reviews 2014 – Page 3 – Life of Cri.me

Precious Thing – Colette McBeth

Posted on March 26, 2014December 23, 2014 by J

Remember the person you sat next to on your first day at school? Still your best friend or disappeared from your life for good?

Some friendships fizzle out. Rachel and Clara promised theirs would last for ever.

Theirs was the most intense of friendships, sustained throughout the years, despite separation at times, until now in their late twenties as Rachel becomes successful, Clara spins inexorably out of control until one day she disappears.

In her role as a crime reporter for National News Network, Rachel is called in to cover a police appeal for help in the case of a missing local woman. What she doesn’t know until she arrives is that the person who is missing is her best friend.

What follows is her search for her friend and the truth behind her disappearance, where she uncovers hidden knowledge about her oldest friend that makes her question her entire past with Clara.

Filled with unexpected twists that are perfectly timed to insist that you keep reading, Precious Thing is a dark and disturbing tale of the love hate nature of friendship.

I really enjoyed reading this book to the extent where I had finished it in just a couple of sittings. It is a truly compelling read. Told in narrative form from the point of view of Rachel, the story flits easily between current affairs and school day memories of their friendship. It is a perfect reflection on how much of what was said ‘back then’ is real compared to what is true now. It’s also a fascinating reminder to the reader of those childhood friendships you cherished and of those that you can unfortunately never forget.

Reading, Reviews

The Heist – Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

Posted on March 14, 2014December 23, 2014 by J

Since it’s impossible to review a new book by Janet Evanovich without mentioning Stephanie Plum, I won’t bother to try, I will simply say that Kate O’Hare is about as un-Plum like as you can get, but she is a character that is just as much, if not more, fun and addictive.

The Hare and the Fox.

Kate O’Hare is a FBI agent who has made it her career to chase down notorious con artist Nicholas Fox. She is smart, sassy, supremely capable, oh and also an ex Navy SEAL. (Cue some artistic license from the authors here, who note at the beginning of the book that there is no such thing as a female Navy SEAL, although there should be.)

Nicholas Fox is highly intelligent, handsome and charm personified. All traits which have enabled him to become so succesful at his ‘cons’ and to evade capture for years, until now that is.

Now she’s got her man, but he doesn’t want to be caught and instead makes a deal with the FBI to work alongside O’Hare to capture a corrupt investment banker, as long as they don’t kill each other first.

The Book

One thing I did find was that given Lee Goldberg’s history in writing TV shows, I found myself often comparing the relationship between Fox and O’ Hare with various TV partnerships, of which the one that sprang to mind most often was the tempestuous relationship between Cybil Shephard and Bruce Willis in the 1980’s show Moonlighting.

The Heist is an absolutely delightful book to pick up and read, with its fantastic verbal sparring, mad cap moments and emotionally charged relationship. Following the adventurous duo through exotic lands and pirate waters The Heist proves it is what all Evanovich books are…. The perfect piece of escapism from the everyday grind.

It is also a book you certainly won’t want to put down so when you sit down to read, make sure you are curled up in your favourite chair and plan to be there for a while.

A Bonus Taster

Want more of an introduction to O’Hare and Fox? Long standing Evanovich fan who wants to see how this new pairing compares to Stephanie Plum? Never read an Evanovich or Goldberg book before? Just want more?

Then as a bonus addition to the series, grab your Kindle or Kindle App and download Pros and Cons, a short story prequel to The Heist.

Blogging

A Song For The Dying – Stuart MacBride

Posted on January 26, 2014December 23, 2014 by J

He’s back…

Eight years ago, ‘The Inside Man’ murdered four women and left three more in critical condition – all of them with their stomachs slit open and a plastic doll stitched inside.

And then the killer just … disappeared.

Ash Henderson was a Detective Inspector on the initial investigation, but a lot can change in eight years. His family has been destroyed, his career is in tatters, and one of Oldcastle’s most vicious criminals is making sure he spends the rest of his life in prison.

Now a nurse has turned up dead on a patch of waste ground, a plastic doll buried beneath her skin, and it looks as if Ash might finally get a shot at redemption. At earning his freedom.

At revenge.

Venturing once more away from his serial protagonist Logan McRae, A Song for the Dying is the second outing for Ash Henderson.

Following on from the tragic events of Birthdays For The Dead, A Song For The Dying opens with Ash in prison and unable to get out, as every time a parole review comes round Mrs Kerrigan, one of Oldcastles most heinous villains, ensures that with the help of the other inmates he stays where he is.

Ash is about as downtrodden a hero as you are likely to find, and hell bent on revenge he’ll bring anyone else down with him, friends and colleagues alike.

What I really enjoy most about the Ash Henderson books is the change in pace from the McRae books. Whilst they are every bit as dark, gritty and down right awful to their protagonist, the usual intricate plots also come with a faster feel that hurtles you along with investigation, ensuring you feel every bit as determined to solve the crime.

Reading, Reviews

The October List – Jeffery Deaver

Posted on January 7, 2014December 23, 2014 by J

“You wait, desperately, for news of your daughter.
At last, the door opens.
But it is not the negotiators, or the FBI.
It is her kidnapper.
And he has a gun . . .
Two days ago, life was normal.
How did it end like this?”

If I had to sum The October list up in just one sentence, it would simply be this.

“Think Memento in a book.”

The October list is a fantastic fractured timeline novel, from one of the masters of twist in the tale stories. In a complete change from his usual heavily complex, and highly detailed novels The October List is snappy, smart and will have you instantly hooked. My suggestion is that before you pick up this book and start to read, you take your schedule, clear out a few hours and plan to be sat somewhere comfy with a relaxing drink when you do.