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Murder Worth the Weight
Murder Worth the Weight
D.M. Barr | 2021 | Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Powerful, gripping and insightful.

Murder Worth the Weight is brilliant. There are many twists and turns to keep you guessing who the murderer is, which I love.
    It also calls to me, I'm a large woman and this strikes a cord. The thoughts, feelings, situations etc are like they've been plucked from my mind and that's what really sets the scene. You feel included.

Camarin is relatable, she's like so many people who have been pressured into trying to attain perfection, having ridiculous standards pushed at them and being held accountable for someone else. It's quite heartbreaking.

Acceptance and self-love are big themes, along side the murders, of course. Well worth a few cuppas and some chocolate biscuits sat in your comfy seat.
  
Follow You
Follow You
Richard Jay Parker | 2017 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
6
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Initially, I really hated the title of this book, it sounds super cheesy and weird, but after finding out it relates to the Twitter Killer plot, I actually thought it was quite cool. The plotline here is that there was Twitter thread called '#BeMyKiller' where you could advertise yourself up to be killed (in a pranky way) but then a few people who responded to this thread were murdered. I thought this was a really unique motivation for the crimes in this and so my hatred for the title dissipated.

This is a fast paced book, with never a dull moment! If you're one of those people who pushes themselves through "just one more chapter", this book is going to stop you from sleeping... There are 130 chapters in this book, with some of them being just a page long!

I liked the plot for this, that they were making a film about the murders, that then turned into more murders. The setting was in the dark and dreary murder place of Meredith, "Fun Central" and because it was an old kids play area, with ball bits and go-kart tracks, it had an eerie feel to it that worked well alongside the gruesome murders. And yes, they were gruesome murders.

Writing was well done. It's not a challenging book to read, there's no amazing descriptive passages or hard-hitting themes, it's just an easy thriller read. One problem I did have with the writing is something so stupid and very specific that it almost seems pointless in saying it, but it got on my nerves enough times that I have to mention it. "So why did you use the #BeMyKiller hashtag?" - how do you read that sentence? I read it as "hashtag Be My Killer hashtag"... yes that's all that's annoyed me, the double use of the hashtag... don't use a # if you're then going to write out hashtag!!!

Our main character in this novel is Hazel, and while she's creating this film to get justice for Meredith's killer, I didn't particularly like her. The blurb makes it sound like Hazel is doing her documentary to get justice for Meredith, but to me, it felt like she was making the film to save her company from going under. She was too deceptive with all the characters about her reasoning behind creating this new film, that her passion to catch the killer felt fake. As for Meredith being a "childhood friend", I'd say that wasn't very realistic, the book makes it feel like they were more acquaintances than anything, and that Hazel just sort of pitied Meredith. It's never good when you don't like the main character, but I was reasonably happy still going along with this novel. Hazel was dislikable but she was tolerable.

I had my suspicions of who the killer might be, which turned out to be wrong, but I think I would have preferred my scenario to play out because the real reveal was pretty dramatic and out there. Although the last 40% of the book was super tense and horror-movie-like it got a little OTT in my opinion.

Overall this is a great thriller if you're looking for a book with non-stop action, but it's not particularly clever and it's very dark, so if you're not into that kinda thing, you won't enjoy this one. It's clear that Parker has a talent for writing and I will definitely look out for more books of his, but this, for me, was a very mediocre thriller novel.
  
The Killer On The Wall
The Killer On The Wall
Emma Kavanagh | 2017 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This novel is told from multiple perspectives, so it is quite hard to choose the main character. I think they all played a very important part in this book. I really liked Isla and Mina (police detective investigating the murders), they are two smart, dedicated, and determined women. Ramsey’s (Isla’s husband) parts were quite boring, and my mind just wandered off on multiple occasions. I liked the way the characters interacted between each other, and even though they are into different things, they all had something to offer to this investigation.

I liked the narrative of this book, it was full of surprises and you never knew who is going to die next. The investigation part was quite slow and not very inventive, but I enjoyed all the twists and deception it had to offer. I have to admit, after finishing this book, I had a ton of questions and some of the things didn’t make sense to me.

The writing style was creative, and overall delivery of the book was pretty good. The chapters had a decent length and didn’t leave me bored. I liked the ending of the book, it was very unexpected and it rounded up the story very nicely. This book carries some gross details about murders, so it’s a joy for gory crime lovers, but a nightmare for sensitive readers. :S

So, to conclude, I liked this twisty story, filled with psychopaths and the reasons why they become one. Even though I have lots of unanswered questions, I hope that after reading, it will make more sense to you.
  
Untrue till Death
Untrue till Death
Graham Brack | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Master Mercurius is back with, unfortunately for him, another murder. It’s 1674 in Leiden, and after solving the mystery and murders of the young girls in Delft, he has made something of a reputation for his abilities as an investigator. William of Orange wants to employ Mercurius to rout out any plotters against him, and just as he starts his investigation, one of his colleagues at the University of Leiden is killed. When one of William of Orange’s men is murdered, it looks as though they are linked. Mercurius is called on to solve the murders therefore safeguarding William.

I don’t know whether it’s just me, but I never manage to work these things out, but the big reveal always seems to be completely rational. The whole story is delivered with a bit of tongue in cheek - I really do appreciate the humour in all of Brack’s stories, his main characters are immensely likeable, and that mixed with the historical details makes for a very enjoyable read.

Mercurius is an ordained Catholic priest masquerading as a Protestant cleric, and he’s surprisingly adaptable. He seems to be very open minded for someone living in this period, and we see his thoughts on a variety of topics - this time whether it’s right to condemn someone to death for accidentally killing someone else. Perhaps there were people who thought like this - I like to think so.

Many thanks to Sapere Books for sending me a copy of this to read and review (even though I had preordered it after reading the first one!🤦🏼‍♀️). It was my absolute pleasure!
  
Cancelled Vows (A Mac Faraday Mystery Book 11)
Cancelled Vows (A Mac Faraday Mystery Book 11)
Lauren Carr | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lauren Carr has done it once again. What book this was? I was again guessing what was happening. So many murders that going on and all starts once Mac and David show up in New York.

We meet new characters in the book. A famous author has disappeared. What has happened to her? Ali is worked at the news center. Who is Ali Huston?

David and Ali Huston seem to be on the run? Who wants her dead and why? You will need to read the book to find out.

I like the book because it makes me keep guessing who the bad guy is. It keeps my attention as well. I can not stop reading this book once you start. This is one great mystery and an adventure.
  
12th of Never (Women's Murder Club, #12)
12th of Never (Women's Murder Club, #12)
James Patterson | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am a huge fan of James Patterson. The Women's Murder Club is my favorite series. This book did not disappoint at all.

This time, Lindsay Boxer is having a baby. She and Joe Molinari successfully got married in the last book and now baby makes three. Lindsay is just getting back to work and boy does she have her hands full. A body has been stolen from the ME's office. An old case she helped the FBI on has resurfaced and there is a professor who is dreaming about murders before they happen.

All of this is a lot for a regular cop to handle, but add in the emotions of just having a baby and trying to catch a killer and will Lindsay be able to handle it all.