Chaotic Ninja

When you find yourself as tense and as fearful for your life as the characters in the book, then you know the author succeeded in bringing you into her world. Welcome to Deep Down Dead , where you chase after the bad guys who are also chasing after you. Well, of course, when I say “you” I mean Lori Anderson, the headstrong bounty hunter who has one seemingly simple job of finding a fugitive for a massive payday. Nothing to it, yeah? After all, that’s her job.  But nothing is simple when it’s your bounty hunting mentor’s ass you’re hauling back to court. With a sick daughter in tow, the risk multiplies faster than you can flip the pages. When you get to the last 30% of the book, it gets harder and harder to breathe. Add child exploitation ring and the Miami mob into the mix and you may never breathe again. There’s a bit of an issue with the believability of a couple of scenes, but nothing so big that it diminishes the overall impact of the story.   ...

The Girl Who Had No Fear is the fourth book in the series and arguably the most complex. It takes you from one point to the next not only in a geographical sense but also in emotional terms. There is a clear character progression for George McKenzie as she attempts to infiltrate a drug cartel in Mexico while she struggles to deal with the unprocessed emotions leftover from the previous three books. And let’s talk about the new locations, the new seedy characters, and the seemingly outrageous situations introduced in the book. Of course, I’m not going to go to spoiler territory, but let me just say that there are moments in the book that could have very well been lifted from science fiction or steampunk trope. But as they say, truth is stranger than fiction. Friend: That’s outrageous! That’s not believable at all, ninja. That could not happen in real life. Me: Two words: Mauner Mahecha. Friend: Say what? Me: Go on, Google it! Later… Friend: *MINDBLOWN* Me: Told ya.   ...

Kim Stone. Middle name: Badass. She’s the fierce detective with a no-nonsense approach to solving crimes. She comes across as cold and calculating and emotionally closed-off, but reveals bits and pieces about herself and her real state of mind. This makes her a fascinating character full of contradiction and ambiguity.  Then, of course, there’s her team – a cast of characters with quirky personalities but work together with clockwork efficiency. A love interest that may or may not have a future cuts through the grittiness and gruesomeness of the crimes committed by a dangerously unstable serial killer. Play Dead  by Angela Marsons is a tightly written story with impressive forensic details that make you feel you’re really in the middle of a crime scene investigation and actually understand what’s going on. The dialogues and the banters are as natural as they come.  It’s an exciting read that gets the blood pumping. It’s a shame that it took f...

See How They Run by Tom Bale   is what happens when regular folks get mixed up with a network of criminals so vicious, they wouldn’t think twice of committing a violent act if it suits their needs (or save their necks). Who would want to be in this kind of predicament? No one! But Harry and Alice French find themselves in such a sticky situation and they take the reader along with them. Just imagine the stress and exhaustion of being thrown into a bloody mess. Oh, by the way, there’s a baby tagging along. Crazy, huh? Though Harry and Alice are characters you’d easily empathise with, it’s the wicked bad guys that shine through. They are all convincingly evil! They are the kind of people you pray you don’t cross paths with in your lifetime. Although this a gripping story with non-stop action (physical and emotional), I feel that the writer held back on the resolution. It went to “safe” territory after treating the reader to one shocking event t...

The Teacher by Katerina Diamond Even before I flipped to the first chapter, I already sensed that the story is going to be very dark, but I wasn’t prepared for how gruesomely dark the story is. At one point, I actually flinched when the author described the last moments of this one poor, poor character. Was it over the top? Perhaps. Did the character deserve it? Perhaps not. But my theory is that the graphic depiction was used to justify whatever was to come (dun-dun-duuun!). This effectively puts the reader in an ethical and moral quandary (that is if you’re like me who gets too involved in stories like this). What’s great is that even DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles are in that same predicament. So yeah, we’re all in the same boat. Although it’s easy to get hooked, there’s a lot of jumping around between story arcs, timelines, and characters. If you have short-term memory, it can be challenging. (Sorry, Dory, this isn’t for you). The next hurdle ...

Third book in the series. Tough to review but e arly reviewers have already raved about it here , here , here , and here .  Not that you need more convincing, but instead of a review, I'm giving you my Top 10 reasons why you should read "The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows " by Marnie Riches . 1.    Confident writing. So confident it can be brutal. You know, the in-your-face kind of brutal that leaves a black eye in the morning. Get some ice. 2.    Bursting at the seams with fascinating and flawed characters:  from the morally ambiguous to the sordidly immoral to the sexually fluid to the emotionally crippled. (The author could be talking about my family, but I digress.) 3.    Unrelenting suspense. So tense that you might find your heart fibrillating. Okay, that may be a tad too much, but it can happen, yes? 4.    Reading it is like assembling the most difficult jigsaw puzzle while playing “Where’s Wally”. (And ...

Time To Die by Caroline Mitchell is a chilling read with an interesting cast of characters whose lives intersect; but not always in the best of situations. I personally like my crime/mystery thriller to be as close to reality as possible. Injecting a paranormal and supernatural twist makes it a little tricky because it could blur the line between what is plausible and what is not. And it’s a question of whether you’re willing to go on board or not. Well, I’m on board and completely gripped! DC Jennifer Knight and a team of specialists with extraordinary skills set out to catch a killer who may or may not have supernatural abilities. Given how elusive he is, he could very well be a mystical creature who commits the most unthinkable crimes. I am impressed at the character dynamics and interaction of the Moonlight Operation squad and fascinated at how they handled the investigation. This is a brilliantly executed crime thriller with a remarkable main character ...

THE BETRAYAL by Linda Tweedie The Coyles and The McClellands – two feuding families intoxicated by power and fueled by revenge. The hatred for each other have sparked bloody encounters that leave a trail of dead bodies, injured relatives, missing family members, and an incarcerated scion. Though the Coyles appear to have a united front, the dysfunctional family dynamics tell otherwise. It’s reminiscent of The Sopranos and The Corleones , but a little less charming and more muscle and grit. The McClellands, on the other hand, may appear to be the weaker of the two, but they are much more cunning and devious, setting the wheels of revenge in motion like clockwork. The Betrayal is a compelling read, especially if you’re into crime family saga where characters have combustible personalities. The overlapping story arcs make for a fascinating read. There’s always the thrill of not knowing full well where the story is heading, then everything ties up nicely (and co...

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...

Reviewing The Girl Who Broke The Rules  by Marnie Riches   is hard. Let me explain. All the elements I love in a crime thriller are masterfully depicted against the backdrop of the seedy underbelly of Amsterdam. The suspense is relentless; the characters unyielding. Shifting timelines and switching points of view offer reprieve from the most gruesome depiction of madness and perversion. The feverish storytelling never lets up and the palpable sense of danger and menace lingers like a shadow with a scythe. Then there’s Georgina McKenzie. George. The feisty and sometimes irreverent heroine who brings emotional turmoil to an already besieged Chief Inspector Paul van den Bergen, who’s at his breaking point. For a heroine, she’s not all that likeable. Therein lies the rub. It’s difficult to reconcile the fact that I love this sequel so much, but have a hard time “liking” George.  But liking a main character is never a rule to enjoying a twist...

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 ...