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Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Review: Chimera

Chimera Chimera by Celina Grace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Snatched this one up for free, as I really like these books and subscribed to the email-info from the author and was informed of the promotion.
The case is ok, but otherwise this is the worst of the series so far.
Little romance, no sex.
Kate nearly alienates a few friends and me with them, by an overly weepy and hysterical reaction to some news of her gay friends, due to her past, which I had forgotten and only a few pieces where rehashed, so I had to guess what happened. And too much thinking about being alone by Kate, way too insecure for a good Heroine and boring.

Not to rehash too much, a link to my review of Pulse (Kate Redman Mysteries, #10), which I read out of order. A lot of what I wrote is also true for this book. If the case had been a little worse, I would have given 2 meagre stars.
Cannot really say I am looking forward to the next book, which I already own.

Not a long read, but not totally a page-turner either.
Still I stand with the 3 stars I gave.

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Monday, September 25, 2017

Review: The Shark

The Shark The Shark by Mary Burton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good first book in a series, maybe 4 stars is a bit much, a few twists, later in the book a little straight sex-scene, some romance. Did not guess the correct killer, but was not too surprised.
Ending ok, but as expected, again, could have given 3 stars on a different day as it was obvious from the beginning. No taking the law in ones one hands, although it was nearly what happened. Then it would have been 3 stars for sure.
Recommended fast read, for a good book about a serial killer and street wise down on the luck teens sinking into drugs and prostitution. Already own the next two books, as these were all available for 99 ct. (Euro-Cents, Germany) each.

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Thursday, September 21, 2017

Review: Die Würfel sind gefallen

Die Würfel sind gefallen Die Würfel sind gefallen by Jenny Rogneby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb read good, as both the english edt. and this one is a translation, and the price was ok, I bought the German eBook, also I might recommend this book to family and friends.
OK, some things that happen are beyond real, starting with the first bank robbery, which would in my view not have happened how it did. But if you are able to read on, this is one twistet book, I almost never knew what would happen next, and in this case, that was what kept the suspense for me.
Trigger warning: child abuse.
Mostly written from POV of the female MC.

While this is going in to a different direction and hacking plays only a little, minor role, this is by far the best female MC since Lisbeth Salander - the Huntress from Alexandra Sokoloff would have been just as good but that series is mostly from a different POV if I remember right (Insert book/author does not work now, will change to link later). Headstrong, independent, although married with children, not the typical romance, nor the typical wife.

Hoping that the english translation of the original is as good as the german one.

Highly recommended 5 stars and I am just planning when to buy the next book in the series (price is a bit high, got this one for under 5 Eur, but the price of this has also risen, was just lucky, could have been an Amazon Promo Price).
Will recommend this to my mother and the rest of my family, although she does not like to read too much about abused children, but this one is too good to miss.

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Sunday, September 17, 2017

Review: Lauernde Schatten

Lauernde Schatten Lauernde Schatten by Katrin Rodeit
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amazon Auslese Promo Preis für einige Zeit. German Book, review therefore in German, I did not check, wether there is an english translation available, and as it is not recommended by me, you need not search for it. Standard-fare, a few twists, but not enough suspense.

Standard Krimi, nette twists, vor allem, da ich bis kurz vor Ende nicht auf den Schuldigen für den 2. Teil gekommen bin, obwohl ich das schon eine bekannte Gruppe eingeordnet habe.
Wenigstens kein plötzlich auftauchender Unbekannter.
Brauchbares Lesevergnügen, aber auch nicht so spannend, mit ein bischen viel Familien/Background geschwurbel, hätte in der Tiefe und Länge nicht sein müssen.

Solide 3 Sterne, aber hebt sich nicht von anderen guten Krimis ab. Heldin ist ok, wobei mal wieder ein gefährlicher Alleingang wie in vielen anderen Krimis als Spannungsmittel nicht sehr überzeugt - ich halte diese Art der Alleingänge, auch bei den zufällig wieder mal nicht ausreichend geladenen Handy (wieso kaufen die eigentlich alle kein Ladegerät/Halterung etc. für das Auto?) für oftmals, hier auch wieder, völlig unrealistisch. Entweder hinterlasse ich rechtzeitig bei Kollegen / Freunden eine Nachricht, das ich eine Spur verfolge, jemanden besuche etc., und/oder ich sorge dafür, das mein Handy aufgeladen ist. Oder ich nehme als Polizist(in) gleich Verstärkung mit.

So wie es ist, ok, solide 3 Sterne, keine Empfehlung. Nicht spannend genug.

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Thursday, September 14, 2017

Review: We Know It Was You

We Know It Was You We Know It Was You by Maggie Thrash
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Fell for the blurb, stating a mix between Twin Peaks (big fan) and Pretty Little Liars (have seen only the first few episodes, might binge all, when I have time and it is concluded?!).

What little suspense there is stems from the two MC's not knowing a bit. Some inner musings and thoughts do little for me, although themes with pedophilia, abuse, rape are in the book, somehow it left a childish impression for me. This is probably the fault of the MC's who are even with the things happening not really grown up. Could have done with more nerdy/geeky stuff.

So, not what the blurb promises and not what I want to read. Not recommended, two meager stars it is and I do not feel sorry for that, only for my wasted time not DNFing it. As it is, I will certainly not read more of this series (and probably not more from this author).

Added: Just saw that it is also published under a different title:Strange Lies and ... the surname of the author should have clued me in as to how good this book might be!

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Friday, September 8, 2017

Review: Want to Play?

Want to Play? Want to Play? by P.J. Tracy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Price was ok, I waited for long time for it to sink further, it did not, and I finally caved today and bought it, after reading the blurb / praise from unknown authors who best are forgotten ... . At least it is about a serial killer, so I hope for good entertainment.

At 73% I guessed the killer, and I was mostly right.
A few nice twists, but not in the beginning up to maybe 30-40% way to many important people playing a role, and even with some nice surprises not enough suspense for me, I am not so good with names, so I had trouble remembering who was what where with the 2 crime-scenes and two sets of cops.

Nice, bloody ending, with a surprising body count.
A little romance, no real sex scenes, straying into LGBT with the gender of the killer.

As this book was about a computer-game-constructing firm and computers, networks, firewalls etc. played a certain role, as a retired IT-Helpdesk-Slave I would have liked a more technical jargon and more details, for the layperson that could have been explained after the book in an X-ray (Kindle) or Glossary (even for a few expressions or words, I would have liked a Glossary). At one point near the end when the power was down it was asked how long the computers ran on battery, so they had implied UPS (uninterruptible power supply) connected, but given that they also had a generator for such a power failure, that could and should have been mentioned. The technology as mentioned was correct, but mostly because it was never very detailed, just the general terms (Firewall, hacking etc).

This was published a few years before the iPhone (or smartphones in general), but that is not too obvious, and I guess the phones at that time had no light. Today and even 2 or 3 years back you would just have switched on your phone for lack of a flashlight.

For a first in the series good enough to make me want to read the next book in the series, but not too soon. So a solid 4 stars it is, recommended.

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Friday, September 1, 2017

Review: Inspired by Frost

Inspired by Frost Inspired by Frost by Alicia Rades
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

No real review, as most of what I wrote for the second book also applies here. Felt like reading some fluffy PNR and so I did. Romance, but not sex. MC comes across as whiney and most times unsure, not my type of heroine.

Three stars, barely, not really recommended, for younger readers and fans.

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