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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Night Hawk in Books
Jul 15, 2021
Captivating and atmospheric mystery featuring archaeologist Ruth Galloway
In the 13th entry in the Ruth Galloway series, we find Ruth and her daughter Kate back in Norfolk. Ruth is now head of the department at the university, dealing with the perils of being in charge. This includes handling David Brown, her replacement as lecturer, who always seems to be in Ruth's business. As for Nelson, his boss Jo wants him to retire--something Nelson is firmly against. Instead, Nelson and team find a body washed up on shore, as well as a skeleton that Ruth believes may date to the Bronze Age. Thrown together again, Nelson and Ruth find themselves investigating a series of murders--all of which relate to a group of local metal detectorists, who keep finding the bodies, and the myth of the Black Shuck, a black dog who forewarns of death.
I love all of the Ruth books, but oh, this one was a particular favorite. It's creepy with the references to the Black Shuck filling you with an ominous sort of fear. There's the usual atmospheric feeling from a Ruth book, especially with Ruth returning to her beloved Norfolk--with the marshes, the sea, and the tides playing their own role in the story.
Griffiths writes with her typical charm and wit where you feel like you know Ruth, Nelson, and the whole gang. Clough shows up and Cathbad, our lovable druid and partner to Judy, Nelson's faithful DI, has a strong role. Everyone seems like an old friend at this point. The book is filled with Nelson and Ruth banter and plenty of tension between the two; it was excellent!
The mystery in this one is superb, as the bodies pile up and Nelson tries to figure out how the Night Hawks relate to his case, and why David Brown seems to follow Ruth everywhere. It kept me guessing, which is something I always appreciate! The Black Shuck myth adds a creepy element on top as well.
Overall, this is a lovely book with an captivating mystery and wonderful characters who are beloved. I'll be so sad when this series ends, but I'm loving it right now. This book will stand alone, but you'll fully appreciate the Ruth and Nelson nuances/dynamic if you read them all. 4.5 stars.
I love all of the Ruth books, but oh, this one was a particular favorite. It's creepy with the references to the Black Shuck filling you with an ominous sort of fear. There's the usual atmospheric feeling from a Ruth book, especially with Ruth returning to her beloved Norfolk--with the marshes, the sea, and the tides playing their own role in the story.
Griffiths writes with her typical charm and wit where you feel like you know Ruth, Nelson, and the whole gang. Clough shows up and Cathbad, our lovable druid and partner to Judy, Nelson's faithful DI, has a strong role. Everyone seems like an old friend at this point. The book is filled with Nelson and Ruth banter and plenty of tension between the two; it was excellent!
The mystery in this one is superb, as the bodies pile up and Nelson tries to figure out how the Night Hawks relate to his case, and why David Brown seems to follow Ruth everywhere. It kept me guessing, which is something I always appreciate! The Black Shuck myth adds a creepy element on top as well.
Overall, this is a lovely book with an captivating mystery and wonderful characters who are beloved. I'll be so sad when this series ends, but I'm loving it right now. This book will stand alone, but you'll fully appreciate the Ruth and Nelson nuances/dynamic if you read them all. 4.5 stars.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Stolen Sisters in Books
Oct 10, 2020
Thought-provoking and emotional
This is a thought-provoking and emotional story of 3 sisters who were abducted 20 years ago and how that traumatic event has impacted on them as they have grown into adults.
I haven't read anything by Louise Jensen before and although I am unable to absolutely rave about this book, I will say that it's a well-crafted story that will appeal to many, many readers.
Why am I not raving about this? To be honest, it's hard to explain exactly why and I don't really understand it myself! It started off brilliantly and I was definitely hooked but it just seemed to take too long to get anywhere and although there were surprises, they just didn't hit the spot for me and I didn't get that feeling of excitement and anticipation unfortunately. I don't think this is a fault of the author rather than of me as a reader who is used to reading rollercoaster-of-a-ride books which I don't think this is; I feel it's more of a family drama type story with mystery and tension thrown in.
The story is told in the then and now and from a variety of viewpoints; this isn't as confusing as it sounds and I actually found this worked well for the most part however, I felt that the "then" parts worked better for me and were more engrossing than the "now".
The characters are an interesting bunch, not all of them particularly likeable but all the main ones are well fleshed out.
What I thought shone throughout was the strong relationship between the sisters and the way their horrific experience impacted on their lives and their mental health; this was expertly done with sensitivity and I have no shame in admitting that there were parts that made me a bit emotional - I am the youngest of 3 sisters and I did wonder how we would have turned out if this had happened to us but I quickly stopped that because it is too horrific to contemplate.
Like I said at the beginning, I am unable to say this has been one of my best reads of 2020 but I will certainly read more by this author in the future.
Thank you to HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins UK) via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
I haven't read anything by Louise Jensen before and although I am unable to absolutely rave about this book, I will say that it's a well-crafted story that will appeal to many, many readers.
Why am I not raving about this? To be honest, it's hard to explain exactly why and I don't really understand it myself! It started off brilliantly and I was definitely hooked but it just seemed to take too long to get anywhere and although there were surprises, they just didn't hit the spot for me and I didn't get that feeling of excitement and anticipation unfortunately. I don't think this is a fault of the author rather than of me as a reader who is used to reading rollercoaster-of-a-ride books which I don't think this is; I feel it's more of a family drama type story with mystery and tension thrown in.
The story is told in the then and now and from a variety of viewpoints; this isn't as confusing as it sounds and I actually found this worked well for the most part however, I felt that the "then" parts worked better for me and were more engrossing than the "now".
The characters are an interesting bunch, not all of them particularly likeable but all the main ones are well fleshed out.
What I thought shone throughout was the strong relationship between the sisters and the way their horrific experience impacted on their lives and their mental health; this was expertly done with sensitivity and I have no shame in admitting that there were parts that made me a bit emotional - I am the youngest of 3 sisters and I did wonder how we would have turned out if this had happened to us but I quickly stopped that because it is too horrific to contemplate.
Like I said at the beginning, I am unable to say this has been one of my best reads of 2020 but I will certainly read more by this author in the future.
Thank you to HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins UK) via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The King's Men (All for the Game, #3) in Books
Jan 11, 2021
4.5 stars
This one picks up a few days after the second book with Neil a battered mess and on his way to the Foxhole Court for training. He has some explaining to do to his team mates about where he disappeared to over Christmas and about the state he's in. Add in the tension that's sparked between Neil and Andrew and the budding friendship between the rest of the group and this is a roller coaster.
Everything was now out in the open and the shit had hit the fan, pitting Neil against his abusive father, and I was honestly waiting for Andrew to come kicking the door down to rescue him. (I'll let you read it to figure out if that actually happened) It was some crazy stuff but God, I was hooked. I'm just glad that nobody I'm come to care about in this series died in this one. Good riddance to the evil ones though.
I haven't been this invested in a series or bunch of characters in a long time. I was literally bouncing in my seat when the final match between the Foxes and the Ravens began, thinking "Come on, guys, you can do it!" and what a ride it was! I actually had to put it on hold while i went to work at 98% and couldn't stop thinking about it on my half hour walk, waiting for when i could finish those last few pages. It was killing me! Luckily I had a little time before I started and binged it and wow! I wish that there had been a separate little epilogue with just Andrew and Neil to see them now that the threat had gone. (I totally understand why people have written fanfic about this series!)
Every single one of the characters grew in one way or another as people, thanks to Neil's urging - okay, maybe not Andrew as such, he's still a little psychotic at times - and I feel like most other people who've read this book that i may have to reread it once a year or so just to relive this amazing series. Yes, it is dark in places but you can't help caring for this team of friends and urging them to come out of the other end after their crappy upbringings.
This one picks up a few days after the second book with Neil a battered mess and on his way to the Foxhole Court for training. He has some explaining to do to his team mates about where he disappeared to over Christmas and about the state he's in. Add in the tension that's sparked between Neil and Andrew and the budding friendship between the rest of the group and this is a roller coaster.
Everything was now out in the open and the shit had hit the fan, pitting Neil against his abusive father, and I was honestly waiting for Andrew to come kicking the door down to rescue him. (I'll let you read it to figure out if that actually happened) It was some crazy stuff but God, I was hooked. I'm just glad that nobody I'm come to care about in this series died in this one. Good riddance to the evil ones though.
I haven't been this invested in a series or bunch of characters in a long time. I was literally bouncing in my seat when the final match between the Foxes and the Ravens began, thinking "Come on, guys, you can do it!" and what a ride it was! I actually had to put it on hold while i went to work at 98% and couldn't stop thinking about it on my half hour walk, waiting for when i could finish those last few pages. It was killing me! Luckily I had a little time before I started and binged it and wow! I wish that there had been a separate little epilogue with just Andrew and Neil to see them now that the threat had gone. (I totally understand why people have written fanfic about this series!)
Every single one of the characters grew in one way or another as people, thanks to Neil's urging - okay, maybe not Andrew as such, he's still a little psychotic at times - and I feel like most other people who've read this book that i may have to reread it once a year or so just to relive this amazing series. Yes, it is dark in places but you can't help caring for this team of friends and urging them to come out of the other end after their crappy upbringings.
Sophie Wink (11 KP) rated Granite Grit (Fighting's in the Blood #1) in Books
Jun 26, 2019
"When your toughest opponent is you."
Your not kidding! A very true statement in more ways than one throughout the novel, for the main character Joe and the reader's themselves. What a fantastic debut novel.
The storyline is brilliant, easy to follow and written in quite a unique style jumping from past to present in the space of a couple lines with ease. It is truly fascinating, coming from someone who is clueless when it comes to boxing of any kind I managed to understand everything, it all made sense. I loved the twists and turns the story itself took, unwinding the spiral of destruction the main character created for himself, it's powerful yet sad and overall really moving creating the important hook.
The themes of the story are simple and conveyed with the utmost professionalism, the love between man and women, between parents and children, between man and the art of boxing. The relationships between the characters throughout the novel are wonderfully portrayed whether they come to a complete halt or blossom in times of tragedy. I think the theme of abuse is conveyed beautifully considering the sensitive, powerful and hard-hitting nature of the theme as a whole tying in well with a further theme of family which seems to be one of Joe's fatal flaws. Which leads me on to the character Joe whom I love, hate and support, the character development of Joe is remarkably controlled and really well done. At first, I really loved and sympathised with the man trying to keep his family afloat, then his downwards spiral left me hating him yet supporting him, wanting him to do well and wanting him to win the fight with not only himself but his opponents.
Personally, the fight scenes were my favourite due to the descriptive manner of which they were told, I felt like I was in the crowd onlooking the entire scene feeling the tension and fear in the atmosphere. Although it may not seem like it due to the boxing element the novel is very relatable considering family loyalty, the struggle for money and even the determination Joe has to prove himself. I even found myself laughing out loud at some of the comments Joe made.
Overall, this is truly an amazing book and I couldn't recommend it more.
Your not kidding! A very true statement in more ways than one throughout the novel, for the main character Joe and the reader's themselves. What a fantastic debut novel.
The storyline is brilliant, easy to follow and written in quite a unique style jumping from past to present in the space of a couple lines with ease. It is truly fascinating, coming from someone who is clueless when it comes to boxing of any kind I managed to understand everything, it all made sense. I loved the twists and turns the story itself took, unwinding the spiral of destruction the main character created for himself, it's powerful yet sad and overall really moving creating the important hook.
The themes of the story are simple and conveyed with the utmost professionalism, the love between man and women, between parents and children, between man and the art of boxing. The relationships between the characters throughout the novel are wonderfully portrayed whether they come to a complete halt or blossom in times of tragedy. I think the theme of abuse is conveyed beautifully considering the sensitive, powerful and hard-hitting nature of the theme as a whole tying in well with a further theme of family which seems to be one of Joe's fatal flaws. Which leads me on to the character Joe whom I love, hate and support, the character development of Joe is remarkably controlled and really well done. At first, I really loved and sympathised with the man trying to keep his family afloat, then his downwards spiral left me hating him yet supporting him, wanting him to do well and wanting him to win the fight with not only himself but his opponents.
Personally, the fight scenes were my favourite due to the descriptive manner of which they were told, I felt like I was in the crowd onlooking the entire scene feeling the tension and fear in the atmosphere. Although it may not seem like it due to the boxing element the novel is very relatable considering family loyalty, the struggle for money and even the determination Joe has to prove himself. I even found myself laughing out loud at some of the comments Joe made.
Overall, this is truly an amazing book and I couldn't recommend it more.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Family in Books
Oct 2, 2019
A culty thriller with too much hand-holding
I was very keen to pick up this book with its culty feel blurb. With the 50th anniversary this year of the infamous Manson murders I always find how people are pulled into groups fascinating. The journey you see Laura and Tilly go through in this book nicely illustrates some of the emotions people go through when looking for a wider family to belong to. This book had a nice look at blood family vs chosen family as a central theme.
Struggling with finances after the death of her husband, Laura and her teenage daughter Tilly find support with a local community. While helping with the communities Organic business Laura and Tilly become more involved with the community run by the charismatic Alex. However the more involved they get the harder it appears to leave their newfound “family.”
Most of the book is told through Laura and Tilly’s POVs and although I didn’t love the characters their emotional journey was believable and interesting. Some parts were told from both of their viewpoints which seemed unnecessary and a bit tiresome, I can appreciate people interpret things differently without it being spelled out (especially when there is a teenage girl involved.)
I did love the premise of this book but unfortunately, the style it was executed in was not for me. I kept feeling I was being told to expect something sinister up ahead rather then having the story build it’s own ominous vibe organically (pardon the organic business pun) It was all too thrust in your face as if the author was afraid we wouldn’t get a feeling of tension without a prod that something big was coming. The characters whose POVs we were seeing through constantly referred to big secrets they were keeping and rather than build curiosity I just felt frustrated that they seemed to lording this knowledge over the reader when we were meant to be seeing from their POV. With all this build-up it meant that a lot of the big reveals fell flat for me; they were overhyped.
Overall an interesting story but as a thriller lost its impact for me with over-hyped twists that didn’t really deliver for me.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Struggling with finances after the death of her husband, Laura and her teenage daughter Tilly find support with a local community. While helping with the communities Organic business Laura and Tilly become more involved with the community run by the charismatic Alex. However the more involved they get the harder it appears to leave their newfound “family.”
Most of the book is told through Laura and Tilly’s POVs and although I didn’t love the characters their emotional journey was believable and interesting. Some parts were told from both of their viewpoints which seemed unnecessary and a bit tiresome, I can appreciate people interpret things differently without it being spelled out (especially when there is a teenage girl involved.)
I did love the premise of this book but unfortunately, the style it was executed in was not for me. I kept feeling I was being told to expect something sinister up ahead rather then having the story build it’s own ominous vibe organically (pardon the organic business pun) It was all too thrust in your face as if the author was afraid we wouldn’t get a feeling of tension without a prod that something big was coming. The characters whose POVs we were seeing through constantly referred to big secrets they were keeping and rather than build curiosity I just felt frustrated that they seemed to lording this knowledge over the reader when we were meant to be seeing from their POV. With all this build-up it meant that a lot of the big reveals fell flat for me; they were overhyped.
Overall an interesting story but as a thriller lost its impact for me with over-hyped twists that didn’t really deliver for me.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Invitation (2015) in Movies
Oct 14, 2019
Characters – Will is the grieving former husband of Eden that attends a party hosted by his ex-wife which brings back the memories of his son, but he starts becoming paranoid about the reason for the party, he is the only one that thinks something strange is happening. Kira is Will’s new girlfriend that gets to meet his old friends at this party, she tries to be social even when his paranoia doesn’t help her get the welcome she desires. Eden is the host of the part, the ex-wife of Will’s that seems to have turned over a new leaf by joining the cult that she starts to recruit for with her new partner David.
Performance – Logan Marshall-Green does a good job here because one moment in the film he is calm, then paranoid, then emotional and back to normal, this performance shows us a full range he must go through. Emayatzy is also good as the unknown element at the party. With Tammy Blanchard being the unhinged but at times calm host of the party.
Story – The story circles around a party being held for old friends as the host has reinvented herself after the loss of her son, everything seems strange through the night until we learn about the cult she has become part of and wants the friends to become part of it but one man gets paranoid about what is happening during the night. It is easy to follow and you do spend most of the film waiting to see where it all ends up going which is rewarding by the end.
Horror/Mystery – The horror of this film comes from the idea that the characters are being recruited for a cult, while the mystery side of everything leaves us to figure out just what has been happening.
Settings – The film takes place in one house that shows how a dinner party can turn sour as everything it not quite right.
Scene of the Movie – Not the drinks.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is a slow build up that does seem to give too many supporting characters screen time they don’t need.
Final Thoughts – This is a good horror film, it does take time to build to the final act which is built through the tension that goes through the whole film.
Overall: Good horror that you get rewarded with by the end.
Performance – Logan Marshall-Green does a good job here because one moment in the film he is calm, then paranoid, then emotional and back to normal, this performance shows us a full range he must go through. Emayatzy is also good as the unknown element at the party. With Tammy Blanchard being the unhinged but at times calm host of the party.
Story – The story circles around a party being held for old friends as the host has reinvented herself after the loss of her son, everything seems strange through the night until we learn about the cult she has become part of and wants the friends to become part of it but one man gets paranoid about what is happening during the night. It is easy to follow and you do spend most of the film waiting to see where it all ends up going which is rewarding by the end.
Horror/Mystery – The horror of this film comes from the idea that the characters are being recruited for a cult, while the mystery side of everything leaves us to figure out just what has been happening.
Settings – The film takes place in one house that shows how a dinner party can turn sour as everything it not quite right.
Scene of the Movie – Not the drinks.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is a slow build up that does seem to give too many supporting characters screen time they don’t need.
Final Thoughts – This is a good horror film, it does take time to build to the final act which is built through the tension that goes through the whole film.
Overall: Good horror that you get rewarded with by the end.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) in Movies
Aug 25, 2019 (Updated Aug 25, 2019)
Liar liar pants on fire
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark feels like if it had been released in the 90s then it probably would of been quite an entertaining/passable movie but as it stands now it brings nothing we haven't seen a million times already to the table & sadly not even nostalgia can save it from becoming tiresome after just 40minutes in. One thing I certainly can not fault here is its high production standards, its not only shot extremely well but sets & creatures are all interesting/creative & are show clear inspiration from classic horror movies & their tropes. A huge problem is tension, tone & pacing however. Tone is somwhere in between Goosebumps & a Conjuring movie on one side its far to goofy/tame to cater to adults then on the other its far too scary/disturbing for kids but it never seems to find the right balance between the two. Its creature also while they look good loose their menace & terror due to being shown far to much for extended periods of time leading to times where they would become laughable & taken less seriously by the audience. Plot & situations are also highly predictable & this the seems to make the already long run time sem like an eternity leading to scenes that are especially far to dialog heavy which killing the pacing because we already know what's coming next. Story is unnecessarily long winded in a need to try & make the film different but once it reaches its conclusion its hard to care because its really not an interesting tale at all. Themes of how the simple power of story telling, lies & made up tales can effect peoples lives in the most drastic of ways are very interesting but not particularly executed well instead becoming jumbled & contradicted when mixed into the long drawn out plot. Acting is so so but no one really stands out or expresses emotion that belivable making character connections hard. So sadly I cant recomend seeing this movie, while its fine & quite well made its just bland/uninteresting & everything thats good about it is spoiled/shown in the trailer (if you've seen trailer the film will be extremely predictable for you & offer no surprises). Save your money or go see crawl instead.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) in Movies
Aug 21, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Scary Stories to tell in the dark is a film based on a series of children’s books famed for its terrifying art work. The film tells of what happens when a group of children discover the story book of Sarah Bellows, the town’s urban legend who is supposed to have poisoned and killed the children who heard her stories.
Scary Stories is one of those films that takes a mix of different horror elements, put’s them through a blender and sees what comes out; it is part Slasher, as a number of the children get attacked and killed in a variety of different ways, part J-Horror as the children have to find out what it will take to stop Sarah (in a similar style to the Ring or The Grudge), and part monster movie as a variety of creatures are set out after the children.
The one thing Scary Stories isn’t is a children’s film, the monsters are heavily based upon the art work from the original books and, after a slow beginning the tension and atmosphere are ramped up. There are a few jump scares but the film does not rely solely on these and the ones there are, are well crafted, you know something is going to happen but not when. Some of the children do died, although not in bloody ways.
For a film based on a series of stories ‘Scary Stories to tell in the dark’ doesn’t quite become an anthology movie which is a bit surprising, each monster has its own back story however, these back stories quickly become secondary as the hunt for the truth about Sarah takes over.
I think, at its heart, Scary Stories is mostly a classic ghost story, the book is a classic cursed item like the video tape in the ring or the mirror in mirror mirror (the horror film not the Disney one) which is fuelled by Sarah’s anger at the injustices she suffered when she was alive and which can be negated when something is put right. Of course anyone who has seen more than a few horror movies knows that a bad spirit can’t be kept down for long and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark does leave the way open for a sequel.
Scary Stories is one of those films that takes a mix of different horror elements, put’s them through a blender and sees what comes out; it is part Slasher, as a number of the children get attacked and killed in a variety of different ways, part J-Horror as the children have to find out what it will take to stop Sarah (in a similar style to the Ring or The Grudge), and part monster movie as a variety of creatures are set out after the children.
The one thing Scary Stories isn’t is a children’s film, the monsters are heavily based upon the art work from the original books and, after a slow beginning the tension and atmosphere are ramped up. There are a few jump scares but the film does not rely solely on these and the ones there are, are well crafted, you know something is going to happen but not when. Some of the children do died, although not in bloody ways.
For a film based on a series of stories ‘Scary Stories to tell in the dark’ doesn’t quite become an anthology movie which is a bit surprising, each monster has its own back story however, these back stories quickly become secondary as the hunt for the truth about Sarah takes over.
I think, at its heart, Scary Stories is mostly a classic ghost story, the book is a classic cursed item like the video tape in the ring or the mirror in mirror mirror (the horror film not the Disney one) which is fuelled by Sarah’s anger at the injustices she suffered when she was alive and which can be negated when something is put right. Of course anyone who has seen more than a few horror movies knows that a bad spirit can’t be kept down for long and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark does leave the way open for a sequel.
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