BookInspector (124 KP) rated We Were the Salt of the Sea in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Catherine was looking for her biological mother, and one day she found her, but she was dead. There were so many unanswered questions left, and Catherine was trying to find out, who her mother really was. The characters chosen for this novel were incredibly complex. Their thoughts and feelings filled this book with different states of mind and different perspectives. All the characters had their own unique personality, and sometimes, they were really mysterious to me. I needed quite a bit of time to analyze them. I didn’t have a particularly favourite character in this book, I think they all had their pros and cons, making them all very believable and realistic.
The narrative of this novel was very smartly written, drop feeding the reader with the investigation’s findings, and opening the characters bit by bit. It was quite a slow burner for me, and I really missed some good twists and turns, but I think this novel concentrates more on the character’s feelings and their search of true selves, rather than trying to solve the crime. I really liked the setting and atmosphere of this novel, and the whole plot was soaked with sea love. The author has a passion for sailing, and you can truly feel her love for the sea when she explains the bond, which sea brings out in sailors. Authors expertise shines not only through the sea love but also through knowledge of boats and fishermen’s routines.
The writing style of this novel was very beautiful and incredibly poetic. The chapters had pretty decent length and didn’t leave me bored. The language of this book has quite a lot of sailing terms and is filled with French charm, so I had to look up some of the terms, which sounded alien to me. 🙂 I did like the ending of this book, I think it rounded the story quite well, however, this book makes your brain work, and even though there is a clue of who Catherine’s father is, I still couldn’t figure it out. (I am too lazy 😀 ) So, if you read this book, please let me know in the comment section down below 😉
So, to conclude, if you like sea, boats and a little bit of crime, filled with charming prose and unique characters, then this book is definitely for you. Summer season is just around the corner, so don’t forget a copy of this book, while enjoying that drink on the beach 😉
The Hanging Club
8.0
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"Tony Parsons puts you right there in every scene he writes. I love that kind of storytelling and...
As you may have noticed from the other reviews, this book is <i>not</i> a retelling of a serial killer's crimes, how he did them, how he got away for so long, and eventually, how he got caught. This is much more about a (platonic) relationship between journalist and killer.
Rowe is a journalist who becomes <i>obsessed</i> with Kendall, a convicted convicted serial killer of eight women, and at times, reading about this deep fascination gets a little uncomfortable. Openly admitting that she feels a sense of importance and flattery at having so much on Kendalls attention seems pretty disgusting, but she then admits that she now knows these feelings were inappropriate and has come to realise that her obsession got the better of her.
I have to agree with other reviews, that this book is a little all over the place. Rowes writing is absolutely gorgeously put all the way through, its really poetic, its just that the structure is a bit off. Topics skip all over the place and it can sometimes be hard to grasp how one thing connects to the next.
In the end, I actually really enjoyed this novel even though it wasnt a classic true crime kinda novel. It was interesting seeing the correspondence between the two of them and getting the feel for how someone like Kendall works in a different way to us. Im not really interested to read all about the Attica riots, so that will be a new addition to my bookshelf soon, Im sure!
If you like going through a true crime novel finding out what the killer did in chronological order, what drove them to do it and some of the more gruesome details of their crimes, then this probably isnt the novel for you, but if you like something a little more personal and moving I would recommend giving this one a try.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a free copy in exchange for a review!
The Outsider
8.7
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Following the phenomenal success of his Bill Hodges series, MR MERCEDES, FINDERS KEEPERS and END OF...
Irene: Book 1: The Brigade Criminelle Trilogy
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THE NOVELIST KILLS BY THE BOOK For Commandant Camille Verhoven life is beautiful: he is happily...
O.J.: Made in America
9.0
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Herman Broder, a refugee and Holocaust survivor, has three women in his life: Yadwiga, the loyal...
Liars and Thieves (Previously Windchill)
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A novel in two parts. In "Christmas Steps", Detective Constable Scott Cullen investigates the...
Celine
5.0
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From the best-selling author of The Dog Stars and The Painter, a luminous, masterful novel of...
Fiction crime mystery thriller female lead stand alone novel
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows in Books
Sep 13, 2017
A group of old Punjabi women attend an English language class run by a British Asian young woman who mistakenly brings in an erotic book one day. It opens up a world of sensuous pleasure for the women, who are normally quite conservative about such topics.
While it's quite a novelty and funny at the beginning, the stories become repetitive and it becomes a little boring. The honour crime story was far more interesting and I wish there was more focus on that side instead of turning it in to a Gurinder Chadha type of novel. The stories are meant to open up other aspects of the community such as arranged marriages and the impact of honour - but it just doesn't seem to connect that well.
The protagonist Nicky is great though who reflects many British Asians growing up with dual cultures. Good but not great.
Quieter Than Killing
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Sarah Hilary, winner of the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year, returns with a new DI Marnie Rome...