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Hazel (2934 KP) rated All That's Dead in Books
May 27, 2019
Darkly humorous and thrilling
Having read and thoroughly loved one of Mr MacBride's previous outings starring Logan McRae - A Dark So Deadly - I was thrilled to be accepted by the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, via NetGalley to read and review "All That's Dead" before publication in return for an honest and unbiased review.
This instalment had a lot to live up to and, overall, it hit the mark with it's dark humour, the fantastic characters, the setting, the twists and all wrapped up in an excellent plot amongst the backdrop of domestic terrorism and the independence movement in Scotland which although results in a fair bit of English-bashing, does mirror Brexit (oh how I hate that word!) in many respects which makes it topical and current too!
I did have a few niggles that did irritate me somewhat ... one or two of the characters who were supposed to be Police Officers did not come across as very believable; they were overly childish and not very good at their jobs. In addition, I found the word "sooked" extremely annoying for some reason - not sure why but it just wound me up.
I am absolutely certain that it would be better to read the series in order, it does work as a standalone pretty successfully and although the niggles prevented me from awarding this a 5 star read, I would still recommend it.
This instalment had a lot to live up to and, overall, it hit the mark with it's dark humour, the fantastic characters, the setting, the twists and all wrapped up in an excellent plot amongst the backdrop of domestic terrorism and the independence movement in Scotland which although results in a fair bit of English-bashing, does mirror Brexit (oh how I hate that word!) in many respects which makes it topical and current too!
I did have a few niggles that did irritate me somewhat ... one or two of the characters who were supposed to be Police Officers did not come across as very believable; they were overly childish and not very good at their jobs. In addition, I found the word "sooked" extremely annoying for some reason - not sure why but it just wound me up.
I am absolutely certain that it would be better to read the series in order, it does work as a standalone pretty successfully and although the niggles prevented me from awarding this a 5 star read, I would still recommend it.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2658 KP) rated Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible in Books
Jun 11, 2019
Delicious Short Story Collection
This is a collection of 36 short stories originally available at the Malice Domestic conference in 2019. As the title suggests, each story revolves around food in some way. Whether it’s a poisoned tea party or death by airline food, you’ll find plenty of murder and mayhem here. Some of the authors use this to tell a story with their series sleuths. That’s the case with Parnell Hall, who opens the collection with his puzzle lady, Cora Felton. Some authors take you back in time, like Victoria Thompson. Others weave a great tale with characters created for their story here, like Nancy Cole Silverman.
As if often the case with short story collections, a few weren’t to my taste, particularly those stories where the villain managed to get out of the hot water he or she should have been in. Most, however, are purely delectable, with a fun twist or two along the way to the climax and characters that draw you in. Whether the author included their series characters or not, each story can be read on its own. There might be a wink and a nod that series fans will get, but nothing that will distract you as you sample that author’s world. There aren’t any recipes, but with a book that is almost 400 pages long, it’s hard to imagine how large it would have been if they had included some.
As if often the case with short story collections, a few weren’t to my taste, particularly those stories where the villain managed to get out of the hot water he or she should have been in. Most, however, are purely delectable, with a fun twist or two along the way to the climax and characters that draw you in. Whether the author included their series characters or not, each story can be read on its own. There might be a wink and a nod that series fans will get, but nothing that will distract you as you sample that author’s world. There aren’t any recipes, but with a book that is almost 400 pages long, it’s hard to imagine how large it would have been if they had included some.
Isabel Smith (34 KP) rated The House Swap in Books
Jun 26, 2018
Tension, tension, so much tension!
From start to finish The House Swap is a taut and edgy examination of the rocky marriage between a young English couple, Caroline and Francis. When the opportunity arises for them to swap their city flat in Leeds with someone else’s suburban home in Chiswick they eagerly plan a week-long getaway for two so they can focus on repairing their relationship. Caroline soon starts finding signs that the owner of the suburban home she and Francis are currently occupying may very well be the person she’s tried so desperately to put behind her: her ex-lover, Carl. Francis, who knows about Caroline’s past affair, begins to notice that his wife is acting strange and inattentive; it’s putting him on edge, which is no place for a former pill-popper like himself to be. With both of their past obsessions threatening to burst back into their lives, Caroline and Francis brace themselves for the ultimate test in their marriage.
This psychological thriller definitely delivers on nail-biting suspense, calculated misdirection, and hair-raising shocks. There were more than a couple of well-placed red herrings which made the plot twists all the more juicy and exciting. Some of the content was a bit difficult to stomach, but it added to the domestic noir feel of the novel. Overall, The House Swap is a solid option for anyone looking for a fast-paced and multilayered novel that goes behind closed doors.
This psychological thriller definitely delivers on nail-biting suspense, calculated misdirection, and hair-raising shocks. There were more than a couple of well-placed red herrings which made the plot twists all the more juicy and exciting. Some of the content was a bit difficult to stomach, but it added to the domestic noir feel of the novel. Overall, The House Swap is a solid option for anyone looking for a fast-paced and multilayered novel that goes behind closed doors.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) in Movies
Dec 4, 2018
Another attempt at converting Stieg Larssen's very-popular-about-ten-years-ago characters into viable English-language multiplex fare. Film opens with implied child abuse followed by implied domestic violence (there's a lot of implication, in order to avoid the 18 certificate that scuppered the box office of the Daniel Craig/Rooney Mara movie), but this is mainly to set an authentically grim tone - the plot could fairly easily be retooled for one of the Bourne movies, as evil secret organisation tries to get its hands on apocalyptic McGuffin, hero gets framed for doing nasty things, and so on.
Not sure about Foy's 'Allo Sven, I got a Volvo' accent, but on the whole this is a decent, watchable thriller even if it does look a bit like an Ikea advert with extra gore. But the thing is that it is terribly generic. If the only way to bring these books and characters to the screen is to basically fillet out everything that makes them distinctive and memorable, one wonders why anyone should bother. (The producers of the film may be able to name 31 million reasons (at the time of writing), but this still hardly qualifies as a hit movie.)
(And I know it's a bit ungallant to say this, but Foy is 34 - at what point does she become *The Woman* with (for example) the Dragon Tattoo? The point seems pertinent.)
Not sure about Foy's 'Allo Sven, I got a Volvo' accent, but on the whole this is a decent, watchable thriller even if it does look a bit like an Ikea advert with extra gore. But the thing is that it is terribly generic. If the only way to bring these books and characters to the screen is to basically fillet out everything that makes them distinctive and memorable, one wonders why anyone should bother. (The producers of the film may be able to name 31 million reasons (at the time of writing), but this still hardly qualifies as a hit movie.)
(And I know it's a bit ungallant to say this, but Foy is 34 - at what point does she become *The Woman* with (for example) the Dragon Tattoo? The point seems pertinent.)
Allison Knapp (118 KP) rated Public Secrets in Books
Jan 22, 2019
Well written and complex characters (7 more)
Covers a broad range of social topics such as addiction, domestic violence, and homosexuality in a way which is both well written and accurate with the times
Strong character dynamics
Not nearly as cheesy as the romance novels of which she is known for writing
At times creepy or psychologically disturbing in a way which makes you care even more about the life of the main character
Strong ensemble cast
Great nostalgic look at music and cinema from the 60s up through the 90s
Excellent and unpredictable plot twists
Murder Mystery set in the world of the Music Industry
The illegitimate daughter of a young rock star witnesses the accidental murder of her baby brother when she is still very young, and due to a case of isolated amnesia, cannot identify the murderer. As she grows up under the public eye, amidst the tragedy and its effects on her family, struggling to let go of her nightmares of that fateful night while struggling to find her own identity aside from the shadow of her father and the legendary status of her family, she faces many struggles and challenges just to prove an identity of her own. Yet as she grows up into a mature young woman, she learns that there are some tragedies from her past which were worth suffering through if she were to finally help bring justice for her brother and their family.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Cutting Place (Maeve Kerrigan #9) in Books
Apr 12, 2020
I absolutely devoured this book and, once again, I find myself sounding like a broken record in that I haven't got enough different words to describe how much I enjoyed it and despite it being the ninth in the series, it continues to feel fresh with the partnership of DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent being a particular highlight of mine and one which I absolutely adore.
Here we find the team investigating a particularly brutal murder when a body part is found by a mudlarker on the banks of the Thames; the ensuing investigation leads to a missing journalist and an exclusive gentleman's club ... are they related? Amongst all this is a look into the private life of Maeve and the importance of strong friendships and trust.
This is a compelling and engaging story line and not just a police-procedural; it delves into the murky world of "gentleman's" clubs, domestic violence, blackmail, privilege and power. I'm not going to lie, it's a dark story full of tension that is all too plausible but there are lighter moments that provide some occasional relief.
Highly, highly recommended and you don't have to have read previous books in the series to appreciate just how good this is but you will certainly want to after reading this.
My thanks and appreciation go to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
Here we find the team investigating a particularly brutal murder when a body part is found by a mudlarker on the banks of the Thames; the ensuing investigation leads to a missing journalist and an exclusive gentleman's club ... are they related? Amongst all this is a look into the private life of Maeve and the importance of strong friendships and trust.
This is a compelling and engaging story line and not just a police-procedural; it delves into the murky world of "gentleman's" clubs, domestic violence, blackmail, privilege and power. I'm not going to lie, it's a dark story full of tension that is all too plausible but there are lighter moments that provide some occasional relief.
Highly, highly recommended and you don't have to have read previous books in the series to appreciate just how good this is but you will certainly want to after reading this.
My thanks and appreciation go to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.
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