A Man Named Doll - Jonathan Ames

I picked up Jonathan Ames's new novel - A Man Named Doll - on a rainy Saturday morning and finished it before dinner. It's just over 200 pages - but those pages make for addictive reading.

Meet Happy Doll - yes, that's his real name, but he does answer to Hank. Former Navy, LAPD and currently a struggling Private Investigator.  He also works security for a massage parlor to make ends meet. And for the reader - a unique lead character.

An old colleague stops by the office to see if Hank would be willing to donate him a kidney. And that one act is the start of a string of bodies and a set of crimes that you just can't predict.

The setting is LA and I immediately got a noir feeling from settings and characters - Hank's office setting, his occupation, his home under the Hollywood sign, the buxom barkeep at his local and more.

Happy's inner dialogue is wickedly sharp and darkly humourous. He acts on impulse quite often and doesn't seem to realize that he isn't immortal. He's quite likeable and you can't help but behind him. Oh, and his dog George is an excellent sidekick.

The plot kept me guessing with every new turn (and body). There was no way to guess how things were going to turn out. The pacing of the book is fast and furious, with no downtime. Well, maybe a tad - Hank does get knocked out quite a bit.

The writing was excellent, the lead character engaging and the plot was inventive. Lee Child says this about A Man Named Doll - "Quirky, edgy, charming, funny and serious, all in one." I couldn't have said it better myself. And.....there's more Happy-ness to come. The first chapter of the next book is included at the end.  The Wheel of Doll is due out next year.

You'll Thank Me For This - Nina Siegal

It was this descriptor that had me wanting to read Nina Siegal's latest novel - You'll Thank Me For This. 

From Mullholland Books: "A pulse-pounding psychological thriller based on the popular Dutch tradition of blindfolding and dropping teens and preteens in the middle of a forest - and what happens when it goes horribly wrong."

Well, it's a real thing! What a great premise to weave a story into.

Siegal tells this story from two points of view in alternating chapters - that of twelve year old Karin and her mother Grace. I liked Karin - she has all the attributes you want in a plucky young protagonist - a thinker and ready to act. She's twelve, but I did find her to be a young twelve - a bit too trusting. Initially I thought Grace was okay - she and Karin are part of a new blended family. But as I read further, my opinion changed. She's got rose colored glasses on and seems determined to not take them off. If it happens once, it will happen again.

The plot starts off good. There's some conflict within the dropping group, but what could have been some Lord of the Flies territory ended quickly. I found the forest scenes of Karin's journey just too farfetched for me. The wolf scene. C'mon. Really?  The 'scary' people in the forest. The plot was pretty predictable after a certain point as well. The final why is a bit of a stretch, but still plausible.

I found the writing a bit stilted and choppy. I thought perhaps it was a translation thing, but no, it was written in English. The other thing I checked was what target audience was - adult or YA. It was adult. I found Karin's chapters to be quite juvenile (because she is juvenile, I know), but they just didn't grab me. I wanted 'pulse-pounding', but it never hit that mark for me. Just okay for this reader. Here's an excerpt of You'll Thank Me For This.

Missing Person - Sarah Lotz

Missing Person is Sarah Lotz's latest book. It's a first read of this author for me, but won't be the last.

Irish bookseller Shaun has always believed his Uncle Teddy was dead. But then he learns the truth - his family lied. Teddy ran away to New York twenty years ago - and the family declared him dead. But why? Shaun can't leave it be and keeps asking questions, despite being warned off. But when he's contacted by an online missing persons group in the US, he might finally find some answers.

I adore epistolary novels - it feels like a more intimate read, like you're more 'in' the book. The group's questions, inquiries and internal conversations are all presented in a series of online chats, emails, messages, articles and more. Lotz does some great character building with the members of missing-linc.com. We are privy to their private lives, even though the members have not met one another. They're all battling something in real life and can be someone else online. But, one of those members has some personal knowledge of 'The Boy in the Dress' case. Shaun is just as well portrayed and I found myself quite drawn to him. There are four POV's - three members of the online group and Shaun. Lotz explores family, friendship, love, loss, grief and more through these characters alongside the investigations.

I liked having two settings - the US and Ireland. As well as investigating the case from two different countries. I thought the crime was well plotted. Lotz provides unexpected turns as the search for whodunit progresses. I was kept engaged the whole time. A quite different, but really good crime novel. See for yourself - here's an excerpt of Missing Person.

The Chain - Adrian McKinty

There's been lots of publicity surrounding the release of Adrian McKinty's latest novel - The Chain. Did it live up to the hype? Oh yeah it did - thriller readers are going to want to pick up this one!

The premise is a frightening (and pretty dark) one...

"Your phone rings. A stranger has kidnapped your child. To free them you must abduct someone else's child. Your child will be released when your victim's parents kidnap another child. If any of these things don't happen: your child will be killed."

Takes the chain letter concept to a whole new level doesn't it?

McKinty has created a great lead character in Rachel. She's a divorced, single mother battling breast cancer. Why in the world have her and her daughter been targeted? I love books that place an everyday person in an extraordinary position. Can they beat the odds? Thwart the 'bad guys'? Pull off the impossible? Rachel is a force to be reckoned with.

Action is the word of the day in The Chain. The plot is driven forward by twists - most of them ones I could not have predicted. I love being caught unawares by a book. So, the game changes frequently and Rachel has to react and respond to the newest directive. Now, I must admit - some of those plot lines require a few grains of salt. And that's okay - this is pure escapist, entertainment reading.

I had a three day weekend lately - and I devoured The Chain on that extra day. It's addictive, propulsive reading that will consume the reader. The Chain is an action packed thriller film just waiting to be made. See for yourself - here's an excerpt of The Chain.

The Shadows We Hide - Allen Eskens

I was so excited when I heard that Allen Eskens had a new book coming out. Even more so when I discovered that Joe Talbert would be returning in The Shadows We Hide.

Joe was the protagonist in Eskens' first book, The Life We Bury. I thought there was more to Joe's story. Joe has never known his father. When he comes across a news story about the death of a man named Joe Talbert, he wonders - could it possibly be the father he was named for? He heads to the small town  as the reporter he is  - and is stunned by the town's animosity towards the dead man.

Esken's characters have depth and significant back stories. Joe's mother is a drug addict, his brother is mentally challenged and Joe himself battles personal demons. I'm really fond of Lila, Joe's girlfriend. She's whip smart, kind, thoughtful and no pushover. She is true to her own beliefs and lives accordingly. All of these relationships resonate with reality.

Now in addition to absolutely fantastic characters is the mystery behind the dead Joe Talbert. And again, Eskens excels. His plotting is intricate and detailed and drew me into the underbelly of the small town. I wasn't able to predict the outcome of the book, which I really appreciate. And the ending was just right. Read an excerpt of The Shadows We Hide.

Eskens is easily one of my favorite authors. I'll be eagerly awaiting the fifth book from this talented writer. Absolutely recommended. But do yourself a favor and start with the first book.

(The cover of The Shadows We Hide features the same barn that was on the cover in The Life We Bury, but in a growing season, instead of the winter.)

The Bridge - Stuart Prebble

The Bridge is Stuart Prebble's latest book.

Michael has been dating Alison for a few months now. They're on the way to meet his Grandma Rose, when the radio newscast reports a madman picking up children and throwing them over the Waterloo Bridge. Horrific, Alison and Michael agree. And then the meeting with Rose goes badly as well. Perhaps it was too soon. Or perhaps he doesn't know Alison well enough yet. The Madman strikes again, again targeting children.

Unbelievably, the police finger Michael as a person of interest. He was in the vicinity of each occurrence and they have other evidence that  they say ties him to the crimes.

Prebble leads the reader with many red herrings along the way, igniting our suspicions as to the final whodunit. I must admit, I was pretty sure I had sussed out the answer about midway through. I was wrong, but....I found the coincidences that drove the plot forward to the final reveal to be just too far-fetched. The whodunit was overwrought and overwrote in my opinion. The Bridge was just an okay read for me. Read an excerpt of The Bridge.

Walk Away - Sam Hawken

Sam Hawken has just released Walk Away - the second book in his Camaro Espinoza series. I hadn't read the first, but Walk Away can absolutely be read as a stand alone.

Camaro? She's a former combat medic who knows how to fight. She never backs down or walks away. When her sister Annabel asks her for help with an abusive boyfriend, she's on her way across country without a second thought. After all, family is family. But that abusive boyfriend has family too. And he's even worse than his brother.  What starts out as a simple warning off soon turns deadly - for a lot of people.

I loved Camaro! Who doesn't love a kick butt female lead? (Think female Jack Reacher) Hawken slowly reveals bits and pieces of the sisters' past. I wasn't too sure about her sister - she's 'weaker' if you will, and seems to have has a history of making bad choices and needing help to clean up. I really liked two of the supporting cast - bail bondsman Yates and Deputy Marshall Hannon. I hope to see Yates in a future book. But boy oh boy, Marshall Way is a piece of work. He's a loose cannon with a temper. Hawken has written him well - it's impossible not to have a visceral reaction to this man.

Hawken's plot is well conceived and things move along at a quick pace. Great short snappy dialogue to match. And lots of action. Walk Away kinda reads like an action film. And I can absolutely see it as a movie. I look forward to the third installment. Read an excerpt of Walk Away.

You can connect with Sam Hawken on his website or follow him on Twitter.

Close Your Eyes - Michael Robotham

Close Your Eyes is the newest - and 8th- book in Michael Robotham's Joseph O'Loughlin series.

O'Loughlin is a clinical psychologist who has worked with the police in the past as a consultant profiler. He has retired himself from that job, focusing instead on teaching, his daughters and his health as he copes with living with Parkinson's Disease.

When DS Cray calls him for help, his immediate response is no. Until she tells him that one of his past students has injected himself into a murder investigation with negative results. He's calling himself The Mindhunter, telling everyone O'Loughlin taught him everything he knows, and using Joe as a reference. It's not true and is enough to have Joe saying yes and agreeing to taking a look at the case - two murdered women. The killer has his own chapters - letting the reader know that he's watching the investigation as Joe begins to make progress......

I like Joe very much as a lead character. The way he thinks and his processes of deduction. But it his his personal life that rounds the character out, making him more 'real' to me. Things are always progressing, changing and evolving - his marriage difficulties, his mistakes and his interactions with his daughters as they navigate growing up. His oldest daughter, Charlie, plays a larger role in this novel. (And I must admit to wondering where Robotham would take things next - I found the ending quite surprising.) O'Loughlin's health concerns also set this character apart from many other crime leads. The Parkinson's is portrayed realistically. Every good lead character needs a sidekick. In this series, it's now retired police Detective Vincent Ruiz. He's tough, intelligent, loyal and brings an alternate view to the crimes being investigated.

Robotham has crafted another great plot. There are many suspects to choose from and Robotham keeps the reader guessing until the final pages for the 'whodunnit".

It's that blending of 'professional' and personal that make this series work for me. Can't wait for the next entry in this series.  Read an excerpt of Close Your Eyes.

Robotham is one of my favourite authors - for me, he simply can't write a bad book. He just can't write fast enough for me! You can connect with Michael Robotham on his website, find him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Watching You - Michael Robotham

It's no secret that I love mystery and thriller novels. When asked for recommendations at the library, Michael Robotham is an author I often suggest. This Aussie author is one you definitely want to put on your must read list. His latest North American release is Watching You - and it'll have you sitting up late reading just one more chapter - and drawing the curtains. This is the seventh book featuring recurring character Joe O'Loughlin - a clinical psychologist.

Marnie Logan is struggling - her husband has disappeared, she has inherited his massive gambling debts and has two children to look after. She's at her wit's end, but things are about to get even worse.

"I am the most important figure in Marnie's life, but she doesn't know it yet. I am the half-figure at the edge of her photographs and the shadow in the corner of her eye that vanishes each time she turns her head. I am the ghost that dances behind her closed lids and the darkness that blinks when she blinks. I am her nameless champion, her unheralded hero, and the conductor of her symphony. I am the one who watches."

Creepy, creepy, creepy.

I started out feeling sorry for Marnie, then frightened for her, then...... well, Robotham is a master manipulator. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, he surprised me. In the acknowledgments at the end of the book he says..."Each time I finish a novel I think, that's it - I'm all out of ideas, characters, plot twists and one-liners." Sometimes I think along the same lines - that I've read so many thrillers, that I'll be able to figure things out long before the last page. Definitely, not the case with Watching You. The plotting was deliciously clever, was completely unpredictable and turned ever assumption I had made upside down. The ending is a nice little gotcha too.

Robotham also brings back retired police Detective Vincent Ruiz. He and O'Louglin are a favourite duo, each bringing a different outlook on the crimes and criminals they pursue.

The story is told from many narratives, each giving a different look at what is going on. But the most chilling is that of the watcher. What could be more frightening than someone watching you - and you're unaware of it? Robotham takes this frightening premise to a whole new level. And kinda makes you wonder who's watching you - that person on the bus, the car at the stoplight....?

Watching You is a five star absolutely recommended read for thriller fans. If you read Linwood Barclay and Harlan Coben, you'll like Robotham. Read an excerpt of Watching You.

You can find Michael Robotham on Facebook and on Twitter.

Bombproof - Michael Robotham

I often have library patrons asking me if I can recommend a crime author or series to them. Absolutely! It's my favourite genre.

One oft overlooked author is award winning Australian Michael Robotham. He's been on my must read list for quite awhile.

Robotham opens Bombproof with an explosive (literally) opening sequence. How could Sami MacBeth's life get any worse...

"Three days ago he walked out of prison and swore he'd never go back. Thirty-six hours ago he was shagging Kate Tierney, the woman of his wet dreams, in a suite at the Savoy thinking life was looking up. Now he's carrying a rucksack that could send him to prison for the rest of his life through the West End of London and he's turned himself into the most wanted man in Britain. This is how it happened."

I was hooked! Robotham is a master storyteller. Bombproof is fast-paced, action-packed and full of surprises. The plot is dark and gritty, but Robotham inserts some dark humour as well. A bit of stretch in a few places, but absolutely a page turner. Bombproof reads like an action flick. Read an excerpt of Bombroof.

Bombproof is an older stand alone story of Robotham's. Mullholland Books has released it in the U.S. as an ebook. Robotham  pens a fantastic series featuring psychologist Joe O'Loughlin and homicide Detective Vincent Ruiz. The next U.S. release in this series is Watching You (about a woman who has been stalked - her entire life). It's due out in March/14. Watch for it - I will be.

The Demands - Mark Billingham

I have been an ardent fan of Mark Billingham from book one in his Detective Tom Thorne series. The Demands is the tenth offering in this British crime series.

Detective Sergeant Helen Weeks stops regularly into Javed Akhtar's corner shop for her morning paper and gum. Akhtar has just chased some young hooligans out of his store when he abruptly turns, locks the door on Helen and a male customer....and pulls a gun. Helen and Stephen are now his hostages.

His demands? For Detective Tom Thorne to investigate his son Amin's death while in custody. It was ruled suicide but Akhtar doesn't believe it.

Thorne is in a race against time - and an unstable man - to re investigate a closed case.

Why do I enjoy this series so much? Billingham always comes up with an arresting plot that provides some unexpected turns. The tension ratchets higher as Thorne discovers truths that Akhtar may not want to hear. We are privy to the drama in the shop through Helen's eyes. Helen has appeared in a previous book and is another strongly drawn character I was glad to see return. Billingham's plot also includes some relevant social commentary.

But of course the real draw is Tom Thorne. Thorne is ornery, obstinate and driven to solve his cases at almost any cost. This lands him on a fine line between right and wrong many times. His single mindedness has cost him in many ways, both professionally and personally. But his persistence usually pays off.

I loved the ending and cannot wait for the next installment in this gritty, gripping series.

Who else is reading and recommending Mark Billingham? Michael Connelly, Lee Child and Gillian Flynn. And me! Read an excerpt of The Demands.

(I recently discovered that Britain has created a television series based on this character. At first I was quite hesitant to watch as I thought the mental personas I had created for these characters would be ruined. But I have to say - they're quite good. My local library has purchased the first two - Sleepyhead and Scaredycat. David Morrisey does an excellent job of portraying Thorne. Although I think the coroner Phil Hendriks is a bit off. Funnily enough Canadian Sandra Oh is also in Scaredycat, complete with a Brit accent.

You can find Mark Billingham on Facebook.

The Whisperer - Donato Carrisi

The Whisperer is Donato Carrisi's first novel. It has been translated from the original Italian to English by Shaun Whiteside.

The Whisperer grabs you by the throat from the opening chapters. Six severed left arms are found buried in a circle in a forest glen. Those left arms belong to children. Girls, in fact - five of them reported missing. But no sixth child has been reported missing. No bodies have been found at all.

Criminologist Goran Gavila brings in Officer Mila Vasquez to work with his team. Mila's specialty is finding missing children.She is battling her own demons as the team struggles to follow the clues left by a deranged and devious serial killer. But he seems to be one step ahead of them at all times, playing cat and mouse with the sixth girl as the prize.

It took me about 50 - 75 pages to get a good firm grasp on the characters and plot in The Whisperer. Carrisi has crafted a complex labyrinth of a tale - you'll want to read carefully as the plot twists and turns rapidly (and the ending is a real twister). Indeed, I sometimes felt slightly off balance as I read - bodies and characters are added to the tale in quick succession. This is a minor complaint - but clues are referred to by the characters with no sense of how they were obtained - such as school pictures and homework from the past of one suspect. Some procedural details that don't quit ring true were bothersome. A police officer on a major crime scene reviewing tapes that asks for help because "I don't know a thing about electronics". Why in the world would he be allowed to touch evidence then?

Carrisi has taken the crime novel a step further with the care he has take to explore the main character's psyches. I would like to see Carrisi continues with Mila as a protagonist in future books.

I did find the translation to be a bit choppy in places. The setting of the book in terms of country is never really defined -  niggly I know, but I would like to have known where the book was taking place. Did I enjoy The Whisperer? Yes I did. But, it's probably not for the faint at heart. Judge for yourself - Read the prologue and first chapter of The Whisperer.

The Revisionists - Thomas Mullen

When I first started to read  The Revisionists by Thomas Mullen, I immediately thought of the film/novel The Adjustment Bureau . Although there are similarities in the beginning, The Revisionists takes the story much farther, questioning many things in our society, but the ultimate question is - does the means justify the end?

Operative "Z" is from the future - a time they call the Perfect Present. His job is to make sure that things progress as they should - marching towards the Great Conflagration the marks the beginning of the Perfect Present. But others, known as hags (historical agitators) are also working - but to alter events and therefore change history. Although he is supposed to leave no trace of having been there,  Z finds himself involved with Tasha - a young lawyer whose brother died in Iraq while serving in the military. As she questions the government's role in his death, Z begins to question his own society and sacrifices in fulfilling the role he has been assigned. An almost parallel story is of Leo, a disillusioned operative who also questioned his role in the CIA and left under cloudy circumstances. He too see a chance for redemption when he offers to help a young Indonesian woman escape her tyranical employers.

Although The Revisionists falls under the sci-fi umbrella, I really found the time travel aspect to be a vehicle for an exploration of what is happening in the world now and what the future may hold for the global village. The characters's explorations of their own beliefs, emotions and actions will provide many questions readers will find themselves asking.

I read the ending more than once, as I think it could go several ways.  I quite enjoyed the uncertainty Mullen left me with. This was definitely a different read for me.

Read an excerpt of The Revisionists.  You can find Mullen on Facebook or on his blog.

Bloodline - Mark Billingham

For the longest time Mark Billingham was my little secret. I had discovered a fantastic author from across the pond and delighted in letting my crime/thriller aficionados at the library know about this fantastic author. Billingham is definitely not a secret any longer.

Bloodline is the eighth book to feature Murder Squad Detective Tom Thorne. Thorne is a wonderfully conflicted, stubborn, clever man who sometimes makes the wrong choices...

Thorne is called out on what seems to be a domestic murder. It looks like the husband is the culprit and Thorne is happy to have a quick open and shut case. But when a piece of x-ray is found in the victim's fist, the case isn't  as straight forward as he thought. Another crime victim is also found with a piece of x-ray that jigsaws the first piece. With those two clues, Thorne pieces together what the two victims have in common - and it isn't pretty. I don't want to spoil the plot -  so I'm not going to let you know what it is!

Thorne has his hands full this time, facing a killer who is incredibly clever...and has his eye on Thorne.

I love this character. Billingham has slowly revealed more and more of him every book. His personal life seems to be coming together at last, but with Thorne you never know. I enjoy his taste in music as well!

The plot is very, very clever. As is the killer. Billingham had me guessing until the very end.

Read an excerpt of Bloodline. You can find Mark Billingham on Facebook and on Twitter.

If you've caught up on all of the Michael Connelly or John Sandford series, get started on Mark Billingham - highly recommended.