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The 5th Wave: Book 1
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*NOW A MAJOR FILM by Sony Pictures, starring Chloe Grace Moretz* 'Wildly entertaining ...I couldn't...
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
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The Reluctant Fundamentalist is Mohsin Hamid's thrillingly provocative international bestseller...
Wars of the Roses: Trinity
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The brilliant retelling of the Wars of the Roses continues with Trinity, the second gripping...
Shauny (14 KP) rated Star Trek: Discovery - Season 1 in TV
Feb 3, 2021
So, I started the series with high hopes and ended it slightly underwhelmed. The first few episodes are fairly gripping if a bit fast paced, but the immediate action ment that I was invested in the plot straight away. The visual effects are stunning, having just watched the original series it's almost jarring to see a star trek series that looks so modern and realistic, the production quality really ups the standard of this show. The overall acting of the show is okay, I particularly enjoyed Sonequa Martin-Greens performance of Micheal. However, I wasn't so keen on her character being the center of the entire plot, and her seemingly endless skills and knowledge, I'm not a huge fan of the 'chosen one' character trope. Compared to the origin star trek series, Discovery is very dark and pessimistic. It's a lot more war focused, a long way away from the original series more optimistic and 'utopian' future. That being said, just because it isn't like the original star trek, it doesn't mean that it doesn't have it's one appeal. The series has an overarching storyline, each episode relating directly to the next, so if your looking for some light watching, this might not be the show for you. There is a particular plot twist near the end of the series that I really enjoyed but felt was slightly rushed, and of course some plot holes but that's inevitable with a show like this. Overall, it's an enjoyable TV series, I would definitely recommend giving it a watch ( just don't go in expecting it to be like other star trek series). Not only is it visually stunning to watch, the plot is engaging, they're are many references that star trek fans will enjoy, and the cast is extremely diverse and refreshing as well!
ClareR (5721 KP) rated The House Guest in Books
Jul 10, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2021)
The House Guest is a psychological thriller that had me so frustrated in parts, that I could happily have thrown my kindle across the room (I really liked the book, by the way)
Kate’s sister disappeared when she was 10 years old, and now 15 years later Kate decides to move to London after one of her sisters old friends phones to say that they’ve seen her. Could this be Kate’s chance to find her sister?
Kate is overwhelmed by everything: the fact that she can’t find a decent job, she’s having no luck in finding her sister, and her parents expectation that she’ll come home to be with them, that London is just a phase. In fact they are very protective of Kate, almost suffocatingly so. They want her to phone them regularly, and make it clear that they expect her to come back to Oxford.
So when Della walks in to the cafe that Kate works at and invites her to join in her life-coaching class for some free sessions, Kate jumps at the chance. After all, she might just get the help she needs.
Kate is such a vulnerable character: she’s emotional and needs constant reassurance, whilst at the same time she doesn’t want anyone to know about her past. Della, on the other hand, is confident in every aspect of her life. She’s a successful life coach with beautiful children and a supportive husband - but there always seems to be something lurking under this glossy exterior. You just can’t put your finger on it until it’s too late!
I couldn’t decide if I wanted to shake or hug Kate, if I’m honest, and I’m sure other people will feel the same way, especially as more of her past is revealed. But my standing ovation goes to Della’s character and how she manages to manipulate Kate into getting exactly what she wants!
I hope this has piqued your interest. It’s a pretty gripping read especially in the latter half, and I’m sure you will really enjoy it - I did!
Many thanks to HarperCollins for my NetGalley copy of this book.
Kate’s sister disappeared when she was 10 years old, and now 15 years later Kate decides to move to London after one of her sisters old friends phones to say that they’ve seen her. Could this be Kate’s chance to find her sister?
Kate is overwhelmed by everything: the fact that she can’t find a decent job, she’s having no luck in finding her sister, and her parents expectation that she’ll come home to be with them, that London is just a phase. In fact they are very protective of Kate, almost suffocatingly so. They want her to phone them regularly, and make it clear that they expect her to come back to Oxford.
So when Della walks in to the cafe that Kate works at and invites her to join in her life-coaching class for some free sessions, Kate jumps at the chance. After all, she might just get the help she needs.
Kate is such a vulnerable character: she’s emotional and needs constant reassurance, whilst at the same time she doesn’t want anyone to know about her past. Della, on the other hand, is confident in every aspect of her life. She’s a successful life coach with beautiful children and a supportive husband - but there always seems to be something lurking under this glossy exterior. You just can’t put your finger on it until it’s too late!
I couldn’t decide if I wanted to shake or hug Kate, if I’m honest, and I’m sure other people will feel the same way, especially as more of her past is revealed. But my standing ovation goes to Della’s character and how she manages to manipulate Kate into getting exactly what she wants!
I hope this has piqued your interest. It’s a pretty gripping read especially in the latter half, and I’m sure you will really enjoy it - I did!
Many thanks to HarperCollins for my NetGalley copy of this book.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Burning Girls in Books
Jan 26, 2021
The protagonist in this book is Jack, a female vicar, that has been sent to a little village to take over the church that has been vacant. Her daughter Flo is a teenager that had to change her life from Nottingham to Chapel Croft. I really loved the brilliant selection of characters. They are all mysterious, intriguing and different. I thoroughly enjoyed Jacks thoughts about being a priest, the church’s role and religion in general. It was very modern and stigma defining. I really liked Flo as well, she seems like a very smart young lady, full of curiosity and teenage rebellion. 🙂
Like always, the narrative is creepy, mysterious and very well planned out. There are multiple stories running through this book. This book is told from multiple perspectives, and I absolutely adored that. Jack’s perspective investigates a story of two young ladies that disappeared thirty years ago and a mysterious suicide of the previous vicar. And Flo’s perspective shares very creepy encounters with local youth. The whole book is covered in a mysterious shroud, suspense is seeping through the pages, and the story simply had me absorbed. The topics discussed in this book are religion, evil youth, parenting issues, over the top religiousness, church work, vicar’s life, tight community nuances, murder and many more.
The writing style of this book is impeccable. C.J. Tudor’s writing is evolving with every single book. The setting and the mood of this book is perfect for horror, and the mystery just drives suspense through this novel. The chapters are pretty short, so it is a fast and gripping book. The culmination and the ending are brilliant, and I loved how the book was rounded up. I have to warn the reader, that this book has murders, pretty gross stories, burning people and psychopaths.
So, to conclude, this was my first book of 2021 and is going straight to my top 10 of this year. I loved everything about this novel, it has very unique and complex characters as well as an amazingly delivered plot full of twists, intriguing stories and mystery. I strongly recommend to anyone who loves Stephen King or a good mystery.
Like always, the narrative is creepy, mysterious and very well planned out. There are multiple stories running through this book. This book is told from multiple perspectives, and I absolutely adored that. Jack’s perspective investigates a story of two young ladies that disappeared thirty years ago and a mysterious suicide of the previous vicar. And Flo’s perspective shares very creepy encounters with local youth. The whole book is covered in a mysterious shroud, suspense is seeping through the pages, and the story simply had me absorbed. The topics discussed in this book are religion, evil youth, parenting issues, over the top religiousness, church work, vicar’s life, tight community nuances, murder and many more.
The writing style of this book is impeccable. C.J. Tudor’s writing is evolving with every single book. The setting and the mood of this book is perfect for horror, and the mystery just drives suspense through this novel. The chapters are pretty short, so it is a fast and gripping book. The culmination and the ending are brilliant, and I loved how the book was rounded up. I have to warn the reader, that this book has murders, pretty gross stories, burning people and psychopaths.
So, to conclude, this was my first book of 2021 and is going straight to my top 10 of this year. I loved everything about this novel, it has very unique and complex characters as well as an amazingly delivered plot full of twists, intriguing stories and mystery. I strongly recommend to anyone who loves Stephen King or a good mystery.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Out For Blood (DI Eve Hunter #2) in Books
Dec 13, 2020
After reading and enjoying the first in this series, Hold Your Tongue, I was looking forward to getting my teeth into this one and I wasn't disappointed. I will say that although you don't necessarily have to have read the first, I do think you will enjoy this second one more if you do.
This is a gritty police procedural set in Aberdeen, Scotland which delves into the seedy and repulsive world of human trafficking but what does the death of a privileged young man and the apparent suicide of a young woman have in common? On first impressions, absolutely nothing however, DI Hunter and her team set about investigating and what they find is worse than they expected.
Mainly written from Eve's perspective interspersed with other characters and those of an unknown young woman, this gave insight from all the important protagonists in this book and provided a well-rounded view of the situation from all angles. The characters are well developed and believable with the relationships between Eve and her wider team excellently portrayed.
The story is a difficult one to read in parts but, I felt, was dealt with respectfully but with no holds-barred which made it feel authentic making me feel both sad and angry in equal measure that these things are likely to be happening to someone right now! The pace is good, it does start off a little slow but increases as the story develops and this follows the pace of the investigation, again making it feel believable and, once again, the author manages to keep the identity of the killer well hidden which kept me guessing and second guessing throughout.
Overall, I have no hesitation in recommending this to others who enjoy a cleverly written and gripping police procedural and I look forward to reading the next instalment in what is a great series with DI Hunter fast becoming a favourite character of mine.
I was fortunate enough to have been invited to read an advance copy by Transworld Publishers, part of Penguin Random House UK, via NetGalley in return for an unbiased and unedited review and for which, I am thankful.
This is a gritty police procedural set in Aberdeen, Scotland which delves into the seedy and repulsive world of human trafficking but what does the death of a privileged young man and the apparent suicide of a young woman have in common? On first impressions, absolutely nothing however, DI Hunter and her team set about investigating and what they find is worse than they expected.
Mainly written from Eve's perspective interspersed with other characters and those of an unknown young woman, this gave insight from all the important protagonists in this book and provided a well-rounded view of the situation from all angles. The characters are well developed and believable with the relationships between Eve and her wider team excellently portrayed.
The story is a difficult one to read in parts but, I felt, was dealt with respectfully but with no holds-barred which made it feel authentic making me feel both sad and angry in equal measure that these things are likely to be happening to someone right now! The pace is good, it does start off a little slow but increases as the story develops and this follows the pace of the investigation, again making it feel believable and, once again, the author manages to keep the identity of the killer well hidden which kept me guessing and second guessing throughout.
Overall, I have no hesitation in recommending this to others who enjoy a cleverly written and gripping police procedural and I look forward to reading the next instalment in what is a great series with DI Hunter fast becoming a favourite character of mine.
I was fortunate enough to have been invited to read an advance copy by Transworld Publishers, part of Penguin Random House UK, via NetGalley in return for an unbiased and unedited review and for which, I am thankful.
Mayhawke (97 KP) rated Elevator Pitch in Books
Jun 28, 2019
A nice return to U.S. crime fiction
Crime fiction is my thing. It's what I read most of, most of the time.
Over a decade ago I stopped reading crime fiction from the U.S. because I found what seemed to be a an unpleasant dwelling on the suffering of victims; a voyeurism which I found uncomfortable, and highly unpleasant. It was as though American crime writers were incapable of exploring the darkness of humanity, or giving clarity to events without relishing the pain and terror that must have been experienced by those on the receiving end of them.
Of course this was never true of all U.S. crime fiction, but I couldn't be asked to keep searching for the other kind. It was easier to just stay away from it all.
So, this is the first American crime novel I have read in nearly fifteen years.
What a joy it was. Barclay sets out a gripping thriller, an excellently plotted story which will educate you just a bit more than is comfortable on the ease of hacking lift controls in the technical age, whilst carefully leading you up and down the garden path a couple of times. The reading style is comfortable, the exposition is well paced. Eventually you arrive at a satisfying, and prompt conclusion. Barclay avoids the temptation to draw out the end like a cheerleader pulling gum, something that only works in Golden Era crime, and I always feel is out of place in otherwise fast-paced books of a more recent age.
Against this the characters have a slightly superficial feel, as though they have only been given the complexity they need for the book, and the denouement was not a huge surprise, though it was batted back and forth between two potential subjects nicely. But these really are minor complaints I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be going back and reading some more of Linwood's books on the basis of this one.
Over a decade ago I stopped reading crime fiction from the U.S. because I found what seemed to be a an unpleasant dwelling on the suffering of victims; a voyeurism which I found uncomfortable, and highly unpleasant. It was as though American crime writers were incapable of exploring the darkness of humanity, or giving clarity to events without relishing the pain and terror that must have been experienced by those on the receiving end of them.
Of course this was never true of all U.S. crime fiction, but I couldn't be asked to keep searching for the other kind. It was easier to just stay away from it all.
So, this is the first American crime novel I have read in nearly fifteen years.
What a joy it was. Barclay sets out a gripping thriller, an excellently plotted story which will educate you just a bit more than is comfortable on the ease of hacking lift controls in the technical age, whilst carefully leading you up and down the garden path a couple of times. The reading style is comfortable, the exposition is well paced. Eventually you arrive at a satisfying, and prompt conclusion. Barclay avoids the temptation to draw out the end like a cheerleader pulling gum, something that only works in Golden Era crime, and I always feel is out of place in otherwise fast-paced books of a more recent age.
Against this the characters have a slightly superficial feel, as though they have only been given the complexity they need for the book, and the denouement was not a huge surprise, though it was batted back and forth between two potential subjects nicely. But these really are minor complaints I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be going back and reading some more of Linwood's books on the basis of this one.
The Last Express
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