Search
Search results
TheBookMother (105 KP) rated Unravelling Oliver in Books
May 17, 2019
It's as if Richard Hillman came back from the dead, you will not put it down.
I picked this little gem up on a supermarket fundraising bookshelf.
I was abit a dubious to begin with as it was quite short for a standard crime novel that I am normally used too at just 230 pages. I did worry it would be a rushed cliche but boy, was I wrong.
I have grown up on Midsummer Murders and Agatha Christie and it felt like a fresh voice on a classic crime thriller rather than the standard norm from Liz Nugent.
To everyone they seemed a happy and successful couple until one night Oliver beats his loving wife into a coma.
We are then thrown into a sad and neglected past, tragic events and secrets that have now suddenly caught up with Oliver.
The pace of the book is exquisite. Right from the first page you are thrown in to quite a dark act being commited leaving you with only one question.
Why did he do it?
The story is told from numerous character voices and POV each sharing their experiences and opinions of Oliver including Oliver himself each recounting past events right up until after the attack on Alice.
Each account over laps and we are taken back to summer in the 1970s on a French vineyard, growing up during that time in Ireland and the views of the time.
I enjoyed the that the themes of having a baby out of wedlock, grief, race, mental health, expectations, promiscuity and homosexuality were all present which really added to you imagining what the views were at the varying time periods covered throughout the book.
Hauntingly, the only person we do not hear from is Alice which adds to the tension as the outcome of the attack isn't mentioned until quite a way through the book.
Aside from the fact that you are introduced to Oliver committing a heinous act and brutally admitting that he expected more of a reaction for the first time he beat his wife he is not a likable character. You are waiting for it all to come crashing down around him and his 'privileged life' even after you find out about his past and as the it is unravelled, so is he. Think Richard Hillman from Coronation Street villain, someone you cannot help but resent.
Clever, dark and unexpected I couldn't put this down and consumed the lot in a day or so. The pace and easy readability of the book left me wanting to keep reading to a point of keeping the kids busy with a snack and Netflix while I could consume multiple chapters in the corner of the room!
It's just want I want in a crime novel; a good villain, a clever plot and a few twists along the way and an even more surprising ending which leaves you thinking perhaps there was a little bit of good in there after all?!
I was abit a dubious to begin with as it was quite short for a standard crime novel that I am normally used too at just 230 pages. I did worry it would be a rushed cliche but boy, was I wrong.
I have grown up on Midsummer Murders and Agatha Christie and it felt like a fresh voice on a classic crime thriller rather than the standard norm from Liz Nugent.
To everyone they seemed a happy and successful couple until one night Oliver beats his loving wife into a coma.
We are then thrown into a sad and neglected past, tragic events and secrets that have now suddenly caught up with Oliver.
The pace of the book is exquisite. Right from the first page you are thrown in to quite a dark act being commited leaving you with only one question.
Why did he do it?
The story is told from numerous character voices and POV each sharing their experiences and opinions of Oliver including Oliver himself each recounting past events right up until after the attack on Alice.
Each account over laps and we are taken back to summer in the 1970s on a French vineyard, growing up during that time in Ireland and the views of the time.
I enjoyed the that the themes of having a baby out of wedlock, grief, race, mental health, expectations, promiscuity and homosexuality were all present which really added to you imagining what the views were at the varying time periods covered throughout the book.
Hauntingly, the only person we do not hear from is Alice which adds to the tension as the outcome of the attack isn't mentioned until quite a way through the book.
Aside from the fact that you are introduced to Oliver committing a heinous act and brutally admitting that he expected more of a reaction for the first time he beat his wife he is not a likable character. You are waiting for it all to come crashing down around him and his 'privileged life' even after you find out about his past and as the it is unravelled, so is he. Think Richard Hillman from Coronation Street villain, someone you cannot help but resent.
Clever, dark and unexpected I couldn't put this down and consumed the lot in a day or so. The pace and easy readability of the book left me wanting to keep reading to a point of keeping the kids busy with a snack and Netflix while I could consume multiple chapters in the corner of the room!
It's just want I want in a crime novel; a good villain, a clever plot and a few twists along the way and an even more surprising ending which leaves you thinking perhaps there was a little bit of good in there after all?!
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Siren in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Read my review here: https://bookbumzuky.wordpress.com/2017/02/22/review-siren-by-annemarie-neary/
<b><i>Dont play the hero, Roisin. Make sure you have your back covered. But when the moments right, make your move.</i></b>
This is a bit different to the sorts of thrillers Im used to reading. With a lean towards politics, this feels a little more highbrow than the normal the-boyfriend-did-it kind of books Im used to. I dont know anything about about the Northern Ireland Troubles, so it was interesting to get a glimpse into the history of it in this novel.
I liked our characters in this novel. It was nice to have someone like Boyle in this. Homeless, stinky and a bit of a pervert, yet still kind of likable. Though I felt like his story wasnt told all that well. Roisin was a well built out character and Neary was really good at making us empathise with her the whole way through.
The plot, overall, was good. As some other reviewers have stated, the thrill subsides a little bit towards the middle and end, but I was still interested in knowing what was going to happen to really take much notice at the slowing pace. When were flashbacked to Roisins past, I was initially interested, but then things got a little drawn out. I felt like that section of the novel could have easily been shortened so we could have gotten back to the current day situation and learnt a bit more about Boyle and the Dutchman, but, hey.
One of my issues with this novel was the situation between Roisin and The Dutchman. Considering she was so wary of everything and kept completely to herself, it didnt make much sense to me, that she let herself get so close to The Dutchman and so quickly. That part of the story felt very inaccurate to how it would have really played out, had this been a true story.
The writing in this novel is well done, with good descriptive imagery, believable dialogue and well developed characters. There are quite a number of Irish terms used that Im not used to, but theyre easy to get. A thing not so well done in this novel was the layout. Within each chapter, we are presented with several POVs that arent very well separated. The only suggestion that our character perspective has changed is a paragraph break, but then sometimes there are paragraph breaks that will carry on with the same character as before. Im hoping its only this confusing as Ive received an ARC copy from Netgalley, because if not, its a major flaw in the editing.
Im a bit miffed at the ending, to be honest. It seemed abrupt and it was unsatisfying after all we went through with Roisin and her story.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
<b><i>Dont play the hero, Roisin. Make sure you have your back covered. But when the moments right, make your move.</i></b>
This is a bit different to the sorts of thrillers Im used to reading. With a lean towards politics, this feels a little more highbrow than the normal the-boyfriend-did-it kind of books Im used to. I dont know anything about about the Northern Ireland Troubles, so it was interesting to get a glimpse into the history of it in this novel.
I liked our characters in this novel. It was nice to have someone like Boyle in this. Homeless, stinky and a bit of a pervert, yet still kind of likable. Though I felt like his story wasnt told all that well. Roisin was a well built out character and Neary was really good at making us empathise with her the whole way through.
The plot, overall, was good. As some other reviewers have stated, the thrill subsides a little bit towards the middle and end, but I was still interested in knowing what was going to happen to really take much notice at the slowing pace. When were flashbacked to Roisins past, I was initially interested, but then things got a little drawn out. I felt like that section of the novel could have easily been shortened so we could have gotten back to the current day situation and learnt a bit more about Boyle and the Dutchman, but, hey.
One of my issues with this novel was the situation between Roisin and The Dutchman. Considering she was so wary of everything and kept completely to herself, it didnt make much sense to me, that she let herself get so close to The Dutchman and so quickly. That part of the story felt very inaccurate to how it would have really played out, had this been a true story.
The writing in this novel is well done, with good descriptive imagery, believable dialogue and well developed characters. There are quite a number of Irish terms used that Im not used to, but theyre easy to get. A thing not so well done in this novel was the layout. Within each chapter, we are presented with several POVs that arent very well separated. The only suggestion that our character perspective has changed is a paragraph break, but then sometimes there are paragraph breaks that will carry on with the same character as before. Im hoping its only this confusing as Ive received an ARC copy from Netgalley, because if not, its a major flaw in the editing.
Im a bit miffed at the ending, to be honest. It seemed abrupt and it was unsatisfying after all we went through with Roisin and her story.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated On Bone Bridge in Books
Aug 25, 2018
Interesting plot (3 more)
Fleshed Out Characters
Well written characters
Great pacing
One of my Favorite Books!
The synopsis for On Bone Bridge by Maria Hoey definitely intrigued me. Everything about it made me really want to read this book. When I won On Bone Bridge from a Goodreads giveaway, I was ecstatic! Luckily, this book didn't disappoint.
The pacing for On Bone Bridge starts off slowly for the first few chapters. However, it quickly picks up soon enough. Once the pacing picked up, I didn't want to put this book down. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next and to find out what Kay knew. I also couldn't wait to find out if Oliver would be alright.
The plot for On Bone Bridge is definitely an interesting one. I also don't believe it's been done too many times. When Violet-May's and Rosemary-June's infant brother, Alexander, falls off of a bridge and drowns, everyone thinks it was just a horrible accident. However, Kay has her suspicions that it wasn't. We read about this time in her life. Then we read a little about when she's a teen, followed by her twenties. It's when she's in her late 30's that she crosses paths with the Duff family. She is invited by Rosemary-June's and Violet-May's brother, Robbie, to come leave with them in their house to keep an eye on things. Rosemary-June now has two kids of her own. A 3 year old girl named Caroline and an 18 month old named Oliver. When strange things start happening to Oliver, Kay starts to wonder if they are by accident or if something more sinister is going on as well as wondering if this is all connected to that day on Bone Bridge when Alexander drowned. Anyway, the plot is written very well. There are a few plot twists including one which could be predictable. However, On Bone Bridge is still a fantastic read. All of my questions were answered, so it was nice to have closure.
I enjoyed the world building in On Bone Bridge. This book definitely had me feeling some emotions for sure! Anyway, most of the book takes place in Ireland at different time periods. I think the author, Maria Hoey, did an excellent job in making the reader feel as if they were right there whilst everything was happening. I loved how most of the story also takes place at the Duffy family home. Kay was in awe of the house when she was little, so it was nice to read more about the place.
Trigger warnings include the death of a child and an animal, a spoiled child, swearing, violence (although not much and not very graphic), drinking, and cheating.
Overall, On Bone Bridge is a fantastic read. It's got a very interesting and strong plot as well as likable characters. The world building is written well too. I would definitely recommend On Bone Bridge by Maria Hoey to everyone aged 15+ who loves reading.
The pacing for On Bone Bridge starts off slowly for the first few chapters. However, it quickly picks up soon enough. Once the pacing picked up, I didn't want to put this book down. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next and to find out what Kay knew. I also couldn't wait to find out if Oliver would be alright.
The plot for On Bone Bridge is definitely an interesting one. I also don't believe it's been done too many times. When Violet-May's and Rosemary-June's infant brother, Alexander, falls off of a bridge and drowns, everyone thinks it was just a horrible accident. However, Kay has her suspicions that it wasn't. We read about this time in her life. Then we read a little about when she's a teen, followed by her twenties. It's when she's in her late 30's that she crosses paths with the Duff family. She is invited by Rosemary-June's and Violet-May's brother, Robbie, to come leave with them in their house to keep an eye on things. Rosemary-June now has two kids of her own. A 3 year old girl named Caroline and an 18 month old named Oliver. When strange things start happening to Oliver, Kay starts to wonder if they are by accident or if something more sinister is going on as well as wondering if this is all connected to that day on Bone Bridge when Alexander drowned. Anyway, the plot is written very well. There are a few plot twists including one which could be predictable. However, On Bone Bridge is still a fantastic read. All of my questions were answered, so it was nice to have closure.
I enjoyed the world building in On Bone Bridge. This book definitely had me feeling some emotions for sure! Anyway, most of the book takes place in Ireland at different time periods. I think the author, Maria Hoey, did an excellent job in making the reader feel as if they were right there whilst everything was happening. I loved how most of the story also takes place at the Duffy family home. Kay was in awe of the house when she was little, so it was nice to read more about the place.
Trigger warnings include the death of a child and an animal, a spoiled child, swearing, violence (although not much and not very graphic), drinking, and cheating.
Overall, On Bone Bridge is a fantastic read. It's got a very interesting and strong plot as well as likable characters. The world building is written well too. I would definitely recommend On Bone Bridge by Maria Hoey to everyone aged 15+ who loves reading.
Grand Tour of Italy
Lonely Planet, Cristian Bonetto, Duncan Garwood and Paula Hardy
Book
Discover the freedom of open roads with Lonely Planet Grand Tour of Italy Road Trips, your passport...
Lonely Planet Amalfi Coast Road Trips
Lonely Planet, Cristian Bonetto, Duncan Garwood and Paula Hardy
Book
Discover the freedom of open roads with Lonely Planet Amalfi Coast Road Trips, your passport to...
Lonely Planet Pacific Coast Highways Road Trips
Lonely Planet, Sara Benson, Andrew Bender and Alison Bing
Book
Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Whether exploring your own backyard or...
World Prayer Time
Reference and Travel
App
600,000+ downloads !!!!!! App Features ------------ - Imsak, Fajr, Sunrise, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib...
Lonely Planet Civil War Trail Road Trips
Lonely Planet, Amy C. Balfour, Michael Grosberg and Adam Karlin
Book
Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Whether exploring your own backyard or...
The Ballymaloe Cookbook
Book
First published in 1977, The Ballymaloe Cookbook espouses a food philosophy rare for its time, but...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Lost Letters of William Woolf in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I would like to begin by saying, that this blurb sounds very very intriguing, and I got ready for a love story, but oh sugar, how deceiving it is. There is soooooo much more to this book, it is very complex, thought-provoking and deep.
William and Claire are married for a very long time, their relationship saw everything, from happy times to major disappointments, now they are kind of wondering whether to continue with it or to go separate ways. So while all this is happening, William experiences everything that is mentioned in the blurb as well. So yeah, this is a very complicated story…
This story is told from multiple perspectives, in this case, William’s and Claire’s, and I am very happy, that I got to know the characters better this way. The more I read, the more annoyed I got. Even though the characters are very realistic and believable, I really disliked Claire. I just didn’t like her personality, bossiness, and I just couldn’t connect with her. I liked William, he is kind and generous, but I think he was really weak and it annoyed me that he allowed being treated like a mop.
I think the plot of this book is quite unique, highlighting couples relationship and thoughts that run through so many couples in real life. This novel carries so many feelings, memories from the past, and thoughts about the future. The narrative travels between past when they had a blooming relationship to the present when the situation is tensed. I really liked that the author chose different settings for this novel. The author describes Ireland beautifully as well as London and other towns. I am really curious, how the author did her research for this book because I would love to be a lost letter’s detective. 😀 That sounds so exciting! 🙂 Another thing that I really enjoyed was William’s little adventures while looking for the owner of those mysterious “Great Love” letters, that kept my interest going, and I was curious to find out, what William is going to do.
Helen Cullen’s prose is absolutely beautiful and it is a great debut. I found this book easy to read and it was an enjoyable journey. The chapters are a decent length, but because this novel is filled with thoughts, sometimes my mind did wander away, some of those thoughts repeated itself and in some cases, it was just too much of it for me. The ending rounded up the story nicely, but I have mixed feelings about it. I am kind of happy with the outcome but at the same time kind of disappointed.
So, to conclude, don’t be fooled by the blurb, there is way more depth in this book than it shows. It analyzes a very complex couple’s relationship, letting the reader really get into characters heads. I enjoyed this book, and if you wish to find out what happened to William, Claire and the mysterious letter sender, do give this book a try and I hope you will enjoy their story. 🙂
William and Claire are married for a very long time, their relationship saw everything, from happy times to major disappointments, now they are kind of wondering whether to continue with it or to go separate ways. So while all this is happening, William experiences everything that is mentioned in the blurb as well. So yeah, this is a very complicated story…
This story is told from multiple perspectives, in this case, William’s and Claire’s, and I am very happy, that I got to know the characters better this way. The more I read, the more annoyed I got. Even though the characters are very realistic and believable, I really disliked Claire. I just didn’t like her personality, bossiness, and I just couldn’t connect with her. I liked William, he is kind and generous, but I think he was really weak and it annoyed me that he allowed being treated like a mop.
I think the plot of this book is quite unique, highlighting couples relationship and thoughts that run through so many couples in real life. This novel carries so many feelings, memories from the past, and thoughts about the future. The narrative travels between past when they had a blooming relationship to the present when the situation is tensed. I really liked that the author chose different settings for this novel. The author describes Ireland beautifully as well as London and other towns. I am really curious, how the author did her research for this book because I would love to be a lost letter’s detective. 😀 That sounds so exciting! 🙂 Another thing that I really enjoyed was William’s little adventures while looking for the owner of those mysterious “Great Love” letters, that kept my interest going, and I was curious to find out, what William is going to do.
Helen Cullen’s prose is absolutely beautiful and it is a great debut. I found this book easy to read and it was an enjoyable journey. The chapters are a decent length, but because this novel is filled with thoughts, sometimes my mind did wander away, some of those thoughts repeated itself and in some cases, it was just too much of it for me. The ending rounded up the story nicely, but I have mixed feelings about it. I am kind of happy with the outcome but at the same time kind of disappointed.
So, to conclude, don’t be fooled by the blurb, there is way more depth in this book than it shows. It analyzes a very complex couple’s relationship, letting the reader really get into characters heads. I enjoyed this book, and if you wish to find out what happened to William, Claire and the mysterious letter sender, do give this book a try and I hope you will enjoy their story. 🙂