Melody's Reading Corner: Suspense

Showing posts with label Suspense. Show all posts

Melody

Ballantine Books | 28 November 2023 | 304 pgs

Source: Library

Our protagonist, Molly Gray, was first introduced in The Maid in which we see her as a diligent and a meticulous individual who's not afraid to speak up her mind when circumstances arise, although some might portray her behaviours or her speech a little odd but this might be a sign of her being a neurodivergent, though it was not clearly specified.

In this book, Molly had promoted to Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and she's living happily with her boyfriend, Juan Manuel, who's currently visiting his relatives in Mexico. Everything seems to be working well in Molly's life until J.D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, is found dead at the hotel's tea room prior to his big announcement during a press conference.

Detective Stark, who's in charge of the investigation, feels a sense of déjà vu considering there was a murder case at the hotel a while back. And as it happens, Molly is at the center of the predicament (just like the previous investigation) as Grimthorpe is later found to be poisoned by a cup of tea. Molly, who's perplexed and alarmed by the allegation, is determined to find out the truth and to unveil the identity of the murderer. But who'd it be? There're a few people in Molly's mind, including the new Maid-in-Training, the author’s secretary and even the hotel’s beloved doorman, who's considered to be a dear friend of Molly. Well, Molly has some secrets of her own too that revolved around her childhood days during her presence at the Grimthorpe mansion and she has to revisit the past memories for clues pertaining to the quirky and mysterious Mr Grimthorpe.

I enjoyed reading The Maid so I was thrilled to see Molly Gray's appearance in this latest book by Nita Prose. As much as I liked Molly as a character and reading about her working life and her past relationship with her grandmother, for some reason I couldn't find myself engaged in this book as much as compared to The Maid, although I enjoyed the backstory how she come to stay at the Grimthorpe mansion with her grandmother. I think my greatest disappointment was that the motive didn't deem strong and convincing enough; plus it seemed there wasn't enough actions surrounding the investigations and there're repetitiveness surrounding Molly's thoughts and her perceptions. That said, it was good seeing Molly Gray again and I hope a series is in order in the near future.

© 2024 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.

Labels: 3.5 stars, Book Review, Mystery, Suspense 11 comments |

Ghost 19 by Simone St. James

Melody

Berkley | 3 January 2023 | 146 pgs (Ebook)

Source: Library

This novella was set in Meritville, New York in 1959. A woman named Ginette Cox moves into a rented house at 19 Howard Avenue. Used to be a Broadway actress, she left her job and took her doctor's advice to stay away from cigarettes, alcohol and with minimal social visits and stimulation of any kind, mainly due to her agoraphobia condition.

With no entertainment and alone at home, Ginette watches her neighbors from her window, making up names and stories for them since she couldn't step out of her house with her condition. She named a little girl Trixie who's carrying her doll all the time, a married couple by the surname "Lowell" and Mr Elias who seems to be typing most of the time and figures he must be a writer. You'd think that Ginette would find comfort in watching her neighbours going about their life, but in truth she's too terrified to sleep in her bedroom and she thinks there are strange noises coming from the basement.

At some point, she sees a mysterious man in black making appearances outside her window, following the old Mrs Lowell (the mother-in-law) and she's worried that something bad might happen. But she couldn't leave the house, because she feels something in the basement is trying to stop her from escaping.

Ginette is the typical unreliable character because one wouldn't know if her thoughts and her behaviours are due to her mental condition so it was an engaging read as the story is one sided according to Ginette's narrative. Her interactions with the two detectives makes one wonder if there's truly a murder has taken place; so perhaps she's not mad after all and maybe something dark and sinister is at work? As in Simone St. James's signature style, this novella was atmospheric, suspenseful and a bit spooky. I wished that this story would be longer.

[The novella is only available in ebook and audio format.]

© 2023 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.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Paranormal, Suspense 9 comments |

A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

Melody

Minotaur Books | 31 May 2022 | 352 pgs

Source: Library

In this first book of a new series featuring homicide detective Mallory Atkinson, author Kelly Armstrong takes her readers through time and space to Victorian Scotland in 1869 to solve a murder case - a mystery in which somewhat related to her harrowing encounter that may have led her going back in time.

Mallory was visiting her dying mother and while she was out for a breather, someone attacked her after she thought she heard a woman screamed in distress in a dark alley. When she woke up, she found herself in a foreign land dressed in Victorian housemaid attire. She later learned that she'd woken up in Catriona’s body and she was the woman who was murdered in the same spot where she was assaulted in present time 2019.

As much as Mallory was shocked about the time travel and the body swap, her curiosity and her role as a detective quickly allowed her to adjust to the life as a housemaid to Dr. Gray, her employer. Dr. Gray was an undertaker, but he was also a medical examiner who assisted (discreetly) Detective McCreadie in his cases. McCreadie's recent case was a strangulation of a young man, and Mallory found the attack quite similar to Catriona’s and herself which made her think that the murderer might be of the same person. Without arousing Dr. Gray's curiosity about her true self, Mallory has to learn to adapt to the Victorian lifestyle without the modern gadgets but would she be able to catch the murderer so that she could return to the present world?

Well, I'd had so much fun reading this book! Basically, it has all the elements I love in my reading: time travel, suspense, Victorian setting and most of all, likeable characters such as Mallory and Dr. Gray. Their banter and their differences (in most aspects) entertained me but what I liked most is reading about Mallory's input of the modern investigative theories in Dr. Gray's findings and making sure that they wouldn't disrupt the origin investigation methods. The secondary characters are well-portrayed as well and allowed readers more than a glimpse of their various roles and their interactions with other characters. Overall, this was an engaging read and I can't wait to find out more of Mallory's adventures in the next book.

© 2022 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.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Fantasy, Suspense, Time travel 8 comments |

Bad Kids by Zijin Chen

Melody

Pushkin Vertigo | 4 August 2022 | 336 pgs

Source: Library

Translated from the Chinese by Michelle Deeter

To begin with, this book was surprisingly a good read despite the darkness surrounding it. Set in Ningbo, China, this story revolves around three children and how a chance incident set a chain of events that would alter their lives thereafter.

The book opens with Zhang Dongsheng bringing his in-laws to a sightseeing site where he pushes them off the mountain. His relationship with them has always been somewhat strained considering of the difference of their background. His marriage has also turned rocky due to accumulated negative emotions (and his wife as well) and his purpose of staying civil to his in-laws is because they're wealthy, until the idea of murder struck his mind. He thought he's got off scot-free, but little did he know that his actions have been caught on camera by a trio of friends who just happened to take pictures nearby.

14-year-old Zhu Chaoyang is a quiet boy and a whiz at math. Being the only son in a single parent family, he's grown up to be independent and sensible. An outcast in school, he's recently find some joy in his life after Ding Hao, a former schoolmate, reacquainted with him alongside with an orphaned girl, Pupu, whom Ding Hao knew from the same children's home. Both of them are runaways and Chaoyang allow them to stay with him since his mother's working place is far and she's rarely at home. Their simple life becomes complicated and harrowing after they witnessed a murder which they'd captured on camera. What follows is a no return path which no one, including the reader, would ever imagine until the finale that will lead you questioning the outcome.

This is a multilayered suspense that is best read without knowing too much from the beginning. My above summary only covers half of the story as so many things have changed and transpired after these characters meet and their exchanges develop to something dark and sinister. The prose was simple and read easily; and there's a good balance between the characters developments and the plot so it was a fast-paced read to me (This would definitely make a good fit for bookclubs and buddy read discussions.) Also, I always find pleasure in reading translated works not only for the diversity but also the exploration of new-to-me authors, which is the case for me with this book. I hope there'll be more translated works of this author in future.

Note: There's a TV series of this book and it has received rave reviews from audience in China and abroad as well.

Labels: 4.5 stars, Book Review, Crime Thriller, Suspense 8 comments |

A Fire in the Night by Christopher Swann

Melody

Crooked Lane Books | 7 September 2021 | 288 pgs

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

I enjoyed Christopher Swann's previous novel (Never Turn Back) so much so that I requested this book after seeing that it's his latest release.

Part suspense and part spy thriller, this story revolves around a retired history professor finding retreat in an isolated North Carolina mountains after the death of his wife and how his quiet life is turned upside down when a teenage girl barges into his life one day and claims that she is his niece.

Nick Anthony has not been in contact with his younger brother for years and their relationship is gradually explained as the story progresses. Despite the distance, he is still shocked when he learns that his estranged brother and sister-in-law died in a house fire and that he has a niece who's managed to find him amid everything else. Annalise couldn't trust anyone, but she knew that she should seek her uncle's help especially learning that her parents' death wasn't an accident and the mysterious information she was told to pass on to her uncle before their death. And on top of it, she's being pursued by a bunch of hired private military contractors for the piece of information she's carrying. Nick doesn't know what kind of business and who his late brother had been dealing with, but he's adamant to find out about his hidden past as well as to protect Annalise from any harm. But what the reader didn't know is, Nick has his own hidden past, too.

While the plot isn't new, I've to say I enjoyed reading about Nick as the main character and his relationship with Annalise. There are, of course, some intense moments and the cat-and-mouse chase but surprisingly, I was more focused on the interactions between uncle and niece; and Annalise for her courage and her fighting spirit. I liked this book but not as much as Never Turn Back but overall it was still a satisfying read.

© 2021 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.

Labels: 3.5 stars, Book Review, Suspense, Thriller 10 comments |

The Turnout by Megan Abbott

Melody

G.P. Putnam's Sons | 3 August 2021 | 352 pgs

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Megan Abbott is good at writing complexity relationship in her female characters and in this book she brings her readers into the world of ballet whereby the dynamics of a family is about to change after a stranger break into their once well-constructed ties.

Dara and Marie Durant are trained as ballet dancers since young. Their mother was once a famous ballet dancer and owned a ballet studio but an automobile accident claimed her and her husband's lives. The ballet studio is then passed on to the sisters; and together with Dara's husband, Charlie, they run the studio with the sisters as trainers and Charlie oversee the administration part. Charlie was once their mother's prized student but he'd stopped dancing after an injury. There are, of course, some challenges operating the studio and with the annual Nutcracker performance coming up, the trio feels the stress as not only do they have to make preparations but they're also a bit tight with the financials, too. When a fire broke out and destroyed part of the studio, they've no choice but to engage a contractor for the renovation.

Enter Derek, a charming smooth talker who not only coax Charlie into signing some projects agreements but also seems to have Marie captivated. Derek's arrival has not only shaken Dara's equilibrium but also messes up the balance of their routines. Dara feels his hold on Marie has put a strain on their sisterly bond; and most of all she feels he has an agenda. As the story slowly unravel, Derek's pushover leads to the unveiling of some secrets surrounding the Durants' past, forcing them all to face a shocking truth which may crumble their worlds.

The Turnout is one taut mystery and it consists of some issues which may unnerve the reader at times (like machoism and sexual innuendos). Megan's writing is engaging as always, and what I love most about her books is the sensitivity and the attention she put in when writing about her (female) characters and their emotions. Aside from the family dynamics and Derek's agenda, the ballet world is an interesting read too. There's a Chinese idiom: "Ten years of practice for one minute on stage", which says a lot about these ballet dancers' hard work and the pain they've to face (those pointe technique!) Although this is not my favourite Megan Abbott book, it still makes a riveting read.

Labels: 3.5 stars, Book Review, Mystery, Suspense 12 comments |

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

Melody

William Morrow | 20 October 2020 | 640 pgs

Source: Library

At first glance, Plain Bad Heroines may look a little intimidating with its size (600+ pages) but it eventually won me over with the atmospheric and the Gothic theme. However, the story wasn't what I expected and I'll get to that later.

The story begins in Year 1902 at the Brookhants School for Girls. Two students, Flo and Clara, are in love with each other and they share an obsession over Mary MacLane's works, in particularly her bestselling memoir comprising her thoughts and issues such as feminism. To show their devotion to Mary, the girls even establish their own club and called it The Plain Bad Heroines Society. Sadly, their sapphic love is cut short not by others' judgemental view but by a swarm of yellow jackets which led them to a macabre death. Even on their death they're seen holding Mary's book. The school eventually closes after more scandal and death involved, sparking some talks and curiosity if the place (or the book?) is cursed.

At present, the now abandoned Brookhants is back in the spotlight when filmmaker Bo Dhillon decides to use the setting for their new film, which is based on the bestselling book of wunderkind author Merritt Emmons. The Happenings at Brookhants details the history of the real deaths and supposed curse attached to the school though mainly it is more of a horror film adaptation surrounding feminism and the friendship among the characters. This present time introduces the reader to our three main characters - Merritt Emmons (the author herself), Harper Harper (an influencer and aspiring star) and Audrey Wells (former child star and now a B-list actress). As the movie set and the crew move into Brookhants to begin filming, weird things begin to happen as the past seems to entangle with the present, questioning the characters and the reader if it's the Brookhants curse or if it's simply a coincidence.

I'd mixed feelings about this book. For starters, the story was long and dragging although the writing was unique and entrancing in a way (the narrative style was told in parts by an omnipresent narrator and truth be told, I wasn't sure if I should be annoyed or amused by the voice). All the characters are intriguing and I think that's the strength of this story, but sadly there wasn't much coverage of the two girls from the past; which I felt was a pity considering they were the ones who first started off the story. Our characters of the present time are still interesting to read, but their personalities, narcissism and their emotions took over much of the story, leaving this reader baffled and underwhelmed at the same time. But of course there are still some Gothic moments, such as the yellow jackets (shivers) and the Black Oxford apples which may have you wondering if they're mystical themselves. Another of my disappointment was finding the ending kind of fizzled after all the past and present buildup; and that there wasn't much link between the two timelines except the presence of the yellow jackets (I personally feel they're the real threat here). This review may deem like I didn't enjoy the book, but I did at some parts and overall it was quite a fascinating tale; and not to mention it's a story within a story within a story (this isn't a typo) and featuring black-and-white period illustrations by Sara Lautman. I'd still recommend this to readers who enjoy a bit of queerness in their reading.

Labels: 3.5 stars, Book Review, Horror, Suspense 8 comments |

Urban Legend II bk. 2: The Cursed Commercial [都市传说第二部2: 被诅咒的广告]

Melody

奇幻基地 | May 2017 | 272 pgs

Source: Library

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.

© 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.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Chinese Fiction, Horror, Suspense, Urban Legend 8 comments |

Growing Things and Other Stories by Paul Tremblay

Melody

William Morrow | July 2019 | 352 pgs

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Having read two of Paul Tremblay's books (A Head Full of Ghosts and The Cabin at the End of the World) and enjoyed them, I knew I've to read this even though short stories are hardly my usual fare. Yes, this is a collection of nineteen short stories ranging from psychological suspense to literary horror all packed in this anthology and knowing the author's stories can be bizarre in some ways (I mean this in a good way) I read this book with a thrill of anticipation. Although I can't possibly write out the blurbs and thoughts of all the nineteen short stories, I can tell you a few which are my favourites.

Growing Things - This is an imaginative tale about the mysterious growing plants and two sisters from his previous novel, A Head Full of Ghosts.

Where We All Will Be - Zane was told his brain is different since young. Growing up with no major issues, he is astonished to find that one day his father seemed like another person and kept muttering about getting "There". This one has a bit of the apocalyptic vibe and that ending sent chills down my spine.

The Teacher - Mr. Sorent is one teacher you'll never forget and that's all I'm saying.

Notes from The Dog Walkers - Initially this read like ordinary notes from the day of a life of a dog walker but then it slowly spirals towards an array of madness when the topic changes as you go along.

Her Red Right Hand - This is a story about a girl called Gemma and her ailing mother and how her mother's death led her into sketching and creating a hero-like figure. Think Hellboy.

The Thirteenth Temple - I don't want to divulge too much of this since it read like a sequel to A Head Full of Ghosts. This is also the last short story of this collection and I liked how the author featured the two sisters in AHFOG in Growing Things as the beginning and finally ending it with The Thirteenth Temple.

I think short stories are hard to write and even harder to review. They don't often have the kind of details and well-defined developments like fictions do and the author has to input some extra "punch" to their stories or narrating them in various writing formats and I've to say Paul Tremblay did well in these two.

As in short stories collection, one may have some favourites and dislike a few others. There are also some which made you race through the pages, while some will make you think hard of the message behind it and still comes up with not much of a verdict (partly due to the ambiguity of it; which the author often does with his stories). That said, each story is unique and though I'm not really a fan of short stories I'm glad I read this because it's Paul Tremblay's.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Horror, Literary Fiction, Suspense 9 comments |

The Au Pair by Emma Rous

Melody

Penguin Publishing Group | January 2019 | 384 pgs

Source: Library

The story opens with Seraphine Mayes uncovering a family photograph while she's going through her late father's belongings. Seraphine's father, Dominic, fell while fixing the roof; leaving his three grown up children behind. Seraphine has lots of memories of her childhood living at Summerbourne, their family estate on the Norfolk coast. After all, she and her twin brother, Danny, were born in the middle of summer there.

Looking back at the photo she's holding, she realises that something is amiss. The photo was taken on the day the twins were born; and it showed their late mother, seated between her husband and their older brother, Edwin. However, she was captured holding just one baby instead of two. Seraphine has never seen her mother; from what she knew their mother threw herself from the cliffs just within hours of their birth. No one really knows what happened that day. In order to uncover the mystery surrounding the photo as well as their mother's death, Seraphine decided that the best person she could ask is Edwin's au pair, Laura. But first, she needs to track down Laura since there hasn't been any news of her since the tragedy at Summerbourne. And the mystery soon gets more complicated as Seraphine finds someone leaving her warning signs to stop her investigations.

This first novel by Emma Rous sucked me in right from the beginning till the end with a cast of intriguing characters and a well developed plot. And, I've no idea what to categorise this book as it combines mystery with domestic noir. As readers, we learn about this story through Seraphine's and Laura's eyes set in present 2017 and 1991 respectively. Both perspectives and timelines are an interesting read, but I was more drawn to Laura's voice. Laura works as an au pair partly because she wants to prove to her mother and her mother's partner that she could be independent while earning some money for her studies. She has no experience as an au pair but she's well liked by Ruth and young Edwin. And the more she gets to know the family she soon realises that Summerbourne not only has history but secrets as well. And speaking of Summerbourne, I've to say it is a character on its own. I was enamoured by its coastal beauty and the countryside atmosphere. Although this is very much about the mystery surrounding the missing twin in the picture, actually I felt it is much more on the family dynamics and the relationship between the Mayes' family and Laura. An impressive first novel and I'm definitely will be on the look out for the author's next release.

Labels: 4 5 stars, Book Review, Fiction, Suspense 16 comments |

Drama Review: Black (黑)

Melody

A grim reaper and a woman who is able to foresee death; toss in with a few complicated murder cases and that is Black. Yes, these about sum up what this drama is about and I have to say I enjoyed this drama immensely.

Black (starring Song Seung-heon) is a grim reaper whose soul has taken over the dead body of a detective, Han Moo-gang. Also known as reaper 444, Black is known to be cold-hearted and ruthless in the underworld. Why his soul possessed Moo-gang's body remains a mystery but is also part of its core of the story as it slowly unfolds.

Go Ara played as the woman who could foresee death by the dark shadows surrounding the victims' bodies. Kang Ha-ram has had this ability since young and she sees this more as a curse than a blessing. After losing her father and with a mother who doesn't show her enough attention, Ha-ram lives alone and with a pair of sunglasses as her companion, her life is a simple one as long as she pretends she doesn't see all those dark shadows around her and that she minds her own business. Her peace of mind is shattered after knowing the death of her teenaged crush, Moo-gang.

What follows is Black having to get used to the mortal world and engaging Ha-ram as "his eyes" so he could locate other lost roaming souls. Ha-ram, on the other end, is happy enough to see Moo-gang is back on his feet again although he seems cold and distant towards her. As the duo work together, the crime squad has a few cases on their hands which Black later discovered are connected to Moo-gang's and Ha-ram's childhood.

What I loved about this drama is because it has all the elements I love - fantasy theme, intricate suspense plots and last but not least, romance. The story is well crafted and there are lots of twists and turns when the murder cases are concerned and what amazed me is while each of the case seems isolated (and mind-boggling at times), they are all linked nicely towards the end. And I especially enjoyed the tender moments between Black and Ha-ram; Black may be in denial over their so-called relationship but his concern and his actions speak volumes and I think it is romantic despite their exchanges stated otherwise. All in all it was a great fantasy and suspense drama alongside a great cast of characters. I was sorry to see it ended and would have given this a 5-star rating if the ending was better explained but nevertheless still a satisfying one. Recommended.

© 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.

Labels: 4.5 stars, Drama review, Fantasy, Korean drama, Romance, Suspense 6 comments |

Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown

Melody

Random House Publishing Group | July 2017 | 368 pgs

Source: Library

At first glance, Watch Me Disappear may seem like a psychological suspense but at its core it is actually a story revolving family dynamic and how well you really know your loved ones.

Billie Flanagan had gone missing from a hiking expedition in the Desolation Wilderness a year ago and till present her body couldn't be found. Her husband, Jonathan and their sixteen-year-old daughter, Olive are still coping with the grief of losing her while awaiting for the court issuance of her death certificate, which has proved to be a long struggling wait considering that there is no solid proof and that her death remains a mystery. While Jonathan tries to cope with the loss and hoping for a closure that would allow them to move on with their life through the insurance settlement, Olive, on the other hand, starts having visions of her mother. Each of these visions seems to tell Olive that Billie might be alive and that Olive should try to find her.

Meanwhile, Jonathan isn't so sure about Olive's visions and thinks his daughter is hallucinating with her grief and denial. Worrying over her emotional stability, he sent Olive to visit a therapist while he himself drinks as he works on a memoir about his marriage, which is part work as a writer to a publishing house and part in loving memory of Billie. And as he finds her laptop and stumbles upon an encrypted folder, his mind wanders in different directions the more he starts unearthing secrets from her past through his little diggings and investigations. Who was the woman he knew as Billie Flanagan? What happened to her on that fateful day when she went hiking alone in Desolation Wilderness?

I've to admit it took me a little while to get engrossed in this story. It had a slow beginning and focus much on the mundane life and relationship within the Flanagan household. The reader also get to know a bit more of Olive, her relationship with her mother as well as bits of her school life. Olive is an angsty teenage girl who will go anywhere to find the truth about her mother's disappearance. Jonathan believes in his family but he hadn't been paying much attention towards Billie and Olive; he was too involved in his work and he didn't want to intrude upon their "girl bonding" moments until there was a time Olive slowly drifted away from that bond.

As mentioned before, if you're expecting this to be a psychological suspense then you'll be disappointed because this is leaning more towards the issues of family dynamic, marriage and relationship and what you tell yourself about the people you love. That said, the story has a few twists and turns and like Jonathan and Olive, I was totally clueless and dying of curiosity over Billie's disappearance until the final page, which left me speechless as my mind finally settled on the last three paragraphs. This is a well written story which will prompt a discussion (because I sure want to discuss that ending with whoever had read the book!)

End note: I googled Desolation Wilderness out of curiosity and was surprised to learn that it isn't fictional (OK, perhaps it's only me who didn't know this fact) and is located in El Dorado County, California. (More info here from Wikipedia)

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Fiction, Suspense 12 comments |

The Dry by Jane Harper

Melody

Flatiron Books | January 2017 | 336 pgs

Source: Library

Luke lied. You lied.

Four words. Yet they are powerful enough to send Federal agent Aaron Falk back to his hometown in Kiewarra where he grew up in twenty years. Luke Hadler, now dead and survived only by baby Charlotte, is believed to have murdered his wife and young son before ending his own life. Now stationed in Melbourne, Falk didn't want to return to Kiewarra despite what happened to his late childhood friend. Kiewarra has brought him too much bad memories; memories that remind him of Ellie Deacon's death and how he and his father were caught in the middle of it twenty years ago. With no concrete proof, the Falks were forced to leave Kiewarra with much contempt from its residents. Till this day, no one really knew what happened to Ellie on that fateful day she ended up drowned in the river.

However, Aaron knew he owed it to Luke's parents; after all they treated him kindly like their own back then and he knew they all wouldn't rest until the truth surrounding Luke and his family's death came to light. Together with Sergeant Greg Raco who is looking into the case, they go through what's left of Luke's traces and found out that Kiewarra is filled with buried secrets and deceptions and that one could do anything to protect his back, even if it means murder.

The Dry was one of the best books I read thus far. Part suspense and part police procedural, this story takes readers to the quiet suburb Kiewarra where its residents are threatened by the drought and how they are trying to make the best for their farming business. We have several suspects and at times they are linked with Ellie's death, considering her death remains a mystery and some residents aren't happy to see Aaron's return.

This book is brilliant and well written in a sense that the story was well developed from the beginning with both the characterisation and the setting. Then suspense seeped in and the intensity rose like the searing heat; and by then the book was hard to put down because you just want to find out the truth. The Dry is Jane Harper's debut novel but it certainly didn't feel like one. I fell in love with Jane's writing and the way she plotted her story beautifully. I also liked it that how the two mysteries are woven together smoothly yet they are on its own and each has a story to tell. In the end, I was left with a hollow feeling not because the book was bad (I loved it, remember?) but how it affected me to see what the victims' had gone through with their wrongful death. The ending was beautifully done too; and I was satisfied to see not only one but both cases (Luke's and Ellie's) closed as well. Highly recommended.

Labels: 5 stars, Book Review, Crime Thriller, Suspense 6 comments |

Ragdoll by Daniel Cole

Melody

Trapeze | February 2017 | 384 pgs

Source: Library

Daniel Cole started off his debut thriller with a bang featuring one of the most horrific/gruesome murder crimes I'd read to-date - a body with the dismembered parts of six victims stitched together, thus earning the nickname "Ragdoll" by the media. Assigned to this case are DS William "Wolf" Fawkes and DS Emily Baxter; both of them with the Metropolitan Police with Wolf leading the investigation.

Wolf had a history about abusing a defendant on trial after the sentence. Naguib Khalid, dubbed "The Cremation Killer" had set twenty seven young female prostitutes ablaze after they were heavily sedated in twenty-seven days and though Wolf made his arrest, contradicting surveillance reports and conflicting forensic evidence rendered Khalid a not-guilty sentence which made Wolf lost his cool. Wolf doesn't really care about protocols and as long as he knows he is right about the suspect, he would do anything to bring him down.

Four years later after losing his marriage and that he was vindicated from that infamous trial incident, he's back into his position with a bigger and sensational "Ragdoll" case waiting for him. But this is not all, Wolf's ex-wife, who is a TV journalist, received a list of six names (with Wolf being the last on the list) and the dates which the killer may strike next and this sent the whole media and nation into an uproar. With the clock ticking away and the pressure from all directions, the Metropolitan Police has to race against time with the killer to ensure that no more lives are being lost to the sadistic killer who seems to be a few steps ahead of them.

Ragdoll was a fast-paced thriller filled with intensity and actions with a dose of dark satire. Wolf made an intriguing, flawed character right from the start. His partnering with DS Emily Baxter filled the pages with their love/hate opinions of each other as well as their investigations. They are not romantically linked, yet Wolf's ex-wife assumed they are, which was one reason that shattered their marriage aside from their different life and perspectives. While I enjoyed the developed characters in Wolf and Emily, surprisingly it was Emily's trainee, Edmunds, whom I found the most interesting among all. He is smart and meticulous in his own way, and his devotion to the investigation definitely worth an appreciation from all but I felt his role was a bit underrated.

While this was more of a police procedural and I liked it that readers are offered more than a glimpse of how the media has much influence when controversial matters are concerned, I felt it'd have been better if it includes the killer's perspective and how his mind works. Then again, it may be the author's intention of portraying him as a dire and mysterious figure. Wolf and Emily are set to return in a sequel in 2018 and I've high expectations considering it's clichéd bigger, darker, more shocking but at the same time it's funnier, more poignant and more personal (these are from the author's words.)

Labels: 4 5 stars, Book Review, Crime Thriller, Suspense 10 comments |

City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong

Melody

Sphere | January 2016 | 480 pgs

Source: Purchased

City of the Lost is Kelley Armstrong's first book of her Casey Duncan series and I was excited to read it as it features a tough, flawed female detective and a setting of the isolated Yukon wilderness.

The story opens with an intriguing scene of Casey visiting her new therapist. Twelve years ago, Casey had killed a man. While an incident had left Casey both emotionally and physically scarred, she knew that man didn't deserve death despite what he had done. She then moved on and became a homicide detective and she knew someday the crime she had committed will catch up on her. On the other end, Diana, who is Casey's best friend, faces a problem involving her ex-husband who is stalking and abusing her. Diana knew there is a town where they would be safe; Rockton has only about 200+ population and it is meant for people who want to shed their old lives, just like them. They managed to get into Rockton after going through some procedures.

While Diana has a valid reason of escaping from her ex-husband, Casey gained her entrance into Rockton as the new detective in town. Sheriff Eric Dalton is wary of Casey as a newbie but Rockton needs her expertise considering they have their very first murder case. Rockton may deem as a sanctuary for those who want to escape their old life, but are all the residents they claimed as who they are? Or was the horrific murder done by the hostiles; those who lost something when they left Rockton had began to lose their humanity and revert to something animalistic?

City of the Lost is a great first book of a new series with an interesting cast of characters and the atmospheric Rockton made this book stand out from the rest. The plot and the suspense captivated me, but it was the characters who held my interest throughout the story. Casey Duncan is a woman who has a flawed past and one who doesn't shy away from the imperfections in life or in people. Her willingness to get involved with an ex-con who had come clean in the initial stage of the story tells a lot about her personality and her way of viewing things in general, never mind if they have a future or not. Her interactions with Sheriff Eric Dalton came off as a slow start and with doubts so it was interesting to see their attitudes towards each other changed as the story progresses. All in all this was an intriguing story and I look forward to reading her next installment, A Darkness Absolute.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Crime Thriller, Suspense 6 comments |

Burntown by Jennifer McMahon

Melody

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group | April 2017 | 304 pgs

Source: Edelweiss via Publisher (Advance Reading Copy)

Ashford, Vermont, 1975. There was once a Sandeskis family living in a sleepy town where they resided among abandoned mills and factories. Burntown, as they called this town, was their home and the Sandeskis were a happily family. Miles was a respected professor and during his free time, he would make mechanical animals and talking dolls for his young daughter, Eva. But his greatest invention was a plan which was passed on by Miles's father; a machine which would allow the living to communicate with the dead. Then came the Great Flood which Eva believed that was what killed her father and her brother, Errol. Eva and her mother, Lily, left their place and lived off the grid in a campsite on the river's edge with three mystical women who called themselves "fire eaters". These women knew how to breathe and eat fires through a herb they called "devil's snuff" and it also allowed them to see the future through their vision.

Eva, now known as "Necco" on the street, has been hiding away her life ever since her mother passed. According to Lily, her father was murdered by someone called "Snake Eyes" (or the Chicken Man) who wanted her father's invention. But Eva never believed what she was told and thought her mother was under depression and grief, until her mysterious death and Eva's boyfriend being murdered signified that there is indeed someone out there who is looking for her and wants her father's plan.

Along the way, Eva befriended two people; Theo, a high school senior who is scrambling to find her lost bag containing some drugs and money she owes a drugs dealer and Pru, a woman who works as a cafeteria lady at a Catholic School and runs errands for a circus as her other secret life. Pru knew Theo because she has been relying on her for her "vitamins" for some time but she hasn't heard from Theo for awhile and she needs her stuff to get her going. As the lives of these three different women intersect, they knew they have to rely on one another to get their life in order and most of all, to escape from "Snake Eyes" who has begun to close in on them.

Jennifer McMahon's stories never fail to surprise me; each of them is different and I knew I can always count on her for a good escapism read. Be it supernatural, fantasy or thriller, she has a knack for capturing your attention through the various worlds she created and soon you will find yourself engaged in her characterisations and premises, never mind if the subjects might seem bizarre or not. That is how Jennifer McMahon's books are and I like the different style and topics she imply in them. While I was fascinated by Burntown and the imagination of a great machine which could allow the living to communicate with the dead (it sounds creepy!), it was these notion - "one's hope to dream and dare to make them true" and "girl power" which spoke volumes to me. Eva, Theo and Pru have their flaws and I liked how they overcome their issues and daring to dream under difficult circumstances and of course, through the support of their friendship. Pru might be a secondary character but surprisingly, she was my favourite character among all. I liked that she finds her courage and dreams despite she thinks she is fat and worthless; and what she did in the end brought a smile to my face. Burntown may not be my favourite McMahon book but it was quite an inspiring read in my opinion.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Psychological Thriller, Suspense 6 comments |

Rattle by Fiona Cummins

Melody

Macmillan | January 2017 | 496 pgs

Source: Library

Rattle is a book which is neither easy to read nor write after turning that last page. It was hard to articulate my thoughts and put them into words as aside from the horror of the crimes, it also features a medical condition of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (Stone Man Syndrome); a rare debilitating disease that causes sufferers to grow a second skeleton which literally traps them in a prison of bone (this definition was extracted from the author's note. For more info please click above link.)

And on top of it all was a terrifying serial killer, named the Bone Collector, is a psychopath who leads two lives - an ordinary man who's like anyone else and a caretaker of his family's macabre museum in another. Aside from abducting little children who seem to have some skeletal deformities, his other modus operandi is leaving rabbit skeletons around either as a clue or as a taunt, nobody knows but Detective Sergeant Etta Fitzroy is adamant to trace him down and to see that the children are returned safely back to their parents.

But that is not all, two sets of parents (with their children missing) face some marital problems; most of which is one parent is not attentive enough to their family and even DS Etta Fitzroy doesn't escape from her own woes - a stillborn baby and an older broker husband who doesn't really want children. However, Fitzroy's characteristic shine in her devotion to her work amid her personal life.

As for our antagonist the Bone Collector, he remains as a shadow and readers know very little of him until the last quarter of the book; and by then the intensity was full-blown and readers would be caught up by the cat-and-mouse race. Overall, Rattle was quite an unsettling read with a creepy psychopath and his evil deeds and while it was a thrilling read to me, I wasn't entirely satisfied with the ending. Perhaps there is a sequel to it? I hope so.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Psychological Thriller, Suspense 8 comments |

Everything You Want Me to Be by Mindy Mejia

Melody

Atria/Emily Bestler Books | January 2017 | 352 pgs

Source: Library

Everything You Want Me to Be is a stunning psychological thriller which explores one's identity and makes you wonder what one would do for love.

Hattie Hoffman is a talented actress. She's been spending her life playing many roles for the people around her; she will be the person what the others want of her and she is good. However, her life changes the day she knew 'LitGeek' on a website. And when she was found brutally murdered in a remote barn in her small town community, many speculate if it is 'LitGeek' who had killed her in cold blood. After all, who knows the real identity hiding behind that screen? Or is it Hattie's boyfriend who had done it? He was clearly in love with her and is his love for her has became an obsession? Finally, is Hattie a manipulator? Did she manipulate people to get what she wants?

Narrated by Hattie, Del (the town's sheriff) and Peter (Hattie's English teacher) and through chapters alternating between the present and the past, this story chronicles the one-year timeline surrounding Hattie's life and the truth about her death. Mindy Mejia entrances the readers right from the beginning through Hattie; a character we don't know if we should trust initially. Hattie may be a people pleaser but she does has a dream to fulfil - living in New York and be a successful Broadway actress. Pine Valley is too small of a town and she is not a farm girl at heart.

This is a well written tale with a balance of suspense and a case of characters study. Hattie was an interesting character; she may be a 17-year-old girl but at times she thinks like an adult. I liked her devotion in the plays and her love for reading. Speaking of reading, there are bits of references of Jane Eyre and Macbeth here and there which may delight fans of these two characters, especially the latter since there are scenes of Hattie rehearsing for the play and some culture is infused into the story as well (e.g. In the backstage world of theatre, some believe that the play is cursed and will only refer the title as "The Scottish Play").

Filled with twists and many unreliable narrators as the story progresses, this book was unputdownable for me as I raced though the last few chapters in one sitting to find out what really happened to Hattie and why she was murdered. It was a great read in terms of the intensity and the suspense but then it left me feeling raw and sad after knowing what happened.

Labels: 4.5 stars, Book Review, Psychological Thriller, Suspense 8 comments |

The Ice Beneath Her by Camilla Grebe

Melody

Random House Publishing Group | December 2016 | 368 pgs

Source: Library

Translated by Elizabeth Clark Wessel

Camilla Grebe has written five crime novels with her sister Åsa Träff; two of which were nominated for Best Swedish Crime Novel of the Year and this novel is her solo American debut. Aside from these, she is also the co-author of the popular Moscow Noir trilogy. The Ice Beneath Her is both an exceptional and a gripping psychological thriller but I have to admit the murder crimes were much too violent to me although they aren't described explicitly.

When the Swedish police arrived at the scene of a murder, they were shocked to discover an unidentified woman brutally murdered in a posh suburban home. What also makes this brutal crime so disturbing is the violent act of murder resembles an unsolved case ten years ago. Unlike the cold case, this time around they have a suspect and he is the charismatic and controversial chain-store CEO, Jesper Orre, as the murder scene took place at his house and he is nowhere to be found.

Homicide detectives Peter Lindgren and Manfred Olsson find nothing more informative of Jesper except that he has a playboy reputation and many of his employees and the Union dislike him for his cold management practices. They suspect his characteristics and an affair gone wrong might drive him to being a cold-blooded killer. To gather more clues and to understand the motive of a murderer's mind, they turn to Hanne Lagerlind-Schön, who is once a brilliant criminal profiler but had "retired" ten years ago. No one knows of her unhappy marriage and the sickness which is slowly creeping up onto her, but she is eager to share her expertise with the police again despite her husband's opposition. While the police is glad to have Hanne's assistance, Peter isn't so glad as he and Hanne had had a love affair before and Peter left Hanne without an explanation.

Two months earlier, Emma Bohman is searching for Jesper too. Emma and Jesper's chance encounter had led to a swift romance and they were inseparable since. However, Jesper wanted Emma to keep their romance quiet as he didn't want to bring attention to the media considering his position. Emma yielded to his request but with Jesper's disappearance, she is both confused and lost and thus begins her search for her runaway lover.

This novel is narrated by three voices - Peter, Hanne and Emma. As the story progresses, we see Peter and Hanne race against time to find their answers leading to the perpetrator while battling their own internal struggle whether or not to be with each other, again. Emma's narrative was chronicled in a way that begins her relationship with Jesper right to the time she goes in search for Jesper. I found this parallel narrations was what makes this multi-layered story a compelling read even though halfway through the book I suspected where the direction was going but still the outcome surprised me. I hope this book will begin a new series featuring Peter, Manfred and Hanne, though I thought this was a great stand-alone, too.