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Rachel King (13 KP) rated Pumpkin Roll (A Culinary Mysteries, #6) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
This book is the most recent in a mystery series, but the first book I have read by Josi S. Kilpack. I do not read much in the mystery genre, but the cooking aspect of the book interested me enough to try this one. All of the page numbers to the recipes are listed nicely on the back of the first page, so I was able to check those out without having to search for them, and they do look like quite delicious recipes, perfect for this time of year.
The main character is an older woman, Sadie Hoffmiller, who has recently opened a P.I. business in her hometown in Colorado, but has taken a vacation to Boston with her love interest, Pete, to house-sit and watch over his three grandsons. Right away she strikes me as both ultra-conservative - Sadie and Pete sleep in separate bedrooms - and a perfectionist. Not only is her cooking described in detail, but also her cleaning and personal grooming habits. She also comes off as a "busy-body" as she very quickly gets involved in the life of the woman who lives across the street and bears the reputation of a witch, the eccentric Mrs. Wapple. It is as if she is so addicted to her job back home that she must continue its nosy approach wherever she travels.
The city of Boston is obviously chosen for its proximity to Salem, Massachusetts and the many references and allusions to ghosts and witches throughout the plot. When pranks begin to strike in the house that Sadie and Pete are staying at, the obvious choice is ghosts, but their sensibilities and penchant for detective work prevent them from embracing this as the solution.
When something dire happens to Mrs. Wapple halfway through the book, Sadie is right in the thick of it, her curiosity taking prominence over even her duties as babysitter with Pete. Not even a vacation will deter her from solving yet another case.
On the whole, the book is entertaining, though Sadie can be annoying at times. Like any mystery, I want to know who is the responsible party, but my favorite part of this book is definitely the recipes.
The main character is an older woman, Sadie Hoffmiller, who has recently opened a P.I. business in her hometown in Colorado, but has taken a vacation to Boston with her love interest, Pete, to house-sit and watch over his three grandsons. Right away she strikes me as both ultra-conservative - Sadie and Pete sleep in separate bedrooms - and a perfectionist. Not only is her cooking described in detail, but also her cleaning and personal grooming habits. She also comes off as a "busy-body" as she very quickly gets involved in the life of the woman who lives across the street and bears the reputation of a witch, the eccentric Mrs. Wapple. It is as if she is so addicted to her job back home that she must continue its nosy approach wherever she travels.
The city of Boston is obviously chosen for its proximity to Salem, Massachusetts and the many references and allusions to ghosts and witches throughout the plot. When pranks begin to strike in the house that Sadie and Pete are staying at, the obvious choice is ghosts, but their sensibilities and penchant for detective work prevent them from embracing this as the solution.
When something dire happens to Mrs. Wapple halfway through the book, Sadie is right in the thick of it, her curiosity taking prominence over even her duties as babysitter with Pete. Not even a vacation will deter her from solving yet another case.
On the whole, the book is entertaining, though Sadie can be annoying at times. Like any mystery, I want to know who is the responsible party, but my favorite part of this book is definitely the recipes.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Stranger Diaries in Books
Apr 4, 2019 (Updated May 21, 2019)
Oh I love Elly Griffiths so much, and I was incredibly excited to win this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. It was so good! It's told in various points of view, including Clare's and that of Harbinder, an incredibly awesome Sikh lesbian Detective Constable. I mean... so cool. Harbinder attended Talgarth High in the past, so her former schooling memories are aligned with the current case.
The book gets off to an engaging start from the beginning. It's creepy and interesting from page one and never stops. We get pieces of R.M. Holland's story "The Stranger" interwoven in our story, too, and have to figure out how it aligns to the tale unfolding before our eyes. In fact, the book is very literary, which is really fun, especially if you're a book nerd like me. Lots of little Easter eggs thrown in, almost: bits of Shakespeare and more throughout.
Griffiths is just so darn good at writing her characters. Clare and Harbinder are both so uniquely "them" and different from each other from the get-go. I was completely engrossed in the story and caught up in their lives, even Clare's and honestly, she can be a little self-absorbed at times. It's hard not to appear that way when you're reading excerpts from someone's journals. Clare has a daughter, too, and we also learn about others in the English department who worked with Clare. Truly, the British education system is its own mystery to me, though I'm slowly learning about it through many English novels!
This novel is an excellent mystery and incorporates creepy Gothic undertones. I couldn't help but get a little spooked when Clare was discovering writing that wasn't hers in her journal. Even better, it's just so good and well-written! It kept me guessing the entire time, and putting all the pieces together down the finish line was fun. I literally had no idea who had done it--it was incredibly well-done!
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The characters are great, the plot is befuddling and exciting--it's a wonderful mystery! Highly recommend.
The book gets off to an engaging start from the beginning. It's creepy and interesting from page one and never stops. We get pieces of R.M. Holland's story "The Stranger" interwoven in our story, too, and have to figure out how it aligns to the tale unfolding before our eyes. In fact, the book is very literary, which is really fun, especially if you're a book nerd like me. Lots of little Easter eggs thrown in, almost: bits of Shakespeare and more throughout.
Griffiths is just so darn good at writing her characters. Clare and Harbinder are both so uniquely "them" and different from each other from the get-go. I was completely engrossed in the story and caught up in their lives, even Clare's and honestly, she can be a little self-absorbed at times. It's hard not to appear that way when you're reading excerpts from someone's journals. Clare has a daughter, too, and we also learn about others in the English department who worked with Clare. Truly, the British education system is its own mystery to me, though I'm slowly learning about it through many English novels!
This novel is an excellent mystery and incorporates creepy Gothic undertones. I couldn't help but get a little spooked when Clare was discovering writing that wasn't hers in her journal. Even better, it's just so good and well-written! It kept me guessing the entire time, and putting all the pieces together down the finish line was fun. I literally had no idea who had done it--it was incredibly well-done!
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The characters are great, the plot is befuddling and exciting--it's a wonderful mystery! Highly recommend.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) in Movies
May 13, 2019
Catch it or run away?
#detectivepikachu is more Pokemeh than #Pokemon, sure the ideas are there but the execution isn't leaving us with a movie that's simply just ok. I was really #hyped for this movie, I loved the neon flair, underground, mature & almost seedy look it pitched us in the trailer & very much to its credit all that is still there VISUALLY but in almost every other aspect it sadly fails. Ok so this film is #gorgeous, pokemon feel like living breathing #creatures with tremendous cgi texture detail almost making some of the feel like practical effect rather than computer imagery. Pokemon also interact with not just the world/scenery but with the actors too flawlessly keeping the immersion grounded/realistic just like #bumblebee did. World wise it nails it the city #feels so alive & lived in by both humans & pokemon with the grimy smokey alleyways, radiant forest areas & the neon glows of street signs adding character & dimension as they glisten beautifully off the characters fur & concrete. Its all very #bladerunner/#ghostintheshell #inspired & overflows with human technological progression. Accompanying the visuals is a simply awesome soundtrack that invokes a sense of wonder & #fantasy esc dream states only adding to its world building. Here then lies my problem we have the perfect world & these incredible creatures that inhabit it so why dont we spend more time with them exploring not only the world but the #relationship/bond between us & pokemon & how we cope with sharing the world together. Instead we are forced to follow such a dull, bland, paint by numbers plot with a twist thats so frustratingly obvious within the first 15 minutes that I was annoyed it took so long to reveal it. Adding to its tedium & dullness are the human actors who (aside from #Kenwatanabe & #ryanreynolds who carry the film) are unlikable, soulless, emotionless drones that seem to only be there to explain/advance the mundane plot. Detective #pikachu is one extremely well marketed/over #hyped missed opportunity & I cant help but feel if they'd focused more on the things we were all there to see (the pokemon) it might of had a bit more #heart. #nintendo #pokeball #pokemongo #cute #anime #manga
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles, #1) in Books
May 22, 2019
Gore heavy police procedural
This is the first book in the Rizzoli and Isles thriller series, apparently there is a TV series based off this but I’ve never seen it so went into this blind. Isles does not appear as a character in this book and even RIzzoli is more of a secondary character.
Catherine Cordell is a skilled surgeon working in Boston where she fled to following a horrific attack two years ago. Although she killed her attacker her exterior confidence hides the continued fear the trauma has instilled in her everyday life. When the impossible seems to occur and the killer returns to stalk her, Detective Moore is determined to protect along with fellow officer Rizzoli.
The villain and what he does is full on terrifying and creepy as hell (just the way I like them.) However if you are in any way squeamish and don’t like a lot of blood and gore you should probably avoid this book. There is a lot of graphic descriptions of injuries of people coming into an emergency room, surgery and torture. Rape is also a central theme and again descriptions can be disturbing so be warned.
This felt like a very solid police procedural book. The style will be familiar with Criminal Minds fans in that you get to see a bit behind the curtain. I didn’t feel there was a lot of puzzling mystery, but you were swept along in the investigation to find the unsub.
My main hope with this series is Rizzoli becomes a bit more human, in this book I just wanted to slap her for being such a cow to both victims and colleagues. Her constant internal moaning about how bad she is treated because she’s a woman made me laugh, it seemed more to be just because she isn’t a very nice person. She doesn't come across as a very good cop at all, poor at doing interviews, following procedure, working as a team. Meanwhile Moore was a much more sympathetic character.
Looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here.
Catherine Cordell is a skilled surgeon working in Boston where she fled to following a horrific attack two years ago. Although she killed her attacker her exterior confidence hides the continued fear the trauma has instilled in her everyday life. When the impossible seems to occur and the killer returns to stalk her, Detective Moore is determined to protect along with fellow officer Rizzoli.
The villain and what he does is full on terrifying and creepy as hell (just the way I like them.) However if you are in any way squeamish and don’t like a lot of blood and gore you should probably avoid this book. There is a lot of graphic descriptions of injuries of people coming into an emergency room, surgery and torture. Rape is also a central theme and again descriptions can be disturbing so be warned.
This felt like a very solid police procedural book. The style will be familiar with Criminal Minds fans in that you get to see a bit behind the curtain. I didn’t feel there was a lot of puzzling mystery, but you were swept along in the investigation to find the unsub.
My main hope with this series is Rizzoli becomes a bit more human, in this book I just wanted to slap her for being such a cow to both victims and colleagues. Her constant internal moaning about how bad she is treated because she’s a woman made me laugh, it seemed more to be just because she isn’t a very nice person. She doesn't come across as a very good cop at all, poor at doing interviews, following procedure, working as a team. Meanwhile Moore was a much more sympathetic character.
Looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce, #7) in Books
Feb 13, 2018
I can't help it. I just find Flavia de Luce absolutely delightful. I want to be her friend, her confidante, her laboratory buddy. I confess that the last Flavia novel, The Dead in their Vaulted Arches, was probably my least favorite of the series (though still a fun read), and I was a bit tentative about this one. And it's true, I missed Buckshaw a lot (though probably not as much as Flavia). This novel finds Flavia in Canada, navigating boarding school after discovery that she's to be inducted in the same secret society as her mother.
Perhaps I envisioned a bit more secret-spy training for Flavia than the book delivered - instead, immediately upon her arrival, a dead body falls out of a chimney, and Flavia sets upon her usual course - proving the adults wrong and finding out whodunnit. It's a formula that still hasn't gotten old, because Bradley simply writes Flavia so well. She is such an amazing character - so likable, so true to herself. I can just picture her in the situations in which she finds herself, and imagine the adults around her and their expressions. Flavia has some good interactions with both her fellow students and teachers at this new academy -- many of whom knew her mother. the late Harriet. She proves herself a worthy detective, again, of course, using her wits and chemistry.
The whole Nide business is still a bit odd and confusing to me. I suppose that's the point, but it's hard not to have some resolution - though I suppose we are supposed to be sharing Flavia's similar frustration at this point.
Nevertheless, I am amazed at Bradley's ability to continue to write books that so embody this character. I often try to envision a Flavia film and then find myself hoping it never happens, as I would hate to have the Flavia in my head ruined by the movies.
Definitely worth a read, as always, and now I'm left bereft that I'll have to wait over a year for the next installment of Flavia's adventures.
(Note, I received an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.)
Perhaps I envisioned a bit more secret-spy training for Flavia than the book delivered - instead, immediately upon her arrival, a dead body falls out of a chimney, and Flavia sets upon her usual course - proving the adults wrong and finding out whodunnit. It's a formula that still hasn't gotten old, because Bradley simply writes Flavia so well. She is such an amazing character - so likable, so true to herself. I can just picture her in the situations in which she finds herself, and imagine the adults around her and their expressions. Flavia has some good interactions with both her fellow students and teachers at this new academy -- many of whom knew her mother. the late Harriet. She proves herself a worthy detective, again, of course, using her wits and chemistry.
The whole Nide business is still a bit odd and confusing to me. I suppose that's the point, but it's hard not to have some resolution - though I suppose we are supposed to be sharing Flavia's similar frustration at this point.
Nevertheless, I am amazed at Bradley's ability to continue to write books that so embody this character. I often try to envision a Flavia film and then find myself hoping it never happens, as I would hate to have the Flavia in my head ruined by the movies.
Definitely worth a read, as always, and now I'm left bereft that I'll have to wait over a year for the next installment of Flavia's adventures.
(Note, I received an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.)
Kate and her husband Ron, have a seemingly perfect life: happily married, two kids, etc. So Kate is thrown off by her attraction to another man, Peter Ash, when she meets him at a dinner party held by one of Ron's colleagues and his own wife. Peter himself is married, with twin sons. Unable to get Peter out her mind, Kate ignores the warnings of her friend Beth, and arranges an encounter. Shortly after that event, Kate and Beth are involved in a horrific terrorist attack, and it seems like nothing will ever be the same.
This was a slightly bizarre novel with an interesting premise: a sort of anti-adultery treatise, in a way. The novel confounded me slightly with its two different tracks: one of personal angst and murder (I don't think it's a spoiler to state that shortly after the terrorist attack, Peter Ash winds up murdered) and then the terrorist attack, which seems somewhat oddly inserted into the novel's plot. Kate's friend Beth is a police detective, and for me, Beth was driving force of the book (and seriously, practically the only sane person in this story). I enjoyed her character and while it's been noted that this was a standalone novel for Lescroart, I could see another book featuring her.
Beth is perplexed as she tries to solve Peter Ash's murder. For us: not really. I felt as if the suspect was fairly easily identifiable the whole time. Lescroart did a fairly good job as casting suspicions on someone else; at one point, I finally thought, oh, ok, maybe I really am wrong (but I wasn't). There's a whole host of characters in the novel and they are interesting, but not really as complex or intricate as Beth. Overall, I enjoyed this novel-- I haven't read anything by Lescroart since some of his early Dismas Hardy books ages ago-- but I didn't find it to have an amazing "wow" factor or anything. It was an interesting, if somewhat predictable thriller, with some strange plot points thrown in.
I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley and the publisher (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 01/24/2017.
This was a slightly bizarre novel with an interesting premise: a sort of anti-adultery treatise, in a way. The novel confounded me slightly with its two different tracks: one of personal angst and murder (I don't think it's a spoiler to state that shortly after the terrorist attack, Peter Ash winds up murdered) and then the terrorist attack, which seems somewhat oddly inserted into the novel's plot. Kate's friend Beth is a police detective, and for me, Beth was driving force of the book (and seriously, practically the only sane person in this story). I enjoyed her character and while it's been noted that this was a standalone novel for Lescroart, I could see another book featuring her.
Beth is perplexed as she tries to solve Peter Ash's murder. For us: not really. I felt as if the suspect was fairly easily identifiable the whole time. Lescroart did a fairly good job as casting suspicions on someone else; at one point, I finally thought, oh, ok, maybe I really am wrong (but I wasn't). There's a whole host of characters in the novel and they are interesting, but not really as complex or intricate as Beth. Overall, I enjoyed this novel-- I haven't read anything by Lescroart since some of his early Dismas Hardy books ages ago-- but I didn't find it to have an amazing "wow" factor or anything. It was an interesting, if somewhat predictable thriller, with some strange plot points thrown in.
I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley and the publisher (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review; it is available everywhere as of 01/24/2017.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Greenfield in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Jack Clayton is retiring from the police force and dreaming about a calm life in retirement. All that changes when he meets Officer Yolanda Tilden, a young hotshot officer on the force he's just left. Once a prospective FBI Detective, Yolanda had to leave the FBI after getting injured and she's not happy about it. Jack's former boss, Chief Varner, convinces (tricks?) Jack into coming back for a special assignment to work with Yolanda for thirty days as a mentor. At first, the set-in-his-ways Jack and the angry Yolanda clash, but eventually the two work together on a drug case and start forming a true partnership.
Full disclosure - I only read this book because the author is a friend of a friend, and my friend bought the book for me. I knew the author wrote the book in his spare time, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.
The first part of the book wasn't my favorite. It lagged and was totally unrealistic (let's completely solve the drug wars in 48 hours!), but did a good job of setting up Jack and Yolanda's friendship and partnership. The writing can be a little stilted at times (must Yolanda say Jack's name every time she speaks to him?), with a few typos. Still, as I thought about it, the plot certainly wasn't any more outlandish than the New Adult romances that are all the rage right now.
Things certainly improved with Part 2, and I found myself staying up late to find out what happened. Part 2 sets up what appears to the "Cold Case Series" that Krammes writes (he has several books after this one). I really enjoyed Part 2 and found the plot to be engaging and interesting. While Jack and Yolanda's relationship is still a little far-fetched, the two are rather endearing at times, and amusing. The mystery portion was interesting and very solid. Overall, it was a fun book and Part 2 probably pulled it to a solid 3 to 3.5 stars. I look forward to reading the next one, since it's basically set in my hometown!
Full disclosure - I only read this book because the author is a friend of a friend, and my friend bought the book for me. I knew the author wrote the book in his spare time, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.
The first part of the book wasn't my favorite. It lagged and was totally unrealistic (let's completely solve the drug wars in 48 hours!), but did a good job of setting up Jack and Yolanda's friendship and partnership. The writing can be a little stilted at times (must Yolanda say Jack's name every time she speaks to him?), with a few typos. Still, as I thought about it, the plot certainly wasn't any more outlandish than the New Adult romances that are all the rage right now.
Things certainly improved with Part 2, and I found myself staying up late to find out what happened. Part 2 sets up what appears to the "Cold Case Series" that Krammes writes (he has several books after this one). I really enjoyed Part 2 and found the plot to be engaging and interesting. While Jack and Yolanda's relationship is still a little far-fetched, the two are rather endearing at times, and amusing. The mystery portion was interesting and very solid. Overall, it was a fun book and Part 2 probably pulled it to a solid 3 to 3.5 stars. I look forward to reading the next one, since it's basically set in my hometown!
Dana (24 KP) rated Batman the Killing Joke in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this comic.
We get the Joker's origin story. He was in a robbery gone wrong and fell into acid because his wife and unborn child died in an electrical fire accident right before the robbery. He was poor, down on his luck, trying to get a job as a comic, and needed some money fast to keep them from losing their apartment. He started off by trying to do an honorable thing and it haunts him for the rest of his life. It is one of the reasons he has gone a bit loony, he cannot face the fact that he is alone in his grief.
We get the reason for Barbara Gordon's paralysis and her origin into becoming the Oracle. (Thanks Joker)
Detective Gordon is attacked by the Joker who is trying to show him how painful it is to lose something he loves. Joker wants to turn Gordon crazy, but doesn't.
Batman does not want his fight with the Joker to end in death, but it will if it has to.
Overall, I really enjoyed this comic and recommend it to anyone who likes the Joker and wants to know more about him.
I love the Joker's last joke, so I'm going to write it out.
Two guys are living in a lunatic asylum and one night they decide they do not like living in an any night they don't like living in an asylum anymore. They decide they're going to escape. So they get up onto the roof and there, just across this narrow gap, they see the roofs of the town, stretching away in the moonlight, stretching away to freedom. The first jumps across with no trouble. The second pauses, he is afraid of falling. The first calls back and says, "I'll turn on this flashlight I've got and you can walk across the beam." The second replies "What do you think I am, crazy? You'll turn the light off once I'm half way across."
I love that joke and the fact that both Batman and the Joker crack up after it.
We get the Joker's origin story. He was in a robbery gone wrong and fell into acid because his wife and unborn child died in an electrical fire accident right before the robbery. He was poor, down on his luck, trying to get a job as a comic, and needed some money fast to keep them from losing their apartment. He started off by trying to do an honorable thing and it haunts him for the rest of his life. It is one of the reasons he has gone a bit loony, he cannot face the fact that he is alone in his grief.
We get the reason for Barbara Gordon's paralysis and her origin into becoming the Oracle. (Thanks Joker)
Detective Gordon is attacked by the Joker who is trying to show him how painful it is to lose something he loves. Joker wants to turn Gordon crazy, but doesn't.
Batman does not want his fight with the Joker to end in death, but it will if it has to.
Overall, I really enjoyed this comic and recommend it to anyone who likes the Joker and wants to know more about him.
I love the Joker's last joke, so I'm going to write it out.
Two guys are living in a lunatic asylum and one night they decide they do not like living in an any night they don't like living in an asylum anymore. They decide they're going to escape. So they get up onto the roof and there, just across this narrow gap, they see the roofs of the town, stretching away in the moonlight, stretching away to freedom. The first jumps across with no trouble. The second pauses, he is afraid of falling. The first calls back and says, "I'll turn on this flashlight I've got and you can walk across the beam." The second replies "What do you think I am, crazy? You'll turn the light off once I'm half way across."
I love that joke and the fact that both Batman and the Joker crack up after it.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Death in Profile in Books
Mar 15, 2018
(I've changed this down to 3 stars from 4 stars cause think back, it wasn't actually that good, I just think I was really happy to find a Netgalley book that didn't bore me to death)
Firstly I'd like to thank Netgalley and Urbane Publications for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Death in Profile is an excellent twist on modern crime drama novels. It's refreshing to find all the characters have a clear head with no underlying disturbances like we see with many other detective characters. While the plot for this novel is nothing too bold or different from other books out there, it still manages to feel unique.
I like how Sampson doesn't focus on simply one person throughout the book, but instead lets you in to each persons life in little snippets making you want to keep reading and find out more and more about each person. While Metcalfe and Willis are interesting as separate people I found their relationship juvenile, in all honesty. The way they went about each other was really rather unimaginable.
For me, the characters made this book fun and exciting because I didn't feel the plot was anything too incredibly amazing and I found the 'shock twist' a little... disappointing. I would have preferred the story to continue in the direction it was already heading by that point rather than the real outcome. I also found the last few pages of the book a bit pointless and it confused me slightly as to why it was included, I think it completely took away from the amazement you were supposed to feel about the outcome of the investigation into the serial killings.
Other than that and a few spelling mistakes here and there (which I couldn't keep note of due to there being no page numbers on the kindle), I actually did very much like this book and was reaching for it of a night time as well as during my travelling hours. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a crime drama without the troubled cop or gritty suspense. Definitely a fun and quick read.
Firstly I'd like to thank Netgalley and Urbane Publications for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Death in Profile is an excellent twist on modern crime drama novels. It's refreshing to find all the characters have a clear head with no underlying disturbances like we see with many other detective characters. While the plot for this novel is nothing too bold or different from other books out there, it still manages to feel unique.
I like how Sampson doesn't focus on simply one person throughout the book, but instead lets you in to each persons life in little snippets making you want to keep reading and find out more and more about each person. While Metcalfe and Willis are interesting as separate people I found their relationship juvenile, in all honesty. The way they went about each other was really rather unimaginable.
For me, the characters made this book fun and exciting because I didn't feel the plot was anything too incredibly amazing and I found the 'shock twist' a little... disappointing. I would have preferred the story to continue in the direction it was already heading by that point rather than the real outcome. I also found the last few pages of the book a bit pointless and it confused me slightly as to why it was included, I think it completely took away from the amazement you were supposed to feel about the outcome of the investigation into the serial killings.
Other than that and a few spelling mistakes here and there (which I couldn't keep note of due to there being no page numbers on the kindle), I actually did very much like this book and was reaching for it of a night time as well as during my travelling hours. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a crime drama without the troubled cop or gritty suspense. Definitely a fun and quick read.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated A Margin of Lust (The Seven Deadly Sins, Book One) in Books
Mar 15, 2018
This is the definition of a throwaway thriller. Its fast paced and exciting, but its not clever and its not particularly unique.
I liked the premise being about an estate agent trying to sell a million-dollar home, while someone else, our killer, wanted to keep the house off the market for himself. It was unique enough and what initially drew me into requesting this. Another big part of this story was marriage under stress, between our two main characters, Gwen & Art. I found this part of the story a little bit annoying and the way things happened between them at times, felt unrealistic. I understand that this book was supposed to represent the pressures of work life, marriage life and lusting after what you think you deserve, but it wasnt necessary. It could have made a more unique book without the domestic part to it.
In terms of characters, there are quite a few to keep up with, but it doesnt ever become confusing as to who is who. Gwen, our main character was a little hysterical, which definitely got on my nerves on more than one occasion, and I think she treated her husband unfairly, but it was fun to see her playing detective. Arts character was OK, nothing special. Honestly the story could have been just as good without his character. Side characters like Maricela and Lance were interesting and well developed, but all complete cliches.
For me, this is definitely one of the easiest to guess thrillers. At 44% there is a scene where Boris practically hands you the killers name on a plate. Usually, this annoys me, but I didnt mind it so much with this one because I didnt think it was going to be shockingly twisty and turny from the start.
This book is a perfect holiday read. Its good but not great. Youll find yourself whizzing through it, but it wont take up too much headspace.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Fawkes Press for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
I liked the premise being about an estate agent trying to sell a million-dollar home, while someone else, our killer, wanted to keep the house off the market for himself. It was unique enough and what initially drew me into requesting this. Another big part of this story was marriage under stress, between our two main characters, Gwen & Art. I found this part of the story a little bit annoying and the way things happened between them at times, felt unrealistic. I understand that this book was supposed to represent the pressures of work life, marriage life and lusting after what you think you deserve, but it wasnt necessary. It could have made a more unique book without the domestic part to it.
In terms of characters, there are quite a few to keep up with, but it doesnt ever become confusing as to who is who. Gwen, our main character was a little hysterical, which definitely got on my nerves on more than one occasion, and I think she treated her husband unfairly, but it was fun to see her playing detective. Arts character was OK, nothing special. Honestly the story could have been just as good without his character. Side characters like Maricela and Lance were interesting and well developed, but all complete cliches.
For me, this is definitely one of the easiest to guess thrillers. At 44% there is a scene where Boris practically hands you the killers name on a plate. Usually, this annoys me, but I didnt mind it so much with this one because I didnt think it was going to be shockingly twisty and turny from the start.
This book is a perfect holiday read. Its good but not great. Youll find yourself whizzing through it, but it wont take up too much headspace.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Fawkes Press for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>