William Morrow | March 2019 | 320 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
I've enjoyed most of Peter Swanson's books so far and when I knew he has a new book out, I know I've to read it.
Henrietta (Hen) and her husband, Lloyd, have moved into a new house outside of Boston where they could enjoy a quiet life and their workplace being nearby. Hen is an illustrator for children's books and although she suffers from bipolar disorder and depression, her condition is well controlled with medication. Life is good to Hen and Lloyd until they met their new neighbour, Matthew and Mira Dolamore.
Hen is happy to know her neighbour but that feeling quickly changes after she spotted a fencing trophy in Matthew's office. Two years ago a young man named Dustin Miller was murdered and a fencing trophy was found missing in his house. It is no wonder Hen is suspicious because she thought the trophy in Matthew's office looks similar to Dustin's. On top of it, Matthew teaches at Sussex Hall and that's where Dustin went to high school. Hen has been following the news of Dustin's murder since then despite there isn't any answer or resolution to the case so when she sees the trophy it sets the obsession in her once again. And so this begins her task in observing and trailing Matthew until one night what she did has caught Matthew's attention. Could Matthew be the killer, or is it Hen's sickness acting up again? After all, she'd hurt someone back during her college days to prove the other was guilty and does this mean this is another one of her psychotic episodes?
Reading this book was like riding a roller coaster; I could never anticipate when the next twist would be until it hit you off guard. One of the author's strengths is his characterisations are usually fleshed out and the way the story is executed; allowing the reader to be fully invested into the story even though you've some doubts about the direction it is leading you on. The foreboding atmosphere of this story was intensive but alas, I wasn't pleased with the outcome. For this I blamed it on my own expectation and that the direction I'd in mind differ from what it is of the story. Nevertheless I'd an enjoyable reading experience and I'd still recommend this to anyone who love a suspenseful read.
© 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.
St. Martin's Press | August 2018 | 320 pgs
Source: Library
In her first installment of the Noodle Shop Mystery series (Death by Dumpling), Vivien Chien introduces us Lana Lee; an Eurasian woman who helps her family run the Ho-Lee noodle restaurant at an Asian Village in Cleveland, Ohio. When a man was found dead after consuming their noodle house's shrimp dumplings, Lana knew it was no accident considering almost everyone knew of his allergy to seafood. Worst of all, Lana was the one who delivered the food to him so she had to find out the truth surrounding his death. During the investigative course, she met detective Adam Trudeau and although they didn't admit it, they've some feelings for each other.
In this second installment, Lana is left in charge of the restaurant while her parents left for Taiwan for an emergency family matter. She has had plans to look for a job and even landed herself an interview, and it seems she has no choice but to remain where she is. Meanwhile, she has gone on a few dates with Adam and wonder if they're officially a couple. These are what has been occupying her mind until her friend and her new husband are found dead in their souvenir shop, which is just next door to their noodle restaurant. Once again, Lana finds herself in the midst of the mystery.
Lana knew she shouldn't meddle into the case; after all Adam did mention about his concern especially if it involves her safety but Lana knew there is more than meets the eye. She knew the couple wasn't the suicidal type and on top of it they were newlyweds so there is no reason for them doing so despite the speculations. So to find out the truth surrounding her friend’s death, Lana decides she should look around for more information. It is also at this time that two women began to show up respectively; each claiming to be the ex-wife of the dead man and they're here to settle the shop property. While Lana is skeptical about their statements, she soon finds something more about her friend’s husband which makes this case more mysterious and complicated.
I was pleased to say that I was captivated by this series so far and Lana continues to intrigue me with her wits and her straightforward demeanour. I'm also interested to find out more about her relationship with Adam as the series go and hopefully the third installment will see both of them has moved on to the next level.
As for the mystery plot, it wasn't fast paced as compared with thrillers as it focused more on the characters (developments) but the mystery still keep you guessing till the end. Overall it was a satisfying read and I wonder what's in store for her next installment, Murder Lo Mein.
© 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.
Sphere | June 2018 | 384 pgs
Source: Library
Three Little Lies, in a nutshell, is a story between three friends, secrets and deceptions and how the past caught up to them.
Ten years ago, Ellen and Karina were best friends. Their life revolved around nothing but school and gossips, until the Monktons moved into their neighbourhood. The two girls were fascinated by their bohemian lifestyle, but most of all they were fascinated by the two boys, Daniel and Nicholas, as well as Sasha, the girl who looked about their age. The three girls became friends later, and were often invited to the Monktons' for parties. Karina had a crush on the older boy, Daniel; although the girls knew it would be nothing more than just friends. Until something happened on a fateful night that it not only tear Karina's life apart but Daniel's as well.
In present time 2017, Ellen and Sasha are working adults and they share an apartment together. They've lost touch with Karina and Daniel became a past. When Sasha has gone missing without a trace, Ellen fears the worst. Is her disappearance got to do with that fateful night so many years ago? Worst still, the police won't take Ellen's words seriously as they thought Sasha's disappearance is nothing more than a decision considering Sasha has a past of disappearing without a word. But Ellen knew Sasha and believes this is something out of the norm; but as she digs further she couldn't help but to think of the memories that held them together ten years ago. What's with the Monktons all those time and why would Sasha disappear without a trace?
I've heard that the author's first book, Friend Request, has received some good reviews and although I haven't read that book, I decided to try with this latest book of hers since it was available at the library. Perhaps I'd jumped into this with a high expectation, but I wasn't swept away by the story. The author's writing was good though, and together with the fast pacing I was able to tear through the book easily. I think the focus was much on the character developments and although this isn't the issue, I couldn't fathom the decisions made by some characters and thought things would've been different if they all aren't being swayed by reckless emotions. The twist wasn't too hard to guess, but that's probably because the suspect involved only a few people. Despite my lukewarm reaction to this, I'm still curious with Friend Request so I'll read it at some point.
© 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.
Penguin Publishing Group | March 2018 | 384 pgs
Source: Purchased
My blogger friend, Lark and I, decided to kick off the new year by reading Alma Katsu's The Hunger together and boy, what a good book it is! If you are familiar with the true event of the series of misfortunes and tragedy that struck the wagon train known as the Donner Party set in 1846-7, this book will interest you as it is a retelling of that historic event with a horror twist. The author mentioned that the names, locations, and dates have remained but much else has been changed to fit the story. I won't go into details of the true event on this review but if you're interested to read more, please click here.
During that period, a group of ninety people, consisted of men, women and young children as well, travelled from Springfield to California via route West; each family harboured a different dream in the hope of finding a better life. Amid the travel, the disappearance and the death of a small boy rippled their once peaceful atmosphere. To make matters worse, talks about an Indian tribe that is rumoured to perform human sacrifice to appease the devil further disturb the party. Tamsen Donner, the wife of George Donner, who took up the leadership role of the wagon party, wasn't spare either as some thought of her as a witch; both in concocting herbs and/or bewitching men. Whether it was her curse, their later ill-advised choice of an untested route through uncharted terrain or just plain bad luck, they soon found themselves stuck in dire and dangerous situations where aside from their fear and hunger, human nature under desperate circumstances is equally potent in setting one against another and before long they would all head into a disastrous route of no return.
Alma Katsu is a great storyteller. Taken the past event as the base of this story and through research and some re-imagination, she transformed the already harrowing experience of the original Donner Party into something more sinister with a horror element - something vague which question the reader what kind of horror that plagued them and pushed them to the brink of madness. Ms. Katsu's characters are fleshed out and she captured that foreboding and atmospheric feeling very well; meanwhile adding some backstory of a few characters so as to incorporate their emotions and how they will come to affect their outlook and judgement during their perilous journey. While many of the characters get more and more unlikable as the story progresses (a self-defense act I suppose), I do like one or two characters due to their characteristics. Overall it was a great read and I'd recommend this to anyone.
Below are some questions from Lark and my answers surrounding this story. I hope you'll visit Lark's blog for her review and the Q&A after reading this post. (Thank you, Lark, for this buddy read again!)
1. What if anything did you know about the Donner Party before you started reading this book?
I didn't know about the Donner Party until I came across this book and understand from other reviews that this was actually based on a true story. I was already fascinated by the blurb then and it was a great thing when Lark and I decided to read it for our next buddy read. Before starting the book, I Googled for more information regarding this unfortunate party and how their journey came about up till how it all ended up in tragedy. It was both so sad and horrifying.
2. If you had to team up with 3 characters from this book in order to survive, who would you choose and why?
Without a doubt, I'd team up up with Charles Stanton, Mary Graves and Elitha Donner. I choose Charles because he was the most practical and level-headed among all the men there; and he chose to use words first than fists when there are any disagreements and confrontations. As for Mary and Elitha, I chose them because both of them are sensible and are not afraid to voice their thoughts, in particularly Mary. I've to say she's my favourite character among all.
© 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.
Penguin UK | September 2018 | 480 pgs
Source: Library
This is the eighth installment of DI Helen Grace series by M.J. Arlidge and although I haven't read any of this series, I'm glad to say it still work well enough as a standalone; though there are some past history about the characters (and/or events relating to the present) which I need to find out more to understand the whole picture.
The story opens with DI Helen Grace trying to piece her life back together after some incidents occurred during her previous assignment. She returns to work to find there's a new addition to her Major Incident Team. DS Joseph Hudson isn't really a rookie when police work is concerned; and his transferral to Southampton actually bring some insights to the team although Helen has different thoughts. She thinks he is over enthusiastic at times but in my opinion I felt his zest adds some life to the ever so tense procedural work.
Anyway the team is soon called out to search a campsite in a secluded woodland whereby a man is believed to have disappeared without a trace. They later found his body embedded with crossbow bolts hanging from a tree. The team has a few speculations; one of them targeted on a nomad who may have strong feelings with anyone or organisations which are against with the environmental issues. After all the victim worked for such related organisation and that nomad was once prosecuted for police assault over relating issue. Coincidence? Or something cult related judging the bodies were found? And then another victim went missing and suffered the same state, the team is sure something sinister is at work but what?
While the MIT is busily investigating, journalist Emilia Garanita isn't free either as she tries all means to dig up info. It seems like she has a few run-ins with Helen in the past and again it is interesting for me to find out. And in spite of the length of the book, surprisingly I didn't find it as intimidating as I'd thought as aside from the engaging plot, each chapter is short so it makes for a quick read and have you turning a page, then another ...
The interactions between Helen and Joseph (as well as the rest of the team) had me captivated throughout the book and it was a good sign considering this was my first-time read of this series. Helen is obviously a flawed character who has a past so this further fuel my interest since such characters always intrigue me, especially one who is a law enforcer. The introduction of DS Joseph Hudson adds some new perspective to the story and I'm eager to find out more about his work dynamic in future installments. As far as the mystery goes, it was never clear cut and had the reader wondering in various directions. I'll certainly check out the other installments by this author.
© 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.
2018 is coming to an end and aside from the approaching of a new year (and making new resolutions?), that also means it's time for a reflection of the books I read and which titles have made it onto my top reads. Without further ado, here's the list of my top ten reads of 2018 (not in order):
Honorable Mention
Reading Statistics:
Male Authors: 15
Female Authors: 52
Thriller/Suspense/Mystery: 52
Contemporary Romance: 10
Fantasy: 3
Historical: 2
Horror: 4
YA: 2
So there you have it. From the look of it, I read more thriller/suspense/mystery books than books from other genres so my reading goal next year is to have a more balanced read. I hope I can do it.
What's your favourite books of the year? And since this will be my last post of 2018, I'd like to wish you a very Happy New Year!
© 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.
Gallery Books | September 2018 | 320 pgs
Source: Library
I've not read anything by Christina Lauren but I've heard a lot of good things about this book. For readers who love a friends-to-lovers kind of story, you'll probably love this.
Hazel Bradford first knew Josh Im when they were in college. Ten years later, she still thinks he's good-looking and proper in all sense while he thinks of her as wild, crazy and funny at times. Needless to say, their personality clashes and Josh doesn't think Hazel as his kind of gal. Plus, he has gone out with Tabitha for two years although it's a long distance relationship. It is strange how fate has once again brought this two together. Hazel is an elementary school teacher and when her good friend, Emily, invited her to her house as a get-together, she doesn't have much thoughts until she saw Josh there. It turns out that Josh is Emily's brother.
Despite the awkwardness, Hazel continues to hang out with Josh like any other friends. And when Josh later found out that his girlfriend is cheating on him, Hazel thinks it isn't a bad idea to go on a double date. However, no matter how many dates they've gone, they just didn't click with each other's friends. But of course by that time their connection and tacit understanding struck them both that they may have a chance with each other after all.
This book was a great escapism after all the thrillers I read. On top of that, I loved it that the relationship was based from the foundation of friends first and that Hazel and Josh are two interesting characters who're relatable; the former who was not afraid of being herself while the latter was kind, sensitive and stable. They're the typical opposite-attract type of couple and I couldn't like them more because of who they are and how comfortable they're with each other. Their witty dialogues, Josh's Korean heritage and the different situations they were in made this such an entertaining read and I enjoyed the whole book in spite of the predictability. I'll definitely be looking out for more books by this author.
© 2018 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
HarperCollins Publishers | October 2018 | 480 pgs
Source: Library
This first novel of the Crown of Shards fantasy series tells a story of a royal family dynamics, politics and conspiracies with the combinations of magic and a hint of romance.
Lady Everleigh Blair lost her parents since young. Although she's seventeenth in line for the throne, her role in the royal court of Bellona is nothing but an assistant to the cook master. In their realm whereby one's magical power determines one's worth (i.e. magier, master and morph), Evie is considered the lowest since she's a mutt with no magical power. Her only strength is her enhanced sense of smell and the ability to be immuned of magic but no one knows of the latter since her late mother had warned her to keep it as a secret for her own good.
Bellona is a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition so it is not uncommon for a woman to have battling skills. Evie is no warrior, but her cousin Vasilia, who's the crown princess, is a skilled warrior and once upon a time they were close with each other until Evie learnt that it was all a lie. Evie steers clear from her path thereafter, and Vasilia couldn't care less considering she has big plans ahead. Although Vasilia's mother, Queen Cordelia, intends to marry her off to the prince of Andvari for Bellona's benefits and further securing the ties between the two kingdoms; Vasilia, on the other end, has already planned to assassinate the Queen and take the throne by force.
After the massacre, Evie escapes with the help of her secret immunity. For survival and a plan to avenge for the Bellona people, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. While the troupe perform to amuse, several of them are actually highly trained warriors. There, Evie met a few interesting people, in particularly Lucas Sullivan, a magier who seemed to have some secrets of his own. As she trains with the troupe, she soon learn more about the troupe leader, Serilda, who used to be the late Queen's royal guard and how the troupe came about.
I was totally fascinated with the world building and the cast of characters in this book. Add in a dose of magic and some actions and I was hooked. There's nothing that I didn't love about this story; except that Evie may be too much of a risk taker at times. Then again, a warrior is one who shouldn't be afraid to take risks, especially if she has the best of heart for others. I also enjoyed the banter between Evie and Lucas; although there isn't much romantic chemistry between them, yet, I'm hoping to see there's some changes in the next installment, Protect the Prince.
© 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 | 352 pgs
Source: Library
Julia's life is flat and boring. After a painful breakup with her boyfriend, she set her mind on proving herself at work and hopefully her boss will start to notice her hard work and assign her some important tasks. Bryce walks into her life literally when she is preparing for a presentation and a gust of wind blows her papers everywhere. After Bryce has helped her pick up the papers, he asked to meet her for a drink which she said yes. That drink leads to another meeting and soon Julia finds herself saying yes to being his girlfriend. It's hard not to like Bryce; after all he's handsome, charming and he knows how to make Julia feels special and different. Bryce then brought Julia to his church; introducing her to his so-called family and encouraging her to engage in his church's activities and to follow their teaching and principles. Everything sounds promising except that Bryce doesn't share about his past and that there's something a little off with the Reverend and the followers' belief. And despite Julia's doubts, Bryce always manage to convince her in the end.
Julia slowly become isolated from her family, friends and eventually her job. After marriage, it become worse as Bryce doesn't seem like the man he used to be. Is it possible for her to leave, given that Bryce has already had plans for their relationship?
Although this latest novel by Rena Olsen is marketed as a psychological thriller, it read more like a women's fiction with domestic abuse issue. I've to say the plot was quite predictable and I'd some issue about Julia and the ending. First off, I felt Julia jumped too fast into the relationship right from the beginning. Sure, Bryce may seemed like a perfect man initially, but this didn't give Julia a good reason to lose control of her decisions. I knew then that the relationship isn't going to work and after the marriage it only got worse. At that point, I felt no motivation to read further (this explains my slow progress) but there's something about the author's writing that made me continue reading. As for the ending I felt it to be rushed and that some questions are left unanswered. That said, this may deem to be a suitable read for readers who love a domestic drama rather than a suspense/thriller.
© 2018 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
William Morrow | August 2018 | 416 pgs
Source: Library
Have you heard of the term "dark sky park"? I haven't until I read this book. Basically it's a park that offers dazzling views of the Constellations and the Milky Way with minimal lightings so as to keep the area as natural as possible (for more information click here.) In this story, the author had chosen Headlands International Dark Sky Park in Mackinaw City, Michigan as the model for the fictional Straits Point International Dark Sky Park.
Thirtyish Eden Wallace is a photographer who'd lost her husband, Bix, to a car accident. Before Bix's death, Eden is a person who doesn't have much drive or motivation when her ambition is concerned. This is partly due to Bix's job as an Army, which often requires him to travel and with her following around, it is hard to settle on something permanent. Now that Bix is gone, Eden finds no reason for any motivation and also plagued by night terrors there isn't a night she goes to sleep without the lights on. However one day, she finds paperwork in her husband's effects indicating that he reserved a week under the stars in a dark sky park meant for their tenth anniversary. Despite her paralysing phobia of the dark, Eden proceeds to the destination.
What she thought was a private retreat in a guest suite at Straits Point International Dark Sky Park turns out to be a group stay as there was a mistake made by the reception. Eden isn't keen to be stuck with six twentysomethings for their college reunion, so she decides to stay for a night and head home the next day. However, one of the six was later found murdered and Eden's hope of going home is dashed. While they are forced to remain at the guest house for the investigation, Eden discovered that the group's friendship isn't what she has thought initially as they each seem to harbour some secrets of their own. Now everyone becomes a suspect, including Eden herself. But what most bothered Eden is aside from the tricky situation she's in, she also discovered some secrets surrounding Bix before his death.
Under a Dark Sky was a brilliant locked-room mystery which had my attention from the beginning till the end, especially given the setting and not to mention a cast of intriguing characters. Eden was an interesting character, to say the least, and she carried lots of emotional baggage since the death of her husband and the things she's gone through thereafter. The rest of the characters are a mysterious lot, and while I was curious to know the murderer and his/her motive, I've to say this book was actually very much about Eden as there's also a storyline about herself and her late husband that are woven into the murder mystery's core. A gripping read and I'd recommend this book to readers who love a good mystery (or two).
© 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.
Hello! So I'm back. Our vacation was a great one. For the inquiring minds, we went to Taiwan. It was our third trip and our last trip was three years ago. Regardless of the various countries and how many times we visited, all I can say is each experience is special and different because of the people we met. I'm glad to say we'd been lucky with the tour guides we had and this time is no exception. The places we visited were fascinating; some eye-opening while some simply amazing. I'd been posting some pictures on Instagram for the past few days so if you've followed my account you may have seen them. Anyway, I attached a few pictures I posted on IG for anyone who missed it. :)
Top to bottom
- Morning walk at Flying Cow Ranch. I've to say this is my best 'artistic' shot among all. :D
- View of Taipei City from hiking at Elephant Mountain. Phew, those stairs! (photo credit: my husband)
- Popular shopping district at Ximending
- Rainbow Village (there's a history about it which you can read here)
- One of the orchid pics taken at Taichung Flower Expo
Onto bookish topic, I only finished a book (With You Always by Rena Olsen) while I was on the trip. Actually I'd started reading it beforehand and it was a slow progress, so to speak. It was a domestic thriller and review will be forthcoming. Before writing this post, I'd just finished reading a Chinese romance titled Waiting for You Yesterday (我在昨天等你) by Taiwanese writer, Misa. It's a library book but it'd caught my attention during a visit to a bookstore in Taiwan. It's a story about family, friendship as well as love rebirth. It's also a story filled with heartfelt sentiments which had me in tears in the end (note to self: will be checking out more of her books in the near future). Onto another book, I'm currently reading Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep; it's a first novel in the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series that combines magic, murder and adventure. Sounds exciting, isn't it? And it has a gorgeous cover too.
So did I miss anything while I was away? I definitely miss reading all your blog posts and am curious to know what you've been reading. I'm still slowly catching up on reading my library books as well as blog hopping/commenting; after all some part of my mind is still on the trip, ha. Happy reading!
© 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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