Tag: reading

Book Review: Golden Son by Pierce Brown

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Golden Son (Red Rising, #2)Golden Son by Pierce Brown

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

So it’s safe to say I was not a big fan of Red Rising, the first book in this trilogy. I think I possibly described it as a rip off of The Hunger Games and Harry Potter (sorry Pierce Brown). It did have it’s moments but I just didn’t think it lived up to all of the hype that surrounded it. As a result it was probably at least a year before I talked myself into reading Golden Son and giving the trilogy another shot. I’m so glad I did.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation.

Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within.

A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices.

Thoughts

For me Golden Son is a vast improvement on Red Rising. It’s absolutely crammed full of action from the very first page and the writing is incredible. I will admit to struggling a little at the start but I think that was mostly due to waiting so long to read it. I’d forgotten a lot of what happened in the first book so despite the helpful character list at the start was a little bit lost in terms of who was who and what their relationship to each other was.

Once I got around a third of the way through however, and most of the characters from the first book were reunited, I was hooked. While the first book is a lot like the Hunger Games this one feels a lot more like Game of Thrones (which I’ve watched rather than read). Different families and factions are competing to rule and are completely ruthless in their attempts to seize power. Alliances are formed and broken, enemies are forced to work together and anyone could be stabbed in the back at any opportunity.

Main character Darrow, a Red masquerading as a Gold is trying to navigate his way through it all. He’s got to protect his secret but somehow manoeuvre himself into a position where he can destabilise society and create a civil war.

I have to admit I liked him a lot more in this book. He definitely develops a lot and starts to take responsibility for his destiny. This is the book where he learns he’ll need to make sacrifices and betray those he cares about to reach his ultimate goal. It’s fascinating to read him questioning himself and his decisions but pressing ahead and taking action even if it leads to guilt and the loss of friends.

My favourite character however shall forever remain Darrow’s BFF Sevro. He’s rude, violent and bent on destruction but is so loyal to his friends and so funny I just want to adopt him.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the story and more than a few shocks. There are also a lot of very violent scenes and all out war at one point leading to a lot of loss but those parts are probably my favourites. The action is well written and easy to follow despite a lot going on so you almost feel like you’re in among it all.

The one thing I struggle with, and this is a me thing, is some of the descriptions of places. I think I’m missing whatever it is you need to convert words on a page to pictures in my head of other planets, spaceships and technology. This results in me kind of skimming those bits which unfortunately there are quite a few of. I can appreciate the language and the world building, it’s incredible, I just can’t visualise it. I’m sure lovers of language, of which I know a few, will fare a lot better.

Overall therefore I’d definitely recommend this book even if like me you weren’t completely enamoured with Red Rising. The ending alone makes it worth it. Although be warned you will have to read the final book in the series too.

Book Review: Gone Astray by Michelle Davies

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Gone AstrayGone Astray by Michelle Davies

My rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

This book was not exactly what I was expecting from the blurb but it is an enjoyable thriller that once I started I couldn’t stop reading.

It’s not perfect but for a debut novel it’s pretty good and I loved the use of a police family liaison officer as one of the main characters. It definitely adds a unique perspective and I hope there will be more in this series.

Synopsis

The story starts with Lesley coming home from the shops to find the alarm is off and the house empty. She thinks her 15 year old daughter Rosie is out in the garden studying but when she goes looking for her she’s not there. Starting to panic she searches the house before trying to call her on her mobile. When she finds the phone in the garden beside a dark substance she knows something has happened to Rosie and the police are called in to investigate. Has she run away, has she hurt herself and become confused or has someone taken her and why?

Lesley and husband Mack are recent lottery winners but while Mack and Rosie seem to be enjoying the money (new house, designer clothes, the latest gadgets) Lesley is uncomfortable about it and the family relationships are strained. They went public with their win so everyone knows them and almost everyone seems to want something from them. They’ve had to leave most of their old friends behind but don’t quite fit in with the wealthy either. Could the win be something to do with Rosie’s disappearance?

Thoughts

The story is told from three different perspectives, Lesley the mother, Maggie a family liaison officer with the police and a darker character (possibly the culprit) who seems to have a grudge against the family. Having these three different perspectives makes for a fascinating read as it lets you into the heads of victim, investigator and suspect. I particularly liked the authors use of a family liaison officer (FLO) rather than a regular detective. FLO’s don’t typically feature much in detective stories other than being called in to sit with the family while the real detectives go off and solve the crime. This book showed just how important and difficult their job is while also giving an outside perspective on the family, friends and their relationships.

Maggie herself was an interesting and likeable character. She clearly loves her job and is very dedicated to it but sometimes goes a bit beyond her remit, something she was previously suspended for. She’s caught in the difficult position of supporting the family and keeping them informed but also interviewing them and noting everything they say and do as part of the investigation. It’s a bit of a juggling act but she seems to be very skilled at it and has great instincts. What I found most fascinating about Maggie though was her relationship with lead detective Will Umpire. He’s the reason for her previous suspension but requested her on the case. Pretty much every interaction between them is awkward and a bit uncomfortable which is great to read.

As well as her difficult job she also doesn’t have the easiest personal life. She’s single but spends most of her time supporting her sister Lou, who is a single mum of three. Lou could probably be described as fairly demanding, ungrateful and unsympathetic to Maggie’s job but Maggie has a secret and that secret means she feels indebted to Lou.

Rosie’s parents, Lesley and Mack were not my favourite characters but they did come across as quite realistic and their reactions to everything that happens seem believable. Their relationship is fairly strained at times and both react very differently to the disappearance. I’m not a parent so I can’t imagine how I would feel but I could imagine the emotions they were experiencing.

The character I wasn’t so sure about was mystery man and main suspect. It’s maybe just that I’m not quite unstable enough to relate (thank goodness) but I’m not sure I totally believed him as a character. It’s difficult to say a lot about it without giving away spoilers but I just thought some of his behaviour and thoughts were a little over the top and unconvincing.

The pacing of the story is pretty much bang on and I found it quite addictive reading (I finished it in a day). There are a couple of twists but who did it is probably less the point than the investigation and the impact on the family. I had a couple of niggles about dialogue in places but overall I’d rate it a great debut novel.

I will be looking forward to more in the series as I think it has the potential to be really great. As an aside, in the unlikely event of me winning the lottery, I will not be going public.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy. It will be released in the UK on the 24th March and you can find it on Amazon here.

WWW Wednesday: 9th March 2016

Ali@abookishlife29 Comments

It’s WWW Wednesday time.

The WWW Wednesdays meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

So here’s my W’s for the week.

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)Currently Reading

I’m currently reading The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa and am around 85% through so I think it will probably be finished by the end of the day. I’d previously read The Iron King and while I didn’t hate it I didn’t particularly love it either so didn’t read any further in the series.

This book seems a lot better though. It is a little disjointed in my opinion but it’s an easy read which is a mix of vampire story and dystopian. It’s an unusual combination but seems to kind of work. The main character Allison is definitely more likeable than the main character in the Iron King series.

Recently FinishedGolden Son (Red Rising, #2)

I’ve started another team reading challenge this week and have had a few days off work so I’ve been on a bit of a reading binge. As a result I’ve managed to finish four books.

The first two were books two and three in the Red Rising trilogy by Pierce Brown, Golden Son and Morning Star. I couldn’t resist carrying on to the end of the series when I finished Golden Son, particularly considering the ending. It really is an epic series and has a lot of nods to other stories including Hunger Games, Game of Thrones and even Star Wars but it’s still pretty unique and Pierce Brown’s writing is incredible. I’m hoping I will manage to get reviews up at some point. (Does anyone else struggle to write reviews for books they love or is it just me?)Heart of Ice (The Snow Queen, #1)

As well as finishing the Red Rising Trilogy I also managed to sneak in the two books of K.M. Shea’s Snow Queen series, Heart of Ice and Sacrifice. They are prequels to her Timeless Fairytales series which I loved but can be read on their own. I had a few issues with the start of the first book, it seemed like too much background was just stated, but once I got further into it I enjoyed it a lot more. It had all of the elements I love from K.M. Shea, the strong female characters, plenty of action and a bit of romance. I also think her books tend to have the right messages which are so often missing in YA books.

Reading Next

So I went to the library this week, which is always dangerous for me, and got a couple of new books that I may or may not read (I give up trying to guess what I’ll read next).

The first one is The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. I’ve never actually read a Terry Pratchett before which seems ridiculous and haven’t watched any of the TV series so I have to admit I have my doubts. Particularly as someone told my not to start from book 1 of the Discworld series which this is. I just couldn’t resist the pretty cover. The second library book was 22 Dead Little Bodies and Other Stories by Stuart MacBride. It’s a collection of short stories so hopefully I can fit it in around some other books.

The only book I have definitely planned for this week is Ink and Bone by Rachelle Caine. It’s another book of the month read and is a story about a library so how could I resist 🙂

The Colour of Magic (Discworld, #1)22 Dead Little Bodies and Other StoriesInk and Bone (The Great Library, #1)

So that’s my week in books. Have you read any of them? Particularly curious on the Terry Pratchett. Should I read it or will it put me off?

Teaser Tuesday: 8th March 2016

Ali@abookishlife17 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of Books and a Beat.

Teaser

This week my teaser comes from Morning Star by Pierce Brown. It’s the final book in the Red Rising Trilogy which after a bit of a shaky start I have to say I’m absolutely loving. I’ve reached that stage where I want to know how it will end but I don’t want it to be over (and I’m slightly worried that not everyone will make it). Anyway…

My TeaserMorning Star (Red Rising, #3)

I see a man trying his best in a world that doesn’t give a shit. It breaks my heart.

Yet I don’t move, because I know I’m not witnessing the death of a friend as much as I’m seeing the rebirth of another.

~ Page 426

Happy reading everyone.

WWW Wednesday: 2nd March 2016

Ali@abookishlife19 Comments

It’s WWW Wednesday time.

The WWW Wednesdays meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

So here’s my W’s for the week.

Golden Son (Red Rising, #2)Currently Reading

At the moment I’m still working my way through Golden Son by Pierce Brown which is the second book in the Red Rising trilogy. I have to admit I was finding it a bit of a struggle to start with but I  reached around the 40% mark and since then I haven’t been able to put it down. It’s starting to feel a lot like Game of Thrones with different factions fighting for power, looking for alliances and stabbing each other in the back. It’s pretty brutal at times but I love that in a book 🙂

Recently Finished

Sleepless In ManhattanDue to my difficulties in getting into Golden Son I haven’t really read as much as I usually do this week. I don’t know if this is just a me thing but I was doing pretty much anything to avoid reading it because I couldn’t quite connect but didn’t want to actually give up. I almost never give up on a book.

I did however take a bit of a break from it at the weekend to read a couple of ARC’s I received from NetGalley. The first was Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan which I think has been on my reading next list for at least the last month. It’s the first in a new series set in New York (the title is a bit of a hint). I do really like Sarah Morgan. They are completely predictable however there is always The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court, #1)plenty of chemistry between the leads and they are an easy and enjoyable way to spend a lazy afternoon.

The second ARC wasn’t actually a whole book but a sneak peek at the upcoming Richelle Mead book The Glittering Court. I’ve never actually read any Richelle Mead books before (despite desperately wanting to get my hands on Vampire Academy) so was interested to see what her style was like and have to say I was quite impressed. The story is similar in some ways to The Selection but the main character is a lot less annoying. As is typical of sneak peek’s it finished on a bit of a cliffhanger so I’ve been forced to add it to my Amazon wishlist and wait till it’s released in April.

Reading Next

So this week I will be continuing in my attempt to not read A Gathering of Shadows by VE Schwab despite some of my fellow bloggers raving over how good it is (you know who you are). I will hold out until it’s time for the group read (well, maybe)

I think there’s actually a fair chance that I will move on to the final part of the Red Rising trilogy, Morning Star, seeing as I have a nice shiny and signed hardback. It’s not the easiest series to pick up and set down (too many characters to keep track of) so it would be sensible to keep going. I’ve also started a new team challenge on GoodReads so will be looking for a few quick reads to get some points on the board. I’m thinking K.M Shea’s new series, the latest books in Nick Pirog’s 3am series and The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa.

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic, #2)Morning Star (Red Rising, #3)3:34 a.m. (Henry Bins #4)The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)

Who knows though, I have a week off work and they’re forecasting snow so there is a strong possibility I’ll read something completely different.

Have you read any of the books above? Do you have any recommendations?

Teaser Tuesday: 1st March 2016

Ali@abookishlife9 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of Books and a Beat.

meme-TeaserTuesday-dkblue-boxed

This week my teaser comes from Golden Son by Pierce Brown. It’s the second in the Red Rising Trilogy, the first of which I read a few months ago. I was lucky enough to see Pierce Brown in Edinburgh last week and he described it jokingly as “Braveheart in Space” but personally I’m finding it more like Game of Thrones in Space 🙂 There are a lot of different factions seeking power and willing to do anything to get it with main character Darrow caught in the middle. I wasn’t sure at the start but I’m finding it totally addictive now.

My TeaserGolden Son (Red Rising, #2)

I cannot sleep. The bodies of those I’ve left behind float in the darkness with me. I wake a dozen times, flashes of bombs, slashing of swords ripping into my dreams. I earned these sleepless night. I know that, and that’s what makes them all the harder.

~ Page 213

Happy reading everyone.

Book Review: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

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Ugly LoveUgly Love by Colleen Hoover

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So this was my second attempt at a Colleen Hoover book and I have to say I’m still not convinced. I know a lot of people really love her books but I’m just not sure they are for me.

I read Hopeless a month or so ago and while I loved the first half I felt like it went a bit wrong for me around the middle and didn’t really come back. This book left me with similar feelings. I loved the start (with the odd exception) but again lost it around the halfway point.

Synopsis

The story follows Tate, a nurse and student who goes to stay with her brother Corbin until she finds her own place. On moving in day however she finds a man passed out drunk outside the door to the apartment. She soon finds out this is neighbour, pilot and friend of her brother Miles Archer. Miles is clearly trouble and troubled but Tate almost instantly feels an attraction for him.

Miles warns her to stay away from him, that he’s not looking for a relationship but they both agree to a casual affair. The only problem with this is that Tate wants more, she’s falling in love with him, but Miles will do anything to avoid love.

Thoughts

The story is told from the point of view of Tate in the present day and Miles from a point six years previously and the chapters more or less alternate between the two. Tate’s chapters cover her feelings and their relationship (or lack thereof) and Miles’ chapters are flashbacks to the events that led to him being the way he is. As I didn’t particularly like Tate I have to admit that I much preferred the Miles background plot although I was a little frustrated at how long it was dragged out for. I just really wanted to know what had happened but I suppose if it wasn’t dragged out there wouldn’t have been much of a book.

The Miles from 6 years ago was just the sweetest, most lovely guy in the world. I loved how he knew from the second of meeting a girl that they would end up together. I also loved how he was determined to stick by her no matter what. It was such a contrast to the present day where he was completely shut down and almost absent a lot of the time.

While I felt sorry for Miles, I found Tate annoying a lot of the time. She claims to be an independent, determined woman but ends up in this psychologically damaging relationship with a clearly troubled guy. I know he was attractive but there is no way it was worth all of the angst, worry and tears. She spent pretty much the whole book going on about how much she loved him, how she couldn’t deal with how he treated her, walking away from him and then going back to him. The whole thing was completely frustrating and never ending. It went on for far too long for my liking.

It is a well written book and I can understand why so many people are fans of Colleen Hoover. She does have this incredible ability to suck you into someone’s mind and emotions. I have to say there aren’t a lot of fun or upbeat moments in this book but there were a few occasions where I was in tears.

Unfortunately though I think I’ve just lost my tolerance for angsty, never ending drama type relationships and this probably wasn’t helped by the fact that I didn’t feel like there was much spark between Miles and Tate. The highlight of their relationship for me was when he was passed out drunk and she didn’t know how to deal with him. As soon as he sobered up it all went downhill. I felt like at times the relationship bordered on abusive which I don’t think is ever really acceptable no matter how troubled someone is. The ending when it comes is fairly predictable but too fast considering how long the rest of the story was dragged out.

I’m sure however a lot of this is just me and overall, while I didn’t particularly like it, I probably would recommend to readers who like stories about relationships and trying to get over a past trauma. Personally I think I’ll leave it a while before I attempt another Colleen Hoover book.

WWW Wednesday: 24th February 2016

Ali@abookishlife22 Comments

It’s WWW Wednesday time.

The WWW Wednesdays meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words and is a great way to do a weekly update on what you’ve been reading and what you have planned.

WWW Wednesday

To take part all you have to do is answer the following three questions:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

So here’s my W’s for the week.

Golden Son (Red Rising, #2)Currently Reading

I found out at the weekend that Pierce Brown is coming to Edinburgh this week as part of his book tour so I couldn’t resist requesting tickets. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to get there but in the off chance I can I’m trying to read a bit more of his Mars trilogy to get up to speed. I read Red Rising a few months ago and, while I enjoyed it, I didn’t love it so took a bit of a break before reading on. I have now started Golden Son and while I’ve only managed to read a couple of chapters so far I’m definitely enjoying it.

What Would Lizzy Bennet Do? (The Jane Austen Factor, #1)Recently Finished

I had a bit of a reading fest over the weekend and managed to finish three books this week. First up was What Would Lizzy Bennet Do? by Katie Oliver. As you can probably guess from the title there are a few links to Pride and Prejudice (as well as some other Jane Austen) but it isn’t really the same story. Initially I was a little disappointed it wasn’t a straight re telling but once I got over that I ended up enjoying it.

How to Build a GirlThe second book I read was How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran. It’s possible the most foul mouthed and explicit book I’ve read but I have to say I laughed my way through the whole thing and loved it. It was the perfect book to shake me out of a downer.

The final book of the week was Chasing Daisy by Paige Toon. I have to admit I chose to read this as I was looking for a book with a pink cover as part of a challenge (I know, not the most legit reason for choosing a book but never mind). It turned out to be a great read and once I started reading I couldn’t stop.

Reading Next

This week I will mostly be trying to avoid reading A Gathering of Shadows by VE Schwab which I received yesterday. It’s the sequel to A Darker Shade of Magic which I read at the start of the year and loved. It is however a book of the month on GoodReads so I’m trying to hang off so I can read along with the group. It’s very unlikely I’ll hold out.

In the event that I don’t cave I think I’m going to try reading either Flawed by Cecelia Aherne or Sleepless in Manhattan by Sarah Morgan. Both are ARC’s I received from NetGalley and favourite authors of mine so I’m looking forward to both.

FlawedSleepless In ManhattanA Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic, #2)

Have you read any of the books above? Do you have any recommendations?

Teaser Tuesday: 23rd February 2016

Ali@abookishlife12 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. If you want to join in grab your current read, flick to a random page, select two sentences (without spoilers) and share them in a blog post or in the comments of A Daily Rhythm.

meme-TeaserTuesday-dkblue-boxed

I’m being a little bit of a cheat this week and rather than choosing from my current read I’ve decided to pick a couple of sentences from How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran, which I finished at the weekend. The writing is just so funny, explicit and unique I felt like I had to share something from it. There are a lot of great sentences to choose from although I was a little limited by trying to avoid anything too explicit or sweary 🙂  Anyway, here’s this week’s teaser.

My TeaserHow to Build a Girl

Because my biggest secret of all – the one I would rather die than tell, the one I wouldn’t even put in my diary – is that I really, truly, in my heart, want to be beautiful. I want to be beautiful so much – because it will keep me safe, and keep me lucky, and it’s too exhausting not to be.

~ Page 56

Happy reading everyone.

Book Review: Black Widow by Chris Brookmyre

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Black WidowBlack Widow by Chris Brookmyre

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve been a big fan of Chris Brookmyre for many years so I was pretty excited to get my hands on his new book Black Widow, the latest in the Jack Parlabane series. While I was a little bit worried at the start I have to say it didn’t disappoint. It’s a very well written, thriller with a lot of twists and turns that keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat until the very end. It’s definitely put me in the mood for more of his books.

Synopsis (from GoodReads)

There is no perfect marriage. There is no perfect murder.

Diana Jager is clever, strong and successful, a skilled surgeon and fierce campaigner via her blog about sexism. Yet it takes only hours for her life to crumble when her personal details are released on the internet as revenge for her writing.

Then she meets Peter. He’s kind, generous, and knows nothing about her past: the second chance she’s been waiting for.

Within six months, they are married. Within six more, Peter is dead in a road accident, a nightmare end to their fairytale romance.

But Peter’s sister Lucy doesn’t believe in fairytales, and tasks maverick reporter Jack Parlabane with discovering the dark truth behind the woman the media is calling Black Widow…

Thoughts

While I am a big Chris Brookmyre fan I have to admit that in the past I’ve leaned more towards the stand alone books or the Angelique Xavier series rather than the Jack Parlabane series. (I found they sometimes wandered a bit too far into political and social commentary for my tastes). As a result I’ve only really read one or two of the Jack Parlabane books and was definitely not up to speed on the series or characters. I found though, that despite this, it was very easy to get into. You’re quickly brought up to speed but in quite a subtle and natural way that mean this book could definitely work as a standalone.

The story starts at the trial of Dr Diana Jager, a surgeon accused of murdering her husband and is told through a series of flashbacks from the point of view of three different characters, Diana (the accused), Ali (the police officer who initially responded to the call) and Jack (a disgraced ex reporter approached by the sister of the victim to find the truth).

At the beginning I have to admit I found the switching narration and jumps through time a little confusing. It would take me a page or two to figure out whose story I was in and where I was in the timeline but I did get used to it and after a few chapters the voices become so recognisable you can identify them almost immediately. Some characters were more intriguing than others as you would expect but I did like all three in their own way.

The biggest draw for me though was Dr Diana Jager and the story of her relationship with Peter. She’s not exactly an objective bystander (being the defendant) but it was fascinating hearing her side of the story. She makes Peter out to be a con man, abuser and not the man she married but the whole time I was questioning her story. She’s a character you can relate to in many ways, an intelligent, ambitious woman trying to stand up for herself in a very male orientated career. I felt sorry for her a lot of the time. However you’re never sure if she’s really a victim in this or just a very clever and manipulative psychopath. I do love a complex character and she is definitely one of those.

Police officer Ali is another woman trying to get by in a male dominated career (a bit of a theme is this book) but is probably a softer and more obviously likeable character. She covered a lot of the police procedural stuff which was interesting but she also added a more human aspect to the police. She’s dealing with a personal crisis while trying to remain professional in front of new partner Rodriguez.

Jack was possibly my least favourite of the narrators. He’s just world weary and a bit of a misery but it was fascinating watching his methodical investigation to get to the unexpected truth.

There are quite a few twists and turns in this book and it definitely keeps you guessing. Was it an accident, suicide or murder? Is Diana a murderer or victim? What was really going on in the relationship? Was Peter the charming man he seemed or did he have an ulterior motive?

I will say, this is not an action packed thriller and it can be a little slow in places. It’s more a study of characters and relationships and is a lot more psychological. Personally I love that but I know others are looking for fast paced action so may be disappointed.

I have to admit it’s put me in the mood for a bit more crime fiction and a lot more Chris Brookmyre. I’m tempted to dig out some of the previous books in the series and give them another try.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend this whether you’ve read any Brookmyre before or not.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for a review.