Sunday, September 18, 2022

Review: Something in the Heir

Something in the Heir Something in the Heir by Suzanne Enoch
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
This book was very strange to me, and I could not figure out what the author was trying to do. The pacing felt off, Emmeline and William's relationship/marriage felt odd, and I just could not figure them out as characters. Were they supposed to be...funny? Because my biggest problem with the book was that they came across as clueless, self-absorbed, patronizing, and just unpleasant. I could not get into a book in which the two main characters decided it would be perfectly fine to find two children to pass off as their own, and then GIVE THEM BACK to wherever they came from WHEN THEY WERE FINISHED WITH THEM. It was one thing (although they both seemed just plain stupid during this portion of the book) when they were attempting to "borrow" the children of some wealthy acquaintances. But then when they went to a poor farming family to ask for a couple of kids to essentially just "use" for a couple of weeks--justifying it by saying the children should enjoy a holiday with their betters during which they could live like the aristocracy--I really was shocked at how unfeeling and snobbish Emmeline and William really were. And then when that didn't work, and they finally came to the obvious conclusion that they "needed" some orphans, they still planned to just "give them back" when the children had served their purposes. SERIOUSLY? I could not get over how over-privileged, out-of-touch, and naively stupid Emmeline and William were. How in the world could ANYONE think it was okay to just borrow two little children who had been subjected to economic disadvantages at best and who had lost their true parents and had to suffer untold abuses and tragedies at worst?! I could not get over how idiotic and arrogant these two were, and I think what makes it worse is that it was being passed off in the story as acceptable behavior. What were--I am assuming--supposed to come across as hilarious episodes showing the reader the ridiculousness of Emmeline and William's situation were in fact unfeeling and jarring. I could not find any way to identify or sympathize with these two characters. How could they not realize that even though the sudden addition of two children might "inconvenience" them, the opportunities and safe home environment they would be able to provide for the children would outweigh that several times over--especially when the situation that Emmeline and William were in was created by their own subterfuge and manipulating. This wasn't a circumstance that had been foisted upon them--they created it when then lied because they wanted to live in a nice, conveniently located house.
I found that I could not finish the book because I was too infuriated by Emmeline and William. Whether they "learned their lesson" in the end or not, they just started off as MUCH too irredeemable. You can't just USE other human beings for your own ends. I could not like Emmeline or William and I wanted to go into the book and tell them off. Ugh. It wasn't funny, it wasn't cute, it wasn't a great way to realize you were actually in love the person you'd been married to for eight years. It was stupid, strange, and incredibly pretentious.
I DO NOT recommend this book.

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Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Review: Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade

Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade by Nancy Springer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As usual, I really enjoyed this installment of the Enola Holmes series. In this book, Enola Holmes feels compelled to help her friend Cecily who seems to have disappeared. Enola knows something sinister is at work and is determined to ensure that Cecily is safe and sound. Enola's older brother Sherlock makes several appearances as Enola proves she is just as good (or perhaps better!) at solving mysteries than her famous brother.
This book (and this series) is perfect for middle-grade to high school readers who are looking for a light, fun, historical mystery. Enola is an admirable heroine and her pluckiness is fun and engaging.
I would absolutely recommend this book.

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Sunday, August 28, 2022

Review: Murder in Westminster

Murder in Westminster Murder in Westminster by Vanessa Riley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I could not get into this book. The characters felt familiar and almost stereotypical, which was strange when it was obvious the author was trying to counter commonly-held stereotypes. The dialogue felt stilted. And the situations felt too manufactured and overblown. It was like the author was trying way too hard to do way too much. There was no organic flow and I could not get into a rhythm while reading this book, so I did not finish it.

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Sunday, August 14, 2022

Review: The Drowned Woods

The Drowned Woods The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I have had a very hard time reviewing this book, because I loved The Bone Houses so much. But by the time I got about 1/3 of the way through The Drowned Woods, I was very disappointed. It felt like the author was trying to follow a step-by-step manual to writing a YA heist fantasy novel and it just wasn't working. Tropes are only fun when they're done well or when they're tossed on their head. Neither was the case here. Everything felt flat and like the author was trying too hard to force everything to work. I skimmed most of the book, and so the ending, which I am assuming should have had some real emotional impact, just left me underwhelmed.
As I said, The Bone Houses was one of my favorite books, but I wouldn't recommend this one. I might read another by this author, but I am not sure.

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Monday, August 1, 2022

Review: The Last Party

The Last Party The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
This was a satisfying beginning to a new series by one of my favorite authors, Clare Mackintosh. I have enjoyed several of her other books, so when I heard she was writing a series set in Wales about a female detective I couldn't wait to read it.
Rhys Lloyd, a slightly has-been celebrity, has returned to his hometown in Wales to build a luxury resort on a beautiful lake. Most of the residents of the area resent Rhys and his new business endeavor, however, and when his body is found in the lake, Welsh DC Ffion Morgan is paired up with English DC Leo Brady to find out what happened. Unraveling secrets that want to stay buried will be a huge challenge, especially when some of those secrets belong to Ffion herself.
I enjoyed this book. I wouldn't say it was a tense, gripping thriller, but more of a slow-burn police procedural type of mystery. Ffion was an incredibly intriguing character, and the author did a great job of making sure that Leo was a great "partner" in their investigation and counterpoint to her character. The secondary characters were also fleshed out very well. The mystery was well-plotted and the ending was spot-on.
My only issue with the book was the way the time-line jumped all over the place. We have the mystery and action begin in the "present" when Rhys's body is discovered, and then every so often the setting will jump back to the past, before the murder took place. This in and of itself is not a big deal--a large number of mystery books use dual timelines. But in this book we would jump from January, just after the murder, to August, then back to January, then October, then January, then June, then back to January again, then December, and so on and so on. I would much rather have had the "past" timeline move in a more linear fashion. It took away from the flow of the book and made the uncovering and revealing of clues feel less organic and more "convenient."
That being said, I really did like the book and am eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series. Ffion is a character worth rooting for and I will enjoy following her journey.

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Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Review: The Couple at Number 9

The Couple at Number 9 The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book. 4.5 stars!
I really really really enjoyed this book! Saffy, a young expectant mother, lives in the cozy cottage she inherited from her doting grandmother Rose. Saffy and her boyfriend Tom are in the midst of renovating their new home when contractors uncover two skeletons buried in the garden. Needless to say, Saffy is shocked, especially when it looks as though her grandmother could have some knowledge of how two bodies came to be buried at her old home. Rose suffers from dementia, however, and even when Saffy's capricious mother Lorna comes to help, everyone wonders if the real truth will ever come out. The stakes are raised when a mysterious man shows up looking for "evidence" and threatening the residents of the cottage. What exactly happened 30 years ago to cause Rose to abandon her home with her small child, and does it have anything to do with the deaths of two people?
Pretty much everything about this book was great. The characters really drew me in from the beginning and made me want to know what had happened in the past at the seemingly idyllic cottage, and how those in the present would get to the truth. The pacing was very well-done, too. It was slow enough to reveal nuances and yet fast enough to keep me interested and turning the pages as quickly as I could. I never got bored and wanted to skim anything. At about 2/3 of the way through I thought, "Wait a minute...what if...??!!" I had figured out the big twist, but I had to sit for a bit, staring off into space, trying to figure it all out in my head and see if it all fit into place. I thought, "I think THIS could be what's going on...! Wow!" And that's what really sealed the deal for me with the book. Sometimes when you figure out a twist it just seems too obvious, or you think," Of course this is what's happening. You are being too heavy-handed, author!" and roll your eyes. But in this case I thought it was very well-done, and the fall-out from revealing the twist really gave it serious impact. The ending was great, too. I have to admit I teared up at the last page. My only real issue was with Saffy. She was supposed to be an important character but she came across as whiny, petulant, and pouty to me--but she did redeem herself a bit at the very end. I really liked Lorna, Rose, and Theo much more than Saffy.
This book is full of tension, old mysteries, motherly love, and secrets that people will kill to keep hidden.
If you are looking for a great mystery, I would absolutely recommend this book.

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Monday, July 25, 2022

Review: The Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received and ARC of this book.
I really enjoyed this book. It was compelling, atmospheric, evocative, and a bit creepy; all while telling a timely and timeless story.
Leigh Welles suddenly returns to the small remote Scottish island where she grew up after receiving word that her father has drowned as the result of an accident. Leigh moved to "the mainland" after WWII to find her way in the world, but was unsuccessful, and feels a bit embarrassed and ashamed among the people she left behind. Iain MacTavish is a former RAF pilot who lost a great deal in the war and has returned to the island to try to find a way to rejoin post-war life. Both have returned to a different island, however, during the strange and eldritch month of October. Every year, from October 1st to the 31st, the sluagh flock to the island in great numbers. Named for the legendary Celtic "lost souls," these birds have always been eerie and disconcerting. But is seems that in the past several years the birds have taken on even more dark and ominous and behavior. Amidst the threat of the birds, a teenager goes missing, and Leigh and Iain feel obligated to discover not only what has happened to him, but also what might be the truth behind what is happening on their island.
The author does a wonderful job right off the bat of creating an atmosphere of isolation, desolation, and slight dread. As soon as Leigh returns and the first sluagh show up, the reader knows that something strange and perhaps otherworldly is going on. The fact that the islanders completely accept the dangerous and escalating behavior of the birds adds to the feeling of almost mythological preternaturalness. When Hugo disappears the tension and creepiness of the story are ratcheted up, and--while the story has an almost ethereal and unhurriedly mythic fable-like quality--it becomes very gripping and is very difficult to put down.
Another great aspect of the book was the way tragedy, loss, grief, and sadness are woven in, both literally and allegorically. The residents of the island have faced unspeakable hardships both during and after WWII, and the way they have dealt and are dealing with these issues are extremely significant--both for their time and the present day. Whatever dark force has a grip on the island must be addressed, and if the islanders cannot come to terms with it, the force may completely take control of the windswept speck of land.
I would certainly recommend this book. It tells a very relevant tale in a lyrical, slightly frightening, and hauntingly poignant way. It would be perfect for a rainy October day. If you enjoy historical fiction, magical realism, Celtic mythology, or a creepy tale, you should definitely check this book out.

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