The Kill Club by Wendy Heard

The Kill Club by Wendy Heard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I should start this off by saying about 32.7% of me wants to actually be in the kill club, 56.3% of me is absolutely horrified by it, and 11% of me seriously wonders if someone is going to go out and try to start their own kill club after reading this. I mean, it’s practically a user’s guide for how to kill and/or fail to kill bad humans, which makes it a total breeding ground for future serial killers to converge around. Good lord, I hope that doesn’t happen, but this book does provide some sort of deranged education that could be useful to the wrong crowd.

If you’re the wrong crowd, then move along, there is nothing to see here. Also, I am not available for killing, as my calendar is quite full.

Anyway, let’s get back to the point, which is that this book is thrilling right up until the very last page. It’s dark, intense, and seriously emotional (or maybe that was just me, as I think I emotionally flailed through the whole book). Maybe we should just ignore the fact that I dropped the book quickly around page 311 and glared at it intensely for 2 days, while chewing all my fingernails to stubs, before I was able to pick it back up again and finish reading.

I am convinced that I need to be best friends with Jazz, the main character, even though she’s not really the warm, snuggly bestie type of person. In fact, I think she’d probably hate me if we met in real life. Sigh. I have to up my street cred. My Midwestern upbringing seems to be harmful to forming real and lasting literary friendships with fictional characters.

Back to the point, I absolutely love this book. I mean, this is how you follow up a stellar debut—with a second offering that left me guessing and stressing the whole way through. There were so many twists and turns that I just never saw coming. My adrenaline level has been so high that I haven’t slept well since I picked this book up (3 days ago). And now, it ended, and I’m still intensely anxious (thanks a lot, Wendy Heard).

It’s well-written, brilliantly plotted, and the character development is top notch. I enjoyed so many of the characters, as even the really awful people are absolutely fascinating. This book puts the characters in situations where they have to make a lot of hard decisions, and I think that’s part of why this is so phenomenal. Nobody gets an easy ride, and not knowing what will happen next or how someone will react to a situation is half the charm of the story (assuming I can call it charm, considering the story is full of brutal murder scenarios---I’m not sure what the appropriate review etiquette is for this sort of situation).

I suspect an audiobook version of this would be phenomenal (and/or emotionally debilitating), which means I have to go now, as I want to hop on over to Audible and see if I can preorder a copy.

THIS BOOK RELEASES ON DECEMBER 17, 2019. 

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book definitely held my attention. It discusses the serial rapist turned murderer called the Golden State Killer, a term coined by the author of this book. Sometimes I struggled with the rough transitions, but those are allowable and understandable, considering the author died before she finished researching and writing this novel, which meant the job of pulling it together and publishing it fell to others.

Once you settled into a section, the writing evened out. It was just the switch between chapters that sometimes threw me for a loop, like I had to resettled back into the story, or like I was suddenly being presented with a new story. In some cases, I was, since different chapters discuss about different events and victims.

Some part of me both hates and loves reading about a true crime unsolved mystery. It’s frequently uncomfortable, but piecing together clues and considering new angles is always engaging.

The crimes themselves are graphic, but the presentation of the stories and evidence is never gratuitous or over-dramatized. It’s presented as simply and almost clinically as possible, so as not to become anymore upsetting than necessary, while still remaining true and accurate.

Pages: 328

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

3.5/5

226 pages

Summary: Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola's third boyfriend in a row is dead. Korede's practicality is the sisters' saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning blood, the trunk of her car is big enough for a body, and she keeps Ayoola from posting pictures of her dinner to Instagram when she should be mourning her "missing" boyfriend. Not that she gets any credit.

A kind, handsome doctor at the hospital where Korede works, is the bright spot in her life. She dreams of the day when he will realize they're perfect for each other. But one day Ayoola shows up to the hospital uninvited and he takes notice. When he asks Korede for Ayoola's phone number, she must reckon with what her sister has become and what she will do about it.
Sharp as nails and full of deadpan wit, Oyinkan Braithwaite has written a deliciously deadly debut that's as fun as it is frightening.

This book seems to be everywhere.  I've seen multiple reviews, and it's appeared on all kinds of lists and blogs I follow.  So - I had very high hopes.  I mean, look at that cover art!  Stunning.  And the title!  Thriller.  Sadly, for me, those were the best points of this novel (really, it's a novella as the chapters are very short, some only sentences long).  There is so much crammed into this short book, and with the added choppiness of the chapters, the pace is just off.  This is a novel of scenes.  Don't get me wrong, there are some gems in this book.  The characters are interesting and the ending surprising -  I just wanted this to be so much more than it is.

Hunting Annabelle

Hunting Annabelle by Wendy Heard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a delicious and mysterious psychological thriller by a debut author, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

This story will have you second-guessing every character and every event that occurs from start to finish. There’s so much suspense that it deserves all 5 of the dark, twisty, and murderous stars that I awarded it.

Here are my 10 favorite things about it, with no spoilers:

1. This is Dexter level on the murderously creepy scale.

2. I love a potentially unreliable narrator, especially when I desperately want him to be somewhat reliable but can’t be sure if he actually ever is or not.

3. It’s so layered and nuanced. I feel like I need to go back and read it again right now, so I probably will. I want to take everything in again, since so much happened so fast.

4. Heard does some amazing things with description. I feel like I’m right there seeing, feeling, tasting, smelling, and hearing it all.

5. The characterization is so complicated and fascinating.

6. The mom. Wow. She’s something else. Talk about an intense side character.

7. The audiobook is also amazing, and I love the narrator, Tim Chiou. I wish he would narrate more books.

8. Talk about kicking a character when he is down…repeatedly. There are no easy fixes or lazy solutions in this story. Sean just has to cross all of the muck to get to the other side, and it just keeps getting deeper.

9. Here’s what it felt like to read this one: “Okay, I know exactly what is happening now”. . . twist. . . “So I was wrong before but now I’ve got it”. . . Twist. . .” I’m pretty sure”. . . twist. . . “It just has to be”. . . twist. . .”Oh, my God! It’s totally”. . . twist. WTF???

10. The cover is perfection. I adore it. I have some bookmarks, and I really want to cut one of them apart to highlight book quotes from this novel between the title, kind of like the cover. That may happen.

As far as I’m concerned, this book is A+ from start to finish, and you should all go out and snatch it up for some murdery holiday reading (come on, we all know how you really feel about those in-laws).

It would also make a great present for your favorite book nerd friends, your least favorite family members, and all frenemies. Books like this can be a great way to say, “Hey, everything is fine. I just might want to murder you today,” or even, “I swear, I’m not trying to frame you. Mostly.” ;)

Pages: 336

I'll be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

A look into the Golden State Killer's horrific attacks on women and couples in 1970/1980s California. Michelle writes with a lot of sympathy and respect for the victims while doing her best to track down the nefarious man responsible for so much pain.

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 352

I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

This memoir of Michelle McNamara’s obsession with the Golden State Killer was interesting, but hard to follow at times. I think this mainly had to do with the author’s sudden death before the book was finished resulting in it being pieced together from her notes and files. There is a clear difference between the parts Michelle wrote and the posthumous section. Michelle’s engrossing retelling of the details of this serial killer, rapist, and burglar is well written. The disjointed timeline adds an additional challenge to keeping track of the many people and places. I found myself revisiting the map at the beginning of the book often. If you are interested in an in-depth analysis of a psychopath, read Michelle’s book. If you just want to know how the GSK was caught, this is not the book for you. Reader be forewarned: The boldness with which the GSK attacked will have you double and triple checking your windows and doors every night before bed. 352 pages.

The Girl in the Ice; a Konrad Simonsen Thriller by Lotte and Soren Hammer

This is the second novel featuring Konrad Simonsen, a sharp but somewhat jaded Danish detective.  The novel begins with the discovery of a gruesome murder, a female victim who was strangled and buried in the ice in Greenland, who is only discovered because of melting due to global warming.  This victim's discovery leads Simonsen and his unit to reexamine some earlier cases, and a chase for a very psychotic serial killer ensues.  This is fast-paced, with good plot twists.  While set in Denmark, there is not very much feeling for the locale.  Translated, 435 pages.

"Blood Kiss" by J.R. Ward

This is the first book in the Black Dagger Legacy, a spin off of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and centers on Paradise and Craeg, two of the newest vampires recruited by the BDB to fight the Lessening Society in their ongoing war.  Paradise is part of the glymera, the vampire aristocracy, and Craeg is a vampire commoner.  They, along with five other recruits, make it through a series of obstacles to begin their training with the Brothers Butch, Tohr, Z, Phury, and Rhage.  Although female members of the glymera are supposed to be protected instead of protectors, Paradise is determined to be a fighter.

Craeg has a different reason for wanting to fight; his entire family was killed in the raids made by the Lessoning Society.  He also hates the glymera because his father was working at an aristocrat's home when it was raided, and the commoners on the grounds were kept out of the safe rooms.  Craeg can't deny his growing attraction to Paradise, which he sees as a distraction to his training.  He also doesn't know that she's an aristocrat.

This book also focuses on the communication problems of mated pair Butch and Marissa and how the murder of a female vampire brings them closer.  It was good to read about the original Brothers and their shellans (mates) in addition to introducing new characters that will fight with them.  The scene where the ladies get together to watch Magic Mike was pretty funny.  This was a much smaller and tighter book than the last few BDB books, which I appreciated.  I am ready for the next installment! 399 pages.

Devoted in Death by J.D. Robb

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

They met in Oklahoma and killed over twenty people on their way to and in New York City, but crime never wins.

Audio:  12 hrs. 25 min.
Print:  352 pages

Slasher Girls & Monster Boys: Edited by April Genevieve Tucholke

Slasher Girls & Monster Boys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a strange, creepy, and disturbing collection of short stories by a group of excellent YA authors: Stefan Bachmann, Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, A. G. Howard, Jay Kristoff, Marie Lu, Jonathan Maberry, Danielle Paige, Carrie Ryan, Megan Shepherd, Nova Ren Suma, McCormick Templeman, April Genevieve Tucholke, Cat Winters.

There’s something here that will interest or traumatize almost anyone who likes a good horror story. Some of these stories, I really loved. Others, kept me up at night, and some were merely likable or bizarre. However, the collection as a whole is enjoyable and a worthwhile read.

All of the selections were inspired by other works, which are listed after each short story. As I read, I started to guess what the inspirations for each short story were. I was wrong more often than I was right, but it was still fun to try to match these short stories up with possible inspirations.

Pages: 392

Scorcher by John Lutz

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Retired ex-cop, now a private investigator, is asked to find a killer who burns his victims.  He uses a flame thrower fashioned from a scuba tank.  There are many suspects and rich parents.  272 pages.

NYPD Red 2 by James Patterson & Marshall Karp

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

New York’s elite task force has to solve high profile murders. Cops can’t be killers, or can they?

Audio:  8 hrs. 10 min.

Print:  416 pages

"Cut & Run" by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

This book is the first in the Cut & Run series about FBI special agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett.  Ty is the typical nonconformist, hotheaded, ex-military man who usually goes deep undercover in his job.  Garrett is coming off of two years in the cybercrime unit (a desk job), and they are forced to work as partners when two other agents are killed in NYC while trailing a serial killer.  It's hate at first site for both men, who can barely say a civil word to the other until Zane and a local cop are injured by an exploding computer.  Ty is convinced the killer is in local law enforcement and treats Zane's wounds at their hotel room.  As more bodies are discovered and additional attempts on their lives occur, they come to trust and depend on the other more than ever.

I don't read much crime fiction because I find the glut of procedural details to be boring.  That's not the case with this story probably because the focus was just as much on the growing relationship between the two leads as the search for the serial killer.  Although Ty and Zane start out as stereotypical opposites who are forced to work together, that changes about halfway through the book, as does their growing attraction to each other.  Some of the dialog was a little confusing as to who was the speaker, but it didn't detract much from the tension between the two.  Lots of angst and denial of feelings pushed the story just as much as the crimes, and I'm looking forward to the second book in the series.  378 pages (Kindle edition).