Suspense

Back from the Dead by Andre Spiteri

| Jasmin De Anda

A compelling story of the dangers of a gang war…

Back from the Dead is a story that keeps you glued to the pages, wondering what will happen next.

SYNOPSIS

Hapless Bertie Haig has no idea who the bloke in bed next to him is and how the hell he got there.

Or why he’s dead.

But when his nosey downstairs neighbour claims his flat is the source of a leak in her bathroom, and insists on sending up her plumber to check things out, he’s thrust into a world where nothing is as it seems.

Turns out, in Bertie’s corner of the world — the Scottish city of Strathburgh — everyone has something to hide. And when their past catches up with them, they’ll do anything to fight back. No matter how much collateral damage they leave in their wake.

As the war between life and death spills out in the streets, the people of Strathburgh must navigate a world where violence is all too often the answer, and those who are supposed to protect you are the ones who hurt you most.

A Different Story than Expected…

Take all the information you’ve just received from reading the plot description and erase it from your mind because it doesn’t matter and I’m going to explain why.

First I want to mention what I thought the book would be about based on the description. A man, Bertie, wakes with a dead man in his bed next to him and no recollection of how he got there and is thrust into rival gang war. From this I expected that the story would follow Bertie as he tries to figure out what happened, gets caught in the middle of something he has nothing to do with, and inevitably has to figure out how to get himself out of the fire. Maybe he’ll meet some people who are a part of it, and find some clues to help him get answers. Maybe he’ll uncover things even the people involved know nothing about. Tell me if that’s what you think the plot description means. Well it’s not. The plot description is a very miniscule part of this story, if anything it’s a hook before the book takes a complete detour to the real story.

The True Main Character’s…

I think the best way to explain this is with the character’s. Bertie is not the main character, he is the civilian caught in a bad situation, but if you’re expecting him to uncover what happened, he won’t. Because the book goes into a “here’s how I got here” narrative, but tells a story that Bertie really knows nothing about and never learns on his own. Basically I think if the book erased the “waking up next to a dead body” plotline which is really no more than maybe 5% of the book, it would be perfect.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ ?

Page Count: 446

Genres: Suspense, Crime, Action

The real main character’s are Al and Kris, and I want to tell you about them because these are the character’s you will spend most of your time with if you choose to read this book.

First to be introduced is Al who works for a drug gang called “The Company”. This gang has been in an ongoing war with a rival gang called “The Red Hand”. Al is loyal to his leaders, but when his mom borrows money from someone in the Red Hand, Al finds himself in a bad situation.

He can either leave his mom at their mercy, or risk being marked a traitor by The Company by paying off her debt. This is what I think should have been the real plot description. When Al was first introduced, I thought he would be a brief detour that leads back to Bertie, but Bertie was hardly in the story after that. Al is what you would expect someone who works in a drug gang, but isn’t a leader to be like, he’s someone who clearly just wants to live comfortably, but also has a short temper that is entirely connected to his own ego.

The second main character is Kris, a detective who has been hard at work trying to take down organized crime. Kris finds herself caught between her commitment to her job, and the one to her husband and son at home. She is the second character who the story follows more. Kris is career driven, someone who will spend many sleepless nights working to get the job done.

The true story is the gang war and the people involved in it, or more accurately, pulled into it because none of the main characters are leaders in these two gang’s, just people with ties to them. Truthfully it’s when the story returns to Bertie in the present that it felt a little thrown together. I wasn’t sure if the explanation made sense in line with the story, but it is over 400 pages so honestly it could just be that the information I was missing was at the very beginning and I had forgotten. Luckily as I said, the story could have easily existed without Bertie’s plot line which is why I still ended up loving this book.

A Cinematic Story…

That being said, I loved this book. I was invested in their stories. The story format felt a lot like a show with brief detours into their lives, and I would talk about them, but I feel like I would be giving too much away. The thing is that when I got really into the story, I actually forgot about Bertie. There are brief chapters that cut back to what he was doing during the events of the story, mostly as he deals with things like a lazy boss and a pushy neighbor. In those short cuts, I wanted to skim these pages to get back to Al and Kris, whoever’s turn it was to follow. The good thing is that the scenes with Bertie were still well written, I just didn’t understand their purpose.

Content Warning…

Warning because I know from reading the reviews of this book that some people are bothered by these things. There is profanity. I didn’t notice it much, but I might just be used to it from watching shows and movies with similar themes. There was one chapter that, all I’ll say so I don’t spoil anything is, it involved a man being beaten and that chapter was a shock with the detail. It’s funny to say that because I’ve watched violent movies. John Wick, Deadpool, some of the Quentin Tarantino movies, but oddly enough I don’t think I’ve ever read anything with extreme violence in it.

My Rating…

My rating for this book is four stars because I loved it, but I just can’t give five stars to it personally because the Bertie plotline just threw me off in the end and I found myself less interested when I reached it, but this is a book I can see myself reading again someday. I think another book focusing on Al would be great, not because he was a character I ended up loving, but because I was invested in his story and noticed he had potential for an interesting book outside the gang life.

Well normally I say what book I’m reading next, but I already read it. The next book I’m reading is “The Wilder Women” by Ruth Emmie Lang.

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Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

| Jasmin De Anda

An intriguing mystery with a captivating investigation…

Dark Corners is a modern crime thriller following the skilled podcaster, Rachel Krall.

SYNOPSIS

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his freedom approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped—or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? Why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems only to exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel Krall goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail, the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krell herself. Suddenly a target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet.

Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed Night Swim returns to search for a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer.

The Sequel to a Thrilling Series…

First, something I didn’t know when I read this was that Dark Corners is actually book two of a series. I know from reading it myself that you don’t need to read book one first to be able to follow along. I was never confused, and honestly had no idea I was reading the second book of the series until I went to get the plot description for my YouTube video and saw the words “Rachel Krall 2” above the title. I got my copy from my book of the month subscription and my TBR list is so backed up that if I saw it was a sequel, I had long forgotten that. The lucky thing about investigative fiction is that although it’s the same main character, it’s a new mystery with new suspects and I can confidently say it doesn’t tie into book one.

Rachel Krall…

This book follows Rachel Krall, an investigative journalist turned true crime podcast star as she tries to find out what happened to the missing influencer, Madison Logan. Something I really enjoyed about this book is that it felt realistic. Someone in law enforcement might beg to differ, but the thing is I don’t care if a book ends up being true to police protocol as long as it is logical. Actually I would prefer a story that doesn’t tell people exactly what law enforcement uses to find criminal’s. I’ve never liked the idea of ending up with a guidebook on what a criminal should avoid, so if it’s made up protocol, even better. Anyway, I’m getting off topic. 

In the story Rachel Krall is by no means law enforcement. Yes, she was an investigative journalist, but unless you have some kind of background in law enforcement, it seems unlikely an FBI agent would call her for help. Which is what I thought this book handled really well. Because despite what the description says, the FBI does not ask her for help, not with the case at least. Rachel is there for one reason, her name was linked to the man in prison and the missing influencer who visited him. But once they feel she isn’t needed, they want her gone.

The thing I loved about the character Rachel was that she was never the annoying character I’m used to reading in crime books. The ones that say that stupid line I wish didn’t exist, “I can take care of myself”. I die a little inside every time a female character says that, especially when it’s followed by the immediate proof that they in fact cannot take care of themselves. When the FBI tries to send her home, she doesn’t immediately go into dangerous situations. Granted, any involvement in the case is putting herself in danger, she plays it smart. She doesn’t try to pretend she’s a detective, but uses her skills to learn more about the missing pieces by going undercover.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ ?

Page Count: 352

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological

Three Perspectives…

The book has something which I noticed is really common in crime thrillers lately, and that is to have chapters that follow the killer. From the beginning it’s made clear that the FBI believes Terrence Bailey is responsible for the death’s of the women, but they think he didn’t act alone and had an accomplice. Which is why a few of the chapter’s follow that accomplice and make it very clear that he’s a killer. It was told in a way that leaves the question of how this man is linked to Terrence and the missing influencer.

A Clear Story…

I’m a stickler for logic in a story. I need a clear explanation on how point A got to point B and was happy when by the end of the book, everything made absolute sense. I wasn’t left with questions or plot holes, and I never wished for more. The story doesn’t pretend that every strange occurrence is directly related to each other. There are clues introduced that end up being nothing more than a coincidence, while others end up being connected in ways I never expected. That’s what made this book wonderful to me, that it wasn’t clean, but it was not flawed.

My Rating…

Mystery is something I love, but I’ve always felt that once you know what happens, it’s never the same. I guess the same can be said about any genre, but with crime thrillers where the story is 100% about the mystery, it’s a little tough to reread which is why my rating for this book is three stars because I loved it, but I doubt I would reread it again. Now if it turned into a mini series, I would probably rewatch it once or twice.

The next book I’ll be reading is “A Wilderness of Stars” by Shea Earnshaw, a mystery story.

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Recursion, Blake Crouch

| Jasmin De Anda

A fascinating theory on memory…

Recursion is a complex fiction novel that had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to keep up with the complicated and interesting scientific theories at the story’s center.

SYNOPSIS

What if someone could rewrite your entire life?

‘My son has been erased.’

Those are the last words the woman tells Barry Sutton, before she leaps from the Manhattan rooftop. Deeply unnerved, Barry begins to investigate her death, only to learn that this wasn’t an isolated case. All across the country, people are waking up to lives different than the ones they fell asleep to. Are they suffering from False Memory Syndrome, a mysterious, new disease that afflicts people with vivid memories of a life they never lived? Or is something far more sinister behind the fracturing of reality all around him?

Miles away, neuroscientist Helena Smith is developing a technology that allows us to preserve our most intense memories, and relive them. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent.

Barry’s search for the truth leads him on an impossible, astonishing journey, as he discovers that Helena’s work has yielded a terrifying gift – the ability not just to preserve memories, but to remake them . . . at the risk of destroying what it means to be human.

Two Characters, Two Timelines…

The story begins with Barry Sutton, a detective who is arrives after hearing a call about a woman sitting on the ledge of the building in 2018; a woman who is suffering from a mysterious disease called False Memory Syndrome. Soon after the narrative switches to Helena Smith, who in 2007 is reaching the saddening end of her research due to lack of funding. As the story progresses, the reader is brought back and forth between the two characters stories as they face their own conflicts.

Crouch does a wonderful job of using the two separate timelines to explain the scientific theories without overwhelming the reader.

While the beginning of the story does not give much time to get to know the characters on a personal level, immediately jumping into the two characters, I felt that the more the story progressed, the more vivid the image of them became in my mind.

A Cinematic Experience…

For readers who enjoy books for the deep insight in the personal lives of a character, this book may seem disappointing in that area. Recursion, much like the previous Blake Crouch novel I read, tells the story in cinematic way. Each “scene” dives into the action of the characters, never taking a moment for the characters to relax. Each scene ends much like it would in a television series, open ended and often in a suspenseful way before jumping to the other character, then continuing right where it left off.

However, for readers who find such leisure moments in a story to be mundane, this book may be more exciting than most. In Recursion, there is never a dull moment. Crouch has created a story which continuously follows the two main characters through every theory, obstacle, and revelation they face. As the story comes closer to its end, much like a film, it becomes more intense and the stakes grow higher.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 98,000

Page Count: 336

Genres: Thriller, Sci-Fi, Suspense

Usually, when I find a story written like a movie/show, I find it difficult to finish. In the case of the stories I’ve read, as the author writes their story with the image of their own movie in mind, the story becomes “stages”.

They begin to lose detail, often focusing on the boring details such as where a person sits and what they grab. With Crouch, I never felt this was a problem. I was impressed by his ability to paint such a vivid and immersive experience.

While the science may be overwhelming to some, it is carefully explained.

A Complex Sci-Fi…

Although Science Fiction has always been my favorite genre of cinema, before Black Crouch, I had not had any experience with reading the genre.

Watching movies and shows such as Interstellar, Arrival, and Dark helped me easily grasp the theoretical science. Yet despite the similarities to the theories introduced in stories I viewed in the past, Blake Crouch managed to introduce me to something entirely new without diminishing the credibility of it all. The more I learned, the more I felt the story was well researched. Some may find the concept to be ridiculous or unrealistic, but that is why they are called “theories”, because they are not proven. Like most sci-fi stories, an open mind can make all the difference in whether you come to love or hate Recursion.

What I loved most…

As a lover of science fiction, my favorite parts were of course when the story delved into Helena’s research. While I found Barry’s segments interesting, Helena’s segments were the ones which kept me unwilling to put the book down. From the beginning when her research is introduced, to the moment her own story’s conflict becomes the center of the story, I was engrossed. Although I wish I was given more time to get to know her thoughts and emotions through the whole ordeal, I was still able to fall in love with her character.

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The Last Thing He Told me, Laura Dave

| Jasmin De Anda

A riveting and heartfelt mystery..

The Last Thing He Told Me is not a story that I would usually find myself picking up, but I’m glad I did.

SYNOPSIS

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated.

With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.

Our Main Characters…

The story begins with Hannah Hall, a happily married woodturner whose primary goal is to earn the approval of her sixteen-year-old step daughter, Bailey, who continues to respond to Hannah’s efforts with eye rolls and passive aggressive responses. With very little information, Hannah decides Bailey may be the only one capable of finding the answer as to where Owen is.

While the story focuses on the perspective of Hannah through a first person narrative, Dave does a wonderful job at keeping the reader immersed as Hannah is forced to face a range of emotions as she searches for Owen. Yet the narrative managed to keep Bailey involved every step of the way as she goes from annoyed teenager to a vulnerable child who only wants to see her father again.

As Hannah and Bailey are forced to question everything they know about Owen, the reader is able to get to know Owen through the eyes of Hannah in a series of flashbacks, while remaining relevant to the story’s plot.

A Naturally Progressing Story…

While many stories lose themselves in the standard plot line of beginning, middle, and end; I found it refreshing that The Last Thing He Told Me jumped right into the story and simply continued on. As Hannah and Bailey search for answers, every decision they make and action they take felt realistic and kept me invested in their journey to the point where I became as desperate for answers as they were and could not put down the book.

What I loved most…

Although I deeply enjoyed the mystery of Owen’s disappearance, what I enjoyed most was the relationship between Hannah and Bailey as they bonded over their shared conflict. Despite the short time span of the story, the character development of these two girls never felt rushed. Hannah and Bailey’s relationship was truly the heart of the story, the mystery acting as the catalyst for their transition to family.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 96,000

Page Count: 320

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Domestic Fiction

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