Reviews

Are you sure that's what you meant to say?

Some time ago, I reported that Due Diligence had received a review which, although favourable, included an horrendous plot spoiler. Despite my best efforts at persuasion, Amazon did nothing about it. I have learned since that Amazon never do anything about reviews like this one.

The advice from other authors is to grimace and bear it, hope that enough reviews come behind it to render it less visible.
This leads me to ponder the whole review situation.
Book reviews have traditionally been written by professionals who are employed by newspapers and magazines to inform reader's choices. These are careful crafted by experienced and knowledgeable experts. Amazon reviews are different. They are written by consumers who know what they like but aren't necessarily  able to bring a great deal of erudition and background knowledge to the job.
This doesn't mean they're not valid, quite the opposite. Amazon reviews are also very important. Most books are bought from Amazon and reviews can make all the difference to that purchasing decision. If someone doesn't like Due Diligence (and yes, there has been one reviewer in particular, check it out at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/1909607045/ ) they're perfectly entitled to say so. And, if my instincts are correct, they're more likely to put up a review than someone who enjoyed the book.
So, all I can do is encourage anyone who's read Due Diligence to post a review and remember that the star system is simple:
5 stars if you like it
1 star if you don't

Don't you think you've written enough?

I'm being distracted again, I'll be cuddling a cat if you need me.