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Annie Chanse (15 KP) rated Death is but a Dream in Books
Dec 19, 2017
Contains spoilers, click to show
*contains spoilers*
A police detective -- Callista, Callie for short -- saves a little girl from getting hit by a bus. She, herself, is then hit instead. She wakes up to find herself in the Underworld where she is taken before Hades and offered a deal. Protect his son, Plutus, and find out who wants him dead, and Hades will restore her to life. However, if Callie fails in her objective or dies while in the Underworld, she will die an eternal death, and her soul will never be allowed to have an afterlife.
It doesn't seem like a super great choice, but when a god offers you a deal, the "offering" part is really just a polite term to cover up the fact that you are going to do what that god wants you to do or your screwed. And so Callie has little choice but to accept Hades' offer. She meets several interesting characters along the way, including one of the Furies, Tisiphone, who becomes Callie's friend and ally in the Underworld.
Callie's job is complicated, however, by the fact that Hades forbids her to interview, interrogate, or even outwardly suspect any of his royal family of trying to kill his son, and even FURTHER complicated by the fact that Hades lies to her and manipulates her at every turn.
"Death is but a Dream" is a beautiful and original story of the Olympian gods, and it is quite unique in its view of Greek mythology. Perhaps the closest comparison I can make to a book/series already out there in the market is with Amber Benson's series that starts with "Death's Daughter." (I'm sorry. I can't actually remember what the series is called as a whole.) It has the same tone. Both feature strong, independent female protagonists who are thrown into a fantastical world that they want no part of, so yes, fans of Amber Benson's work will really enjoy this book, I think.
The only complaint I have is that the book could have benefited from some series editing. I had an e-book copy of the novel, and there were quite a few more errors than I would expect a published, completed book to have. Most of the errors were inconsequential -- missing commas, wrong words, etc. -- and could be easily overlooked or fixed by the reader simply inserting the correct word while reading, but still, a polished book should be as free of errors as is possible, and this book had a good number.
I still really, really enjoyed the book, though. I highly recommend it.
A police detective -- Callista, Callie for short -- saves a little girl from getting hit by a bus. She, herself, is then hit instead. She wakes up to find herself in the Underworld where she is taken before Hades and offered a deal. Protect his son, Plutus, and find out who wants him dead, and Hades will restore her to life. However, if Callie fails in her objective or dies while in the Underworld, she will die an eternal death, and her soul will never be allowed to have an afterlife.
It doesn't seem like a super great choice, but when a god offers you a deal, the "offering" part is really just a polite term to cover up the fact that you are going to do what that god wants you to do or your screwed. And so Callie has little choice but to accept Hades' offer. She meets several interesting characters along the way, including one of the Furies, Tisiphone, who becomes Callie's friend and ally in the Underworld.
Callie's job is complicated, however, by the fact that Hades forbids her to interview, interrogate, or even outwardly suspect any of his royal family of trying to kill his son, and even FURTHER complicated by the fact that Hades lies to her and manipulates her at every turn.
"Death is but a Dream" is a beautiful and original story of the Olympian gods, and it is quite unique in its view of Greek mythology. Perhaps the closest comparison I can make to a book/series already out there in the market is with Amber Benson's series that starts with "Death's Daughter." (I'm sorry. I can't actually remember what the series is called as a whole.) It has the same tone. Both feature strong, independent female protagonists who are thrown into a fantastical world that they want no part of, so yes, fans of Amber Benson's work will really enjoy this book, I think.
The only complaint I have is that the book could have benefited from some series editing. I had an e-book copy of the novel, and there were quite a few more errors than I would expect a published, completed book to have. Most of the errors were inconsequential -- missing commas, wrong words, etc. -- and could be easily overlooked or fixed by the reader simply inserting the correct word while reading, but still, a polished book should be as free of errors as is possible, and this book had a good number.
I still really, really enjoyed the book, though. I highly recommend it.
kitty ♡ (68 KP) rated 13 Reasons Why in TV
Jan 9, 2018 (Updated Jan 9, 2018)
there are only 13 episodes (1 more)
we get to see part of the aftermath of the tapes
they changed the way hannah kills herself (3 more)
it felt too mainstream
i didn't feel the same watching it as i did when i read the book
that *particular* scene made me want to vomit
something just didn't click.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I would add the whole "suicide glamorization" factor as a negative, but that's something to be taken up with the author of the novel, Jay Asher, and not the television series. I'll talk about that when I review the book after I finish re-reading it.
TRIGGER WARNING: I will be talking about suicide here, which should be no surprise as this is a show about suicide, but I will be doing so in semi-detail.
The main bone I have to pick with this portrayal of 13 Reasons Why is that they changed the way Hannah kills herself. In the book, Hannah Baker kills herself by swallowing a handful of pills. And as the book is limited to Clay's point of view, Asher doesn't describe it in greater detail. If I can recall, he just leaves it as that (but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!) In the series, however, Hannah kills herself by bleeding out in the bathtub. Instead of showing her swallowing pills, the writers decided that having the girl slit her wrists would be a better option which is WRONG. They really wanted those bonus points for gore, huh? The fact that they made her death more gruesome than it already is, is simply just disgusting, in my opinion.
Actually, the fact that they even showed her death scene at all is just disgusting. Not only is it so, but it may also be triggering for some people. They shouldn't have done it in such detail. What they could've done was they could've shown the blade (if she were still going to bleed out) and a little bit of blood to allude to the fact that she died this way. But no, they just had to show the whole process, which can easily turn into a how-to for viewers in a bad place.
Really, the only good thing I have to add about this is the fact that they show Tony giving Hannah's parents a copy of her tapes, and by the looks of it, the tapes may be handed to the police, which means Bryce's nasty ass can get what he deserves. Hopefully. But we really don't need a part 2. Sorry about it.
TRIGGER WARNING: I will be talking about suicide here, which should be no surprise as this is a show about suicide, but I will be doing so in semi-detail.
The main bone I have to pick with this portrayal of 13 Reasons Why is that they changed the way Hannah kills herself. In the book, Hannah Baker kills herself by swallowing a handful of pills. And as the book is limited to Clay's point of view, Asher doesn't describe it in greater detail. If I can recall, he just leaves it as that (but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!) In the series, however, Hannah kills herself by bleeding out in the bathtub. Instead of showing her swallowing pills, the writers decided that having the girl slit her wrists would be a better option which is WRONG. They really wanted those bonus points for gore, huh? The fact that they made her death more gruesome than it already is, is simply just disgusting, in my opinion.
Actually, the fact that they even showed her death scene at all is just disgusting. Not only is it so, but it may also be triggering for some people. They shouldn't have done it in such detail. What they could've done was they could've shown the blade (if she were still going to bleed out) and a little bit of blood to allude to the fact that she died this way. But no, they just had to show the whole process, which can easily turn into a how-to for viewers in a bad place.
Really, the only good thing I have to add about this is the fact that they show Tony giving Hannah's parents a copy of her tapes, and by the looks of it, the tapes may be handed to the police, which means Bryce's nasty ass can get what he deserves. Hopefully. But we really don't need a part 2. Sorry about it.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated One Scream Away (Sheridan, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Seven years ago, Chevy Bankes did something horrific to Beth. She’s been living with her ghosts ever since then. Beth has learned to live on her own and has raised her daughter by herself. But she isn’t prepared to face Bankes when she finds out that he’s been released from prison, and that now he’s after her. Neil, an ex-FBI agent, has somehow gotten himself roped into the case. Now it’s causing him to have to dig up his own ghosts and face them, too. Can two people who lost love earlier in their lives learn to love each other, can Beth keep her daughter out of Bankes’ hands, and can Neil save the woman he loves from her worst nightmare?
One Scream Away was one of those books that you stay up late reading and that you can’t put down, and that you yell at whoever interrupts you because it was so addicting good. It was exciting, suspenseful, romantic, mysterious… everything a book should be.
Without giving away anything, there were many parts in this book that I felt my heart rip when I read what happened. The characters were tangible, like I could pluck them out of the book and set them on my table and watch the rest of the story play out. But they were also relatable, so most of the time I felt like the characters themselves.
Pacing and plot were fantastic in this one. It was impossible to see what would happen next, and Kate Brady keeps you guessing until the very last page, and surprises you at the end.
The writing was not the strongest point. It wasn’t bad per se, it just wasn’t very good either. Acceptably mediocre is the best phrase I can think of, because it wasn’t Dante, but it wasn’t hard to read.
My only other complaint was that a lot of the times, Brady describes what things look like, but not what things feel like. Although the characters were very relatable, I found my own imagination supplying the feelings of the characters while I read this.
Content: There was no elicit sex in this book, although scenes are mentioned and skipped over. There was a lot of language (hey, we’re talking about FBI agents and Police officers and Serial Killers here.) and some rather vulgar details. Murder is not exactly pleasant. Although it wasn’t mapped out in extreme detail, the images left in the reader’s mind are ones that are not for the faint of heart. Or stomach.
Recommendation: Ages 18+
One Scream Away was one of those books that you stay up late reading and that you can’t put down, and that you yell at whoever interrupts you because it was so addicting good. It was exciting, suspenseful, romantic, mysterious… everything a book should be.
Without giving away anything, there were many parts in this book that I felt my heart rip when I read what happened. The characters were tangible, like I could pluck them out of the book and set them on my table and watch the rest of the story play out. But they were also relatable, so most of the time I felt like the characters themselves.
Pacing and plot were fantastic in this one. It was impossible to see what would happen next, and Kate Brady keeps you guessing until the very last page, and surprises you at the end.
The writing was not the strongest point. It wasn’t bad per se, it just wasn’t very good either. Acceptably mediocre is the best phrase I can think of, because it wasn’t Dante, but it wasn’t hard to read.
My only other complaint was that a lot of the times, Brady describes what things look like, but not what things feel like. Although the characters were very relatable, I found my own imagination supplying the feelings of the characters while I read this.
Content: There was no elicit sex in this book, although scenes are mentioned and skipped over. There was a lot of language (hey, we’re talking about FBI agents and Police officers and Serial Killers here.) and some rather vulgar details. Murder is not exactly pleasant. Although it wasn’t mapped out in extreme detail, the images left in the reader’s mind are ones that are not for the faint of heart. Or stomach.
Recommendation: Ages 18+
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Leaving Time: A Novel in Books
May 10, 2018
Jenna Metcalf is thirteen years old and more than anything, she wants to find her mother, Dr. Alice Metcalf. Alice is a doctor who studies the behavior of elephants, specifically, grief. She goes missing when Jenna is just three years old and there was a tragic accident at the Elephant Sanctuary where they lived and that her parents owned/worked. Jenna doesn't believe that her mother would have ever left her behind, so she enlists the help of Serenity Jones, a once famous psychic who helped to find missing people and Virgil Stanhope, a private detective, who was on the police force and was a part of the investigation of the accident at the Sanctuary. With their help, will Jenna be able to find her mother? And when she does, will she be disappointed by what she finds?
I have enjoyed reading Jodi Picoult novels for a long time. They always leave me with different kinds of emotions. Some happy, some sad, sometimes confused. [b:Leaving Time|18816603|Leaving Time|Jodi Picoult|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394487223s/18816603.jpg|26757264] was no exception. I felt a connection to each character. With Jenna, I felt sadness of the loss of her mother and her plight to find her. For Alice, a felt compassion for her work and the situation she was living in. For Serenity, I'm not quite sure my feelings about her, but she was a caring force in Jenna's life. For Virgil, it was pity, that he was unable to get his life together and accomplish his goals.
Listening to this book I was intrigued by the subject matter. Based on the idea that "an elephant never forgets" it was fascinating to learn about how elephants interact with humans and with each other, especially after they suffer a loss. A lot how we as humans grieve. This is another book that will make you think and keep you on your toes, covering subject matters of wildlife, mental illness and supernatural abilities. In the last 5% of the book there was a twist that I didn't see coming and it made me rethink everything I had just read/listened to. This is why Jodi Picoult is one of my favorites.
My favorite line from the book: "...there was a tear in the fabric I was made of and he was the only color thread that would match to stitch it back up."
See more of my reviews at http://whatchatreadin.blogspot.com
I have enjoyed reading Jodi Picoult novels for a long time. They always leave me with different kinds of emotions. Some happy, some sad, sometimes confused. [b:Leaving Time|18816603|Leaving Time|Jodi Picoult|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1394487223s/18816603.jpg|26757264] was no exception. I felt a connection to each character. With Jenna, I felt sadness of the loss of her mother and her plight to find her. For Alice, a felt compassion for her work and the situation she was living in. For Serenity, I'm not quite sure my feelings about her, but she was a caring force in Jenna's life. For Virgil, it was pity, that he was unable to get his life together and accomplish his goals.
Listening to this book I was intrigued by the subject matter. Based on the idea that "an elephant never forgets" it was fascinating to learn about how elephants interact with humans and with each other, especially after they suffer a loss. A lot how we as humans grieve. This is another book that will make you think and keep you on your toes, covering subject matters of wildlife, mental illness and supernatural abilities. In the last 5% of the book there was a twist that I didn't see coming and it made me rethink everything I had just read/listened to. This is why Jodi Picoult is one of my favorites.
My favorite line from the book: "...there was a tear in the fabric I was made of and he was the only color thread that would match to stitch it back up."
See more of my reviews at http://whatchatreadin.blogspot.com
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Private #1 Suspect (Private, #2) in Books
May 10, 2018
Private really has their work cut out for them this time. Two major cases that have very strong implications to the community. First, there are four dead and burned bodies that have been found on the beach. They carry a sign that says 'No Prisoners'. Days later there are more dead bodies, another sign, and promises that this is not the end. Then they have the case of the Harlows. A Hollywood couple who make great movies and do amazing philanthropy work all over the world. When they go missing without a trace, it's up to Private to find out why they were taken and where they could be.
Another interesting book by James Patterson. This is the third book for the Los Angeles Private offices series and the sixth book for the entire Private series. I think next I'm going to read Private Games that has to deal with the Olympics in London since the Olympics are going on right now.
For the first few chapters of this book, I wasn't sure what was going to happen or if I was going to continue to read the book. But after a while, the action got going and my attention was held. Let's start with the first case of dead bodies showing up on the beach. There is a group out there who is looking to get revenge, but for what? And who are these people. They want the city of Los Angeles to pay them big money or they will continue to kill people. One more person per day than the day before. How are they going to be stopped if they can't be found. When one of Private's own investigators gets seriously injured on the job, Jack, the head of Private is even more determined to find out who these people are.
For the Harlow's, on the surface they seem like your typical Hollywood couple, but they have some skeletons in their closet. Skeletons their closest team members do not want to let the whole world know about. So, when they ask that Private not involve the police or the FBI in this case, this make the situation even more difficult. When the skeletons come to the surface, it's easy to see why the Harlow's wouldn't want this getting out to the public.
Packed with adventure around every corner and a few funny bits along the way, this was a great Private book by James Patterson.
Another interesting book by James Patterson. This is the third book for the Los Angeles Private offices series and the sixth book for the entire Private series. I think next I'm going to read Private Games that has to deal with the Olympics in London since the Olympics are going on right now.
For the first few chapters of this book, I wasn't sure what was going to happen or if I was going to continue to read the book. But after a while, the action got going and my attention was held. Let's start with the first case of dead bodies showing up on the beach. There is a group out there who is looking to get revenge, but for what? And who are these people. They want the city of Los Angeles to pay them big money or they will continue to kill people. One more person per day than the day before. How are they going to be stopped if they can't be found. When one of Private's own investigators gets seriously injured on the job, Jack, the head of Private is even more determined to find out who these people are.
For the Harlow's, on the surface they seem like your typical Hollywood couple, but they have some skeletons in their closet. Skeletons their closest team members do not want to let the whole world know about. So, when they ask that Private not involve the police or the FBI in this case, this make the situation even more difficult. When the skeletons come to the surface, it's easy to see why the Harlow's wouldn't want this getting out to the public.
Packed with adventure around every corner and a few funny bits along the way, this was a great Private book by James Patterson.
Jayme (18 KP) rated Turtles All The Way Down in Books
Apr 15, 2018 (Updated Apr 15, 2018)
Characters (3 more)
Plot
Accurate depiciton of mental illness
Didn't have an "easy" or cliche "fairytale" ending
I’ve been meaning to pick up a John Green book for a very long time, but it wasn’t until I heard good reviews of this book that I finally did. My initial thought after finishing the book is this: I now understand all the hype.
I read a great deal of YA fiction, but it is not very often that I finish the book feeling whole. Not because the ending was that of a fairy tale — John Green has a reputation for ensuring those endings don’t exist in his novels — but because the book was just so well-written. I feel as if many YA writers sit down to write books, but forget who their audience is. They are writing a much more washed out and juvenile version of what teenagers are actually like today. They are afraid to let their characters cuss or talk about sex, as if neither action actually exists among young adults. YA authors tend to stray away from the reality of teen behavior, but this book faced realities in a compelling way.
The novel follows Aza, a sixteen year old with an obsessive compulsive disorder, as she navigates the implications of her illness on her relationships with other people. Simultaneously, Aza and her best friend Daisy make it their mission to find Davis Pickett’s billionaire father wanted by the police, and it just so happens that Davis is an old friend of Aza’s from camp.
I appreciated the way the Aza, Daisy, and Davis (as well as the other secondary characters) were facing so many different conflicts (i.e. grief, financial classes, love, mental health, college decisions) at once, because that is exactly how the world works. Real teenagers do not fixate their lives on one specific conflict for extended periods of time, rather they balance several conflicts. I love the way this book was able to depict that struggle to maintain a balance in such a way that allowed readers to follow each plot line to the very end.
I loved the characterization, as they all felt tangible. Their mannerisms and tendancies were displayed through each appearance on the page. There was not a single moment in any interaction that made me feel as if the personalities of these characters were lost, not even in the dialogue (which was also incredible). This attention to detail is something that will drive me to pick up another John Green novel in the near future.
I read a great deal of YA fiction, but it is not very often that I finish the book feeling whole. Not because the ending was that of a fairy tale — John Green has a reputation for ensuring those endings don’t exist in his novels — but because the book was just so well-written. I feel as if many YA writers sit down to write books, but forget who their audience is. They are writing a much more washed out and juvenile version of what teenagers are actually like today. They are afraid to let their characters cuss or talk about sex, as if neither action actually exists among young adults. YA authors tend to stray away from the reality of teen behavior, but this book faced realities in a compelling way.
The novel follows Aza, a sixteen year old with an obsessive compulsive disorder, as she navigates the implications of her illness on her relationships with other people. Simultaneously, Aza and her best friend Daisy make it their mission to find Davis Pickett’s billionaire father wanted by the police, and it just so happens that Davis is an old friend of Aza’s from camp.
I appreciated the way the Aza, Daisy, and Davis (as well as the other secondary characters) were facing so many different conflicts (i.e. grief, financial classes, love, mental health, college decisions) at once, because that is exactly how the world works. Real teenagers do not fixate their lives on one specific conflict for extended periods of time, rather they balance several conflicts. I love the way this book was able to depict that struggle to maintain a balance in such a way that allowed readers to follow each plot line to the very end.
I loved the characterization, as they all felt tangible. Their mannerisms and tendancies were displayed through each appearance on the page. There was not a single moment in any interaction that made me feel as if the personalities of these characters were lost, not even in the dialogue (which was also incredible). This attention to detail is something that will drive me to pick up another John Green novel in the near future.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated We Own the Night (2007) in Movies
Feb 25, 2019
Crime movie for crime movie fans
Contains spoilers, click to show
This is a crime film for crime movie fans. It has it all, from sex, violence, wires and gritty hits. But at its heart is family, here driven by the two leads, Mark Wahlberg and Jequium Phoenix, reunited in yet another of James Grey's films. The tone is dark, with a realistic look as we are taken on trip back to 1988 and a fictional cop family, led by the Deputy Chief Of Police (NYPD) Robert Duvall, who is the father to Wahlberg's up and coming cop, with Phoenix's nightclub manager, who is not a criminal as such, but is a disappointment to his family.
As the trio become embroiled in an organised crime syndicate, they find themselves under a very personal attack and must take down the mob boss to save their lives. The problem with this film is that it plods its way through, lacking enough tension or high key performances to carry, what to me, should have been a taunt screenplay. Instead, it's a bit flat, with Phoenix's trademark sleepy performance. On the other hand, it's quite good, driven by real motivations and characters, is what saves this from 5/10 rating is a fantastically low-key car chase which looked and felt phenomenal, ending with tragedy which would drive the story in a more dubious direction.
Phoenix will end up being granted special dispensation to become a cop in order to track down the mobster, a plot point that I found to be a little far-fetched, though maybe this sort of thing has happened, I don't know but it just tipped the film over the edge of plausibility. I feel that We Own The Night, the motto of the now disbanded NYPD Street Crime Unit, which is headed up here by the fictional Captain Joseph Grusinsky (Wahlberg) thinks very highly of itself as a top quality crime drama, up there with the likes of The Godfather (1972) and Heat (1995), but it is not. It's good and better if you like the genre, but this is a film set in the late 80′s, made in the style of The Godfather light, which was a quintessential 1970′s movie. It needed to pack more of a punch or have some of the style which films such as those of Michael Mann or Martin Scorsese.
A decent story, good cinematography and noble effort but failed to blow me away.
As the trio become embroiled in an organised crime syndicate, they find themselves under a very personal attack and must take down the mob boss to save their lives. The problem with this film is that it plods its way through, lacking enough tension or high key performances to carry, what to me, should have been a taunt screenplay. Instead, it's a bit flat, with Phoenix's trademark sleepy performance. On the other hand, it's quite good, driven by real motivations and characters, is what saves this from 5/10 rating is a fantastically low-key car chase which looked and felt phenomenal, ending with tragedy which would drive the story in a more dubious direction.
Phoenix will end up being granted special dispensation to become a cop in order to track down the mobster, a plot point that I found to be a little far-fetched, though maybe this sort of thing has happened, I don't know but it just tipped the film over the edge of plausibility. I feel that We Own The Night, the motto of the now disbanded NYPD Street Crime Unit, which is headed up here by the fictional Captain Joseph Grusinsky (Wahlberg) thinks very highly of itself as a top quality crime drama, up there with the likes of The Godfather (1972) and Heat (1995), but it is not. It's good and better if you like the genre, but this is a film set in the late 80′s, made in the style of The Godfather light, which was a quintessential 1970′s movie. It needed to pack more of a punch or have some of the style which films such as those of Michael Mann or Martin Scorsese.
A decent story, good cinematography and noble effort but failed to blow me away.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Her Sister's Lie in Books
Mar 11, 2019
Overall, this one is a mixed bag
Hannah Roscoe hasn't seen or spoken to her sister, Nina, in ten years when she receives the call that Nina is dead. The sisters have no other family, so Hannah is now guardian to her fifteen-year-old nephew, Abe, a sullen and angry boy whom she barely knows. Abe comes to live with Hannah, and soon they learn that the police are investigating Nina's death as suspicious. Simultaneously, Hannah begins experiencing strange, unexplained events that quickly have her questioning both her safety and her sanity. Nina's death seems to be close to exposing secrets she thought were buried forever. Is Hannah safe? And her secretive past?
"I... then stopped myself, pulled by the invisible thread that runs through all of us, that however much we might want to, none of us can ever truly disown. Family."
Well, this was an interesting, albeit frustrating one. I really love Debbie Howells' work and the fascinating stories she weaves. Her characters are always complex and often flawed, and there's no exception here. Hannah is a mess, honestly, and I won't lie, she's not the easiest to like. Truly, there aren't really any likeable characters here. Hannah is an unreliable narrator, which sometimes drives me a bit insane. However, the book does a strong job of making you wonder who to trust or believe and what exactly is going on. I was confused a good portion of the time. The weird, creepy things that happen to Hannah are interesting and crazy, though they sort of stressed me out. (Maybe I get too involved?)
The novel is filled with references of Hannah and Nina sticking to the script and keeping each other's secrets. At first, it's intriguing and you're curious as to what they are hiding. After a while, when Hannah makes yet *another* reference to the script and secrets--without any details being revealed--you sort of want to scream. I get a little frustrated at the lack of any reveal throughout the entire book. Eventually, I basically guessed all the major twists anyway, though I still found them clever.
So, overall, this one is a mixed bag. Unlikable characters, some frustrating plot pieces. Some clever plot twists, though I managed to predict most of them. It's a very quick read, however. My rating may be slightly affected by my overall love of Howells. If you've never read anything by her, I would definitely head to THE BONES OF YOU first.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
"I... then stopped myself, pulled by the invisible thread that runs through all of us, that however much we might want to, none of us can ever truly disown. Family."
Well, this was an interesting, albeit frustrating one. I really love Debbie Howells' work and the fascinating stories she weaves. Her characters are always complex and often flawed, and there's no exception here. Hannah is a mess, honestly, and I won't lie, she's not the easiest to like. Truly, there aren't really any likeable characters here. Hannah is an unreliable narrator, which sometimes drives me a bit insane. However, the book does a strong job of making you wonder who to trust or believe and what exactly is going on. I was confused a good portion of the time. The weird, creepy things that happen to Hannah are interesting and crazy, though they sort of stressed me out. (Maybe I get too involved?)
The novel is filled with references of Hannah and Nina sticking to the script and keeping each other's secrets. At first, it's intriguing and you're curious as to what they are hiding. After a while, when Hannah makes yet *another* reference to the script and secrets--without any details being revealed--you sort of want to scream. I get a little frustrated at the lack of any reveal throughout the entire book. Eventually, I basically guessed all the major twists anyway, though I still found them clever.
So, overall, this one is a mixed bag. Unlikable characters, some frustrating plot pieces. Some clever plot twists, though I managed to predict most of them. It's a very quick read, however. My rating may be slightly affected by my overall love of Howells. If you've never read anything by her, I would definitely head to THE BONES OF YOU first.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated On My Life in Books
Mar 15, 2019
Framed. Imprisoned. Pregnant.
Jenna thought she had the perfect life: a loving fiancé, a great job, a beautiful home. Then she finds her stepdaughter murdered; her partner missing.
And the police think she did it...
Locked up to await trial, surrounded by prisoners who'd hurt her if they knew what she's accused of, certain someone close to her has framed her, Jenna knows what she needs to do:
Clear her name
Save her baby
Find the killer
But can she do it in time?
This is the first time I have read any novels by this author and I really loved this book.
I could not put this novel down. I read it from cover to cover in the space of a day. It was gripping, compulsive and a truly engaging and absorbing read!
This book is beautifully written, full of red herrings and her description of prison life for a Nonce was well researched. All the way through this book I had to stop reading as it was very distressing at times.
The novel opens with Jenna under arrest for the murder of Emily, her partners 14-year old daughter, after being found covered in blood cradling her dead body. Her partner, Robert, is missing, presumed also murdered and shocking images have been found on her laptop.
She is placed on remand and locked up in HMP Fallenbrook surrounded by prisoners who would certainly harm her if they learn of the crimes that she is accused of. Fearing that she has been framed by someone close to her, she then discovers that she is pregnant. Jenna is determined to clear her name and find the killer. An almost impossible task from inside prison with almost no resources. The cards certainly seem stacked against her.
Along with Jennas harrowing experiences in the prison, there are also flashbacks to her developing relationship with Robert and Emily.
What made this novel different from other novels in the thriller genre is the engagement with social issues associated with inmates, including new and expectant mothers, incarcerated in the U.K. prison system. In her Authors Note Clarke cites her sources and influences. In addition, she visits and teaches in prisons and was provided with firsthand accounts so that she can depict authentically the day-to-day life in a U.K. prison.
I would like to thank the author, Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.
Jenna thought she had the perfect life: a loving fiancé, a great job, a beautiful home. Then she finds her stepdaughter murdered; her partner missing.
And the police think she did it...
Locked up to await trial, surrounded by prisoners who'd hurt her if they knew what she's accused of, certain someone close to her has framed her, Jenna knows what she needs to do:
Clear her name
Save her baby
Find the killer
But can she do it in time?
This is the first time I have read any novels by this author and I really loved this book.
I could not put this novel down. I read it from cover to cover in the space of a day. It was gripping, compulsive and a truly engaging and absorbing read!
This book is beautifully written, full of red herrings and her description of prison life for a Nonce was well researched. All the way through this book I had to stop reading as it was very distressing at times.
The novel opens with Jenna under arrest for the murder of Emily, her partners 14-year old daughter, after being found covered in blood cradling her dead body. Her partner, Robert, is missing, presumed also murdered and shocking images have been found on her laptop.
She is placed on remand and locked up in HMP Fallenbrook surrounded by prisoners who would certainly harm her if they learn of the crimes that she is accused of. Fearing that she has been framed by someone close to her, she then discovers that she is pregnant. Jenna is determined to clear her name and find the killer. An almost impossible task from inside prison with almost no resources. The cards certainly seem stacked against her.
Along with Jennas harrowing experiences in the prison, there are also flashbacks to her developing relationship with Robert and Emily.
What made this novel different from other novels in the thriller genre is the engagement with social issues associated with inmates, including new and expectant mothers, incarcerated in the U.K. prison system. In her Authors Note Clarke cites her sources and influences. In addition, she visits and teaches in prisons and was provided with firsthand accounts so that she can depict authentically the day-to-day life in a U.K. prison.
I would like to thank the author, Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for giving an honest review.
Midge (525 KP) rated Murder from Scratch in Books
Mar 18, 2019
A Delightful Cozy Mystery!
MURDER FROM SCRATCH is book four in the series of the Sally Solari Mysteries of which I look forward to reading more. It’s a delicious mixture of mystery, family, and irate chefs and a fun, fast and interesting read. I haven’t read the other books in this series yet, however, I don’t think that this spoilt my enjoyment of this novel. That said, there is nothing more exciting than picking up a book that is the first in a new series.
Santa Cruz restaurateur Sally Solari’s life is difficult enough at the busy Gauguin restaurant. So she’s worked up when her dad persuades her to take in Evelyn, her estranged blind cousin whose mother has just died of a drug overdose.
But Evelyn proves to be lots of fun and she’s a terrific cook. Back at the house she’d shared with her mum, Evelyn’s heightened sense of touch tells her that various objects - a bottle of cranberry juice, her grandfather’s jazz records - are out of place. She and her mum always kept things in the same place so Evelyn could find them. So she suspects that her mother’s death was neither accident nor suicide, no matter what the police believe.
The cousins’ turn detective and Sally and Evelyn are thrown into the world of male-oriented kitchens, and the cut-throat competitiveness that can flame up between chefs. With a long list of suspects in the frame, will Sally be able to find the perpetrator or end up getting burned?
Leslie Karst’s delightful writing style is well-paced and complemented by some interesting characters, some of whom were annoying but helped to make the story as good as it was. There was some romantic and spicy love entanglement, too. Written in the first-person narrative and sharing Sally’s innermost thoughts, Leslie Karst includes some wonderfully amusing moments and vivid descriptions especially of some of the food, such as fall-off-the-bone pulled pork and salmon with habanero-lime butter. An ex-lawyer, the highly organised and extremely likeable Sally demonstrated admirable sleuthing techniques and her cousin Evelyn, although with her own problems, exuded warmth and friendliness.
The book had a natural, steady pace and I was kept guessing right until the surprising reveal. Delightful and entertaining, MURDER FROM SCRATCH is a quick, light, highly recommended read for all cozy mystery fans.
{Thank you to #NetGalley, #Crookedlanebks and Leslie Karst for the free copy of #MurderFromScratch and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}
Santa Cruz restaurateur Sally Solari’s life is difficult enough at the busy Gauguin restaurant. So she’s worked up when her dad persuades her to take in Evelyn, her estranged blind cousin whose mother has just died of a drug overdose.
But Evelyn proves to be lots of fun and she’s a terrific cook. Back at the house she’d shared with her mum, Evelyn’s heightened sense of touch tells her that various objects - a bottle of cranberry juice, her grandfather’s jazz records - are out of place. She and her mum always kept things in the same place so Evelyn could find them. So she suspects that her mother’s death was neither accident nor suicide, no matter what the police believe.
The cousins’ turn detective and Sally and Evelyn are thrown into the world of male-oriented kitchens, and the cut-throat competitiveness that can flame up between chefs. With a long list of suspects in the frame, will Sally be able to find the perpetrator or end up getting burned?
Leslie Karst’s delightful writing style is well-paced and complemented by some interesting characters, some of whom were annoying but helped to make the story as good as it was. There was some romantic and spicy love entanglement, too. Written in the first-person narrative and sharing Sally’s innermost thoughts, Leslie Karst includes some wonderfully amusing moments and vivid descriptions especially of some of the food, such as fall-off-the-bone pulled pork and salmon with habanero-lime butter. An ex-lawyer, the highly organised and extremely likeable Sally demonstrated admirable sleuthing techniques and her cousin Evelyn, although with her own problems, exuded warmth and friendliness.
The book had a natural, steady pace and I was kept guessing right until the surprising reveal. Delightful and entertaining, MURDER FROM SCRATCH is a quick, light, highly recommended read for all cozy mystery fans.
{Thank you to #NetGalley, #Crookedlanebks and Leslie Karst for the free copy of #MurderFromScratch and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}