Genre: Mystery | Crime | NA | Contemporary Thriller
My Rating: 4
Read my review of Relative Evil at JC’s Book Haven.
You can also read this review at Goodreads.
Books Reviews (by Author)
Here you will find book reviews listed as per an alphabetical author list.
Book Review: Lord Of The Flies
Author: William Golding Release Date: 1954 Series: None Genres: Classics|YA|Brit-Lit|Adventure|Dystoia| Sci-Fi Pages: 230 ISBN NO.: 978-0-571-20053-5 Publisher: Penguin India
Blurb
A plane crashes n a desert island. The only survivors area a group of schoolboys. At first they revel in the freedom and celebrate the absence of grown-ups.
Soon though, as the boys’ fragile sense of order begins to collapse, their fears start to take on a sinister, primitive significance. Suddenly, the world of cricket, homework and adventure stories seems a long way away. The boys are faced with a more pressing reality – survival – and the appearance of a terrifying beast who haunts their dreams.
Book Review: Charmed (Donovan Legacy #3)
Author: Nora Roberts Release Date: February 1, 2009 Series: Donovan Legacy Genre: Paranormal| Romance | Fiction | Contemporary Pages: 328 ISBN NO.: 978-0-263-87187-6 Publisher: Penguin India Preceded by: Entranced (Donovan Legacy #2) Followed By: Enchanted (Donovan Legacy #4)
Blurb
Boone Sawyer never expected to move next door to a woman who looked like one of the fairy princesses he often wrote about. Anastasia Donovan had a serene kind of femininity that would
Book Review: Squirrel Of Magic
Author: Olga Godim Release Date: April 11, 2014 Series: None Genre: YA | Contemporary Fiction | Short Stories Edition: e-book (epub) Pages: 132 Publisher: Self Interest: Requested by author Source: Author (Thanks, Olga!) To buy Squirrel Of Magic click here.
Blurb
After smuggling her familiar, squirrel Beatrice, into Canada, young witch Darya embarks on
Book Review: This Is Sarah
Genre: Contemporary Fiction | YA | Romance
My Rating: 4½
Read my review of This Is Sarah at JC’s Book Haven.
You can also read this review at Goodreads.
BLURB
When Colin Leventhal leaned out his bedroom window on the night of May 12th and said goodbye to his girlfriend, he never expected it would be forever. But when Sarah Evans goes missing that night, Colin’s world unravels as he transforms from the boyfriend next door to the main police suspect. Then one year later, at her memorial service, Colin makes a phone call that changes everything. Is it possible that Sarah is still alive? And if so how can he bring her back?
As Colin struggles with this possibility, across the street, Sarah’s little sister, Claire learns how to navigate the strange new landscape of life without her sister. While her parents fall apart, Claire remains determined to keep going even if it kills her.
THIS IS SARAH serves as a meditation on loss, love and what it means to say goodbye.
Don’t forget to share your thoughts 🙂
Book Review: Tomorrow Wendell
Author: R. M. Ridley Release Date: June 28, 2014 Series: None Genre: Science-Fiction | Paranormal Thriller | Crime Edition: e-book (epub) Pages: 232 Publisher: Xchyler Publishing Interest: Requested by author Source: Author (Thanks, Mr. Ridley!) To but Tomorrow Wendell click here.
Blurb
When predictions tell Wendell Courtney he’s going to die, he turns to the one man he hopes can help. Jonathan Alvey’s no stranger to the strange. But, unlike the private investigator’s run-of-the-mill zombie cases, he can find no trace of magic around Wendell, and no hint of an adversary. Alvey certainly has magic and wits enough to solve the mystery, but is his offering to the insatiable dragon black sufficient? Or is Wendell truly destined to die?
Book Review: Freak Show (The Nightshade Cases, Ep-1)
Genre: Paranormal Thriller | Short Stories (Episode format)
My Rating: 4.5/6
Read my review of Freak Show, the first episode in The Nightshade series at JC’s Book Haven.
You can also read this review at Goodreads.
Blurb
When transsexual starlet Aisling is murdered, Detective Geraldine Meyers is assigned the case. With help from medical examiner Dr. Rachel Hunter, Gerri realizes this is no ordinary killing. While she might not want to call in over-eager anthropologist Dr. Kinsey DanAllart, the detective is forced to trust her friend’s expertise in symbology, even though doing so means admitting “weird” things might be happening in Silver City. As the three friends unravel the mystery of the dancer’s death, one thing is made absolutely apparent—something isn’t right in their new home town. And someone is doing everything they can to make sure the truth doesn’t come out.
In Silver City, sometimes friendship can be murder.
Welcome to the first Nightshade Case, a series of twenty-one episodes in twenty-one weeks. Please note: this episodic series is based on the television show model, with screenwriting notations and shorter formats. There will be a complete mystery each week, with cliffhangers only occurring in the full season story line.
Don’t forget to share your thoughts 🙂
Book Review: Cujo
Author: Stephen King Release Date: 1981 Genre: Thriller | Horror Pages: 420 ISBN NO.: 978-0-340-95270 Publisher: Hachette
BLURB
Cujo is two-hundred pond Saint Bernard, the best friend Brett Camber has ever had. The Cujo chases a rabbit into a bolthole- a cave inhabited by some very sick bats. What happens next, how Cujo becomes a horrifying vortex, inexorably drawing in all the people around him, makes for one of Stephen King’s most terrifying, heart-stopping novels yet…
REVIEW
Positives:
Being a Stephen King’s fan, I knew even before starting the book that I’m in for another horrific journey. And believe me when I say I wasn’t disappointed! King is one of the best authors I’ve ever read and this book is yet another masterpiece. The characters were very well built and so was each and everyone’s background story. I loved Tad, Vic and Brett and of-course Cujo (just as an individual character and not personally.) The story establishes and takes direction slowly and steadily and prepares you well enough for what comes next, an unexpected emotional roller-coaster ride. As the story progresses, and as it’s King’s speciality, you come to know each and every character personally and can very well understand their psychology, actions and reactions, in this case, including a dog (Cujo). That said, King’s description of Cujo’s emotional state and things from his point of view, are the best things about the book. At the end I started to feel sorry for his condition and also the end.
Negatives:
The only thing wrong about the book was the ending. It ended on a very bad note. I’m not disclosing the end here, as it will spoil the end for some readers, but I’ll just say that the end really freaked me out! And for that only I’m cutting back on 1 star.
Conclusion:
Cujo is an amazing book with lots of drama, thrill and horror in equal proportions. It’ll be an excellent read for the genre’s lovers but if you hate strong emotional and bad endings, then you’ll better do without it!
You can also read this review at Goodreads | Booklikes | Leafmarks.Other Stuff
Opening Line: ‘Once upon a time, not so long ago, a monster came to the small town of Castle Rock, Maine.’
Highlights: King’s story-telling.
Low-lights: Ending.
Memorable Quotes: “Nope. Nothing wrong here.”
“Surely they had passed the worst. All the luck had been against them, but sooner or later even the worst luck changes.”
“…it was amazing, wasn’t it, how bad you could hurt when there was nothing physically wrong.”
Memorable Paragraph:
‘Maybe he was as mad as he said he was, but she could see only a species of miserable fright. Suddenly, like the thud of a boxing glove on her mouth, she saw how close to the edge of everything he was. The agency was tottering, that was bad enough, and now, on top of that, like a grisly dessert following a putrid main course, his marriage was tottering too. She felt a rush of warmth for him, for this man she had sometimes hated and had, for the last three hours at least, feared. A kind of epiphany filled her. Most of all, she hoped he would always think he had been as mad as hell, and not . . . not the way his face said he felt’Final Thoughts: Yet another great book for King’s fans.
Book Review: The Universe Builders
Good noon guys!
I’ve reviewed one of the best books that I’ve ever received for a review, The Universe Builders. Do read my review at JC’s Book Haven. I strongly feel that if you like Hobbit and the likes you’ll definitely love this one. To win a free e-book of The Universe Builders, enter in the giveaway. I can’t wait for the next instalment to hit the market. If you’re interested buy this book at Amazon.
You can also read my review at Goodreads.
Thanks a lot Jaclyn for giving me the chance to review this wonderful book and thanks Steve Lebel for writing it 😀
If you are planning to read T.U.B. or have already read it, don’t forget to share your thought with me.
Book Review: Strike Three
Book Review: Eagle En Garde
Author: Olga Godim Release Date: May 2014 Genre: Adventure | Fantasy Edition: e-book (epub) Pages: 271 Publisher: Champagne/Burst Books Interest: Requested by author Source: Author (Thanks, Olga!) Buy: Amazon
Summary
Darin, a mercenary officer, lives in Talaria, a kingdom surrounded by a magic-resistant spell. While some people wish to break the spell and invite magic back into the country, the fanatical sect of Cleaners is determined to prevent the return of magic. Darin doesn’t agree with the Cleaners’ doctrine but he doesn’t dispute it either. He is a soldier, not a philosopher. Then he accidentally overhears the Cleaners’ hidden agenda to destroy all magic workers in Talaria, including witches and elves, and his orderly life is turned upside down. His sweetheart is a witch, his daughter is a half-elf, and he has many elven friends. He can’t allow the Cleaners’ murderous scheme to succeed, can’t allow innocents to suffer from the rabid zealots. But what can a lone mercenary do against a horde of extremists? His only choice lies in trickery and deceit to outsmart his enemies. And the anti-magic spell on the border suddenly becomes his only ally.
Review
**Spoiler Alert**
The book starts with Captain Darin Barclay saving a women (a witch) form a bunch of cleaners in a fair in Coll, Talaria. Talaria is an imaginary kingdom whose borders are bound by a spell that prevents magic to enter inside the kingdom. Anything that has magic or anyone who can perform magic (elves and witches) can not enter the spell-bound boundaries of Talaria. Darin Barclay is a courageous 24 year old, dangerously handsome, captain of the Eagles, who has sworn to protect the people of Coll, Talaria. Cleaners are a nasty bunch of people who are against magic and all the magical people and want others to follow their Gods and believes. A few elves and witches who live in Talaria can never leave it’s borders because if they do so they’ll never be able to return because of the spell. These good-natured elves and witches are constantly haunted by the cleaners to leave Talaria.
This books takes the reader through the adventurous journey of Darin Barclay in saving elves from cleaners and in doing so, saving numerous lives, including that of his daughter Leatanis (who is half elven) and his love Ana.
Olga Godim captures the reader’s imagination effortlessly. This light-hearted story has just the perfect amount of adventure, magic, emotion, drama, morals and most of all courage. I would like to quote this book as a “no-nonsense adventure”. Right when you think something is going to go wrong with Darin’s plans, he successfully pulls off each and every plan neatly. This really made me wonder about a reader’s unnecessary need for twists and turns, just so that they have something to think about. And this is where Olga Godim, for me, has given this book a new, very positive, direction. The story runs smoothly and at a quick no-fret pace.
You can read this review on goodreads here.
Other Stuff
Map:
Opening Line: ‘Behind a thin wooden fence, the spring fair in Coll pulsed and hummed like a human sea.’
Highlights: Darin Barclay.
Low-lights: None.
Interview: You can read the author’s conversation with the novel’s protagonist, a mercenary officer Darin Barclay here.
Final Thoughts: A light-hearted adventurous read.
Book Review: Just After Sunset
Author: Stephen King
Release Date: 11 November, 2008
Series: None
Genre: Short Stories | Horror | Super Natural | Thriller
Pages: 515
Edition: Paperback
ISBN NO.: 978-0-340-97718-7
Publisher: Hachette India
Source: Library
Book Review: The Breath Of Aoles (Ardalia #1)
Author: Alan Spade Release Date: February, 2014 Series: Ardalia #1 Genre: Fantasy, Adventure Edition: e-book (epub) Pages: 337 Publisher: Self-published Interest: Requested by author Source: Author (Thanks, Alan!) Buy: Amazon
Summary
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: The Breath Of Aoles (Ardalia #1)
Book Review: Lord Edgware Dies
Author: Agatha Christie Release Date: 19 September’ 1933 Series: Hercule Poirot Genre: Mystery | Crime Pages: 351 ISBN NO.: 978-0-00-728248-7 Publisher: Harper Collins Preceded by: Peril at End House (Hercule Poirot #8) Followed by: Murder On The Orient Express (Hercule Poirot #10)
Book Review: Cell by Stephen King
Author: Stephen King Release Date: January 24, 2006 Genre: Horror-Zombies, Post Apocalyptic, Thriller, Dystopia Pages: 499 ISBN NO.: 978-0-340-92153-1 Publisher: Hachette India
Summary
Book Review: Finding The Dream (Dream Trilogy #3)
Author: Nora Roberts Release Date: 1997 Series: Dream Trilogy #3 Genre: Contemporary Romance and Fiction Pages: 366 ISBN NO.: 978-0-515-12087-5 Publisher: Penguin Books Preceded by: Holding The Dream
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Finding The Dream (Dream Trilogy #3)
Book Review: Entranced (Donovan Legacy #2)
Author: Nora Roberts Release Date: Series: Donovan Legacy Genre: Paranormal| Romance | Fiction | Contemporary Pages: 329 ISBN NO.: 978-0-263-87185-2 Publisher: Silhouette Books Preceded by: Captivated (Donovan Legacy #1) Followed By: Charmed (Donovan Legacy #3)
Summary
A missing child. A desperate mother.
A private investigator running out of time.
Mel Sutherland didn’t need the help of a fraudulent psychic to find the abducted baby – and she wasn’t about to let a con artist exploit a grieving mother’s vulnerability.
Then all the leads dried up.
Reluctantly, Mel had to accept Sebastian Donovan’s aid. She was cynical about his powers and suspicious of his motives. But as the clock ticked, Sebastian unfailingly knew how to follow abductor’s tracks and Mel had to make up her mind. Was Sebastian’s gift real? Or was something far more sinister at work?
-Back-cover
Review
Entranced is an engaging story about a psychic and a cynic. Yes, the psychic being Sebastian Donovan, Morgana’s cousin. Sebastian uses his powers of “seeing”, to help cops solve twisted cases.
On the other hand, Mel Sutherland is a private investigator whose friend’s child is missing. She tries everything she could to get some clues about the kidnapper but like the cops, hits a dead end. Tired of waiting for her police to find her son, Rose enquires about Sebastian’s powers and then convinces Mel to take her to him. Being a cynic, Mel tries to stop Rose but ultimately gives in to the idea and meets Sebastian.
Accepting the fact that Sebastian might be her only chance to find Rose’s son, Mel starts investigating with Sebastian and makes him her temp. partner.She ends up falling in love with Sebastian and accepting the fact that there are some things beyond logic and reason and comes to accept and respect Sebastian’s gifts.
The story is predictable, but is adorably romantic. The characters in the book are full of life and you can instantly connected to them. Also we get a sneak peek in the lives of Morgana (who is pregnant at the time) and Nash Kirkland from Captivated, which really makes you feel like you are a part of the Donovan family.
Read this review of Goodreads here.
Other Stuff
Opening Line: “He understood his power early.”
Highlights: Simple writing.
Low-lights: Very predictable.
Final Thoughts: A comfortable read.
Book Review: Captivated (Donovan Legacy #1)
Author: Nora Roberts Release Date: 1992 Series: Donovan Legacy #1 Genre: Paranormal| Romance | Fiction | Contemporary Pages: 331 ISBN NO.: 978-0-263-87231-6 Publisher: Silhouette Books Followed By: Entranced (Donovan Legacy #2)
Continue reading ➞ Book Review: Captivated (Donovan Legacy #1)
Book Review: Memories Of Midnight
Author: Sidney Sheldon Release Date: 1990 Genre: Thriller | Mystery | Suspense Pages: 291 ISBN NO.: 978-81-7223-489-8 Publisher: Harper Collins Preceded By: The Other Side Of Midnight
Book Review: Daring To Dream
Author: Nora Roberts
Release Date: 1996
Series: Dream Trilogy #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance and Fiction
Pages: 366
ISBN NO.: 978-0-515-11920-6
Publisher: Jove Books
Followed By: Holding The Dream
Summary
Book Review: The Longest Ride
Author: Nicholas Sparks Release Date: September 17, 2013 Genre: Romance Pages: 449 ISBN No:978-07515-4997-3 Publisher: Hachette
Synopsis
Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash.
Book Review: The Lost Symbol
Author: Dan Brown Release Date: September 15, 2009 Series: Robert Langdon #3 Genre: Mystery, Fact fiction, Crime, Thriller Pages: 509 ISBN NO.: 9780593054277 Publisher: Bantam Press Preceded By: The Da Vinci Code Followed By: Inferno
Book Review: Inferno
Author: Dan Brown
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Series: Robert Langdon #4
Genre: Mystery, Fact fiction, Conspiracy fiction, Thriller
Pages: 528
ISBN NO.: 978-0-385-53785-8
Publisher: Random House Publishing
Preceded By: The Lost Symbol
Book Review: The Other Side Of Midnight
- Sidney Sheldon
Author: Sidney Sheldon
Release Date: 1973
Genre: Thriller | Mystery | Romance
Pages: 462
ISBN NO.: 0-446-35740-5
Publisher: Warner Books
Followed By: Memories Of Midnight
Book Review: The Body In The Library (Miss Marple #3)
Author: Agatha Christie Release Date: February 194 Series: Miss Marple Genre: Mystery Pages: 272 ISBN NO.: 978-0-00-729321-6 Publisher: Harper Collins Preceded by: The Thirteen problems (Miss Marple #2) Followed by: The Moving Finger (Miss Marple #4)
Blurb
When the Bantrys wake to find the body of a beautiful, young stranger in their library. Dolly Bantry knows there’s only one person to call: her old friend Miss Marple.
Who was the young girl? What was she doing in the library? And is there a connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are discovered in an abandoned quarry?
Miss Marple must solve the mystery, before tongues start to wag, and the murderer strikes again.
Review
After reading 4:50 from Paddington, I was expecting much more from this one, but unfortunately it’s not as good as other Christie’s books. It was a quick read and I guess that was the only good thing about it. As I’m planning to read all the books in Miss Marple series, I really hope that the rest of the books are better than this one.
Personally I won’t recommend it to anyone. This book is definitely not for me!
You can read this review at Goodreads.Other Stuff
Opening Line: Mrs. Bantry was dreaming.
Highlights: It was a quick read.
Low-lights: The story itself!
Memorable Paragraph: None.
Final Thoughts: Not for me!
The Racketeer
Author: John Grisham ReleaseRelease date: October 23, 2012
Genre: Legal Thriller
Pages: 386
ISBN No. : 978-1-444-75720-0
Indian Publisher: Hachette
Review
I read only the first 221 pages of this book… In the beginning I quite liked it but midway through I started getting bored and ended up giving up (which I rarely do). I felt it wasn’t really worth the time.
As I didn’t finish the book I am not going to write the summary (that’s obvious!) and not going to comment on the books writing style and all.
I would just like to say that if you want to read it… read it at your own risk!
The Opening Line: “I am a lawyer, and I am in prison. It’s a long story. ”
Final Thoughts: Not worth the time.
The Reading Bud 