Black Summer by MW Craven

Description from Amazon:

Jared Keaton, chef to the stars. Charming. Charismatic. Psychopath . . . He’s currently serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of his daughter, Elizabeth. Her body was never found and Keaton was convicted largely on the testimony of Detective Sergeant Washington Poe.

So when a young woman staggers into a remote police station with irrefutable evidence that she is Elizabeth Keaton, Poe finds himself on the wrong end of an investigation, one that could cost him much more than his career.

Helped by the only person he trusts, the brilliant but socially awkward Tilly Bradshaw, Poe races to answer the only question that matters: how can someone be both dead and alive at the same time?

And then Elizabeth goes missing again - and all paths of investigation lead back to Poe.

 

Okay, you’ll have to indulge me with this author. After all, I have only just discovered him, and since the first book was so good, I have to read as many as I can get my hands on!

The book opens with an appalling food scene. And by appalling I mean I really hope it’s made up and not some awful practice somewhere. You have Jared Keaton – supposed food magician but also crazy-as-a-loon chef. He is meant to have murdered his daughter, Elizabeth, and Poe managed to put him behind bars. Elizabeth has resurfaced to prove she is alive, but then goes missing again. So now Keaton could be freed and Poe entirely discredited. But Poe is still convinced Keaton is a psychopath.

So begins a tale of a twist on a turn on a twist. I love how the author takes you on a ride you never expected, and there are so many clues leading to each other or bouncing off each other that sometimes it’s quite something to keep track of it all. I think that might be the only thing about these books that doesn’t sit well. The fact that normally with a thriller the reader is given the clues, albeit scattered, and then we all go “Oh I didn’t see that coming.” But with these books, Poe (and my awesome supersleuth, Tilly) connects something and only later do we as readers get told what the connection was. It all makes sense in the end but we aren’t allowed to piece the puzzle together ourselves. It doesn’t stop me enjoying the books though!

I liked the introduction of Estelle (whoops, I might have gotten her name wrong but I’ll get it right in the next review) in the mortuary, and the way she is described and the processes she uses are highly entertaining. She’d probably kick my butt with her heels for that.

The investigation Poe undertakes to try to refute the blood draw proving Elizabeth is who she says she is makes every stumbling block he encounters ingenious. And creating Keaton’s timeline and linking it back to his cooking had me exhausted. I love how all the characters work so well off each other and that by now Poe and Bradshaw’s relationship is cemented in that easy to predict what you need kind of way. And bringing Poe’s dog, Edgar, into it? Yes, please!

Great story, great writing, great idea, great investigation and reworking what needed to be reworked, great reading. Next one, please!

The Goodbye Man by Jeffery Deaver

Description from Amazon:

In the wilderness of Washington State, expert tracker Colter Shaw has located two young men accused of a terrible hate crime. But when his pursuit takes a shocking and tragic turn, Shaw becomes desperate to discover what went so horribly wrong and if he is to blame.

Shaw’s search for answers leads him to a shadowy organization that bills itself as a grief support group. But is it truly it a community that consoles the bereaved? Or a dangerous cult with a growing body count?

 

Since the last one I’d read in the series was not too bad, I thought I’d try another. Deaver is trying to get Shaw to be the action version of Rhyme and it’s good but not quite there. There are a few too many fortuitous moments, and things that are explained away by him being a survivalist or having amazing instincts or his dad imparting some knowledge to swallow.

The story initially seems farfetched, but since so much is probably not shared in real life by authorities about what goes on in cults like these, I wouldn’t be surprised. Shaw is trying to infiltrate this grief group after one of the people he was trying to find for the reward landed up killing himself. It could have been Shaw’s fault but something doesn’t feel right. So Shaw enters the group and is forced to maintain a façade as he learns about the levels and what they want to accomplish.

The charismatic leader (isn’t there always one?) sees potential in Shaw and elevates him to a position where he sees all the illegal parts happening and figures out the endgoal that the final level requires. But... he could be exposed either through his actions or others who have taken note of him.

Lots of intriguing twists and turns here and I enjoyed the competition between him and a fellow reward seeker who has no problem taking out his competition (permanently by accident).

The facets to the story do keep you guessing, and even though you sometimes have to just accept the story, it’s probably still within the realms of credibility. Even though reading Shaw and reading Rhyme are like reading two different ways of writing, there is still enough Deaver in both to keep the reading comfortable and fast. The novel goes by quickly and leaves enough to want to find out more, even though it’s not my favourite series. If I find others, I’ll keep them for rainy days.

The Intruder by Freida McFadden

Description from Amazon:

Who knows what the storm will blow in…

Casey’s cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she’s a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window.

She’s young. She’s alone. And she’s covered in blood.

The girl won’t explain where she came from or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse.

The girl has a dark secret. One she’ll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.

 

I figured since I’d given Deaver and Colter Shaw a second chance, I’d do the same for Freida McFadden. Unfortunately, it just solidified that I do not gel with her writing! I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who love her stories, but this book did not do it for me.

 

I read it in about two hours, and it had a good start with an interesting book description. But...

It’s not a thriller as you would expect. It’s a psychological drama with childhood abuse and an unreliable narrator. And deals with themes of hoarding and trauma shaped by unhinged parents.

So in the midst of this crazy storm in the description, Casey finds this young girl with a knife. And the girl is threatening her. But Casey still invites her in for cookies. That struck me as very weird. Yes, the child is obviously running from something, but Casey has no means of communication with the outside world due to the storm so why does she feel comfortable enough to do this? Okay, let’s just chalk it up to Casey being a good person.

Now, she is in the woods, with a next-door neighbour who she thought she felt attracted to but is not sure about and a creepy landlord who is hitting on her. And this storm is so bad it’s threatening to bring down a huge tree on her house and take her roof off. And she still wants to take care of a girl who has literally told her she will harm her.

However, the story starts with a young girl who lives with her unhinged hoarder mother and the girl is trying to make the best of a bad situation. Granted, her choices are not the best, but she is young and has no other way of doing things. Her mom is pretty awful and locks her in the closet whenever she has male companionship – sounds like a great way to raise a kid, right?

The girl makes friends with an unlikely schoolmate and they form an unconventional but very close friendship. Something accidental but extremely serious puts paid to that.

Now I have to say that there are some *spoilers* coming up. It’s difficult to describe the book without them. I’ve tried not to give it away, but you could read into them.

The narrator is not who you think it is. And Freida has tried too hard to run parallel lives explaining the story. The odds of people who have experienced almost the same things finding each other in those circumstances are so slim (even with the explanation offered), and without them the whole story falls apart. Besides that, you have people who have literally given up their lives to keep an eye on someone based on a promise. Sweet, but no.

It caught me in the beginning, let me down in the end, and shows that she and I don’t mesh. You may have your legion of fans, but shoving “infinity promise” down my throat that many times made us break up. Sorry, Freida!

The Puppet Show by MW Craven

Description from Amazon:

A serial killer is burning people alive in the Lake District's prehistoric stone circles. He leaves no clues and the police are helpless. When his name is found carved into the charred remains of the third victim, disgraced detective Washington Poe is brought back from suspension and into an investigation he wants no part of . . .

Reluctantly partnered with the brilliant, but socially awkward, civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw, the mismatched pair uncover a trail that only he is meant to see. The elusive killer has a plan and for some reason Poe is part of it.

As the body count rises, Poe discovers he has far more invested in the case than he could have possibly imagined. And in a shocking finale that will shatter everything he's ever believed about himself, Poe will learn that there are things far worse than being burned alive ...

 

I had never heard of this author before and I’m always sceptical when covers tell you about awards authors have won because I find a lot of them never live up to the expectation created in my mind. However, this was a fantastic book.

 

Poe’s character is really well written. You have to admire his tenacity and his willingness to do the wrong things for the right reasons. I loved the way he was incorporated into the narrative and the pushes in directions to get him to places. However, Tilly was an awesome character! Definitely on the spectrum, filled with loyalty and a fierceness that worked brilliantly with Poe’s ideals, her addition to the story created a side to it that added the genius and doggedness. If you are squeamish, be warned that there are scenes describing the burning bodies.

 

The plot itself took you one way and then another and layers were added at each turn. It took a while to get to the ultimate message, but the journey kept me turning page after page. And just when you thought the book was over, Poe added something right at the end that was a game changer. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!

The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver

Description from Amazon:

The son of a survivalist family, Colter Shaw is an expert tracker. Now he makes a living as a “reward seeker,” traveling the country to help police solve crimes and locate missing persons for private citizens.

“You’ve been abandoned. Escape if you can. Or die with dignity.”

Hired by the father of a young woman who has gone missing in Silicon Valley, Shaw's search takes him into the dark heart of America’s cutthroat billion-dollar video-game industry. When another person goes missing, Shaw must ask: Is a madman bringing a twisted video game to life?

Encountering eccentric designers, trigger-happy gamers, and ruthless tech titans, Shaw soon learns that he isn't the only one on the hunt: someone is on his trail and closing fast....

 

Okay, so I said I wouldn’t read any more of this series, but I found this in the library and figured I’d try the first one to see if it sets the series up well and I just happened to not enjoy a later one. Turns out that was the case!

 

The book opens with a bang and it’s pretty much at a fast pace all the way through. We learn a bit more about Shaw’s background and how he was raised, plus are offered a question into his past. But for now, Shaw is a private citizen for “hire”, one who will track down missing people for the reward. When he takes up an offer in Silicon Valley, he finds out that the case may be linked to the world of gaming, and in particular one called The Whispering Man that gives you five pieces of equipment and you have to figure your way out of a life or death situation with them.

 

The gaming parts were interesting and the whole world of gaming (not just the stuff you see in movies) is really complex and hugely popular. Shaw gets to meet a number of rivals within the industry as well as fans, one who becomes a romantic interest. I found her character somewhat stilted, though. Couldn’t really connect with her.

 

I did enjoy the way Shaw worked through the kidnapping but I guess in many places you have to just accept certain things about the story that would normally require a decent explanation like his money or his ability to get through areas he shouldn’t be allowed in.

 

I still don’t think this series is as good as Rhyme but I’ll try another just to see where it’s going.

Keep the Ghost by Scott Kelly

Description from Amazon:

It started as a fake suicide. It ended in a very real murder.

Sean would do anything for his crush Kayla, even help the girl stage her own death. But after her near-sighted plan takes a dark turn and her corpse washes up on the beach, those little lies he told to the police don’t seem so little anymore.

When he becomes the prime suspect, his only hope to avoid prison may be to follow in Kayla’s doomed footsteps by faking his own death. With the manhunt on his heels, he must put his trust in a dangerous couple with a devious idea for his second chance at life. Will Sean escape to freedom or will he unwittingly step into the noose of his own tangled plan?

Keep the Ghost is the first book in a series of edgy mystery thrillers. If you like fast-paced suspense, heart-stopping plot twists, and deadly double-crosses, then you’ll love Scott Kelly’s nail-biting tale.

 

Well, this was an odd one. It sounded very different and I figured it would be quite a change. I’m not sure how I feel about it, though.

 

The idea behind faking your death (pseudocide) is to not be bound by your name. To not be defined by the name given to you and to free yourself from your ghost. But with Sean on the run and being helped by some very shady characters, he needs to get a new identity. And surely then he is bound by this new identity? You couldn’t keep changing it all the time, after all. It does go deeper than this because obviously, to have the funds to do this, you’d need some sort of scam behind the scenes, and that is exactly what is happening, as Sean soon discovers.

 

The writing definitely made you want to read more to find out what happens. There are a couple of cringy bits, and bits that seemed off, but when actual murder takes place to hide a name, it wasn’t justified. And then… the story doesn’t finish. With loads of space left in the book, it just ends and ends without either a satisfying conclusion or a decent lead in to the next book. Unfortunately, this series is not for me.

Billy Summers by Stephen King

Description from Amazon:

The perfect crime doesn’t exist. The perfect getaway . . . that’s another story.

Billy Summers is a killer for hire. He’s among the best snipers in the world, a decorated Iraq war vet who can blend into any neighbourhood and disappear after the shot is taken. But he’ll only agree to a contract if the target is a truly bad guy.

Now Billy wants out. But first he’s offered one final job - an offer which is just too big to refuse.

As the days count down to the hit, Billy senses something is wrong. He doesn’t yet know just how wrong, or about the woman who will help him try to set things right.

Part thriller, part war story, part lyrical portrait of small-town America, Billy Summers is about a good man in a bad job, with one last shot at redemption.

 

I absolutely loved this. It’s quite different from his usual fare, and I thought the nod to The Shining was a fun addition.

 

Billy’s job and the people involved is laid out nicely, and even though what he is about to do is so completely wrong, you are cheering him on. The book is quite thick, so as the job is put into action, there seem to be a lot of pages over. Enter the second portion, which, while it has a different element to it, ties it all together so well that by the end the emotions are a rollercoaster.

 

Billy takes you through parts of his life in wars through memories and the book he is writing, and I thought the way he writes his book using his simple voice and then his usual one read really well. There are cringy parts and his first interaction with Alice as well as some of the decisions he makes about her are downright questionable. But I guess that also shows how people make decisions and how wrong they can be.

 

Many won’t like this book based on decisions made and the political jabs, but I really enjoyed it!