Cracker! - Rated 
Having been recommended this by a snowboarding mate I had high hopes - all of which were surpassed by this excellent novel! I can't think of another book that has managed to capture the seasonnaire spirit and essence of snowboarding so well. In fact I can't think of another novel that even tries.
Not that this is just a book for seasoned riders either (or skiers for that matter), as the story rockets off from the start and bounces along at a frenetic pace with plenty of humour interlaced along the way to keep everyone happy.
Overall, this was a great find from a pretty random recommendation which really hit the spot!! I can't recommend this enough :)
Thrills and spills in the Mountains - Rated
Thoroughly enjoyed this thriller set in the mountains. A set of memorable characters are created in a series of intrigue building chapters. You know that fate destines that their lives will inevitably interconnect, and you spend most of the book trying to anticipate how it's going to happen. When they do, you're not dissapointed. It's a great read which flips and turns with the adrenaline-rythmn of a snow sport. Great fun. Go read it - and enjoy!
snow, secrets, seduction, suspicion , scams and sex - Rated 
The title Clamped gives little away of what the novel is all about, and this allows the reader to be gently led into the twisting and turning narrative and to be introduced to the characters and to their developing personas. The form of the book progresses with a rapid interplay of setting and how the characters interlink (sometimes literally) with one another. This scene shifting and crossing of characters was one of the reasons that keep me reading and interested to know what was going to happen next.
The subject of the book is the Clamp of Omanaka - a Peruvian relic that finds its way to the snow lined slopes of Le Praz, a village within the ski resort of Courchevel. The portrayal of the chalet hosts Ben and Gary is fairly true to life whilst other characters (Malio, Alfredo and Gabriel) are a little stereo typed and provide the comic (albeit tragic) relief. The public school drop outs on the scam (Terrance-James and Barnaby) provide the linking bridge. The use of real locations (Le Bar Jump) and fictitious ones (I am assuming the musee is an invention - I never saw it - but can't say I was looking before reading this) gives some realistic depth to the over-the-top escapades that ensue.
I was introduced to the book by the author's younger sister whilst on a ski holiday at a neighbouring resort - and it helped to fill the time between the afternoon chalet cake and the evening chalet dinner once we had returned after blasting the slopes. A good read for the snow-set be they skiers, bladers or boarders.
Impressed, although I expected a story about woodwork tools - Rated
A novel about museum artefacts, corruption and snowboarding? Da Vinci Code for the "extreme" sports generation? Luckily not.
Three different strands that would each make a worthy read in their own right are woven together skilfully to build a riveting rollercoaster of a story. Blackwell does a great job of balancing intrigue, romance and humour to keep the reader's interest aroused throughout. The vivid descriptions of life in a ski resort will resonate with anyone who has spent time in the mountains, from the blue-piste novice to the die-hard seasonaire. Overall I found Clamped a great read and would especially recommend it to anyone who enjoys scheming, sex and snow.
Impressed, even though I was expecting a book about woodwork - Rated
A novel about museum artefacts, corruption and snowboarding? Da Vinci Code for the "extreme" sports generation? Luckily not.
Three different strands that would each make a worthy read in their own right are woven together skilfully to build a riveting rollercoaster of a story. Blackwell does a great job of balancing intrigue, romance and humour to keep the reader's interest aroused throughout. The vivid descriptions of life in a ski resort will resonate with anyone who has spent time in the mountains, from the blue-piste novice to the die-hard seasonaire. Overall I found Clamped a great read and would especially recommend it to anyone who enjoys scheming and snow.
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