EIGHTY DAYS BLUE

TITLE: EIGHTY DAYS BLUE

AUTHOR: VINA JACKSON

Pages: 326

Date: 04/10/2012

Grade: 4+

Details: no. 2 Eighty Days

            Received from Orion

            Through Book Geeks

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“Doms, subs it happens gradually, almost without your being aware of it. Until the day comes when you assume it fully, accept it, banish the personal doubts. It’s nature, not nurture, you see.”

Except that in reality it is never that simple. Rarely do we grow into something new without some obstacles getting in the way as Dominik and Summer are about to find out in this, the second instalment in the Eighty Days trilogy.

Violinist Summer Zahova is happy in New York. She is enjoying her time with the orchestra, especially now that it has a new and attractive conductor, Simón. Having left Victor behind her after his games in “Eighty Days Yellow” went too far for her, she is enjoying a few days with Dominik, the man who gave her the beautiful violin she cherishes and introduced her to the kinkier side of relationships. She never tells him about her times with Victor, even though Dominik knows Victor and they had an agreement to share any encounters with third parties with each other. When Dominik has to return to his life in London, Summer finds herself alone and unable to really connect with people. Dominik taking a sabbatical from his job in London to pursue a residency in New York appears to be the answer to the yearning they both feel for each other. But it isn’t long after he arrives before a solo performance by Summer is such a success that it results in a world tour, taking her away from Dominik once again. When Summer at last returns to America it should mean a happy reunion but it appears that Victor still has some games to play with the young musician. And this time it might well result in the death of her relationship with Dominik.

Anyone who has read my review of “Eighty Days Yellow” knows that I felt kind of ambivalent about that book. I’m happy to say this second book in the trilogy worked better for me. As we get to know the two main characters better we also start to understand what it is that motivates them. That may not mean that they become anymore sympathetic than they were in the previous book, but, because they are consistent in their behaviour, they grow on the reader.

Maybe it is time to be honest and admit that my reluctance towards liking these books is a result of the level of realism in them. Most works of romantic fiction and erotica appear to be written as if they are fairy-tales. Not so these books. No first meeting with sparks flying followed by romantic courtship, interrupted for a short while by some sort of issue or misunderstanding only for everything to come together in an easy happily-ever-after in this story. These two main characters, though drawn together, have almost more downs than ups. It is their own behaviour as well as outside influences that throw obstacles in their way. These aren’t almost too good to be true fantasies we are reading; these characters are flawed, selfish and at times stupid. In short, these characters are so real that you would like to slap them occasionally if only to wake them up to how careless they are being with each other and with their own feelings. And that I guess is a credit to the authors. As frustrating as I found the characters in this book at times, they do come across as very realistic in a way that characters in romances usually don’t do.

I do wonder though if this is a work of erotic fiction (as in a tantalising story) or a cautionary tale (as in, be careful what you get yourself into because it can easily come back to bite you).

Although this book, like its prequel, comes with a fair amount of graphic and quite kinky sex scenes, the story seems to be more about the emotions behind the physical needs this time. To me it felt as if the feelings the characters had about their sexual needs, and the desperation those needs sometimes caused, was far more important than the actual acts of intimacy. We get an insight into the need, the confusion and also the shame the characters experience. This gives the book more depth than the average work of erotica usually has.

The shifting story-telling perspective that I had an issue with while reading "Eighty Days Yellow" is still the same. We still shift from Dominik (in the second person) to Summer (in the first as well as the second person). But I must have gotten used to it. While these shifts pulled my out of the story in the previous book they didn't bother me at all this time around. I'm still not sure why exactly Summer's story is told from two different perspectives, but I can live with it.

Now that I’ve read two of the three books in this series I find myself very curious about how this story might end. While it would seem that the two main characters are destined to be together eventually it also seems clear that both of them would have to learn a lot, about themselves and about each other, if we’re ever to reach that (possibly) happy ending. I now can’t wait to read the concluding book: “Eighty Days Red”.

LAST TO DIE

TITLE: LAST TO DIE

AUTHOR: TESS GERRITSEN

Pages: 328

Date: 02/10/2012

Grade: 4.5

Details: no. 10 Rizzoli & Isles

Library

Three young teenagers from different parts of America survived two years ago when the rest of their family was murdered. Now they are survivors again while their foster families are being killed. In order to keep them safe, the three young teenagers are brought to Evensong, a boarding school for traumatised children run by the Mephisto Club in a remote part of Maine.

But, the police in Boston who are investigating the last of the killings don’t know about the similarities between the three kids and their families. And even Detective Jane Rizzoli, who has serious doubts about the direction the Boston investigation is taking and does spot that the three kids histories are eerily alike can’t find any common link between them. But, when it seems that the murder case in Boston may be solved, she does get permission to continue digging, be it unofficially.

Maura Isles has a connection with Evensong. Julian (Rat), the boy she survived her ordeal in the previous book with, is boarding there now and she is about to spend two weeks with him in the school.

While Rizzoli continues her investigation and gets closer to exactly what it is that links the kids, Maura is at Evensong where it soon becomes clear that whoever is threatening the kids is not going to be stopped by a school build like a castle, with state of the art security in the middle of nowhere. Because the three youngsters won’t be safe until something that started before they were born is at last brought to an end.

Tess Gerritsen writes good mysteries. She is a master at keeping the reader guessing, while relentlessly pushing the plot forwards. It isn’t until the last few pages that it becomes clear what exactly is going on or even who can and can’t be trusted.

The writing itself is very good as well. This book was very easy to read, the descriptions were vivid and the characters - both the returning and the unique ones - all come to life with a voice of their own. In this book I was especially touched by young Claire, a girl whose gunshot wound to the brain means that she doesn’t react or behave like the other teenagers around her. The way she is described in this book is very realistic and all the more heartbreaking for it.

I liked the way small sections in this book gave the reader an idea of what lay at the root of the horrific events in this story while refusing to give away who exactly the narrator was or even whether that person was good or bad. I also like that certain characters make return appearances in this book. Maura’s uneasy relationship with Sansone and her developing one with young Julian make both her character and the story more interesting. 

Series like this one make me wonder exactly what the difference between a mystery and a thriller is. While this book certainly centers around a complicated mystery which is thoroughly investigated, the story reads like a fast paced thriller with cliff-hangers and shocking and unexpected revelations. And I guess that brings the reader the best of both worlds; an intriguing story that is almost impossible to put down.

The Rizzoli and Isles books are one of a few series I can’t imagine ever missing an instalment in. A new title is published and I rush out to get my hands on it, secure in the knowledge that I won’t be disappointed.

THE ANGEL

TITLE: THE ANGEL

AUTHOR: TIFFANY REISZ

Pages: 416

Date: 30/09/2012

Grade: 5

Details: # 2 Original Sinners

            Received from Mira/Harlequin

            Through NetGalley

Own

What to say? There is so much wrong with this story and yet this is such a wonderful book, I just don’t know where to start. I’m afraid that summarizing the story may put people off this book just because of the various taboos it tackles. And yet, allowing preconceived ideas of how people should behave and act to stop you from picking up this book – or its prequel, "The Siren" – would mean missing out on a very well written and fascinating story. Here is what it is all about:

Nora Sutherlin, author of explicit erotica and accomplished dominatrix has been back with her Master and long-time lover Sǿren for over a year, delighting in the way her sadistic Priest hurts her while yearning quietly for Wesley, the young man she sent away because she couldn’t return his need for a vanilla relationship. When Sǿren’s name appears on a short-list for a potential promotion to Bishop, Nora needs to disappear from his life while an investigation into his life and suitability for the job is being conducted. Nora will spend the summer with Griffin Fiske, a very rich, uncomplicated and carefree man with a penchant for short and steamy love-affairs. Travelling with Nora is Michael, the “Angel” from the title. Seventeen years old, Michael is a troubled young man. After discovering his need for pain and domination as a younger teenager he tried to kill himself when he was 15, convinced that he was abnormal and unworthy. After Father “S” saved Michael’s life he took the young man under his wing and this summer will be Michael’s introduction into the world of kink and life as a submissive. When Michael and Griffin meet sparks fly, but an order from Sǿren as well as the younger man’s insecurities combine to keep them apart. And Sǿren and Nora have more to worry about than just his possible promotion to Bishop. A journalist called Suzanne, on a quest against Catholic priests who she blames for the death of her brother, is determined to dig up and expose the dirt on the Priest. This will be a summer during which all these characters will have to face up to their feelings, their own needs and those of others.

I’m sure there will be a lot of people out there who will consider this story, or at least parts of it, blasphemous. I mean, for starters there is the Catholic Priest who is also a sadist and in a dubious (to put it mildly) relationship with an erotic author. Some of the characters are so young that it makes you shudder to think about them being exposed to all the kink described in these pages. And yet, for me, the story worked. While the characters in this book may live a life-style which is completely foreign to most of us they are all fascinating and completely convincing as well as impossible to dislike. The dialogue in this book sparkles, the characters come to life and their issues are recognisable, even if the context might be foreign to us.

What I really like about this book, apart from the characters, the story and the steamy scenes, is that we are getting to know more about the background of all the main characters. Through the investigation conducted by Suzanne and the bits of information other characters share with each other we get a much better idea about who these people are, what they are feeling and what motivates them.

This is an amazing book. Yes, it is an erotic piece of fiction and quite graphic and unorthodox at that, but it is so much more. In this book the sex comes with a real and intriguing story. There is the threat of exposure for Sǿren’s inclinations and his relationship with Nora but that doesn’t really take centre stage. This story is about the characters and the (internal) conflicts they are dealing with. It is about Michael having to come to terms with the fact that he likes to be submissive and hurt, it is about Nora coming to terms with having lost Wesley, about Suzanne coming to terms with the loss of her brother and it is about all of them learning that in order to live an honest life you have to be true to yourself and your needs.

Today I discovered that Tiffany Reisz’s website offers several free short stories all featuring characters from this series. The stories take place prior to events in “The Siren” but come with the advice to not read them until you’ve read that book. I haven’t yet had the time to do more than discover those stories but am delighted that I will be able to read more about Nora, Sǿren and all the others in the time between now and November, when “The Prince”, the next book in this series is due to be published.

IN TOO DEEP

TITLE: IN TOO DEEP

AUTHOR: PORTIA DA COSTA

Pages: 269

Date: 27/09/2012

Grade: 4

Details: Received from Black Lace

            Through Book Geeks

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Gwendolynne Price is thirty years old, not at all skinny, recently divorced and working as a librarian. She loves her job but wouldn’t call it exciting until, one day, she opens the suggestions box in work and finds a letter addressed to her. The letter is explicit and sexy. Somebody, calling themselves Nemesis, has taken a shine to her and is telling Gwendolynne, in detail, exactly what it is he loves about her, what he imagines she gets up to when she is alone at night in her bed and what he would like to do with and to her. The letter is as enticing as it is disturbing and Gwendolynne knows she should hand it over to her superiors so that the author may be found and dealt with. But, there is little enough excitement in her life and the idea that a man finds her as exciting and attractive as the author of the letter seems to do makes her feel good. And this is not the only exciting thing or man in the librarian’s life right now. There is also Professor “Hottie” Daniel Brewster. Historian, television celebrity and all-round gorgeous man he is using the library’s cellar and resources for his research. And on the same day Gwendolynne receives her first letter from Nemesis he joins her during her lunch break. Over the following days Gwendolynne’s life gets a lot more exciting, but also more complicated and confusing. While messages from Nemesis continue to entice her, her interactions with Professor Hottie get ever more intimate. Is this just a crazy coincidence or could Brewster possibly be “Nemesis”? Gwendolynne’s life has gone from boring and predictable to an emotional and erotic roller-coaster. She knows she is in too deep but decides that she’d rather take the risks than go back to what her life was before. A happy ending may seem unlikely, but her present is definitely more than she could have hoped for.

There is a lot I liked about this book. I loved that the main character is a librarian – well, since I’m one myself I would, wouldn’t I? I also appreciate that Gwendolynne is not described as a gorgeous girl with a supermodel sort of body. In fact her description makes her rather voluptuous and therefore easier to relate to for most readers. And I loved the idea of the naughty letters and emails she receives and subsequently acts out.

I was less charmed by the way in which the story was told. I’m not a huge fan of stories told in the present tense in the voice of the main character, and this one is. It tends to lead to a lot of internal dialogue and second guessing on the part of that character and I found myself getting a bit tired of that after a while. I also wasn’t convinced by the, apparently, sudden shift in attitude of Gwendolynne. She seems to go from rather straight-laced to completely wanton over the time it takes her to read one letter. The story would have been more realistic for me if there had been a bit more reluctance on her part. Having said all that, this story did charm me in a fairy-tale sort of way; it works very well as long as you don’t take it too seriously. Also, despite my reservations in relation to the way in which the story is told I have to admit that this book was very easy to read and obviously written by an author who knows her craft.

As far as the sexual relations in this book are concerned I would have to say that although there are plenty of them and they are graphic enough I didn’t find them shocking or embarrassing. In fact, they didn’t seem to greatly affect me in any way, shape or form. I would call them interesting rather than enticing and I guess that defeats the purpose of erotic fiction a bit. Of course, this could be due to personal taste. It is quite possible that another reader would get a lot more out of this book.

This book comes with a bonus short story by the same author called “A Lavish Affair” and if I’m honest I think I enjoyed this short piece more than I did the longer novel.

Overall I thought this was a charming work of romantic erotica, an easy read and a nice fantasy. Just one word of warning; despite what the sticker on the cover of the book says, this book is not a lot like Fifty Shades of Grey. They are both works of erotica, but that is where the similarities end.

BONES ARE FOREVER

TITLE: BONES ARE FOREVER

AUTHOR: KATHY REICHS

Pages: 288

Date: 25/09/2012

Grade: 4.5

Details: no. 15 Temperance Brennan

Library

It all starts when the body of a new born baby is found, wrapped in a blanket and wedged in a vanity cabinet. A further search of the apartment uncovers the remains of two more babies. Of the mother there is no sign and details about the young woman are hard to uncover.

When autopsies on the babies reveal that all three of them died of unnatural causes the hunt for their mother – a young woman with a dubious past and at least three aliases – is on. The search takes Tempe Brennan and Detective Andrew Ryan from Quebec to Edmonton, where the remains of a fourth baby are found and then even further north to Yellowknife. There the convoluted, aboriginal, family of the young woman seems very reluctant to help them find her. Instead of answers all Brennan and Ryan find are more questions, more secrets and more dead bodies. And by the time Tempe has figured out exactly what is going on she is up to her neck in danger and all alone.

As I’ve come to expect from Kathy Reichs' books, this is a solid and fascinating mystery. What appears to be an investigation into one thing turns into something else completely as things progress. As always there is the tension between Brennan and Ryan. In this book it is Andrew’s distant and cold behaviour towards his former lover which leaves her wondering what, if anything, she has done wrong. And, to spice things up a bit more, there is an uncomfortable triangle when the duo from Quebec is joined by a Mounty from Edmonton, a man Tempe had a week long fling with many years ago. As in most books, our forensic anthropologist manages to separate herself from the other investigators at the pivotal point in the story, leaving her in an impossible situation and danger of being killed. You’d think that after 14 adventures she would have learned to be more careful.

I really love this series, the characters in it and the way Mrs. Reichs writes. However, I do feel that at times the author gets too bogged down in technical detail. While I do want to know how things work, or what the background of a certain place or fact is, I don’t need to know all the specific details. Often those details go right over my head anyway because I don’t have the basic knowledge necessary to put them into context. And because I don’t understand what I’m reading I tend to skim over those sections of the story. With a bit less detail or with the explanations put in less scientific language I would probably read every word and end up with a better understanding of what is happening.

Having said that, the overall writing in these books is smooth and flowing while the cliff-hangers at the end of most chapters keep me turning the pages, eager to find out what exactly was discovered, or what is about to happen. Overall I would call this another solid instalment in a fascinating series of mysteries.

LIP SERVICE

TITLE: LIP SERVICE

AUTHOR: M.J. ROSE

Pages: 320

Date: 24/09/2012

Grade: 5

Details: Received from Simon & Schuster

            Through NetGalley

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(Before I start the review I should probably disclose that once upon a time, around the time this book was first published in fact, I used to be in an online book-group with M.J. Rose. This, rather distant, relationship has NOT influenced my review in any way, shape or form.)

Julia Stirling has been content in her life until recently. Married to Paul, a psychiatrist turned professional fund-raiser, she has willingly assisted him in his efforts to promote his charity for Fathers In Trouble as a charming, if shy hostess. As a student Julia had a nervous break-down after a period during which she indulged in various and short-lived sexual encounters. Marrying the cool and emotionally detached Paul and allowing him to make her decisions for her while keeping her on medication has for a long time been her refuge from that past. Recently though she has started to question her detachment from life. After obtaining a degree in journalism she has been writing articles on a free-lance and part-time basis and this return to self-sufficiency is awakening other needs in her. Needs her husband won’t acknowledge or tolerate. When Julia meets Sam Butterfield during a charity dinner she is fascinated by what he tells her about his work at a renowned sexual research centre. When he invites her to write a book about the work the institute does with the aid of telephone-therapists Julia jumps at the opportunity and asks to be trained as such a therapist as a form of research. She is slightly taken aback when she discovers that the therapy provided is in reality a form of phone sex but, once her initial shock wears of, she discovers that she is enjoying the way those phone conversations with sometimes desperate men make her feel. When one of her clients confesses to harming his step-daughter and needing her help in order to stop Julia is confused and conflicted. And because she has been keeping her research a secret from Paul, who doesn’t want her involved with the Butterfield institute at all, she is facing her confused feelings alone. And then there are the accusations made against Sam; is it possible that he is not just the charming therapist he appears to be? Julia has to make a decision that requires the sort of strength she hasn’t displayed in years; a decision that will have far-reaching consequences not just for her but also for a lot of people around her.

I loved this book. I really enjoyed this story about a woman who has been repressing her true self for years and slowly awakens to everything she really is and can be. There is enough background information for the reader to understand why Julia has been happy to allow her husband to rule her life for so long, just as it is easy to understand why that has changed for her at this particular point in her life.

In fact, I am very impressed with this book. This story embraces so many genres; psychological thriller, mystery, erotica and romance all intertwine to bring the reader a powerful, seductive and suspenseful read. And M.J. Rose’s achievement is even more impressive when you realise that this was her first published novel, back in 1999. I did read other works by this author in the past and knew I liked her writing-style and stories, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that her earliest work is as good as those later books are.

M.J. Rose manages to create realistic characters it is easy to identify with even if their experiences are very different from the readers'. The main character in this book comes across as a real person. The reader may not agree with every decision she makes but will be able to understand why she makes them.

The writing in this book is smooth and descriptive. The pictures painted of the surroundings are as easy to picture as they are symbolic of what is going on inside Julia’s head and heart.

The tension in this story slowly creeps up on the reader. What at first appears to be a rather sedate story almost imperceptibly turns into a full-blown thriller. I found myself rushing to turn the pages while at the same time being very careful not to miss a single one of the well chosen words.

In short this was a fascinating and engrossing read by an author who has yet to disappoint me. My only regret is that it can be rather hard to find books by M.J. Rose in the bookshops here in Ireland.

THE SEALED LETTER

TITLE: THE SEALED LETTER

AUTHOR: EMMA DONOGHUE

Pages: 398

Date: 22/09/2012

Grade: 4-

Details: Reading Group

Own

It is 1864 and Emily ‘Fido’ Faithful is an independent woman with a royally approved printing business and a good reputation in the women’s movement. When she bumps into Helen Codrington on the streets of London it seems an accidental reunion after a separation of seven years. Helen is married to the much older Vice Admiral Harry Codrington and has spent the past seven years in Malta, where her husband was posted. Having recently returned to London, Helen appears delighted at having found her old friend again, and dismisses seven years of silence to a fault in the postal services. Fido has been very fond of Helen ever since she first met her when Fido was only nineteen years old and quickly overcomes her reservations when Helen lets her know how much she would like to reignite their once close relationship. Fido is less happy about Helen’s close friendship with a young army officer, especially when Helen wants to use Fido’s house for meetings with him. But whenever Fido decides that Helen’s behaviour is disgraceful and should be discouraged, the woman manages to spin a tale which makes Fido feel sorry for her and determined to help her.

Of course this is a state of affairs that can’t last. It is only a matter of time before the Vice Admiral discovers his wife’s infidelity, seizes their two daughters and starts divorce proceedings. And in those days, divorce proceedings meant a court case in which the husband had to prove his wife’s misconduct while appearing without reproach himself. It is going to be a dirty case in which both sides will use any angle to get or keep what they want and Fido literally finds herself caught in the middle of warring spouses. It is a time during which Fido will have to reassess everything she has believed in for years while running the risk of losing everything she has built up over years of hard work.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. On the one hand this is a fascinating story, especially since it is based on true facts. The Codrington divorce actually took place, and all the characters in this book really did live at the time. On the other hand I found this a rather infuriating story. It is probably due to my modern mind that I had little patience with Fido’s innocence, Helen’s arrogance and Harry’s long lasting ignorance. In fact, I had a hard time sympathising with any of the characters in this story. All seemed to be acting out of purely selfish motivations with little regard for the consequences their actions might have for others or even for themselves. And even if that is a completely accurate description of events at the time, it still doesn’t make me feel better about them or about the story. I can’t help wondering though if I would have felt better about this book if it had been a work of non-fiction. Would I have just accepted the way people were described if it hadn’t been a fictionalised account? I guess that is quite possible. Maybe I do want my fiction to have at least one character in it I can sympathise with or like. As it was, I found myself wanting to strangle all of the mayor players in this story, slowly.

On the other hand, I found a lot of the historical detail fascinating. The description of the emerging women’s movement, and the way in which the women involved had to strike a fragile balance between the conventions of the time and their goals was very interesting. 

The description of the court case was a huge revelation to me. Imagine evidence being introduced without having to divulge what the evidence actually is and getting away with it. Or, maybe even more shocking, imagine divorce proceedings in which neither of the parties involved is allowed to speak. It is good to say that things have progressed a bit since those days, and not just in the legal field.

This is a very well written book though. Emma Donoghue writes a compelling story in beautiful language using well chosen words. And I did like the (fictional) conclusion to the book. There is nothing to prove that what she describes in the last chapter actually happened, but it makes so much sense that it is hard to believe that it didn’t.

“Yes, she used Fido. She took advantage of her old friend’s innocence and idealism from the start (…). It’s the way of the world, she supposes; everyone uses everyone. The trick is to know how much a given person can bear.”