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BookInspector (124 KP) rated Into the Night in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Our protagonist in this story is Gemma, she moved from a little town to Melbourne, leaving her family behind, to try and start her life fresh. She is assigned to a couple of murders, first of all, we have a homeless man stabbed in an alley, followed shortly by a stabbing of a movie star. Are these murders related? Who stabbed the celebrity and why? These questions followed me all the way throughout the pages of this novel.
I really liked Gemma in this book. In the first book I didn’t support her actions, and couldn’t understand her behaviour, but in this book, she explained her actions a little better, and I was able to have a better glimpse into her inner personality. I really liked that the author chose the characters who are hard to read and incredibly disturbed, they give the book this mysterious aura, and as a reader, I like the challenge of trying to figure them out. 😀 I really enjoyed the variety and diversity of the characters as well, from homeless and poor, to rich and famous, and everything in between. 🙂 I did like the parts, where Gemma was sharing her personal feelings, they allowed to get to know her better, but in some places, these parts were a bit too long, and my mind tended to wander off…
The narrative is told from a single perspective, and there is quite a lot happening in this book. The spotlight is on the famous actor’s death, but there are other two cases (homeless man and an escort), which remain in the shadows for most of the time, appearing just briefly here and there. The investigation is going on quite slowly, but paired with other murders and Gemma’s life, the story didn’t drag to me. Even though I missed more twists, I did like the turns author brought to this book, they were quite unexpected to me.
I really liked the writing style, I think it was creative and very well thought through, with decent length chapters, which made my reading experience very enjoyable. I liked the setting of this book, it changed between different places, and I appreciate that the author skipped the unimportant events. I thought that I figured out the reasoning for the murders halfway through the book, but I was really happy to be proved wrong. 😀 I really liked the ending of this book, I think it concluded this story nicely, however, I still couldn’t fully figure out what Gemma wants. 😀
So, to conclude, I can see author’s improvement in this book, the characters picked for this novel are challenging and intriguing, the plot is very creatively layered and complex, filled with unexpected discoveries. I strongly recommend this book if you are looking for a different thriller, where the protagonist is as important as the investigation. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
I really liked Gemma in this book. In the first book I didn’t support her actions, and couldn’t understand her behaviour, but in this book, she explained her actions a little better, and I was able to have a better glimpse into her inner personality. I really liked that the author chose the characters who are hard to read and incredibly disturbed, they give the book this mysterious aura, and as a reader, I like the challenge of trying to figure them out. 😀 I really enjoyed the variety and diversity of the characters as well, from homeless and poor, to rich and famous, and everything in between. 🙂 I did like the parts, where Gemma was sharing her personal feelings, they allowed to get to know her better, but in some places, these parts were a bit too long, and my mind tended to wander off…
The narrative is told from a single perspective, and there is quite a lot happening in this book. The spotlight is on the famous actor’s death, but there are other two cases (homeless man and an escort), which remain in the shadows for most of the time, appearing just briefly here and there. The investigation is going on quite slowly, but paired with other murders and Gemma’s life, the story didn’t drag to me. Even though I missed more twists, I did like the turns author brought to this book, they were quite unexpected to me.
I really liked the writing style, I think it was creative and very well thought through, with decent length chapters, which made my reading experience very enjoyable. I liked the setting of this book, it changed between different places, and I appreciate that the author skipped the unimportant events. I thought that I figured out the reasoning for the murders halfway through the book, but I was really happy to be proved wrong. 😀 I really liked the ending of this book, I think it concluded this story nicely, however, I still couldn’t fully figure out what Gemma wants. 😀
So, to conclude, I can see author’s improvement in this book, the characters picked for this novel are challenging and intriguing, the plot is very creatively layered and complex, filled with unexpected discoveries. I strongly recommend this book if you are looking for a different thriller, where the protagonist is as important as the investigation. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Secret of Joy in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Thoughts: This is such a sweet heart-warming story about life and love, and takes the drama of ex-wives and love-sick ladies to a whole new level, giving it life and plausibility at the same time. How did Melissa do it? No idea. But she won me over.
This book asks a lot of questions about marriage, relationships, and love. Does the author answer all the questions? Not really—but she answers the ones that she needs to, and as for others, she lets her readers decide the answers for themselves. THE SECRET OF JOY makes the reader think about what forgiveness really is, what it means to love someone, and the responsibility of loving them.
Characters: Joy was my favorite character. She was a rough-tough-don’t-mess-with-me-you-cant-make-me-cry kinda girl. She held her facade well (most of the time) but when she showed her true colors, she was a gem. Michael, Rebecca’s boyfriend, was a bit of a confusing character. At first I really liked him but as the story went on, I got fed up with him and kept thinking “Rebecca, dump him, please.” I almost cried when Rebecca’s dad died. These characters in this story will beckon you.
Writing: Melissa held me captive with her unique writing style. It was relaxed and smooth, and flowed well, something that could be read aloud without too much problem.
Content: There was only an occasional swear word, and some mention of sex, but no details.
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to anyone craving a light-hearted sit-by-the-fire-with-tea kind of book.
**Thank you to Sarah from Pocketbooks for supplying my review copy!**
This book asks a lot of questions about marriage, relationships, and love. Does the author answer all the questions? Not really—but she answers the ones that she needs to, and as for others, she lets her readers decide the answers for themselves. THE SECRET OF JOY makes the reader think about what forgiveness really is, what it means to love someone, and the responsibility of loving them.
Characters: Joy was my favorite character. She was a rough-tough-don’t-mess-with-me-you-cant-make-me-cry kinda girl. She held her facade well (most of the time) but when she showed her true colors, she was a gem. Michael, Rebecca’s boyfriend, was a bit of a confusing character. At first I really liked him but as the story went on, I got fed up with him and kept thinking “Rebecca, dump him, please.” I almost cried when Rebecca’s dad died. These characters in this story will beckon you.
Writing: Melissa held me captive with her unique writing style. It was relaxed and smooth, and flowed well, something that could be read aloud without too much problem.
Content: There was only an occasional swear word, and some mention of sex, but no details.
Recommendation: Ages 14+ to anyone craving a light-hearted sit-by-the-fire-with-tea kind of book.
**Thank you to Sarah from Pocketbooks for supplying my review copy!**
Kristin (149 KP) rated The Gangster's Son (Shig Sato #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Shig Sato took a hiatus from the police department, working security details for the Japanese elite to spend more time with his wife. However, now he's back at his desk and ready for action. Too bad his very first night back, a waitress is murdered at a jazz club owned by the son of a family friend. Shig must decide which is a higher priority: solving the case and bringing her killer to justice, or supporting his honor code to a friend to whom he is indebted.
This was a very interesting book from the start, and it really pulled me in. I felt like I understood the various cultural aspects, even though I have basically no idea about anything Japanese. The author does a very good job of explaining various ideas related to the area, the culture, the way of life, etc. As for Shig, I really identified with him: He's a man working at a job he loves, trying to do the right thing by everyone, but he just can't seem to make everything line up to keep everyone happy. Haven't we all been down that road a time or two? The only problem is, he gets stuck between a rock and a hard place once certain details of the case come to light, and he must contemplate his next point of action very carefully. What does he decide to do? You'll have to read it to find out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery, who has a penchant for police procedurals, and/or who might be interested in learning a little about the Japanese culture.
4 stars
Shig Sato took a hiatus from the police department, working security details for the Japanese elite to spend more time with his wife. However, now he's back at his desk and ready for action. Too bad his very first night back, a waitress is murdered at a jazz club owned by the son of a family friend. Shig must decide which is a higher priority: solving the case and bringing her killer to justice, or supporting his honor code to a friend to whom he is indebted.
This was a very interesting book from the start, and it really pulled me in. I felt like I understood the various cultural aspects, even though I have basically no idea about anything Japanese. The author does a very good job of explaining various ideas related to the area, the culture, the way of life, etc. As for Shig, I really identified with him: He's a man working at a job he loves, trying to do the right thing by everyone, but he just can't seem to make everything line up to keep everyone happy. Haven't we all been down that road a time or two? The only problem is, he gets stuck between a rock and a hard place once certain details of the case come to light, and he must contemplate his next point of action very carefully. What does he decide to do? You'll have to read it to find out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery, who has a penchant for police procedurals, and/or who might be interested in learning a little about the Japanese culture.
4 stars
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2603 KP) rated The Closers (Harry Bosch, #11; Harry Bosch Universe, #14) in Books
Jul 31, 2019
Can Bosch Close a Cold Case?
Harry Bosch has returned to the LAPD, joining the Open/Unsolved Unit that has recently been established and partnering again with Kiz Rider. His first day back, they are given a new DNA hit on a cold case from 1988 to work. The case involved a sixteen-year-old girl that was murdered that summer, and the DNA was recovered from the gun that killed her. The match takes them to a petty criminal who has never been arrested for murder or come close to committing murder. Naturally, this make Bosch and Kiz question whether their suspect is guilty. If he isn’t, will he lead them to the killer?
This book started a bit slowly as we were introduced to all the players from the original investigation as Bosch and Kiz work on getting up to speed on the case and see if they can figure out how the DNA results fit. However, rest assured, there are still plenty of twists coming before the book is over, and fans of author Michael Connelly won’t be disappointed in how things unravel by the time the book ends. Bosch is still a fantastic lead character, and I enjoyed getting to spend time with Kiz again. Several other regular players pop in. Since this book takes place 17 years after the murder took place, it allows us to see how murder impacts those left behind, especially when they have no idea what happened. This adds a complexity to the book I enjoyed, and it left me wondering how these events impacted the new characters if it did at all. As always, Michael Connelly proves why he has so many fans.
This book started a bit slowly as we were introduced to all the players from the original investigation as Bosch and Kiz work on getting up to speed on the case and see if they can figure out how the DNA results fit. However, rest assured, there are still plenty of twists coming before the book is over, and fans of author Michael Connelly won’t be disappointed in how things unravel by the time the book ends. Bosch is still a fantastic lead character, and I enjoyed getting to spend time with Kiz again. Several other regular players pop in. Since this book takes place 17 years after the murder took place, it allows us to see how murder impacts those left behind, especially when they have no idea what happened. This adds a complexity to the book I enjoyed, and it left me wondering how these events impacted the new characters if it did at all. As always, Michael Connelly proves why he has so many fans.
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I didn't like this book even though it is a genre I would read. There wasn't much of a story line. I understand the genre was erotic/romance so I knew the content but there was more sex then anything else. It was every few pages or so.
The first couple of chapters seemed promising then the story seemed to drag on with the main character sleeping with the 2 brothers because she couldn't decide what one she liked the most. There was so much sex that the story couldn't really develop.
As I said I would normally read this genre but I also like a book to have a story line . There was less sex in 50 shades of grey than this book.
I got bored very quickly but stuck with it. But I will admit it was difficult.
I thought the main character had come to a decision but towards the end of the book she seemed to have changed her mind again. I wanted to shout to her to just pick one or neither of them.
I believe I was the correct audience - female in her 30s.
I definitely expected more of a story to the book.
There are more books in the series but I will not be reading them. The book ended with the brother Vanessa picked going to Japan for work for 3 months and the other brother staying behind and spending time with Vanessa. The blurb to the new book even said she is back spending time with the other brother and will she go back there.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
The first couple of chapters seemed promising then the story seemed to drag on with the main character sleeping with the 2 brothers because she couldn't decide what one she liked the most. There was so much sex that the story couldn't really develop.
As I said I would normally read this genre but I also like a book to have a story line . There was less sex in 50 shades of grey than this book.
I got bored very quickly but stuck with it. But I will admit it was difficult.
I thought the main character had come to a decision but towards the end of the book she seemed to have changed her mind again. I wanted to shout to her to just pick one or neither of them.
I believe I was the correct audience - female in her 30s.
I definitely expected more of a story to the book.
There are more books in the series but I will not be reading them. The book ended with the brother Vanessa picked going to Japan for work for 3 months and the other brother staying behind and spending time with Vanessa. The blurb to the new book even said she is back spending time with the other brother and will she go back there.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
Kate (496 KP) rated French Kiss in Books
Jul 13, 2020
This book is a real feel good book. It's a book that wouldn't be out of place being read on a sun lounger somewhere hot on holiday. I would definitely recommend it to people. Even though it did have some low moments for the character, the highs outweighed these.
The description of the places made me feel like I was there and it made me want to revisit to Paris again.
This was a strong love story and I feel the descriptions and the setting helped bring this to life.
It was a love story between characters and the place.
The only downside was the timing of one part of the book.
The main character was due to meet the guy at 5pm and she arrived at 4.45pm. The character then sat down on the grass with the person she did meet and went onto a restaurant. They then discussed going to a museum which closed at 5pm (and I'm sure they had spent more than 15 minutes chatting and being in a restaurant ordering food). After ordering food they agreed to go to the museum and the main character said they still had 2 hours before it closed. This just didn't add up. The way it sounded was that the time was 3pm. This was very confusing and it did affect how I read that part of the book as it confused me. I even had to go back and re read it to make sure I wasn't incorrect and had read it incorrectly the first time.
Apart from that it was a good story line and as I said the descriptions of the places were perfect.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
The description of the places made me feel like I was there and it made me want to revisit to Paris again.
This was a strong love story and I feel the descriptions and the setting helped bring this to life.
It was a love story between characters and the place.
The only downside was the timing of one part of the book.
The main character was due to meet the guy at 5pm and she arrived at 4.45pm. The character then sat down on the grass with the person she did meet and went onto a restaurant. They then discussed going to a museum which closed at 5pm (and I'm sure they had spent more than 15 minutes chatting and being in a restaurant ordering food). After ordering food they agreed to go to the museum and the main character said they still had 2 hours before it closed. This just didn't add up. The way it sounded was that the time was 3pm. This was very confusing and it did affect how I read that part of the book as it confused me. I even had to go back and re read it to make sure I wasn't incorrect and had read it incorrectly the first time.
Apart from that it was a good story line and as I said the descriptions of the places were perfect.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
Country Nights
5.0
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From WSJ bestselling romance author Winter Renshaw comes an angsty small town romance with a twist...
Romance Contemporary