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The Fall of Lisa Bellow
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The breakout novel from the critically acclaimed author of the short story collections Who I Was...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Gallowstree Lane (Collins and Griffiths #3) in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This novel is told from multiple perspectives, and it is very hard to identify the main lead in this book. It is a Sarah Collins and Lizzie Griffiths detective novel, both of them are very strong female detectives, but they don’t have much communication between each other throughout the book, so I don’t really see them as a duo. It is a third book in the Metropolitan series, and I haven’t read the previous books. I found It perfectly understandable as a stand-alone, and the author explains a lot of things from previous books, but I think, to understand Sarah and Lizzie properly, it is better to read the previous books before starting this one.
So, a little about the characters, Lizzie is a single mother, who got pregnant after the affair with a fellow detective, who was married. Lizzie is trying her best to do her job like everybody else, but she is struggling. I really liked that the author analyzed childcare issues in this book, and how difficult is to be a mother, who wants to work and take care of her baby by her self. On the other hand, I have very strong negative emotions about her involvement with a married man in the first place, and that is what made her and Kieran (the married detective) my least favourite characters in this book.
Sarah Collins is a very determined detective, who knows how to get the stuff done. I really liked her as a character, it is visible that she loves the job and is very good at it. Kate London chose the characters very well for this novel. They are diverse, believable and very intriguing. I was very curious to read Ryan’s thoughts, he is a fifteen-year-old drug dealer, who’s friend gets stabbed. I am curious, how much actual truth was in Ryan’s thoughts compared to real life youth who act like “wannabe gangsters”. I can see that the author used her experience at the police very well, the procedures, places, the criminal mind looks very realistically portrayed in this book.
I think this book is more character orientated, the plot is intriguing, but the character’s thoughts and their lives are more absorbing than the plot itself. The plot is quite fast-paced and filled with a lot of findings, and I really enjoyed the whole investigation experience. The author analyses very important topics in this book, such as teenage criminals, knife crime, gangs and their war for territory, prostitution, drug addictions, childcare issues for working single mothers etc.
I really liked the writing style of this book, the whole book feels gloomy and intense, but at the same time, it is a very pleasant read. The setting continuously changes, depending on the character. The chapters have a very decent length and didn’t leave me bored. The ending was quite unexpected but rounded up this book quite well. So, to conclude, this is a very realistic and believable novel about teenage criminals and police work, filled with very amusing characters, and twisty plot. I learned a lot of interesting information and thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially the topics discussed in this novel. I strongly recommend this book to all, but especially to anyone living in London, I hope you will like it as much as I did.
So, a little about the characters, Lizzie is a single mother, who got pregnant after the affair with a fellow detective, who was married. Lizzie is trying her best to do her job like everybody else, but she is struggling. I really liked that the author analyzed childcare issues in this book, and how difficult is to be a mother, who wants to work and take care of her baby by her self. On the other hand, I have very strong negative emotions about her involvement with a married man in the first place, and that is what made her and Kieran (the married detective) my least favourite characters in this book.
Sarah Collins is a very determined detective, who knows how to get the stuff done. I really liked her as a character, it is visible that she loves the job and is very good at it. Kate London chose the characters very well for this novel. They are diverse, believable and very intriguing. I was very curious to read Ryan’s thoughts, he is a fifteen-year-old drug dealer, who’s friend gets stabbed. I am curious, how much actual truth was in Ryan’s thoughts compared to real life youth who act like “wannabe gangsters”. I can see that the author used her experience at the police very well, the procedures, places, the criminal mind looks very realistically portrayed in this book.
I think this book is more character orientated, the plot is intriguing, but the character’s thoughts and their lives are more absorbing than the plot itself. The plot is quite fast-paced and filled with a lot of findings, and I really enjoyed the whole investigation experience. The author analyses very important topics in this book, such as teenage criminals, knife crime, gangs and their war for territory, prostitution, drug addictions, childcare issues for working single mothers etc.
I really liked the writing style of this book, the whole book feels gloomy and intense, but at the same time, it is a very pleasant read. The setting continuously changes, depending on the character. The chapters have a very decent length and didn’t leave me bored. The ending was quite unexpected but rounded up this book quite well. So, to conclude, this is a very realistic and believable novel about teenage criminals and police work, filled with very amusing characters, and twisty plot. I learned a lot of interesting information and thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially the topics discussed in this novel. I strongly recommend this book to all, but especially to anyone living in London, I hope you will like it as much as I did.
TheBookMother (105 KP) rated Unravelling Oliver in Books
May 17, 2019
It's as if Richard Hillman came back from the dead, you will not put it down.
I picked this little gem up on a supermarket fundraising bookshelf.
I was abit a dubious to begin with as it was quite short for a standard crime novel that I am normally used too at just 230 pages. I did worry it would be a rushed cliche but boy, was I wrong.
I have grown up on Midsummer Murders and Agatha Christie and it felt like a fresh voice on a classic crime thriller rather than the standard norm from Liz Nugent.
To everyone they seemed a happy and successful couple until one night Oliver beats his loving wife into a coma.
We are then thrown into a sad and neglected past, tragic events and secrets that have now suddenly caught up with Oliver.
The pace of the book is exquisite. Right from the first page you are thrown in to quite a dark act being commited leaving you with only one question.
Why did he do it?
The story is told from numerous character voices and POV each sharing their experiences and opinions of Oliver including Oliver himself each recounting past events right up until after the attack on Alice.
Each account over laps and we are taken back to summer in the 1970s on a French vineyard, growing up during that time in Ireland and the views of the time.
I enjoyed the that the themes of having a baby out of wedlock, grief, race, mental health, expectations, promiscuity and homosexuality were all present which really added to you imagining what the views were at the varying time periods covered throughout the book.
Hauntingly, the only person we do not hear from is Alice which adds to the tension as the outcome of the attack isn't mentioned until quite a way through the book.
Aside from the fact that you are introduced to Oliver committing a heinous act and brutally admitting that he expected more of a reaction for the first time he beat his wife he is not a likable character. You are waiting for it all to come crashing down around him and his 'privileged life' even after you find out about his past and as the it is unravelled, so is he. Think Richard Hillman from Coronation Street villain, someone you cannot help but resent.
Clever, dark and unexpected I couldn't put this down and consumed the lot in a day or so. The pace and easy readability of the book left me wanting to keep reading to a point of keeping the kids busy with a snack and Netflix while I could consume multiple chapters in the corner of the room!
It's just want I want in a crime novel; a good villain, a clever plot and a few twists along the way and an even more surprising ending which leaves you thinking perhaps there was a little bit of good in there after all?!
I was abit a dubious to begin with as it was quite short for a standard crime novel that I am normally used too at just 230 pages. I did worry it would be a rushed cliche but boy, was I wrong.
I have grown up on Midsummer Murders and Agatha Christie and it felt like a fresh voice on a classic crime thriller rather than the standard norm from Liz Nugent.
To everyone they seemed a happy and successful couple until one night Oliver beats his loving wife into a coma.
We are then thrown into a sad and neglected past, tragic events and secrets that have now suddenly caught up with Oliver.
The pace of the book is exquisite. Right from the first page you are thrown in to quite a dark act being commited leaving you with only one question.
Why did he do it?
The story is told from numerous character voices and POV each sharing their experiences and opinions of Oliver including Oliver himself each recounting past events right up until after the attack on Alice.
Each account over laps and we are taken back to summer in the 1970s on a French vineyard, growing up during that time in Ireland and the views of the time.
I enjoyed the that the themes of having a baby out of wedlock, grief, race, mental health, expectations, promiscuity and homosexuality were all present which really added to you imagining what the views were at the varying time periods covered throughout the book.
Hauntingly, the only person we do not hear from is Alice which adds to the tension as the outcome of the attack isn't mentioned until quite a way through the book.
Aside from the fact that you are introduced to Oliver committing a heinous act and brutally admitting that he expected more of a reaction for the first time he beat his wife he is not a likable character. You are waiting for it all to come crashing down around him and his 'privileged life' even after you find out about his past and as the it is unravelled, so is he. Think Richard Hillman from Coronation Street villain, someone you cannot help but resent.
Clever, dark and unexpected I couldn't put this down and consumed the lot in a day or so. The pace and easy readability of the book left me wanting to keep reading to a point of keeping the kids busy with a snack and Netflix while I could consume multiple chapters in the corner of the room!
It's just want I want in a crime novel; a good villain, a clever plot and a few twists along the way and an even more surprising ending which leaves you thinking perhaps there was a little bit of good in there after all?!
Great Villain (1 more)
Great Crime Story
Too many characters (1 more)
Some characters not needed
An ex-child soldier, a violent, hairless man, and a drug lord make up the cast of characters in the Thomas Harris novel, 'Cari Mora.' Mora, our title character, is the ex-child soldier that now lives in Miami, Flordia, where she watches over a deceased drug lord's mansion. This drug lord is the real-life Pablo Escobar.
Written in Harris' crime fiction style, 'Cari Mora' quickly starts with men competing to get to the rumored millions of dollars in gold that is suppose to be at the Escobar mansion. One of these men is a very memorable German character named Hans-Peter Schneider, who readers come to know as someone that is hired to kill/deliver people to rich customers, as well as selling organs on the black market: " He [Schneider] could see his reflection in the glass side of his liquid cremation machine where he was dissolving Karla, a girl who hadn't worked out for business." When Schneider meets Mora, he immediately wants to sell her to a high paying customer.
The novel's main subject is Escobar's hidden gold, but readers also get a glimpse into the underworld of human trafficking and hired thugs. Most interestingly, the story surrounds the dark past of certain characters - - - mostly Mora and Schneider- - - who also happen to be the most put-together characters in all of the novel. All other characters seem to be filler, where most of their stories either don't end or aren't explained. Such as the character Benito, when the reader gets to follow him home, there is a mere snippet about his family life that leaves us wanting more: " Lupe was waiting at Benito's house, in spirit, in the small garden she had made behind Benito's house. He felt her presence warm and close to him as fireflies winked over the white blossoms, luminous under the moon. Benito poured a glass of Flor de Cana for himself and one for her. He drank both of them sitting in the garden with Lupe, and being there together was enough. "
While the treasure hunt is going on, a man named Jesus Villarreal becomes an important character that used to be Escobar's captain- - - and who knows exactly where the gold is hidden; he has not only made a deal with Schneider, but also another drug lord named Don Ernesto- - - if he tells exactly how to get the gold, safely, his wife, son and sister-in-law must be taken care of when he is gone.
This story has twist and turns known in every great crime fiction novel: a woman who is more than what she seems, thugs with guns, dark backstories, and fast-reading action. Yet, the story contains so many characters,even new ones coming in on almost every chapter, that it could be hard for readers to keep in mind who is who, especially with not enough description to tell them apart. Another disappointment is the character named Detective Terry Robles, who had such an amazing story to tell - - - from he and his wife being shot up by druggies to Robles seeking revenge when his wife can't exactly remember who she is,let alone who he is, because of her injury - - - but his story never comes to fruition, and we never get to experience the end of it.
As great as a character Mora is, I personally believe that Schneider would have been a much more interesting view point to read from. The story would have taken on a completely different appeal if the focus had been on strictly him. For instance, one of the most intriguing parts was reading about Schneider's past which may hold the key to why he is who he is : "His parents were in the freezer and he could hear their voices through the door. They could not get out because the freezer door was secured with a chain Hans had tied in an excellent chain knot, the way his father had taught him to tie a chain, shaking the knot until the links jammed tight. "
Although I wish for a different view point, I will say again that Mora is a well-written character - - - her character just becomes flat in certain places- - - but she still makes the story worth reading. Harris did a wonderful job in showing the darker side of life, as he has always done with his Hannibal series. If anyone is a fan of the Netflix show 'Narcos,' or crime fiction surrounding drug lords, they will certainly enjoy this book from beginning to end.
Written in Harris' crime fiction style, 'Cari Mora' quickly starts with men competing to get to the rumored millions of dollars in gold that is suppose to be at the Escobar mansion. One of these men is a very memorable German character named Hans-Peter Schneider, who readers come to know as someone that is hired to kill/deliver people to rich customers, as well as selling organs on the black market: " He [Schneider] could see his reflection in the glass side of his liquid cremation machine where he was dissolving Karla, a girl who hadn't worked out for business." When Schneider meets Mora, he immediately wants to sell her to a high paying customer.
The novel's main subject is Escobar's hidden gold, but readers also get a glimpse into the underworld of human trafficking and hired thugs. Most interestingly, the story surrounds the dark past of certain characters - - - mostly Mora and Schneider- - - who also happen to be the most put-together characters in all of the novel. All other characters seem to be filler, where most of their stories either don't end or aren't explained. Such as the character Benito, when the reader gets to follow him home, there is a mere snippet about his family life that leaves us wanting more: " Lupe was waiting at Benito's house, in spirit, in the small garden she had made behind Benito's house. He felt her presence warm and close to him as fireflies winked over the white blossoms, luminous under the moon. Benito poured a glass of Flor de Cana for himself and one for her. He drank both of them sitting in the garden with Lupe, and being there together was enough. "
While the treasure hunt is going on, a man named Jesus Villarreal becomes an important character that used to be Escobar's captain- - - and who knows exactly where the gold is hidden; he has not only made a deal with Schneider, but also another drug lord named Don Ernesto- - - if he tells exactly how to get the gold, safely, his wife, son and sister-in-law must be taken care of when he is gone.
This story has twist and turns known in every great crime fiction novel: a woman who is more than what she seems, thugs with guns, dark backstories, and fast-reading action. Yet, the story contains so many characters,even new ones coming in on almost every chapter, that it could be hard for readers to keep in mind who is who, especially with not enough description to tell them apart. Another disappointment is the character named Detective Terry Robles, who had such an amazing story to tell - - - from he and his wife being shot up by druggies to Robles seeking revenge when his wife can't exactly remember who she is,let alone who he is, because of her injury - - - but his story never comes to fruition, and we never get to experience the end of it.
As great as a character Mora is, I personally believe that Schneider would have been a much more interesting view point to read from. The story would have taken on a completely different appeal if the focus had been on strictly him. For instance, one of the most intriguing parts was reading about Schneider's past which may hold the key to why he is who he is : "His parents were in the freezer and he could hear their voices through the door. They could not get out because the freezer door was secured with a chain Hans had tied in an excellent chain knot, the way his father had taught him to tie a chain, shaking the knot until the links jammed tight. "
Although I wish for a different view point, I will say again that Mora is a well-written character - - - her character just becomes flat in certain places- - - but she still makes the story worth reading. Harris did a wonderful job in showing the darker side of life, as he has always done with his Hannibal series. If anyone is a fan of the Netflix show 'Narcos,' or crime fiction surrounding drug lords, they will certainly enjoy this book from beginning to end.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Leopard at the Door in Books
Sep 24, 2020
More reviews at https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com
My favourite genre to read normally is mystery, crime or thrillers, but I try to choose different genres from time to time. I need to rest from investigations and murders, that’s where historical fiction, YA and other books come in. This book is no exception; I needed something to clear my mind, and it really done the job.
Let me begin by saying, that I loved the environment used in this book. Author portrayed the surroundings and places in this book with great detail, and made me actually feel the African spirit. So, all her travels through Africa, really helped her to describe what she felt to the reader.
The main character in this book was Rachel, and she was the one to share her life with a reader. This novel had a huge variety of very diverse characters, some of them positive and dear to the heart, and some of them really negative, which made me really angry about them. Unfortunately, I did not have any favourite character in this book, as I felt they were not fully developed and opened up to the reader. I would’ve liked to read different perspectives and have more insight into different personalities. Even though I really tried to like Rachel’s rebellious views and kind heart, I think some of her decisions were really silly and disappointing.
The narrative of this novel starts in 1952, when British Empire is on a verge of collapsing, and Kenya wishes its independence. I absolutely adored all the details about Mau Mau, their ideology and ways of action. I loved Michael’s thoughts about war and his country’s independence. I think, this book was really well researched and the whole spirit of the book was shared just gorgeously. The whole story was flowing very smoothly, with some turns and twists, which kept me interested. There was a great love story going on in this book, but I would’ve liked it to be a bit more passionate than it was. Author discussed some interesting topics in this book, such as: Life after mother’s death and relationship with a stepmother; feelings, when you don’t have anyone to turn to; love and betrayal.
The writing style of this novel was not difficult to read, but it contains some African words, which were explained at the end of the book. (If you read it on Kindle, it’s not very helpful) The chapters of this book have decent length, but it might drag a little, because there is not much action going on in this novel. The ending was quite interesting and done the justice to the book and Rachel, but still left me questioning about “What happened to Michael?” So, overall, I actually enjoyed this story of wish for independence, unexpected love, family difficulties and betrayal, and I would recommend immersing yourself into this beautiful Kenyan setting.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
My favourite genre to read normally is mystery, crime or thrillers, but I try to choose different genres from time to time. I need to rest from investigations and murders, that’s where historical fiction, YA and other books come in. This book is no exception; I needed something to clear my mind, and it really done the job.
Let me begin by saying, that I loved the environment used in this book. Author portrayed the surroundings and places in this book with great detail, and made me actually feel the African spirit. So, all her travels through Africa, really helped her to describe what she felt to the reader.
The main character in this book was Rachel, and she was the one to share her life with a reader. This novel had a huge variety of very diverse characters, some of them positive and dear to the heart, and some of them really negative, which made me really angry about them. Unfortunately, I did not have any favourite character in this book, as I felt they were not fully developed and opened up to the reader. I would’ve liked to read different perspectives and have more insight into different personalities. Even though I really tried to like Rachel’s rebellious views and kind heart, I think some of her decisions were really silly and disappointing.
The narrative of this novel starts in 1952, when British Empire is on a verge of collapsing, and Kenya wishes its independence. I absolutely adored all the details about Mau Mau, their ideology and ways of action. I loved Michael’s thoughts about war and his country’s independence. I think, this book was really well researched and the whole spirit of the book was shared just gorgeously. The whole story was flowing very smoothly, with some turns and twists, which kept me interested. There was a great love story going on in this book, but I would’ve liked it to be a bit more passionate than it was. Author discussed some interesting topics in this book, such as: Life after mother’s death and relationship with a stepmother; feelings, when you don’t have anyone to turn to; love and betrayal.
The writing style of this novel was not difficult to read, but it contains some African words, which were explained at the end of the book. (If you read it on Kindle, it’s not very helpful) The chapters of this book have decent length, but it might drag a little, because there is not much action going on in this novel. The ending was quite interesting and done the justice to the book and Rachel, but still left me questioning about “What happened to Michael?” So, overall, I actually enjoyed this story of wish for independence, unexpected love, family difficulties and betrayal, and I would recommend immersing yourself into this beautiful Kenyan setting.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
Still gritty (1 more)
More involved plot and exploration of the Misery
Superb follow-up
* I received an advance copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *
The sequel to the highly praised Blackwing sees Ryhalt Galharrow trying to move on from losing the love of his life and investigating the theft of a magical artefact from a heavily protected vault.
For the first few chapters this book felt like a Captain Vimes Discworld novel (in a good way) with the humour toned down a little. We were exploring the pre-industrial city and investigating a crime that could have dire consequences for the safety of the city.
The book spends significantly more time in the city than in the Misery (the strange, twisting wasteland) than was the case for the first book, which gives it a very different feel. Plotting and intrigue abound as an evil sorcerer's plot to achieve ultimate power starts to unfold.
The book felt slightly less dark than the first, and has quite a different feel to it than Blackwing, but is still absolutely superb. The flowing prose and cracking dialogue make this a true page-turner and one of the best fantasy books I have read in quite some time.
The sequel to the highly praised Blackwing sees Ryhalt Galharrow trying to move on from losing the love of his life and investigating the theft of a magical artefact from a heavily protected vault.
For the first few chapters this book felt like a Captain Vimes Discworld novel (in a good way) with the humour toned down a little. We were exploring the pre-industrial city and investigating a crime that could have dire consequences for the safety of the city.
The book spends significantly more time in the city than in the Misery (the strange, twisting wasteland) than was the case for the first book, which gives it a very different feel. Plotting and intrigue abound as an evil sorcerer's plot to achieve ultimate power starts to unfold.
The book felt slightly less dark than the first, and has quite a different feel to it than Blackwing, but is still absolutely superb. The flowing prose and cracking dialogue make this a true page-turner and one of the best fantasy books I have read in quite some time.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Outsider in Books
Jul 13, 2018
King does it again
My main worry about this book was that it didn't sound enough like King - on paper it almost sounded like a bog standard crime thriller. Fortunately though that wasn't the case!
This is yet another brilliantly written King novel, filled with intrigue, suspense and a lot of fairly gruesome horror. The characters are, as always, well written and the story centres mainly around the lovable detective Ralph Anderson (although chapters centred around other characters offer some nice variety). The central supernatural plot is one that I've seen/read before in other works of fiction, but it definitely doesn't get boring seeing it from King's point of view. There are some unexpected links to some other of King's stories - one obvious and direct, but another link for me was more of a similarity to a previous character - neither of which is a bad thing.
My only criticisms of this book are fairly minor. The first is that the ending seems fairly rushed in comparison with the slow build of the rest of the book. And the second is that although it is a very good and enthralling read, it doesn't quite have the impact of some of his older epic novels (The Dark Tower series, The Stand, Needful Things etc).
This is yet another brilliantly written King novel, filled with intrigue, suspense and a lot of fairly gruesome horror. The characters are, as always, well written and the story centres mainly around the lovable detective Ralph Anderson (although chapters centred around other characters offer some nice variety). The central supernatural plot is one that I've seen/read before in other works of fiction, but it definitely doesn't get boring seeing it from King's point of view. There are some unexpected links to some other of King's stories - one obvious and direct, but another link for me was more of a similarity to a previous character - neither of which is a bad thing.
My only criticisms of this book are fairly minor. The first is that the ending seems fairly rushed in comparison with the slow build of the rest of the book. And the second is that although it is a very good and enthralling read, it doesn't quite have the impact of some of his older epic novels (The Dark Tower series, The Stand, Needful Things etc).
David McK (3425 KP) rated Batman, Volume 1: The Court of Owls in Books
Jan 28, 2019
Unlike some of the more famous Batman stories ([b:the Dark Knight Returns|59960|Batman The Dark Knight Returns|Frank Miller|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327892039s/59960.jpg|1104159], say, or {book: The Killing Joke], The Court of Owls is not one that I was previously familiar with - or, for that matter, had even heard of - prior to this graphic novel.
Unlike those previously two mentioned, this is a more contemporary tale, with Batman at the height of his crime-fighting powers, unlike the aging Batman of [b:The Dark Knight Returns|59960|Batman The Dark Knight Returns|Frank Miller|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327892039s/59960.jpg|1104159], or the still-relatively-green of the majority of [b:The Killing Joke|96358|Batman The Killing Joke|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346331835s/96358.jpg|551787], and also has the wider Bat-family (that sounds awful, doesn't it?) of Nightwing, Robin and Red Robin all in it.
The Court of Owls itself is an urban legend from Gotham of a secret society that lives in the shadows and watches/judges all: like Batman, an urban legend that soon proves not to be such after all.
While I may read volume 2 in the future, it's also not one that I'd be hunting out for.
Unlike those previously two mentioned, this is a more contemporary tale, with Batman at the height of his crime-fighting powers, unlike the aging Batman of [b:The Dark Knight Returns|59960|Batman The Dark Knight Returns|Frank Miller|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327892039s/59960.jpg|1104159], or the still-relatively-green of the majority of [b:The Killing Joke|96358|Batman The Killing Joke|Alan Moore|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346331835s/96358.jpg|551787], and also has the wider Bat-family (that sounds awful, doesn't it?) of Nightwing, Robin and Red Robin all in it.
The Court of Owls itself is an urban legend from Gotham of a secret society that lives in the shadows and watches/judges all: like Batman, an urban legend that soon proves not to be such after all.
While I may read volume 2 in the future, it's also not one that I'd be hunting out for.
BT
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