Thriller

Review: Final Girls by Riley Sager

~ megs14malloy

Publication Date: July 11, 2017

4-stars out of 5
SURVIVOR
Wow, okay, this was a really fun read. A Book of the Month Club pick for July 2017, I am actually sad I waited this long to get to it (damn you, never-ending tbr list!). I am giving this four stars instead of five because I usually only give five stars to books that I would read again and I don’t think I would reread this one. The story for this is definitely one where it is most impactful the first time through.
The structure and storyline reminded me of a B-rate Horror flick and I do not mean that as an insult. I am a person who has sought out the best B-rate horror films my whole life- I love them. I feel this book would translate well into a movie actually. It starts much like many of those movies start, a group of super attractive college kids head off campus for a weekend celebration in the woods at a creepy little cabin…well, you can imagine the rest. Picture Cabin Fever, directed by the insanely talented Eli Roth, but witnessed through flashbacks. So fun, right?!
The beginning of the book was a little slow for me but about half way through the chapters started to get shorter and the flashbacks more frequent as you begin to piece together what the hell is actually going on. You think you know what is happening, you think it is predictable, but then that all gets flipped on its head and the ending was absolutely fabulous. Overall, I think this was very well done and I definitely want to read the book Riley Sager is set to release later this year, Last Time I Lied – if it is anything as good as this, I know it will be a wild ride!

Review: The Echo Killing by Christi Daugherty

~ megs14malloy

Expected Publication: March 13, 2018

“It’s like my mother’s death made this huge noise a long time ago. And this murder is the echo of it”

(3.5-stars rounded up to 4) The Echo Killing by Christi Daugherty is an adult thriller following female protagonist, Harper McClain, who is a crime reporter in the city of Savannah. As female leads go, I really liked Harper; I found her to be smart and believable. Although haunted by a past trauma where she stumbled across the crime scene of her murdered mother, we learn how Harper’s whole life was shaped by that one event; how she used it to fuel her passions for writing and reporting. For me, the book didn’t really pick up until about 30% into the story. The introductory phase of the characters, the city and Harper’s early life seemed just a little too drawn out for my taste before ever getting into the main point of our story – the murder and subsequent investigation of a woman by the name of Marie Whitney. Once Harper started looking into Ms. Whitney’s death, and coming to the conclusion that there was more to the story than her police friends were letting on, the action really started to pick up. Overall, I enjoyed this story and would definitely be interested in reading the next book in the series!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for providing me with an early copy of this book – I am excited for the release date to see what other readers think of it!

 

Mr. Mercedes – Where it all begins….

~ megs14malloy

No doubt if you follow me on Instagram you are aware that The Bill Hodges Trilogy by Stephen King holds a very special place in my heart.  As I have never reviewed the books here on my blog, I figured I would start at the beginning with a quick review for Mr. Mercedes.

The first book of the Bill Hodges Trilogy, Mr. Mercedes, is a fast-paced crime thriller with the most dangerous villain I have read in a while. Brady Hartsfield is smart, deranged and so easy to hate. Along with his truly vile mother, Deborah, these two will leave your stomach churning. Brady is so creative in his wickedness it isn’t surprising it takes three books to tell his tale.

This book sets up the rest of the trilogy well and does a splendid job introducing us to our humble hero, Retired Detective Kermit William ‘Bill’ Hodges, who along with his neighborhood friend, teenager Jerome Robinson, work diligently to nab the ‘Mr. Mercedes’ killer. Closer to the end, we are introduced to Holly Gibney, the emotionally damaged cousin of Bill’s short-term girlfriend, Janey. Holly, throughout the course of the series, turns into one of my favorite characters – loyal, intelligent and snarky, Holly often provides a bit of humor and insight into the stressful, violence filled storylines. Jerome, as well, is quite humorous and him and Holly’s personalities play off each other quite well. Although different from the vast majority of King’s works, I am so in love with this trilogy that I rave about it often. The books are tied together in such an odd, yet seamless way, that it is nothing short of brilliant. King definitely knocked this one out of the park – the series gets better and better and is one-hell of a thrilling ride!

Review: Wilde Lake by Laura Lippman

~ megs14malloy

Happy Tuesday book world!  Short post from me today, as my most recent read can best be summed up with, “meh”.

Wilde Lake by Laura Lippman, first published in May of 2016, had some moments of suspense but overall, I would give this book 3.5-stars. It was entertaining but fell a little short of being truly captivating. I listened to it on audiobook which was fine. They used two narrators to differentiate between present time versus flashbacks. The text mixed long-held family secrets together with a modern murder investigation. A lot was revealed over the course of the book that brings to mind the concept that no matter how perfect a family appears on the outside, for the most part, we all have secrets and skeletons in the ole’ family closets. I’m not sure I would really seek out other books by this author – as far as modern thrillers go, for me, this one fell a little short of the ‘thrilling’ part.

In other news, I had to leave for work today with 10 pages left in Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris – now that one is a page turner!!!  I hope everyone has a wonderful day and gets lots of pages read!

Cheers~

Behind Closed Doors – Progress Report

~ megs14malloy

Good morning book lovelies!  This morning prior to work, while drinking my first coffee of the day, I sat down to continue, Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris.  This is my first Paris book and it is definitely an edge of your seat thriller.  Truth be told, I am finding it really, really frustrating!  I like it.  I can’t put it down but I am getting so aggravated it is actually a wee bit stressful.

Aptly named, the book is about that couple we all know that seems just so damned perfect.  However, it’s what goes on behind closed doors that gets interesting – or horrifying as the case is here. I am 60% through this book and am loving the past/present alternation of the chapters; I frequently enjoy books that are formatted this way. My main aggravation with the book comes with the behavior of one of the main characters.  It is definitely a book that makes you think of what you would do if you were put in a certain situation and I can’t help but feel like our protagonist makes some very weak decisions – but really who am I to judge unless I am in the situation?

Have you read this book?  Did you find yourself feeling stressed and angry while reading it? I know it is going to come to the conclusion I am hoping for….I mean, it has to, right??  Ugh, I have to get home and read more!!!