Review: The Perfect Son

The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What I liked: Good amount of tension build up. It definitely had be standing still a few times wondering what would happen next. I listened to the audiobook for free on Libby. The Voice actress does a pretty good job, worth a listen.  I liked the mom.  She did her best.  It's a good illustration of how you can live with a monster and not know.  People always say they had no idea.  Honestly, the father's oblviousness to his son's history was pissing me off.  He locked a girl in a closet and duck taped to to the floor...boys will be boys... in JAIL!

What I loved: The story pretty much follows the mystery troupe of ...if it's obviously blah, then it's obviously not blah. So it was fun trying to figure who it was. And getting to the end and being nearly right was great.

What I didn't like: 

I have questions.

So Liam is just going to get away with unzipping a cat huh, after he's saved two lives.  Cool.

And Hanna just managed to follow her father across town...on her bicycle to the cabin in the woods?  Ok.

I wasn't sure how to feel.  One the one hand I almost relieved that the Sociopath hadn't done it.  I was like, yay, a story with a non-villous sociopath.  One who remains cool under pressure when people need help.  It would be nice if he'd become a fire fighter or a solider.  Something useful.  But with a story like this there always as to be one turn of the screw... and of course it has to be that one.  

So, did they burn down that cabin with the trap door?

Hell there was a moment when I thought grandma was the killer!  Sheesh.  

Idk about this one guys.  It's a fun short read.  Not every book as to be perfect.  It was engaging and held my interest for a while. 

If you liked this book you might also enjoy

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Review: The Devil and the Dark Water

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved  this author.  So far I am a huge fan of his work.

What I loved:

 As mentioned I love me a good Sherlock Homles story.  This book completely turns the Sherlock Holmes trope on it's ear in a wonderful way!  The Sherlock character is in jail, and the Watson character has to use what he's learned to solve the very super-natural seeming crime!  And the Sherlock is not able to swing in with all the answers at the end.  This story does not cheat Watson out of his win (this time).

What I liked.  

The Devil and the Dark Water is an easy to follow super-natural seeming mystery on the open seas.  So

many things happen.  As the plot cracks open and people start making bad choices the story gts wilder and wilder.  But we are left behind.  But be assured somehow every thread is is tightened.  Every choice is explained.  Every character has a reason for what they do, and that is a beautiful thing.  

I would love love love to sit in a class taught by Stuart Turton about how he storyboards his plots, how he maps out what he's doing and how makes sure that everything comes to a satisfying and clear conclusion.  

Negative Comments:

  The ending was a little odd for a lot of readers.  I don't want to spoil it, but if you've read the ending then you know that the main two characters make a somewhat controversial choice at the end of the story.  I understand the choice they made.  It goes back to the characters and the situation they are in....like seriously what else did you expect them to do?

However, I found a comment on Reddit that makes the conclusion even more satisfying.  So I'm sharing it here.    

 Conclusion

Over all, this was thrilling mystery, with loads of turns and a good twist ending.  I love how turns the Sherlock troupe on it's ear.

If you like this book as much as I did please check out:

I'm Porsche B. Yeary

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Review: There Is No Antimemetics Division

There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What I love

I love the way this book feels in my head.  So creepy, so subtle.  It's a lurking fear.  A overwhelming situation that is both familiar and strange.  How do you fight a monster you are not allowed to think.  If you think about it it's thinking about you.  If you see it, it sees you.  If you learn about it, it's learning about you and now it's coming for you.  The only way out is to forget about it.  And the only way to fight it is blindly.  And you're already fighting.  You've been fighting it for years, but you don't remember.  Every time you remember it's gotten closer.  It's winning.  It's devoured everyone you know, and is going after everyone who thinks the way you do.  You've already lost...except...you haven't lost yet.  You are the only one left who can fight this thing.  And this isn't the first time you've heard this message!  

The Voice

I loved this book from beginning to end.  And the voice actor's performance on the audiobook was superb.  This book plays well as an audio journey as the audio redaction adds to the atmosphere of the all consuming dread of this situation.  It's easy to follow as the the timelines jump, and characters change.  You do have to pay attention to names to follow the spiral puzzle as it curls tighter.  The drama is built by the irony that you, the reader, will remember what the characters have forgot.  That there is a monster in the room with them.  And there is nothing they can do to stop it.

The Lessons

Learn more about the writer, qntm, here.  I would listen to anything this man as to teach about writing compelling speculative fiction.  This story is easy to follow surrealism - but also very very easy to get lost in the details.  You have to listen (or read) this story very carefully.   It is very easy to get caught up in the beauty of the details of this one.  It's a fun terrifying ride.

If you like this check out more of qntm's free short stories.   Or check this wonderful performance for free on Libby!

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Review: The Blood of an Englishman

The Blood of an Englishman by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What I loved

 I love a good cozy murder mystery.  I'm trying to write one right now.  But I'm not sure how I felt about this book one.  Very modern day British.  Very Midsummer Murders but much more punchy.  

What I liked

Agatha Rasin is a likably flawed protagonist.  I'm not used to my cozy decs having a sex drive.  I rather like having a hot blooded older woman to follow around.  I didn't mind the romantic side quests.  However, it did spoil it for me to have the POV suddenly from John Hale's perspective.  I would have liked to find out motives along with Agy so I could feel what she's feelings.  I'm not sure the dramatic irony worked well here.  

image from The Guardian

What I didn't like.

I like Agatha Rasin, as a character, but she is a terrible detective, at least in this book (the first I've read of her series).  She spends the first half of the book alienating witnesses and getting kicked out of places.  Her assistants find more clues than she does.  There is a point in early acts where she's just accusing people willy-nilly (which I did find amusing but odd) And her "eureka" moment only happens because she happens to fall asleep on a movie that spells out the murder's plot.  But by the time she's on the scent on the killer the police don't even want to offer her protection from the goon because she's burned every bridge.

M.C. Beaton was an accomplished Scotish mystery and romance writer under a variety of pen names!  Her career started in 1979 and lasted until 2019.  Learn more about her here. 

Conclusion 

All in all a fun book.  You'll enjoy it very much if you don't take it too seriously.  If you enjoy a good mystery, but you're really looking for a comedy this is for you.  Makes a great vacation read.  Easy to savor and follow along with.

If you liked this book check more of M.C. Beaton's works on Libby, your local library of through these Amazon Associates links!

The Traveling Match Maker series 

The Agatha Raisin Series

The Hamish Machbeth Series

If you liked this review please leave me a comment on Bluesky or Facebook.  You can also check my short stories on Wattpad.  

I'll see you on the next page. 

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Review: The Girl on the Train

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've never shouted "GIRL!!!!" in indignation more than than I did this book!  

If you're a fan of messy protagonists buckle the fuck up!  Because Rachel is such an unreliable narrator that even she doesn't know what she's doing half the time!  She quickly becomes your dramatic best friend who calls you on the phone in the middle of a mess that you can't help her out of!  And she's not alone.  There are three main characters in this story hopeless woven together by character's monumentally terrible decision making...and it's not the one you expect.  You're just hoping your messy friend will get her act together long enough to get out while she still can!  

But *spoiler* she doesn't!  

Read this book!  Just do it!  I don't care how you do it.  Libby is free.  Library. You'll finish it faster than you think.  Trust me.

If you're a fan of this type of Drama Check out Gone Girl or any books by Ruth Ware!

If you liked this review please leave me a comment on Bluesky or Facebook.  You can also check my short stories on Wattpad.  

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Review: Around the World in Eighty Days

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A weird wild rumpus! A delightful comedy that I throughly enjoyed. Right up there with Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. A must read for anyone looking for a mix of adventure with comedic hijinks. Idk if Verne meant this book to be so silly, but time makes fools of us all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EkN8WtFTpE

  

If this sort of stories strikes your fancy the you have to try 

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

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Review: The Good Detective

The Good Detective by John McMahon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A thrilling, gripping, modern day noir right up there with the Maltese Falcon or and Dick Tracy mystery. It follows all of your typical noir tropes from the disgruntled detective medicating his dark past in a bottle of scotch. Yet somehow he manages to play off his declining mental health in such a way that everyone is forgiving.  However the story is refreshing P.T.Marsh realizes that he's flawed.  He has to pull himself out self-hating funk order for instincts to kick in so that he can solve the case and save a young woman's life.   

    The case if full of twists and turns that'll keep you guessing.    But they mystery is grounded enough that we get there in the end. 

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