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Reviews 2021
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August 3rd, 2021 Meeting Books / Reviews
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LJ wrote: "JUDGMENT CALLS (LegalMyst-DDA Samantha Kincaid-Portland-Contemp) 1st in series - Alafair BurkeDeputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid walks into her office in Portland's Drug and Vice Division o..."
Re The Nesting-- I suspect you mean The Nesting
by C. J. Cooke.
Mod
Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid walks into her office in Portland's Drug and Vice..."
Thank you, Linda; you're right. I also changed out "Crooked Letter" for "Grey Mask" after discovering the group read Crooked Letter in the past.
Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid walks into her office in Portland's Drug and Vice Division one morning to find the sergeant of the police bureau's vice unit waiting for her. A 13-year-old girl has been brutally attacked and left for dead on the city's outskirts. Given the lack of evidence, most lawyers would settle for an assault charge; Samantha, unnerved by the viciousness of the crime, decides to go for attempted murder. But as she prepares for the trial, she uncovers a dangerous trail leading to an earlier high-profile death penalty case, a prostitution ring of underage girls, and a possible serial killer.
Dianne – NR – It suffers from first book-it is; too full of unnecessary description. It's a nasty case, but the solution is the worst, but she did think the trial strategy was interesting. The author failed to carefully set up the case and just dumped out a solution as if she decided the books was long enough and she should wrap it up fast.
Don – Good – Mostly liked it. It definitely seems like a first book. Good characters, fair story, muddled in parts.
Ginny – DNW – Had hoped this would renew her interest in legal thrillers, especially due to the authors impressive legal experience. Sadly, no sooner than she jumped in, she jumped back out. Her interest waned and she stopped reading.
Joni – Good – Became frustrated with the granular legal detail and repetitive storytelling. The book could have been half the length. Liked the twists and turns. The characterizations were okay, but wasn't hugely invested in any of the characters. An example of why it's better to stay away from pop culture references as who remembers who Judge Ito is today. But it kept her engaged.
Marcy – VG - Great book to read when one is new to the Portland area. Samantha Kincaid brought me all over Portland, and even though I am busy unpacking boxes and not able to get out much yet, I now know Portland so much better. This book kept me turning the pages. I'd read some criticism for all the trial detail she includes, but I found that interesting. Ready to read another.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: GOOD
THE NESTING (GothicMys-Lexi Ellis-Norway-Contemp) Standalone - C.J. Cooke
Architect Tom Faraday is determined to finish the high-concept, environmentally friendly home he’s building in Norway—in the same place where he lost his wife, Aurelia, to suicide. Lexi Ellis takes a job as his nanny and immediately falls in love with his two young daughters, especially Gaia. But something feels off in the isolated house nestled in the forest along the fjord. Soon Lexi suspects that Aurelia didn’t kill herself and that they are all in danger from something far more sinister lurking around them.
Charlotte – Okay – Mixed feelings. The beginning seemed so unlikely. But it did keep here interested the whole way through.
Dianne – Good – Not really a fan of gothic themes, but this book was very interesting. Vivid descriptions of Norway and very good writing. The ending was rather implausible, but all in all, it was a good read.
Felicity – Okay - A slow paced read. It is a “gothic thriller.” It has these elements but I was never scared nor all that intrigued with the “mysteries.” It was interesting in a soap opera-y kind of way & mostly unbelievable. It did make me want to visit Norway. A good summertime book—as in a mindless diversion. It was okay.
Ginny – NR - Except for the description of the beautiful fjords in Norway, I found nothing redeemable about this supposed 'thriller'. Sadly, I have already wasted enough time in my life reading The Nesting much less write a review.
Helen – Okay – The beginning was rather ridiculous and the plot make her question what kind of book this was, but it was interesting, as were the relationships. However, there were one too many twists.
Joni – VG – Read it in one night. Loved the pace, the characters, the plot and the concept. The inconsistencies did drive her nuts, though, and she found the ending annoying. While she normally doesn't like anything remotely supernatural, she liked this.
Katie – Okay - I thought this started out with a bang and petered out. The supernatural element was too obvious from the beginning, and I didn't find the mystery particularly satisfying. I feel like the narrator was set up to be potentially unreliable, but that didn't really pay off in any meaningful way.
LJ – VG – This was just what I needed. It was one of the rare times the prologue actually worked. I loved Cooke's descriptions, metaphors; I always like a good metaphor, and inclusion of Norse folk stories. Tom was annoying, but Gaia was a delight, and I appreciated how Lexi/Sophia grew through the story. I especially liked that she went into the cellar. I love a supernatural plot that's eepy-creepy without crossing into horror. The feel of this reminded me to Deborah Grabien's "Haunted Ballad Series" which I loved. I've ordered the next book by Cooke.
Nancy – VG - Nordic Noir—what the heck was that? Cooke has a real skill for writing psychological thrillers, which is what this book is all about. About half-way through, I also became really interested in "who did it." Liked that the questions were answered although the ending was a bit uneven.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: GOOD
GREY MASK (GoldenAge-Miss Silver-London-1920s) 1st in series - Patricia Wenthworth
Charles Moray has come home to England to collect his inheritance. Strangely, he finds the house unlocked, and sees a light on in one of its abandoned rooms. Eavesdropping, he learns of a conspiracy to commit a fearsome crime. But then he hears that Margaret, his long-lost love, is part of the gang. To unravel their diabolical plot, he contacts Miss Silver, a onetime governess who applies her reason to solve crimes and face the dangers of London’s underworld.
Charlotte – Okay – She was mixed on this. Margo got to be annoying, but she enjoyed the story. It was disappointing that Miss Silver was hardly in it.
Dianne – G+ - This was a real romp. The writer is a confident crafter of prose and dialogue. Her helpless Greta/Margot is totally hilarious. The book does not claim to be more than a trifle. The rules of mystery-writing are followed carefully. It was a nice piece of candy for the mystery reader.
Gabriel – Okay - Better than I expected, mostly because the characters were a lot more
interesting than I expected from a mystery from 1928. On the minus side, the conspiracy was mostly irrelevant to the story. And Maud Silver was barely there. I was curious to order another book in the series, to see what it was like, if Miss Silver had a more prominent role.
Helen – Okay – She wanted more of Miss Silver. It seemed the author was trying too hard to make her wallpaper. Helen is tired of reading books where the plot hinges on poor communication. The mystery was very contrived.
Joni – Okay - As I love cozies set in England, especially in the 1920’s and 30’s, I was looking forward to this book. I was sadly disappointed. Although I did finish it, I found it had an annoying number of coincidences that just didn't work for me and the plot was just not all that plausible. Will not be reading more of her work.
Kathy- DNF – It was too annoying and she just didn't like the characters.
Marcy - VG - Well I would say there was much to criticize about this book. Miss Silvers seems to just sit at a desk and knit. She's definitely a side character. Margot is a dimwit. Charles keeps staying in a hotel instead of living in his home. Freddy as both silly sweet guy and evil monster guy just doesn't jibe. There seems to be little detail as to how this gang chose to get involved in Margot's life. Women are definitely seen as second-class citizens. And yet ...I loved it. I couldn't stop reading it. Reading a book that is not only set in the 20's, but was also written in the twenties has a true authenticity to it -- like being transported in a time machine. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. I hope in future books we might see more of Miss Silver. I will read more!
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Okay