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From Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron, a hilarious new series featuring a sitcom writer who...
Puzzle Me a Murder
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The Golden Girls meets puzzle lovers in New York Times bestselling author Roz Noonan's first Pacific...
Dream a Little Dream (To Love a Psycho #1)
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His student. His obsession. His undoing. “Aaron Jones was a spark in the dark. Beautiful....
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Killing Me Softly (To Love a Psycho #3)
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Their love was forged in shadows. Now the darkness wants to tear them apart. Aaron Jones was...
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The Whisper Legacy (Pappa Legacy #1)
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Curran’s enemies thought he was dead. They were wrong. He thought his past was left on the Voula...
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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Primary Victim in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Primary Victim by Christopher Cihlar
Genre: Crime Fiction, Crime thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary (from back of book): A serial killer whose victims don’t die. An innocent man who believes he is guilty. A police officer who may solve the crime but in doing so gives the killer exactly what he wants. A legal defense that challenges the very core ideals of justice.
Primary Victim is a thriller that tests both the psychological breaking point of an individual and the strength of the legal system governing society.
Review:
I’ll admit up front that I have a weakness for crime fiction—but this book was amazing. Words escape my mind as I try to explain how blown away I am by this book. I gasped and grinned and nearly cried and laughed at the surprises thrown at me through this stunning debut novel.
The psychological aspect of PRIMARY VICTIM was mainly found in the “Victim,” Brice. I won’t say what happens to him, but it amazed me as his mind began to twist and change through the course of the story.
The plot: PRIMARY VICTIM was full of twists and turns that I never expected, and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn’t put it down! The viewpoint alternates between the criminal, the police officer, and the (living) victim, and switches back and forth at the most inconvenient places, forcing you to read on.
Characters: All the characters in PRIMARY VICTIM were strongly developed with real personalities. I hate books where people are just to perfect to be real (what I call “happyland syndrome”)—this book had the good guys and the bad guys, the the ones you hoped it all worked out for them, and the ones that you wished would be the next to die because they were such jerks (cough Nick cough).
By the end of the book I wasn’t sure what Michael (the criminal) was going to pull out of his hat, and was, from the very first page to the very last, impressed with Michael’s genius and creativity. At times I actually found myself almost cheering for him, but had to remind myself that he was the bad guy. It was almost hard to see him as the bad guy at times, because of his “work—” Michael considered himself a God in a world that needed one and didn’t have one, victimizing the people that he thought needed to be victimized.
Brice and Sarah were such a perfect yet sad couple, and for the sake of keeping the review spoiler-free, I won’t say anything… but I thought I was going to cry at one point.
Writing: The writing was the weakest point of this book. The prose itself seemed written in an unfamiliar style, minimizing comas in the sentences, and it made for a harder read. I caught myself occasionally re-reading sentences and paragraphs to understand what had happened. Aside from the prose, the vocabulary was broad enough and the pacing was good.
As of now, PRIMARY VICTIM is unedited, but there is only an occasional grammatical error, formatting error, or typo scattered through the book. However, all in all, it didn’t take away from the story.
Content: There was brief mention of sex between husband and wife (example: “they made love,” no other details, and the fact that they’re married made it that much better), and an occasional foul word from an angry officer, but other than that this book was refreshingly clean. I applaud Christopher for writing a crime thriller with low content—especially compared to some of the other crime thrillers out there. Maybe he can start a revolution. It’s true, people—you can have a good book without excessive sex and language!
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to lovers of Crime fiction, thrillers, and psychological thrillers.
Genre: Crime Fiction, Crime thriller
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary (from back of book): A serial killer whose victims don’t die. An innocent man who believes he is guilty. A police officer who may solve the crime but in doing so gives the killer exactly what he wants. A legal defense that challenges the very core ideals of justice.
Primary Victim is a thriller that tests both the psychological breaking point of an individual and the strength of the legal system governing society.
Review:
I’ll admit up front that I have a weakness for crime fiction—but this book was amazing. Words escape my mind as I try to explain how blown away I am by this book. I gasped and grinned and nearly cried and laughed at the surprises thrown at me through this stunning debut novel.
The psychological aspect of PRIMARY VICTIM was mainly found in the “Victim,” Brice. I won’t say what happens to him, but it amazed me as his mind began to twist and change through the course of the story.
The plot: PRIMARY VICTIM was full of twists and turns that I never expected, and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I couldn’t put it down! The viewpoint alternates between the criminal, the police officer, and the (living) victim, and switches back and forth at the most inconvenient places, forcing you to read on.
Characters: All the characters in PRIMARY VICTIM were strongly developed with real personalities. I hate books where people are just to perfect to be real (what I call “happyland syndrome”)—this book had the good guys and the bad guys, the the ones you hoped it all worked out for them, and the ones that you wished would be the next to die because they were such jerks (cough Nick cough).
By the end of the book I wasn’t sure what Michael (the criminal) was going to pull out of his hat, and was, from the very first page to the very last, impressed with Michael’s genius and creativity. At times I actually found myself almost cheering for him, but had to remind myself that he was the bad guy. It was almost hard to see him as the bad guy at times, because of his “work—” Michael considered himself a God in a world that needed one and didn’t have one, victimizing the people that he thought needed to be victimized.
Brice and Sarah were such a perfect yet sad couple, and for the sake of keeping the review spoiler-free, I won’t say anything… but I thought I was going to cry at one point.
Writing: The writing was the weakest point of this book. The prose itself seemed written in an unfamiliar style, minimizing comas in the sentences, and it made for a harder read. I caught myself occasionally re-reading sentences and paragraphs to understand what had happened. Aside from the prose, the vocabulary was broad enough and the pacing was good.
As of now, PRIMARY VICTIM is unedited, but there is only an occasional grammatical error, formatting error, or typo scattered through the book. However, all in all, it didn’t take away from the story.
Content: There was brief mention of sex between husband and wife (example: “they made love,” no other details, and the fact that they’re married made it that much better), and an occasional foul word from an angry officer, but other than that this book was refreshingly clean. I applaud Christopher for writing a crime thriller with low content—especially compared to some of the other crime thrillers out there. Maybe he can start a revolution. It’s true, people—you can have a good book without excessive sex and language!
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to lovers of Crime fiction, thrillers, and psychological thrillers.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated In Her Bones in Books
Mar 6, 2019
Wonderful thriller with detailed plot and characters
When Edie Beckett was in her teens, her mother, Lilith Wade, murdered six women. Lilith went to prison for life and Edie's life irrevocably changed. Now she's nearly thirty, trying to stay sober, working a city clerk job, and living a lonely life. Her only family is her brother Dylan, and she has no friends, no real life. At night, Edie secretly obsesses over the families of Lilith's victims, watching them online--and in real life. Then she actually meets one in person, and a man ends up murdered. Edie is immediately the police's one and only suspect. The investigating detective, Gil Brandt, is the same one who arrested her mother. He knows Edie better than anyone. She goes on the run, with Gil on her trail. Will Edie discover the truth in time?
This book just kept getting better with every page. I absolutely loved Kate Moretti's THE BLACKBIRD SEASON and was worried this one might not live up to it. I shouldn't have worried. This is just an excellent, fascinating novel.
The book is told from the point of view of Edie and Gil, with excerpts included from a tell-all book written about Lilith and her family. It all combines to make a very intriguing read. The way the novel explores looking at serial killers from the perspective of their family is just amazing and interesting. As Edie says,
"Sometimes, Lilith was just my mother."
You get this really in-depth look at how Lilith was both an awful mother, a regular mother, and influenced by mental illness. The book does a great job of providing a portrait of mental illness as well. I thought its look at Lilith as a serial killer was just so well-done. Lilith isn't necessarily the main focus--that's Edie--but she's had such an influence on forming Edie that we learn so much about her.
As for Edie, I was worried at first that I wouldn't like her or enjoy her character, because sometimes I have a hard time with characters who make nothing but bad decisions. But I quickly grew attached to her and to really, really like her. One of the best things about this book is that despite its serious and sometimes even gruesome subject matter, it can be funny sometimes. It's definitely heartbreaking and real. It's powerfully written, and Edie becomes this wonderfully great main character. She's so very smart and so very real. Moretti gives such a personality to everyone through her excellent detail; you're just able to visualize each character so well. I really love how you can get lost in her books. The bond between Brandt and Edie is interesting--different in many ways, but I liked how they were tied together in some way, and the how they each described that thread.
What's so great about this book is that you get to explore the serial killer aspect--how Edie is affected by her mom, some of the elements that formed Lilith into what she is, and more, but you also get a really well-done mystery too, after a character dies and Edie goes on the run. These two storylines run expertly in parallel and keep you riveted throughout the entire novel. There are some awesome twists and turns, and the whole book is just so well-done. I really loved these characters and truly just felt changed by the end of this one.
Overall, this is just a wonderful book. The characters are amazing and detailed, the plot is excellent, and I was just drawn in from the beginning. This goes deeper than your usual mystery or thriller, and I was so impressed and touched by this novel. I highly recommend this one!
This book just kept getting better with every page. I absolutely loved Kate Moretti's THE BLACKBIRD SEASON and was worried this one might not live up to it. I shouldn't have worried. This is just an excellent, fascinating novel.
The book is told from the point of view of Edie and Gil, with excerpts included from a tell-all book written about Lilith and her family. It all combines to make a very intriguing read. The way the novel explores looking at serial killers from the perspective of their family is just amazing and interesting. As Edie says,
"Sometimes, Lilith was just my mother."
You get this really in-depth look at how Lilith was both an awful mother, a regular mother, and influenced by mental illness. The book does a great job of providing a portrait of mental illness as well. I thought its look at Lilith as a serial killer was just so well-done. Lilith isn't necessarily the main focus--that's Edie--but she's had such an influence on forming Edie that we learn so much about her.
As for Edie, I was worried at first that I wouldn't like her or enjoy her character, because sometimes I have a hard time with characters who make nothing but bad decisions. But I quickly grew attached to her and to really, really like her. One of the best things about this book is that despite its serious and sometimes even gruesome subject matter, it can be funny sometimes. It's definitely heartbreaking and real. It's powerfully written, and Edie becomes this wonderfully great main character. She's so very smart and so very real. Moretti gives such a personality to everyone through her excellent detail; you're just able to visualize each character so well. I really love how you can get lost in her books. The bond between Brandt and Edie is interesting--different in many ways, but I liked how they were tied together in some way, and the how they each described that thread.
What's so great about this book is that you get to explore the serial killer aspect--how Edie is affected by her mom, some of the elements that formed Lilith into what she is, and more, but you also get a really well-done mystery too, after a character dies and Edie goes on the run. These two storylines run expertly in parallel and keep you riveted throughout the entire novel. There are some awesome twists and turns, and the whole book is just so well-done. I really loved these characters and truly just felt changed by the end of this one.
Overall, this is just a wonderful book. The characters are amazing and detailed, the plot is excellent, and I was just drawn in from the beginning. This goes deeper than your usual mystery or thriller, and I was so impressed and touched by this novel. I highly recommend this one!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Paper Ghosts in Books
Jun 4, 2018
Odd, creepy thriller
Carl Feldman was a famous photographer whose photos were well-known and whose books sold around the country. Then, he was tried--and acquitted--for the murder of a young mother. Now he lives in a home for wayward folks and criminals with dementia. Supposedly his mind is going, and there's much he doesn't remember about his past. There are tremors in his arm and gaps in his past. But each week a young woman visits, claiming to be his daughter. Eventually, she shows up to take Carl on a trip. But this isn't a father/daughter bonding ritual. She's convinced Carl knows what happened to her sister, Rachel, who disappeared when she was twelve and Rachel nineteen. She's spent years accumulating clues and evidence that point squarely to Carl's guilt--including his own photographs. How much does Carl really remember about those years? And how much is she at risk driving into Texas with a potential killer?
This was really different and odd book--not necessarily in a bad way, but it takes some getting used to and it's hard to explain, especially without spoiling anything. Our characters are few, with a focus on our female protagonist (who isn't named until the end of the book, so I won't name her here) and Carl. Both come alive through Heaberlin's well-written words, but neither are easy to like at times. Our main character is on a quest--one she's been on from the moment Rachel disappeared: to figure out what happened to her beloved sister. Her drive and desperation seep through the pages, and she's a fascinating and dynamic character, if not always a sympathetic or reliable one.
Yet she's completely lovable next to Carl, a potential serial killer who could be whispering to ghosts or plotting to kill her--it's so hard for us to know. What's so intriguing about this book is the bond to the two form as they drive across Texas, whose landscape becomes almost a third character in the novel. While at times I felt the plot dip and drag a bit, wondering where things were going, other times I was struck by the amazing dynamic Heaberlin created between the two. So much of the book is just Carl and our main character, alone in a vehicle in Texas, and it's very interesting, honestly, how she kept that interesting!
The book is creepy and tense at times, with Carl's behavior coming across as spooky and a layer of distrust covering the whole book. Who can we trust or believe? How much does Carl really remember? What is our main character really trying to achieve with this journey with Carl; is she telling us everything? I was left jumping and mistrustful, always wondering what would happen next.
The mixed media aspect of the book helps too, with not only commentary from our main character, but also excerpts from her childhood journal, pictures of Carl's, and snippets from one of his photography books. As such, things unfold slowly and ominously, overlaying the tense atmosphere of the novel. A lot happens and it can get a little perplexing at times, but it's also intriguing and compelling. A few twists and turns made me go "whoa." There's even a few moments between Carl and his "daughter" that are humorous. By the end, you're a little dazed and worn out, and the ending seems shocking. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting, that's for sure. The whole book felt the way, even though I enjoyed it.
Overall, this is slow-burning thriller that takes some time to warm to, but once you get into the rhythm, is interesting and compelling. The main characters are well-faceted, different, and unreliable. It's a creepy and tense read. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
This was really different and odd book--not necessarily in a bad way, but it takes some getting used to and it's hard to explain, especially without spoiling anything. Our characters are few, with a focus on our female protagonist (who isn't named until the end of the book, so I won't name her here) and Carl. Both come alive through Heaberlin's well-written words, but neither are easy to like at times. Our main character is on a quest--one she's been on from the moment Rachel disappeared: to figure out what happened to her beloved sister. Her drive and desperation seep through the pages, and she's a fascinating and dynamic character, if not always a sympathetic or reliable one.
Yet she's completely lovable next to Carl, a potential serial killer who could be whispering to ghosts or plotting to kill her--it's so hard for us to know. What's so intriguing about this book is the bond to the two form as they drive across Texas, whose landscape becomes almost a third character in the novel. While at times I felt the plot dip and drag a bit, wondering where things were going, other times I was struck by the amazing dynamic Heaberlin created between the two. So much of the book is just Carl and our main character, alone in a vehicle in Texas, and it's very interesting, honestly, how she kept that interesting!
The book is creepy and tense at times, with Carl's behavior coming across as spooky and a layer of distrust covering the whole book. Who can we trust or believe? How much does Carl really remember? What is our main character really trying to achieve with this journey with Carl; is she telling us everything? I was left jumping and mistrustful, always wondering what would happen next.
The mixed media aspect of the book helps too, with not only commentary from our main character, but also excerpts from her childhood journal, pictures of Carl's, and snippets from one of his photography books. As such, things unfold slowly and ominously, overlaying the tense atmosphere of the novel. A lot happens and it can get a little perplexing at times, but it's also intriguing and compelling. A few twists and turns made me go "whoa." There's even a few moments between Carl and his "daughter" that are humorous. By the end, you're a little dazed and worn out, and the ending seems shocking. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting, that's for sure. The whole book felt the way, even though I enjoyed it.
Overall, this is slow-burning thriller that takes some time to warm to, but once you get into the rhythm, is interesting and compelling. The main characters are well-faceted, different, and unreliable. It's a creepy and tense read. 3.5 stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Child's Play (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019
Thoughts on Child’s Play
Characters – Andy is a young teenager that has just moved to a new city with his mother, he hasn’t made any friends, turning to his phone to keep him busy, he does have a hearing aid, but it is never clear how bad his hearing is, he gets a Buddi doll that will keep him company as he starts to become friends with the doll. Once he learns of the evil inside the doll, he does all he can to make sure his loved ones are safe, as he starts to make friends away from the doll, he never seems to go to school though. Karen is the single mother that is working double shifts to keep Andy happy, she starts dating a new man, which doesn’t please Andy and does all she can to put Andy first when things start getting out of hand. Chucky is the Buddi doll that has been unleashed from his safety restrictions, he is constantly learning from watching people, which brings out his violent side, which will see him going on a killing spree targeting anyone that hurts or tries to replace him as a friend to Andy. Detective Norris visits the apartment building where his mother lives for dinner once a week, he does notice Andy around the apartment building making sure he is safe.
Performances – Aubrey Plaza as the single mother is strong in her role, she does bring added character to a character that could have come off plain. Gabriel Bateman is great too because he shows us the isolation that he is going through during the film. Mark Hamill does voice the character of Chucky well giving us an entertaining character that get plenty of laughs. Brian Tyree Henry does bring comedy to his role, which is usually a more uptight figure in the film.
Story – The story here follows a boy that given a Buddi doll which soon starts to go on a killing rampage after learning from the technology around him. I do have conflicting feelings about this story, on one side I am disappointed we have scrapped the serial killer trying to get his soul into another body, which I feel is the main part of the franchise. On the positive side we do get to dive into the world where people are letting themselves are being controlled by technology, connecting everything to one source where an error could break everything. seeing Chucky learn is interesting to see too because we see how he processing each clip, line and environmental side of the world. it does borrow from a lot of different films from the past which can be picked up on. This des come off very fun, only it could have been its own new doll instead of just using Chucky showing the lack of originality coming out of the Hollywood.
Horror – The horror in the film is mostly slasher material, we see Chucky getting kills with plenty of blood splatter, with some original kills along the way.
Settings – The film keeps the settings looking very similar with the apartment building showing how hard up the family is, the department store does bring us a great showdown location too.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are strong with the Chucky doll being both creepy and moving in a robotic motion which seems nature.
Scene of the Movie – Chucky has a present for Andy.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – No Serial Killer side.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun horror that does get laughs and blood splatter, it does frustrate though by having to use the Chucky doll for what is a completely original idea.
Overall: Blood Splattering fun.
Characters – Andy is a young teenager that has just moved to a new city with his mother, he hasn’t made any friends, turning to his phone to keep him busy, he does have a hearing aid, but it is never clear how bad his hearing is, he gets a Buddi doll that will keep him company as he starts to become friends with the doll. Once he learns of the evil inside the doll, he does all he can to make sure his loved ones are safe, as he starts to make friends away from the doll, he never seems to go to school though. Karen is the single mother that is working double shifts to keep Andy happy, she starts dating a new man, which doesn’t please Andy and does all she can to put Andy first when things start getting out of hand. Chucky is the Buddi doll that has been unleashed from his safety restrictions, he is constantly learning from watching people, which brings out his violent side, which will see him going on a killing spree targeting anyone that hurts or tries to replace him as a friend to Andy. Detective Norris visits the apartment building where his mother lives for dinner once a week, he does notice Andy around the apartment building making sure he is safe.
Performances – Aubrey Plaza as the single mother is strong in her role, she does bring added character to a character that could have come off plain. Gabriel Bateman is great too because he shows us the isolation that he is going through during the film. Mark Hamill does voice the character of Chucky well giving us an entertaining character that get plenty of laughs. Brian Tyree Henry does bring comedy to his role, which is usually a more uptight figure in the film.
Story – The story here follows a boy that given a Buddi doll which soon starts to go on a killing rampage after learning from the technology around him. I do have conflicting feelings about this story, on one side I am disappointed we have scrapped the serial killer trying to get his soul into another body, which I feel is the main part of the franchise. On the positive side we do get to dive into the world where people are letting themselves are being controlled by technology, connecting everything to one source where an error could break everything. seeing Chucky learn is interesting to see too because we see how he processing each clip, line and environmental side of the world. it does borrow from a lot of different films from the past which can be picked up on. This des come off very fun, only it could have been its own new doll instead of just using Chucky showing the lack of originality coming out of the Hollywood.
Horror – The horror in the film is mostly slasher material, we see Chucky getting kills with plenty of blood splatter, with some original kills along the way.
Settings – The film keeps the settings looking very similar with the apartment building showing how hard up the family is, the department store does bring us a great showdown location too.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are strong with the Chucky doll being both creepy and moving in a robotic motion which seems nature.
Scene of the Movie – Chucky has a present for Andy.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – No Serial Killer side.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun horror that does get laughs and blood splatter, it does frustrate though by having to use the Chucky doll for what is a completely original idea.
Overall: Blood Splattering fun.