Review: Totwasser

Totwasser by Julia Hofelich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First book started and finished in 2019. Should clean up my lists, instead I normally start another book, to let it fall by the wayside instead of deciding to mark it DNF and moving it to the "abandoned" list.
But this one was really good, after a bad 2018 regarding my choice of books, I hope to do better this year. Also, I have reduced my reading challenge this year to 78 books, after I missed that on Goodreads the second year running (being 104 books, two books per week). One of the reasons was, that I read quite a few novellas and books I could not review for one reason or the other. And I sometimes did not think about a review and instead only rated it and wrote "review follows later", but often I never wrote one even later.

So, this one is a single female as MC, who had a bad accident leaving her paranoid, scarred and limping with one of her legs. But how she gets through her fears, which are sometimes even justified, was very well written and integrated into the story.
The case was with quite a few twists, which kept me guessing, and different scenarios where played through, so both me as the reader and the MC (and most other persons) did not know what happened, or who died when. This changes a few time through the book, and while not all is totally page-turning suspenseful at roughly 70% or 80% I could not stop reading.
No sex, a little romance.
Suggest to look up Cornwall, UK with Google Earth, there are quite a few beautiful place pictured, took a vacation there with my parents, oh, wow, 1984/5, so long ago.
One idea mentioned is a Keltish Ritual, for fertility of a Woman (Witch), quite grissly.
Killings and other things are quite real, but not too brutal or detailed described. But Trigger Warnings, some ideas mentioned are quite perverted, I will not go into detail as not to spoil it, but again, not very detailed, imho, so even if you try to avaid certain themes, they do not go so deep.

First in a series, but just published (December 21st, 2018 is listed on Goodreads, also only Kindle and only German, so I should write a German review).
Highly recommended 5stars, no logic errors, no bad grammar or spelling, no swearing (or not much and mild). Will try to follow this author and read the next one(s) in the series if they are not too expensive. This one cost me less than 4 Eur, which is ok for me.
If this gets translated into English, I suggest trying it, although it may not hold the same interest for an English speaking person as it did to me as a German.


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Review: Faceless

Faceless by Rob Ashman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Bought today after I read Petra's review and it was cheap (less than 1 Eur/1.10 Us$ as Kindle eBook). This should be right up my alley.

Well, it was not, the point re the MC in the review linked is not the only bad point against it.
Rate this 2.5 rounded down to 2, not recommended.
Could have been way better with a few cuts and a different ending.
Basically (not to spoil anything but that will be hard) I hate it when the MC does the following: goes alone to try to solve the case and does not tell anyone, so no can follow her. Then the main ending I saw coming since nearly the introduction, with a little twist I by the MC I really do not like. A different outcome would have been way better, I like criminals to get what they deserve - jail time.

Then there is a scene (nearly exactly 50% into the book if I remember right) that gets outdrawn
and played to a boring death - it shows nearly everyone as stupid, which is too simple and not convincing to me. Again, it was way too long, and while I did not guess how that that happened in the beginning, it was explained, and some did not catch on quick, which I simply cannot believe of all persons involved, the fall guy, ok, he was stupid enough, but the others?
While the action took place in the greater Manchester area (not London for once, for which I am glad), that did not save the book, and some expressions and swaering felt too much US like - what I really like about some other books taking place in the UK is the use of way different swear words than in US books and sometimes way different slang - which did not happen here, it was at times the overused words like Bitch and swearing used a little too much or in the wrong place - not disturbing, but could have been better, at least other words.

Also for a book published in 2018 taking place in the UK Brexit should have been mentioned, at least in passing.

The main criminal was way better thought out than the backstory of the MC and I could have cared more about him, but did not really like him (her).

All that together and as it was the book was a little long and took me too long as it dragged me along, but I wanted to finish it, it did not feel like a DNF.
Too little suspense for me.
So, not recommended, and will gladly not read anymore of this author, as I do not care wether the probably following books get better or not (which is sometimes the case).

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Review: Tote Unschuld: Hamburg Krimi

Tote Unschuld: Hamburg Krimi by Martin Barkawitz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Rather short, would think this as novella, also sex-scene, non-kinky, ok but not something I like enough to pay for it to read more of the series. Got this one for free after an email from lesen.net.
German, probably not translated in English. OK, you will not miss it.

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Review: Trace Evidence: A Virals Short Story Collection

Trace Evidence: A Virals Short Story Collection by Kathy Reichs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Four to 5 dtars, depending on wether you already own some of the short stories.
As it was, I re-read all but one, making this an addition I would have liked to be cheap or free (not sure what I paid for the other stories, too lazy to look it up).
Good addition and some background to the longer books of that series. One story is a prequel with a how the (not yet Virals) meet.
Have not looked, but there should be made a bundle with all ebooks and these stories for a bargain price, imho.

Highly recommended, but you should have read some if not all books from the series.


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Review: Dead Center

Dead Center by Danielle Girard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lent with a Kindle Unlimited 3-month-free subscription.
(Added later, found notes I made): Good police procedural, but too many different POVs, too many stories, too long, so 1 star less. Recommended, Trigger warning, will certainly read the next one sometimes. USA, would have liked to have this set in the UK.
(End of addition)

Quite a few POVs and important persons, a bit much, and very twisty.
Still good, recommended, and will read the next one sometime if it is not too expensive (or with KU).

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Review: Meine teuflisch gute Freundin

Meine teuflisch gute Freundin by Hortense Ullrich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

German ebook, filmed a Movie.
Had this pre-ordered, and was a little surprised, that this is sold rather expensive, as it is only a short 100pages, not a book but a novella.
Fluffy teenage stuff, both the movie (which I pre-ordered for iTuns and have seen), a little silly, but normal German fare. OKish, but not really recommended, a book more to lend to read once, and the movie only to be seen once, and with the 5 Eur I paid for the ebook too much (2 or maybe 3 should have been more than enough). Read in a few short hours in one day.

Oh, and also probably not available as an english translation.

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Review: Dreamfall

Dreamfall by Amy Plum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Although more horror than the expected fantasy/supernatural, quite good and will read the next book when it gets cheaper.

Not sure who to recommend it to, beware of some bloody scenes, and horror. No sex, no romance (only hinted at). Changing POVs with the chapters, may be confusing for some.

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