REVIEWS: Kick-assery, Hilarity and Skilful Plotting!
My TBR pile for 2014 is down to 6. It will be cleared in no time! I already have my Top 10 books in place and ready for the 'year-ender' post (subject to change, depending on how mind-blowing the remaining 6 books are).
In the meantime, check out my latest reviews. (Alternatively, you can click on the thumbnails to redirect you to Goodreads)
THE BLUE DIAMOND
by P.S. Bartlett
5 / 5 ★★★★★
This book should come with a warning label that says “you may develop a
temporary pirate accent”. This is just one of the many side effects of
reading ‘The Blue Diamond’. The other is the sleepless nights tearing
through the pages, many many pages.
There’s a feisty pirate at sea and she’s not to be messed with. Swashbuckling Ivory “Razor” Shepard, with three of her equally fearless female cousins, set sail to escape the manhunt, err femalehunt. Forget damsels in distress, you won’t find them in here. Instead, you’re treated to a rampaging story dressed up in the trappings of pirate lore.
I rarely read a book in which the character moves the story forward – it’s usually the scenes and dialogues that do that. The amount of Ivory’s kick-assery could put Black Widow and Lucy to shame (there’s no synthetic drug involved but plenty of grog). It’s almost hard to believe this is a historical romance. It’s only when she’s with Capt. Maddox that she shows her vulnerability. It gets a little bit cheesy for my liking, but the kick-assery outweighs the cheesiness, so it’s all good. (Arrr, matey! Oops there it goes again).
There’s a feisty pirate at sea and she’s not to be messed with. Swashbuckling Ivory “Razor” Shepard, with three of her equally fearless female cousins, set sail to escape the manhunt, err femalehunt. Forget damsels in distress, you won’t find them in here. Instead, you’re treated to a rampaging story dressed up in the trappings of pirate lore.
I rarely read a book in which the character moves the story forward – it’s usually the scenes and dialogues that do that. The amount of Ivory’s kick-assery could put Black Widow and Lucy to shame (there’s no synthetic drug involved but plenty of grog). It’s almost hard to believe this is a historical romance. It’s only when she’s with Capt. Maddox that she shows her vulnerability. It gets a little bit cheesy for my liking, but the kick-assery outweighs the cheesiness, so it’s all good. (Arrr, matey! Oops there it goes again).
***
DCI JONES CASEBOOK: Raymond Francis Collins
by Kerry J. Donovan
4 / 5 ★★★★
This
is a well-written novella that introduces Detective Chief Inspector
David Jones and his partner Detective Phil Cryer as they solve the
murder of a young man in the park. The author has quite a different
approach to the narrative because the identity of the killer is already
known. In fact, the reader is privy to the details of the crime, so the
mystery is in how DCI Jones will solve the case. It's like a crime
solving mystery in reverse. The killer has got a bit of "Psycho Norman
Bates" personality going on. This makes him more fascinating than DCI
Jones.
This is right up my reading alley and will definitely follow the case.
This is right up my reading alley and will definitely follow the case.
***
KAFE CASTRO
by Christina Fifield-Winn
4 / 5 ★★★★
Hilarity
ensues when an American woman, high on drugs (Novocaine), reflects on
her life in a foreign land (Denmark), after she finds herself half-naked
in the backyard of a strange man (Pervy Robe Guy).
It’s frantic. It’s zany. It’s like watching a movie filmed entirely with a shaky camera. Lots of awkward situations, some a little far-fetched, but entertaining nonetheless. Short story but plenty of laughs.
It’s frantic. It’s zany. It’s like watching a movie filmed entirely with a shaky camera. Lots of awkward situations, some a little far-fetched, but entertaining nonetheless. Short story but plenty of laughs.
***
NOW YOU SEE ME
by Emma Haughton
5 / 5 ★★★★★
A tragic loss. A missing best friend. A grief-stricken teenager.
I was drawn to the plot like a moth to a flame. Undeniably intriguing.
The story was skilfully plotted to elicit shock, amazement, and utter disbelief. It’s so effective that you might even willingly overlook some things that remained unclear, specifically Danny’s motivations. But then again, perhaps someone doesn’t have to have an elaborate reason – just one simple reason is enough considering all what went down.
But there was closure. A beautifully executed closure.
I was drawn to the plot like a moth to a flame. Undeniably intriguing.
The story was skilfully plotted to elicit shock, amazement, and utter disbelief. It’s so effective that you might even willingly overlook some things that remained unclear, specifically Danny’s motivations. But then again, perhaps someone doesn’t have to have an elaborate reason – just one simple reason is enough considering all what went down.
But there was closure. A beautifully executed closure.
