Search
Search results
In Pine Bluff Arkansas, Jeffrey comes home from travel to find his wife, Sabine, missing. Her car has been left behind, and she's seemingly vanished into thin air. As Detective Marcus Durand begins his investigation, things quickly become complicated. Sabine and Jeffrey's marriage wasn't what it seemed, and all signs appear to Jeffrey wanting her gone. What was he doing between his flight and arriving home, for instance? Meanwhile, several hundred miles away, Beth Murphy is on the run, carefully executing a meticulous plan to escape her violent husband. One slip, one mistake, and Beth knows he will find her--and kill her.
"Four hours on the road, two hundred and eight-three miles of space between us, and it's nowhere near enough. I still hear the clink of your keys when you toss them on the table, still tense at the thud of your shoes when you come closer to the kitchen. Still feel the fear slithering, snake-like, just under the surface of my skin. You have three moods lately: offensive, enraged, or violent."
This was a really enjoyable, compulsively readable thriller. It pulls you in nearly immediately and never lets you go--I was completely sucked up in the various stories. The book alternates between the points of view of Beth, Jeffrey, and Marcus. Beth is focused on escaping her husband, Jeffrey on figuring out what happened to his wife, and Marcus on solving the case. Each has their own unique voice, but you're never quite sure of who is telling you the truth or what is happening.
"People don't just fall off the face of the planet. They run, they hide, or they are taken. I should know, because I am one of them."
The result of hearing each person's individual take is a really exciting, twisty story. Where is Sabine? Who exactly is Beth? There are a bunch of fun "aha" moments throughout. I figured out some ahead of time; others were great surprises. No matter what, I enjoyed every moment and was kept interested and guessing. I especially liked and was intrigued by the character of Beth. (Please note that there is a domestic violence trigger in this book.)
Overall, this is a quick, suspenseful read that will keep you flipping the pages. I recommend this well-executed and entertaining thriller! 4+ stars.
"Four hours on the road, two hundred and eight-three miles of space between us, and it's nowhere near enough. I still hear the clink of your keys when you toss them on the table, still tense at the thud of your shoes when you come closer to the kitchen. Still feel the fear slithering, snake-like, just under the surface of my skin. You have three moods lately: offensive, enraged, or violent."
This was a really enjoyable, compulsively readable thriller. It pulls you in nearly immediately and never lets you go--I was completely sucked up in the various stories. The book alternates between the points of view of Beth, Jeffrey, and Marcus. Beth is focused on escaping her husband, Jeffrey on figuring out what happened to his wife, and Marcus on solving the case. Each has their own unique voice, but you're never quite sure of who is telling you the truth or what is happening.
"People don't just fall off the face of the planet. They run, they hide, or they are taken. I should know, because I am one of them."
The result of hearing each person's individual take is a really exciting, twisty story. Where is Sabine? Who exactly is Beth? There are a bunch of fun "aha" moments throughout. I figured out some ahead of time; others were great surprises. No matter what, I enjoyed every moment and was kept interested and guessing. I especially liked and was intrigued by the character of Beth. (Please note that there is a domestic violence trigger in this book.)
Overall, this is a quick, suspenseful read that will keep you flipping the pages. I recommend this well-executed and entertaining thriller! 4+ stars.
Big Little Lies
8.6
Rate It
Book
Don't want Big Little Lies to end? Then why not order Liane Moriarty's new hit, Truly Madly...
Secret Files: Sam Peters
Games and Entertainment
App
[ The acclaimed point and click adventure Secret Files Sam Peters has now found its way back onto...
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Broken Wings in Books
May 22, 2019
Evening, I made my one hundred and seventy-eighth scratch on the cave wall.
Despite her humble rural beginnings, Butterfly regards herself as a sophisticated young woman. So, when offered a lucrative job in the city, she jumps at the chance.
But instead of being given work, she is trafficked and sold to Bright Black, a desperate man from a poor mountain village.
Trapped in Bright's cave home with her new "husband", she plans her escape not so easily done in this isolated and remote village where she is watched day and night.
Will her tenacity and free spirit survive, or will she be broken?
Chinas one child policy has resulted in a gender imbalance as more male children than female children were born; now young men are having difficulty finding wives. Apparently bride kidnapping has recently resurfaced in some parts of China. In many cases, women are kidnapped and sold to men in poorer regions of the country. This is what happens to Butterfly. In an afterword, the author mentions that her story is based on what happened to the daughter of a neighbour in his home village.
This was very interesting to read for me but did take some patience for me to get into though.
There's a great bunch of characters and a very strong young lady.
It is also heartbreaking to know that this story was inspired by a true account.
Recommend reading.
My thanks to ACA Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley. This is my own honest voluntary review.
Despite her humble rural beginnings, Butterfly regards herself as a sophisticated young woman. So, when offered a lucrative job in the city, she jumps at the chance.
But instead of being given work, she is trafficked and sold to Bright Black, a desperate man from a poor mountain village.
Trapped in Bright's cave home with her new "husband", she plans her escape not so easily done in this isolated and remote village where she is watched day and night.
Will her tenacity and free spirit survive, or will she be broken?
Chinas one child policy has resulted in a gender imbalance as more male children than female children were born; now young men are having difficulty finding wives. Apparently bride kidnapping has recently resurfaced in some parts of China. In many cases, women are kidnapped and sold to men in poorer regions of the country. This is what happens to Butterfly. In an afterword, the author mentions that her story is based on what happened to the daughter of a neighbour in his home village.
This was very interesting to read for me but did take some patience for me to get into though.
There's a great bunch of characters and a very strong young lady.
It is also heartbreaking to know that this story was inspired by a true account.
Recommend reading.
My thanks to ACA Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley. This is my own honest voluntary review.
Merissa (13353 KP) rated A Drop of Blue (Rifters #1) in Books
Jul 19, 2018
A Drop of Blue (Rifters #1) by Isa Briarwood
A Drop of Blue is the first book in the Rifters series, and one I definitely want to carry on with.
Cate is taken from her time in 1972 and finds herself very far away from home, both in physical distance and also time. She is taken in and shown the ropes, but told to basically keep her nose clean or else. Over the time she is there, she forms an attachment with Angus, another rifter, and together, they plan to escape and return to their own times.
This was an extremely gripping and fascinating story that is full of adventure. One of my favourite parts were the different eras. I think Isa Briarwood has done a fantastic job of describing different times, whilst still making them accessible for everyone. With a whole host of supporting characters, there is something here for everyone. With a well thought out story, excellent world-building, and interesting characters, this is a story to make you think. I loved what was done in this one, and can't wait to see where it will go next.
With no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, I have no hesitation in recommending this book, and I can't wait for the next.
* 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!
Cate is taken from her time in 1972 and finds herself very far away from home, both in physical distance and also time. She is taken in and shown the ropes, but told to basically keep her nose clean or else. Over the time she is there, she forms an attachment with Angus, another rifter, and together, they plan to escape and return to their own times.
This was an extremely gripping and fascinating story that is full of adventure. One of my favourite parts were the different eras. I think Isa Briarwood has done a fantastic job of describing different times, whilst still making them accessible for everyone. With a whole host of supporting characters, there is something here for everyone. With a well thought out story, excellent world-building, and interesting characters, this is a story to make you think. I loved what was done in this one, and can't wait to see where it will go next.
With no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, I have no hesitation in recommending this book, and I can't wait for the next.
* 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!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Favorite in Books
Dec 1, 2018
Interesting Characters (1 more)
Good Pacing
Underdeveloped Plot (1 more)
Unbelievable World Building
Just Okay
The synopsis to Favorite by Karen McQuestion sounded intriguing. I love thrillers, so this seemed like a good book to read. However, why it wasn't that bad, it wasn't that great either. It was just okay.
The plot to Favorite was interesting although it seemed a bit all over the place in some areas. Angie is attacked. The attacker's mother, Mrs. Bittner, calls and gets a hold of Angie to invite her over to apologize. Angie reluctantly goes, but she winds up stuck at the house. This is where the story goes from Angie being attacked to Angie trying to find out what happened to her mother to Angie trying to escape from Mrs. Bittner's house. The world building was believable for the most part until Angie finds medival weaponry such as battleaxes and what not. I thought that was a bit too convenient and a little weird that a house would just have this kind of weaponry lying around. I also found it strange that all of Angie's and her brother's friends would all be out and not wanting to help. They must have some selfish friends! I think the plot and world building were just a tad underdeveloped for my liking. There are a couple of plot twists, but they were fairly easy to figure out. The good thing is that all of my questions were answered, and there was no cliff hanger.
I did feel like most of the characters in Favorite were well written. I enjoyed the character of Angie, and I liked reading about what she was thinking at each moment. Her feelings felt genuine. I liked how protective Angie's brother Jason was. I even enjoyed Angie's and Jason's dad. I loved the rock star angle. Mrs. Bittner was definitely an intriguing character, and I always felt like their was something strange about her from the beginning. The character of Hank reminded me of Lurch from The Addams Family.
Even though the plot and world building were a little bit of a disappointment in Favorite, the pacing flowed very well. The book held my attention throughout.
Trigger warnings for Favorite include violence, mentions of suicide, drugging characters, and violence.
Overall, Favorite lacks a well developed world and plot. The idea is interesting, but it is sort of poorly executed. However, I would recommend Favorite by Karen McQuestion to those aged 13+ because the pacing is good, and the characters are interesting.
The plot to Favorite was interesting although it seemed a bit all over the place in some areas. Angie is attacked. The attacker's mother, Mrs. Bittner, calls and gets a hold of Angie to invite her over to apologize. Angie reluctantly goes, but she winds up stuck at the house. This is where the story goes from Angie being attacked to Angie trying to find out what happened to her mother to Angie trying to escape from Mrs. Bittner's house. The world building was believable for the most part until Angie finds medival weaponry such as battleaxes and what not. I thought that was a bit too convenient and a little weird that a house would just have this kind of weaponry lying around. I also found it strange that all of Angie's and her brother's friends would all be out and not wanting to help. They must have some selfish friends! I think the plot and world building were just a tad underdeveloped for my liking. There are a couple of plot twists, but they were fairly easy to figure out. The good thing is that all of my questions were answered, and there was no cliff hanger.
I did feel like most of the characters in Favorite were well written. I enjoyed the character of Angie, and I liked reading about what she was thinking at each moment. Her feelings felt genuine. I liked how protective Angie's brother Jason was. I even enjoyed Angie's and Jason's dad. I loved the rock star angle. Mrs. Bittner was definitely an intriguing character, and I always felt like their was something strange about her from the beginning. The character of Hank reminded me of Lurch from The Addams Family.
Even though the plot and world building were a little bit of a disappointment in Favorite, the pacing flowed very well. The book held my attention throughout.
Trigger warnings for Favorite include violence, mentions of suicide, drugging characters, and violence.
Overall, Favorite lacks a well developed world and plot. The idea is interesting, but it is sort of poorly executed. However, I would recommend Favorite by Karen McQuestion to those aged 13+ because the pacing is good, and the characters are interesting.
Terminator Genisys: Guardian
Games and Entertainment
App
The year is 2028 and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Help John Connor in the war to save...
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) in Movies
Oct 27, 2020
Fun Ride
Solo: A Star Wars Story is the origin story of Han Solo before his life with the Rebel Alliance. What I expected to be a cheesy and lame attempt to cash in on a successful series actually turned out to be a pretty fun romp.
Acting: 10
Solid cast here with Alden Ehrenreich playing the leading man Han. He captures the vibe and feel of the character perfectly and has a charisma perfect for the screen. The rest of the cast carries their weight as well. I especially loved the voice performance of Phoebe Waller-Bridge lending her voice to the awesome droid L3-37. Her comedic timing is spot-on.
Beginning: 10
The story jumps in with a harrowing escape from the sewers of an alien planet. You are quickly thrown into the adventure at a moment’s notice and things continue to ramp up from there. My worry of this being a bad movie started to dissipate after the first ten minutes.
Characters: 10
L3-37 aside, other great characters help carry the movie as well. Paul Bettany’s Dryden Vos is a dashing antagonist, a madman who definitely puts off infinite creepy vibes. He adds flare to the story for sure. It’s also refreshing to meet a young Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) who seems to be just as suave now as he is in the future. The creative characters fill the story with more depth than I was expecting.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
The action is nonstop and very entertaining, never letting up for longer than a few moments. Between the numerous chase scenes and blaster battles there is always something to keep you entertained. I especially loved the train heist, so fun and heartracing at the same time.
Entertainment Value: 9
Memorability: 5
Pace: 10
Plot: 7
Outside of a couple twists and turns, the story is pretty straightforward. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a fun ride, there was just nothing storywise that blew my mind. I do appreciate Han’s journey and his maturation as the story progresses. It makes the story worth telling. My biggest gripe was with one major coincidence in the story thrown in for the sake of advancing the plot. I won’t give anything away, I’ll just say there were better ways they could have made that connection.
Resolution: 7
Decent ending. Not in love with how it ended, but I knew things had to transpire this way in order to pave the way for future happenings in other movies. Still, I was hoping for a bit more.
Overall: 88
If you’re facing Star Wars overload and still wondering as to whether or not you want to add more movies into the mix, Solo: A Star Wars Story is a blast. I was pleasantly surprised by how well done it was done. A fun adventure from beginning to end.
Acting: 10
Solid cast here with Alden Ehrenreich playing the leading man Han. He captures the vibe and feel of the character perfectly and has a charisma perfect for the screen. The rest of the cast carries their weight as well. I especially loved the voice performance of Phoebe Waller-Bridge lending her voice to the awesome droid L3-37. Her comedic timing is spot-on.
Beginning: 10
The story jumps in with a harrowing escape from the sewers of an alien planet. You are quickly thrown into the adventure at a moment’s notice and things continue to ramp up from there. My worry of this being a bad movie started to dissipate after the first ten minutes.
Characters: 10
L3-37 aside, other great characters help carry the movie as well. Paul Bettany’s Dryden Vos is a dashing antagonist, a madman who definitely puts off infinite creepy vibes. He adds flare to the story for sure. It’s also refreshing to meet a young Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) who seems to be just as suave now as he is in the future. The creative characters fill the story with more depth than I was expecting.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
The action is nonstop and very entertaining, never letting up for longer than a few moments. Between the numerous chase scenes and blaster battles there is always something to keep you entertained. I especially loved the train heist, so fun and heartracing at the same time.
Entertainment Value: 9
Memorability: 5
Pace: 10
Plot: 7
Outside of a couple twists and turns, the story is pretty straightforward. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a fun ride, there was just nothing storywise that blew my mind. I do appreciate Han’s journey and his maturation as the story progresses. It makes the story worth telling. My biggest gripe was with one major coincidence in the story thrown in for the sake of advancing the plot. I won’t give anything away, I’ll just say there were better ways they could have made that connection.
Resolution: 7
Decent ending. Not in love with how it ended, but I knew things had to transpire this way in order to pave the way for future happenings in other movies. Still, I was hoping for a bit more.
Overall: 88
If you’re facing Star Wars overload and still wondering as to whether or not you want to add more movies into the mix, Solo: A Star Wars Story is a blast. I was pleasantly surprised by how well done it was done. A fun adventure from beginning to end.