Book Review: EMMA IN THE NIGHT by Wendy Walker

Title: Emma in the Night

Author: Wendy Walker
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Read: June 2017

Expected publication: 8 August 2017

My Rating:🌟🌟🌟 🌟

We believe what we want to believe. We believe what we need to believe. Maybe there’s no difference between wanting and needing. I don’t know.

Book Description:

Three years ago, two teenage girls, Emma and Cass Tanner, disappeared from their home. Now, Cass has come back, but where is her sister? 

My musings:

You may find this description a bit vague, but believe me when I say that this is a book best delved into blindly to make the most of the mystery lying at its core. So if you haven’t read it yet, please tread with caution – whilst I will try and stay away from spoilers, even little innocent remarks could spoil a major aspect of the plot in this convoluted tale of lies, betrayal and family dysfunction!

Just as I was complaining that there haven’t been enough books out there lately that mess with my mind, I came across Emma in the Night and bang! I eat my words, because this is a book that has all the elements of a twisted psychological thriller. Without giving away too many clues, it is instantly obvious that Cass, the returned teenager, is a troubled soul. Can she be trusted? Have her experiences in the last three years scarred her so much that she has gone crazy, like her mother is claiming (a mother, who Cass calls “Mrs Martin” – go figure)? And what is really going on in the Martin household? These are the questions forensic psychologist Abby Winter is asking herself as she is frantically trying to untangle Cass’ story in a race against time to find her older sister Emma.

Personality disorder and dysfunctional families feature prominently in this dark and disturbed tale, which leads the reader down a path so windy and tangled that one can never quite see the way out of the thorny thicket that is the story of Emma and Cass’ disappearance. Told in part in Cass’ own voice, and partly from the viewpoint of Dr Winter, I was never quite sure who I could believe or trust – which made the story quite intriguing for me! I admit that at times I struggled with the web of family dynamics, which are disturbing to say the least, and which carried a large part of the story.

“Aren’t I a good mother? The best mother you could ever want?”

With some confronting images, this is not for the faint of heart! And although the book is brimming with unlikeable characters, the author’s extensive knowledge of narcissistic personality disorder presents them as three-dimensional personalities, making the tale all the more chilling in its premise.

Summary:

Emma in the Night is a twisty and disturbing tale focusing on family dysfunction, personality disorder and the effects of childhood trauma. With many of the elements that make for a riveting psychological thriller, Walker delivers a story that will stay with you long after the final page has been turned. Highly recommended to lovers of the genre who like a story where nothing is quite as it seems.

Quotes:

I have always liked the expression “rude awakening”. It’s one of those perfect expressions that says everything about something in very few words.

Life feels too strong to go away without some kind of agony.

The truth is, nothing really matters unless we decide it matters.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: SWEET LITTLE LIES by Caz Frear

Title: Sweet Little Lies

Author: Caz Frear
Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre
Read: June 2017

Expected publication: 29 June 2017

My Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟

“Justice? That’s a bit of a lofty goal. I’ll settle for the basic rule that says bad people get punished.”

Book Description:

DC Cat Kinsella’s past and present collide when a current murder investigation throws up links to the disappearance of a girl she knew as a child, and who was never found. Worse still, Cat has always suspected that her father was somehow involved in the events of that long ago summer. Forced to confront her worst fears and suspicions, she may not only be putting her career in jeopardy, but also find more than she bargained for.

My musings:

I really enjoyed Sweet Little Lies, especially the character of Cat, a plucky young detective who added a lot of depth and enjoyment to this interesting police procedural. Although it got off to a bit of a slow start for me, I soon found myself engrossed in the storyline, which threw up some interesting questions and premises. What would you do if you had to investigate a murder that may be connected to events in your past your own parent may have been involved in? Cat’s relationship to her father has always been troubled, to put it mildly, but deep down she is still a young woman who needs to be loved and lay her trust in her family.

Switching between past and present, we get to know an eight-year-old Cat, who still thinks her father is a hero; and an older, wiser and somewhat disillusioned Cat, whose father has long toppled from the pedestal and who she can now see in the cold stark light of reality. As main protagonist, Cat is a well-rounded and interesting character who I could root for, and felt her inner turmoil as she weighs up confessing her own involvement in the case against keeping quiet and running a parallel investigation of her own, knowing that her career would be on the line if anyone ever found out about it. The work dynamics within the murder squad are well-drawn, and added further depth and authenticity to the story. The plot is interesting and throws a few curveballs, offering that surprise twist at the end I had definitely not seen coming. And best of all, the mystery is unraveled slowly and methodically, as more clues are being unearthed by Cat in the process of her investigation – which always adds greatly to the suspense for me. 

Summary:

Sweet Little Lies is a promising debut novel by an author to watch – I really liked the character of DC Cat Kinsella and hope to see her back in many more police procedurals in future. The mixture of personal family conflict and Cat’s professional life added a new dimension to this novel, which set it apart from many books of the same genre. I really enjoyed Sweet Little Lies and don’t hesitate to recommend it to lovers of mystery and crime. 

Quotes:

“ I feel like we’ve walked onto a Bing Cosby film-set and pissed on the fake snow.”

This isn’t Scooby Doo, we’re the police.

The martyrdom of the dead is the bane of a murder detective’s life. It’s hard to pinpoint the truth when people are too busy polishing the halo.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Audiobook Review: DEAD WOMAN WALKING by Sharon Bolton

Title: Dead Woman Walking

Author: Sharon Bolton

Narrator: Julia Barrie
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
Read: June 2017

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Book Description:

A hot air balloon crashes with 13 people on board. Only eleven bodies are recovered. What happened to the other two? And why would someone walk away from the crash without calling for help?

You will need to read it to find out! This is one mystery you should delve into blindly. I repeat -  to make the most out of Bolton’s brilliant storytelling, DO NOT read any reviews until you have finished the book. You can thank me later!

My musings:

I was almost hesitant to pick up Dead Woman Walking, seeing how absolutely GREAT all books by this author have been so far, and I was worried that she could not possibly surpass my previous favourites. But I should have known better – Sharon Bolton is an author on top of her game, and her latest book is no exception. Whilst I will not say any more about the story, for fear of giving away any spoilers, I can safely state that it contains one of the best and most nail-biting cat-and-mouse games I have read in a long, long time. I was actually holding my breath for so long that I felt slightly light-headed with anxiety-induced hypoxia, and that’s not a good thing when you are listening to the audiobook on your daily drive to work!

Apart from characters who are enigmatic, interesting and well-rounded (except the “baddies”, who are suitably terrifying), Bolton delivers her usual hallmark of atmospheric tension, suspense and twists aplenty. This is an author who knows how to mount the tension to near unbearable levels, like nails noisily scraping across a blackboard, before revealing another morsel of information that may help to unravel the Celtic knot that forms this multi-layered plot. With a theme that is contemporary and well-researched, it had me spellbound, asking myself: could this really be happening right under our noses? And although there were times when I thought I had to suspend disbelief a tiny bit to go along with it, Bolton always offered a very plausible explanation for everything that happened (which, for an old cynic like me, is a necessary part of reading pleasure). Bolton also knows how to lay a few bear traps for the unsuspecting reader, and I promptly fell into all of them, every time I thought I was on the right track in working it all out. I am duly humbled ....

A big credit also goes to Julia Barrie, who brought the book to life with her wonderful narration. I loved her ability to adopt different voices and dialects so effortlessly, which created vivid images of all individual characters in my mind. 

Summary:

Dead Woman Walking is the kind of intelligent, multi-layered mystery the author seems to deliver so effortlessly, time and time again. It once again proved why Bolton is very firmly embedded on top of my favourite authors list, and will not be easily toppled. If you want to read one spellbinding mystery this year, make sure to pick up Dead Woman Walking – it will not disappoint!

Personal Reflection: WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR IN A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER?

I love a good psychological thriller, and will crawl over broken glass to get to one. However, I have noticed lately that the use of the term is often quite loosely brandished around. Whilst I have read some excellent psychological thrillers in 2017, a few titles I have picked up lately have been very disappointing, and I have felt let down, cheated, deflated. It has prompted some reflection on my part: As a reader, am I too picky & hard to please? Too spoiled by a few exceptionally good books that I can no longer enjoy their lesser counterparts?

What IS a psychological thriller?

According to director John Madden, good psychological thrillers have a story to tell, there’s character development, choice and moral conflict, and narratives keep that situation revolving, developing and evolving in ways that you don’t expect right to the end. Whilst thrillers place emphasis on action, psychological thrillers focus on the mind games people play with each other or themselves. He may have been talking about films, but the same goes for books.

What am I looking for in a psychological thriller?

Relatable setting:

Seeing the rising popularity of domestic noir novels, readers obviously like settings that are familiar to them: the home or the workplace; the daily commute, a holiday, a journey, picking the kids up from school, arguing with neighbours. I agree that as a reader, I like to be able to relate to the situations the characters find themselves in (i.e. real people in crazy circumstances), and to ask myself: what would I do? How would I react? Whether you’re a fan of The Girl on the Train or not, for me it struck a chord: how many times had I glanced out of the window on my daily commute and wondered what goes on in the apartments and houses of people we passed? Which was probably the number one reason the story sucked me in so deeply in the first place.

Characters who are flawed and yet rounded & believable: 

As a reader, I need to be able to get into the characters’ heads and relate to them, engage with them, “bond” with them if you like. Characters can be unlikeable, but I need something that gels with me in order to be able to root for them. Take, for example, Paul Morris in Sabine Durrant’s Lie with Me. He is your typical anti-hero, and yet I could relate to him, feel for him, want things to get better for him. Personally, I don’t do well with a cast full of characters I dislike – if I don’t care at all what happens to them, there is really no point in reading on.

An engaging, original voice: 

This goes for any book, really. If the book speaks to me, I will want to read on. Personally, I love a bit of humour in a book, and it will go a long way towards making me like the story. One of the most original voices I have come across this year is Simon Lelic’s The House. Yes, the book had its flaws, but the two main characters’ voices were so original, humorous and engaging that they drew me in instantly.

Atmosphere: 

Personally, I like to be shown, not told. I hate long internal monologues or narratives that are overly descriptive, dwelling on boring everyday stuff that is not relevant. That does not mean that the author should not set a scene – sometimes the everyday mundane things can really add to the atmosphere if used the right way. For example, I love the way Nicci French use simple, everyday scenes or objects to set a dark & sinister scene in their Frieda Klein series. I guess the secret here is balance and the use of language. But generally, I love vivid dialogue, which is a great way to present the story a certain way only to twist it around later.

An original twist:

A good psychological thriller needs a good twist. A twist that messes with your mind, like Clare Mackintosh I Let You Go, or Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island, which both floored me. A twist is not simply a series of red herrings tossed in willy-nilly like a bucket of fish guts into a broiling sea, floating off to the horizon. A good twist will leave the reader dumb-struck, but not screwing up their mouth in a sarcastic “yeah, right” sneer and flinging the book against the wall in disgust. In fact, the more a thriller messes with my mind, the better – I like to have at least one moment in the book where I ask myself: WTF is going on????? Most importantly, all loose ends should tie up by the time the novel finishes. There is nothing worse than finishing the last page but realising that things don’t add up or a vital part of the mystery hasn’t been solved or explained.

And last – but definitely not least – 

Tension, suspense & a thrill factor:

It is, after all, called a “thriller”. I want moments so scary that I burrow deeply under my doona, too afraid to step outside the circle of my reading light.

What I don’t like:

• Comparing a book to “Gone Girl” or “Girl on the Train” on the cover does not automatically make it a good read.
• Putting “Girl” in the title does not automatically make it a good read.
• Announcing a “killer twist you won’t see coming” on the cover doesn’t automatically make it a good read – it may actually work against it as the reader is constantly anticipating lies and deception from every character.
• Characters simply telling lies all through the book to later “fess up” with the truth is not a psychological thriller. That’s not messing with your mind – a two year old can do that, and sometimes more convincingly. Some authors confuse this with an “unreliable narrator” – it is NOT the same thing! An unreliable narrator can hide essential truths through evasion, omission or concealment, but cannot be overtly lying.
• Amnesia as the only plot device: no, no, no! That is just cheating. Amnesia can work, BUT ONLY if used correctly, i.e. to mess with the reader’s mind. Take, for example, S.J. Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep, which was simply brilliant! If amnesia is used as a plot device it must go a bit deeper than simply forgetting, e.g. confusing flashbacks, differing witness accounts, self-doubt, discovering small cryptic clues etc.
• Giving away too  much too early. If I know from the start what will happen, and the whole story is simply an explanation of what I already know, I will lose interest – very quickly!
• Trying to manipulate the reader into believing a premise which turns out to be wrong – in a way the reader knows they are being blindsided. For example, making a person appear “bad” to disguise the actions of another character, to an extent where the “bad” character reads like a caricature of a typical villain (whilst I know that I am being tricked). A bit of subtlety goes a long way! This is where messing with my mind come in.
• Throwing in graphic violence for shock value to make up for a lack of suspense. This may work for some readers but not for me. It’s cheating, and it’s not enjoyable.

Phew, I feel better now that I’ve got that off my chest!

Disclaimer: these are my personal opinions only, and other readers may disagree – and that’s ok, since we are all different and what works for one may not work for others.

What are YOU looking for in a psychological thriller?

Book Review: A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE by Shari Lapena

Title: A Stranger in the House

Author: Shari Lapena
Publisher: Random House UK, Transworld Publishers
Read: June 2017

Expected publication: 27 July 2017

My Rating:🌟🌟1/2

Book Description (Goodreads):

You're waiting for your beloved husband to get home from work. You're making dinner, looking forward to hearing about his day.

That's the last thing you remember. You wake up in hospital, with no idea how you got there. They tell you that you were in an accident; you lost control of your car whilst driving in a dangerous part of town.

The police suspect you were up to no good. But your husband refuses to believe it. Your best friend isn't so sure. And even you don't know what to believe . . .

My musings:

The book starts out strong: a man comes home from work to find the house unlocked and his wife’s car gone. The kitchen shows signs of dinner being prepared: a pot of water on the stove, vegetables chopped on the kitchen counter. He calls for his wife but there is no answer. She has left behind her purse and her mobile. Worried, he begins calling her friends, their neighbours, but no one has seen her. Then a policeman knocks on the door ....  Lapena really sets the scene here, and I actually had goosebumps visualising it!

Unfortunately, from here, the books began nosediving for me, like a shot-down plane on its fiery spiral into the abyss. Perhaps the first warning sign was the main protagonist’s amnesia. Don’t get me wrong, amnesia can be a good tool in a psychological thriller if used the right way. Include a few confusing flashbacks, some conflicting witness stories, some inner turmoil, some suspense. But not on its own, not simply to disguise the plot by throwing the big dark blanket of “I can’t remember” over everything just as an excuse to withhold vital information to the reader that could solve this “mystery” in two minutes flat.

A Stranger in the House is a book with very few characters. Tom, Karen and Brigid from next door. And of course the detective, whose name I have already forgotten because for me, he felt like a very forgettable character. There wasn’t a single personality trait to the man that made him stand out from any other run-of-the-mill detective, except that he did not seem to be particularly good at his job.  I was surprised to discover that this was the same detective from The Couple Next Door, the author’s debut novel, which I had enjoyed. Anyway, the problem with a very small cast is that unless they are engaging and captivating, the reader soon loses interest. I thought my life was pretty boring, but compared to this little troupe my social life is a downright circus!  There are no friends, no family, no work colleagues. And to be totally honest, I hated all three characters. So now we have a problem, because I really didn’t care what happens to any of them, especially Brigid, who seemed so stereotypical that I was wondering at times if the author was writing tongue-in-cheek to throw some wild curveball right at the end. But sadly, no.

I am sure that A Stranger in the House will appeal to an audience who is less particular about their fare of “psychological thriller”. The bottom line is – I do want to be thrilled. I want my mind messed with. I want tension, I want suspense. After enjoying The Couple Next Door, it saddens me having to admit that I did not get any of this from A Stranger in the House, even though there were moments when there was real potential for it to become interesting. 

Summary:

After having read a few disappointing “psychological thrillers” lately, I believe that I may simply not be the right audience for A Stranger in the House. It may appeal to people who enjoy a quick and undemanding read for the beach or the plane, but for me was lacking in depth and thrills. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.