Review: The Makoto Murders

The Makoto Murders by Richard Jerram
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by David Lee Huynh
Presented by Dreamscape Media

Odd and uncomfortable, but fun for exactly that reason!

I get the Dexter comparisons - this book is told by a serial killer who just wants to be loved and admired again for his photography. Cannot see anything wrong with that, nor the stalking of a friend's ex-wife. Poor guy.

Obviously, he's a psychopath.

It's an interesting story because it's told from the point of view of this loathsome guy, who clearly can't see anything wrong with his very wrong actions. There's no sympathy, of course - just more this baffling understanding that, wow, this guy really has no idea he's awful??? As the story progresses, we learn more from his unreliable narration and form a better understanding of what drives him.

I liked reading from this perspective - it made things a lot more fun. At the same time, there's nothing to like about this guy and there's no sympathy for the victims by nature of the narration, so it feels a bit disappointing. It's hard to really enjoy a book when you don't like the main character.

The narrator did a great job differentiating between characters, and adding excitement to the delivery. Pace was decent and his voice was entertaining.

It didn't quite live up to my expectations, but it was still a fun crime story from the perspective of a killer, making it different to the normal fare. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as gripping as I wanted it to be. Still, I'd recommend it for crime fans looking for a fresh perspective, and fans of Dexter in particular should appreciate it.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

View all my reviews

Review: The Whisper

The Whisper by Chelsea Iversen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Beth Hicks
Presented by Sourcebooks Audio

Wow I actually loved this!

A classic small town mystery - four close friends; one dies, and 15 years later the other three come together to work out what really happened.

But now add a sprinkle of magic witches.

I know that's gonna rub some people the wrong way but I rather enjoyed it - it gave an interesting point of difference to an old, familiar story. This one delves more into the relationships between the girls and the mystery of what happened to Quinn, but the witchy element was a lot of fun and just added a dash of lightness that I felt made the characters more likeable.

The audio was great fun and the narrator was easy to listen to, though the three girls do sound very similar in delivery which can get confusing at times. The pace was perfect and inflection matched the story well. I'd happily listen to this narrator again.

It was exactly the kind of crime dose I needed, and I really enjoyed it. No spacing out on this one at all - I was hanging off every word! Highly recommend for crime fans looking for something a little more special.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

View all my reviews

Review: Blacktail

Blacktail by Scott Hawkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A bizarre sort of story, but no less enjoyable because of it. Violent and intriguing, and certainly not for the squeamish.

Blacktail is a half-breed - a wolf/dog mix of unknown paternity. His journey is one of revenge, after experiencing betrayal at the hands of humans.

I really enjoyed this revenge story, but it is a little strange to adapt to quickly. We get a familiar animal vs human set up, but then the story mixes in the supernatural and we have to adjust our idea of everything. I didn't mind it at all, but I did find it a little jarring.

Blacktail does not hold back, leading to some violent incidents that put this book firmly in the horror category. At the same time, there's not a lot of atmospheric horror to hold the tension throughout, so the nature of the story changes as it goes. It's this that really held me back from embracing it fully. I enjoyed the idea, the incidents, and the gruesome nature of it, but some of the wandering in between left me a little disappointed and honestly? kind of bored.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I found the uniqueness of it to be quite attractive. It's such an unusual story, filled with fresh concepts and a unique breed of horror that has the reader questioning whether they're on the right side of the man vs nature divide. There's something quite special about murderous animals - at least to me, anyway.

So it's definitely worth a shot if you're looking for horror with an animal protagonist, and/or something a little different to the usual fare.

With thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC

View all my reviews

Review: Season of Fear

Season of Fear by Emily Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yes I rather enjoyed this one!

A dark fantasy inspired by Bavarian folklore, the story sees fearless Ilse journeying into the Hexenwald to find her fear, in order to slake the thirst of the Saint of Fear and, in doing so, save her sister, Thea.

Fascinating premise, and a fresh folk tale unlike others I've read. Ilse is an easy protagonist to like, despite her being ostracised by her village - her fearlessness makes her an outcast to them, but more appealing to us.

The concept of having no fear was really interesting to me, and I enjoyed reading about how she experienced situations that would cause most people fear. She still feels deep emotions, but more often its anger.

It did start to feel a little long towards the end, and I was mystified by the days spent in between events sometimes, as the urgency I felt wasn't matched by Ilse's actions. It did drag a little at these times so it did end up feeling a little long to me. Thankfully, though, it seemed to tidy up every loose thread.

There is of course a love story, too, but it's sweet and not explicit so I didn't mind it.

A solid dark fantasy with some fun moments and surprises. A fun story I highly recommend giving a go.

View all my reviews

Review: Riftborne

Riftborne by Bree Grenwich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had a lot of fun with this!

Finally a romantasy that remembered to include an exciting plot.

I really enjoyed the setup - could have done with out the romance (as always) but I liked the story and it's definitely left me wanting to know more. Very pleased the sequel is only a few weeks away!

A young woman with a terrible power she doesn't know how to control must team up with the Captain of the guards who needs her power to fight a terrible war against an enemy they don't understand.

That's the general vibe, and a familiar trope, but it's everything else that makes this more than just a romantasy.

Fia's friendships are a big part of the story and she's a loyal person who doesn't lose that suddenly because she's smitten. The relationships in this book are meaningful, well-founded and add a genuine likability to Fia in the way she treats those she cares for.

Also strong alchemy vibes which is always just fun for me. I love that kinda stuff in fantasy, the whole 'green' element of nature being such a big part of magic. In fact, everything about this book is 'green' in one way or another and it's my favourite colour so it appealed to me a lot in a very random, abstract kind of way. I don't know how to explain it, but 'green' is a word that describes this book. Read it and tell me I'm lying, I dare you. XD

General Ashford is the typical alpha male - in a position of power, best of the best, arrogant, strong and lordly etc with shirts that cling to his chiseled muscles. But again, once you get past the tropes there is an interesting character there - mostly in the way he interacts with others.

I do get bored reading the same romance plot again and again but this added a bunch of extra stuff I really enjoyed - the whole caste system, with Riftbornes being branded and treated as lesser was quite interesting to explore, and Fia's powers are fascinating. I also loved the concept of the Wraiths, and wanted to know so much more about them. I'll be reading the sequel mostly just to know more about this enemy.

This is definitely a book that sets things up for greater things to come, but I really enjoyed it. The characters are fun (though cliche), the setup is solid and the enemy is intriguing. Fans of romance will enjoy the pace of the relationship between Fia and Laryk, and fantasy fans will enjoy the world-building and hint of more to come. Mystery fans will be intrigued by the wraiths, and action fans will enjoy the blend of drama and the general pace of the novel.

A solid fantasy novel that romance fans should thoroughly enjoy. It's got a little bit of everything, and while it still relies on familiar tropes to push things along, it's also unique enough to sate the appetite of those looking for something fresh. Highly enjoyable and a recommendation for fantasy/romantasy fans.

View all my reviews

Review: Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A quirky, original sort of crime thriller.

An enjoyable read, though I did find the narrator insufferable at times and I was frustrated by the constant allusions to things to come. I hate spoilers with a passion so a book that goes out of its way to tell them really bugs me.

Ernest is a mystery writer arriving at something of a family reunion - located this year at an isolated ski resort. But as the title suggests, his is a family of killers, so when a body turns up in the snow, chaos ensues.

What follows is a mess of clues and red herrings, and Ernest is there to steer us wherever he likes as we go along. I didn't mind the humour, and in fact found it a fun, refreshing addition, but it feels almost like he's talking too much for you to be able to think about the mystery yourself. I guess it's not such a bad thing because it doesn't give you a lot of time to guess what will happen, but I did find it to be a little too much at times.

The mystery itself has so many elements to it, it's impossible to know what's relevant and what's not. I enjoyed trying to weed through it all but ultimately it was too much work to try and figure things out.

I enjoyed this enough that I'd happily read the next in the series, and I'd recommend it as a fresh take on the mystery/thriller genre for crime fans.

View all my reviews

Review: Exit Party

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can continue saying I love everything I've read from this author.

This was another beautiful story. Set a small jump into the future, we begin with a party that has too many people and finish once more with a strong desire to know more of this world.

Mandel has a special way of introducing a unique setting then focusing on how her characters interact with this setting. Once again, I loved getting to know these people and was desperate for any further morsels the author was willing to share. The characters intertwine so beautifully, and each story is its own precious moment.

The ideas in this book were beautiful, sad, tragic, heartwarming ... once again, a whole host of emotions that I was forced to feel and to continue mulling over now that the story has concluded.

Like all of Mandel's novels that I've read so far, this has some character overlap, though I didn't spot it so at least one re-read is in order. This overlap is one of my favourite things about her books, because it means when you're left yearning for more there IS more, in her other books.

Her writing style is candid, telling the story easily yet still evoking such incredible scenes. It's easy to digest what's happening and impossible to predict. There's plenty of symbolism, but some of it will really have you puzzling over what it means and if it does indeed mean anything at all.

This author's work is always hard to put into words, and while this story didn't grab me as intensely as some of her other work, I just really enjoyed the whole reading experience and how it made me feel. Definitely a stronger sense of this being a sci-fi story, but as always subtle and more focused on people than technology.

If you're a fan of her other work, this should be no different. Another wonderful story that will make you think and feel and yearn for more.

With thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC

View all my reviews