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The Strings of Murder
8.0
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A spellbinding concoction of crime, history and horror - perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes and...
Underground Airlines
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"The most timely of alternate history novels. Ben Winters has created a spellbinding world that...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated The Scarecrow (Jack McEvoy #2) in Books
Apr 18, 2021
Will Jack End His Career in a Blaze of Glory?
After a decade covering crime for The Los Angeles Times, Jack McEvoy has just gotten let go due to budget cuts. He has two weeks left to train his replacement, but he also intends to use that time to write one last major story. He thinks he’s found that story when he hears about Alonzo Winslow, a sixteen-year-old drug dealer in prison for a brutal murder he denies committing. As Jack investigates, he once again crosses paths with FBI agent Rachel Walling. Can the two of them figure out what is really going on?
I enjoyed Jack and Rachel’s first book, so I was glad to finally get to their second novel. They make a great team, and their characters are as strong as ever. The rest of the cast is just as great. The mystery is full of twists and thrills, and I always had a hard time putting the book down. The book did get a bit too far into the details a couple of times for my taste, but fortunately, those scenes didn’t last long. I do wish that author Michael Connelly would figure out a way to set up his climatic set pieces without stopping the story to give us data dumps. It’s always obvious when that happens, too. It’s a minor issue, but still something that makes me rolls my eyes. Overall, this is a strong thriller that kept me engaged until I reached the end.
I enjoyed Jack and Rachel’s first book, so I was glad to finally get to their second novel. They make a great team, and their characters are as strong as ever. The rest of the cast is just as great. The mystery is full of twists and thrills, and I always had a hard time putting the book down. The book did get a bit too far into the details a couple of times for my taste, but fortunately, those scenes didn’t last long. I do wish that author Michael Connelly would figure out a way to set up his climatic set pieces without stopping the story to give us data dumps. It’s always obvious when that happens, too. It’s a minor issue, but still something that makes me rolls my eyes. Overall, this is a strong thriller that kept me engaged until I reached the end.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Lies Lies Lies in Books
Aug 13, 2020
"Millie was a miracle. Conceived without any medical intervention. A miracle. She saved us."
This was my first book by Adele Parks, and I found she sucked me into the story from the very beginning. For me, the plot was easily the star here. This was a twisty thriller that kept me guessing, often wondering which path it was going to lead us down next. While I had an inkling about one particular plot point, others took me by complete surprise, which was fun. I always love a mystery that keeps me on my toes and goes down completely unexpected paths.
"People with secrets rarely sleep soundly. Fact."
One strength of the book is the fact that it's told from both Daisy and Simon's perspectives. Neither are particularly sympathetic, but it's easy to get caught up in their worlds. Daisy comes across as a doormat, who cannot stand up to her alcoholic husband. And Simon, of course, a drunk who endangers his family on a regular basis. You want to shake some sense into both of them. But there's certainly a twisted web of lies and secrets behind the foundation of this couple. Nothing is as it seems, and as time goes on, you can start to at least understand some of their motivations.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. I welcomed a different plot, which had some surprises in store. The ending was a bit ambiguous, but overall still a solid read. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.
This was my first book by Adele Parks, and I found she sucked me into the story from the very beginning. For me, the plot was easily the star here. This was a twisty thriller that kept me guessing, often wondering which path it was going to lead us down next. While I had an inkling about one particular plot point, others took me by complete surprise, which was fun. I always love a mystery that keeps me on my toes and goes down completely unexpected paths.
"People with secrets rarely sleep soundly. Fact."
One strength of the book is the fact that it's told from both Daisy and Simon's perspectives. Neither are particularly sympathetic, but it's easy to get caught up in their worlds. Daisy comes across as a doormat, who cannot stand up to her alcoholic husband. And Simon, of course, a drunk who endangers his family on a regular basis. You want to shake some sense into both of them. But there's certainly a twisted web of lies and secrets behind the foundation of this couple. Nothing is as it seems, and as time goes on, you can start to at least understand some of their motivations.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. I welcomed a different plot, which had some surprises in store. The ending was a bit ambiguous, but overall still a solid read. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Shadows in Books
Aug 24, 2020
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
While I have "read" audiobooks for years now, this is the first one I was given to review. Let me catch my breath before starting. Wow! OK. Wow! That needed to be said.
Alex North's "debut" novel, The Whisper Man, was a 2019 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Mystery & Thriller. When I finished reading it, I immediately added his second book, The Shadows, to my must-read list.
The narrators of The Shadows are Hannah Arterton and John Heffernan. The combination of North's writing and Arterton and Heffernan's narration provides a story that feels as if the narrators are the characters themselves, sitting by a fire, retelling North's story, and not merely reading the story. It is their narration that helps North bring the listener down the rabbit hole and ending up questioning everything they thought was true. I needed to reread sections to see how I could have gotten everything so wrong.
North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name. According to Goodreads, this is Arterton's first narration. While Heffernan has narrated a few novels, he writes mostly for film and TV but also wrote Driver For The Dead, his first comic book series.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/14/20 and updated on 8/24/20.
While I have "read" audiobooks for years now, this is the first one I was given to review. Let me catch my breath before starting. Wow! OK. Wow! That needed to be said.
Alex North's "debut" novel, The Whisper Man, was a 2019 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Mystery & Thriller. When I finished reading it, I immediately added his second book, The Shadows, to my must-read list.
The narrators of The Shadows are Hannah Arterton and John Heffernan. The combination of North's writing and Arterton and Heffernan's narration provides a story that feels as if the narrators are the characters themselves, sitting by a fire, retelling North's story, and not merely reading the story. It is their narration that helps North bring the listener down the rabbit hole and ending up questioning everything they thought was true. I needed to reread sections to see how I could have gotten everything so wrong.
North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name. According to Goodreads, this is Arterton's first narration. While Heffernan has narrated a few novels, he writes mostly for film and TV but also wrote Driver For The Dead, his first comic book series.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/14/20 and updated on 8/24/20.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated The Murder of Twelve in Books
May 28, 2020
Weddings are Murder
With a record setting blizzard on the way to Cabot Cove, Maine, Jessica Fletcher is planning to hunker down in her temporary home – the Hill House hotel. Before she can do that, she joins Sheriff Metzger when he gets a call about a man found in his car on the edge of town. What at first looks like a tragic accident is indeed murder. On arriving at the hotel, Jessica learns she will be joined for the weekend by a wedding party. But with the bride and groom missing, tempers begin to flair. Then a dead body appears. Are they trapped with a killer? Is it connected to the man outside of town?
This is another fast-moving mystery that obviously pays homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. I felt it was a bit more of a thriller (minus the language and violence) than a true cozy, but I’m not complaining since I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. Much of the book features Jessica and those trapped in the hotel with her, and they are all strong enough characters to carry the story. Unfortunately, the little bit we did see of the recurring characters fell into predictable patterns, although I still enjoyed spending time with them. The writing was so vivid, I felt the cold as I was reading. Any complaints are minor, and I’m happy I picked up this fast-paced book.
This is another fast-moving mystery that obviously pays homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. I felt it was a bit more of a thriller (minus the language and violence) than a true cozy, but I’m not complaining since I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. Much of the book features Jessica and those trapped in the hotel with her, and they are all strong enough characters to carry the story. Unfortunately, the little bit we did see of the recurring characters fell into predictable patterns, although I still enjoyed spending time with them. The writing was so vivid, I felt the cold as I was reading. Any complaints are minor, and I’m happy I picked up this fast-paced book.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 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 Swerve
Book
In the winter of 1417, a short, genial, cannily alert man in his late thirties plucked a very old...