Tag: book-review

Book Review: Sophie Meets The Spirits Of Northwood Mansion

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

House of Shadows by Darcy Coates is a supernatural thriller that does little to provide thrills.

This is basically a haunted house story that pulls out the standard tropes such as a very unlikely romance with character types that are too familiar and overused.

The reader is introduced to Sophie, the daughter of a wealthy businessman who finds himself bankrupt. It’s not immediately clear as to the era where this novel takes place, but it seems to be somewhere in the nineteenth century. Anyway, Sophie’s family may receive salvation because of a sudden marriage proposal from the mysterious Joseph Argenton. Sophie agrees to the marriage; however, she has some concerns when she learns that she is to be the mistress of a foreboding and isolated estate known as Northwood. She also meets her new husband’s aunt, uncle, and cousin who reside in the house with a handful of servants. Strange sounds and shadowy figures serve to heighten her anxiety until she is attacked by a malevolent force, which confirms she has a serious problem now.

To be fair, the novel gets a little more interesting once the nature of the curse plaguing Northwood is actually explained. I just had a hard time caring about the lead characters because they just seemed so stereotypical and trite. Joseph is the most mysterious and richest guy ever. Sophie is the most sheltered and inexperienced woman in high society. Of course, she seems much younger than her unexpected suitor, which I guess is all relative. The relatives of Argenton are really odd but not in a creative way. It wasn’t a torturous reading experience, but it falls short when it comes to actually being thrilling.

The monster presented in the climax kind of has a cool name, but that’s about all that it has going for it, in my eyes.

Darcy Coates has quite a lengthy bibliography and seems quite popular. I still enjoy a good haunted house yarn, and Coates manages to be a competent enough writer. I also discovered there is a sequel to this novel, and I am just curious enough to see how this supernatural saga comes to an end. I suppose since I am interested enough to eventually get to the second novel, Coates did accomplish something with this particular reader despite some misgivings and criticisms.

Before I return to the supernatural tentacles reaching out from Northwood, I will return to the world of the late Steig Larsson. Mr. Larsson may be long gone, but Lisbeth Salander has managed to live on to become The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons, written by Karin Smirnoff.

Book Review: There Is No Getting Away From Murder For Jessica Niemi

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Ghost island is a pretty decent Nordic Noir thriller written by Max Seeck that takes place in Finland. He has returned to the investigations of Detective Jessica Niemi of the Helsinki Police Department.

Jessica has gotten in some trouble when an altercation with a man goes viral. She has some mental health issues anyway. Although she is a very capable investigator, her boss has some concerns and places her on leave. Jessica takes some time off on a remote island. Three elderly friends have shown up for their annual visit. They were one-time residents of an orphanage on the island during the Second Word War. Jessica also learns of a local legend concerning a haunting by a girl who had disappeared from the orphanage decades ago. Jessica is also drawn into the mystique of the island when one of the visitors is drowned at the beach. Jessica then learns of two previous deaths that had some similar elements. She also sees what appears to be the spirit of the long-missing girl with a blue coat. Her grip on reality is somewhat tenuous, but she does know that a killer has found their way onto the island and has to find the connection between her present danger and what happened many decades before.

The setting of an isolated island with a small group of people who has a killer in their midst is well used, but Seeck is talented enough to make it work. Jessica Neimi, the lead protagonist, is pretty interesting. This is apparently the fourth installment in a series. Neimi was introduced in the Seeck’s novel, The Witch Hunter and apparently is repeatedly traumatized over the course of the series so far.

There isn’t much humor to help lighten the mood here, but I guess that’s the way it goes for these Nordic mysteries. Seeck does provide a bit of a roller coaster on the way to the resolution. He’s not a remarkable writer, but he is competent enough. Jessica is one of many very morose and troubled detectives in crime fiction. There is nothing all that extraordinary about her in spite of her apparent mental illness, but she is not without some interesting features.

The novel is pretty good with a unique setting in that it takes place in Finland. Seeck does throw pretty good curveballs at his heroine. Murder on an isolated island is something that always piques my interest even if it is a somewhat well-worn trope. I would still recommend any fellow mystery fan to give this one a try. I ended up liking the novel even if it wasn’t quite a homerun.

The literary journey continues as I decide to accept the invitation from Darcy Coates to visit the House of Shadows.

Book Review: Some Family Dramas Can Turn Deadly

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

In Plain Sight is another thriller from C.J. Box, featuring Joe Pickett and his family, and is a compelling, enjoyable addition to the genre.

Joe Pickett has been a Wyoming game warden for a few years now and is happily married with two daughters. Since this is a crime novel, he and his family have endured more than their share of unwanted attention from some nasty characters. In this novel, it gets a little more personal when some threatening and gruesome pranks are being committed against the stalwart and dedicated game warden. Also, Pickett is keeping his eye out for a missing ranch owner who has left behind three peculiar sons at odds over her property and legacy. He also is getting a tough serving of Wyoming politics when his new director has little appreciation for what could be a little too much of Pickett’s honesty and integrity. Pickett is getting tested in a variety of unpleasant ways, but none of that is going matter if he cannot keep himself and his family alive.

Box is a very solid and reliable writer, and this novel helps to cement that impression. I am enjoying my occasional figurative visits to Pickett’s neck of the woods. I found the plot with this strange yet influential family rather interesting. The Joe Pickett series is best read in order of release since there is a progression in his professional and marital life. I have mentioned this before, but I like reading of a protagonist who remains committed to his wife and children in the midst of perilous people and circumstances swirling around his homestead.

There are some pretty good twists and turns that get pretty gruesome at times. This novel was released in 2006, so I have a ways to go before I am caught up to the current entries into the series, and so far, I plan to stick with this.

As for now, my journey of literary indulgence will detour back to the twenty-fourth century to visit some old friends aboard the USS Enterprise-D in the latest Star Trek: The Next Generation novel by Dayton Ward entitled Pliable Truths.

Book Review: Trapped In Luxury With Count Rostov

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles is one of the most elegantly written novels I have read in some time filled with all kinds of interesting Russian history and culture seen through the eyes of an aristocrat who is placed under house arrest at the luxurious hotel in Moscow where he resides.

Towles takes us readers back to 1922 Russia where Count Alexander Rostov faces a Bolshevik tribunal over some poem that was attributed to him. Apparently, the tribunal found that the Count was a little enamored with his aristocratic position in society. The Count has spent some years living at a luxury hotel known as the Metropol in Moscow. He is sentenced to house arrest and is not allowed to leave the hotel. To add insult to injury, the Count is moved out of his usual suite and has to take up residence in the old servants’ quarters in the attic. During his years there, the Count does manage to cultivate some friendships with some of the staff and guests. He also has the opportunity to raise a child that has come into his care. History is made in Moscow outside of the doors of the Metropol, and the Count keeps up as best he can. The unexpected blessing that he receives over the years is a sense of purpose that was missing for much of his life. Although there are worse places to be confined, the Count still has to adapt to a loss of freedom and manages to actually thrive in some ways.

Towles chooses to create a character who sort of rolls with the punches in a strangely whimsical manner. The Count even manages to adjust to his new lodgings in the attic with a certain impressive stoicism. Some may read this and believe the Count to be a rather boring protagonist, but he is anything but. The Count is a fascinating character because many of his reactions are atypical to the circumstances.

The story unfolds over a pretty long span of time. The Count has had some heartbreak in his past and does care more deeply about family. He even manages to become an adoptive parent when a child is left in his care.

Towles can appear a bit wordy at times, but I find his style reminiscent of authors from late nineteenth to early twentieth century. Sometimes the exposition slows the plot down at times, and there is still a temptation to skim over some of the heavier passages. I would encourage other readers to take their time and enjoy the prose as much as possible.

This novel was published in 2016 and has enjoyed quite a bit of acclaim over the past several years. The applause is well-earned here. Towles does well to recreate the setting. Although Count Rostov is a product of Towles’ imagination, the Metropol is actually a real place. Maybe if Moscow appears more welcome to tourist within my lifetime, it would be tempting to check this place out. I would likely also need to experience an improbable financial windfall to afford such a venture.

Anyway, there is not much to criticize this novel. It is very entertaining and enlightening. Amor Towles is likely becoming a writer who I intend to follow a bit more intently.

The next indulgence is a return to the crime thriller genre, but this is another author I have not read before. I am looking forward to allowing author Danielle Trussoni to introduce me to The Puzzle Master.

Book Review: Catching Killers Has Become A Family Affair

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Blessing of the Lost Girls is a very interesting and somewhat unusual mystery novel by the prolific J.A. Jance and may be one of the better ones in her lengthy catalogue.

Jance writes quite a few series these days. This one takes place in Arizona within the jurisdiction of Sheriff Joanna Brady of Cochise County. Brady herself is not in this one very much. The lead protagonist is a feral agent named Dan Pardee, who works with a new federal agency which investigates the disappearances or murders of Native Americans in particular. Some burned human remains was finally identified after a few years of their discovery. They were once a lovely young woman who was a rodeo contestant and a Native American. She also was acquainted with one Jennifer Brady, the daughter of the aforementioned sheriff. Jenny Brady has grown up since her introduction to readers and is currently studying criminal justice. She has figured out a way to be of some help to this new investigation which reveals the presence of a serial killer who has been stalking the rodeo circuit for many years. Pardee is the son-in-law of another lawman created by Jance. That would be Brandon Walker, who did not appear as frequently as Brady or Jance’s other best-known detective, J.P. Beaumont. Jance has also decided to introduce her killer pretty early in this one, however there are still some alarming secrets to be discovered about this one.

Jance has delved fairly frequently into some American Indian lore over the years, and she does so even more here. The structure of the story seems a little different than her usual method, and I found myself enjoying the change of pace. I do miss having Joanna Brady more involved in the action in this one, but I am not one to begrudge authors for introducing new heroes.

Aspects of the plot still seem a bit far-fetched, but that’s not unusual for this genre or for this author. Jance remains to be a very compelling writer in this genre. Her characters go through a lor, but I like their steadfastness and pragmatism during the worst of circumstances. Jance also writes afterwords where she reveals some of the inspiration, so it’s a bit of a treat to sort of understand how these characters and stories develop in her mind.

Jance has done a good job of sort of freshening up her characters a bit, and teasing her readers with potential new directions such as how would an agency primarily responsible for investigating heinous crimes on a Native American reservation.

I am always game for new Joanna Brady and J.P. Beaumont novels, but I would not mind getting to know Dan Pardee and his family more as well.

Next up, it is time for author Amor Towles to introduce me to A Gentleman in Moscow.

Book Review: Harry Bosch Still Knows How To Light A Fire Under A Cold Case

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Desert Star is a crime novel written by Michael Connelly which marks a welcome return of Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard.

Bosch has been retired from the Los Angelos Police Department for a while now, but he still follows up on a few cases he was unable to close. Ballard has continued to stay on with the department and is in charge of a revived cold case unit. She wants to close a long unsolved murder of a teen-ager who is the sister of a city councilman who championed the return of the unit. She wants to recruit Bosch, but there is a rift to mend. Meanwhile, Bosch has been haunted for many years by the unsolved murder of a family of four. He knows who was behind it, but he was unable to gather the evidence. Ballard’s invitation gives him a chance to bring justice that has eluded the victims’ family for far too long. Bosch also has to learn to work with a team and tolerate the politics that has often hindered his efforts to take more killers off the board. Also, Bosch has a medical condition hanging over his head, but even that is going to have a hard time keeping him from his relentless pursuit for justice.

Connelly is consistently quite good, but this particular novel is one of the better ones. Bosch is still as uncompromising as ever but for the right reasons. The sometimes-complicated friendship with Ballard is compelling. There are some threads that seem a little far-fetched, but my joy at some new cases for Bosch and Ballard overshadowed those concerns. With Bosch’s health in some peril, I do feel that I better get as much enjoyment as I can if Connelly decides to make some radically tragic decisions regarding his most popular protagonist.

The story does take a few unexpected brutal turns on the road to the resolution. It was a worthwhile treat to revisit LA as seen through the writings of Michael Connelly and the eyes of Harry Bosch.

The trail of fictional murders and detectives will next lead me back to the world created by J.A. Jance as she reveals the Blessing of the Lost Girls.

Book Review: A Baby In The Lighthouse

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

M.L. Stedman’s novel, The Light Between Oceans, is one of those with quite a bit of acclaim, and now that I have read it, it does seem to be well-earned.

The story takes the reader to Australia just after the end of the First World War where we meet a former soldier named Tom Sherbourne. Tom takes a rather lonely job as a lighthouse keeper, but he has met a woman named Isabel and fallen in love. The two of them move out to some desolate coastline so Tom can take on his new duties. They have married and attempt to have a family, however each of the three pregnancies end tragically. Some years into this endeavor, a boat has washed ashore with a dead man and an infant girl who is very much alive. Tom and Isabel take her in and decide to raise the girl as their own, however the girl has a very brief past life, and a mother of her own who misses her very deeply. The fantasies of this family collide with the reality of this little girl’s origin, and it gets even messier from there.

This is one of those stories where there is not really a clear villain. No one has any evil intentions. The only real resolution is going to require what would seem to be an impossible amount of forgiveness from more than one character.

Stedman does a pretty decent job of setting the scene. She is apparently Australian, so she would likely know how to depict the setting. The characters are interesting and complex, and sometimes loyalties shift a bit throughout the story. It is definitely one of those novels where any book club is likely going to contain some pretty lively discussions on morality and forgiveness.

Stedman has a pretty decent if unremarkable prose style. She just constructed a pretty fascinating scenario and populated it with characters who are multi-faceted.

There is some reliance on a pretty unlikely set of coincidences that were at times difficult to suspend my disbelief, but I understand why so many fiction writers dop that. If I was writing my own novel, I am sure some critic would fairly be able to point that out in my hypothetical work.

Overall, I would recommend any habitual reader to slip this into their nightstand stack and actually get to it.

Next up, I will be returning to Los Angeles as depicted by crime fiction writer Michael Connelly. Former LAPD detective Harry Bosch has a chance to solve a case that has haunted him for years. He and Renee Ballard join forces to close some cold cases in Desert Star.

Book Review: Rocky Mountain Murder

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Dead of Winter is a pretty decent thriller written by the prolific Darcy Coates. Coates often writes supernatural story, but this story doesn’t fall into that territory. It does get pretty gruesome and far-fetched, but I ended up enjoying the ride that was meant to terrify me. I don’t really get terrified that easily by a book, but I can still appreciate the attempt.

The story is told from the point of view from a young woman named Christa, who has joined her boyfriend on a winter vacation to the Rocky Mountains where they plan to stay in a luxurious lodge with other guests. The bus breaks down, and a wicked storm is on the way. The passengers make their way to small, abandoned cabin where they plan to wait out the storm. The situation gets more dire when the tour guide is killed and then beheaded. As the days and nights start to pass, the group is rapidly shrinking as the heads are left on display outside the cabin being punished by an unrelenting, violent snowstorm. Christa has reason to start believing that the group was not gathered at random, and there is a more precise motive than just some random bloodthirsty psycho satisfying a dark compulsion.

This is the second novel in a row I have read with the too familiar plot of a small group of people trapped in a tight, claustrophobic locale with a seemingly crazed killer stalking them. Coates does a pretty good job with a very common plotline. The motivation behind these killings is a bit far-fetched, but Christa is a compelling enough heroine for me to forgive that.

The revelations are pretty well placed. Coates has a pretty engaging prose style as well. The characters are pretty interesting for the most part. Coates apparently doesn’t mind leaving a couple of loose threads when she ends a story.

This is my first time reading a novel from this author, and she already has a pretty significant catalogue. I am sure it will not be too long before I try another one.

It has been a while since I have indulged in a Star Trek novel, so I think I will make a return trip to the twenty-fourth century and visit with Captain Picard’s crew aboard the Starship Enterprise. Next up, Shadows Have Offender by Cassandra Rose Clarke.

Book Review: Calamity In The Catskills

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

An Unwanted Guest is a thriller that has one of my favorite scenarios in that a small group of people is stuck in a remote location with a murderer in their midst. Shari Lapena first had this published in 2018 and has written several novels since then.

The setting is a luxurious inn in the Catskill Mountains where a group of guests who apparently do not know each other gather to escape the mundaneness of their daily lives. There is a troubled married couple, a traumatized war journalist, and a defense attorney with an unusual past. That is just the beginning. A young woman is found dead at the bottom of the staircase. The inn loses power during the height of a snowstorm, so help from the police is not forthcoming. Then, a second body is found. The group has to wonder if there is someone else in the inn secretly or if one of them is a murderer.

As much as I love this sort of mystery, Lapena really proves how overdone it could really get. She isn’t a terrible writer, but there is not much that makes it stand out. None of the cast of characters was uniquely interesting. When the investigator finally is able to get there, she is not that compelling.

Much of the motivations behind the killings rely on some unlikely coincidences.

Lapena is another one of these current female writers being compared to Agatha Christie. Christie had considerably more skill in her plotting. I don’t mind today’s author paying some homage to the Queen of Crime, but Lapena seems to try a little too hard here. I could not muster much sympathy for any of the characters, even the victims. I just found the novel to be a little bland.

In spite of some misgivings about this particular novel, I will likely give Lapena another chance down the road. She is not a hopelessly awful writer, but she seems a little too attached to the formula. Still, Lapena is a bestselling author, so my criticism may be in the minority. I just found the mediocrity of this literary contribution to be mildly soul crushing.

Ironically, my next read is going to once again have a group of people isolated on a snowy mountain with a killer lurking in the forest. I will see if Darcy Coates can do a better job with Dead of Winter.

Book Review: Heresy And Murder Descend On The Abbey

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Heretic’s Apprentice is the sixteenth novel by Ellis Peters to feature twelfth century monk, Brother Cadfael, and can be a bit of a slow read. Ellis Peters can get a little too verbose in her exposition.

Brother Cadfael is a former soldier who has answered the call of God to join a monastery where he serves the community of Shrewsbury in the 1100’s. Cadfael is an expert herbalist and a keen observer of humanity. He is also one of those servants of the Lord that has a unique insight into the sometimes evil motivations of the human heart. This novel begins with an apprentice bringing home his deceased master who had left on a pilgrimage some years before. William of Lythwood had once been accused of heresy, and it seems the young servant may have some of the same views. When his main accuser is later found murdered, Cadfael is willing to employ his investigative talents and assist his friend, the sheriff of Shrewsbury, in getting to the bottom of the matter.

It’s an interesting plot, but Peters has a style of prose that I found a little hard when it comes to staying focused. Several scenes seem to just go on and on. Of course, this novel was written about thirty-five years ago. I have read other novels in the series, and the struggles remain the same. Peters is a talented and imaginative writer. Cadfael is an intriguing enough protagonist for me to still occasionally try another installment in this series. It’s an engaging plot, but it does require an amount of concentration that is not always to maintain.

The series is successful for a reason, so I would still encourage mystery fans to not pass on this series. It does offer a glimpse into what life in England could have been like if one can sort of ignore the monk who is able to solve crimes. The story itself is pretty interesting, and Cadfael’s steady, reasonable presence may seem a little dull compared to other flashier fictional detectives, however I do enjoy his wisdom and prudence during these somewhat traumatic events occurring around his abbey.

I will likely return to Shrewsbury and visit Brother Cadfael again before too long, but my next literary journey will have author Shari Lapena introduce me to The Unwanted Guest.