Tag: thriller

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Sunday Dispute: Is It Mid-Life Crisis?

I have been facing a dilemma. That of changing tastes and choices. I have always been proud of primarily being a detective at heart; a thrill seeker and a mystery solver, with a streak of adventure and a love for the unknown. There were a few years when this love was shared by another genre: Romance. Alas, that love affair only lasted for the duration of my teenage years. There were a few other friendships, but none as permanent and everlasting as the one between mystery thrillers and me.

This year, as I enter into my forties, I fear that my reading habits might be going through a mid-life crisis. The previously much-loved and adored friend no longer seems to hold my interest. Infact, I can hardly get myself to even look at a thriller any more. There are stacks and stacks of books staring at me, silently willing me to pick them up, their attractive covers screaming from Instagram accounts, their stellar reviews whispering sweet nothings into my ears, yet I feel nothing.

I have not found another favorite genre yet, but I’m looking around. All of a sudden I seem to have become more bold and daring, willing to venture into unknown worlds, rather than remaining a one-genre woman. It’s not easy. I would say it’s a lot of hard work. I keep thinking that if I read enough crap I might find something that will hold my interest for a longer period of time. Something with whom I can enjoy a long-term relationship.

But when you have been married for as long as mysteries/ thrillers and I, anything new just seems like a short-lived affair brought on by the advent of middle age. You have to give me one thing though. I haven’t stopped spending money on the darned genre. I still buy more thrillers than is good for my bank account, more than I can possibly read in this lifetime at least! It’s like a disease in my blood.

The more I write about it, the more it seems like the tale of a marriage going through a bad time. Maybe that’s what it is. We have been together for so long that we need a break from each other. Yeah, that’s what we should do.

Though we need to define the boundaries of this break. I don’t want to be left alone later on in life, telling anyone who would listen, “…but we were on a break!”

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Review: The Hiding Place (The Taking of Annie Thorne)

Rating: 3 Stars

Ever since I read The Chalk Man last year, I had been waiting for C. J. Tudor’s next. I love thrillers that combine suspense with just the right kind of creepiness. The Chalk Man reminded me of Stephen King, but with less horror and more suspense. The Hiding Place (or The Taking of Annie Thorne) didn’t quite manage to live up to my expectations.

I realize that it is quite unfair to compare two books, as each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Even with that in mind, The Hiding Place turned out to be quite average as far as thrillers go.

There is no doubt that C. J. Tudor is a master storyteller. Her words have the power to transport you into the setting of the story, and actually feel the characters. The problem occurs when the characters are not strong enough to arouse any feelings inside the reader. The worst thing for a character to do is to inspire indifference. This book, while written well, fails to deliver in the give-a-damn department.

Joe Thorne never thought he’d be back in Arnhill. He thought he had left it all far behind; the toxic friendships, the incident at the abandoned mine, the suicide, and most of all, the disappearance of his sister. But he finds himself not only going back, but also lying his way into a teaching position at his former school. He has his own reasons for returning, and trying to stay low-key, one of which is a strange e-mail that he has received.

As soon as he sets foot in his hometown, Joe encounters hostility from old friends as well as new acquaintances. He is not surprised, nor is he deterred from his objective. For he knows what actually happened at the old mine the night that his beloved sister went missing. He was devastated by her disappearance, and thought that there couldn’t be anything worse than that. But he was wrong, because there was something worse that could happen, and it did. His sister came back.

The plot and characters are somewhat reminiscent of Stephen King’s It, which remains to date, the scariest book that I have ever read. But other than the most superficial similarity, The Hiding Place fails to scare and creep out. Even the most horrific scenes felt one-dimensional and just not scary enough. It was like watching a movie where the actors fail to deliver the required emotions and expressions.

It is an average thriller that while interesting will most probably fail to impress the hardcore horror/ thriller fans. However, C. J. Tudor is one writer who I will never hesitate to read, so I’m looking forward to her future endeavors. Hopefully, I will find my next favourite book then.

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Review: Last Time I Lied

Rating: 4 Stars

Another good thriller by Riley Sager. Last Time I Lied is the story of Emma, whose first stay at summer camp was cut tragically short 15 years ago. After dreaming of going to the exclusive Camp Nightingale for the longest time, Emma finally got a chance when she was 13 years old. Unfortunately, all three of her much older roommates disappeared without trace after just 2 weeks.

Fifteen years later, still traumatized by the events of that long ago summer, Emma is unable to move on, and keeps painting the three missing girls and hiding them in her paintings. It is evident that she has some unresolved issues that are hindering her creative process and making it impossible for her to move on in life.

When the owner of Camp Nightingale decides to reopen the camp, and invites Emma as an instructor, Emma sees the opportunity to find out what happened to her friends and lay the matter to rest once and for all. But there might be other motives attached in both the owner’s invitation, and Emma’s acceptance of it. For Emma is not as truthful as she seems, and her guilt makes her suspicious of everyone else around her.

The camp is a spooky place, haunted by its past, and things are not made easy with all the rumors and scary stories going around about the land surrounding the camp. The instructors and the family of the owner are all suspicious of Emma and her intentions. In these circumstances, the air is fraught with tension and each page brings a new twist to the tale.

Like all good thrillers, most of the action in this book takes place at night when everything seems more sinister and scary. When Emma fails in every attempt to solve the mystery of the disappearance, the reader also runs out of possible scenarios. As both the past and the present become clearer, it’s difficult to decide whether to trust Emma’s narrative or not.

I liked the end because it was unexpected, yet it made sense. Though in all fairness, it is hard to swallow so many red herrings and dead ends. I had fun reading this book. It is not true psychological thriller, nor is it a mystery in the strictest sense. It is a pleasing mixture of both which makes it a good read for fans of thrillers.

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Review: The Silent Patient

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I read some gushing reviews for The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides which made me want to read it immediately. So, instead of waiting for the book to get to me by post, I opted for the Kindle version which is a kind of instant gratification for impatient people like me. I wouldn’t call the book a disappointment, because it kept me hooked and I really wanted to know where it was going, but I wasn’t blown away by it, like some reviewers I really look up to.

Alicia Berenson is the titular Silent Patient in this book. She hasn’t spoken a word in six years, ever since she shot her husband five times, and tried to slit her own wrists. Theo Faber, a forensic psychotherapist becomes obsessed with her case, and vows to make Alicia better again. From the beginning, you see Theo getting caught up in a web of emotions and personal feelings towards his patient. The only thing that remains to be seen is whether he will be able to come out of the whole thing unscathed.

As the book goes back and forth between Theo’s first person narrative, and Alicia’s diary entries, you get the feeling that something doesn’t add up. It takes a while to work it out, but by the time all is revealed in the book, you have managed to guess more or less what it is. Of course, the fact that I have lost count of the multiple-narrative psychological thrillers that I have read might have something to do with why the twist didn’t hit me really hard.

This doesn’t mean that the book is not worth reading. It is a good book with crisp writing and short chapters that keep you hooked; a page-turner for sure. I really enjoyed reading it, until I came to the part that I didn’t enjoy so much… the ending of the book. I feel the end warranted something explosive and unexpected. I find that when reading such thrillers, I don’t really enjoy neat conclusions. Most writers like to wrap things properly and tie up all ends, which doesn’t make for exciting reading.

Recommended for people who like fast paced psychological thrillers.

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Review: An Unwanted Guest

Rating: 4 Stars

An old-fashioned murder mystery, set in an isolated hotel, where everyone is a suspect. What’s not to like in a book like this? An Agatha Christie fan like me can never get enough of these mysteries, and Shari Lapena delivers the goods most satisfactorily.

Ten people check into Mitchell’s Inn, a beautiful hotel in the Catskill Mountains, away from the crowded and busy life of the city. There is no wi-fi or mobile connectivity in this location to disturb the peace that the guests are looking for. On this particular weekend, however, the weather is horrible as a fierce storm rages outside, threatening to cut off the electricity and heat supplies. With only the owner and his son as the staff, the hotel is also short-staffed because of the storm.

But the weather is not the worst enemy that they have to face.

The first body is found lying down the stairs, seemingly having tripped. Everyone is skeptical when the possibility of a murder is raised. This skepticism doesn’t last long as they realize that they don’t know anything about each other, and that there is possibly a murderer among them.

Fast-paced and slick, this book reminded me of my favourite And Then There Were None, with the suspicion moving from one person to the next. However, that is where the similarity ended.

While Agatha Christie had strong back stories for all the characters, here the motive lacked that strength.

Everyone has something to hide, a secret which they don’t want others to know. While some secrets were really worth hiding, others seem to be made up just to move the story forward. In real life, there aren’t many people who will really care about something like this in someone’s past. But, like I said, something was needed to move the story forward.

The second weakness in the narrative was the sudden wrapping up of the whole case. I found it a bit abrupt, as I expected something better from the writer who gave us the brilliant ending of The Couple Next Door. Then again, I said the same thing about the last chapter of A Stranger In The House, so I think the bar was set so high with The Couple Next Door, that it is difficult to reach that level again.

Overall, I loved this book because of its typical murder mystery feel, and the suspense and terror it managed to create.

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Review: Need To Know

Rating: 3.75 Stars

This book really took me by surprise! I don’t know why I bought it, maybe because there wasn’t much choice at the time, but I’m so glad that I did. This is one book that all fans of suspense, thrills and espionage should read. That it is written by a former CIA analyst, is a big bonus.

I have always been a big fan of Alias and 24, Sidney Bristow being my ideal woman since I was a teenager. Need To Know has a similar vibe of intrigue and suspense, with lots of twists thrown in for good measure. Most of the time you don’t know what to believe and what to suspect.

Here, I have to say that I found the character of Vivian a bit naive and gullible, but that’s how most normal people are. I might be suspicious of the characters in a book, but I’m sure given such a situation, I will probably react in the same way. It’s just not a good feeling to see a woman go through all this on paper, even if we will all do whatever we can to save our family too.

Writing a long review might lead to spoilers, and that is something that I don’t want to do at all. The things I loved about this book is the fast pace (I finished it in half a day!) and the constant feeling of being on the edge of your seat. However, there were some things I didn’t like at all.

I felt that in making the story so interesting, the author forgot to make the characters interesting too. Somehow the characters didn’t feel very real. It was as if they were all going through the motions but their heart really wasn’t in it. I found it hard to sympathize with Vivian even while my heart was pounding at what she was about to do! Similarly, the negative character did not frighten me, even though their actions made me sick and frightened.

Another problem was that I wasn’t surprised by the twist at the end at all. It was a good one though, but I had worked it out for myself. Maybe I just have a suspicious nature when it comes to books!

I can see this book turned into a movie or a TV series, it’s got all the potential. I wouldn’t even be surprised if there is a sequel to that movie, given the last twist. A thrilling, fun read for me.

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Review: The Girl Before

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Another day, another thriller. This one, while above average, still fails where it counts the most…. the climax. It’s not a boring book, not at all. It is so interesting that once I started reading, I found it hard to put it down, and finished it in one day only. It was in the last 50 or so pages that I was disappointed.

Jane is going through a tragic phase in her life, and she needs change. In her search for an affordable house, she comes across an opportunity that is hard to resist. The house is extremely minimalist, and comes with a long list of rules that are almost impossible to follow. Yet, Jane feels like the house is calling out to her, and decides to apply for a chance to live there.

As she settles down in the house, she comes to know that one of the previous tenants, Emma, died in the house. Her death was ruled as an accident, but her ex-boyfriend is convinced that it’s a murder. As Jane embarks on an affair with an enigmatic man, she becomes more and more determined to find out the truth of what happened to Emma three years ago.

The book alternates between the voices of Emma and Jane, the past and the present. There are quite a few surprises in store, and every chapter leaves you confused and thinking about what actually happened.

The build up is great, and even though I was not really surprised by the turn in the story, I thought it would make for an interesting climax. Except that for me, the last few chapters fell flat on their face. I found the ending to be okay, nothing spectacular. I wish there had been something more shocking or disturbing to end it with.

Overall, it is a good book with quite a sinister feel to it. So, if you don’t mind a mediocre ending, it will be an enjoyable and spooky read.

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Review: Our Kind Of Cruelty

Rating: 3 Stars

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall, is more the diary of a crazy, twisted individual, than an actual story. It is narrated by Mike Hayes while he is in prison awaiting a murder trial. His lawyer has asked him to pen down his story as seen from his perspective, and Mike is only too willing to do that.

From the first page of the book, we realize that we are dealing with an individual whose concept of reality is different from that of the rest of the world. He lives in a bubble of his own, where his most important relationship is with Verity, his girlfriend. Of course, Verity thinks that since she has broken up with him, she is free to fall in love with someone else and get married to him. She is mistaken.

What Verity’s fiancè doesn’t realize, is that it is all a game that Mike and Verity are playing with each other. Verity only wants to pay Mike back for cheating on her, and is only trying to make him repent, which he does.

The book is quite creepy, and I would probably have given it a higher rating, had I not felt it drag in the middle. The reason I continued reading was that I was looking forward to the twist, or maybe Verity’s take on things, or failing that, some other equally deranged outcome. Alas, I was disappointed.

The book is only a look into the mind of Mike Hayes, which is not a bad thing, except that it becomes quite boring to read the same thing for so long. The book could easily have been 50 pages shorter, and it would still be the same story. By the end, I was wishing really hard for some other unthinkable outcome, but it all ended as expected.

There was one thing that really made me think, and that rings true for court cases all over the world even in this day and age. People will only see what you want them to see, but whatever they see will be coloured by their own prejudices. It is, and always has been, very easy to convince juries about immorality, especially if it pertains to women. So, while they might look at a man with indulgence, a woman will get censure for the exact same thing. The book takes that thought, and runs away with it.

For me, the whole court case was clichéd. The woman will have a woman lawyer, who is a hardcore feminist, while the man will always go with the cunning lawyer, who will bend the truth to suit him and let his client get away with murder (literally!). Why can’t the male lawyer be just that, a good lawyer, who gets his client off on technicalities, rather than lies? And why can’t the female lawyer be the villian who will go to no end to discredit her opponent? It’s time to change the narrative, in my opinion.

Overall, the main idea of the book is quite creepy, and going into the mind of a deranged and obsessed man is quite fascinating. I would recommend this book for lovers of twisted tales.

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Review: Final Girls

Rating: 4 Stars

Like all hyped books, I thought Final Girls by Riley Sager would be another average read, another book being compared to Gone Girl, another thriller with predictable twists. Thankfully, this time I was wrong. And to be fair, Stephen King didn’t say it was like Gone Girl, he said that if you liked Gone Girl, you will like this book. Which turned out to be pretty accurate as far as I am concerned.

Lisa, Sam and Quincy are popularly known as the Final Girls. It doesn’t matter that they have never met, or that they lead completely different lives, all three of them have one thing in common. They are all the only survivors of different incidents of mass killings; the last ones standing, the girls who lived.

Quincy, the youngest of the Final Girls, has seemingly moved on from the trauma. She lives with her attorney boyfriend, and runs a baking blog. There are things that she keeps hidden from everyone, and a secret dependence on Xanax, but overall, she thinks she is doing fine.

Then comes the news of Lisa’s death in an apparent suicide, and Quincy’s world starts unraveling. She is upset at the way Lisa decided to end her life, and wishes she had tried to meet her at least once. As she struggles with her guilt and grief, Sam turns up on her doorstep unexpectedly, and Quincy is torn between trusting the only other person capable of understanding her demons, or being suspicious of a woman who had previously disappeared from the face of the earth.

When Lisa’s death is ruled a homicide, Quincy is left questioning everything she has ever believed in. Sam’s hold on her life has become stronger, and Quincy can feel herself becoming more and more addicted to her drug of choice. It doesn’t help that she cannot remember what actually happened during the massacre of her friends at Pine Cottage.

Full of twists and surprises, the book also benefits from the unreliability of the narrator. The reader is left guessing, and I for one was completely taken by surprise as the climax was nothing like I imagined. I kept veering from one theory to another all through the book, and couldn’t guess where it was going at all. This, in my eyes, is the best thing about this book.

Definitely a must read for all fans of thrillers.

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Review: Sometimes I Lie

Rating: 4.5 Stars

One of the most engaging and thrilling books that I have read in recent times, Sometimes I lie is the story of Amber Reynolds, who is in a coma, and who has a story to tell.

I started this book on a four-hour flight, thinking I will read for a while and then try to sleep, like I always do. I find it impossible to read on board a plane. It gives me headache and nausea. Well, this time around, as the plane was landing, I was on the last chapter of this book! It was impossible to put it down without knowing what happened and how twisted is the truth. To say that it is plenty twisted, is an understatement.

The book starts off with Amber Reynolds, brought into the hospital in critical condition, who has slipped into a coma. She is aware of what is happening around her, yet unable to wake up or move. At first, she cannot remember how she has gotten into this situation. The only thing she is sure of, is that her husband is not what he seems, and that he doesn’t love her anymore.

As she begins to piece her memories together while lying comatose on the hospital bed, we also begin to realize one thing about her. She likes to lie. She twists the truth to suit her narrative, but her lying in a coma also points towards the fact that something very sinister has happened to her.

From the beginning, we know that Amber has some anxiety problems, and soon enough it starts to emerge that she has some sort of OCD. The roots of her behaviour obviously lie in her past which, as we find out from some diary entries, was quite traumatic. But as we keep discovering all through the book, the truth is not so easily discernable from the lies, and one thing that Alice has already told us from the beginning, is that sometimes she lies.

I wish I could write somehting more without giving out any spoilers, but even the little that I have written is kind of a spoiler. This book kept me hooked right till the end. It is the kind of book that is deliciously creepy and addictive. I loved everything about this one!

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