奇幻基地 | May 2017 | 272 pgs
This is book 2 of the second urban legend series by Ling Jing (笭菁). Ling Jing had completed twelve books in her first series and this second series is still ongoing with the ninth installment as the latest. Each book read as a stand-alone although there will be character developments as the series go (but not much of a big issue if you ask me). Ling Jing's books are based on various urban legends added with some imaginations and other elements of her own.
Urban Legend origin: A tissue commercial from Japan aired in 1986 was taken down after theories revolve around the cast and crew dying mysterious deaths.
Summary: A well-known actress, including the crew of staff, suffered a mishap respectively after shooting an apple juice commercial. Before the shoot, an assistant claimed he heard someone running on the staircase but no one was seen around the area upon checking. Thereafter, accidents began to happen. A group of students, who are members of the "Urban Legend Society" in their University, decided to look into the case and discover something horrific that happened in the studio awhile back.
Note: The main characters in this series are different from the first series as the author felt a change for new blood is necessary to offer a new and different perspective. On top of that, people do grow up and change, don't they?
My thoughts: I don't know why but this made me think of the Japanese movie, The Ring. The similarity between these two is that the cursed video tape (in this case the shooting of the commercial) will lead victims to encounter unfortunate incidents. But, what made this story refreshing is the author blends urban legend with a mystery case which may or may not be supernatural and the creepy/suspense factors were intense. Each character portrays their strengths and weaknesses and these give readers some ideas what's their personality traits are like (also how one or two of them have some kind of specialty, e.g. one has sixth sense, and another is a female professional martial arts fighter - she's fearless and has a sharp observation skill in terms of combat as well as critical thinking. I didn't mention that she's the rose among the thorns and she's my heroine.) My verdict - this is a great series for those who enjoy urban legend tales with a twist. And I hope there'll be an English translation version of them in the near future.
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St. Martin's Press | March 2019 | 304 pgs
Source: Library
This is the third installment of A Noodle Shop Mystery series and this time around our protagonist, Lana Lee, finds herself in another mystery with a noodle contest as its core of the premise.
Now that Lana's been made manager of her family's Chinese restaurant, she devotes all the time and attention in the business so when Asia Village organises a Best Noodle Contest, she decides that she'll win it at all costs. But of course there are others who are eyeing for the first place too, and competition is stiff considering there is a newcomer who decides she wants to join, despite she is running a lounge (although to be fair, she does serve noodle as a side). And then, there's a participant who felt he was unfairly judged by the past contest. There are three judges and one of them is a food critic.
However, before the contest come to a close, one of the judges was found dead, face-down in a bowl of lo mein. Lana, as always, decides to take matters into her own hands and begin to take a closer look at everyone who's involved in the contest. Detective Adam Trudeau, who's officially her boyfriend in this installment, doesn't want her to get involved in the case for her own safety but of course Lana wouldn't listen. As Lana digs further, she soon learned that some people are trying to keep their past a secret and Lana intends to find out why.
Once again, Vivien Chien has "cooked up a storm" in this latest installment (can be read as a stand-alone but I'd suggest to start from the first book for the character developments). I find myself enjoying this series the more I read them and am glad to note the relationship between Lana and Adam has finally come to light in this book. Lana is easy to like and then there's her black pug which is named Kikko (short for Kikkoman, a soy sauce brand). The reader will also get to know a bit more of Adam in this story, since there's not much mention of his history in the previous books. And of course, it was fun reading Lana going about and digging for the case, even if her stubbornness can get to you at times but that's one of her traits. Overall this is an enjoyable cozy mystery series; most of all I couldn't resist the cute book covers.
Books in order:
1) Death by Dumpling
2) Dim Sum of All Fears
© 2019 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 | May 2019 | 352 pgs
Source: Library
I'd mixed reactions reading the author's first novel, Sometimes I Lie, but I thought her writing was engaging so I decided to give her next book another try. Regrettably, it turned out this book was much more of a disappointment than her first.
When the book opens, the reader knows that our main protagonist, Aimee Sinclair, is an actress and she is not to be trusted. Although she isn't really a superstar, she's well-known in the industry and have starred in various films. One day after filming, she finds her husband's cell phone and wallet on their dining room table but he's nowhere to be seen. At first she isn't that concerned, after all they'd had a row the night before. However, her nonchalance turns to anxiety the following morning as she realised her cards have been denied and that $10,000 has been withdrawn from her bank account. With the disappearance of her husband, her initial suspect is him but the teller told her it was Aimee herself who closed out the account. Now here comes the unreliable part because Aimee has sort of a memory disorder due to a traumatic childhood. So what really happened to her husband and is she even responsible for his disappearance?
This story is narrated by Aimee between the present day and the past when she was a six-year-old girl. What seemed like a compelling read became a difficult reading route to me because of some disturbing topics. The reader knew she'd had a sad and a difficult childhood but what was later revealed in the end turned out to be too far-fetched and revolting to me. I understand there must be a certain level of "shock value" in psychological thrillers but this is way over the top. The author's writing was good (otherwise I'd have DNF'd it) but I just wished the story shouldn't have gone to that direction.
© 2019 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.
Oneworld Publications | May 2019 | 352 pgs
Source: Library
February 8th 1942 marked the start of the Battle of Singapore and ended on the 15th when the British officially surrendered Singapore to the Japanese forces. Despite the stiff resistance from Allied troops, the island eventually fell in the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army and for 3 years and 7 months, Singapore was known as "Syonan-To" during the Japanese Occupation.
In this novel, author Jing-Jing Lee blends fiction and history about the connection between a courageous woman who survived the Japanese Occupation and a 12-year-old boy who's stumbled on a secret which may change his and someone else's life altogether.
17-year-old Wang Di lives with her family in a neighbouring village. As the eldest, she helps her mother by selling vegetables and eggs at their village, forsaking her education not only they are poor but also they believe that boys should have a better education instead. When the news broke that the Japanese have marched into Singapore, everyone tries to keep a low profile until one day a troop come across the village where Wang Di is and tear everything apart. During the struggle, Wang Di, as well as a few girls, are forced into their troop carrier and drive off to military brothels where they are to become "comfort women". In a more harshly term, they are forced into sexual slavery.
Forward to year 2000, 12-year-old Kevin hears a confession from his grandmother which isn't meant for him by her deathbed. Her mumbled confession then led Kevin into finding the truth which happened so many years ago. And what he later found out will not only uncover the mystery behind his late grandmother's message but also the grief-stricken life story of a man and wife during the Japanese Occupation.
This book was not an easy read as it not only reminds me of the sad and horrific past set in my homeland but also how horrible it was for the "comfort women" to remain silent during that era. It also sadden me to read about the guilt and the shame they felt even though they'd done nothing wrong under that circumstances. That said, I felt their voices deserve to be heard and what they'd gone through will never be forgotten.
Onto the story, I felt the author has done a great job in weaving the two timelines together and bringing the two main narrators to life. I enjoyed reading both Wang Di's and Kevin's perspective and they have their own traits which are admirable; Wang Di for her perseverance and endurance during the difficult times and Kevin for his determination in searching the truth. I found myself invested in their stories the more I turned the pages. I don't want to say more about the premise but I can tell you that this is a beautifully written story filled with heartbreak and hope and I turned the last page with a lump in my throat.
© 2019 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.
G.P. Putnam's Sons | July 2019 | 352 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Phoebe Miller may be a heiress but she's living an unhappy and an isolated life in her exclusive house in a suburban neighborhood in Chicago. Her late father, Daniel Miller, was quite a character and had left a bad name to the Millers. Phoebe hates to be associated with him, and this explains why she keeps to herself and drowns her sorrow in alcohol and ice cream. It doesn't help that she and her husband, Wyatt, have different views when it comes to the baby issue and as a result their relationship is strained.
It is at this time that she begins to notice a blue car that always park by her driveway and it seems like whoever in the car is watching her. Whether she's being paranoid or not, Phoebe doesn't like the feeling of being watched and it's only when the Napiers family move in across the street that her attention starts to shift. Dr. Ron Napier has an intimidating demeanor while his wife, Vicki, appears friendly. But Phoebe's attention is on their handsome college-bound son, Jake, and it didn't take long that the two began to get close to each other. Phoebe does feel a bit guilty towards Vicki; after all they've become good friends and will confide with each other regarding their marriage woes. Just when she thought she has all the things balanced and work out her way, she receives an anonymous threatening note stating her secrets.
Now where shall I even begin? There was a lot of things happening in this story; not to mention it was filled with red herrings and all the twists and turns. The characters are not likeable but they do make you wonder about their characteristics and their motives. There are two parts in this story and I've to say the first part was the most intriguing. The second part felt a bit disjointed, though, and I think it's due to the shift of characters and the change of direction (and of course the big surprise reveal). As much as it was all very compelling, I felt the reader has to suspend some belief to fully appreciate the story. Overall it has a catching plot and as this is the author's debut, I'm curious to see what she'll have in store next.
© 2019 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.
Berkley | March 2019 | 352 pgs
Source: Library
Marian Engström works as a conservationist and her job requires her to work with rescue dogs and travelling about places amid the wilderness. Her first assignment takes her to northern Alberta; there she learn her ropes from the adventurous and experienced Tate, who is her mentor turn lover. Working in the remote wilderness can make one lonely, but Marian loves her job and on top of everything Tate makes her feel special. Their togetherness is not long as they go different ways for their assignment and during the course of their separation Marian receives news about Tate's death.
Tate's death may be accidental as some speculate, but the murder of four women is not. Dubbed as the Stillwater cases, the mysteries remain unsolved and till this day it still haunts the retired forensic profiler, Nick Shepard. Having diagnosed with a brain tumour, he now devotes his time with his wife until he receives a call from Marian. Saddened by the news of Tate's death, Marian's thought has been occupied by the things Tate had mentioned casually to her in the past and some of the stuff didn't sound right to her and for once she wondered if Tate had to do with the four women's murder. Whether to testify her doubts or to clear Tate's name, she decides that Nick may be the person who could unravel the truth with her.
I really enjoyed reading this novel. For starters, the author's prose is smooth and precise and her descriptions of the snowy wilderness and the role of a conservationist are all well defined. I think some readers may think these may slow down the intensity but personally I appreciate the extra information which allow me to take a deeper look into that profession. As for character- and plot-wise, I think they are well executed, too. I also enjoyed reading about Nick's perspective and think he was a great character not to be ignored. There's even some write-ups about the four victims from Nick's profile and these allow the reader to understand a bit more about the women and how they behaved before tragedy struck.
Finally, and most importantly, this book also focus on how some male criminals exerting their power over females and too often women fail to trust their intuition when something doesn't feel right (this is not a spoiler but a general portrayal of the four victims' behaviours before the murder. That said, I feel it is an important message which we shouldn't ignore, too.)
© 2019 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 | March 2019 | 416 pgs
Source: Library
Helen and Michael are spending a wonderful vacation at Belize with their two children when Helen starts to feel they're being watched. On their way to the airport upon returning home, a van crashed onto their car and the accident left Michael injured and their young daughter, Saskia, in a coma. Although Helen and their teenage autistic son, Reuben, are left unscathed, Helen couldn't help but to wonder if the accident has something to do with her hunch of someone watching them.
Well, Helen has reasons behind her paranoia. It all happened during her college years when a hiking expedition had gone wrong. To complicate matters, Helen's then-boyfriend, Luke, was buddies with Michael and they'd all planned the hiking trip together with Luke's twin brother, Theo. Michael didn't know Helen then but he knew she had sort of spoilt their trip by tagging along. But as the days go by Michael soon see a new side of Helen. He didn't want to put himself between the couple but at times he wondered if Helen was being abused by Luke after he saw some bruises on her. His questions never got answered as Luke had fallen to his death. Till this day Michael and Helen still question themselves if what they'd done was right.
But that's not all, throughout the few years Michael has been receiving some letters from the lawyers pertaining Luke's death and all the while he's been ignoring them as they move about. They didn't really think about this until the car accident. Is the accident even connected to Luke's death? And where did Michael go after he's secretly left the hospital?
The Blame Game wasn't what I expected in the first place. Yes, it's a thriller but it also explores the family dynamic and how an act from the past may make an impact to the present, which in turn lead to some life changing consequences. The story is narrated by Michael, Helen and Reuben and there are flashbacks as well. Though I was curious where this story will take me, truth be told it was Reuben's POV and how he viewed things outside his world and the relationship he's had with others is what I enjoyed the most among the three characters. Overall it was an OK read; I think I'd have liked it more if the pace was faster and more gripping.
© 2019 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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