Review Time! - Shirley Link & The Safe Case by Ben Zackheim

Title: Shirley Link & The Safe Case. (US.)

Author: Ben Zackheim.

Genre: Kids, Crime.

Series: Shirley Link (#1)

A few starting notes:

I grabbed this on special offer to read on my new Kobo, on a fairly random whim.

 

I'd say this was suitable for anyone over nine or ten, and possibly even younger. The protagonists are about 14, but the content and style definitely feels more suited to a slightly younger audience.

Premise:

Shirley Link, kid detective and expert at deduction, is called in by the principal of her school to solve a crime which may put his job on the line.

Best bits:

Shirley is pretty much Sherlock Holmes in 14-year-old girl form. This actually works pretty well - clearly teenage girls lend themselves to sociopathic character traits very easily. I actually really enjoyed Shirley's snarky attitude - though she's not a 'nice' person exactly.

 

This book was generally nice and light and fairly entertaining. Which was perfect for my Christmas dinner induced chill out in front of the TV with Kobo in hand.

Not so great bits:

I think that the mystery itself could have done with some beefing out - a few more clues, maybe some more involving red herrings, and just a smidge less 1960s style Scooby Doo, (not that I don't totally love Scooby,) and it would've been so much better.

Verdict:

Light-hearted and very entertaining, this was a decent start to the series. I can imagine 11-year-old mystery hunters loving it.

Buy Now UK - Buy Now USA – Goodreads – Author's Site

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My Picks of 2015

Feel like reading my picks of the books I've read and reviewed (so far) this year? Well, my cheeky little monkeys, I've got you covered.

(This post may have been at least partially coffee-fuelled. I regret nothing.)

Death Vigil Volume 1 by Stjepan Šejić

I hark on about this one quite a bit (guilty as charged!) But this book really does deserve it. It's like the perfect storm of originality, beautiful artwork, and complex characters.

The Death Vigil are a group of demon-hunting people, snatched in the moments before death by their leader, Bernadette - who is a bad-ass.

I read a lot of graphic novels, and amongst all of them, this really did stand out to me this year. It also held me captive 'til the last page, and made me forget about the coffee I was drinking at the time - my coffee went cold. If you know me, you know that that's significant.

Full Review - Buy Now – Goodreads – Author's Image Comics Profile

NOS4R2 (NOS4A2) by Joe Hill

I'm a big, ginormous, Joe Hill fan. And I absolutely positively loved all of this behemoth of a book.

The concept of worlds within the imagination was simply inspired, and Hill weaves his words like delicate silk (check me out being all poetical and sh**!)

Vic McQueen is one of the people who can use her imagination for real-world purposes. But when she comes across The Wraith, aka Charlie Manx, things are going to get very bad in Manx's world - Christmasland.

I wouldn't read this around Christmastime if I were you... unless you want to be traumatised of course, in which case, go right ahead.

Full Review - Buy Now – Goodreads – Author's Site

Straight James/Gay James by James Franco

This may be a slight cheat - the book isn't out until early 2016, but I read it in 2015. So once again, I regret nothing.

This is one of my picks because I have to promote good poetry - it's like a compulsion, so sue me.

And this is good poetry - honest and heartfelt, like good poetry should be. (And yes, it's written by that James Franco.)

Full Review - Buy Now - Goodreads – Author's Facebook 


World Gone By by Dennis Lehane

You want a stunning historically-set gangster novel? Read this book.

Joe Coughlin is a gangster - he's been in the business a long time. But he makes everyone money. So no-one would want him dead... right?

Basically, I cannot explain to you how much I love Joe in a way that doesn't make me sound a few stages on from completely delusional. Read my review. Then read the book. Then you'll know, because hopefully I'm not the only one who feels like this...

Full Review - Buy Now – Goodreads – Author's Site

Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

These are the first two books in the 'Under the Never Sky' series by Veronica Rossi (not to be confused with Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent series.)

This is a YA dystopian series that hooks its claws in with compelling plot, and complex characters. If you like dystopia and/or YA where the heroine does more than sit and whine all day, then I highly recommend this series.

Under the Never Sky review – Through the Ever Night review – Author's Site

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Review! (Woo!) - World Gone By by Dennis Lehane

Title: World Gone By. (US link.)

Author: Dennis Lehane .

Genre: Crime, Historical Fiction, Gangster.

Series: Coughlin (#3.)

A few starting notes:

I'm a Dennis Lehane junkie. Pure. Simple. True. So when I saw World Gone By (US link) at the library, I really couldn't help myself.

This is #3 in the Coughlin series - following Danny Coughlin (in The Given Day, (US link,)) and later baby brother Joe Coughlin (in Live By Night (US link) and World Gone By (US link).)

It can definitely be read as stand-alone, though there are spoilers for Live By Night (US link) in particular. To be honest, you'll get much more out of this book if you read Live By Night (US link) first - just for the character history if nothing else.

My sequel-reviewing rules apply here. No spoilerage for the series beyond what's in the book blurb here.

Premise:

Tampa and Ybor City, Florida, the 1940s. Joe Coughlin is a gangster from back in the days of prohibition.

Joe knows how to get money made; and its mutually beneficial for all of his... associates. So no-one would want him dead... right?

Is his lifestyle - his years of sin - about to catch up with him?

Best bits:

Lehane, what are you doing to me? A gangster on the young side of 40, a bad boy with a dangerous past, who treats women right and is a loving and sensitive single father? I should not be in love with Joe right now, damn you! He's a gangster! He kills people!

But I totally am, and it's all your fault Lehane.

The writing sweeps you along - as is typical of Lehane books. There's something about his prose which is almost lyrical; and which I totally love.

It also puts your feels (or, in non-fangirlian: emotions,) through the wringer. (Damn you Lehane!) but it's like: I love you book. You just ripped out my heart and handed it to me, and that is why I love you. (*Maniacal laughter.*)

Not so great bits:

As seems to be true for most of the books I read, this sure as hell ain't for the faint of heart. There's loads of swearing, violence, blood and guts.

There's also some racial slurs - including repeated use of the 'n' word. While that's in-keeping with a) the historical setting, and b) the fact that gangsters, as a rule, aren't particularly politically correct, it's still not OK.

This isn't a happy book. This is pretty grim. If you've read any books by Lehane before, you'll know what I mean - if not, well, just trust me.

Verdict:

I loved this book. A slick gangster novel that's firmly rooted in character and nuance rather than mindless shootings in every paragraph. This is subtle, absorbing, and quite simply excellent.

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA - Goodreads – Author's Site


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Last updated: 19th Dec 2019

Review! (Graphic Novel Edition!) - The Private Eye Deluxe Edition by Vaughan, Martin, and Vicente

Title: The Private Eye Deluxe Edition. (US link.)

Author: Brian K Vaughan, Marcos Martin, Muntsa Vicente.

Genre: Graphic Novel, Dystopia, Sci-Fi, Crime.

Series: The Private Eye.

Release Date: 15th Dec 2015.

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

 

I didn't have a clue what this would be like - I was sort of vaguely aware that Brian K Vaughan had written the Saga series (US link); but then, I haven't read that either! 

This collects The Private Eye #1-#10.
 

Premise:

In a world where the Internet is gone, and privacy is so sacred that people acquire aliases and wear complex and bizarre masks just to hide their identity, P. I. - a private investigator - has stumbled onto something serious.

Best bits:

The art here pops. I know that people say that a lot - but I mean it. The bright colours give this a pop-art does-the-apocalypse kind of feel, and the in-silhouette panels are beautiful. Some of the artwork here also reminds me a little of Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba's Umbrella Academy series (US link) (though I have to say that I much prefer Way and Ba's series.)

I like the Big Brother (1984) kind of feel-y to the plot and the world here - with the teevees etc.

I also love the way the press and the police are the same thing here - that made me giggle for reasons I don't totally understand.

Not so great bits:

This is not your book if you're squeamish about bright blood slashed across the page, or violence and swearing in general.

There's also some sexual content that really did feel that it was just there for the shock value rather than anything else - it didn't bother me, but it just felt superfluous.

I did find that sometimes the lettering was a bit squished together, which made it difficult to read occasionally.

Verdict:

An enjoyable read, which whizzes along and has a distinct style and bright in-your-face edge. If you're a fan of quirky graphic novels, then you'll enjoy this book.

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA - Goodreads – Author's Image Comics Page

Zombies and Vampires Through My Letterbox

So chuffed this morning to receive Dead Ice by Laurell K Hamilton in the post from the UK publisher Headline. (As always, of course, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

This is the whopping #24 in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series - an extensive and popular urban fantasy series (and I love me some urban fantasy - paranormal creatures faffing about in cities? What's not to love?)

I've read others in the series (though not all of them, because that's just how I roll sometimes,) and loved them, so have pretty high hopes for this one.

I'm sure this instalment will have the requisite number of vampires, zombies, and other paranormal creatures and stuff of a similar nature, to keep me very happy.

This time around, Anita's on the trail of someone making illegal zombie porn... should be an interesting read!

My review will be up as soon as I've read the book.

Buy Now UK - Buy Now USA - Goodreads - Author's Site

Reviewing the Evidence Time - Exposure by Kathy and Brendan Reichs

Title: Exposure (US Link)
Author: Kathy and Brendan Reichs
Genre: crime, sci-fi, thriller, YA
Series: Virals (#4)

A few starting notes:

Exposure is the fourth book of the Virals series - as such, my golden rule for reviewing sequels applies. The level of spoilerage will not go beyond what's revealed in the blurb of this book.

I'm a big fan of Kathy Reichs, and I picked this up in the library because I love the Virals series.

Premise:

Tory Brennan and her friends, known collectively (to themselves at least,) as 'the Virals,' are searching for classmates. Peter and Lucy, the twins, have been missing for days - and the police seem at a loss. But, it's not going to be easy to find them, particularly not with their Viral powers becoming increasingly unreliable...

Best bits:

This is kind of like The Famous Five or Mystery Inc meets CSI. Translation: awesome. This is teens solving crime with forensic knowledge and sci-fi hijinks going on. It rocks.

Tory Brennan is a fantastic heroine - smart, with a fabulous sense of humour, and a hell of a lot of determination. She's also likeable - which is refreshing, as often YA heroines are more than slightly irritating.

The plot twists and turns with pin-point precision, with few weak links to go around. The entire thing is handled with control, and the sparse prose is done incredibly well (people who have read this blog before may or may not be aware of my love affair with well-executed, sparse, prose.) The level of detail, as always with Reichs' books, is interesting and accurate - Reichs knows her stuff, to the extent that she can compress that knowledge into relatable facts with seeming ease.

Not so great bits:

Some fans of Reichs' adult books won't approve of the sci-fi elements of the Virals series - but many, (like me,) will be totally happy to just accept it and move on.

It's not so much as a love triangle but a love rectangle here - don't get me wrong, Tory rocks, but why are there so many dudes following her round in a state of puppy love? Argh! At least it largely stays out the way of the plot.

Whitney - Tory's father's girlfriend - is intensely irritating. Granted, she's supposed to be, but unless someone slaps her... and soon... I think I may have to scream. Loudly. :)

While theoretically you could read this as a stand-alone, I do recommend giving the Virals series the full treatment - you'll just understand everything so much better that way.

Verdict:

A fantastic and hugely enjoyable continuation of the series, this has peril, crime, forensics, teen kick-asses, and a whole lot of readable-ness! Enjoy.

Reviewing the Evidence Time Again, My Friends - The Telling Error by Sophie Hannah

Title: The Telling Error (US Link)
Author: Sophie Hannah
Genre: Crime
Series: Spilling CID/Culver Valley (#9)

A few starting notes:

I've read another of Sophie Hannah's Spilling/Culver Valley books - Kind of Cruel - which was equally absorbing, so knew what to expect in terms of style/genre. As far as I'm concerned, these books can be taken as stand-alone, although there is continuity through the members of the Spilling police department. I find it's not that difficult to keep track of the personal stuff because the main focus is the case featured in the book. Some people would understandably want to read the books in the right order - because some people are less governed by 'ooh shiny! Must read!' principles than I am.

Premise:

Damon Blundy is dead. The list of suspects is huge. The circumstances are weird. DC Simon Waterhouse is working the case, and he doesn't like not knowing.

Nicki Clements is a housewife, two kids, husband, nice house. So, why did she pass Damon Blundy's house so many times that day? What's her connection to all of this?

Best bits:

Sophie Hannah knows how to write. Her characters are absorbing and intriguing, and are painted with the deft touches of someone who knows them inside and out. They are the normal-looking people, the people the neighbours would say, "Did you hear about so-and-so? Well, you'd never have thought!" They also all hide an edge of the sinister, the broken, the secret.

It's the secrets that wind themselves into everyday that govern the plot of this novel. And it's plotted very well. You can tell that Hannah has it all worked out from the start, and that she is just as interested as we are in the psychology, the motives, that lead to events. Layer by layer, Hannah peels away the secrets and lies - and everyone's got some here - to reveal just enough of the juicy stuff to keep you reading. Is it all relevant? No. But then, since when does any police investigation only find relevant evidence along the way?

Not so great bits:

There're things in this book that will upset some people - adultery, lies, secrets, emotional abuse, murder (obviously,) online trolls, suicide and some sexual activity with dubious consent. There's probably some more stuff too, so, basically, be aware that there's psychological trauma and sinister goings-on hiding in these pages - much like in Sophie Hannah's idyllic Culver Valley.

This is a personal preference - but I feel like we didn't get enough of the details of Nicki's childhood and teenage years, particularly since we get so much gravitas placed on it as explanation for Nicki's current behaviour. I would've liked more of an idea of the characters of her brother and parents, just to make it feel rounder. But, like I said, that's a matter of taste - it's just that, to me, the omission of this makes the book feel a little lopsided. I'm sure there are lots of people who would disagree.

Verdict:

This is clever, vivid, and absorbing. If crime and/or psychological motives are your thing, then I recommend you give this a try. I'll certainly be giving more of Sophie Hannah's books a whirl in future.

Reviewing the Evidence - Bloody Valentine

Title: Bloody Valentine (US Link)
Author: James Patterson
Genre: crime
Series: Quick Reads

A few starting notes:

Having previously read James Patterson books, and found his books entertaining if sometimes a little devoid of depth, and being a sucker for the excellent and always commendable Quick Reads series, I decided to pick this up in my last library haul.

Premise:

It's Valentine's day. But something is wrong in the Barnes apartments - the block of flats shared by entrepreneur Jack Barnes and his extended family. An awful and gory crime has been committed...could it have been by one of their own?

Best bits:

The locked-room style aspects of the mystery at the heart of this book is always interesting - and for the most part Patterson does justice to the concept.

The other thing that really stands out about this book is the sense of secrets, hidden deep within a well-off family, bubbling beneath the surface until they spill forward. The interplay of the tension is well-used, and the view of rich families as somehow hiding sin and betrayal, though a well-trodden path, is also used to good effect.

Patterson's main appeal is his sheer readability - and there is no difference here. The chapters are short and draw you onwards through the tale, and the whole book is also short - this being the Quick Reads series - so it is handy for those in-between moments, and for the busy reader.

Not so great bits:

The ending feels a little rushed, as if we're sprinting at the finish, and I think it would've benefited from a little more detail at the end. The prose is sometimes clumsy and a little bewildering, though largely it remains clear and readable.

The characters too could have done with a little more development - the standout perhaps being Leila and Ted, who both stand out more than Zee, Jack, or any of the detectives.

Verdict:

This is a quick and entertaining mystery. Yes, it's a little rough around the edges in more than a few places, but it's still pretty readable, and you'll want to read to the end, if only to reach the final answer to the whodunit? question.

Quick Note: I forgot to mention before but there is a scene or two in this book that is very gory - might not be to everyone's taste.

Time to Review the Evidence - A Dreadful Murder: The Mysterious Death of Caroline Luard

Title: A Dreadful Murder: The Mysterious Death of Caroline Luard 
(US Link)
Author: Minette Walters
Genre: crime, historical fiction
Series: Quick Reads

 

A few starting notes:

Another of the awesome Quick Reads series (which as always deserves my commendable praise for trying to get everyone reading) this is a fictionalisation of the real 1908 murder of Mrs Caroline Luard.

Premise:

Mrs Caroline Luard is found dead - shot - in the rural Kent town of Ightham. The neighbours suspect her husband - Major-General Luard, a local JP and well-off snob. But did he kill her? Or is there another explanation?

Best bits:

The pace and depth both pick up from about half-way through, as the author seems to get into her stride. It's from this point - where there's more of the fiction and supposition, rather than the fact, that the book becomes more involving.

The whole story is edible in bite-size chunks, and the atmosphere of early 20th century secrets and poverty is captured in an intriguing and encapsulating way.

Not so great bits:

As always, there are some issues here which may upset some readers - murder (obviously,) poverty, alcoholism, suicide, and domestic abuse are all touched on at various points. If this is a major problem for you, then obviously, read with caution.

The tone sticks a little in places, but not enough to really bother you all that much.

Verdict:

A very readable, short, and digestible fictionalised account of an intriguing and mysterious crime. Perfect for a bit of detective-ness in the middle of your everyday life. 

Reviewing the evidence time - Cross

Title: Cross (US Link)
Author: James Patterson
Genre: Crime, Blow-y Up-y, Thriller
Series: Alex Cross


A few starting notes:

This is #12 in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. I'm not going to lie, I hadn't read any of this series before and just sort of dove in at the deep-end.

James Patterson, as most people will be aware, is a pretty damned prolific writer. It's near impossible to even comprehend the ridiculously large amount of books this feller writes. Most of them are in a genre which I have decided to re-name blow-y up-y. I guarantee that it's an excellent descriptor.

Premise:

Alex Cross - the crime-hunting psychologist loved by many - is tracking a rapist. This particular series of serial rapes may have something to do with the murder of his wife about a decade previously. Giving up on this one is not likely to be an option.

Of course, there's also connections to the mob, an attempt by Alex to re-open his therapy practice, and some psychological issues of his own to deal with.

Best bits:

The short, sharp chapters and cliff-hanger chapter endings are what Patterson excels at. This means you can jam a chapter into a TV ad break without losing the thread of the story. And the pace keeps you interested.

The characters are fairly well-developed, with 'the Butcher' being an excellent psychopath to deal with. It also has explanations of why the hell the Butcher has these...issues, which is refreshing as it rounds the character out beyond a 2D plot point.

Not so great bits:

The plot of this is based around serial rape - there are some pretty damned uncomfortable descriptions of sexual assault. There's also child abuse and domestic abuse mixed in at various points. And plenty upon plenty of descriptions of violence. If this isn't your thing, don't read it.

And let's be honest, this is blow-y up-y. It's not too intellectually challenging.

Verdict:

A well-rounded yet run-of-the-mill thriller. Certainly enjoyable, and I can see why so many rate the Alex Cross books, but I couldn't help but feel I was waiting for something that wasn't there.