Lost – Michael Robotham

If you read my previous review on Michael Robotham’s book “The Suspect” then you know that I love the way he conveys his storyline, develops his characters and adds twists and turns to his plots that keep you hooked.

In his previous book we followed the main character of Doctor Joseph O’Loughlin a psychologist who gets involved in a murder case. This time we follow the inspector from the previous novel Detective Inspector Vincent Ruiz who enlists the help of Joseph O’Loughlin to uncover the truth about an event which he cannot remember. We learn more about Vincent Ruiz than we did in the previous book and Robotham has given him a very interesting background and delves into World War Two.

The storyline is cleverly woven with many twists and turns which are not easy to spot. I found Robotham’s writing style to be even better than his previous book as his chapters were less disjointed than before and his knowledge of police work provided more depth to the story. The characters as ever were well developed although I would have liked to have learnt more about the character Joseph O’Loughlin and his family.

This is a series of books and I know I will want to read the rest of them if they are as good as Lost and Suspect. So watch this space! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good book, a crime thriller or just a well written piece of work.

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Thank you for reading my review. 

Next Book Review: "A Hundred Pieces of Me - Lucy Dillon"

Perfect – Rachel Joyce

The premise of this unusual book surrounds two young boys who believe that the Government are going to add two seconds to time and the subsequent consequences that follow. This takes the two boys on different paths which cleverly demonstrate that life is never set in stone and things can always go wrong and yet can simultaneously go right. Rachel Joyce is a clever writer in description and also in developing her characters. However, it took me a while to really engage with the story and believe in the characters as she wished me to. The story is split between the two boys and a man in the future called Jim. I chose this book initially as it had psychological links but I found this was centred completely on Jim which I felt Joyce had not developed as well as she developed the other characters.

Don’t get me wrong, the writing is beautiful and the story interesting, I just feel as though Joyce did not provide enough depth to the plot and the sequence was not all together coherent. I think it would have benefitted if Joyce had told the story in a logical format without the parallel storylines as I felt as though Jim’s Story added no value to the plot until the very end of the book.

However, there were moments where I was gasping and was shocked but these did not come until the end and the plot hinges on this ending which I have to say was a little weak. The epilogue seemed very “pink and fluffy” and there were many questions I had regarding some of the characters which unfortunately were left unanswered. I have to admit that there were parts which felt uncomfortable and almost as if Joyce was trying to hard which is understandable following the success of her first book “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry”.

As far as a follow up book goes, Joyce has done a good job as she has produced a story which is interesting. It is just unfortunate that there are a few plot holes she has not been able to fill.

In conclusion, the book could have been developed more and the plot could have been organised in a different way. However, it was still a good book to read but maybe only the once. 

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Next book review: "Lost - Michael Robotham"

The Secret Keeper - Kate Morton

When I saw this book in the book store, I was instantly hooked. The cover alone drew my attention but the blurb pulled me in even more. There are four main characters: Laurel, Dorothy, Vivien and Jimmy who are all interlinked in some way. The story is set over three time frames: World War 2, 1960s and 2011. The premise of the story is a daughter looking into her families past which has many twists and turns. The mother, Dorothy, is dying in 2011 and Laurel is searching for answers regarding an event which happened in 1961 which she witnessed. 

Morton has developed the characters in such a way that you instantly love them and you want everything to work out for them and as cheesy as it sounds you literally go through the highs and the lows with every character. I found I was begging for Laurel to find the answers she so desperately needed. The way Morton has developed the storyline leads the reader to find out the answers before her so I found I was having moments of complete frustration as her search took her on a different journey to that which the reader was embarking on. 

Jumping between the different eras enhances the storyline, develops the characters and keeps you reading when you really should have gone to bed. I loved the fact that you were jumping between them, learning things about the past before Laurel did and remembering how hard it was for people during World War 2. It is obvious that Morton conducted a lot of research into the life in London at the time of the Blitz and it has enhanced the storyline even more as it brings a feeling of reality to the story.

In conclusion, the storyline is incredible and kept me hooked right the way through the entire book. Sometimes I pick up a book and find that there are moments where I have to force myself to keep reading but this was not the case here. I would recommend this book for everyone. Morton’s writing style will draw you in and leave you wanting more. I know I did.

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Next book review: "Perfect – Rachel Joyce"

The Engagements - J. Courtney Sullivan

From the moment I picked up this book I was hooked. It is beautifully written and each chapter is a different character which is a structure I love. The book primarily is all about the concept of marriage and the all important engagement ring. You are transported through time and through different eras, learning about the different attitudes to marriage as well as learning in detail the 5 characters which have been chosen to tell this evolving concept.

As you are reading each chapter, you can tell that J. Courtney Sullivan has conducted an awful lot of research into a variety of areas to enable her to add credence to her notions. I was aware while reading, the passion Sullivan has for her writing and also the subject she had chosen. The characters are lovingly developed and the twists of each story are wonderfully delivered.

However, like most books which are about love and marriage, the story of some of the characters were predictable but this was contradicted brilliantly by the developments that Sullivan had carefully woven into the stories which you did not expect.

Not to be cliché or cheesy but this book had me gasping in shock, laughing out loud and, more importantly, it made me question whether marriage is really as important as it used to be. I guess this is Sullivan’s aim; to draw attention to the evolution of marriage and how future generations may feel about such an old tradition in comparison to what previous generations believed.

As cliché as it is, I could not put the book down and found the entire 379 pages to be an absolute delight. It is a book I will read again and again and would recommend it to anyone who is in need of a pick-me-up.

Although cheesy in places, this book will provide you with information regarding marriage and the production of the diamonds in those all important engagement rings that you never knew before. It will also open your eyes to the other options you have in relation to marriage. Sullivan even dares to go as far as discussing gay marriage which I commend highly and this added a higher level of respect for the up and coming writer.

As previously stated, Sullivan’s writing style is beautiful and will keep you captivated until you suddenly realise the book is about to end. 

What are your thoughts?

Thank you for reading my review.

Next book review: "The Secret Keeper - Kate Morton"

The Evil Within - Trevor Marriott

This was one of the first books I bought when my interest in Serial Killers increased whilst at University. With time constraints, I never quite got around to reading it..... until now.

If you are new to the area of Serial Killers then this is a perfect choice as it is the basic overview of some of the most famous serial killers throughout history as well as introducing some other serial killers who are less well known. Trevor Marriott is a retired murder squad detective who appears to have an aim of assessing whether the relevant police forces involved with capturing the killers could have done more in each case. This is certainly the case when he describes The Yorkshire Ripper.

The book is split into countries and Marriott investigates each country in turn. Each country has a number of serial killers and therefore reads like an encyclopaedia. This makes the book easy to put down and return to if you live a busy life. Obviously the USA and the UK have the most pages included as these countries have had more cases of known serial killers.

Marriott writes in a very methodical way and details each case in all of their gruesome details. He describes each killer in minute detail including their childhoods and even continues after they were caught, giving a well rounded view of what happened. It was interesting to learn what happened to them after they were arrested and also the way the court proceedings occurred.

This book got rather tiresome, however, as the way he describes the cases are too methodical and, for me, I needed a bit more regarding the psychological make up of the individual and not just the history. The book is a perfect reference document for those who may be studying criminology and need to know details about a case quickly. However, with my knowledge of certain cases, notably The Moors Murders and others, I noticed that there were some details which were missing which would have been known at the time of writing.

As previously stated, it is an excellent choice when picking a book to introduce you to the interesting and complex area of serial killers and is highly recommended.

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Next book review: "The Engagements - J. Courtney Sullivan"

Fantasy Lover - Sherrilyn Kenyon

This book came free with a magazine and it never really appealed to me as it looked a bit cheesy. Nevertheless, it has sat on my shelf for a few years and so in an attempt to clear out a bit, I have read it.

The book focuses on two main characters: Grace Alexander and Julian of Macedon and their love story. Julian is an ancient Greek Spartan general who has been trapped in a book as punishment for crimes that seem to take forever to be exposed. Grace and her friend unleash him where he is supposed to pleasure Grace for a month (cheesy right?). I felt the plot was a little unbelievable to begin with as it has voodoo magic in it. However, Kenyon redeems herself slightly by including a vast amount of knowledge regarding ancient Greece and the Greek Gods.

I found the writing style to be easy and it did keep me reading when I should have been going to sleep. However, the constant description of sex got a little annoying after a time. Kenyon does develop the characters very well and you understand completely Julian’s frustrations and Grace’s apprehension. There were points where my heart was aching for Grace and the things that happen to her.

Although Kenyon demonstrates good knowledge regarding the Gods, I did feel like she slightly changed how they would be behaving in the situations but it was only a slight irritation. I think what may put a person off this book is the way it sounds like a mushy love story of the typical variety. Although there are mushy and romantic points, this book also provides some insight into Ancient Greece if this was not known before.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a romantic tale with a historic twist.

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Next book review: "The Evil Within - Trevor Marriott"

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

 

This book has been on my shelf for years as I just haven't be able to motivate myself to read it. With my self assigned deadline for publishing my review, I decided that now would be as a good a time as any to force myself to read it. I have to confess that I found it really hard to read. I have read a couple of Dickens' before and always find that his descriptive is to intense for me. I like my books to be fast paced and interesting. Unfortunately, I get bored easily with any Dickens' books as he does like to describe everything in minute detail. People may like that sort of detail but I do not and I feel as if the plot gets lost. Now you may be thinking: "Why read it in the first place?" Well....... I like to branch out every now and again and stretch myself.  

One thing I always find with Dickens is that he develops his characters completely and I felt like I knew them as he had described them so well. The plot has all the intricate details you would expect and the comparison between London and Paris is immense. His story is one that has been seen through many different sources, a love story entangled with revolution and political issues. But the level of description within the book gives this particular story an edge. In addition, the book can be seen as a historical tool as it provides information on the French monarchy and the French Revolution.  It also ties in well with Dumas' Three Musketeers and even Victor Hugo's Les Misérables.

All in all, the plot was very good and the characters sublime. The only issue I had was the general issue with Dickens' writing style and descriptive. I would still recommend this book to anyone who wishes to try it as it is an easier Dickens' read than some of his other works and a great way to be introduced to the classics.  

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Next book review: "Fantasy Lover - Sherrilyn Kenyon"