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ClareR (5577 KP) rated The Dark Lake in Books

Sep 5, 2018  
The Dark Lake
The Dark Lake
Sarah Bailey | 2017 | Mystery, Thriller
8
7.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
One to watch for.
A debut thriller that really kept me on the edge of my seat. Rosalind Ryan, a local Drama and English teacher, is found dead in the lake at a local nature reserve. Gemma Woodstock, a local Detective Sergeant, is put on the case. Except Gemma has a history with Rosalind, and she has a lot of other personal baggage.
I enjoyed this. They're all very human characters with lots of faults, sometimes unpleasant ones: but I liked that. I liked that the murderer wasn't at all obvious (to me, anyway!) and had me guessing right up to the end, and the whole reason for the murder was a shock, and at the same time, understandable.
I will keep an eye out for future novels by this author, particularly in this series. I really do think that she'll be one to watch out for in the future.
  
I enjoyed Rebecca Reid’s compelling debut novel Perfect Liars.

Perfect Liars is a thoroughly satisfying character driven psychological thriller. It’s cleverly plotted and clear from the beginning, despite being paced on the slow side, that it is a compelling tale.

The characters are somewhat unlikeable in that they are typical stereotypical pretentious, entitled, self-centered women. The story is told using a dual timeline, past and present. Whilst they display a close friendship to the world it is deeply flawed.

There are certain parts of the storyline that I felt were a little too unbelievable and that is why this does not get a full five stars from me.

A fantastic debut by Rebecca Reid and I very much look forward to whatever she comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this novel at this time. 
  
A Simple Favor (2018)
A Simple Favor (2018)
2018 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Competently made and very well-cast suspense drama (kind of). 'Ordinary person' single mother and vlogger Stephanie (Kendrick) ends up becoming besties with dangerously glamorous and enigmatic fellow parent (Lively); when her new pal vanishes, Stephanie decides that something suspicious may have taken place...

Very very much in the same vein as Gone Girl, to the extent that people would probably have been screaming knock-off had this film not also functioned as a rather effective black comedy - you may be wondering what a light comedian like Kendrick is doing fronting a thriller directed by a comedy specialist like Paul Feig; well, this is the reason why. This may also be the reason why the film is cheerily up-front about how far-fetched its own plot is. Not the kind of movie that really lingers in the memory, but nicely put-together and fun while you're watching it.
  
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Milleen (47 KP) rated Munich in Books

Nov 14, 2018 (Updated Nov 14, 2018)  
M
Munich
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This outstanding novel covers Adolf HitlerÕs meeting with Neville Chamberlain in 1938. The grave shadow of Chamberlain, deeply opposed to another conflict only twenty years after the Great War that had killed a generation of men. Against Hitler, 'the madman' ready to 'smash the Czechs' and blaze through new territories. This meeting in Munich is the focal point of the novel and Harris rewrites real events using two bystanders, one German, one English. Based on fact, Harris skilfully interweaves the lives of Hugh Legat and his English wife, rich, beautiful and unfaithful. Paul Von Hartmann and his lover, a secretary in the German foreign ministry, someone he may not entirely trust. It's Harris' attention to detail that makes this version of history so credible, right down to the description of the swastikas on the taps. A tightly woven thriller mixed with historical fact that will appeal to a lot of readers.
  
A House Of Ghosts
A House Of Ghosts
W. C. Ryan | 2019 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Horror, Paranormal, Thriller
8
5.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The binding is gorgeous (1 more)
Had everything
A House Full of Ghosts
Well I loved this. It had everything. A thriller and a murder mystery with romance and ghosts as well. The story flowed magnificently, the characters were endearing and shone from the pages and the history and setting were also deliberate and engrossing. This is a book you can imagine being timeless and far reaching, I can imagine my teenage son or my grandad in his nineties enjoying it. A fantastic story difficult to put down and to top it off presented beautifully in this gorgeous black and gold hardback. Imagine Downton Abbey meets Sherlock Holmes with a bit of Spooky Dickens chucked in for good mrasure. Bring on the movie, it would work so well and I have absolutely no doubt that we will be seeing these characters again and I for one can't wait.
  
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Vegas (725 KP) rated The Hunting Party in Books

Jan 24, 2020  
The Hunting Party
The Hunting Party
Lucy Foley | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
8
7.3 (16 Ratings)
Book Rating
The setting (2 more)
The plot
Great whodunit
The characters aren't very likeable (0 more)
Great thriller which keeps you guessing
A group of friends set out for a reunion New Year's Eve holiday in a remote Scottish lodge, where they uncover secrets, lies, and more than they would have liked about each other.

A body is found, is it one of the guests, a stranger, staff member or even a local. Was it an accident or murder? We find out fragment at a time, with the author releasing just the right amount of info at any given time through flashbacks to push the story along...

The group of friends do come across as arrogant city types, and you wonder how hey managed to be friends but that is probably part of the deliberate way they are written so you do feel detached from them...

An enjoyable novel and recommend if you are into thrillers.