Tag: bookreview

If We Were Villains Review

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Oliver Marks has just served ten years for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day of his release, he is greeted by the detective who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, and he wants to know what really happened a decade before. As a young actor at an elite conservatory, Oliver noticed that his talented classmates seem to play the same characters onstage and off – villain, hero, temptress – though he was always a supporting role. But when the teachers change the casting, a good-natured rivalry turns ugly, and the plays spill dangerously over into real life. When tragedy strikes, one of the seven friends is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless…

The Hod King Review

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Fearing an uprising, the Sphinx sends Senlin to investigate a plot that has taken hold in the ringdom of Pelphia. Alone in the city, Senlin infiltrates a bloody arena where hods battle for the public’s entertainment. But his investigation is quickly derailed by a gruesome crime and an unexpected reunion. Posing as a noble lady and her handmaid, Voleta and Iren attempt to reach Marya, who is isolated by her fame. While navigating the court, Voleta attracts the unwanted attention of a powerful prince whose pursuit of her threatens their plan. Edith, now captain of the Sphinx’s fierce flagship, joins forces with a fellow wakeman to investigate the disappearance of a beloved friend. She must decide who to trust as her desperate search brings her nearer to the Black Trail where the hods climb in darkness and whisper of the Hod King. As Senlin and his crew become further dragged in to the conspiracies of the Tower, everything falls to one question: Who is The Hod King?

Why I don’t like the mention of plot twists in reviews.

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This is going to be a very niche post this week. Also, this post is all my own opinion and guaranteed if you look back at any of the reviews on Goodreads and this blog I have probably mentioned plot twists many times.

This is a newly formed opinion for me that I would like to discuss. Unless it is for trigger warning reasons, I personally am not the biggest fan of people mentioning that a book has a plot twist.

To me, a plot twist is meant to be unexpected, out of the blue, you had no idea it was going to happen. You are supposed to be in shock and taken aback at the change in plot or character. But when I see reviews and they say, “I loved the plot twist in this book, so unexpected.” I am then going into the book expecting something shocking to happen and I feel like it ruins the reveal and the twist itself as I was expecting it to happen.

Granted, you don’t know the context of the twist whether it’s a character dieing or a character revealing that they are actually working for the bad side etc. but the notion of knowing that something crazy is going to happen spoils the fun for me a bit.

Murder mysteries and thrillers are an exception, the genre is based on having twists and turns that you don’t expect. I dunno it’s hard to explain but I feel less inclined to read a book if the reviewer mentions plot twist.

That being said, as I said at the beginning of my post. If you look through my reviews and blog posts I have probably said the same thing so I am probably being a hypocrite but it’s just something I have noticed recently. I am less likely to pick up the book if a plot twist is mentioned.

Let me know what you guys think.

The Paris Mysteries Review

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An apartment on the rue Morgue turned into a charnel house; the corpse of a shopgirl dragged from the Seine; a high-stakes game of political blackmail-three mysteries that have enthralled the whole of Paris, and baffled the city’s police. The brilliant Chevalier Auguste Dupin investigates – can he find the solution where so many others before him have failed?

March Wrap Up 2020

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I didn’t read many books this month. But I did get my first favourite and 5 star book this month which is great! I also continued my journey through the Wheel of Time series.

  • I had my first 5 star book of the year!
  • I had my first book to make it to my favourites list!
  • Continuing with my challenges, I read two of my sequels from my 2020 sequel challenge.
  • I read 3 books this month.
  • I read one high fantasy, one thriller and one historical murder mystery.
  • I read one ARC and I bought the other two earlier that month.

Rules for Perfect Murders – Peter Swanson (2 stars)

This story had a lot going for it but sadly the execution was lacking. Quite a lot of the plot just conveniently happened to the character he only starting taking control of the narrative about 3/4 into the story. Check out my more in depth review.

Closed Casket – Sophie Hannah (5 stars)

A book which managed to save the series for me. I was thinking of DNFing the series as a whole depending on this sequel and I was blown away. The strongest part of this novel is the highly layered and detailed characters! But the plot was also incredible!!!

The Great Hunt – Robert Jordan (5 stars)

A book full of powerful female characters, prophecy and action packed battle scenes. Going into this book I was worried I would not enjoy it as much as the first one but, thankfully, that was not the case at all! I recommend this series to any fantasy fan!!!

The Great Hunt Review

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The Forsaken are loose, the Horn of Valere has been found and the Dead are rising from their dreamless sleep. The Prophecies are being fulfilled – but Rand al’Thor, the shepherd the Aes Sedai have proclaimed as the Dragon Reborn, desperately seeks to escape his destiny. Rand cannot run for ever. With every passing day the Dark One grows in strength and strives to shatter his ancient prison, to break the Wheel, to bring an end to Time and sunder the weave of the Pattern. And the Pattern demands the Dragon.

Closed Casket Review

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Lady Athelinda Playford has planned a house party at her mansion in Clonakilty, Co Cork, but it is no ordinary gathering. As guests arrive, Lady Playford summons her lawyer to make an urgent change to her will – one she intends to announce at dinner that night. She has decided to cut off her two children without a penny and leave her fortune to someone who only has weeks to live, and she refuses to explain why…
Among Lady Playford’s guests are two men she has never met – the famous Belgian dectective, Hercule Poirot, and Inspector Edward Catchpool of Scotland Yard. Neither knows why he has been invited…until Poirot starts to wonder if Lady Playford expects a murderer to strike. But why does she seem so determined to provoke, in the the presence of a possible killer? And why, when the crime is committed in spite of Poirot’s best efforts to stop it, does the identity of the victim make no sense at all?

Rules for Perfect Murders Review

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A series of unsolved murders with one thing in common: each of the deaths bears an eerie resemblance to the crimes depicted in classic mystery novels. The deaths lead FBI Agent Gwen Mulvey to mystery bookshop Old Devils. Owner Malcolm Kershaw had once posted online an article titled ‘My Eight Favourite Murders,’ and there seems to be a deadly link between the deaths and his list – which includes Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders, Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. Can the killer be stopped before all eight of these perfect murders have been re-enacted?

I had mixed feelings about this book, click the title to read more.

February Wrap Up 2020

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February was an interesting month for me. I am trying a new format with my wrap ups. If you would like to read my reviews in more detail please click the title of the book.

  • I had my first DNF of the year!
  • I continued with my challenges and read a 2nd chance book, 2 books for my ONTD challenge and I read a sequel!
  • I read 7 books, 2 of which were DNFs.
  • In terms of genre I read an two urban fantasies, a short story collection, two thrillers and three murder mysteries.
  • I read three ARCs, one library book, two were re-reads and one was a backlist book I owned.

The Last Smile in Sunder City – Luke Arnold (4 stars)

This was an ARC that I was super excited to pick up. In my opinion, it was a brilliant debut. I really enjoyed the world and loved exploring the idea of magical creatures having to survive in a world without magic. The plot was really interesting but I did at times struggle with writing style. At times it did make me cringe.

The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm – Brothers Grimm (DNF)

This was a re-read for me as well as a book for my second chance challenge. Sadly, like last time, I couldn’t get through it. Quite a lot of the stories I read I already knew so I got quite bored reading through it and I felt myself called to other books so I DNFed it.

My Sister, the Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite (3 stars)

I had mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the short chapters, I was intrigued about Ayoola as well as the bond between the two sisters. But I felt the story could have been deeper, I felt we only really scraped the surface. It needed more depth.

I read this book for my ONTD challenge, the theme was “Read a book set in Nigeria or a book written by a Nigerian author.”

In the Crypt with a Candlestick – Daisy Waugh (DNF)

I don’t have much to say regarding this story apart from I struggled to connect with the story or characters.

Tears of the Giraffe – Alexander McCall Smith (3 stars)

I really enjoyed the multiple narratives that weaved its way through this book. It really kept pace up and the novel engaging. I enjoyed Mma Ramotswe, she is such a strong character but my criticisms fell under the lack of actual detective work and a lot of important themes that were raised but never really explored.

Murder at Enderley Hall – Helena Dixon (3 stars)

This was another ARC that I read. This was another solid book in the Miss Underhay series, I think it held up really well against the first novel which was equally just as good. I felt the pacing of this story was done really well, the “romance” in this story has me really invested which rarely happens and I felt a strong sense of Dixon maintaining a solid series-arcing plot.

The Sea of Monsters – Rick Riordan (4 stars)

Another solid sequel, while in my opinion, not as good as the first story. This one was too short and a lot of convenient things happened to push the plot forward. But it was super fun, action-packed, we were introduced to some amazing characters. But what Riordan did, that was my favourite, was building up the series-arcing plot really well which makes you want to read the next book.