ARC Review: She Lies In Wait by Gytha Lodge

She Lies In Wait (DCI Jonah Sheens #1)
by Gytha Lodge
Published by Penguin
Crime, mystery, thriller

On a scorching July night in 1983, a group of teenagers goes camping in the forest. Bright and brilliant, they are destined for great things, and the youngest of the group—Aurora Jackson—is delighted to be allowed to tag along. The evening starts like any other—they drink, they dance, they fight, they kiss. Some of them slip off into the woods in pairs, others are left jealous and heartbroken. But by morning, Aurora has disappeared. Her friends claim that she was safe the last time they saw her, right before she went to sleep. An exhaustive investigation is launched, but no trace of the teenager is ever found.

Thirty years later, Aurora’s body is unearthed in a hideaway that only the six friends knew about, and Jonah Sheens is put in charge of solving the long-cold case. Back in 1983, as a young cop in their small town, he had known the teenagers—including Aurora—personally, even before taking part in the search. Now he’s determined to finally get to the truth of what happened that night. Sheens’s investigation brings the members of the camping party back to the forest, where they will be confronted once again with the events that left one of them dead, and all of them profoundly changed forever.

I don't mind a police procedural - if it's well done and has interesting investigators, it can be so good. Also, She Lies In Wait has a lot of flashbacks to 1983 when the group went to camping and Aurora died so it is part mystery thriller and part police procedural. However, here comes the biggest problem I had with this book - lack of well fleshed characters, who are engaging and interesting. There's a wide cast of characters, from the four investigators to the six friends and everyone else involved in the mystery, but none are particularly well developed. Everyone has two or three defining characteristics - Connor's from abusive home and jealous, Topaz is ashamed of her sister and craves attention, Jonah Sheens is loner and apparently brilliant. It never really dives deeper and more importantly, Sheens is rather bland and boring for a lead investigator.

The mystery is as flat as the characters. Sure, there's a pool of suspects and for a while it seems like anyone could have done it. However, there isn't that many twists and what there is, well, I could see them coming a mile away. Nothing really surprising happened and since the characters felt so distant, I didn't really care when things started to get dangerous. There's also a bit pacing problem: it's very slow for a long time and then everything happens within the last few chapters. Not to mention, the ending is disappointing. I can't go into it without spoilers, but it is a frustrating ending.

Overall, She Lies In Wait is alright. It's flat and lukewarm at best, and I struggled to be interested in it. There's certainly potential, but the characters aren't fleshed out enough and the mystery a bit too distant and unoriginal.

2 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Review: You by Caroline Kepnes

You
by Caroline Kepnes
Published by Simon & Schuster
Contemporary, thriller

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card. 

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she'll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight - the perfect place for a "chance" meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck's life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck's perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way - even if it means murder.

You is disturbing. That's the best way to describe the story. What makes it more disturbing than other stories in the same category, is the way it's executed: it's written in second person, so the narrator Joe speaks directly to Beck. Joe's looking for true love, and he's obsessed with Beck. The genius of the story is that it feels so disturbing at first, when Joe starts stalking Beck, but the more we find out about Beck it becomes clear that she's not a good person either. What Joe does is still wrong, but Beck's manipulative and well, gold digger. In fact, most characters in You are despicable so it's difficult to feel for them, which only adds to the disturbing feel of the story.

I enjoyed to story, despite disliking most, if not all, of the characters. It's quite a feat for a story to achieve that, because I usually need to be able like the characters to enjoy the story. Overall, a very good book for its genre, and if you're up to some disturbing thriller, then You is for you.

4 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

ARC Review: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

The Hunting Party
by Lucy Foley
Published by Harper Collins
Mystery, thriller, fiction

All of them are friends. One of them is a killer.

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they've chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands - the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.

They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.

Two days later, on New Year's Day, one of them is dead.

The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group's tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year's Eve, the cord holding them together snaps.

Now one of them is dead... and another of them did it.

Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close?

The synopsis got me like no other: the Scottish Highlands, a group of people, and one killer. I've always been fascinated by closed doors murder mysteries, therefore I had high hopes for The Hunting Party, especially since early reviews raved about how amazing the book is. Unfortunately, the story was a little bit miss for me, for a few reasons.

The Hunting Party features nine friends, who gather together to celebrate the new year, and two employees of the place they stay at. There's five different point of views: Heather (caretaker), Doug (groundskeeper), Emma, Katie and Miranda. Honestly, it felt too much and the author made a strange decision, as all the female point of views were written in first person and Doug's in third person. Not only that, the three friends sounded so similar that it was difficult to keep up. The identity of both victim and killer narrowed down pretty quickly, because half of the nine friends got a lot more attention than the rest. These kind of structural choices ate some of the mystery.

Another thing was the character chemistry and their bonds. It became quickly clear that the group of friends weren't really close. They had secrets and resentment, and I ended up asking, why are they even friends? They barely liked each other and especially Miranda seemed to delight in bullying others. They were all pretty much unlikable characters, few of them were alright but then again, they were the ones left in the background. I did find Heather and Doug's chapters more enjoyable and interesting, because they weren't snobby and felt more likable characters.

There were redeeming qualities in The Hunting Party; it's fast paced and easy to devour, and the setting of the remote Scottish Highlands was stunning. I read it in three days and it kept me relatively captivated, but I think it could have been so much better if the point of views had been limited or structured differently, and the characters hadn't been such unlikable. 

Overall, The Hunting Party was a meh read for me. I'd recommend something else, mainly And Then There Were None, for closed doors murder mystery, because this one doesn't have that much mystery or heart-pounding thrill, and is a bit predictable.

3 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

(A copy of this book was provided in return for an honest review.)

Review: Devil in the Details by L.J. Hayward

Devil in the Details (Death and the Devil, #1.8)
by L.J. Hayward
Self-published
LGTB, thriller, romance

If there's one thing assassin Ethan Blade knows, it's how to plan a job. How to study a target, find the weak spot, and strike. He keeps his guns clean, his knives sharp, and his heart sealed away behind more locks than his precious cars. Alone but safe. Until Jack Reardon burrowed his ways into Ethan's life, his car, and his heart. This may just be the deadliest mess he can't plan his way out of. 

Jack wasn't sure he'd see Ethan again - not after the less-than-stellar ends to their previous hookups. Even finding the assassin skulking about his apartment isn't as reassuring as it should be, especially when he works out Ethan's motive for being there might not be personal. That said, Jack will take an chance he can to salvage their relationship, assuming he survives whatever plan Ethan is cooking up.

Ethan and Jack had a bargain, but the parameters changed and neither are certain how to move forward - together or apart. But before they can start to renegotiate, lives, trust, and hearts are endangered by ghosts from the past. Even if they dodge their enemies' bullets, there's a risk of friendly fire, and when you let someone get too close, even small knives can cut deep.

You know, on my review of When the Devil Drives last month, I wondered how the novellas just keep getting better and better. I still wonder that, although I'm pretty sure nothing can be better than Devil in the Details. It includes short chapter La Petite Mort, which is told from Ethan's point of view, and two novellas, the titular and Death Takes a Holiday. Oh boy did all three leave me with all the feels, all for different reasons.

La Petite Mort is really short, but it's from Ethan's perspective and that's so fascinating. It's captivating to take a peek inside his mind, especially since everything else is told from Jack's perspective that leaves some of Ethan's motives unclear. Ethan's so captivating, because he's so unlike anyone else. He's ruthless assassin, but he also cares deeply for Jack even if his way of showing it is not most conventional.

Devil in the Details focuses mostly on Jack, who's trying to stop terrorist attack. It's far from simple operation and despite Jack's demand that Ethan stays clear from Jack's job, the situation escalates fast. They have to work together, alongside Jack's partner Harry to get themselves out of sticky situation. It's action packed and thrilling, and oh my, something happens that left me in tears (and I rarely cry). It just hits right in the feels!

Death Takes a Holiday continues a month after the dangerous terrorist situation, and this time it's Jack who travels to confront Ethan about their complicated relationship. They take a holiday, which is full of feels as they try to navigate their feelings and relationship, but nothing stays calm when it's Jack and Ethan. No spoilers, but oh my god, Jack with a RPG-7 launcher is my new sexuality. Seriously, I haven't read action scene so epic since Damen threw a sword across river in Prince's Gambit.

Once again, Hayward amazed me. I have so many feelings and so much love for this series and these characters, that I can barely handle it. I need the next full length novel like I need air, and I really hope it'll be published in December. I can't recommend this series enough; it's definitely one of my all time favourites.

5 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

Review: S.T.A.G.S. by M. A. Bennett

S.T.A.G.S.
by M. A. Bennett
Published by Hot Key Books
YA, contemporary, thriller

Nine students. Three bloodsports. One deadly weekend.

It is the autumn term and Greer MacDonald is struggling to settle into the sixth form at the exclusive St. Aidan the Great boarding school, known to its privileged pupils as S.T.A.G.S. Just when she despairs of making friends Greer receives a mysterious invitation with three words embossed upon on it: huntin' shootin' fishin'. When Greer lean that the invitation is to spend the half term weekend at the country manor of Henry de Warlencourt, the most popular and wealthy boy at S.T.A.G.S., she is as surprised as she is flattered.

But when Greer joins the other chosen few at the ancient and sprawling Longcross Hall, she realises that Henry's parents are not at home; the only adults present are a cohort of eerily compliant servants. The students are at the mercy of their capricious host, and, over the next three days, as the three bloodsports - hunting, shooting and fishing - become increasingly dark and twisted, Greer comes to the horrifying realisation that those being hunted are not wild game, but the very misfits Henry has brought with him from school...

I was so excited to read S.T.A.G.S. and I went in knowing nothing but the tag line - that it was nine students participating three bloodsports during one deadly weekend. It's also set in England and posh boarding school, which sounds promising itself. I wanted to love the story and feel for the characters, and to try figure out who the culprit is. However, that's not what happened.

The story is about Greer MacDonald, who wins a scholarship to attend prestigious St. Aidan the Great School. Greer is in for a rude awakening, because no one talks to her and she fails at making any friends. She gets so excited when she receives invitation from the most popular kids at school to attend a weekend full of hunting, shooting and fishing at a manor in the Lake District. Sounds great, right? Well, the problems don't lie with the plot outline. It's the execution: character development is non-existent, there are too many movie references (the author uses them to describe everything, which can be confusing if you haven't seen the movies), and the narrator, Greer, addresses the reader directly multiple times. It's also a confusing mix of modern and "medieval" - the popular kids refuse to use any technology and they are called "medievals" and people who use modern technology are "savage". The lack of character development leaves everyone one dimensional and very arch-typical. 

Main problem that S.T.A.G.S. has is foreshadowing. It's not subtle and there is a lot of it. First chapters tell reader exactly who is the bad guy, foreshadowing it so properly that it ruins any suspense, any mystery. It's all handed in right away, which makes the book a bit pointless. If I already know who the bad guy is, how am I going to feel surprised or betrayed? It just makes Greer feel silly character, because she seems to believe anything that a charming handsome guy says. Personally, I think the story would have been so much better without any foreshadowing - then there would have been suspense, mystery, and possibly surprise. Now it is just a thriller without any suspense or momentum, which makes it a failed thriller and more contemporary YA. It does try to be clean YA as much as it can, while foreshadowing that horrible things will happen soon.

Overall, I am very disappointed. There was plenty of potential and the tag line is intoxicating (Nine students. Three bloodsports. One deadly weekend.) but the book does not live up to it as the execution is messy. Bones of the story are good, but it needed way more fleshing out and editing - and removing all the foreshadowing.

2 of 5 stars

I aim to keep my reviews spoiler free on my blog, but I had so much to say about the ending. I included a spoiler section on the review on Goodreads, which you can access here, if you want to see what I have to say about the ending. Be warned that the spoiler section reveals two crucial things about the ending, so only read it if you have already read the book or want to know how it ends.

Add on Goodreads

Review: When the Devil Drives by L.J. Hayward

When the Devil Drives (Death and the Devil, #1.6)
by L.J. Hayward
Self-published
LGBT, romance, thriller

Work-life balance for a spy may be an oxymoron, but Jack Reardon likes a good challenge. And he's almost bested this one. He's settled into his Meta-State promotion as a field leader and into his new team with a second he can trust. Shop in order, he can take a day or two off when Ethan blows into town, their bargain finally starting to paying off.

Assassin Ethan Blade has few pleasures in his life - a decent cup of tea, a job well done, racing his fleet of supercars, and Jack. With plans to combine the last two into one thrilling weekend, Ethan's attempt at having a normal, happy life may deliver everything he's ever desired - or backfire spectacularly.

Jack and Ethan made a bargain, but the deal is thrown into jeopardy when the expectations and identities of the dealmakers shift - stoking the fires of doubt and jealously. Not to mention a contract killer out for revenge and an illness that threatens to reveal closely guarded secrets. Rewards are on the table for both men, maybe bigger than they even realize, if only they can renegotiate - and survive.

When the Devil Drives has two novellas; the titular one and another called At Death's Door. I have come to love Hayward's word play with the titles and their double meanings, and it just adds to the story. Mainly I wonder, how do these novellas get better and better? I need more, but mostly I just need the next full novel. I can never get enough of Jack and Ethan, and their complicated relationship.

When the Devil Drives was fun all the way around - Ethan invited Jack to join him to a trip to Gold Coast, where he's going to race one of his supercar. There's fast cars, racing, and so much adrenaline it's almost unbelievable. As a lover of fast cars and racing, I truly loved the novella! There's also plenty of Jack contemplating their relationship and how well they actually know each other, when he comes face to face with people who are very familiar with one side of Ethan.

At Death's Door has entirely different tone to it; Jack gets a bad case of flu and he's mostly delirious with fever - and of course Ethan comes for a visit then. There's a lot more about Jack's past, when he has fever dreams and memories that explain a lot where his problems with intimacy comes from. This aspect of the story got me so hyped up for the next full novel; I hope we'll get more glimpses of Jack's past and actually have him acknowledge his problems.

Definitely recommend to pick When the Devil Drives and the other novellas: they are essential for the story. More than that, pick up Where the Death Meets the Devil if you haven't already.

5 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

Review: Bargaining with the Devil by L.J. Hayward

Bargaining with the Devil (Death and the Devil, #1.4)
by L.J. Hayward
Self-published
LGBT, romance, thriller

Meta-State spy Jack Reardon believes it's all been taken care of. He has his verbal agreement with his boss to "keep Blade happy," and Jack is more than willing to do his best in that regard. He also has his bargain with Ethan, to keep seeing each other. Small victories, interspersed with exploding bombs, smashed cars and miffed co-workers, all while consorting with an international assassin. 

Contract killer Ethan Blade values his security, and Jack's the first time he's found that with another person. Wiring a warehouse or outback shelter for safety, no problem. Keeping safe a prickly ex-soldier-turned-spy who's a magnet for trouble, not so easy. Instead of faceless, nameless jobs, he's poking his fingers into Jack's cases - a car bomb gone awry, a Hen party gone wild - much to Jack's mounting dismay.

They have a deal; neither one of the can seem to stick to it. It's Jack versus Ethan as the two men learn to navigate their ever-evolving not-a-relationship without losing the benefit of the bargain.

Bargaining with the Devil consists of three short stories/novellas, taking place after Coda and Ethan and Jack's deal to keep seeing each other when it's convenient for them. Of course, nothing runs smoothly when it's Ethan, Jack, and their complex world.

Once again, I was captivated and enthralled by Hayward's writing, Jack's mindset and the relationship between him and Ethan. It's complicated, that's what Jack keeps saying that's what it is, and I love it. Jack works for the government and Ethan's international assassin so nothing is simple between them. The tension is real, but so is their desire for each other. More than that, all three short stories brought something new to the table; Ethan's issues with security, boundaries of their complicated relationship, and Jack's problems with intimacy. I love how complex Jack is and how he keeps telling himself lies. Ethan's just adorable! Deadly, but adorable.

Bargaining with the Devil is stunning, and I highly recommend picking it up - or if you haven't, start the series with Where the Death Meets the Devil. 

5 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

ARC Review: Cash Plays by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Cash Plays (Seven of Spades, #3)
by Cordelia Kingsbridge
Published by Riptide Publishing
eARC
LGBT, mystery, thriller, romance, contemporary

The Seven of Spades is back with a vengeance - the vigilante serial killer had resumed their murderous crusade, eluding the police at every turn. But a bloodthirsty killer isn't the only threat facing Sin City. A devious saboteur is wreaking havoc in Las Vegas's criminal underworld, and the entire city seems to be barreling toward an all-out gang war. 

As Detective Levi Abrams is pushed ever closer to his breaking point, his control over his dangerous rage slips further every day. His relationship with PI Dominic Russo should be a source of comfort, but Dominic is secretly locked in his own downward spiral, confronting a nightmare he can't bear to reveal.

Las Vegas is floundering. Levi and Dominic's bond is cracking along the seams. And the Seven of Spades is still playing to win. How many bad hands can Levi and Dominic survive before it's game over?

I love the Seven of Spades series and I was super excited to dive into Cash Plays. And oh boy was the book full of feelings and emotions. Dominic gets a case that makes him face his gambling addiction and sends him down a spiral while Levi is struggling with his demons and rage more than ever - all when Seven of Spades is getting more and more vicious and murderous. FBI has also send an agent to help with the serial killer, which stirs up trouble within the Las Vegas Police Department.

Cash Plays suffered a bit from the middle book syndrome; Levi and Dominic hardly spend any time together and you just know there's going to be plenty of problems in their relationship. It's not necessarily all bad as Kingsbridge is a very good writer and all previous books have had high stakes. Personally, I'm not a fan of middle book syndrome when it comes to relationship problems, and that's the reason why I'm knocking one star off the rating. I wanted to see Levi and Dominic together and work on their connection and relationship, but that didn't really happen here. Most of the old secondary characters were amiss and there were a lot of new interesting ones such as Russian crime boss Sergil Volkov and Rocco, but I missed seeing Dominic's family and friends.

Cash Plays continues the stunning and captivating series, and stakes rise even higher. I definitely need the next one - to find out more about the Seven of Spades and his/her obsession with Levi, and what happens with Levi and Dominic's relationship. I need to see the things that were messed up in this one to be fixed in the next sequel. I still recommend the Seven of Spades series.

4 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

Thank you, Riptide Publishing, for giving me a chance to read and review Cash Plays!

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Review: I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells

I Am Not A Serial Killer (John Cleaver, #1)
by Dan Wells
Published by Headline
YA, mystery, thriller, horror

John works in his family's mortuary and has an obsession with serial killers. He wants to be a good person, but fears he is a sociopath, and for years he has suppressed his dark side through a strict system of rules designed to mimic "normal" behavior. Then a demon begins stalking his small town and killing people one by one, and John is forced to give in to his darker nature in order to save them. As he struggles to understand the demon and find a way to kill it, his own mind begins to unravel until he fears he may never regain control. Faced with the reality that he is, perhaps, more monstrous than the monster he is fighting, John must make a final stand against the horrors of both the demon and himself.

I Am Not A Serial Killer surprised me by how disturbing and creepy it was. I went in knowing it would be both, but I was taken aback just how much it made my skin crawl. There's gruesome murders and on page descriptions of embalming bodies. There's also the main character, John, who might be a sociopath and has obsession with serial killers. John might seem like an unlikable character with his lack of empathy, but it was surprising how he wasn't. I liked John! He tried his best to be good and do what's considered normal, and he had connection to a few around him.

Wells's writing style was very factual and straight to the point, which might not work for every book. However, it just made this one even creepier and more gruesome, and it fit perfectly for John as narrator. The cold facts and the lack of emotion in the writing style made John truly come alive on the page. I do have to confess that it also made me take breaks while reading, because it was creepy and made my skin crawl multiple times. The mystery, murders, and chasing a serial killer got my pulse racing and it was terrifying to wait and see what happens next. Absolutely a thrill.

If you like chilling thrillers and horror, I Am Not A Serial Killer is the right choice for you. I do recommend it, and I'm not one to usually read horror stories.

4 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

Review: The Traitor by Allen Zadoff

The Traitor (The Unknown Assassin, #3)
by Allen Zadoff
Published by Orchad Books
YA, thriller, action

In the third and final installment in the Unknown Assassin trilogy, Boy Nobody is on the run from The Program and uncovers a secret about his past that forces him to decide where his loyalties lie.

The Program has sent Boy Nobody on countless missions, instructed to kill whichever target he was given. But now, after going rogue, he is on his own mission to rescue his friend Howard who was captured by The Program. Boy Nobody manages to free Howard as well as Tanya, a mysterious girl who was being held with him. Howard and Tanya help Boy Nobody collect information about his father, eventually revealing a dangerous secret that teaches Boy Nobody a valuable lesson - he can't trust anyone.

I went in expecting the unexpected and got ready for a roller coaster of action and thriller, and based on the blurb, very much expecting Zach going rogue and finally question The Program like never before. The Traitor delivered on most of my expectations, yet it wasn't as good as the first two installments. I was glad that Howard got bigger role because he's just adorable and his hacking skills are mad, and finally there was more about Zach's father and the mystery behind the Program.

The Traitor's biggest problem for me was repetitiveness. I could see the twists coming, I knew who not to trust just based on what happened in the first two books. I knew the mysterious girl was not innocent and I knew Zach would fall for it, because it seemed that sassy tough girls are his weakness. The first book in the trilogy was good, captivating and surprising, but The Traitor failed to surprise me. I was still a bit captivated, mostly waiting to see everything unravel and coming to an end. However, the ending was another problem. It was disappointing ending, very abrupt and didn't offer closure at all. It felt like there was a few chapters missing! Such a shame that ending like that kind of ruins the book and trilogy as it doesn't feel satisfying at all.

I had a hard time to decide on the rating. It wasn't on the par with the first two, which I gave each four stars, and I almost gave it two stars because that's how disappointed I was at the end. In the end, I decided to settle on three stars, because The Traitor was a fast paced and it kept me captivated, even if the element of thrill and surprise wasn't so strong because of the repetitiveness.

3 of 5 stars.

Add on Goodreads

Review: Fault Lines by Doug Johnstone

Fault Lines
by Doug Johnstone
Published by Orenda Books
Thriller, contemporary

In a reimagined contemporary Edinburgh, where a tectonic fault has opened up to produce a new volcano in the Firth of Forth, and where tremors are an everyday occurrence, volcanologist Surtsey makes a shocking discovery.

On a clandestine trip to new volcanic island The Inch to meet Tom, her lover and her boss, she finds his lifeless body, and makes the fatal decision to keep their affair, and her discovery, a secret. Desperate to know how he died, but also terrified she'll be exposed, Surtsey's life quickly spirals into a nightmare when someone makes contact - someone who claims to know what she's done...

Fault Line had me on the promise of volcanic eruptions, murder mystery, reimagined Edinburgh and university setting. The premise certainly sounds thrilling and exciting, and promises a fast-paced story with twists and turns. Sadly, that's all the excitement and thrill the story had.

The story had unrealistic representation of university students, as everyone was described as having one night stands, drinking extensively and getting stoned almost daily basis in the story. No one seemed to focus on their research and studies, which seems hard to believe when it's PhD level students. Main character Surtsey was an epitome of this type of behaviour: there wasn't a day when she wasn't either drunk or stoned. She also had few morals and even less redeeming qualities, mostly because she didn't seem to care about anyone but herself. Her married lover died? She only worried that their affair would be discovered and she'd lose her boyfriend. And it just went on and on. Her sister, mother, and friends weren't any different, and the police were pretty much bad stereotypes without personality.

Plot was also predictable and I guessed the killer when they were introduced to the story, and that killed the tiny bit of thrill and mystery the story had going. With such unlikable characters who didn't seem to do anything but drink and smoke weed, the story was a bit dull until the last third of the book, when the pace picked up. The best part was the volcanic island Inch and all the geological stuff, which was truly interesting. Short chapters also kept the pace quite fast and the writing was good.

Fault Lines is a fast paced read, but it's not as thrilling as it promises and the extremely unlikable characters makes it hard to connect with anyone. Premise and setting in a reimagined Edinburgh sounded intriguing and captivating, but unfortunately the story didn't live up to it.

2 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

(A copy of this book was provided in return for an honest review.)

Review: Coffin Road by Peter May

Coffin Road
by Peter May
Published by Riverrun
Crime, mystery, thriller, contemporary

In his latest mystery set in Scotland and the Outer Hebrides, award-winning author Peter May spins a tale about three disparate cases that may or may not be linked... 

On the remote Isle of Harris in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, a man washes up on a deserted beach, hypothermic and completely disoriented. He has no idea who he is or how he got there. The only clue to his condition is a map of the island showing a desolate, ancient path called the Coffin Road. With a sense of dread and no clear idea what lies at the other end, he knows he must follow the trail if he has any hope of discovering his identity. 

Meanwhile, homicide detective George Gunn makes the rough ocean crossing to a remote, sea-battered lighthouse on a rock in the northern Atlantic, twenty miles west of the Outer Hebrides, to investigate a brutal murder. Despite its isolation, the tiny island has seen its share of tragedy: more than a century earlier, three lighthouse keepers disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. And now there is a new tragedy, and Gunn must figure out what happened.

At the same time, a teenage girl lies in her Edinburgh bedroom, desperate to discover the truth about her father's death. Two years after the discovery of the pioneering scientist's suicide note, Karen Fleming still cannot accept that her father would willingly abandon her. And the more she discovers about the nature of his research, the more she suspects that suicide had nothing to do with it.

Coffin Road is a second Peter May crime novel, which I have read, and I've grown to like his writing style and atmospheric setting. What definitely draws me in is the location; this time it's Isle of Harris in Scotland. The life on the western isle has it's own idyll but also dangers, because the storms are merciless and the waters treacherous. For me, it only adds to the mystery and thriller aspects of the story. Some parts of the story is also set in Edinburgh, which is one of my favourite cities and I loved to see the characters roam around the city.

Coffin Road was a captivating mystery. Switching point of views and even timelines at times kept the mystery going, and every time I thought I had it figured out, something new and surprising came up and mixed it all again. It's almost impossible to see who is the bad guy here - or if everyone is a bad guy and no one particular is truly good and righteous. May writes beautifully flawed characters in that way, and it just feels so real. And a nod to the cameo from the Lewis Isles trilogy: Detective Gunn is a familiar face from them and it was nice to see him as a lead detective in this case. Overall, I just liked Neil, the man who wakes up on a beach without memories of who he is. It was fascinating on following his journey and his struggle to figure out who he is and what has he done.

If you're yearning for some Scottish crime fiction, then I recommend to check Coffin Road out. I'm not an expert on crime fiction, but the story was thrilling, complicated and captivating, and as such, I do recommend it.

4 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

ARC Review: Trick Roller by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Trick Roller (Seven of Spades, #2)
by Cordelia Kingsbridge
Published by Riptide Publishing
eARC
LGBT, contemporary, mystery, thriller, romance

It’s the height of summer in Las Vegas. Everyone believes the serial killer Seven of Spades is dead—except Levi Abrams and Dominic Russo—and it’s back to business as usual. For Levi, that means investigating a suspicious overdose at the Mirage that looks like the work of a high-class call girl, while Dominic pursues a tough internship with a local private investigator. The one bright spot for both of them is their blossoming relationship.

But things aren’t so simple. Soon Levi is sucked into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, even as his obsession with the Seven of Spades intensifies. Dominic knows that Levi isn’t crazy. He knows the Seven of Spades is still out there, and he’ll do anything to prove it. But Dominic has his own demons to battle, and he may be fighting a losing war.

One thing is certain: the Seven of Spades holds all the cards. It won’t be long before they show their hand.

Trick Roller is a sequel to Kill Game and a second installment of the Seven of Spades series about a detective and a bounty hunter, who get tangled up on investigation of a serial killer. Kill Game had more action with a slow burning romance on the backseat, but this one had more romance as Levi and Dominic's relationship deepened. Still, there were plenty of murder solving and hunting down a notorious serial killer.

I loved the tension that the story had, as both Levi and Dominic believed that Seven of Spades is still alive, but Levi had to hide his investigations because the police department deemed Seven of Spades case closed. This all created underlining tension, which made me turn the page faster with all the other reasons, such as intriguing investigation of the murder of Dr Hensley that Levi and his partner Martine were investigating, Dominic's training as a private investigator, and of course the romance. More than all that, I loved the character development and getting to know better some of the secondary characters, mainly Carlos and Jasmine.

I highly recommend the Seven of Spades series, it's full of action, complex mysteries, and slow burning romance, that's just so realistic because nothing happens instantly but progresses nicely. At the beginning of Trick Roller, Levi and Dominic had been dating for three months, just starting at the end of the previous book. It was brilliant how the slow burning continued; yes, they were dating but it wasn't a rushed relationship as they were taking it slow and still figuring out what they are to each other. And of course, the main characters are awesome; both Levi and Dominic have flaws but it just makes them more likable. I just love both of them, and together they are super.

Definitely a brilliant books not to be missed!

5 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

Thank you, Riptide Publishing, for giving me a chance to read and review Trick Roller!

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Review: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent, #1)
by Barry Lyga
Published by Corgi
Paperback (purchased)
YA, contemporary, mystery, thriller

You’re seventeen years old and your father is the most notorious serial killer America has ever produced.

He brought you up. Taught you everything he knows. Everyone in your ordinary American town knows who you are. So even though Dear Old Dad is safely behind bars, when the killing starts all over again, you are the first person the police come to see…

They don’t know whether it’s nature or nurture. And neither do you…

I find psychological crime mysteries truly intriguing when it comes to TV shows like Criminal Minds, and I Hunt Killers fell into the category where it's mysterious, dark, and twisted - and when it's so good because of the fascinating characters and surprising plot. It was utterly captivating read from the very beginning to the end.

Jazz's hilarious. His dark humor was hilarious. Not only that he was complex character who has a lot of potential to be extremely dangerous because of how he was brought up by his serial killer father; but he fights against it. It was almost brilliant to see the world through Jazz's eyes, and that only made the story so captivating. Jazz simply was the best and his friend Howie was not far behind because I loved him too.

And the plot and the twists, I can't even. It was just so utterly captivating and stunning, and I really need to pick up the sequel soon because I need more of this amazing world!

If you can handle some bloody scenes, then I definitely recommend I Hunt Killers because it's just so good and so hard to put down!

5 of 5 stars

Add on Goodreads

Review: I Am The Mission by Allen Zadoff

I Am The Mission (The Unknown Assassin, #2)

by Allen Zadoff

Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Paperback (gifted)

YA, contemporary, thriller, mystery

He was the perfect assassin. No name. No past. No remorse. Perfect, that is, until he began to ask questions and challenge his orders. Now The Program is worried that their valuable soldier has become a liability.

And so Boy Nobody is given a new mission. A test of sorts. A chance to prove his loyalty.

His objective: Take out Eugene Moore, the owner of an extremist military training camp for teenagers. It sounds like a simple task, but a previous operative couldn't do it. He lost the mission and is presumed dead. Now Boy Nobody is confident he can finish the job. Quickly.

But when things go awry, Boy Nobody finds himself lost in a mission where nothing is as it seems: not The Program, his allegiances, nor the truth.

I Am The Mission begins right where the previous book left off; Boy Nobody gets a new assignments that ends up being so much more different and more dangerous than he has ever before faced. He also has his doubts about the people who he's answering to, and this sequel reveals a lot more about the situation Boy Nobody is in, and a little about his past.

All the elements I praised for the I Am The Weapon (my review) was still there - Zadoff's writing style was as addictive as ever with short sentences, to the point and unembellished. The only thing I saw as a weakness was the weak try for a sneaky romance, which I feel so unnessary for a thriller/mystery/adventure driven story as this. Still, the story was fast paced, full of twists and turns and mysteries, and some of them stayed so.

I continued to love Boy Nobody and his antihero antics, and Howard was his fabulous nerdy self. There were some new interesting characters, mainly Francis. It was great to get to see more the mysterious Father, and I hope the last book reveals the rest of the mystery.

I continued to recommending this series for everyone who loves a good YA thriller with a main character who is basically an antihero. While reading this, you won't get bored.

4 of 5 stars.

I Am The Mission on Goodreads.

Review: The Blackhouse by Peter May

The Blackhouse (#1, Lewis Trilogy)
by Peter May
Published by Quercus
Paperback (borrowed from library)
Adult, mystery, thriller, contemporary

A brutal killing takes place on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland: a land of harsh beauty and inhabitants of deep-rooted faith.

A MURDER. Detective Inspector Fin Macleod is sent from Edinburgh to investigate. For Lewis-born Macleod, the case represents a journey both home and into his past.

A SECRET. Something lurks within the close-knit island community. Something sinister.

A TRAP. As Fin investigates, old skeletons begin to surface, and soon he, the hunter, becomes the hunted.

It's almost funny how I don't read crime fiction even though I love a good crime TV shows. It was a whim when I picked The Blackhouse from library, and the only reason I chose it, was because it's set in the Lewis Isle in Scotland. I'm really glad I did pick it up and read it, even if it was so out of my comfort zone.

The Blackhouse was captivating. The most captivating thing was the setting and the Scottish culture - especially the more rural culture - and characters who just were so Scottish. Peter May clearly knows how to make the setting come alive, and I loved to read about the Lewis Isles and what the life is like there. The switching timeline, both of the present and Fin's past, gave so much for the story, and even more for the reader to see what it's like to grow up on a remote island with a small community.

The plot was brilliant. It kept me guessing for a long time, even if I figured out who the killer was before it was revealed. It was still really good as there was plenty of surprising elements. I'm certainly more ready to give a chance to crime fiction because of this - or at least read rest of this series and maybe try more May's Scottish crime books.

I highly recommend The Blackhouse if you feel like diving into crime fiction, even if just to see what's it like. It has good and mysterious plot, plenty of interesting characters, full of Scotland and Scottish culture; what more can anyone ask?

4 of 5 stars.

Add on Goodreads.

ARC Review: Bomb by Sarah Mussi

Bomb
by Sarah Mussi
Published by Hodder Children's Books
Ebook (received from publisher via NetGalley)
YA, contemporary, thriller, mystery

When Genesis goes on a blind internet date, she just wants to get over her ex-boyfriend Naz. She just wants someone to like her again. But when Genesis wakes up the morning after the date, she can't remember a thing. She doesn't know where she is, or how she got there. And she can hardly move because she is strapped into some kind of body armour ... 

Before she has time to figure it out, she receives an order through an earpiece stuck in her ear. And then a voice sounds in her head: 'You have been chosen for an assignment ... The vest you're wearing is packed with high explosives. And with one mobile call we can detonate it.' 

To her horror Genesis has become an agent of mass destruction, a walking weapon in the hands of a terrorist cell. 

The countdown to detonation has begun: Genesis must re-examine everyone and everything she loves and make terrifying choices ... in the face of certain death.

Bomb awakened my interest because it had unique concept. A girl strapped in a bomb, a walking bomb who's under the mercy of cult, a terrorist cell? Count me in! What's even better: Bomb delivered everything it promised. It's action packed story with intriguing premise, concept and complex characters. The plot is solid, good, and you can't even guess what comes next as Mussi plays both her characters and her readers.

Firstly I have to praise Mussi's writing style and the execution of the book design. The cover is amazing, it's quite simple while having lots of details and for once the generic girl at the cover actually works. The chapter names are perfection. They're carefully picked up and fit with the story while actually telling another story: it's pure brilliantness, and I couldn't help but be excited about every one of them. Same goes with the one line LIFE IS poems that were all over the story as the main character Genesis made them up. Some were simple, some were poetic, some were odd, but I loved them. It took a little while to get used to seemingly random one line poems written with cap lock, but in the end, I loved them. More importantly, I understood why they were there, and in a way those short poems told a lot about Genesis and her view of world.

There was a lot of characters but a reader will meet only a few of them during the story. Genesis is the main character, a girl strapped in a bomb and the story is about a one day and what happens during it: how Gen reacts the situation, what she thinks and what others do. Gen is a good character with all of her flaws, She's smart but hung up on her ex-boyfriend who become a part of this Brightness cult during their relationship. Naz is huge part of the story even though a reader don't really meet him until the very end, because all we get is what Gen tells about him. It's strange but actually I really enjoyed it - I liked how Naz's character morphed via Gen's flashbacks and stories and how new things came up and how that information changed things. Then there's Dave, Gen's first boyfriend who she broke up with to be with Naz. Dave is Gen's bestfriend's big brother, he's trained soldier, and he has a nature to save people. He's gentle, intelligent and he loves Gen even though she broke his heart. I actually fell in love with Dave during the story, because of his character and how strong he was and how he could face all these obstacles and still maintain the focus on what's important. He was definitely my favourite!

Bomb is fast paced, gripping and edgy story, and it kept me on my toes until the very end, which was surprising and shocking. I definitely needed more! However, there was a few times when it became a little slow paced and some chapters were boring. Nothing major and it really kicked in after those slower chapters. I really liked the story and it's characters, but I especially loved the design and those brilliant chapter names. For me, Bomb is almost a five star story. However, I did figure out the big plot twist really early on so it took some mystery from the story and that with the slower chapters requires me to give Bomb a four stars. I still do highly recommend Bomb to everyone who finds the synopsis intriguing.

4 of 5 stars.

Add on Goodreads.

Thank you, Hodder Children's Books, for giving me a chance to read and review Bomb!

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Review: I Am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff

I Am the Weapon (The Unknown Assassin, #1)
by Allen Zadoff
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Paperback (purchased)
YA, contemporary, mystery, thriller

They needed the perfect assassin.

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone to die -- of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target.

But when The Program assigns him to the mayor of New York City, things change. Somewhere deep inside, Boy Nobody is somebody: the kid he once was; the teen who wants normal things, like a real home and a girlfriend; a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's mission.

In this action-packed series debut, author Allen Zadoff pens a page-turning thriller that is as thought-provoking as it is gripping, introducing an utterly original and unforgettable antihero.

Well, if this isn't a book with many names then nothing is. Previously published under the name Boy Nobody, then under The Hit and I Am the Weapon (if I'm right, UK the previous and US the latter).

I Am the Weapon is unique and unlike anything else I've read so far. It's gripping story about Boy Nobody who's assassin, a nameless weapon against those who The Program deems dangerous. In a way the story was amazing and genious, and Zadoff's writing style was interesting; short sentences, to the point and unembellished. Just like Boy Nobody's character. I read hundred pages without even realizing I did that, and it happens almost never.

Boy Nobody didn't have high morals, so to speak. If honest, I liked that a lot. I waited for the whole book the moral speech and the usual high moral act every YA book seems to have. But there wasn't one. Boy Nobody was a weapon; he did what he was told to do, didn't question things (much) and yes, practically he was a perfect assassin, a perfect human robot, without emotions and feelings. I liked that. It was different, intriguing and so addicting. I Am the Weapon truly is a story about unforgettable antihero.

Besides Boy Nobody there was some interesting characters. The hit, mayor of New York, was quite interesting persona and I liked scenes with him as his words made me really think. However, the mayor's daughter, Sam, wasn't much my liking. In a way she was the love interest but let me tell you, there was nothing traditional in it and there's some big twists at the end that I won't spoil but it's huge and genious. Sam was good, solid character and really intriguing but somehow she was a little hypocrite and there was something that irked me through the story so Sam definitely wasn't my favourites during the story. However, I liked Erica very much and I loved the banter between her and Boy Nobody.

I Am the Weapon was truly good, gripping story and I loved it with all the twists, and I'm so glad I finally got to read great story about unforgetable antihero! I'm itching to read the sequel and you can be sure I'll read it as soon as I get my hands on it. So yes, I highly recommend this book to everyone because it's just one of those books that needs to be read. Although I gave four stars it was quite perfect. There was just some aspects I didn't like that much, mostly they had to do with Sam and the romance but I can't say much without spoiling anything. Although, the ending almost made up everything because it truly was unexpected and blew my mind.

Worthy read, definitely.

4 of 5 stars.

 

I Am the Weapon on Goodreads.