![Glass Town](/uploads/profile_image/8fc/a152aefb-26ca-48c7-8fd2-4337f52f48fc.jpg?m=1522324914)
Glass Town
Book
Steven Savile is an international sensation, selling over half a million copies of his novels...
fantasy mystery
![Mysteries and Conspiracies: Detective Stories, Spy Novels and the Making of Modern Societies](/uploads/profile_image/2a5/e1836799-334f-47be-8a08-91537ef132a5.jpg?m=1522327784)
Mysteries and Conspiracies: Detective Stories, Spy Novels and the Making of Modern Societies
Book
The detective story, focused on inquiries, and in its wake the spy novel, built around conspiracies,...
![40x40](/uploads/profile_image/6ed/62fdc927-bb07-4c5f-b081-880691be96ed.jpg?m=1600877165)
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Hiding Place / The Taking of Annie Thorne in Books
Sep 24, 2020
When I started this book, I thought it is going to be a crime mystery, and was really pleasantly surprised to find it to be a horror story. The narrative travels between present and past, explaining many events which are influencing the present, and I really liked this way of storytelling. The author used a single perspective in this novel, and I think it worked very beautifully. The topics discussed in this book were bullying, gambling, school life and wish to fit in, etc.
I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style of this book, I think all the twists and turns were in the right places, and it was a true page turner for me. The chapters had very decent length and were just flying by for me. I have to throw in a disclaimer, there are some severe and nasty cases of bullying in this book, which might upset some readers. The ending rounded the story very nicely, and I really liked the way the author wrote it.
So, to conclude, it is an incredibly well-written horror story, that is dark, creepy, and gave chills down my spine. It is filled with a great variety of characters and unexpected plot, which held me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. I strongly recommend to read this book, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Our narrator, Jon, is a historian witnessing the most monumental event of humanity but at a great distance. He feels compelled to keep a record of the people isolated with him in a vast hotel. He collects their stories and feelings in the faint hope that some sort of civilisation will survive long enough to rediscover them. Through his journal we experience what it would be like to be aware that the world was ending, billions dying, but be totally disconnected from the horrific events.
Most books set during an apocalypse are fraught with traumatic dashes, violent brushes with death, horror and misery. There are elements of that here but this book mostly poses the question of what you would do if there was little drama but lots of time to dwell on things. The people in the hotel are comparatively safe in an old hotel surrounded by forest. They wait for something to happen, for someone to rescue them, or perhaps just for their food to run out. Jon embarks on a quest to solve one cruel murder, taking him down a path of mistrust and near hysteria.
I enjoyed the blend of dystopia and murder mystery; the first half of the book reads like a modern day progeny of George Orwell and Agatha Christie. Asking your audience to imagine bombs wiping out entire countries but then drastically limiting their focus to one death amongst multitudes is startling. I also liked the references to real people and places, there were definite shades of the Cecil Hotel here for a true-crime/horror podcast junkie like me to appreciate. However, I do feel that the novel lost it's way towards the end - trying to be all things to all people perhaps. It's definitely worth reading and I'm keen to see more from this author.
I loved the way that we watched Katherine’s slide into mental health problems through the eyes of her daughter, juxtaposed with the life that she had lived before - the whole bohemian, free living, carelessness of it. And then the reveal that all was not as it seemed. I enjoy books that explore family relationships - in fiction the opportunities are endless.
I really liked the historical element as well: the troubles in Ireland and how they impacted on Katherine and Norah. Not that it’s an enjoyable topic, but I have family connections, and the history of this fascinates me. To be honest, a lot of things impact on the relationship of this mother and daughter. It must have been very difficult for Norah to grow up in the way that she did - and again, I have to remind myself that this isn’t a true story!
This is the first Anne Enright novel that I’ve read/ listened to, and I have another book of hers on my bookcase that I’ll be moving up the ‘to be read’ pile. I think she’s an author that I’ll also be adding to me ‘read everything by them’ list!
![Fear: A Novel](/uploads/profile_image/73d/6844f3e7-f0ff-44ed-bf72-af54843bb73d.jpg?m=1522330172)
Fear: A Novel
Book
“Fear shifts our moral codes. It makes us accessories to murder. A great achievement.” —Herman...
Thriller
![Alive (The Craftsman #0.5)](/uploads/profile_image/e21/29729183-899b-46c2-b44c-c73689432e21.jpg?m=1601029262)
Alive (The Craftsman #0.5)
Book
For fans of Val McDermid, Elly Griffiths and Peter May, prepare to delve into the dark world of The...
![The Ghost of Hollow House](/uploads/profile_image/e6a/7cedebf4-9f29-44a0-8db5-b4731ea9fe6a.jpg?m=1559417775)
The Ghost of Hollow House
Book
Mina Scarletti returns in her most thrilling mystery yet! Perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes,...
Ghosts Suspense Historical Fiction
![Sin City (2005)](/uploads/profile_image/c52/cb1f8967-2dcd-45bc-92e0-25e1fee98c52.jpg?m=1522336110)
Sin City (2005)
Movie Watch
Sin City (also known as Frank Miller's Sin City)[3] is a 2005 American neo-noir crime anthology film...
Sin City Frank Miller Robert Rodriguez Comic book
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