Review: The Lying Kind

The Lying Kind by Alison James
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Author EMail recommended Caitlyn Lynch, price was just right and blurb read interesting.
From the beginning it looks like a 3star book to me, it drags on.
While most is standard police work, there is just too much personal stuff here.

And then her dumb partner, aptly named Brickall, as he is as thick as brick in regard to women, makes an unforgivable mistake which has nothing to do with the case. The MC, Rachel Prince, tries to get her partner back, as he is supposed to be such a great help and good policeman - of which I only have her word, nothing I read so far (70%) in this book proves that - the scene at page 186 / 67 % got me so angry, I will give 1 star less, depending on how this finally plays out. Not to spoil anything I will not go into details.
Just saying I would like to have a thriller - which this is certainly not, lacking the pager-turner-quality I expect from a good thriller - where police is working within their rule-book of laws.

The investigation so far stays within that rules, so it is even more unacceptable that Brickall breaks the rules, although warned by the victim and the MC about it. And so far the consequences are as expected, but I would like to see him gone, I do not like him, he does nothing for the story and has no place in a police-force. He displays for me the typical male behaviour, that even I, myself a man, cannot stand "I am the greatest gift to women and can get any woman I want". Which would have been wrong, even if he was a great police-man, of which I have yet to see proof, he does not deserve this job, with that kind of thinking. Later in the books he helps with a certain crucial fact at one time, but that is his only bigger positive contribution I can remember.

As it is his, currently this looks more like a 2 star book, and I might never read anything from this author again.
One of the only good points is, that it plays in the UK and some other European places, these parts are good, and also the international connections feel real.

Now having finished, I cannot decide wether 3 or 2 stars are warranted.
While 2 might be bit harsh, I think, it was way to slow, after a few nice twists ending as expected, at a certain point it was obvious.
As also one storyline was not solved in a to me satisfying way, I will not look for other books from this author and certainly not the sequel of this one.

So, yes, 2.5 stars it is, rounded down to 2 stars. Not recommended, sorry to say, others may differ, and maybe I would be more positive if I finished this faster, but there was no reason, not enough suspense, not enough twists, not enough surprises for me.

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Review: Swipe Right for Murder

Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review to follow soon, I hope.
Highly recommended YA-crime-page-turner with a gay teen coming into his own.

So, before I forget everything about this book...
This was quite good gay thriller, with the MC using a tinder-like-gay app on his iPhone to hookup.
While certainly sex did happen, it was off page, and the scenes did not creep me (hetero) out.
But that was only the underlying frame for a story about a cult-like-Terrorgroup, targeting homophobe groups and people, killing both and also innocents and targeting more.
The technology described feels real, not SF or near-future-like, and is abused, with deadly consequences.
The MC has sympathies for the goals of the Gay-Terror-Group, being gay himself and falls for them, helped by being duped from both the FBI and the charismatic leader of the Terror-Group. He thinks at one point that killing anti-gay fanatics (true-birthers, christians, anti-abortionists etc.) is ok, but balks from the killing of innocents. He changes his mind a few times and the issues get muddled, and sometimes quite brutal, resulting in several action-scenes where he has to save himself and others, some are unbelievable way-over-the-top-X-Men-like-Superhero-stuff, but fun to read,
and as described, even just this side of realistic.
Also, after the case is closed, you get what others would build into a series or at least a second book, or simply leave unsolved: the aftermath of it, what happens next, both to the FBI-Agents and to the Hero/MC? You get a short overview of how his live goes on, nice touch.

For a debut, and a book a little out of my normal comfort zone, a 5star recommendation, an author I will watch for more books to read.

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Review: Swipe Right for Murder

Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review to follow soon, I hope.
Highly recommended YA-crime-page-turner with a gay teen coming into his own.

So, before I forget everything about this book...
This was quite good gay thriller, with the MC using a tinder-like-gay app on his iPhone to hookup.
While certainly sex did happen, it was off page, and the scenes did not creep me (hetero) out.
But that was only the underlying frame for a story about a cult-like-Terrorgroup, targeting homophobe groups and people, killing both and also innocents and targeting more.
The technology described feels real, not SF or near-future-like, and is abused, with deadly consequences.
The MC has sympathies for the goals of the Gay-Terror-Group, being gay himself and falls for them, helped by being duped from both the FBI and the charismatic leader of the Terror-Group. He thinks at one point that killing ani-gay fanatics (true-birthers, christians, anti-abortionists etc.) is ok, but balks from the killing of innocents. He changes his mind a few times and the issues get muddled, and sometimes quite brutal, resulting in several action-scenes where he has to save himself and others, some are unbelievable way-over-the-top-X-Men-like-Superhero-stuff, but fun to read,
and as described, even just this side of realistic.
Also, after the case is closed, you get what others would build into a series or at least a second book, or simply leave unsolved: the aftermath of it, what happens next, both to the FBI-Agents and to the Hero/MC? You get a short overview of how his live goes on, nice touch.

For a debut, and a book a little out of my normal comfort zone, a 5star recommendation, an author I will watch for more books to read.

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Review: Tasteful

Tasteful by Celina Grace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Received an ARC from the author for an honest review. Must admit, the series has too much romance for my taste, and the heroine in the books I have read seems weak to me. But I will read on for free books, cheapskate that I am.
As this a Novella, it felt better, than the last books I read from the series, a little romance, but thankfully not too much - as there was probable not enough room for it, although I still tink, Kate would be more interesting as a single, this for me is the 1 missing star.
While I took my time reading this with starting a completely different book in between ( if interested: YA Fantasy Thief of Lies ) as I read a few police procedurals lately, may be a bit much.

Liked this Novella more than the last books in the series, for the short reading time quite a few twists, which I really liked. Can probably be read whole on a rainy afternoon, which just feels about right.

Recommended, even if you do not know other books from the series. Great teaser for the next book, I think.

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Review: Tasteful

Tasteful by Celina Grace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Received an ARC from the author for an honest review. Must admit, the series has too much romance for my taste, and the heroine in the books I have read seems weak to me. But I will read on for free books, cheapskate that I am.
As this a Novella, it felt better, than the last books I read from the series, a little romance, but thankfully not too much - as there was probable not enough room for it, although I still tink, Kate would be more interesting as a single.
While I took my time reading this with starting a completely different book in between ( if interested: YA Fantasy Thief of Lies ) as I read a few police procedurals lately, may be a bit much.

Liked this Novella more than the last books in the series, for the short reading time quite a few twists, which I really liked. Can probably be read whole on a rainy afternoon, which just feels about right.
Recommended, even if you do not know other books from the series. Great teaser for the next book, I think.

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Review: Splinter in the Blood

Splinter in the Blood by Ashley Dyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Read the second book in the series first, not planned, and that was great, so I wanted to know what happened before en détail.
Here my review of the second book in the series - will not repeat this here, as most also relates to this book, except (sadly), not as much use of social media, but the use of smartphones, computer, internet etc. is up-to-date, very real and you get the feeling the author knows her way with these tech and devices.

Wow! And what a beginning. Not wanting to spoil it, read the blurb, and so far it looks like the second book: a fast moving plot, leading to a probable 5star page-turner, short chapters, with changing POV, vivid bad dreams and memories from Carver with his medical problems. And is it one case (the Thorn Killer) or two (then what happened to Carver)?
Even just 10% into the book, one twist is answered, but lots of questions remain.
Setting is Liverpool, UK. So not London, which has been used too often for my taste, like it.

Breathtaking beginning, you do not know what happened, the first clues you get at 30%, and then that later that gets turned 90° or even 180°, nice twists.

So, 5stars for this book, during some part the investigation lacks suspense (middle or 60% into the book imho) and drags a little, but the twists are well done and I did not guess the killer till the revelation, very well done. Changing POV's, Carver, Lake, Killer. Some secrets stay buried and what I really liked, that for all the mistakes they (Carver and Lake) make: no vigilant heroism, and when they go places alone, they leave word where they are going (well most times).

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Review: Splinter in the Blood

Splinter in the Blood by Ashley Dyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Read the second book in the series first, not planned, and that was great, so I wanted to know what happened before en détail.
Here my review of the second book in the series - will not repeat this here, as most also relates to this book, except (sadly), not as much use of social media, but the use of smartphones, computer, internet etc. is up-to-date, very real and you get the feeling the author knows her way with these tech and devices.

Wow! And what a beginning. Not wanting to spoil it, read the blurb, and so far it looks like the second book: a fast moving plot, leading to a probable 5star page-turner, short chapters, with changing POV, vivid bad dreams and memories from Carver with his medical problems. And is it one case (the Thorn Killer) or two (then what happened to Carver)?
Even just 10% into the book, one twist is answered, but lots of questions remain.
Setting is Liverpool, UK. So not London, which has been used too often for my taste, like it.

Breathtaking beginning, you do not know what happened, the first clues you get at 30%, and then that later that gets turned 90° or even 180°, nice twists.

So, 5stars for this book, during some part the investigation lacks suspense (middle or 60% into the book imho) and drags a little, but the twists are well done and I did not guess the killer till the revelation, very well done. Changing POV's, Carver, Lake, Killer. Some secrets stay buried and what I really liked, that for all the mistakes they (Carver and Lake) make, no vigilant heroism, and when they go places alone, they leave word where they are going (well most times).

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