Tag: thriller

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

Unsub – Meg Gardiner

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34069835| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: A riveting psychological thriller inspired by the never-caught Zodiac Killer, about a young detective determined to apprehend the serial murderer who destroyed her family and terrorized a city twenty years earlier.

Caitlin Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An UNSUB—what the FBI calls an unknown subject—the Prophet terrorized the Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case.

The Prophet’s cryptic messages and mind games drove Detective Mack Hendrix to the brink of madness, and Mack’s failure to solve the series of ritualized murders—eleven seemingly unconnected victims left with the ancient sign for Mercury etched into their flesh—was the final nail in the coffin for a once promising career.

Twenty years later, two bodies are found bearing the haunting signature of the Prophet. Caitlin Hendrix has never escaped the shadow of her father’s failure to protect their city. But now the ruthless madman is killing again and has set his sights on her, threatening to undermine the fragile barrier she rigidly maintains for her own protection, between relentless pursuit and dangerous obsession.

Determined to decipher his twisted messages and stop the carnage, Caitlin ignores her father’s warnings as she draws closer to the killer with each new gruesome murder. Is it a copycat, or can this really be the same Prophet who haunted her childhood? Will Caitlin avoid repeating her father’s mistakes and redeem her family name, or will chasing the Prophet drag her and everyone she loves into the depths of the abyss?

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My thoughts:

An entertaining serial-killer thriller by an author that is new to me. And when I say entertaining, it was just that, for me. Initially I was going with 4 stars. It is an highly complex story with a lot going on. The depth is surprising and oh so well done. When I say deep, I mean Deep! I read a lot of crime thrillers, specially from a cop’s point of view and the level of plot building is what Gardiner really succeeded with. I can’t say so much more due to spoilers, but when I say that you will probably be surprised, I mean it. I especially liked that the serial-killer doesn’t kill due to sexual fantasies or such. It is a lot more deeper and quite refreshing to say it myself.

So why my “low” rating you may ask? Well it is because the rest didn’t fall right with me. The character building is quite shallow and the writing is choppy. Maybe I’m overreacting because English is not my native language, but it was not smooth to read. It didn’t help me with connecting with the characters either. And that ending! After several pages with high intense suspense and a literal countdown to the end pages, it ends on a note I feel could have been skipped. But it is a series and at least two more books is published so I just hope this “thing” will not be a thing that hunts you throughout the series.

I’m excited to read more and see where Gardiner will go with the story and if she will let us readers go deeper into those characters and not just scratch the surface.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

Fallen – Karin Slaughter

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9635495| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: There’s no police training stronger than a cop’s instinct. Faith Mitchell’s mother isn’t answering her phone. Her front door is open. There’s a bloodstain above the knob. Her infant daughter is hidden in a shed behind the house. All that the Georgia Bureau of Investigations taught Faith Mitchell goes out the window when she charges into her mother’s house, gun drawn. She sees a man dead in the laundry room. She sees a hostage situation in the bedroom. What she doesn’t see is her mother. . . .

“”You know what we’re here for. Hand it over, and we’ll let her go.””

When the hostage situation turns deadly, Faith is left with too many questions, not enough answers. To find her mother, she’ll need the help of her partner, Will Trent, and they’ll both need the help of trauma doctor Sara Linton. But Faith isn’t just a cop anymore–she’s a witness. She’s also a suspect.

The thin blue line hides police corruption, bribery, even murder. Faith will have to go up against the people she respects the most in order to find her mother and bring the truth to light–or bury it forever.

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My thoughts:

This time Faith and her mother stands in the center of this epic and suspended filled piece of art, written by one of my absolute favorite authors. It is gritty and dark but still filled with hope. The storyline is not quite for me, but still good and finally in the end, “stuff” that I have been waiting for is finally happening.

Will has a history with Faiths mother and when Faith was pared up to be Wills new partner in book three, you could see that this would blow up. But it certainly did not blow up in the way I had predicted. Secrets where brought up, gang wars is ravaging the city, family ties and buried history is coming to the light. It was interesting and you got some answers to questions you didn’t even know you had.

Slaughter did as great job as usual. She is absolutely perfect and I can’t recommend the series about Will Trent more than I already does.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

Broken – Karin Slaughter

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7093222| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: When Special Agent Will Trent arrives in Grant County, he finds a police department determined to protect its own and far too many unanswered questions about a prisoner’s death. He doesn’t understand why Officer Lena Adams is hiding secrets from him. He doesn’t understand her role in the death of Grant County’s popular police chief. He doesn’t understand why that man’s widow, Dr. Sara Linton, needs him now more than ever to help her crack this case.
While the police force investigates the murder of a young woman pulled from a frigid lake, Trent investigates the police force, putting pressure on Adams just when she’s already about to crack. Caught between two complicated and determined women, trying to understand Linton’s passionate distrust of Adams, the facts surrounding Chief Tolliver’s death, and the complexities of this insular town, Trent will unleash a case filled with explosive secrets–and encounter a thin blue line that could be murderous if crossed.

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My thoughts:

Perfection. Utterly, perfection. Not one book in the Will Trent series has received under five star rating so far. Overall Karin Slaughter is a hell of a good writer, who captivates me from the first to the last word. She grips my heart, stomps on it, shoves it back in my chest and then does it all again. I’m in love. Just so damn in love with Will but also Sara. And every time I finish one of her books I feel empty and mentally run-down. Still I’m not able to stop. She is a drug I cannot quit.

Okay, how come I never talk about her or her book if she is so good, you may ask?! I’ve had the blog for over two years now and still there is only one review on one of her books. Well the answer is pretty simple. I save her books. I’m so afraid that it will end and I will not have anything more by her to read. I literary saves her books for that perfect time. Not long ago I found out that I need to stop doing that because I have a whole list with books I’m saving and have been doing that for years. I don’t want to die and not have read the whole Will Trent series and all the other books I wish to read.

Anyway, got a little side-tracked. This story takes us back to Grant County where Sara is originally from. We get to meet some of the other characters from the Grant County series. I have read two (I think) books in that series and first planned to read more. But accidentally read a huge spoiler in one of the earlier books in the Will Trent series that have made me not wanting to read the rest in Grant County. It was nice though to receive some more details regarding that spoiler and some closure. I’m still not interested so far in reading the Grant County series. But probably will one day in the future.

The plot is believable with devious and greedy people who still does everything in their power to save what they hold most dear. A sad but still captivating story with the most suspenseful energy.

Mystery/Crime · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

The black ice – Michael Connelly

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17693779.jpg| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: When an LAPD narcotics officer is found with a fatal bullet wound and a suicide note, Detective Harry Bosch follows a bloody trail of drug murders across the Mexico border.

Working the case, LAPD detective Harry Bosch is reminded of the primal police rule he learned long ago: Don’t look for the facts, but the glue that holds them together. Soon Harry’s making some very dangerous connections, starting with a dead cop and leading to a bloody string of murders that wind from Hollywood Boulevard to the back alleys south of the border. Now this battle-scarred veteran will find himself in the center of a complex and deadly game-one in which he may be the next and likeliest victim.

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My thoughts:

A first class crime thriller with an suspenseful plot and well executed story. A pure 90’s detective story and just what I needed. I was craving some good crime with good cop, bad coop and bad guys. Connolly gave me just what I needed. Well executed characters and I feel the dialog is more natural than the first book. It is an easy book to get lost in and perfect for those rainy days.

I don’t have so much more to say. It is outstanding. It’s old and you certainly feel it’s age but for me it was more nostalgia than anything else. I’m more than satisfied and can only recommend you to read it.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Romance · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

Don’t tell – Karen Rose

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248086| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: It was a desperate plan. But Mary Grace Winters knew the only way to save herself and her child from her abusive cop husband was to stage their own death. Now all that remains of their former life is at the bottom of a lake. Armed with a new identity in a new town, she and her son have found refuge hundreds of miles away. As Caroline Stewart, she has almost forgotten the nightmare she left behind nine years ago. She is even taking a chance on love with Max Hunter, a man with wounds of his own. But her past is about to collide with the present when her husband uncovers her trail and threatens her hard-won peace. Step by step, he’s closing in on her—and everything and everyone she loves.

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My thoughts:

I have read quite a few books by Karen Rose now and I have to say that this one is probably the one I like the least so far. I did enjoy it even though it got on my nerves. It is over exaggerated and the bad man was so overdone that in the end it bored me. The main character is whining and meek even though she was supposed to be the strongest women of them all. I really like some of the side characters though and an romantic suspense is usually a good read for me even though it is repetitive and predictable.

I know Karen Rose can do so much better so I’m in no means put off to continue reading her books. This one is just going to be placed in the “not so memorable” pile.

Adult fiction/Erotica · Fantasy/Paranormal · Fiction/Science Fiction

Vicious – V.E. Schwab

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36797830| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Victor and Eli started out as college roommates–brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find–aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge–but who will be left alive at the end?

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My thoughts:

It took me way too long to finish this book and I struggled so much. I can’t quite put my finger on what my problem is, but I do have some theories.

First off, I absolutely loved the theme, plot and the whole “X-MEN” thing. Interesting concept which felt well execute both in the scientific and philosophical view. I’m a sucker for everything when it comes to people with powers, magical or “natural”. So I really thought this would be a book right up my alley.

However, I felt constantly disconnected and the writing keep bothering me to no end. There is only so many times you can write a character’s name on one page until it starts to be repetitive. And the whole books is repetitive. I wish I had Victors sharpie to block some off. Put some black in

I can see why Schwab and this series has turned in to such a hype where readers and there dogs/cats keep raising Schwab to the skies. Maybe I had to high expectations? Maybe I’m just too old for it? Or maybe I just found it over dramatic and underwhelming. Completely loved the last twist in the end even though I could totally predict it.

Would fit perfect as a movie and if executed rightly, one I would see at least once a year just as X-MEN. I’m not sure if I will read more in the series, but I’m open for it.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

The Mephisto club – Tess Gerritsen

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32254| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: PECCAVI

The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O’Donnell-Jane’s professional nemesis and member of a sinister cabal called the Mephisto Club.

On top of Beacon Hill, the club’s acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of evil: Can it be explained by science? Does it have a physical presence? Do demons walk the earth? Drawing on a wealth of dark historical data and mysterious religious symbolism, the Mephisto scholars aim to prove a startling theory: that Satan himself exists among us.

With the grisly appearance of a corpse on their doorstep, it’s clear that someone-or something-is indeed prowling the city. The members of the club begin to fear the very subject of their study. Could this maniacal killer be one of their own-or have they inadvertently summoned an evil entity from the darkness?

Delving deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil, where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced . . . one whose work is only just beginning.

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My thoughts:

The sixth book in the series about detective Jane Rozzoli and the medical examiner Maura Isles. A series I have lately fallen completely in love with, even though I have already seen the whole TV show several times over. But the show travels so far away from the book series in the end that now, I hardly notice it anymore.

Not one of those five books before have received less than for stars. That is how good this series been so far. This is however the first time because I did not enjoy number 6 as much as I thought I would and quite frankly I’m a little disappointed.

The story, plot, murders and all that is still on point. It is exciting and filled with suspense. One star! The red thread and resolution in the end was easy to follow, nice history and interesting twists. One star! It was nice to meet the characters again and meet more of the Rizzoli family and drama surrounding it. One star! But that’s it. Three stars is what I give. I didn’t like how little we actually got to be with the main characters. It felt like it was the side characters who run the story. Who solved the crimes and hunted the bad guys. And Isles was just a sad, middle age woman, feeling sorry for herself throughout the book and Rizzoli was just detached from it all and frankly quite cold. It is not what it was in the earlier books.

Everyone can have a bad day (read book) and I think that this is Gerritsens bad day in this series. At least I’m hoping it. Because I really want to read more.

 

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Romance · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

Forgotten Secrets – Robin Perini

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29643051| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: At age ten, Riley Lambert watched helplessly as her sister was abducted from her bedroom. Fifteen years later, she’s channeled the pain of her past into a career as an FBI profiler. Riley devotes her life to bringing violent criminals to justice…and secretly uses government resources to search for her sister, who was never found.

When Riley gets a call from the only man who’s ever swept her off her feet with a killer two-step and dangerous smile—ex-Navy SEAL Thayne Blackwood of Singing River, Wyoming—it stirs up dark memories. Thayne’s sister, Cheyenne, has been kidnapped. There are no leads, and the only witness is the victim’s Alzheimer’s-afflicted grandmother.

Desperate to find Cheyenne, Thayne needs Riley’s expertise. With time running short, they delve into dangerous small-town secrets while fighting against an increasingly ruthless adversary. But when her past and his present collide in a shocking revelation, can they overcome the secrets that have kept them apart?

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My thoughts:

 

I have had this, and I’m not kidding, in my kindle cloud since 2016. It was time to get this one read and I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised.

First of, I did not like Perini’s writing at all. It had no flow and was at times confusing and almost rough to read, if it makes sense. Even some names are “terrible” and extremely hard for me to figure out how to pronounce. That’s not pleasant feeling to have and most of the books I have DNF:ed have been because of the writing. When starting it I actually though for myself that this would be a one, two star rating if I got through it but most likely I would DNF it. Imagine my surprise when the story, character and plot captivated me to such a degree that I devoured the book and ended on a four star rating.

Yes it was great. Surprising, hard to foresee what would happen (Except a few things) and it kept throwing curve balls at you. Great plot building and character development.

I’m happy and satisfied and even though I don’t like the writing that much, I can actually see myself reading the second book about the little town, Singing River.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

The Breakdown – B.A. Paris

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29438850| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside—the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped.

But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.

The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.

Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her…

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My thoughts:

“Unfulfilling, a little melodramatic and anticlimactic.”

It is the first time I read anything by Paris and I have to say that I’m surprised over how little I liked it. Had its moments of course, but it was not what I had expected and not really for me and I love Thrillers.

I would call it a straight forward, light, predictable, thriller, where you are not supposed to think too much. The writing is mediocre and the last 50 pages was filled with misspellings. It makes me wonder how many misspellings there was in the whole book. Since English is not my first language, misspellings is mostly something I do, not detect and if I do see some, there is usually a lot more that I do not see. And that it was so many makes me feel that both author and editor just gave up in the end. And the whole “mystery unravelling” through SMS is, for me, a cheap and unimaginative way of unravel all the secrets. The ending is nothing to boast about either. Unfulfilling, a little melodramatic and anticlimactic.

And I didn’t like the character that much. Specially the main one, Cass. How can you be so gullible, naive and whining but still be so “smart” in the end? There are just several things that are contradicting each other and that makes me want to throw the book away. Unfortunately I had made a commitment to read it and in the end it did have some moments and I’m satisfied enough to finish it. I would however not recommend it to a fellow reader.

 

Fiction/Science Fiction · Thriller/Horror

Code Zero – Jonathan Maberry

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19433029| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: For years the Department of Military Sciences has fought to stop terrorists from using radical bioweapons—designer plagues, weaponized pathogens, genetically modified viruses, and even the zombie plague that first brought Ledger into the DMS. These terrible weapons have been locked away in the world’s most secure facility. Until now. Joe Ledger and Echo Team are scrambled when a highly elite team of killers breaks the unbreakable security and steals the world’s most dangerous weapons. Within days there are outbreaks of mass slaughter and murderous insanity across the American heartland. Can Joe Ledger stop a brilliant and devious master criminal from turning the Land of the Free into a land of the dead?

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My thoughts:

“Thank you so much for not following those impulses I’m certain you had while writing, and that you gave me an ending which gives me hope for a future.”

I want to use several swearwords right now. All toward Maberry who once again gave me a scare that this will not end as I wish. He is a master with curveballs and surprises. Many of them not that great and I cried. Yes I cried at the end, thinking it would be the end for me, for this series and for Joe Ledger. But thank you! Thank you so much for not following those impulses I’m certain you had while writing, and that you gave me an ending which gives me hope for a future. A future where I feel the will to read more, know more and once again need more.

First off, out of all the six books I have read now, I’m thinking Code Zero to be the weakest of them all. The plot  is nice and it ties together nicely with the first book (Patient Zero) but I found it a little boring and it did not keep me captivated and interesting. At 60% I had the desire to put it down.

Second, there is not enough Joe. He is the sole reason I read this series but it is so many POV and Joe is not one of the main ones you get to follow. He has not enough “page time” in my opinion.

And third, there is so much fighting and all the scenes is starting to blend together and are not that interesting anymore. To be hones I have started to skim those parts of the book due to that it no longer interests me.

Overall a strong three star rating and I would love to see this one as a movie. I think it would be perfect for the silver screen. Note that several say that if you don’t want to read book 2 to 5 you don’t have to. I however do not recommend that. There is so much stuff happening that makes a difference and sense to why the plot line is going the way it goes. Maberry does a great job with briefly and concisely explains what have happened in the past, but it is shallow and it will not give you the dept I personally think you need. I, who have read the books, do not need more but I can imagine that if you have not, it would not be sufficiently to the meaning of the plot.