Kim Ebner's Blog, page 2

Everything Is Lies

My rating: * * * *Goodreads DescriptionNo-one is who you think they are Sophia's parents lead quiet, unremarkable lives. At least that is what she's always believed. Everyone has secrets Until the day she arrives at her childhood home to find a house ringing with silence. Her mother is hanging from a tree. Her father is lying in a pool of his own blood, near to death. Especially those closest to you The police are convinced it is an attempted murder-suicide. But Sophia is sure that the woman who brought her up isn't a killer. As her father is too ill to talk it is up to Sophia to clear her mother's name. And to do this she needs to delve deep into her family's past - a past full of dark secrets she never suspected were there . . . What if your parents had been lying to you since the day you were born?My ReviewThe first couple of chapters of this book made for riveting reading and I was hooked instantly. Wow, this one got off to a cracker. I immediately bonded with Sophia, and my heart went out to her. The terrible situation that she found herself in, the guilt, the pain, the "what if's", I could understand it all, and it made me feel immediately invested in the story. When I started reading this book I was excited to discover that it was a dual time-frame narrative, as I really love those. This story moves between the present where Sophia discovers the death of her parents, and her mother's past and the secrets that it holds, which past has been recorded by her mother in a series of notebooks that her mother had planned on publishing. For me personally, I loved the chapters set in the past, the chapters explaining the strange and ultimately abusive relationship between her mother and cult leader, Aaron. There were times throughout the story when I felt so irritated with Nina (Sophia's mother), where I just couldn't handle her meek and mild ways, her inability to stand up for herself and to see the truth of the situation for what it was. But ultimately this led to a story that gripped me, that made me feel something for the characters, and of course, that made me want to see how things would pan out. As this story develops it becomes clear that Sophia's initial gut reaction to the death of her mother and the stabbing of her father - that this wasn't a murder-suicide - is correct. Her mother's strange and secretive past may very well have something to do with the death of her mother.This is a great book that I really enjoyed. In a year where I'm battling slightly with my reading mojo, this book had me excited to get home every day and to open it up. I highly recommend this one.My Rating: * * * *Publication Date: March 2018 (South Africa)Genre: Mystery / ThrillerFormat: Trade PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Helen Callaghan and Penguin Random House SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

The Other Couple

My rating: * * * Goodreads DescriptionA dark, twisty psychological thriller set in paradise Amber wakes up in a Vietnamese hospital; she has been left for dead on the holiday of a lifetime after a night-time swim in the picturesque So Den caves. We flashback to her fairytale wedding with Ollie, where a mystery guest puts in motion a change of events that will lead to murder. Unable to come to terms with the police's version of events, Amber returns to the scene of the crime. She remembers that there was another couple during the night of the murder. And the killer is still out there...My ReviewThis is one of those stories that I just couldn't get in to properly. It had all the makings of a great read - a romantic wedding, a honeymoon-gone-wrong in Vietnam, memory loss, trauma, murder - but yet I just never really bonded with this story.It would seem to me that I'm just having "one of those years", being a year in which a lot of books that I'm reading are good, without being great. Yes, I've read a few absolute pearls this year so far, but I've also read a lot of average reads, and so perhaps the problem lies with me and my reading mojo, and not so much with the book itself.Asha comes from a somewhat modest background and she has married a wealthy man, Ollie. Although it's clear that their social backgrounds are very different, they seem to genuinely love each other. However, on their honeymoon, Ollie starts to act strangely, becoming distant, evasive, uninterested in sex and generally withdrawn. At first Asha is convinced that he's merely stressed about work issues, but soon she starts to wonder whether her new husband is actually hiding something. This story switches back and forth between the present, when Asha is in a hospital bed, and the time before the honeymoon, back to the wedding and the events of that day. It doesn't take long for an uneasy feeling to develop, and I found myself wondering whether it was Ollie or indeed Asha that had enemies. This is a good read. It's a twisty psychological thriller, and one that many people have found highly entertaining. I enjoyed this one, but as I mentioned earlier, I never found myself totally invested, never on the absolute edge of my seat, never forcing my eyes to stay open to read another page. This one will go onto my list of read and enjoyed. If the blurb appeals to you, give it a go, because the problem may indeed be mine.My Rating: * * * Publication Date: March 2018 (South Africa)Genre: General FictionFormat: Trade PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Sarah J. Naughton and Jonathan Ball SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

Only Child

My rating: * * * * * Goodreads DescriptionFor readers of Room and The Girls, a dazzling, tenderhearted debut about healing, family, and the exquisite wisdom of children, narrated by a seven-year-old boy who reminds us that sometimes the littlest bodies hold the biggest hearts and the quietest voices speak the loudest.Squeezed into a coat closet with his classmates and teacher, first grader Zach Taylor can hear gunshots ringing through the halls of his school. A gunman has entered the building, taking nineteen lives and irrevocably changing the very fabric of this close-knit community. While Zach's mother pursues a quest for justice against the shooter's parents, holding them responsible for their son's actions, Zach retreats into his super-secret hideout and loses himself in a world of books and art. Armed with his newfound understanding, and with the optimism and stubbornness only a child could have, Zach sets out on a captivating journey towards healing and forgiveness, determined to help the adults in his life rediscover the universal truths of love and compassion needed to pull them through their darkest hours.My ReviewOh boy...what a wonderful read!This is a very timely and topical novel, relevant today because of the continuous school shootings that plague the States. This book is heartbreaking, tender, upsetting and somewhat uplifting, all in equal measure. It's been quite a while since I've been so absolutely taken with a book.The story is narrated by 6 year old Zach, and that's the first thing you should know. If you're not a fan of novels with children as narrators, then this one won't be for you. But if you enjoyed a book like Room, then you'll definitely love this one. The second thing you should know is that once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down. It's so well written, and viewing such a senseless crime through the eyes of a 6 year old, one that was hiding in a school cupboard when the gunman opened fire, is just fascinating. As you will know from having read the book blurb, Zach survives the school shooting, and his life is forever altered. This story is told from his point of view and it's safe to say that he cemented his place in my heart through his tale. As young Zach tries to come to terms with what happened, and why it happened, the reader is taken on a journey into the mind of a 6 year old dealing with a massive tragedy, one that he cannot really understand. As the reader, one is transported inside his head, we hear his thoughts and come to see how he tries to process the events. We are also shown how his body reacts to the shock, the psychological damage that has been done manifesting itself in bed-wetting, anger, tears and temper tantrums.I find it very difficult to believe that this heart-wrenching tale is a debut by the author, but it is. This is a story that is told with so much depth and understanding that one must ask the question as to whether the author has any personal experience with the traumatic events portrayed in this book. If not, then she shows a massive and deep understanding of the topic, and of how small children react to traumatizing events.All round, this is a fantastic read. Once of my favourites of 2018 so far ... and by the way, completely out of my comfort zone.My Rating: * * * * *Publication Date: March / April 2018 (South Africa)Genre: Contemporary-FictionFormat: Trade PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Rhiannon Navin and Pan Macmillan SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

The Chalk Man

My rating: * * * *Goodreads DescriptionIn 1986, Eddie and his friends are just kids on the verge of adolescence. They spend their days biking around their sleepy English village and looking for any taste of excitement they can get. The chalk men are their secret code: little chalk stick figures they leave for one another as messages only they can understand. But then a mysterious chalk man leads them right to a dismembered body, and nothing is ever the same. In 2016, Eddie is fully grown and thinks he's put his past behind him, but then he gets a letter in the mail containing a single chalk stick figure. When it turns out that his friends got the same message, they think it could be a prank--until one of them turns up dead. That's when Eddie realizes that saving himself means finally figuring out what really happened all those years ago.My ReviewThis is a book that's received much praise, but also a fair amount of criticism. It's definitely one that has split the crowd somewhat, and whenever that happens, I know that it's a book that I need to read so that I can see which side of the fence I'll choose.I went into this one with an open mind, and hoping for the best. After reading a spate of books that I liked but that didn't blow me away, I was ready for something amazing. I'm happy to report that this book was great, perhaps not great enough for 5 stars, but still great. The book had a fantastic opening chapter, but it is slightly gruesome and it caught me off guard. (I love it when that happens!). The story then progresses with alternating chapters set in the past and in the present. I was reminded somewhat of Stephen King's writing style in that the chapters set in the past were narrated by a young twelve year old Eddie, and the current chapters were narrated by an adult Eddie. I really enjoyed this change in viewpoint, and I do seem to enjoy books that have young narrators.I found it quite amazing that this is a debut novel as the author does a great job of pulling the reader into the story. It's gripping and it has a number or twists and turns. On the negative side, I did find that there were a few plot holes, although the story did, for the most part, pull together well. But I did still have questions, and I wish I didn't. It could very well have been the author's intention to leave us wondering about certain things, but in this case I would have preferred the story to have a clear ending, to have been wrapped up neatly. But let me say this, the last chapter of this book left me reeling. I did not see it coming, but it also left me with an overriding sensation that I needed to sit down with someone else who had read the book and chat about the ending, and the implications. Not altogether a bad thing I suppose. The reader is definitely left thinking with this one.It's a good read people. And if any of you do read it, feel free to pop me a message so that we can chat. :-)My Rating: * * * *Publication Date: March 2018 (South Africa)Genre: Crime FictionFormat: Trade PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, C. J. Tudor and Penguin Random House SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

Three Things About Elsie

My rating: * * * Goodreads DescriptionThere are three things you should know about Elsie. The first thing is that she’s my best friend. The second is that she always knows what to say to make me feel better. And the third thing… might take a little bit more explaining. 84-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. As she waits to be rescued, Florence wonders if a terrible secret from her past is about to come to light; and, if the charming new resident is who he claims to be, why does he look exactly like a man who died sixty years ago? From the author of THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP, this book will teach you many things, but here are three of them: 1) The fine threads of humanity will connect us all forever. 2) There is so very much more to anyone than the worst thing they have ever done. 3) Even the smallest life can leave the loudest echo.My ReviewI loved this author's debut novel, The Trouble With Goats and Sheep but unfortunately I wasn't quite as impressed with this one. I don't know if I'm just in an unlucky patch at the moment, or whether my reading mojo is badly off, but I seem to be reading a number of books lately that I like, but that I don't love. I'm dying to read a book that I just fall in love with, and from the blurb on the back cover of this book, I was hoping that this one was going to be it...but alas. It was another book that I liked and nothing more.This is a book about getting old, about being young, about the special people that enter our lives and that we carry with us for the length and breadth of our days. This book had all the makings of a sentimental and charming read, and to some extent it was. It's also a fairly heart-warming story and very humorous at times too. It's a story that intertwines humour and mystery, and I'm not quite sure why I didn't like it more.When a strange man moves into the retirement village where Florence lives, she thinks she recognizes him, and seeks confirmation from her friend Elsie. But there's a problem - the man they think they know died tragically many years ago. But why does this stranger scare Florence so? And why does he seem so familiar, even down to the scar on the side of his face? It's this mystery that's unraveled during the course of the story. So, did I like this? Well, sort of. There are some really great lines in this story, lines that I found myself re-reading because they summed up so perfectly my feelings about certain things. There was also a lot of good humour and some characters that were extremely likable, Florence being one of them. It's a cosy, safe read, with a little bit of drama and mystery, but the story just lacked any real pull for me. I found that it dragged in parts and I actually took quite a long time to finish this read because I never felt truly mesmerized by the story.Let's just say, I'm still waiting patiently for my next great, brilliant and utterly amazing read. This wasn't it unfortunately, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a good read, from a good author.My Rating: * * * Publication Date: March 2018 (South Africa)Genre: General FictionFormat: Trade PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Joanna Cannon and Jonathan Ball SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

Anatomy Of A Scandal

My rating: * * * Goodreads DescriptionSophie’s husband James is a loving father, a handsome man, a charismatic and successful public figure. And yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to rip them apart. Kate is the lawyer hired to prosecute the case: an experienced professional who knows that the law is all about winning the argument. And yet Kate seeks the truth at all times. She is certain James is guilty and is determined he will pay for his crimes. Who is right about James? Sophie or Kate? And is either of them informed by anything more than instinct and personal experience? Despite her privileged upbringing, Sophie is well aware that her beautiful life is not inviolable. She has known it since she and James were first lovers, at Oxford, and she witnessed how easily pleasure could tip into tragedy. Most people would prefer not to try to understand what passes between a man and a woman when they are alone: alone in bed, alone in an embrace, alone in an elevator… Or alone in the moonlit courtyard of an Oxford college, where a girl once stood before a boy, heart pounding with excitement, then fear. Sophie never understood why her tutorial partner Holly left Oxford so abruptly. What would she think, if she knew the truth?My ReviewFor those of you that like your novels to build slowly, for the suspense to tick along, page by page, and to then have the odd bit of legal procedure tossed in to the mix, this novel will be for you! It's been such a long time since I've read a cracking legal thriller that I was really excited to get into this one. It's been a much hyped up book and I've eagerly awaited its release since first hearing about it. For me, the let-down in regard to this one was that it contained very little courtroom action, and the courtroom scenes that there were, seemed rather pedestrian and lacked the gripping nature of other legal thrillers that I've read. Having said that, I did enjoy the general story which focuses on Holly, Kate, Sophie and James, and their interactions with each other. This is also a book about abuse and more specifically, about rape. At the heart of this story is a theme that most of us in South Africa understand all too well - how easy it is for people in government and in powerful positions to get away with all sorts of criminal behaviour, and how they seem to be above the law.I found this novel to be a slow one. It's a good read but it definitely doesn't rocket along. There were stages where I felt that the pace could have been increased somewhat and where, if truth be told, I would skim read a few pages to move the story along. I'm never really a fan of that and what it ultimately means is that although I enjoyed the story, a rating of anything higher than 3 stars couldn't be justified. It's a good one, but it's not going to make it onto my list of 2018 favourites.My Rating: * * * Publication Date: March 2018 (South Africa)Genre: Suspense / Court-Room DramaFormat: Trade PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Sarah Vaughan and Jonathan Ball SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

Baby Doll

My rating: * * *Goodreads DescriptionYou've been held captive in one room, mentally and physically abused every day, since you were sixteen years old. Then, one night, you realize your captor has left the door to your cell unlocked. For the first time in eight years, you're free. This is about what happens next ... Lily knows that she must bring the man who nearly ruined her life - her good-looking high-school teacher - to justice. But she never imagined that reconnecting with her family would be just as difficult. Reclaiming her relationship with her twin sister, her mother, and her high school sweetheart who is in love with her sister may be Lily's greatest challenge. After all they've been through, can Lily and her family find their way back after this life-altering trauma?My ReviewI realize that I'm a little late to the party with this one as most people read and raved about this book a year or two ago when it was first published, but better late than never, right? Frankly, I feel a little bit let down by this one. I remember hearing and reading such glowing reviews about this book at the time of its publication, and I was convinced that I was in for a riveting read, but instead I got something that I found to be only so-so.Firstly, let me mention that this story isn't about Lily's time spent in captivity, or her daily life and experiences at the hands of a cruel kidnapper, but rather this story focuses on her life afterwards. It's a story about how Lily copes once she finds freedom, about how she readjusts to life back with her family, about how they've all changed in her absence, about how she plans on moving forward, and about whether it's possible to move forward after having had an experience like the one she's had.My experience of this book is that is lacked action, suspense and drama. It's a book that was compared to "Gone Girl" by the publishers, a comparison which I find to be totally misleading. This book is nothing at all like Gone Girl in that it lacks the thrilling aspects of that novel, the scenes that kept you on the edge of your seat. Does that make this a bad book? No it doesn't, it just means that I was expecting something other than what I got. If you've expecting a thrilling, suspenseful novel then you're going to be let down by this one, but if you understand this book for what it is - a tale of a young woman's struggle after a traumatic experience - then you may really enjoy it. And for those of you that love twists and turns, you won't find any in this book, although let me say this - there was a scene where something happened that was totally unexpected, and that I loved. The book had been so "normal" up until that point that even this small, yet unexpected event got my heart racing.In conclusion, I found this one a little bit too pedestrian for my liking. It was okay, and I don't regret reading it, but I won't be shouting it's praises from the rooftops. If you come across it and you feel like a fairly fast and easy read, then give it a try. My Rating: * * *Publication Date: 2016 (South Africa)Genre: Mystery / Crime FictionFormat: PaperbackSource: My own purchased copy.

The Marriage Pact

My rating: * * *Goodreads DescriptionWould you stake your life on your marriage? Newlyweds Jake and Alice are offered a mysterious wedding gift - membership of a club which promises its couples will never divorce. Signing The Pact seems the start to a perfect marriage. Until one of them breaks the rules. The marriage of their dreams is about to become their worst nightmare. Because The Pact is for life. And its members will do anything to make sure no one leaves . . .My ReviewIf there was ever a tale of two halves, this is it!To be brutally honest, the first half of this book had me less than riveted. I couldn't get my head around the concept of this story, and it just seemed much too far fetched and unbelievable to me. No-one in their right mind would ever join something like The Pact. The more I learnt about The Pact, with it's rules and regulations, and punishments, the more I found the whole story just totally ridiculous. And to think that two professional people, one a lawyer and the other a psychologist, would get themselves involved with something like The Pact just seemed much too unlikely. The Pact is nothing more than an extreme cult. But then I realized something: all over the world, every day, people join cults that sound absolutely absurd and bizarre to many of us, but yet, they often have a loyal following, and people willingly sign up to the rules and regulations of that specific cult.Once I got my mind around that, the story improved. And then I hit the half way point in the book, and wow, did the pace rocket forward. Suddenly I found myself totally engrossed in Jake and Alice and their encounters with the representatives of The Pact. When Jake is taken off to an old prison, now used by The Pact for meting out punishments, I couldn't turn the pages of this book fast enough. I was so taken with the story, with what was happening to Jake, with the things that he was experiencing, that I couldn't put the book down. I read the second half of this book in two days flat.The truth of the matter is this: in order to enjoy this book, you need to be able to suspend disbelief. If you are the type of person that battles to do that, then I don't recommend you read this story, because quite frankly, you won't enjoy it. I'm not normally the type of person that can read stories such as this one, but I managed here because I pushed my disbelief aside and focused on enjoying the story for its entertainment value. And I did actually enjoy it. I wouldn't absolutely rave about it, and yes, the concept of this story is pretty absurd, and I wasn't a massive fan of the ending, but I was entertained by this read.Because of my see-sawing emotions throughout this book, I found this one very difficult to rate. At first, I was convinced that the story was heading for 2 stars. At one point I even considered giving up on it. But I generally don't like to give up on books, and I'm so glad that I didn't with this one because by the second half, I had changed my mind, and wanted to award 4 stars. As I turned the final page and put this book down on the couch next to me, I still wasn't exactly sure how I felt about it. All I can tell you is that it's definitely good enough to read. If, like me, the concept of The Pact just sounds much too over the top to you, consider pushing on. It's fairly entertaining, if of course you can handle the absurd nature of the plot.So, all things considered, I'm going to go with 3 stars for this one...it was entertaining in a bizarre sort of way, and I did really enjoy the second half, but I didn't love the first half, I didn't love the plot and I didn't love the ending...so it gets 3 stars from me. My Rating: * * *Publication Date: December 2017 (South Africa)Genre: Psychological ThrillerFormat: Trade PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Michelle Richmond and Penguin Random House SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

The Woman In The Window

My rating: * * * *Goodreads DescriptionAnna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors. Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare. What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems. My ReviewThis one gets a solid 4 stars from me! I really loved the premise of this story. The idea of having a child psychologist who develops a mental illness herself was quite a novel idea. Anna is not able to leave her house, not even to walk around her garden. She cannot open the front door and look up at the sky, as this scares her. This is because Anna is agoraphobic, a condition that she's been suffering for over a year. Because of this, Anna often sits at her bedroom window and looks out across her neighborhood, across the street, watching her neighbours come and go, watching them live their lives in a way that she cannot. And this is when she sees something terrible happening in a house across the street.I've read some reviews where the reviewer has said that they really didn't like Anna, that they couldn't relate to her because of her house-bound circumstances, and her drinking problem. And yes, Anna has a serious drinking problem, and yes, she cannot leave the house, but I found these aspects of her character fascinating. Why does she drink like she does? And what caused her mental illness? Unlike others, I actually really liked Anna.I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to have such an intense fear of open space and blue skies, a fear so strong that one is unable to leave the house. I have an intense fear of flying. I'm not even able to think about an upcoming flight, even if it's 6 months away, without wanting to be sick. My fear is so bad that sometimes I'm not even sure that I want to travel because then I have to deal with the flight. I'm happy to go on holiday if we can drive, but overseas holidays (which I do every year) cause me a great deal of anxiety and stress. My fear is terrible, but I try not to let it stop me from doing things that I really want to do. On a positive note, at least I only have to deal with my fear once or twice a year. Imagine a fear that is with you every single day, that totally changes your life, that stops you from living? No, I actually can't imagine that. And this is what makes Anna so interesting, and why I found this whole story fascinating.Coupled with this aspect of the story is Anna's relationship with her husband and daughter. Early on in the story we learn that Anna lives on her own, and obviously this poses the question, why? It's a question that takes the majority of the story to answer, but when it's answered, it's a shock. I didn't see that twist coming, and I love it when that happens.This is not a fast paced story. And it's not a happy, uplifting story either. At times, and when you really think about the things that are happening, the things that you learn as the story progresses, it's pretty sad and somewhat depressing. But my word, this is a good story! I really enjoyed this book and even though I did find it slow, especially the first half, I also found that the tension was building nicely. This is a debut novel by this author, and I'll definitely be reading whatever he publishes next!My Rating: * * * * Publication Date: February 2018 (South Africa)Genre: Psychological Suspense ThrillerFormat: Trade PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, A.J Finn and Jonathan Ball SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

The Collector

My rating: * * * * *Goodreads DescriptionThe Collector by Fiona Cummins is the gripping sequel to Rattle.Jakey escaped with his life and moved to a new town. His rescue was a miracle but his parents know that the Collector is still out there, watching, waiting…Clara, the girl he left behind, is clinging to the hope that someone will come and save her.Life has fallen apart for Clara's mother as she starts to lose hope. The Bone Collector has a new apprentice to take over his family's legacy. But he can't forget the boy who got away and the detective who had destroyed his dreams.Detective Etta Fitzroy's life collapsed when the Collector escaped. With Clara still missing, and a new wave of uncannily similar murders beginning, will she be able to find him again?The Collector is back and this time he has nothing to lose . . .My ReviewI've always thought that writing a sequel to a great selling, much loved first novel must be incredibly difficult. The pressure to live up to the expectations of your readers and fans, who are all wanting a cracker of a novel, one that tops the first one, must be a real burden on any author's shoulders. Well, fear not. Fiona Cummins has written a sequel that is every bit as gripping, entertaining and creepy as her first novel. This one is just as good, if not a tiny bit better than Rattle. This story picks up from where the first one left off, and as such, I do feel that you would be doing yourself a disservice by not reading Rattle first. Although this book could technically be read as a stand alone, I feel that you would be missing out on a whole lot if you weren't familiar with the events that had transpired in the past. Many of the characters are the same, and it's pretty important to the enjoyment of the sequel to know what happened at the end of the first book as things do take off from there.Just like the first book, this one is very creepy. There were scenes where I had my heart in my throat, where I got chills down my spine, where I wanted to shout out to a certain character and warn them, to "watch out" or to "run faster". The Bone Collector is one creepy dude, and his fascination with people who are in some way deformed is creepy on it's own. Add to that his macabre collection of beetles that he uses to rid human bones of their flesh, and the hook swaying from the attic roof, and you'll be hard pressed to find any reader that isn't disturbed. One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book was that I was taken back into The Bone Collector's past. I got a glimpse of his family life, at his life as a boy, at his relationship with his parents, and at their relationship with each other. It's always interesting to try and figure out how and why people become the people that they are...the nature versus nurture debate. And so it was great that the author went some way in pulling back the curtain on The Bone Collector's past. Bookworms, this book is a great sequel. I can almost guarantee you that you'll fly through the pages, that you won't be able to put this one down. Be prepared to lose some sleep, and to ignore your loved ones when you read this one! It's entertainment on steroids. My Rating: * * * * *Publication Date: February 2018 (South Africa)Genre: Crime ThrillerFormat: Trade PaperbackSource: Review copy received from the publisher. Many thanks to author, Fiona Cummins and Pan Macmillan SA for my copy. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.