Bookish Review: A Bat in the Belfry

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I was expecting a typical cozy mystery, but this was less fluffy than I expected. The book has a lot of characters and multiple points of view. The main character is Jacobia--aka Jake--Tiptree. Her son Sam also plays a role, as does Sam's friend, who becomes a suspect for the murder of a young girl in town. The book is set in a small town in Maine, and the setting is almost a character in its own right. The ending was a little anti-climactic, but overall it was a very enjoyable read. It was more compelling than I predicted, and kept me turning pages. The book is part of a series, but I haven't read any of the others--you don't need to to read and enjoy this one. But I may pick up another mystery from Sarah Graves for my next vacation read.

Note: An e-ARC of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley, which was much appreciated, but did not affect the content of my review.

Bookish Review: A Nearly Perfect Copy

A Nearly Perfect Copy by Alison Amend is an interesting book. The title refers to the books two topics: art forgery and cloning. An odd combo, right? The book is really, however, about just how far people are willing to go to get what they think they want or deserve and how going too far can lose them everything in the process. It's a book about loss, about what constitutes "art," and whether a forgery that is just as good as an original should be considered any less that art itself. The juxtaposition of the two stories doesn't always work, but for the most part it is an interesting read.

Note: An e-ARC of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley, which was much appreciated, but did not affect the content of my review.

Bookish Review: Frozen Solid

Frozen Solid is Tabor's second book featuring heroine Hallie Leland. I didn't read the first, but Hallie is a strong and compelling character. Readers who enjoy thrillers, especially those involving secret government agencies and intrigue should enjoy this one. Hallie is sent to replace an old friend who has died suddenly while doing scientific research on the South Pole. Hallie is no stranger to dangerous places, but the South Pole is the most extreme setting she's ever ventured into, and when she discovers that her friend's death was no accident, she realizes she may be in over her head. Hallie's mentor and her boyfriend back in the States begin to realize that there is something happening on the Pole, but with communications down and weather restricting travel, is there any way they can help her before it is too late?

This is definitely a page-turner. I still have a question about the ending, but for the most part, a very enjoyable and exciting read.

Note: An e-ARC of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley, which was much appreciated, but did not affect the content of my review.

Bookish Review: Keep No Secrets

Keep No Secrets is a sequel, and it absolutely reads like a continuation of a story, but the author does enough recapping that the reader does not feel lost even if she hasn't read the previous work. The main character is the DA, who is trying to rebuild his marriage after a brief affair that was splashed all over the media. This is made more difficult, however, when his son's girlfriend accuses him of rape and his former lover returns to town. The characters are not wholly likeable (though perhaps reading the previous book would have helped with that), and the escalation of his court case for rape, given that he is not guilty, and his accuser never intended the lie to go so far, seems a bit improbable, but the book really is a page-turner and kept me reading til the end. The revelation at the end is not as surprising as perhaps it was intended to be, but it was still a very entertaining read.

Note: An e-ARC of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley, which was much appreciated, but did not affect the content of my review.

Bookish Review: Gone Girl

Gone Girl has recieved a lot of press and critical acclaim, and it was a great read. The book opens with Nick's wife disappearing, and is told alternatively through his and her point of view. About halfway through the book, you feel like you've about got it figured out, and then you realize you haven't got anything figured out. The second half of the book is definitely a page-turner. A great psychological thriller. I didn't love the ending, but it made for a much more disturbing book. Highly recommended.

Bookish Review: Rusty Nail

Rusty Nail is the 3rd book in the Jack Daniels series by J A Konrath. The books center on Detective Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels. In this installment, Jack is faced with a probably copycat killer. She is sent a video of a murder that follows the same MO as the Gingerbread Man--a serial killer that Jack already caught. Jack is ordered to stay away from the case, but the killer is targeting her personally, and she can't stay away. Before all is resolved, Jack, her partner, and her friends will all become the targets of the sadistic killer.

The book is pretty graphic, and there is plenty of dismemberment, torture, abuse, and murder. So, be prepared. The story is pretty good, though I found some of Jack's reactions and actions unbelievable and the killer was rather predictable.

Not a bad read, but not sensational, either.

Bookish Review: The Girl Who Played with Fire

This book is the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which I really thought I already reviewed on here, but it sure doesn't look like it. My short review on facebook was: "A little slow to start, but very interesting and a good read. Can't wait to get my hands on the next one." Make sure you read that one first, and then get your hands on this one.

Stieg Larsson tends to set up his books with many different characters and storylines going on so that when you start you wonder where the heck he is going with all of it and how it will fit together, bit somehow it all works. The pacing in the beginning is slow, but it picks up as the book goes on. He has created some very interesting characters, particularly the main characters of Mikael Blomkvist, a journalistic crusader and ladies' man, and Lisbeth Salander, an astonishingly smart but socially inept hacker that has been declared incompetent by the state (she's "the girl" in both titles). This book brings more insight into Salander's psychological make-up as we learn more about the past, including who her father is. The main plot of the book centers around human trafficking and the sex trade in Sweden. Blomkvist is working with an author who intends to write an expose on the situation, but when he is murdered, and Salander becomes the main suspect, it is up to Blomkvist to discover what is really going on. Meanwhile, Salander stumbles upon a link to her past that she would very much like to sever, and though she doesn't want to rely on Blomkvist at all, she must accept his aid, at least a little.

The book definitely leaves you wanting more and sets things up nicely for the final volume in the trilogy, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Larsson has a very interesting and compelling style and it is extremely unfortunate that he is now deceased, so these 3 books are presumably the only ones we'll see from him. Highly recommended.