Chaotic Ninja

The second book in the series usually re-introduces characters only briefly so there’s always a chance of not understanding certain aspects of the character dynamics.  With that said, The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza brilliantly presented the characters in such a way that I didn’t feel like I’ve missed out on important background details. On to the review… A serial killer is on the loose and it’s up to DCI Erika Foster to find the violent, heartless, totally deranged person who’s killing male victims. The killer operates by stalking the victims first with ninja-like precision then killing them mercilessly. The weapon of choice: Suicide bag . The victims never see the killer coming. I like that the killer is revealed a bit earlier than usual. Some would say it’s easy to guess who the killer is. But one has to realize that it’s the thrill of the chase that makes this book a wicked page-turner. Erika and her team have to outsmart the seemingly untracea...

Claire is pushed to the brink when her son Billy went missing. Though there’s hope that Billy is still alive, the fear and the uncertainty are enough to drive Claire into “madness”. She goes through frightening psychological episodes that had physical manifestations. That part of the story is brilliantly depicted with great emotional impact.   The writing is somber and the story, while understandably a psychological thriller, is rather short on thrills. But it’s because  The Missing   by C.L. Taylor  is   more of a family drama than a straight up crime thriller. Despite this, the author is able to deliver an engaging story of a family crippled by secrets and deception.   I wouldn’t say the story is predictable, but this is one of the rare times I was able to guess an integral twist of the story before it was revealed. Despite the lack of thrills, I thought the characters are well developed and readers can easily sympathize with them. ...

To Catch A Rabbit   by Helen Cadbury Sean Denton, a dyslexic Community Support Officer is the unlikely hero of this crawling thriller by author Helen Cadbury. He gets his first “case” involving a young woman found dead on his patch. He’s drawn to the case, but given the “handicap” of not being a proper policeman, he does not get the respect of his colleagues. And just like the victim, whose death is immediately written off as a suicide, Sean’s views on the case are easily dismissed. Tough. But the story does not revolve around just one case. Oh no! It gets complicated when seemingly random events become intricately linked. New characters emerge and personal and professional turmoil ensue. It gets a little muddled when all the other characters compete for the reader’s attention. It momentarily shifts the focus away from Sean just as he’s getting more interesting. Perhaps it’s part of the character progression and just a case of not wanting to give everything...

CRIME FICTION dominated my 2015 reading list that I swear I could see blood dripping from my reading device. I read fewer books in 2015, but 5 of them were books that blew me away, gave me tremendous enjoyment, and entertained me to the hilt.   Here they are: The authors of these 5 books have masterfully depicted mystery, intrigue, and suspense in equal measure that they've created incredible stories that trigger an emotional response either because of what a character did or a situation that pushed the character over the edge. As a reader, this just fires me up. UNTOUCHABLE  by Ava Marsh is an extremely addictive read. It's sexually charged and provocative with a remarkable protagonist in Stella/Grace. It's a story that transports the reader to the dangerous world of high-end escort service. We become privy to the unspoken rules and to the dirty little secrets of powerful men and the women who are embroiled in the fatal game of sex, lies,...

Because memory fails.  Situation rectified. SAFE by Kate Hanney This is a “please-sit-down-let’s-talk-about-this” kind of book. It’s something that you’d want to discuss with people who’ve read it. Or perhaps beg people to read it just so you can talk about it. Danny Watson is a fascinating character. Tough. Hardened by life. A kid forced to become an adult because of circumstances.  What could possibly go wrong, yeah? Just. About. Everything. This a gritty portrayal of a life on the fringe. It’s a very dangerous place (and situation) to be in and author Kate Hanney takes the reader to that dark place. It deals with hard issues that no young adult should ever deal with. This is a brilliant book with a “controversial” ending.   ★★★ ★ ★  5/5   GARDEN by Jane Yates It takes an utterly imaginative mind to come up with a story that puts together elements of steampunk, sci-fi and fantasy and not overwhelm the reader (‘til...

Been playing catch up with reading and reviewing. I’m 33 books behind schedule. Goodreads said so.  Why should I care about what Goodreads say? You see, I joined the 2015 Reading Challenge and pledged to read 80 books, which translates to 6.66 books per month (I’m glad I’m not superstitious).   Easy peasy, right?  No.  It’s September and I’m still struggling to get halfway through the challenge. I’m still convinced I could do it, but I’m going to need a strategy of some sort.   I realised that I could probably pull this one off by reading all the short stories and novellas on my TBR list. It’s not cheating. Just slightly devious planning. The Memory Man by Helen Smith Two women, memory loss, a dead man, and a psychic. Everything else are fragments. This is a bizarre story that I quite frankly did not get the first time I read it. So I had to read it again. I like to believe I got it the second time around. Or probably not. It’s like the movie...

From the moment the first chapter of “ Names of the Dead ” ended, I knew Connor Montrose was going to be one hell of a character. Defiant, head-strong, and driven by vengeance. He’s an exceptionally written character with the swagger of a CIA operative and the fighting chops of a killing machine. From there, it’s hard to tell if he’s the good guy. The narrative style is frantic and restless, but never confusing. This is magnified by the reader’s access to Montrose’s state of mind. The inner dialogues not only make us privy to Montrose’s innermost thoughts, they also make us feel that we’re part of this intricate web of lies and deceit. It’s as immersive as playing a first person shooter – pumping bullets, maiming enemies, and leaving a trail of dead bodies as location shifts from Rome to Zurich to Paris to Tehran. Add the involvement of abbreviated agencies in double cross and conspiracies, then you have a sensational international thriller in your hand. Author Mark Le...

The Girl Who Wouldn't Die by Marnie Riches ★★★ ★ ★ 5/5     The book puts you through a series of events that didn’t make sense at first. They were just pieces of a complex puzzle bolstered by misdirections, red herrings, shifty characters, and a frantic storytelling that will drive you insane. I wanted the story to end fast to make sense of it all. But when it ended, I didn’t know what to do with myself (I call this the Amsterdam Syndrome). It’s a searing slow burn of a book. And it’s brilliant.  There's a heavy Stieg Larsson influence but I still wasn't prepared when the author drops the bomb. And George McKenzie? We didn't hit it off, not immediately. But when she reveals bits and pieces about herself in every chapter, I knew I found a badass character that I want to get to know more. This is a crime book junkie’s fix. It takes a while to kick in, but when it finally does, you’re in for one explosive ride.   ** I'd ...