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Merissa (11961 KP) rated Duty, Honor, Sacrifice (Toronto's Elite #2) in Books
Aug 28, 2017
Duty, Honor, Sacrifice (Toronto's Elite #2) by Angela S. Stone
Duty, Honor, Sacrifice is the second book in the Toronto's Elite series, and whilst we focus on a different pair, the characters from book one also play a big part in it. It is for this reason that I would recommend that you read this as a series, rather than standalones.
Chris and Logan have had an on-again/off-again relationship for approximately three years, and both of them want more, but neither of them are prepared to say anything. Mixed up with this is the job that they do, with Logan currently searching for someone involved with child porn/kidnapping. They get pulled onto another case though, with Jaden appearing to be targeted by a media leak within the department. This means that they work more closely with Jaden and Cam than they have previously, learning more about those two and themselves at the same time.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be a brilliant carry on from book one, there were parts where I was a bit confused. This was simply because the story is told from both the main males' perspectives, and sometimes it wasn't clear just who was talking. It was "he said, he moved, he thought," whereas a name might have been a bit more helpful at times. I must point out that I received an ARC of this, so I'm sure that this will be picked up and sorted before the book is released.
On the whole, this is an exciting, action-packed book that I can highly recommend. Looking forward to book three now.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Chris and Logan have had an on-again/off-again relationship for approximately three years, and both of them want more, but neither of them are prepared to say anything. Mixed up with this is the job that they do, with Logan currently searching for someone involved with child porn/kidnapping. They get pulled onto another case though, with Jaden appearing to be targeted by a media leak within the department. This means that they work more closely with Jaden and Cam than they have previously, learning more about those two and themselves at the same time.
Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it to be a brilliant carry on from book one, there were parts where I was a bit confused. This was simply because the story is told from both the main males' perspectives, and sometimes it wasn't clear just who was talking. It was "he said, he moved, he thought," whereas a name might have been a bit more helpful at times. I must point out that I received an ARC of this, so I'm sure that this will be picked up and sorted before the book is released.
On the whole, this is an exciting, action-packed book that I can highly recommend. Looking forward to book three now.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Demeter Code in Books
May 10, 2018
3.5 stars
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.**
Ridley Fox and Dr. Nita Parris are two of the CIAs best operatives. They travel the world eliminating the bad guys. When they are given an assignment that doesn't turn out as planned, their whole world is turned inside out and upside down. Then the mission gets changed and Fox and Parris are sent in different directions. This book has enough twists and turns to give you whiplash.
After reading the description of this book, I was very excited to read it. I love a good thriller and this one did not disappoint. The Demeter Code captured me from page one. The first scene is set in Washington DC and when books are set close to home, I always am intrigued. The book had a really great start and lots of action to keep my attention. A little over half way through it started to slow down a bit for me. It got more technical and I found myself reading the words without actually absorbing what it was I was reading. That happened a couple of times which made me drop my rating from 4 to 3.5 stars. This is the third book in the series, the first two being [b:Pandora's Succession|11435761|Pandora's Succession|Russell Brooks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347515371s/11435761.jpg|14368142] and [b:Unsavory Delicacies|10997415|Unsavory Delicacies|Russell Brooks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396737765s/10997415.jpg|40898431]. I will be going back to read these books as well as his standalone [b:Chill Run|13152361|Chill Run |Russell Brooks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328327623s/13152361.jpg|40898429] and I look forward to whatever he has coming in the future.
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.**
Ridley Fox and Dr. Nita Parris are two of the CIAs best operatives. They travel the world eliminating the bad guys. When they are given an assignment that doesn't turn out as planned, their whole world is turned inside out and upside down. Then the mission gets changed and Fox and Parris are sent in different directions. This book has enough twists and turns to give you whiplash.
After reading the description of this book, I was very excited to read it. I love a good thriller and this one did not disappoint. The Demeter Code captured me from page one. The first scene is set in Washington DC and when books are set close to home, I always am intrigued. The book had a really great start and lots of action to keep my attention. A little over half way through it started to slow down a bit for me. It got more technical and I found myself reading the words without actually absorbing what it was I was reading. That happened a couple of times which made me drop my rating from 4 to 3.5 stars. This is the third book in the series, the first two being [b:Pandora's Succession|11435761|Pandora's Succession|Russell Brooks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347515371s/11435761.jpg|14368142] and [b:Unsavory Delicacies|10997415|Unsavory Delicacies|Russell Brooks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1396737765s/10997415.jpg|40898431]. I will be going back to read these books as well as his standalone [b:Chill Run|13152361|Chill Run |Russell Brooks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328327623s/13152361.jpg|40898429] and I look forward to whatever he has coming in the future.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Girl with a Clock for a Heart in Books
Feb 13, 2018
George Foss is enjoying drinks with his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Irene, in a Boston bar when he is convinced he has spotted his college girlfriend, Liana. When George returns later that evening, his suspicions are confirmed. George hasn't seen Liana for twenty years, since she disappeared in a cloud of uncertain (and illegal) circumstances after their first semester freshmen year. As such, he knows that Liana has probably been on the run for the entire period. She quickly asks George for help, and he finds himself embroiled again in Liana's drama. Quickly he wonders if his safety (and hers) is at sake.
This is the second book I've read by Swanson now, and I've liked them both well-enough, but haven't been overly impressed with either. So many people seem to love him, so I was kind of disappointed that I didn't enjoy this one more. I never connected with any of the characters, and the book just sort of meandered about, taking a while to get to its various points. Yes, it certainly has some twists and turns, and some "aha" moments, but I was always waiting for some big shocking moment that never came. Instead, the plot was rather straightforward. George was a rather spineless creature who seemed to get into trouble easily, while Liana was never fully fleshed out. I would have liked to learned more about her - besides the fact that she was "heartless."
Overall, while I found the plot for this one intriguing, it didn't wow me, and I don't think this one will stay with me very long.
I received this novel via a Goodreads Giveaway in return for an unbiased review - thank you!
This is the second book I've read by Swanson now, and I've liked them both well-enough, but haven't been overly impressed with either. So many people seem to love him, so I was kind of disappointed that I didn't enjoy this one more. I never connected with any of the characters, and the book just sort of meandered about, taking a while to get to its various points. Yes, it certainly has some twists and turns, and some "aha" moments, but I was always waiting for some big shocking moment that never came. Instead, the plot was rather straightforward. George was a rather spineless creature who seemed to get into trouble easily, while Liana was never fully fleshed out. I would have liked to learned more about her - besides the fact that she was "heartless."
Overall, while I found the plot for this one intriguing, it didn't wow me, and I don't think this one will stay with me very long.
I received this novel via a Goodreads Giveaway in return for an unbiased review - thank you!
David McK (3377 KP) rated Mockingjay in Books
Jan 28, 2019
The third and final book in Suzanne Collin's <i>The Hunger Games</i> trilogy, in which the (I found) the whole proved to be greater than the sum of its parts.
Like the previous two entries, this is again told in the first-person immediate sense, and is again a 'true' sequel - don't even bother trying to read this without the first two!
Picking up from the end of <i>Catching Fire</i>, Katniss (and some other victors) has been rescued from the 75th annual Hunger Games by the previously-thought-to-be-a-myth survivors of District 13. Not all have made it out, however, Peeta (and two other victors) have been captured by the Capitol, who are now in the process of torturing them for information as the other Districts (1 through 12) rise up against teh Capitol.
This, then, is pretty much a war story, and doesn't shy away from the realities of such (albeit also somewhat sanitized), with characters dropping left, right and centre in unexpected moments, and with Katniss suffering further mental scarring as a result.
But if the Capitol falls, what will rise to replace it?
As a series over-all, I'll admit I wasn't too sure about it at first, and that it took a while for me to get used to the format in which it was told. The every-chapter-must-end-on-a-cliffhanger approach might have been a bit too much for my tastes, but in the end you just had to go with it (think of it like those old TV episodes that did the same!). Individually, the stories were enjoyable enough but nothing special, but put together as one whole arc (and read back to back) I have to say, it proved to be better than I was expecting.
Like the previous two entries, this is again told in the first-person immediate sense, and is again a 'true' sequel - don't even bother trying to read this without the first two!
Picking up from the end of <i>Catching Fire</i>, Katniss (and some other victors) has been rescued from the 75th annual Hunger Games by the previously-thought-to-be-a-myth survivors of District 13. Not all have made it out, however, Peeta (and two other victors) have been captured by the Capitol, who are now in the process of torturing them for information as the other Districts (1 through 12) rise up against teh Capitol.
This, then, is pretty much a war story, and doesn't shy away from the realities of such (albeit also somewhat sanitized), with characters dropping left, right and centre in unexpected moments, and with Katniss suffering further mental scarring as a result.
But if the Capitol falls, what will rise to replace it?
As a series over-all, I'll admit I wasn't too sure about it at first, and that it took a while for me to get used to the format in which it was told. The every-chapter-must-end-on-a-cliffhanger approach might have been a bit too much for my tastes, but in the end you just had to go with it (think of it like those old TV episodes that did the same!). Individually, the stories were enjoyable enough but nothing special, but put together as one whole arc (and read back to back) I have to say, it proved to be better than I was expecting.
Merissa (11961 KP) rated Winning Her (Perfect Stats #1) in Books
Apr 28, 2020
Winning Her is the first book in the Perfect Stats series and we focus on Bane and Dahl, both African-Americans and successful in their own ways. Bane is frustrated because he is blocked by the owner and the coach at the club he works for and constantly feels like he needs to be prepared for the chop. Dahl is an award-winning chef with plenty of TV shows and books behind her. At this point, she is helping her cousin with her restaurant in a vain attempt to keep it afloat.
Now, hold onto your hats, because there is LOT that goes on in this book. I'm still not actually sure when Bane crosses the line of wanting to get back at his ex-wife and just wanting her. I'm also not sure about a lot of went on in this book simply because there is so much. You have all the intrigue of the sports world, the cooking/baking world, drop-beat cousins, cheating cousins, a stalker nanny, (another) ex-wife and her anchor job, and a custody case - to name just a few 'themes' in this story. Due to this, it took me a while to get into it because I just couldn't figure out what was going on!
Once I got into it, I did enjoy the story but I had to work at it. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending and would love to know more about Warner. As for Bane and Dahl, I liked them but found the whole thing a bit too confusing for my tastes.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Now, hold onto your hats, because there is LOT that goes on in this book. I'm still not actually sure when Bane crosses the line of wanting to get back at his ex-wife and just wanting her. I'm also not sure about a lot of went on in this book simply because there is so much. You have all the intrigue of the sports world, the cooking/baking world, drop-beat cousins, cheating cousins, a stalker nanny, (another) ex-wife and her anchor job, and a custody case - to name just a few 'themes' in this story. Due to this, it took me a while to get into it because I just couldn't figure out what was going on!
Once I got into it, I did enjoy the story but I had to work at it. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending and would love to know more about Warner. As for Bane and Dahl, I liked them but found the whole thing a bit too confusing for my tastes.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Merissa (11961 KP) rated Hostile Takeover (Hostile Takeover #1) in Books
Oct 28, 2021 (Updated Jul 12, 2023)
Oh, here we go again - another Lucy Lennox book that I want to rave about but can never find the right words! Okay, let me start at the beginning...
HOSTILE TAKEOVER is the warm, funny, steamy, sometimes heartbreaking story of Grey and Ellison. Both of these 'knew' each other when they were younger, although they were from very different walks of life. Appearances aren't everything though, as Grey will discover. When Grey takes over Ellison's father's company, their past comes back to play.
Okay, so it's a given I loved it. But what was it that I loved? Well, for a start, it was Ellison's attitude. Grey pushed him and tried to make his life difficult, but Ellison, he thought he owed Grey so took it, and even managed to turn it around. Brilliant. I adored how both of them just wanted to help people, although Ellison didn't do it by monetary means as he didn't have any! The world needs more of that, especially from billionaires who can afford it!
Their road to happiness is full of stumbling blocks, most of them put there by Grey himself. Oh, Grey, my darling, when will you stop running? This part about killed me, and I found myself reading faster to get past it and to my happy conclusion!
A fantastic start to a series that I will be one-clicking, just like everything else by this amazing author. Read it!!!!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 28, 2021
HOSTILE TAKEOVER is the warm, funny, steamy, sometimes heartbreaking story of Grey and Ellison. Both of these 'knew' each other when they were younger, although they were from very different walks of life. Appearances aren't everything though, as Grey will discover. When Grey takes over Ellison's father's company, their past comes back to play.
Okay, so it's a given I loved it. But what was it that I loved? Well, for a start, it was Ellison's attitude. Grey pushed him and tried to make his life difficult, but Ellison, he thought he owed Grey so took it, and even managed to turn it around. Brilliant. I adored how both of them just wanted to help people, although Ellison didn't do it by monetary means as he didn't have any! The world needs more of that, especially from billionaires who can afford it!
Their road to happiness is full of stumbling blocks, most of them put there by Grey himself. Oh, Grey, my darling, when will you stop running? This part about killed me, and I found myself reading faster to get past it and to my happy conclusion!
A fantastic start to a series that I will be one-clicking, just like everything else by this amazing author. Read it!!!!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 28, 2021
EmersonRose (320 KP) rated The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5) in Books
Nov 20, 2019
Alert! Before I begin this review, I need to let it be known that in the case of this particular book I may be a little biased, well maybe really biased! This is the tenth book I have read by this author and the last in the second series I have read. It is safe to say I love these books or else I would not have read this many.
Alright, now that that is out of the way, let me begin. This book is called Blood of Olympus, it is the fifth and final book in the Heroes of Olympus series (if you should ever desire to read these book, I would recommend starting with the Percy Jackson, and the Olympians series as this series is a sequel series. The author of this book is a writer by the name of Rick Riordan. This book is a young adult fantasy novel. It is the final chapter of the adventure of a group of seven young adults who happen to be demigods, modern day children of the ancient gods of Greece and Rome. This adventure, like many great adventures, is a race to save the world.
For me, the initial draw of the book was that it is a fantasy novel, which is one of my favorite genres, and its focus is on Greek Mythology, something of an obsession of mine. The mythology in these books may not always satisfy all mythology nerds because they do take liberties in how the myths are presented in order to showcase how they might have changed to fit in the modern day world. The way Riordan chooses to represent mythology is often fairly close to original stories, showing that he spends the time researching the myths, and they are clever, funny, and entertaining.
As I read the books, I found myself drawn to the relationships between the characters, not surprising as characters are a key draw for me in literature. By this point in the series, the relationships became especially interesting because you have known some of the characters for ten books now while others are just in their second or third book appearances. The central characters have grown into a substantial group that each have their own unique backgrounds, personalities, and even mythologies that create intriguing tension and bonds. Their bonds grow stronger as they work through new struggles and adventures with the added drama of them being a group of teenagers, which obviously means that there is a fair bit of romance involved as well.
For me personally to get into a story the most important aspect is to be very invested in61w3pqVMCZL._US230_ the characters. This does not mean I have to like them, but I do need to be completely invested in what happens to them. If the storyteller can do this, then I will most likely binge the entire thing whether book, movie, tv show, comic…. regardless whether or not the story is good or my normal cup of tea. This was definitely an initial draw in me reading this second series because I was already very invested in both Percy and Annabeth’s characters, who are among the main characters in this series and the main characters in the previous series. The majority of the characters in this book did capture my emotional investment, which kept me reading all five books, but there were a few I found lacking. Maybe I am the only one who felt this, but I thought that Riordan didn’t spend enough time on some of the new characters to pull me into their plots. Unfortunately, this is common in stories that feature such a large cast of main characters, had the time on each character been even plot points might not have been as successful and honestly, I might have been annoyed to not spend as much time on my favorites.
I would be lying if I were to say this was my favorite book in this series but I still greatly enjoyed it. Besides my problem with not feeling emotionally invested enough in some of the characters, I really do not have any other complaints about the book. It was successful in finishing this series story arc while having plenty of plot of its own. And it ended wrapping just about everything up so that I was satisfied, but open enough to still want more. If this were a regular series, the leftover cliffhangers would be dreadful! But Riordan writes series that capture over-arching plots but that connect to his other book series in this same world, so an ending like this simply promising more books about these characters in another series.
Overall I liked this book, if young adult fantasy is your genre, then I would definitely suggest looking at these books. They do what I require of my urban fantasy stories, mix magic into our real world enough that a part of me can almost believe it could be possible. Characters, world, and plot flowing together into an engaging story that obviously captured my interest enough to read ten and counting of these novels.
*This was a review I found while cleaning that I write a few years ago. I have since read two more Riordan novels and counting! I love the way Riordan writes and appreciate how he seems to continually grow as a writer, always tackling new issues and allowing his characters to have growth. Annabeth and Percy especially, they are two of my all-time favorite characters. I highly recommend reading his books!
Alright, now that that is out of the way, let me begin. This book is called Blood of Olympus, it is the fifth and final book in the Heroes of Olympus series (if you should ever desire to read these book, I would recommend starting with the Percy Jackson, and the Olympians series as this series is a sequel series. The author of this book is a writer by the name of Rick Riordan. This book is a young adult fantasy novel. It is the final chapter of the adventure of a group of seven young adults who happen to be demigods, modern day children of the ancient gods of Greece and Rome. This adventure, like many great adventures, is a race to save the world.
For me, the initial draw of the book was that it is a fantasy novel, which is one of my favorite genres, and its focus is on Greek Mythology, something of an obsession of mine. The mythology in these books may not always satisfy all mythology nerds because they do take liberties in how the myths are presented in order to showcase how they might have changed to fit in the modern day world. The way Riordan chooses to represent mythology is often fairly close to original stories, showing that he spends the time researching the myths, and they are clever, funny, and entertaining.
As I read the books, I found myself drawn to the relationships between the characters, not surprising as characters are a key draw for me in literature. By this point in the series, the relationships became especially interesting because you have known some of the characters for ten books now while others are just in their second or third book appearances. The central characters have grown into a substantial group that each have their own unique backgrounds, personalities, and even mythologies that create intriguing tension and bonds. Their bonds grow stronger as they work through new struggles and adventures with the added drama of them being a group of teenagers, which obviously means that there is a fair bit of romance involved as well.
For me personally to get into a story the most important aspect is to be very invested in61w3pqVMCZL._US230_ the characters. This does not mean I have to like them, but I do need to be completely invested in what happens to them. If the storyteller can do this, then I will most likely binge the entire thing whether book, movie, tv show, comic…. regardless whether or not the story is good or my normal cup of tea. This was definitely an initial draw in me reading this second series because I was already very invested in both Percy and Annabeth’s characters, who are among the main characters in this series and the main characters in the previous series. The majority of the characters in this book did capture my emotional investment, which kept me reading all five books, but there were a few I found lacking. Maybe I am the only one who felt this, but I thought that Riordan didn’t spend enough time on some of the new characters to pull me into their plots. Unfortunately, this is common in stories that feature such a large cast of main characters, had the time on each character been even plot points might not have been as successful and honestly, I might have been annoyed to not spend as much time on my favorites.
I would be lying if I were to say this was my favorite book in this series but I still greatly enjoyed it. Besides my problem with not feeling emotionally invested enough in some of the characters, I really do not have any other complaints about the book. It was successful in finishing this series story arc while having plenty of plot of its own. And it ended wrapping just about everything up so that I was satisfied, but open enough to still want more. If this were a regular series, the leftover cliffhangers would be dreadful! But Riordan writes series that capture over-arching plots but that connect to his other book series in this same world, so an ending like this simply promising more books about these characters in another series.
Overall I liked this book, if young adult fantasy is your genre, then I would definitely suggest looking at these books. They do what I require of my urban fantasy stories, mix magic into our real world enough that a part of me can almost believe it could be possible. Characters, world, and plot flowing together into an engaging story that obviously captured my interest enough to read ten and counting of these novels.
*This was a review I found while cleaning that I write a few years ago. I have since read two more Riordan novels and counting! I love the way Riordan writes and appreciate how he seems to continually grow as a writer, always tackling new issues and allowing his characters to have growth. Annabeth and Percy especially, they are two of my all-time favorite characters. I highly recommend reading his books!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Favorite Daughter in Books
Jun 21, 2019
A year ago, Jane Harris' daughter, Mary, died tragically. Ever since, Jane has been lost in a cloud of grief and anti-depressants. But with a ceremony celebrating Mary's life coming up, Jane feels it's time for her to reemerge and reengage with her family: husband David and daughter, Betsy, who is about to graduate from high school. The family lives in a gorgeous house in Orange County, California. But Jane quickly realizes that David is always busy--with work or the gym he claims--and Betsy is distant and angry. Jane adored Mary, her eldest, who had finished her first year of college before she died. But at the ceremony for Mary, she receives a note, claiming Mary's death wasn't an accident. Does someone know what happened to her daughter--and are they right? Was Mary's death not an accident?
"After a year of grieving, it's time to step back into my family, or what remains of it and that's precisely my plan."
So this review is going to be a little unpopular, perhaps, based on others I've seen. I'd like to point out that it's not a negative review, per se, just not a gushing review as so many others seem to be. I just felt a little let down by this one; it left me a little flat. I found a lot of the twists predictable and while I found the book a very compelling read, there was just something "off" that didn't make it a "wow" read.
Still, as mentioned, this is a very readable book, and it will keep you engaged. Jane is an interesting character, to say the least, even if I sometimes found her more clueless than diabolical. She is, of course, an unreliable narrator, and we are only allowed to learn things as Jane reveals them to us. As a result, we're left a little confused, never quite sure where we stand. One of the things I liked most about this book was how easy it is to get sucked into Jane's delusional world as the novel is told in a very conversational style, with her sometimes speaking directly to the reader. She's also a pretty terrible person and yet oddly fascinating.
"Without Mary to place my biggest hopes and dreams on, I'm left with Betsy."
Her relationship with her daughters is pretty messed up, to say the least, and as a result, the book can be pretty creepy and bizarre. It's definitely quite a wild ride. Still, I was a little disappointed at how much I figured out ahead of time; I would have liked to have been more surprised.
Overall, this is a quick read and it's pretty intriguing. You'll get caught up in Jane's delusions pretty easily, even if some of them are fairly easily telegraphed. Others really rave about this one, so hopefully you'll enjoy it even more than me. I still recommend it; it's an interesting read. 3 stars.
"After a year of grieving, it's time to step back into my family, or what remains of it and that's precisely my plan."
So this review is going to be a little unpopular, perhaps, based on others I've seen. I'd like to point out that it's not a negative review, per se, just not a gushing review as so many others seem to be. I just felt a little let down by this one; it left me a little flat. I found a lot of the twists predictable and while I found the book a very compelling read, there was just something "off" that didn't make it a "wow" read.
Still, as mentioned, this is a very readable book, and it will keep you engaged. Jane is an interesting character, to say the least, even if I sometimes found her more clueless than diabolical. She is, of course, an unreliable narrator, and we are only allowed to learn things as Jane reveals them to us. As a result, we're left a little confused, never quite sure where we stand. One of the things I liked most about this book was how easy it is to get sucked into Jane's delusional world as the novel is told in a very conversational style, with her sometimes speaking directly to the reader. She's also a pretty terrible person and yet oddly fascinating.
"Without Mary to place my biggest hopes and dreams on, I'm left with Betsy."
Her relationship with her daughters is pretty messed up, to say the least, and as a result, the book can be pretty creepy and bizarre. It's definitely quite a wild ride. Still, I was a little disappointed at how much I figured out ahead of time; I would have liked to have been more surprised.
Overall, this is a quick read and it's pretty intriguing. You'll get caught up in Jane's delusions pretty easily, even if some of them are fairly easily telegraphed. Others really rave about this one, so hopefully you'll enjoy it even more than me. I still recommend it; it's an interesting read. 3 stars.
An enjoyable Victorian mystery
Julia McAllister is a female photographer in 1895 who works for herself - which is a struggle in England at this time, as she would have had no legal rights. She pretends to her clients that she is working for a male photographer, but in reality he left her the business when he died. So, in order to make ends meet she finds work taking ‘French Style’ photos. These were risqué pornographic photos. Julia makes sure her models are comfortable with what they’re doing and that they’re well paid. She feels responsible for these young women.
When three of them are found murdered, and Julia is visited by an Inspector Collingwood asking questions because her stamp is on the back of the photos found with these women, Julia is devastated. Devastated that she is in the frame, and devastated that she has lost women who she considers to be friends. So Julia sets out to find the killer herself, because she has secrets that she doesn’t want anyone finding out.
This book is pretty jam packed with dead bodies, if I’m honest. The dead models and two unconnected men. Julia is involved with finding the perpetrators of these deaths too. So if you don’t like dead bodies, you’re going to struggle with this one! Although it’s not graphic in any way. It’s not a salacious book - the photos aren’t really described in any great detail: the making of them is just a part of the story.
I liked Julia. She is a caring character who looks after her models, her neighbours, and she even gives a home to a street urchin. I found the photography descriptions (taking photos and developing them) really interesting, and I thought the setting was really well described: the sights and sounds of a busy urban Victorian England especially. This is a very enjoyable book, and one for those who enjoy an easy reading mystery.
Many thanks to Sapere Books for sending me my copy to read and honestly review.
When three of them are found murdered, and Julia is visited by an Inspector Collingwood asking questions because her stamp is on the back of the photos found with these women, Julia is devastated. Devastated that she is in the frame, and devastated that she has lost women who she considers to be friends. So Julia sets out to find the killer herself, because she has secrets that she doesn’t want anyone finding out.
This book is pretty jam packed with dead bodies, if I’m honest. The dead models and two unconnected men. Julia is involved with finding the perpetrators of these deaths too. So if you don’t like dead bodies, you’re going to struggle with this one! Although it’s not graphic in any way. It’s not a salacious book - the photos aren’t really described in any great detail: the making of them is just a part of the story.
I liked Julia. She is a caring character who looks after her models, her neighbours, and she even gives a home to a street urchin. I found the photography descriptions (taking photos and developing them) really interesting, and I thought the setting was really well described: the sights and sounds of a busy urban Victorian England especially. This is a very enjoyable book, and one for those who enjoy an easy reading mystery.
Many thanks to Sapere Books for sending me my copy to read and honestly review.
ClareR (5686 KP) rated The Flower Girls in Books
Jan 17, 2019
A chilling psychological thriller
A child goes missing on New Years Eve from a hotel, and when the police are called in, it is discovered that one of the guests is one of the notorious Flower Girls. The Flower Girls were involved in the murder and mutilation of a toddler in 1997, when they themselves were only 10 and 6 years old. The 10 year old, Laurel, remains in prison nearly 20 years later. Rosie was found not to have participated in the murder and couldn't remember anything that happened at that time, such was her trauma. She and her remaining family were given new identities and relocated. Her rediscovery provokes a media frenzy. The missing child (Georgie) is found alive and hypothermic, but Rosie's new identity as Hazel is now known to everyone.
We see what happened 20 years ago in short flashbacks, which can have some disturbing moments (not gory, not of the original murder - at least not at the start), and we meet the aunt of Kirstie Swann (the toddler who was murdered), who has campaigned tirelessly to keep Laurel behind bars. We are also kept in the loop of the police investigation of Georgie's disappearance. There are a lot of characters to contend with in this book, but I think it was done well, and I didn't have any problem remembering who they were. I really enjoyed this, despite the rather macabre subject matter. The pace was just right, there was a good amount of skin-crawling moments, and an unresolved ending which really suited the rest of the story - and an unresolved ending? Well, that has to be one of my favourite things!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this book, and to Alice Clark-Platts for reading along and commenting on the story with the readers! If you haven't tried The Pigeonhole, it's well worth a go. I've found some really good books on this platform.
We see what happened 20 years ago in short flashbacks, which can have some disturbing moments (not gory, not of the original murder - at least not at the start), and we meet the aunt of Kirstie Swann (the toddler who was murdered), who has campaigned tirelessly to keep Laurel behind bars. We are also kept in the loop of the police investigation of Georgie's disappearance. There are a lot of characters to contend with in this book, but I think it was done well, and I didn't have any problem remembering who they were. I really enjoyed this, despite the rather macabre subject matter. The pace was just right, there was a good amount of skin-crawling moments, and an unresolved ending which really suited the rest of the story - and an unresolved ending? Well, that has to be one of my favourite things!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this book, and to Alice Clark-Platts for reading along and commenting on the story with the readers! If you haven't tried The Pigeonhole, it's well worth a go. I've found some really good books on this platform.