Cat's Book Reviews: thriller

Showing posts with label thriller. 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:

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Book Review: Thicker Than Water by Maggie Shayne

Thicker Than Water - Maggie Shayne

Synopsis:
As a seventeen-year-old runaway, Jewel Jordan, along with her friend Lizzie, found sanctuary with a group known as the Young Believers, led by Mordecai Young. Although the experience started out favourable, it slowly became a nightmare for the girls- one which they hoped to escape from as soon as they were able.
But then a fiery attack by government forces extinguished the cult, along with the lives of many of the compounds’ residents. For the survivors, the frightening ordeal appeared to be finally over, and, with the thousands of dollars of cash they managed to escape with, they were free to start over afresh.

Sixteen years later, Jewel has reinvented herself as Julie Jones and has become a successful news anchor, living in Syracuse with her teenage daughter Dawn.
But her peaceful life is shattered when a man named Harry begins blackmailing her, threatening to tell the world about her secret past. With no choice but to give in to his cash demands, Julie is soon worried that Harry isn’t the only person who knows the secrets that could destroy her.
This fear is heightened when Harry is found dead in his hotel room, and the murder weapon- a kitchen knife belonging to Julie- is found planted at her home. Someone is trying to frame her for Harry’s murder, and the worst thing is, she has no idea who it could be, or why they are doing it.
With the help of her journalism nemesis, and unlikely alley, Sean MacKenzie, Julie is determined to find the real murderer, especially when circumstances see her daughter put into danger.
Sean, an investigative journalist who is renowned for covering the worst that humanity has to offer, is just as determined to help, although he initially finds himself torn between wanting to protect Julie and wanting to expose her.
With Dawn’s life on the line and a vengeful killer on the loose, Julie will have to relive some of the horrors of her life in the Young Believers compound, if she is to uncover the truth and save her beloved daughter from an uncertain fate.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel begins in the Young Believers compound- controlled by ‘Reverend’ Mordecai Young- and brings into focus the issues of cults and alternative sects, and the dangerous factors often associated with them. While I am unsure as to just how many cults exist in the world today, I would not be surprised if many of them are run in a similar fashion to the one that is depicted by the author in this novel. [Note: I know this is a massive generalisation, but I am yet to hear of a cult or sect that is completely innocent of wrongdoing]. Seen as a ‘safe haven’ for young runaways, compounds such as this are known for drugging their residents and brainwashing them into believing that the outside world is the enemy. They are often told that the only place of respite is with the cult and its leader, and are often driven to become obsessive about protecting their haven.
Even though the Young Believers of the novel are fictional, readers are more likely to be aware of the dangers of such places after reading this story and experiencing what Julie, Dawn and the others go through because of it.

Positives:
The verbal sparring between Julie Jones and Sean MacKenzie, and their obvious sexual tension, provides light relief from the more serious aspects of the novel. Speaking of which, the originality of the cult storyline, and the subsequent drama surrounding Julie after sixteen years, sets the novel apart from others of the same genre.

Negatives:
Without trying to give too much of the storyline away, I have to question the way that some of the characters managed to survive the raid on the compound, sixteen years earlier. I know that the story can’t happen without them, but it does make the storyline seem less credible.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Thriller

Recommended for: People who enjoy reading Maggie Shayne’s novels.

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:

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:

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Book review: Cold as Death by T.J. MacGregor

Cold As Death - T.J. MacGregor

Synopsis:
After psychic and bookshop owner, Mira Morales, has a vision of a burning house, a woman on fire, and a boy being kidnapped, she finds herself searching through the old house on Mango Hill where she discovers the dead body of a woman, whose spirit still hovers in the room where she was murdered.
But unlike in her vision, this woman is not burnt, and Mira discovers that she was the housekeeper of Oscar-winning actress Suki Nichols, her womanising husband Paul, and their 13-year-old son Adam, who is now missing.
Along with FBI agent and former lover Wayne Sheppard, Mira tries to work out how her initial vision is linked to Adam’s kidnapping, and tries to sort through the flood of following apparitions in order to determine the young boy’s whereabouts.
With Adam missing, his dangerous captor after Mira, and the death toll rising, they have to solve the case before something happens that none of them can predict.

What I gained from reading this book:
Mira’s psychic abilities are showcased to the extreme in this book, and it made me think of the many times when psychics have provided the missing links in murder and kidnapping cases. Although I maintain a healthy scepticism about most supposed psychics, I believe that there are some people out there who have a gift. Considering these people have helped to solve similar cases, it’s quite interesting to read about Mira’s experiences, and imagine that they have been recreated in real life at one time or another.

Positives:
The author is very skilled at mixing the murder mystery genre with paranormal themes that extend along the lines of ghosts, psychic visions and supernatural energy.
Through Mira’s ability to see things from the past, readers are able to piece together the story and connect the characters to their roles in the drama.

Negatives:
There were several spelling mistakes in the copy of the book that I read, especially towards the end, which distracted me from the storyline. Besides these errors, there wasn’t too much that stopped me from enjoying the novel. People who dislike novels that deal with ghosts and the supernatural however, may not enjoy the book as much, especially since these themes run throughout the story.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Paranormal Thriller

Recommended for: Anybody in need of a ghost story with interweaving storylines, murder and mayhem.

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: