New Thriller Coming May 3

Gone in the Night by Mary-Jane Riley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the publisher: “When the victim of a car crash begs journalist Alex Devlin for help before disappearing without trace, Alex finds herself caught up in a mystery that won’t let her go.

Determined to find the missing man, she is soon investigating a conspiracy that threatens some of the most vulnerable members of society.

But will Alex be prepared to put her own life on the line to help those who can’t help themselves?”

This was a fast-paced thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. Once again, I chose to read a series out of order. This was my first in the Alex Devlin series, and my first by this author, but I am pretty sure it will not be my last.

The story begins with several story lines, setting the stage for our main characters’ convergence. Throughout the novel, we see the story through the eyes of several characters. The author succeeds in making each voice unique and I did not question whose story I was hearing at any given time. Most of the chapters were short, but they stayed focused on one character at a time which made the story accessible and kept this reader wanting more.

The mystery was present, but I found the thriller aspects were much better well done. I did not particularly find there to be a lot of suspects, but hunting down the killer or killers and stopping them sooner rather than later felt urgent. Another reviewer mentioned the cat-and-mouse game in this book, and I wholeheartedly agree with that characterization.

I am not good at geography in general. I do recognize this book took place in the UK somewhere, but not in London. I did not find the exact location to be required knowledge to enjoy the story. There was some vocabulary in the book with which I was unfamiliar and I do believe it is English slang which has not yet made it over the pond (at least not yet to me). I also kept in mind that the word f*ck is not viewed as offensive in the UK as it can be here in the US, so I overlooked the liberal use of the word. Not that it was out of place, the characters generally used it in appropriate places and ways for their situations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-copy of this book.

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2019: A Mysterious Year!

Happy New Year! Ok, maybe I am a little bit late, but it’s still January, still a new year. As is so often the case, weather, holidays, school schedules conspired to encourage me to postpone my goal-setting. (Yes, I will blame it on some combination of the previous rather than my own postponing ways.) But, here I am, ready to take on a new year with some slightly different goals for my reading life.

My first goal and my overall theme for the year, will be a shift to the mystery genre. I have always been a fan of a good mystery and am looking to further hone this fascination. I wish I could remember where I read it so I could properly give the author credit, but mysteries are usually stories in which good triumphs over evil. Regardless of the medium, mysteries disrupt normal life, send us on an adventure and concludes is a (slightly) better world than the one in which we started. So, I guess it is no surprise I like mystery stories. My quest this year will to further explore the genre as a whole, as well as visiting sub-genres to help cement my preferences for myself.

My second goal is to continue reviewing books for NetGalley. I signed up for NetGalley not so long ago and have reviewed a handful of books. The holidays distracted me a bit and I moved away from these books briefly. I have cleared out my backlog at this point, and am pretty excited about a few new titles.

My third goal is related to my blog. My aim this year is to participate more in the community and to offer more posts than book reviews. For example, I read a lot about books and would certainly like to record more of my thoughts regarding various articles and interviews I read. This goal is to encourage me to post more often and more diversified.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy 2019 and would love to hear about goals other people have set. Looking forward to a mysterious year of reading!

Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Where the Dead Sit Talking is a moving fictional account of a young Native American foster child. Sequoyah is a 15-year old boy moving into yet another new foster home when we first meet him. As we move through his experiences in and around his new home, Sequoyah shares his difficult early years and a definite hope for his present and future.

I thouroughly enjoyed this novel. I found the prose accessible, but emotionally charged. Even as I discounted this novel for having a protagonist too young for me to share common ground, I enjoyed the characters and the plot. And as with most of my favorite novels there was a glimmer (and sometimes more than that) of hope and humanity in this world.

“People live and die. People kill themselves or they get killed. The rest of us live on, burdened by what is inescapbable.” (p. 1) From the start of the novel, we know we are going to be confronted with death. Not only the death of a major character, but other deaths with varying degrees of impact. The novel is littered with notes about when, where, and how various characters die after their interactions with our protagonist.

I tend toward adult novels. I like adult lives and protagonists. I am not a person who hated high school, but I also am not someone who needs to relive them either. I chose to read this because it was on the Tournament of Books longlist and it was a National Book Award longlist title. So, when the narrator turned out to be a teenager, I figured it would be a quick read and I would be able to mark another one off the list. But, no, this book was not a quick, young adult novel. The narrator has a mesmerizing voice and a credible level of maturity given his background. He does has some naivete about him, but for the most part, it was comfortable passing some time with Sequoyah.

The other characters in this novel were given enough quirk and depth that I felt they were real people. A good example is Mr. Gillis. He is a teacher at Sequoyah’s school. Sequoyah runs into Mr. Gillis several times in the boys’ room. A somewhat sad and lonely individual, but a true human nonetheless.

The plotting on this novel was almost perfect. There may have been a moment or two too slow, but the point of the novel required a somewhat slow burn. The weaving of Sequoyah’s back story, Rosemary’s back story and the current events felt balanced.

I can highly recommend this book to others. I will be looking forward to visiting other titles by this author.

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Blood Brothers by Nick Pope
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A terrifying scenario that could be all too real. Nick Pope creates a gripping tale of good versus evil. Coordinated terrorist attacks across London have caused wide-spread panic. After a particularly gruesome attack, the number 2 bad guy decides to change sides. Can he truly help take down the leader? Can we trust him? Has he really flipped or is this part of the coordinated attacks?

This story reads like an action film. There are airplanes being shot down, guns being fired, blood everywhere. And yet, the attention to detail and the realism offered about the government response to such an event make this a compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

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The Dreams of the Eternal City by Mark Reece
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was excited about this title from NetGalley. It had an interesting dystopian premise, offered a debut novel from a new author, and intrigued me immensely. Unfortunately, the execution of this novel was not fantastic.

The story of a society in which sleep is regulated should be full of information about sleep and why it’s important. Or maybe about how an over-reaching government can end up harming its citizens in unexpected ways. Or about an uprising of the people to shut down such an institution. This book didn’t really address any of those topics, at least not deeply enough.

Mark Reece has published many short stories, but this is his first novel. While I may struggle with reading short fiction, I tend to enjoy longer fiction from short story writers. Maybe it is the part of me that enjoys Hemingway. There is a lot to be said about concise writing, even in fiction that can tell a wonderful story. Unfortunately, I did not get that from this novel.

While the opening pages presented a big, exciting scene, the majority of the first half of this book was slow. I found the characters to be largely flat and had very little interest in their well-being. The dialogue was boring and there was a lot of focus on the mundane. About half-way through, the story picked up and the slow suspense that had been simmering came to the forefront. Where the beginning was somewhat slow, the pace of the story became much faster as we hurled toward a lackluster ending.

Overall, I would have a hard time recommending this book to other readers. I did see some promising elements and will likely read future offerings from this author, but this book as a whole just did not do it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy of this ebook.

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Murder in Belgravia by Lynn Brittney

Murder in Belgravia by Lynn Brittney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another historical mystery for me. This one is set during WWI London. I really like the premise of this novel: a police officer realizes he is going to need help from the fairer sex and sets up an under the table operation in order to investigate more sensitive crimes. Then the crimes got a bit dark.

I am enjoying reading more historical mysteries and WWI has been a good time period for me. This one reminded me that the seedy underground has always existed. Heroine available at the local chemist shop, brothels, sex slaves, corrupt police officers and murder. And a war will not stop these activities from continuing.

I thought the characters were well drawn and nuanced. Caroline, the high society doctor lady, was probably my favorite. Although, the very handsome Greek (Billy) was a close second. I am looking forward to see how this group of characters grows and continues to solve mysteries during WWI.

The mystery in this story was a little convoluted. As I said above, there was a lot going on in this very short novel. An abusive husband is murdered after gravely injuring his wife. The investigation uncovers many more undesirable activities. While the major characters were well done, the minor characters felt more like caricatures and did not distinguish themselves well in my head. I was not surprised by the guilty party, but did have a hard time figuring out who it was.

I will be looking for future titles in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy!

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The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green

I picked this from the New Arrivals shelf at my local library. I can honestly say I thought it was a different author. I am not sure who I thought the author was, but I did not expect the book I read. While I dislike the term “chick-lit”, I am not sure I care any more for “women’s literature”. This book would definitely fall into these categories, but I want a new name.

This contemporary novel explores the lives of the three Sunshine Sisters: Nell, Meredith and Lizzy. The three sisters are estranged and have returned home to face their mother’s illness.

Because I don’t delve into this genre very often, I am less qualified to talk about how it fits into the grand scheme. However, as a visitor, I found this book highly readable and moderately enjoyable. It was a little like watching an edgy Hallmark movie on a lazy, rainy Saturday afternoon.

I am not sure I will seek out future titles by this author, but I will not be avoiding them like the plague if they cross my path.

Abduction by Robin Cook

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an amusing look at one person’s imagined Utopia. After a group of deep sea divers get sucked into an unknown world deep underwater, we are introduced to a perfect society.

I did not particularly care for any of the characters in this book, which may have made it easier to suspend my disbelief and just go with the flow. The writing was highly accessible and the descriptions of the undersea world were solid.

I picked this up because I am familiar with the author, but did not recognize this as a title I had previously read. I still prefer his medical thrillers to this book, but it was an entertaining afternoon read.

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American Judas by Mickey Dubrow

From the publisher:

“Seth and Maggie Ginsberg do their best to navigate an oppressive theocracy where fundamental Christianity is the only legal religion, and abortion, homosexuality, and adultery are outlawed. When a co-worker outs Seth as a Jew, Seth escapes to Mexico, while Maggie is sent to a Savior Camp. American Judas is a dystopian tale about a young couple’s life after opportunistic U.S. politicians abolish the wall of separation between Church and State.”

My Review:

A terrifying look at what an American theocracy could be.

This novel was heavily plot-driven, with a lot of message to its readers. The story started out innocuous enough, with just an undercurrent of dread. But it quickly escalated to worst-case scenario and became very grim. As is frequently needed in end-of-world novels, there was certainly some violence, but I would not call it gratuitous. Be forewarned there is some violence.

The author did a good job with interjecting some humor into his story. A few of my personal favorites:

“The Savior camps are not just for lapsed Christians and those afflicted with the disease of homosexuality. They also cure drug addictions, adulterers, Satan worshipers and Liberals.”

“What’s the point of being the damn American Judas if you don’t make it so that a man can drink his beer in peace.”

Tearing down the wall between church and state did not go so well in this world and provided a good reminder in these turbulent times. A state run church is not a new idea in this world, but radically changing the priorities and ideals of a freedom loving country is bound to create some backlash.

At one point, our protagonist Maggie asks Tiffany (an adolescent viewed as an example for all others) “Are you so perfect that you get to decide for other people?” And Tiffany’s answer sums up for me how people can fall into this vicious scenario: “I’m not perfect. Just forgiven.” My belief allows me to make mistakes and make decisions for others I believe are right. Scary stuff.

Overall, I found the pacing of this novel to be engrossing. I turned every page needing to know what happened next. Some aspects of the story were tied up with nice little bows, some aspects were left undone, and some aspects were sped to a hasty conclusion. I was left with a feeling of hope, which I find very important when reading any apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic fiction.

I see this is a debut novel from Mickey Dubrow and I thought it was well-done and timely. I will watch for future titles by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy of this book.

Murder at Archly Place by Sara Rosett

From the publisher:

“London, 1923. Olive Belgrave needs a job. Despite her aristocratic upbringing, she’s penniless. Determined to support herself, she jumps at an unconventional job—looking into the background of her cousin’s fiancé, Alfred.

Alfred burst into the upper crust world of London’s high society, but his answers to questions about his past are decidedly vague. Before Olive can gather more than the basics, a murder occurs at a posh party. Suddenly, every Bright Young Person in attendance is a suspect, and Olive must race to find the culprit because a sly murderer is determined to make sure Olive’s first case is her last.

Murder at Archly Manor is the first in the High Society Lady Detective series of charming historical cozy mysteries. If you like witty banter, glamorous settings, and delightful plot twists, you’ll love USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett’s series for Anglophiles and mystery lovers alike.”

I really enjoyed this mystery! Historical mysteries are not a common read for me, I certainly gravitate more to contemporary mysteries, but I really enjoyed this one.

As a fan of The Great Gatsby, I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised that I like the reading about the 1920s. This story was an artful blend of aristocratic and the working class in England after the Great War.

The mystery unfolded in a natural way with clues pointing to everyone! The story was easy to follow with enough characters to keep interest, without confusion. I hope there will be plenty more stories about Olive and her investigations.

I plan on reading more of this author’s mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.