Sign up
Search
Advanced search settings

Search only in certain items:

Search results
All (3036)
Content
People
Apps
Books
Orbs
Movies
Music
Podcasts
Shows
Tabletop Games
Tech
TV
Video Games
YouTube Channels
Videos
    Details
    ION

    ION

    Brand

    ION Audio was founded in 2002, with the goal of delivering consumer electronics products that...
40x40

Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Winter Killer (DI James Walker #3) in Books

Oct 9, 2022  
The Winter Killer (DI James Walker #3)
The Winter Killer (DI James Walker #3)
Alex Pine | 2022 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the third book in the DI James Walker series and the second I have read but do not worry, it can be read as a standalone very easily.

It's New Year's Eve and a body is found on a jetty at the prestigious The Fells Hotel on the shores of Lake Windermere where a wedding is taking place but was it an accident or murder? DI James Walker and his team are tasked with finding out and it soon becomes clear that the death is very much suspicious.

This is a proper who-dunnit with plenty of potential suspects and is anything but simple and straightforward particularly when all manner of revelations come to light including members of the victims family and close acquaintances.

With great characters, an intriguing plot and written at a great pace, this is an engaging read. The setting is perfect - well I would say that as it's my neck of the woods - and Mr Pine captures the weather, scenery and location completely.

Overall, a great read and I look forward to the next in the series and my thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Winter Killer.
  
40x40

Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Strange Weather in Books

May 16, 2018  
Strange Weather
Strange Weather
Joe Hill | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
4
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Strange Weather is the first bit of fiction I’ve managed to snare by Joe Hill. I heard some pretty great things about his work, but it’s possible I took those praises a little too much to heart. Rating this book doesn’t come easily. To quote what I told a friend on Twitter, reading Strange Weather felt like an attempt at chewing the gristle on steak. That is, wrong and uncomfortable, but not in a good way. I’ve decided to divvy my review up based on each storry.

SNAPSHOT

“Snapshot,” though a bit lacking in style, is one of two stories in this small collection that I found myself capable of tolerating. I figure it’s because this short tale embodies a sort of Twilight Zone and Night Gallery feel. It read the quickest out of the four stories and I found myself nearly in tears at its conclusion, so the best I can say about it is that I either felt something, or my emotions went bonkers again.

LOADED

The second shorty story in Hill’s collection, “Loaded,” is a bunch of driveling bullshit, for lack of a better word. I’m all about our Second Amendment Rights; I even have a cup that says “Don’t ban guns, ban idiots,” but this story encompasses the stereotypical idea that every gun owner or enthusiast is a batshit crazy blowhard that’s just looking for a reason to go off. I have friends and family that appreciate this machinery, that agree people should under go background and mental wellness checks prior to purchase of a fire arm, but this? This story just adds fuel to a fire that seeks kindling via blame on inanimate objects, rather than the person behind them. The main guy of “Loaded” shows us exactly how restricting gun ownership will fail so hey, better hurry and make it entirely illegal right? Oh, and let’s not get started with the over-saturation of Social Justice Warriorness in this piece. I’m all for equality, but this? This just reeks of extremism in a way that I almost abandoned the book as a whole.

ALOFT

“Aloft” is by far the best in this collection of short stories. An embodiment of the collections title, the main character encounters something unusual while fulfilling a dead friend’s promise and from there, things really take a turn for the bizarre. While I feel Hill gives us a bit too much exposition in this tale, there are many things about it that I feel should be appreciated. For instance, the next time anyone asks me what it’s like to have ulcerative colitis, I’ll probably ask them if they’ve read “Aloft”‘ by Joe Hill, because let’s face it: the torment Aubrey goes through gastrically (is that even a word?) in this story is a pretty damned accurate depiction of the suffering people with Crohn’s and Colitis endure.

RAIN

The final story in Hill’s collection seemed like it could have had a loft of potential. “Rain” further supports the title of the collection when a torrent of crystal nails fall from the sky to impale poor, unexpecting citizens. So what’s the problem then? “Rain” is so fundamentally flawed that it’s just… no. First, Hill is more obsessed with making fun of Trump in this story than the events that occur. This isn’t a bad thing – I absolutely loathe Trump, especially considering his policies may very well shorten my lifespan significantly. “Rain” is more a mockery than the story it could be. At least the twist at the end was fairly amusing, but by that point all I could do is roll my eyes in frustration.

CONCLUSION

Joe Hill’s Strange Weather is probably a poor choice for first time introduction to his work. In fact, it’s almost a deterrent considering it’s the first book by him that I read and I was ecstatic about receiving a review copy. It is with a bit of a heavy heart for the sake of disappointment that I am forced to conclude my review with a largely poor rating. Part of my compliance with FTC guidelines as a reviewer requires that I disclose when I read a free book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. In this case, I’d like to thank Edelweiss and HarperCollins/William Morrow for this opportunity.