A bout of Insomnia…A reading Frenzy – Some new reviews for you.

Happy Weekend Folks! So I have suffered ye olde Insomnia again this week. Which as usual sent me on a mad reading rush….through the couple of rather long nights I chose some books to see me through and here they are…enjoyed. completed. reviewed. All books reviewed in this post were kindly sent to me by the authors concerned. Thank you to one and all. *Reviews can also be found in appropriate sections on site*

 

17415331

Thriller

A Peace Corps volunteer has gone missing in Bulgaria and everyone assumes he is dead, everyone except his grandfather, who refuses to give up hope. Retired literature professor Simon Matthews launches a desperate search only to be lured into a bizarre quest to retrieve a stolen Thracian artifact—a unique object of immense value others will stop at nothing to recover.

I wasnt entirely sure what to expect when I started this one – its true that I would not have chosen it for myself, yet that would have been a shame. Told from various points of view, we open with Simon – beginning his journey to find out the truth about his missing Grandson – with the help of Sophia, a local History teacher he meets along the way.

I especially loved how Mr Shuman manages to give us a lot of background and information on the culture of Bulgaria, a country I know little about, by weaving it effortlessly into the flow of the story – in a way this is part travel guide and it works very well to put you in the moment.

The mystery element is well imagined and as the story twists and turns towards its ultimate conclusion you will find adventure, thrills and intrigue here. Wonderful writing style makes it easy to read with a mix of fast paced plot and more sedate meandering that keeps you involved until the end.

It did take me a while to “sink in” to the tale – but once I was there, there I stayed. Enjoyable mystery thriller, great characters and very well written.

029311ae6622ee47a8d7bc5538103837

 

Horror/Mystery

Fall, 1995.

Holson is a sleepy, middle-class suburb, whose most interesting news amounts to farmer’s markets and Friday night football games.

When young Brandon Grey disappears, no one thinks he’ll be missing for long. When another boy vanishes, parents begin to worry about their children. When bodies turn up in the local river, cut to pieces, stuffed inside industrial-strength black trash bags, the town begins to shut down.

 

So, this one took me about 2 hours to read all in all, mainly because once I started I could not stop. Always a good sign…

We meet Jake and Colin, best friends, growing up in very different environments, spending endless hours together doing what kids do. One day, while playing outside, they notice a mysterious stranger taking pictures of them from the end of the street – and this sets off a chain of events that will take them on a strange and compelling journey….

I loved this – as much a “coming of age” story as anything else, Jake and Colin and those surrounding them are terrific characters to follow along with into some dark and chilling times. Forming a detective club they investigate the disappearance of Brandon Grey with nothing more than their wits and their bicycles…and what they find is horrifying and dangerous.

As the story twists and turns towards its chilling conclusion I was compelled to read on. I believe this is Mr Turkot’s first full length story, all I can say is I hope he writes more. I will certainly be reading them if this one is anything to go by. Easy to read and hard to put to one side, I very much enjoyed it.

 

13603845

 

Fiction

 

London waitress, Pippa Taylor has no interest in horses or country-living. But when she inherits Peace Offering, a hopeless racehorse, she embarks on a career change in order to see her late uncle’s wish to run him in the Grand National come true.

 

Now funnily enough, apart from the obvious exception of Jilly Cooper I don’t usually read “horsey” books these days. This despite being a rider myself, who as a child used to indulge in quite a few childrens books with a horse theme – most specifically the Flambards trilogy. So when I was offered a chance to review this one I was immediately transported back to those days…

Of course this is a book for adults – one that takes us into the world of Horse Racing and all that entails, and I enjoyed it very much. Our protagonist, Pippa, is thrust into this world, one she initally has no interest in, and as we follow her along the way its a lot of fun.

You have some romance, some intrigue, all set in a wonderfully colourful world with well drawn characters and an entertaining and lively story.

One possible drawback is the occasional over use of bad language – if that sort of thing bothers you then take that into account before diving into this one..however it did not detract from a great little story for me. I will certainly be reading on.

18195546

 

YA

Jed’s dead. These are the words that transform’s Cecelia Rivermire’s quiet life into a manhunt. A manhunt to kill the man that murdered her only friend. A manhunt to kill the man that murdered her first love. In this quest for revenge, however, she’ll soon discover that everything she’s ever known has been a lie, including everything she thinks she knows about herself…

So we meet Cecilia, who loses her best friend and first love and sets out on a quest for revenge that may not go entirely to plan…now a General we see in flashback what has led her here, and when her Emporer turns on her the adventure really begins.

I really enjoyed this it has to be said. Cecilia is a top notch character and the world building is well done. As she discovers that things are not entirely as she thought in the world she lives in, the story is fast paced and intriguing – set to be a trilogy this is a great “Part One” and will certainly ensure you want to read onwards…

Some great “supporting” characters (Brey. Loved Brey!) flesh out the story and there are some great twists and turns along the way, with an ending that will make you sigh (in a good way) and long for chapter two…

Well written, some flaws but that is to be expected, and fascinating enough to keep you hooked until the last page, I am pleased to be in at the start of this one. In the explosion of YA to the reading world this is an excellent example of its kind and I shall look forward to more. Recommended for YA fans, especially if you like action, a bit of romance and some likeable AND unlikeable characters to meet along the way.

 

bookworm

 

So there you have it folks. My recent reads! Hope there is one there that takes your fancy. Now I’m onto the next batch. What am I reading now? Well. Gregg Hurwitz, Richard Montanari and Natalie Richards are the authors that make up my weekend reading. And of course I still need to review the latest Lynley book…which I loved. LOVED.

 

Happy Reading Folks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *