704 Followers
163 Following
maddan3

It's a Mad Mad World

Currently reading

Manderley Forever
Tatiana de Rosnay
Follow Free counters!
France Book Tours
Challenge Participant 80%

Helloooo Ladies and Gentlemen!

Yup, I know I've been pretty absent from booklikes the last couple of month (or the last year or so to be honest). But busy life. Not a temp anymore (well I'm both employed and a temp, but I work 8 hours a day now) and working like a real grown adult is seriously messing with my blogging!  

 

I'm sure you all have missed Dean gifs so here you go! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen

In Farleigh Field - Rhys Bowen

World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham’s middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret: she has taken a job at Bletchley Park, the British code-breaking facility.

As Ben follows a trail of spies and traitors, which may include another member of Pamela’s family, he discovers that some within the realm have an appalling, history-altering agenda. Can he, with Pamela’s help, stop them before England falls?

Inspired by the events and people of World War II, writer Rhys Bowen crafts a sweeping and riveting saga of class, family, love, and betrayal.

 
**********
 

Right, In Farleigh Field looked really intriguing. I love the cover and I was looking forward to reading it since a historical mystery is a favorite of mine. However, as my rating indicate did I not enjoy this book very much and I will list the reasons for it below.

1. Predictability - Whether it be the story or the characters did this feel like everything was following a guidebook on how to write a book for dummies. Sorry, I kept on going through the book because I wanted answers to the dead parachute mystery. But, the ending was so obvious that it was silly. It did try to be a bit surprising, but by then was my patience wearing thin with the story.

2. Stereotypes - The characters, and here I mostly think of the daughters are the usual type, the brainy one, the easy-going one, the exemplary one and the brave one and the young one. Nothing new here, I've seen these characters before so many types, but done better. I nominate Dido as the most annoying character of the year. "Buuhuu, I didn't get to come out and be presented by the court because of the stupid war. I want to dance, meet men and have sex"! When she did something quite unforgiving towards the end was, I not at all surprised since I've been waiting for it since the beginning of the book.

3. Phrases - Jolly, crikey, and blimey. Take a drink every time anyone says that. You will be drunk, but at least you have fun.

So, why did I keep going if the book when I felt that the book didn't work for me? Well, I was almost half-way through when it really started to bother me and I did want to get some answers to the mystery in the book. However, the drama in this book almost made me quite the book several times. I was not bored with the book as much as I was annoyed.

 
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! 

The Girl from Rawblood by Catriona Ward

The Girl from Rawblood: A Novel - Catriona Ward

The genre-bending creativity of David Mitchell meets the gothic voice of Susan Hill in this highly praised debut

Iris and her father are the last of the Villarca line. For generations, the Villarcas have been haunted by "her." Her origins are a mystery, but her purpose is clear: when a Villarca marries, when they love, when they have a child—she comes, and death follows.

Confined in their lonely mansion on Dartmoor, Iris makes her father a promise—to remain alone all her life. But when she's fifteen, Iris breaks that promise. She dares to fall in love, and the consequences of her choice are immediate and heartbreaking. From the sun-spotted hills of Italy to the biting chill of Victorian dissection halls, The Girl from Rawblood is a lyrical and haunting historical novel of darkness, love, and the ghosts of the past.

 
**********
 

When it comes to horror a Gothic tale has something that with all likelihood always will appeal to me. Add a mysterious family haunted by an entity just called "her" and I'm sold. THE GIRL FROM RAWBLOOD instantly appealed to me with its fascinating cover and interesting description. Iris and her father live in a lonely old mansion on Dartmoor and he warns her that she should never fall in love because strong feelings bring on "her" and when she comes, brutal death will follow. Nevertheless, Iris does fall in love and with that, a series of events begin that lead Iris to learn the truth about "her."

 
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

Hemma hos Bettan (At home at Bettan's ) by Eli Åhman Owetz (SWE/ENG)

SWEDISH REVIEW

 

"Men då åker vi väl dit då. Till 70-talet. Kan ni på lördag?"


De tre barndomsvännerna Bettan, Matte och Carina har fastnat i en grå vardag. Bettan drömmer om att öppna inredningsbutik men harvar på som busschaufför, Mattes författarkarriär vill aldrig riktigt ta fart och Carinas glamorösa liv slås i spillror när hon erbjuds avgångsvederlag från sitt chefsjobb.

De bestämmer sig för att åka tillbaka i tiden, till utsvängda jeans, blå Blend och Kiss. Till Bettans sommarställe där allting en gång började, och där en missuppfattning kommer att leda till den perfekta affärsidén - en retro-retreat för tilltufsade själar.

 
**********
 

Hemma hos Bettan är en supercharmig bok om tre vänner som av en slump öppnar ett retro-retreat för människor i 50+ åldern som behöver en återställare. Antingen har de blivit av med jobbet då de anser för gamla eller så behöver de bara finna sig själva igen. Och vad bättre då än att återvända till 70-talet när de var som lyckligast?

Boken tog för mig bara några timmar att läsa. Men så är det en feelgood bok, lättläst och så där passande mysig för när man vill ligga på soffan en ledig dag och bara läsa något trivsamt. Jag hade rätt roligt åt att jag trodde Matte var tjej när jag började läsa boken (min mamma trodde samma sak), men jag tror det beror på att feelgood böcker ofta har kvinnliga berättarröster. Jag insåg det först när Matte tilltalades som en han.

Hemma hos Bettan är en perfekt bok för alla 50+ som saknar 70-talet. Men den funkar också för yngre generationer, som till exempel dem födda i slutet av 70-talet (host) och som växte upp på 80-90-talet. För jag måste verkligen erkänna att det sista årtionden jag skulle vilja återvända till är 90-talet!

 

Tack till Bokfabriken för recensionsexemplaret! 

 
ENGLISH REVIEW
 
"But let's go back there then. To the 70s. Can you on Saturday?"

The three childhood friends, Bettan, Matte and Carina are stuck in life. Bettan dreams of opening an interior design shop, but harrows on as a bus driver, Mattes writing career has never really take off and Carina's glamorous life is shattered when she offered severance pay from her management position.

They decide to go back in time, to flared jeans, blue Blend (cigarettes) and Kiss. To Bettan's summer place where everything once started, and where a misconception will lead to the perfect business idea - a retro retreat for tousled souls.

**********

At home at Bettan's is a very charming book about three friends who by chance open a retro-retreat for people around 50 years old who need to take a break. Either they have lost their jobs because they are too old or they only need to find themselves again. And what's better than to return to the 70s when they were happiest?
 
The book took me only a few hours to read. But, that's not so surprising since it's a feel-good book, easy to read, and perfect for when you want to lie on the couch one day and just read something pleasant. The funny thing is that I Matte was a girl when I started reading the book (my mother thought the same thing), but I think it because that feelgood books often have a female narrative. I realized it first when Matte was addressed as a he.
 
At home at Bettan's is a perfect book for anyone 50+ missing the 70s. However, it works well for younger generations, such as those born in the late 70s (cough) and who grew up in the 80-90s. I have to admit that the last decades, I would like to return to the 90s!
  
Thanks to Bokfabriken for the review copy!

Death of a Ghost by M.C. Beaton

Death of a Ghost - M.C. Beaton

There are many ruined castles in Scotland. One such lies outside the village of Drim. Hamish begins to hear reports that this castle is haunted and lights have been seen there at night, but he assumes it's some children or maybe the local lads going there to smoke pot, or, worse, inject themselves with drugs. Hamish says to his policeman, Charlie 'Clumsy' Carson, that they will both spend a night there.

The keening wind explains the ghostly noises, but when Charlie falls through the floor, Hamish finds the body of a dead man propped up in a corner of the cellar. After Charlie is airlifted to the hospital, Chief Detective Inspector Blair arrives to investigate the body, but there is none to be found. Dismissed as a drunk making up stories, Hamish has to find and identify the body and its killer before the "ghost" can strike again.

 
**********
 

I have only read one book previous in this series and to be honest was I not so impressed with it. However, I thought I would give the series on more chance. The story seemed interesting and I love reading books set in Scotland.

Death of a Ghost starts off with a haunted castle, but then it quickly turns into a murder mystery when Hamish and Charlie find a body in the castle. Who killed the man and why? This is only the beginning as more the killer goes after more people. And, it's up to Hamish to put a stop to it all.

I have some problems with this book, and one major problem is the way the book is written. It's pretty much just dialog and not much description. And, the dialog feels very terse and lacks fluency. This could be just me, but I find it very hard to get into the story because of that. The characters never come to life and for instance, Hamish problem with women, is that suppose to be funny? I actually don't know because it never is funny. It's just annoying. And Charlie being clumsy is another thing that is just not working for me. Not to mention when Charlie fell for Olivia, the books female fatal. That was just cringeworthy. The only things that kept me going were that I wanted to know who the murderer was.

Death of a Ghost is my last attempt reading this series. I just can't see what's so awesome with the books. The storyline, especially towards the end of the book was just so baffling. I mean everything concerning Chief Detective Inspector Blair felt like a parody. Without being funny.

 
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!    

Shadowed Souls by Jim Butcher

Shadowed Souls - Jim Butcher,  Kerrie L. Hughes

In this dark and gritty collection—featuring short stories from Jim Butcher, Seanan McGuire, Kevin J. Anderson, and Rob Thurman—nothing is as simple as black and white, light and dark, good and evil..

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what makes it so easy to cross the line.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher’s Cold Case, Molly Carpenter—Harry Dresden’s apprentice-turned-Winter Lady—must collect a tribute from a remote Fae colony and discovers that even if you’re a good girl, sometimes you have to be bad...

New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire’s Sleepover finds half-succubus Elsie Harrington kidnapped by a group of desperate teenage boys. Not for anything “weird.” They just need her to rescue a little girl from the boogeyman. No biggie.

In New York Times bestselling Kevin J. Anderson’s Eye of Newt, Zombie P.I. Dan Shamble’s latest client is a panicky lizard missing an eye who thinks someone wants him dead. But the truth is that someone only wants him for a very special dinner...

And New York Times bestselling author Rob Thurman’s infernally heroic Caliban Leandros takes a trip down memory lane as he deals wih some overdue—and nightmarish—vengeance involving some quite nasty Impossible Monsters.

ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BY

Tanya Huff * Kat Richardson * Jim C. Hines * Anton Strout * Lucy A. Snyder * Kristine Kathryn Rusch * Erik Scott de Bie *

 
**********
 

Shadowed Souls is one of the best collection of short stories I have ever read. Sure there were one or two that I did not fully like as much as the other ones (not bad, just not my cup of tea), but there were several stories that were quite good. I mean I even ordered the first book in Tanya Huff's Vicki Nelson series after finished her short story. That is not something I do often.

 
What I really liked about the stories is that you don't have to have read anything before by the authors to get the gist of these short stories, sure there were times when I had wanted a short introduction before each story so that I had known more about what is going on. But, at the same time was it kind of nice to get to know the characters without any previous knowledge. It's like getting a chance to try out each author and see if the story and the writer's style are something for you. I mean several of the authors in this book have I never read anything of before and now I would love to read more from them.
 
Shadowed Souls has everything from ghost to zombies and it's a perfect book for urban fantasy fans. It's a collection that will work both for fans of the authors in this book and people that just like me loves urban fantasy and want to find new authors to read!  
 

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

Burntown by Jennifer McMahon

Burntown: A Novel - Jennifer McMahon

Eva grew up watching her father, Miles, invent strange and wonderful things in the small workshop behind their house on the river that runs through their old mill town. But the most important invention of all was the one that Miles claimed came from the mind of Thomas Edison himself--a machine that allowed one to speak with loved ones long passed. Smuggled out of Edison's laboratory, the blueprints were passed down to Miles, and he's been using them to protect Eva, her mother, Lily, and her brother, Errol, ever since.

Then, one night when a storm is raging and the river is threatening to flood, the machine whirrs to life on its own. Danger, it says. You're in terrible danger. The next thing Eva knows is waking up on the side of the river and seeing her mother's grim face. Eva's father and brother are dead, their house has been washed away and an evil man is searching for them both. They need to hide.

Eva changes her name to Necco--a candy she always loved--and tries to put everything in her past behind her as she adapts to her new life off the grid. But when her boyfriend is murdered and her mother disappears, she knows that the past is starting to catch up to her.

What really happened the night of the flood? As Necco searches for the truth, her journey unites her with two women who are on desperate quests of their own. And as the trio follows the clues to solving the mystery of Necco's past, they discover that sometimes it's the smallest towns that hold the strangest secrets.


**********
 
I read The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon last year and I loved and I was thrilled for the chance to read this book.
 
Burntown, in my opinion, did not have the same intense storyline as The Winter People had. What I loved about the Winter People were the dual-timeline and the paranormal aspect of the story. It was thrilling and fascinating to read. Burntown lacked that and the story about Eve (Necco) just never got that intense. At first, it felt like what Necco went through was some sort of apocalyptic event. It was fascinating, but then it kind of fizzled out and I kept on wanting the story to pick up speed again and get interesting again. What made me stick with the story was the machine that made you speak to the dead, I was curious about it and I was also curious about whom killed Milo's mother. Did the killing of Milo's mother have something to do with what happened to Necco's family? 
 
For me was this book not especially memorable. It's not so long ago that I read it, but I found it was hard to write a review for the book since the story just didn't intrigue me so much. However, I did find it got better when Necco started to search for answers together with two very unlikely allies. I would say that the first part of the book before they got together and help each other was not as interesting as when they started to search for answers. 
 
For me was Burntown just not as good as The Winter People. That doesn't mean that this book was not good, it just didn't live up to my expectations I guess.
 
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!   

Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys by Jimmy Palmiotti

Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys (2016) - Jimmy Palmiotti, Frank Tieri, Mauricet

With mischief afoot and tricks to be had, Harley Quinn and her Gang of Harleys are loose and no one is safe! Battling villians or saving civilians, which side are they on, only the Harleys know!

The best-selling creative team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Frank Tieri comes this mini-series Harley Quinn and her Gang of Harleys!

Collecting: Harley Quinn and her Gang of Harleys 1-6

 
**********
 

Harley Quinn decides to test her Gang of Harley by pretending to be kidnapped, unfortunately, they find out that it's a test (after spending a lot of time "looking" for her), but of course, then Harley gets kidnapped for real by a real psycho. Now the Harley's have to save Harley for real...

 
I must admit that it has taken me some time to warm up to the Harley's, but now with this volume have I finally started to like them and I quite enjoyed reading this volume. Now, the villain, the psycho who kidnapped Harley is a bit pathetic, a rich wannabe Harley Quinn who is pissed off because she failed the audition to join the Harley's. Still, the volume was good, despite not having a cool villain to fight off, thanks to Harley and her gang.
 

 
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!

A Room Full of Killers by Michael Wood

A Room Full of Killers: A gripping crime thriller with twists you won’t see coming (DCI Matilda Darke Series, Book 3) - Michael Wood

The third book in Michael Wood’s darkly compelling crime series featuring DCI Matilda Darke. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Mark Billingham and Val McDermid.

Eight killers. One house. And the almost perfect murder…

Feared by the people of Sheffield, Starling House is home to some of Britain’s deadliest teenagers, still too young for prison. Now the building’s latest arrival, Ryan Asher, has been found brutally murdered – stabbed twelve times, left in a pool of blood.

When DCI Matilda Darke and her team investigate, they uncover the secrets of a house tainted by evil. Kate Moloney, the prison’s manager, is falling apart, the security system has been sabotaged, and neither the staff nor the inmates can be trusted.

There’s only one person Matilda believes is innocent, and he’s facing prison for the rest of his life. With time running out, she must solve the unsolvable to save a young man from his fate. And find a murderer in a house full of killers…

 
**********
 

I thought before I read this book that I was quite hardened when it came to crime novel that I could deal with quite a lot (except harming of animals and children), but there were really tough parts in this book that was hard for me to get through and that were the chapters that were the POV of the children, the murderers.

A Room Full of Killers is a dark and tragic book that I devoured. It's engrossing, but at the same time is it not an easy book to get through. DCI Matilda Darke has a lot on her plate, with the release of a book concerning a kidnap case that she was in charge of that went wrong. Also, she is still not completely over her husband's death 18 months earlier. And, now this case at the Starling House. A teenager is dead, and who could have done it? The question of why someone murdered him is perhaps not hard to understand since Ryan Asher is a convicted murderer, but someone got him out of a locked room. Matilda then meets one of the inmates, Thomas, and Matilda is convinced that the young boy is innocent of the crime he is said to have done. Now she wants to find Ryan's murdered and at the same time is she trying to get Thomas free.

I found the book thrilling and intense and the last part of the book had some really great twist to the story. I was a bit surprised on how Matilda could believe someone to be innocent by just looking at him. I mean quite literary just instantly believe his innocent without knowing much about the case. I'm not a police, but appearance can be deceiving, but I guess I much more cynical. Still, it added drama to the story. The side story with the kidnap case was also interesting and I'm really curious to see the impact it will have in the next book. If the kidnapping will be solved. I'm also quite eager to get the two previous books to read!

A Room Full of Killers is an excellent thriller. The characters are well-developed and interesting to follow and the case is interesting and I love the ending!

 
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! 

BookReview Kan man dö två gånger? (Can you die twice?) by Leif G.W. Persson (SWE/ENG)

SWEDISH REVIEW


Sjöscouten Edvin sätts i land på Ofärdsön i Mälaren för att plocka svamp. Istället hittar han en halvt begravd dödskalle.

Trots att Edvin bara är tio år har han genast situationen klar för sig. Han lägger kraniet i en plastpåse, rymmer från scoutlägret och åker raka vägen hem till sin granne - kriminalkommissarie Evert Bäckström.

*********


Med tanke på vilket stor namn Leif G.W. Persson är i Sverige och med tanke på att kriminalare är en favorit genre så känns det lite konstigt att jag innan denna bok faktiskt inte hade läst en enda bok av GW tidigare. Det har helt enkelt inte blivit av. Däremot har jag hört talas om Evert Bäckström, inget speciellt gott. Så jag såg fram emot att läsa Kan man dö två gånger? och se vad jag skulle tycka om boken.


Själva handlingen var intressant då det handlar om en besynnerlig mordgåta. En dödskalle hittas, identitet säkerställs och man upptäcker att personen i fråga har redan blivit dödförklarad en gång tidigare, och det råder inga som helst tvivel om att rätt person dödförklarades första gången. Eller? Det är i alla fall vad Bäckström och hans gäng måste klura ut. Och det är en synnerligen intressant utredning som kommer att sträcka sig utomlands.

Kan man dö två gånger? är en välskriven kriminalroman. Jag kom att tycka väldigt mycket om GWs sätt att skriva, sakligt, finurligt och mellan varven väldigt roligt. Fallet är intressant, men vid sidan om det älskar jag verkligen att läsa om hur Bäckström driver den nya åklagaren till vansinne. På sitt eget sätt. Faktum är att Bäckström må vara en man med många fördomar, men jag gillar honom ändå och lilla Edvin, grannpojken som hittade dödskallen är störtcharmig.

Allt som allt, en mycket bra bok och trots att jag inte läst en enda bok i serien innan så var handlingen lätt att hänga med i, mycket tack vare att karaktärerna var så välutvecklade och intressanta.
 

Tack till Albert Bonniers Förlag för recensionsexemplaret!


ENGLISH REVIEW
 
Boy scout Edvin is put ashore on the isle of Ofärd (misfortune) in Mälaren to pick mushrooms. Instead, he finds a half-buried skull.

He immediately knows what he has to do. He put the skull in a plastic bag, can accommodate from scout camp and go straight home to his neighbor - Inspector Evert Backstrom.

 
*********
 
Considering what big name Leif G. W. Persson is in Sweden and given that the crime novels is a favorite genre of mine, is it a bit strange that I have not read a single book of GW before I read this one. I simply haven't had time for them. However, I have heard of Evert Backstrom, nothing special good to be honest. So, I looked forward to reading Can you die twice? and see what I would think of the book.

The story was interesting because the murder mystery is quite odd. A skull is found, the identity is confirmed and then it's discovered that the person in question has already been declared dead once before, and there is no doubt that the right person was declared dead the first time. Or is it so clear? Backstrom and his gang must figure out what's going on because you can't die twice. And it's a very interesting investigation that will extend overseas

Can you die twice? is a well-written crime novel. I came to like it very much thanks to GW's writing style. It's factual, clever and now and then funny. The case is interesting, but besides that, did I really love to read about how Backstrom, in his own way, is driving the new prosecutor to madness. The fact is that Backstrom may be a man of many prejudices, but I like him anyway and little Edvin, the neighbor boy who found the skull is truly charming.

All in all is the book very good, and although I have not read a single book in the series before so was the plot easy to keep up with, thanks to the characters were well developed and interesting.
 
Thanks to Albert Bonniers Förlag for the review copy!
 
 

Killer Look by Linda Fairstein

Killer Look (An Alexandra Cooper Novel) - Linda Fairstein

New York City is one of the fashion capitals of the world, well-known for its glamour and style. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the runway, where American haute couture continually astounds with its creativity, daring, and innovation in the name of beauty. Yet high fashion means high stakes, as Alex Cooper quickly discovers when businessman and designer Wolf Savage is found dead in an apparent suicide, mere days before the biggest show of his career. When the man's daughter insists Savage s death was murder, the case becomes more than a media sensation: It is a race to find a killer in a world created entirely out of fantasy and illusion.

With her own job at the DA's office in jeopardy, and the temptation to self-medicate her PTSD with alcohol almost too strong to resist, Alex is not anyone's first choice for help. But she is determined to uncover the grime and the possible homicide beneath the glitz. Along with detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace, Alex must penetrate the twisted roots and mixed motives among the high-profile players in the Garment District. The investigation takes the trio from the missing money in Wolf Savage's international fashion house to his own recovery from addiction; from the role of Louisiana Voodoo in his life to his excessive womanizing; and to the family secrets he kept so well-hidden, even from those closest to him just as things are about to get deadly on the catwalk.


*********
 
I have to admit that I was unsure that I would like this story because of the fashion angle. I have read two books previous in this series and have enjoyed them both so I hoped it would turn out to be just as good as they had been. And, yes, despite my lack of fashion interest did this book work out for me. But, then again, a killer in the fashion world doesn't seem that far-fetched when you think about it. All those egoistic, megalomaniacs that only care about earning more money would probably kill without any problems if that meant earning more money. I mean some of them already do that with poor working conditions, buildings collapsing and minimum wagers. Sorry, I got off the track... 
 
In Killer Look is Alex Cooper recuperating after being kidnapped in the previous book, and what better way to get back than to help an old school mate to find out the truth about her father's death. Everything points to suicide, but Alex is not so sure and together with detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace is she investigating the case. Or rather they are and she is unofficially helping. But, perhaps she should have stayed out of this and focused on getting better because there seemed to be danger lurking in the fashion world... 
 
I ended up quite liking the book. I especially like the fact that Alex and Mike are now official a couple, it will be interesting to read the previous books to see how that happened since they have been just friends for years. I liked the case and I liked the tidbit of fashion history that Linda Fairstein includes in the story. That's one of the best things about this series besides the cases. I just love reading books that include interesting tidbits. The case may have started off a bit slow, but it got more interesting as the story progressed and it seems that a lot of the people around Wolf Savage has secrets...
 
Killer Look is a superb book, although personally, I can't understand why you want to spend so much money on clothes when you can buy books instead...
 
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

Eligible (Sanning och skvaller) by Curtis Sittenfeld (SWE/ENG)

SWEDISH REVIEW


Liz skriver för ett livsstilsmagasin och bor tillsammans med sin yogande syster Jane i New York. Men när deras far får hälsoproblem återvänder de till barndomshemmet i Cincinnati, och finner det stora Tudor-huset förfallet, och resten av familjen i en förvirrad röra. De yngsta systrarna Kitty och Lydia bryr sig mer om sina CrossFit-pass och Paleo-dieter än att skaffa jobb, och mellansystern Mary håller som bäst på med sin tredje magisterexamen och lämnar knappt sitt rum, med undantag för de mystiska tisdagsutflykterna som hon inte vill diskutera med någon. Mrs Bennet är lika neurotisk och påfrestande som alltid och försöker desperat hitta en lämplig giftaskandidat till Jane, vars fyrtioårsdag är i snabbt annalkande.

Så gör Chip Bingley, den nyinflyttade snygge läkaren som varit med i senaste säsongen av dokusåpan Singel söker kärleken, entré. Chip fattar genast tycke för Jane, medan Liz inte alls finner kirurgen Fitzwilliam Darcy lika charmerande. Spelet kan börja.

********
 

Sanning och skvaller är en förtjusande och underhållande modern tolkning av Stolthet och fördom. Curtis Sittenfeld har lyckats modernisera handlingen på ett sådant sätt att man känner igen handlingen från originalet i denna berättelse men allting har förflyttas fram i tiden och speglar dagens livssituationer och moderna problem.

Mrs. Bennet är lika jobbig som i originalberättelsen, Mr. Bennet lika frånvarande och Kitty och Lydia är lika odrägliga och Mary lika nördig (om inte värre). Liz och Jane är de som har lyckats komma undan och flyttat hemifrån men till deras mors förskräckelse börjar de närma sig 40 utan ring på fingret. Skandal! Tursamt nog verkar det som om två läckra ungkarlar, Chip Bingley och Fitzwilliam Darcy dyker upp lägligt när de är hemma för att se över sin far som har haft en hjärtattack.

Jag njöt storartat av boken. Den är humoristisk och dagens moderna problem har ersatt originalets problem på ett lysande sätt. T.ex. så har Jane beslutat sig för att hon vill ha barn och eftersom nuförtiden kan man fixa det på egen hand med insemination så försöker hon med det, hon har gett upp om kärlek men så träffar hon Chip Bingley. Kanske är han den rätte? Liz däremot har mindre tur och finner Darcy oerhört dryg och jobbig och han verkar inte gilla henne heller. Men vem vet, kanske har de missförstått varandra...

Sanning och skvaller är en charming och rolig bok som kommer tilltala båda fans av Stolthet och Fördom och de som inte har läst boken.

Tack till Wahlströms och Widstrand förlag för recensionsexemplaret!



ENGLISH REVIEW

This version of the Bennet family—and Mr. Darcy—is one that you have and haven’t met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help—and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray.

Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and Paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master’s degree and barely leaves her room, except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won’t discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane’s fortieth birthday fast approaches.

Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip’s friend neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming....

And yet, first impressions can be deceiving.


**********
 
Eligible is a delightful and entertaining modern interpretation of Pride and Prejudice. Curtis Sittenfeld has managed in a good way to modernize the story in such a way that you recognize the original story, but everything has moved forward in time and reflects today's modern life situations and problems.

Mrs. Bennet is as bad as in the original story, Mr. Bennet as absent and Kitty and Lydia are just as pesky and Mary equally geeky (if not worse in this version). Liz and Jane are the ones who have managed to get away and moved away from home, but to their mother's horror are they starting to approach 40 without a ring on her finger. Scandal! Fortunately, two delicious bachelors, Chip Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy show up timely when Liz and Jane are at home to look over their father who has had a heart attack.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. It is humorous and the modern problems have replaced the original problem in a brilliant way. For example. has Jane decided that she wants to have children and because nowadays you can fix it on your own with insemination so she tries that. She has given up on love, but then she meets Chip Bingley. Perhaps he is the right man? Liz, on the other hand, has less lucky and find Darcy extremely annoying and difficult and he doesn't seem to like her either. Although who knows, maybe they misunderstood each other...

Eligible is a charming and funny book that will appeal to both fans of Pride and Prejudice and those who have not read the book.
 

Thanks to Wahlströms och Widstrand förlag for the review copy!

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit (Ruth Galloway Mysteries) - Elly Griffiths

Boiled human bones have been found in Norwich's web of underground tunnels. When Dr Ruth Galloway discovers they are recent - the boiling not the medieval curiosity she thought - DCI Nelson has a murder enquiry on his hands.

Meanwhile, DS Judy Johnson is investigating the disappearance of a local rough sleeper. The only trace of her is the rumour that she's gone 'underground'. This might be a figure of speech, but with the discovery of the bones and the rumours both Ruth and the police have heard of a vast network of old chalk-mining tunnels under King's Lynn, home to a vast community of rough sleepers, the clues point in only one direction. Local academic Martin Kellerman knows all about the tunnels and their history - but can his assertions of cannibalism and ritual killing possibly be true?

As the weather gets hotter, tensions rise. A local woman goes missing and the police are under attack. Ruth and Nelson must unravel the dark secrets of The Underground and discover just what gruesome secrets lurk at its heart - before it claims another victim.

 
**********
 

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths is book nine in the Ruth Galloway series and I'm wondering if this series had done it's best for me and it's time to move on. It's a bit of a sad thought since I found the first books quite good, but this book and the one before has just not worked out so well for me.

The story in this book was not that bad, at first, for the first 40-50% of the book was it interesting to read about the murdered tramps and the missing women, but then the story started to drag and I found myself more and more annoyed with the character in the book and their ignorance and intolerance. And, it hit me that I just don't like anyone character except Cathbad and he was hardly in the story this time. There are so many times during the book's story that I find myself frustrated with the lack of religious understanding or plain ignorance. I don't even like Ruth Galloway especially much.

Then we have the ending that fell flat and was utterly boring. It is just not fun when you spend a day reading a book, and it feels like you have wasted the time. The archeology aspect was what drove me to start reading this book, but not even it feels interesting anymore. Now, I'm not even sure if it's worth reading future books and as I said before it's a bit sad when a series you have enjoyed just doesn't work anymore...

 
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

Eyes Like Mine by Sheena Kamal

Eyes Like Mine - Sheena Kamal

It's late. The phone rings.

The man on the other end says his daughter is missing.

Your daughter.

The baby you gave away over fifteen years ago.

What do you do?

Nora Watts isn't sure that she wants to get involved. Troubled, messed up, and with more than enough problems of her own, Nora doesn't want to revisit the past. But then she sees the photograph. A girl, a teenager, with her eyes. How can she turn her back on her?

But going in search of her daughter brings Nora into contact with a past that she would rather forget, a past that she has worked hard to put behind her, but which is always there, waiting for her...


**********
 

Eyes Like Mine starts off with Nora Watts learning that her daughter Bonnie that she gave birth to 15 years ago, but didn't keep has gone missing. Has Bonnie run away, or have she been kidnapped? For Nora is Bonnie just an awful reminder of something traumatic that happened to her years ago, but still, she can't help, but try to find out the truth about what happened to Bonnie.

Eyes Like Mine is a bleak thriller about a woman that has been through so much since she was a child that it's amazing that she has the strength to keep going. Her mother left her and her younger sister and her father killed himself when they were very young and they ended up in foster care. Then, years later she ends up pregnant with a child she doesn't want. And, now she has to face the past and through the book, we learn the truth about what happened to her that made her give up her daughter.

It's not hard to feel sorry for Nora Watts, she has been through so much and not with not much support through her life. Her sister is a real bitch. She does, however, have the greatest bosses, a gay couple and she also has a dog that, despite Nora's pessimistic nature seems to like her more than Nora thinks. She also has a strained relationship with her ex-sponsor.

The book is engaging to read, you get pulled into the story and it doesn't let you go. I did, however, feel that I wanted to know more when the story ended, not that the ending was bad, just that I wanted to know what would happen next.

 
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!   

Love and Gravity by Samantha Sotto

Love and Gravity: A Novel - Samantha Sotto

Andrea Louviere is seven years old the first time he appears. While she’s alone in her bedroom, practicing her beloved cello, the light shivers and a crack forms in the wall. Through the crack, she sees a candle, a window, a desk—and a boy. Though no sound travels through the wall, the boy clearly sees Andrea, too. And then, just as quickly as it opened, the crack closes, and he vanishes.

Over the years, summoning the bright, magnetic boy becomes something of an obsession for Andrea. Then, on her seventeenth birthday, she receives a three-hundred-year-old love letter from Isaac Newton. Andrea knows that Isaac will change the world with his groundbreaking discoveries; the letter tells Andrea that she will change him.

As Isaac’s letters intensify in passion and intimacy, Andrea grows determined to follow his clues to their shared destiny—despite a burgeoning romance in the present. Only when she discovers the way into Isaac’s time does Andrea realize that she faces a heartbreaking decision: between what was . . . and what might be.

 
*********
 

I had hoped that this book would enthrall me as much as The Time Traveler's Wife did, unfortunately, I just couldn't find the book to be as good. I don't read much romance, but this time-travel romance between a modern girl and Isaac Newton caught my attention and as I just love time-travel stories did I feel the need to read this book. Also, the cover is absolutely stunning!

As for the story, it has its ups and downs, it started off interesting, but somewhere around halfway through did I find myself losing interest in the story. The story started to drag on with the main characters Andrea and Isaac just pining after each other. I just wanted them to meet (not really a spoiler) since it's apparently clear when reading the first chapter, what would happen. And, it was sometimes just so saccharine that I felt like I was getting an overdose of sweetness. I wanted more passion, more drama, more surprises and stronger characters. It was a promising book that just failed to live up to my expectations. There is also a triangle drama in the story as Andrea from that she was young had a guy friend called Nate that she also loved. Yes, sir, she loved them both and could not decide which one to choose. Thankfully, I quite liked Nate, he was a nice solid guy that steadfastly stood by her side.

Love and Gravity were a book that in the end felt too much like a young adult novel that tries to be deep, but in the end, fails. The story could have been better if Andrea and Isaac's love-story had not been so predictable, saccharine and to be honest boring. I would have loved to have read more about Isaac Newton, the man, the scientist. But, all one gets is his pining after Andrea. It gets too much in the end. Also, the happily ever after ending was almost too much for me. So, no this was not a book for me.

 
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! 

The Trapped Girl by Robert Dugoni

The Trapped Girl (The Tracy Crosswhite Series Book 4) - Robert Dugoni

When a woman’s body is discovered submerged in a crab pot in the chilly waters of Puget Sound, Detective Tracy Crosswhite finds herself with a tough case to untangle. Before they can identify the killer, Tracy and her colleagues on the Seattle PD’s Violent Crimes Section must figure out who the victim is. Her autopsy, however, reveals she may have gone to great lengths to conceal her identity. So who was she running from?

After evidence surfaces that their Jane Doe may be a woman who suspiciously disappeared months earlier, Tracy is once again haunted by the memory of her sister’s unsolved murder. Dredging up details from the woman’s past leads to conflicting clues that only seem to muddy the investigation. As Tracy begins to uncover a twisted tale of brutal betrayal and desperate greed, she’ll find herself risking everything to confront a killer who won’t go down without a deadly fight. Once again, New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni delivers a taut, riveting thriller in the fourth installment of his acclaimed Tracy Crosswhite series.

 
**********


THE TRAPPED GIRL is the fourth book in Tracy Crosswhite series and in this book she has to find out the identity of a girl found dead in a crab pot, and also find the person who has put the girl there. It's not an easy case and when the evidence points to this being a woman that disappeared a couple of months ago is Tracy reminded of her own sister's disappearance and murder.


READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!