Kisscut - Karin Slaughter

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I love Karin Slaughter, she is absolutely the Queen of crime, i could read her Sara/Jeffery/Will novels for the rest of my life, unfortunately though I've now read all of her releases! Kisscut is book 2 in her series, (which i have irritating read out of order) and its easily the most disturbing. 

Police chief Jeffery Tolliver and town pediatrician Sara Linton are enjoying a night out at the local ice skating rink when violence explodes and Jeffery is forced to shoot dead an armed young teenager, what follows next is easily Slaughters most unsettling plot-line, focusing around  a pedophile ring and the exploitation of children.

Slaughter crafts her novels with such an intensity, it'll keep you turning the pages, Jeffery and Sara are brilliant leads, their complicated relationship adds rather than detracts from the novel(s). My bone of contention with Slaughter is character Lena Adams, every page with Lena leaves you feeling infuriated, as a character she is difficult to like, despite everything she goes through and you literally want to slap her into reality constantly. 

Kisscut is both intriguing and sinister, Karin is a talented writer, blowing her fellow crime writers out of the water, Kisscut is one of the best in her series, my only problem is the lack of justice for all the villains involved within the story. Usually Slaughter ends with the satisfaction of seeing her villains but this early novel doesn't end that way.

Its an easy four stars, its been a while since i read all her other novels, this one has me excited to read what she releases next!

The Life & Death of Charlie St. Cloud - Ben Sherwood

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I confess, i had seen the film adaption of this long before i picked up the book, something i hate doing, but, i cast aside the film when i picked up the novel. Charlie St Cloud accidentally killed his younger brother Sam and their family dog in a car crash as a teenager, after dying and being brought back to life himself by fireman Florio in the same crash, Charlie discovers his trip to the other side has left him with a gift, he can see the dead before they move on. Using this gift, Charlie gets to keep spending time with his dead brother, however this tie to his hometown and brother leave him unable to leave, travel and sail the way he wants too. Instead he works at the cemetery, lives in a small cottage on the grounds and spends every evening until sunset playing baseball with his brother. Until he meets Tess, about to embark on a solo sail around the world Tess and Charlie connect and he starts to doubt his choices. 

Because i had watched the film, i was prepared for the twist, Tess was lost on a sailing trip and whilst she lays slowing dying on some rocks in the sea, her spirit is falling in love with Charlie. Even knowing it was coming, the twist was still brilliant and heartbreaking. 

I really loved this book, the writing is gentle and beautiful, Charlie is such a mournful yet graceful character you root for him from page one. His interactions with Sam are genuinely warm and lovely. Tess is a likable female protagonist and you can feel the beauty of the setting through the pages. The references to Salem are a nice throw considering Charlies gift. My favorite part however was the old fashioned elements to the romance between Charlie and Tess, the entire novel is just so beautifully constructed, Ben Sherwood has a definite talent for this genre. 

Its a four star for me, it was a refreshing read and is my stand out book that I've tackled so far this year. 

Songs of the Humpback Whale - Jodi Picoult

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Songs of the Humpback Whale is Picoults first ever novel, as you I've been on a Picoult run in the last few months so i was excited to read the novel where it all began. Unfortunately, it had a lot of problems and you can see its the raw work of an early writer. Songs differs from Picoults usual formula of crime/investigation/court case, instead it follows five different perspectives with a jumbled timeline leaving you guessing the point at which you are at.

Protagonist Jane was abused and beaten by her father as a young child, taking the brunt of his cruelty to protect younger brother Joley. she escaped by marrying Oliver very young and conceiving Rebecca, their only daughter. However Oliver is more interested in his work charting humpback whales and Jane and Rebecca are left feeling ostricised. From this they form a strong bond that is more than just mother/daughter. Janes dependency and honesty with Rebecca is often inappropriate and its clear to see the damage that has scarred Rebecca mentally as a result. Jane leaves Oliver after he slaps her once, when Rebecca is five, however when he demands Rebecca back Jane puts their daughter on a plane alone and it crashes, Rebecca is one of a few survivors, Jane rejoins Oliver and they try and move on. When Oliver informs them he will miss Rebecca's fifteenth birthday for work, Jane starts a fight, throwing Olivers research down the stairs he snaps and grabs her wrists, hard, in retaliation she pulls away and slaps him and after he comments that she is becoming her father she races out and leaves. Rebecca is already waiting for her mother in the car, Jane turns to her brother Joley who guides her to him, his makes the long journey more bearable by leaving her letters in various towns and sending her to landmarks and attractions. The journey shows that Jane lacks maturity in her role as a mother, they struggle with money, have to eat and run on a diner, steal £600 pound they find in a car they buy and regularly sleep in their car despite the heat. Meanwhile Oliver has decided to chase his wife down, for the first time in his life, actively fighting for his family. When Jane arrives at Joleys and meets his boss Sam things get complicated, Rebecca falls in love with an older man and their worlds implode on them. 

Jane is difficult to like, shes immature, weak though Joley protests she isn't and she seems oblivious to the harm she is doing to her daughter. Oliver is a bumbling idiot who actively knew he was pushing them away and allowed it to happen. Joleys feelings for his sister border if not cross into incestual. Hadley, whom Rebecca falls for, also has some underlying issues, Rebecca is barely fifteen and he ten years older when he decides hes in love with her and his boss and friend Sam, overlooks this as if its nothing.

Its beautifully written at times, but the jumpy timeline can be frustrating and a key plot point is revealed very early. Several chapters repeat the same sequences of events from different perspectives all at once which i found boring at times. The ending is infuriating, having finally freed herself and realizing she doesn't love her husband Jane still returns with him. Seemingly unconcerned with the death and chaos shes left behind. Joleys chapters are uncomfortable to read, clearly his feelings for his sister require the help of a psychiatrist. I am pleased that Picoult took her work in a different direction. For me the novel was a 2.5. It was okay, i was intrigued to find my way to the end and the characters

didn't put me off reading but i had major issues with it and i find her later work to be far more developed and enjoyable.

Thanks for the Memories - Cecelia Ahern

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Ahern is the queen of romantic feel good chick lit with a dash of magic. PS I love you, her first novel, has a special place in my heart, her second, Where rainbows end, is my favorite of hers, this offering, is in my top three of her novels. I love the magical elements Ahern adds in. whether its Gerry from beyond the grave, a special silence, an invisible friend, a prophetic diary or as in this read, shared memories. Joyce is a lovely character, her warmth spills of the page, her best friends are witty, her Dad is the kind of man you want to adopt. Her loss is heart-aching but her journey into rebuilding herself keeps the pages turning.

Also the cover is stunning.

This is a solid four stars for me, the idea that memories and pieces of our lives can be shared through blood, transplants etc and giving others a new perspective on their own lives was fascinating. As always it's set in Aherns home, Ireland through we do crossover to London. Her formula is winning, Ahern makes you fuzzy inside, tearful and always happy at the end. 

Dark Places - Gillian Flynn

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Honestly, the mind of Gillian Flynn must be an interesting place, Gone Girl was brilliant, clever, dangerous, sharp. Dark Places is different, its not as sleek, Libby Day is a messy protagonist in every sense, shes steals, she sees herself as incomplete. The book skips between various narratives, the plot focuses on Libby Day whose entire family were hacked to death when she was a child, she escaped, her brother was convicted based on her testimony and her father had already walked out. Raised by her aunt and foster homes adult Libby is damaged, surviving from donated funds she is forced to sell the story of her tragic past in order to keep the money rolling in. In the process she meets people convinced of her brothers innocence and Libby starts to question whether she had her brother sentenced to life for something he didn't do. 

We follow Ben, her brother, when he was a kid, troubled, sick of belonging to a poor family and desperate to better himself, dating a trainwreck and hanging round with the wrong people, there is one particularly disturbing chapter regarding a young girl but overall, Bens was a fairly innocent and confused lad, easily led, as is proven by the end. When Bens side of the story is unravelled we discover his girlfriend murdered one of his younger sisters that night, after encouraging Ben to sacrifice cattle with her, oh and shes pregnant, so Ben leaves her out of his testimony and spends his life protecting her and his daughter from jail. You also follow Patty Day, the mother of the family, struggling with finances, about to lose her livelihood, not the best mother or the worst. When Pattys heartbreaking end is explained you discover that Ben murdered no-one, his only crime was butchering a cow and standing by, afraid, whilst his sister was strangled to death by his girlfriend, Ben is messed up, but he didn't butcher everyone he loved, if anything he needed to be sectioned, not imprisoned. Gone Girl kept me turning the page until i reached the end, Dark Places didn't tap that same vein but it was a read that was both awful to take in and yet, made me want to reach the end, just to find out exactly what had happened to the Day family. Flynn tapped into a group of society who have obsessions with murders, serial killers etc, perfectly, disturbing and intriguing. I gave the book three stars. It left me with a slightly sick feeling in my stomach, but books are supposed to cause strong reactions. Even more disturbing than Gone Girl, absolutely makes me want to read her other novel, Sharp Objects.

Land of the Living - Nicci French

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Frantic is the only word to describe this offering from husband and wife writing team Nicci French. From start to finish its like you are racing through as confused and agitated as protagonist Alice Devereaux and you desperately want to reach the end and unwind the mystery of what has happened. It begins with Alice gagged, bound and hooded, kidnapped by a man whose face she never sees, tortured and tormented until finally she escapes, with no memory of what happened leading up to her kidnap or when she was taken. Unfortunately for Alice her ordeal is not over (otherwise it would be a very short book), a psychologist and police believe she has invented everything and Alice races to unravel the month before she was kidnapped, desperate for clues.

Should I rename this blog? Reading with food?

My grievances with this novel are few, however, Alices lack of support from her friends and family, they put her up in their houses and lend money but there just isn't the support system of love and help you would expect from your friends and family and quite frankly, Alice is a bit of an idiot, running around retracing her previous steps but with only the afterthought of her own safety. The death of ex-boyfriend Terrys new girlfriend was a nice twist, i did wish however, that the kidnapper and murderer had been someone we had come across in the book nearer the beginning rather than being an unknown entity. It took me around two nights to finish this one, three stars, exactly what i've come to expect from Nicci French, yes you can put their books down, but you keep the questions in your mind until you can pick them back up and finish them.

The Secrets of Arran - Christina Kelly.

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This book will obviously get a five star review from me, as i am related to its fabulous author, but it is a brilliant novel.

Its difficult to fit into a specific genre, it combines elements from several, definitely chick lit, with romance, crime, grit and some supernatural moments. Jenna/Ellen is a strong protagonist, her inner commentary is hilarious, Jenna cringes at herself and you cringe with her.

Its setting, the beautiful Isle of Arran is a good backdrop and other characters Alex Mckenna, Jamie and Bonnie are well written.

Its an easy read that keeps you intrigued until the end, which, may be girly and romantic, but is exactly what you want for Jenna.

 No criticism from me, five stars, worth a read!

Vanishing Acts - Jodi Picoult.

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I've been on a bit of a Jodi Picoult run lately, I've read five of her books, four that i loved, one that i hated and am trying to forget, this is number six and it didn't disappoint (although it did have its issues for me) but it almost didn't amaze. 

Delia Hopkins is the protagonist and she has quite a nice life, a young daughter, a fiancee shes known since she was a child, she works as a search and rescue team with her awesome dog Greta. Her Dad lives with her and hes basically an angel. All in all, you feel quite jealous of her.

We get a brief glimpse of a memory that she can't quite place before the bombshell is dropped that her father kidnapped her as a child from her mother and she isn't the person she thinks she is. I wished there had been a little more leading to this revelation. Although that rarely happens with Picoult, this book definitely needed it

After heading down to Arizona. Delia pushes her qualified but not brilliant fiancee Nick to be her fathers attorney but remains torn on how she feels about what her father did for most of the book. Jumping between forgiveness and understanding and anger, further confused when she meets her mother. Her best friend Fritz (who also happens to be Nicks best friend) comes along for the ride, originally to write a piece for the local paper but his love for Delia makes him scrap that along the way and irritatingly his job too.

I love Jodi's style, investigation then trial and it has kept me gripped with every book of hers i have read so far, this one was exactly the same. Delia is a fairly likable character until the end, when she dumps her fiancee who has just managed to win her fathers case for their mutual best friend because he had a slip up and drank, hes a reformed alcoholic. That element found uncomfortable and quite angry with Delia. The whole book had made it clear the Delia loved her fiancee and that their best friend Fritz was only a friend to her (despite one previous digression, a kiss when they were kids) and yet by the end of the book its him she is sailing off into the sunset with, leaving Nick behind. 

I love the folklore in the novel and was sad when Ruthann ended her own life. I do wish that the abuse should have been explored further, I wanted an unpleasant ending for Victor.

Its a three star book for me, I loved so many elements of it but some of her other novels i find are superior to this one. Although the ending, where we discover why Delia's father took her  from her mother, is probably one of the best endings to her novels she has written;

"Because you asked me"

Secret Smile - Nicci French

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I credit husband and wife writing team Nicci French with getting me so invested in the crime genre, I've enjoyed almost every book of theirs that I've read (there's been a few) most of them finished within a day. Secret Smile wasn't an exception to my law of Nicci French, however, it irritated me in equal measure.

Miranda Cotton has a short fling with Brendan Block, literally days, ending it when she finds him a little to comfortable and nosy in her life, reading her teenage diaries, a few weeks later Brendan is dating her sister, telling her family that he broke Mirandas heart among other uncomfortable lies and giving her a nickname that annoys you the reader as well; Mirrie. Eventually he moves onto her best friend, who ends up dead along with Mirandas brother.

The first half of the book is brilliant, creepy and uncomfortable, exactly what i have come to expect from Nicci French's work, however the second half slowly descends into complete madness and the ending left me feeling deflated.

Brendan Block is an expertly crafted villain, slimy and smarmy, manipulative and deceitful, i was physically cringing away from him whenever he appeared on the page something I've not felt before, unfortunately Miranda and her family are an infuriating bunch. You quite strongly want to punch them for basically the entire book.

Her family remain firmly on the side of Brendan, completely neglecting the feelings of their daughter/sister. In fact everybody, including a police officer, who comes into contact with Brendan is under his spell, except Miranda. It felt just a little implausible and i really wanted someone else to step up and say what the reader is thinking, what a creep. You do find out her uncle wasn't a fan but it takes a long time for him to voice an opinion and, quite frankly, Miranda needed his back up earlier. Her sister is the biggest idiot, when Brendan strolls into the bathroom where Miranda is taking a bath her sister accuses her of being the one to expose herself to him, despite the fact he walked in OBVIOUSLY KNOWING SHE WAS BATHING. Her sister also seems fairly dense, missing a number of Brendans creepy moments despite them all ending up rooming in Mirandas teeny tiny flat.

The book however did remain glued to my palm until i finished it (within four hours) but as mentioned, i was annoyed at the end, with Miranda arranging to have Brendan set up, falling in love seemingly quickly with someone else, being devastated by the death of her brother but recovering pretty fast when her best friend goes the same way. I wish the ending had been slightly different, explained better or just something different to what it was.

Its still definitely a three star for me though, because I've never felt the literal creeps from a character on a page quite the way i did with Brendan.