Tag Archives: thriller

Review of Crone’s Moon (A Rowan Gant Investigation #5), by M.R. Sellars

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I purchased a signed copy of M.R. Sellars‘ Crone’s Moon at a local used bookstore.

Description from Goodreads:

My name is Rowan Gant, and it has been far too many days since I have heard the voices inside my head… No, I’m not insane—at least I hope I’m not. Actually, what I am is a Witch with a rare talent, even for Witches. I can hear the voices of the dead—murder victims, to be specific. Personally, I consider it less a talent and more a curse, especially given all the grief it brings me. But the cops think otherwise, which is why I find myself consulting for them on a regular basis. In fact, the running joke is that they should just go ahead and give me a badge. I sometimes fear they might make good on that threat.

However, like I said, it has been a while since any dead people have so much as given me the time of day. I’ll be honest, even though I never really wanted them to talk to me in the first place, now that they have stopped it seems almost like a piece of me is missing—a big piece.

As fate would have it, at the same time I’ve become persona non grata with the dead, it looks as if a serial killer is at work in the St. Louis area. The murders are pretty heinous, too, and that’s just the sort of thing that usually turns the rumbling chatter of the victims into a deafening roar and a blinding migraine for yours truly…but not this time, and I have no Earthly—or even unearthly—idea why.

What I do know is the Major Case Squad could benefit from my help on this, but I’ve got nothing to give them. Nothing at all… Unfortunately, it seems that there is now someone else with my rare affliction instead of me.

I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I want my curse back… 

Review:

Book Review of Out of the Ice, by Ann Turner

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I won a paperback copy of Ann Turner‘s Out of the Ice through Goodreads.

Description:

When environmental scientist Laura Alvarado is sent to a remote Antarctic island to report on an abandoned whaling station, she begins to uncover more than she could ever imagine.

Despite new life thriving in the icy wilderness, the whaling station is brimming with awful reminders of its bloody, violent past, and Laura is disturbed by evidence of recent human interference. Rules have been broken, and the protected wildlife is behaving strangely.

On a diving expedition, Laura is separated from her colleague. She emerges into an ice cave where, through the blue shadows, she is shocked to see an anguished figure, crying for help.

But in this freezing, lonely landscape there are ghosts everywhere, and Laura begins to sense that her own eyes cannot be trusted. Is her mind playing tricks? Has she been in the ice too long?

Back at base, Laura’s questions about the whaling station go unanswered, blocked by unhelpful scientists, unused to questions from an outsider. And Laura just can’t shake what happened in the ice cave.

Piecing together a past and present of cruelty and vulnerability that can be traced all around the globe, from Norway, to Nantucket, Europe and Antarctica, Laura will stop at nothing to unearth the truth. As she sees the dark side of endeavour and human nature, she also discovers a legacy of love, hope and the meaning of family. If only Laura can find her way…

Out of the ice.

Review:

I don’t use star ratings on this blog. But I do cross-post to Goodreads, and there I rated this book 2 stars. Let me say early on that my low rating is a reflection of the fact that I did not like the book, not necessarily that it’s a poorly written book. I suppose you could say that it’s a subjective, rather than objecting rating.

The issue was largely that, despite the stunning descriptions of nature, the book didn’t hold my attention. I was bored a lot of the time and I found Laura’s thoughts repetitive. Then, with about 100 pages to go, I set the book aside and read three other ones before forcing myself back to finish it. The problem was that in addition to the things I listed above, it became obvious that the hinted mystery was going to be a pedophilia ring and I both didn’t want to face reading it and felt horribly disappointed that Turner chose such an over-used, tritely salacious climax. All in all, I’m just glad to be finished with it.

Book Review of Blood Oath (Nathaniel Cade #1), by Christopher Farnsworth

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I borrowed an audio copy of Christopher Farnsworth‘s Blood Oath from my local library.

Description from Goodreads:

Zach Barrows is an ambitious young White House staffer whose career takes an unexpected turn when he’s partnered with Nathaniel Cade, a secret agent sworn to protect the President. But Cade is no ordinary civil servant. Bound 140 years ago by a special blood oath, Nathaniel Cade is a vampire. He battles nightmares before they can break into the daylight world of the American dream, enemies far stranger – and far more dangeorus – than civilians have ever imagined.

Review:

This wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything new and inspiring either. I liked that Cade is so demonstrably inhuman. I thought Zach was funny. I liked the idea of the secret, crime-fighting vampire. All in all I enjoyed the book. 

My only real complaint, beyond there being nothing particularly new here, is that (as is SO OFTEN the case, especially with male authors) there are exactly 3 women in the book. They all play minor roles. Two are the lovers of more important male characters and one uses sex as a weapon and currency to get what she wants. 

Is it truly not possible to have a female character who isn’t characterized by who she has sex with or why? This book wasn’t really any worse than other books in the regard, but as always, it’s an irritant that you can’t unnoticed once you do. And once you start noticing, you realize how painfully frequent it is.

Bronson Pinchot did all right with the narration. I thought he played Cade too dryly. He sounded board for most of the book, instead of intense. But it wasn’t unpleasant to listen to, on the whole.