Friday Face-Off: Brown
Posted on March 20, 2020 25 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
~ a cover that is BROWN
Mogsy’s Pick:
The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
Today’s theme was challenging. Finding covers that are brown wasn’t as much the problem as finding ones that were actually interesting and not so dull and drab. But I think I found a good choice in The Dead House, a YA horror written in the epistolary style and presented as a beautiful visual collection of materials that included diary entries, interview transcripts, news articles, emails, descriptions of video footage, etc. I thought the covers available were pretty cool too:
From left to right:
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2015) – Orion Children’s Books (2015) – French Edition (2020)
Winner:
Dawn Kurtagich’s books tend to have very different covers between the US and UK editions (and sometimes even different titles) and The Dead House is no exception. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that a new French edition had come out recently, and it’s quite nice too. But at the end of the day, my favorite is probably the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers edition. It’s eerie and atmospheric, and I love the imagery of the veinous looking tree branches behind the girl or whatever they are.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Audiobook Review: Cries From the Lost Island by Kathleen O’Neal Gear
Posted on March 19, 2020 17 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Cries From the Lost Island by Kathleen O’Neal Gear
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1/Stand Alone
Publisher: Tantor Audio (March 10, 2020)
Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
Author Information: Website
Narrator: Charlie Thurston
So I’m pretty sure this is my background in anthropology talking, but I really enjoyed this. Coupled with my general interest in ancient Rome and Ptolemaic Egypt, it made Cries from the Lost Island by Kathleen O’Neal Gear a delightful escape for this archaeology and history nerd.
The protagonist of this story is sixteen-year-old Halloran Stevens, a smart but socially awkward high school student. His only friends are Roberto, grungy biker and self-proclaimed witch extraordinaire, and Cleo Mallawi, who moved to Colorado to live with her aunt and uncle after her parents were killed in the revolution that rocked Egypt a few years ago. Hal has never met anyone like Cleo before. Intelligent, cultured, and a bit of a social outcast just like him, Cleo comes from a family of scholars and archaeologists, and has a deep knowledge of her country’s history and mythology. She also claims to be the reincarnation of Queen Cleopatra, and that she had killed her first demon with her father’s pistol at the age of ten. Everyone else thinks she’s not quite right in the head, her delusions caused by the trauma of losing her parents. But to Hal, Cleo was the most fascinating and beautiful girl who had ever lived. And despite himself, he believed in all her stories.
Then one day, a frightened and distraught Cleo comes to Hal asking for his help, convinced that more demons are after her. She shows him an ancient medallion that her father had uncovered in a dig site in Egypt and given to her before he died. Hal was the only one Cleo could trust, and she needed him to keep the medallion safe, and let no one—especially her aunt and uncle—get their hands on it. But not long after that, tragedy strikes, and Cleo is found murdered in the woods near her home. A grief-stricken Hal then starts having visions and hearing voices that he is sure belonged to Cleo, even though it should be impossible…unless everything she had told him was the truth. Now his next step is to return the medallion to Egypt, so that the spirit of Cleopatra can finally rest in everlasting peace with the love of her life, Marc Antony. And Hal knows just how he can pull it off. Together with his best friend Roberto, the two of them decide to go along with the pretense of being students traveling abroad with Cleo’s uncle, the famed archaeologist Dr. James Moriarity—the very man who had tried to take away her medallion. The professor claims he only wants to help, but Hal knows better than to trust anyone with the quest he had been given. After all, the soul of Cleopatra depends on it.
As much as I enjoyed Cries from the Lost Island, I will say this: the book’s not perfect and it has a lot of flaws. The first thing I noticed was that it had very strong young adult vibes. I didn’t mind, but others heading into this under the impression this would have a more mature feel are going to be disappointed. Hal is sixteen, and to the author’s credit, his character is written to act and sound his age. Prose is dialogue heavy, and conversations between Hal and Roberto are packed with the usual teen banter you’d expect. This is also less of an action-adventure novel in the style of Indiana Jones and more of an adventurous mystery steeped in historical intrigue. If you’re not too interested in Egyptian mythology and history or the minutiae of the archaeological process, the middle sections of the novel will likely pose a struggle. But if you’re into that kind of stuff, you’ll have a much better time.
Granted, the plot was a bit scattered and pacing could have been better. The beginning of the book is a flurry of activity, from Cleo’s murder to the boys’ journey to Egypt. It’s when they arrive at Moriarity’s dig site where the momentum stalls, and here Hal seems to spin his wheels waiting something for something to happen, rather than take control of his own quest. An author should also balance the need to provide background knowledge to the reader without going overboard. Admittedly, there are times when Gear comes dangerously close to info dumping, and here is where my own personal experiences, education, and interests might have shielded me and made me a lot more tolerant to it.
Without Roberto, I also don’t think I would’ve had nearly as much fun with this book. Hands down, one of the best characters I’ve read so far this year. He’s completely irreverent, politically incorrect, and full of shit half the time, but he brought energy and humor to the story, especially when things dragged and needed an extra boost. The protagonist might have ben Hal, but Roberto definitely stole the show.
All told, Cries from the Lost Island can be a great read if you are into its premise and subjects. It not, it can be a little tougher. There’s a good story here though, if you forgive some of its minor missteps like pacing and some plot meandering, and in any case, it makes up for these with its fascinating historical fiction and paranormal elements, plenty of quippy dialogue, and moments of adventure and humor. If you’re interested in archaeology and Egypt, it’s worth giving it a shot.
Audiobook Comments: Great narration by Charlie Thurston. The story called for a lot of different voices, accents and speaking styles, and I think he did them all very well. A solid performance, and an enjoyable audiobook overall.
Waiting on Wednesday 03/18/20
Posted on March 18, 2020 22 Comments
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (September 29, 2020 by Del Rey Books)
Who all is excited about this one with me! I love Naomi Novik’s work, but after feeling so-so about Spinning Silver, I’m looking forward to see how this one will go, especially since it sounds pretty dark.
“From the New York Times bestselling author of Uprooted and Spinning Silver comes the story of an unwilling dark sorceress who is destined to rewrite the rules of magic.
I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life.
Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I’m concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I’m not joining his pack of adoring fans.
I don’t need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts, I’m probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I’ll level mountains and kill untold millions, make myself the dark queen of the world.
At least, that’s what the world expects me to do. Most of the other students in here would be delighted if Orion killed me like one more evil thing that’s crawled out of the drains. Sometimes I think they want me to turn into the evil witch they assume I am. The school itself certainly does.
But the Scholomance isn’t getting what it wants from me. And neither is Orion Lake. I may not be anyone’s idea of the shining hero, but I’m going to make it out of this place alive, and I’m not going to slaughter thousands to do it, either.
Although I’m giving serious consideration to just one.
With flawless mastery, Naomi Novik creates a heroine for the ages—a character so sharply realized and so richly nuanced that she will live on in hearts and minds for generations to come.”
Book Review: Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack
Posted on March 17, 2020 21 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Science Fiction, Media Tie-In
Series: Star Trek: Picard
Publisher: Pocket Books/Star Trek (February 11, 2020)
Length: 336 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Confession: I haven’t started watching the new Star Trek: Picard TV series yet. I’m a big Star Trek fan, but I mustered up all the self-restraint I had and held off after being alerted that I would be receiving a review copy of The Last Best Hope, for the same finicky reasons I read Star Wars: Catalyst before watching Rogue One or Durotan by Christie Golden before the Warcraft movie. I’m something of a media tie-in addict, and prequel novels are particularly irresistible to me. While these books rarely add anything critical to the plotline for those who don’t read them, I nevertheless appreciate the way they flesh out the stories and provide background information.
From what I’ve seen though, having this novel under your belt before watching the show actually sounds quite helpful. Covering the period between the discovery of the Romulan supernova to the start of Star Trek: Picard, The Last Best Hope gives the backstory for the major players like Jean Luc Picard, Raffi Musiker, Bruce Maddox and others, chronicling the events surrounding the Romulan evacuation and the fallout which ultimately led to the resignation of the titular character from his beloved Starfleet.
As the story begins, Picard is promoted to Admiral and given the enormous, arguably impossible task of overseeing the transport and relocation of Romulan refugees before their planet is swallowed up by an exploding star. Not only is time running out, the demands of such a monumental mission is going to cost a lot in terms of funds and manpower—neither of which the Federation really has enough to give. Resources will have to be siphoned from already struggling worlds, leading to dissatisfaction from those community leaders as well as scientists who are upset that their own research will be put on hold, not to mention the general skepticism from certain corners expressing concern over helping a former enemy. To make matters worse, the Romulans are a proud people who don’t always seem to appreciate the Federation’s offer of goodwill. Already, there have been many cases of deliberate miscommunication and cultural clashes.
First off, let me say that I’m a big fan of Una McCormack’s work. She is no stranger to media tie-ins, having written novels for Star Trek in the past as well as Doctor Who, which I have enjoyed. She’s indubitably the right person to tap for The Last Best Hope, with her ability to convey the solemnity and emotional impact behind a lot of the events in this book. She also has a talent for exploring the human side of things with a focus on individual character motivations and their interpersonal relationships, all of which are important to the understanding the story’s subjects and themes. As a franchise, Star Trek has always drawn on real-world issues and topical matters in our society for inspiration, and this novel is no different. Just as you’d expect, it’s complicated. Nothing is ever black and white, and sometimes there simply aren’t clear solutions to the questions asked.
That, in essence, is what I think makes this book so fascinating. The author presents the situation from all sides, and whether or not you agree with the any of the characters involved, each point-of-view is a fully realized and sympathetic position. I’ve read a great many media tie-in novels in my years as a reviewer, and The Last Best Hope might be one of the deeper, more thought-provoking ones I’ve come across. It’s also a bit heartbreaking. If you have even the slightest inkling of the premise behind Star Trek: Picard, you already know the character and Starfleet had parted ways for reasons never made public by either party. The circumstances behind that split are revealed at the end of this book, not sparing any of the painful and unpleasant details, so in some ways, knowing that it’s coming made this one a heavy read from the start.
Still, I imagine that’s where the show will come in, an uplifting force to counteract the gloom, hence why I am doubly glad I decided to read this before watching the series. While The Last Best Hope reads perfectly fine as a standalone, I have no doubt it will also make the experience of watching Star Trek: Picard feel fuller and more rewarding. You will also get the backstories for a lot of the key characters, which is personally the biggest motivator for me to pick up any tie-in novel. Bottom line, if you’re a fan of the show, I would highly recommend picking this up to complement the experience.
Book Review: Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs
Posted on March 16, 2020 21 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 12 of Mercy Thompson
Publisher: Ace (March 17, 2020)
Length: 368 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Along with the Dresden Files, the Mercy Thompson series is one of the longest-running urban fantasy series I’m currently following right now, and I gotta say, at twelve books it’s still going strong. Granted, we’ve had some ups and downs with the last few installments, but Smoke Bitten puts us back on track with some intense paranormal action and good old-fashioned intrigue.
Of course, we have Underhill to thank for most of that. Obviously, if you haven’t read all the books up to this point, you might want to catch up before proceeding with this review as it may contain spoilers for the previous volumes, and Underhill definitely counts as one of these major plot developments. Also known as the fae realm, Underhill has opened one of her gateways quite literally into Mercy’s backyard, letting through a lot of strange types—and strange vibes. Not that Mercy needs any more complications in her already drama-filled life. Her relationship with Adam has been quite strained lately, thanks to the meddling by his manipulative ex-wife. After one particularly heated conversation, Mercy decides to take a brisk walk to cool her temper, and that’s when she hears the gunshots.
To her shock, she finds two of her neighbors dead from an apparent murder-suicide. But something about the situation feels very wrong, and as usual, Mercy’s suspicions prove correct. This tragedy had the mark of Underhill all over it, a place where only the deadliest, trickiest creatures have managed to survive in the aftermath of the great fae exodus, which left the realm lawless and unguarded. Now something malicious has passed through its gates into this world, something capable of taking the form of anyone it chooses. Worse, it can also seize control of anyone it bites, stealing their memories and knowledge. And unfortunately, its rampage has just begun.
After the rather stagnant feel of the previous books, it’s nice to see Smoke Bitten return the series to fine form. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a fan of Mercy Thompson for a long time and that’s not about to change. Still, we’re talking about a series that encompasses a dozen novels, not to mention all the spin-offs and anthologies it has spawned. All these stories add up, and thus you end up with the difficult challenge of balancing years of history along with the repercussions, while trying to come up with new ideas to keep things fresh. I certainly don’t envy this part of the author’s job, considering how she’s also been juggling the Alpha & Omega series, so on some level, it’s really no surprise that pack drama and supernatural politics take up a lot of page time in her books.
Still, it can get tiring, which is why I personally found Smoke Bitten so revitalizing. Compared to Storm Cursed, which I had described as being too unfocused and bogged down by useless posturing and talk, this book saw Mercy plunge right back into the action, taking charge and kicking ass. I guess if there’s one positive thing about the previous installment feeling too much like a “bridge book” is that it ultimately led to plenty of compelling developments in this one. I do so enjoy the way Mercy gets the other werewolves to follow her lead, as well as stand on even footing with Adam. As a coyote shifter, she’s part of the pack but not bound by the strict rules of their magic, and I think it’s important that she never allows anyone to forget she is her own person.
And speaking of Adam, there are some marriage woes in Smoke Bitten, and I’m still of two minds about it. On the one hand, I adore the passion between Mercy and Adam, as well as the strength of the love they have for each other. It honestly pained me to read about the problems in their relationship. Yet on the other hand, given how Adam’s issues were a direct consequence of certain events that happened in Storm Cursed, they weren’t completely unexpected and hence Briggs can’t really be faulted for throwing in unnecessary drama. I don’t want to go into any more detail than that for fear of spoilers, but what I will say is that the issues Mercy and Adam faced here were very unique and, if nothing else, an interesting way to test their bond. At the end of the day, I believe they are an even stronger couple now for having weathered through it.
Bottom line, I will always love the Mercy Thompson books. While some are going to be better than others, it frankly amazes me that we are on book twelve and I still find the series as fun and engaging as the day I first picked up Moon Called years ago. The world only gets richer and more vivid with time, with the characters feeling deeper and more alive and rewarding to follow.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Reread of River Marked (Book 6)
Review of Night Broken (Book 8)
Review of Fire Touched (Book 9)
Review of Silence Fallen (Book 10)
Review of Storm Cursed (Book 11)
Review of Shifting Shadows (Anthology)
YA Weekend Audio: Red Hood by Elana K. Arnold
Posted on March 15, 2020 20 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 1.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Harper Audio (February 25, 2020)
Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Bisou was just a little girl when her mother was murdered. After that, she came under the care of her grandmother, Mémé, moving to live with her in the Pacific Northwest. There, she grew into a teenager, went to high school, starting dating James, a popular boy on the basketball team. Then, on the night of the homecoming dance, she gets her first period—while in a very intimate situation with James in his car. Shocked, panicked, and embarrassed, Bisou flees for home, taking a route through the dark woods. It was then that the wolf attacked, drawn to the scent of her blood. Fighting for her life, Bisou manages to drive a stick through the vicious wolf’s eye and force it, in its blinded rage, to slam into a tree with its momentum and break its neck.
The next day dawns with normalcy, with Bisou shaken but unharmed, having kept her night’s encounter with the wolf a secret. But at school, dire news has unsettled the student body. Early in the morning, the naked body of Tucker, a star basketball player, had been found in the woods, his neck broken and his eye ruined. Even though she knows that it should be impossible, that stories of boys transforming into beasts is the stuff of fairy tales, Bisou understands deep down that Tucker had to have been the wolf in the woods last night. And she had killed him.
Now everyone is asking difficult questions, from the local police to Keisha, Bisou’s inquisitive classmate on the school newspaper. Apparently, the town has seen something like this before a generation or two ago, and whatever it was seems to be happening again. Sure enough, a month later, Keisha is attacked by another wolf, though this time, Bisou knew what to expect and was ready. Still, it is a mystery why boys are inexplicably turning into wolves, and why somehow the danger in the woods always seems to call to Bisou when the moon is full and she is on her menstrual cycle. Thankfully, Mémé may have some answers to that.
Before I start, I feel I should make it clear that I am reviewing the audiobook edition of Red Hood, which may have greatly affected my enjoyment—or the lack of it. I find that the audio format tends to accentuate certain quirks in the writing, making things like purple prose or unique stylist choices more obvious, and this was most definitely the case with this novel, which was written almost entirely in the second person. This narrative mode is tricky to begin with, and it’s incredibly awkward when done poorly. Any weaknesses in the prose are very obvious when you listen to it being read aloud, and that can be incredibly jarring. So with that being said, I absolutely hated the second person perspective in this, to the point where listening to it actually pained me, like a toothache that never went away and that you couldn’t ignore. While I believe it’s a bold choice for any author to attempt to write in the second person, unfortunately I just don’t think Elana K. Arnold was able to pull it off. Again, I stress that my experience might be due to the format; the second person narrative mode will likely feel different or better reading this book in print, but in audio it was distracting to the extreme.
Also, I’m not sure the themes in the story helped. I think the line between a book delivering a good message versus being preachy is very thin, and at times Red Hood falls on the wrong side of it because it is very open about its agenda. This is not an issue in and of itself, and I think it’s wonderful that there’s a market right now for feminist activism in YA fantasy and how some stories choose to send those messages in a way that’s loud, clear, and unashamed. Personally though, I prefer my books—especially my fiction—to be a little more perceptive and subtle. But from the violent themes of resistance to a character who was very clearly a mouthpiece for the author’s own views, the female empowerment message is ever present but often comes across muddled or misguided, not to mention how poorly some of its components are integrated into the plot. As well, let’s not forget James, the only good representation of masculinity, whose portrayal was as hollow and sincere as a plastic bucket. And finally, there was the over-sensationalism. Though I doubt it was Arnold’s intent (or at least, I hope it wasn’t), some of the more graphic descriptions of sexual acts and the messy realities of menstruation did not work for me, feeling less like a brave celebration of femaleness and more like exploitation of it for shock value’s sake, which was saddening and a disappointment.
Bottom line, I think Red Hood is a novel you will either embrace or reject, depending on your expectations. It’s also likely that readers who have the print version (or audio listeners who aren’t as picky as I am) will have a better time with it. January LaVoy did the narration for the audiobook, and even though I love her work, not even her solid performance could overcome the more distracting elements in the writing. All in all, sadly I can’t say this book was my cup of tea.
Bookshelf Roundup 03/14/20: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on March 14, 2020 27 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I summarize what I’ve finished reading in the last week and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
Received for Review
My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!
First a huge thanks to Saga Press for this trio of ARCs I received last week: The Down Days by Ilze Hugo is a magical realism debut, The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell a high fantasy novel of magic and political intrigue, and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones is a described as a creeping supernatural horror. Really looking forward to diving into these beauties, which all have release dates in May.
With thanks also to Orbit books for We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson which was a surprise arrival, but a very welcome one. This book was a finalist in the fourth SPFBO and I’ve been curious about it ever since it started racking up all these high marks from every judge in the competition.
Also thank you to Tor.com for sending along finished copies of The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo and Anthropocene Rag by Alex Irvine. I hope to knock at least one of both of these off my TBR before the end of the month!
And a special shout out to Flame Tree Press and Smith Publicity for sending along an ARC of The Wise Friend by Ramsey Campbell, a horror novel of the occult which has been on my radar for a while. As a bonus, a review copy of The Garden of Bewitchment by Catherine Cavendish was also enclosed because of my interest in atmospheric Gothic horror, as well as a copy of Slash by Hunter Shea because I had made a comment about how long I’ve wanted to try his work. I was incredibly touched by the kind gesture, and also by the inclusion of this cool hardcover journal, which will definitely come in handy when I do my reading notes.
In the digital pile, I was so happy to pick up an advance listening copy of Night of the Dragon by Julie Kagawa from Harper Audio. I cannot wait to read the conclusion to this epic YA trilogy.
Reviews
No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez (4.5 of 5 stars)
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller (4 of 5 stars)
The Seventh Sun by Lani Forbes (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Deep by Alma Katsu (3 of 5 stars)
Roundup Highlights:
This Week’s Reads
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read! Let me know what you plan on checking out. Until next time, see you next Roundup!
Friday Face-Off: Exotic
Posted on March 13, 2020 20 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
“That which yields, is not always weak”
~ a cover that is EXOTIC
Mogsy’s Pick:
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
When I saw this week’s topic, I immediately thought of City of Brass. Exquisite, spellbinding, and exotic are all words that perfectly describe this gorgeously written novel, and I remember well the way it transported me to its rich world of fantasy and magic. The book has been graced with a couple of beautiful covers as well, and today I want to feature and compare the US and UK editions:
HarperVoyager US (2017) vs. HarperVoyager UK (2018)
Winner:
I’m definitely biased today, as the US version is the one I own, and it is even more stunning in person. I just love the fiery contrast of the colors and gold embossed detail.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Book Review: No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez
Posted on March 12, 2020 25 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: William Morrow
Length: 312 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Whew, I definitely needed a moment to catch my breath after this one. In a word, No Bad Deed was wild. So wild, it admittedly required a fair bit of suspension of disbelief, but I do so enjoy books like these that are full of twists and high stakes. It’s the kind of suspense thrillers that I live for.
It all started one rainy night, while diving home from work, Cassie witnesses a man brutally beating a woman at the side of the road. As a veterinarian, our protagonist’s first instinct is to help those in need, prompting her to pull over right away to put a stop to the attack. That’s how she first meets Carver Sweet, a convicted murderer, who would have killed again if Cassie hadn’t intervened. Leaving his victim broken and bloody in a ditch, he issues a warning: “Let her die, and I’ll let you live.” Then he steals Cassie’s idling car and speeds away, along with everything in it—including her purse containing her keys, wallet and driver’s license. With that, a dangerous criminal now knows everything about her, including her name and where she lives.
Still, Carver’s words be damned, Cassie saves the injured woman’s life. After giving her statement to the cops and watching the ambulance carry the victim off, Cassie returns home to her family, informing her husband Sam of what happened and cautioning him to change the locks. They have an uneventful night, until the next day, Halloween. After working late again, Cassie comes home to an empty house, learning that her teenage son Leo had gone to a friend’s and that Sam had taken their young daughter Audrey out trick or treating. Thinking everything is fine, Cassie lets herself drift off to a nap…only to wake up to silence and darkness, filled with a sense of dread. It was late, and Sam and Audrey had not come home. Calls to Sam’s phone also go unanswered. Finally, Cassie decides to go out and look for her husband and daughter, to discover that Audrey had been left in the care of a neighborhood woman. Sam had told his six-year-old that he would be right back…but never returned.
Worried and confused, Cassie can’t help but think her husband’s disappearance has something to do with Carver Sweet, who has everything he needs to find out about her family, her job, her whole life. Since the woman she had saved last night had survived, is Carver now making good on his threat by first coming after those Cassie loves? Or is there something else going on with Sam, who had been growing distant and more secretive in the past few months? The police aren’t much help, as there’s evidence to suggest that Sam might have left willingly on his own. Of course, the possibility that her husband was having an affair devastates Cassie, but that still doesn’t explain why he would abandon Leo and Audrey, his children that he adored more than anything in the world. There’s more happening here that meets the eye, and Cassie intends to find out the truth, especially when it becomes clear that everyone close to her will remain in danger until she does.
Like many folks, I always try to predict the outcome whenever I’m reading a mystery or thriller, but there I was, trying to do the same with No Bad Deed and finding myself completely blindsided at every turn. Not gonna lie, the story employs no small amount of absurdity and plenty of over-the-top twists to achieve this, but my addiction to this novel was so complete that I was beyond caring about the odd logical leap. Quite honestly, I’m at a loss as to where to begin with my review, because I feel like any discussion of the aspects I enjoyed would risk giving away some of the plot—this book was simply the type of intricately layered, tightly wound thriller with tiny clues and traps connected at every level.
What I will say is I’ll never get tired of the amateur lady sleuth archetype that you tend to find in so many of these domestic suspense thrillers. Speaking of logical leaps, these stories always require the police to have their hands tied for whatever reason, leaving our protagonist with no choice but to take on the investigative duties herself. Thing is though, Cassie is a disaster when it comes to this kind of work. She’s impulsive, careless, utterly clueless as to how to cover her tracks or protect herself. But instead of feeling frustrated, I thought these traits further highlighted just how deep in over her head our protagonist was, which added to the entertainment. And of course, when it came to Leo and Audrey, Cassie was as fierce as a lioness defending her cubs. The love, loyalty, and tenacity she displayed made her an admirable character in my eyes, not to mention that at her core she is a good person—the kind who would work pro bono to save a dog, or to pull over in a rainstorm to stop a vicious attack even at the risk to her own life. It made it easy to root for her.
Despite its flaws (namely the more far-fetched parts of the story and some dunderheadedness on the protagonist’s part), I’m giving No Bad Deed high marks for being able to so thoroughly suck me in and for leaving me with a massive book hangover. One of the most exhilarating and compulsive thrillers I’ve read this year!
Waiting on Wednesday 03/11/20
Posted on March 11, 2020 15 Comments
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
The End of Her by Shari Lapena (July 28, 2020 by Pamela Dorman Books)
Very excited about another upcoming domestic thriller-suspense by Shari Lapena!
“In upstate New York, Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin babies. The girls are a handful, but Stephanie doesn’t mind being a stay-at-home mom, taking care of them while Patrick does the nine to five to pay the bills.
When a woman from Patrick’s past drops in on them unexpectedly, raising questions about his late first wife, Stephanie supports her husband wholeheartedly. She knows the car accident all those many years ago was just that–an accident. But Erica is persistent, and now she’s threatening to go to the police.
Patrick is afraid his job–and his reputation–will be at risk if he doesn’t put an end to Erica’s questioning immediately. And when the police start digging, Stephanie’s trust in her husband begins to falter and Patrick is primed to lose everything he loves. As their marriage crumbles, Stephanie feels herself coming unglued, and soon she isn’t sure what–or who–to believe. Now the most important thing is to protect her girls, but at what cost?”
The BiblioSanctum 