Book Review: A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone #1) by Sue Grafton

A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone #1) by Sue Grafton

Release Date: 1st November 2005

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia 
Format: eBook
Pages: 320
Rating: 4.0/5.0

This book was read as part of the 2013 OTS, 2013 ODY, 2013 EBC, 2013 GVR and 2013 BSR

Summary from Goodreads:

"PI Kinsey Milhone, in a pretty California town, gets her first case. Laurence Fife was a slick divorce lawyer and slippery ladies' man until someone killed him. Released from jail after 8 years, his wife Nikki wants the truth. But the trail is cold, and at the end is a chilling twist - a second eight-year-old murder and a brand new corpse."

Review:

It took a while for me to get into this. I wasn't find anything spectacular in the story, and I felt that it was really just going through the motions - Kinsey was finding evidence, formulating some sort of idea as to who the killer was, but then, of course, her theory gets knocked around because things aren't adding up, etc etc. It wasn't really until at least half way through the book that things started to pick up.

Around about here was when some genuine surprises were thrown my way. There were some twists in there that I didn't see coming, even though I had some sort of inkling as to who the killer was. And it wasn't until the final 3 chapters or so that everything fell into place. Kinsey had it all figured out, there was the final showdown that I was expecting, and then very abruptly, the novel ended. Maybe it was just me, but I found that ending very quick, pretty convenient, and it prevented me from seeing some other things I wanted to see - Kinsey explaining it all to Nikki, telling the police - I just think that ending could have been longer, we could have seen some things after. 

Overall, this was a quick and easy read, and although it took me some time to get really interested in it, I really enjoyed it - my only major qualm is with the ending. Definitely something worth checking out if you're interested in a short, quick crime read. 

Book Review: The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz

Release Date: 1st November 2011
Publisher: Orion Books
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 294
Rating: 5.0/5.0

Summary from Amazon:

"London, 1890. 221B Baker St. A fine art dealer named Edmund Carstairs visits Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson to beg for their help. He is being menaced by a strange man in a flat cap - a wanted criminal who seems to have followed him all the way from America. In the days that follow, his home is robbed, his family is threatened. And then the first murder takes place.

Almost unwillingly, Holmes and Watson find themselves being drawn ever deeper into an international conspiracy connected to the teeming criminal underworld of Boston, the gaslit streets of London, opium dens and much, much more. And as they dig, they begin to hear the whispered phrase-the House of Silk-a mysterious entity that connects the highest levels of government to the deepest depths of criminality. Holmes begins to fear that he has uncovered a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of society."

Review:
I had my doubts about this book. I had heard that it was really great, but I wasn't sure that Anthony Horowitz could really capture the essence of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing, as the book blurb proclaimed. But I had no need to worry - I absolutely loved this. It was great because it managed to capture the essence of Sherlock Holmes, convert it into a really great story by connecting seemingly unconnectable story lines together with twists and turns left, right and centre. As always, you are left in the dark until the final last chapters, when Holmes starts to bring everything together.

I gave this book a rating of 5/5, which is a full star higher that what I gave 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle {my review here}. The reason why is because Conan Doyle wrote short stories, whereas Horowitz has written a full length novel, giving him the ability to create a really deep and thorough storyline that would otherwise be unachievable in a short story. On top of that, I found it a little difficult to work my way through Conan Doyle's short stories, whereas I had no such problem with this book. I won't go so far as to say that this book surpasses what Conan Doyle wrote (nobody could write a better, and more authentic Holmes storyline), but Horowitz has managed to write a really great, authentic book.

Overall, this is a must read. If you're a Sherlock Holmes enthusiast like me, you will love this book. If you're a mystery and crime enthusiast, then you will love this book. If you just want a good read, then you will love this book.

 

Teaser Tuesday (6)

Teaser Tuesday is a Meme hosted by Mizb @ Should Be Reading. Anyone can join in, as long as they do the following:

• Grab your current read. 
• Open your book to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. 
• Warning:  Avoid spoilers in your teaser as not everyone has had the pleasure to read your current read
• Share the Title & Author so anyone can add your current read to their list if they wish to do so. 
• Note: links go to Amazon
  
  

The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz
Release Date: 1st November 2011
Publisher: Orion Books
Pages: 294

It's the last Teaser Tuesday of the year - enjoy this really interesting and tantalizing teaser below! 

 "There were two figures. One was a young girl whom I recognised at once. It was Sally Dixon, the older sister of Ross, who had been working at the Bag of Nails. She had been shot twice, in the chest and in the head. She was lying on the cobblestones in a pool of liquid which showed black in the darkness but which I knew to be her blood. I also knew the man who lay unconscious in front of her, one hand stretched out, still holding the gun that had shot her. It was Sherlock Holmes" pg 140

Book Review: Deja Dead (Tempe Brennan #1) by Kathy Reichs

Deja Dead (Tempe Brennan #1) by Kathy Reichs

Release Date: 1st June 1998
Publisher: Random House
Format: Paperback 
Pages: 509
Rating: 4.5/5.0

Book Blurb:

"The meticulously dismembered body of a woman is discovered in the grounds of an abandoned monastery. Too decomposed for standard autopsy. Request anthropological expertise.

Enter Dr Temperance Brennan, Director of Forensic Anthropology for the province of Quebec, and expect in the identification of bodies too old or damaged for routine examination. Tempe has been researching recent disappearances in the city, and despite the deep cynicism of Detective Claudel who heads the investigation, she is convinced that a serial killer is at work. Her forensic expertise finally convinces Claudel, but only after the body count has risen...

Tempe takes matters into her own hands, but her determined probing places those closest to her in mortal danger. Can Tempe make the crucial breakthrough before the killer strikes again?"

Review:

I really, really enjoyed this book, and Kathy Reichs is shaping up to be one of my favourite authors. After reading Death Du Jour a little while ago, I went back to the first book of the series to get the back story straight. Now, I'm determined to read all of the books in the Tempe Brennan series, in order, because they really are just that good.
The book pretty much had me gripped from the beginning, and managed to hold my attention most of the way through. I did, however, find this book harder to read than Death Du Jour, which is why I'm giving it a 4.5 out of 5. But honestly, that's the only reason - not because the story was flawed, just because the book was too long for my liking. 

Most of the rest of my review is along the lines of what I wrote in my review for Death du Jour, so instead of bore everyone who already read that review, I'll just create a link to it here. The last thing I'll say is this - if you're a fan of crime, mystery and thriller books, then you can't go past this series.

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren 
*Note: all links go to Amazon

 

This week I went Christmas shopping, and while I was in Target I noticed a whole section dedicated to Kathy Reichs. If you've been reading the blog, you probably know that I bought 3 Kathy Reichs books from Target not too long ago, and I've become a bit obsessed with them since. So when I saw that one book was only $10, I really had no choice - I had to buy it!

Mortal Remains by Kathy Reichs

Teaser Tuesday (4)

Teaser Tuesday is a Meme hosted by Mizb @ Should Be Reading. Anyone can join in, as long as they do the following:

• Grab your current read. 
• Open your book to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. 
• Warning:  Avoid spoilers in your teaser as not everyone has had the pleasure to read your current read
• Share the Title & Author so anyone can add your current read to their list if they wish to do so. 
• Note: links go to Amazon

Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
Release Date: 1st June 1998
Publisher: Random House Australia
Pages: 509

' "There may be a serial killer out there, Jewel. Someone murdering women and slicing them up. Jewel, is my friend in danger?" 

Our eyes locked.

"She female, chere?" '  pg 231

 

Book Review: Death du Jour (Tempe Brennan #2) by Kathy Reichs

Death du Jour (Tempe Brennan #2) by Kathy Reichs

Release Date: 1st August 2000
Publisher: Random House
Format: Paperback
Pages: 436
Rating: 5.0/5.0

Summary from Amazon:

"Forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs exploded onto bestseller lists worldwide with her phenomenal debut novel Déjà Dead -- and introduced "[a] brilliant heroine" (Glamour) in league with Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta. Dr. Temperance Brennan, Quebec's director of forensic anthropology, now returns in a thrilling new investigation into the secrets of the dead. 

In the bitter cold of a Montreal winter, Tempe Brennan is digging for a corpse buried more than a century ago. Although Tempe thrives on such enigmas from the past, it's a chain of contemporary deaths and disappearances that has seized her attention -- and she alone is ideally placed to make a chilling connection among the seemingly unrelated events. At the crime scene, at the morgue, and in the lab, Tempe probes a mystery that sweeps from a deadly Quebec fire to startling discoveries in the Carolinas, and culminates in Montreal with a terrifying showdown -- a nerve-shattering test of both her forensic expertise and her skills for survival."

Review:
I really, really enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, I took this book away with me to read on holiday, and it wasn't until I opened to the first page that I realised the first book in the Tempe Brennan series was sitting on my bookshelf at home. Nonetheless, I persevered onwards, and whilst I may have had trouble understanding the back story (because this was the second book in the series and also because the TV show Bones, which is based on the books, is completely different), the story itself was amazing.

At the beginning, I was a bit wary - starting off by digging up a corpse to examine for sainthood didn't really appeal to my tastes - but as the story progressed it just became so complex and intense. **Possible spoiler alert** What began as seemingly unrelated stories became an intricate and complex narrative, with each individual story expertly woven to another so that at the end of the novel, every incident that occurred was somehow related to every other incident. Nothing was included just for the sake of it - Reichs has been superior in her writing and created a mystery that is captivating.

If you're a fan of crime and mystery, then you can't go past these books. But, if you're interested in reading the books because you've seen the TV show, don't get your hopes up - whilst the books are amazing, the only similarity between them and the TV show is that the main characters share a name. Once you get past that though, I'm sure you'll enjoy the books just as much as I did.

Around the Stack in How Many Ways? 2012 Book Challenge

I've just signed up to this new book challenge, hosted by Dog Ear Discs and the Book Monkey. The aim is to read as many different genres of books throughout the year, depending on which level you have signed up for. I thought this would fit nicely with the Off The Shelf challenge, so to support the challenge in its debut year, I've signed up for the Hikers level, meaning I am aiming to read books from up to 5 different genres. My reading list is as follows:

1. Crime/Mystery: Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs {my review here}

2. Romance: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger {my review here}

3. Dystopian: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins {my review here}

4. Historical Fiction: The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory {my review here}

5. Young Adult Fiction: Vixen by Jillian Larkin {my review here}

To have a look at the info page, click here

Book Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Release Date: a long time ago...
Publisher: Penguin Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 302
Rating: 4.0/5.0

Book Blurb:

"The always unflappable Sherlock Holmes solves the world's most baffling puzzles with the able assistance of Doctor Watson. Mysteries of disguise, madness, red-headed members' clubs and missing thumbs must be untangled - and the only woman to ever beat the sleuth must be faced."

Review:
I've always loved Sherlock Holmes. I don't really know why, because this is the first Sherlock Holmes book I've actually read. I think ever since I got into mystery and crime, Sherlock Holmes just became the epicenter of that for me. But I can now say that I am a true fan of Sherlock Holmes after reading the original short stories.

There's a reason why Sherlock Holmes keeps getting recreated (what with movies, TV shows and books) - it's just sooo good. Whilst some of the stories are a bit absurd (a secret society for people with red hair?), its Holmes himself that will draw you into the stories. You read for a couple of pages some person relay all the details surrounding their mystery, and then you are shown piece by piece how Holmes figured it all out, and you say to yourself, "With the next short story, I'll be more attentive and I'll figure everything out." And then you try to do that, and you may work out parts of the story, but you have no chance of figuring out everything. And that's why the stories are addictive - you keep going back because not only are the stories interesting, but you want to see how Holmes solves the next mystery.

Whilst the stories are great, it took me longer than I expected to get through the book, and each story itself took me a while to read. I think the problem is that the book was dense, and I found it hard to finish one short story and then jump straight into the next. Either way, the short stories were worth the read, even if it takes some time to get through them all.

WWW Wednesdays (3)

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly Meme hosted by Mizb @ Should Be Reading. To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

*Note: all links go to Amazon

My Answers:

1. I'm currently reading, Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs. I bought this book along with 2 other Kathy Reichs books because they were in a box set for only $19 (can't pass up a bargain like that!).
   
   
2. Last Tuesday I finished reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle {read this review here}, and on Saturday I finished reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen {read this review here}
   
   
3. I think it will be Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs. Once I got a bit into my current read I realised that the books were completely different from the TV show Bones, so I think I need to read the first novel to understand the back story.

Teaser Tuesday (3)

Teaser Tuesday is a Meme hosted by Mizb @ Should Be Reading. Anyone can join in, as long as they do the following:

• Grab your current read. 
• Open your book to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page. 
• Warning:  Avoid spoilers in your teaser as not everyone has had the pleasure to read your current read
• Share the Title & Author so anyone can add your current read to their list if they wish to do so. 
• Note: links go to Amazon
  
  

Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs
Release Date: 1st August 2000
Publisher: Random House Australia
Pages: 436

"Since Ryan's call an image of Malachy had been floating through my mind. I saw his half-open eyes and mangled chest, his tiny fingers curled in death. I thought of his dead sibling and his dead parents and his grieving grandparents." pg 184 

 

WWW Wednesdays (2)

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly Meme hosted by Mizb @ Should Be Reading. To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

*Note: all links go to Amazon

My Answers:

1. I'm currently reading, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I'm pretty much obsessed with anything to do with Sherlock Holmes, but this is the first book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that I've actually read. I was also reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, but I've put that on the back burner for at least 5 years (I think it might be a bit too old for me :/ )
2. Last SundayI finished reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak {my review here}
3. It's either going to be Juliet by Anne Fortier or Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (I'm desperate to read both)