A few months ago, I had the privilege of reading and reviewing the novel The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan. It was a book I had obtained from NetGalley, and I really enjoyed it. It was so much fun to read! I loved all the twists and turns in this book and vowed to read more by the author. I had the opportunity to attend a virtual book launch event for the book, and I really enjoyed it. Hank…
Ok, yes, it is yet another book review. But this one is special, because soon I’ll also be posting an interview with the author! If I Disappear was special in that it was a very original concept and story, in my opinion, and I’m more than happy to promote this one by debut author (at least for adult fiction) Eliza Jane Brazier. I hope to see more from her soon! (more…)
Ok, so I know it’s been a few weeks. I have been reading, but did switch gears and read a physical book that I didn’t have to review. Plus one from NetGalley that I only reviewed on there. I tried reading one that I wanted to get into and just couldn’t. And, in between all of that I also had a birthday, anniversary, and staycation and ended up binge-watching The Haunting of Hill House. But I’m…
I tend to love books about high school, or boarding school, or college, or… whatever. I don’t know what it is. But I guess kids in school just really know how to create the best drama. So when I read the description of Girl Gone Mad by Avery Bishop, I just knew I wanted to read it. Thankfully, I managed to snag a copy of it from NetGalley for review. (more…)
It’s been a while since I’ve read a medical thriller. I remember reading books by Robin Cook years ago, and I really enjoyed them. Interference by Brad Parks is a novel that I would consider something akin to a medical thriller as well. Amazon actually categorizes it as a “technothriller”. I loved diving back in to a book like this. It actually made me want to read more Robin Cook again! (more…)
I love a book with a lot of layers, and The Deadly Houses by Charlie Gallagher probably fulfills that more than any other one I’ve read recently. I just finished this one, and honestly, I think I’m still processing it.
Plot Details
This is Book 6 in the Detective Maddie Ives series by Charlie Gallagher. I’ve actually never read any other books in the series! I picked this one up on NetGalley…
I didn’t expect this book to be very good, given the blurb on the back, so at least I wasn’t disappointed. It took me about two hours to read, and I was bored for most of it. The story is told in the first person present by Lane, a seventeen year old high schooler obsessed with serial killers. When a killer called The Decapitator comes to town and starts contacting her directly, Lane has to keep it a secret for fear of her family getting hurt.
I liked Lane. She’s reserved and quiet, and feels isolated from her peers because she doesn’t enjoy the things they like. She observes everything from an unemotional point of view. She doesn’t see the point in getting riled up over things like breakups and crushes. At the same time, Green does a good job of showing how Lane is emotional. She clearly isn’t a sociopath. She has one close friend, she cares deeply for her family and the animals she takes care of at the local vet’s office, and she dotes on her little brother. She herself feels abnormal, but the reader sees her as merely introverted, not cold. She also has a strong sense of justice, even if it’s not always justice as the courts define it.
The book’s major failing is the writing. It’s clearly a debut novel, and the writing is simply not very good. First person singular throws me off immediately, and if you follow that up with mediocre supporting characters, a plotline full of potholes, and unrealistic reactions from basically every character to every situation you’ve completely lost me. Killer Instinct is essentially a murder mystery, but I had narrowed the list of suspects down to two people by the halfway point because all of the red herrings were so obvious.
In summary: It wasn’t awful, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Not good enough to be worth it.
Starring: Adam Sandler, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian, Judd Hirsch, Keith William Richards, Tommy Kominik, The Weeknd, Mike Francesa…
**SPOILER** if anyone is reading or planning to read this book (then she was gone by lisa jewell) but i finished it the other day and this note left by the daughter of the protagonist really crushed me :( like i’m so sad
This is the part of the book brought tears to my eyes. Ellie thought of a way to get her message out there, but it was just too late.
Jesse Stone has cleaned up the town of Paradise and shut down the money laundering operation being run through a local bank. Now all he has to deal with are drunks. Until a gang of criminals decides that an affluent suburb of a small town would be a great target for a heist.
Jesse’s ex-wife Jenn, who came east last year when she thought Jesse was in trouble, is still in town, and has gotten a job as a weathergirl at a local TV station. Back in L.A., she was sleeping with her producer and Jesse finally divorced her, but she just can’t leave him alone to get on with his life. I found her presence throughout the novel an annoyance. Otherwise, it was a fine adventure.
This is Book 6 in the Detective Maddie Ives series by Charlie Gallagher. I’ve actually never read any other books in the series! I picked this one up on NetGalley…
