RATED 3/5 – Page 9 – Best Crime Books and More

The Killing Game by J A Kerley (Carson Ryder #9)

My Rating: 3/5

So it’s been two years since the last JA Kerley release of a Carson Ryder Book. For those that don’t know, or have never read a JA Kerley book before, the books feature Police Detectives Carson Ryder and his partner Harry Nautilus. I haven’t read the early books from the series but picked it up from book 3 I think. In one sense, each book can be read as a standalone but I much prefer to have the history of characters from as early on as possible.

After a humiliating encounter with a cop, Romanian immigrant Gregory Nieves launches a vendetta against the Mobile Police Department, Alabama. Nieves can’t fight a department, so he selects one man who symbolizes all men in blue: Carson Ryder, the MPD’s specialist in bizarre and twisted crimes. From early on the reader knows who the killer is, but in a bizarre shift in books, it seems that it takes the majority of the book for Carson and Harry to figure it out. I would almost go as far as saying they seemed rather secondary to the main character; the killer!

I am really a fan of Kerley and this series, but couldn’t help feeling that we see less of Carson and Harry and too much insight into a sociopath! Don’t get me wrong, I am as interested as the next reader into how these people have no conscience and why, but this time around I felt like it was overdone. Also, there was only fleeting mentions of both Jeremy, Carson’s wacko but shockingly intelligent brother; and Harry’s niece Rein. Both of these characters’, I feel have earned places in the books and I kind of missed them both in equal measures.

Overall, the story was a decent enough one, but I missed the camaraderie between Harry and Carson, I missed other characters and felt like this time around the book was lacking its normal ‘oomph’. The ending gave way to a nice little opener for the tenth book in the series due in December 2013. I will as always really look forward to the next instalment. I just wish this latest book would have given me a little more than it did.

The Husband Diet by Nancy Barone

220x346 (1)

My Rating: 3/5

The Husband Diet is Nancy Barone’s debut novel and after reading it I have to say a pretty good one at that! This debut features Erica Cantelli is a mother whose husband Ira tells her constantly that she needs to lose weight. It didn’t take me long to like the main character Erica and you can tell by the way her life is that her sole focus is her children and husband. It also didn’t take me too long to loathe the selfish and pig-headed husband. Erica’s mother is also a hideous woman who does nothing but criticise Erica about anything and everything. Erica decides it time to turn her life around and makes positive changes.

Some of the highlights in the book for me were moment’s where Erica fantasises about killing her husband, and trying to buy healthy food in the shops to discover its half the size and tastes of nothing! There were quite a lot of funny moments in the book and it just made me root for Erica even more. She even starts dreaming of her children’s Principal Julian Foxham and along with her quest to improve herself, she starts to see some real changes in her life. The question is whether or not she can ever achieve her ideal dream of living in Tuscany.

This book didn’t stand out as particularly different from many other books in this genre I read. Having said that, I enjoyed the characters and the humour running through the book was brilliant from start to finish. I wouldn’t say this was the best book I have read but it is certainly a great debut novel and I would definitely look out for her next book as I think this may be an author that will improve with every book she writes.

Unseen by Karin Slaughter (Will Trent #7)

226x346 (1)

My Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: Okay first off I need to point out that I am a HUGE Karin Slaughter fan and have been since the beginning. That’s not to say that every book has left me thinking it was a 5 star read, but the vast majority have been. Her last book Criminal was an absolute corker of a book so I was eager to get going with this latest offering. Not only do we see both Will and Sara, but also the return of Lena Adams. For those that haven’t followed the series in order, it may be worth going back to the beginning and not reading this review (as inevitably there will be spoilers if you haven’t read the others!)

Will Trent is back and is working undercover and is trying to break down a drug trafficking operation. Although this was the main focus of the story, it was weaved in with events involving Lena Adams. Sara and Lena have a continuous feud going on following the death of Sara’s husband, which she blames Lena for. At the beginning of the book I felt the tension ramp up and prepared myself for another corker of a book. Sadly, every time we see Lena’s story unfolding from a few days previously you kind of lost the momentum.

We certainly see a different side to Lena in this story though as her, and her husband Jared, try to work through some difficulties. That said, I still felt that every time we revisited the few days previously it felt like a chore. I almost felt like the main story which involved Will, was very much playing second fiddle to Sara and Lena’s history with each other. As soon as I got the chance to delve back into the main story, I did with relish. Sadly this time around, I just felt like this book wasn’t the typical Slaughter book I would normally read.

Towards the end when both stories seemed to merge, it improved greatly but by the time I had come to the end I couldn’t help feeling a little bit disappointed. Although this wasn’t one of Karin Slaughters best, it is still a good read. In my eyes it just wasn’t as good as her books usually are. I will as always eagerly await the next instalment and hope that the next one is just as brilliant as Criminal was.

Fallen Idols by Neil White

311x500

My Rating: 3/5

My sister has been working through the Jack Garrett series of books; and with each one exclaims that I am missing out. After her last time of telling me I caved and pushed Neil White up to the top of the pile. Jack Garrett is a journalist who although originally from Lancashire is now living in the heart of London. The book starts out with a bang when a Premiership footballer gets shot dead in the street. DC Laura McGanty is put on the case and immediately knows that the murder is more than it first appears.

It was easy to fall into both characters lives and I immediately liked both Jack and Laura. Laura is a single mum and we see her try to juggle both her career and home life. Jack is also an easy guy to read and like as he is pretty laid back apart from when it comes to a story. It’s clear from the outset that both Jack and Laura have feelings for each other but this is put on the back burner in favour of a very fast paced read.

Before I knew it I was over halfway with the book and there was all sorts of mayhem going on. Jack is convinced that the murder is nothing to do with the fact that the victim is a celebrity. While Laura investigates, Jack decides to go back to his hometown of Turners Fold which is where the victim grew up. We get to meet Jack’s dad who I immediately liked. As Jack delves into the goings-on in Turners Fold, he gets dragged right into the middle of it. I found myself reading larger and larger chunks each time I picked it up, and in the end resigned myself to finishing it in one sitting.

I wouldn’t say this was the best book I have read recently but is certainly one that hooks you on to the series. I found myself getting nearer and nearer to the end and wondering if I should just go straight onto book 2. Sadly my to read list is huge, so book 2 will have to wait. It was a solid debut novel and am really looking forward to getting stuck into the next book.

THE LOVELIEST CHOCOLATE SHOP IN PARIS BY JENNY COLGAN

My Rating: 3/5

After finishing the Cupcake Café books by Jenny Colgan I was looking forward to this one. In this book we meet Anna Trent who works at a Chocolate Factory. Anna doesn’t appeal that much as a character in the beginning. She has had an accident at work and is recovering in hospital. She meets her old French teacher Claire who is also being treated in the hospital. However, Anna is at an all-time low and seems quite depressed with everything. As Anna is on the mend her relationship with Claire grows and she learns a little more about Claire’s life growing up.

It took me a little while to warm to Anna, but slowly I began to see the girl she was before. When Claire offers her a once in a lifetime opportunity to work in Paris it takes Anna some time to come around to the idea. Anna soon learns that Claire’s former sweetheart is a well-known chocolate maker and he makes his chocolate entirely by hand. Once Anna makes the decision to try it and arrives at the strange and quirky shop, the story takes off a little bit more.

Anna meets the famous Thierry as well as the two guys in the shop. In addition she meets Thierry’s son and there is of course the outlandish character she is living with Sami. As usual Jenny Colgan has done a stellar job with describing Paris and catching the magic, but the characters just didn’t grab me like they usually would. I certainly warmed to Anna, but actually preferred Claire, whose story we see in sections throughout the book where we flash back to Anna’s past in Paris.

The second half of the book was slightly better than the first half and although I enjoyed it I just felt it was lacking something. I have read a lot of Jenny’s books and especially loved the Cupcake books. Maybe I am making too much of a comparison but this one just wasn’t one of my favourites. I will as usual be eagerly reading all her other books I haven’t read and will look forward to any new releases. I just think I couldn’t get along with the characters in this one as well as others.

Ultimatum by Simon Kernick

My Rating: 3/5

Okay let me point out firstly that I am a big Simon Kernick fan and there aren’t many of his books that I don’t like. Sadly I felt a bit let down with this latest offering. His last book The Siege was a 5 star read that was absolutely brilliant and I literally couldn’t put it down. When I realised this was a follow up of sorts I looked forward to it. What I found frustrating was the beginning seemed so difficult to get into. Kernick has a magic touch when it comes to writing in that fast paced `what’s going to happen next’ kind of way. His writing is still just as brilliant but I found myself irritated with this book for a number of reasons.

Tina Boyd is currently a DC as she has been demoted because she tends to break every rule given to her. Mike Bolt is also back and running a special operation on Terrorism. These characters I have previously really liked, but for some reason they just grated on me this time around. How on earth Tina Boyd still has a job is beyond me! That aside, the story once again features Terrorism at the heart of it which I can understand especially in this day and age. We also see the return of William Garrett (AKA The Fox) who featured in The Siege. Boyd and Bolt are racing against the clock to stop an atrocity before it’s too late.

Like I said the writing quality is still there but this time around I just felt like the story was falling a little flat. I think aside from the characters irritating me, I would have liked to see Kernick make a departure from UK based terrorism and maybe do something a bit different. I know that a lot of people will enjoy this book, however I just felt like Kernick could do better. By no means do I mean that to sound condescending, I just wonder how I can be blown away by one book, and indifferent with another. The second half of the book was a lot easier to read and was much better than the first half as the pace picked up and there was a lot more going on. However, overall I was left feeling a little bit hard done by.

This latest release from Kernick will probably satisfy most readers, but is certainly not what I would call a shining example of his best work. I can only hope that the next one is just as brilliant as his books normally are.

Ex-Girlfriends Reunited by Matt Dunn

226x346 (1)

My Rating: 3/5

Having read the first book by Matt Dunn featuring Ed Middleton and his friend Dan Davies, I was keen to read the second book. Once again we meet with Ed and Dan, only this time around Ed is settled down with his girlfriend and Dan seems to be going through a dry spell. Dan Davies has a job as a TV presenter, and has landed a role in a new daytime soap. He just can’t figure out why the women aren’t falling at his feet like they usually do. In the first book we see more of Edward and his dilemma of trying to change his ways, and I actually preferred that as Dan grated on me a little bit. With Dan being a little bit more prominent in this book I wondered if I would like it as much.

When Dan and Ed realise that a website `Slate Your Date’ features Dan heavily they realise Dan’s situation is a little trickier than they first thought. Ex Girlfriends seem to have overloaded the site with details of Dan’s disgraceful behaviour. Between them, they decide the only way to get things sorted is to track down Dan’s exes and try to make things right. As usual humour is the main key to Matt’s books slightly having the edge and there is no shortage of that in this book. The one thing that did make me feel it wasn’t as good as the last is the fact that I just couldn’t imagine Dan and Ed actually being friends in real life?! Having said that, towards the end of the book my attitude towards Dan changed somewhat and I found myself thinking that he wasn’t that bad after all!

I think Matt Dunn has produced another good book and although Dan grates on me a bit, I really like the two of them and more to the point want to know how things go from here. Luckily, the next book The Accidental Proposal should answer my questions. I think his two books I’ve read

Husband Missing by Polly Williams

230x346

My Rating: 3/5

In this book by Polly Williams we meet Gina who has met and married Rex within a matter of months. When her husband goes missing on a holiday with friends her dream marriage starts to turn on its head. Rex’s brother Jake is instrumental in helping Gina to try and find Rex or some clue as to why he has gone missing. The initial part of the book really grabbed me and you are left with so many questions at the beginning of the story. As time progresses and we see Gina return to the UK, her life has to move on but she struggles with day to day things. As more about Rex’s past is revealed I began to find myself getting a little irritated with Gina as a character. Maybe this was just me but I felt that she was so weak and vulnerable I wanted to slap her!

Rex’s brother Jake on the other hand was a great character and I really liked him from early on. The story was certainly different and the writing was as in her other book brilliant. I just couldn’t help but feel like I was missing something. When I finished the book I certainly enjoyed it, but the character Gina just irritated me so much that I began to dislike her and it just ruined it a little for me. This certainly isn’t my favourite Polly Williams book but I think it will be a favourite with many others. I will carry on reading Polly Williams as I have really enjoyed her other books, and maybe next time I will like the character more. There was slightly hurried feel to the end of this book too, which maybe lessened my enjoyment of it, but I still felt like it was a good read, just not a favourite of mine.

You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane

228x346

My Rating: 3/5

This debut novel was one I was really looking forward to as Amazon reviewers all seemed to be raving about it! With 244 Reviews and an overall score of 4.5/5 I was pretty sure that I would feel the same as the majority and love this book. Rachel and Ben are the main characters and are friends that share history. They both attended University together and formed a bond that seemed back then unbreakable. Fast forward ten years and things are very different. Rachel and Rhys have been together for years but as they near their agreed wedding, Rachel and Rhys split up. Add to the mix the re-appearance of Ben in Manchester and the story starts to warm up.

If I’m being 100% honest I struggled with the first few chapters and wondered whether I could get to grips with this character. Thankfully a few more chapters in I had started to warm to Rachel. The author manages to weave the past story into the current one seamlessly and it made it easy for the story to build layers which I liked. The one thing that is crystal clear is that Mhairi McFarlane has a brilliant sense of humour. Some of the lines that were in this book were very funny, but maybe because I wasn’t overly keen on Rachel, they lost their shine a little.

The story got a lot more interesting as the reader sees what has happened in the past and I certainly found it harder to put down, especially towards the end of the book. The ending was a little predictable but to be honest I can see why so many really enjoyed this book. I am putting my middle of the road attitude down to my difficulties with the characters. On the flip side of the coin, is Mhairi continues to write with this much humour and style it wont take her long to gain a following, and that will no doubt include me. Although I only gave it 3/5 I am actually really looking forward to the next novel and look forward to seeing what she can do the second time around!

The Life by Martina Cole

download

My Review 3/5

Martina Cole, a legend in her own right. However, the question of whether she still 2has what it takes” is something that’s bandied around a lot recently. As much as I am loathed to admit it, I can see why the negative comments come around. The problem with us readers is that we are a finikity bunch, who expects authors to continually churn out a 5 star read every year without fail. When you actually stop to think about it Martina Cole has been writing since 1992 which is an astonishing 20 years. Martina’s last two releases were middle of the road for me. If you compare her current books to her earlier work such as books like The Jump, her newer material is nowhere near as good.

I think that as such a talented author, she is going to once again create an absolute corker of a book and somehow I always end up being a little disappointed. Whether that’s because I feel like the bar is set a bit higher for her, or just because the competition is just too good now, I really don’t know. This latest release The Life certainly has a good synopsis that’s for sure. The Bailey brothers are gangsters determined to make their mark on the world (sounding familiar), yet the two brothers are complete opposites. When their sons join the business, it seems like nothing can stop them. When Lena Bailey gives birth to a girl, she is determined to shield her from The Life. When a tragedy occurs, it changes everybody and their life as they know it.

I started reading this book with high hopes (as usual) and to be honest one thing you cannot fault is Martina’s writing style. The lady has some clear cut talent and it’s an unmistakable style that draws you in to the characters and their lives. This book was easy reading for me and pretty soon I felt drawn into the Bailey world and was reading chapter after chapter. On the down side, at around the halfway mark it just seemed like too much hard work. The story was okay, but sadly it was just the same old, same old. I knew where Martina was taking the story and characters and felt like this fell into the same category of been there and read it!

The book took me three days to read and to be brutally honest it was probably at least 100 pages too long. I feel a little sad to say but I wonder whether Martina should carry on with this type of book. The competition out there, especially with newer writers emerging all the time, is making Martina’s work look poor in comparison. I think at this stage what I would love to see is something completely different from Martina Cole. She truly is an author with a gift for writing, but she just needs to get out of the `tried and tested’ formula she keeps using. Maybe steer away from the East End Gangster type of book and try a new direction. I truly believe that with her huge following and legions of fans, that they would welcome something fresh and new from one of the ultimate British female crime writers.