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"All of them? Even the children?" The fireplace stuttered and cackled and swallowed his gasp. Slaughtered?"
"Worse."
Title: The Brutal Telling
Author: Louise Penny
ISBN: 9780312377038
Publisher: Minotaur Books/2009
Pages: 372
The opening lines set the mood and tone of this novel. How can one wish not to know more? In the village of Three Pines near Montreal, with no crime ratings, a murder is committed. The body is found in a bistro and antique store. The victim is a total stranger and the motive of the murder is almost impossible to find out. And Chief Inspector Gamache arrives with his team to investigate. Even he is flabbergasted.
The villagers are rather closely knit. The Bistro is owned by Oliver and his gay partner Gabri along with B & B next door. Gamache's investigations lead him to a small hut in the deep woods. Now this hut contains priceless antiques. Who owns it and how has he come about the antiques? When Gamache gets into the bottom of it along with his team, Jean Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste, he finds the identity of the victim, , the motive, the weapon and the original place of murder. However, the mystery of the murderer doesn't get to be resolved any time soon.
When Gamache gets into the bottom of it, layer by layer, he is just as astounded as as to find the identity of the killer. Although this is not the nail-biting, seating on the edge of the chair kind of mystery, yet it has that cozy feel to it. We do wish to know more. Chief Inspector Gamache is a likeable character, maybe genial at times but has a keen sense of observation and is a force to reckon with for those who are on the wrong side of the law.
What appealed to me most was the eccentric poet, Ruth. She speaks in riddles, yet she has great understanding and depth. Her presence in the book makes it mystical.
Louise Penny is worth checking out. Thanks to Staci of Life in the thumb, for the ARC. She was kind enough to send it all the way to Delhi!
Also reviewed by:
rhapsodyinbooks
Michelle's Masterful Musings
Kittling Books
Ms. Bookish
Jen's Book Thoughts
Drops of blood splashed on the floor. Focused, John examined his daughter to make sure she hadn't gotten cut.
Title: The Secret Hour
Author: Luanne Rice
ISBN: 0553584014
Publisher: Bantam/2003
Pages: 395
The Secret Hour is a mystery, a thriller and a romance. I would say the reality element is scary part of it. At times, it feels as if this is happening.
Based in New England, John O'Rourke is a defense lawyer for a serial killer and is detested by people for his work. His children, Maggie and Teddy too have to cope with the rigors of his work. They are targets of hate and much ridicule. Their mother had died in an accident and no baby-sitter lasts long due to the erratic long hours kept by John.
Then Kate arrives one fine morning. The same day someone had hurled a brick through their window. With no rhyme or reason, kids take to her. Her warmth reaches out to them. John is sceptical. Kate is looking for her sister Willa, who had disappeared some 6 months back just a little before the serial killer was caught. She wants John to help, who is reluctant for the same. He feels he can't betray his client's confidences.
The bonding between the siblings, be it Maggie and Teddy or Kate and Willa is shown to be very strong. Each can go to any length to save the other. John is tormented by his memories of his dead wife, his work and his attraction for Kate. The children sense that Kate is their side and they bask in her love and reciprocate it.
When another murder takes place in the same way as before, everyone is flabbergasted. That means there is someone else, who is copying the murder of that serial killer. Who is that person? And when it does come into light, we can't believe it. Luanne Rice has managed to keep the mystery and the suspense alive until the end. The matter is not as easy at it seems what with murders and serial killers. There isn't much romance but that somehow makes sense in this page turner.
Title: Lonestar Secrets
Author: Colleen Coble
ISBN: 9781595544872
Publisher: Thomas Nelson/2008
Pages: 316
Shannon Aster, a vet, comes back to West Texas. She had left it as a single mother five years back. Her uncle has left her the farm and she wants her daughter to have a better life. Despite the betrayals of the past she thinks that West Texas is home for her daughter Kylie.
When she sees Faith, the daughter of Horse Trainer Jack MacGowan, she is amazed. Faith looks exactly like her daughter Kylie and both the girls take to each other instantly. Shannon has to get to the bottom of it. Reluctantly Jack too has to agree. Both find themselves in the midst of mystery about the resemblance of the girls, a lost spanish treasure, and a black stallion who loves Shannan. Somehow down the way, they unite their strengths to get into the bottom of it all.
Someone has kidnapped Mary Beth, Shannon's best friend and is asking for 8 million dollars from Shannon, who doesn't have that kind of money. Although she fears for her friend's life, but she doesn't trust Jack enough to tell him about her problems. What with her daughter's father to coming into the picture, it becomes very difficult for Shannon to fight alone.
The mystery about the girls is solved early enough and both Sannon and Jack try to find the best solution. But who is blackmailing Shannon and what is he after, is not revealed until the end and it comes as a complete surprise. The countryside is beautifully described. With other interesting characters like Allie and Rick (of Lonestar Sanctuary), it is an extremely readable novel. Shannon is a strong individual who makes something of herself even though she has no support and has a young daughter. Jack feels guilty about falling in love with her because he thinks he betrays his dead wife's memory. But both love the little girls, Faith and Kylie, are instantly bonded as soon as they meet.
The book does get repetitive at places but it is easy comfortable read, which gets finished fast. There are so many secrets to be revealed and that is what keeps one hooked. I liked Coble's writing and will look out for more of her books.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for the copy.
The child lay still; anyone observing it would have been certain it was sound asleep. But it was not, for long ago-----so long ago that there was no memory of how it began-----the child's mind had learned to defend itself from the agony that the body it inhabited was forced to bear.
Title: Nightshade
Author: John Saul
ISBN: 044900590
Publisher: Ballantine Books/2001
Pages: 399
Mark is a 15 year old good natured boy, who is happy enough with his mother Joan and step father Bill Hapwood in New Hampshire. Hapwood House is where Mark is at peace since he arrived there when his mother married Bill. He was 5 years old at that time. All seems well until Emily, Joan's mother arrives to the Hapwood house to live with them. She has Alzheimer's and Joan can't simply abandon her. Not that Emily doesn't deserve it.
Emily is obssessed with her dead daughter Cynthia and recreates her room in their house. From then onwards, they have trouble at home. Bill and Joan grow distant and Bill leaves his home. Mark is affected by it all. He also starts seeing his Aunt Cynthia, and can hear her speak, beckoning him. And on the morning of Mark's 16th birthday, tragedy strikes in a way that affects the whole town. Mark finds himself all alone except for the support of his mother. He finds himself drawn to the shadow of his aunt. And when Emily too disappears along with his friend Kelly, Mark knows he has to get into the bottom of it. But the voices in his head stop him, give him a false sense of hope.
Nightshade grabs the reader right from the first page. Emily has never loved Joan but adored her older daughter Cynthia, who has been dead for more than 15 years. She keeps Cynthia alive by keeping all her things in one place and doesn't let anyone touch those. She considers Mark as a bastard child and doesn't love him either. In Joan memories, Cynthia too is not a loving person but is manipulative who blames Joan. Joan has been abused as a child and we can see her fear even now in her memories. Yet she loves her mother who has never returned her feelings. Bill loves Mark as his own son even though he had not adopted the boy.
Cynthia although dead, holds some sort of power over Joan and now Mark. She is present even though she is not there. Her shadow looms large over their lives. In the climax, dark secrets tumble out destroying everyone in its way. Can Mark come out it? What with tragic consequences, one can only wait and watch.
The prose might be stilted, writing may leave much to be desired but the fear, secrets, horror, child abuse, ghost, nightmares and the tragedy keeps one on the edge. And one has to finish it, no matter what. The scent of Nightshade engulfs the reader too, the way it does with Mark.
Title: Deep Freeze
Author: Lisa Jackson
ISBN: 98780821772966
Publisher: Zebra/2005
Pages: 500
I had bought it two years back but just had no inclination to pick up. I wanted to read something light, so picked it up on sunday and finished it fairly quickly despite the daunting size.
Jenna Hughes, a well known Hollywood actress has left everything behind and lives in Oregon with her two daughters, Cassie and Allie, who are none too happy about the move. They miss the lights and the popularity. Jenna tries her best to please her daughters but it is not enough somehow.
Things are not going the way she wants it and she seems to have endless bad days. She has this feeling that someone is watching her constantly. She doesn't know that there is this crazy fan of hers, who is obssessed with her and is biding his time to be with her. Unknown to her, he watches her every move. When Jenna finds a paper, where he mentions about coming for her, she gets scared and goes to the Sheriff Shane Carter. No Carter is investigating murders which seem to be from a serial killer and somehow related to Jenna. He has his suspects but he doesn't let Jenna know.
The stalker is always one step ahead. He kidnaps women, who somewhat resemble Jenna and kills them. Carter can see that and he knows he has to protect Jenna and her daughters, Cassie and Allie.
Deep Freeze has a good storyline. The obssessed fan is not revealed till the end. No one can really guess who he is. With intricate relationships with her daughters, Jenna moves forward. Her concern is not for herself but for her children. Every male seems to lust after Jenna. But she is simply not interested. For al its good points, I thought the novel was too long. It is repetitive at places. It ought to have been of lesser pages. My interest waned but as I really wanted to learn about that obssessed fan, it is what kept me going on.
After heavy reads, it does make a good light read. If you can read through 500 pages, that is.
