Kensington | March 2017 (Reprint) | 320pgs
Source: Library
Charlie Donlea's debut novel was a joy to read as it has all the elements of a good psychological suspense. Filled with intrigue and a sense of urgency in terms of pacing and the unravelling of truth surrounding the murder of a female law student, Summit Lake had me on edge throughout my reading journey and I was glad to find a new author and whose books which I'm going to add to my wishlist in future.
Alternating between the past and the present, this is a story about the life of four law students and the chronicle of a journalist's journey into breaking a mystery and seeking justice and finding peace alongside her search of unravelling the truth of Becca Eckersley's death. At first glance, Becca's death is pointed to a house robbery case gone bad after the police couldn't find any concrete evidence that indicated it was a homicide. While the local police commander is skeptical about the conclusion, there is nothing much he could do about it especially the case is being handed over to the state detective's bureau. The case remains that way until Penn Courtney, the editor of Events magazine sent their journalist, Kelsey Castle, towards Summit Lake to dig into Becca's case and write an article on it. While Penn's initial purpose is to get Kelsey back onto her feet after an assault incident has rendered her emotionally traumatised, what they didn't expect is there is indeed something more about Becca's case and Kelsey is adamant to find out everything as not only she wants justice for Becca but also she might overcome her dark past and find peace again considering she came out of an assault incident alive, unlike Becca.
Summit Lake was an absorbing read. I was engaged in the picturesque town of Summit Lake and Becca's busy college life as well as her tight-knit friendship with fellow students - Brad, Jack and Gail. Becca is a social butterfly and is well liked by her peers. Guys find her attractive but Becca is often clueless at how her friendliness and her warmth might spark some misunderstanding among those who harbours deep affection in her.
I loved it that the story was perfectly crafted as the chapters alternate between what had happened and Kelsey's current findings and how eventually these two intersected towards the end to reveal that final picture. The characters are well developed too as the story progresses, giving readers the gist of each character's personality and how an event has changed each of their lives and led to no return. I'd have given this a 5-star rating but I wasn't convinced by one particular scenario thus a 4.5 star (Spoiler Alert - highlight to show: Becca was heavily pregnant at a stage and yet no one even noticed.) That said, it was still a suspenseful read and I'll be sure to check out the author's latest release, The Girl Who Was Taken.
© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
HQ | March 2017 | 384 pgs
Source: Library
Sometimes I Lie is the second choice of a poll I conducted awhile back and I want to thank you again for helping me with the selection.
In this book, we have Amber Reynolds as our unreliable narrator and she's in a coma. However, readers are able to read her thoughts through her subconscious mind although she remains comatose. We also learn that she hates her job working in the radio industry and most of all, she dislikes Madeline Frost, a well-known radio presenter of Coffee Morning because of the way she treats her lowly and coldly. Amber has also received a verbal warning from her boss that if she hasn't 'reconnect her ties' with Madeline, she'd be the one to leave her job.
Back at home isn't entirely a bed of roses for Amber too as her relationship with her husband, Paul, has gone lukewarm. Worse, she suspects Paul of having an affair and that she is jealous that her younger sister, Claire, is getting chummy with Paul. What with her drab situation and her unhappy adolescence stage, it is easy to see why Amber is miserable and resentful so much so that she wants Madeline to be out of her life.
Narrated in three different timeline 'Now', 'Then' and 'Before'; each timeline chronicles the events and emotionally state of Amber between her current circumstances of being comatose, the incidents occurred at home and at work before her coma and several diary entries respectively. While it was a boldly plotted thriller filled with many twists which had me reeling, I had mixed feelings about this book. Most of the characters here are unlikeable but this is not the main thing which got to me. I think my main issue probably lies with the twists, which was funny (and not to mention unthinkable) since that this element is at times essential in a psychological thriller but it was hard to say it without spoiling it. That being said, it was an unputdownable read and I think this would make a great reading group discussion.
© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
I've to admit it was Park Hae-jin who is what made me drawn to this drama initially. A cool charismatic secret agent with the NIS, he portrays many roles as undercover for each mission he's assigned to. You can say he's unattached to feelings and nothing deters him until he is assigned as a bodyguard to popular action star, Yeo Woon-gwang (starring Park Sung-woong). Filling up the role as a bodyguard is easy-peasy to Kim Sul-woo; after all he has another more challenging mission to fulfill under the disguise of Woon-gwang's bodyguard. As in each assignment, there is bound to be some obstacles and in this case it is Woon-gwang's manager, Cha Do-ha (starring Kim Min-jung) who gets under Sul-woo's skin.
Sassy and smart, Do-ha is also a diligent and devoted manager and although they are working partners they are more like close friends who keep a look out for each other. When the management decided to engage a bodyguard for Woon-gwang, Do-ha isn't pleased but she tolerates Sul-woo. As the days go, the trio's attitude changes. Woon-gwang began to see Sul-woo like a brother, while Do-ha keeps getting mixed signals from Sul-woo. Despite his hot and cold treatment, Do-ha thinks Sul-woo is attracted to her and this makes her heart flutters.
In the middle of the trio's connection is the secret mission Sul-woo is engaging and this is where conspiracies and deceptions are child's play in Sul-woo's world but his mission has somehow involved Woon-gwang and Do-ha and it is up to him (or with the other two) to straighten things out before all hells break loose.
Man to Man is a combination of action drama and romance and it was such a pleasure seeing Park Hae-jin portrayed as a charismatic secret agent/bodyguard. Despite his cool demeanour he was actually a tender and considerate gentleman behind his mask, and it was refreshing to see this new side of him when he was with Do-ha after they see each other differently thereafter. I was thinking about that ending after the credits rolled and decided it was appropriate though it wasn't really clear cut. I convinced myself it was a suitable ending considering Sul-woo's profession after all. Yes that must be it.
(Pictures credit: Google Image)
© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
HarperCollins Publishers | June 2016 | 384 pgs
Source: Library
Jill Shalvis' books are well known to be witty, fun and filled with hearts and I'm glad Sweet Little Lies is no exceptional.
Pru Harris is one extraordinary heroine. As captain of a San Francisco Bay tour boat, she has met all kinds of people and has handled the boat swiftly under dire weather, but yet it sets her heart flutter whenever she set her eyes on pub owner, Finn O'Riley. Not a person to believe in love and destiny, Pru simply brushes her 'heart pounding syndrome' away to plain silliness and continues her plans to help a few people in which a drunk-driving accident years ago had altered their lives. Pru's parents were social drinkers and although what they'd caused to other people's lives isn't Pru's fault, she couldn't help feeling guilty after what it has caused those affected families. Finn and his younger brother, Sean, are one of the affected families and since the death of their father, Finn has to abandon his baseball scholarship and take up the role and responsibility to support Sean. Their mother had left them since they were young and due to all these, Finn doesn't do anything fun anymore but to focus on his pub business and his younger brother.
Although Pru feels bad for the O'Rileys siblings, it isn't the reason why she is attracted to Finn. She likes the way how he handles things smoothly, and not to mention his seriousness and responsibility in running his business and taking good care of Sean. And things are definitely looking bright for Pru and Finn the more they spend more time with each other, although Pru initially hasn't have any thoughts about them being romantically linked eventually. She knew she has to tell Finn about what happened and who caused his father's death at some point before their relationship goes deeper, but she isn't ready for that little happiness to end.
Filled with witty dialogues and interesting supporting characters, this is a wonderful first book of the Heartbreaker Bay series which warmed and touched me in many ways. During my reading journey, I'd been thinking about Pru's dilemma and thinking what a girl should do under this circumstances. Of course the truth is always the best policy, but for Pru it is always the lack of good timing and most of all, the fear of losing a good man and a friend.
I can see why Jill Shalvis is a popular author when it comes to contemporary romance as her characters come to life under her skilful hands and her stories are always heartwarming and yes, filled with sizzling romances, too. Now I've to add her other books of this series to my wishlist and also to catch up on her Lucky Harbor series, too. Oh, so many books so little time!
© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
Flatiron Books | January 2017 | 336 pgs
Source: Library
Luke lied. You lied.
Four words. Yet they are powerful enough to send Federal agent Aaron Falk back to his hometown in Kiewarra where he grew up in twenty years. Luke Hadler, now dead and survived only by baby Charlotte, is believed to have murdered his wife and young son before ending his own life. Now stationed in Melbourne, Falk didn't want to return to Kiewarra despite what happened to his late childhood friend. Kiewarra has brought him too much bad memories; memories that remind him of Ellie Deacon's death and how he and his father were caught in the middle of it twenty years ago. With no concrete proof, the Falks were forced to leave Kiewarra with much contempt from its residents. Till this day, no one really knew what happened to Ellie on that fateful day she ended up drowned in the river.
However, Aaron knew he owed it to Luke's parents; after all they treated him kindly like their own back then and he knew they all wouldn't rest until the truth surrounding Luke and his family's death came to light. Together with Sergeant Greg Raco who is looking into the case, they go through what's left of Luke's traces and found out that Kiewarra is filled with buried secrets and deceptions and that one could do anything to protect his back, even if it means murder.
The Dry was one of the best books I read thus far. Part suspense and part police procedural, this story takes readers to the quiet suburb Kiewarra where its residents are threatened by the drought and how they are trying to make the best for their farming business. We have several suspects and at times they are linked with Ellie's death, considering her death remains a mystery and some residents aren't happy to see Aaron's return.
This book is brilliant and well written in a sense that the story was well developed from the beginning with both the characterisation and the setting. Then suspense seeped in and the intensity rose like the searing heat; and by then the book was hard to put down because you just want to find out the truth. The Dry is Jane Harper's debut novel but it certainly didn't feel like one. I fell in love with Jane's writing and the way she plotted her story beautifully. I also liked it that how the two mysteries are woven together smoothly yet they are on its own and each has a story to tell. In the end, I was left with a hollow feeling not because the book was bad (I loved it, remember?) but how it affected me to see what the victims' had gone through with their wrongful death. The ending was beautifully done too; and I was satisfied to see not only one but both cases (Luke's and Ellie's) closed as well. Highly recommended.
© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
Atria | March 2017 | 320 pgs
Source: Library
A case of a missing woman. For Virginia Knightly, this is simply one of those many sad stories she has seen or heard given that she is the producer of DC's top-rated evening news program but for some reason she feels empathy and a connection with Evelyn Carney, who has gone missing after she was last seen leaving a busy restaurant after an unpleasant conversation with her husband. Even Evelyn's best friend has no idea what happened and she is equally stumped as everyone else.
As Virginia goes on her way to dig more information about Evelyn and retrace her every last movements, she soon finds out that her personal quest has became a risk to her career as well as her life as someone who has more power and authority intends to keep that news a secret.
The Cutaway may seem like a typical thriller which has our narrator running about and solving her case ultimately, but what makes this book stands out amongst the rest is aside from the suspense, the author also offers readers an insider's look of the TV news industry and what it takes for the journalists to deliver those evening news to us. The story then move on to a more complexity turn when it mixes politics with the media and we all know how big and bad this would play out when something happens.
The beginning of the story focus more on Virginia's role as a news producer, her exchanges with her crew and what they do behind the scenes and I found these all to be very interesting and made me in awe of what it takes to be a successful TV journalist. However, there is a sharp edge to Virginia's voice and while it took me some time to warm up to her, yet from another angle this made her to be a dedicated person and combined with her fierce determination this has become an asset to her job. All in all it was a great first novel and I'll be looking forward to more of this author's work in the near future.
© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
St. Martin's Press | March 2017 (Reprint) | 368 pgs
Source: Library
Princess Mayavati of Bharata is believed to be cursed since young. She is known to causes a marriage of death and destruction with her horoscope and due to this she is always feared and scorned at her father's kingdom. Scholarly pursuits and her sister Gauri are the only thing that keep her going but they are short-lived after she knew her father is arranging a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. She is prepared to poison herself when a stranger arrived on time to save her. That stranger is Amar, Raja of Akaran and he is one of the other fifteen suitors for the political wedding, although she didn't see him during the introductions until she decided to end her life.
With nothing left and Bharata in chaos, Maya is left with no choice but to follow Amar but Akaran is a place like no other for it is divided between the human realm and the Otherworld. Now as Akaran's queen, Maya starts to find some magical power which allows her to explore many impossible and unbelievable tasks; in which some are led to choices she has no way of choosing since each outcome bears a consequences. And most of all, Maya feels Amar is keeping some secrets about Akaran. Can he be trusted? And what are the secrets hanging around Akaran that makes Maya decides to take all the risk in unravelling the truth?
Roshani Chokshi has spun a magical story in The Star-Touched Queen set in the mysterious and atmospheric Akaran (or Naraka) filled with Indian folklore and mythology and some elements of fate, reincarnation and romance. I had a wonderful time reading this because it surprised me on many levels, especially since I had no idea what to expect of this story initially and it was great fun watching it unfold. There is another book about Maya's sister, Gauri, in A Crown of Wishes. However, the stories are not really connected thus each could read as a standalone.
© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
Tom Doherty Associates | March 2017 | 352 pgs
Source: Library
Mia Haas left her hometown in Wayoata to begin a new life in Chicago. The idea of going back home has never crossed her mind until she received a phone call from Wayoata Police Chief, John Pruden. For a moment, Mia thought something has happened to her mother. She used to be an alcoholic and an accident had caused some trauma to her head. She is now living at a care home. But no, the call isn't about her but Lucas, who is Mia's twin brother.
Lucas, who is a popular high school teacher, becomes a person of interest in a murder investigation of a sixteen-year-old girl named Joanna Wilkes. Joanna was one of Lucas's students, and there are rumours that they were romantically linked. Pruden's purpose of calling is to ask Mia to return to Wayoata to help them with their investigation, considering that Lucas couldn't be found and hopefully Lucas would turn himself in after "hearing" Mia's appeal. But of course Mia wouldn't do that; for she believes Lucas is the last person to have harmed an animal, let alone a person who is his student. Mia returns to Wayoata to unravel the truth herself, and soon finds out that things aren't as easy as she has thought; and on top of it she doesn't know who to trust given some bad blood with one or two residents and that she has lost the rapport with the Wayoata residents given she has been away for such a long while. Nevertheless, she is eager to find another suspect to prove Lucas's innocence but at times she wonders if Lucas is indeed guilty; after all why did he disappear if he is innocent?
Follow Me Down was quite an addictive read surrounding Mia's quest in searching the truth and while it has an intriguing beginning, the middle tends to drag a bit and I found myself struggling to get through it as Mia "reunites" with the residents, get herself involved with her old guidance counsellor and a few other stuff alongside with her own investigation. I skimmed through bits of the book and continued with my reading earnestly when the momentum picked up once again. Despite the little hiccups I'd had with the book, I was curious to know what happened and I was glad I enjoyed it ultimately.
© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
Hello! So I'd had a wonderful vacation with my family last week. In case you're wondering, we went to South Korea for the vacation (my Instagram followers should've seen some of my pictures there). It was our third trip to Korea and I can tell you we never got tired of it because each trip is special and there are so many places to explore and so many things to eat. I've to say our tour guide played an important role too since he is witty and had shared many medical knowledge with us since he used to be a doctor (it's a long story why he changed his profession) and anyway it was a fun, fun trip. I might share those fun experiences if I've the time to write them and sort out the pictures (well it might be a challenge considering this month is school holidays so we shall see). And of course, I want to thank you again for helping me in selecting two books to read during my trip. I'd only managed to read the top choice (The Breakdown by B A Paris) and what a thrilling read! And I promise to read Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney (second choice) once I'm done with my two library books which I just realised are due soon. Meanwhile I also have three book reviews scheduled for posting so they will be up in the following days.
HQ | February 2017 | 384 pgs
Source: Purchased
It was the storm that started everything. Cass Anderson knew she shouldn't have taken the deserted road in the woods back home but there was a jam at the dual carriageway and she wanted to get home fast under that dreadful weather. But she had and she saw a car was parked awkwardly in a small lay-by. As she drove past she saw a woman in it but her features were blurred by the teeming rain. With the bad weather and the thoughts that the woman might have an accomplice nearby waiting to rob or attack her, she decided it was wise to just drive off quickly instead of checking her out. The next morning, there was news that a woman was found dead at Blackwater Lane; it was the short cut which Cass had taken the previous night.
Consumed by guilt for not checking out the woman, Cass's emotional state took a plunge further after she realised she has been forgetting little things. And then there were the frequent silent calls she had been receiving after that woman's passing. Did the killer see her on that fateful night and was threatened by her existence? Or was her mind playing tricks on her? After all, her late mother had dementia in her forties; did that mean she had early onset dementia as well?
The Breakdown had an intriguing opening and the suspense never let go until the end. The author has done a great job in developing her characters and building the suspense and right from the start I could already sense the heavy foreboding and whether or not if I should trust Cass, given her forgetfulness condition and her unreliable narrator account as well. Here, we also understand how dementia is a devastating brain disease and Cass's fear and doubts are palpable as the story progresses and the suspense began to intensify. While the motives might seem a bit overboard to me, overall it was a well crafted story and a compelling read.
© 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
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