Author: megs14malloy

Review: The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #2) by Agatha Christie

~ megs14malloy

The Murder at the VicarageThe Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 2022, William Morrow released new editions for the entire Miss Marple series. Each one features a beautiful floral design matched with stunning color combinations.

Like a Publisher’s dream, I promptly bought the entire set. Then with all of these precious new softcovers in hand, I thought, when I am going to read all of these?

Since there are twelve full-length novels, I told myself, very sternly I might add, that I would read one per month for all of 2023. That sounds like a solid plan, right?

Well, it would have been, but then I put off starting the first one until March; now I am behind and the pressure is on…

I have to say though, after completing this one, I am reinvigorated in my quest to read all of Miss Marple’s novels in order. This was such a fun time.

The Murder at the Vicarage is the first full-length novel in the series and I was actually surprised that Miss Marple is not the MC/narrator. The Vicar, Leonard Clement, is!

I don’t know why I didn’t know that, but I liked it a lot. It was fun to get to know the icon, Miss Jane Marple, from an outside perspective. You get her pluses and her minuses. A more honest interpretation, you could say.

I really enjoyed the mystery of this. It was completely engaging from the start. The murdered man, one Colonel Protheroe, was a bit of curmudgeon. He was a Judge and definitely had more enemies than friends. Even the Vicar had a cross word for him a time or two.

After Protheroe is murdered at the Vicarage, the entire village of St. Mary Mead seems to become involved in the investigation.

As you can imagine, no other citizen has more to offer in the solving of said crime than our Miss Marple. That woman misses nothing, usually because she’s spying on everyone from the comfort of her garden.

It was interesting for me to consider how the tropes involved in this story are all fairly well-known tropes today, but at this time, it wasn’t quite like that. It sort of all began with Christie, you know?

Her work has influenced so many creators over the years and her formulaic writing style is the epitome of a classic mystery. I love it. I found this to be so comfortable and fun, it was like a warm drink on an eerie night.

I am definitely continuing on with the series straight away. Next up is The Body in the Library: A Miss Marple Mystery, which will be a reread for me.

It’s actually one of my favorite Christie’s that I have read, so I am really excited to revisit it with my stunning new edition!!

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Review: Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit (Theo Tan #1) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

~ megs14malloy

Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit (Theo Tan, #1)Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit is the Middle Grade debut of one of my favorite authors, Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Recently, after finishing Sutanto’s latest release, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, I wasn’t quite ready to part from her writing.

I’ve had Theo Tan on my radar for a while, and with the second book in the series, Theo Tan and the Iron Fan releasing at the end of May, I figured now was the perfect time to pick it up.

This story follows, you guessed it, Theo Tan, an average Chinese-American boy just doing his thing, playing video games and trying to fly under the radar. So far, he thinks he is doing pretty well in that regard.

When his older brother, Jamie, is killed in an accident though, everything abruptly changes for Theo. Not only is the startling loss of his brother devastating, Theo has also inherited Jamie’s fox spirit, Kai.

Prior to this time, Kai and Theo didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye. There’s no love lost between the two. Kai is snarkier than ever now, grieving the loss of Jamie with every fiber of their being.

The two are forced to let bygones be bygones, however, after discovering a coded message from Jamie that seems to indicate something was awry at Jamie’s internship with Reapling Corporation.

Obviously, I am cutting some corners here, but basically this chain of events leads Theo and Kai on a mystery-filled adventure at a highly-competitive summer camp program, ‘Know Your Roots’, run by the Corporation.

Know Your Roots is a program that celebrates Chinese and Indian cultures and is designed to help connect students with their heritage. Since Theo has been actively trying to ignore the Chinese part of his heritage his whole life, he is a bit behind the learning curve when he enters.

Together Theo and Kai think if they are at the camp, undercover of course, they will be able to get to the bottom of the mystery Jamie wanted them to solve. Are they right, or will they crash and burn in an epic way?

I had a lot of fun listening to this audio. The narration was excellent and I had no problem getting swept away with Theo and Kai.

You did get chapters from both of their perspectives and it was so funny, especially in the beginning, because neither one of them likes the other, so they definitely spill some tea. Over time, it was nice to see their relationship grow.

With Jamie being gone, and them being forced together, they were finally able to come to some mutual respect and understanding.

I definitely felt Sutanto’s sense of humor in this one, which is one of my favorite aspects of her writing. Particularly with Kai’s character. Kai is super snarky, smart and laugh out loud funny.

I enjoyed the setting of the Know Your Roots program. It did have a bit of that competitive feel that I like. I also liked that Kai and Theo had a mystery they were trying to solve.

The highlight of this for me though was the growth displayed in Theo’s characters. He really goes on quite the journey mentally and emotionally.

His self esteem grows a lot, which was the most satisfying for me. To see him push past the shadow of his brother’s legacy, who he saw as the golden child who he could never live up to.

Also, watching Theo learn about, come to appreciate and ultimately embrace his Chinese heritage was a really important message for a Middle Grade story, IMO. I think Sutanto excelled with that.

Overall, I had a great time reading this. It was action-packed, cute and funny as heck. I loved Theo and Kai so much and can’t wait to continue on with their adventures.

This left off in a fantastic spot, leaving plenty to explore in the next installment. You better believe I will be picking it up as soon as possible!!

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Review: A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

~ megs14malloy

A House with Good BonesA House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚

A House with Good Bones is the most recent release from T. Kingfisher, one of my favorite authors. With this being said, it’s probably unsurprising that this is by far one of my most anticipated releases of 2023.

Happily, this peculiar Southern Gothic tale didn’t disappoint for one single second. I loved it from the first sentence.

When Sam’s brother calls her, expressing concern about their Mom’s health and state-of-mind, Sam figures it couldn’t come at a better time. With her archaeological dig site temporarily shut down, there’s no time like the present to travel home to North Carolina for a visit.

It’s been a while. She loves her Mom. Why not go stay with her and see what she can see. If her brother is right, Sam wants to be able to help.

Once back in her childhood home, Sam can feel it. Something is off. It’s not just the changes that Mom has made to the house, she’s acting different. It’s slight things, but they definitely don’t go unnoticed.

Sam senses her Mom is afraid of something, but what?

The mystery is deep enough that Sam is compelled to get to the bottom of it. There’s no way she’ll be able to leave her Mom like this. Further, Sam is prepared to kick the butt of whoever is the cause of her Mom’s secret distress.

Digging into it, however, requires digging into her own past and the past of her family. You never know what you’re gonna find when you start digging.

That Sam knows is true. She’s an archaeo-entomologist after all, but even she didn’t expect the Mason Jar full of human teeth buried under the rose bushes…

With help from some new friends, Sam gets elbows deep in her sordid family history and tries her best to rid her mother and their property from its long shadow.

Y’all, this was such an intriguing and engaging story. At this point, reading a T. Kingfisher for me is like story-time with an old friend. Her writing style is so distinct.

She’s like the Axel Rose of Dark Fiction. You can tell it’s her from just a few lines.

I always connect with Kingfisher’s main characters. I think it is the sense of humor. It’s the way I think and view the world, so it’s super easy for me to fall into step with their thought patterns and choices.

This main character, Sam, was no exception. I just got her, wow. I loved how on it she was with her Mom. She wasn’t willing to look the other way. She didn’t look upon her task as a burden.

Something was wrong here, her mom had sacrificed so much for her, and gosh darn it, Sam wasn’t leaving until she helped her in return.

I appreciate how quirky and unique Kingfisher’s side characters are. They contribute so much. In this one, Phil, her Mom’s kind-of-cute handyman and Gail, the eccentric neighbor, who owns a one-winged vulture and may-or-may-not be a witch, were stars of the show.

Gail fit nicely into one of my favorite Horror character archetypes. Let’s see if I can explain this correctly…

The older character, who comes into the orbit of our protagonist and teaches them, or guides them in what they need to know to survive/defeat/overcome the obstacles/issues/horrifying creatures they’re dealing with, all whilst providing incredible comic relief.

The atmosphere was fantastic. I loved learning about the house and all the different little things that Sam was noticing. There are some fun scenes with bugs as well.

The ending got crazy. It reminded me a little of The Twisted Ones. Not so much in the content, or what happened, but just sort of how it all unfolded leading up to the conclusion. I loved that book and loved this one too.

Also, the audiobook is great. I absolutely recommend it. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. The narrator brought this story to life for me!

I would recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed T. Kingfisher’s work in the past, or anyone who enjoys Southern Gothic tales, or stories that bring humor to Horror.

Finally, if you are new to T. Kingfisher, I actually think this would be a strong place to start.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I had so much fun with this and can’t wait to read it again someday!

A House with Good Bones is available now!!!

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Review: Stars and Smoke (Stars and Smoke #1) by Marie Lu

~ megs14malloy

Stars and Smoke (Stars and Smoke, #1)Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stars and Smoke is the newest release from veteran-YA author, and one of my personal favorites, Marie Lu.

In this story we meet Winter Young and Sydney Cossette. Winter is an international pop star and Sydney is a top-spy for a special-ops group. They’re as opposite as opposite can be, but through an unusual set of circumstances they end up coming into one another’s orbit.

It begins when the organization approaches Winter with the hopes of recruiting him. A major crime boss, Eli Morrison, who they have been trying to take down for years, has a daughter, Penelope, with an upcoming birthday.

Daddy Dearest is throwing the party of a lifetime for the occasion and wants Winter to perform at the event. The organization, Panacea, sees this as an opportunity to infiltrate Morrison’s world. If Winter agrees to work with them, he can be their eyes on the inside.

Not just Winter though. They can’t send an unseasoned operative in by himself. Sydney will be going with him, posing as his bodyguard. She has plenty of experience for the both of them.

I wouldn’t say that Sydney is necessarily excited about the assignment. She just knows this guy is going to do nothing but get in her way, but alas, orders are orders.

The tension between the two is palatable. Will they be able to put it aside long enough to complete a successful mission, or will they crash and burn, risking everything, even their lives?

I had a blast reading this. I found this to be such a refreshing change of pace from my normal reads. It’s unique, fast-paced and thrilling, with well-created characters and an exciting plot.

I really enjoyed both Winter and Sydney. Initially, I was most excited for Winter because I tend to love characters who are musicians. This story didn’t really focus much on that aspect, it was more about Winter’s fame, but I was still here for it.

As I got deeper into the story, I found myself drawn to Sydney’s story more. I love her character. A girl from a difficult background, Sydney joined Panacea as a way to escape her earlier life.

It’s interesting because as agents of Panacea, they aren’t supposed to really build prominent relationships because it makes it difficult to focus on their missions. This reminded me of the Jedi in a way and I feel like Sydney, in another time and place, would make an INCREDIBLE Jedi.

Nerdy-epiphanies aside, Sydney is just fantastic. I did enjoy watching the relationship between Sydney and Winter play-out as well, although I will say, I disagree with the synopsis calling this, a smoldering enemies-to-lovers story.

I get it, but I wouldn’t say that’s accurate. I felt like, while some of that may come into play, anyone expecting ‘smoldering’ romance may be disappointed. Just a little warning and of course, my personal opinion. You’re idea of smoldering may be completely different than mine.

I did really enjoy the twists and turns over the course of the story and as a start to a series, I think this is a great base on which to build. I am looking forward to seeing the direction Lu takes this one. I will absolutely be continuing on with it.

One final note, the audiobook has incredible narration, so I definitely recommend that format for my fellow Audiobook Lovers out there!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Roaring Brook Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. Lu’s writing never fails to transport me into her stories.

Stars and Smoke is available now!!!

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Review: Churn the Soil by Steve Stred

~ megs14malloy

Churn the SoilChurn the Soil by Steve Stred
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Churn the Soil kicks off with a bang and doesn’t let up; not once. In the beginning we have a murdered young girl, mutilated in a somewhat sacred area at The Border.

Basco PD officers get alerted to the gruesome crime and travel to The Border to investigate. At this point, you may be asking, what the heck is The Border?

The Border is an area outside of Basco and the border with the Yukon territory. There is a community of people there that have chosen to cut themselves off from the rest of society. They’re none too trusting of authority, particularly the local police.

When Officers Brown and Reynolds arrive, the Border dwellers are less than forthcoming about the dead girl. Luckily, Officer Brown actually was a resident at The Border when he was child and still has one friend within the settlement, a woman named, Nancy.

Nancy wants to help. She realizes something is off with the general flow of life at The Border. This type of thing hasn’t happened in recent memory. She wants to get to the bottom of it as much as the next guy.

Little do they know, it’s about to get worse. Wayy worse.

Churn the Soil is a high octane Horror story. Stred somehow seamlessly blended an Action movie with Folk Horror and a good old fashioned Police Procedural into one work. I’m not sure how he did it, but he definitely pulled it off.

I am not going to say too much more about the plot, because frankly, I feel like it is best going in knowing next to nothing, as I did. This story is full of surprises.

I will say one little thing for Readers who have tastes close to mine. There is a dog in this story. The most perfect Cane Corso that the world has ever seen. He is a K9 police officer named Bruiser and he plays a significant role.

If this concerns you, if perhaps animal content is triggering for you, please read the following: (view spoiler)

I was impressed with how quickly Stred hooked me. There’s no unnecessary build-up, or silly filler, and I was really digging his writing style from first few pages. I am looking forward to picking up more of his stories.

Additionally, this is one of those cold-weather Horror stories that will have you adding an extra layer to your wardrobe while you’re reading. I feel like Stred really succeeded in building-out a powerful setting. The backdrop of this landscape gets under your skin.

I’m not going to lie, this gets wild. W-I-L-D. The threat feels real. In fact, it almost seems hopeless. These characters are up against an incredible evil. I definitely wondered how anyone would make it out alive.

Overall, this story kept me up well into the night. It’s a creative and creepy Horror tale. Solid work from new-to-me author, Steve Stred. This was a lot of cringe-worthy, run-faster, don’t look behind you, fun!!

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Review: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

~ megs14malloy

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for MurderersVera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

❤️💙🍵💙❤️🍵❤️💙🍵💙❤️🍵❤️💙🍵💙❤️

Sixty-year old, Vera Wong, is a widow, mother and owner of a small, rarely visited, tea shop in San Francisco.

Vera, adheres to a strict schedule, and can be opinionated when it comes to other’s lives and scheduling, particularly her son, Tilly. For example, if you aren’t up by 4-4:30 a.m., you’re basically wasting the day away.

As our story begins, you get to meet Vera and learn all about her little peccadilloes from her perspective. I loved her from the very start. She’s perfect.

Vera’s ordered world is suddenly turned upside down when one morning she discovers the body of a deceased man inside her tea shop!

Suspecting she will do a better job than the police, Vera decides to take the investigation into her own hands. The police don’t seem to suspect foul play, but Vera knows, something funny is going on here.

Through a random series of events, Vera comes up with four likely suspects: Julia, the dead man’s wife, Rikki, Sana and Oliver, the dead man’s twin brother. She then inserts herself into the suspect’s lives, because how else is she going to determine which one is guilty?!

Thus, her super-stealthy, and by that I mean over-the-top, often hilarious, slightly-meddling, yet well-intentioned, investigation begins.

I really, really enjoyed this story. The cast of characters, led by Vera, was truly the highlight for me. They were all relatable people, who ended up bonding with Vera in their own ways and for their own distinct reasons.

Vera was definitely a force to be reckoned with. She has such a big heart, is quirky as heck, sweetly innocent in many ways, but also willing to bulldoze anyone in pursuit of her goals. When Vera tells you to jump, you ask how high.

I loved learning about the characters and watching their relationships develop. It was like they all needed support and ended up, through these unfortunate circumstances, finding exactly what they needed.

The overall story was cute, cozy and heart-warming. At times, I did wish for a slightly more intriguing Mystery to help propel the plot, but the found family elements were so strong, it more than made up for that, in my opinion.

I always feel like I connect well with Sutanto’s humor and characters. I just really enjoy her writing style. It’s become such a comfort for me and she is an auto-buy author because of that.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As expected, this was super fun and cute! I cannot wait to pick up more from this author in the future.

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Review: When You Wish Upon a Star (A Twisted Tale #14) by Elizabeth Lim

~ megs14malloy

When You Wish Upon a Star: A Twisted TaleWhen You Wish Upon a Star: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When You Wish Upon a Star is the 14th-installment to Disney’s A Twisted Tale collection.

If you are unaware, these books take our favorite Disney tales, twist one element and then explore what would have happened if that twist actually occurred.

They’re like Disney’s version of alternate history stories and I’m low-key obsessed with them. Also, important to keep in mind, these books can be read in any order.

They are completely distinct stories, each following a different set of characters, so you can start anywhere you want, with which ever story sounds most appealing to you.

In this story, we explore the question: What if the Blue Fairy wasn’t supposed to help Pinocchio?

I have never read the source material, The Adventures Of Pinocchio, that the 1940-animated Disney film Pinocchio is inspired by. Additionally, I have only watched Pinocchio a handful of times. It actually scared me as a kid, so it wasn’t one I necessarily gravitated towards.

However, when I heard the pitch for this story and saw that it was being written by Elizabeth Lim, I knew I had to pick it up as soon as I could.

This is based on Pinocchio’s story, yes, but this is really the story of the Blue Fairy. Who was she before? Had she always been a fairy? If not, how did she become one and who did she leave behind?

It turns out, the Blue Fairy was once a girl named Chiara, who lived in the village of Pariva, the very same small village that Pinocchio’s father, Geppetto, is from.

I loved the direction that Lim took this story. I found it fascinating learning about Chiara, her complicated relationship with her little sister, Ilaria, and the process that Chiara underwent to become the Blue Fairy we all know and love. Even the village was fun to learn about.

I was immediately swept up into this. I feel like Lim’s writing is completely immersive. Everything about it, from the descriptions, the setting of the scenes, the drama, the character work, it’s all top notch. If you’ve never read anything from Elizabeth Lim, I actually feel like this one is a great example of her style.

The fairy aspects were really fun. There was a school where Chiara went to train and she had a mentor. I love those relationship dynamics, so was happy to see it.

It was also interesting to see the choices, or should I say sacrifices, that individuals had to make to even become fairies. Chiara struggled a bit making her decisions in that regard, but they were important decisions, so it all made sense. It never felt angsty, or overdone, in my opinion.

Ilaria, Chiara’s sister, on the other hand, she was bringing all the drama. With dreams of being a world-famous opera singer, Ilaria’s personality could be a bit grating.

However, with this being said, it did make perfect sense in context with the greater story. We needed that push-and-pull, that vast difference between the two girls’ personalities in order for this story to have maximum impact.

The best part of this for me though, was seeing those connections to Pinocchio. Meeting younger versions of characters we know, for example, like Monstro, Stromboli and even a cricket.

Don’t be alarmed though, long-time Pinocchio fans, he is in the story too! So that was fun, seeing him and the interactions between Pinocchio, Geppetto and the Blue Fairy.

Overall, I had a really good time reading this. It’s a fantastic addition to The Twisted Tales collection. If you are curious about my rankings for all the books that I have read in this series, I will list them below at the bottom of this review.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney-Hyperion and Disney Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. It was nice to see a lesser known Disney character finally getting her time shine!!

My current ratings for the Twisted Tales series:

1. What Once Was Mine (Tangled): 4.5-stars rounded up
2. Reflection (Mulan): 4-stars
3. Almost There (The Princess and the Frog): 4-stars
4. When You Wish Upon a Star: 4-stars
5. Go the Distance (Hercules): 3.5-stars rounded up
6. As Old As Time (Beauty & the Beast): 3.5-stars rounded up
7. Straight On Til Morning (Peter Pan): 3.5-stars rounded up
8. Mirror, Mirror (Snow White): 3.5-stars rounded up
9. Unbirthday (Alice): 3.5-stars
10. Conceal, Don’t Feel (Frozen): 3.5-stars
11. A Whole New World (Aladdin): 3-stars
12. Part of Your World (The Little Mermaid): 2-stars

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Review: The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce

~ megs14malloy

The Witch in the WellThe Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Witch in the Well sounds intriguing. The cover image is subtly haunting. The title makes me want to discover what is happening. Is there actually a witch?

Sadly, even after reading it, I have no idea what happened. This is one of the extremely rare cases where I get progressively more ticked off the further I get into a story.

There’s a property, I guess a castle and a well on this property, where many years ago a local woman, Ilsbeth, who the townspeople believed was a witch, drowned.

Many years later, two young girls, playing in the woods discover the well and have mystical, or spiritual, or supernatural experiences there.

These girls, Elena and Cathy, grow apart and eventually become estranged. As adults, one of the women, Elena, I think, moves back to the castle after her Uncle’s death, as I understand it, to prep it for sale.

In the meantime, both women, inspired by the events at the well during their childhood, have taken it upon themselves to write books about Ilsbeth; to tell her story. Each believes they have the right to write it and the other one should stop.

Then I’m not sure, there’s like an Adult version of a prank war, there’s a handsome repairman turned suitor, and most confusing to me was a lot of content regarding a horse, or a ghost horse, and a horse as an embodiment of a demon.

Honestly, your guess is as good as mine and there it is. That’s what I got out of this book.

Oh, wait, one more thing, I think you also get the perspective of Ilsbeth, but I could be wrong on this. I think so, but I’m not 100%. Also, don’t get me started on how confusing the presentation of events was. I could not in a million years assemble a timeline for this story.

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was okay, but I am not lying, or exaggerating, when I tell you that I RARELY knew whose perspective I was reading from and where the events fit in time.

I could not wait for this to be over. I didn’t want to DNF because, mistakenly, I thought perhaps I would have some sort of epiphany and it would suddenly all make sense.

Alas, this story just was not for me. I know there are some positive reviews out there and I’m definitely glad those Readers had a better experience with this one than I did. Please be sure you read those reviews and take them into account as well.

There’s a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book. Only you can decide if this one is for you or not.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I was excited for this one. I’m sad it didn’t work out.

On to the next!

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Review: The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores

~ megs14malloy

The Witch and the VampireThe Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I feel like I should start this review with a little disclaimer.

This review is based solely upon my personal reading experience with this story. It is 100% my opinion, please take it with a grain of salt.

I am by no means an expert on anything. Further, I would recommend that anyone who finds the publisher’s synopsis intriguing, gives this book a shot.

The Witch and the Vampire follows two girls, Ava and Kaye. Ava is a witch and Kaye is a vampire. They’re enemies, but it hasn’t always been that way.

They used to be best friends, but two years ago everything changed. Kaye was turned into a vampire and Ava’s mother was killed by a vampire. Kaye, coincidentally, disappeared the very night Ava’s mother was killed.

Ava, of course, suspects Kaye, or more closely, she blames her for her mother’s death. Ava is now a vampire hunter of sorts, how perfect. On the night of a vampire attack on their town, Kaye flees her mother’s home and Ava runs into her.

Ava convinces Kaye to travel with her into the forest. She pretends she is helping her, when really her plan is to backstab Kaye and get her revenge.

Obviously, I am simplifying this a bit, but honestly, that’s really all I can tell you about the plot.

Let’s start with a few positives. The cover is gorgeous. Also, the audiobook is very well narrated. If it weren’t for the audiobook, I most likely wouldn’t have finished this one.

While this book didn’t necessarily do anything wrong, it just wasn’t for me. I felt I didn’t understand the world at all and it lacked the atmosphere I was hoping for based upon the synopsis and cover.

I also felt it had one note throughout, angst. Everything was angst. There was angst every moment of every page, even though I felt like the stakes were never high enough to justify that. Because of this it lacked the highs and lows and nuance I would normally like to see.

There were no moments of levity and it seemed like the more seriously the book took itself, the less seriously I did. Additionally, all the characters felt one dimensional. I struggled to distinguish between the two girls throughout the entire story.

This is the second book I have read from this author. The first, Diamond City, I felt to be in the good-to-really-good range. I enjoyed the world Flores developed in that one. I found it creative and intriguing.

So, while this one fell flat for me, I would be willing to give this author another shot. I definitely wouldn’t pick up another story based in this world though.

With all of this being said, as touched upon in my earlier disclaimer, just because I didn’t connect with this story doesn’t mean that you won’t. There’s a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. I truly appreciate it!

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Review: A Flaw in the Design by Nathan Oates

~ megs14malloy

A Flaw in the DesignA Flaw in the Design by Nathan Oates
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

A Flaw in the Design follows Gil, a creative writing professor at a small, liberal arts college in Vermont. Gil lives with his wife, Molly, and their two daughters, Ingrid and Chloe.

They have a rather peaceful life; typical family stuff. That is until Gil’s sister and her husband are killed in a car accident, leaving their teenage son, Matthew, an orphan. Since Gil is the boy’s Godfather, and closest living relative, they agree to take him in and Matthew joins their family in Vermont.

At this point, you may be thinking things like, oh nooooo, what a tragedy, poor Matthew. You also may be thinking that Gil would welcome his nephew with open arms; like, of course he would lovingly take him in. He’s family.

But, no, you would be wrong on all accounts. Not poor Matthew, not loving Uncle Gil, zero open arms, forget everything your instincts tell you to think.

The truth is, Gil can’t stand his nephew. He thinks Matthew is a spoiled brat. Actually, it’s worse than that, he thinks Matthew is evil. They have a history, going back for as long as Gil can remember he has seen a wickedness in Matthew.

After an incident at Matthew’s parents Montauk estate, Gil had essentially written him off. Not just Matthew, but his sister and her husband as well. Gill called out Matthew on some unsettling behaviors and his sister refused to believe him. They didn’t see much of each other after that.

Regardless, Matthew’s legal team is fairly insistent, the boy needs to go live with them in Vermont. The buck stops with Gil. Speaking of bucks, now may be a good time to mention that Matthew’s parents were exceedingly wealthy. We’re talking tens-of-millions of dollars wealthy.

It’s all Matthew’s now. Through a series of Trusts, Matthew will live comfortably for the rest of his life and some of that may just trickle down to Gil and his family. A small detail the professor can’t ignore.

After Matthew moves in, Gil is extremely uncomfortable. He’s not being fooled by Matthew’s charming ways. He knows what the boy is capable of and he’s not letting down his guard for a moment.

As Matthew begins to win over his wife and his daughters, Gil becomes even more desperate for people to see what he sees. It becomes a bit of an obsession.

Matthew can tell his Uncle is on the brink. He likes to push. He’s happy to play with the exceedingly unnerved professor, but is it all just a game, or is Gil actually right?

This was a lot of fun to read. The tension is real. It’s a true Psychological Thriller. I was impressed with the character work and the depths to which Gil’s musings, suspicions and subsequent obsessions were explored.

Matthew was such an interesting character as well. Your quintessential rich bad boy, playing fast and loose with everyone around him. I loved the back-and-forth. It has a real cat-and-mouse vibe, but in an interesting way.

The further I progressed in the story, the more I started to second guess what was happening. Who really is the cat, who really is the mouse, or do we have a cat-cat situation happening? What’s up, what’s down?!

I made certain assumptions. I believed what the characters were telling me, but was I wrong? Was this an unreliable narrator situation? Side note, I still love an unreliable narrator. It never gets old for me.

You could cut the tension with a knife throughout this story and I loved the ending. I know the ending won’t be for everyone, but for me, it left a wicked little grin on my face and nothing makes me happier than that.

My only slight critique was that I felt like there were certain sections that dragged a little for me. Anything that didn’t involve Matthew directly, I was sort of rushing through to get back to the present action.

With this being said, overall, I really enjoyed this. It was so well plotted and the intensity was super fun and engaging.

I am definitely looking forward to picking up more from this author in the future. I walk away impressed.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This had me at the edge of my seat. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a smart, edgy, head-spinning Psychological Thriller.

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