Tag: ARC

The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill – C.S. Robertson

~ Eden Haslam ~ Leave a comment

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Death is not the end.
For Grace McGill, it’s only the beginning.

When people die alone and undiscovered, it’s her job to clean up what’s left behind – whether it’s clutter, bodily remains or dark secrets.

When an old man lies undetected in his flat for months, it seems an unremarkable life and an unnoticed death. But Grace knows that everyone has a story and that all deaths mean something more.

Review: I though Grace’s job was really interesting. The social commentary about those who have no one to notice if they are dead alongside the way Grace gets to peek into a person’s life as she’s cleaning up made for a strong starting point and a unique perspective on people and society.

However, I personally found some of the details about her cleaning rather unnecessary. It slowed the pace without adding anything to the story and would definitely be off-putting to someone more squeamish.

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Elektra – Jennifer Saint

~ Eden Haslam ~ Leave a comment

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.

Clytemnestra
The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon – her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them, and determines to win, whatever the cost.

Cassandra
Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.

Elektra
The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But, can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?

Review: If I thought Ariadne, Jennifer Saint’s debut novel, was tragic, this book really hits a whole other level. It was difficult to see these women trying to fix the mistakes of men and yet fall into the same traps as them, their determination yet inability to escape the curse of the House of Atreus and the cycles of violence.

 I was captivated by the questions of morality, revenge and the control you can have over your own life that were central to the story and loved how, again, Saint has turned a well-known narrative and turned it on its head. Whilst stories of the Battle of Troy so often focus on the men, or on Helen, I loved reading about its impact on the three women who are left to deal with the fallout.

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Such a Quiet Place – Megan Miranda

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Synopsis: 14 months ago Brandon and Fiona Truett died of carbon monoxide poisoning in their home. With the help of the community, it was easy to prove that Ruby was the culprit, sending her away to jail. However, after 14 months away, there are suggestions that evidence was tampered with and now Ruby has been released. And she has come back to Hollow’s Edge to make somebody pay.

As Ruby tries to clear her name, her old roommate Harper is trying to figure out what Ruby wants, and how far she will go to prove her innocence. The fragile peace of Hollow’s Edge is disrupted by Ruby’s reappearance and Harper feels once again that she is on the outside.

In a community as tight as this, secrets are inevitable. But when Harper begins to get threatening notes, it is clear someone knows more than they are letting on and everybody is a suspect.

Review: The plot of this book is so understated, but so well executed. As a reader you have this nervous energy as you are reading. The nature of Ruby’s return keeps you on edge even without lots of dramatic, overtly suspenseful things happening because she is so unpredictable and the author does such a good job of building a sense of dread throughout.

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Confess to Me – Sharon Doering

~ Eden Haslam ~ Leave a comment

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Synopsis: Heather and her family (husband Trevor, daughter Emily, and stepson Sawyer) move back to Hunther, Wisconsin to be closer to Trevor’s ill mother. Both Trevor and Heather grew up in this small town and yet Heather has spent twenty years trying to escape it. Being in this town brings up a lot of bad memories for Heather and causes her to look more closely at things that happened in the past.

Small towns have secrets and Heather is determined to uncover Hunther’s. But with threats, lies and unreliable memories, it would be easier for Heather to leave the past behind her. Except everyone seems to know more about Heather and her family that she does. And with accusations flying around, Heather has to find out the truth about her upbringing and the death that surrounded her family.  

It’s not often that I struggle to get through a book, but unfortunately that was the case with this one. I didn’t think the mystery was very compelling and struggled to get excited as I was reading. I don’t know if that’s because of the family aspect which I cannot relate to, the fact that I didn’t have very strong feelings about any of the characters, or because of some overly graphic descriptions which brought me out of the story.

However, I did feel that the author did an excellent job portraying the claustrophobic nature of small-town communities. Everyone is involved in other people’s business with the characters being the perfect balance of nosy yet secretive.

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The Family Tree – Steph Mullin & Nicole Mabry

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Rating: 3 out of 5.

Synopsis: After taking a DNA test, Liz learns two things: 1) she’s adopted, 2) there is someone in her family that is connected to a serial killer investigation. Despite warnings from the FBI, Liz is determined to meet her blood relatives. But can she stop her own personal feelings from clouding her judgement when there’s a killer on the loose?

Alongside Liz’s narrative, the story follows what happens to the women who are abducted by the Tri-State Killer. Bringing together past and present as Liz’s desire for a family risks placing her in the path of a murderer.

Review: I loved the premise of this story. With the growing use of technology it is so interesting to consider the pitfalls of sharing your DNA online, and how this technology can be used to help solve crimes. I especially enjoyed the chapters focusing on the kidnapped girls. It was interesting getting their perspective and learning more about the Tri-State Killer from that angle. With a lot of similarities, these chapters could have been too repetitive, but I found that they each helped uncover a little more about the situation and created a sense of solidarity between the different women.

However, my biggest issue with this book was its unrealistic nature. I doubt the FBI would share case details, especially when the person was blatantly lying to them. Liz was also quite irritating and immature. Although the motivations for her actions were made clear, I struggled to understand why she did what she did. Her determination to meet with her ‘new’ family seemed reckless considering the link to the serial killer which she didn’t seem to really care about. I struggle to believe that that is how anyone in that situation would actually act.

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Widowland – C.J. Carey

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Rating: 3 out of 5.

Synopsis: What would society be like if Britain had signed an alliance with Germany during WWII? This question is what Widowland explores, detailing a version of Britain where most of the young men have been sent to Germany and women are separated into castes based on factors such as appearance and family background, implementing a strong level of control over their lives.

The main character Rose works at the Ministry of Culture rewriting literature, so it reflects the values of the Protectorate. Being a Geli, the highest caste, and having an affair with a senior SS officer offers Rose a reasonably good life but she is aware that one misstep could result in her being reclassified. One day Rose is sent on a secret mission to Widowland, the run-down areas occupied by the lowest caste women, to uncover the insurgents who have been vandalising walls with graffiti made up of lines from subversive literature. As Rose undertakes her mission, she realises that she cannot ignore ideas from the past and begins to question where her loyalties lie.

Review: Reading this book immediately draws similarities to the Handmaid’s Tale, 1984 and other dystopian/alternate realities. The concept itself I thought was really interesting, even if it is similar to other stories, and I was intrigued about the editing of literature and separation of women into castes. The world-building was done extremely well, there was so much detail, and it was clear how and why this type of society had come into existence.

If anything, at times there was too much detail. I was often confused about the names of the different castes and found the first half of the book quite slow as the society was explained, meaning that it took a while to get to the main plot. This meant elements, such as the romance and Rose’s change in character, felt rushed.

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Deadly Obsession – OMJ Ryan

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

Synopsis: DCI Jane Phillips and her Major Crimes team are called in for the murder of a retired teacher in a care home. Not long after, more bodies turn up, each one completely different with nothing linking them together except for the fact that they all resemble murders by notorious serial killers. As the body count rises, the murders get progressively more violent but Jane and her team struggle to identify any suspects. Their opponent seems to always be one step ahead.

Review: I raced through this book, finding it extremely enjoyable and exciting. I was desperate to get to the ending to learn who the killer was and how everything was going to be resolved.

Even though I haven’t read the other books in the series this wasn’t off-putting, this book can easily be read as a standalone. If anything, I will now probably go back to read the other 4 books as this one was such a good read. I really liked DCI Phillips as a strong female lead and enjoyed the workplace dynamics with the other police officers and her boss. I felt that there was a good balance struck between getting to know the characters and the fast-paced murder investigation.

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Ariadne – Jennifer Saint

~ Eden Haslam ~ Leave a comment

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Synopsis: In the tale of Theseus and the Minotaur the character of Ariadne often gets overlooked, even though she is the one who betrays her family to help Theseus slay the Minotaur. This story however places Ariadne and her sister Phaedra at the centre, focusing on them as they deal with the horror of their family and the subsequent fallout. In Ancient Greece, the women are inconsequential, voiceless, and traded like commodities. But the story of Ariadne shows they are much more than that – her complicated feelings towards her mother, the Minotaur (her brother), and her duty are explored as she learns the power she holds and attempts to discover where she belongs.

With romance, betrayal and tragedy, this story breathes life into the women that are often forgotten. Travelling from the labyrinth of the Minotaur, to the shores of Naxos, and the city of Athens, it explores the relationship between women, men, and the ever vengeful gods, and uses women’s voices to take familiar stories in a new direction.

Review: I was really excited to read this book. I grew up reading Greek mythology and was so interested to see how this book retold a familiar story but from a female perspective. And I have to say I wasn’t disappointed. Although it did take me a while to connect to Ariadne as a character, her feelings for Theseus in particular could have been explored in more depth to feel less superficial, I was drawn in by the beautiful descriptions and strength of emotions that drive the story.

The various tales of Greek heroes and Gods were well woven in, helping to create a rich atmosphere and a clear sense of the mythological world this story takes place in. As someone quite familiar with the different myths, it was nice to hear them told as stories by the different characters as it reminds you how interconnected the different stories are.

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Black Widows – Cate Quinn

~ Eden Haslam ~ Leave a comment

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Synopsis: Black Widows follows the perspectives of three wives, all married to Blake who is found murdered on their land far from anywhere else. Being in a plural marriage means these women are on the edge of society, even within the Mormon community. They do not trust the police and certainly do not trust each other as it seems clear that one of them must have killed him.

Review: This was such an interesting and intriguing book, partly because of the murder but also because of the relationships that are created. I found the plural marriage dynamic extremely interesting. I was so curious about the relationship between the three wives, especially considering how different they all are, and enjoyed how this developed across the book. I did feel that the character of Emily was not as fully developed as the others, but overall, there was a good sense of each character’s distinct personality.

The mystery aspect of the plot was very well-done, helping to draw the story to a satisfying conclusion. There were so many twists and turns that constantly makes you second-guess who the murderer is. I think having the three perspectives of the three wives really beneficial in this aspect as you get to hear each of their suspicions about each other, thereby influencing your own opinion.

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The Favour – Laura Vaughan

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Rating: 3 out of 5.

Synopsis: Ada’s gap year trip to Italy on an art history course offers her the perfect opportunity to become friends with the type of people she feels she should be – wealthy, privileged, sophisticated. Obsessed with the loss of her grand home after her father’s death at aged 13, Ada is determined to get back to the life she could have had. All she has to do is prove herself.

Whilst in Venice, one of the group dies under mysterious circumstances, and Ada sees the chance to make herself indispensable to the people she aspires to be like.

Spanning over 10 years, the story follows Ada after the trip to Italy as she strives to maintain the connections to the people she met there. But, Ada is not the only one maintaining a deception and, sooner or later, the lies begins to unravel.

Review: This book was an enjoyable read. I raced through it in a matter of days and loved the sense of atmosphere and descriptions of Italy. It really did create a perfect background for a plot of deception and secrets.

I enjoyed the sense of mystery and intrigue, but based on the book’s description, I expected the death to play a larger part in the story than it did. I couldn’t help but spend the first section of the book waiting for the suspicious death to occur, and then the rest of the book waiting for it to really matter. That being said, the main plot which focused on Ada’s efforts to ‘get back’ to the social position she believed she deserved was interesting.

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