The Sun Down Motel by Simone St.James

As I commence writing this review, I’m looking at all the books I have read so far and the ones I’m yet to read; this was definitely different.

Lets look at the synopsis first:

Upstate NY, 1982. Every small town like Fell, New York, has a place like the Sun Down Motel. Some customers are from out of town, passing through on their way to someplace better. Some are locals, trying to hide their secrets. Viv Delaney works as the night clerk to pay for her move to New York City. But something isn’t right at the Sun Down, and before long she’s determined to uncover all of the secrets hidden…

Upstate NY, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. Carly decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she is soon ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.

Do you like your suspense/thrillers with a side of supernatural? Well, this one is for you! 🙂

This is a book narrated by two people over two timelines – 1982 and 2017 – Viv and her niece Carly. As the synopsis mentions, in 1982 Viv Delaney, night clerk at Sun Down motel vanishes into thin air. Her corpse has never been found, her whereabouts are unknown until in the present day her niece, Carly arrives at the motel and gets the same job as her aunt and things start to unravel.

To put it simply, this book is horrifying, more so than some horror movies I’ve watched recently. This book was just so so much fun to read. It is spooky at the best best of times, gave me GOOSIES!! 😀 To say that I loved this book is an understatement.

Not going to say this book is perfect. You can sit here and pick it apart but I’ll honestly say, read this and enjoy it for the ride that it is …. it’s exhilarating!

Highly recommend giving this book a go! It delivers on what it promises – which is whole lot of spooks!

Guess I’ve found my new favourite genre. 🙂

The Curator by MW Craven

So … where do I even start?! I finished reading this book late last night and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I officially have a book hangover and that’s not the worst place to be. The feeling of content is real! 🙂

Synopsis:

It’s Christmas and a serial killer is leaving displayed body parts all over Cumbria. A strange message is left at each scene: #BSC6. Called in to investigate, the National Crime Agency’s Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are faced with a case that makes no sense. Why were some victims anaesthetized, while others died in appalling agony? Why is their only suspect denying what they can irrefutably prove but admitting to things they weren’t even aware of? And why did the victims all take the same two weeks off work three years earlier?

And when a disgraced FBI agent gets in touch things take an even darker turn. Because she doesn’t think Poe is dealing with a serial killer at all; she thinks he’s dealing with someone far, far worse – a man who calls himself the Curator.

And nothing will ever be the same again…

The Curator is the third book in the ‘Washington Poe/Tilly Bradshaw’ series by author, MW Craven. The first two being, The Puppet Show (amazing) and Black Summer (crazy good).

As the synopsis states, the books kicks off with a Serial Killer leaving displayed body parts all over Cumbria with a strange message alongside: #BSC6. And so starts the search and questions to come with it.

This book is stupendous! It is crazily twisted and has us crime fiction loving mortals wrapped around its finger! The amazing partnership between protagonists Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw is an absolute treat. The way these characters have grown from the first book to this one is just flawless. I love Tilly’s geeky, nerdy character who is fiercely loyal to Washington Poe and Poe is as intelligent, quick witted as ever.

I didn’t think the Author could top the first two books but boyyyy was I wrong! Loved loved this book, love this author’s writing and love the way he spins a whole web around you, you honestly think you’ve got the plot figured out 😂😂 – it’s laughable! Where the book starts and where you end up, it’s just baffling but OH SO GOOD! No stone is left unturned, everything just ties in together. The plot is woven together so neat and tight, you can’t turn the pages fast enough.

MW Craven is by far one of the hottest, most thrilling crime fiction writers around at the moment. I don’t remember the last time I showered 5⭐️ ratings as blatantly as I do for him. 

For me to say, “I love this book”, is an understatement. And if you haven’t read his books yet, you’re missing out – Big time! :O

Highly Recommended!

The Crow Girl by Erik Axl Sund

• 

The Crow Girl by Erik Axl Sund is a three part Swedish series that was translated to English and released as this 800-page behemoth of pure reading awesomeness. 🙂

Synopsis:

It starts with just one body – the hands bound, the skin covered in marks.

Detective Superintendent Jeanette Kihlberg is determined to find out who is responsible, despite opposition from her superiors. When two more bodies are found, it becomes clear that she is hunting a serial killer.

With her career on the line, she turns to psychotherapist Sofia Zetterlund. Together, they uncover a chain of shocking events that began decades ago – but will it lead them to the murderer before someone else dies?

This book, as the synopsis states, is a Serial Killer thriller which starts with the discovery of a mummified boy in Stockholm… and that’s it – you’re sucked in, hook, line and sinker!

To say that this book is polarising would be an understatement. There’s plenty of mixed reviews to be found for this one but I for one absolutely LOVED it! It is dark, unpalatable at the best of times, traumatic, disturbing, distressing, complex and very compelling.

It takes on themes of violence and abuse and gets you thinking on the constant cycle and where does it start? Aren’t abusers also the abused – sometimes?

This book is plotted and paced well, has plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning pages.

As distressing the themes in this book can be, they are thought provoking to say the least. I’m talking about art imitating life… and I’ll gladly leave it that. 🙂

Highly highly recommended!

The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck

Picked up this book as one of the spooky ones I wanted to read as part of October reads coz … Halloween! 😀

Lets get started with the Synopsis first:

A shocking murder in an affluent Helsinki suburb has ties to the occult in this thrilling US debut from Finnish author Max Seeck.

A bestselling author’s wife has been found dead in a gorgeous black evening gown, sitting at the head of a formally set dinner table. Her most chilling feature—her face is frozen in a ghastly smile.

At first it seems as though a deranged psychopath is reenacting the gruesome murders from The Witch Hunter, the bestseller written by the victim’s husband. But investigator Jessica Niemi soon realizes she’s not looking for a single killer but rather for dozens of believers in a sinister form of witchcraft.

They know her every move and are always one step ahead. As the bodies start piling up, Jessica knows they won’t stop until they get what they want. And when her dark past comes to light, Jessica finds herself battling her own demons while desperately trying to catch a coven of killers before they claim their next victim.

Let me start off by saying, the title and synopsis got me to pick up this book. The premise is so intriguing and I love witch hunter etc… kind of books. They’re haunting and dark, atmospheric and ritualistic, page turning – occult delving awesomeness.

I, however, did not find that in this book which I’m so so gutted about and disappointed with. This book started with a bang! The first few pages and couple of chapters were just amazing and I was hooked in for the ride. But, that ride ended quicker than I anticipated.

In my opinion the reading experience felt very disjointed. The story moved between timelines of the main protagonist – Jessica Niemi – quite unexpectedly and I just felt like it didn’t add much to her backstory or her character or to the main plot.

This book could’ve done with better editing. Parts of it felt lost in translation in trying to make reader figure out the plot and keep up with the time and place the events were taking place.

I will say though, there’s enough action in the book to keep you turning pages, some pages you will want to skim but all in all it’s not the worst read. The writing is simplistic and the bigger text in the paperback helps make it easier to read. BUT… I’ve been left feeling that I’ve missed something, I still haven’t fully grasped what I read and that will keep eating me up on the inside until I pick another book to rid myself of that feeling.

Do I recommend this? Well, I think every author deserves a chance of being read at least once. So … be nice and pick it up. Any feedback is good feedback 🙂

Written in Blood by Chris Carter

So, I discovered Chris Carter a couple of years ago – 2018 to be exact – and I was so hooked to his writing I devoured all his books in a matter of a month and haven’t looked back since. He is on my list of the Auto-Buy Authors. I don’t to read what the book is about, I am simply happy to get my hands on it. 🙂

Written in Blood is the eleventh book in the Robert Hunter Series and Robert Hunter is one of my new favourite fictional characters.

Synopsis:

A Serial Killer who will stop at nothing…

The Killer: His most valuable possession has been stolen. Now he must retrieve it, at any cost

The Girl: Angela Wood wanted to teach the man a lesson. It was a bag, just like all the others. But when she opens it, the worst nightmare of her life begins.

The Detective: A journal ends up on Robert Hunter’s desk. It soon becomes clear there is a Serial Killer on the loose. And if he can’t stop him in time, more people will die. Starting with Angela.

What I love most about this book is the fact it starts from the discovery of a journal that belongs to a Serial Killer whom no one knows the existence of. And we start to work our way backwards.

Contrary to Chris Carter’s other work this book is not as gruesome but the writing is so on point it keeps you turning those pages until you’ve had your fill. Angela Wood’s character wasn’t my cup of tea. I found it a bit too annoying for my taste but then again that’s what makes this book interesting.

If you aren’t already, I really think you should jump onto the Chris Carter Thrill Train, it won’t disappoint!

Monthly Wrap-up for January 2016

Hi Guys,

I hope you’ve all been great! 🙂

So, as I had mentioned in my earlier posts I’ve decided to do Monthly Wrap-Ups. Considering how many books I’ve chosen to read and my daily workload, it is a little hard to complete book reviews for everything.

Therefore, I will update you all on a monthly basis and will just simply surprise you with random book reviews! 😛

Anyhow… here are the synopsis of the books I read this month:

Magician

He held the fate of two worlds in his hands… Once he was an orphan called Pug, apprenticed to a sorcerer of the enchanted land of Midkemia.. Then he was captured and enslaved by the Tsurani, a strange, warlike race of invaders from another world.

There, in the exotic Empire of Kelewan, he earned a new name– “Milamber.” He learned to tame the unnimagined powers that lay withing him. And he took his place in an ancient struggle against an evil Enemy older than time itself.

“Totally gripping… A fantasy of epic scope, fast-moving action and vivid imagination.” — “The Washington Post Book World”

This book took me a little longer to get through. I had to show sheer determination to get through the first quarter of the book but, it really picked up in the latter half. This is how Fantasy books should be written. The main protagonist, Pug, is a pretty awesome character. His growth into a man of immense power is riveting.

Another thing I loved about this book is that it is spaced out over a time period of a few years giving all the characters enough time to grow and develop distinct, likeable qualities.

Everyone needs to read this book; quite a journey. 🙂

 

Little Black Lies

In such a small community as the Falkland Islands, a missing child is unheard of. In such a dangerous landscape it can only be a terrible tragedy, surely…

When another child goes missing, and then a third, it’s no longer possible to believe that their deaths were accidental, and the villagers must admit that there is a murderer among them. Even Catrin Quinn, a damaged woman living a reclusive life after the accidental deaths of her own two sons a few years ago, gets involved in the searches and the speculation.

And suddenly, in this wild and beautiful place that generations have called home, no one feels safe and the hysteria begins to rise.

But three islanders—Catrin, her childhood best friend, Rachel, and her ex-lover Callum—are hiding terrible secrets. And they have two things in common: all three of them are grieving, and none of them trust anyone, not even themselves.

I’ve been a fan of Sharon Bolton’s writing for a while and this book was no different. The plot is gripping and keeps you hooked right till the end.

The only negative for me was the backdrop of the book – not the location – but the marine aspect of it. Personally, I am not big into marine life so that didn’t grip me as much.

 

The Hunt for Atlantis

Following in the tradition of Clive Cussler and Matthew Reilly, Andy McDermott takes us a roller-coaster ride in search of the legendary Atlantis.

Archaeologist Nina Wilde believes she has found the location of the lost city of Atlantis and now she wants the opportunity to prove her theory. Someone else though wants her dead!
With the help of ex-SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase and beautiful heiress Kari Frost, Nina faces a breakneck race against time around the world, pursued at every step by agents of the mysterious – and murderous – Brotherhood of Selasphoros. From the jungles of Brazil to the mountains of Tibet, from the streets of Manhattan to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the hunt for Atlantis leads to a secret hidden for 11,000 years – which in the wrong hands could destroy civilization as we know it…

This is the first Andy McDermott book I’ve read (definitely not the last) and it wasn’t a disappointment at all. It is the first book in the Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase series. This is a fast paced, action adventure which, to me, was reminiscent of my favourite authors’s – Matthew Reilly – Jack West series.

 

Queen Song

Queen Coriane, first wife of King Tiberias, keeps a secret diary—how else can she ensure that no one at the palace will use her thoughts against her? Coriane recounts her heady courtship with the crown prince, the birth of a new prince, Cal, and the potentially deadly challenges that lay ahead for her in royal life.

This is a Red Queen (by Victoria Aveyard) novella, prequel to Red Queen. This was a good short story, good background to Cal’s mother.

 

Steel Scars

Farley was raised to be strong, but being tasked with planting the seeds of rebellion in Norta is a tougher job than expected. As she travels the land recruiting black market traders, smugglers, and extremists for her first attempt at an attack on the capital, she stumbles upon a connection that may prove to be the key to the entire operation—Mare Barrow.

This is another Red Queen novella. This is wasn’t as gripping in my opinion. This one is more in conjunction with the other Red Queen protagonist, Mare Barrow.

 

NYPD Red 2

When NYPD Red arrives at a crime scene, everyone takes notice. Known as the protectors of the rich, famous, and connected, NYPD Red is the elite task force called in only for New York City’s most high-profile crimes. And Detective Zach Jordan is the best of the best, a brilliant and relentless pursuer of justice. He puts professionalism above all, ignoring his feelings for his partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, the woman who broke his heart when they first met in the academy.

But even with their top-notch training, Zach and Kylie aren’t prepared for what they see when they’re called to a crime scene in the heart of Central Park. They arrive to find a carousel spinning round and round, its painted horses grinning eerily in the early morning dark. There is only one rider: a brutally slaughtered woman, her body tied up and dressed in a Hazmat suit, on display for the world to see.

The victim, a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections, is the fourth in a string of shocking murders that have hit the city. As the public pressure mounts, and political and personal secrets of the highest order hang in the balance, Zach and Kylie must find out what’s really behind the murderer’s rampage. But Kylie has been acting strange recently–and Zach knows whatever she’s hiding could threaten the biggest case of their careers.

NYPD Red 2 is the next outstanding novel in James Patterson’s newest series, a thriller that careens through New York City and deep into the psyche of a depraved killer you’ve never seen before.

This is the second book in the NYPD Red series (as the name suggests) by James Patterson & Marshall Karp.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed reading this book! There haven’t been too many James Patterson books in recent times that have been gripping enough, this one however had bye hooked right till the end.

Well written plot, surprising enough twists, and paced well are the things that work perfectly in this book’s favour. I’n all prepped to pick up the third book in this series.

 

And so peeps, those are all the books for January 2016. Here’s hoping for a busier February. 🙂

Happy Reading!

xx

 

 

 

 

 

My Faves of 2015!! :D

So, as I’m sitting here rubbing my hands in elation, I’m ready to announce, “We’re down to the nitty gritty.” 😀

I’ve read some amazing books, as I’ve repeated a few times, and there are a few that I’m simply unable to stop talking about.

Lets start with some of my favourite books of the year (i’m sorry, I’m partial and can’t pick just one):

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – I went a little crazy for this one. As soon as I was done reading, I downloaded the entire season one just to see Jaime and Claire. I fell in love!

Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekbäck – My love affair with this book started with the gorgeous cover. Click on the link to find out for yourself.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – There was a lot of hype around this one – hence I got sucked in. I’m not complaining. I enjoyed this book.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas – I’ve got a lot to say for this entire series – all good stuff. For now, all you need to know is, this one was pretty good.

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon – I loved the first book in the series, The Bone Season. I knew I’d love this one. This book could do with a 100 less pages but it was good.

The books I’ve mentioned above are definitely a few standouts for the year but there a couple of series that I went a little crazy about and they deserve a very special mention.

Karin Slaughter takes the cake. I absolutely fell madly in love with her ‘Will Trent’ Series. I’ve read 5 of the 7 books (I think) and can’t wait to read the remaining two.

Her books are gory, bloody, maddeningly disgusting that you can’t help but get hooked on to them. She is, by far, one of the best Crime/Thriller authors I have ever read. This series has been my favourite for the year. AND, Will Trent is my favourite favourite male character for the year! He is so flawed and that’s what made me love him so much! and Voila –  I ended up having very factual feelings for a very fictional character.

I can’t rave enough about this series and its characters. There is nothing to hate. 😉

 

Next up is Robert Galbraith aka J.K Rowling with the Cormoran Strike Series.

I’d been a little sceptical about this series, to be very honest. But, having read all three books, I’m very glad that I did. These books are your quintessential crime/mystery books revolving around a private investigator – Cormoran Strike.

J.K Rowling has done herself and her writing prowess complete justice. If you haven’t already read it – get on to it.

 

Last but not the least by any means is the ‘Throne of Glass’ series by Sarah J Maas.

This series is definitely not the genre I usually go for – YA/Fantasy, you see. But I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed reading this (I haven’t read Queen of Shadows yet  – saved it for 2016).

No book in the series has let me down even the slightest. We’ve got an exceptionally talented young author on our hands whose writing prowess is way beyond her years. The characters she has created and so delicately handled are simply amazing. My favourite has to be the main character, that of, Calaena Sardothien. It’s just so awesome to have a strong female lead who is strong because of her flaws and her past.

And she is my favourite female character of the year! 🙂

And there you go folks, I’ve given you the highlights for the year that was.

I hope to keep you updated with all that I read as I go, in 2016.

For now, Happy Reading peeps!

Ciao. xx

 

My year in Books… 2015.

2015 was a pretty awesome year for books – for me. I’ve spent a whole lot of time trying to figure out the best way to share all that I read. I was thinking of doing a monthly breakdown, but I’m way too lazy to do that now.

Therefore, I’ve attached a link to my Goodreads list for 2015 (below):

Goodreads 2015

Keep tuned for my next post; I’ll be sharing some amazing series that I got totally hooked on, my favourite out of them and also my standout male and female characters! 😀

As for a monthly breakdown, I’ve decided to do that for 2016 – my Goodreads challenge this year is set for 65 books. Needless to say, I will try and blitz through as many awesome pieces of work that I can and share it with everyone.

xx

2015 Wrap-up!

Firstly, a very Happy New Year guys! I hope 2016 brings the best of health, happiness, and success to you all. 🙂

Apologies, I have been MIA for a few months now. To put it bluntly, life happened. My husband and I are working on growing up and by growing up I mean, building a house! :O We’ve spent a major chunk of this year on making some big decisions, decisions that will benefit us in the long run.

On that note, 2015 was a big year when it came to books. Like everyone else I took on the Goodreads Challenge for reading 60 books which I successfully completed despite me being super busy. I will share all the books that I got through for the year which will include my favourite series and my favourite characters. There are some absolute crackers in the there.

My resolution for last year had been to find new authors and open myself to reading different genres, which I am proud to admit, I did. I read some amazing series, discovered awesome books and even better authors. I went from reading only Crime/Thrillers to reading Horror, Young Adult, Sci-fi, and fantasy.

My resolution for 2016 is keep the 2015 trend running and give different authors a go.

So, keep tuned. I’m going to share my thoughts on some awesome reads in 2015.

 

 

Memory Man by David Baldacci

Memory Man is the first book in the new ‘Amos Decker’ series by David Baldacci. He has introduced a new character in Amos Decker and he (Amos Decker) might as well be one of the most intriguing and fascinating characters the author has ever written about.

Lets just get started with the blurb I say.

Amos Decker is a former professional football player whose career was ended by a terrible hit. Now a police detective, Amos is still haunted by a side effect from the accident he can never forget.

One night Decker comes home from a stakeout to find his wife, young daughter and brother-in-law horrifically murdered. Obviously scarred and nearly broken, Decker has to use his skills as a detective and his unusual brain capacity to try and catch the monster who killed his family.

I have read Baldacci’s other work: the ‘Will Robie’ series and the first book in the ‘A.Shaw’ series. His books are normally super fast paced, very thrilling with tons of action packed in it. I found Memory Man quite different from his other work in terms of his writing, character development and pacing but he still maintained the thrill factor throughout the book.

This book is predominantly based around the uniqueness of Amos Decker’s character. His ability to remember every detail and every moment helps him solve crimes in a way that other detectives cannot. I wondered constantly what it would be like to have a memory of everything and very vivid too, when there are some things best left forgotten. Hence, the reason why I’m so intrigued by Amos Decker.

The main characters are flawed, realistic and easy to relate to. This book has been paced well and at no point can you guess what the next page will bring and that is exactly the reason why I found it very hard to put this book down. It had plenty of twists and turns but it all came together perfectly in the end.

I will highly recommend this book to all the mystery/thriller readers. This book is very smartly written and I think it has set a good base for this series.

Give it a go peeps.

Happy Reading! 🙂