Book Review: The Fury by Alex Michaelides

The Fury was the first book that I’ve read by Alex Michaelides. I know a lot of you might find that shocking after the success of The Silent Patient, and after reading this I wish I would have jumped on that bandwagon sooner. (It is on my TBR to read soon)

To start this off, The Fury is told by Elliott, an unreliable narrator. When I started this book, my first thought was “Oh, here’s another version of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.” What I found amusing was that right away this was made reference to by the narrator. It took me a chapter to get into how the narration was written, but once I did I couldn’t put this book down.

Set on a private Greek island, it follows a group of friends on vacation. In a tragic turn of events, one of the characters is murdered. The scenes that play out create a new take on the murder mystery.

What was interesting was that after I finished reading this book, Alex Michaelides had an event near me and I was able to attend. Having the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at his writing process for The Fury and hear how much of his personal life he put into all of his works gave me a new perspective. Also, all his books have character tie-ins.

If you have a chance to read The Fury, I highly suggest it. If you read any of his other books, let me know in the comments which was your favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celedon books for an advance copy of The Fury in return for my honest review. I give this book 4.25 stars.

January 29, 2024 0

Book Review: The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate

Hollywood in the 1940s wasn’t all glitz and glamour for the actors of the time. Based on the life of Hattie McDaniel, the first African American woman who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Mammy in Gone with the Wind, ReShonda Tate takes you on an in-depth look at Hattie’s life and struggles after winning this prestigious award. On what should have been the brink of her career, Hattie struggled to maintain a career while staying true to her beliefs and goals. A strong woman, she did not back down and fought for everything that she achieved while striving to open doors for others.

The Queen of Sugar Hill is a thought provoking historical fiction novel, and I found myself digging deeper into several of its main themes. This book is a must read for fans of old Hollywood.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for an advance copy in return for my honest review. Publication date is January 30, 2024, and I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

November 29, 2023 0

Book Review: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

What the River Knows is a well researched historical fantasy by Isabel Ibañez. Set primarily in Egypt, she takes us on the defiant coming of age story of 19 yr old Inez as she traverses an unfamiliar land while trying to find answers to her parents untimely deaths.

I stepped out of my comfort zone to read What the River Knows— I’m not a huge fan of fantasy— but I’m so glad that I did. The descriptions had me longing to be standing along the Nile and taking part in the excavation of a temple. The use of magic wove beautifully into Egyptian history, and propelled the story forward.

The characters of Inez, Whit, and Ricardo were well written. Incorporating the use of Spanish and Egyptian into the text was a great enhancement. While the ending completely left my head spinning and second guessing everything that happened, I am anxiously awaiting the next chapter.

My only critique is that this book is a slow burn, and feel that it could have used a little more action in spots. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Publishing date is Oct. 31, 2023..

4 out 5 stars.

August 24, 2023 0

Book Review: Behold the Monster by Jillian Lauren

Fans of true fiction, this review is for you.

After watching the documentary Confronting a Serial Killer, I was hooked on the story of Jillian Lauren and Sam Little. When I saw that there would be a follow up book, I immediately added it to my TBR. Behold the Monster gives an in-depth look at the relationship between the most prolific serial killer in the US, Sam Little and the author Jillian Lauren.

I thought hard about this book review, and feel that it’s best to break it in two; fiction and non-fiction.

The amount of time and dedication that Jillian Lauren put into Behold the Monster is apparent from the first page. You can feel her anxiety and anticipation as she visits Sam in prison to procure the murderous details that ultimately help convict him on numerous unsolved cold cases. Driven by her need to help the unnamed victims, Jillian takes you down the path that consumed her life for many years. I found the book hard to put down while reading about her experiences with Sam, the multiple detectives, the families, and in the courtroom. The descriptions were gripping, and had me wanting to read more about their interactions.
However, I was a bit put off by the addition of the fictional chapters of Sam Little’s victims. I appreciate that she wanted to give a voice to those that were murdered, but I felt that these chapters were a dramatization that didn’t need to be there.

I feel that Behold the Monster is ultimately worth the read and I give it 3.75 stars. Look for the book to be released on July 18, 2023.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advance copy of Behold the Monster in return for an honest review.

June 28, 2023 0

Book Review: Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates.

Dead of Winter follows Christa and her boyfriend Kiernan on what is supposed to be a romantic getaway in a remote cabin. However, it turns out to be anything but the trip that they envisioned. Stranded by a snowstorm on the way to their destination, the tour group is faced with an unseen threat that begins killing them off one by one.

This was my first time reading a book written by Darcy Coates, and I was hooked from page 1. The tension and suspense were well written and had me on the edge of my seat. The descriptions of the characters, surroundings, and the gore made it easy to visualize exactly what was happening. I was invested in the story from the first chapter and continued to guess who the killer was until the very end. I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars, as I feel it ended abruptly without a complete wrap-up of some of the storylines.

Overall, I found this read extremely enjoyable and tense. Look for this book to be released on July 11th.

May 5, 2023 0

The Light

Sunlight dances down

Streaming through the evergreens

Lighting the pathway

February 13, 2020 0

Book review: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

To be honest, I was originally drawn to this book because of its cover. Addicted to anything vintage, I knew that this was a book to read.

Set in the small town of Fell, New York it follows the story of Carly Kirk who is on a mission to find out what happened to her aunt Viv Delaney 25 years earlier. Viv disappeared from The Sun Down Motel in the middle of the night, with no trace. Presumed dead, Carly attempts to piece together any clues to come to a resolution.

The book was an easy read, and the stories between the two characters mesh well to create a clear story. However, one of the reasons that I wanted to read it is that it was said to be creepy; this was one part that I was disappointed with. To me, there was the potential to make the story have a creepy factor, but it fell short.

That being said, I really enjoyed reading this novel. If you’re looking for a thriller/mystery I highly recommend grabbing this book and giving it a try.

February 3, 2020 0

Goodbye 2019 – Hello 2020

Wow! 2019 flew by with several bumps in the road. Mainly the only thing that was completely left behind was my writing, and blogging. I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything; stay tuned for more soon!

One of my resolutions for the new decade is to post more for you all, while keeping in line with my writing goals.

Here’s to 2020! Let’s make it a great one!

~Kristen

January 23, 2020 0