Liz Lazarus's Blog, page 2
January 22, 2017
Review of The Mask of Sanity
The Mask of Sanity by Jacob M. AppelMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review of The Mask of Sanity
Author – Jacob Appel
Overall Score – 4.5
Overall, I give this novel a 4.5. The story drew me in quickly and the first 2/3 went very fast. For the last 1/3, I began to wonder where the story was going and how it would get resolved. I actually had an idea of what could happen, but was off.
The characters were interesting, especially Balint. My only real disappointment (and what kept me from giving a 5) was the ending which left me hanging. I’m the type that likes things wrapped up in a bow … or ribbon (pun intended), though I’m sure there are others who will enjoy debating the last tidbit.
Book Cover – 5
I really like the gray with a spark of color in the male’s eye and a green ribbon running vertically down the front, which ties to the plot line.
Plot – 3.5
I looked forward to how the author, a psychiatrist, would tell a story about a psychopath and he did not disappoint, from how meticulously Dr. Balint planned his murders to how his love for his daughters was really an extension of his own ego. Appel did a very good job showing the reader “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” - how he thinks, how he behaves, how he rationalizes his actions. I did question how quickly Balint acquiesced on the very thing that fueled his motive – you’ll understand my point when you read the book. The medical references were interesting - having worked in cardiology myself, I enjoyed being taking into that world again.
Character Development – 4 ***SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT***
Jeremy Balint – I didn’t really root for this character but was definitely intrigued by him and did appreciate his cleverness. The author wrote in 3rd person. 1st person might have been even more powerful to draw me into Balint’s mind.
Amanda Balint – A no nonsense, pragmatic wife. Without giving too much away, I thought that Balint might have been wrong about her which would have been a crazy twist.
Warren Sugarman – A fitting “rival” - I pictured him looking a bit like a young Hemingway which may have been more of my imagination than anything that was described.
Delilah Navare – The feminine contrast to Amanda. For a good portion of the book, I felt she was far too naive, especially with google, social media, etc., but learned more about that closer to the ending.
Pace – 5
I read the book in a few days (and I’m a slow reader). It held my interest and I was eager to find out what was going to happen next.
Basics (Grammar, Punctuation, Format) - 5
I didn’t find a single error. A major bonus for me was learning some new vocabulary. Kudos to Mr. Appel for including words like hirsute, unctuous, invective that had me pulling out a dictionary. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a book educate me to that level.
Price - 5
The hard cover book is $28 on Amazon, but if you write to Jacob Appel, he might give you a complimentary copy.
Any other criteria that you think I should add to my "Lazarus Rating System"?
View all my reviews
January 2, 2017
Spoiler Alert: An Idea for Reviewing Books
The “Lazarus Rating System” As I look for new books to read, I always refer to the Goodreads reviews, for both the number of stars and the write-ups. I may be the outlier here, but when I read a review, I don’t necessarily want a summary of the plot. That, in of itself, is a … Continue reading Spoiler Alert: An Idea for Reviewing Books
Lazarus Rating System
As I look for new books to read, I always refer to the Goodreads reviews, for both the number of stars and the write-ups. I may be the outlier here, but when I read a review, I don’t necessarily want a summary of the plot. That, in of itself, is a bit of a spoiler to me. Anything more than the few sentence synopsis is more than I want to know.
So, when I review books, I don’t summarize the story but rather point out what I liked and didn’t like. Just recently, it occurred to me that I should use a consistent format, no different that the supplier quality audits I did years ago in corporate America. So, from now on, I’ll be using my newly created “Lazarus Rating System” with the elements that I think are worth noting, each with the highest possible score of 5 points.
Here’s an example with the most recent book I completed on New Year’s Day – how’s that for a fresh start to 2017!
Title - Behind Closed Doors
Author - B.A. Paris
Overall Score - 5
Overall, I give this novel a 4.5 rounded up to a 5, primarily for the pace and character development.
Book Cover – 4
The bold red font is eye catching and the red has significance in the story, so good tie-in there. The door and doorknob are a bit mundane, but I do prefer objects versus people on book covers so appreciate that the characters’ images were not shown—better to leave to the reader’s imagination what they look like.
Plot – 4.5
I read a Q&A from the author that she had suspicions of a friend’s marriage and her imagination took it from there. I found the story line to be original and, for the most part, believable. Towards the end, I was worried that the author would miss a loose end (like the paintings Grace did that were hanging in the basement) but she wove them into the story, leaving a satisfying ending.
Character Development – 4.5
Grace – 5; The author did a very good job of showing how an independent woman could become trapped over time. Often when I thought Grace should do something or act in a certain way, she did, which made her character very believable.
Milly – 4; Milly’s truncated language made her stand out as a character. I did question how she could be as clever as she was portrayed given her limitations, but I have to admit, I liked that she was. The George Clooney references were hilarious. (He should make this book into a movie and play Jack for that alone!)
Jack – 3; Although Jack’s childhood was explained briefly, I would have liked to see more motive behind his actions. Also, why was having Grace not enough for him? Why did he need Milly, too?
Pace – 5
Never once did I think “get on with it already.” Paris did an outstanding job of keeping me interested and eager to find the next block of time when I could continue with the book, which to me, is the single most important criteria if I like a book.
Basics (Grammar, Punctuation, Format) - 5
All good.
PS – if you listen to the audio book, narrated by Georgia Maguire, you won’t be disappointed.
Price - 4
Hard Cover – 12.99; which is on par with other novels of this type.
Kindle – 9.99; which seems a bit high compared to the hard cover price.
Any other criteria that you think I should add to my new rating system?
So, when I review books, I don’t summarize the story but rather point out what I liked and didn’t like. Just recently, it occurred to me that I should use a consistent format, no different that the supplier quality audits I did years ago in corporate America. So, from now on, I’ll be using my newly created “Lazarus Rating System” with the elements that I think are worth noting, each with the highest possible score of 5 points.
Here’s an example with the most recent book I completed on New Year’s Day – how’s that for a fresh start to 2017!
Title - Behind Closed Doors
Author - B.A. Paris
Overall Score - 5
Overall, I give this novel a 4.5 rounded up to a 5, primarily for the pace and character development.
Book Cover – 4
The bold red font is eye catching and the red has significance in the story, so good tie-in there. The door and doorknob are a bit mundane, but I do prefer objects versus people on book covers so appreciate that the characters’ images were not shown—better to leave to the reader’s imagination what they look like.
Plot – 4.5
I read a Q&A from the author that she had suspicions of a friend’s marriage and her imagination took it from there. I found the story line to be original and, for the most part, believable. Towards the end, I was worried that the author would miss a loose end (like the paintings Grace did that were hanging in the basement) but she wove them into the story, leaving a satisfying ending.
Character Development – 4.5
Grace – 5; The author did a very good job of showing how an independent woman could become trapped over time. Often when I thought Grace should do something or act in a certain way, she did, which made her character very believable.
Milly – 4; Milly’s truncated language made her stand out as a character. I did question how she could be as clever as she was portrayed given her limitations, but I have to admit, I liked that she was. The George Clooney references were hilarious. (He should make this book into a movie and play Jack for that alone!)
Jack – 3; Although Jack’s childhood was explained briefly, I would have liked to see more motive behind his actions. Also, why was having Grace not enough for him? Why did he need Milly, too?
Pace – 5
Never once did I think “get on with it already.” Paris did an outstanding job of keeping me interested and eager to find the next block of time when I could continue with the book, which to me, is the single most important criteria if I like a book.
Basics (Grammar, Punctuation, Format) - 5
All good.
PS – if you listen to the audio book, narrated by Georgia Maguire, you won’t be disappointed.
Price - 4
Hard Cover – 12.99; which is on par with other novels of this type.
Kindle – 9.99; which seems a bit high compared to the hard cover price.
Any other criteria that you think I should add to my new rating system?
July 31, 2016
Playing Favorites.
My favorite character in “Free of Malice” I was recently asked who was my favorite character in my book, “Free of Malice.” Some folks thought it would be Laura, the protagonist, but it’s actually the criminal defense attorney, Thomas Bennett. Do we love him or hate him? Do we trust him or suspect him? And…
June 30, 2016
Building Communities with Little Free Library
During a walk in my neighborhood, I notice what one of my neighbors had installed at Little Free Library in their yard. This delightful mini library on a post was a welcome addition to our block. I stepped forward and opened the clear Plexiglas door to take a closer peek at the books inside. There…
June 6, 2016
Captivating: An Evening with Mary Kubica
Author Book Event – Atlanta, GA I had the pleasure of hearing Mary Kubica speak at the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, GA, as part of her Don’t You Cry book tour. I connected with her on Twitter, @MaryKubica, along with my friend and fellow author Chelsea Humphrey, @suspensethrill, so we were super excited to…
June 3, 2016
An Unexpected Sisterhood
My thanks to Chelsea Humphrey for having me as a guest blogger on her top-notch site:
https://thesuspenseisthrillingme.word...
We discussed several potential topics but decided to share the reaction of attack survivors to my book. It's been an unexpected sisterhood and I'm pleased that my story can provide a bit of comfort to others.
Liz
https://thesuspenseisthrillingme.word...
We discussed several potential topics but decided to share the reaction of attack survivors to my book. It's been an unexpected sisterhood and I'm pleased that my story can provide a bit of comfort to others.
Liz
April 24, 2016
Not So Vicarious Adventure: Free of Malice Launch Party
This is a special guest post from Rebecca Alora Walker, Book Blogger and Owner of Vicariously! She attended the Free of Malice launch party and is sharing her experience. Prologue & Road Trip When I received the request to review Liz’s book, I was invited to Free of Malice’s launch party because Joel and I…
April 18, 2016
I'm The Lucky Girl today
Luckiest Girl Alive
I had the absolute pleasure of meeting author of Luckiest Girl Alive, Jessica Knoll, in Atlanta this evening. She is lovely and was gracious enough to discuss reactions to her Lenny article, plus she read from her book and took some Q&A.
I asked her if "Luckiest Girl Alive" was her original title and she said it wasn't. Makes me feel better for changing mine (from Sweet Sam to Free of Malice). I suppose it is more common than not to have a working title prior to the real deal!
Jessica also convinced Reese Witherspoon and Pacific Standard Production Company to let her write the screenplay for the upcoming movie. Bravo!
What a great evening.
I had the absolute pleasure of meeting author of Luckiest Girl Alive, Jessica Knoll, in Atlanta this evening. She is lovely and was gracious enough to discuss reactions to her Lenny article, plus she read from her book and took some Q&A.
I asked her if "Luckiest Girl Alive" was her original title and she said it wasn't. Makes me feel better for changing mine (from Sweet Sam to Free of Malice). I suppose it is more common than not to have a working title prior to the real deal!
Jessica also convinced Reese Witherspoon and Pacific Standard Production Company to let her write the screenplay for the upcoming movie. Bravo!
What a great evening.
April 12, 2016
OmniMystery News
Enjoyed talking to @mysteries - A Conversation with Novelist Liz Lazarus
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