This may be the latest post I have ever done. It's been sat half written in my drafts since the end of December. Every time I go to finish it I convince myself that I am shit at book reviews and give up. I'm really struggling with blog motivation at the moment but I am determined to beat it and get some posts written. So here is what I read in December. It's extremely late and I may not be very good at book reviews but it may give you some ideas of what to add to your TBR pile.
"A murder without a body
Eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery returns to her West London home one day to find the house covered in blood and Kate, her mother, gone. All the signs point to murder.
A girl too scared to talk.
Maeve Kerrigan is determined to prove she’s up to her new role as detective sergeant. She suspects Chloe is hiding something, but getting her to open up is impossible.
A detective with everything to prove.
No one on the street is above suspicion. All Maeve needs is one person to talk, but that’s not going to happen. Because even in a case of murder, some secrets are too terrible to share…"
So this is book 7 of the Maeve Kerrigan series and I will definitely be picking up the first one. I wasn't sure how I felt about this book when I started it but I actually ended up really enjoying it. The ending definitely had a twist that I was not expecting. It's very rare that I don't see a twist coming but I was not expecting that. This is different to most crime books as there isn't actually a body. Just an empty house, a missing mum and a lot of blood. How do you investigate a murder without a body?
A Song For The Dying by Stuart MacBride
"He’s back…
Eight years ago, ‘The Inside Man’ murdered four women and left three more in critical condition – all of them with their stomachs slit open and a plastic doll stitched inside.
And then the killer just … disappeared.
Ash Henderson was a Detective Inspector on the initial investigation, but a lot can change in eight years. His family has been destroyed, his career is in tatters, and one of Oldcastle’s most vicious criminals is making sure he spends the rest of his life in prison.
Now a nurse has turned up dead, a plastic doll buried beneath her skin, and it looks as if Ash might finally get a shot at redemption. At earning his freedom.
At revenge."
Turns out I've done my usual and ended up reading the second book in a series again. I'm not in a rush to read the first though. The back story is explained enough to know what's happening but it obviously spoils the ending of the first book. I'm not that bothered though because I really didn't enjoy this one. I had to finish it because I wanted to know what happened and who the killer was so I forced myself to read it for a whole day just to get it over with.
I hated the main character which makes enjoying a book difficult. He's super angry and beyond aggressive. Although to be fair there wasn't a single character I did like. There were too many to keep track of and I kept getting lost. Since finishing I could probably name 2 of the characters. The storyline was difficult to follow which left me bored and waiting for it to be over. I love a good gory read but the violence in this was just over the top and unnecessarily grim. Other parts were just beyond ridiculous.
Unfortunately I don't think there was anything I liked about this book.
The Obsession by Nora Roberts
"Naomi Carson is a survivor. As a child, her family was torn apart by a shocking crime. It could have destroyed her, but Naomi has grown up strong, with a passion for photography that has taken her all around the world.
Now, at last, she has decided to put down roots. The beautiful old house on Point Bluff needs work, but Naomi has new friends in town who are willing to help, including Xander Keaton - gorgeous, infuriating and determined to win her heart.
But as Naomi plans for the future, her past is catching up with her. Someone in town knows her terrifying secret - and won't let her forget it. As her new home is rocked by violence, Naomi must discover her persecutor's identity, before it's too late."
My feelings about this one are definitely mixed. It started off with such a gripping first chapter but kind of lost its way a bit. Naomi moves to a house that needs a lot of work and a huge chunk of this book is about colour schemes and DIY. If you're into doing up houses and matching your crockery to your kitchen cupboards then this is definitely for you. I guessed who the bad guy was pretty quickly as well. It's definitely an obvious one. I also hated the fact that the who dunnit, attack of the damsel and the why is wrapped up in 11 pages. It's a 528 page book and it's all done in 11 pages and finished completely in a further 9. I hate it when books build it up for so long and then just hurry to get it all done. All that being said the romance side was cute, there's an adorable dog, the majority of the characters are all super likeable and I did enjoy the storyline.
Presumed Guilty by Tess Gerritsen
"Guilty – until proven innocent
Miranda Wood arrives home to a dark, cold cottage – and a man, stabbed to death, lying in her bed. Miranda is the obvious suspect, and she looks even guiltier when her bail is paid by an anonymous donor.
As Miranda fights to clear her name, she unearths a murky history of blackmail, corruption and scandal. As she gets closer to the truth, it becomes clear that someone else wants to kill Miranda – someone with a personal reason for wanting her out of the way…"
Just going to get it out there that the romance side of this one is pretty funny. No spoiler but who the romance interest is would surely just be awkward if it were to happen in real life. Apart from that I did enjoy this book. It's on the shorter side compared to most of books I've read recently. It's an easy read with both murder and romance. I probably suspected everyone and never really had an idea of who it was until nearer the end. I loved that the story line follows Miranda trying to prove her innocence when no one believes her. It makes it even more tense. I've never read any of Tess Gerritsen's work before but I will definitely be picking up some more asap.
Beth...x
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