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booking_along's reviews
1759 reviews
Mr. Monk Is Open for Business by Hy Conrad
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
this book was noticeable different to the others and clearly written by someone else.
and for someone who worked directly in and either through show from start to finished… the author didn’t do a good job with having the characters be actually in character. or for in with the overall plot the book series itself has build so far.
it wasn’t necessarily a bad book, it just wasn’t good either.
the mysteries were okay but felt to easy and there was too many moments directly pointing out things to the reader (for example a moment where at the end of a chapter early in the book there would be a sentence like “looking back i could point to this moment and knew something wasn’t right”) in a way that felt almost childish and purposely easy for the readers -as if the reader is supposed to solve it all before even Monk gets to the right solution so that the reader can have the whole “i know how it happened” moments before Monk.
but that’s not the purpose of this series or how it’s been done so far.
it’s not targeted towards making the reader feel like they are the great detective but it’s a series about following along with a detective that despite or because of his overly obvious flaws is the best and nobody can top him.
a bit strange then when it’s all laid out to make the reader be “smarter” than Monk.
also the whole Monk being interested in a relationship soon after ending another one after the entire tv series and book series were basically all about Monk not being able to move on (and not feeling the desire or need to do so either because why would he if he felt like Trudy was the one and he’s happy with his life as it is. not everyone needs a partner! and especially someone like monk would have an incredibly hard time really letting anyone into his space in any realistic and or romantic way!) so have this entire side thing here about him looking for a rebound and being not fully focused on the cases because of it? eh that felt weak and unfitting.
also there are why to many mistakes about Monks OCD behavior in this -how could a person that professionally worked on the tv show make SO MANY mistakes about the biggest characteristics of the main character?!
just to name a few things: Monk not minding uneven things -placements, people in groups or gatherings, not straightening up things in rooms he comes in to simply because he can’t help himself…. - to him walking around a field without complains?!
as i said it’s not a bad book and it’s not a bad mystery read either but it’s not really fitting to this particular series or the complete out of character behavior.
so for what this book was supposed to be? i am disappointed.
i will read the last one too but if this book is any indication? this series should have been finished off by Goldberg and left at that!
and for someone who worked directly in and either through show from start to finished… the author didn’t do a good job with having the characters be actually in character. or for in with the overall plot the book series itself has build so far.
it wasn’t necessarily a bad book, it just wasn’t good either.
the mysteries were okay but felt to easy and there was too many moments directly pointing out things to the reader (for example a moment where at the end of a chapter early in the book there would be a sentence like “looking back i could point to this moment and knew something wasn’t right”) in a way that felt almost childish and purposely easy for the readers -as if the reader is supposed to solve it all before even Monk gets to the right solution so that the reader can have the whole “i know how it happened” moments before Monk.
but that’s not the purpose of this series or how it’s been done so far.
it’s not targeted towards making the reader feel like they are the great detective but it’s a series about following along with a detective that despite or because of his overly obvious flaws is the best and nobody can top him.
a bit strange then when it’s all laid out to make the reader be “smarter” than Monk.
also the whole Monk being interested in a relationship soon after ending another one after the entire tv series and book series were basically all about Monk not being able to move on (and not feeling the desire or need to do so either because why would he if he felt like Trudy was the one and he’s happy with his life as it is. not everyone needs a partner! and especially someone like monk would have an incredibly hard time really letting anyone into his space in any realistic and or romantic way!) so have this entire side thing here about him looking for a rebound and being not fully focused on the cases because of it? eh that felt weak and unfitting.
also there are why to many mistakes about Monks OCD behavior in this -how could a person that professionally worked on the tv show make SO MANY mistakes about the biggest characteristics of the main character?!
just to name a few things: Monk not minding uneven things -placements, people in groups or gatherings, not straightening up things in rooms he comes in to simply because he can’t help himself…. - to him walking around a field without complains?!
as i said it’s not a bad book and it’s not a bad mystery read either but it’s not really fitting to this particular series or the complete out of character behavior.
so for what this book was supposed to be? i am disappointed.
i will read the last one too but if this book is any indication? this series should have been finished off by Goldberg and left at that!
Never Tell: Can You Keep a Secret? by Loreth Anne White, Liv Constantine, Caroline Kepnes, Ivy Pochoda, Rachel Howzell Hall, Andrea Bartz
fast-paced
2.5
This is in my eyes one of the weaker Amazon short story collections and while two or maybe three of them are at least good, the rest are not that great or completely skips or (the last story of this collection was questionable at best in my eyes)
Overall it’s okay, but not the best and mostly for new thriller readers or anyone that wants to try out a short work by a new author to see if their style is for them.
Overall it’s okay, but not the best and mostly for new thriller readers or anyone that wants to try out a short work by a new author to see if their style is for them.
The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes
dark
fast-paced
1.5
This was the weakest of all the stories in this collection for me, mostly because it was dark in a way that was unnecessary and in my opinion not well done?
Why would any women want to may a known rapist especially if the man raped your best friend?
This could have been a good story with just a different kind of twist to it, but as much as I wished it would go into that direction it never did.
Killing the rapist would have been a nice twist, for example?
As it is, I can’t say I enjoyed any of it. Party because it was unnecessarily sexualized in moments where it was unnecessary to even mention sex at all, the story was too slow and top of fast at the same time and the characters not only completely unlikable but also just horrible and thankfully fictional..
Not a story for me!
This could have been a good story with just a different kind of twist to it, but as much as I wished it would go into that direction it never did.
As it is, I can’t say I enjoyed any of it. Party because it was unnecessarily sexualized in moments where it was unnecessary to even mention sex at all, the story was too slow and top of fast at the same time and the characters not only completely unlikable but also just horrible and thankfully fictional..
Not a story for me!
Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda
fast-paced
3.0
This had an incredible amount of potential to be fantastic - but for me it didn’t mange tor each it because this slow creepy build up the story could have had and would have made it fantastic couldn’t build bedusle of its short format.
For me for this to be great, this would have needed a bigger story format, a bigger build and overall just more, which with the writing presents here would have been great.
Ad it is? It’s good but could have been fantastic in a longer format.
For me for this to be great, this would have needed a bigger story format, a bigger build and overall just more, which with the writing presents here would have been great.
Ad it is? It’s good but could have been fantastic in a longer format.
Scorpions by Rachel Howzell Hall
2.0
Not for me.
This short story wasn’t for me. from the writing style to how it told the story, the characters and everything else… just didn’t work for me at all.
It happens, thankfully it was only a short story and I know this author isn’t for me. Oh well not everything is for everyone.
This short story wasn’t for me. from the writing style to how it told the story, the characters and everything else… just didn’t work for me at all.
It happens, thankfully it was only a short story and I know this author isn’t for me. Oh well not everything is for everyone.
The Other Side of the Road by Andrea Bartz
dark
fast-paced
3.5
Twisty story with an ending that you won’t see coming!
This was a very twisty and fast paced story that took me on a bit of a wild ride and o]is a great reminder just how crazy humans can be!
This was a very twisty and fast paced story that took me on a bit of a wild ride and o]is a great reminder just how crazy humans can be!
The Ghost Writer by Loreth Anne White
fast-paced
2.5
Shot story in the style of “the only one left” by Riley sager.
Especially the first half a bit of this book feels extremely similar to the Sager book, which can be a pro or a con (personally I felt it didn’t work too well for this short story style since the creeping build o]up of the Sager book worked because of the slow pacing this short story just didn’t get to hold up towards so for me it was a con, but it can definitely be a pro for other readers)
I don’t think this book was unpredictable or had twist that wasn’t easily foreseeable, but it tried a little to hard to appear that way to me.
Overall it was okay, but didn’t work for me personally.
While the writing wasn’t bad, the characters okay and the story itself while predictable not badly done overall, the was overall just something missing for me to enjoy it as a whole (or maybe between the easy comparison with the Sager book and the predictability of the story it was just a mix that didn’t work for me)
I think this can be a great rest, especially if you are not as well read in the thriller genre.
Especially the first half a bit of this book feels extremely similar to the Sager book, which can be a pro or a con (personally I felt it didn’t work too well for this short story style since the creeping build o]up of the Sager book worked because of the slow pacing this short story just didn’t get to hold up towards so for me it was a con, but it can definitely be a pro for other readers)
I don’t think this book was unpredictable or had twist that wasn’t easily foreseeable, but it tried a little to hard to appear that way to me.
Overall it was okay, but didn’t work for me personally.
While the writing wasn’t bad, the characters okay and the story itself while predictable not badly done overall, the was overall just something missing for me to enjoy it as a whole (or maybe between the easy comparison with the Sager book and the predictability of the story it was just a mix that didn’t work for me)
I think this can be a great rest, especially if you are not as well read in the thriller genre.
Everywhere You Look by Liv Constantine
fast-paced
2.5
The writing was good and it was intriguing but the end was a bit of a let down for me, since I expected more from how the build up appeared to be bigger to me this the ending turned out to be.
Overall okay and good enough if you enjoy a bit of a less thrilling mystery.
Overall okay and good enough if you enjoy a bit of a less thrilling mystery.
12 Hours by L Marie Wood
i didn’t know what to expect from this going in but this was defiantly a trip.
i don’t know if it’s strictly a horror in the typical horror writing senses -no jump scares no slowly creeping monsters of the supernatural or human kind - but rather a story that follows a horrific event and the character very slowly discovering the horror of what happened.
it’s well written and the perfect length for how it’s written and what it’s telling.
and while i would have loved to learn more about the details of what was going on around - the actual investigation, what the wife thought and all of that- as it’s told it carries it’s quiet horror of being left behind and while not necessarily forgotten, certainly the urgency of trying to be someone worthy if being missed and remembered well.
it’s a very well done little story.
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Dark isn’t just dark; it’s fucking black. Like the color, and it’s like ink in water, it coats everything and if it’s touches you, you feel like you’ll never get it off.
i didn’t know what to expect from this going in but this was defiantly a trip.
i don’t know if it’s strictly a horror in the typical horror writing senses -no jump scares no slowly creeping monsters of the supernatural or human kind - but rather a story that follows a horrific event and the character very slowly discovering the horror of what happened.
it’s well written and the perfect length for how it’s written and what it’s telling.
and while i would have loved to learn more about the details of what was going on around - the actual investigation, what the wife thought and all of that- as it’s told it carries it’s quiet horror of being left behind and while not necessarily forgotten, certainly the urgency of trying to be someone worthy if being missed and remembered well.
it’s a very well done little story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Medical trauma, Drug use, Murder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore