Cat's Book Reviews: crime

Showing posts with label crime. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Book Review: China Lake by Meg Gardiner

China Lake - Meg Gardiner

Synopsis:
Evan Delaney is a science fiction writer, legal researcher and guardian to her six-year-old nephew Luke, who remains in her care while his father- her brother, Brian- flies F/A-18 jets for the US Navy.
As far as good lives go, Evan is on top of the world- her new novel is a bestseller, her career is going from strength to strength and she has a fantastic relationship with her boyfriend Jesse. To make things even better, Brian has just relocated back to the China Lake naval base, which means that Luke will be able to move back in with the father he adores, and have a more stable childhood.
But then Luke’s mother, Tabitha, who abandoned Brian and Luke eight months earlier, arrives back on the scene, and she’s not alone. Having joined the cult religious group, The Remnant, Tabitha is determined to get her son back, and will stop at nothing to make that happen. The Remnant, who believe that the apocalypse is eminent, seek perverse pleasure in heckling people at the funerals of AIDS victims, as well as other ‘weaker’ people, and Evan knows that she has to keep them as far away from Luke as possible.
But when two deaths occur within a short period of time, and Brian is arrested as the murderer of one of the victims, Evan realises that The Remnant will not rest until they get what they want. Evan, along with Jesse and her friends have to protect Luke from the evil cult, who believe that the scriptures of the bible foretell judgement day, and who believe that Luke holds the key to their redemption.
With kidnap attempts, weapons dealing and biological warfare on the cards, Evan has to be as strong as possible to fight against The Remnant, protect her young nephew and keep him from danger.

What I gained from reading this book:
This book is mainly about family, and the lengths that some people will go to, to make sure that their loved ones remain safe and out of harm’s way. Evan is determined to make Luke’s life as pleasant as possible, considering the tough circumstances that surround his parent’s break-up, and when she learns that The Remnant is threatening his safety, she goes all out to ensure that no harm befalls him.
In a similar vein, Evan is just as determined to protect her brother Brian, who is jailed for a crime he didn’t commit, and help her boyfriend Jesse when the situation with The Remnant starts to get out of hand. She always appears to put her family and friends first, and this is something that all readers could aspire to.

Positives:
While the concept of fanatic cults isn’t new, Gardiner has brought a new element to the idea, with the surprising demise of one of the main characters of the plot. This not only creates a sense of mystery, but it means that the storyline is also difficult to predict.

Negatives:
Some of the events of this novel can be a little hard to believe, simply because the characters seem to face few repercussions for their actions. In a more realistic world, there would be far more consequences involved, but this shouldn’t deter you from reading this otherwise absorbing story.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Recommended for: Anyone who wants to read a crime/thriller where the heroine has to fight against a religious cult to save her family.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Book Review: Out by Natsuo Kirino

Out - Natsuo Kirino

Synopsis:
Masako, Yayoi, Yoshie and Kuniko work the night shift at a boxed-lunch factory in the Tokyo suburbs, creating thousands of ready-made meals each day.
Despite their differences in age and social standing, the women have quite a bit in common- each burdened with difficult relationships, financial woes and familial pressures. While working in the factory isn’t the most social of jobs, the women are able to form a tentative friendship, which helps to break up the gruelling monotony of the production line, and allows them to vent their frustrations with one another.
One day, driven by anger and an intense hatred of her gambling, philandering husband Kenji, Yayoi finally snaps and strangles him to death. Not knowing who else to turn to, Yayoi calls Masako and begs for her help in disposing of the body.
For reasons that even she’s unsure of, Masako agrees, and enlists the help of the others to dismember and dispose of the body.
Despite their care in making sure Kenji’s body disappears for good, some of his remains are discovered in a local park, and soon police are looking for suspects in his murder case.
But the women have more to worry about than detectives, when they learn that a yakuza-connected loan shark has discovered their secret and is threatening to expose them unless they meet his demands. Worse still, a nightclub owner, who the police wrongly accuse of Kenji’s murder, is out for revenge after he loses everything. With his business destroyed and the terrible secret from his past revealed, he is determined to find the real culprits and make them suffer.
Can Masako, Yayoi and the others find a way to distance themselves from the crimes they have committed? Or will they face the ultimate punishment for what they have done? Their own deaths…

What I gained from reading this book:
Appearances can be deceiving, and this is shown throughout the entire novel.
To the public, Yayoi appears to be the innocent housewife- worrying about, and then grieving for her murdered husband- when it’s a known fact to us, the readers, that she killed him in a fit of rage. Masako acts as a protector to Yayoi and the others but she has reached a plateau in her life and finds herself yearning for something, although she has no idea what. Kuniko has a reputation for wearing expensive labels and driving a flashy car, but she’s heavily in debt and struggles financially. Yoshie struggles to deal with her difficult life, yet she represents herself as a model worker at the boxed-lunch factory. Satake has a cool persona in his club, but inside he is hiding a terrible secret from his past as a former yakuza mobster.
There are many more secrets, hidden by many more characters, but my point is that while you think you might know someone intimately, there is always a secret hiding behind the persona. In this novel, most of the secrets are revealed in time, and perceptions are changed because of them, much the same as in real life.

Positives:
The characters in Out are well-developed and you can’t help but get drawn into their lives and the dramas they face. There are so many stories inexplicably linked through the murderous actions of one person- Yayoi- and it’s interesting to see how the whole novel comes together because of her need to retaliate against her husband’s gambling and infidelity.

Negatives:
I have to admit that the ending of this novel kind of threw me. I definitely wasn’t expecting the scenario that takes place, and I’m not sure I can really comprehend the sudden turnaround of some of the characters.
However, while I’m not really a fan of the ending, that’s just my opinion.
You’ll have to read the book to understand what I mean about its conclusion, and form your own judgment.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Recommended for: Fans of foreign crime writers

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Monday, March 15, 2010

Book Review: And Hope To Die by J.M. Calder

And Hope To Die - J.M. Calder

Synopsis:
Lieutenant Solomon Glass has faced many demons while working in the Homicide and Serious Crime division, but none have challenged him more so than the case he is working on now.
A nine-year-old girl, Amy Gardner, has just been abducted- the fourth child taken in the past year. Like the previous three abductions, this one follows the same sadistic pattern- a package arrives at the family home, addressed to the mother and containing a body part. An anonymous letter follows, telling the mother that in order for her child to be released alive, she will have to take her own life. So far, two women are dead and, for reasons unknown, a third is spared and her child released physically unharmed.
With no clues as to who the abductor could be- or what his motive is- and with the public starting to become increasingly alarmed, Glass and his team find themselves at a loss. The kidnapper always seems to be one step ahead- able to anticipate every move that the police make- and the chances of finding Amy alive are growing slimmer every day.
But then the sadistic activities start to become more personal, as the kidnapper begins to insinuate to the lieutenant what he has suspected for some time- the abductions directly involve Glass and his less-than-admirable past, and the children and their mothers are just pawns in a very deadly game.
In a race against time, Glass and his team have to find Amy, outwit the person holding her captive, and ensure that no other children, or their mothers, meet the same fate.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel highlights the sadistic plots that some people will create in order to feed and nurture the symptoms of their ‘God complex’. This is when some sick individuals feel justified in creating life and death situations in order to exert their power and control over others. Although the abductor in this case is only fictional (luckily), his actions have surely been replicated (although not in exactly the same way) throughout history, in the form of murderous predators who enjoy holding power over their victims. This novel serves as a reminder that these kinds of people actually exist in society, and that they could be the person you least expect to participate in such gruesome behaviour.

Positives:
In many crime novels, it takes a while for the author to set the scene and introduce readers to all the main players in the story. But in And Hope To Die, readers are thrown right into the middle of an ongoing police investigation, knowing just as much about the ‘predator’ as the police who are trying to solve the case. This scenario makes the story much more engaging for readers.

Negatives:
Some moments in the novel’s plotline were a tad predictable, even if they didn’t seem particularly possible during the moments they occurred. Afterwards, however, when each of these moments is explained, the sense of predictability that you felt reading the novel proves to be right. While this helped to move the story forward, it also put the novel into the not-quite-original category for crime narratives.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Recommended for: People who are interested in crime novels where the reader only learns as much as the investigators at a particular point in time.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Book Review: Size Doesn't Matter by Meg Cabot

Size Doesn’t Matter - Meg Cabot

Synopsis:
Heather Wells is finally living the life she’s been dreaming about for so long. She has a steady boyfriend- who also happens to be her remedial math assistant professor- and although he isn’t Cooper Cartwright (AKA the love of her life) the relationship is going perfectly. That is, of course, except for the 5 kilometre morning runs and vegan lifestyle, which Heather feels she could do without. But for her boyfriend Tad, it may be going too perfectly, especially when Tad tells Heather that he has a question he needs to ask her.
Suddenly for Heather, the ‘rebound’ guy is starting to get a little too serious.
But all thoughts of what the question could be are dismissed when Heather discovers the dead body of her latest boss, Dr Veatch, slumped over his desk with a bullet in his head.
Despite promising numerous people that she’ll stay out of this one, Heather can’t help but investigate the mysterious reason behind her boss’ demise. Could the culprit really be one of the graduate students, who are striking for better work conditions? Or could boring, rule-abiding Dr Veatch have had ties with the mob? After all, it was a clean and professional-looking shooting, and they are in New York.
Whatever the case, Heather is determined to solve the murder, finish studying, end the graduate student strike and convince Cooper he really loves her (despite being with Tad), all while keeping on a low-calorie diet that may or may not be solely made up of junk food.

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, Heather finds herself putting on an act for her boyfriend. She pretends that running 5km every morning with him is not a chore, and that she is happy to eat three-bean salad for lunch over the less-healthy option of a bowl of chili covered with melted cheese.
Although she does her best to hide it from him, you can’t help but feel sorry for Heather as she covers her true feelings about different situations regarding Tad. For example, while on their run early in the morning, she pretends to be cheerful because ‘I’m very careful not to let Tad see my real morning persona. Because he’s not ready for it. Yet.’ She also dislikes the fact that Tad doesn’t own a television, yet doesn’t fully voice her opinion about it.
Even though she has been going out with him for about three months, she is still hesitant to let him see what she is really like, and this is something that I think is quite prevalent in today’s society- some people don’t allow their partners to see their true personality because they are worried about what their partner will ultimately think.
Cabot highlights this problem through Heather, showing readers that the inability to properly communicate with a partner can only cause problems further on in the relationship.

Positives:
Cabot introduces a few new characters in this novel, including outrageous Southern PR woman Muffy Fowler, who is on a quest to find a husband, and Reverend Mark Halstead, the handsome but slightly suspicious new youth minister. Most of the characters from the previous novels also make appearances in this book, which will keep fans of this miniseries amused.

Negatives:
The reason for Dr. Veatch’s death, which is revealed at the end of the novel, is a bit of a letdown. But I know that people have killed for stranger things than that in real life, so I can’t really make a comment. Also, anything more brutal would have taken the humorous edge away from the novel and its subsequent happy ending, so I suppose Cabot had fewer choices available to her when it came to removing Dr Veatch from the scene.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Comedy/ Crime

Recommended for: People who enjoy both Cabot’s writing, and the witty characters she creates.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Size 14 Is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot

Size 14 Is Not Fat Either - Meg Cabot

Synopsis:
Heather Wells is about to embark on her first semester of classes- while simultaneously working as the assistant dorm director at Fischer Hall- and she couldn’t be more excited. Even though she will have to take remedial maths classes because her SAT scores are so low, Heather hopes that the free classes following her work probation will help her to forget the horrors that befell her the year before.
The promise of earning a BA, coupled with the fact that she has a cool new boss who isn’t hell-bent on killing her, convinces Heather that this year will be one to remember.
But unfortunately for Heather, her plans for a stress-free year don’t include finding the decapitated head of a popular cheerleader in a pot in the cafeteria.
With everybody warning her not to get involved in this particular murder mystery, Heather is more than happy to comply. But then her sense of intuition and justice comes into play and she finds herself asking questions about certain suspicious characters. Before she knows it, Heather is in over her head (no pun intended), trying to inconspicuously solve the case.
With the investigation taking up her time, her ex-fiancé Jordan getting married, her ex-con father showing up on her doorstep and her housemate still oblivious to her love for him, it seems that Heather will be doing more than just studying this semester…

What I gained from reading this book:
This book shows that sometimes there is more to some people than meet the eye. The dead cheerleader, Lindsay, is well liked and popular with her peers and the staff at New York College, but she also has a darker side that she keeps hidden. Likewise, another character in the novel is not as he appears, and it isn’t until towards the end of the story when the reader discovers exactly who he is.
These characters act as reminders that even if you think you know somebody really well, you are probably only seeing the surface of the person that they are trying to portray. People often hide secret parts of themselves from others and it isn’t until something happens that the truth comes out.

Positives:
Once again, the character of Heather is charming and utterly relatable to anyone who has ever suffered from their own insecurities. Her little conversations with the local drug dealer Reggie, as well as student Gavin and the staff at the dorm are also very entertaining, written with classic Cabot wit.

Negatives:
As much as I enjoyed this story, I just didn’t think I could give it any more or fewer stars, considering some of the other novels I have read and reviewed over the last year or so.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Comedy/ Crime

Recommended for: People who enjoyed reading Size 12 Is Not Fat.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

Size 12 Is Not Fat - Meg Cabot

Synopsis:
The life of Heather Wells has been far from ordinary. Once the darling of the teen pop world, and engaged to famous singer Jordan Cartwright, Heather was at the top of the entertainment game. That was, of course, until she rebelled against singing the sugary pop songs that were written for her, witnessed Jordan in a compromising situation with fellow singer Tania Trace, was abandoned and robbed by her mother and saw her dad end up in jail.
Now she works at a New York College dorm as the assistant resident hall director- a job that will guarantee her free university tuition if she passes probation- and boards with sexy private investigator, and Jordan’s older brother, Cooper, in his nearby brownstone apartment.
But Heather’s life is about to change a whole lot more, and not for the better.
When some of the female residents of the dorm fall to their deaths from the building elevators, Heather suspects that foul play is involved. She doesn’t believe the university administrations’ views that the girls were involved in elevator surfing, a predominantly male ‘sport’.
Enlisting Cooper’s help, and relying on a whole lot of junk-food to get her through, Heather’s on a mission to track down the killer of Fischer Hall and put an end to the student deaths…

What I gained from reading this book:
The opening chapter of this novel touches on the sensitive issue of weight, clothing sizes, and what is considered the norm for women’s body shapes. Heather is in a change room trying on pairs of jeans when she overhears the woman in the next stall complaining that the jeans she’s trying on are too big, despite the label saying that they are her size. This prompts the salesman at the store to mention that their clothes use the ‘vanity-sizing’ system, designed to make larger women feel better about wearing a ‘smaller’ size even though they’re still wearing exactly the same size, with only the number on the label reduced.
As a size 12- the size of the average American woman- Heather is outraged by the insinuation that size 12 is fat, and so the title of the novel is born.
Vanity sizing, although common with some clothing companies, is luckily starting to get phased out as more and more women become comfortable with their bodies and the image they want to project. For some readers, Heather’s sizing experiences may be a comfort, especially since she is portraying the image of a normal-sized girl, rather than a stick-thin heroine.

Positives:
Heather, while she has her quirks, is a somewhat relatable character. She is a fairly normal girl who loves to eat junk food, lusts after her housemate Cooper with an almost obsessive tenacity, and would rather have a bath than a shower because she’s too lazy to wash while standing. Although these aren’t behaviours that most people indulge in, readers are still able to relate with her character and see parts of their personality within her.

Negatives:
The character of Heather can be a little irritating, especially in the first few chapters where she continually calls her workplace a dorm, only to correct herself and call it a residence hall- every single time! But luckily this annoying affliction does ease up as you get further into the story.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Comedy/ Crime

Recommended for: People who enjoy reading stories about former pop stars who’ve reconstructed their lives.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Monday, February 1, 2010

Book Review: The Murderer's Club by PD Martin

The Murderer’s Club - PD Martin

Synopsis:
It’s been six months since Agent Sophie Anderson, a criminal profiler with the FBI Behavioural Analysis Unit, encountered an evil serial killer known as the Slasher.
But even though half a year has passed, she still feels the effects of her horrifying encounter, and in an effort to ease her vulnerability, trains her body to withstand brute physical force and exertion. As part of her recovery, she also decides to take a week off and spend time with her Arizona-based friend, Detective Darren Carter from Tucson Homicide.
However, on her first day in Tucson a body appears on a university campus, and Sophie puts her holiday on hold as she gets drawn into the case. When a second body appears, also strangled and inscribed with a love heart on the victim’s chest, Sophie begins to wonder if there’s a new serial killer out there- one not recognised by the FBI databases. To make matters worse, as the body count grows, so do the psychic visions that plague Sophie about the victims’ dying moments, which she sees from the perspective of the killer.
Unbeknownst to the FBI and Homicide squads, there are a group of killers who are using a website to communicate and broadcast to each other their murderous intentions. The Murderer’s Club, as they call themselves, is led and controlled by the club president, AmericanPsycho, who has personally chosen all of the victims and organised the set-up of their murders.
With her frightening visions aiding her, and with the FBI’s computer guys working around the clock to track the murderers’ whereabouts, Sophie and Darren have to uncover the identities of the members of the Murderer’s Club and save their still-living victims before it’s too late.

What I gained from reading this book:
Sophie Anderson is an Australian, whose dual-citizenship allows her to live and work as an FBI agent in America. This allows the author to draw comparisons between the Australian criminal system and the American one, and highlight the severity of the murderer problem in the US. In chapter sixteen, a detective quizzes Sophie about how many serial killers have been discovered in Australia, to which she replies several- in comparison to the two thousand serial killers estimated to be still at large in the US. These statistics are chilling, especially considering the sadistic techniques that these killers often use to torture their victims before death.
This novel, although fictional, can help to make readers aware that there are evil predators out there who will go to any length to find themselves a victim. This novel also highlights the often difficult, yet exceptional work, that law enforcement agencies face everyday in their fight against some of the eviler characters of society.

Positives:
This story is easy to follow- without being too simple- and allows readers to see the predatory natures of the members of the Murderer’s Club, as well as the untiring efforts of Sophie and the rest of her team, who are trying to solve the mystery and save the potential victims.
The references to Sophie’s Australian background are also good to see, especially considering the author is an Aussie- Sophie reads the online version of Melbourne newspaper, The Age, and calls her mother mum. This helps to soften the overall Americanisation of the story.

Negatives:
Throughout the novel, Sophie experiences psychic visions that assist her in solving the murders. This cannot really be classed as a negative as it does offer an interesting take on the average murder mystery, however, in including her unusual abilities in the story, it also removes a certain sense of credibility.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Recommended for: People who are fascinated with the FBI, and the processes they undertake in tracking down serial killers.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Book Review: Fatal Burn by Lisa Jackson

Fatal Burn - Lisa Jackson

Synopsis:
Three years ago, Shannon Flannery was accused of murdering her wife-beater husband Ryan Carlyle, who was found burnt beyond recognition after a forest fire. At the time, many people believed that Ryan was the Stealth Torcher, a serial arsonist who lit many fires in the area, and suspected that Shannon had gotten back at her husband by beating fire with fire. The suspicions about Ryan’s ‘occupation’ seemed confirmed when the fires stopped following his death. However, although Shannon was acquitted for the murder, she still faced much public speculation over the case, especially from those who believed that she had gotten away with murder.
Now, believing that the worst is finally behind her, Shannon is attempting to get on with life. She has just bought a new property, where she hopes to expand her search-dog training facility.
But then strange things start to happen that make her question her safety, as well as the safety of those that she loves. Fragments of her past come back to haunt her, and mysterious fires begin to crop up, leading Shannon to suspect that somebody is out to get her. Then Travis Settler, an ex-Special Forces agent, arrives on the scene. His teenage daughter Dani has been kidnapped, and he believes that Shannon’s dark past has something to do with her abduction.
With the body count slowly rising, Shannon and Travis have to learn to trust one another, and uncover the dark secrets of the fire-loving serial killer before he seeks his ultimate revenge.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel takes readers into the often-unexplored world of arsonists, and the emotions that they feel when lighting or witnessing a fire. While many people, myself included, cannot fathom the reasons that some people may have for lighting fires that do nothing but cause destruction and chaos, this novel allows readers to view just how some people respond to flames, and makes readers aware of the power that many arsonists experience when dealing with this deadly element.
I am in no way suggesting that all arsonists are murderers, as many do not think of the consequences of their actions. I am simply saying that this novel is a good study of the way that firebugs may react to flames.

Positives:
The author keeps readers guessing, as she continually introduces new plot twists and scenarios. Travis Settler’s relationship with Shannon adds a bit of spark to the story, and Dani Settler’s determination to survive at the hands of her kidnapper is inspiring, especially considering her age.

Negatives:
Sometimes the story can seem a little slow, with not much happening besides a reiteration of past scenarios or the same questions being asked again and again, but this is more than likely just a technique that the author is using to draw out natural suspense.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Recommended for: People looking for a crime thriller novel with a murderer not averse to using flames to destroy his victims.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Monday, October 12, 2009

Book Review: The Blood Hunters by Katherine Ramsland

The Blood Hunters - Katherine Ramsland

Synopsis:
When four dead bodies are found throughout Bucks County in Pennsylvania, Detective Teri Lewis has her hands full; these deaths are unlike any that the seasoned homicide investigator has ever seen. The victims have been burned from the inside out before their death, are missing blood, and have been bitten- by snakes and other creatures that aren’t quite human- in what is believed to be part of some strange vampiric ritual.
While Detective Lewis follows false trails and dead ends to find the culprits, a young vampire by the name of Christian is sent to Mexico by his elite squad to extract a rival vampire, who holds special abilities that can solve the vampires’ problems back in Bucks County. With the vampire’s existence partially compromised, and human authorities coming ever closer to discovering the real creatures behind the murders, it’s up to Christian to bring the much stronger vampire back, and prove to his peers that he has what it takes to be a part of the vampire elite.

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, both Christian and Detective Lewis feel that they have something to prove. Both have previously made very public mistakes that have either cost the credibility of their positions or endangered others. The situation involving the murders is their chance to redeem themselves in front of their peers and earn back their respect. Through this underlying theme, readers are able to see that everybody feels the need to prove themselves, regardless of outwards appearances, and that this need is universal.

Positives:
It is interesting how the author is able to juxtapose the lives of vampires with those of humans and draw links between how each species affects the other. Usually in most vampire stories, readers only see the point of view of either the humans or the vampires, and so this novel is unique in that both sides are covered.

Negatives:
This isn’t just a vampire story- it is also a forensic case where humans are trying to solve murders, so if you don’t really want to read about the coroner’s determinations of the victims’ deaths and would prefer to read just a vampire horror story, this probably isn’t the book for you.
Rating: 6 out of 10

Genre: Horror/ Crime

Recommended for: People who enjoy well-plotted murder stories, even when they know who the culprit is from the start.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Friday, June 12, 2009

Book review: Till we meet again by Lesley Pearse

Till We Meet Again - Lesley Pearse

Synopsis:
Susan Wright and Beth Powell meet by chance one hot day in August 1961, when they are just ten years old, and instantly become the best of friends.
They ride their bikes, watch boats steer down the lock and have picnics in their own secret cubby, and when they aren’t together, they write each other long and detailed letters about what’s happening in their lives. But although they have spent every August together for five years, they hide personal family secrets from one another and secretly harbour small jealousies regarding one another’s seemingly perfect lives.
Eventually the holiday catch-ups cease, the letters become far and few between and the girls drift apart, due to difficult and unforeseen circumstances.
Twenty-nine years later, Susan and Beth are reunited after Susan walks into a busy doctor’s surgery and guns down the receptionist and a doctor, seemingly in cold blood. Beth, now a criminal lawyer, is assigned to defend Susan and try to find out why she became a ruthless killer, and it is then that she discovers that the murderess is in fact her old childhood friend.
As the women become reacquainted with one another, they find out about each other’s secret pasts, and their friendship becomes stronger. But as the evidence against Susan grows, Beth begins to realise that the sweet, placid Susan she once knew is not the same Susan who now sits before her, and learns that terrible circumstances have a way of changing a person for good.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel highlights how different circumstances can change a person’s life- and not always for the better. Susan’s role as a full-time carer started when she was only sixteen years of age, and she had no time for herself, working almost twenty-four hours a day for eighteen years. This took a toll on her social life, self-esteem and mental wellbeing, and only led to more difficulties later on. While Beth didn’t face the same traumas as Susan, she had to deal with a lazy, heartless and oppressive father who physically abused his family because he had a “position to maintain”. Both of the women faced problems in their families but each came through their experiences in different ways. Likewise, Detective Inspector Roy Longhurst, who was Susan’s arresting officer, grew up in an undesirable area full of crime but he ascended above the expected norm and became an honest man and honourable police officer. This novel shows that past experiences can easily shape people into what they will become in the future, or at least have some bearing on what they will do with their lives.

Positives:
The secret lives of the women, and their different perspectives of certain events are revealed gradually throughout the novel, which helps to make the storyline more riveting for the reader. Readers are also kept on their toes with unexpected twists popping up every now and then.

Negatives:
This is not your average crime novel, as the murderer is revealed from the start. So people who are looking for the excitement that is derived from working out who the killer is may be disappointed, but the process the author uses to withdraw Susan’s reasons for murder are befitting of any criminal fiction.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Mystery/ Crime

Recommended for: People who have lost touch with childhood friends and then met up with them again after decades of time apart.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Book review: Panic by Jeff Abbott

Panic - Jeff Abbott

Synopsis:
Evan Casher is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, who thinks his life is moderately normal- especially in comparison to his film subjects. He has a great new girlfriend, and his mother and father, a travel photographer and computer consultant respectively, have a strong and steady marriage.

But everything changes when Evan receives an urgent phone call from his mother, telling him to return immediately to the family home in Austin. She offers no explanations, and Evan, understandably expecting the worst, travels across Texas to see her.

However, when he arrives at the house, he discovers his mother’s brutally murdered body lying on the kitchen floor, a hitman waiting for him, and his life in mortal danger.

With his father missing and his girlfriend gone AWOL, Evan learns that the important people in his life are not who he thought they were. He has to sift through the entangled web of lies and deceit that create the foundation of his life, in an effort to discover the truth about his past, before he too suffers the same fate as his mother.

What I gained from reading this book:
This book is a good reminder that you shouldn’t take anything for granted. Evan’s whole life as he knows it is ripped apart, and with no warning, after his mother’s untimely death. Evan has to struggle to put the pieces back together and create some semblance of the life he once knew.

Positives:
This fast-paced novel, which takes place over 29 days, is big on gun-toting characters but its Abbott’s well thought out plot that makes this book such an intense and interesting page-turner. With a storyline that could easily be adjusted to suit the big screen, Abbott manages to create an exciting, and somewhat believable story filled with intrigue, assassins, spies and mystery.

Negatives:
This book is probably not a good choice for people who are looking for a light and entertaining read. Panic is very much a murder and espionage-type novel, filled with car-chases, shoot-outs and the obligatory bad guys. You won’t find any sweet storylines here.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Recommended for: People who enjoy reading murder mysteries with a twist

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below: