ajnel's reviews
665 reviews

Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The novel follows Mae Pruett, a crisis PR expert who specializes in cleaning up the messes of the rich and famous. When her boss is murdered, Mae finds herself drawn into a dangerous investigation that reveals a web of secrets, lies, and corruption. Mae teams up with her ex-boyfriend, Chris, a former police officer who now works for the same shadowy organization. Together, they navigate a world of blackmail, drug deals, and human trafficking.  Harper's gritty neo noir gumshoe novel delves deep into the LA underbelly and reminds of LA Confidential.  A modern masterpiece.

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

dark mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A short psychological thriller about a female con artist who poses as a psychic. She's hired by a wealthy woman, Susan, who believes her Victorian mansion is haunted and her troubled stepson, Miles, is possessed. As the psychic delves deeper into the mysterious household, she begins to question whether the supernatural occurrences are real or if there's a more sinister explanation. Very well-written but unfortunately way too short as Flynn's finetuned psychological writing is extremely engaging and justified this mystery novella to be a full novel. 

Cabaret Macabre by Tom Mead

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Set in a snowbound English country house. Illusionist and private detective Joseph Spector is called upon to investigate a series of puzzling "locked room" deaths, including a body found in a frozen pond without any means of getting there and a rifle fired through a closed window, killing a man without breaking the glass. Despite being well-written in the classic 1920s style and being thoroughly engaging, the reveal is farfetched and devoid of breadcrumbs leading to it.  

Someone's Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A psychological thriller that follows Faith Finley, a successful psychologist, author, and radio host. Her seemingly perfect life takes a dramatic turn when her husband mysteriously disappears during a car crash, and she's accused of the sexual abuse of one of her young patients. As she navigates the chaos and suspicion surrounding her, Faith must unravel the truth about her husband's disappearance and clear her own name. Smartly written and fast-paced with loads of twists and turns.

Absolute Proof by Peter James

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Investigative journalist, Ross Hunter, receives a mysterious call from Dr. Harry Cook, who claims to have absolute proof of God's existence. Dr. Cook leaves Ross with a series of cryptic clues that lead him on a dangerous international quest.
As Ross delves deeper into the mystery, he finds himself hunted by opposing powerful forces with differing reasons for suppressing his discoveries. The novel is loosely based on a similar visit received by James in the late 1980s, but is essentially a work of historical fiction akin to "Foucault's Pendulum" and the many badly written Dan Brown novels.  James however creates a very believable yarn and keeps conspiracies out of the novel.  The result is an action-packed fast-paced mystery with a well-considered reveal.

Franz Kafka's The Castle by David Fishelson, Franz Kafka, Max Brod, Aaron Leichter

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"The Castle", follows a land surveyor named K.life in a small town as he attempts to gain access to a mysterious castle which ostensibly employed him. The castle, a symbol of bureaucracy and authority, seems to be inaccessible despite K.'s persistent efforts. The narrative is filled with Kafka's signature themes of alienation, bureaucracy, and the individual's struggle against an oppressive system. The novel, which Kafka never finished, is known for its open-ended nature, leaving many questions, like the exact nature of the castle, its inhabitants, and K.'s ultimate fate, unanswered.  Kafka's ability to bizarre and distopian worlds is unmatched.  So too the looming oppressive dred of authority which he interweaves as a constant underlying theme to his novels.

Pursued by Death by Gunnar Staalesen

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

After having his driver's license suddenly and basically in the middle of the road suspended, private investigator Varg Veum witnesses a group of young people on a bus, one of whom later disappears.  He finds himself drawn into the mysterious world of a small coastal village. As he investigates the disappearance, he uncovers a complex web of secrets, rivalries, and a possible connection to a previous death, all playing out against the backdrop of unethical large scale Salmon farming.  Staalesen  creates a detailed and visual experience of a small town where everyone has a secret.  He places Veum's slowly coming to terms with his life and his age in a juxtaposition to his menial importance in a much larger criminal investigation.  Very well written and pretty gripping.  Unfortunately the reveal is impossible to predict as there are basically zero breadcrumbs. 

A Song for the Dark Times: An Inspector Rebus Novel by Ian Rankin

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The novel delves into a complex case that unfolds amidst the backdrop of the  life partner of Rhebus' daughter being murdered. Rebus involves himself into the investigation involving a brutal attack on a close colleague, a mysterious hotel fire, and an unidentified body. As always Rankin retains the perfect balance between character development and plot development.  The whodunnit is beautifully set up and the reveal highly unexpected. 

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Heidi Wood,  encounters a young, seemingly homeless woman named Willow, with a small a baby. Moved to compassion, Heidi brings Willow and the infant into her home, despite objections from her family.
As Heidi tries to help Willow get back on her feet, she and her husband (separately) start to uncover disturbing facts about the young woman's past; this while Heidi is also slowly losing touch with reality as she starts to confuse the baby for her own baby she lost some 12 years earlier. What starts as a simple act of kindness quickly turns into a dangerous situation filled with secrets and lies. The novel moves a tad too slowly and the overused theme of female mental issues provides the backdrop for most of the novel.  A bit of an average read. 

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ethan returns to his childhood home after decades. His peaceful return is disrupted when unsettling events begin to occur which events are linked to the disappearance of his best friend, Billy, which happened in the same house 30 years ago. As Ethan delves deeper into the past, he uncovers disturbing secrets about his neighborhood and the people in it, forcing him to confront the darkness that still lingers.  Sager masterfully weaves an almost endless number of twists and turns into this fast paced whodunit, which culminates in an unfold, which has just the right amount of breadcrumbs in place to lead to the reveal.