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The Pact
The Pact
Sharon Bolton | 2021 | Thriller
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This novel tells the story of six friends: Talitha, Xav, Felix, Amber, Daniel, Megan. How one night changed their lives forever. This book was quite a slow burner for me, at least in the beginning. All of the characters have a say in this book, and I found all of them very compelling. It is a character-driven novel and I really liked to see how the characters interacted and what they were ready to do to save themselves. 🙂 I felt extremely sorry for Megan throughout this book and I don’t really agree with her decisions. She is really amazing and I think she could have achieved so much without these “friends” of hers.

The narrative of this novel was a little slow for my liking, but I was extremely keen to find out what is going to happen with Megan. I enjoyed the way the author kept me guessing and the suspense growing, and all the twists and turns were a welcome distraction to break the monotony that built up sometimes. The topics discussed were dangerous driving, alcoholism, survival, rich privilege, friendships, belonging, mental health issues, guilt, relationships between friends and families, and many more.

The writing style of this book is easy to read, enjoyable and creative, but something is missing. It is one of the “softer” books by this author, I could say. I am more used to her dark secrets, never-ending suspense and gripping from the first-page kind books, and this book was a little behind with it. I did like the ending of this novel, which was filled with action and rounded this story extremely well. 🙂 The chapters are pretty short, so the pages just fly by. I have pretty bad car anxiety, especially when it comes to accidents and reckless drivers, so parts of this book did not sit well with me because of these nuances. (I was able to enjoy this book never the less, I just screamed at the characters in my head. 😀 ) So if you suffer from it like me, proceed with caution. 😉

So, to conclude, I enjoyed this novel. The characters are very well developed and truly enchanting. They all have to offer so much to this book and I loved reading about them and their lives. The plot has plenty of intrigue, well placed twists and unexpected surprises and kept me guessing.
  
Shed No Tears
Shed No Tears
Caz Frear | 2020 | Thriller
7
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The protagonist in this book is Cat Kinsella, and the story is told from her perspective. I really liked Cat in this novel, she is a strong, witty and very interesting character, who has quite a few secrets. The other characters chosen for this book are a different but interesting bunch as well because they all have something to offer to this story. I liked the way Cat was interacting with other people in this book, not only sharing the details from the investigation but her complicated personal life as well. I liked this balance. Due to the wide variety of people in this book, I did have to think sometimes, who is who, because there are many names to remember… 🙂

This book is police procedural, and Cat is sharing the details of her investigation. I really liked the way the victim’s (Holly Kemp) character uncovered during this investigation, every chapter brought something new and kept me longing to find out more. The topics discussed in this book are children in foster care, blackmail, couples and family relations, police work, etc. I found this book absorbing, but the narrative felt a little too slow, I would’ve liked a little more action. 😦 There are quite a few references from the previous books in the series, but as a first-time reader, I was able to understand what was going on. However, I would recommend reading the previous books first. If I read the books from the beginning, I think then I would’ve been able to understand and relate to the characters better.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this novel, the author has a sense of humour, and I really enjoyed her witty and sarcastic remarks during this book. 😀 The setting of this novel keeps changing, so the book doesn’t feel dull. The chapters have medium length, but the book was intriguing, so it did not drag for me. The ending was very unexpected and I really didn’t see it coming. 🙂

So, to conclude, it is a gripping police investigation, filled with a wide variety of different and absorbing characters as well as nicely balanced plot, where we have the chance to learn more about not only the investigative work but also about Cat and the people she loves.
  
Faking Friends
Faking Friends
Jane Fallon | 2018 | Humor & Comedy, Romance
10
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The main characters in this novel are Amy and Melissa, two best friends who become worst enemies. This book was a real emotional roller coaster for me: I was laughing, getting angry, feeling pity and upset throughout this book. And all that was caused by the characters which were chosen for this book. I really liked Amy as a character, I think she was charming, very believable and relatable in some way. I absolutely could not stand Melissa though, I think she is an absolute lowlife who is a disgrace to womankind. Everything about her pissed me off, EVERYTHING! Jack and Simon in this book were not better as well, they were just plain stupid. But that was what made this book so indulging. The variety of characters and their unbelievably silly actions somehow made it really entertaining.

The plot of this book really hooked me, the constant drama, action, twists and turns didn’t let me sleep till 4 am in the morning. I just had to find out how it will end. I really appreciate that author used different perspectives in this book, it made it much more gripping and interesting, and it did allow to understand the characters way better. Another thing which I found really cool was the jumps between the past and present, it made the whole story richer and explained their friendship’s nuances to the reader. I really enjoyed all Fallon’s personal experience such as: movie industry and how it works, acting and it’s struggles, general knowledge of London (places, student life, renting options, shops etc.) It was really enlightening to me and I do feel sympathy for all the actors out there.

In this book Jane Fallon stayed true to her writing style, offering multiple perspectives, suspense, interesting topics and absolutely stunning writing itself. The language used was easy to understand, however, there were some swear words. The chapters were not very long, and it kept me going, as I really wanted to find out what will happen next. I really liked the ending of this book, I think it rounded up the story very nicely and left me satisfied. So to conclude, I absolutely loved this book, it gave me everything I need in good Chick – lit book, it has different types of characters, amusing and absorbing plot and interesting topics, and I do strongly recommend this novel. Enjoy 🙂
  
Good Me, Bad Me
Good Me, Bad Me
Ali Land | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (21 Ratings)
Book Rating
The description above kind of explains what the books was about, but my description would be something as follows: After the incidents at home, when Milly’s mother got arrested, she lives with new foster family. New mom, dad and sister, but there is the problem there. Her new foster sister hates her and starts bullying her in every way possible. New foster parents have no idea about what is going on under their roof. How Milly is going to deal with all the things which are getting thrown at her? Let me start by saying that it is outstanding psychological thriller, where every chapter breathes of suspense and anticipation of what is going to happen next. I really enjoyed the way this book was written, like a letter to character’s evil mum. At the same time it was laying this story so beautifully, it was real pleasure for me to read it. The language used in the book is really understandable and easy to read, so you can put away the dictionary, will not need it here.

I found the characters very diverse and really disturbed in this publication. All of them had some sort of problem they were suffering from and that made them really interesting. I believe here is where author’s life experience came in. She worked with a lot of disturbed people, children and grownups, so that knowledge where greatly used in this novel. In my opinion, children where the strong characters in this book and not the grownups. Those revenge parts were like honey to sore throat, unexpected and so satisfying, after all the anger caused to me by bullying scenes. There was one thing that didn’t make me very happy, I needed more information about the murders. There were more murders, but only one discussed thoroughly. I am extremely curious how others died. Also I needed to know more about what mom used to do to Annie, I didn’t find given information sufficient. I think more information would’ve helped to understand the main character better. The ending of the book was like a crown on the queen’s head, applause for it! So to conclude, this is a gripping psychological thriller with a lot of twists and turns and I do strongly recommend it. Is there going to be a film? I would not be surprised if there would be.
  
The Chosen Ones
The Chosen Ones
Howard Linskey | 2018 | Crime, Thriller
8
8.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Police detective Ian Bradshaw is assigned a case where it is believed, that five women are missing. He calls two journalists, Tom and Helen, to help him solve this case. I really liked that the author doesn’t leave these cases only to the police but also involves other people to help. I think, that there is no single main character in this book, Ian, Tom and Helen are equally important in this novel. I really loved that this book is told from multiple perspectives, allowing to understand the characters and to have a glimpse into different minds and lives. Even though it is told by multiple people, the mystery and suspense were very well kept throughout the book. I don’t think I could single out my favourite character, I think they all have very intriguing personalities, and I quickly warmed up to all the important characters in this book.

The narrative is very well developed in this novel. There is more than one investigation happening, and I think that made the whole book even richer and more absorbing. I really liked all the twists and turns this story had to offer, and I believe, the author really knows how to sidetrack the reader. The narrative kept changing continuously, depending on the character, that is why this book was a real page turner to me.

The writing style was very creative, but at the same time enjoyable and easy to read. The chapters are very well constructed and have a decent length, so for me, the pages just flew by. This book is fourth in the series, and it does carry quite a bit of information from the previous books, and I wish I read them before this one, however, I was able to understand of what was going on. So, you can read it as a stand alone, but I would recommend reading the previous books first. I really liked the way this book ended, it answered all my questions and gave a glimpse of what to come in the next book, which I will be looking out for.

So, to conclude, this book is dark, claustrophobic, and very gripping, filled with very well developed characters, absorbing plot and plenty of twists. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I hope you will give it a try and will like it as much as I did.
  
The Devil's Prayer
The Devil's Prayer
Luke Gracias | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
More reviews can be found at https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com

What drew me to this book was the blurb, it sounded really intriguing to me. Once I started reading the book, I thought I will be disappointed, as it sounded really historical to me, and I had no idea what was going on, but once I carried on it absorbed me. The main character in this novel supposed to be Siobhan, but her mother Denise took all the spotlight, as most of the book was about Denise. The author told the stories through multiple perspectives, and that made the book really compelling. I really liked Denise as a character, she was really interesting and I felt really sad about what happened to her. I think that Siobhan didn’t fully open as a character in this book, and I hope that it will change in the future.

The plot of this novel was very very well researched and really gripping. I really enjoyed all the unexpected turns and twists of this story, which kept me hooked till the last page. There are some parts which sound unrealistic, but I think, it gave this book a unique charm. I really enjoyed how Luke Gracias portrayed religion in this novel, it was amusing to read. Even though historical parts were crucial in this novel to understand it better, my mind tended to wander away while reading those historical parts of it. ( Have no clue why…)

The writing style of this book was creative and pleasant to read, and I have to warn you all that there is rape, drugs, and a lot of violence in this book, so it is not for weak stomach holders. The chapters are a decent length and it did not drag to me at all, because the story sucked me in, and it was hard to put it down. The book ended with a cliffhanger and I will be waiting for the next book impatiently. (It has to continue!!!) So, to conclude, it was a stunning novel filled with amusing story and it is really sad this book is available only as an E-book. I do hope that a smart publisher will consider this book because I think it is a must read for sure...