XO

TITLE: XO

AUTHOR: JEFFREY DEAVER

Pages: 404

Date: 04/09/2012

Grade: 5-

Details: no. 3 Kathryn Dance

Library

Kayleigh Towne is a young and successful singer song-writer getting ready for a concert in her home town of Fresno. Kathryn Dance is off duty and in Fresno to record some Mexican musicians as part of her song-catching project. She is also there to see her friend Kayleigh perform. But, what should have been a nice week of music and relaxing soon turns into a nightmare when Kayleigh receives an anonymous phone call, playing the first verse of “Your Shadow”, one of her songs. When shortly afterwards one of Kayleigh’s entourage is found dead in the theatre were they had been practicing, killed in a way that closely resembles the lyrics of that verse, the local authorities start an investigation. And Kathryn Dance, while not in Fresno in her professional capacity, worms her way into the investigation.

Soon it becomes clear that Kayleigh has a stalker, Edwin Sharp, who is in Fresno as well. And while Edwin does nothing to disguise his interest in Kayleigh, there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that he had anything to do with the death of the sound technician. And then a second message comes, containing the second verse of “Your Shadow” and a race is on, not only to try and prevent more deaths, but also to discover who is behind the messages and the violence.

Kathryn Dance is up against it though. She may be an expert when it comes to reading body language and behaviour, she is also well aware that people with a stalker mentality are notoriously hard, if not impossible, to read.

And is Edwin really the one behind the murders, or is somebody using his obsession with Kayleigh to set him up while pursuing their own agenda?

What can I possibly say about a Jeffrey Deaver thriller that I haven’t said at least ten times before? As always Deaver has written a thrilling page-turner that keeps the reader guessing almost until the very last page. Every time we think that we know what is going on, what exactly is happening and who is responsible, a new twist is introduced and suddenly nothing is as it seemed. And, more importantly, all the twists are plausible. Deaver doesn’t trick the reader by suddenly introducing new characters or revelations that the reader could never have guessed at. Quite the opposite; every twist is not only believable, it is, at the time of introduction, apparently the only possible and logical conclusion.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the combination of music and mystery. Since I have a singer-songwriter daughter of my own, be it nowhere near as successful as Kayleigh in the story, as well as a sound technician husband, I recognised all the musical references. And, again because of that daughter, the whole stalker theme sent shivers up my spine. This story hit very close to home.

I like the character of Kathryn Dance. I’m fascinated her specialisation, Kinesics – body language analysis. It brings a whole new dynamic to the mystery genre. I also enjoy the way Deaver brings Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs into the Kathryn Dance mysteries. They may only be cameo appearances, but for me they do give added value to the stories.

Jeffrey Deaver not only tells a good story, he also writes it very well. His writing is so smooth and engaging that I find myself flying through the pages without being aware of time passing. I start reading one of his stories and when I next look up I discover that I’m more than half way through the book and nowhere near ready to put it down. Now that I’m all caught up with Deaver’s books again I find myself almost counting the days until the next Lincoln Rhyme’s mystery will be published.

SERPENT'S KISS

TITLE: SERPENT’S KISS

AUTHOR: MELISSA DE LA CRUZ

Pages: 316

Date: 02/09/2012

Grade: 4-

Details: no. 2 Witches of the East

            Received from Sphere through

            Book Geeks

            Young-Adult

Own

North Hampton is a town in New York state, but it is off the map, not completely part of the rest of the world, although by no means separate from it either. In North Hampton the three Beauchamp witches are trying to live their lives in a quiet way, using their magic to help those around them without interfering too much or being too open about it. But although life appears peaceful and good, stormy times are ahead for the witches. Joanne Beauchamp, the matriarch is receiving signs from an unsettled spirit. This spirit has an important message for Joanne but in order to retrieve it Joanne has to decipher a code and try to link up with the past. Her youngest daughter Freya should be completely happy, dividing her time between her job in a bar and the love of her life, Killian except that her twin Freddie has escaped from limbo and is convinced that Killian is the one who betrayed him and the one who should be imprisoned. Torn between her brother and her lover, Freya has to uncover the truth in order to save both men. Ingrid is a quiet girl, working as a librarian she has fallen in love for the very first time, despite having lived for centuries. That the object of her affection is the local, mortal, policeman who doesn’t believe in magic complicates matters almost as much as the fact that she is still a virgin does. And really, this description only scratches at the service of the problems the Beauchamp women will have to deal with.

This is the second book in a series of which I didn’t read the first book. And, considering the numerous references to earlier events, I assume that it would be smart to read the first book before starting this one. Having said that, this book can be read as a stand-alone novel. While I did at times find myself wondering about certain events that were referenced in the story, I never had a problem keeping up with what was going on in this book even though there is an awful lot happening on these pages and a lot of information to absorb.

I enjoyed the story which is fast paced with lots of twists and turns but liked the way in which it was told less. The story is told in fragments and doesn’t really flow. It is almost as if each chapter is a separate short story. I felt I was being thrown from scene to scene with none of them being properly concluded or connected to each other. With the start of each new chapter I felt as if I had landed in the middle of the next scene with no idea how the previous one had ended. I also felt the writing was a bit too descriptive. The surroundings and everything the characters do or feel is described in detail but as if from a distance. While I was told what people were thinking or feeling, there was no emotion attached to those bits of information. I read what was happening but I never experienced it. And this is a shame since I feel this is a story that could have truly captured me had it been told in a different way. I really liked the idea of the witches and the Gods. I love that the author has them living in our world while using their magic to help those around them. And I was intrigued by the rivalries and politics in the magical world. I just never felt truly involved in the story.

Overall I would call this an interesting story that would have been more captivating if had been written in a more flowing style.

GONE GIRL

TITLE: GONE GIRL

AUTHOR: GILLIAN FLYNN

Pages: 399

Date: 29/08/2012

Grade: 4+

Library

On the day of Nick and Amy’s fifth wedding anniversary Amy disappears. There are signs of a struggle in their house and no sign or sighting of Amy.

While Nick calls the police as soon as he finds his house with the front door still open and his living-room turned upside down he doesn’t appear as shocked or worried as you might expect. And he is lying to the police. Half way through the day of his wife’s disappearance Nick says: “It was my fifth lie to the police. I was just starting.”

It isn’t long before Nick becomes the main suspect in Amy’s disappearance and his actions in the subsequent days do nothing to take that suspicion away. In fact, the longer Amy is gone the guiltier Nick appears to be.

As in alternating chapters we are told Nick’s story during the days following his wife’s disappearance, in his own words, as well as the story of Amy and Nick’s relationship through years worth of diary entries by Amy, the picture of a troubled and rather unbalanced relationship emerges. And as the police investigates, Nick is discovering things about his wife and her life that are completely new to him and as far as he is concerned, completely out of character for the Amy he knows. By the time the first part of the story ends Nick is up to his neck in trouble with hardly anybody on his side and an increasing number of clues pointing at his guilt.

And that is all I can say about this story without spoiling it for other readers. Because this is a book in which nothing is what it seems. A story in which shock follows shock and the reader is constantly second guessing events and revelations.

It is amazing how hard it is to write a positive review about a story in which I distinctly dislike both the main characters. Even though I know the book is exceptionally well written and the story is compelling and addictive in the same way a natural disaster can be, the descriptions and actions of Amy and Nick still make me want to slam the book. And that would be so unfair. Because this is an absolutely fascinating story. The tension is palatable, the undercurrents treacherous and it very soon becomes clear to the reader that nothing either Nick or Amy shares with them can be trusted.

Yes, I did want to throw the book at the wall on several occasions and just stop reading it. As I’ve said in previous reviews, I have an issue with books in which I can’t relate to any of the main characters (think The Corrections by Jonathan Frenzen) and tend to give up on them rather than struggle on. Giving up on this book was never an option though. I had to know what exactly was going on, what had happened to Amy and why. I couldn’t stop reading until I found out how the story would end.

Gillian Flynn is very good at grabbing her readers and keeping them hooked. Nick and Amy may not be sympathetic characters but they are fascinating in a scary sort of way. And Flynn is a very good writer. The sentences flow, the tension is built up at a steady pace and questions are introduced and answered at exactly the right time.

This is a good thriller, although certain aspects of the book made it feel more like a horror story. This is a book for anyone who likes their stories well plotted, dark and memorable.

IF I WERE YOU

TITLE: IF I WERE YOU

AUTHOR: LISA RENEE JONES

Pages:330

Date: 27/08/2012

Grade: 4+

Details: no. 1 Inside Out Trilogy

            Received from Lisa Renee Jones

            Through NetGalley
            Kindle

Own

When the story starts Sara McMillan is a woman on a quest. Her friend has left her with the contents of a storage unit she has bought at an auction. The unit belongs to a woman named Rebecca, a woman who, among other things, left behind detailed and enticing journals describing her seduction by an unnamed man. A man who makes her experience sex and submission in a way she had never considered; a man who scares her as much as she wants and needs him.

But the journals end unexpectedly and Rebecca seems to have disappeared, leaving behind all her earthly possessions. Sara finds herself deeply interested in Rebecca, disturbed by her journals and worried about what might have happened to her and decides to use her school teacher’s summer holiday to find the mystery woman and reunite her with her stuff.

When Sara discovers Rebecca worked at a local art gallery before she disappeared, she goes there on the night of the unveiling of a painting by a famous artist, hoping to find out more about Rebecca.

While she doesn’t manage to get any information about Rebecca or where she might be, Sara does leave the gallery with a job offer. She is given the opportunity to take over from Rebecca until the girl returns. This is an opportunity Sara can’t refuse. Art has always been her first love. Teaching is the job she does because she needs a steady income, something the art-world can’t guarantee. And now she has a chance to do the work she’s been yearning for without jeopardising the security she needs. It appears to be a dream come true.

But, it soon becomes clear that her new employer, Mark Compton, is anything but easy to work for. He is a control freak, demanding total obedience from his employees and known for punishing those working for him when they don’t meet his high expectations.

And then there is Chris Merit, famous painter and incredibly handsome, Sara is soon fascinated with him.

But, as she and Chris become closer it soon becomes clear to Sara that both of them are damaged individuals who could easily hurt each other. And although sexual tension and a strong attraction are pulling Sara and Chris together, the darkness inside Chris may yet tear them apart. And all the while Rebecca’s disappearance and continued absence hang like a dark shadow over everything Sara does.

This was a good read. This book comes with a good back story which brings both Sara and the reader into the circumstances that allow the author to introduce some very steamy sex scenes in a natural and believable way. And although the sex definitely is very hot, this is much more than “just” a work of erotica. There is a thriller element to this story that leads to the book ending on a massive –frustratingly so – cliff-hanger. The reader is given the opportunity to get to know the characters away from the bedroom scenes and to slowly learn more about them as the story unfolds.

On the other hand, a lot of things are left uncertain in these pages. Both Chris and Sara have issues resulting from their pasts, but we’re only given glimpses of what exactly happened in that past and so far, none of it explains the sudden shifts in Chris’ moods or his apparent darkness nor Sara’s claim that she is damaged. With this book being the first in a trilogy it is of course very possible that this is one of the themes that will be further developed in the later books. I certainly hope so because the credibility of the story seems to depend on that being the case.

I did really enjoy reading about Chris and Sara, and liked the way they are slowly getting closer, against their better judgment and their fears that the other one won’t be able to stay with them.

This book has been described (by the author) as Fifty Shades of Grey meets Basic Instinct. I really can’t comment on the Basic Instinct part of that statement so far, but maybe that too is an aspect that will enter the story at a later stage. As for Fifty Shades; this book reminded me more of Bared to You then the books by Mrs. James. But I do understand why FSOG is THE way to market any book of erotic fiction these days, so I guess I can forgive the author for that.

Overall I enjoyed this book, found myself caught up in the mystery surrounding Rebecca’s disappearance and intrigued by the reluctant romance between Chris and Sara. I find myself curious as to what might happen next in this story and will more then likely read the sequel when it becomes available. If for no other reason than to get past that cruel and toe-curling cliff-hanger.

EIGHTY DAYS YELLOW

TITLE: EIGHTY DAYS YELLOW

AUTHOR: VINA JACKSON

Pages: 324

Date: 22/08/2012

Grade: 3.5

Details: no. 1 Eighty Days

            Received from Orion Books

            Through Book Geeks

Own

Summer Zahova is a violinist from New Zealand, living in London where she is in a frustrating relationship with a man who can’t meet her needs and struggling to make ends meets.

While busking in the underground, Summer gets caught up in a scuffle between rival football supporters which damages her violin beyond repair.

Dominik is a university professor who found himself enthralled by Summer and the way she loses herself while playing the violin on the one occasion he saw and heard her play. Unable to find her again and with no idea who the beautiful redhead is, he has almost given up the hope of ever meeting her when he reads an article about a violinist whose violin was broken. Now that he has a name, Dominik can contact Summer and he sets her a challenge:

“I am willing to gift you with a new violin. Do you accept my challenge and my terms?”

Unable to resist Summer contacts Dominik and agrees to play for him in a location and under circumstances to be determined by him.

And so starts a strange, but initially, fascinating relationship. Summer discovers that submitting to Dominik’s requests satisfies her in a way she didn’t know was possible, while Dominik’s need for Summer only grows.

Things don’t progress smoothly though. With their relationship being anything but exclusive Summer feels free to explore this newly discovered sexuality of hers with others as well. And when third parties become involved in the interactions between Dominik and his musician feelings get hurt and the two are torn apart.

With Summer delving deeper into the BDSM scene in New York, and Dominik left behind in London with no idea where the girl he needs is, both find themselves delving into relationships that don’t begin to meet their needs. Is there any chance of these two people ever staying together long enough to discover that they actually need each other?

I’m not at all sure how I feel about this book.

I have, by now, read a few books about people discovering their not quite vanilla taste for sex and up until now it has been a case of a novice meeting someone who likes to dominate, discovering his/her submissive side and while the couple explore this BDSM relationship they fall in love and live happily ever after.

Nothing is quite that simple in this book. Summer and Dominik, while attracted to each other and enjoying the antics they get up to while together are not on path towards everlasting happiness. They are not even exclusive when it comes to sexual experiences. They come together only to be thrown apart again because they fail to communicate and don’t recognise their own feelings and needs until it is (almost?) too late.

I’m not quite sure how I feel about this development. While it makes the story far more realistic – I mean, what are the chances that the first person with whom you indulge in a certain experience is also the person you want to spend the rest of your life with – it also makes the story more disturbing and liking the main characters more difficult.

In fact, I’m not at all sure I did like Summer and Dominic – or any of the other characters in the book.

I’m not sure how I feel about the shifting perspective in this book either. Sometimes it is Summer herself telling the story, then it is a narrator telling the reader about Summer’s experiences and at yet other times we see things from Dominic’s perspective. These shifts seemed to take the flow out of the story as I had to stop and think about who exactly was telling me what. I can’t help wondering if this shifting perspective is the result of two authors having written this book together, and if that is the case, why an editor didn’t make them change it.

Finally, this book comes with a "If you liked Fifty Shades, you'll love..." sticker. Don't be fooled by that. This book is only similar to Fifty Shades in that it deals with unconventional sexual relations. But whereas Fifty Shades was above all a love story, Eighty Days Yellow doesn't read like a love story at all. This is the story of a voyage of sexual self-discovery more then anything else and will probably appeal to a different sort of reader than the Fifty Shades books did.

So, there was a lot to question and even dislike about this book. On the other hand, it was also an intriguing story especially because it was so very unpredictable. At no point in this story did I feel as if I knew what would happen next. Events and characters kept on surprising me. And, now that I’ve finished this book I’m still wondering where the story will take the characters and if they will ever figure out what it is they want, individually or together. And that curiosity means that even though I wasn’t crazy about this book I will probably read the next book in this trilogy before too long. The need to know what will happen next is far greater than my “dislike” of this story.

THE ARMY OF DR. MOREAU

TITLE: THE ARMY OF DR. MOREAU

AUTHOR: GUY ADAMS

Pages: 284

Date: 20/08/2012

Grade: 4+

Details: A Sherlock Holmes story

            Received from Titan Books

            Through Book Geeks

Own

Just when Sherlock Holmes is convinced that there are no interesting cases for him to investigate, he and Dr. Watson are visited by Holmes’ brother Mycroft. Bodies have been turning up around London. Bodies which show signs of having been attacked and murdered by ferocious creatures that don’t belong in London.

Mycroft is sure that the creatures involved in the attacks are somehow related to the top-secret and very controversial experiments with animals that had been conducted by Dr. Moreau. And although the doctor is supposed to have died at the hands of the creatures he created, it seems clear that either he is still alive or someone else is continuing his work, with deadly consequences. It will be up to Holmes and Watson to end the mad scientist’s work before he succeeds in his plan to overthrow government with the aid of his bestial army. A plan that is far more advanced than anyone could have guessed.

Holmes and Watson dive into the investigation only to find themselves up against nightmare-like opponents and collaborating with a motley crew of characters.

This is probably not a book for Sherlock Holmes purists. If the attraction to these stories lies in the great detective solving seemingly impossible or even supernatural mysteries in a completely logical way Guy Adams’ books may be a bit too fantastical.

I like what the author has done though. He remains very true to the originals when it comes to the characters of Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes, the latter being his usual irritating, arrogant, vague, but also brilliant and charming self. Adams has just added an extra twist to the mysteries Holmes is asked to solve. While in Adams' previous book "The Breath of God" the story had a supernatural feel, this story gives the reader a mad scientist scenario. Both are twists I happen to enjoy.

Another thing I really liked in this book is that when, at some point in the story, Watson is no longer in a position to give the details of the investigation, the perspective shifts. Starting with Sherlock Holmes we suddenly have several different narrators, all with their own distinctive voice and perspective, filling in the details the chief narrator missed out on. A development that allows Holmes to make fun of Watson and his editors and made me smile.

This is a very clever book. While being a Victorian mystery, Holmes’ musings on ethical questions, such as men experimenting to enhance human qualities, brings some aspects of the story nicely into our present time.

It is very clear that Guy Adams is having great fun while writing these books. He freely and openly borrows characters from other books – H. G. Wells’ Dr. Moreau being the obvious example here - and either pits them against Holmes or has them assisting him. I enjoy these visitors in Adams’ stories although I’m sure I would have enjoyed them more if I had actually read any, if not all, of the works he borrowed from. Readers better versed in the classical works then I am, are sure to have fun re-acquainting themselves with these characters and placing them in their original stories.

These books are very well written and smooth to read. The pages almost turn themselves as the story shifts between investigation, deduction and action. It is easy for the reader to get drawn into this story, get immersed in Victorian London and the sewers underneath it. And, as always, the readers will find themselves, like Watson, trailing behind the great detective when it comes to solving the mystery.

This is a fun reading experience all round.

BEAUTY'S PUNISHMENT

TITLE: BEAUTY’S PUNISHMENT

AUTHOR: ANNE RICE, writing as 

              A.N. Roquelaure

Pages: 256

Date: 17/08/2012

Grade: 4.5

Details: no. 2 Sleeping Beauty

            Received from the 

            Penguin Group

            Through NetGalley

Own

After Beauty has willfully caused her own expulsion from the Castle at the end of “The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty” she finds herself with the irresistible prince Tristan and other naked slaves on a cart heading towards the dreaded Village. Once on the market square, Beauty, Tristan and the others are auctioned of to the highest bidder, with Tristan being purchased by Master Nicolas, the Queen’s chronicler and Beauty by Mistress Lockley, the owner of an inn. It soon becomes clear to both of them that while they were used, ordered around and punished in the Queens castle, their treatment there was child’s play compared to what they are about to encounter in the Village. In the castle they were the playthings of the Lords and Ladies, but here they truly are slaves. And although their masters are still not allowed to do any real harm, there are no other restrictions on the ways in which they may be used.

Tristan finds himself put to work as a human pony, complete with tail and harness when he’s not being punished in a public spectacle while Beauty is handed over the handsome Captain of the Guard for his pleasure as well as that of his men.

Both slaves at first experience deep fear as well as humiliation but neither can deny the pleasure even these feelings bring them. And slowly the realisation dawns that this is the treatment they prefer. The submission they are brought to under the cruel villagers brings them deeper satisfaction then the games played in the castle ever did.

When Master Nicolas allows Tristan and Beauty to spend an unexpected night together, what should have been a heavenly experience turns into a nightmare and the start of a whole new, but not very different, experience.

It is hard to figure out what to say about this book.

A lot of people will say that they don’t mind, and even like, sexual content in their books provided it is backed-up by a good story, and in general I agree with that sentiment.

That of course does raise the question; what about books in which the sexual content is the story? What standard do you judge a book by if that is the case, as it is in Beauty’s Punishment?

This is a story about discovering the pleasures of sex as well as the truth about yourself. The characters discover that those things they are made to do and endure, which they know are humiliating, are also the experiences that bring them most pleasure. Everything they thought they knew about themselves, their needs and their feelings turns out to be wrong. As they discover what really brings them pleasure they have to overcome their old believes and values as well as truly surrender both to their own feelings and to those who bring those feelings to life inside them.

In many ways this book is as much a psychological examination of the characters needs and true feelings and their acknowledgment of those as it is a very explicit erotic fairy-tale.

And yes, this is very much a fairy-tale even if it is one that is aimed only at adults. It takes a familiar theme to extreme heights, on to a level that couldn’t be possible in the real world. And I found that because I was constantly aware that I was reading a fairy-tale I had no problem accepting what I encountered on the page. Nothing was too extreme or too unbelievable because in a fairy-tale anything is possible and everything is acceptable.

Anne Rice is a good author who has a way with words and knows how to draw her readers into her stories, and this book was no exception. I enjoyed my visit with Beauty and was fascinated by the world created around her. It won’t be long before I read the third and final part in this trilogy because I can’t wait to find out what else Mrs. Rice has in store for her characters.