Book Nook Club: Suspense

Showing posts with label Suspense. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Suspense. Show all posts

July 25, 2012

Gone Girl, By Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl seems to be a hot read this summer, as I've seen it all over the place. It's a thriller with the unusual twist that you actually know whodunnit almost from the beginning.

Nick Dunne comes home on his fifth wedding anniversary to find his wife Amy missing and their house in disarray. The cops quickly turn their attention to Nick as the prime suspect. After all, in cases like these, how often is the criminal NOT the husband?

Told in alternating viewpoints between Nick and Amy, the reader immediately knows that Amy is still safe -- somewhere. But where she is is a much deeper story. Over the course of the book, we learn about Nick and Amy's idyllic marriage that has somehow derailed into a terrifying game of manipulation. Why has Amy gone missing? And what punishment awaits Nick?

I had high hopes for this book. A thriller that isn't your typical thriller? A twist that you know up front, but that could still lead in any number of directions? Sounds good to me. But, I finished the book feeling disappointed.

The book is divided into three parts (really more like 2.5, the last part is a quick conclusion). The first part dragged for me. I'll admit, it served to throw me off the trail because it lead me away from what I thought was happening. And it did set up the rest of the story so it was a valuable part, but could have been shortened in favor of digging into the real suspense.

The second and third parts lived up to the hype, but I felt like there could have been even more thrills and twists. These parts flew very quickly, without the oh so good "slow burn" before uncovering the truth. And the end? Well, I'm still not sure how I feel about the end. I have the same complaint -- it just ended. Not an inordinate amount of suspense, and thus not a gratifying conclusion.

One of the final lines is: "We (Nick & Amy) are one long frightening climax." And I suppose that's true for the book. It's all about the climax, but it's a climax that could certainly have a bit more excitement injected into it.

However, the premise alone makes the book worth a read. It's hard to find a thriller with a plot that breaks the mold, and I think this one fits that bill.

3.5 stars.

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March 18, 2012

Book Review: Snake Woman of Little Egypt by Robert Hellenga

When I give up on a book,I immediately banish it to the dark confines of my bookcase. There, it will languish on a dusty shelf along with other orphaned books, never to be touched again. Such was the fate of Snakewoman of Little Egypt by Robert Hellenga, a book that turned me off so thoroughly I didn't get past chapter one on the first try.

Jackson Jones is a professor of anthropology who is recovering from the disastrous effects of Lyme disease. A bachelor experiencing the first hint of midlife crisis, he lives in a big house with a detached garage apartment formerly occupied by a deceased friend, Warren. In his deathbed, Warren asks Jackson to take care of his niece, Willa Fern, who is scheduled to be released from prison. Six years before, Willa shot her abusive husband on the shoulder after he forced her hand into a rattlesnake pit. What would have been a good beginning turned into a frustrating read as Hellenga loaded the narrative with endless back story some of which were irrelevant to plot or character development. Disgusted with the authorial self-indulgency, I banished the book to the shelf.

But a day later, I had an attack of guilt. After all, it is the type of book I like to review: low key, non-commercial, something that is often overlooked in the shelves. Plus, I paid twenty-five dollars for the darned thing. I decided to give it a second chance. I'm glad I did because chapter two introduces the novel's true main character, Willa Fern (the Snakewoman), who has just been released from prison.

The difference in the storytelling is stark, like a diamond to a bauble. As opposed to Jackson's tiresome narrative, Willa has a distinctively engaging voice: upbeat, sympathetic, and full of wonder. It is as if she is seeing things in a new light. She is living in a new town, enjoying a new dig (Jackson's garage), and calling herself a new name (Sunny). She has also decided to attend the university where Jackson teaches anthropology. Though thirty-five years old, her voice seems innocent and childish. She sees herself as a woman of seventeen, that carefree period before she married her abusive husband, who eventually robbed her of her childhood.

Jackson's midlife crisis, Sunny's hunger for companionship, and their proximity to each other push them toward the inevitable love affair. It is something the reader expects and wants to see. Sunny's hunger for life is genuine, and to some extent, Jackson's, too. Though Jackson's chapters are sometimes tedious, Sunny's witty narrative gives the novel the brilliance it needed. We want to follow her journey and see her succeed in the life she has built for herself. In the end, I give this novel a grudging nod.

View the original article on blogcritics.org

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March 7, 2012

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo recently came out in the theaters, I thought I would review the book for those who haven't read this entertaining novel. The story starts when Mikael Blomkvist, the editor of an investigative financial magazine called Millennium is found guilty of libel by a Swedish court for the article he published about a shady financier. The dense back story on Blomkvist's predicament unfortunately slowed down the narrative to the point that I began to wonder whether the book may have been overhyped. But twenty pages into the novel when the intriguing Lisbeth Salander is introduced, the story takes off like a rocket.

Disgraced and derided by the Swedish press (they dubbed him Kalle Blomkvist, after a fictional amateur boy sleuth in Astrid Lingren's novels), Blomkvist takes a temporary leave of absence from Millennium. Out of work, he is hired (enticed actually) by Henrik Vanger of the venerable Vanger Corp to investigate a cold case that happened thirty years before: the disappearance of sixteen-year-old Harriet Vanger, the likely heir to the Vanger fortune. Blomkvist accepts the job and searches for an assistant to help him with his research.
Enter punk-haired and severely underdeveloped Lisbeth Salander (yes, the girl with the dragon tattoo, among her other body art), a mistrustful, anti-social, and oft-violent twenty-five-year-old woman who has been declared mentally incompetent by the state and placed under guardianship of a state-appointed lawyer. What the government doesn’t know is that Salander is a highly intelligent protégé, a kind of wonder girl, who secretly works as an investigative researcher for the biggest security firm in Sweden. Through his unthreatening wiles, Blomkvist is able to earn Salander's trust and the two of them embark on an investigative journey that uncovers a sinister Vanger family history that eventually endangers both their lives.

This book is fast-paced with extremely well-drawn characters, especially Salander whose flawed but endearing personality readers can't help but root for. The relationship between Blomkvist and Salander is touching but tense, which adds to the sexual intrigue. Though the descriptions are sometimes overwritten, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is one of the best reads I've had in a long time.

First reviewed at Blogcrtics.com: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-the-girl-with-the2/#ixzz1oS8YkXe5

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February 21, 2012

Dark Side of Valor by Alicia Singleton

Lelia Freeman helps children who others have given up on. Runaways, drug addicts, and forced into a life of crime or prostitution, these children have no hope of surviving the streets. Pulling from her own experience as a runaway, Lelia saves these children from a doomed life and is rightfully dubbed “The Street Angel.” Alicia Singleton’s “Dark Side of Valor” follows Leila as she finds herself appointed to a special federal committee. In charge of saving children from a war devastated African country, Leila crosses boundaries and makes enemies in her attempt to save the children from their hellish fate.

Elijah Dune, driven by passion and a haunted past, has one mission to accomplish: vengeance on his enemies. As his history remains a mystery, his fighting skills and hunger for killing distinguishes him as a man with a dangerous objective.

These two characters cross paths as Leila is kidnapped and held hostage after uncovering disturbing facts about the true state of the children and people of Sudania. Attempting to escape the clutches of the evil and corrupt President Deng, Elijah and Lelia embark on a dangerous journey filled with messages of facing one’s fears, reconciling with the past, and forgiving one’s self. Fighting enemies and each other, these characters begin to bond over their experiences with pain and loss. Fighting to stay alive and return home, Lelia must battle her growing feelings for Elijah with her will to survive.

Singleton creates a book filled with action and romance, while concentrating on the core message: facing the darkness inside of your heart. As the reader discovers the story of Lelia’s past and pieces together the puzzle of Elijah’s mysterious vengeance, the plot continues to pick up the pace. The characters are realistic, however, I would have liked to delve more into Elijah’s past. Singleton reveals his entire life story in one paragraph, while Leila’s story fills a couple of chapters. This character development would have allowed me to bond more with Elijah and instead I felt as if I barely knew him.

Despite this one hiccup, the book satisfied my expectations. Leila embodies a strong woman not restricted by the torments of her past, yet bearing the guilt for an unfortunate accident. She deals with these issues while remaining stubborn and quick to fight for her life, regardless of her opponent. Surely a role model for any reader who has experienced pain, rejection, and abuse, Lelia paves the way for conquering the past and fear.

3.5 stars

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

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December 6, 2011

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

From Amazon - The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

The Night Circus was fascinating. I'd never even heard of it but when I read the teaser I was sold. What's better than magic, competition, and love? A combination of The Prestige, Water for Elephants, and Possession, I read this book in about eight hours and couldn't put it down. It's well-written and has a great combination of mystery, intrigue, and romance. A great read for young adults and adults alike, this is one I really enjoyed. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because I'm not sure how I felt about the ending. 4 stars
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November 19, 2011

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Christine wakes up in the morning and looks to her side. She sees a man she's never seen before. She looks around the room and realizes she doesn't recognize that either. Her first thought is that she must have gotten really drunk the night before and ended up in some mans bed. Worse than that, he's an old man... and he's wearing a wedding ring! She quietly gets out of bed and tiptoes to the bathroom, but when washing her hands she notices something odd... foreign even. Her skin... it's thinner, veiny, wrinkled. The screaming doesn't begin until she looks up at her reflection and realizes that she doesn't recognize the woman staring back at her. She has aged, twenty years, over night.

The man in bed, rushes into the bathroom and begins to explain. Christine has had an accident, many years ago, leaving her with no memory and no ability to fabricate new ones. Every night when she falls into a deep sleep, her memory resets and she is left with no recollection of the previous day. The man is her husband, Ben, and every day he has to reintroduce his wife to their life.

After Ben goes to work, she receives a phone call from a man, Dr. Nash, who is a psychologist and neuroscientist, who says that they've been working together to try and restore her memory. When she doesn't believe him, he tells her to go look in the shoebox hidden in the back of her closet. In it, she finds a journal, written by herself, documenting the past few weeks. It's her history... the only history she knows... the only truth she has. Just then something catches her eye. She has written on the first page of the journal in large capital letters: DON'T TRUST BEN.

This book is FAN-Tastic. This is definitely the best book I've read all year. It is heart-wrenching and confusing. You have to travel with Christine and under her circumstances to find out the truth of what has happened all those years ago. You have to work with her to find out if she really shouldn't trust Ben, her husband of twenty-something years, or if she's just confused.

While reading this, I began to feel like I was the one becoming paranoid. I started thinking that maybe I had missed something... maybe I was confused. And as the end approaches you will not be able to breathe! I was literally holding my breath, and I'd have to put the book down to just say "Ahhhh" for a minute. You know it's a good book when you do that! Such a good read. Suspenseful, thrilling and mysterious.

5 stars.

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November 1, 2011

Picture of Lies by C.C. Harrison

Keegan Thomas is emotionally unavailable. She finds this out when she discovers her boyfriend has been cheating on her. His excuse was, she's emotionally unavailable. But she has a very good reason for being this way; after the kidnapping of her 4 year old daughter, Daisy, over 2 years ago, she hasn't been able to move on. Keegan is an investigative journalist, working for a magazine that tells the stories of the families and parents of kidnapped children. Her work consumes her.

After her breakup with Jeffrey, she realizes she needs some time off... a change of pace. She decides to travel to Monument Valley on a Navajo reservation and seek out the people in an old photo that was handed down to her. The only person she recognizes in the photo is her late grandfather, who was a doctor sent to open a clinic for the Navajo's in the fifties. The picture is captivating and Keegan is curious to see what the story behind the picture really is.

As she begins to ask questions around the reservation, she notices that people are acting strangely. She soon realizes that there's a bigger picture here... one that the Navajo's have kept secret for decades. As she unravels the mystery, she finds that more is at stake here... even her very life!

This story is great. It is absolutely captivating, exciting, nail-biting and thrilling. On more than one occasion, I gasped while reading. Harrison paints a beautiful picture, adding detail and descriptions that place you smack dab in the desert. Her use of imagery is not only beautiful, but also suspenseful because she uses it as a tool for prolonging your feeling of tension and anxiety. It's great! The story is intricate, layered, romantic and shocking.

What I loved about this story was that the suspence takes you to the last page and things do not tie up so clean and tidy. It's much more real than that.
A great read!

5 stars
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April 25, 2011

Lucinda's Web by Dorothy Morrison

Lucinda's Web is a supernatural mystery full of witches, magic spells, reincarnation, and romance. It's the story of a Wiccan named Tess who is drawn to a mysterious grave in the cemetery near her home only to find herself up to her eyebrows in the aforementioned witches, magic spells, reincarnation, and romance.

Overall, Lucinda's Web is a decent, if predictable, late night shiver inducer. It leaves the reader feeling a little spooked, but sated. Underall, there are certainly flaws, but they are the sorts of flaws that can be easily overlooked if the reader is merely interested in some escapism.

Morrison's characters are odd in that they vacillate constantly between extremes of emotions. They laugh hysterically when a soft chuckle is in order, they wail like the world is imploding when a bit of eye misting would have been sufficient, they fly into murderous rages when mild irritation would have been a normal reaction. They also seem to forget about their day jobs a lot. Tess is supposed to be writing a book, but this book her livelihood depends upon is forgotten after the first couple of chapters. Her love interest is supposed to be running a newspaper, but the only bit of "news" that ever come up is the society page; Luke spends most of his time smoking, listening to the radio, arguing with his sister, and of course daydreaming about Tess. I would have liked to have seen their work more tied into the storyline.

The most interesting parts of the story are the magic and reincarnation, and that is where Morrison's strength seems to lie, as she is an active Wiccan herself. The characters experience past-life regressions and dreams and conversations with ancestors that make the reader wonder if people truly experience such things. And in the end, Morrison leaves no loose ends, but instead of tying those ends neatly, leaves them to dangle just out of the reader's reach. Of course now I want to know what could be next in the cards for Luke and Tess and their crazy circle of reincarnated friends and family.

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April 12, 2011

Tree Huggers by Judy Nichols

Tree Huggers by Judy Nichols is a story that will keep you guessing. It all begins when environmentalist John Cochran and real estate agent Warren Owens are trapped inside a burning house with no way to escape. Questions arrise around the town of Wilmington, NC. Was this arson? Did the arsonist know there were 2 men inside? Was it murder?

All of this happens on Kate Dennison's first day on the job. She is the new journalist of the Winslow Beach Beacon. When she is assigned to dig into the arsonist story, she uncovers more than she bargained for. Suddenly, she finds her own life in danger.

This book is really great. It keeps you guessing the entire time... completely unpredictable. The writing is also great. It's very fast moving with lots of dialogue. The chapters are divided with small newspaper clippings, to preview what's coming up. I laughed and cried and bit my nails to nubs as I was rooting for Kate. 4 Stars.

Another great reason to pick up this book: All the royalties from the sale of Judy Nichols' books are donated to the Phoenix Employment Ministry, a faith based non profit organization that helps people in homeless shelters find meaningful work.

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April 8, 2011

In the Woods by Tana French

In The Woods by Tana French is a slow paced but engrossing book. The story begins with a mystery around three children in small town Ireland. Two disappear and are never seen again. The third is found with blood pooled inside his shoes, giant scratches down his back, hugging a tree - with no recollection what happened. This boy becomes a detective and is called back to those woods when a little girl is found dead.

I began reading this book purely because the story sounded interesting. I finished the book because the characters are so deep, so totally involved, and so completely real I felt I was intimatley involved in their lives. The plot was interesting but this book, for me, was all about the people and their interactions. The murdered girls family has visible but atypical secrets. The detectives aren't perfect and the case twists in on itself but once explained makes perfect sense.

I must also give props to the author simply for her style. The writing is beautiful. And although the book felt slightly long and, in my personal opinion, the ending was not completely satisfactory (I would love others opinons), I am glad I read the book.

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Room by Emma Donaghue

What do you do when everything you know is wrong? When everything you've been told your entire life is a lie? And then one day you wake up and the entire world changes.

Welcome to the life of Jack, a five-year old boy who has never left the room he was born in. A boy who has been told his entire life that the things he sees in TV are not real; they are just TV. A boy that has been taught by his mother that not only all he needs, but all that there is, is inside an 11x11 foot room. Jack is the narrator of Room, and while at times I wish I could see the story from his mom's perspective, I don't think this book could have been written any other way and have been as successful.

Room is at times disturbing because of the subject matter, but it's originality and creativity is thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, and mind-numbing all at the time same. Like any good book does, it makes you ask the tough question of what would I have done if in their situation? It's a book that will make you laugh on one page and cry on the next as you feel for both this 5-year old boy and his mom, stuck in a routine maybe forever. There are moments when I wished I could have stopped reading, but those are the same moments when I knew that I had to find out what happened to little Jack and his mom. One of the most creative and thought-provoking books I've read in a long time.

For another perspective on the book, check out Megan's February review.

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September 15, 2010

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, By Stieg Larsson

This is the third and final installment of Stieg Larsson's popular thriller series featuring the charming Mikael Blomvkist and quirky Lisbeth Salander.

(Read Book Nook reviews on book one and book two.)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest lived up to the hype of the trilogy. However, of the three, the second was my personal favorite.

Why?

Plot: The book opens where the second leaves off -- so I won't give much away. But, the general theme prevails of a victimized Lisbeth surrounded by a team of people led by Blomkvist who are trying to clear her name and give her the respect that she deserves.

While there were a decent amount of page turning scenes, the plot of this novel was a bit more detailed than the second book. Think CIA spy novel, but in Sweden. There were lots of details and intrigue that took a much higher level of retention than I apparently have the capacity for!

Characters: So many names! With the whole spy angle, I feel like the amount of characters tripled. It made it hard to keep track of who was bad, who was good, and who was indifferent. It was interesting for me to watch the main characters progress over three novels.

Structure: The structure is similar to the other two novels, organized into parts with each chapter taking place over a certain period of time. Since it's been a consistent structure, I've gotten used to it. I wouldn't say it made a huge difference in my understanding and enjoyment of the story.

All in all, these are great thrillers that have a few added layers to really add depth. I personally preferred the second book, but all three are great. This one gets 4 stars.

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June 13, 2010

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

If you are looking for my current book recommendation, this is it. This is one of those books that I've heard the name mentioned numerous times by friends and family but never really knew what it was about until a couple of weeks ago when my friend, Kaylyn, told me the storyline. As a girl that loves the Ender's Game series and well anything that has to do with a game, I knew I needed to read this soon. I started yesterday afternoon and finished it this morning. It's a fairly easy (but not shallow) read and once you pick it up, you won't be able to stop reading until you know who comes home the victor.

The basis of The Hunger Games is a world set in the future where everyone lives within one of 12 districts. Every year a boy and a girl between the ages of 12-18 are picked at random from each district to compete in the annual Hunger Games - a survivor style competition to the death. Only one competitor can come home alive and as the victor. This book follows the two chosen from district 12 as they fight for their lives.

It sounds cruel and disturbing, and it is. But more than that, it is fascinating, intriguing, and a page turner. Collins' writing is easy to the read and to the point but has a lot of depth as well. She develops her characters extremely well and leaves you with a great deal of sympathy for all of the competitors, hoping that maybe just this once they can all make it out alive. I won't ruin anything else for you other than to say that I highly recommend this book for anyone (men, women, teens, adults, etc.). Just know that when you buy this one you should probably buy the sequel Catching Fire as well. 5 stars.

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March 28, 2010

Speak Softly, She Can Hear; By Pam Lewis

Hi Book Nook fans!

I'm A Super Girl (no really, I am!) and I'm a new reviewer here at the Nook. I eagerly volunteered when Playful Professional asked and I'm excited to share some of the books that I read with you.

So, on to my first review!

I've had this book on my shelf ever since I stole it from my mom's shelf a few months back. The title intrigued me, as did the plot.

Basically, two young girls make a pact to lose their virginity before they graduate high school. They find a boy eager to help them in their quest and steal away for a week to do the deed. However, things go horribly wrong and the book takes you through the next 10+ years as the three characters try to move on with the common secret they share.

The book didn't disappoint my expectations and I enjoyed it. You can't help but keep reading after the first chapter -- which includes a rather alarming and rather sexual opening scene. While it is over the top, it provides the backbone from which the rest of the story falls.

To avoid becoming a rambling reviewer, I've decided to focus my reviews into three categories to give you a taste of the book. These are the three things I look for when judging a good book, and I imagine you do as well.

Characters: For me, character development is key. Pam Lewis did a decent job of developing her characters in this novel, but they weren't the deepest I've ever read. I so wanted to know more of the main character, Carole, and her intimate thoughts. The reader gets a bit of that, but not enough. There were a few characters that I also would've like to know more about, but they were secondary to the plot so I understand why Lewis set them aside.

Plot: The plot was great. Reviewers call the book a "psychological thriller". I don't know that I'd put it in the thriller category, it was more of a slow burn. No page turning shock and awe, but enough to keep me reading all the way through. The book took place in the 1960s and 1970s and it was difficult for me to remember that. I kept thinking it was present-day and then I'd read a passage that made me remember the decade. Regardless of my own forgetfulness, I think the time period was a great backdrop for the story and added to the mystery and believability.

Structure: I like short chapters and a structure that's easy to follow. This wasn't the hardest structure I've ever read, and the chapters were an OK length. I will admit that it took me awhile to get into the third person narration. Perhaps I've been reading too many first person books, but I really wished that Lewis would have written it from the main character's perspective. I also think that would have helped further develop the characters.

All in all a good, quick read. 3.5 stars.

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November 5, 2009

Green by Ted Dekker

Dekker's back at it...he added a fourth novel, Book 0, to what was the Circle Trilogy (which now makes it the Circle Series, I guess).

To be honest, I wasn't sure what I'd think. I really like the Circle Trilogy having read all 3 books twice, but I felt like they were pretty complete.

Well, I was wrong. Not only does Green answer a lot of questions you have after reading Black, Red, and White, it provides it's own intrigue, new characters, and, as promised by the idea of a circle, brings you back to page 1 of Black.

What made Green unique for me was the way that it speaks to current day Christianity in it's fractured state. The things that broke up the Circle are the very things we see today splitting churches and dividing denominations.

Green was written as either a completion or the beginning of the series, and it functions as either. Personally, I think it makes more sense to read them in the order they were written, so if you're new to the series, I'd definitely recommend starting with Black. In a way, though, Green provides the clarity and depth to Black just as Lewis's The Magician's Nephew does for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Basically, either way works.

As long as you read them. I can't speak any more highly of the series. See my review of Black for more on this suspense/fantasy series.

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October 23, 2009

The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff

I have actually been reading quite a bit lately, but nothing really inspired me to write a review until now.

I began reading this just after finishing Breaking Dawn, which was un-put-downable. Usually after a book like that, the rebound book is like having a "fun size" box of milk duds for dessert after an incomparable gourmet meal (although in general I consider the Twilight saga to be more like a tub of bon bons than any other food). Not this time. I read Breaking Dawn over two days. I read The Kommandant's Girl over about a six hour period, and it's only about 300 pages shorter. Yes, only.

The Kommandant's Girl is the story of Emma, a young married Jewish woman in Poland at the start of WWII. When Germany invades, her politically outspoken husband is forced to go underground. For her own protection, Emma assumes a new identity and has to pretend to be an unmarried, orphaned schoolteacher. When the intimidating Nazi Kommandant offers her a job in his office, Emma is terrified but also recognizes the opportunity to spy for the resistance and thereby help her husband. Her espionage takes her further into areas of danger and betrayal than she ever could have dreamed, and she must come to grips with her attraction to a man responsible for the horrible deaths of many of her friends and neighbors.

I've read books with similar plots and settings, and those that have been around The Book Nook for awhile will recognize parallels to Trudy's Promise. But this book has something more. The author, Pam Jenoff, is an expert on Poland and the Holocaust. Unlike many writers who are intrigued by such subject matter, Jenoff doesn't need to rely on sentimentality or conjecture to give her work poignancy. She simply writes the story as it could have happened, based on real Historical events, with a sincerity and accuracy that requires no frills. So this book is more raw and more gripping, in my opinion, than similar books I've read in the past.

I highly recommend this for anyone interested in this time period, as well as anyone who just likes a book that will keep them enthralled to the very end.

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September 18, 2009

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

I have been anticipating the release of The Lost Symbol for a very long time. I heard rumors of it being written a couple of years ago and it was finally released this week. I was most excited about the setting of the new book, Washington, D.C. I love to read books that are set in a location that I know well so that when the character sees something, I have a perfect image of what they are seeing in my mind. For the most part, Dan Brown did a fabulous job describing the scene and painting out the details of what the character was seeing throughout his adventure. *

In his new novel, Dan Brown continues the adventures of Robert Langdon, who was his main character in Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code. Robert is enjoying a typical quiet Sunday morning in Boston when he receives a call from the assistant of one of his dearest friends, Peter Solomon, who is the head of the Smithsonian Institute. Peter is desperate to find a last minute replacement for a speaker that had canceled on him and was supposed to speak at a major event Peter had arranged for in the U.S. Capitol. Robert agrees to help and Peter sends a private jet to bring him from Boston to D.C. Robert is running late and rushes into the Capitol building with just a few seconds to spare. He turns the corner to walk into the famous Statuary Hall where the event is to be held and immediately stops as he realizes it is empty except for a few tourists and there is no speech.

Robert is baffled as to what is going on and tries to reach Peter's assistant and as soon as the assistant picks up, Robert explains the situation. The assistant then tells Robert that he is completely careless to believe someone that he has never met before and that Peter actually has no idea that he is in D.C. The assistant then tells him that he is not actually Peter's assistant and he had kidnapped Peter and Robert had been summoned to D.C. to save his friend. Robert is told that he is the only one that can save him (very typical for a Dan Brown book if you have read any before...)

Robert must solve a very old puzzle/myth relating to the Freemasons, a very famous and historical brotherhood/fraternity, in order to save Peter. Several problems present themselves to Robert from the beginning, the biggest of which is that the CIA is after him and he has no idea how they knew what was happening moments after the phone call. Robert runs all over D.C. and is assisted by several very powerful Masons in order to get all of the clues that he needs to discover the meaning of the puzzle.

The book kept me guessing and I became addicted to the story. If you have read any of the Dan Brown books, you should definitely read this one as well. If you haven't ever read a Dan Brown book, read this! In other words, I recommend it to anyone that wants a fascinating historical suspense.

I give this book 5 stars!

*If you have ever been to DC before and are familiar with the city and especially the US Capitol building, I dare you to find the minor mistakes Dan Brown made in the details. They are minor and didn't bother me, but I did find it amusing to stop and say "wait a second that isn't right..."

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September 3, 2009

The Hidden Man by David Ellis Review

This book is billed as “Another exhilarating thriller from Edgar Award winner David Ellis, introducing the new series protagonist Jason Kolarich.” After reading it, I concluded: One, this book is a textbook definitive exhilarating thriller. Two, if this is just another of such that Ellis’ has written, it absolutely raises my interest in getting my hands on more of Ellis’ work starting with whatever won him the Edgar Award. And finally, that Jason Kolarich is the perfect character to anchor a series.

This thriller begins with a creep eyeing a little girl in a park. The little girl then goes missing, and the police settle on a pedophile that has an obsessive collage of babies including the victim in his home. The little girl is never found. About twenty five years later, Jason Kolarich is representing the brother of the missing girl who is accused of murdering the pedophile. Suffice to say Jason must solve one case to solve the other and without a moment to spare. Any mistake could cost Jason more than his life.

The book hops around in time upping the emotional and then the physical stakes. The reader is almost as in the dark as Jason, and it isn’t until the last possible moments that Ellis finally gives it up in the masterfully climatic final pages. I am not sure that I’ve ever read a book faster. Ellis also takes the time to thoroughly set a compelling back story for Jason and the other characters. Jason for example is embroiled in both mysteries, and is recovering from the devastating loss of his wife and young daughter. He’s barely making it through the day, not only broken but bleeding heartache all over his life. A former athlete he is a force to be reckoned with and the reckless decisions stemming from his tangible pain are a stunning success of characterization. Adding to the complexity, Jason is a lawyer, so we not only get the cop and detective drama, but Jason’s thought processes add another layer of legal suspense--a winning combination reminiscent of everything that is great about Law and Order or classic John Grisham. Jason has been so marvelous crafted that I desperately want to read more about him. THE HIDDEN MAN has the potential to launch a block buster series.

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September 2, 2009

The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

Recently I just haven't had time to read books for fun. I read for reviews, I read for swaps, I read for church, etc. I just don't read for fun. The House at Riverton I read for fun. And it was fun.

I was an English major in college and one of my favorite classes was contemporary literature. I think we read five or six different novels that semester including Atonement, Possession, Waterland, and Blackwater Lightship. There was something about every single one of those books that made me think or changed the way I looked at the book. I fell in love with contemporary literature and haven't gotten into a lot of it since I graduated.

Until I read Kate Morton's book. The book reminded me of those contemporary lit books I read three years ago and made me remember why I love reading so much.

The House at Riverton is narrated by the elderly Grace, who in her younger years was a maid at Riverton. She's been approached by a woman in her mid 20s who is making a film about the suicide that took place at Riverton so many years ago. Grace is taken back to a time long ago when she was a confidant for the young ladies in the house, Hannah and Emmeline, and when she witnesses something she'll never forget. Morton takes you into the lives of this family living in the time of World War I and dealing with the pains of war, loss, coerced marriages, and real love. She pieces things together slowly as you finally find out what happened on the night of Robbie's (a rich young poet) suicide. She keeps you guessing until the very end and even then I was surprised by the ending.

This is one I recommend for anyone. There's really nothing in it that I didn't like, and there was a lot that I loved. I loved how Morton developed Hannah's character through Grace's eyes and how Morton just kept stringing me along. I like to be led somewhere in the dark rather than being able to see exactly where I'm going. And Morton definitely kept me in the dark. So if you ever get the chance, pick up this one or her other book, The Forgotten Garden. 5 stars.

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August 2, 2009

Sweet Mary by Liz Balmsaeda

After Liz Balmseada won two Pulitzer Prizes, she gives us a female centered detective novel in Sweet Mary. A single mother, the titled Dulce Maria, Mary for short, is arrested. The victim of an improbable case of mistaken identity, Mary is fingered as a drug queen. The false charges ruin her life, so Mary decides to do what the DEA couldn’t—take down the criminal herself. With a little help from her friends, one of which is a sexy past love interest, Mary embarks on a series of schemes to reclaim her good reputation.

It’s kind of a given that Balmseada is a good writer, so it isn’t a surprise that the writing is good. The characters are also surprising layered for the genre. Even the bad guys are complex, and are given sufficient back story. Balmseada also used restraint with the action sequences which keeps this story from entirely going over the top.

That said, the plot itself consists of coincidences and implausible leaps. Balmseada also can’t resist the bumbling law enforcement clichés which adds the story’s stale feel. Each chapter opening up with a description of the scene is also irritating as if Balmseada was already thinking movie. The pacing seems to fall flat in the second half of the novel where Mary bumps into leads cushioned by saccharine sweet interludes. I expected more.

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