Riverrun | May 2018 | 464 pgs
Source: Library
Salt Lane is the first book in the series featuring DS Alexandra Cupidi, although she has already made her appearance in William Shaw's earlier book, The Birdwatcher (which I'll make sure to get to that book in the near future). In this book, Cupidi is transferred from the London Met police after a scandal which sent her packing to a quiet coastline in Kent. Constable Jill Ferriter is assigned to work with her and their first case is a woman who was found floating in the marsh with her death unknown. Further investigation has revealed her identity but that is only the info they've had. Her name was Hilary Keen.
In another circumstances, a homeless woman knocked on a man's door, claiming she is his long lost mother but vanished before the morning arrives. Just the night before and about the same time the body of Hilary Keen was found. Could this homeless woman be her since the police found out later that they both shared the same name? As if things aren't complicated enough, they found another dead body buried in a slurry pit at a farm. An immigrant labourer who has no ID and top with language barrier from fellow workers, Cupidi finds their investigation at a dead end and the only connection she could link with the two cases is that the location of their bodies are miles apart within the marsh land.
Salt Lane was a great story in many ways. Not only it was suspenseful and well executed, it was equally character-driven and a timely novel as well as it touches on the immigrants issue and the problems they face and how the society view and react as a whole. The relationship and banter between Cupidi and Ferriter was another interesting read and add some perspectives through their detective minds amid their differences, personality or professionalism-wise. A great, engaging first book of a series which I'll certainly follow.
© 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.
William Morrow | August 2018 | 480 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Karin Slaughter's latest standalone is all about the relationship between a mother and daughter and how well you know your loved one.
Andrea "Andy" Cooper is celebrating her 31st birthday with her mother at a dining place when a gunman strides in and begin a shooting spree. While everyone scrambles to flee, Andy notices a side of her mother which she has never seen before. Like a trained combatant, Laura swiftly cut the shooter's move and he ended up dead. Her heroic act is caught on video and has gone viral, but on closer look it seems like Laura is doing more harm than a self defense act. Andy then leave town under Laura's instructions but her mind is filled with doubts and questions. Is her mother hiding something and most importantly, who is she?
Alternatively in another time period set in 1986, the reader get to learn about a dysfunctional family and the secrets they are hiding. Just what does this family has to do with Laura the reader will soon find out as the story progresses but it took some time for this reader to piece everything together as it seems the two parts of the story are disjointed; it doesn't help when the pace seemed a little slow in the beginning but it does pick up once there was a connection between the two.
Karin Slaughter's books are often well plotted and feature a cast of intriguing characters but in this case I found my attention waned at times. The present time featuring Andy was an interesting read and as much as the flashbacks were intriguing, it definitely took much more concentration as they feature more characters and not to mention more plots going on as the truth unravels. Karin's writing continues to shine in this latest release but the style seemed a little different from her previous books and personally this wasn't my favourite Karin Slaughter book but from another perspective it showcase her versatility, which is always a plus for writers.
© 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.
Thomas & Mercer | May 2018 | 364 pgs
Source: Library
Set in a town of Beddmawr* in North Wales, this is a story about the disappearance of 8-year-old Lily Marsh and a horror novelist who is obsessed with finding out the truth surrounding her disappearance.
Two years ago, Michael Marsh was drowned while trying to save his daughter at River Dee. According to North Wales Police, Lily had run ahead out of sight and by the time they noticed she was missing, it was all too late. Her toy cat was found floating in the river, prompting Michael to jump in. Since Lily's body was never found, Julia thinks she might be alive and this has keep her moving on. She has then turned their house as a writers' retreat to sustain the cost of living and she has three guests under her roof when horror novelist, Lucas Radcliffe, joins them.
Lucas used to live in Beddmawr when he was a boy; but his real reason for revisiting is that he is hoping to rediscover his voice as he is stuck with his book and what's better place to find peace than your childhood home? However, within days of his arrival, the peace of the retreat is shattered by a series of eerie events. The other three writers claimed they'd heard something - someone's singing within the walls and when they confronted Julia it wasn't her. Then Lucas's pen and mobile phone have gone missing and by that point he was already invested in little Lily's disappearance after Googling the Marsh's family tragedy and he is keen to find out the mystery, to the extent of hiring a private investigator himself.
But Beddmawr is a small community where everyone knows everyone; and to complicate matters there have been legends that a Red Widow in the woods will hunt a girl every thirty-five years and Lily is believed to be one of her victims. Lucas didn't know what to believe yet he couldn't explain the strange things which are happening at the retreat. Yet as he digs deeper, he soon learns that Beddmawr has a dark secret and it might cost him his life should he continue with his investigation.
You know, I love a suspense with a bit of folklore or supernatural element connecting to it and this book was a treat because it was simply unputdownable. This book was haunting not only of the atmospheric setting of a secluded retreat but also how family dynamics, betrayal and superstitious minds could lead to frightening consequences. A great story with a cast of intriguing characters. I'll have to check out this author's work be it new or old.
* Under the author's note, Beddmawr is stated as a fictional site but if you want to find where it'd exist in map, it's very close to Llangollen in Denbighshire.
© 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.
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group | January 2018 | 320 pgs
Source: Library
Jamie Brandt initially didn't have the intention of leaving her two young daughters in the car by themselves. But she had to buy some gifts for the girls' friend party and they were running late. She thought she'd be quick and that they'd be safe in the car at a strip mall parking lot, but she didn't expect that the girls would leave their car and out exploring. A few store assistants and customers had claimed they'd saw the two girls briefly but their statements were vague. The police isn't much help given they are stretched thin by budget cuts and the growing OxyContin and meth epidemics; and with little information about the girls' disappearance, Jamie decides to hire a bounty hunter whose specialty is finding missing children.
Alice Vega is good in her job; she is relentless and she rarely back down from challenges. The police, on the other hand, isn't pleased with Alice's involvement despite they've no leads. Alice already has someone who could hack information for her but she also needs someone who is familiar with the local community and stuff. Enter Max Caplan, who is the former police detective and had resigned from a scandal. He has his own investigative business but the cases are mainly on infidelity affairs and the likes. He didn't take on Alice's offer initially, but after some thoughts and a nudge from his 16-year-old daughter, he finally gave in.
Alice and Max work differently and their personalities may clashes at times, but they form a dynamic duo and they are willing to go to any length to trace the girls' trails. And this is the core of the story as it takes up most of the scenes and read like a police procedural. The descriptions of their findings are quite detailed and I've to say this is the strength of the story alongside the character developments. The banter between Alice and Max was what I enjoyed most of this story and I'm hoping Louisa Luna will continue writing about them as a series.
© 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.
Bantam Press | May 2018 | 352 pgs
Source: Library
This is the first book I read by Belinda Bauer and certainly not my last. To begin with, I loved how well executed this story is and how the characters made me feel throughout my reading journey. It may not have lots of twists and turns or a shocking ending which seems to be the current "in" thing for the thrillers genre, but I do miss a good old-fashioned suspense now and then and most of all, how much I rooted for the character despite his flaws and everything.
In 1998, eleven-year-old Jack Bright and his two siblings are sitting in their broken-down car while their pregnant mother left them to make an emergency call. She told Jack to be in charge and that she wouldn't be long. But time stretches and she is still not back. Worried and unwilling to sit in the stifling car any longer, Jack and his siblings decided to go look for their mother and found a dangling receiver at the telephone box instead. Later, they soon learned that their mother was brutally murdered and her body was found. Devastated, Jack's father left home and never returns after the tragedy and once again, Jack is left in charge of his siblings. To avoid being sent off to social services care, Jack and his siblings try to uphold a "happy family" image by giving others impression that their father's working hours are often unstable. With the help of an eccentric friend, Jack masters burglary so as to feed his siblings. Until one day a house he has broken into shake his equilibrium - a knife he is certain which killed his mother is found in the house.
DCI John Marvel used to be a homicide detective but was forced out by a single unfortunate incident that had resulted in the death of a suspect fleeing custody. As penance for his supposed transgression, he is now working alongside with DS Reynolds on burglary cases. Marvel has not given up hope on his so-called demotion yet as he works on the Goldilocks case; in which the burglar earns this nickname by making himself at home before he escape with his loot.
What turns out to be a different thread with no connection takes a turn as the story progresses and this is where the story becomes intriguing. This is one of those books which you've to "savour" it bit by bit as it focuses much on the characters in the beginning (from Jack to the two detectives) but once it hit the crucial part you couldn't put it down thereafter. Alongside the suspense, I also found it to be heartbreaking at times reading about Jack's unfortunate experiences in life. I felt so much for him as well as his siblings, Joy and Merry. Reading about his memories of their mother brought a lump to my throat; and all the more reading how he struggles to make ends meet despite his young age. All in all, this was a great book which I enjoyed immensely. A suspense with a touch of humanity . . . I love this combination and I'm hoping to see more of this in the thrillers genre.
© 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.
Mantle | May 2018 | 448 pgs
Source: Library
First of all, I want to say this is a dark book which features some heavy and disturbing issues (i.e. pedophilia, rape, abuse and murder). I read through it with a heavy heart due to the subjects and that how a young mind's thinking and a few bad choices could lead to some unexpected consequences.
Set in a small village in an English countryside during the 90s, this story is about the disappearance and murder of an eleven-year-old girl Billie Brooke. Thera Wilde was her best friend and she is the narrator of this story.
Before tragedy struck, Thera and Billie loved playing imaginary games; sometimes they would pretend they were detectives and solve cases. At other times, they would simply play with their other friends, Hattie and Poppy, but Thera found them boring and mean. On one occasion Thera played the Ouija board and that was the time she thought she had seen four black dogs and a girl with blonde-brown hair while they were playing near the wheat fields. The thing is, the other girls with her didn't see anything. After Billie disappeared, Thera made it a personal mission to find the truth and this set a chain of events which would change all their lives thereafter.
Dead Girls isn't your typical crime thriller as it doesn't have that edge-of-your-seat intensity or complex characters whom you might doubt or hate. Well, of course there are some unlikeable characters but this isn't the main focus here. Right from the start, I felt the connection with Thera not because she is the narrator but because of her voice. She has a way of captivating her audience with her speech and thoughts but there are times I found them confusing (or contradictory) as she may seemed to be childish at a time and matured the next. Still, I've to say Thera is both a smart and a fearless girl for an eleven-year-old. Once she set her mind into doing something, she would make sure to follow it and accomplish it in the end. Generally, it sounds like a good thing but Thera's mission is no ordinary task. Her mind is set on finding Billie's murderer and what she did to herself both worried and terrified me.
I suppose I'd have to be vague about my thoughts from this point on because I've so much to talk about it yet I couldn't to avoid any spoilers. As mentioned, this isn't really a fast-paced thriller but one which focus on character developments, Thera's thoughts and the things which are set in motion through her perspective and her morality. There is a side of paranormal aspect based on Thera's "communications" with the dead girls, but one is never sure if this is only in Thera's head or otherwise. I liked this ambiguity for some reason; and my favourite part is the reminiscence of Thera's childhood when the Tamagotchi (Nano Pets) and the Spice Girls were all the rage during that time. I'd have given this a 5-star rating if not of that ending. That said, I enjoyed this book due to the author's writing and I found it refreshing to feature a young narrator in a crime suspense which is rare in my opinion.
© 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.
Rora Oh (starring Kim Sung Ryung) is a renowned scientist on artificial intelligence. She lives with her only young son, Nam Shin, until her father-in-law separates them and take him under his care. There have been some disputes in the family and Rora still couldn't accept the news that her husband had committed suicide. Devastated after the death of her husband and now the separation from her son, Rora creates an android which looks like her son. She has been modifying the android throughout the years as she watches her young son grow up into an adult. She treats Nam Shin III (starring Seo Kang Joon) like her own son; and the two of them lives happily in the Czech Republic until she hears the news that her real son was in Czech Republic and had gotten into an accident and is comatose.
Fearful for his condition and to protect his place in the PK Group (after all he is the third generation heir to the large corporation), Rora decides to monitor her real son's condition with the help of a doctor friend and meanwhile having Nam Shin III to take over his place. Nam Shin III has soon learned the habits and demeanours of the real Nam Shin and no one can tell the difference except for a few who knew the truth.
Kang So Bong (starring Gong Seung Yeon) used to work as a security guard to the real Nam Shin until she was disgracefully dismissed. Angered and vowed to get her dignity back, she barged into his office and meet up with Nam Shin III. Of course the android didn't know of their feud, and So Bong is puzzled by Nam Shin's strange behaviours. She soon became his bodyguard once again, and learns the truth behind everything and finds herself falling in love with Nam Shin III as the days go. The day Nam Shin wakes up starts all the complications; and someone in PK Group will do anything to stop Nam Shin from succeeding the place, right from the day when he planned Nam Shin's "accident" in Czech Republic.
Gah. I'm still in a hangover mood as of writing this. I enjoyed and loved it so much! There are so many things I loved about this drama - the plot, the characters and most of all, the romance between Nam Shin III and So Bong. I guess the romance between a human and a robot might raise eyebrows to some, but I thought their romance was very sweet and Nam Shin III is a perfect "gentleman" who would melt any girl's heart (or maybe I'm biased since I'm a fan of Seo Kang Joon). Well if only the real Nam Shin would be like him. That said, I also loved the A.I. element as well as the impressive technology surrounding it. Overall I thought this was an enjoyable sci-fi fantasy (from a critic POV).
© 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.
Scribner | January 2018 | 320 pgs
Source: Library
Before the nuclear war and the flu pandemic, Lynn McBride used to live a normal life in Chicago. She lived there till she was twelve before moving to Alaska, and finally to the snow-covered Yukon Territory when the world came crashing down. There were attacks, bombs were dropped and countries got labeled as either enemies or allies but the worst was the flu pandemic. People died and those who haven't gotten it fled and isolated themselves.
Lynn, together with her mother, uncle, her brother and a friend's son stayed in a cabin hidden in the snowy wilderness for years until a stranger barged into their so-called peaceful life. Jax is mysterious yet Lynn was both intrigued and fascinated by him; especially she viewed him as a link to the world beyond their little settlement. In the end they allowed him to stay a short while, but that short period stretched to a long while until their hideout was spotted by the DCIA (Disease Containment and Immunity Advancement) - a research group on the deadly flu and they seemed to be targeting at Jax. With this question in mind, Lynn decided to follow his trails and soon learned that she was connected to the mystery surrounding Jax.
The Wolves of Winter pulled me in from the start due to the post-apocalyptic theme. What's so scary about this story is it seems plausible and makes you think about survival and humanity and what you'd do should that happen. It's a frightening thought, yet one which I couldn't help thinking during and after reading this book. Without revealing too much of the plot, all I could say is as much as the topic was a depressing one, there was still a portrayal of hope in it and most of all, I liked Jax as well as Lynn for her fighting spirit and her sense of humanitarianism. An intriguing first novel by the author and I hope his next book won't be a long wait.
This book was chosen as a buddy read with Lark and like our previous buddy reads, I enjoyed our book talks and the notes comparisons via emails. Reading is fun, but reading it together with someone (or a group) makes the reading experience a richer one. Thank you, Lark! And finally, here's our usual Q&As and my answers to Lark's questions are as below. And don't forget to visit Lark's blog for her review and the Q&As, too!
1. What did you think of the dystopian world that Tyrell Johnson created and how does it compare with other dystopian worlds you've read about?
I think Tyrell Johnson's world in The Wolves of Winter is a scary, scary one. I don't read a lot of dystopian books, but I thought the author has painted a vivid account of the world destruction through Lynn's eyes (as well as her family members); it's also a portrayal about humans' ambitions and to what extent they would do to accomplish the goals they want to do. As I mentioned, I don't read a lot of dystopian books but one book came in mind while reading this and that book is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. In fact, there's a bit of The Road "feel" in this, just that the former wasn't specific about the world destruction and it's more about the survival and the relationship between a father and son. It's emotionally driven and McCarthy has captured their moments beautifully albeit a sad one.
2. What are Lynn's best and worst traits and how do you think they helped her survive?
I think Lynn's best traits are her courage, her determination and her fearless mindset. Without these combinations I think she'd have given up and stay where she is - always in hiding and living in fear. As for her worst trait, I'd say it is her stubbornness. Once she has set her mind in doing something, there's no turning back for her. I suppose this could be a good trait too, depending on the circumstances.
© 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.
Simon & Schuster | April 2018 | 368 pgs
Source: Library
Teddy Cannon is in her early twenties and she's bright and resourceful. With a bad debt and a bookie who is after her family, Teddy has only one place to try her luck at money - casino at Las Vegas. Heavily disguised as she's banned from casinos, Teddy hopes that her capabilities in reading people would win her some money, after all it's about body language and some instinct. She knew because she knew; and she blames her unpredictable episodes of seizures to anxiety and epilepsy but what she doesn't know is she has psychic abilities. She caught the attention of a mysterious man after she's lost everything and he told her that she could get a chance for redemption at the Whitfield Institute; a facility secluded from the mainland and there students master telepathy and telekinesis as well as investigative skills so they could serve for the government agencies after they've passed the tests.
With nothing to lose, Teddy decided it's the best option considering her current circumstances. Whitfield Institute, like any other schools, have their fair share of elite (so called the Alphas) and misfit students and Teddy finds herself on the latter category with a few others. Among this group is a "weirdo" who could sometimes predict someone's death, a free spirit who could communicate with animals, a girl who could read emotions and empathise through her mind, an awkward psychometric and finally a bad boy who's able to set things on fire.
While Teddy finds it challenging with the training, her biggest challenge lies on her interactions with her fellow students as well as getting recognition from the trainers, especially one who seems to favor the Alphas. As Teddy slowly adapts to Whitfield Institute, she soon learns that there's a connection with her late biological parents and the Institute and she intends to find out more about them. But what most troubling is learning that someone has stolen three vials of blood from the lab and Teddy's is one of them. Teddy feels someone is hiding some secrets and she intends to find out who and why.
School of Psychics has an interesting premise at a glance and I was wowed by the author's imaginative psychic world and an interesting cast of characters. However, my interest didn't go beyond the above as I found the pacing was slowed down towards the middle and got a bit repetitive. Since this is the first book I assume there would be more character developments as the story goes so I wouldn't comment too much about it. Another weak point is although this book is marketed as an adult fantasy, there are times it read like a YA due to the students' dialogues and their behaviours. Despite these shortcomings I thought it was still an entertaining read if one didn't expect too much out of it. Would I consider reading the second book? Maybe. I suppose it has to depend on the plot and if there's more character developments as I feel they're essential as the story goes.
© 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.
Posts
