Search
TE
The Executioner Weeps
David Coward and Frederic Dard
Book
Winner of the 1957 Grand prix de la litterature policiere It was fate that led her to step out in...
Wolf Winter
Book
'Like a silent fall of snow; suddenly, the reader is enveloped...visually acute, skilfully...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2400 KP) rated With a Vengeance in Books
May 9, 2020
Target: First Responders
Paramedic Zoe Chambers is shocked to hear that two of her co-workers were ambushed when out on a call. One of them is dead, and the other is in critical condition. The sniper got away without a trace, leaving Zoe and police chief Pete Adams scrambling to understand what is going on. Was it a random attack? Or was someone out to settle a score with these two paramedics? Will the shooter be caught before Zoe goes back on duty?
If you aren’t familiar with this series, you should probably back up to the earlier books first. This one contains some spoilers to earlier books as Zoe deals with the aftermath of events from them. Once you get here, you’ll b hooked on this entry. The story is fast moving and, because of the personal nature of the plot, it becomes a thriller the further we go into the book. That personal nature also makes it a bit more somber. In fact, I classify this series as a traditional mystery because of that, as well as the smattering of foul language and violence we don’t see in the cozies I typically read. The characters are sharp, both the main characters and supporting characters. Zoe and Pete spend almost equal time as our point of view characters, and the transitions are always easy to follow. This technique is used perfectly to ramp up the suspense as we neared the climax. This is another excellent book in a fantastic series.
If you aren’t familiar with this series, you should probably back up to the earlier books first. This one contains some spoilers to earlier books as Zoe deals with the aftermath of events from them. Once you get here, you’ll b hooked on this entry. The story is fast moving and, because of the personal nature of the plot, it becomes a thriller the further we go into the book. That personal nature also makes it a bit more somber. In fact, I classify this series as a traditional mystery because of that, as well as the smattering of foul language and violence we don’t see in the cozies I typically read. The characters are sharp, both the main characters and supporting characters. Zoe and Pete spend almost equal time as our point of view characters, and the transitions are always easy to follow. This technique is used perfectly to ramp up the suspense as we neared the climax. This is another excellent book in a fantastic series.
The Nowhere Child
8.8
Rate It
Book
Winner of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, The Nowhere Child is screenwriter Christian...
The Broken Window (Lincoln Rhyme #8)
8.5
Rate It
Book
Quadriplegic detective Lincoln Rhyme is back in a chilling new thriller from the master of suspense,...
The Killer’s Wife
Book
A serial killer, a woman on the run, and an obsessive parole officer tangle in a psychological net...
Psychological Thriller Suspense
Struck Dead (Forensic Instincts #10)
Book
The fragile line between life and death… Families that will never be the same… When a tragic...
Suspense Mystery Thriller
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Cross Her Heart in Books
Mar 11, 2019
Intruiging thriller though it didn't "wow" me
Lisa lives a quiet life with her teenage daughter, Ava. She keeps a close-hold on her, which chafes on Ava, who is ready for independence from her mother. But Lisa has a good reason. She has a secret past: one she's never shared with Ava or even her best friend and co-worker, Marilyn. All that changes when Ava rescues a young boy from drowning at a local fair. Her picture and Lisa's are splashed across the news and papers, threatening the world Lisa has so carefully constructed. As things begin to fall apart, each of the three women must begin to confront the many secrets they have been keeping.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I seem to be one of the few people left on the planet who hasn't read Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes. However, all the hype about that one probably raised my expectations for this novel. I will admit, I found it to be oddly captivating. It's told from the points of view of Lisa, Ava, and Marilyn and oscillates between the present and the past. As a result the story unfurls slowly, releasing details in increments. It certainly adds to the tension and suspense of the book.
It's clear that all three women have their own secrets, but figuring out what they are is pretty fascinating. The book definitely kept me guessing until the end. Just when I thought I had something figured out, it threw me another curveball. I didn't particularly love Lisa or Ava--Ava more because I felt like I didn't get to know her that well, but I really liked Marilyn. Pinborough is very good at capturing the voices of her characters--each was unique and easy to picture.
In the end, I found the plot for this one to be interesting, and it kept me reading. Still, it's something that I can't really explain, except to say that nothing about this book "wowed" me. I liked it, but didn't love it. There's no real reason that I can put my finger on, just a feeling. Still, this is a very intriguing psychological thriller. It's twisty, with interesting characters. I still need to get to BEHIND HER EYES.
Thank you to William Morrow for my copy!
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I seem to be one of the few people left on the planet who hasn't read Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes. However, all the hype about that one probably raised my expectations for this novel. I will admit, I found it to be oddly captivating. It's told from the points of view of Lisa, Ava, and Marilyn and oscillates between the present and the past. As a result the story unfurls slowly, releasing details in increments. It certainly adds to the tension and suspense of the book.
It's clear that all three women have their own secrets, but figuring out what they are is pretty fascinating. The book definitely kept me guessing until the end. Just when I thought I had something figured out, it threw me another curveball. I didn't particularly love Lisa or Ava--Ava more because I felt like I didn't get to know her that well, but I really liked Marilyn. Pinborough is very good at capturing the voices of her characters--each was unique and easy to picture.
In the end, I found the plot for this one to be interesting, and it kept me reading. Still, it's something that I can't really explain, except to say that nothing about this book "wowed" me. I liked it, but didn't love it. There's no real reason that I can put my finger on, just a feeling. Still, this is a very intriguing psychological thriller. It's twisty, with interesting characters. I still need to get to BEHIND HER EYES.
Thank you to William Morrow for my copy!
Mayhawke (97 KP) rated Her Every Fear in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Workaday Thriller
For the record I should say that I listened to the book rather than reading a hard copy, and the reading of the book I was listening to was not the most inspiring. The reader (Juliette Burton) was what I think of as a 'flat' reader - aside from the odd accent adopted to distinguish characters there was little variation in tone and pace through the reading. This is not a style that works for me as I find it detracts from those moments where a writer has obviously written for atmosphere or tension. This is particularly the case where the book in question is a thriller - after all, it's supposed to thrill, not pass by with all the excitement, intrigue and suspense of a banking ad.
In the book's favour I found the main character believable and sympathetic. Her actions and choices, as a trauma survivor, I found more realistic than the standard we are usually given, where a character is given all the most extreme behaviours and responses ,and few if any of the more moderate ones - or if they are they never act upon them. She is likable and logical, even when she knows that her own actions are illogical and driven by fear. Sometimes she submits to the fear, others she doesn't. She is not one-dimensional. The premise for the character that 'she has always been overly-nervous' seems a little superfluous - she has a history that gives her cause enough to be nervous, and I don't think there is anything in her personality that needs justification beyond that.
That said this is not the most inspired of thrillers. There are no real surprises, no great twists or turns . It's a good, readable story( a holiday read, maybe) but it's never going to have you hanging on the edge of your seat, and the end could have been at least one chapter shorter, possibly more. The fact that this so and yet I still wanted to hear more is a testament to writing skill of Swanson and the general readability of the book.
To summarise: I will probably have forgotten I've read this in a month or so, but I wouldn't say it wasn't worth the read, and though demanding or deeply engrossing I enjoyed it while it lasted.
In the book's favour I found the main character believable and sympathetic. Her actions and choices, as a trauma survivor, I found more realistic than the standard we are usually given, where a character is given all the most extreme behaviours and responses ,and few if any of the more moderate ones - or if they are they never act upon them. She is likable and logical, even when she knows that her own actions are illogical and driven by fear. Sometimes she submits to the fear, others she doesn't. She is not one-dimensional. The premise for the character that 'she has always been overly-nervous' seems a little superfluous - she has a history that gives her cause enough to be nervous, and I don't think there is anything in her personality that needs justification beyond that.
That said this is not the most inspired of thrillers. There are no real surprises, no great twists or turns . It's a good, readable story( a holiday read, maybe) but it's never going to have you hanging on the edge of your seat, and the end could have been at least one chapter shorter, possibly more. The fact that this so and yet I still wanted to hear more is a testament to writing skill of Swanson and the general readability of the book.
To summarise: I will probably have forgotten I've read this in a month or so, but I wouldn't say it wasn't worth the read, and though demanding or deeply engrossing I enjoyed it while it lasted.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Rental (2020) in Movies
Feb 28, 2021
After saying in my review of Tone Deaf that there are a lot of films that seem to be very similar coming out, you'd think I'd choose different films to watch... evidently not.
Charlie and Mina's hard work is finally paying off and they book a holiday home for some well deserved downtime. When they arrive with their partners they attempt to settle into the idyllic setting. But there's something not quite right about their host and their relaxing weekend starts to take a turn.
So... The Rental, Tone Deaf, The Intruder... People go to homes with weird owners and bad things happen. Something grabbed me about this one, it was a little different to the others and I'm glad I didn't dismiss it for the initial similarities.
I think the success for The Rental is its serious tone. In the other two films I mentioned we have an underlying humour, whether intentional or from overacting. It's much more of a thriller that made for some compelling moments.
Although the main cast are very familiar for various things, the "star power" didn't outshine the film around it. It's well balanced, and the chemistry between the four of them is incredibly good. The characters themselves aren't all that exciting though, and normally that would be a massive problem. While it may have been better to have something a little more thrilling happening with them, it actually leaves the film to do its thing around them.
The film was noticeably quiet to me, though the music did pipe up at key points to good effect. (Apart from one point that felt entirely out of place.) The pinpointed music combined with the location worked well together to add to the suspense as the film ramps up.
At only 88 minutes I worried about what a thriller could do in that time, but I needn't have. The build up across the film led well into the "action" of the ending, and that ending really appealed to me for how it dealt with everything that came before it. While I don't think The Rental is going to become a must see movie, it was definitely a pleasant surprise and worth the time I spent watching it.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-rental-movie-review.html
Charlie and Mina's hard work is finally paying off and they book a holiday home for some well deserved downtime. When they arrive with their partners they attempt to settle into the idyllic setting. But there's something not quite right about their host and their relaxing weekend starts to take a turn.
So... The Rental, Tone Deaf, The Intruder... People go to homes with weird owners and bad things happen. Something grabbed me about this one, it was a little different to the others and I'm glad I didn't dismiss it for the initial similarities.
I think the success for The Rental is its serious tone. In the other two films I mentioned we have an underlying humour, whether intentional or from overacting. It's much more of a thriller that made for some compelling moments.
Although the main cast are very familiar for various things, the "star power" didn't outshine the film around it. It's well balanced, and the chemistry between the four of them is incredibly good. The characters themselves aren't all that exciting though, and normally that would be a massive problem. While it may have been better to have something a little more thrilling happening with them, it actually leaves the film to do its thing around them.
The film was noticeably quiet to me, though the music did pipe up at key points to good effect. (Apart from one point that felt entirely out of place.) The pinpointed music combined with the location worked well together to add to the suspense as the film ramps up.
At only 88 minutes I worried about what a thriller could do in that time, but I needn't have. The build up across the film led well into the "action" of the ending, and that ending really appealed to me for how it dealt with everything that came before it. While I don't think The Rental is going to become a must see movie, it was definitely a pleasant surprise and worth the time I spent watching it.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/02/the-rental-movie-review.html