An accomplished mystery that blends organically with its chosen setting, Child 44 is a genuinely gripping read.
My buddy-reader and I have our own littAn accomplished mystery that blends organically with its chosen setting, Child 44 is a genuinely gripping read.
My buddy-reader and I have our own little TBR, and this has been on it for at least a year. We finally started it in January of 2022 and were having amazing discussions about it... mainly because it's one of the few books where we haven't been grumpy about skill and style. Child 44 is well crafted, no debate, and that left us wide open to focus on the story itself.
But then Russia loudly took center stage as current real-life villains, and suddenly this historical suspense novel set in Stalin's Soviet Union felt like...too much. Not bad, just a doubling down of atrocity that made it hard to escape the realities of our world right now. So, we took a step back and moved on to rabidly judging the skill and style of Sanderson and set Child 44 aside.
I picked at it off and on, by myself, until the mystery got its feet under it and started gaining momentum.
There's been a string of children killed across a region, and MGB agent LEO Demidov begins making connections between the incidents. In a country where the state has decreed that its citizens are happy and murder doesn't exist, trying to catch a killer is more dangerous than you know.
Smith uses the setting expertly, highlighting the atmosphere of oppression, fear, and distrust while Leo must face his crisis of conscience. During a time when people had to turn on neighbours and even family to ensure their own survival, the book is an exciting exploration of which moral lines are uncrossable.
Also fascinating was the examination of Leo and Raisa's marriage and how it evolves.
There are a few logic leaps in the investigation, and the somewhat broadcasted 'twist' was far-fetched without a bit more supporting set-up, but overall this was really good. Well written, fast-moving, but with enough attention to the human side of things. I'd recommend this widely....more
This took me by surprise in different ways than a mystery story typically might. That's kind of nifty.
I must have enjoyed the two previous Campion booThis took me by surprise in different ways than a mystery story typically might. That's kind of nifty.
I must have enjoyed the two previous Campion books that I've read well enough to prompt me to snag a third, though I don't remember them at all. Tether's End has languished in my book collection for over a decade.
There are some topical genre deviations here that are of note. As a series with a headlining detective, in this novel Campion appears only peripherally. Indeed, very little of this mystery actually needs solving, as we start off knowing not just the crime but the perpetrator as well. We know that Charlie Luke and Campion are investigating, but that is in the background of the story that we are following.
The plot itself centers instead around our criminal, Gerry, and the lovely old Polly Tassie – who he has been charmingly ingratiating himself to for years. We only really spend one day with Gerry, Polly, her niece Annabelle, and Annabelle's friend Richard. So very much unfolds in a rather cunning and tense way.
Most remarkable was the examination of the relationship between Gerry and plucky Polly. It is surprisingly in-depth for a somewhat cozy detective series. There's a strong consideration of all the main characters, which makes this story really stand out.
I'll have to revisit the two books I've long forgotten. If they are near this same caliber, I may have to give the rest of the series a try!...more
Gawd I effing hated this book, right up until the moment I realized I kind of loved it.
I didn't even want to read it (so.much.hype., and I'm cool liGawd I effing hated this book, right up until the moment I realized I kind of loved it.
I didn't even want to read it (so.much.hype., and I'm cool like that) but TOR was offering it up for free so there it was sitting on my ereader...and here we are.
Impossible even to describe both its irksomeness and its strong appeal, Gideon... earns a spot as one of those books that is just its own unique experience. That's all I've got.
French is a skilled and nuanced author, able to layer depth, mystery and suspense with a thoughtfulness that is quite remarkable.
While I recognized an French is a skilled and nuanced author, able to layer depth, mystery and suspense with a thoughtfulness that is quite remarkable.
While I recognized and enjoyed that talent in this book a fair bit, I did not embrace it as much as I'd have liked.
In the Woods has fantastic characterization, and the original dynamic between the two leads really impressed me. I was personally disappointed by the route it ended up going; platonic friendships don't get enough representation.
As it has been quite some time since I've read it, I can't remember how much I appreciated the actual mystery plot, though my notes say it was quite deftly handed out while occasionally feeling overlong.
I do also remember that there is a big question left unanswered at the end which I thought was both bold and amusing. Still, might be frustrating for some.
French, and this series, remain on my radar, though with no great urgency. ...more
Although there's no actual plot spoilers in this review, I do talk about the method of clue delivery a bit, so maybe read at your own risk
A murderous Although there's no actual plot spoilers in this review, I do talk about the method of clue delivery a bit, so maybe read at your own risk
A murderous homage to mystery itself, Eight Perfect Murders is nicely geared for fans of the genre.
All about a bookseller and his blog post about perfect murders in literature, the obvious draw of 8PM is its celebration of all of its bookish predecessors. In a nifty trick of shadowing, a reader can predict the broadest directions of this whodunnit plot with ease, though some of the twists will still come as a surprise.
This is fun. It has solid characterization, a quieter sense of place, and an engaging narrative tone. The mystery itself is intriguing enough without being mind-blowing; indeed, a large part of the fun is seeing how much can be parsed out from the literary references scattered throughout, if the reader is willing.
And of course I'm a sucker for these books about books, and 8PM's recommendation list is long. The use of classic book plots as a meta-means of clue delivery was pretty fantastic, though it did require extensive (and repeated) synopses to make it work. 8PM gets bonus book-nerd points for including a book store (with its very own cat!) as a primary setting.
I'm glad for this quick, involving read. Although the details won't stick around in my memory for long, it is definitely a good time....more
A Book Club read, and as such a really long review. Sorry.
Flynn's deft hand at disturbing characterization kept Dark Places a compelling read. Grimy dA Book Club read, and as such a really long review. Sorry.
Flynn's deft hand at disturbing characterization kept Dark Places a compelling read. Grimy dysfunction feeds a guilty fascination with scandal that draws one forward through an uncomfortable story.
I feel like many of us have a sort of soft or distant association with a luridly terrible happening. Such sad happenings shake up our world and leave us with questions we rarely get answers for. Dark Places crafts a story around those questions: a young family is violently killed in their home, with only the youngest daughter, Libby, surviving, and the oldest sibling – Ben – being arrested for the murders. The main narrative takes place 20-odd years later when people who are a little too fascinated by these questions offer the now-adult Libby money to share (and even dig up) answers. What follows is a split-timeline unfolding of events leading up to the terrible tragedy and the discovery of the truths that had been hidden.
My own reaction to the book was quite mixed:
>>All of the characters are meticulously crafted, especially the ones who we spend time inside the heads of, BUT all of the character interactions with each other feel a bit flat.
>>Flynn does an amazing job of shining a spotlight on inner demons. We might not like a character, but they all seem so real. No single character escapes being painted by this “truth” brush; in Flynn's world we are all believably broken BUT positive traits are either nonexistent or heavily sullied – so much so that characters push out the other side of believability and become “other” again.
>>I was curious and on board for the idea that Libby was finally ready to revisit her 'Dark Places,' BUT her complete turnaround on everything that she had believed for decades was fast and unsupported and didn't jive with the mental inaction of her character.
>>I appreciated getting the story from Patty's point of view. Flynn herself reminds us of that common question: What kind of parent doesn't see that her child is becoming a murderer? BUT, as one of the murder victims, nothing in the main, present timeline can be used to verify Patty's narrative. I would have preferred things staying true to the mystery perspective, as opposed to suspense/drama. In that light, hearing Patty's story almost seems like cheating. I was disappointed that we didn't learn her story from, say, Aunt Diane, who is still alive in the present.
>>And in line with that, I liked that the titular 'Dark Places' were those that Libby needed to brave in order to move forward, BUT I would have enjoyed seeing how those Dark Places (her memories, boxes of memorabilia, diaries, photos, etc) were illuminated and what truths they revealed.
I came away from Dark Places satisfied with the story that was told, but wishing it had unfolded in a different fashion. There are notable strengths in Flynn's writing and I would absolutely read her again, but with tempered expectations. I understand that her main power runs in drama, and I tend to prefer mystery...
As an interesting extra, spending so much time with these salaciously scandalous details made me think a great deal about how we, as onlookers, can make a shitty situation much worse by our fascination with other people's misery....more
Another fun entry in a series that has been consistently entertaining, though not uniformly satisfying.
Broken Homes is the fourth volume in the RiversAnother fun entry in a series that has been consistently entertaining, though not uniformly satisfying.
Broken Homes is the fourth volume in the Rivers of London story arc, and it does turn its focus solidly onto the overlaying “big picture,” which concerns the personified bodies of water and the dastardly Faceless Man. While I highly enjoyed it, I wasn't quite as drawn in as I was in Whispers Underground. The plot felt a bit meandering at times, maybe?
Aaronovitch seems to have refined his use of humour and it is kind of refreshing, though not quite as uproarious. The pop-culture references seem to be a bit toned down and integrated... another mixed blessing: I love all the nerdy head-nods, but the main story gets more attention when the gimmicks are used as tools instead of highlights. The more mature part of my reading brain appreciates this.
Although not fully surprised by the nutty developments at the end, I am incredibly curious to see where its all going to go!...more
“Holy paranormal activity, Nightingale – to the Jag mobile”
Oho. I am climbing fully on board for this river ride now! Whispers Underground was an ab
“Holy paranormal activity, Nightingale – to the Jag mobile”
Oho. I am climbing fully on board for this river ride now! Whispers Underground was an absolute hoot.
The third installment in this very British urban fantasy/police procedural hybrid has Peter Grant assigned to the Murder Squad in an investigation that will take him to some dark (and smelly) places.
I found the first two books of the Rivers of London series to be fun but somewhat inconsistently captivating, but in Whispers Underground most of the rough edges smoothed out and everything came together in satisfying cohesion.
I've always been impressed by the way Aaronovitch blends the two genres, but the way he approaches the procedural mystery is both particularly refreshing and, if I may borrow an -ism, an exercise in 'taking the piss':
“Not for them the detective's gut instinct or the intricate logical deductions of a sleuth savant. No, what the Met likes to do is throw a shitload of manpower at the problem and run down every single possible lead until it is exhausted, the murderer is caught, or the senior investigator dies of old age. As a result, murder investigations are conducted not by quirky Detective Inspectors with drink/relationship/mental problems but a bunch of frighteningly ambitious Detective Constables in the first mad flush of their careers.
Aaronovitch seems to be really hitting his stride for humour, too. His quippy narrative voice is uproarious but still leaves room for the story to flow unimpeded. Add to that a bunch of fanpeep service (including a Bill & Ted reference and a nod to Pratchett), the fact that Lesley is back in a starring role (after getting shafted last time around), a cast of support characters who are blossoming wonderfully and London itself commanding a role all its own, and this was just a ton of fun.
Whispers Underground ramps up my enjoyment of this series for sure, and I am excited to keep going. I actually followed my physical read of this book with a listen to the audio version, and I will shortly do a separate review, as it deserves its own bit of attention....more
In Merricat fashion, I could pull this book apart into powerful pieces of language, and hang them about my safest space – like strong, resonant wards In Merricat fashion, I could pull this book apart into powerful pieces of language, and hang them about my safest space – like strong, resonant wards – and then stand in the center to see how I'll thrum.
There is something exquisite about the way that Shirley Jackson writes; not just her phrasing, but her insightful observation, her layers of meaning and symbolism, and her seemingly innate familiarity with dark and disturbing.
This gothic tale of scandal and isolation is remarkably put together. It is off-putting, complicated, surprising and sometimes disappointing. I suspect Ms Jackson was aware of each of these things, and was deliberate in crafting her novel.
If it makes any sense, I can't say that I loved the story, but I certainly loved the book. Although I could write for ages about this slender little tome, I think that sentiment sums it up....more
An urban fantasy odd-couple mystery. For the first perhaps quarter of the book it teetered on the edge of being awkwardly unremarkaPerfectly good fun.
An urban fantasy odd-couple mystery. For the first perhaps quarter of the book it teetered on the edge of being awkwardly unremarkable, but as I got used to it, and maybe as it got used to itself, it righted onto the side of pleasantly good.
Set a world where the fantastic hovers around the edges of everyday perception, Andy Caplet is a reporter on the verge of being sacked. He's lazy and selfish and also quite hapless. On his final assignment he's sent to get information from Inspector Hobbes on a recent crime. Hobbes has a reputation for getting the job done and keeping his beat safe, but Andy also quickly begins to suspect that there is something somewhat strange about the good Inspector.
It's a light read, once you get used to the writing style. And it is funny, in the most silly, groan-inducing sort of way...this happens to be right up my alley, so I chuckled a fair bit.
Nothing earth shattering here, but it's good fun. I look forward to the next book in the series, but I'm not in a huge rush to get to it....more
This book club read is one of those stories that would have fared better (for me) without reflection of any sort. I've no doubt at all that Colleen HoThis book club read is one of those stories that would have fared better (for me) without reflection of any sort. I've no doubt at all that Colleen Hoover has great skill as a writer. 'Verity' would have been a perfect vacation read, and had elements that made for fantastically lurid conversation. I was genuinely entertained the entire time I was reading; but...once I started picking at it, so I'd have more to say than “I was entertained” at our last meeting...the whole thing fell apart. Hard and fast and almost completely.
My biggest issue was the sheer implausibility of it all. I mean it literally. Not much in this book was believable when you actually stop to think about it. If I was feeling snarky and spoilery I'd share my jotted down notes, which became an exercise in finding creative ways to express incredulity. (I started with the standard “nopes” and “nu-uhs,” but ended with interesting experiments in profanity.) The contrivance involved in the basic setup alone required contortionist-level skill in the suspension of my disbelief: somehow, an independent self-published author (with only one under-performing book under her belt) is chosen to write the last three books in a best selling series (that she has never read,) whose author (the titular Verity) is now in a vegetative state following an accident. This (obviously) necessitates our heroine (Lowen) to (one week after her own mother has died, mind,) move in to Verity's house (because neither the publisher nor the Estate have ever heard of hotels) in order to sort through Verity's notes – something which could not possibly have been done by Verity's publisher, agent, editor, or husband. Lowen's new housemates are Verity and a full time nurse, (only just home from the hospital themselves), Verity's hot husband and Verity's young son.
This is just premise setup, and already it is all so freaking unlikely. But it doesn't stop. Among the things it had me questioning? Professional healthcare proficiency. Spousal communication. Book publishing practices. Hazardous lock placement. The power of an itchy nose. The outcome of an Ultimate Warrior type battle between human teeth and headboard wood.
Meh. This has already gone on longer than I wanted it to...I was really entertained by this book until I thought about it, and then I wasn't. There.
[as a book club note, though: some of this shit is messed up and makes for great conversation. This is also the sort of book that would be great to do as a read-along. The pacing is honestly phenomenal and some of the in-story reveals are great 'oh my god' moments. On the flip side, it means you'll be thinking while reading, which might wreck everything.]...more
A solid and delightful little cozy. Miss Marple takes a bit of a back seat while newlyweds Gwenda and Giles try to figure out what happened to GwennieA solid and delightful little cozy. Miss Marple takes a bit of a back seat while newlyweds Gwenda and Giles try to figure out what happened to Gwennie's step-mom Helen all those years ago.
Contains such gems as:
“I hope, thought Gwenda uneasily, that I'm not clairvoyant or anything...”
and
“ 'It really is very dangerous to believe people. I never have for years.'”
As always, it is Christie's succinct characterization that pleases me most. The mystery was certainly fair play, though I admit I got caught by a red herring near to the end. That's ok, though. I enjoy Agatha's victories nearly as much as I enjoy my own.
A note on chronology: I've always read Christie as I find her, in random titles picked up at book sales and second hand book stores, so I've paid little attention to the order in which they fall. This is touted as Miss Marple's last mystery, but it's clearly not...there is every indication that this particular case falls in the middle of her crime-solving activities, but the book itself was the last Marple published....more
Alternatively titled (in my brain): Phallus Accusations: One Aspiring Fun Guy's Field Guide to the Stinkhorn, and Other Adventures on the Welsh CountryAlternatively titled (in my brain): Phallus Accusations: One Aspiring Fun Guy's Field Guide to the Stinkhorn, and Other Adventures on the Welsh Countryside
Never mind my star rating for a moment, the writing in this book was fantastic. There is an off-ness spotted through the beginning that blooms and creeps and spreads, slowly covering everything with a dark moist foulness. The Woodwitch is sinister and deeply disturbing.
Andrew's girlfriend laughs when he is unable to consummate their relationship and one moment of shameful rage on his part lands her unconscious and needing dental surgery. Because they are coworkers, Andrew's boss suggests a leave for either one of them, and Andrew takes him up on both the offer of time off and the use of his country cottage in Wales. We readers are silent observers of Andrew and his dog Phoebe during this nearly month-long period of 'healing', which for Andrew in his solitude is anything but.
It's a fascinating and horrible study of obsession, guilt, and masculine shame. It is pervasively well done.
...it also had me pondering the addition of a 'but-did-I-actually-like-it?' shelf, for my Goodreads books.
Told with atmospheric setting descriptions and almost no dialogue, The Woodwitch is a slow burn. Modern writing seems more and more tailored for short attention spans and this book requires readers to take a step back from their want of instant action and bullet-point gratification.
Modern sensibilities might also find an added layer of discomfort in this work. Andrew battles through guilt for his actions, most certainly, but there is still an assumed normalcy to his reaction. Andrew's larger struggle is his shame from ridicule, his redemption from impotence.
It is an uneasy read. It is disturbing, horrifying.
Did I actually like it?
Well, yes. Yes I did. It is so very well done. But I also wish it would get out of my head. Now....more
Sorry, that person's shelf is private.
Michelle F
>
Books:
muuuuuurderrrrr
(82)
Loading...
