Melody's Reading Corner

Urban Legend II bk. 5: The Collector [都市传说第二部5: 收藏家]

Melody

奇幻基地 | May 2018 | 304 pgs

Source: Library

This is book 5 of the second urban legend series by Ling Jing (笭菁). All her books read as stand-alones and her stories are based on various urban legends added with some imaginations and other elements of her own.

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.

Urban Legend origin: Anatoly Moskvin, a Russian philologist, historian and linguist, was arrested in 2011 for exhuming several dead girls bodies (aged between three and fifteen) from local graveyards before mummifying the bodies himself, had them dressed up and posed them around his home.

Summary: Young girls are being abducted and despite the police searches and investigations, they came up with nothing. It's as if these girls had vanished into thin air. When a member of the urban legend society discovered that the tomb of her late niece was being vandalised, it didn't cross her mind that someone was trying to dig up the body until the members stumbled upon a dark shadow behaving suspiciously around the graveyard one night. Their discovery led them for further investigations, and they soon have a suspect who seemed to fit the bill of the bodies stealer but they couldn't dismiss the thought that things have been going on too smoothly for them. Did they catch the wrong person?

My thoughts: This was such a horrifying story! And I don't only mean the dead bodies but the thought of someone going all the way of digging and dressing them up and treat them like live persons! Super creepy! That said, the story also added a mystery angle so aside from the horrors, the reader wouldn't know about the perpetrator and his motives until towards the end. I thought I'd guessed the perpetrator correctly but apparently I was in for a good surprise. Once again, the author has portrayed the meticulous and resourceful side of the characters and I've to say I like them more as I follow the series.

© 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, Mystery 10 comments |

The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

Melody

Titan Books | June 2019 | 368 pgs

Source: Library

"Who's the wolf in the woods now?" Pg 343

Christina Henry's latest book -- a retelling tale of the Red Riding Hood is more than a dangerous encounter with the cunning wolf in the woods; for the wolves in Christina's imaginary world is far more darker and grimmer as it's set in an apocalyptic world where danger is lurking everywhere.

Red (her real name is Cordelia) is travelling alone towards her grandmother's house after the Crisis came and took away many lives. Known as The Cough, this highly contagious disease has killed countless of people and for those who survived, they are being sent to quarantine camps but Red knew better. She doesn't want to go to a breeding ground where the disease may be quietly spreading. She's lost her parents already; she doesn't want to feel helpless and being controlled by the government military. The outside world may be brimmed with people with evil thoughts or who have lost their humanity due to the Crisis, but she has an axe and she has nothing to lose.

I love fairy tales retellings and Christina Henry has took this classic onto another level with this thought-provoking story. I liked Red a lot; she's a strong-willed woman who will never think of her prosthetic leg as her weaknesses. She may be stubborn, but she has valid reasons and I loved how protective she was towards her older brother (despite their squabbles) and the two children she's met along the journey.

The author has created a terrifying world with The Cough and the Crisis and although it's all fictional, I couldn't help but to think all these scenarios seem probable and it'd be disastrous if it happens. Seriousness aside, I think this book was a great read and despite the sad events and situations in this story, there is still a glimpse of hope and humanity left and this is what I'm hoping for for books like this.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Fairy Tales 8 comments |

Silence in the Woods by J.P. Choquette

Melody

Scared E Cats Books | April 2019 | 214 pgs

Source: Author

This is the first book of J.P. Choquette's "Monsters in the Green Mountains" series. Set in Vermont's wilderness -- a place called Shiny Creek Trail, it is a perfect hiking trail for many hikers and hunters alike but there was an unfortunate incident happened in 1897. An 18-year-old boy was reported missing during his hike with a group of friends and till the present day in 1917, his body is still not found, leaving behind many questions unanswered as well as fuelling the interest of many hikers who want to unveil the mystery behind Shiny Creek Trail.

In September 1917, a group of four friends decided to hike at the place looking for answers. Paul Rogers and Allan Warning are photojournalists and they thought this trip might give them something to feature about and help a bit with their career. Allan's wife, Deidre, is excited about the trip but Jane, who is Paul's wife, is skeptical but eventually decided to give it a go. The hike is supposed to be an adventure but it ended up leaving one person dead and two others missing. Paul ends up in Vermont State Hospital for the Insane, for he claimed there is some monster -- a man beast, roaming in the woods. Is Paul really delusional? Or did they encounter something horrifying in the woods? And this begins his plan in escaping from the hospital right to the end of searching for Jane and his friends in Shiny Creek Trail.

Told in multiple narrations (mainly on Paul and Jane) and alternating between the beginning of the hike and two months later after the incident, the story mainly delve into the territory of the unknown as well as the complexity of friendship among these four friends and their state of minds when confronting unexpected circumstances. It is a survival story with a vague hint of supernatural element, although I think it revolves more on the legendary monster reminiscent of the Bigfoot. Overall it was a fast-paced read and if you like intrigue with a little mystery, then this is the book for you.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Folklore, Thriller 12 comments |

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Melody

Harvill Secker | August 2019 | 352 pgs

Source: Library

I've read all of Ruth Ware's books (except The Death of Mrs Westaway) and I've to say she's at her best creating a gothic and creepy atmosphere. This book has a few of my favourite features: intrigue, suspense, an isolated remote location and an ambiguous hint of supernatural element.

So the book opens with our protagonist, Rowan Caine, writing a letter to a Mr Wrexham appealing for his help. Rowan is currently in a cell awaiting trial for murder and she thinks Mr Wrexham might help clear her name than the other lawyer they'd assigned for her. But she needs Mr Wrexham to first hear her story and the tale begins.

I'll try not to delve too much into the blurb since it's best to dive into this book "blind" and all I can say about this is, Rowan works as a live-in nanny for the Elincourts family at their luxurious 'smart' house they called Heatherbrae House. It is located at the Scottish Highlands and is rather remote, but the Elincourts have remodelled the old house from the predecessors and now it is equipped with all the modern conveniences of various technologies one could think of. Rowan is impressed by the overall package the Elincourts offer, but she definitely didn't anticipate that this dream house will soon become her worst nightmare.

I've to say the writing style and the suspense are the strength of this story. Ruth Ware surely knows how to build intensity well and this book already had my full attention right from the beginning despite the slow-burn and that I didn't really like any of the characters here. Rowan was a complicated character whom I couldn't really describe through words. She could be infuriating at times; yet there are moments that you couldn't help but to feel sorry for her, too. There are also certain scenarios which may make you think about her credibility; and all these factors are what most drawn me to the story.

Onto the weaknesses, truth be told, I think this story would be perfect if not of a certain factor leading to the ending. The ambiguity works well in my opinion though, but I felt that particular factor was a little letdown despite the huge buildup of intrigue from the beginning. Still, this was a compelling story which I found hard to resist; and last of all I'll never look at smart houses the same way ever again.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Psychological Thriller 14 comments |

Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo

Melody

Farrar Straus Giroux | May 2019 | 336 pgs

Source: Library

I didn't really enjoy Maurene Goo's previous book (I Believe in a Thing Called Love) as much as I'd anticipated. However, I do like the way how she manages to capture the emotions and thoughts of the teenagers' mind into words so I'm giving her latest book another try.

Lucky (not her real name) is a successful K-pop star and she is touring around Asia for her performances. Hong Kong is her next destination and she has her eyes set on making her debut on The Tonight Show in America. But with her name and fame, she often find it a challenge to sneak out to do the things she loves. However, on one particular night she has a craving for a hamburger so she decides to sneak out secretly. But then she hasn't thought about the sleeping pills and the anxiety pills she'd taken earlier.

Jack Lim is interning at his father's bank while waiting to get into college. But his passion is photography and to fuel his love for this, he took up a side job taking pictures for a tabloid magazine. No one knows about his side job except his roommate, Charlie. So Jack has received news that a certain male celebrity is staying at a fancy hotel and on his way out after the assignment, he runs into a girl wearing the hotel's slippers. Appearing dazed, he decided to help the girl, not knowing that he's spending some time with a bigger celebrity (well, he's not into K-pop so he has absolutely no idea who she is.) When Jack finally realises who she is towards the end of the evening, he wonders if he should fulfill his dreams or protect Lucky's privacy and miss his chance for the work he loves so much.

This is a cute and sweet story which I find is a great escapism from my usual reads. The story plot is simple and the reader get to read Lucky's and Jack's story over the span of one day in the city of Hong Kong. I'm not a fan of insta-love but I can see why Lucky and Jack are attracted to each other. And through Lucky's experiences, the reader also get a glimpse of the life of an idol and some of the sacrifices they've to make behind that glamorous image which I feel is a fact surrounding the K-pop industry today. Character-wise, I think the developments were great and although this was more of a character- than a plot-driven story, it was still an entertaining read.

Labels: 3.5 stars, Book Review, Romance, Young Adult 10 comments |

Deadland by William Shaw

Melody

Riverrun | May 2019 | 480 pgs

Source: Library

Although this is the second installment of DS Alexandra Cupidi series, I'd think this counts as the third since the main character in The Birdwatcher (presumably the prequel?), appeared in this book as a supporting character. As with the previous book (Salt Lane), I enjoyed this book immensely and I'm glad to report I've added William Shaw as one of my favourite authors.

The book opens with 17-year-olds Benjamin and Joseph (also known as Tap and Sloth respectively) stealing two mobile phones from a bloke whom they assumed is harmless. It turns out that the man is dangerous and that the phones hold a significant deal which he couldn't miss. Now he is on the trail of the two boys and he'd do anything to get his phones back, even if it means murder.

On the other end, DS Alexandra Cupidi and her partner, Constable Jill Ferrier, are called to an investigation involving a severed arm which was stuffed inside an art exhibit at a Margate art gallery. Cupidi couldn't find any clues as to pointing it as a homicide case; and although she couldn't understand the artworld and how they view the artworks, she couldn't dismiss the thought that something is very wrong behind that particular artwork! As Cupidi and Jill continue digging for more information, they find themselves loaded with more questions than answers. Who does that arm belongs to and is the owner dead or alive? And what's the reason behind for putting that arm into an artwork?

What seemed like two different cases in this book is actually one whole picture pieced beautifully by the author's superb writing style and his brilliant storytelling. As with the first installment, I found myself immersed in this story full of intrigue and suspense, yet there's a dose of heartwarming scenes as well as I was moved by the friendship between Tap and Sloth. Both of them are so different from each other in terms of personality and race, but their family status and the misfit they face in school drew them together and become tight friends.

Another factor which drew me to this series is the professional partnership between Cupidi and Jill. I've learnt quite a few things about Cupidi in the first installment; and this book allows me to take a deeper look about her relationship with her 17-year-old daughter (Cupidi is a single parent) and a part of Jill's personal life and thoughts as well.

Despite the two different story directions and the two sets of characterisation, I've to say both are equally engaging and well executed. In some cases when such circumstances happen in the books we read, we more or less favour a certain character or setting more than the other but in this case I can't pick a favourite and this shows how much I enjoyed this book (series). Highly recommended to all fans of suspense and thrillers.

Labels: 5 stars, Book Review, Suspense Thriller 12 comments |

Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer

Melody

Random House Publishing Group | January 2019 | 320 pgs

Source: Library

This book was brought to my attention thanks to Jenclair's review. I've to admit I rarely seek out nonfiction or guidebooks alike but I'll pick them up if they received good reviews and/or if fellow bookbloggers recommend them. Hence, here it is.

Now the book title sounds like a textbook but do not let it deter you from reading it. Benjamin Dreyer is Random House's longtime copy chief and obviously he knows all the works and styles of writing good English. Contrary to the seriousness of the book title it may sound, Dreyer's writing doesn't come across as too dry or boring and although there is a certain level of authoritative tone which I find is inevitable, there are also some parts that show his witty side as he shares with the reader about the experiences he'd encountered when working with authors or conversations with the people he'd met with.

Generally, this book offers lessons on the ins and outs of punctuation (are you confused on how and when to use semicolon? Well, you can find the answers here!) and grammar, the appropriate way of writing numbers, proper nouns, a list of frequently/easily misspelled words, as well as a few others which are essential and relevant to good writing. Dreyer's guidelines are clear and precise, and truth be told, I don't think I've ever enjoyed reading a guidebook that much like this. And I think (yes, it's OK to begin a sentence with "And" or "But") with the commonly use of social media, emails and other communicative tools aside from the usual formal writing, it is necessary for the writer to communicate their ideas clearly and effectively. Long story short, this is a book for everyone who wants to improve their writing skills as well as for anyone who has a passion for the language itself.

Labels: 5 stars, Book Review, Nonfiction 8 comments |

The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen

Melody

St. Martin's Press | January 2019 | 304 pgs

Source: Library

Fourteen years ago, Ellery Hathaway was kidnapped by a serial killer, Francis Coben. She was the only survivor among his other victims; and the credit went to Reed Markham, an FBI agent who managed to save her from the killer's closet all those years ago. Once a shocking news and a face recognised by all, in present day Ellery has grown up and ditched her old self, name and all, to become a police officer in sleepy Woodbury, Massachusetts. Woodbury is a small, quiet neighbourhood with a low crime rate until three people disappeared in three years - all around Ellery's birthday when she was kidnapped those years ago.

When Ellery mentioned this information (aside from her true identity) to her superior and colleagues, no one thinks the cases are connected. Ellery and her superior somewhat has a complicated secret relationship and without his support, she has no choice but to contact agent Reed Markham. Now Reed may have made his name and fame from the Coben case, but a wrong judgement of an assignment put him on a temporary leave. With his career stalled and his marriage in shambles, Reed agrees to help with Ellery's investigation of the missing persons. When Ellery receives a severed hand around her birthday, she couldn't help wondering if someone knew her true identity. Is this someone connected to the missing persons cases? Once again, Ellery and Reed find themselves get sucked into a case which reminds them of Coben and a killer who can't seem to let go of the past.

This first novel by Joanna Schaffhausen was a riveting read with a cast of intriguing characters. Ellery was a strong character and I admired her determination in finding the truth of the cases, although sometimes I find her judgement are clouded by her emotions. The dynamics between she and Reed was an interesting read and from Ellery's perspective I think it was nice to have someone on your side, especially one who is your savior and understand the things you've been through. Overall this was a good read and although it wasn't hard to guess the perpetrator, it didn't lessen my reading experience and I'll definitely check out the next book of this series.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Police procedural 8 comments |

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Melody

Albert Whitman & Company | April 2019 | 416 pgs

Source: Library

In the kingdom of Yan, soothsayers are treated like criminals. Magic was outlawed centuries ago and if they are found or if anyone has contact with them they'll be punishable by death. Princess Hesina knew of the consequences should she be seen contacting one, but she has no choice. She believed her father, King Wen, was murdered and in order to find some clues she has to engage the aid of a soothsayer named Silver Iris.

Through the information provided by Silver Iris, Hesina is to find a convict who'll represent her in court. Skeptical at first, Hesina knew she has nothing to lose but to seek help from Akira. Akira proves to be an intelligent investigator aside from his stealing habits; and soon Hesina trust him the same like her advisor-cum-brother, Caiyan. Despite they've no blood relation, Hesina treat him and his twin sister, Lilian, like family.

Aside from the challenges of finding the truth and risk getting caught, Hesina soon discover that there are secrecy and conspiracies hidden in their own court. With so many things at stake, will she be able to find the truth and to seek justice for her father?

This debut YA fantasy by Joan He surprised me on many levels and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I was enamoured by the world-building and even the characterers were an intriguing cast. Hesina may be the main character but I was more intrigued with Akira given his past and his mysterious demeanour. The story also added some interesting aspect of the palace politics of an ancient Chinese dynasty and all these elements made this an intriguing read to this reader. The only little complaint I've is the ending left me wanting for more and I hope the sequel wouldn't be a long wait.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Fantasy, Young Adult 8 comments |

The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter

Melody

William Morrow | August 2019 | 464 pgs

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Karin Slaughter is one of the best authors I've come across for writing dark and compelling suspense thrillers. Some of her books aren't always easy to read but she captures the realism and sensitivity behind her stories which will make you think and feel for the characters.

The story begins with a bang with a kidnapping scene. Michelle Spivey, a scientist from the Centers for Disease Control, was kidnapped when she and her teenage daughter were out at a shopping center parking lot. The police are still trying to locate her but to no avail.

One month later, two explosions were heard at Emory University. Situated in the busiest city in Atlanta, there are also hospitals and the CDC within the neighbourhood. The explosions led medical examiner, Sara Linton, and her partner, Will Trent, an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, rushed out from their place to investigate the scene. Unfortunately, the explosion incident was simply a conspiracy act to lure Sara out; and in no time Sara was abducted by a team of assailants who has a secret agenda which the reader wouldn't know until later. Devastated, Will approaches his boss and colleague, Amanda Wagner and Faith Mitchell, to devise a plan and hoping to persuade them into allowing him to go undercover in order to save Sara.

As the story progresses, the reader would find out why Michelle and Sara are being targeted by the assailants and the truth will hit anyone's gut because this group of people used to be in paramilitary units and they fight for a cause which they think is rightful and having the power to control. In other words, it's a white supremacist domestic terrorism and the author has painted a frightening world which is not far from realism. As you may have guessed, this is a fast-paced and action-packed story and you'll feel for the characters as you read further. Despite this is the ninth installment of the Will Trent series, it works as a stand-alone. I may not have read all of Karin Slaughter's books but so far I've enjoyed those I read.

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

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

Melody

HarperCollins Publishers | October 2017 | 560 pgs (Large Print)

Source: Library

Amber Patterson always feels she's a nobody and she's tired of her life. But, she's had her eyes set on the rich and beautiful Daphne Parrish and she intends to use her as her path towards power and money. Knowing Daphne had a sister who died from cystic fibrosis and has set up a fund foundation in her memory, Amber feigned the same fate with an nonexistent sister with the same illness. It didn't take long for her to blend into Daphne's life, and in no time they become best friends.

But Amber has set her goal far; being associated with the Parrishes isn't enough for her. She wants more and she intends to steal Jackson, Daphne's husband, and be the next Mrs. Parrish. But Jackson is a devoted husband and only has his eyes on Daphne; and then there's also their two young daughters who Amber has to please. Amber has worked out a plan but her past may bring her down if she's not careful.

At its core, this domestic suspense is about obsession and revenge. Divided into three parts, Amber's voice took the first part and Daphne's the second. The last part is written in third voice and wrapped up the overall story. Amber's voice, I think, will irritate many readers because she was passive, manipulative and most of all she didn't seem remorseful. Daphne, on the other hand, appeared more sincere and compliant in the beginning but perspectives started to shift once we get to know more about Daphne as well and unfortunately, this is also when the story started to go downhill.

Having read many suspense thrillers with unlikeable and/or unreliable characters, I think some of their actions or motives could be justified depending on circumstances but in this case I just couldn't fathom the logic and the truth behind the outcome. Suspense-wise, it was not a bad one but the ending left me feeling more than unsettled. I don't agree with the resolution (if one has to call it that) at all and thought that the bigger, underlying issue (trying to be vague to avoid spoilers) should be rectified instead of being deemed as an "accomplishment".

Labels: 3 stars, Book Review, Psychological Suspense 8 comments |

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

Melody

HarperCollins | January 2019 | 400 pgs

Source: Purchased

"Some people, given just the right amount of pressure, taken out of their usual, comfortable environments, don't need much encouragement at all to become monsters." ~ Pg 64

There's something about the remote wilderness and the snowbound situation that are so widely featured and we find irresistible in books, especially thrillers. I'm a sucker for such books, and they remind me so much about Agatha Christie's mysteries novels, which I loved. Anyway, this was a buddy read with my blogging friend, Lark, and I hope you'll enjoy reading our thoughts on it (click here to Lark's blog.)

So in this story we have a group of nine old college friends meeting up at a remote hunting lodge in the wintry landscapes of the Scottish highlands. It's kind of a tradition for them to gather and to celebrate the arrival of the new year but no one expects that they'd be snowbound. Heather and Doug, the lodge manager and the gamekeeper, have ensured the guests meet the needs until a guest goes missing. They never found the guest but Doug did find a body. By the look of the body it seemed it was no accident and this speculation sent Heather in a frenzy state. You see, Heather had experienced something which made her chose to work far away from the city. Doug is the same, but what he'd gone through was far more complicated and traumatic.

Onto the nine friends, we've the beautiful and perfect couple, Julien and Miranda. Married couple Giles and Samira are happily devoted to their 6-month-old baby. Mark and Emma, another couple with the latter more as a new addition than old college-mates. And then there's gay couple, Nick and Bo. Finally, there's Katie who's single and a successful lawyer. But that's not all, there's an Icelandic couple who had booked the lodge earlier as well, much to the group's chagrin. So what's the dynamic amid this group of people and what really happened?

This book was unputdownable right from the beginning. Though I found the multiple POVs a bit confusing initially, I got over it pretty quickly once I had familiarised with the characters and that the story was well under way. Aside from all the drama and suspense, one interesting aspect of this story is the identity of the victim isn't revealed until the last few chapters. While I'd had a good guess over this, I was still surprised by a few circumstances as the story progresses. Overall it was an engrossing suspense; and all the more better I read it with Lark as we'd fun discussing our thoughts thereafter.

As like our previous buddy reads, we'll ask each other some questions on the book and here's my answers to her questions:

1) In your opinion, did telling the story from multiple viewpoints add to the plot, or subtract from it? Which character's POV was your favorite? And who was your least favorite character?

This is a good question. I love reading different POVs as you can find out a lot about the characters and what they're thinking. However, they can be tricky as having too many might lead to confusion. I suppose it's fine as long as the viewpoints contribute to the story; and what's more it's fun to analyze the characters and see if we're right about them towards the end.

I think my favourite POV in this book will be Miranda. She was the most interesting person among all and she was the kind many women would envy and hate for her beauty, confidence and arrogance. She wasn't my favourite character, though, but her story was ever so "colourful" and dramatic. And my least favourite character would be Julien.

2) Did you have a favorite line/quote ... or moment from the book?

Yes; it's right up at the beginning of this post. The quote says everything about the characters here and I couldn't agree more.

Labels: 3.5 stars, Book Review, Psychological Thriller 8 comments |

Urban Legend II bk. 4: Food Delivery [都市传说第二部4: 外送]

Melody

奇幻基地 | February 2018 | 304 pgs

Source: Library

This is book 4 of the second urban legend series by Ling Jing (笭菁). All her books read as stand-alones and her stories are based on various urban legends with some imaginations and other elements of her own.

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.

Urban Legend origin: Hong Kong, 1989. An eatery received a food order call and had one of their staff to deliver the food. However, the boss discovered some hell bank notes among the stack of money he'd collected the next day. The same incident happened the following day and thinking the staff was playing a prank on him, he decided to make the delivery himself and had ensured it's genuine money he collected. He kept the money aside from the others but the next day what he found was, as you guessed, hell bank notes. He reported this incident to the police and this led to the discovery of four corpses in the apartment. But what most shocking was although the forensic concluded these bodies had been dead for a week, the food found inside their stomach were recent. And the hell bank notes had the fingerprints of the same deceased. The report later revealed they died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Summary: When one of the characters encountered the same incident as the urban legend origin, the members of the Urban Legend Society decided that they'd visit the delivery address again for further investigation. However, the place couldn't be found. Before this, there are news of some delivery staff who had gone missing and they wondered if the two are related. When they did find the place again, they discovered there's more than meets the eye surrounding the death of the deceased and their guess is murder. But they didn't realise that they'd stepped into another dimension until later and they've to find their way back or they'd be trapped within forever.

My thoughts: This story was scary from the origin's perspective. Imagine the eatery's boss suspected nothing and have the staff continued to deliver the food, does that mean the case will never surface? Onto the fiction, I think the feature of the other dimension connects well with the urban legend origin. What appeared to be a supernatural event became a horrific murder case and I liked how they're all interlinked and solved in the end. My verdict is, you can never know what humans are capable of doing and in some ways they're more terrifying than ghosts.

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Chinese Fiction, Horror, Suspense Thriller 6 comments |

Into the Jungle by Erica Ferencik

Melody

Scout Press| May 2019| 336 pgs

Source: Library

Erica Ferencik's first novel (The River at Night) takes readers to the remote Allagash wilderness whereby hiking and rafting were part of the activities the characters had to play. In this second book, she transports us to the Bolivian jungle in which contact with the outside world is minimal and that threats come in all forms of shapes and sizes.

Our protagonist, Lily Bushwold, thought she'd escape the miserable life of living in foster homes and is looking forward to her teaching job in Cochabamba until she realises the gig falls through and she is stuck with a cleaning job. Together with a few girls they stay in a local hostel and occasionally Lily will resume her stealing habits. Her life begins to take a turn after meeting a man named Omar. Omar grew up in a remote jungle village in Ayachero but decided to make a living in the city of Cochabamba. Lily and Omar fell in love; but that bliss is short-lived as Omar has to return to Ayachero after hearing the death of his young nephew. Killed by a jaguar, the Ayachero residents decided that a hunt is inevitable and they want Omar to join in with their mission. Omar leave the choice to Lily as to whether or not to follow him; and ultimately Lily chose to go with him as she thought it'd also be an eye-opening experience for her.

Lily would never imagine what'd be in store for her in the following months. Aside from the wild and deadly creatures, she also faces the threat of lawless poachers as well as various infectious diseases which may take away one's life easily if they aren't careful. Lily's excursion into the wilderness suddenly becomes a fight for survival and would she be able to walk out of Ayachero alive given all the unforeseeable challenges?

This was a totally different take from the author's first novel. While both books' have the wilderness theme as their setting, this book didn't have the unreliable and complicated characters like her first book. This was a straightforward thriller with Mother Nature and nasty creatures as threats; and of course there are villians as well in the form of poachers and the likes. After reading several thrillers with unlikeable and unreliable characters lately, this was a refreshing read in which I didn't have to guess the whodunit but to live vicariously through Lily's experiences in the Bolivian jungle (after all I doubt I'd have that kind of courage or skills to step into this wilderness no matter how tranquil and beautiful the place might be). Character-wise, Omar was easy to like from the start. He taught Lily many things; and he was so protective of her that it'd melt any girl's heart. Lily, on the other hand, took me a while to warm up to her but she won me over gradually and I found myself rooting for her for the obstacles and challenges she's to face later. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and I'm really curious where the author would take us in her next book.

Labels: 4 stars, Adventure Thriller, Book Review 8 comments |

Our Little Secret by Roz Nay

Melody

St. Martin's Press | April 2018 | 272 pgs

Source: Library

Our Little Secret, at its core, is a love story and the case of a missing woman.

The book opens with our protagonist, Angela Petitjean, being interviewed by Detective Novak after Saskia was found missing. Angela claims she has no knowledge or involvement of Saskia's disappearance, as she kept saying to the police before Novak. But she can tell Novak is different from the rest, and she is willing to tell her story on the condition that Novak listen if he wants answers from her.

And so Angela begins her story. It all started with knowing a boy called HP during her teenage years. Angela didn't have many friends and HP was the one who befriended and acted like her protector. Their friendship blossomed; and it didn't take long for them to fall in love. When Angela left to pursue her studies, Saskia walked into HP's life. Saskia was warm and cheerful; and her charms was hard to resist. By the time Angela realised something has changed between her and HP, it was a little too late. Her story goes on to reveal her life after HP and Saskia, but is she responsible for Saskia's disappearance? Or is there something more than meets the eye? This is the question which Novak and the reader will keep asking until the last chapter.

This is not your typical psychological suspense with many red herrings and twists; in fact there wasn't much actions involved but just the exchanges between Angela and Detective Novak as well as her account of the past. Despite the lack of "real life" events, the suspense element is still coming on strong as Angela's voice is distinctive and she was capable in pulling you along with her for a trip down to memory lane. The book may be a slow-burn but there wasn't a bored moment throughout my reading journey. And then not to mention the author's writing sucked me in and I'll be looking forward to seeing what she'll be writing next.

Labels: 4.5 stars, Book Review, Psychological Suspense 6 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.

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

Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien

Melody

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

Labels: 4 stars, Book Review, Cozy Mystery 6 comments |

I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney

Melody

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.

Labels: 2 stars, Book Review, Psychological Thriller 8 comments |

How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee

Melody

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.