Review: B is for Burglar (Kinsey Millhone #2) by Sue Grafton

4 stars for B is for Burglar (Kinsey Millhone book 2) by Sue Grafton.

Good story. Great writing.

I am totally clueless right until the moment author Grafton chooses to expose the perpetrator.

Review: The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins

5 stars for The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins.

This book has been sitting on my list of to-be-read ever since last December when it secured a whopping 106,149 votes out of a total 268,373 votes cast and emerged the winner in Best Mystery & Thriller 2015, Goodreads Choice Awards - the only major book awards decided by readers.

When I finally pick up the book and decide to have a go, I surprise myself by finishing it in three days, less to be exact. It seems like a lifetime ago since I lap up a book in so short a time..

The Girl on The Train is a winner right from the start. The first person narrative draws me in subtly and before I know it, I am all tangled up in the twists and turns of the plot. I feel as if I am part of the mystery, connected in one way or another as I set off on my journey; a girl on the train, going back and forth without point or purpose, watching and observing, constructing and deconstructing the lives of strangers from within a moving train, and suddenly I discover a different world, I discover myself. I am Rachel, the narrator.

The success of this thriller lies very much in the brilliancy of the author to story pace. It is common knowledge that pacing is critical to a good story but not all authors can or are able to pull it off effectively. In this case, author Hawkins does it so seamlessly - her decision on what happens, when it happens and how quickly the events transpire - that I cannot resist but keep the pages turning and turning until I make it to the end of the tale.

I am so glad to have finish reading this book in time to catch the movie on the big screen. Yea, it is after all not too late for me to catch the train, the one that has just started running since last Thursday.

Review: A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone #1) by Sue Grafton

4 stars for A is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone book 1) by Sue Grafton.

I am happy, no, scratch that, I am elated to have discovered the start of yet another - good plot, great writing - mystery series.

Kinsey Millhone is now my latest kick-ass detective. For a private investigator with a no-nonsense attitude, one who owns few personal belongings and even fewer personal attachments, surprisingly, Kinsey comes across very much alive; a real life character. To quote "You try to keep life simple but it never works, and in the end all you have left is yourself". How philosophical..

Judging from the way the author chooses to title her books, I can say with absolute certainty that there will be at least another twenty-five more books to go before the curtain comes down on this alphabet series; definitely a discovery worth rejoicing. Yay!

Review: Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

5 stars for Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey.

Hauntingly charming, this outstanding debut novel is filled with bitter-sweet memories of old and at the same time, packed with a poignant longing for truth.

It is hard to imagine how I will think and feel and talk when the one day comes where memory fails, time crawls to a standstill and all that remains is a series of mysteries muddled up between the present and fragments of the past. That is why I think the author does a remarkable job of putting herself in Maud's shoes and seeing the world through her eyes.

Second to none of its kind, Elizabeth is Missing has my full attention right from the start and leaves me reeling from the sheer force of the story upon completion; an old lady who finally gets what she wants, to be heard and understood. Why wait? Pick up this book today and get ready to be blown away.

Review: The Second Husband by Louise Candlish

3 stars for The Second Husband by Louise Candlish.

A well executed story but a painful one at that, of a woman who plays multiple roles.

This story is perhaps a reality check on relationships where people throw caution to the wind and simply follow where their hearts lead them regardless of consequences. I'm not sure what intention the author has in mind but the message that glides across from reading this novel is that people in the UK do live with their families but it is either with the stepmother or stepfather, not exactly a rosy family picture.

Much as I enjoy the story setting and polished prose, it is equally exhausting and frustrating to be reading about a woman who constantly mourns after an ex-husband, has endless fights with a seventeen-year old adolescent and is oblivious to the fact that she has lost ground even before the battle has started.

Read it if you think you have the stomach for it.

Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

5 stars for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

This remarkable debut comes recommended by a booklover buddy of mine. The title alone is enough to intrigue me such that I have it up on top priority to be read right after Towers of Silence which I am halfway through then.

As dictated by the book title, yes, this is a story about Henrietta Lacks, her immortal cells and her descendents.

Born in 1920, Henrietta Lacks died from a vicious case of cervical cancer in 1951. Since then, her (cancer) cells have been living outside her body far longer than they ever lived inside of her. The term immortal human cells refer a continously dividing line of cells all descended from one original sample, cells that would constantly replenish themselves and never die.

Considering the evolution of medical science and with it, the ethical debates relating to human-subject research and inevitably, the legal issues regarding the ownership and commercial use of biological materials and products derived from humans, it is amazing how the author manages to condense years of her research materials and hundreds of hours of interviews into a single book.

Review: Towers of Silence (Sal Kilkenny #5) by Cath Staincliffe

4 stars for Towers of Silence (Sal Kilkenny book 5) by Cath Staincliffe.

From a professional point of view, each mystery solved is a job well done. And Sal, as a private investigator, has succeeded in getting to the root of the towers of silence. However, the outcome has been devastating rather than satisfying. So, it comes to pass that sometimes "ignorance is bliss".

On a separate note..
I find myself keeping a lookout for the next book in line the moment I hit the halfway mark in this book 5. Sadly, I sense the series turning into a cul-de-sac as neither book 6 nor 7 can be found in the library I often frequent.

Not for lack of trying but I will have to put aside the detective in me for the time being. Because it is so not my style to miss two running books in the series and skip to the whichever one available next. So much for now.

Review: The Better Part of Darkness (Charlie Madigan #1) by Kelly Gay

2.5 stars for The Better Part of Darkness (Charlie Madigan book 1) by Kelly Gay.

It has been quite some time since I last read an urban fantasy tale. This book is supposed to be a welcome change for me as it is packed with off-worlders characters, sirens included!

The protagonist is in her thirties instead of the usual early to mid twenties age bracket written in most if not all urban fantasy novels. This alone appeals to me to continue reading beyond the first couple of pages.

The story starts out really great. But, it becomes not that great anymore after the first half of the book and I find myself skimming through the pages in a bid to get it over and done with.