I have several books by Ms. Fielding on my shelves and when looking for something to read, I decided to pick this one up and give it a try. This was a really good book and had me turning the pages. I even tried to sneak a few pages in tonight when I was out to dinner for my mom's birthday! I give this an A-.
From Amazon:
How far will a mother go to protect her family from a madman?An unrivaled master of psychological suspense, Joy Fielding has written her most chilling and intricate novel yet--a compulsively readable look at the razor-thin line between daily domesticity and nerve-shattering terror.It had to end in blood. Family therapist Kate Sinclair, healer of lost souls, perfect wife and mother, has suddenly become trapped in a nightmare of her own. Her teenage daughter has just discovered sex, lies, and rebellion. Her ex-boyfriend has returned to threaten her marriage. Her once-peaceful hometown is being awakened by chilling headlines: Another woman is missing. Kate can sense the darkness gathering around her, can see the mistakes, the missteps, the missing pieces. She is afraid of what tomorrow will bring.Enter Colin Friendly, a man on trial for abducting and killing thirteen women--the handsome, "misunderstood" sociopath Kate's troubled sister plans to marry. Colin loves women to death. He can't wait to see Kate and the girls again. One dark night when they are home alone, disarmed, ready for bed...
This was such a good book. The writing was done so well, and Ms. Fielding has a wonderful way with convincing the reader that they are a fly on the wall watching everything going on. The writing was just so believable and you could feel all of Kate's feelings and the loss of her life as she knows it. This book had it all, including mother-daughter relationships, sister relationships, marriage, and suspense. The only thing I felt was lacking a bit was the suspense. I think that there possibly could have had more written about it, but it was still an excellent book. It has been awhile since I have tried sneaking pages in during red lights.
I am not sure what I am going to read next... I am excited about reading right now, but afraid that I may not fully enjoy the book as much as I would if I hadn't just finished Missing Pieces. I am tempted to read another book by Ms. Fielding, but I think I am just going to see what jumps out on me. Right now I am watching the Wings Penguins game which is a rematch of the Stanley Cup Finals. As I type this, we are winning... of course! Go Wings and Happy Reading!
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
A Cold Dark Place by Gregg Olsen
I decided to read A Cold Dark Place after not being able to find Mr. Olsen's previous book that was being read for my Shelfari group. It was going to be the read for the early part of June, but I couldn't find it at the store. I was reading great reviews about it, so I decided to read the one Gregg Olsen book I did have. It was a good read and I give it a B.
From Amazon:
The Seeds Of Evil...
In a secluded farm house in the Pacific Northwest, a family has been slaughtered--and a teenage son has disappeared. Single mother and cop, Emily Kenyon spearheads a dark hunt for a killer. But Emily's teenage daughter Jenna is one step ahead of her...
Are Planted In...
Jenna knows the boy suspected of murdering his family and wants to help him--perhaps too much. Then within days of the first murder, another family is butchered, this time in Iowa. And on the heels of this brutal slaying, another follows in Salt Lake City. Eerie similarities link the crime scenes. But an even darker connection threatens to claim even more victims...
A Cold Dark Place
As Emily fits the puzzle pieces together, she realizes the danger surrounding her daughter is worse than she'd imagined. Now in a desperate race to save Jenna, Emily must match wits with the most cunning, diabolical killer she's faced yet in her career--a killer who's just placed her and her daughter at the top of his list...
From Amazon:
The Seeds Of Evil...
In a secluded farm house in the Pacific Northwest, a family has been slaughtered--and a teenage son has disappeared. Single mother and cop, Emily Kenyon spearheads a dark hunt for a killer. But Emily's teenage daughter Jenna is one step ahead of her...
Are Planted In...
Jenna knows the boy suspected of murdering his family and wants to help him--perhaps too much. Then within days of the first murder, another family is butchered, this time in Iowa. And on the heels of this brutal slaying, another follows in Salt Lake City. Eerie similarities link the crime scenes. But an even darker connection threatens to claim even more victims...
A Cold Dark Place
As Emily fits the puzzle pieces together, she realizes the danger surrounding her daughter is worse than she'd imagined. Now in a desperate race to save Jenna, Emily must match wits with the most cunning, diabolical killer she's faced yet in her career--a killer who's just placed her and her daughter at the top of his list...
I have to admit that I really didn't care all that much for the main character, Emily. She really grated on my nerves. I also found a couple of mistakes in the book, especially concerning the timeline of things, and that really bothered me. I do not actively search for mistakes, so when I do run across them, it must be pretty bad. However, with all of that being said, it was a good suspense book and I liked the ending a lot. It seems to me that lately I have been finding great books with wonderful endings. I guess I have been lucky. I probably will continue to check out more of Mr. Olsen's books in the future.
I am not sure what book I am going to read next. Today has been such a wonderful day with absolutlely gorgeous weather, so I think I will pick up a Jackie Collins book. Her books always seem to scream summer to me, so it seems like a fitting choice. Tomorrow I am going to the Tiger's game with my dad, and hopefully the storms we are supposed to get will hold off until the game is over. I hope everyone else is having a relaxing weekend and Happy Reading!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Wahoo and Yahoo!!!!
4 to 0! 4-0! 4-0! 4-0!
Red Wings are only three games away from holding Lord Stanley again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wahoo and Yahoo!!!!!!
By the way... the score should have been 5-0 and was almost 6-0.
Go Wings!
Red Wings are only three games away from holding Lord Stanley again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wahoo and Yahoo!!!!!!
By the way... the score should have been 5-0 and was almost 6-0.
Go Wings!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Losing You by Nicci French
Nicci French is one of my favorite authors and is definitely my favorite British author. I was really excited when I found out they had a new book out and immediately got it from my library. However, I was disappointed when finishing this book and can only rate it a B-.
From Amazon:
Shortly before Christmas, Nina Landry, a divorced mother of two living on isolated Sandling Island somewhere in the south of England, is getting ready for a family vacation in Florida that will include her new marine biologist boyfriend. Blindsided by a surprise 40th birthday party, Nina is further disconcerted when her 15-year-old daughter, Charlie, who was supposed to help with the packing, fails to come home from a slumber party. Nina's seamless first-person account of the next 24 hours mines the frustration and feelings of helplessness that come with any investigation slowed by the rigmarole of police work. This engrossing read captures the importance of the often overlooked and underappreciated minutiae of everyday life while commanding a deeply personal reaction in readers.
I thought that this book could definitely had more suspense and delve more into the psychological suspense of everyone. I always expect great psychological suspense when I read this author and I was really let down. This book was only told from the mother's point of view and I think more could have been done with it. A lot of information was given that I didn't think offer much to the story and then the ending was kind of rushed. The book also had one my biggest pet peeves in books which is no chapters! I love books that have short chapters because I feel like I am reading the book faster and I like setting a place where I can stop reading easily. This book had no chapters or even breaking points in the paragraphs. That really irritated me. In fact, I probably would have rated this book lower than I did if it was not for how much I love this author.
Up next is another library book titled Four Wives. It is a new to me author and is something different from the ususal suspense books I read. I hope it is enjoyable and I can get my reading mojo back. Well, I am off to finish my cleaning before the Red Wings game this afternoon so I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and Happy Reading!
From Amazon:
Shortly before Christmas, Nina Landry, a divorced mother of two living on isolated Sandling Island somewhere in the south of England, is getting ready for a family vacation in Florida that will include her new marine biologist boyfriend. Blindsided by a surprise 40th birthday party, Nina is further disconcerted when her 15-year-old daughter, Charlie, who was supposed to help with the packing, fails to come home from a slumber party. Nina's seamless first-person account of the next 24 hours mines the frustration and feelings of helplessness that come with any investigation slowed by the rigmarole of police work. This engrossing read captures the importance of the often overlooked and underappreciated minutiae of everyday life while commanding a deeply personal reaction in readers.
I thought that this book could definitely had more suspense and delve more into the psychological suspense of everyone. I always expect great psychological suspense when I read this author and I was really let down. This book was only told from the mother's point of view and I think more could have been done with it. A lot of information was given that I didn't think offer much to the story and then the ending was kind of rushed. The book also had one my biggest pet peeves in books which is no chapters! I love books that have short chapters because I feel like I am reading the book faster and I like setting a place where I can stop reading easily. This book had no chapters or even breaking points in the paragraphs. That really irritated me. In fact, I probably would have rated this book lower than I did if it was not for how much I love this author.
Up next is another library book titled Four Wives. It is a new to me author and is something different from the ususal suspense books I read. I hope it is enjoyable and I can get my reading mojo back. Well, I am off to finish my cleaning before the Red Wings game this afternoon so I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and Happy Reading!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Charley's Webb by Joy Fielding
I am currently listening in my car another book by Joy Fielding called Heartstopper. I have been enjoying it and decided to check out other books by her and came across reviews for Charley's Webb and placed a hold on it through my local library. It was an enjoyable read, and the suspense was pretty good. I rate it a B+.
From Amazon:
Charley Webb is a beautiful single mother who writes a successful and controversial column for the Palm Beach Post. She's spent years building an emotional wall against scathing critics, snooty neighbors, and her disapproving family. But when she receives a letter from Jill Rohmer, a young woman serving time on death row for the murders of three small children, her boundaries slowly begin to fade. Jill wants Charley to write her biography so that she can share the many hidden truths about the case that failed to surface during her trial. Seeing this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Charley begins her jour-ney into the mind of this deeply troubled woman.
Her path takes a twisted turn, however, when the anonymous letters she's recently received from an angry reader evolve into threats, targeting her son and daughter. As Charley races against time to save her family, she begins to understand the value of her seemingly intru-sive neighbors, friends, and relatives. As she discovers, this network of flawed but loving people might just be her only hope of getting out alive.
It took me entirely too long to read this book though it was because of me and my schedule of late. Last night I read about 100 pages and then finished the book today. It was a really fast read and the topic was definitely something new and interesting. I didn't have the mystery solved at all until I was in the shower thinking about the book when I had about 50 pages left. Everything just fell in to place and I was able to figure everything out. Still there were a few red herrings thrown in that kept things interesting. I did, however, have a problem with Charley, the main character. She made a lot of stupid choices in her life and didn't seem to realize the consequences of them. I know this is a fiction book, but to me it just seemed like a perfectly wonderful thing for a woman to have two children out of wedlock by two different men and think that her children are actually better because of it. Call me old fashioned, but it really irritated me. That was really the only thing that bothered me, and while it really bothered me, it probably won't bother most people.
Anyways, hopefully things are settling down now (I seem to be saying that a lot lately, and things haven't settled down...) so my reading should be able to increase. This month has been horrible for reading as I have only finished four books so far and last month at this time I had finished six books and still going strong. The next book up is by one of my favorite authors, Nicci French. It is her latest and I got it from the library. I hope to get this read fast. However, my Detroit Tigers are finally starting to turn around and my Wings are in the playoffs, so a lot of games to watch. However, right now the Wings are down 2-0 in the fourth game of the series. They are up 2-1 and I am going to the game Friday night. It would be absolutely wonderful to see them beat Nashville and win the series Friday. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week and Happy Reading!
Oh yeah, I forgot...
GO WINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From Amazon:
Charley Webb is a beautiful single mother who writes a successful and controversial column for the Palm Beach Post. She's spent years building an emotional wall against scathing critics, snooty neighbors, and her disapproving family. But when she receives a letter from Jill Rohmer, a young woman serving time on death row for the murders of three small children, her boundaries slowly begin to fade. Jill wants Charley to write her biography so that she can share the many hidden truths about the case that failed to surface during her trial. Seeing this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Charley begins her jour-ney into the mind of this deeply troubled woman.
Her path takes a twisted turn, however, when the anonymous letters she's recently received from an angry reader evolve into threats, targeting her son and daughter. As Charley races against time to save her family, she begins to understand the value of her seemingly intru-sive neighbors, friends, and relatives. As she discovers, this network of flawed but loving people might just be her only hope of getting out alive.
It took me entirely too long to read this book though it was because of me and my schedule of late. Last night I read about 100 pages and then finished the book today. It was a really fast read and the topic was definitely something new and interesting. I didn't have the mystery solved at all until I was in the shower thinking about the book when I had about 50 pages left. Everything just fell in to place and I was able to figure everything out. Still there were a few red herrings thrown in that kept things interesting. I did, however, have a problem with Charley, the main character. She made a lot of stupid choices in her life and didn't seem to realize the consequences of them. I know this is a fiction book, but to me it just seemed like a perfectly wonderful thing for a woman to have two children out of wedlock by two different men and think that her children are actually better because of it. Call me old fashioned, but it really irritated me. That was really the only thing that bothered me, and while it really bothered me, it probably won't bother most people.
Anyways, hopefully things are settling down now (I seem to be saying that a lot lately, and things haven't settled down...) so my reading should be able to increase. This month has been horrible for reading as I have only finished four books so far and last month at this time I had finished six books and still going strong. The next book up is by one of my favorite authors, Nicci French. It is her latest and I got it from the library. I hope to get this read fast. However, my Detroit Tigers are finally starting to turn around and my Wings are in the playoffs, so a lot of games to watch. However, right now the Wings are down 2-0 in the fourth game of the series. They are up 2-1 and I am going to the game Friday night. It would be absolutely wonderful to see them beat Nashville and win the series Friday. Hope everyone is having a wonderful week and Happy Reading!
Oh yeah, I forgot...
GO WINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
All the Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison
When I saw All the Pretty Girls on the shelves at the bookstore, it immediately caught my eye. It seemed to be right up my alley and I bought it. In a better effort to clean off the TBR stacks, I picked this one up, assuming I would zip right through it. It was a decent book and I would only rate it a C.
From Amazon:
When a local girl falls prey to a sadistic serial killer, Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, find themselves in a joint investigation pursuing a vicious murderer. The Southern Strangler is slaughtering his way through the Southeast, leaving a gruesome memento at each crime scene—the prior victim's severed hand.
Ambitious TV reporter Whitney Connolly is certain the Southern Strangler is her ticket out of Nashville; she's got a scoop that could break the case. She has no idea how close to this story she really is—or what it will cost her.
As the killer spirals out of control, everyone involved must face a horrible truth—the purest evil is born of private lies.
One of the first things that bothered me with the story was I felt like I was in the middle of a series and there was so much information I was missing. I went back to the author's website and triple checked to see if this was part of a series and I saw it wasn't. There were so many different characters and their different pasts that were told in detail that I thought I was missing out on a lot. It appears this book is the first of a series, though, so I think the author was dumping a lot of information so we would want to get the next book in the series. There were also a ton of different stories and cases going on and it was hard to see if there was a connection between any of them. It turns out there wasn't and a big part of me felt that it was just too much to keep track of. One of the big cases in the story was solved on just pure luck, so I felt kind of cheated out of that. The suspense was kind of missing out as well, though towards the end it did pick up a bit. I thought I had to case solved but I was wrong, and I always love when that happens!
Next up is a library book I have called The Delivery Man by Joe McGinniss Jr. Not sure where I heard about this book, but I did place a hold on it from the library. I started it this morning and I am about 80 pages in. It is all right, though I am not sure if I love the author's style of writing. I will stick with it, though. I hope to be able to finish it tonight and spend tomorrow reading as well. Ever since the Superbowl was in Detroit two years ago, I have been boycotting it. Too much over exposure for me, I guess, so I normally spend the day either shopping (great sales and the mall is dead) or reading and catching up on my recorded shoes. Sounds like a great day to me! I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend and Happy Reading!
From Amazon:
When a local girl falls prey to a sadistic serial killer, Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, find themselves in a joint investigation pursuing a vicious murderer. The Southern Strangler is slaughtering his way through the Southeast, leaving a gruesome memento at each crime scene—the prior victim's severed hand.
Ambitious TV reporter Whitney Connolly is certain the Southern Strangler is her ticket out of Nashville; she's got a scoop that could break the case. She has no idea how close to this story she really is—or what it will cost her.
As the killer spirals out of control, everyone involved must face a horrible truth—the purest evil is born of private lies.
One of the first things that bothered me with the story was I felt like I was in the middle of a series and there was so much information I was missing. I went back to the author's website and triple checked to see if this was part of a series and I saw it wasn't. There were so many different characters and their different pasts that were told in detail that I thought I was missing out on a lot. It appears this book is the first of a series, though, so I think the author was dumping a lot of information so we would want to get the next book in the series. There were also a ton of different stories and cases going on and it was hard to see if there was a connection between any of them. It turns out there wasn't and a big part of me felt that it was just too much to keep track of. One of the big cases in the story was solved on just pure luck, so I felt kind of cheated out of that. The suspense was kind of missing out as well, though towards the end it did pick up a bit. I thought I had to case solved but I was wrong, and I always love when that happens!
Next up is a library book I have called The Delivery Man by Joe McGinniss Jr. Not sure where I heard about this book, but I did place a hold on it from the library. I started it this morning and I am about 80 pages in. It is all right, though I am not sure if I love the author's style of writing. I will stick with it, though. I hope to be able to finish it tonight and spend tomorrow reading as well. Ever since the Superbowl was in Detroit two years ago, I have been boycotting it. Too much over exposure for me, I guess, so I normally spend the day either shopping (great sales and the mall is dead) or reading and catching up on my recorded shoes. Sounds like a great day to me! I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend and Happy Reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
