Sergeant Cluff Stands Firm
Book
'He could feel it in the blackness, a difference in atmosphere, a sense of evil, of things...
SS-GB
Book
A special edition of Deighton's classic thriller, the first and certainly greatest 'what-if?' novel...
The Rule of Fear
Book
The new novel by Luke Delaney, ex-Met detective and author of the terrifyingly authentic DI Sean...
The Serpent and the Light (Abscondita Est Magicae Book 1)
Book
The first novel set in Bo Luellen's richly imagined world of Abscondita Est Magicae welcomes readers...
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Book
After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night cleaner shift at the Sowell Bay...
Animals Magical Realism Octopus Literary Fiction
The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad, #2)
Book
The haunting follow up to the Edgar Award-winning debut In the Woods Tana French astonished...
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated Murder on the Orient Express (2017) in Movies
Jan 26, 2018
I can't divulge more because there are so many different plot points that it would ruin the chance for you to see the movie and enjoy it.
The Book can never be beat, The first movie was ok but, the remake was fantastic. Stars Melanie Griffith, Judi Dench, William Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, Johnny Deep, Josh Gad, Penople Cruz and Kenneth Branagh. This is an excellent cast for this movie and it is amazing. I do suggest you read the book first but, that is just a suggestion
Ragdoll
Book
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 'Superb thriller writing.' Peter Robinson 'A brilliant, breathless...
Assassin's Heart: Black Ops Former Military Romantic Suspense Novel (Agents of Command)
Book
Can love save a tortured assassin? Finn Kingsley was molded to be the perfect weapon: a ruthless...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Into the Night in Books
Mar 6, 2019
"I was high-functioning but deeply broken and eventually something had to give. When the opportunity to transfer to Melbourne arose, I needed to take it. Living in Smithson was slowly killing me."
This novel picks up a few years after the first Gemma book. Gemma has been haunted by the Rosalind Rose case featured in Bailey's superb first novel, The Dark Lake, as well as her affair with her former partner, Felix. We find her lost and floundering. This serves a dual-purpose for us, the reader. We get to read a novel with a complicated, realistic character in Gemma. She's true to herself. On the other hand, she's not always the easiest to like or even empathize with. This is a woman who has left her child behind, after all. I have to congratulate Bailey on having Gemma not make the easy/safe choices in life, or the ones you typically see in detective novels. Not only do we get a strong yet vulnerable female character, we get one who is flawed, real, and struggling to find her way in the world. I certainly didn't always agree with her choices, but I do enjoy reading about them.
Even better, Gemma features in an excellent complicated and captivating mystery, with several cases that keep you guessing. The prominent one is the Sterling Wade case. Bailey brings in various Hollywood elements, and there are a lot of characters to suspect and pieces to put together. I quite liked not knowing who had killed Sterling. Even the detectives were flummoxed at times: how refreshing. Throughout all her cases, Gemma is working out where she fits in her new department and how she relates to her new partner, Fleet. There's a lot going on, but Bailey handles it all quite deftly. The excellent writing I enjoyed so much in her first novel is on display again here; you'll be impressed at the way she can pull together her story and bring out her characters.
"'Or maybe this case is just fucking with my mind,' I say, 'and making me think that Agatha Christie plots are coming to life.'"
Overall, I found this book intriguing and refreshing. Gemma is a complicated and complex character who is matched by the intricate cases she attempts to solve. Those who enjoy a character-driven mystery will be drawn to Gemma's prickly exterior, while those who simply enjoy a hard-to-solve case will find plenty to like here as well. Sarah Bailey is certainly a go-to author for me.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).


