This was an okay novella. I didn’t get the usual spooky vibe from this one that I normally get from a Heather Graham book. I think because it was justThis was an okay novella. I didn’t get the usual spooky vibe from this one that I normally get from a Heather Graham book. I think because it was just too far out there.
This is my third Kristin Hannah book, and my favorite so far. It felt *real*.
Leni, a young teenager, goes north to Alaska with her parents when her faThis is my third Kristin Hannah book, and my favorite so far. It felt *real*.
Leni, a young teenager, goes north to Alaska with her parents when her father, a Vietnam war vet who suffers from PTSD, is left a piece of land by a fellow soldier who died in the war. Her father is abusive, especially towards her mother, and as the darkness envelops Alaska during the freezing winter months, his abuse escalates over the years.
As with all three of Hannah’s books, I felt it lag and get mired in the storytelling. I don’t need that many examples of a character’s behavior to understand them. Other than that, Hannah puts together a coming of age story that takes place amongst abuse from within and friendships without. I do feel the characterization of Leni’s mother was written well and showed a woman broken by years of abuse until (wait, that would be telling what happens ...more
Not my favorite book by far. I just feel it was overwritten for the first 75%, and the very end was rushed.
I also did not care for the characters thatNot my favorite book by far. I just feel it was overwritten for the first 75%, and the very end was rushed.
I also did not care for the characters that much, especially Jude. So controlling and perfect - and far from real life.
It was written well, though I could have an entire wardrobe if I had the clothes for every one of the outfits described as worn by Jude, Mia, and Lexi. Yep - overwritten.
Good, compelling storyline. It just didn’t feel real. The characters were just too extreme in their personalities for me. Extremely perfect, extremely and perfectly traumatized, all but clinically and socially inept, over the top popular �
I think I may need to take a break and read one of my short cozies I keep close when the novels are becoming too much. This one felt like a saga with too much filler.
**spoiler alert** I must admit, I have mixed feelings about this book. I generally don’t care for novels written in the first person, present tense, �**spoiler alert** I must admit, I have mixed feelings about this book. I generally don’t care for novels written in the first person, present tense, “I sit down and look at the book.� That sort of thing. I suppose it works here with the flashbacks set throughout the book, but it, as always, took some getting used to.
Pros: - Good idea for a storyline - Potential for good characters and interaction - Satisfactory follow-through on main plot points - Very nice to see that a human element was involved in the mystery and not a ghost as was pushed throughout the book
Cons: - A five-year-old daughter who acted like a 15 year-old at times - Character development could have been much stronger - Why did the main character’s father leave her the house in his will if he didn’t want her to go in there ever again - Repetitive events and not enough new - the record player, the kitchen ceiling for example - The alleged killer didn’t know where the hole in the floor was when he was the one who helped repair it 25 years previously and caused the body to drop from it in present day - The paranormal had potential but didn’t go quite far enough for me - Sager never did explain how the mother of the murder victim (who now suffers from Alzheimer’s) knew who the killer was and knew to kill her, or was she just protecting the main character from getting killed in the end? - Did anyone else see the similarities between this book and The Haunting of Hill House? Hopefully it was an homage, but parts of the book were so close in storyline.
The book had a fairly decent flow, although it did seem disjointed at times. It did seem to drag on at times, sort of stuck in a quagmire where not a lot of details were given, when there so many details that were missed out on. The number of twists at the end were a little much - three for who the killer was, each one proving the previous one incorrect. The ending felt like a closure, but with so little character development, I really didn’t feel good or bad about it, just mainly let down a little.
Overall, I was surprised I did not like this one better considering the reviews I’ve seen. I’m rating this one 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️�, rounding it DOWN to 3. I wish GR would do half ratings....more
My second St. James book, and it definitely delivers! Another thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. Shea Collins is a receptionist by day, true crime blMy second St. James book, and it definitely delivers! Another thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. Shea Collins is a receptionist by day, true crime blogger by night. Having survived a terrifying ordeal as a child, she is able to get the interview of a lifetime with Beth Greer, who was acquitted 40 years previously for murder but is still rumored to be the “Lady Killer�.
This book follows Shea’s journey of not only solving the Lady Killer murders, but also - not quite subplot / more of a side-plot? - her path to mental and emotional healing from her trauma as a child. Throw in a PI, a retired police detective, an adorable feline (nothing bad happens to him), and a psychotic ghost, and you have quite the read!
St. James sets the scene in such a hauntingly way, it’s incredible. She doesn’t describe things like “she grabbed my hand� but rather uses the character’s senses as “…her grip was icy and so hard, like concrete or bone.� Just wonderful!
I greatly enjoyed the way Shea would discover information, and then a time jump would occur to the past during Beth’s time showing the details of that long ago time. The one thing I did not care for was how St. James repeatedly described Beth Greer’s clothing, namely her trench coats, and how beautiful and sensual she was. I don’t really know the point of that.
There is a paranormal plot line to the story as well and it plays heavily in the book. I actually enjoyed this, though it was pushed to the limit for me at the end. I feel that some of the haunting occurrences helped explain Beth Greer’s state of mind.
The characters are enjoyable and well thought out, and the interaction between them written well. The book was well paced, though the action did not pick up until the last few chapters. After the twist happened, the story did become predictable, but it did not take away from the story at all.
This was a well written book that I feel anyone who enjoys a thriller, or a paranormal thriller definitely, will enjoy reading. I wouldn’t mind seeing Shea Collins written into a series of books! Now that would be fun! Five stars from me ...more
I’m being generous in giving this two stars. There are so many issues with this novel. First up is that Druga seriously needs an editor. I’ll finish mI’m being generous in giving this two stars. There are so many issues with this novel. First up is that Druga seriously needs an editor. I’ll finish my review soon.
Updated Review � I said there were a lot of issues with this book. The cadence alone affected the flow of the book to the point that it seemed some parts were written by a different person. The misspellings, poor grammar, wrong and extra words gave me pause to think that the only editor this book had was autocorrect. For example,
- “Julius told me to make sure I try to come in on either Internet Sixty-Four, Route Sixty or Route Two-Nineteen.� - “Too many people, he told me, where in route, messaging him and, like me,� - “I made sure did a screen shot of what he said,�
There was little to no character development. Even the main protagonist acted in such a way to make me not care about what happened to her. The silly confusion where she thought her husband was having an affair with Sally Ann and it turned out to be a horse he bought? Telling her niece and nephew whose mother abandoned them that she was on a mission to Mars? It was supposed to be Project Jupiter and later she called it Project Olympus. The big storm never happened and the ending was so anti-climatic. And it was in VERY poor taste to have a tornado hit Joplin, Missouri.
I stuck it through and read the entire book. Sort of like watching a demolition derby to see how bad the damage would be. I’ve tried reading Druga’s books in the past, and I had hoped that this premise with a weather phenomenon as the apocalyptic trigger would be better than the previous works, but it wasn’t. The plot had so much promise, and I found it failed.
As I said, a very generous two stars with no recommendation. ...more
**spoiler alert** Talk about mixed feelings! I started out not liking this book, but I stuck it out. The further I got into it, the more I liked it. A**spoiler alert** Talk about mixed feelings! I started out not liking this book, but I stuck it out. The further I got into it, the more I liked it. And then I didn’t like it. And I was left as confused as Hades with the ending.
Nora is a surgeon whose father, a serial killer, was sentenced to life in prison over a quarter century before. Now young women are dying again with the same MO, and Nora is being framed. Or, as her back story reveals in a childhood timeline, could she be the murderess?
Nora, the main character had me completely confused. She kept saying over and over that she wasn’t like her father, but between the auto accident that nearly killed one gentleman, and the snippet from her sister about Nora providing drugs to a patient’s wife to kill her husband � and the whole predator/prey game she played with a classmate when she was young - I feel like she was written to be as inherently evil as her father and sister, but her ending was like a fairy tale. I finished the book so confused!!
Overall, the descriptive writing of the characters developed them in a great way. I liked that not much time was spent on describing furniture, colors, etc., but the feelings of the settings totally got the point across. When Nora was spooked, so was I. The book was dynamic in its movement, and the pace remained quick and constant throughout.
I rated this three stars - it would have been a four if Nora had not been so confusing. Is she nuts or not? Evil or not?
Well, another Morton Farrier book read, another favorite made. I’ve already written reviews for the previous books in this series that I’ve read. ThisWell, another Morton Farrier book read, another favorite made. I’ve already written reviews for the previous books in this series that I’ve read. This one is better in that the links between the different characters are sweet and touching and oh so appropriate in a sentimental way.
It is nice to see Morton finally researching his own family history after reading of his inner turmoil in doing so in the previous books. For some reason, though, I suspect this sideline won’t resolve in the next book, though. The suspense in keeping me wanting more takes talent, and Goodwin definitely has that talent!
There was very little filler and the focus was on the main characters throughout , in both the past and present storylines. This is a change from Goodwin’s previous books, and I feel an improvement. The twist, while not unique, was unexpected and added much to this story and I am sure to future books as well.
Another four star read, another suggestion for others to read his works. I loved it!...more
**spoiler alert** I don’t usually care for books that follow multiple timelines. Oftentimes, the dates aren’t shared - the characters may or not be th**spoiler alert** I don’t usually care for books that follow multiple timelines. Oftentimes, the dates aren’t shared - the characters may or not be the same as the main storyline characters - it can be confusing. This book, however, is a huge exception, and I greatly enjoyed the related stories immensely.
This is a novel where Morton Farrier, a professional forensic genealogist, is asked by a dying man to find out what happened to a long lost aunt from the previous century. Using his skills at research and genealogy, Morton is able to delve into the details of an existent era 100 years in the past and weave together the extraordinary events leading up to the disappearance of the missing woman and how these events affected so many people’s lives.
This is a dynamic novel, and I found myself delving into the movement without coming up for air. As with the other two novels in this series that I have read, it was hard to put the book down because I just had to find out what would happen next.
I did find issue with the two separate characters who tried to stop the investigation by the main character. While we find out what happened to one, the outcome of the other was glossed over. The events of the bygone era were wonderfully played out, but the story of many of the characters from the present day were left wanting.
As hinted above, the story from the earlier timeline was written with great talent with well developed characters, but the present day timeline could have used a little work.
Overall, the writing style was awesome and added to the attention-grabbing story. It was paced well with only a slight predictability in the storyline. It was a great read even with the issues I listed previously.
I rate this a strong four stars and will continue on with the next installment!...more
I found a new series to read and love! What a great combination of two of my favorite loves - genealogy and reading rolled into one. Combine that withI found a new series to read and love! What a great combination of two of my favorite loves - genealogy and reading rolled into one. Combine that with extremely likable characters and awesome writing skill, and I fell in love with this series.
This is a story of Morton Farrier, a forensic genealogist, and his efforts to solve a mystery stemming from someone who asks for help - and shortly thereafter dies. Ultimately this becomes a huge caper and mystery for him to solve - with the help of his family and close acquaintances.
Goodwin does an excellent job in building characters and plot lines in an easy to read, attention-grabbing writing style. The only downside I found is that there were so many characters and a couple of side twists that really didn’t affect the outcome - the story became a little muddled to me at one point. However, it didn’t detract from the story so I still gave it five stars.
I already have the next book in the series downloaded and will be starting it tomorrow!...more
A sweet read for anyone interested in genealogy. The characters were fun and played off each other very well, and the storyline was perfect for a noveA sweet read for anyone interested in genealogy. The characters were fun and played off each other very well, and the storyline was perfect for a novella of this size. The writing and the story flowed well, and being interested in piecing personal histories together through research myself, the mystery fit perfectly and was very enjoyable. It was a nice read, and I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. Definitely a five star rating. ...more
An overall lovely book with a unique way (to me at least) of telling the story of a woman who is making reparations with her daughters by reliving herAn overall lovely book with a unique way (to me at least) of telling the story of a woman who is making reparations with her daughters by reliving her time through the siege of Leningrad during World War II by telling a fairy tale. The fairy tale turns out to be her story from the war. Predictable at times, the story lagged in some places. I felt like the focus shifted to the point of not knowing where the story was going, or really what the story was. Halfway through the book, the characters came into focus more clearly and the story became much more enjoyable. At that point, I began to enjoy the relationships between the family members and how they played off of each other to further the story.
I do not recall ever reading the word minutiae in a book before. It was used five times in the first half of this book and then not again that I noticed. Just something quirky that got my attention.
An enjoyable read, and the story within the story was nicely told. I would rate it 4 stars ⭐️. ...more
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