southernbibliomom's reviews
182 reviews

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I thought this book was fine. It was mysterious and had so many characters and side stories so it was hard to figure out who did it. Plus, it flushed out the main characters more, especially Robin and her relationship with Strike. It was a little grotesque with the crime, but trying to untangle all the threads to get to the solution was a fun challenge. It is not my favorite mystery series but I like it enough that I will read them all!

The story centers on author Owen Quine who has gone missing. His wife, who is struggling to care for their special needs daughter hires Strike to find him. And find him he does, dead, in a grotesque and macabre manner. Strike who sees the police only focusing on his client, enlists Robin’s help to determine who really killed the much despised author. And the suspects are many when it comes out that he has written a scorched earth novel that purports to out many of his publisher house’s greatest sins. 

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It centers around Strike, a private detective hired to determine whether a model’s death was murder or in fact suicide as the police ruled it. He is hired by her brother because Strike also served in the military with his other sibling, an older brother who died many years ago. In order
to solve this case he needs the help of temporary assistant, Robin. Strike is deeply flawed and going through an immensely difficult time. Robin is the seemingly perfect trying to figure out how to come into her own, and what that is. Together they meet a ramshackle group of suspects where deviousness lies behind every door. I look forward to reading the rest of the series to see how these characters grow and change.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

I thought I had the twist. And I did for part, but Riley Sager got me in the end. This book revolves around Ethan who has just returned to his childhood home to live once his parents retire and move. He is back to the home where 30 years ago his best friend, Billy, went missing from the backyard tent both boys were camping in. Just a slash through the tent and a missing boy. No one knows what happened. And Ethan can’t remember a big chunk of it. Then Ethan begins to have strange things happen. A body is found. Is Billy’s ghost haunting Ethan to find the answer? Is he “going crazy” as he suspects? Is someone else playing a cruel joke? Will history repeat? This is absolutely a thriller - and a good one. But it also explores how we all differently deal with grief and loss. How things that seem so perfect often aren’t. I highly recommend!

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I adore Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot is one of the best literary characters in existence. This story follows beautiful and wealthy Linnet Ridgeway who seems to have it all, including her best friend’s man. When Linnet marries him (Simon), her friend (Jacqueline) begins following them wherever they go, including on a honeymoon boat trip down the Nile, forcing them to always confront what they did. However, when Linnet ends up dead the same night Jacqueline shoots Simon in the leg, it seems like an open and shut case. But, Jacqueline couldn’t have done it and there is more than just her that has reason to want Linnet dead. With killer red herrings abounding it looks as if the culprit may never be caught BUT FOR famed Det. Hercule Poirot. The one piece of the puzzle the killer never counted on. He is quirky and vain and brilliant and conceited. His little grey cells are working overtime to solve this crime. Plus, the side characters are so well written with their own peculiarities. It kept me hooked even though I knew the end from the movies. Agatha Christie is indeed the Queen of Mystery.

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

adventurous reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a cute, cozy fantasy. It centers around Kiela, a librarian who must escape the violent revolution happening in the capital city of Alyssium. So, she saves as many books as she can and flees to her island birth home with her sentient spider plant, Caz. Once there, Kiela must learn how to start over and survive now that everything isn’t provided. She begins to use some simple spells to help plants grow and heal trees that have been decimated by the emperor keeping the sorcerers away and making it illegal for anyone else to do magic. But, she needs to be able to feed herself. In order to disguise the magic, she tells everyone it is an old family remedy and opens up a jam shop. Along the way, she learns that family is not just the ones you are born to, but the ones you make along the way. It is a sweet story, but it drags. I found it just too slow. Always the research and the internal dialogue that is basically the same thing every time she has it. There were some really intriguing aspects and creatures that just get sort of dropped. I wish it had given us more of that or more action in general rather than just at the beginning and end. But I did enjoy this. 

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

adventurous tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I like Alex Finlay. He writes a book that can stay tense throughout most of it. The ones I’ve read so far always start off with a crime that seems to be based off a real crime and then he weaves his own tale from there. However, this one was just ok. There was no twist. Just a journey that was sad and a little anti-climactic. When the son of a mob boss is ruthlessly bullied at a ritzy and prestigious school, takes his own life, and it is then swept under the rug, a series of events is triggered that lasts across continents and years. It was interesting, it could be tense, it was also kind of straight forward and predictable. Just not my favorite from this author.

The Last Party by A.R. Torre

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

I thought this was a good thriller. It was predictable and it dragged a bit in the middle. However, the main character was so awful it kept me engaged to see just what would happen next. SPOILER!!! sort of. I can’t remember exactly how soon in book this one particular thing happens but it’s not long.
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Told from the POVs of Perla (a woman who is determined to recreate an infamous murder), Grant (her husband), Lee Folcrum (the infamous murderer in prison), and Sophie (her daughter). I did like the different POVs as the story was being revealed as it gave you insight into who these characters were. I really loved Grant. But then again, the main characters were so black and white. Like how cowboys in really old westerns were white hats or black hats. You needed a character to get behind though so it wasn’t too bad. On the other hand it made it real easy to figure out all the twists. I thought the ending was justifiably enjoyable but still gives you a bit of an apprehension about what may happen next - off the pages of this book. It’s a quick read and keeps you interested even though it’s not the twistiest of thrillers.

What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a classic who done it with a bit of shattered suburbia idealism thrown in. It is told in several POVs: everyone from the victim to family to suspects. What I liked about it is that everyone had a secret they wanted to hide. Question was did their secret lead to a murder or just disgrace? The story revolves around the murder of Diana, town golden girl. She had everything going for her. But all was not what it seems. I mean is it ever? There were also many disturbingly bad people in this story. Some who looked the part of monsters and some who didn’t, which only made the book interesting. There was one story line that made me want to throw the book across the room. There were enough red herrings thrown in to keep it interesting and it’s a short read. Not life changing but I’m glad I read it.

Little Lies by Helena Hunting

fast-paced

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

2.5

This is a college hockey romance. It’s fine. Lavender has been around Kodiak her whole life. Their dads are best friends and former pro-hockey players. Her brother is best friends with Kodiak. But one night when they were young, Lavender is briefly kidnapped at a carnival. Luckily, she is found within the hour, but the repercussions are far reaching. Her whole family become overly obsessed with being over protective, especially her twin as well as Kodiak. His need to be her savior as kids and her need to have him there to be safe begins to worry her parents with their young age so they devise a plan to give them space. Kodiak takes what they say about it being toxic to heart and decides that in order to save her, he has to hurt her so much she hates him. But, now they’re at the same college (along with her brothers and cousins) and Lavender no longer needs saving or everyone’s overprotectiveness. Kodiak must finally come clean with how he feels and Lavender has to stand up for herself even against her family at last. I liked Lavender.  I think she is a strong character that handled everything with strength and love. I’m ambivalent to Kodiak. I mean I get it, but he was a major jerk. All in all this was just ok for me. Not great, I’ll forget it by time I post the review, but not bad either. A quick cute romance read. Good for when I’m stuck somewhere and need a non-complicated read.

The Women by Kristin Hannah

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I am a blubbering mess. I’m going to be honest, I normally stay away from Vietnam stories. It just seemed too gritty, too awful. But, these stories need to be heard. Just heartbreaking and infuriating. There were times I wanted to slap people and times I wanted to tell Frankie just no and wrap her in a hug. I loved the love story of the women, which was really what got them through. The bond they created through war and how they walked each other to their place of peace. And the end, 
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where we finally see people welcome these heroes home and Frankie (in representation of all the women) get recognized as a hero in her own right. I cried through the last part of this book and wished it would go on for just a bit longer as I really want to know what or if the future held for two of the characters. And that’s saying something because this book was a thick one. Beautifully written. Painfully needed.