Bookshelf Roundup: 04/17/21: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on April 17, 2021 17 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!
Only a few new arrivals in the mailbox this week, so this update will be a quick one. First, I received an ARC of Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen, with thanks to Minotaur Books. They’ve been sending me a lot of great thrillers lately, and this one’s the opening volume of a new mystery series featuring a female sleuth on the trail of a serial killer after a cold case is reopened.
Courtesy of the kind folks at Grand Central Publishing, I also received Breakout by Paul Herron, which is a thriller as well, but of a different sort. A correctional officer and an ex-cop flee from a Category 5 hurricane in this edgy page-turner, but the only place of refuge is a maximum-security prison where its eight hundred blood-crazed inmates have been released and left to fend for themselves as floodwaters rise. Okay, this sounds totally bonkers, but now I want to read it so badly!
My thanks also to the awesome team at Subterranean Press for an ARC of The Best of David Brin, an anthology described as a major retrospective collection of the author’s short stories, gathered across his career which spans many decades. This is a huge book, containing more than twenty of Brin’s award winning work.
Just one audiobook in the digital haul this week. I’ve been contemplating picking up The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes for a while, but finally decided to get off the fence recently when I saw some promising reviews on Goodreads and high praise from a couple bloggers I follow. When a listening copy was offered to me for review, I took the opportunity, with thanks to Macmillan Audio.
Reviews
The Lost Village by Camilla Sten (4 of 5 stars)
All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter (4 of 5 stars)
The Light of Midnight Stars by Rena Rossner (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme (3 of 5 stars)
What I’ve Been Reading
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: *Grabby Hands*
Posted on April 16, 2021 18 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:
“I have to have it!”
~ a cover that gave you “GRABBY HANDS“
Oh, must we make this a competition? Can’t I just, you know, feature all the new and upcoming releases on my TBR with covers that I fell in love with? 😀
Book Review: The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
Posted on April 15, 2021 30 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Horror
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Minotaur Books (March 23, 2021)
Length: 340 pages
Author Information: Website
The Lost Village is a horror suspense novel following an amateur film crew hoping to make a documentary on the mysterious fate of Silvertjarn, a small Swedish mining town in the late 50’s which saw its entire population of about 900 disappear overnight. Only a newborn baby was found left behind in the schoolhouse, her parents unknown.
Now in the present day, a group of young filmmakers are hoping to travel to the village and discover the truth of what happened. As their leader, Alice has a vested interest in the project, and not only because she has already spent much of the funding that was poured into this documentary and needs it to succeed. Silvertjarn was also the hometown of her grandmother, who lost her parents and beloved little sister when everyone disappeared. Alice’s connection to the village had also led her to befriend Tone, the miracle baby that was found, now all grown up and hoping to tag along and uncover her mysterious origins.
Also part of the team is Alice’s good friend Max, who had done quite well for himself after college, and is now a major financial backer of the film. As well, Alice was forced to hire another one of her old contacts from film school, her once best friend Emmy. Following their epic falling out, things were never quite the same between the two women, but Alice needed a production manager and for some reason Emmy was willing to work for her and bring along her partner Robert, an experienced technician. The two of them also didn’t mind taking a pay cut, which was a big plus, since money was tight.
Alice hopes that she will find something in Silvertjarn to make her documentary a hit and launch her career. But when the five of them arrive at the lost village, nothing goes as planned. One of them suffers a serious injury, jeopardizing their whole schedule. Then there are the strange noises, and the glimpses of a stranger among the broken rundown houses. But surely there can’t be anyone else in these woods but them?
The Lost Village is being pitched as The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar, presumably because of the filmmaking angle and the Swedish setting, respectively. But what it really is something entirely different and on its own. I will say that the book was thoroughly enjoyable, even though it was not without its flaws. It is slow-moving, for one, at least at the beginning, but the mood-building and story development was excellent. The plot unfolds via two timelines, one in the present following our movie crew, and one in the past, which is revealed to us gradually through letters and journal entries written by the close relatives of Alice’s grandmother.
I especially enjoyed these flashback sections to the past, showing us what life in Silvertjarn was like before everyone disappeared, including the devastating closure of the local mine which led to many of its residents moving away to find new work. Some of those who stayed became depressed or turned to drink. For the most part though, this was a tight knit community that supported each other through tough times. But then came the arrival of a mysterious and charismatic new pastor, who changes the fate of the village forever.
Given all that transpires in the past, it’s no wonder I found that timeline more enticing. In fact, one of the criticisms I have is that for about three quarters of the book, much of the present timeline feels uneventful and dull in comparison. When Alice and her team arrive in Silvertjarn, they find a whole lot of nothing. This quiet, eerie and lonely atmosphere was effective only up to a point, however, as tensions around the camp quickly devolve into incessant bickering and handwringing. For a film crew, they also don’t seem to do much or know anything about filmmaking. Granted, this could be due to the problems they run into, but with all these concerns about their limited time, you’d think these characters would have more agency.
Fortunately, the pacing picks up dramatically the closer we get to the ending, as more shocking developments occur in the present and horrible revelations also come to light in the past. The ending could have gone in a number of possible directions, but I thought things came together in the best way they could have. Overall, despite some pacing issues and unevenness in the interest generated between its two timelines, The Lost Village was a good read, for it made up for its minor shortcomings with an intriguing hook and great atmosphere.
Waiting on Wednesday 04/14/21
Posted on April 14, 2021 17 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
Revelator by Daryl Gregory (August 31, 2021 by Knopf Publishing Group)
Looks like 2021 will be a big year for Daryl Gregory, but seeing as his last novel was Spoonbenders in 2017, I’m not complaining. I love his books!
“In 1933, nine-year-old Stella is left in the care of her grandmother, Motty, in the backwoods of Tennessee. These remote hills of the Smoky Mountains are home to dangerous secrets, and soon after she arrives, Stella wanders into a dark cavern where she encounters the family’s personal god, an entity known as the Ghostdaddy.
Years later, after a tragic incident that caused her to flee, Stella–now a professional bootlegger–returns for Motty’s funeral, and to check on the mysterious ten-year-old girl named Sunny that Motty adopted. Sunny appears innocent enough, but she is more powerful than Stella could imagine–and she’s a direct link to Stella’s buried past and her family’s destructive faith.
Haunting and wholly engrossing, summoning mesmerizing voices and giving shape to the dark, Revelator is a southern gothic tale for the ages.”
Book Review: All The Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter
Posted on April 13, 2021 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.
All The Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Titan Books (March 9, 2021)
Length: 368 pages
Author Information: Website
I have several of Angela Slatter’s books on my shelves, but this might be the first full length novel I’ve read by her, and what a wonderful surprise it was! All the Murmuring Bones is an enchanting tale of hidden magic, of dark secrets and mysterious creatures of the sea, and at the center of it all is a fiercely independent young woman who uses her wits and resources to go on a journey of soul searching.
Set in the 19th century on the Irish coast, the story follows protagonist Miren who is last of the “true” O’Malleys, an old family which has long held sway over the local community. But even as their wealth has dwindled over the years and their ancestral home of Hob’s Hallow stands in near ruins, the O’Malley name still much power and influence. For this reason, Miren’s grandmother Aoife has arranged a marriage for her in the hopes of restoring the family’s fortunes. However, while her intended Aidan is a wealthy man, he is also from an offshoot of the family who has always lusted after the O’Malley name and estate, so for him the union will be nothing more than another business transaction.
In a twist of fate though, Miren soon discovers a secret revealed in a collection of her late grandfather’s old letters. Growing up, she’d always been told her parents died when she was a baby, which was why she was raised by her grandparents. But now, she has reason to believe her mother and father are still alive, living at a place called Blackwater. No one knows where that might be, but Miren is determined to find it and confront her parents on why they gave her up. Besides, she has no desire to lose her freedom or to stay at Hob’s Hallow—especially once she realizes the awful bargain her ancestors had struck to ensure the O’Malley’s prosperity, and that Aoife wants to Miren and Aidan follow in their footsteps. With the sudden death of her grandmother, Miren realizes she has no reason left to stay, and so she makes her daring escape.
What follows is a beautifully written tale, with as much adventure as there is danger. Slatter’s prose is flowing and practically flawless, descriptive yet also tinged with a thread of our protagonist’s wry sense of humor. For this reason, while the story frequently edges into darker territory, it still maintained an easy air that prevented the mood from becoming too heavy (and kept me glued to the page). Of course, it helped too that Miren was such a strong and likeable lead, and the injustices of the circumstances she faced made it easy to feel invested in her quest and cheer her on through her struggles.
On top of that, the author does a superb job at setting the scene, creating a vibrant setting populated by mythical creatures like kelpies, ghosts, merfolk, and more. In fact, the world-building is surprisingly well-developed, considering her delicate approach to the paranormal—not with a heavy hand, but giving just enough to give the reader a sense that these elements are as real to the protagonist as the world she lives in. It’s a kind of magic one can feel working from the very first page.
Miren herself is a character that feels very relatable. Although she is resourceful and intelligent, she’s not the most level-headed, her emotions often running close to the surface. Strong feelings are quick to flare up in her, which sometimes leads her to act impulsively, landing her in or out of trouble depending on the situation. The people she meets are also delightful, even the shady scoundrels and ne’er do wells. Truth be told, it kept things interesting, not knowing how Miren would react to the many random surprises or obstacles she encounters along the way, and these unknown wonders also served to drive home the fairy tale inspiration behind her journey.
All told, I found this novel captivating. Slatter knows how to hook the reader, and All the Murmuring Bones certainly held my attention rapt with its indomitable protagonist, artful storytelling, and rich atmosphere.
Book Review: The Light of the Midnight Stars by Rena Rossner
Posted on April 12, 2021 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.
The Light of the Midnight Stars by Rena Rossner
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Redhook (April 13, 2021)
Length: 432 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Rena Rossner’s debut The Sisters of the Winter Wood was an enchanting read for me, and so when I heard that her sophomore novel will be another historical fantasy and folkloric myth blend, I’d hoped that it would work the same magic. And for the most part, it did! That said, there was also an overwhelming amount of information to take in, and I think that might have had a lot to do with my initial struggle to connect with the story and characters.
The Light of the Midnight Stars follows the lives of three sisters growing up with their rabbi father in the Hungarian village of Trnava. As descendants of King Solomon, their family is well respected by the Jewish community, and the girls are each gifted with a magical ability—Hannah, who has the power to heal and make things grow; Sarah, who can command fire and make things burn; and Levana, who can read the secrets of the stars. However, as superstition runs rampant throughout the rest of the village, bringing religious persecution and fear of witchcraft, the sisters don’t dare to make their abilities known.
But then a mysterious black mist descends upon Trnava, causing people to fall deathly ill. Despite her misgivings, Hannah, the oldest sister, makes a bold decision to use her healing, setting off a tragic chain of events leading to her own heartbreak and the upheaval of the town’s Jewish population. After fleeing Trnava, the rabbi and his family find themselves settling in a new place, protecting themselves by hiding their true faith and identities. Emotionally damaged and traumatized though, the sisters have a long journey ahead of them until they can feel whole and ready to live and love again.
Like I said, there is a lot happening here, and what I’ve provided above is just an extremely truncated synopsis. While the deluge of information made the early parts of the novel slow to take off, I still found myself captivated by many points and took to certain aspects of the story right away. As with The Sisters of the Winter Wood, I was impressed with how Rossner combined magic, myth, and history from her interest and experiences with her own Jewish ancestry. Central to the book is the theme of religious belief and identity, and I feel the author did a wonderful job exploring these topics through the eyes of the three sisters, who are each unique in their own way. Subsequently, they also dealt with their individual conflicts by following their own heart’s desires and motivations, developing along their own paths. As such, it is probably no surprise that characterization was superb.
That said, when it comes to books with an information overload at the beginning, my experience is that things typically tend to ease off as the story progresses, gradually dispelling any feelings of confusion or of being swamped. Except, I don’t know if I really got that with this. In part, this was due to the structure of the novel, which cycled between the sisters’ POVs while weaving in the odd interlude. The tricky part comes, however, as some of these chapters are presented differently, as journal entries or in verse, etc., and the frequent injection of side stories and folktales. In fact, the act of storytelling is a very important concept, a key part of the book’s premise and the myriad legends and historical narratives that inspired its foundations. In a way, this does explain how some mythological motifs would pop up again and again, echoing throughout the characters’ past and present. It’s a clear nod to the importance of the oral tradition in preserving heritage and culture, especially where religious parables and folktales are concerned.
Still, that doesn’t mean the format was all that conducive to the reading experience, or that it made things any easier to understand. The plot doesn’t follow a conventional roadmap, and despite this providing the book with a distinct feel, there were nonetheless sections I found somewhat convoluted and difficult to follow.
In sum, I’m going to reiterate a few of the same conclusions I drew for my review The Sisters of the Winter Wood, because I think a lot of it applies here as well. The Light of the Midnight Stars is beautifully written, but it is also less plot focused, emphasizing the characters and their relationships instead. That along with the irregular structure and flow of the novel means that it’s probably not going to be for everyone, but it’s worth checking out if the story’s description along with its inspiration from Jewish culture and Eastern European history interests you.
YA Weekend: The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme
Posted on April 11, 2021 10 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme
Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Tor Teen (March 2, 2021)
Length: 320 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
What I didn’t realize until after I finished The Stolen Kingdom, is that I’d actually read another book by Jillian Boehme, Stormrise. Looking back at my review of it, it appears I found the story enjoyable enough but…well, forgettable. Ultimately, I think this was the problem here as well.
In the kingdom of Perin Faye, magic belongs to the crown, and long ago the royal Thungrave Kings made a pact with dark powers that has now caused widespread suffering throughout the once prosperous land. The hard times have also led to unrest and murmurings of rebellion among the people. Maralyth Graylaern, the daughter of a humble vintner, has had to work longer and harder ever since the death of her mother, and even though their wines are famous for their quality, the family always seem to be struggling to make enough money to keep their business running. Of course, it also doesn’t help that most of their profits go towards paying the king’s exorbitant taxes.
However, Maralyth has a secret. As a child, she discovered she had a magical ability to control the growth of plants, which she has since used to ripen the vineyard’s grapes for years despite being warned by her mother never to reveal her powers. Eventually, she gets found out, precipitating her abduction by a nobleman who recognizes the significance of her magic. Apparently, it is a sign that Maralyth is descended from the Dallowyn bloodline, who are the legitimate rulers to the throne, making her the rightful heir. To install her as queen, they must help her infiltrate the court so that she can get close enough to assassinate the current royal family and seize power.
What Maralyth didn’t expect though, was Alac Thungrave, the king’s second son and reluctant prince. Unlike his father and older brother, he has no desire to rule, and does not much care for using magic. He is immediately drawn to Maralyth, who has disguised herself as the ward of a visiting noble. Not surprisingly, the feeling is mutual, though it does complicate Maralyth’s plans as the attraction between them deepens.
There are good ideas in this book. Readers who enjoy fantasy plots involving power struggles and court intrigue will feel right at home, and for extra drama, there’s also a hearty helping of forbidden romance. But for all that, the story feels rather bland, and I think one reason for this is the author’s reluctance to test the limits or push the envelope of YA fantasy. While the concepts present are solid, their execution left much to be desired. Nothing here really felt all that fresh or innovative, and I feel like I have read many books like it before.
The characterization was also mediocre, though I found both Maralyth and Alac likeable enough. However, they were also underdeveloped, and for me to feel invested in a romance, typically it would require a lot more personality and emotional depth. As such, while the conflicts driving each of them were intriguing and kept me reading, the chemistry between them just wasn’t there.
I felt similarly about the world-building. There were genuine flashes of awesomeness here and there, but it was very unbalanced. I liked the magic, the history, the political connections and the relationship ties, but it seemed Boehme would focus most of her attention on certain aspects and neglect to flesh out others, so the resulting experience was patchy and inconsistent.
Quite honestly, I don’t know what could have been done differently, though I often found myself wishing the author had gone further with her ideas. Perhaps that would have made the story more memorable, but as it is, The Stolen Kingdom will do in a pinch if you’re looking for a quick YA standalone fantasy. Still, even though the paint-by-numbers plot with its cursory romance was entertaining while it lasted, I have my doubts it will stay with me for very long.
Bookshelf Roundup: 04/10/21: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on April 10, 2021 30 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!
With thanks to Saga Press for an ARC of Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace, yet another sci-fi dystopian with a gaming angle–which means yup, I wants this precious! The story centers on a pair of women gamers and friends working together to expose a terrible secret in the popular VR game run by a corporation that controls every aspect of their lives. Very excited to sink my teeth into this one.
Also thank you to Titan Books for a review copy of Birds of Paradise by Oliver K. Langmead. Earlier this week I was honored to be a part of the blog tour for this book, featuring a guest post that the author kindly wrote for us. In case you missed it, you can check it out here!
My thanks also to Tor Books for a finished copy of The Helm of Midnight by Marina Lostetter. I am intrigued by the description of this being a “Silence of the Lambs meets Mistborn” fantasy-thriller about a city stalked by a serial killer. Sounds like my kind of story!
In this week’s digital haul, I received a listening copy of Malice by Heather Walter, with thanks to Random House Audio. From the kind folks at HarperAudio, I was also thrilled to snag an ALC of The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers! Words cannot describe how excited I am to start listening. And from the team at Nightfire, Tor Book’s new horror imprint, I received a NetGalley widget of The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward. Of their new titles releasing this fall, this is the one I’m probably most excited about!
Reviews
Near the Bone by Christina Henry (3.5 of 5 stars)
Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay (3.5 of 5 stars)
Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison (3 of 5 stars)
Guest Posts
“A Decade of Drafting” by Oliver K. Langmead
What I’ve Been Playing
It was my birthday earlier this week and my husband got me a Playstation 5 (though it was actually I who helped him secure one from a retailer drop after he was having no luck…I have lightning fast fingers 😉 ) which means I have been diving back into console gaming. While I did also pick up a couple PS5 releases including Marvel’s Spider-man: Miles Morales and Sackboy: A Big Adventure, those are games my kids like to watch me play/play co-op with me, so I decided to fire up something from my massive PS4 backlog instead.
Ghost of Tsushima is an action-adventure game set in feudal Japan during the first Mongol invasion, and you play a samurai on a quest to protect your island and its people. I’m not very far into it yet, but already the story is incredible and the PS5 patch makes everything look so good and play so smoothly.
The other game I’ve been dabbling in is the enhanced PS5 edition of Spirit of the North, an indie game I picked up for its chill gameplay and beautiful visuals. You play an adorable red fox journeying across a vast world inspired by Nordic folklore, finding connections with ancient spirts and solving puzzles. I find I’m really enjoying the game right now, simply because it’s such a relaxing experience. It’s also got a gorgeous soundtrack.
What I’ve Been Reading
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: Cartoon or Graphic
Posted on April 9, 2021 14 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 CARTOONISH/GRAPHIC cover
Mogsy’s Pick:
Heroine Complex Series by Sarah Kuhn
I’m doing something different today, and instead of going for a traditional face-off, I’ll be featuring all the covers for the Heroine Complex series. I really did not care for the first book so I never continued, but I’ve always loved these covers for their graphic novel art style!
I think they’re all pretty cool! Do you have a favorite?
Thursday Thriller Audio: Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
Posted on April 8, 2021 12 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (March 2, 2021)
Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
Author Information: Website
Narrators: Cady McClain, Jon Lindstrom
Describing Every Last Fear as a mystery action thriller would be accurate, but also overly simplistic. At the center of this novel is the tragic tale of the Pine family. Years ago, when he was still a senior in high school, eldest son Danny Pine was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend Charlotte—a crime his parents are convinced he did not commit. However, despite their efforts to have him released and even a popular true crime documentary suggesting that it was a wrongful conviction, it seems like Danny will stay behind bars for a very long time, and it is slowly tearing the Pines apart.
But for Matt, the second son, the matter is a lot more complicated. For unlike the rest of his family, he isn’t convinced that Danny is innocent. The night Charlotte died, he witnessed something he’s never told anyone else—something that makes him believe that it was his older brother who killed her. Now a student at NYU, Matt has a difficult relationship with his family. So when his mom, dad, sister and little brother took off for an impromptu vacation to Mexico, he didn’t occur to him to question it—until one night, upon returning to his dorm room after a party, he receives the devastating news: all four of them had been found dead from an apparent gas leak in their hotel cottage. Everything points to it being an accident, but Matt has the feeling the FBI and State Department aren’t telling him everything.
Gradually, the full story unfolds through the POVs of several characters, and via past and present timelines. As the book opens, Matt has just received the news of the deaths and is reeling from the shock and grief. We follow him to Mexico to retrieve the bodies, while back in the States, FBI Agent Sarah Keller attempts to determine how the Pines really died, and why. Danny Pine had made headlines all those years for killing Charlotte, and now this. It can’t all be a coincidence, can it? Threaded through Matt and Keller’s narratives are also the POVs of Matt’s parents, Evan and Olivia, as well as his teenage sister, Maggie. Their perspectives make up the “past” timeline, detailing the events that led them to Mexico in the first place. Evan Pine has never stopped trying to prove Danny’s innocence, and ever since Maggie became old enough, she has joined him in this quest. After receiving a mysterious lead that they believe will get Danny exonerated, the Pines throw together a hastily planned tip to Tulum, thus sealing their fates.
Every Last Fear is a mystery first and foremost, but it also contains elements of an international or political thriller. It is also the story of a family’s tragedy, and I must say reading this novel weighed very heavily on my heart, knowing that half the characters I was following were already dead. Evan, Olivia, and Maggie’s POVs definitely made their flashback chapters feel more poignant, and I was especially heartbroken about Maggie, at the loss of this bright, enthusiastic and mature young woman and all of her vibrant potential.
At the same time, I believe it’s this back-and-forth between past and present that made this story work as well as it did. Taking full advantage of this format, the author doles out information bit by bit, using impeccable timing to coordinate significant developments between the two timelines. Events in the past and present gradually layered on top of each other, with clues being slipped in between, until they eventually build up to the finale where all answers are revealed.
In fact, I probably would have given Every Last Fear a higher rating, except that I predicted a major part of the ending. I get it; it’s a careful balancing act, trying to reveal just enough for the plot to make sense without giving too much away, and maybe I just got lucky by stumbling upon a couple hints that I felt were too obvious, but of course your mileage may vary. On the whole, the writing is engaging and the storytelling is admirably well-paced and tight, and I think most thriller fans will find great enjoyment out of this novel.
Audiobook Comments: Impressive performances by narrators Cady McClain and Jon Lindstrom, who gave life to the characters and made me think this book would make an excellent movie!
The BiblioSanctum 