HarperCollins Publishers | June 2017 | 304 pgs
Source: Library
That creepy cover. No, this isn't a horror novel and although it
has dolls as a theme, this story is actually about a case of a little
girl's disappearance.
Lissie and Janey Woodham were out playing at their yard when the
elder sister, Lissie, left 4-year-old Janey behind to chase after a puppy.
Thinking Janey was back in the house, Lis didn't take notice and by then a few
precious hours were wasted. Their mother, whom others called Miss Sorrell, is a
doll maker and a doll collector herself. Together with her best friend and
neighbour, Evelyn, they make and repair dolls and Miss Sorrell even makes her own
portrait dolls which bear the hallmark of a Sorrell leaf; a special indication
to differentiate her dolls from others. Their mother had made a doll for each daughter; and many speculated that Janey or whoever kidnapped
her took her doll too because it couldn't be found.
The case remains unsolved throughout the years and Lis now has a
college-aged daughter, Vanessa. She continues to live with Miss Sorrell while
Vanessa is in another state working on her grant proposal on sleep-related
research. However, Vanessa's proposal has to take a
backseat as she's received a call from Evelyn that both her grandmother and her
mother are in a hospital due to an accident in their workroom. Before this, she
understood that a woman had turned up at Miss Sorrell's house with a broken
porcelain doll in responding to her ad about Janey's special portrait doll.
Every year on the anniversary of Janey's disappearance, Miss Sorrell will place
a classified ad offering a cash reward and there's been no news until now. Is
that really Janey's doll and is she really alive all these years? As Miss
Sorrell's family tries to find out more about that woman with the doll and its
authenticity, they'll soon learn that there's more than meets the eye and
whoever knows the truth surrounding Janey's disappearance will ensure that the
mystery will never be solved and will do anything to keep it hidden.
I really enjoyed reading this story. Though not entirely a
gothic story, I've to say there's still a little
sense of creepiness surrounding the dolls what with their real-like looks and
their scattered body parts waiting to be assembled (or wigs made from real
hairs). Hallie Ephron succeeded in capturing a reader's attention with her
suspenseful plot and intriguing characters through her writing skills and I've
to say some information about the sleep research on directing dreams is another
interesting aspect of this story. I'm looking forward to reading more by this
author.
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Penguin Publishing Group | May 2017 | 336 pgs
Source: Library
Eleanor Oliphant is an unusual woman. Living alone and with
no friends, one would've thought her life must be terribly miserable and
lonely. On the contrary, Eleanor doesn't really care what others think of her
and is rather contented with her simple, routine life. Not a natural with
social skills and sweet talking, she is often brushed off as being odd by her
co-workers and even if they do talk to her their intentions are usually
insincere or with motives. Eleanor has a crush on a musician
named Johnnie Lomond and she often envision them being as a couple one day. It
is a wishful thinking on her part, but he keeps her motivated in some
way.
Then her life takes a turn after she's met Raymond
Gibbons. Raymond works in the same company as Eleanor although they are
from different department. Eleanor knew Raymond because she needs his help with
fixing her office computer; and being a new employee and a conversationalist at
heart, Raymond will try to get into conversations with Eleanor whenever he sees
her. Eleanor isn't interested in forming a friendship with Raymond initially, but both of
them saw an elderly man fell and hurt his head on their way out of the office
at the same time one day. While Eleanor isn't the one who accompanied Sammy into the
ambulance, she couldn't help thinking of his condition and when Raymond suggest
they visit Sammy together after work she knew she has no reason to turn him
down. That one visit lead to another visit, and in no time Eleanor finds
herself quite familiarise with Sammy and even Raymond. In the subsequent
events, Eleanor changes bit by bit the more she's out with Raymond and interact
with others. And towards the end, the reader will discover more of Eleanor and what
makes her live in her own world and how she comes out from that abyss of
loneliness and self-blame.
I've to say Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is more than a
fine book; it is a moving, uplifting book filled with heart and courage. She is an intriguing character but not one who finds approachable at first sight; she is aloof and it took me some time to warm up to her but I liked her for her guilelessness and her genuine self. This is a heartwarming story that made me laugh, cry and be inspired by Eleanor's courage and determination for walking out of her abyss and be someone different. This book is Gail Honeyman's debut and was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish College Fiction Prize. I'll be sure to follow her next release.
© 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'd been anticipating for this drama after seeing that poster and knowing that this would be a fantasy romance between a water god and a psychiatrist. It sounds intriguing, isn't it? On top of it, it is based on a manhwa of the same title by Yun Mi Kyung and though I haven't read it, I understand there's a slight difference from the original comic based on what I read from the drama forum.
Water god, Habaek (starring Nam Joo Hyuk) is a charismatic yet a narcissistic deity of the Realm of Gods. Before his enthronement to be King of the Water Country, he is being sent to earth in order to locate some sacred stones to help him claim his throne. He finds Yoon So Ah (starring Shin Se Kyung) as there was a pact made between So Ah's past ancestors and the deities and that they will serve the water god for generations. So Ah, on the other hand, is a psychiatrist with her own practice but her life is a misery as she is saddled with debts and an unhappy past surrounding her father. Habaek and So Ah struggle to tolerate each other as expectations and their living lifestyle differ, but soon they'll discover that there's a lot more meaning to life and finally how they've come to a solution with their circumstances after they've fallen in love with each other.
I suppose I'd expected too much from this fantasy because what turns out to be an interesting premise became a huge disappointment. I think the major issue lies with the worldbuilding (of the deities) as not much information or explanations are being made except for little snippets or flashbacks here and there. I thought the deities' world was interesting and it'd be so much better if there are more focus on them but alas, no. And there's also a character who's half-deity, half-human (starring Lim Ju Hwan) disguised as a CEO of a famous resort and I felt his role here are underrated. And then, there're some scenes featuring the disputes between a wind god and this half-deity which left me perplexed because I'd no idea why the wind god is continuously picking on him simply because the latter is a half-blood. Finally, while I found the romance between Habaek and So Ah sweet and romantic, they tend to drag at times. Despite my disappointment, I was perseverant in watching this through and I was glad I did because the final episode was quite a good one even though it was a little too late. My verdict is, if you're expecting a more fantasy theme and a fancy worldbuilding you'd be disappointed, however this will appease to fans of the romance genre so it is all about personal preference and expectations.
© 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.
Park Row Books | June 2017 | 336 pgs
Source: Library
Mary Kubica's latest release, Every Last Lie, is a suspenseful psychological thriller that will make you think of deception and how well you know your significant one when bad things happen.
Clara and Nick Solberg are a happily married couple with a four-year-old Maisie and baby Felix. Unfortunately their happiness is short-lived as Nick was met in an automobile accident and was killed while Maisie miraculously survived. In the subsequent days Maisie seems terrified and keep saying that a bad man was following them. Clara isn't sure if Maisie's statement is simply her imagination, after all she does have her playful moments and on top of that the police has certified that it was an accident caused by Nick's reckless speeding. Clara knew Nick was always careful when their children are concerned, so she finds it hard to believe that Nick was really speeding with Maisie in the car. With this in mind and Maisie's statement she is certain that Nick's death is simply not an accident but something or someone that drove him into it.
Overcome by grief and this obsession that Nick was pursued by someone that led to his death, Clara is determined and desperate to hunt for the truth. As the more she digs, the more she discovers that Nick is hiding something from her. Nick was in a financial crisis as she later found out that the business of his dental clinic went downhill following a client's complaint. To add insult to injury, she also found out a few things which make her in doubt of Nick's credibility. Could Nick committed suicide with all his guilt and depression? What really caused his death and what does Clara believe? Maisie's vivid imagination, suicide or murder?
Told in Clara's perspective and Nick's last month's leading up to the crash alternatively, Every Last Lie was an engrossing read between finding the truth and discovering how grief and obsession could drive a person to the darkest corners of the psyche. Clara's pain and misery was well described but at times it seemed a bit overwhelming. While I wasn't enamoured by the twisty ending, I've to admit the story was intense and suspenseful.
© 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 | August 2017 | 512 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
This is my first Karin Slaughter standalone book and wow, what a compelling read!
Twenty-eight years ago, Samantha and Charlotte Quinn witnessed the murder and death of their mother. Zach and Daniel Culpepper, who broke into their house were actually looking for the girls' father, who is also Pikeville's most well-known and notorious defence attorney. His clients involve robbers, rapists and even murderers and for this, Rusty Quinn has often received death threats but nothing is serious until this tragedy. After their mother's death, Sam and Charlie Quinn fled for their life but each meets with a different destiny as one fight back while the other escape. Nevertheless, that fateful day remains a permanent scar for both Sam and Charlie, physically and emotionally as they grown into adults and each goes on her own way. And the Quinn family is never the same, again.
Now twenty-eight years later, like a good daughter Charlie follows Rusty's footsteps as a lawyer. Then a mass shooting incident left Pikeville in shock and in rage. Charlie isn't supposed to be at the scene, but she did and it left her traumatised by the sheer violence of it and worst of all being the first witness of the school tragedy. Kelly Wilson, the seventeen-year-old schoolgirl is found guilty for murdering the principal and an eight-year-old girl. As all evidence points to Kelly, Charlie is left with a bit of doubts as the murder weapon couldn't be found and on top of it Kelly's intellectual mind appears to be slightly lower than her peers. Faced with this tragedy which reminds her of the past, Charlie turns to her estranged elder sister, Sam. And both of them will soon discover that Kelly's case would unleash the shocking truth which destroyed their family many years ago.
Well, let me say The Good Daughter surprised me on many levels. Not only it was a good psychological suspense filled with intrigue and twists but it was also filled with heart, too. I've to confess it wasn't an easy read either, as there was violence and it made me ache reading what happened to the young victims as well as the Quinns sisters. Ms. Slaughter knows how to craft her story well and it shows in her writing, the tone and yes, the character development (of Charlie and Sam) too as this is very much about Charlie's story alongside the mass shooting incident. Reading about the Quinns family also struck a chord of various feelings in me; first empathy followed by a wave of melancholy which left a lump in my throat towards the finishing. It is rare that a crime thriller have that kind of effect in me. I'll have to check out her other stand-alones and her series books as well.
© 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.
Grand Central Publishing | June 2017 | 288 pgs
Source: Library
Small Hours is Jennifer Kitses' debut novel and a compelling domestic drama that explores a couple's search for a new life and how a misstep devastates the family thereafter.
Two years ago, Tom and Helen fled their home in New York to live in Devon; a former mill town and now an exurb. With its quiet community and away from the pressures of the city, they (especially Helen) are hopeful that this new place would give them some bliss and some peace where they could raise their young twin daughters who are three. Before the move, both Tom and Helen struggled to keep their jobs during the economy crisis but failed. Both of them eventually found something but not without a price. For Tom, a 90-minute train ride is essential for his journey to and from work aside from a demanding boss at a newswire firm. While Helen has the flexibility of working at home for her designing projects, her job often requires her to work last minute changes on short notices regardless of the hours. As they juggle between work and family, the stress begins to take a toll on them until Helen snaps over an incident on one fateful September morning. Tom, on the other hand, has been trying to keep his infidelity a few years back under wraps until it comes to a stage whereby he has to make a decision whether or not if he should let his "other family" go or to remain as part of his life.
Small Hours is an addictive domestic drama which tells what many working parents are facing today - to find balance between work and family on top of the financial stress. However, it is also a story about secrets, bad choices and decisions and how they will destroy the fragile equilibrium of a family bliss if one is not careful. Tom and Helen, both in their early 40s which is neither too young nor too old, are stuck in a situation where they don't have many job opportunities that work in their favours. Most of all, there aren't much communications in between their busy life so it is not surprising to see one party succumbs to temptations while the other break under pressure. While there aren't twists and turns (or murder) in this novel, it was interesting (and intriguing) seeing the story unfolds through Tom's and Helen's story alternatively in a span of one fateful September day until the conclusion. It was thought-provoking in a way, and I was glad I picked this up.
© 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.
Harvill Secker | June 2017 | 384 pgs
Source: Purchased
First of all, I want to thank Lark (Lark Writes...on books and life) for reading this book with
me and it's been fun doing this buddy reading and comparing notes with her. (I'm definitely looking forward to our next buddy reading, Lark!) Without further ado, here's my
review of The Lying Game by Ruth Ware.
For seventeen years, Isa, Kate, Thea and Fatima are each occupied with their own
life after leaving Salten in Reach, except for Kate. After all, Kate lives there
all her life with her late father, Ambrose and her stepbrother, Luc.
The old mill house by the marsh once brought these girls, who are now women,
many unforgettable teenage memories. They are close like sisters, and they
enjoyed their countless Lying Games which had fooled so many of their peers and
adults alike but one thing is clear, which is no lying to each other. Their
high school days at Salten House are full of scandals, and people steered clear
of them, knowing they are liars and not to be trusted. The lies they weaved
varies from harmless to shockingly ones, until an incident surrounding a mysterious death had them leave the
school and they never looked back since.
Now Isa, Thea and Fatima have put their days at Salten far behind after they
left Reach, until they received a text that said "I need you" from
Kate. They don't use that three little words except in direness situations, so
they knew in their heart something have happened and they have to go back to
Salten and to Kate to confront their past. It turns out that a human
bone was found, and the police is investigating it. What really happened in
Salten? And why does Kate needs them now after all those years of
silence?
If you are a fan of Ruth Ware, you would know that she has a way of building
the suspense and intensity from the beginning until the truth is revealed. Though The
Lying Game still has that aura of mystery and suspense, the attention here
focuses more on the characters development and the tight-knit relationship and
trust among the four women. It also has a strong sense of parenting love and
this often shows on Isa's fussing over her six-month old baby (which I found to be a bit overwhelming at times.) While the pacing was a tad slow (until towards the last third of the book) and
different from Ware's previous two books (In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10), the surprise at the end still threw
me off and that was a good thing. Overall it was a good read and I can't wait
to hear what the author has in store for her next book.
Before ending this review, Lark and I asked each other two questions and here's
my answers to her questions:
1. What did you think about this Lying Game that the girls played, and would
you have played it when you were their age?
There are two forms of lies - one with an intention to
deceive/harm others while the other with a well-intention purpose. And then
there are some who think lying is fun, to gain attention and to see how a
person would react to their false statement. Our four characters here belong to the
last but they didn't realise that the lies they spun could sometimes hurt a
person's reputation and worse, has led to a huge consequences. And I think they've
gone too far if someone was hurt because of it.
Truth be told, I was quite an introverted person when I was their age. Telling
small lies, such as forgotten to bring our homework etc might have worked at
times but I doubt we could get away if we spread something outrageous and
malicious in school (during our secondary school days, everyone almost "knew" everyone on the same class level and bad news always spread the fastest, not that someone had done something really bad then.) So while telling small lies are inevitable at times (e.g. "inventing" anything to distract my daughters),
I don't have the mind (or guts anyway, present or past) to play something
outrageous or malicious that would hurt a person.
2. And what makes Woman in Cabin 10 your favorite Ruth Ware novel?
I always have a thing for locked-room mystery. Woman in Cabin
10 satisfied all my reading expectations of a psychological suspense thriller.
It has an unreliable character who thinks there's a murderer on board on their
exclusive small cruise liner and that claustrophobic feeling with
nowhere-to-run was such a thrill to read. I felt that the plot was well crafted
too, and it kept me on edge throughout my reading journey.
Please visit Lark's blog to read about her thoughts on this book and her
answers to my questions.
© 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.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | January 2017 | 304 pgs
Source: Library
SFPD homicide detective Gavin Cain is overseeing an exhumation work when he receives a call from his superior, Lieutenant Nagata. The casket they are digging and a cold case will have to wait. Cain has finally found something which might shed some light on the case they have been working on for years, thus he is perplexed why he is being called for until he realised it is a request from San Francisco's mayor, Harry Castelli.
When Cain meets Harry, the latter shows him a short note and four photographs he received. The four photographs offer some depictions of what's happening when they were taken, though the actual event isn't clear and they could only speculate. But that's not all, whoever sent these stuff to Harry wants him to take his own life or worse revelations will come by the end of the week. As Harry races against time with FBI agent Karen Fischer to unravel the truth and hunt for the blackmailer, they would soon realise that there is more than meets the eye and that the casket he is digging may connect with Harry's case.
I read Jonathan Moore's The Poison Artist a while back and was impressed by his storytelling and his writing style. The Dark Room continues his signature of the above and I've to say TDR was more tense and have a multi-layered plot which I didn't see coming from the beginning. Part suspense and part police procedural, I was hooked from the opening featuring a determined homicide detective Cain while he opened up a cold case thirty years ago. With a few pages in, the reader could tell that he is an uncorrupted cop who would not allow himself to waver and crumble under pressure, and certainly not from the powerful mayor Castelli. Aside from that, he is also a considerate and attentive lover when his girlfriend, Lucy, is concerned. One could easily see why considering Lucy was one of the victims and the only adult survivor of a school mass shooting four years ago. That incident led Lucy from a shining talented pianist to a timid woman who hides in her house 24/7. Cain's camaraderie with his two other subordinates and their investigations add intrigue to the story and I found these scenarios are just as intense as the plot as they encounter difficulties and danger as they dig deeper. I'm glad to hear his next release, The Night Market, will be released in January 2018. I'm definitely looking forward to that.
© 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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