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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit in Books

May 16, 2018

If you’re reading this review, chances are you’re either a) a true crime buff or b) curious as to what the source material of Netflix’s latest original series, Mindhunters, is based on. That title, Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas is actually a fascinating read that details a division of the FBI that, had it not been created, would leave us without shows like Criminal Minds, where the Behavioral Science Unit profiles killers and races the clock to save victims that may still be alive. (Also, we wouldn’t have our Shemar Moore and wouldn’t that be a crying shame? We need our Morgan and Baby Girl.)

Reading more like Douglas is sitting in the room beside you and recounting his past, Mindhunter, as expected, delves into some pretty deep material. For a while, I had to put it down because the ATKID murders dug beneath my skin. Despite the sometimes gory details Douglas provides readers with, I feel this is an important title for any true crime fan. After all, it is Douglas that a certain character from Silence of the Lambs is based on.

<a href="http://theghastlygrimoire.com/2017/11/19/book-review-mindhunter-inside-the-fbis-elite-serial-crime-unit-mindhunter-1-by-john-douglas/"; target="_new">Read more at <i>The Ghastly Grimoire</i>.</a>

Kudos

Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Playmates in Books

Apr 9, 2019

Tania and Trevor Wilde are twins. They live in a small lake town with their parents. Every night their parents have "wine time" where they hurl bottles and insults at each other. Tania and Trevor spend "wine time" in their room wishing they could be anywhere else and making a plan to get away. The Wilde family is the definition of a dysfunctional family. Mom is abusive towards Tania and Trevor feels helpless to stop it. Then she invites strange men into the home while dad is away working. The next day, though, she will have bible study with some of her friends. Dad, is not exempt from the dysfunction. He is a professor at the local community college and brings home co-eds to the basement.

Tania frequently thinks about death and often coaxes Trevor to the dark side. She doesn't have many friends so she counts on her brother to fill that void. Then an unfortunate incident takes place and makes them both a lot darker.

Playmates, is a psychological thriller about killer kids. While this book did not have me on the edge of my seat, it held and captured my attention. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I look forward to the next titles in the Wilde series. Bedmates and Soulmates.

Kudos

ClareR (5938 KP) rated The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods in Books

May 3, 2019 (Updated May 3, 2019)

The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods

Emily Barr | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller, Young Adult (YA)

7.5

(4 Ratings)

Book Rating

Arty (Artemis) has grown up in a clearing in an Indian forest with eleven other people. They name themselves after Gods and Goddesses and have almost entirely shut themselves off from the outside world. Arty and the other children have never left the clearing. It’s an idyllic life, until an illness strikes the camp. It’s highly contagious, and all of the inhabitants except for Arty and one of her ‘brothers’, Zeus, die. Arty and Zeus are alone in the world, until Zeus’ aunt comes to claim him, leaving Arty utterly alone.
This is the story of Arty finding her family and her place in a strange world.
I really enjoyed this. Arty has such a simplistic view of life, but this makes her a genuine, caring person - she has a lot to learn. She has no knowledge of money, transport, and has led a sheltered life.
Alongside her story are excerpts of a mystery person who appears to be locked in a room. I couldn’t understand what the connection was to begin with, but it all became clear - a very clever addition to the book.
This is a lovely story, and well worth a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and review, and to The Pigeonhole who ensured that I actually got it read!

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2393 KP) rated Lost Hills in Books

Mar 10, 2020

Lost Hills

Lee Goldberg | 2020 | Mystery

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Eve’s First Big Case

Thanks to a well-time viral video, Eve Ronin has become the youngest person promoted to the homicide department of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Her new co-workers aren’t treating her with a lot of respect, so she knows she has to prove herself. That chance comes when she and her partner, Duncan Pavone, are called to the scene of a crime in Calabasas. A friend has called to report that Tanya Kenworth never showed up for work. The house where Tanya lives is covered in blood in every room, but there are no bodies. What could have happened to her?

Just as I expected, this book grabbed me from the first page and never let me go. There were plenty of clues and twists to keep me engaged until I reached the suspenseful climax. I did feel that Eve and her co-workers fell into genre clichés, but there are hints of more to them, and I hope we see that explored as the series progresses. This book describes the aftermath of the crime and has more language than the cozies I typically read, but I expected that going in, and it never got too excessive. There are some nice bits of humor to help lighten what is a mostly series story. I’m already looking forward to Eve’s next story.