Kensington | May 2018 | 304 pgs
Source: Library
This is Charlie Donlea's latest release and after reading his previous two books and enjoyed them, I'm glad to say he's now on my favourite authors list. I like how he constructs the stories and most of all, the implementation of a certain professionalism to go with the investigations. In his first book, Summit Lake, it revolves around journalistic inquiry and then there is forensic science in his second book, The Girl Who Was Taken. This book is more about the making of a real-life documentary film and what it takes for our filmmaker protagonist to investigate and help clear a woman who is convicted of murder.
Sidney Ryan has been receiving letters from Grace Sebold for some time; each letter asking Sidney to look into her case or at least hear her side of the story after she has spent the last ten years in a St. Lucian prison for the crime of murdering her boyfriend, Julian Crist. Julian and Grace had traveled to St. Lucian for a friend's wedding reception and part of their vacation. Based from a few witnesses' statements, it appeared that they'd had a little disagreement and when Julian was found dead at the bottom of a cliff, the St. Lucian police is quick to target Grace as a suspect and create all the evidence to match their claims. At that time, their statements seemed valid and so the case is closed and a sentence is passed.
Sidney has successfully uncovered two cases involving the wrongly accused in the past so she is interested in hearing Grace’s story. Plus, this is her chance of putting her documentary on a huge TV network channel after a series of webcast in the past. She is ambitious and she is adamant to succeed thus she is working very hard with her research. However, the more she looks at all the gathered information it seems something is off and that some issues were even overlooked during the original investigation. With the popular viewership and the public outcry to reopen the case, Sidney thinks her documentary, The Girl of Sugar Beach, would wrap up nicely with only a few episodes to go until she receives a letter telling her she has got it all wrong.
If I enjoyed his previous two books, this book was even better. I think the idea of a true crime documentary is enticing and in this case the author has upped that enticement with the filmmaker to investigate a case alongside with the documentary making. The plot had me hooked all the way as it was multi-layered, and it kept me guessing if Grace was indeed innocent or if there is more than meets the eye. The characters are intriguing and are well developed; and there are times when I thought I'd some ideas where the direction was going, the outcome surprised me. A well crafted and well executed story and I'd recommend this to fans who love a good suspense.
© 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.
Picador | July 2018 | 352 pgs
Source: Library
In her latest release, Give Me Your Hand, Megan Abbott has weaved a compelling story about secrets and the beauty and complexity of female friendship between our two protagonists, Kit Owens and Diane Fleming.
Kit first knew Diane when they were both in high school cross-country camp. Kit's first impression of Diane is that she is both intelligent and a driven girl. Diane seems to excel in almost everything, and she comes from a wealthy family to boot. Kit, on the other hand, wasn't as driven and it was Diane who had fueled the ambition into her after they were both in the same AP Chemistry class. At that time, there was the "Dr. Lena Severin Stem Scholarship for Women in Science" program and Kit remembers her as the first female scientist she'd met during a talk for their summer science program. Kit and Diane's friendship began to grow after they'd found their shared ambition but then it was later ripped apart after Diane told Kit about her secret - a terrible thing which she'd done.
After they'd gone their separate ways after graduation, Kit has now risen to the top of her profession as she works for Dr. Severin and her team for a two-year study of PMDD (Premenstrual dysphoric disorder). However, with limited funds and such there will be only two staff who would be given the grant. Aside from Dr. Severin, Kit is the only female in the group and given her gender and her hard work all these times she thinks she has a higher chance of getting it ... until Diane joins their group.
After all the years which passed between them, Kit remains the only one who has known Diane's secret. But now Diane knows something about Kit too after an incident which may threaten Kit's career. Who will go down first?
I don't think I've come across any author who has written such a fascinating yet complicated female friendship like Megan Abbott. She has captured all the intricateness and darkness between Kit and Diane's friendship as well as their similarities and differences through their dreams and personalities. As much as I was intrigued by the two women's ambition and desire, I think the other thing which captivated me is about the difficulties and the challenges faced by women working in a male-dominated field. To be on par with their male counterparts, they work extra hard and push themselves harder even though they are not inferior to them in so many ways. And again, Ms. Abbott has beautifully captured that kind of feeling and atmosphere through our three female characters, including the cool, mighty Dr. Severin.
This book is a slow-burn for a thriller, but it's intriguing and an unputdownable one for characters development, the felicity and complications between female friendship as well as the subject of PMDD.
© 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.
Penguin | July 2018 | 512 pgs
Source: Library
I love stories with a school/college setting and all the more with alternating timelines and a various set of narratives. This story is basically about a 17-year-old Charlotte "Charlie" Calloway's search for the truth surrounding her mother's disappearance ten years ago as well as her school life at the prestigious Knollwood Augustus Prep.
When Charlie was seven, her mother, Grace, left home and never returned. Although Charlie's father, Alistair Calloway, was initially suspected for Grace's disappearance, there was no evidence to point that he is guilty. The Calloways have slowly put this unsolved mystery behind them and move forward until Charlie receives a note from her Uncle Hank, who is Grace's elder brother. Charlie rarely contact her mother's family so she is intrigued about his request to meet her. Her meeting with Uncle Hank has once again filled her with questions surrounding Grace's disappearance, for he believes there is something more than meets the eye after he has found a stack of photographs of Grace as well as Charlie and her younger sister, Seraphina, when they were small. The only thing that stood out is a note written in capital letters, I KNOW.
But this is not the only thing that troubles Charlie. At Knollwood Prep there is a secret society of sorts called the A's has tagged her to become an initiate into the group. Although no one really know who the members are, they are all aware that the members have some sort of authoritative power and those who are tagged to become one of them has to perform a task within their allocated time or else they will be outed by the group. Most often, the tasks they are assigned to have consequences and are of risk of expulsion if they are caught. As much as Charlie is intrigued by the group, she doesn't approve of the tasks they are asked to do. Then, there are also rumours about a student who had committed suicide years ago and Charlie soon learns that he used to be friends with her parents back then.
(Look at the book! At first glance it already makes you wonder about the story, isn't it?)
All These Beautiful Strangers is Elizabeth Klehfoth's first novel and I've to say it was well written and I was hooked by this multi-layered mystery from the beginning till the end. The combination of the two timelines and multiple narratives work wonderfully in this story and I was equally invested in these two setups. The characterisations are well developed though they are all flawed. Overall I enjoyed this YA thriller and I'll certainly look out for this author's 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.
Ecco Press | May 2014 | 260 pgs
Source: Library
"Under no circumstances will either one of you remove your blindfold. If you do, I will hurt you. Do you understand?"
For four and a half years, Malorie and her two young children have not stepped out of their house near the river. Because there is something out there and whatever this is it must not be seen. There are news that one glimpse of it and a person is driven to deadly violence. Those who have seen will kill anyone around them before killing themselves. No one really knows what it is and how it happened but like a disease it has spread quickly and afar.
Before the children, Malorie had seeked refuge at a stranger's place which housed a few others survivors like her. Tom, who took on the role as a leader, had guided and supported the five other housemates, including Malorie, like his family. During those torturous years, they lived on canned foods, and Tom and Jules had risked their lives to go out to search for food while blindfolded. Like a blind man, they relied on their instincts and broomsticks and each time they are back they all count themselves lucky for escaping death and whatever was lurking out there. Until Gary, a newcomer, stepped into their house and changed everything.
Bird Box was a frightening read on many aspects. First of all, the unknown. Like the characters, the reader has no idea what the threat is. Is the "thing" a man, an animal or a creature? All we know is, it is scary and it could mess up your mind and make you kill. Interweaving between the past and the present, we learn that fear comes in various forms, and that our minds can be a scary thing. And despite the darkness we also see some light through Tom's courage and the things he's done for his housemates. This book will appease readers who like reading about the apocalyptic world with a dose of horror. A soon-to-be film starring Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, Rosa Salazar, and John Malkovich.
© 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.
St. Martin's Press | July 2018 | 320 pgs
Source: Library
Let me start off this post by saying that this isn't a book for everyone. So what is this story about? In a nutshell, it's about the love-hate relationship between a mother and her seven-year-old daughter.
When Suzette was young, she suffered from Crohn's disease and it left an emotional scar on her. She didn't get much love from her mother and this has made her to be a stronger person. She didn't think she'd find love again until she met Alex, now her husband, and she knew that she could live a new life again. However, little Hanna coming to the world seems to have change her equilibrium. Hanna doesn't speak and this worries the Jensens couple. Hanna has gone to many doctor consultations and it seems she is physically healthy. Whether she is picking up slowly or if it is more of a mental issue (there are times she adopts an alter ego of a dead young girl who was wrongly put to death back in the olden days as they believed she was a witch), the Jensens think that homeschooling her is the best option while seeking help through a psychologist.
Hanna, on the other end, has other plans. Despite her age, she is actually an intelligent girl. She doesn't like mommy and her world only revolves around daddy. She would put on her best act around daddy and leave her ugly behaviours only for mommy. But her acts become more and more malicious until Suzette begins to wonder if Hanna intends to kill her.
Based on Suzette's and Hanna's viewpoints, Baby Teeth was one compelling thriller on many levels. The characterisations and the subject involving a manipulative young girl are enough to creep anyone out but I've my doubts. For starters, I was skeptical about Hanna's intentions because she feels so young to me to have that kind of evil thoughts. I think it'd be more believable if she is a bit older; like a troubled teenager filled with angst. Secondly, given Hanna's behaviours and Alex's doubts, I'd feel that installing a CCTV (or a phone video recording of Hanna's behaviours) would be a logical way to put things to light but instead it became more of a melodramatic domestic thriller as the story progresses. However, I've to give credit to the author's creativity of writing this dysfunctional family from a new perspective. Based on the reviews at Goodreads, there is a balance between readers who love it or hate it and I've to say I'm in between since the writing was good and the story engaging but only if it is more plausible and that Hanna is much older.
© 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.
Mulholland Books | June 2018 | 352 pgs
Source: Library
Marcus and Tessa Nicholson, together with their three-year-old son, Josh, are happily vacationing in Greece when a moment of inattention almost ruined a life. Tessa has gone to make a phone call while Marcus has dozed off at the beach while watching Josh. Fortunately, a Dave Jepsom has jumped into the water in time to save their son. The Nicholsons are thankful for his heroic act and treated him for lunch. But it seems Dave has wanted more - he wants to be a part of their life and as the days go, Marcus and Tessa begin to see more of him; either stalking them or invited himself into their life like they are close friends.
For a while, the Nicholsons think Dave's attachment to them is harmless; after all he'd saved their son and he probably feels an affection for him. But his behaviours start to worry them, especially if Marcus and Tessa have a secret of their own and they begin to wonder if Dave is a threat to the secrets they are holding as both of them have a feeling that he is watching their movements. The tension begins to reach to a breaking point when they find their house being ransacked and vandalised one day, and of course their minds are on Dave. Is Dave their saviour or their stalker? And to what extent would the Nicholsons do to safeguard their secrets?
Take Me In was an engrossing read right from the beginning and is narrated by Marcus and Tessa alternatively. While the story has a setup of a psychological thriller, the second half read more like a domestic drama as we learn about the family dynamic and the secrets the Nicholsons are keeping from each other. Dave felt more like a smokescreen because we don't really know what his motives are until the end, which I think is the intention. Truth be told, he is the main purpose which keep me reading as I find the Nicholsons to be selfish and annoying. But I think what bothered me most is the ending, for I couldn't understand the logic behind the revelation as it seemed rushed and appear out of nowhere, which was a pity since the first half was brilliant and well written. That said, I want to read her previous book, Lie With Me, which I understand has received many good reviews.
© 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.
If you were given a second chance, would you change your life?
Joo-Hyuk (starring Ji Sung) and Woo-Jin (starring Han Ji-Min) have been married for five years and have two young children. The working couple rarely makes time for each other as their life revolves around work and children, thus they lack communication and each is frustrate with the other due to stress and all. As a result, their marriage life suffers and at one point, Joo-Hyuk wonders if his life would be different if he had chosen a different path, especially after he has met Hye-Won (starring Kang Han-Na), his crush from his college days and she told him that she had liked him back then.
But of course Joo-Hyuk couldn't do anything about his present life, until he helped a homeless man and he gave him two coins which were released in 2006. One night while driving home, Joo-Hyuk passed a toll road and after tossing one of the 2006 coins, he found himself travelled back in time to that year - the year when he was in college and how he first encountered Woo-Jin and helped her as a witness after she was molested in a public bus. And there begins their destiny.
Remembering his unhappiness marriage life in the present time, Joo-Hyuk chose a different path when he travelled back to 2006. He ended up married to Hye-Won although he couldn't escape the fate that he is meeting Woo-Jin again, this time as his colleague.
I enjoyed this story and thought it portrays a sharp observation on relationships (be it a couple or colleagues) and marriage life and it'd led me thinking about this saying - "the grass is always greener on the other side" and also "every family goes through its problems". Although we can't change the facts, we can change the interpretation of the facts, or better still adopt the following thinking:
So did Joo-Hyuk find his happiness in the end? Absolutely. And I liked how he worked hard to become a better person, after realising that life is about obstacles and challenges and overcoming them with his wit as well as his heart.
© 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.
Penguin Publishing Group | August 2018 | 304 pgs
Source: Purchased
A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be fun, right? With the winter season and the inn nestled deep in the woods, it is a perfect place for some R&R for anyone who wants a quiet and/or a romantic getaway. At least that is what our ten guests are thinking when they decided to check into Catskills and Mitchell's Inn.
However, the hit of the snowstorm had them stranded in the inn and with no power and Internet connection, it is a nightmare. But that is not the worst, what's most terrifying is finding one of the guests dead and her death is believed to be a murder. Our ten guests here all seemed to have a secretive past, and some of them aren't who we think they are. When one more guest and the inn's owner's teenage son turned up dead, it became clear that there is a killer hidden among them but who is it and what is his/her motive?
I'm a sucker for locked room mysteries and I was glad Shari Lapena's latest release fits into this category. This story has an Agatha Christie's feel and it reminds me a bit of one of her books, And Then There Were None, which I felt was brilliant and remains as one of my favourite reads. I think the attraction of a locked room mystery is aside from the mystery itself, it is also about finding how the characters would react under a claustrophobic setting with a murderer running amok. As we all understand, certain circumstances would enable a person to think and behave irrationally and in this book everyone begins to think of the worse of the others as the story progresses and it's a frightening thought.
Anyway, I'd had fun guessing the murderer, but I was kind of stumped over the last revelation at the very end (I suppose it depends on how one view it from another angle). That said, I enjoyed this book and am curious what the author has in store for her next book.
This is a buddy read with Lark (check out her review here) and I'd like to thank her for reading this book with me. Below are some questions from her relating to the story:
1. Which character did you like and/or sympathize with most?
I'm glad not all characters are unlikeable in this book. It seems to me that unlikeable character(s) is a "trend" in the suspense/thrillers genre lately and though I don't mind them, I do like to have at least one likeable character in the book I read. Although not all the characters in this book are unlikeable, I don't really have a character whom I like either. However, I do sympathise with Riley. She used to be a journalist and was stationed in Afghanistan as a correspondent before. I felt for her reading about the traumatic experiences she'd had; and it was sad to read about the other characters treating her like a weirdo because they didn't know about the things she'd gone through.
2. How did the frozen setting add to the suspense?
I think the wintry weather played an important factor to this story. The cold and the snowstorm had the characters isolated from the outside world, thus making this into a locked room mystery. Without it, this would've changed the direction and the plot of the story.
© 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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