Book Review #7

I've had way too much going on recently to be reading but I need some time to escape from the craziness of life so I tend to turn to my kindle. The problem is that I picked up 'Killer Instinct' by Zoe Sharp and then couldn't put it down! As per my usual I don't know when or why I got this book but it was sitting on my TBR list so I got stuck in. Also quite typically for me, I hadn't read the synopsis before starting it and had no idea what was going to happen (to be honest I'm quite enjoying doing that as I enjoy being led by the author at the pace that they want rather than having the bones of the story before I've even begun). However I'm going to share the outline with you or you'll have no clue what I'm on about!


'Susie Hollins may have been no great shakes as a karaoke singer, but I didn't think that was enough reason for anyone to want to kill her.' 
Charlie Fox makes a living of sorts teaching self-defence to women. It's a skill she picked up of necessity having been kicked out of the army for reasons she prefers not to go into. So when Susie Hollins is found dead only a few hours after she mistakenly tussles with Charlie at the New Adelphi Club, Charlie knows it's only a matter of time before the police come calling. Only the police reveal that the unlucky Hollins has become the latest victim of the homicidal rapist stalking the local area. Charlie finds herself inadvertently drawn into the investigation when the Adelphi's enigmatic owner Marc Quinn offers her a job. Viewed as an outsider by the existing all-male security team, her suspicion that there is a link between the club and the serial killer doesn't exactly endear her to anyone. Charlie has always taught her students that it's better to run away from a danger than fight unnecessarily. But when the killer starts taking a very personal interest in her it becomes clear that he isn't going to give her that option...

I really enjoyed this book. I've never read anything by Zoe Sharp before and I hadn't heard any reviews about her work. Since finishing it I've seen a lot of people seem to compare her books to the Jack Reacher novels though they're not something I've ever been able to get into. I think this novel is written more as a female point of view and as a result I enjoyed the book a lot more. The protagonist, Charlie Fox, is strong but not too over the top. You never know for sure if she's going to be able to get out of trouble as her conscience can get the better of her. I can't promise that the plot is completely revolutionary but it had enough twists and turns to keep me interested and unsure of who to trust.

Zoe Sharp is a British writer and has written 10 books in the Charlie Fox series with Killer Instinct being the first. I'm pretty sure I'll be adding the next one to my wishlist (and probably my TBR pile before too long)!

Book Review #6

I've been motoring through quite a few books recently so I thought I'd write about some of them.

The first one I'm starting off with is On the Run by Sue Fineman which is the first book in The Gregory Series. I'm guessing this one has made it's way onto my Kindle at some point as a free or discounted book that I thought would be worth reading. I love a good series so I'm always looking for a new one that I like so that I can follow a character through several books.

Here's the synopsis...

Who knew the man who claimed to be Neen's long-lost uncle was a big drug lord? Nobody told her what he did for a living. She didn't find out until the night of the raid, when Uncle Julio's men tried to shoot her. She got away, but she's been on the run for the past three years, staying one step ahead of the killers.

Former DEA agent Adam Gregory tried to get Neen out before the raid, but he was stabbed in the back by one of his own people. Greg is desperate to find the dirty agent who stabbed him and protect Neen from the killers. He finally finds her in the cemetery, visiting her mother's grave, but the killers have spotted her, too.

Greg takes Neen on a wild ride across the country, protecting her from the killers, but not from his love. She tries to keep her distance, but the macho dude cop is hard to resist, and he's determined to make her love him again.

I have a lot of unread books on my kindle that I'm working my way through so quite often I start one and have no idea what to expect. I rarely go into the book description as I think it's not necessary to know what's going to happen if you're about to read it. That being said, 90% of the books I own are legal dramas or crime / thrillers and the rest are running books so I know the genre before I start.

I hate to say it but this is another case of 'if I'd seen the cover I could've maybe judged the whole book by it and saved myself a load of effort'. Even when I've read the description from Amazon after finishing the book I don't think it accurately reflects the genre. I was expecting a cop thriller and instead I got a girly love story loosely based around someone running from a bad guy. A lot of thrillers include a personal story and love interest, and I have no problem with that, as usually it gives the story more depth. I was surprised by was the love story element of this novel with the very graphic love scenes. In this case I felt like this was the main point that the author was trying to get across. I'm sorry to say that the plot lacked any complexity or depth and had no suspense at all.

I rarely give up on a book and will almost always see it through, but if you're looking for a police thriller I'd steer clear of this one if I were you.

Book Review #5

Yesterday I read No Write To Die by Tom Immins.

Ex-Insurance investigator Sam Lucas has his world turned up side down when his wife is killed in a hit and run accident, A phone call claiming she was murdered, sends him on a roller coaster ride to discover the truth... When another girl turns up dead he is plunged into the seedy world of gangsters, greed and drugs. Will his dead wife's past lead him to find the answers, who can he trust? and how far is he willing to go.










So what did I think?
I read this in one day and was interested in it enough to see it through but unfortunately I didn't really like the book. Part of the reason for this was the writing style that just didn't click with me. I didn't seem to connect with the characters plus some of the content was quite explicit. I understand that this was necessary in the context of the plot but I felt the writer did not approach the subject matter skilfully in comparison to other books I have read with similar content. In addition there were problems in the composition of the eBook  I'm not sure how this would come across in print but in the Kindle version there were a lot of grammatical and spelling errors. The plot jumps around in time a lot and there was no indication of this in the paragraphs or chapters which I often found confusing. The combination of bad grammar, spelling and unclear time shifts meant that the flow of the book was disrupted and this really detracted from the enjoyment of it. I'm not sure if this is an error of the writer or the publisher but it definitely affected my opinion of the book as a whole.

To be honest I'm a bit soppy and often feel a bit sad when finishing good book because I don't want it to end. I was interested to find out who was responsible in this story but unfortunately it didn't result in any emotional response from me other than disappointment that I hadn't enjoyed it more.

Book Review #4

I've really missed being able to read a lot recently. I'd love to have done the TBR March challenge (where you're challenged to read as many of your To Be Read pile as you can) but due to work commitments in the family business as well as my other job I've not had the time. However early in the week I had an early night and picked up my Kindle in the hope of finding something new to read. I didn't look very far and started with the first one on my To Be Read list!

For Sale in Palm Springs (Henry Wright Mystery #1) by Albert Simon

Here's the synopsis...

Retired police chief Henry Wright is now living in Palm Springs and is asked by his friend Wayne Johnson, a detective in the Palm Springs Police department to help solve a crime. Henry has been living as somewhat of a recluse since his wife passed away, but tracking down this killer brings him back to life. Follow his adventures as he travels around the state to solve this mystery.

So what did I think?

Well first off it's a great book if you're looking for a light read. It's pretty short at 161 pages and suited my busy lifestyle at the moment as it didn't have too many characters to remember (you know what it's like when you have a lot going on, keeping track of a complex book with a gazillion characters can be frustrating!). The book was easy to read and pretty light going, however I have to say I was a bit disappointed by it. I've said before that I'm a crime writers dream as I rarely figure out their twists and turns and whodunnit before they intend me to. I have to admit that, for me, this book was too straight forward. There was a distinct lack of twists or mystery and I figured out who did it, which I don't really like as I love the surprise of a well written mystery.

There are more novels in this series with the same protagonist and, while he was a likeable character, I don't think I'll be spending my hard earned pennies on any of the other books.

Book Review #3

This week I finished May Day: A Murder-By-Month-Mystery by Jess Lourey....

Minneapolitan Mira James has been taking it easy since college graduation--too easy. Due to a dead-end job and a cheating boyfriend, the Twin Cities have lost their charm, and Mira decides to begin a new life in rural Battle Lake. Right away she is offered jobs as an assistant librarian and part-time reporter, and falls into an unexpected romance with a guy who seems to be the perfect man until he turns up dead between the reference stacks her tenth day on the job. Anxious to learn more about the man who had briefly stolen her heart, Mira delves into the hidden mysteries of Battle Lake, including a old land deed with ancient Ojibwe secrets, an obscure octogenarian crowd with freaky social lives, and a handful of thirtysomething high school buddies who hold bitter, decades-old grudges. Mira soon discovers that unknown dangers are concealed under the polite exterior of this quirky small town, and revenge is a tator-tot hotdish best served cold.A hip, humorous, and gripping account of small-town murder, this novel is the first in a series of cozies featuring Mira James, an urban woman with rural Minnesota roots.

I got this book when it was a freebie from Amazon on my Kindle. As you probably know by now I'm a fan of murder mysteries so I figured I should give it a try. I have to be honest, I don't know if I liked this book or not. Part of me did because at points it actually made me laugh out loud, but on the other hand it really wasn't my type of book as the characters were just a bit too odd and it was a little bit too light-hearted for me. It was an easy read and I was interested enough to stick with it to the end but I probably wouldn't have been too happy if I'd paid the £13.50 list price or £7.43 kindle price. There are several more books in this series but to be honest I think I'll pass. If another comes up for free I would consider it but if not I won't be adventuring any further into the life of Mira James.

 

Book Review #2

Back On Murder (A Roland March Mystery Book #1) by J. Mark Bertrand

Det. Roland March is a homicide cop on his way out. But when he's the only one at a crime scene to find evidence of a missing female victim, he's given one last chance to prove himself. Before he can crack the case, he's transferred to a new one that has grabbed the spotlight--the disappearance of a famous Houston evangelist's teen daughter.With the help of a youth pastor with a guilty conscience who navigates the world of church and faith, March is determined to find the missing girls while proving he's still one of Houston's best detectives.


I really enjoyed this book, in part because it was set in Houston so I knew many of the references that the author made to places and people which I wouldn't have understood a few years ago. I liked the character development that the author put into this book, not explaining everything straight off but letting things fall into place over time, although there are quite a few people to keep track of which I sometimes have difficulty with! With it being a mystery I'm not going to go into detail about plots and whether there are or aren't twists and surprises because that's why you read them in the first place! All I will say is that I love a good murder mystery and this doesn't disappoint. It's J.Mark Bertrand's first mystery and he's clearly got a talent for it, I'm really tempted to check out the second in the series.

Book Review #1: 'A Cold Day For Murder'

I don't write many book reviews (as you may have noticed from the post title) but I thought I would start to give a few a go.  I have to admit my variation in genre is fairly limited as I mostly read crime thrillers and courtroom dramas, though I'm hoping to adventure out of this shortly as I work my way through my enormous wishlist of books.

The first review I'm going to write is for A Cold Day For Murder (Kate Shugak #1) by Dana Stabenow

Here's the official blurb:

Somewhere in the hinterlands of Alaska, among the millions of sprawling acres that comprise 'The Park' a young National Park Ranger has gone missing. When the detective sent after him also vanishes, the Anchorage DA's department must turn to their reluctant former investigator, Kate Shugak. Shugak knows The Park because she's of The Park, an Aleut who left her home village of Niniltna to persue education, a career, and the righting of wrongs. Kate's search for the missing men will take her from the self-imposed exile back to a life she'd left behind, and face-to-face with people and problems she'd hoped never to confront again.


I have to be honest, when I first started reading this I almost gave up before I even started. I'm all for scene building but there was something that I just couldn't relate to and the writer's style was not working for me. However I have an agreement with myself that I always have to give a book a fair chance so stuck with it and I'm glad I did as I eventually got used to the style. Unfortunately there was quite a bit of jargon used with no explanation which would often slow me up a bit. However the book did lack a depth of plot, not much more information ever came out but rather repeated itself several times. I also guessed 'whodunnit' which means it was fairly obvious because despite reading a lot of crime thriller type books, I am terrible at guessing :D

All in all a good descriptive book of Alaska but all in all not enough of a mystery and the plot was rushed to the end. I'm glad I tackled something set somewhere different but I'm pretty sure I'll not be buying any more in the series.

The Four Agreements

The Four Agreements was recommended to me by Paul a few years ago and I have found myself returning to it again and again. Based on Toltec wisdom, it addresses the self-limiting beliefs most of us have that create self inflicted and needless suffering in our lives. I guess it officially comes under the genre of a self-help book though I don't feel like it is typical for this category as many similar books are full of unrealistic ideas and stories that don't transpose into real life. This book is different ... it has 4 rules to follow that are easy to remember, achievable and applicable to everyday life. 

BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering

DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you an to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama.

ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance simply do your best, and you will avoid self judgement, self abuse and regret.

I find it hard to express the points made about domestication and the unrealistic requirements we put on ourselves to please others but I hope this helps sum it up:

'During the process of domestication, we form an image of what perfection is in order to try to be good enough. We create an image of how we should be in order to be accepted by everybody. We especially try to please the ones who love us... ...Trying to be good enough for them we create an image of perfection, but we don't fit this image. We create this image, but this image is not real. We are never going to be perfect from this point of view. Never.
Not being perfect we reject ourselves... ... We are not good enough for ourselves because we don't fit with our own image of perfection. We cannot forgive ourselves for not being what we wish to be, or rather what we believe we should be'

I felt this book really applied to me. I know I have a bad habit of taking things personally and I'm the worst for assuming what others are thinking, or believing that I am not living up to their expectations (as set by my own unachievable image of perfection mentioned in the above excerpt!). It helped me understand these things and address them, encouraging me to ask more questions about what people want, expect and feel as well as not taking everything so personally in life.

This really only scratches the surface of what this relatively short book has taught me. As I said earlier, the four agreements are easy to remember, though it's easy to fall off the wagon and revert back to your old ways. However... following rule 4 'always do your best', rather than giving yourself a hard time and punishing yourself for not being perfect, it's possible to just move on and try again.

As the months and years go by you'll find yourself reading this book again and again. I have no doubt that you'll end up giving it to a family member or friend....

....Then, most likely, you'll buy another one as you're going to want to refer back to it in years to come!