Category Archives: Mystery/Suspense

Mini-Review: Poppet by Mo Hayder

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  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (May 14, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0802121071
  • Source: Publisher

AJ is a head nurse at Beechway, a high-level psychiatric hospital. Rather than focusing on the crimes that each of his patients have committed, AJ treats them each with respect and care. It’s hard to ignore their claims that the ward is haunted by “The Maude.” a short little dwarf of a creature that reportedly sits on the chests of her victims as they sleep. When cases of self-harm keep popping up – three resulting in death-  AJ is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Meanwhile a patient, Isaac, has been released into the world. He was complicit in a horrible act involving his parents when he was a child. Unfortunately, his involvement with the other patients’ abuse isn’t realized until after his hasty release. AJ, against the knowledge of his supervisor, calls in Detective Jack Caffery to investigate.  Do the crude doll-like effigies Isaac created have any correlations to the deaths?  With AJ’s help, Caffery digs down to reveal cases of brutality that would terrorize even the most skeptical of minds.

A second parallel storyline follows this one, involving an unsolved case of Caffery’s. Fans of Hayder’s previous work (in this case, Skin) will be rewarded with this return to an old case. Unfortunately, readers new to the series might feel a little out of the loop. Without this second storyline, Poppet would most certainly serve as a great stand-alone to readers new to this author.

Hayder has quite the talent for producing one terrorizing read after another. Poppet is the sixth book in her Caffery series and it is recommended that readers do read them in order. Caffery’s evolution as a character is quite remarkable, something readers might miss out on if they start the series mid-way or at the tail end.

A truly chilling combination of horror and true crime, Poppet is a novel best read under the light of day with all your lights turned on, doors and windows locked. Delightfully chilling and highly recommended.

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Review: Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead by Scott Kenemore

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  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (February 8, 2011)
  • ISBN-10: 1616082062
  • Source: Library copy

Peter Mellor is a college professor in rural Ohio.  While attempting to visit his girlfriend in the midst of a zombie outbreak, Peter gets into a horrible car accident. Believing he has survived this accident unscathed, he returns to campus, a slight case of amnesia his only ailment. Shortly upon his return he soon realizes that while he’s still walking and talking, he died in that accident and is now one of the undead.

Peter’s situation is certainly unique. Never before has any other zombie been able to maintain an intelligent conversation.  Really, the only obvious indication that he is one of the undead is the huge part of his head that is missing, easily covered by wearing a ballcap. His situation, however, gets worse when  he realizes that the accident that killed him was no accident. Someone intentionally cut his break lines. So in addition to get adjusted to his new undead life, Peter must track down his killer as well.

If you haven’t guessed it yet, Zombie, Ohio isn’t your typical zombie novel. In addition to the  typical humans versus zombie survivalist routine, Kenemore also adds a great deal of dry humor and suspense. Unlike many other zombie novels, readers get the monster’s side of the story, following Peter as he becomes more aware of his “condition.” In doing this, his character develops and evolves into a completely changed “man,” not only due to his situation.  The author’s political and social commentary add to the overall tone of this novel, kicking it up one level on the intellectual meter.

So, if you are looking for a zombie novel with a brains (there, I said it!) and a bit of gore, this is the novel for you.  Highly recommended!zombieawarenessmonth

 

 

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Mini-Review: The Killing Hour by Paul Cleave

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  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Atria Books (April 23, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 1451677812
  • Source: Publisher

They come for me as I sleep. Their pale faces stare at me, their soft voices tell me to wake, to wake.  They come dressed in the clothes they were in before they died, though there is no blood on them. I know what they want, because when it comes to people who are ghosts because of you, there really is just the one thing. They cannot touch me because they have no real form. I cannot touch them either, cannot push them aside. I feel the guilt they want me to feel–I feel very little else.

When Charlie wakes up, his head his pounding and his clothes are covered in blood. He cannot recall the events of the previous night yet, with one look at the newspaper his memories come rushing back. Two women are found brutally murdered. Charlie didn’t kill them, yet the only evidence the authorities uncover lead directly to him. In a panic, he goes to the home of his ex-wife, Jo. Given Charlie’s history with violence, Jo can’t immediately trust that he is not responsible for the deaths. Certain that they are both in danger from the man who did commit the crimes, Charlie abducts Jo and flees. Haunted by the ghosts of the two dead women, Charlie must simultaneously prove his innocence to both his ex-wife and the authorities while also trying to evade the grasp of the true killer.

Originally written as horror and then published in 2007, Cleave combines attributes of this genre with those of a chilling psychological thriller. Not necessarily a book for the weak of heart (or stomach), The Killing Hour captivates readers with an incredibly twisty storyline and flawed, unreliable characters. A novel that shouldn’t be read in the dark (for that’s when all the evil happens), I highly recommend The Killing Hour to fans of horror and dark psychological thrillers.

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Review: Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

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  • Hardcover: 382 pages
  • Publisher: Harper (April 2, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 006222543X
  • Source: Publisher

Kate is a single mother working long hours as a partner at a law firm. Her teen daughter, Amelia has a bright future ahead of her, a well-respected student at the local prep high school.  When Kate receives a phone call from Amelia’s school one day, she’s shocked to learn that Amelia has been suspended. Unable to get any details over the phone, she rushes through traffic to Amelia’s school. When she gets there over an hour later, she is too late. Upon arriving at the school, she sees rescue vehicles parked in front. Within minutes of her arrival she learns that Amelia is dead, allegedly killed after jumping off the roof of the school.

In the weeks that pass, Kate must get used to being alone again. Although she worked long hours, she always made time on the weekend to spend with Amelia. Just as she starts to get back to her usual routine, she receives a text from a blocked number: Amelia didn’t jump. This text is the first of many she receives from this number. Desperate to learn more she contacts the police who had, based on the medical examiner’s report, had written Amelia’s death off as a suicide. When new evidence is uncovered, Kate learns that Amelia’s death was in fact a homicide. With the aid of a Lieutenant from the local police, Kate begins going through Amelia’s email, Facebook posts and more trying to recreate the last days of her life. Riddled by guilt, Kate soon realizes there was a lot she didn’t know about her teen daughter. To make matters worse, secrets Kate kept about the identity of Amelia’s father have surfaced. Is it possible that she is partially to blame for the cruelty her daughter experienced in the last days of her life?

Reconstructing Amelia is a heartbreaking examination of teen life and the lengths that youth will go through to be accepted. Told with haunting insight on the mysterious life of teens. From hazing to sexuality, drugs, and first secret loves, McCreight reveals a truly chilling plot that, unfortunately, isn’t far from reality. Her characterization is above par, using alternating chapters and points of view the author builds truly dynamic characters. Kate is a hard-working single mother, trying to do best for her daughter. Amelia is a teen, struggling with her own sexuality and identity amidst a world governed by social media. In addition to this shift of point of view, flashbacks to the past and unique formatting really aid in the overall flow and pacing of the novel.

As the mother of a teen myself, I wasn’t necessarily shocked but chilled to read about the cruelty displayed by those in the “in crowd.” The role of social media in the lives of teens plays a key role, reminding me just how many ways youth can be bullied in current society. This novel is a good reminder about the importance of open communication and support between parent and child, no matter how busy or complex life may get. I was stunned to learn that this is McCreight’s debut novel because her writing displays talents that typically only come with years of experience.  This is a novel that will haunt me, but remind me to never take for granted the relationship we have with our son, no matter how challenging and difficult may get.  Highly recommended, specifically for young adults or parents with teen children.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this title. Please be certain to check out the other stops along the way; I guarantee this is a book that will generate a great deal of discussion!

Find out more about the author at her website, connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

 

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Review: There Was an Old Woman by Hallie Ephron

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  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow (April 2, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062117602
  • Source: Publisher

Evie isn’t all together surprised when she receives a call from her sister, Ginger, indicating their mother has been hospitalized. Sandra, an alcoholic, has frequent health “issues” as a result of her drinking and her daughters assume this incident is the same. Evie reluctantly agrees to go to Sandra’s house and get to the bottom of the problem. The condition of the house is absolutely horrid; covered with graffiti and filled with overflowing bags of empty vodka bottles. As she attempts to clean up the ruin, she is reunited with their elderly neighbor, Mina. Their relationship rekindles, much to the dismay of Mina’s nephew who is struggling to get Mina to agree to move to a nursing home.

Mina has her own host of issues. Her mental health appears to be deteriorating; she often forgets where she’s placed items, forgets food cooking on the stove, etc. Not helping the situation is her persistent and deceptive nephew. She’s drawn to Evie, who works as a curator at the Five-Boroughs Historical Society, because of their shared interest in preserving history.

As Evie becomes more involved in the goings on of her childhood neighborhood, she realizes at once that something is amiss. Homes that stood during her childhood are now being demolished. Her mother, barely getting by on her father’s pension, is now receiving packages full of bundled cash. Is it a coincidence that two of the few remaining individuals who own property on this incredibly historic (and valuable) land are so ill and unstable? It becomes Evie’s mission to get to the bottom of what is transpiring, putting her life at risk in order to save childhood memories that are slowly being destroyed.

Alternating between the viewpoints of Evie and Mina, Ephron develops an genuinely suspenseful read. The development of these characters, so rich and descriptive, is so pristine and genuine. Readers, myself included, will have a difficult time determining just who can be trusted. Are Evie and Sandra elderly women, far beyond their prime, unable mentally and physically to continue living on their own or is there something far darker (and deadly) amiss?

The pacing of this novel is relatively slow, building up in intensity with time. What starts off as a novel with a quiet neighborhood as its setting ultimately is revealed as community rich with corruption and greed. While this novel isn’t as dark and suspenseful as many of Ephron’s other works, the author instead draws you in with an engrossing storyline and incredibly sympathetic characters. Additionally, in executing this fine piece of suspense, Eprhon touches on a number of social issues including ageism and alcoholism.  There Was an Old Woman is guaranteed to intrigue and captivate readers of all genres.  Highly, highly recommended.

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Review: Six Years by Harlan Coben

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  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Dutton Adult (March 19, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0525953485
  • Source: Publisher

Six years ago, Jake Fisher watched his soul-mate, Natalie, marry another man. At her wedding, Natalie made Jake promise never to contact her or her new husband, Todd, again. Jake is so in love with Natalie that he makes this promise.  Six years later, Todd’s murder makes that nearly impossible. Jake, now a college professor,  begins to look into Todd’s murder, discovering that he wasn’t, in fact, married to Natalie but to someone else, giving another woman two children. Soon, Jake’s life and the past six years begin to unravel, people from his and Natalie’s past refusing to acknowledge that they knew him. Jake’s search for Natalie intensifies, unveiling deadly secrets that go back decades. His involvement puts his life, and Natalie’s, at risk from people who have connections that are both illegal and quite deadly.

In Six Years, Coben creates an incredibly intense and well-crafted thriller. The intrigue and fast pacing of the storyline begin within the first several pages, culminating into an incredibly dramatic ending. Coben is incredibly skilled at creating a complex thriller that unveils subplots and story-lines as the reader combs through the pages. The secrets he reveals are well-paced, only providing readers with just enough to keep their attention throughout the novel, providing multi-layered twists and turns that at first seem completely implausible but all build up and connect at the end.

As with his previous novels, Coben takes a seemingly ordinary bordering on boring, character and puts him in the most imaginative of circumstances. The story is told by the point of view of Jake, so readers are given a tremendous amount of information about his character. We not only witness life through his eyes, but also experience his emotions and experiences. The reader is provided with clues and answers as they are revealed to Jake, adding to the overall intensity of this thriller. Jake is a man still healing from losing the love of his life to another man, still reeling from the pain and devastation that brought him. This fuels his passion in his search for Natalie and revealing a well-executed plan that provides a new life to those individuals involved in high risk, deadly situations.

Coben also creates a pretty unique and well-rounded set of secondary characters. His humor shines through in Jake’s interaction with these individuals, adding a bit of snark and hilarity to the mix. While elements of the plot are similar to his other books (namely a relatively normal individual receives some sort of communication that reveals devastating secrets about the woman he loves), long-time fans of Coben’s work will still be rewarded with this truly dynamic thriller. Highly recommended!

*Update: Actor Hugh Jackman will play the role of Jake in the movie adaptation of Six Years. *Swoons*

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Review: Rage Against the Dying by Becky Masterman

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  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Minotaur Books (March 12, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0312622945
  • Source: Publisher

Brigid Quinn is an fifty-nine year old ex-FBI agent, forced into early retirement.  She now lives with her husband, Carlo, a former Roman Catholic priest and philosophy professor, who knows literally nothing about Brigid’s violent past. Brigid lost one love due to her obsession with hunting killers and she wasn’t going to let that happen again.

She’s called into a case by FBI Agent Laura Coleman, a young agent familiar with Brigid’s past. The case involves a serial killer that stalked Route 66, a case that Brigid was never able to close. An agent Brigid trained was abducted by this elusive killer, her body never found. They have a man in custody who has confessed to the crime but Coleman is reluctant to accept his confession. She calls in Brigid without permission from her supervisors knowing full well that Brigid’s obsession with this case will force her to get answers that Coleman is prevented from obtaining.

Rash decisions put Quinn at odds with the agency, the very behavior that put her in danger and forced her into retirement. This behavior threatens her quiet, sheltered marriage and puts it, along with her very life, at risk.

Brigid Quinn is a wholly unique character. Not many thriller authors dare to write a novel featuring an “older” protagonist yet Masterman truly exceeds expectations with this one. Brigid is a hardened former FBI agent who tries so desperately to accept a quiet, routine retired life, yet her past involvement (and guilt) surrounding this case won’t allow it. Brigid is a wholly sympathetic character, the reader understanding more than she how much of a victim she is to her own fate and behavior.  She is a feisty, cocky, and smart-witted character, one that readers can’t help but root for.  This reader can’t wait for more! Highly, highly recommended.

Click here to listen to a sample of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio.

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Review: Dark Tide by Elizabeth Haynes

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  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (March 12, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062197339
  • Source: Publisher
Genevieve is following her dream of leaving the hectic London life, buying a houseboat to fix up and live on for the next year. She invites old friends from London as well as more recent ones to a “boat-warming” party. Genevieve loves her new home, finding the waves beating against the hull of her boat quite soothing. However, the night of her boat-warming party, everything changes. Genevieve wakes to hear something hitting against the side of her boat. It’s quite typical for garbage to find itself lodged there, so she thought nothing of it.  Until she saw what was causing the noise: the body of a young woman.

Seeing the woman’s body takes her back to her life in London. She recognizes the woman as a close friend she had while living in London. Her past comes flying back at her; she can’t let her new friends know about her night-job as a dancer at The Barclay, a private member’s club. When she left London, she vowed never to return. When other mysterious things start happening, she has no choice but to call the man who saved her from that life…the man who told her never to call him.

Told in alternating time frames, flashing back between Genevieve’s previous life in London and her current life, Haynes expertly crafts a genuinely thrilling read. As she did with her previous novel Into the Darkest Corner, Haynes gets inside the head of the female lead character, producing a protagonist who is incredibly strong yet also full of flaws. This novel is truly a study in one woman’s reaction to the life she found herself immersed in. Was it all worth it? Teetering on the side of danger in order to obtain the life she’s dreamed of?

While Dark Tide wasn’t nearly as intense or chilling as Haynes previous novel it certainly still kept me up late at night. Genevieve’s character was one I quickly became invested in; she’s incredibly smart and talented, not putting up with anyone standing in the way of her dream. So, she lets her heart get in the way not once, but twice. Who hasn’t, right? My only complaint was that, for such a strong and committed young woman, at times it seemed that she relied far too much on the men in her life. I don’t necessarily think this was intended by the author but it’s something I found lessened the impact of the book a bit.

All in all, though, Dark Tide is an incredibly intense, addictive read. Haynes knows thrillers, and she excels at writing incredibly genuine female protagonists. I cannot wait for more! Highly recommended.

 

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Review: Three Graves Full by Jamie Mason

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  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Gallery Books (February 12, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 1451685033
  • Source: Publisher

Over a year ago, Jason Getty killed a man, burying his body in his own back yard.Jason spends every waking moment thinking about the body and its potential discovery. Just as he gets close to accepting his crime will go undetected, the police uncover two bodies buried on his property, neither of which is the body Jason buried.  Jason is desperate to keep the police from discovering the body.  His attempts to lay low are thwarted when the wife of one of the victims begins to snoop around the property. Add Detective Tim Bayard, a small town detective who can’t get rid of his suspicious feelings about Jason’s involvement and Jason has his work cut out for him.

Three Graves Full is a novel full of potential. Interesting and engaging storyline, intense plot and eloquently written prose. Unfortunately, all this vast potential was left unmet. It is clear in Mason’s writing that she is a truly talented writer. Unfortunately, the cookie-cutter characters and uneven and inconsistent writing left this reader craving for more.

I’m a fan of incredibly descriptive prose…when appropriate. In reading Three Graves Full there were scenes in which I thought the writing to be a bit too descriptive and others where it wasn’t descriptive enough.

Additionally, I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters. The point of view alternated between each of the main characters, providing the opportunity to develop each individual. Jason’s character was created to generate sympathy from the reader, yet I couldn’t care less as to what happened to him. Unfortunately, the only character I found a connection with was the incredibly intuitive dog belonging to the small town detective.

Bottom line: While this novel wasn’t a winner for me, the fact that Mason’s writing is so strong lends me to believe that subsequent novels will have marked signs of improvement. My feelings about this title won’t prevent me from reading Mason’s future works. If you are looking for a psychological thriller with a tinge of dark humor, this is the title for you.

 

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Review: The Tell by Hester Kaplan

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  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Perennial; Original edition (January 8, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062184024
  • Source: Publisher
Mira and Owen live in Providence, Rhode Island, in Mira’s family home. Surrounded by her past, unable to get rid of any remnants of her deceased parents, causes a strain on her relationship with Owen. While on the surface they may appear wealthy they are, in fact, struggling financially. Enter the wealthy, debonair Wilton Deere, an former popular television actor. He’s purchased the home next door to Mira and Wilton in the hopes that his estranged daughter Anya, attending school in the area, will move in with him.

Wilton still lives in the limelight of his acting career. He has no real family, no close confidant to rely upon. What he does have is money and a great deal of it. Soon after meeting Mira & Owen he begins showering them with luxurious gifts of wine and food, new packages showing up on his doorstep each day. Owen isn’t ignorant and sees that Wilton is using his wealth to win them over. On the other hand, Mira is reluctant, yet unable, to turn down the money Wilton provides to restore her failing art gallery. She begins to feel indebted to him, spending more time with him than Owen. With reason, Owen is suspicious. His marriage to Mira, already quite vulnerable, weakens as she begins to lie to him about her actions and whereabouts. Owen eventually learns that it’s not an affair he should worry about, but a cruel relationship built on addiction and co-dependence. The money Wilton showers upon Mira is an attempt to win her over as he has been unable to do with his own daughter. He’s not interested in Mira romantically but a surrogate for the daughter he pushed away all those years ago.

The characters Kaplan creates in The Tell each have a resounding trauma in their past that prevents them from having a stable relationship. For Mira, it is the guilt that she somehow caused the death of her parents; Owen feels inadequate after not doing more to save the life of his then-girl friend from a gun-wielding mugger; Wilton is unable to forgive himself for the suicide attempt that nearly ended the life of not only himself, but his young daughter as well. Through this jumbled, damaged mess together and you get the dysfunctional relationship shared by these three individuals. Each of them were near the brink of eruption but the relationship that commenced upon Wilton’s arrival turned up the intensity and truly pushed each of the characters over the edge. Yet what was truly remarkable was how all of this was so expertly portrayed, only through the eyes of Owen himself.

As I was reading, I nearly forgot that my view of what transpired was limited to what Owen witnessed or experienced himself. I was immediately transfixed by the dynamic of this incredibly incredibly caustic relationship that followed. After I read the last several pages, I couldn’t help but wonder just how jaded Owen’s recollections were, if at all. Understandably, his feelings about Wilton and Mira’s friendship were strong, almost frightening at times. While I found this book to be incredibly absorbing, I feel readers might have appreciated a glimpse of what was going on from the perspective of the other two characters as well. I felt a great deal of sympathy for what Owen was experiencing, yet felt nothing but anger and bitterness toward Mira and Wilton. Would my feelings changed had I been able to see what transpired through their eyes?

How the triangle of a relationship eventually unravels is a bit disappointing, somewhat rushed, in my opinion. It is almost as though two big action scenes were developed but not much in between. That said, the culmination of all of the other redeeming qualities of this novel, including the dynamic characters, the gorgeous writing and stunning New England setting make up for what is lacking. Ultimately, The Tell is a tremendously well-written examination of marriage, of love, of family, and the dynamics of trust and forgiveness. Recommended.

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