William Morrow | March 2018 | 384 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
If I Die Tonight is a character driven story set in a small town of Havenkill revolving a carjacking/hit-and-run incident turns deceptions and conspiracies in this psychological suspense.
Thirteen-year-old Connor Reed finds his elder brother, Wade, in his room late one night with his clothes soaked by rain. It is a rainy night and Connor has no idea why Wade was out so late (or early since it's around 3 a.m.) in the first place. Thinking he must be dreaming, he cast the thought aside until the news of Liam Miller was involved in a hit-and-run accident rouse his suspicion. The timeline of the accident was around the time when he thought he saw a drenched Wade in his room. Could it be a coincidence or what?
On the other end, Aimee En reports about a carjacking incident and how a teenage boy was run over when he tried to help. Liam Miller is believed to have responded to her cries when a guy dressed in black hoodie tried to steal her car. Once a celebrity in the music industry during the 80s, Aimee's fame has gone downhill as the years go and she is trying her best to earn back her name and fame through performances thrown in her way. The carjacking incident has made her a victim and a hero of Liam, and both of them got sympathies from the community. Wade, on the other hand, is not so lucky. Classified as a loner and an outcast in school, Wade quickly becomes the suspect after Aimee claimed Wade fits the build of the perpetrator, even though that night was rainy and everything happened in a blur. Social media has also snowballed into a finger-pointing frenzy yet all this while Wade keep quiet instead of defending himself. Is he really the perpetrator?
Told from a few viewpoints, this novel is more than a psychological suspense in my opinion. As I mentioned before this is very much a character driven story, it also cover issues such as single parenting, past trauma, teenage angst as well as secrets and perceptions. There is also a little backstory about a female police officer which I found interesting. I think she would make an intriguing character should the author decides to feature her in her upcoming books (I could only hope). Suspense aside, I also found this story to be a little heartbreaking, what with the challenges a single mother has to face as well as the malicious comments on social media platforms could do to a person. All in all this was one thought-provoking read and I'll be sure to check out Ms. Gaylin's future releases.
© 2018 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 | February 2017 | 432 pgs
Source: Library
I'd read a few Karin Slaughter's books in the past and she is one of the best authors I've come across for writing dark and compelling suspense thrillers. Although some of them aren't always easy to read when the subjects are concerned, Ms. Slaughter manages to capture the realism and sensitivity behind those dark horrifying tales that make you feel for the characters and think what you'd do under those circumstances.
This novel revolves around missing girls, secrets and the relationship between two sisters who have distanced from each other and reunited again under a circumstances which reminds them of a horrifying past incident and how it comes back to haunt them again.
Claire and Lydia lost their eldest sister, Julia, when the latter was sixteen years old. A missing case and her body was never found. She was last seen at a bar and was later accounted by a friend that she left alone thereafter. No one knew what happened to her and the years move on. As the remaining two sisters grow up with their family being torn apart after Julia's disappearance, they began to distance from each other. Claudia sees Lydia as a girl who smokes pot and living a wild life so she didn't believe a word she had said then, until another case of a missing girl and the murder of Claudia's husband bring back the horror and the heartbreaking past back into their lives. Now the two estranged sisters have to form an alliance to unravel the truth and bring down the evil perpetrator who has murdered countless girls cruelly and destroyed their family.
Pretty Girls was a really dark, intense psychological thriller with all the thrills and chills. Both suspenseful and heartrending, this story wasn't an easy read with all the horror and the violence inflicted on the female victims. Karin Slaughter didn't pull any punches when it comes to writing such scenes, and I cringed every time I read how the poor girls are cruelly abused and tortured. This aside, I've to applaud Ms. Slaughter for creating two compelling and strong-willed characters who will fight for justice and survival just when I thought the situation was bleak at times and that finding evidence could be a challenge to them. Claudia and Lydia touched me with their fighting spirit and their love for Julia; this was what drove me to read on despite the dark subject and not to mention the riveting plot and my wish to see the case resolved and that justice will prevail in the end.
© 2018 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.
This legal thriller and melodrama (2015) caught my attention thanks to an entertainment magazine article I read about actor Yoo Seung-ho and his latest work, I'm Not a Robot. Since I'd enjoyed that drama I thought it'd be good to catch up on Yoo's previous work and I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I've to say his acting skills in this drama was even more impressive due to the intense story plot as it requires (lots of) emotional acting skills.
In a nutshell, this drama is about the relationship between a father and son, power and conspiracies, as well as revenge and justice. There are bits of romance too, but I've to say the romance is a bit too short and bittersweet but a beautiful one. To begin with, Seo Jin-woo (starring Yoo Seung-ho) has Hyperthymesia, a condition which allows him to remember things in detail. When his neighbour's daughter was murdered, Jin-woo's father became a suspect since he was last seen in the woods with the girl's body. The thing is, Jin-woo's father is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and his memory comes and goes at times. Apparently he lost his direction home after buying a mobile phone for Jin-woo (which he had bought a few and has forgotten) and he couldn't recall anything and why he was in the woods.
Secondary characters such as lawyer Park Dong-ho (starring Park Sung-woong) and antagonist Nam Gyu-man (starring Namkoong Min) are this story's "backbone" as both of them played an important part in Jin-woo's story; the former is both an ally and a foe to Jin-woo, considering his father was the indirect cause to the death of Jin-woo's mother and brother when the latter is the real murderer and due to his family's power and wealth, they could easily persuade/bribe others to take on their side. Jin-woo later became a lawyer since he felt he could trust no one and this begins the tug of war between justice and power.
Nam Gyu-man vs Seo Jin-woo
Remember may be too dramatic at times but I enjoyed seeing how the story unfolds and it kept me on edge at most times. I felt for Jin-woo throughout the story; it seemed like his journey was full of bumps and heartbreak. Park Dong-ho is a character who will grow on you as the story progresses. Despite living around gangsters since a teenager, he has his own principles and at some point I was even moved by the things he has done for Jin-woo. As for the antagonist, Nam Gyu-man is a character whom you'd love to kick his butt because he is simply cold-blooded and evil. Due to actor Namkoong Min's outstanding performance in portraying the twisted Gyu-man, this has won him an Excellence Award for Actor in a Miniseries at the 5th APAN Star Awards (2016) as well as nominations for Grand Prize at the year-end SBS Drama Awards and for Best Actor at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards (2016) (info from Wikipedia).
All in all this was an intense legal melodrama supported by a cast of interesting characters (not to mention the great performance of the artistes who played their respective roles) and an unforgettable plot which had me glued to the screen unfailingly for the past two weeks. Recommended.
© 2018 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.
Michael Joseph | January 2018 | 480 pgs
Source: Purchased
If you've read Me Before You and After You, you'll be familiar with Louisa Clark and this book continues her story, in which she left for New York from London to work with the wealthy Gopniks family. Although this book still read as a stand-alone, I'd suggest you start with Me Before You first for the backstory so you'd have a better understanding while reading this book.
To avoid any spoilers for readers who haven't read Me Before You and After You (in which why I didn't link up my reviews but you may search for them on my blog homepage if you're interested), my review for this book will be vague but I'd share my thoughts and how this book made me feel without revealing too much details.
Louisa Clark has changed so much the last I read her from Me Before Me; and with each book she becomes a better person yet she is who she is deep down. In this book, it is all about people's connections (no matter if it's long distance or the neighbours living in a posh apartment building) and also about following one's dreams. Here, we also read about the mega wealthy people and their lifestyle, as well as their mentality and insights on a few certain things, like friendship and of course, what power and money could do to right the wrongs, in some way or another depending on one's perspective.
I especially liked the second part of the story, whereby Louisa interacts with an elderly woman who is a bit grumpy yet generous in so many ways. She also has a pup named Dean Martin, which she dotes on him like a baby. As much as I loved Me Before You (which will always remains as my favourite), I find the strength of this book is about not losing yourself while finding a new you. I loved how this book made me laugh, cry and inspire me in so manys. A must-read for all the romantics and for anyone who needs a uplifting read.
© 2018 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.
Century | December 2017 | 384 pgs
Source: Purchased
Dennis Danson was arrested and imprisoned for the brutal murder of an eleven-year-old girl Holly Michaels. He was barely eighteen years old then and the news had caused an uproar in his small hometown in Red River County, Florida. Dennis's adolescence years were considered an unhappy one. Living with an abusive father and a mother who could barely help herself, his only friend was Howard Harries, whose father is a police officer. Officer Eric Harries doesn't trust Dennis; he thinks he is a bad influence to Howard and whatever bad things Howard did, he would blame it on Dennis's responsibility in leading his son astray. It is also Officer Harries who was the first who interviewed Dennis after Holly's body was found. Whether if he has a personal grudge against Dennis, nobody knows.
Now an adult and still serving time for murder on Florida's Death Row, Dennis is the subject of a true-crime documentary and while there are people who detest what he had done, there are also supporters who feel he is wrongfully convicted. Samantha, a schoolteacher who lives a thousand miles away in England, is both fascinated and obsessed by Dennis's case. She begins to write him letters, while on the other hand campaigning for his release with the other supporters. And Dennis replies to all her letters; soon their relationship takes on to another level and Samantha decides to leave her old life in England to be with Dennis, even if they are separated by a pane of glass. Soon, Dennis ask Samantha to marry him and she say yes. Thereafter, the campaign is a success and Dennis is released but Samantha begins to notice a new side of him which have her wondering if she has made a terrible mistake in supporting the campaign and marrying him.
The Innocent Wife is Amy Lloyd’s debut and is the winner of the Daily Mail First Novel Competition. While I'd enjoyed this gripping psychological suspense, I also have a few issues with it. To avoid spoilers, I won't go into the specifics but here are a few issues which bugged me generally. For starters, I don't understand why Samantha is attracted to Dennis, or a convict in that particular? (Sure, he is handsome and charismatic, but...) Whether if Dennis is guilty or not, Samantha gave me the impression as being reckless and compulsive for leaving everything at home to meet a stranger. Even at the point where Samantha is suspicious, she doesn't leave right away. While I understand this is part of and allure of the plot, in reality it is totally a different thing. These aside, it was a compelling read - both character-driven and plot-driven. The ending threw me off a little, but then it wasn't too hard to guess if given much thoughts to it. I'm curious to know what Ms. Lloyd will have in store for her next book.
© 2018 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 Books | September 2017| 352 pgs
Source: Library
When a thousand dead starlings fall onto a high school baseball field in a quiet Pennsylvania town, no one could foresee that this is just the beginning of a catastrophe which will rock the close-knit community for the days to come.
Nate Winters is a baseball coach and high school teacher and is well loved by many of the students in school. He follows his students on social media platforms as an onlooker and it says a lot about his concern for them but to some people his actions seem a bit overrated. He and Alecia are married and have a five-year-old son, Gabe, who is autistic. Before Gabe, Nate and Alecia used to have a wonderful marriage life but that all changed once Alecia has to stop working to take care of Gabe.
Their relationship is further challenged when one of the many reporters investigating the fallen birds catches Nate embracing a student, Lucia Hamm, in front of a sleazy motel. Lucia has a wild reputation in school and is often called a "witch" by some of her schoolmates. Nate, on the other hand, feels she is just a troubled teen with a broken family who needs attention. The news causes an uproar within the community when Lucia claimed she and Nate are in love. Nate denies they are engaged in an affair, but what happens next is the beginning of his nightmare when Lucia suddenly disappears and he seemed to be the last person who has seen her.
Bridget Peterson is Nate's coworker and is friends to both Nate and Alecia. She and her late husband used to mingle a lot with the Winters couple but after Holden passed away with cancer and with Alecia busy with Gabe, Bridget retreats from their life but she is still close with Nate, considering they work in the same school. Lucia used to be a student at Bridget's creative writing class and while Bridget is bothered by some of her journal entries, there are others which perplexed her and have her wondering if there are some hidden messages within those entries. She has no doubts about Nate's innocence, but it seems no one believes in him, not even Alecia. Alecia has her own theory though, and in her opinion she thinks Nate only tells her part of the truth after she has found out that he had "liked" one of Lucia's pictures and what it is isn't flattering or even appropriate. So what happened to Lucia and who is telling the truth?
Told in four alternating point of views (Lucia, Nate, Alecia and Bridget) and shifting back and forth in time, The Blackbird Season is a multi-layered story about a girl coming of age, teenage angst, a depiction of a marriage in crisis, issue of sexual assault as well as the effects of secrets amid a small town community. Sounds like a lot going on, isn't it? Although it came across as a more character-driven story than a plot-driven story in my opinion, there was still a mystery element within the story and I was curious to see how it all unfold towards the end and most of all, the truth behind Lucia's disappearance. Kate Moretti's writing is smooth and precise so this is another reason why I was drawn to the story. I'll definitely keep a look out for her future releases.
© 2018 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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