Search
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Not That I Could Tell in Books
Mar 25, 2018
Good women's fiction tale but nothing new or surprising here
In the quiet town of Yellow Springs, Ohio, the disappearance of one of its residents, Kristin, is a big deal. She vanishes after an evening with several of her neighbors, filled with wine and conversation around the fire pit. She also takes her young twins, Aaron and Abigail. Left behind is her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Paul, a well-known ob-gyn. A window in Kristin's house is broken and some of her belongings missing. But otherwise, there is no trace or idea about where she and the twins have gone. Paul accuses her of disappearing with money owed to him. Kristin's neighbors, especially her next-door neighbor, Clara, for whom Kristin's disappearance hits a bit close to home, and Izzy, a single woman who recently moved to the neighborhood to get away from her own issues, are baffled. They realize how little they knew about their friend--and that they have no idea where she's gone.
This was an interesting one. From the beginning, this book felt familiar to me--the "something happened" after a barbecue reminiscent of Truly Madly Guilty and others I'd read lately. I was sick while reading, so I had trouble keeping the women and their backstories separate for a while. Too much cold medicine and fatigue, probably.
The book is told from various viewpoints--mainly Clara and Izzy. I was always expecting there to be more: some unexpected surprise or twist, but there never really was. The ending threw in a bit of one, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Still, there is a tenseness to the novel, and it can certainly be creepy at times. The novel also does a good job of capturing kids and parenthood--the weariness of the day-to-day of parenting small children, for instance. I also liked how it captured how preschools can be a microcosm of life and small towns and such a cesspool of stress and gossip.
This one moved slowly for me. I liked the characters, but wasn't drawn to them. I had some sympathy for Izzy, but also questioned her motives a lot. I should have been more drawn to Clara, but wasn't. Perhaps because, while I have small children, I don't have the same sort of neighborhood tribe as these women? I'm not sure. Not even the token lesbian neighbors could do it, though I appreciated the effort.
Overall, the story was good, but never offered the big surprise I was waiting for. Characters are interesting but I was never fully pulled into their stories.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review; more at justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com.
This was an interesting one. From the beginning, this book felt familiar to me--the "something happened" after a barbecue reminiscent of Truly Madly Guilty and others I'd read lately. I was sick while reading, so I had trouble keeping the women and their backstories separate for a while. Too much cold medicine and fatigue, probably.
The book is told from various viewpoints--mainly Clara and Izzy. I was always expecting there to be more: some unexpected surprise or twist, but there never really was. The ending threw in a bit of one, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Still, there is a tenseness to the novel, and it can certainly be creepy at times. The novel also does a good job of capturing kids and parenthood--the weariness of the day-to-day of parenting small children, for instance. I also liked how it captured how preschools can be a microcosm of life and small towns and such a cesspool of stress and gossip.
This one moved slowly for me. I liked the characters, but wasn't drawn to them. I had some sympathy for Izzy, but also questioned her motives a lot. I should have been more drawn to Clara, but wasn't. Perhaps because, while I have small children, I don't have the same sort of neighborhood tribe as these women? I'm not sure. Not even the token lesbian neighbors could do it, though I appreciated the effort.
Overall, the story was good, but never offered the big surprise I was waiting for. Characters are interesting but I was never fully pulled into their stories.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review; more at justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated NYPD Red 3 (NYPD Red, #3) in Books
May 10, 2018
NYPD Red is an elite squad of the New York City Police Department that deals with the wealthiest of the city. In this book, MacDonald and Jordan are investigating the murder of the chauffeur of one of the richest men in the city, Hunter Alden Jr. During the initial investigation, they also discover that Mr. Alden's son, Tripp is missing. The Alden's don't seem concerned and offer no assistance in finding their son or their driver's killer.
I have been reading James Patterson book for most of my life. Most of his books are a quick thrilling read and this was no exception. NYPD Red is a fairly new series for James Patterson, focusing on the Elite of New York City. With two detectives heading up this division, those needing the service are sure to get personal attention. Book three in this series focuses on the Alden family with the death of the family driver and the strange "disappearance" of their son. For detectives MacDonald and Jordan, this doesn't seem seem like a coincidence and in their investigation, they discover a lot of interesting facts and theories about this case. Determined to find the truth, they will stop at nothing until they do, even if that means upsetting the Elite Class they are assigned to protect. Another intriguing quick read from James Patterson.
I have been reading James Patterson book for most of my life. Most of his books are a quick thrilling read and this was no exception. NYPD Red is a fairly new series for James Patterson, focusing on the Elite of New York City. With two detectives heading up this division, those needing the service are sure to get personal attention. Book three in this series focuses on the Alden family with the death of the family driver and the strange "disappearance" of their son. For detectives MacDonald and Jordan, this doesn't seem seem like a coincidence and in their investigation, they discover a lot of interesting facts and theories about this case. Determined to find the truth, they will stop at nothing until they do, even if that means upsetting the Elite Class they are assigned to protect. Another intriguing quick read from James Patterson.
Lindsay (1747 KP) rated The Murders at Astaire Castle in Books
Apr 9, 2019
So far we have got introduced to Mac and Archie and David. We also meet up with Gnarly. It all starts with an old woman disappears from Spencer Inn. Mac wants to know what on the south side of Spencer Mountain.
So Mac asked Hector to tour the old castle. David comes by following Mac and Hector. Mac gets out of the jeep and asked what David is doing. Now David commits to being with Mac and tries to protect Mac even though if he does not know if he will be able to. We finally get somewhere with a Wolf man and crime scene at the castle.
There at least four murders and some disappearances. It is closed down and locked up by Robin Spencer after the disappearance of Damian Wagner.
The author got me intrigued with what it happens at the beginning, but she really does with the wolfman. I could not wait to see what would happen. Who is Wolf man? She put a bit of a supernatural in this book and it a good book for the month of October. I come away with the fact that I wish to know more about this wolfman and whatever happens to him.
We meet several new strange characters. Do we meet someone named Mr. Ghoul? How can this get any better with even more murders?
So Mac asked Hector to tour the old castle. David comes by following Mac and Hector. Mac gets out of the jeep and asked what David is doing. Now David commits to being with Mac and tries to protect Mac even though if he does not know if he will be able to. We finally get somewhere with a Wolf man and crime scene at the castle.
There at least four murders and some disappearances. It is closed down and locked up by Robin Spencer after the disappearance of Damian Wagner.
The author got me intrigued with what it happens at the beginning, but she really does with the wolfman. I could not wait to see what would happen. Who is Wolf man? She put a bit of a supernatural in this book and it a good book for the month of October. I come away with the fact that I wish to know more about this wolfman and whatever happens to him.
We meet several new strange characters. Do we meet someone named Mr. Ghoul? How can this get any better with even more murders?
Kristin (149 KP) rated The Officially Unofficial Files of Dr. Gordon B. Gray in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Dr. Gray is basically a genius, having obtained a professorship by the age of 23. However, his intelligence is about to be put to the ultimate test as an old friend of the family drags him into one of the strangest occurrences he could ever imagine. All but one member of a family who were the sole inhabitants of a small town in West Virginia have vanished without a trace, and the military has been tasked with the who/what/why and how of the situation. Soon, Gray will find himself travelling the globe in search for answers, trying to protect himself and the mission along the way. Just what caused the disappearance, and why is it happening again?
This book was definitely interesting, and I never wanted to put it down. It was fresh and unlike anything I'd read before, and I was hooked from the start. Gray is a fun character to read about, as he's one of those immensely-intelligent individuals who doesn't really work well in the social arena, but his leaps and bounds regarding the issues of the case at hand were astounding. I've always been interested in the Tunguska event, and this just helped fuel the fire to find out what really happened. Awesome story!
5 stars
Dr. Gray is basically a genius, having obtained a professorship by the age of 23. However, his intelligence is about to be put to the ultimate test as an old friend of the family drags him into one of the strangest occurrences he could ever imagine. All but one member of a family who were the sole inhabitants of a small town in West Virginia have vanished without a trace, and the military has been tasked with the who/what/why and how of the situation. Soon, Gray will find himself travelling the globe in search for answers, trying to protect himself and the mission along the way. Just what caused the disappearance, and why is it happening again?
This book was definitely interesting, and I never wanted to put it down. It was fresh and unlike anything I'd read before, and I was hooked from the start. Gray is a fun character to read about, as he's one of those immensely-intelligent individuals who doesn't really work well in the social arena, but his leaps and bounds regarding the issues of the case at hand were astounding. I've always been interested in the Tunguska event, and this just helped fuel the fire to find out what really happened. Awesome story!
5 stars
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Birthday (Detective Natalie Ward #1) in Books
Dec 9, 2018
The 1st book in the Detective Natalie Ward series
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. “The Birthday” is the first in the Detective Natalie Ward series, a new series by Carol Wyer. A five-year-old girl goes missing at a classmate’s birthday party. Two years later her body is found. Soon after, another little girl, who was also at the party, disappears. Det. Ward is in charge of the investigation and worries it will end like her last job which did not end well.
I enjoyed the story-line involving the disappearances of the little girls. However, her last job was mentioned often and did not move the story along. Also included is the detective’s house life with her husband and two teenage children. I found myself attempting to skim those parts too. For me, the disappearance story-line has a nice pace to it. It does not drag or rush the story. The other parts just broke up that story-line and it did not seem to flow well.
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. According to the scale used by Goodreads, which means it’s OK. I did not think the book was a waste of time. I would read another book by Wyer but it would not be a priority “to be read” book.
I enjoyed the story-line involving the disappearances of the little girls. However, her last job was mentioned often and did not move the story along. Also included is the detective’s house life with her husband and two teenage children. I found myself attempting to skim those parts too. For me, the disappearance story-line has a nice pace to it. It does not drag or rush the story. The other parts just broke up that story-line and it did not seem to flow well.
I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. According to the scale used by Goodreads, which means it’s OK. I did not think the book was a waste of time. I would read another book by Wyer but it would not be a priority “to be read” book.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Switch House in Books
Jan 31, 2019
Wow! Talk about a fast-paced, no bull read! Tim Meyer really jumps right into the middle of a huge mess with his novella, The Switch House. Angela and Terry have had an unfortunate tragedy take place in their lives: the disappearance of a child. Aided by Angela’s sudden onslaught of strange visions and nightmares, a rift forms between husband and wife and Angela is left to figure things out for herself.
Because this book is short, I can’t go too far into detail without letting loose a spoiler or two, so I’ll keep this review pretty vague. What I can say is this: if you’re a fan of vividly gory scenes, this is a must-read. If you’re a fan of the occult and ritualistic scenes, this book is for you. If you like your horror with a bit of a psychological twist, please DO grab The Switch House.
Seriously, Meyer doesn’t disappoint. Brimming with non-stop action, The Switch House is an excellently crafted novella of terror. Easily completable in one sitting, I cannot recommend this book enough. From fully developed characters to a twisting plot that you’ll never see coming, Meyer is an ace and an author to look out for. I can’t wait to read more of his work.
The Switch House was received free of charge. All opinions expressed are purely my own and without bias.
Because this book is short, I can’t go too far into detail without letting loose a spoiler or two, so I’ll keep this review pretty vague. What I can say is this: if you’re a fan of vividly gory scenes, this is a must-read. If you’re a fan of the occult and ritualistic scenes, this book is for you. If you like your horror with a bit of a psychological twist, please DO grab The Switch House.
Seriously, Meyer doesn’t disappoint. Brimming with non-stop action, The Switch House is an excellently crafted novella of terror. Easily completable in one sitting, I cannot recommend this book enough. From fully developed characters to a twisting plot that you’ll never see coming, Meyer is an ace and an author to look out for. I can’t wait to read more of his work.
The Switch House was received free of charge. All opinions expressed are purely my own and without bias.
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 (12704 KP) rated Conspiracy of Ravens (Raven Crawford #1) in Books
Nov 18, 2019
CONSPIRACY OF RAVENS is the first book in the Raven Crawford series, and we meet Raven who is half-Fae and half-shifter. She is living on a knife's edge financially due to her ex-boyfriend and is too proud to ask for help. Instead, she gives up on her dreams and works at a dead-end job.
Her life changes when her twin disappears and two dark Fae Lords enter her life. Her mother has always warned her away from the Underworld, although she doesn't really know why. This means she has a woeful lack of knowledge where this is concerned, which doesn't help when she figures out her brother's disappearance and the appearance of those two are linked.
This was a great fantasy book with plenty of detail given. I will admit to finding the first half of the book a bit slower than the second half. Some parts of it seem to be repeated, but so long as you don't mind that, it's all good. The attraction between Cole and Raven is intense and instantaneous, but Raven doesn't trust it. This book concludes nicely for this part, but also leaves it wide open for the next book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more. Most definitely recommended by me.
Her life changes when her twin disappears and two dark Fae Lords enter her life. Her mother has always warned her away from the Underworld, although she doesn't really know why. This means she has a woeful lack of knowledge where this is concerned, which doesn't help when she figures out her brother's disappearance and the appearance of those two are linked.
This was a great fantasy book with plenty of detail given. I will admit to finding the first half of the book a bit slower than the second half. Some parts of it seem to be repeated, but so long as you don't mind that, it's all good. The attraction between Cole and Raven is intense and instantaneous, but Raven doesn't trust it. This book concludes nicely for this part, but also leaves it wide open for the next book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more. Most definitely recommended by me.
The Missouri River Journals of John James Audubon
John James Audubon and Jerry Daniel Patterson
Book
Historians, biographers, and scholars of John James Audubon and naturalhistory have long been...
