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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated White Crocodile in Books

Apr 27, 2018  
WC
White Crocodile
K.T. Medina | 2015
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
White Crocodile was a book that surprised me. At first I was only interested because of the idea of mine clearers. Then there was an explosion. Then I got to know the characters a little more. It was fair paced but not as fast as I’d have liked. About halfway I began to get really curious about the plot, and then it started getting fast and surprising me at every turn. From there it didn’t let go. I feel like it could have started stronger (especially considering how good the ending was). The narration was good except every once in a while a line was so quiet I could barely hear it. All in all it was a very nice listening experience for a crime novel with a really exciting surprising ending.
  
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Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated Burial Rites in Books

Mar 15, 2018  
Burial Rites
Burial Rites
Hannah Kent | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.9 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
An interesting book, but not as great as I had hoped. Following an convicted murderess and the family who is forced to watch over her as she awaits her execution in early 1800's Iceland, there is plenty of intrigue teased out over the course of the novel. Did she do it? If so why? If not, then who? And as she relays details of her life leading up to the crime a sense of suspense does gradually build. Aside from the main plot, it is interesting to learn about the lives of farmers in the country at that time, and all of the hardships such a life entailed. The ending felt somewhat flat however, and didn't really adequately wrap up quite everything that had been brought up throughout the book.
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Our Little Secret in Books

Apr 12, 2018  
Our Little Secret
Our Little Secret
Roz Nay | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Excellent, well-written suspense novel from debut author
"All love stories are crime stories and all crime stories, love. If you say that's not true, you're not looking properly. Perhaps when two people join, it's inevitable, the things they'll damage in each other." ~Angela to Novak*

Angela is being held for interrogation at the police station. Detective Novak wants only thing from her--to know where Saskia is. But Angela cannot comply; instead, she tells Detective Novak a story, one starting with her senior year, when she fell in love with a boy named HP. As she tells her tale, it becomes clear it is one of love, sadness, betrayal, and anger. Does Angela know where Saskia is? And can we trust her?

This was a really fascinating and different book, and it was so refreshing to read something that felt original and unlike so many of the suspense novels I've read lately. I will say upfront: Nay is an excellent storyteller, and I found this novel to be wonderfully written. Parts of this story actually hurt me to read, because it was so vividly told. I could so clearly picture the events unfolding and visualize this tale of teen love gone wrong.

I loved the idea that our entire book is Angela, trapped at the police station, telling the story of the last several years of her life to Detective Novak. It seems unconventional, and it is, but it worked well for me. It took the unreliable narrator trope to a different level, and it was so much better than the drunken, rambling, angry unreliable narrator that we see so often. Angela tells her tale of woe and bitterness to the Detective, with only minor interruptions as he provides some pieces of new evidence that occasionally cast doubt upon her viewpoints. As such, we are left to guess how truthful she is being with all of us. Every statement she makes is charged with double meaning. I found the entire thing to be incredibly compelling and oddly fascinating. I was completely hooked, madly flipping the pages to find out what happened next. Even more, I was amazed at how Nay created sympathy toward a character who wasn't all that likeable at times. I was rooting for her, even when I knew I probably shouldn't.

I felt this faltered only a little near the end, where I wasn't quite sure I was on board with everything, but it certainly wasn't enough to diminish my love of the novel. And the actual ending is excellent and basically redeemed it all. Overall, this was an excellent, well-written, suspenseful novel. Angela is a dynamic and complicated character who immediately draws you in with her narration. I was constantly second-guessing her as I read and found the entire novel to be incredibly powerful and satisfying. Apparently this is Nay's first book, which is even more impressive. Can't wait for the next one. Definitely worth a read! 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
*all quotes from an advanced reader copy and subject to change