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Ross (3284 KP) rated The Shadow Man in Books
Feb 19, 2021 (Updated Feb 19, 2021)
Good thriller, but not a patch on Fields' other books
This standalone (as far as I know) book sits beside Fields' Luc Callanach (Ava Turner) series, again set in Edinburgh. Other than the brash Chief Superintendent Overbeck, none of those characters are introduced here. Instead, because of the workload of Edinburgh's Major Incident Team, DI Baarda has been called in from London to assist in a murder/kidnapping. Along with him is Dr Connie Woodwine, a brash American criminal psychologist. They are looking into the disappearance of one woman, and quickly link it to the death of another and find that they are on the hunt for someone with issues.
Connie is a fairly stereotypical academic, clinical type as she has virtually no people skills on the surface, issuing demands and attacking conversations head-on in a very un-British way. And yet when we see her interviewing witnesses, such as a young girl who saw a schoolmate be abducted, she is suddenly very tactful and sensitive. In this way, she is both an interesting, complex character, but also a much seen cliched one. She has a tendency to do an awful lot of telling during interviews, explaining to all in the room the theory of her approach to the interview. While this was interesting, it took me right out of the book as something completely unnatural, and read more as a brain dump of the author's research for the book. A little more show, less tell as usual would have worked well here.
Baarda is similarly familiar, a dedicated career cop with marital problems (his wife having an open affair with another officer).
Together, the pair piece together few clues and start to evolve something of a profile for the man who has been kidnapping people. However, I felt this aspect didn't yield results until quite late on, all progress up to that point (next to none) was through standard police work/luck.
The antagonist here was interesting, but nowhere near as dark and mysterious as the blurb makes him sound. We're not talking Hannibal Lecter here, just a confused man with a fairly typical upbringing. Fields essentially cottoned on to an interesting medical/psychological condition and pieced together a plot based on it. While this was enjoyable, it made it somewhat crime-by-numbers.
A good book, but left me longing for Ava Turner's more likable policing style.
Advance reading copy received from the publishers and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Connie is a fairly stereotypical academic, clinical type as she has virtually no people skills on the surface, issuing demands and attacking conversations head-on in a very un-British way. And yet when we see her interviewing witnesses, such as a young girl who saw a schoolmate be abducted, she is suddenly very tactful and sensitive. In this way, she is both an interesting, complex character, but also a much seen cliched one. She has a tendency to do an awful lot of telling during interviews, explaining to all in the room the theory of her approach to the interview. While this was interesting, it took me right out of the book as something completely unnatural, and read more as a brain dump of the author's research for the book. A little more show, less tell as usual would have worked well here.
Baarda is similarly familiar, a dedicated career cop with marital problems (his wife having an open affair with another officer).
Together, the pair piece together few clues and start to evolve something of a profile for the man who has been kidnapping people. However, I felt this aspect didn't yield results until quite late on, all progress up to that point (next to none) was through standard police work/luck.
The antagonist here was interesting, but nowhere near as dark and mysterious as the blurb makes him sound. We're not talking Hannibal Lecter here, just a confused man with a fairly typical upbringing. Fields essentially cottoned on to an interesting medical/psychological condition and pieced together a plot based on it. While this was enjoyable, it made it somewhat crime-by-numbers.
A good book, but left me longing for Ava Turner's more likable policing style.
Advance reading copy received from the publishers and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated We Are All the Same in the Dark in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Stunning, shocking thriller filled with dark twists
Ten years ago, Trumanell Branson disappeared, along with her no-good daddy. But it's beautiful Trumanell her Texas town remembers and mourns. And, despite no arrests, they blame her brother, Wyatt, who lives alone on the old Branson homestead, hated by the entire town. When Wyatt, a trucker, finds a girl in a field of dandelions, he thinks it's a sign. As for the town cop, Odette--who has a long history with Wyatt--she fears the discovery of this girl will only turn the town against Wyatt fully and permanently. But when she goes to retrieve her, she feels drawn to the girl. Odette is haunted by Trumanell's disappearance, and now, the arrival of this mystery girl. As she digs into the past and the present, she uncovers shocking secrets about her town and the night that forever changed it.
"She has a bad, bad mystery to her. I can feel it deep in the hollow of my spook bone, the one my dad broke when I was a kid. My arm is never wrong."
This is an amazing, absorbing thriller that draws you in from the first page. Heaberlin writes so beautifully and lyrically--all these dark and horrific moments unfold in such beautiful prose. Her words astound me.
"There's no chatter about why I'm alone, scared, speeding on a prairie road with trees scattered like sailboats, thinking how my daddy, the town's late great top cop, told me to never come back to this little Texas hellhole unless it was to bury his ashes. Don't try to find the truth about Trumanell. Some answers are left to the by and by."
The characters here are beautiful--flawed, damaged, tender, and painted with a depth that will astound you. Troubled Odette, lost Wyatt, and Angel, the girl found in the field. They form a trio that one is unlikely to forget for quite some time.
This is a dark read--atmospheric and sad, and not always easy to read. Bad things happen in this town. Heaberlin's twists are true stunners. It's rare when a thriller takes me by surprise, but wow, I found myself shocked several times, and even better, unaware of the true culprit. How nice to read a mystery without guessing the ultimate ending.
Overall, this is a superb tale of a town held captive by its own secrets and tragedy. The characters come to life before your eyes through Heaberlin's elegant writing. It's shocking and twisted and one that shouldn't be missed. 4.5 stars.
"She has a bad, bad mystery to her. I can feel it deep in the hollow of my spook bone, the one my dad broke when I was a kid. My arm is never wrong."
This is an amazing, absorbing thriller that draws you in from the first page. Heaberlin writes so beautifully and lyrically--all these dark and horrific moments unfold in such beautiful prose. Her words astound me.
"There's no chatter about why I'm alone, scared, speeding on a prairie road with trees scattered like sailboats, thinking how my daddy, the town's late great top cop, told me to never come back to this little Texas hellhole unless it was to bury his ashes. Don't try to find the truth about Trumanell. Some answers are left to the by and by."
The characters here are beautiful--flawed, damaged, tender, and painted with a depth that will astound you. Troubled Odette, lost Wyatt, and Angel, the girl found in the field. They form a trio that one is unlikely to forget for quite some time.
This is a dark read--atmospheric and sad, and not always easy to read. Bad things happen in this town. Heaberlin's twists are true stunners. It's rare when a thriller takes me by surprise, but wow, I found myself shocked several times, and even better, unaware of the true culprit. How nice to read a mystery without guessing the ultimate ending.
Overall, this is a superb tale of a town held captive by its own secrets and tragedy. The characters come to life before your eyes through Heaberlin's elegant writing. It's shocking and twisted and one that shouldn't be missed. 4.5 stars.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Friend Request in Books
Sep 24, 2020
I got kind of sucked in from the first pages of this book. It started quite idyllic, a single mother with her little boy. The pressure slowly building up after Louise receives the friend request, and it continues throughout the whole book.
Our main character is, of course, Louise, even though she had a tough divorce which broke her, she got her life together and is a successful businesswoman. Throughout the book, we meet a lot of unique characters, not only from her present but from the past as well. I really liked Louise as a character, she proved to me, that people are able to change.
The narrative, that is the part of this book which I really loved. It is told from a single perspective, but the plot is very well crafted and filled with a lot of feelings, emotions and fantastic twists and turns. It is pretty hard to describe it without spoilers, but let’s try. I do have to mention, that this novel is about bullying, drugs and its consequences to peoples lives. Louise has done something really bad when she was at school, and that thing is haunting her 25 years later. The author does not leave it to this disappearance of Maria only, she spices it up with a ton of twists and illusions. I should say that Laura is a master for creating an illusion.
The plot was time travelling between the present and 1989, revealing the events that took place little by little, and creating even more suspense and wish to find out more. One thing that really annoyed me was that the author exaggerated the character’s secrets, and when you expect something grand and you receive a very uninteresting surprise, it kind of left me disappointed. :/ Another thing what really annoyed me, the way drug use was portrayed in this book. I think drug use is a serious issue, and shouldn’t be portrayed as “cool” or as a “not a big deal”, especially when it comes to school kids.
This was a very well thought through novel, with easy language and overall great writing style. I liked the not-too-long, not-too-short chapters, and I think that the ending of this book was incredibly unexpected, and rounded this story really nicely. So, to conclude, I do strongly recommend this compelling and chilling book, filled with incredible story, unexpected turns, and things which are not as they seem to be. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Our main character is, of course, Louise, even though she had a tough divorce which broke her, she got her life together and is a successful businesswoman. Throughout the book, we meet a lot of unique characters, not only from her present but from the past as well. I really liked Louise as a character, she proved to me, that people are able to change.
The narrative, that is the part of this book which I really loved. It is told from a single perspective, but the plot is very well crafted and filled with a lot of feelings, emotions and fantastic twists and turns. It is pretty hard to describe it without spoilers, but let’s try. I do have to mention, that this novel is about bullying, drugs and its consequences to peoples lives. Louise has done something really bad when she was at school, and that thing is haunting her 25 years later. The author does not leave it to this disappearance of Maria only, she spices it up with a ton of twists and illusions. I should say that Laura is a master for creating an illusion.
The plot was time travelling between the present and 1989, revealing the events that took place little by little, and creating even more suspense and wish to find out more. One thing that really annoyed me was that the author exaggerated the character’s secrets, and when you expect something grand and you receive a very uninteresting surprise, it kind of left me disappointed. :/ Another thing what really annoyed me, the way drug use was portrayed in this book. I think drug use is a serious issue, and shouldn’t be portrayed as “cool” or as a “not a big deal”, especially when it comes to school kids.
This was a very well thought through novel, with easy language and overall great writing style. I liked the not-too-long, not-too-short chapters, and I think that the ending of this book was incredibly unexpected, and rounded this story really nicely. So, to conclude, I do strongly recommend this compelling and chilling book, filled with incredible story, unexpected turns, and things which are not as they seem to be. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated To Tell You The Truth in Books
Oct 8, 2020
A twisty thriller with a disappointing ending
Lucy Harper is a famous writer, known for her crime fiction stories featuring her beloved character, Eliza. Her work has made her wealthy, something that particularly pleases her husband, Dan, a once aspiring writer who now "manages" Lucy's career and money. Lucy and Dan's life and marriage look perfect from the outside, but they are anything but. Then Dan suddenly goes missing. His disappearance reminds Lucy of another time someone vanished from her life: her younger brother, Teddy, who was lost in the woods very near the house Lucy and Dan now live in. Soon Lucy finds herself reminded more and more of her past, which seems to be quickly and dangerously colliding with her present.
"After all, what kind of person creates a character who walks right out of their books and into their life? He would think I'd lost my mind."
I absolutely adore Gilly Macmillan and her books, but this was not one of my all-time favorites. It's still good, though, and twisty, and I will admit that I didn't guess the (rather bizarre) outcome. However, the ending leaves much to be desired and does not wrap everything up, which left me frustrated. (And seemed to kick off a trend in my recent thrillers, where things end with plot pieces left hanging--I'm not okay with this.)
Lucy is an unreliable narrator extraordinaire--ever since she was small, she's had a best friend named Eliza. Why yes, Eliza happens to be the name of her fictional character, as well. Lucy talks to her imaginary friend, who seems to have untold power over her. If this sounds weird and creepy, it is, and Macmillan does a good job with the eerie oddity of it all and allowing us to wonder if we can trust anything that Lucy--or Eliza--say. Knowing who and what to believe is certainly a central theme here.
Dan, meanwhile, is absolutely despicable, and I was not too sad when he disappeared, honestly. The story alternates between present-day, with Lucy's point of view, and the past, around the time Teddy disappeared. It's certainly compelling. All in all, I would have probably rated this 4-stars if there had been a better ending, versus one that felt rushed and forced, without tying up all the loose ends. This is still a good, atmospheric thriller, with plenty of twists. 3.5 stars. And if you want to read more from Macmillan, I highly recommend The Perfect Girl or her Jim Clemo series--all books that I adore.
"After all, what kind of person creates a character who walks right out of their books and into their life? He would think I'd lost my mind."
I absolutely adore Gilly Macmillan and her books, but this was not one of my all-time favorites. It's still good, though, and twisty, and I will admit that I didn't guess the (rather bizarre) outcome. However, the ending leaves much to be desired and does not wrap everything up, which left me frustrated. (And seemed to kick off a trend in my recent thrillers, where things end with plot pieces left hanging--I'm not okay with this.)
Lucy is an unreliable narrator extraordinaire--ever since she was small, she's had a best friend named Eliza. Why yes, Eliza happens to be the name of her fictional character, as well. Lucy talks to her imaginary friend, who seems to have untold power over her. If this sounds weird and creepy, it is, and Macmillan does a good job with the eerie oddity of it all and allowing us to wonder if we can trust anything that Lucy--or Eliza--say. Knowing who and what to believe is certainly a central theme here.
Dan, meanwhile, is absolutely despicable, and I was not too sad when he disappeared, honestly. The story alternates between present-day, with Lucy's point of view, and the past, around the time Teddy disappeared. It's certainly compelling. All in all, I would have probably rated this 4-stars if there had been a better ending, versus one that felt rushed and forced, without tying up all the loose ends. This is still a good, atmospheric thriller, with plenty of twists. 3.5 stars. And if you want to read more from Macmillan, I highly recommend The Perfect Girl or her Jim Clemo series--all books that I adore.
Midge (525 KP) rated The Nowhere Child in Books
Mar 11, 2019
Brilliant And Dark
“The Nowhere Child” is a debut psychological thriller by Christian White and it was so special! Several things cast their spell - my favourite genre; a very smart cover design; winner of the Victorian Premier Literary Award; and great ratings from the offset. It could only be a winner!
The book opens with an introduction to the main protagonist Kimberly (Kim) Leamy who is a photography teacher in Melbourne, Australia. Twenty-six years earlier, Sammy Went, a two-year-old girl vanished from her home in Manson, Kentucky. James Finn, an American accountant who contacts Kim is convinced she was that child, kidnapped just after her birthday. She cannot believe the woman who raised her crossed international lines to steal a toddler.
Jack and Molly Went’s daughter Sammy disappeared from their Kentucky home in 1990. Already estranged, the couple drifted further apart as time passed. Jack did his best to raise and protect his other daughter and son while Molly found solace in her faith. The Church of the Light Within, a Pentecostal fundamentalist group who handle poisonous snakes as part of their worship, provided that faith.
Now, with proof that she and Sammy are in fact the same person, Kim travels to America to reunite with a family she never knew she had and to solve the mystery of her abduction that will take her deep into the dark heart of religious fanaticism.
For me, Christian White’s writing is captivating and extremely well structured. Although the theme of a child being stolen is not particularly original, the clever telling of this story made it a joy to read. The chapters alternate between the past and the present, maintaining the reader’s attention. The chapters narrated in the past explore the impact of Sammy’s disappearance on her family and the community in which they live. The other chapters follow Kim’s pathway of discovery to the truth about her past.
The most gripping parts of “The Nowhere Child” were the chapters about the past, as the author unearthed long-buried secrets of Kim’s grieving family. It seemed that nearly every character from her past had something they wanted to be kept hidden. Revelations were made that included identity, betrayal, secrets, loss and a sinister cult. A tense story of menace and suspense, the story held my interest from start to finish and the way in which Christian White brought everything to a conclusion was just fabulous.
I loved “The Nowhere Child” and I would recommend it to anyone who likes this genre. It has left me eager to read more from this author in the future.
Thank you to #NetGalley, and HarperCollins UK for a free ARC of #NowhereChild in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
The book opens with an introduction to the main protagonist Kimberly (Kim) Leamy who is a photography teacher in Melbourne, Australia. Twenty-six years earlier, Sammy Went, a two-year-old girl vanished from her home in Manson, Kentucky. James Finn, an American accountant who contacts Kim is convinced she was that child, kidnapped just after her birthday. She cannot believe the woman who raised her crossed international lines to steal a toddler.
Jack and Molly Went’s daughter Sammy disappeared from their Kentucky home in 1990. Already estranged, the couple drifted further apart as time passed. Jack did his best to raise and protect his other daughter and son while Molly found solace in her faith. The Church of the Light Within, a Pentecostal fundamentalist group who handle poisonous snakes as part of their worship, provided that faith.
Now, with proof that she and Sammy are in fact the same person, Kim travels to America to reunite with a family she never knew she had and to solve the mystery of her abduction that will take her deep into the dark heart of religious fanaticism.
For me, Christian White’s writing is captivating and extremely well structured. Although the theme of a child being stolen is not particularly original, the clever telling of this story made it a joy to read. The chapters alternate between the past and the present, maintaining the reader’s attention. The chapters narrated in the past explore the impact of Sammy’s disappearance on her family and the community in which they live. The other chapters follow Kim’s pathway of discovery to the truth about her past.
The most gripping parts of “The Nowhere Child” were the chapters about the past, as the author unearthed long-buried secrets of Kim’s grieving family. It seemed that nearly every character from her past had something they wanted to be kept hidden. Revelations were made that included identity, betrayal, secrets, loss and a sinister cult. A tense story of menace and suspense, the story held my interest from start to finish and the way in which Christian White brought everything to a conclusion was just fabulous.
I loved “The Nowhere Child” and I would recommend it to anyone who likes this genre. It has left me eager to read more from this author in the future.
Thank you to #NetGalley, and HarperCollins UK for a free ARC of #NowhereChild in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Broken Girls in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Barrons, Vermont -- 1950
A young girl who is a student at Idlewild Hall goes missing. Idlewild is a school for wayward girls. The authorities believe she has just run away with some boy, but her friends and roommates know this is the farthest thing from the truth.
Barrons, Vermont -- 1994
Deb Sheridan another young woman is found dead in the field at Idlewild Hall, which has now been closed for many years. Her killer is her boyfriend at the time, Tim Christopher. Why would he leave her at this place?
Barrons, Vermont -- 2014
Someone has bought Idlewild Hall and plans to renovate it. But why? The place is nothing but a money pit. Fiona Sheridan is determined to find out who is buying the property and their motivation behind it. Will she be able to deal with all the secrets this place holds? When a body is found during the renovations, Fiona's attempts go into overdrive? Will she be able to find out who is behind this before she too becomes a subject of Idlewild?
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Going through this book, I was a little skeptical about what was going to happen. I'm not a big fan of books with ghosts, but this one wasn't too bad. I gave the book a rating of 3.5 stars. While the book was interesting, I found myself going for other things to do besides reading this book. The story flowed naturally even switching from the past to modern day.
Mary Hand is a ghost that haunts the grounds of Idlewild. She will show you things that you may not want to see. But is a ghost behind all the strange things that happen at Idlewild Hall or is there another culprit. We know for sure that Deb Sheridan was killed by her boyfriend, but what about the body found during the renovations? In 1950 the school was full of wayward girls. Girls who in those days, parents could not be bothered by and mental health was a taboo issue. So they sent their daughters away to school. Four girls in room 3C became very close friends. Sonia, Katie, CeCe and Roberta. The book tells their story from 1950 leading up to the disappearance of one of them and Fiona's perspective from 2014, trying to find out the history of Idlewild Hall and the new owners.
Overall, for me the book was good, not great. This is the first book I have read by Simone St. James. If her other books deal with ghosts and spirits, I'm not sure if I will read them or not, but I may give them a chance.
If you like ghosts though, I think you should give this book a try, YOU may enjoy it.
A young girl who is a student at Idlewild Hall goes missing. Idlewild is a school for wayward girls. The authorities believe she has just run away with some boy, but her friends and roommates know this is the farthest thing from the truth.
Barrons, Vermont -- 1994
Deb Sheridan another young woman is found dead in the field at Idlewild Hall, which has now been closed for many years. Her killer is her boyfriend at the time, Tim Christopher. Why would he leave her at this place?
Barrons, Vermont -- 2014
Someone has bought Idlewild Hall and plans to renovate it. But why? The place is nothing but a money pit. Fiona Sheridan is determined to find out who is buying the property and their motivation behind it. Will she be able to deal with all the secrets this place holds? When a body is found during the renovations, Fiona's attempts go into overdrive? Will she be able to find out who is behind this before she too becomes a subject of Idlewild?
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Going through this book, I was a little skeptical about what was going to happen. I'm not a big fan of books with ghosts, but this one wasn't too bad. I gave the book a rating of 3.5 stars. While the book was interesting, I found myself going for other things to do besides reading this book. The story flowed naturally even switching from the past to modern day.
Mary Hand is a ghost that haunts the grounds of Idlewild. She will show you things that you may not want to see. But is a ghost behind all the strange things that happen at Idlewild Hall or is there another culprit. We know for sure that Deb Sheridan was killed by her boyfriend, but what about the body found during the renovations? In 1950 the school was full of wayward girls. Girls who in those days, parents could not be bothered by and mental health was a taboo issue. So they sent their daughters away to school. Four girls in room 3C became very close friends. Sonia, Katie, CeCe and Roberta. The book tells their story from 1950 leading up to the disappearance of one of them and Fiona's perspective from 2014, trying to find out the history of Idlewild Hall and the new owners.
Overall, for me the book was good, not great. This is the first book I have read by Simone St. James. If her other books deal with ghosts and spirits, I'm not sure if I will read them or not, but I may give them a chance.
If you like ghosts though, I think you should give this book a try, YOU may enjoy it.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Good as Gone in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Anna and Tom Whitaker's lives are irrevocably changed the night their thirteen-year-old daughter, Julie, disappears. The only witness to her kidnapping is her ten-year-old sister, Jane, who watches petrified from her closest as a man takes away her sister. The broken parents remain in their home, hoping against hope that someday their daughter will return. And then, amazingly, one night the doorbell rings and there she is: Julie. Now a young woman, with a harrowing tale to tell of abuse and horror, but otherwise unscathed. And just like that, the broken family is whole. But is it? Anna doesn't understand what her daughter is keeping from her, where she disappears when the family thinks she's at therapy. And when a Private Investigator shows up--a former detective who was involved in the early portions of Julie's case, with thoughts that Julie isn't really Julie--Anna is even more confused. She just wants her daughter back, but does she really have her?
This novel hooked me from the beginning, and I tore through it less than two days. It starts out with Julie (or the imposter, but I will say Julie for the sake of this review) arriving home and then we hear from Anna and some of the other characters as the family adjusts to Julie's homecoming. But we also delve into the past, which adds this amazing layer of suspense and intrigue and leaves you slightly befuddled, completely invested, and flipping pages like mad. When the point of view first switched from Anna to Julie early in the novel, I gasped a bit.
Gentry has created a book that is compulsively readable from a thriller standpoint, but also features emotionally damaged characters, struggling to survive after losing Julie for so many years. What I enjoyed so much about this book is that it's not only an excellent thriller, which keeps you guessing and wondering, but a nuanced portrait of a truly fractured family, who is still reeling from Julie's kidnapping. The interactions between Anna and her family is fascinating in itself -- Jane, for instance, has had her entire life basically formed around the disappearance of her sister. You don't always get explicit descriptions of their reactions, but you see it in every interaction and emotional attachment (or lack thereof) the family displays.
Overall, this is a great thriller: a fast-paced read, with a plot that will have you guessing (and gasping) and turning pages long into the night.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 7/26.
<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
This novel hooked me from the beginning, and I tore through it less than two days. It starts out with Julie (or the imposter, but I will say Julie for the sake of this review) arriving home and then we hear from Anna and some of the other characters as the family adjusts to Julie's homecoming. But we also delve into the past, which adds this amazing layer of suspense and intrigue and leaves you slightly befuddled, completely invested, and flipping pages like mad. When the point of view first switched from Anna to Julie early in the novel, I gasped a bit.
Gentry has created a book that is compulsively readable from a thriller standpoint, but also features emotionally damaged characters, struggling to survive after losing Julie for so many years. What I enjoyed so much about this book is that it's not only an excellent thriller, which keeps you guessing and wondering, but a nuanced portrait of a truly fractured family, who is still reeling from Julie's kidnapping. The interactions between Anna and her family is fascinating in itself -- Jane, for instance, has had her entire life basically formed around the disappearance of her sister. You don't always get explicit descriptions of their reactions, but you see it in every interaction and emotional attachment (or lack thereof) the family displays.
Overall, this is a great thriller: a fast-paced read, with a plot that will have you guessing (and gasping) and turning pages long into the night.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 7/26.
<a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">My Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/justacatandbook">Twitter</a>;
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Sleepwalker in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Lianna Ahlberg has always known that her mother, Annalee, is a sleepwalker. So when Annalee goes missing, her family immediately assumes she has vanished while sleepwalking. After all, Lianna once pulled her naked mother off a bridge near the river by their home. A scrap of her nightshirt is found near that same river, and everyone assumes the worst. College-aged Lianna, her twelve-year-old sister, Paige, and their father, Warren, must grapple with a life without this loving mother and wife. Still, the police, including detective Gavin Rikert, continue to probe into Annalee's disappearance. And so does her family. Lianna finds herself learning more about her mother, her parents' marriage, and her family's history of sleepwalking. She also finds herself drawn to Gavin, who knew her mother before she disappeared. Where is Annalee, or her body? And what really happened that night?
This story is almost a treatise in the facts of sleepwalking, or parasomnia. It is told from Lianna's point of view, but interspersed with odd snippets from a journal (or something, we aren't sure) with facts, thoughts, and ruminations about sleepwalking. It's also a very (very) slow-building mystery as we discover what happened to Annalee Ahlberg (as Lianna calls her repeatedly throughout the novel - something that bothered me. Just call her mom!). The novel certainly has some intrigue, but man, it's a slow buildup, and while I liked Lianna and Paige, I wasn't fully part of their world, and I didn't find myself rushing to read this book; it took me five or so days to finish it, which is a lot for me. Now I read it over the holidays, and I wasn't feeling well (not its fault), but still.
Furthermore, the book details a lot of odd plot threads that never seem to fully connect. I often found myself wondering if it was interesting, or just dragging on. Having Lianna tell the story as she's looking back in time was also an odd storytelling device, as it just allowed for weird, pointless inserts (e.g., ruminating about how she never used condoms).
By the time we get to the ending, it is somewhat surprising, but almost a little frustrating. So much buildup for very little resolution, and then the novel is over. In a way, I feel as if Bohjalian suffered (for me) from his greatness; I've loved so many of his other novels and characters that this one just fell a bit flat. It was interesting premise, and not a bad read, but certainly not my favorite of his.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 1/10/2017.
This story is almost a treatise in the facts of sleepwalking, or parasomnia. It is told from Lianna's point of view, but interspersed with odd snippets from a journal (or something, we aren't sure) with facts, thoughts, and ruminations about sleepwalking. It's also a very (very) slow-building mystery as we discover what happened to Annalee Ahlberg (as Lianna calls her repeatedly throughout the novel - something that bothered me. Just call her mom!). The novel certainly has some intrigue, but man, it's a slow buildup, and while I liked Lianna and Paige, I wasn't fully part of their world, and I didn't find myself rushing to read this book; it took me five or so days to finish it, which is a lot for me. Now I read it over the holidays, and I wasn't feeling well (not its fault), but still.
Furthermore, the book details a lot of odd plot threads that never seem to fully connect. I often found myself wondering if it was interesting, or just dragging on. Having Lianna tell the story as she's looking back in time was also an odd storytelling device, as it just allowed for weird, pointless inserts (e.g., ruminating about how she never used condoms).
By the time we get to the ending, it is somewhat surprising, but almost a little frustrating. So much buildup for very little resolution, and then the novel is over. In a way, I feel as if Bohjalian suffered (for me) from his greatness; I've loved so many of his other novels and characters that this one just fell a bit flat. It was interesting premise, and not a bad read, but certainly not my favorite of his.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 1/10/2017.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Only Ever Her in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Annie Taft is 26, ready to marry Scott Hanson, and move somewhere fresh. Away from the town of Ludlow, where she is known as the daughter of the murdered woman. Cordell Lewis was sentenced to life without parole for the murder of Annie's mother, Lydia Taft--largely on the word of Annie, who was only three. But his lawyer is advocating for a new trial--and Cordell's release. It's now four days before Annie's wedding; Cordell is out of jail, and Annie has disappeared. At first, Annie's aunt, Faye, who has raised her niece since the age of three, thinks she has hidden away due to nerves. But as the wedding date inches closer, Faye and her daughter, Clary, realize something is amiss. Was it Cordell, seeking revenge after all this time? Or someone who knows Annie well?
"Some people hear their mother's voices in their heads, but Annie hears her aunt's, the closest thing she has to a mother."
This book wasn't anything like what I was expecting, and honestly, it was a rather strange tale, but it was still rather interesting. It's a character-driven read, not a suspense novel, but wow, I got really attached to some of these characters. I picked this one up based solely on the strength of the last Marybeth Mayhew Whalen novel I read, WHEN WE WERE WORTHY. She has a real knack for capturing her characters: they jump off they page and stick with you. In particular, I fell hard for Faye and Clary in this one. And, of course, there was Annie, who was always there, motivating nearly every character:
"She has to make the town happy, like she always has. It is her act of service, her offering on behalf of the greater good. When you're the only survivor of the town's darkest moment, you do whatever you can to bring light."
There are a lot of narrators in the novel, but together they expertly show the web and ties of a small town, where it seems everyone has a secret of some sorts. I thought the beginning of the book was a bit slow, but it picked up in the second half, becoming rather dramatic and suspenseful. It's also an emotional read, as you become more and more invested in the characters. I expected more with Annie's storyline and disappearance--the ending sort of fizzled there for me. The more compelling piece is truly her mother's murder and its aftermath, especially on Faye.
Still, this was an interesting and poignant read featuring some excellent characters. While it was a bit slow to start, I found myself quite immersed in the second half. I really enjoy what Whalen can do with her small town personalities. 3.5 stars.
"Some people hear their mother's voices in their heads, but Annie hears her aunt's, the closest thing she has to a mother."
This book wasn't anything like what I was expecting, and honestly, it was a rather strange tale, but it was still rather interesting. It's a character-driven read, not a suspense novel, but wow, I got really attached to some of these characters. I picked this one up based solely on the strength of the last Marybeth Mayhew Whalen novel I read, WHEN WE WERE WORTHY. She has a real knack for capturing her characters: they jump off they page and stick with you. In particular, I fell hard for Faye and Clary in this one. And, of course, there was Annie, who was always there, motivating nearly every character:
"She has to make the town happy, like she always has. It is her act of service, her offering on behalf of the greater good. When you're the only survivor of the town's darkest moment, you do whatever you can to bring light."
There are a lot of narrators in the novel, but together they expertly show the web and ties of a small town, where it seems everyone has a secret of some sorts. I thought the beginning of the book was a bit slow, but it picked up in the second half, becoming rather dramatic and suspenseful. It's also an emotional read, as you become more and more invested in the characters. I expected more with Annie's storyline and disappearance--the ending sort of fizzled there for me. The more compelling piece is truly her mother's murder and its aftermath, especially on Faye.
Still, this was an interesting and poignant read featuring some excellent characters. While it was a bit slow to start, I found myself quite immersed in the second half. I really enjoy what Whalen can do with her small town personalities. 3.5 stars.
Leah Lopez (7 KP) rated Gone Girl in Books
Nov 6, 2019
This book had many key elements to keep the reader constantly entertained.
1) The characters had their own voice; their own emotions and thoughts which was clearly recognised through per chapter dedicated to them. My mind alternated between which character I liked/hated understood/or not worth understanding. At the beginning of the book I was on Nick's side. It seemed Amy was some "nagging wife" and it would be easy to become annoyed by all her "stupid traditions" but then, I read Amy's side and then I was like..."Okay, now I understand why the traditions are important and how much she loves Nick..." When he come home to find his wife had disappeared and his house looked "ransacked" I began questioning the possible theories to her disappearance. I thought:
S.P.O.I.L.E.R. A.L.E.R.T
She hasn't been taken. She isn't dead. It is all but a set up: to get Nick to realise how much he loves Amy and he be lost without her. I thought she has just gone away for a few days.
My first shock? Nick cheating on Amy
but then; had it been a shock/ plot twist shock, or did I just not want to believe that of him?
It was easy from this point to hate Nick. He had been having an affair, he was violent, he was a liar.
I began siding with Amy.
Still...it became clear through Nick's request on finding out the truth that she too was a liar; but a more-well trained liar and not spontaneous? She was evil; she played people to her needs. She used them to better herself.
Towards the end of the book; when she came back home and reported her "kidnap and rape" from Desi it was here I thought this is going to end pretty shit now...but once again I was surprised. I began to hate Amy and like Nick. Still Nick demonstrated his violence towards Amy by strangling her and detailing his enjoyment of her pulsating struggle for breath. When Amy came back and explained the truth, and furthermore...I wanted her to be arrested; to find that tiny bit of evidence she didn't think of...something none of us would have thought of but maybe read and thought nothing of it at the time. Still, she still had things up her sleeve and still ten steps in front of Nick-the semen and her way of permanently keeping him in her life. I knew it had to end, but I think it would have been more entertaining on something she left out, rather than her once again winning.
Overall:
a great suspense-filled book that makes you yo-yo between liking/hating the characters!
Will be looking for more books written by her!
1) The characters had their own voice; their own emotions and thoughts which was clearly recognised through per chapter dedicated to them. My mind alternated between which character I liked/hated understood/or not worth understanding. At the beginning of the book I was on Nick's side. It seemed Amy was some "nagging wife" and it would be easy to become annoyed by all her "stupid traditions" but then, I read Amy's side and then I was like..."Okay, now I understand why the traditions are important and how much she loves Nick..." When he come home to find his wife had disappeared and his house looked "ransacked" I began questioning the possible theories to her disappearance. I thought:
S.P.O.I.L.E.R. A.L.E.R.T
She hasn't been taken. She isn't dead. It is all but a set up: to get Nick to realise how much he loves Amy and he be lost without her. I thought she has just gone away for a few days.
My first shock? Nick cheating on Amy
but then; had it been a shock/ plot twist shock, or did I just not want to believe that of him?
It was easy from this point to hate Nick. He had been having an affair, he was violent, he was a liar.
I began siding with Amy.
Still...it became clear through Nick's request on finding out the truth that she too was a liar; but a more-well trained liar and not spontaneous? She was evil; she played people to her needs. She used them to better herself.
Towards the end of the book; when she came back home and reported her "kidnap and rape" from Desi it was here I thought this is going to end pretty shit now...but once again I was surprised. I began to hate Amy and like Nick. Still Nick demonstrated his violence towards Amy by strangling her and detailing his enjoyment of her pulsating struggle for breath. When Amy came back and explained the truth, and furthermore...I wanted her to be arrested; to find that tiny bit of evidence she didn't think of...something none of us would have thought of but maybe read and thought nothing of it at the time. Still, she still had things up her sleeve and still ten steps in front of Nick-the semen and her way of permanently keeping him in her life. I knew it had to end, but I think it would have been more entertaining on something she left out, rather than her once again winning.
Overall:
a great suspense-filled book that makes you yo-yo between liking/hating the characters!
Will be looking for more books written by her!