attempting to live a quiet life in rural France, stumbles into a situation involving a friend or innocent connection and an organised gang, or evil cult. Rather than involve the hapless police, Hope invariably dives in headfirst, using his fine-tuned SAS skills to save the victim and wipe out the ‘bad guys’. Despite the formulaic approach, Mariani injects a fresh twist and enthralling plot details into every b...