Thirteen - Steve Cavanagh

You know that little thrill you get when you realize you've stumbled onto a fantastic read? I had that from the first pages of Steve Cavanagh's latest novel, Thirteen.

This is the fourth book featuring Eddie Flynn - con man turned defense lawyer. Eddie is a great lead character - dogged and clever. He's impossible not to like.

A Hollywood star is accused of killing his wife. He protests his innocence, but the evidence against him is damning. Eddie is added to the defense team - but if things go south, it's Flynn who will take the blame. As the trial gets underway, Eddie has more than a few doubts about the case against Bobby Solomon....

Cavanagh's plot premise is just as clever. "The serial killer isn't on trial. He's on the jury." Uh, huh. Now how did that happen? The reader gets inside the killer's mind and motives through his own POV chapters that alternate with the trial.

Oh my gosh. Thirteen is so very, very good. The killer is truly devious - and downright terrifying. Eddie is everything you want in a lead character. (I'm going to be looking up the first three books in this series for sure) The supporting cast is just as well drawn - Judge Harry Ford was a favourite for me. The crime is fiendishly clever. The investigation is meticulously plotted. The legal scenes are riveting. Cavanagh's writing is so very, very readable. And edge of your seat. What more can I say - I absolutely loved it. If you enjoy legal thrillers, you need to read Thirteen. Start now - Here's an excerpt of Thirteen.

Who else likes Steve Cavanagh's writing?  "I've been tracking Steve Cavanagh for a few years now and Thirteen is his best, a dead bang beast of a book that expertly combining his authority on the law with an absolutely great thrill ride. Books this ingenious don't come along very often." - Michael Connelly

You can connect with  Steve Cavanagh on his website, like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter. 

A Map of the Dark - Karen Ellis

A Map of the Dark is the first novel in a new series (The Searchers) from Karen Ellis. (A nom de plume of Katia Lief)

FBI Agent Elsa Myers specializes in missing children. She's good at her job. But when she's asked to take on the case of a young woman most likely taken by a serial killer, she hesitates. Her father is dying and this is bringing the past she has tried to bury back to the surface. She does take the case, thinking she can handle both, but her carefully constructed defenses begin to crumble. Ellis's prologue opens the book with the crime.

Ellis has created a flawed lead character in Elsa. I liked her right away, but was caught off guard by her dark personal secrets. Ellis reveals Elsa's backstory through past and present chapters. (I did have some questions as to how such a wounded psych could end up in such a job). The victim of the crime is also given a voice - and the hope that she might still be found. Elsa is paired up with a new partner named Lex that only adds to her stress. Although he says and does all the right things, I just wasn't sold on him.

Ellis seems to be setting the stage for this new series in A Map of the Dark.  Establishing Elsa as a character and setting the background seemed to (for me) take more precedence than the crime. The crime itself is somewhat familiar in tone. There are some convenient plot devices that made if perhaps a little too easy for law enforcement. There is a twist at the end, but astute readers will most likely suss it out before the reveal.

A Map of the Dark is a solid read and will appeal to those who enjoy characterizations more than the mystery. Me? I like the mystery and the solving of the crimes.

Read an excerpt of A Map of The Dark. You can connect with Karen Ellis on her website and follow her on Twitter.

Blood Wedding - Pierre Lemaitre

I first discovered Pierre LeMaitre back in 2013 when I picked up his (terrifying) novel Alex. I loved it (my review) and have been a fan ever since. His latest book - Blood Wedding has just released - and it's just as creepily terrifying as his previous works.

Sophie is working as a nanny to a young boy. When she awakes one morning she find the boy dead - with one of her shoelaces around his neck. And Sophie can't remember a thing.

Hoping she hasn't killed the boy (She couldn't have done such a thing - could she?) and knowing no one will believe her Sophie runs, creates a new identity and tries to hide. Why? Well, that little dead boy isn't the first time Sophie can't remember things. Working as a nanny was the latest stop in a downward spiral from successful, married businesswoman to frightened, forgetful and unstable woman she is today. What has happened to her and her life? She has no idea - but someone else does....

I enjoyed getting immediately caught up in Sophie's maelstrom. As I read the first half, I thought the novel was going to go one way, looked at the number of pages left and thought 'oh, that's too much for this storyline'. And then LeMaitre knocked all my preconceived notions as to how the book would unfold out the window in the second half. I truly don't want to ruin the book for anyone. But there is someone 'helping' Sophie on her downward spiral.

"I know her so well. I knew how she would react, what would interest her. "It's important not to overdo it. The important thing is to maintain the atmosphere."

Just as I thought I now knew where LeMaitre's story was going, he threw in a few more twists. I love that gotcha moment when you read a single sentence, sit stunned for a second, and then read it again just to confirm.

This is a one sided cat and mouse game, with the reader fully aware of what is happening to Sophie. Until........

Deliciously creepy! Stephen King calls LeMaitre "A really excellent suspense novelist." I think so too.  Read an excerpt of Blood Wedding.

The Dead Lands - Benjamin Percy

I missed reading Benjamin Percy's last novel, Red Novel. The positive reviews I read had me eager to read his latest release, The Dead Lands.

Percy had me at 'post-apocalyptic'. I love books that explore what the world might be like when what we know ends.

Between a super flu and nuclear fallout, most of mankind and society has been wiped out. But there are pockets of humanity left. One such group has barricaded themselves in what is left of St. Louis and dubbed it The Sanctuary. It's a militant society, but at least the inhabitants are alive behind its walls. (It somewhat reminded me of Woodbury from The Walking Dead) And until the day a young woman on a horse rides through the gates they are satisfied with being alive. But not everyone is. A young pair -Lewis Meriwether and Mina Clark decide to go outside the walls. The young woman says there is much more out there - water, crops and a better society.

Lewis and Clark (Aha - just like the explorers!) strike out. But the journey there is arduous, filled with danger from within the group, from The Sanctuary and the land they are traversing. And the girl may have lied....

I loved the idea, I liked the characters - actually my favourite character was Ella - a supporting player from The Sanctuary. I did find the mayor of The Sanctuary and his henchman Sheriff a bit cliched. Percy has done a good job with world building. The journey to the unknown will have you rooting for our explorers. But. Yes, there's a but. No doubt, Percy is a talented wordsmith. But sometimes too many words is just, well too much. I wanted more action, not more descriptions. I started getting bogged down in the details - and I found myself skimming.

Creatures such as albino giant bats seemed more fantastical than apocalyptic. Maybe that's just me - and what I was hoping to find. A good read, but not great for this reader. Here's an excerpt of The Dead Lands.

The Ice Twins - S. K. Tremayne

Do you ever get that feeling - when you know you're in for a great read and you won't be going to bed anytime soon? I knew from the opening pages of S.K. Tremayne's book The Ice Twins, that I was in for a great twisty psychological thriller of a read.

How's this for a premise?Angus and Sarah have lost a lot in the last year - their home, Angus's job - and young Lydia, one of their identical twin seven year old daughters. In an attempt to put their lives back together they decide to move to a small cottage on a tiny Scottish island that Angus inherited from his gran. Hopefully this move will be good for their marriage - and for their surviving daughter Kirstie.

But then Kirstie says she is not Kirstie - she is Lydia. Could this be possible? Have they had a funeral for the wrong child? How could they make such a mistake?

The Ice Twins gives us a glimpse into both Sarah's and Angus's minds with alternating narratives. Throughout both there are little hints and glimpses into past events that may have precipitated the twin's death. As the uncertainty grows as to which twin is alive so does the tension and anger between Sarah and Angus. Tremayne keeps the reader guessing as things change with almost every chapter. Kirstie/Lydia's dialogue is quite chilling. Is it grief or something more malevolent?

The descriptions of the harsh weather and rundown cottage only serve to underscore the unsettled, disturbing and yes, sinister feeling of the book. (The Ice Twins would make a great scary movie!)

I loved it! Snuggle into your favourite reading chair, pull the curtains and ignore that squeak on the stairs - you're in for a great read. Absolutely recommended! Here's an excerpt of The Ice Twins.

The Black Box - Michael Connelly

Oh, Harry Bosch is back! I started Michael Connelly's latest book in the series (#18) - The Black Box - and I tried really, really hard to make it last.....but it was no use.....I finished it in a day. I literally couldn't put it down.

Harry is still with the Open-Unsolved Unit of the LAPD. It's the 20th anniversary of the L.A. riots and the Unit has been asked to try and clear some cases from that time period. Harry knows the case he wants to re examine. He worked the streets during that turmoil and was there when Anneke Jespersen's body was found in an alley. The murder of the young journalist was never solved.

"In the chaos of the moment, the mission was simple; preserve the evidence, document the scene as well and as fast as possible, and collect the dead. Get in and get out. And do it safely. The real investigation would come later. Maybe."

Well, that time is now.  With today's capabilities in forensic science, Harry makes a discovery - bullets at the Jespersen scene match other crime scenes - committed after her murder. And Harry is on the trail. "Twenty years later, he got another shot at it. And it was a very long shot at that." What he also has is a new lieutenant - one determined to put Harry in his place.

This is Harry at his best, under the gun from superiors, eschewing the politicos, running solo, making connections others don't see and pursuing his cases full out. Justice for the victim is his focus. I have such a vivid mental image of Harry as I read - he is one of my favourite detectives.

As always, the plotting was intricate. I enjoyed solving the crime along with Harry as he pieced together his case from tenuous leads, intuition and dogged determination.

Connelly has given us the softer side of  Harry in the last few books with the addition of his daughter Maddie. While I enjoy Harry having a personal life and storyline, I'm still on the fence about Maddie. But not about the new love interest Hannah - she's got to go. I'm curious as to whether a new female cop introduced in this book will return in future stories. Initially I thought she was just a supporting character, but played a bigger role than I imagined.

As always, another great read from Connelly. The downside - we'll have to wait another year for his next book - The Gods of Guilt. You can find Connelly on Facebook.

"The saying is that law enforcement work is ninety-nine per-cent boredom and one percent adrenaline - screaming high intensity moments of life -and- death consequence." The Black Box? One hundred percent recommended. Read an excerpt of The Black Box.

The Casual Vacancy - J.K. Rowling

Well, I really don't think there's anyone who is not familiar with the name J. K. Rowling. The Harry Potter books will forever be part of our culture. So, with that series ended, Rowling's announcement that she was writing an adult novel was greeted with much (much!) anticipation.

And with it's publication - much scrutiny. As a fan of the Potter books, I had to read The Casual Vacancy.

"6.11  A casual vacancy is deemed to have occurred :
(a)  when a local councillor fails to make his declaration of acceptance of office within the proper time; or
(b) when his notice of resignation is received';
or
(c) on the day of his death..."

And in the parish of Pagford, England, it's option (c) when councillor Barry Fairbrother unexpectedly dies. The local council is warring amongst themselves. The issue? Who should be responsible for the local estate - referred to as The Fields. Should it be Pagford or neighbouring city of Yarvil. This vacancy offers up the chance to turn the tide for one side or the other...the race is on to fill the seat....

'Both, as they watched....were contemplating the casual vacancy: and they saw it not as an empty space but as a magician's pocket, full of possibilities."

Rowling rapidly introduces us to a plethora of characters. Each is well-drawn and provided me with  vivid mental images. Inthe beginning I did have to make myself a reference list of characters and their relationships until I had a firm grasp of who was who.

The Casual Vacancy is driven by it's characters. Most of them are not nice people. But it's an interesting social commentary. The 'better-offs' in Pagford are quite sure they are above those 'lower classes' living in The Fields. But our behind the scenes view allows us to see that they are no different from each other. The Pagfordians are just more polite about it.

The Casual Vacancy is not a small book - it's five hundred pages long. Although I'm a voracious reader, it took me almost two weeks to finish. Why? Well, packed into that five hundred pages is a lot of pettiness, bullying, selfishness, cruelty, vindictiveness, conniving, scheming...you get the picture. And it made me sad, just really sad. I really didn't get much enjoyment from reading this book. But I soldiered on, determined to see what happened at the end. Which I didn't like. The one character I enjoyed met a depressing fate.

Rowling's writing is impeccable, the town and the machinations of it's inhabitants are all part of a tightly woven plot and her characterizations are spot on. So it's going to be a very hard book to rate for me. The writing is a four, but my enjoyment was only a three, so I'll go with 3.5/5.

The Casual Vacancy is definitely an adult novel, with lots of profanity, drug use, self harm, sexual situations and more. Read an excerpt of The Casual Vacancy.