Book Review: Lucy Foley - The Guest List (published in 2020)

I'm 100% sure that there are lower ratings for this book because of the character driven plot and the lack of actual mystery until the last 20% of the book. 

I have to say I quite enjoyed that though. Granted, it did take me a while to be at peace with the fact that I had no idea what actually happened on the island. Normally for a murder mystery, or a whodunnit, you need at least a victim or something to have happend. What has happened also gets revealed later on. 

If you, like me, are able to persist through the characters' backstories the reveals will be worth it. At least they were for me because I was so well-acquainted with the characters. I have to say I even quite liked the frat boys.

The book is about a wedding on a remote island in Ireland. As guests arrive, we find out something has gone very wrong indeed. To find out what it is, or why, or who is involved you'll need to read the book. 

I didn't give it the full five stars because the ending wasn't all that unexpected for me. I'm also not completely satisfied with the fact that we know what has happened later on, because I like at least some parts of my mystery to be known in order to be even more invested in the back stories. 

I can highly recommend the audiobook due to all the different narrators.

Statistics:

Date read: July 30, 2020

Date published: March 19, 2020

Publisher: William Morrow

Format: Audio

Pages: 320

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Horror

My Number of Books Read by this Author: 1

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Book Review: Rosie Price - What Red Was (published in 2020)

Let me start by saying that I had high expectations for this book. Due to the comparison's with David Nicholls writing, I had expected something as beautifully written as One Day. One of my favourite books of all times. 

 

It's easy to understand the comparison initially because Max and Kate meet at university. They become instant friends. However, unlike the aforementioned novel they're not the only ones at centre stage. Max' whole family, the wealthy Rippons, are as well. 

 

It took me around 50 pages to realise that this book is nothing like my much loved One Day. The plot is incredibly linear. I don't know if this is a thing in literary land, but it feels like everything is as it should be. As such, it's incredibly predictable. The friendship between Max and Kate was a fact from the moment they met without explanation on internal ruminations. It felt a bit too set in stone for my taste. 

 

After graduation, Kate's whole life is turned upside down during a party at the Rippons. I really hope that the author has tackled all the heavy subjects such as rape, self-harm and suicide well. I can't comment on any of that, just know that there are quite a lot of mentions of these subjects. 

 

The ending as a reveal I thought was incredibly strong and needed. It took me by surprise, which I'm happy about since it redeemed part of the novel for me. 

 

Not enough to call it one of my favourite novels. I'm happy I persisted through to the end though, because I thought the second half was a bit stronger and less predictable than the first. It's still unfortunately a bit of a mediocre read in my opinion. 

 

Many thanks to the publisher Random House UK, Vintage and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy! 

2.5 stars

Statistics:

Date read: July 26, 2020

Date published: August 20, 2020

Publisher: Random House UK Vintage

Format: eBook

Pages: 384

Genre: Contemporary

My Number of Books Read by this Author: 1

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Book Review: Caz Frear - Shed No Tears (published in 2020)

I don't know why, but for some reason I had Caz Frear's first novel Sweet Little Lies on my wish list years ago. However, from one day to the next it suddenly disappeared. I don't even remember why I took it off. It might have something to do with the fact that I found out it was a series. I'm not usually one to pick up detective series. There's one I'm fond off which is Lee Child's Jack Reacher, but all others I try to avoid. I don't like the feeling of being "stuck" to a series. I'm one of those people who can't quite a series, even if they don't like it. That's why I have almost the full Harry Hole series in my bookcase by Jo Nesbo. 

 

Anyways, I digress. The reason I had this book on my wish list is because the idea that Cat Kinsella is operating in the UK police force even though her dad is a hardened criminal in organised crime sparked my interest. When I saw the third book in the series on Netgalley I decided to jump right into it. 

 

Shed No Tears is about the final victim of a serial killer who was active around and apprehended in 2012. Holly Kemp is found in a field near Cambridge. The discovery of the final body could potentially wrap the whole case up. However, the serial killer Christopher Masters had never confessed to murdering her and when inspector Cat and Luigi look closer at the victim, they notice quite a few discrepancies with Masters' other victims. 

 

I like the fact that even though there are a lot of allusions to the previous novels, we're actually getting enough information to understand roughly what happened and what feeling we have to have towards the people in Cat's life, but not too much to want to make the two previous novels redundant. You can easily read this novel, and still get the "full experience" of Cat Kinsella. The stories of previous novels are intertwined with this one, so be careful, because it'll get you wanting more. 

 

Other things I liked were the easy banter between Kinsella and people she conversed with. I think she's a fun person to be around and I really enjoy her sarcasm and wit. It never turns self-deprecating or too much. You know those female protagonists who are so snippy and snide almost no woman can identify with them? Artemis by Andy Weir is the first novel that comes to mind that has one of those protagonists. 

 

Another important element I liked is the plot itself. Nothing is what you'd expect, in a good way. It twists-and-turns without it being overtly twisty. You simply find out new things throughout the course of the novel. The fact that those new things are completely unexpected show what a good writer Caz Frear is. 

 

Highly recommended and aside from the fact that I will definitely read the first and second book in this instalment, I really hope more books are on the way. Sometimes it's nice to read a book in a series and to know that the end is not yet in sight. 

Many thanks to the publisher Bonnier Books UK and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy!

5 stars

Statistics:

Date read: June 18, 2020

Date published: July 23, 2020

Publisher: Bonnier Books UK

Format: eBook

Pages: 368

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Horror

My Number of Books Read by this Author: 1

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Book Review: J.P. Delaney - Playing Nice (publication date 2020)

I'm not normally into books centred around families with children. I don't have children, so I sometimes find it hard to relate to these kind of stories. That having been said, it wasn't much of a stretch to understand the horror of JP Delaney's Playing Nice. 

 

This book is about the Rileys whose lives are spun upside-down when they find out that their little 2-year-old Theo, isn't their birth son. The person giving them this news is Miles Lambert, the father of the child. He in turn has a son, David, who isn't his natural son either. David and Theo were switched at birth. 

 

I have to confess that my mind immediately started reeling. I was considering what I would do in this situation. I felt so bad for the Rileys and Lamberts for this conundrum. This is a story of nature vs nurture at its best. 

 

The two families decide to entwine their lives in the hope of becoming one unconventional family. However, how easy is it to trust each other in this situation? 

 

I really enjoyed this concept & plot. This is a horror story even people without kids can understand. The characters are believable and they are consistent. You know what they are made of and by the end of the novel you understand their motives. That's incredibly important in a hard-hitting slow-burning thriller like this. 

 

The plot twists are mild, but incredibly shocking. They suit the story. It's not a conventional thriller, but it is insanely creepy. I couldn't put the book down because I couldn't wait to read what would happen next. 

 

The story is told from three perspectives: Pete Riley, Maddie (his girlfriend) and court evidence. This provides an interesting mix of different and sometimes conflicting perspectives. 

 

My rating isn't the full five stars, because I unfortunately didn't like Pete that much. He made decisions that at times frustrated me. These decisions often resulted in "twists" but those are the ones you can see coming from a mile. It didn't necessarily ruin the experience for me, but it was something that certainly dampened it for me a bit. 

 

All-in-all I found it to be a great novel with a fantastic storyline. I have never read anything else by JP Delaney, but I'll immediately have a look through his previous books to see if something tickles my fancy. 

 

Many thanks to the publisher Quercus Books and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy!

4 stars

Statistics:

Date read: July 22, 2020

Date published: August 6, 2020

Publisher: Quercus Books

Format: eBook

Pages: 400

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Horror

My Number of Books Read by this Author: 1

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Book Review: Stephen Graham Jones - The Only Good Indians (published in 2020)

Happy publication day!!

I’m having a hard time writing this review of Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians. Sometimes you have to step away from the novel a little bit to let your thoughts simmer. I had to do that big time for this story.  

 

In its essence I think the story is incredibly strong. It’s about four Indigenous Americans in their 20s who go hunting a forbidden part of the reservation that is only reserved for the elders. They find a pack of elk there, and mayhem ensues.  

 

They think they get away with it, but when they’re in their 30s they come face-to-face with an entity bent on revenge.  

 

It’s a horror story as old as time, but it works. I will never look at an elk as a harmless animal again, that’s for sure. The effect it has on the four men is all different and that’s where the great storytelling comes in. The book is propelled forward by gruesome horror scenes. I also enjoyed the fact that this is an #ownvoices story, which gives the reader a good insight into the Native American culture.  

 

However, it’s also stopped by lengthy passages about the characters’ thought process and nothing in particular, really. It’s like riding a rollercoaster where sometimes the build up takes a bit too long.  

 

The reason I had to take some distance from the novel, is because I didn’t grasp the full concept. I couldn’t really keep up with the author’s thought process. I have this feeling it’s me and not the book though.  

 

This together with the slower parts of the rollercoaster made my reading experience a bit less pleasant than it could have been. I’m giving this book 3.5 stars and I’m rounding it up to 4, because it’s a solid read nevertheless. At the end of the day, all I will remember is the interesting revenge story and the horrible scenes that are written so incredibly descriptively I will not forget them very easily.  

Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley

Statistics:

Date read: June 7, 2020

Date published: July 21, 2020

Publisher: Titan Books

Format: eBook

Pages: 320

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Horror

My Number of Books Read by this Author: 1

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Book Review: Hilary Mantel - The Mirror & the Light (published in 2020)

I can't believe it's done. The story of Thomas Cromwell aka Crumb aka Cremuel aka 'he' is told. It wasn't an easy task, but I have completed it. 

Wolf Hall was a tough nut to crack. Bring Up the Bodies was an unexpected fast read and the final book in the trilogy is a little bit of both. I tried to take a break in between to read another book, but I should have persisted. 

That's OK though, because when I picked up the second chapter, I didn't stop reading. 

I can relate to Cromwell quite a bit, and I like that Mantel tells the history of Henry VIII through his eyes. It gives us a completely different story than the one told by most other historians. The one were the king is central. 

I won't tell you too much about this book, as it's the third in a trilogy but it picks up right after Anne Boleyn has been beheaded. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I'm happy I picked up this trilogy.

5 stars

Statistics:

Date read: July 19, 2020

Date published: March 5, 2020

Publisher: 4th Estate

Format: Paperback

Pages: 882

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Number of Books Read by this Author: 4

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Book Review: Mick Conefrey - Everest 1953: The Epic Story of the First Ascent (published in 2013)

This is a straightforward, no non-sense account of the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953. 

Almost everyone in the world will know Ed Hilary and Tenzing's name. These are the two climbers that made it up the highest mountain in the world first. However, there was a whole team of climbers led by John Hunt who tried to make it to the top. For example, Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans who came within 100 meters of being the first to summit. Can you imagine? 

Conefrey has a very solid way of telling a story. He doesn't jump from plot line to plot line, rather he tells the story chronologically. You can split this book in parts. Pre-climb, climb and post-climb. 

I enjoyed the read, but I was enthralled when they were trying to summit the mountain. Those tales made my toes tingle. So many things could've gone wrong, I love stories where man's will is tested. Where adversity is conquered. 

It's enjoyable and I highly recommend it for people who are interested to learn more about the Mount Everest and the first ascent.

4 stars

Statistics:

Date read: July 13, 2020

Date published: March 12, 2013

Publisher: Mountaineers Books

Format: Audio

Pages: 301

Genre: Non-Fiction

My Number of Books Read by this Author: 1

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Book Review: Lydia Kang - Opium and Absinthe (published in 2020)

The premise of this book sparked my interest when I saw it in the line-up of Amazon First Reads. I was happy to see it pop up on Netgalley as well. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!

 

This book is about Tillie Pembroke whose sister is found dead with two puncture wounds in her neck. The book takes place in 1899, around the time Dracula by Bram Stoker is published. Needless to say, Tillie who is interested in science and research jumps on the challenge to search for her sister's murderer. She comes across mysterious figures and she has a hard time trying to figure out what's real and what is not. 

 

I leave the fact that Tillie is addicted to opiates out of this premise, because it's something that would have stopped me from reading it. Protagonists who are addicted to any kind of drug while researching a crime is one of my major tropes. I try not to touch books that use this concept, because I think a mystery should be a strong mystery without the need for the main hero to be confused by her own thoughts. 

 

That having been said Lydia Kang executes this concept perfectly. Tillie starts using opium to ease her pain after an incident. This is how the addiction starts, which was something that happened often back in the 19th century. Sure, she didn't always remember what happened the day before; however, we did which I think was a strong way to eliminate my trope from the plot. 

 

This novel has strong and well-developed characters and relationships. I can identify with Tillie to a certain extent, because I loved horror stories when I was younger so my real world also started to get muddled with the fictional world. I like the way she approaches the mystery and how she tackles her research. The way this novel is built up, you get to know the side characters really well, including what motivates them which adds to the mystery. 

 

The writing is a bit of a mix between YA and Adult. I guess it's something you should be open to if you choose to read it. 

 

Other than that, I enjoyed this Sherlock Holmesian novel a lot. I'm eager to read more of Lydia Kang's books now as they seem to be right up my alley. 

 

4 stars

Statistics:

Date read: July 8, 2020

Date published: July 1, 2020

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Format: eBook

Pages: 379

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Number of Books Read by this Author: 1

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Book Review: Paul Tremblay - Survivor Song (published in 2020)

Believe me when I say that I don't like to do this in the slightest. I've been sitting here. In front of this blank page, willing positive things to pop in my mind to say about Paul Tremblay's Survivor Song. Unfortunately, they're not there. 

 

I can tell you what the book is about, which is something that could've potentially been very positive. Tremblay's latest release is about a rabies virus that is spreading through the state of Massachusetts. This disease has a short incubation period and those who are infected lose their minds. It affect animals and humans alike. Needless to say, hospitals are overrun and people are advised to stay at home. We follow Dr. Ramola and her friend Natalie, who is eight months pregnant and  who is looking for safety as her husband has been killed and she has been bitten. 

 

We then follow these two characters on their quest from hospital to hospital to find someone to operate on Natalie to deliver her baby. 

 

Sounds great, right? Especially now that we're living through the Corona pandemic. I don't like writing reviews for books that I give a book 1-star rating. When I give a book 2 stars, I can still show people what I didn't like, but what they might like about it. That's not the case here though. Ok, let's just start and see where it goes. 

 

First of all, I didn't like Natalie and Ramola (or Nats and Rams as they annoyingly call each other). I thought they were crude, and completely out-of-touch with their surroundings. Natalie is the worst of both. Her chapters are short rants into her phone for her future baby, which are annoying complaints about the world and about herself. 

 

Tremblay's writing doesn't do them any good either. There are points where he gives us a big back story about why Ramola knows Natalie is sarcastic. I mean, the sentences she speaks are clearly sarcastic almost all the time. It didn't take me ten years to figure out. The fact that it's highlighted further, makes me dislike the characters even more. 

 

Secondly, the side characters all enter the stage swiftly and disappear just as rapidly. I didn't feel any attachment or anything really towards them. Why should I, when I don't even care about the main protagonists?

 

The language in this book was also too lengthy for some reason. The long descriptions and wordy paragraphs mess up the horror and overall pace of the story. 

 

Thirdly, I didn't find the story itself to be special. A tale about zombies, or people infected with some kind of virus, is as old as time itself. Well, as old as George Romero has been around at least. The fact that it's caused by rabies doesn't add anything for me. I didn't find the animals particularly vicious either. There's nothing that distinguishes this novel from other horror novels in terms of storyline. 

 

The fact that this is some kind of "road trip" novel, doesn't add anything either. 

 

I'm still very thankful to Titan Books and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy! I will still check out Paul Tremblay's writing in the future. Horror is one of my favourite genres, and he's still and incredibly strong writer. 

1 star

Statistics:

Date read: July 4, 2020

Date published: July 7, 2020

Publisher: Titan Books

Format: eBook

Pages: 300

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Horror

My Number of Books Read by this Author: 2

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