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Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Wedding Guest (Alex Delaware #34) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Jonathan Kellerman's 34th Alex Delaware novel
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
If you have never read any of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series you need to do so immediately. The Wedding Guest is Kellerman's 34th Alex Delaware novel. It would definitely help with the backstory but you do not need to start at book 1, "When the Bough Breaks", to appreciate the story. Each novel is part of the series but can stand alone.
Kellerman's Alex Delaware is a psychologist who helps Detective Milo Sturgis with difficult cases. As you can guess, having a psychologist as the main character gives the reader a hint that Kellerman's book are more than the ordinary cop vs bad guy type of book. You are almost guaranteed the story will be a psychological thriller.
The Wedding Guest is no exception. Someone is murdered at a wedding reception. Were they invited? Did they crash? Do the bride and groom know them? Do any of the family members or guests know them? Why kill someone during the reception?
The characters surrounding Alex and MIlo help round out the story and make them seem more human and approachable. They are not perfect. They make mistakes. They are a perfect team for working together to catch the bad guys.
If you have never read any of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware series you need to do so immediately. The Wedding Guest is Kellerman's 34th Alex Delaware novel. It would definitely help with the backstory but you do not need to start at book 1, "When the Bough Breaks", to appreciate the story. Each novel is part of the series but can stand alone.
Kellerman's Alex Delaware is a psychologist who helps Detective Milo Sturgis with difficult cases. As you can guess, having a psychologist as the main character gives the reader a hint that Kellerman's book are more than the ordinary cop vs bad guy type of book. You are almost guaranteed the story will be a psychological thriller.
The Wedding Guest is no exception. Someone is murdered at a wedding reception. Were they invited? Did they crash? Do the bride and groom know them? Do any of the family members or guests know them? Why kill someone during the reception?
The characters surrounding Alex and MIlo help round out the story and make them seem more human and approachable. They are not perfect. They make mistakes. They are a perfect team for working together to catch the bad guys.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Blessed Fury (Angels of Fate, #1) in Books
May 22, 2019
Once you face the devils, theres no going back.
Guardian angel Ava Lightway has spent a century watching over her charges, whispering the words of the gods in their ears. But her peaceful existence ends when shes assigned to Liam Striker, a supernatural detective with no memory of his past.
Liam might be Avas biggest challenge yet. Stubborn and dangerously captivating, hell stop at nothing to find the demon who murdered his father. Even if it costs him his life.
Keeping death away from her new partner is an impossible task. And even if their investigation doesnt destroy Ava, succumbing to Liams smoldering touch just may.
Read the sizzling, breath-taking tale of angels gone bad!
Wow; this was an absolute amazing read.
This is an epic adventure of angels, demons, vampires, werewolves, Warriors and Erudites.
I love that it has so many different paranormals in this.
So action packed but at the same time there are so many sweet moments that happen with the forbidden romance that is happening.
Really loved the plot and storyline.
I am in love wiyh the characters and can't wait to see them develop further.
I can't wait to get stuck into the next one now.
Recommend reading.
I received an ARC from the very talented author and this is my honest voluntary review.
Guardian angel Ava Lightway has spent a century watching over her charges, whispering the words of the gods in their ears. But her peaceful existence ends when shes assigned to Liam Striker, a supernatural detective with no memory of his past.
Liam might be Avas biggest challenge yet. Stubborn and dangerously captivating, hell stop at nothing to find the demon who murdered his father. Even if it costs him his life.
Keeping death away from her new partner is an impossible task. And even if their investigation doesnt destroy Ava, succumbing to Liams smoldering touch just may.
Read the sizzling, breath-taking tale of angels gone bad!
Wow; this was an absolute amazing read.
This is an epic adventure of angels, demons, vampires, werewolves, Warriors and Erudites.
I love that it has so many different paranormals in this.
So action packed but at the same time there are so many sweet moments that happen with the forbidden romance that is happening.
Really loved the plot and storyline.
I am in love wiyh the characters and can't wait to see them develop further.
I can't wait to get stuck into the next one now.
Recommend reading.
I received an ARC from the very talented author and this is my honest voluntary review.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Eeny Meeny (Helen Grace, #1) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
***NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***
Detective Helen Grace is lead investigator in what at first seems to be a single unusual murder case, but turns out to be only the first strike by an deranged serial killer. Two victims at a time are kidnapped and locked up with no food or water. They are left with a gun and a message. When one of them is dead, the other will be set free.
Eeny Meeny is a very fast-paced police procedural / thriller story. The characters are not very likable, even the good guys, and that usually would have made me dislike the book. I found it to be very well-written and suspenseful though, and couldn't put it down. The chapters are very short, sometimes as little as two pages, and move between points of view. In another story this might have felt jarring or confusing, but in this case it only added to the tension. I was a little too disturbed by some of the details regarding what the captives went through, as well as with some of the characters personal lives, or I would have rated this higher.
If you enjoy edgy, suspenseful thrillers and don't mind some gruesome details, give this one a read.
Warnings: some descriptions of sex, torture and violence, abuse
Detective Helen Grace is lead investigator in what at first seems to be a single unusual murder case, but turns out to be only the first strike by an deranged serial killer. Two victims at a time are kidnapped and locked up with no food or water. They are left with a gun and a message. When one of them is dead, the other will be set free.
Eeny Meeny is a very fast-paced police procedural / thriller story. The characters are not very likable, even the good guys, and that usually would have made me dislike the book. I found it to be very well-written and suspenseful though, and couldn't put it down. The chapters are very short, sometimes as little as two pages, and move between points of view. In another story this might have felt jarring or confusing, but in this case it only added to the tension. I was a little too disturbed by some of the details regarding what the captives went through, as well as with some of the characters personal lives, or I would have rated this higher.
If you enjoy edgy, suspenseful thrillers and don't mind some gruesome details, give this one a read.
Warnings: some descriptions of sex, torture and violence, abuse
Karica Truebenbach (156 KP) rated The Cutting Edge (Lincoln Rhyme, #14) in Books
Dec 9, 2018
Stale
In the latest Lincoln Rhyme mystery, a killer obsessed with diamonds is on the loose in New York, and it's up to the famed criminalist and his wife, Detective Amelia Sachs, to catch him. Now I love Jeffrey Deaver. The story and villains are never what they appear to be initially, and nothing hooks me faster than a plot twist.
That being said, the main characters are starting to bore me. There is no growth to them. Yes, Rhyme has a bit more mobility and is married, but even with these monumental life changes, Rhyme (and everyone else) remains stagnant. Essentially, Rhyme is the same man he was in the first book except now he wants to live.
The series hinges on his character. So even if the plot is amazing, it will fall flat if you aren't invested in the main character, and I wasn't. Additionally, the plot was not good this time. Or should I say, plots. There was too much going on. It was like pulling out Russian nesting dolls! I know this is the author's M.O., but geez! More is not always better. The plot twists felt forced just so Deaver could reveal one last ta-da! at the end. Wasn't worth the headache.
That being said, the main characters are starting to bore me. There is no growth to them. Yes, Rhyme has a bit more mobility and is married, but even with these monumental life changes, Rhyme (and everyone else) remains stagnant. Essentially, Rhyme is the same man he was in the first book except now he wants to live.
The series hinges on his character. So even if the plot is amazing, it will fall flat if you aren't invested in the main character, and I wasn't. Additionally, the plot was not good this time. Or should I say, plots. There was too much going on. It was like pulling out Russian nesting dolls! I know this is the author's M.O., but geez! More is not always better. The plot twists felt forced just so Deaver could reveal one last ta-da! at the end. Wasn't worth the headache.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2165 KP) rated Just Plain Murder in Books
Dec 2, 2018
It was Heavenly to Visit These Characters Again
In the time that shop owner Claire Weatherly has been dating detective Jakob Fisher, she has never met Russ Granger, the man Jakob counts as a mentor and father figure. Of course, it makes sense since Russ has retired and moved to Florida. He is back in Heavenly, Pennsylvania, for a visit, but before Jakob and Russ can reconnect, Russ is murdered. Distraught over the man's death, Jakob throws himself into solving the crime. Can Claire help him come up with any leads?
It's been two and a half years since we've been able to visit this community, and I hadn't realized just how much I missed it until I was reading the first page. I was immediately swept back into the peaceful state I find while reading this series. In keeping with a town next to an Amish community, the pace in this series has always been a bit on the slow side, but I did feel this book's pacing was slower than normal. Still, when the pace does pick up, we get a well-done plot. The real star has always been the characters, and I was thrilled to be able to visit them again. They are as wonderful as ever, and I enjoyed some of the developments happening in their lives.
It's been two and a half years since we've been able to visit this community, and I hadn't realized just how much I missed it until I was reading the first page. I was immediately swept back into the peaceful state I find while reading this series. In keeping with a town next to an Amish community, the pace in this series has always been a bit on the slow side, but I did feel this book's pacing was slower than normal. Still, when the pace does pick up, we get a well-done plot. The real star has always been the characters, and I was thrilled to be able to visit them again. They are as wonderful as ever, and I enjoyed some of the developments happening in their lives.
Deborah (162 KP) rated Traitor (John Shakespeare, #4) in Books
Dec 21, 2018
I think this is now the fourth title in Clements' series featuring John Shakespeare, (fictional) brother to the more well known playwright; I'm pretty sure I read the first book in the series, but although I think I quite enjoyed it at the time, I can't remember a thing about the plot. I suspect it will be something the same with this; it wasn't a bad read, but not sure how long the story will stay with me.
There are a number of similar style books in a similar period around at the moment, and they do all seem to have similar styles of cover! I admit that I prefer the Shardlake books (CJ Sansom) as they are a bit more thought and a bit less action, but that's all down to personal taste. This is more of a thriller than a detective story and as for the Traitor of the title - well, any number of people in the book commit acts of treachery, so I can't say I'm 100% convinced who exactly it is supposed to refer to!
I have to say that the character of Ivory was unconvincing; after nearly getting himself killed right at the the beginning of the book, he goes on to do more stupid things which show a distinct lack of self-preservation if nothing else! Entertaining, but not great.
There are a number of similar style books in a similar period around at the moment, and they do all seem to have similar styles of cover! I admit that I prefer the Shardlake books (CJ Sansom) as they are a bit more thought and a bit less action, but that's all down to personal taste. This is more of a thriller than a detective story and as for the Traitor of the title - well, any number of people in the book commit acts of treachery, so I can't say I'm 100% convinced who exactly it is supposed to refer to!
I have to say that the character of Ivory was unconvincing; after nearly getting himself killed right at the the beginning of the book, he goes on to do more stupid things which show a distinct lack of self-preservation if nothing else! Entertaining, but not great.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The First Time I Died in Books
Jun 22, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Thank you to Hidden Gems for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my review!
I expected this to be quite an angsty, sad and maybe romantic novel. While it did have some of these aspects, it turned out to be far more of a detective novel than I ever anticipated.
I hate including spoilers in my review, and this isn't strictly a spoiler at all, but I found the anticipation leading up to the revelation of Colby's murder to be fantastic. As the reader, we are slowly given tiny bits of information, glimpses into the past, as Garnet recalls his disappearance. And after finding out that he was, in fact, dead, I was absolutely hooked on finding out what happened.
Toward the end of the book, Garnet seems to link everything together pretty fast. I'm not sure if it was too fast, honestly, but it's not a huge issue.
There was also a lot more behind his death than I'd ever anticipated, in terms of legalities and the family business. This was quite interesting, though in retrospect perhaps a little obvious.
The ending of this book was also nice - neat, satisfying, but not overly sweet. There was no big reunion between lovers. It just simply... ended.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this!
I expected this to be quite an angsty, sad and maybe romantic novel. While it did have some of these aspects, it turned out to be far more of a detective novel than I ever anticipated.
I hate including spoilers in my review, and this isn't strictly a spoiler at all, but I found the anticipation leading up to the revelation of Colby's murder to be fantastic. As the reader, we are slowly given tiny bits of information, glimpses into the past, as Garnet recalls his disappearance. And after finding out that he was, in fact, dead, I was absolutely hooked on finding out what happened.
Toward the end of the book, Garnet seems to link everything together pretty fast. I'm not sure if it was too fast, honestly, but it's not a huge issue.
There was also a lot more behind his death than I'd ever anticipated, in terms of legalities and the family business. This was quite interesting, though in retrospect perhaps a little obvious.
The ending of this book was also nice - neat, satisfying, but not overly sweet. There was no big reunion between lovers. It just simply... ended.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this!
Merissa (11953 KP) rated Cameron's Law (Adelheid, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from Masquerade Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review.
This story is about a vampire who 'came out' and, along with a close friend, helped to revolutionise the paranormal movement. This was not without consequences and, as such, Sadie works away the night trying hard to grow her paranormal business.
From the very start, you are in the thick of the action and find out just how inconvenient being staked can be. Although not life-threatening (she is dead, after all) she reports it to the police and deals with a new detective who becomes the love interest. However, their romance certainly doesn't overshadow the rest of the story. In fact, for most of it, they're not dating as she is a suspect on multiple murders plus there's the whole cahooney of vampire and werewolf attacks. She doesn't really have time for romance!
Sadie is sharp, quick-witted and sarcastic - character aspects that I love in either the main male or female. Vance is the perfect foil for her and certainly can give as much as he takes. The supporting characters are all interesting in their own right but help to make the mystery part of this book more interesting.
A humorous and intriguing start to a new series. Recommended for all Paranormal Mystery Romance fans.
This story is about a vampire who 'came out' and, along with a close friend, helped to revolutionise the paranormal movement. This was not without consequences and, as such, Sadie works away the night trying hard to grow her paranormal business.
From the very start, you are in the thick of the action and find out just how inconvenient being staked can be. Although not life-threatening (she is dead, after all) she reports it to the police and deals with a new detective who becomes the love interest. However, their romance certainly doesn't overshadow the rest of the story. In fact, for most of it, they're not dating as she is a suspect on multiple murders plus there's the whole cahooney of vampire and werewolf attacks. She doesn't really have time for romance!
Sadie is sharp, quick-witted and sarcastic - character aspects that I love in either the main male or female. Vance is the perfect foil for her and certainly can give as much as he takes. The supporting characters are all interesting in their own right but help to make the mystery part of this book more interesting.
A humorous and intriguing start to a new series. Recommended for all Paranormal Mystery Romance fans.
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated the Xbox 360 version of The Testament of Sherlock Holmes in Video Games
Feb 3, 2020
Pretty good
Contains spoilers, click to show
Purchased on impulse, the testament of Sherlock Holmes is a clean puzzle based game with plenty of Victorian era style detective work that can become very confusing but is also quite a fun game.
The story follows holmes and Watson as they try to solve multiple murders & features classic Sherlock Holmes character Moriarty.
The game features some near perfect voice overs in very well built london areas.
During the game you are able to combine items in you inventory in order to progress, although knowing what and when can become mind numbing.
The control's are simple but character movement can be a tad bit glitchy (I just opened the closed inventory, it works)
The hint option is something I personally consider as broken...having to tap the left trigger when available and having to be facing the objective is annoying.
I love puzzles in games but in this case there isn't much to enjoy as there's no indication of what to do to complete it (not all are difficult)
There are times where you are able to play as watson which oddly seems better?
There's no auto save but it is a pre gen game.
The game has a nice mix of light and dark tones and to tend to put your brain to work.
The story follows holmes and Watson as they try to solve multiple murders & features classic Sherlock Holmes character Moriarty.
The game features some near perfect voice overs in very well built london areas.
During the game you are able to combine items in you inventory in order to progress, although knowing what and when can become mind numbing.
The control's are simple but character movement can be a tad bit glitchy (I just opened the closed inventory, it works)
The hint option is something I personally consider as broken...having to tap the left trigger when available and having to be facing the objective is annoying.
I love puzzles in games but in this case there isn't much to enjoy as there's no indication of what to do to complete it (not all are difficult)
There are times where you are able to play as watson which oddly seems better?
There's no auto save but it is a pre gen game.
The game has a nice mix of light and dark tones and to tend to put your brain to work.
Crime Beat: Stories of Cops and Killers
Book
'Death is my beat.' Those words, spoken by the narrator and hero of The Poet, Jack McEvoy, could...