Tag: mystery

Review: Nemesis by Brendan Reichs

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Nemesis (Project Nemesis, #1)Nemesis by Brendan Reichs

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I’m really struggling to write a review of Nemesis. Firstly because I really can’t decide what I think about it and secondly because it’s really difficult to talk about Nemesis without spoilers.

So what did I like? The premise is great, every other year on her birthday Min (Melinda) is brutally murdered by a man in a suit wearing sunglasses. However Min doesn’t stay dead but wakes up in the woods with no memory of how she got there and no evidence that the killing took place. Meanwhile, Noah (who coincidentally shares a birthday with Min) is having terrifying nightmares about violent murders and death.

After her latest death on her sixteenth birthday, Min decides she wants answers. Noah wants a cure. At the same time the residents of the small town in Idaho where she lives are all on edge waiting on an announcement about whether a planet killing asteroid is on a collision course with earth.

It’s definitely unlike anything I’ve ever read before and I have to salute the author for creating a completely unique and slightly crazy (in a good way) story. At times I did think maybe there was a little bit too much thrown in but I loved the unpredictability of it and found it very difficult to stop reading as I tried to figure out what was going on.

The story is told from both Min and Noah’s points of view and while Min was likeable enough it was Noah I found the more interesting, complex and frustrating of the two. Despite coming from money and hanging with the popular crowd he suffers from anxiety and is riddled with self doubt. While it is frustrating watching him hesitate, let others make decisions for him and generally just panic and freeze up it’s great to have a character behave the way I probably would if I’m being honest.

The secondary characters are a little bit cliched but they too don’t always behave the way you expect them to. It’s set in a high school so you do have the class clown, the bullying jocks, the rich popular mean girls and the various groups of outcasts. There are actually a heck of a lot of secondary characters and again I think that was one of my issues with this book. I am not great with remembering who’s who and there were so many names that I gave up trying and focused on the most important ones.

The writing is ok. The plot does get a little complicated in places and I found myself going over certain bits more than once. What I thought really let it down however, and the reason I rated as I have is that I just didn’t feel it. I was intrigued about what would happen next and the twists and surprises kept me hooked but I didn’t connect with any of the characters so felt a little bit detached from the whole thing. There were a few scenes that should have triggered some kind of emotion (tears, laughter, shock) but the whole thing left me cold.

I would still recommend you give it a try but at the moment I’m undecided about whether I’ll continue to read this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.

ARC Review: One of Us is Lying by Karen M McManus

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One Of Us Is LyingOne Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

Publication Date: 1st June 2017

Completely addictive and enjoyable read. I couldn’t resist reading almost straight away and once I started I couldn’t put it down.

Before I write anything else I should say that I’m a huge big massive fan of The Breakfast Club, it’s one of my all time favourite films. When I read the blurb for this my mind instantly thought “YES!!!!” it’s the Breakfast Club with a bit of murder mystery thrown in…. and it kind of is.

It begins with five teenagers, Addy, Nate, Bronwyn, Cooper and Simon ending up in detention together. Bronwyn is the nerdy one who gets good grades and never does anything wrong, Nate is the bad boy with a reputation for dealing drugs and the troubled home life, Cooper is the jock and Addy is the superficial popular girl. While they couldn’t be more different they all know where they fit in the school hierarchy and have their own friends, all except Simon. Simon’s the outsider who runs the school gossip app and knows everyone’s secrets. He’s more feared than popular. By the end of detention though, Simon’s dead and Addy, Nate, Bronwyn and Cooper are the main suspects.

I liked this story a lot. It has all of the elements of The Breakfast Club that I loved, the kids from different worlds and backgrounds being forced together and initially clashing before discovering that they might have more in common than they thought, but it brings it right up to date. Added to that it has a great murder mystery that keeps you guessing.

I have to admit I had an idea from the beginning who was behind it all but it was still a really enjoyable read that had enough twists and turns to keep me questioning my theory and turning those pages.

The characters are a little stereotyped but this is a deliberate part of the plot and I still found myself liking them a lot, particularly as they develop over the course of the story. Even those I wasn’t too sure about kind of grew on me by the end.

The narrative is told in alternating chapters from each of the four and it really gives you a great sense of them. I’m not always a fan of multiple pov’s but it works very well here although when you know each characters thoughts it does give an indication of who did what (or does it??).

The writing is excellent and for a debut novel it’s pretty impressive. The pacing is spot on and I loved the dialogue between the characters. The author also manages to sneak in some difficult teen issues but does it in a very natural way that gives positive messages in a non preachy way which is always good.

Overall, it’s a great story that I’d recommend and I’ll be looking forward to the authors next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own. One of Us is Lying is due for publication on the 1st June.

OK I can’t resist a Breakfast Club gif

Review: Blacklist by Alyson Noel

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Blacklist (Beautiful Idols #2)Blacklist by Alyson Noel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blacklist, the second book in Alyson Noel’s Beautiful Idol’s series is even more addictive than the first. It’s a fast paced and enjoyable read and there are plenty of reveals and twists to keep you hooked. With another cliffhanger ending I will definitely be looking out for the third and final book in this trilogy.

Note as this is the second in the series there are some spoilers for the first book.

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Review: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

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The One Memory of Flora BanksThe One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can’t believe it’s the first day of 2017 and I’m already giving a book 5 stars but The One Memory of Flora Banks definitely deserves it.

I love books that are unique, different and a little bit weird and this story is all of those things and more. The writing is incredible and draws you in to the life and mind of Flora Banks from the very first page and I could quite happily have stayed there.

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ARC Review: Dark Water by Robert Bryndza

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Dark Water (DCI Erika Foster #3)Dark Water by Robert Bryndza

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I absolutely love Robert Bryndza and have been enjoying his DCI Erika Frost series but unfortunately I didn’t love this as much as the previous books in the series.

It’s still a good read and it’s great to be back with some of my favorite characters from the previous books, together with some fantastic additions, but the story didn’t grip me and I’m sorry to say main character Erika seems to have lost her spark.

Note: As this is the third book in the series there may be some mild spoilers for previous books.

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Book Review: Sentencing Sapphire by Mia Thompson

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Sentencing Sapphire (Stalking Sapphire, #3)Sentencing Sapphire by Mia Thompson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

If you’re looking for a deep, dark, psychological thriller about chasing down serial killers this is not the book for you. However, if you’re looking for an easy, funny, exciting read with some mystery, romance and a lot of action this book is perfect.

This is the third book in the Sapphire Dubois mystery series and one which I’ve been anxiously awaiting for ages. It seems like forever since I read Stalking Sapphire and Silencing Sapphire and I have been semi stalking Mia Thompson ever since to find the release date for this one.

The story starts with heiress and hunter of serial killers Sapphire Dubois on the run in Europe following the events at the end of the last book. Free from the constraints of her old life and reputation she’s enjoying not having to live a double life and can hunt serial killers to her hearts content. Her thoughts and dreams however keep wandering back to Detective Aston Ridder and everything she’s left behind.

When she finally decides to return home it seems her secret is out and she ends up in jail accused of murder and obstruction. She has to try to clear her name but to make things more difficult a copycat serial catcher is on the loose and Daddy is back and looking for Sapphire to join the family business (which is murder).

It had been so long since I read the first two books that I’d forgotten what it was I loved about them. However this was clear pretty much from the start of this instalment in the series.

Sapphire is a great character. She’s another kick ass heroine, intelligent, tough, independent, with a great sense of humour and a smart mouth. She seems to take most things in her stride from her latest run in with a killer to her completely crazy family and friends.

I have to admit though that Aston is my favourite character. He’s rude, curses pretty much non stop and I’m not sure how much thinking he does with his head (as opposed to other parts of his anatomy) but he does make me laugh. He definitely gets some of the best scenes and one liners. Notable examples being his choice of outfit to a masquerade ball and the morning after the night before when he wakes up at his bosses house.

Sapphire and Aston together make an explosive couple and their relationship fluctuates from love to hate from one page to the next. There is a clear attraction but being on different sides of the law causes them quite a few complications and some very funny interactions.

In addition to Sapphire and Aston there are a lot of great supporting characters including Aston’s partner Barry Harry, spoilt, shallow, billionaire heiress (and Sapphires BFF) Chrissy Kraft and possibly the thickest man ever John Vanderpilt. The stereotypes are played to the max but it totally works.

The plot itself is fast paced and exciting and as well as all of the laughs there is a lot of action. It is a who-dunnit as Sapphire has to figure out who the copycat is and solve her father’s riddles before someone she cares about gets hurt. I have to admit it kept me guessing and totally hooked throughout.

Overall I thought it was a great read and would recommend to anyone who likes a mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’m off to stalk the author some more until the next one comes out.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.