Tag Archives: Crime

First Bones by Kathy Reichs

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
The Bone Collection

Title: First Bones
Author: Kathy Reichs
Series: Temperance Brennan #0.5
In: The Bone Collection (Kathy Reichs)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves:Anthropology, Science, Crime, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Arrow Books
Year: 2016
5th sentence, 74th page: A rattling gurney or cart.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

First Bones gets under Tempe’s skin with the untold story of her first case and her decision to become a forensic anthropologist.

Thoughts

One of the things that I love about the Temperance Brennan series is that the science and emotions are spot on. In this origin story, it’s the emotions that really come to the fore and provide a strong storyline. Actually, this novella made me shed a tear when I finished it.

Brennan’s past is often alluded to throughout the novels that I have read thus far. Not only her past marriage, but her past academic life and the journey that she made into forensics. It was interesting to find out what the driver of this decision was. I imagine that it was a similar experience to the author – a moment or a case that makes you give up the archaeological and delve into the criminal.

I haven’t read a Temperance Brennan story for a while (I can only read them when I’m not spending the night alone). And I kind of forgot how much I love the realism and vividness of the world to which you are introduced. Tempe’s daily life and relationship with Pete is struck into my head with the flickering fire by which they find themselves. Actually, finally reading this origin and being reminded of the beauty of her words has made me pick up the next book in my shelf…

<- More Kathy ReichsDeja Dead ->

Image source: Penguin Books Australia

Short Term by Daniel Pyle

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Blood Lite IIITitle: Short Term
Author: Daniel Pyle
In: Blood Lite III (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Easy reading, Horror
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: He grinned.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

A man is breaking and entering a house to take his pleasure in the bodies of those who live there. There’s just one problem… his memory.

Thoughts

I’ve seen dementia and short term memory loss used as a humorous anecdote, as a sad trial, as a hurdle that someone has to challenge or overcome. I have never read about it being used in a horror story. I’ve also never been so freaked out by the idea of someone with short term memory loss. But, Pyle has definitely managed to change that for me.

Creepy men jumping fences late at night is never a good beginning to a story. Said men then breaking and entering with evil thoughts on their mind… you can kind of see where the tale is going. Until things change and you can’t… this short story took a twist that I was completely not expecting. And I think that that combined with the short term memory aspect of this story… I didn’t sleep for a day after reading this!

 <- Mannequin Review Distressed Travelers Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Hard Cheese by Ulf Durling

Book Review, ,

Overview

Hard CheeseTitle: Hard Cheese
Author: Ulf Durling
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Crime
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Locked Room International
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: The murderer must have had some kind of relationship to Nilsson.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Gunnary Bergman, a detective sergeant in a small Swedish town, is called in to investigate the death of a resident of a shady boarding house. He makes the mistake of telling his father, Carl, all the details of the case, including the fact that the victim’s room was locked from the inside. Carl, a locked room enthusiast, is a member of a small club which meets regularly to discuss locked room classics. He and his fellow members gleefully seize on the case and apply chains of Ellery Queen style logic to devise a solution which Gunnar finds so hilarious he reads out extracts to his wife in bed. Meanwhile, he himself interprets the same set of clues to arrive at a totally different solution, through shoddy police work which follows the path of least resistance. It is left to a cheese-loving local doctor to interpret the clues in yet another way to solve the case and confront the murderer.

Thoughts

This was my first Nordic Noir. And one of the first books that I’ve read that has been translated from English. And it was fun. Maybe not something that I would reread. Or at least, not until I’ve forgotten what it was like… but fun nevertheless.

For something that was translated to English, this story is beautifully lyrical. For the first two chapters, I didn’t actually pay attention to the storyline, just the way that the words flowed, and the great character voice that was telling the story. There was just something about it that I completely adored… Of course, reading a story with a bad storyline is a guarantee that I will put it down quickly, so once I got over my joy of the language, I also discovered a storyline that was quite interesting and unique.

I have heard of locked room challenges, but I’ve never really heard of locked room crime. This introduction to the subgenre was certainly interesting (as was the introduction to Nordic Noir) and I have mixed feelings about it. It was interesting enough that I would maybe look into another such storyline. But, it wasn’t quite captivating enough that I started looking up similar storylines…. Maybe in a few months time I’ll start to dig up more Nordic Noir / Locked Room stories…

 <- More crime reviews More crime reviews ->
Image source: Goodreads

I Was a Teenage Bigfoot by Jim Butcher

Book Review, , , , , , ,

Overview

Blood Lite IIITitle: I Was a Teenage Bigfoot
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: The Dresden Files #6.5, Bigfoot Trilogy #2
In: Blood Lite III (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Wizards
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “Gentlemen,” Sinor said, impatiently.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

I Was a Teenage Bigfoot is a short story in The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. It is set around the time of Dead Beat.

Thoughts

Revisiting bigfoot and Harry Dresden is always a fun journey. Mostly, I love Butcher’s translation of who (and what) bigfoot is. The half-blood son of a bigfoot provides even more entertainment, last time Irwin appeared in Harry’s storyline, he was just a small child learning to handle bullies. Now, he’s a teenager, with pretty much the same problems. This time though, the consequences of other’s sapping his energy are a little more extreme and serious.

Harry’s ability to overcome any obstacle that he’s faced with and handle the outcomes of his meddling are admirable. The fact that sometimes he causes the worst of the explosions and troubles just add to the enjoyment of the storyline. His unsuccessful flirtations with the nurse? Well, they just make it far funnier.

<- B is for Bigfoot Review Bigfoot on Campus Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Lost Art of World Domination by Derek Landy

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

The Lost Art of World DominationTitle: The Lost Art of World Domination
Author: Derek Landy
In: Armageddon Outta Here (Derek Landy)
Series: Skulduggery Pleasant #1.5
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Dark fantasy, Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Harper Collins
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: You were asking all those questions.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

It isn’t easy to take over the world. First you need the scheme. Then you need the muscle. Then you need to come up with a system for ruling six billion people and keeping them fron revolting. It takes a certain kind of man to take over the world. Scaramouch Van Dreg, however, is not that man. But he has one thing going for him. He has his arch enemy, Skulduggery Pleasant, chained in his dungeon, and the only person who is coming to save him is the skeleton detective’s 13 year old sidekick. What could possibly go wrong?

Thoughts

This is a Skulduggery Pleasant story that I was expecting. Funny, witty and adorable. It also involved a villain that had no idea what he was doing, a detective that was kind of clueless about what said villain was doing and a poor rescue from his sidekick. Honestly, this was just a cute and funny side story between Skulduggery Pleasant and Playing with Fire.

There is an inherent flaw for the plan of world domination – it hinges on a small insect. Which is easily crushed. The contempt with which the plan for world domination is foiled would be sad, if it wasn’t for the conversations that proceeded it. And the fact that he wasn’t the aimed for villain. And that even Valkyrie had no idea who he was… alright, it was sad… but in a very funny, pathetic way.

 <- Skulduggery Pleasant Review Playing with Fire Review ->
Image source: Skulduggery Pleasant Wiki

The Horror Writers’ Halloween Ball by Derek Landy

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Armageddon Outta HereTitle: The Horror Writers’ Halloween Ball
Author: Derek Landy
In: Armageddon Outta Here (Derek Landy)
Series: Skulduggery Pleasant #0.5
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Dark fantasy, Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Harper Collins
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: They lay there like that for some time.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Gordon Edgley has been invited to the famed horror writer Sebastian Fawkes’ legendary, very exclusive, annual Halloween costume ball, and has brought Skulduggery along (dressed as Claude Raines’ Invisible Man) thinking he’ll enjoy it. All present are horror writers and Gordon is struggling with his Creature from the Black Lagoon costume, but it’s not so bad when he runs into an old acquaintance, Susan DeWick , even if she’s more charmed by Skulduggery. After Fawkes himself makes a speech, he approaches Gordon and effectively berates him and his first novel, Caterpillars, before departing.

Thoughts

Gordon Edgely’s death is the instigator of the Skulduggery Pleasant series, and although Skulduggery talks about it, it’s kind of hard to see how they related to one another. Until you read The Horror Writers’ Halloween Ball – it’s one of the adventures the two had together and an idea of how their friendship operated.

The world of writing and publishing is overwhelming. I’ve been trying to dip my toes into the world, and can’t imagine what it’s like to actually “make it”. So, Gordon’s presence at a ball specifically for the elite of horror writers was fascinating. It sounds just as bitchy as I imagine any group of the elite can be. The sinister deals that the head of this group decided to make just help to highlight how compromising things can be.

 <- Across a Dark Plain Review Skulduggery Pleasant Review ->
Image source: Skulduggery Pleasant Wiki

Across a Dark Plain by Derek Landy

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Armageddon Outta HereTitle: Across a Dark Plain
Author: Derek Landy
In: Armageddon Outta Here (Derek Landy)
Series: Skulduggery Pleasant #0.25
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Dark fantasy, Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Harper Collins
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: The kind only fire or a bullet to the brainpan could put down.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

150 years before the events of the series, the Dead Men are on a mission to hunt down Nefarian Serpine in the Wild West.

Thoughts

Western meets Skulduggery. Brilliant. And funny. And just… fun. It wasn’t even remotely what I would have expected of a pre-Valkyrie era, but that’s probably because I thought it was even better!

Skulduggery’s history with Serpine and his desire to wreak vengeance on him are drivers that were well publicised in Skulduggery Pleasant. But, this drive, the lengths to which he is willing to travel are shown a little more in Across a Dark Plain. There isn’t the wit and humour that marks his words throughout the first novel, just a single-minded drive and desire to gain his revenge.

His companions are introduced beautifully though, and even though this isn’t a story full of wit and humour as I was kind of expecting, it is one that helps to show the drivers of the main character in a different light. I love the different ways in which Landy is able to explore his character. It adds even more layers to an already well-loved, multi-dimensional character.

 <- Armageddon Outta Here Review The Horror Writers’ Halloween Ball Review ->
Image souce: Skulduggery Pleasant Wiki

Veiled Magic by Deborah Blake

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Veiled Magic

Title: Veiled Magic
Author: Deborah Blake
Series: Veiled Magic #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Paranormal fantasy, Witches
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: InterMix
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Farmingham quavered a little under her suspicious look, but then rallied.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Since Witches came out of the broom-closet in the early 21st century, they have worked alongside humans as police officers, healers, stock traders, and more. But they aren’t the only paranormal entities in our world…

Police officer and Witch Donata Santori spends her days interrogating dead witnesses by summoning their spectral forms. Normally the job is little more than taking statements and filing reports. But when she’s called in on the case of a murdered art restorer, she finds herself suddenly in possession of a mystical portrait that both the human and paranormal communities would kill to get their hands on.

Unable to take on the forces hunting her alone, Donata seeks help from two unlikely and attractive allies: a reluctant shape-changer and a half-dragon art forger. But as the three of them hurry to uncover the truth about the powerful painting, Donata realizes that she’s caught in the middle of not one but two wars—one for possession of the painting’s secrets and one for possession of her heart…

Thoughts

I love the magical realism that Blake brings to her work. She manages to take the world of today, Wicca and our daily social struggles and create a world that is entirely her own. It is the most enjoyable and wonderful way to become immersed in a story. Especially when Donata is such a relatable and thrilling character to take you on such a whirlwind adventure.

I’ve had this novel on my ereader for ages, but actually finding the time to sit there and read it has been a whole other story. No matter how many good ebooks I get my hands on, I still love the feeling of a good, hard cover in my hands. So, it did take me forever to actually read this. And now I kind of regret taking so long to read it. Because it was phenomenal, and now I can almost immediately start on the next book in the series, Veiled Menace. Although I won’t, because there are a whole slew of other books that are in my TBR pile and I tend to jump between series.

Other than Blake’s ability to create a beautifully realistic and layered world in which dragons, witches and changelings are part of everyday life, I love her character construction. There is something beautifully relatable about these characters. Donata is the black sheep of her family – the one who doesn’t quite fit in, never measures up to their expectations and has never been able to fit, so are the other two members of the little love triangle that she finds herself in. Yet, unlike many of the black sheep stories that I’ve read, Donata’s is willing to still love her and accept her. Alright, there’s strings attached and maybe they’re not as willing to accept her as the picturesque family would be – but there is still love there.

Unlike the Baba Yaga series, this has a very cops and criminals feel to it. Probably because Donata herself is a cop, but I love the overlay of the supernatural need for a cop as well. It is such a promising beginning of a new series, and I can’t wait to see which other supernatural crimes she is forced to face up to…

<- More Deborah BlakeVeiled Menace ->

Image source: Goodreads

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Skulduggery PleasantTitle: Skulduggery Pleasant
Author: Derek Landy
Series: Skulduggery Pleasant #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Dark fantasy, Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Harper Collins
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: I don’t know.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant. Sure, he may lose his head now and again (in fact, he won his current skull in a poker match), but he is much more than he appears to be—which is good, considering that he is, basically, a skeleton. Skulduggery may be long dead, but he is also a mage who dodged the grave so that he could save the world from an ancient evil. But to defeat it, he’ll need the help of a new partner: a not so innocent twelve-year-old girl named Stephanie. That’s right, they’re the heroes.

Stephanie and Skulduggery are quickly caught up in a battle to stop evil forces from acquiring her recently deceased uncle’s most prized possession—the Sceptre of the Ancients. The Ancients were the good guys, an extinct race of uber-magicians from the early days of the earth, and the scepter is their most dangerous weapon, one capable of killing anyone and destroying anything. Back in the day, they used it to banish the bad guys, the evil Faceless Ones. Unfortunately, in the way of bad guys everywhere, the Faceless Ones are staging a comeback and no one besides our two heroes believes in the Faceless Ones, or even that the Sceptre is real.

So Stephanie and Skulduggery set off to find the Sceptre, fend off the minions of the bad guys, beat down vampires and the undead, prove the existence of the Ancients and the Faceless Ones, all while trading snappy, snippy banter worthy of the best screwball comedies.

Thoughts

I haven’t read this book for years. Actually, it’s been in a box in a cupboard for a few years (the joys of moving around). So, the first thing that I did when I unpacked my many, many, many books, was crack open this story again. There is something fun and entertaining about this story that always leaves a smile on my face. Plus, there is an attitudinal, sassy thirteen-year-old girl who completely takes centre stage.

Following the death of Stephanie’s favourite uncle, and her subsequent inheritance, she is thrust into a world of magic and mayhem. Which, as any anarchic teen would, she completely adores and eventually decides to join. The fact that everything always seems to go wrong and her mentor is actually a living (but not quite breathing) skeleton just adds to the joy and absurdity of this story. Which is probably why, as a thirteen-year-old girl myself, I insanely enjoyed this series. A completely off-kilter mentor, a world just beneath our own where you can be something more, and a teenager who is making all of her own decisions.

Sometimes revisiting an old and well loved series just leads to heartache and a sense of loss – there’s nothing like finding out that it isn’t quite what you remember it to be. However, for me, rereading Skulduggery Pleasant was a really fun and memorable journey… now I just have to buy the next books in the series (I only had the one!)

 <- The Horror Writers’ Halloween Ball Review The Lost Art of World Domination Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Grave Peril

Title: Grave Peril
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: The Dresden Files #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Wizards
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Orbit
Year: 2001
5th sentence, 74th page: I began to compel it by the Holy Word, and it went quite mad.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Harry Dresden – Wizard
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden has faced some pretty terrifying foes during his career. Giant scorpions. Oversexed vampires. Psychotic werewolves. It comes with the territory when you’re the only professional wizard in the Chicago-area phone book.

But in all Harry’s years of supernatural sleuthing, he’s never faced anything like this: The spirit world has gone postal. All over Chicago, ghosts are causing trouble – and not just of the door-slamming, boo-shouting variety. These ghosts are tormented, violent, and deadly. Someone – or something – is purposely stirring them up to wreak unearthly havoc. But why? And why do so many of the victims have ties to Harry? If Harry doesn’t figure it out soon, he could wind up a ghost himself….

Thoughts

I swear that this series just keeps on getting better and better. Every time I open the page on a new Harry Dresden adventure, he seems to have stuck his foot further into some mess, found some new and incredibly enemies (and sidekicks), and just generally managed to work out a way to get himself into deeper shit.

Normally in crime books you can see where the red herrings come up, even when you can’t quite see who the real villain is. And, I thought that I had figured out where the red herring was in Dresden’s newest trials. Boy was I wrong. Boy, oh boy, oh boy. Which, for me, is the best possible thing. After all, who wants to actually know where the story is going every single time? Who wants to be able to guess what happens next all the time?

There was also the blooming romance between Susan and Harry that made this story so intriguing. I’m still convinced that Murphy and Dresden make the perfect couple, but Susan and Harry work fantastically as well. His inability to tell her his feelings have unforeseen and really severe consequences, but it is also a great glimpse into Harry’s twisted past. The combination of a love interest, ghosts gone world and a vindictive fairy godmother have left me searching through my book room (I really have to get myself a bookcase) for the next book… now where did I put Summer Knight?

<- B is for Bigfoot ReviewSummer Knight Review ->
Image source: Shastrix