Kim Ebner's Blog, page 9

Sirens

Publication Date: 12 January 2017Goodreads DescriptionSirens is the brooding and assured debut from Joseph Knox, the next big name in crime fiction.Set in a sprawling, twilight northern city, Sirens introduces Aidan Waits, a disgraced young detective caught stealing drugs from evidence and subsequently blackmailed into going undercover. When an MP's daughter runs away from home, Waits is sent to track her down and finds himself at the centre of a maelstrom of drugs, blackmail and deception.Uncovering the motives of those involved, he's thrown forwards through politicians, police and drug lords - towards a conclusion and a truth he really doesn't want to know.My ReviewI found that this one got off to a slow start and I didn't feel totally engaged at first. I was reading a few pages and then losing interest and doing something else. I wasn't sure if this was because the book hadn't totally gripped me or because life was getting in the way. Either way though, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. But the good news is that once the story progressed, I got into it and I found myself liking it.This is a dark tale about drugs, murder, lies and deceit. A lot of this story centers around the drug world. People use drugs, sell drugs, do crazy things on drugs, overdose and so it goes on. This is a theme that runs throughout the book and even the lead character, Detective Aiden Waits has his problems. So you'll need to be prepared for that. This book is set in a seedy underworld and in an environment that is probably very foreign to most of us. But that's also what made me like this story. It opened my eyes to a whole new world, one that is dark and dangerous, where anything can happen and where people live by a different set of rules.As for the main character, wow, does he have his problems! He is flawed in many ways, and that in turn makes him fit perfectly into the seedy, corrupt world in which he finds himself on his assignment. I must be honest though, if I was his boss, I'm not sure that I would trust him to walk around the block let alone go undercover into a dangerous world. Be that as it may, the author does a good job of introducing character after character that are flawed, unstable and often, unlikable. And maybe that it one of the problems with this book - everyone is messed up and I didn't feel that I bonded strongly with any of the characters.I've spent a long time thinking about why this book didn't totally wow me, why I liked it without loving it and I haven't been able to come up with a solid answer. I think I was expecting more from it, and so perhaps I felt let down. As mentioned, the characters are difficult to like and perhaps that was also an issue. I never felt that I was truly in Detective Waits head, that I actually knew what made him tick. There's no doubt that he's a complicated character but I never felt like I truly understood the reasons why he did the things he did and lived the life he lived. My understanding of him was superficial. The book was also a little long winded, with lots of characters coming and going. I did battle to get into it and I never found myself thinking about it when I wasn't reading it.In summary then, it was okay, well perhaps a little bit more than okay, it was good. If you're a fan of dark and dirty crime thrillers, then this one will be for you.My rating: * * *Many thanks to author Joseph Knox and publishers Penguin Random House SA for my copy.

Desperation Road

Publication Date: 23 February 2017Goodreads DescriptionFor eleven years the clock has been ticking for Russell Gaines as he sits in Parchman penitentiary. His sentence now up, Russell believes his debt has been paid. But when he returns home, he discovers that revenge lives and breathes all around him.Meanwhile, a woman named Maben and her young daughter trudge along the side of the interstate. Desperate and exhausted, the pair spend their last dollar on a room for the night, a night that ends with Maben holding a pistol and a dead deputy sprawled in the middle of the road.With the dawn, destinies collide, and Russell is forced to decide whose life he will save—his own or those of the woman and child.My ReviewIt's been a long time since I've been so utterly and totally enthralled by a book within the first few chapters. This story really does get off to a rocketing start. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. By the time I had read the first ten percent of the book it felt like so much had happened. It was totally action packed and I thought I was going to be in for a roller coaster of a ride. Unfortunately the pace does slow down significantly after that.This book follows the story of Maben and Russell, who don't meet each other until more than halfway through the book. There are lots of other characters as well and I must say, the character development in this book is excellent. I felt that I got to know the characters, that I understood their feelings and their actions. But the book in general seemed to me to be a little slow and after the rollicking start it got off to, I found this a little disappointing. This is definitely a character driven story and although it is very well written, be it a little bit different with its long sentences and infrequent use of commas, I didn't find it exceptional. I kept on waiting for something dramatic to happen but alas, I turned the last page to a fairly sedate ending.So, does that deserve 3 stars you may ask? Well, the fact of the matter is that this is a haunting and dark novel, it's well written with prose that is powerful and strong, that paints a picture in the readers mind and even though it's slow, I did keep turning the pages. By the end of the read I realised that I did like it but it hadn't blown me away. I had wanted to love this novel and so I waited patiently for the wow moment to hit me over the head, the moment that would have made this a 4 star read. That never materialised and hence my 3 stars.My rating: * * *Many thanks to the author Michael Farris Smith, the publishers Oldcastle Books and NetGalley for my copy.

Behind Her Eyes

Publication Date: 31 January 2017Goodreads DescriptionLouise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend, but she also just happens to be married to David. David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife, but then why is David so controlling, and why is Adele so scared of him?As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong, but Louisecan’t guess how wrong―and howfar a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.My ReviewLet me say at the outset that it's important to me when writing reviews that I don't give too much away or spoil the book for all you Bookworms who still intend to read it. And let me also say that that is what makes reviewing this book so difficult. I really don't want to give anything away and so this review is going to be fairly short.To sum up this book in one word..."amazing"! This book is classified as a psychological thriller and in general, I would agree with that classification. But let me also mention that this book doesn't fit perfectly into that box. You'll need to take what you know about psychological thrillers, put it aside and read this book with a totally open mind, knowing that the story might just go in directions that you didn't expect. But isn't that great? I think so. There's nothing predictable about this read and it doesn't play by the normal rules. That also means that some people love it and others don't, especially the ending. Personally, I loved the ending and I found that the hits just kept on coming. But, I have heard others mention that they hated the ending and that they found it too far fetched. I'll leave that up to you to decide.This is a book with fascinating characters, and personally I really liked Louise, despite her faults. It's a book that builds slowly but yet, it's never boring. It keeps you wondering, asking questions and not always being sure of your feelings. It's a book that's told from two perspectives and that also moves between the present and the past. And it's a book that doesn't follow conventional plotting. I absolutely loved this one. One of my favourites of the year so far. Give it a try and let me know what you thought. I'm really keen to hear from other Bookworms about this one.My rating: * * * * *Many thanks to author, Sarah Pinborough, publishers HarperCollins UK and distributors, Jonathan Ball for my copy.

All The Missing Girls

Publication Date: 2 February 2017Goodreads DescriptionLike the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far wewould be willing to go to protect those we love.My ReviewAt the outset let me mention that I found the style of this book pretty difficult to get used to. The actual writing was good but the structure was different and initially difficult to get my mind around. This is because the story is told in reverse, or to put it another way, told backwards. So, you are introduced to the characters and to the basic story, and then the book jumps forward by two weeks to Day 15, and then each subsequent chapter is one day earlier. Thus, you read about the events of Day 15 before you read about what happened the previous day, being Day 14, and so on. To be honest though, I didn't mind this. It did mean that I needed to concentrate and, if truth be told, it did lead to a slightly jarring story, but I didn't ever feel lost or like I didn't know what was going on.Because of the way the book is written, I would say that this book is best read as an actual book rather than an ebook, as it would have been nice to flip back sometimes to match up people and events. That is much more difficult to do on a Kindle and, in fact, I didn't even attempt it even though there were times when I felt that I wanted to. But having said that, the structure of the book was quite clever and by the end of the story, you knew exactly what had happened. I did, however, cast my mind back to the chapters I had read in an attempt to figure out the sequence and how it fitted together. I think that certain parts of the story and events did get a little bit "lost" in the strange sequence as one's brain isn't used to reading that way, but the story did come together as a whole by the end.I found that I did really love this story. It was cleverly done, the characters were interesting, if not total odd balls and the story pulled together well. A comment on the strangeness of the characters - be warned, they were all absolutely weird. This did make the story interesting though, or at least, I thought so. Personally, I love odd characters. The main character Nic, turned out to be very strange indeed and Corinne and Annaleise, well they were just totally nuts. Tyler was unusual and Daniel behaved so strangely at times that I found it difficult to bond with him. But, the strange thing is that I actually liked most of the characters despite their flaws.In conclusion, if the blurb appeals to you, give this one a try. It's a great read but you just need to be prepared for the different structure.My rating: * * * *Many thanks to author, Megan Miranda, publishers Atlantic Books and NetGalley for my copy.

I've been Nominated!

A huge thanks and a big shout out to my fellow book blogger, Lauren over at Lauren's Book Addiction (https://laurensbookaddiction.wordpres...) for my first nomination for the Blogger Recognition Awards. It was a huge surprise and a very good way to start my Monday morning! Thanks Lauren. Big hugs to you!RULES OF THE AWARD:1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.2. Write a post to show your award.3. Give a brief story of how your blog started.4. Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.5. Select other bloggers you want to give this award to.6. Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide a link to the post you created.My StoryThe Buzzing Bookmark is only 3.5 months old and so it's still a baby, but I've loved doing it and I'm happy to see the following growing steadily. I started the page so that I could share my love of reading with others and in an attempt to help casual readers find something gripping to read next. As a book blogger, your followers get to know your reading style and once they're read a few books that you recommended and should they agree with your review of the book, then they start to trust your recommendations. They buy books on the basis of what you suggest. I love this aspect of blogging and find it very rewarding.I've been a serious bookworm all my life and in the last few years, my obsession has grown. For the last two years I've read over 80 books a year, and that's with a full time job. I always allow for an hour or two in the evenings to get some reading in and this is usually done snuggled up in bed, my favourite book reading spot. And of course I love weekends with no plans which means I can get to read until my heart's content.AdviceMy first piece of advice for first time book bloggers and those just starting out is pace yourself with your reading and subsequent reviews. If you register on NetGalley and you are lucky enough to be approved as a "professional reader", then start slowly. Don't request so many titles that you can't possible review them by their publication dates. My advice is to request no more than three or four books, read them, review them and then request more. It's difficult to do, especially at first because it feels like Christmas has come early, but do try.My second piece of advice is to always write honest reviews. That means giving a negative review if you didn't like the book. Your followers want to be able to trust you and they can't do that if everything you read you love. Not all books appeal to all of us, and you need to be strong enough to write a negative review even if its for an author that you usually love.And so with that, here are my nominees for the award:1) Karen - http://www.myreadingcorner.co.uk/2) Sue - http://sueandherbooks.blogspot.co.za/3) Lynne - https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/4) Amy - https://novelgossip.com/5) Chelsea - https://thesuspenseisthrillingme.com/6) Tracey Fenton - http://www.compulsivereaders.com/7) Lorraine - https://thebookreviewcafe.com/8) Sam - https://cluesandreviews.wordpress.com/9) Gemma - https://gemmasbookreviews.wordpress.c...) Kate - https://bibliophilebookclub.com/11) Jules - https://littlemissnosleep.wordpress.com/

When Breath Becomes Air

Publication Date: 5 January 2017Goodreads DescriptionAt the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor making a living treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. Just like that, the future he and his wife had imagined evaporated. When Breath Becomes Air, which features a Foreword by Dr. Abraham Verghese and an Epilogue by Kalanithi’s wife, Lucy, chronicles Kalanithi’s transformation from a naïve medical student “possessed,” as he wrote, “by the question of what, given that all organisms die, makes a virtuous and meaningful life” into a young neurosurgeon at Stanford, guiding patients toward a deeper understanding of death and illness, and finally into a patient and a new father to a baby girl, confronting his own mortality.What makes life worth living in the face of death? What do you do when the future, no longer a ladder toward your goals in life, flattens out into a perpetual present? What does it mean to have a child, to nurture a new life as another fades away? These are some of the questions Kalanithi wrestles with in this profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir.Paul Kalanithi died in March 2015, while working on this book, yet his words live on as a guide and a gift to us all. “I began to realize that coming face to face with my own mortality, in a sense, had changed nothing and everything,” he wrote. “Seven words from Samuel Beckett began to repeat in my head: ‘I can’t go on. I’ll go on.’” When Breath Becomes Air is an unforgettable, life-affirming reflection on the challenge of facing mortality and on the relationship between doctor and patient, from a gifted writer whobecame both.My ReviewSnuggling down onto my favourite couch on a quiet Wednesday evening, I prepared to start this book which I had been dying to read since the hardcover was published in 2016. Well, I managed to get through the foreword before closing the book, gathering my thoughts and contemplating the words I'd just read. I knew then that I was going to be in for a fairly emotional ride.It's no secret that I'm fascinated by all things medical. I'm curious about the human body, germs, surgeons and surgeries. And so I had a sneaky suspicion I was going to enjoy this book. But here's the thing - you don't need to harbor a secret medical fascination to enjoy this book. Yes, the author was training as a neurosurgeon, but this book isn't strictly about that. It's a book about mortality, about life, about death, about living, about hopes and dreams, about what constitutes a meaningful life. For me, in a way, this was also a tiny downside to the book. I say this because there are parts of this book that are very philosophical. I would actually refer to this book as an "intellectual" read. Although this book does read like a story and although the author does tell the reader about his journey to becoming a neurosurgeon, including giving examples of things he saw and patients he treated, the book is very much a discussion about life, about what it means to have lived a good life and about how to face death. And yes, I did enjoy those discussions but I was more fascinated by the medical side to the story, and the human side. About how it felt to receive such a terrible diagnosis, to have to give up your "calling" and the career that you had trained so hard for, to know that your death was closer than you ever could have imagined.But let me tell you something, this is a wonderful read. It's a book that made me get up in the morning, dress for work, get into the traffic, think about the files on my desk and everything I had to get done that day, and actually feel happy about it. This book made me feel happy to be alive, to have my health, to know that all my loved ones had their health, to be in a position where I was able to go to work and worry about mundane things. One question kept ringing in my head while reading this book - "why are some people given wonderful lives and other's not?". This is a book that will make you think about that a lot. And as we all know, there is no answer to that question. It's a great read. Sad but wonderful.My rating: * * * *Many thanks to Penguin Random House SA, Penguin UK as well as to the author and Lucy, for my review copy.

The Devil's Work

Publication Date: 13 September 2016Goodreads DescriptionIt was the job she had dreamed of since childhood. But on her very first day, when an unnerving encounter drags up memories Sophie Greenwood would rather forget, she wonders if she has made a mistake. A fatal mistake.What is her ambitious young assistant really up to? And what exactly happened to Sophie’s predecessor? When her husband and daughter are pulled into the nightmare, Sophie is forced to confront the darkest secrets she has carried for years.As her life begins to fall apart at work and at home, Sophie must race to uncover the truth about her new job…before it kills her.My ReviewThe prologue got this book off to a rollicking start and set the scene for what was to follow, being a gripping, tense and at times, freaky story. I've heard a lot of good things about author Mark Edwards but until now, I had never read any of his books. And I'm very glad that I gave this one a go. I'll definitely be reading more by this author.The strange thing about this book was that I didn't immediately like many of the characters, but yet I loved the story from the outset. Sophie was okay at first but I soon found her irritating with her willingness-to-please-at-all-costs attitude and her naivety. Cassie was an absolute cow who I couldn't stand. Their boss at the publishing house, Simon, was a self centered pain. Even Sophie's husband got on my nerves. So, luckily for me, it wasn't a prerequisite that I like all the characters in order to like the book. And as things turned out, Sophie did grow on me as the story progressed and by the end of the book we were friends.This story jumps between 2015 and the past, to a time when Sophie was at University. The link between the timelines isn't fully clear at first. All the reader knows is that Sophie's best friend while at University, Jasmine, is the granddaughter of the CEO of the publishing house where Sophie now works as an adult. Even as the story unfolds in the second half of the book, the link still isn't clear and in fact, very few chapters in the second half are set in the past. The prologue also didn't appear to have any link to the story and I couldn't see how the author was going to pull it all together. But never fear, pull it all together is what he did and in a great and thrilling way, with plenty of action and drama. I loved this book and would definitely recommend it for fans of fast paced thrillers.My rating: * * * *I bought my own copy of this book to read and review.

Bad Little Girl

Publication Date: 22 February 2017Goodreads Description‘I’m not safe – you have to help me…’Little Lorna Bell is from a notorious family on a rundown estate. Everyone thinks she’s a nasty piece of work. The schoolchildren call her a thief. But Lorna’s hair is matted, her shoes pinch her feet and school teacher Claire Penny can’t help herself; some kids just need a bit more support, a bit more love, than the rest.As the bond between teacher and pupil grows stronger, Claire sees Lorna’s bruises, and digs to uncover the disturbing tale behind them. Heartbroken, Claire knows she has to act. She must make Lorna safe.Just when Claire thinks she has protected Lorna, a chance encounter brings enigmatic stranger Marianne Cairns into their lives. Marianne seems generous and kind but there is something about her story that doesn’t quite add up. Why does she feel so at home, and why is Lorna suddenly so unsettled?My ReviewI have slightly mixed feelings about this one. I felt that the plot had a lot of potential but failed to deliver fully. The book is on the long side and I felt that it dragged at times. The first half seemed overly descriptive, going into detail about Claire's home life, her teaching and her relationship with her mother, none of which really contributed to the story in any meaningful way. From there the story jumps forward by a year and starts to become slightly implausible. Without giving anything away, the decision to rescue Lorna and the introduction of the character Marrianne, who suddenly becomes such an integral part of Claire's life, seemed to me to be a tad far fetched. The story also seems a little rushed towards the end. At the end of the day, I did like the concept of this book. And it did entertain me somewhat, even though I found it longer than perhaps it needed to be. Ideally, I would have liked the story to move a little faster and for Marrianne to have had a more believable relationship with Claire and Lorna. For these reasons I'm finding it difficult to award more than 2 stars. I really wanted to love this book but it didn't deliver for me. But you should note that this book gets some great reviews and my opinion is in the minority.My rating: * *My thanks to author Frances Vick, Bookouture publishers and Netgalley for my review copy. It was my pleasure to write an honest review.

The Best Of Adam Sharp

Publication Date: 9 February 2017Goodreads DescriptionCan you define your life by a single song?Adam Sharp - former pianist in a hip Melbourne bar, now a respectable IT consultant in Norwich - can. And it's 'You're Going to Lose that Girl' . . .On the cusp of fifty and a happy introvert, Adam is content. He's the music expert at his local pub-quiz and he and his partner Claire rumble along. Life may not be rock n' roll, but neither is it easy listening. Yet something has always felt off-key.And that's his nostalgia for what might have been, his blazing affair - more than twenty years ago, on the other side of the world - with Angelina Brown, a smart and sexy, strong-willed actress who taught him for the first time, as he played piano and she sang, what it meant to find - and then lose - love. How different might his life be if he hadn't let her walk away?My ReviewThis book was a serious departure from the type of books that I usually read, but I was given the opportunity to read it and I actually felt like I needed a break from the murder, mayhem and twisted minds that constitute the subject matter of my favourite genres.I had previously readThe Rosie Projectby this author, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and so it wasn't a total leap of faith starting this book. Let me say at the outset that the main character in this book, Adam, didn't quite have the same appeal as Don Tillman, but I liked Adam nevertheless. He's a man that's settled, he has an ordinary life, with a partner that he loves but yet the relationship lacks the passion and adoration that he would like. He has largely forgotten about the love of his life, the "one that got away", until a strange and unexpected email arrives in his inbox saying nothing but "Hi". This seemingly innocuous email has complex ramifications and before long, Adam finds himself thinking about the "what ifs", thinking about the Australian actress that stole his heart all those years ago.This is a well written book. It's a book about every day life, about the routine that many of us settle into. But it's also a book about fate, taking chances and how, in life, we often don't appreciate the people that love us most. Was I absolutely blown away by this book? No, not really, but I did like it. To be fair to the author and the book, this isn't really my typical read and so it was going to be very difficult to blow my socks off. I did find it rather strange though, especially the second half. The story went in a direction that I didn't expect, and that I'm not too sure I really understood or could relate to. Simsion's other books are very different to this and I can't say with confidence that because you liked the others, you will like this one. Oh yes, and for those of you with a good knowledge of music, you'll get a kick out of all the references to song's throughout the book. I really liked that aspect. Overall a good read.My rating: * * *Many thanks to author Graeme Simsion, publisher's Penguin UK and NetGalley for my copy.

Good Me, Bad Me

Publication Date: 12 January 2017Goodreads Description'NEW N A M E .NEW F A M I L Y.S H I N Y.NEW.ME . 'Annie's mother is a serial killer.The only way she can make it stop is to hand her in to the police.But out of sight is not out of mind.As her mother's trial looms, the secrets of her past won't let Annie sleep, even with a new foster family and name - Milly.A fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be.But Milly's mother is a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water.Good me, bad me.She is, after all, her mother's daughter...My ReviewOh. My. Gosh. I'm still reeling from this one. Last year when I first heard about this book I knew that I had to read it. The blurb just appealed to me on so many levels. And having finished it a short while ago I can safely say that it lived up to all the hype. This book is a knock out and although it's early days, I'm quite sure that this one will make it on to my list of top ten reads of 2017.The story is narrated by Milly aka Annie. She's the 15 year old daughter of a serial killer. And not just any serial killer. This is a woman who killed children, nine of them to be exact. Until Milly turned her in to the police. And as one can imagine, the country is angry and outraged and they want this vicious serial killer put behind bars. Will Milly stay strong enough to testify against her mother? Will her mother's voice that ricochets around her head finally be put to rest?The author's writing style and the way the story is told is so different to the norm, and I say that in a good way. There are short sentences. And sometimes, even just one word sentences. As the reader, you can't help but feel like you are right inside Milly's head. You read her thoughts and then you read her verbal answers to questions and often the two are polar opposites. Milly doesn't always say what she's thinking. In fact, most of the time she doesn't. This makes for a strong attachment between reader and character. I felt like I was getting to know Milly really well. But was I really? Snippets are dropped atopportune moments that make you step back and think "hold on a minute, what's that about? I didn't expect that from her." Oh yes, this is a great read. It's going to be a big hit in 2017.My rating: * * * * *Many thanks to author Ali Land and publishers Penguin Random House SA and Michael Joseph for my copy.