Day 7 of #OminousOctober & word prompt is Monster.

YA horror set a boarding school.

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamSlaughter @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs @Clwojick

Day 7 of #ScarathlonDailyPrompts - Victim.

I‘ve gone for a TBR book which looks kind of fun.

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick

I mostly enjoyed reading this but I didn't get the sense of Rulloff being some criminal mastermind. Whilst he was undoubtedly extremely intelligent, in my view a great deal of Rulloff's 'genius', like Jack the Ripper, was down to the luck of committing his crimes before the advent of forensic science & the widespread use of photography. (Continued in comments)

Daily prompt is Night.

I read this last year & loved it.

#ScarathlonDailyPrompts #Scarathlon2022 #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick

Day 6 of #OminousOctober & today‘s word - Spices

This is one from my TBR queue on Kindle. I can‘t even remember buying it!

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Day 5's word for #ScarathlonDailyPrompts is Ghost.

Book I read 2 years ago about a haunted theme park where the attractions are filled with ghosts. What happens when the safeguards fail & the ghosts are let loose? Great concept but if I remember correctly the ending was disappointing.

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamSlaughter @clwojick

Day 5 of #OminousOctober & today's word is Candy.

This is one of my favourite childhood books &, although I know it's not to everyone's taste, I absolutely love the more recent film version with Johnny Depp. I think it was true to Dahl's book with a dark undertone.

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamSlaughter @clwojick @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @eggs

Day 4 words for #OminousOctober & #ScarathlonDailyPrompts are Ghost & Scream.

The book is from my TBR & is a cozy mystery. I have the first couple on Kindle but haven't read them as yet.

@clwojick @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @eggs

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamSlaughter

📚Imitation in Death - JD Robb
✍️ Kazuo Ishiguro
📺 Inspector Morse/Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade
🎸INXS
🎶 I‘m Your Man - Wham!

#LetterI #ManicMonday @CBee

Like the previous books this is a fast-paced read & the subject is rather dark. There's also a hint of the occult about the murders but I was expecting something more considering the first book of the series. In fact, I found this one a little less riveting than the previous books, & that's possibly because there was quite a lot of focus on the main characters' love-lives & I'm never a big fan of that. (Continued in comments)

Day 3 prompt for #ScarathlonDailyPrompts is Killer.

This is my next read, an ARC published 6th October (so I'd better get a move on) about a serial killer in New York in the 19th century. (non-fiction).

#TeamSlaughter #Scarathlon2022 @clwojick

Day 3 word for #OminousOctober is Candles

Corpse Candle - lights resembling candles which were said to appear on the old 'corpse roads' (old burial routes in England) & were harbingers of impending death.

This book is from the Hugh Corbett series by Paul Doherty set in the 14th century. It's a brilliant series if you like historical mysteries.

#TeamSlaughter #Scarathlon2022
@clwojick @alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @eggs

September Reads Wrap-Up.

Loved:
Dead Silence - S. A. Barnes
The Splendour in the Dark - Margaret George
Reap What You Sow - Shirley Day
Marple - Various

Disliked:
Her Final Fall - Melinda Woodhall

Day 2 of #OminousOctober

Tagged book is from my TBR list - Campfire by Shawn Sarles

The other 3 are a PC game series that I've enjoyed playing:

Campfire Legends:
i) The Hookman
ii) The Babysitter
iii) The Final Act

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamSlaughter @clwojick

It seems that true crime aficionados cannot read enough about the murders committed by the infamous ‘Jack the Ripper‘ in 1888. I count myself in those gripped by the case as I've read countless books about the subject & I'm as fascinated as ever. This book is the literary equivalent of a walking tour around the sites which would have been frequented by those who lived in Whitechapel in 1888. (Continued)

My very own mini black panther, Cole.

Day 1 prompts for #ScarathlonDailyPrompts #OminousOctober

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick

I've always thought that lighthouses are naturally eerie places & this one definitely fits the bill. The plot itself was a little choppy - it was very fast-paced, so fast in fact, that I think some of the scene-setting & character development suffered due to this. Compared to an earlier book, Frozen Charlotte, the reader doesn't get to know the main character & therefore feels less invested in the outcome. (continued in comments)

This was an ok but not great read. Scarpetta was at her most annoying at times, especially after starting to feel sick with an unknown illness. Did she put herself back into quarantine? Did she heck! She was taking taxis, flying on planes, & generally being a possible one-woman germ disseminator. Fair enough she is a medical doctor & said she knew she wasn't contagious, but this was not the run-of-the-mill smallpox. (Continued in comments)

Love this photo!

Still searching for my first 20 hours read in 4 days.

#20in4 @Andrew65

The setting is 1930s Shanghai & the political turmoil of that time. It should have been really interesting but I had to keep reminding myself of when it was set as there was nothing that really anchored the reader in the past.

Pacing was another issue for me - the final third of the book was great, I just wish the first two-thirds had been as good rather than so much talking with little actual action. (Continued in comments)

📕 Harry Potter (all the series)
💻Kristin Hannah
🎬Homicide Hunter / Hawaii Five-0 (the reboot version cos Alex O'Loughlin)
🎹This is going to date me but The Human League
🎶Halo - Depeche Mode

#ManicMonday #LetterH @CBee

I really enjoyed this. I was hooked in right at the beginning & it never lets up. If you have ever visited an abandoned space or building, you know how eerie it is when there are no people there now, & that's without the dead bodies. I found it very atmospheric & I was actually nervous in some parts. The big reveal is actually a little less exciting than I'd imagined, but it didn't spoil the overall experience. 5🌟

I've read both books & I have more questions now than when I'd finished the first one! I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first, mainly because Jason kept trying to rationalise everything way past the point of no return. It got a little repetitive. It can be read as a standalone as events from the first book don't play a huge part in this one & they are explained in this book anyway. Other than that, it was another rather spooky read. 3⭐

Late again!

📕 Golden Son - Pierce Brown / Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
💻Philippa Gregory
🎬Grimm (David Giuntoli crush) / GoldenEye (Pierce Brosnan & Sean Bean!)
🎤George Michael (my first love)
🎶 Gimme All Your Lovin' - ZZ Top

#LetterG #ManicMonday @CBee

This started off at 100 miles an hour: true crime blogger persuades possible serial killer into giving her an exclusive interview, which takes place at possible serial killer's house which seems to be haunted. I was hooked. If only that early promise had carried on throughout. It turns out, the haunting side of things is way more interesting than the serial killer mystery side, I wish there had been more of the ghostly visitations. 3.5🌟 (Cont...)

Sadly, I think this is where I have to dispense with reading the rest of the series. The main plot itself was interesting, but it was frankly ridiculous to see experienced state prosecutor, Riley, not only refusing to admit a conflict of interest in one of the murders, but actually hiring private investigators behind the back of the Chief of Police, Nessa.

(continued in comments)

Judging by the mixed reviews I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, but I ended up being quite spooked by it in parts. I thought the plot was nicely done - no gore but with some chills. The part where Ollie lets in a visitor who disappears when his back is turned & he then sees the same visitor just arriving & they proceed to have the same exact conversation made me shiver. 4🌟

(Continued in comments)

My goal for #SuperSeptemberReadathon is as usual to read as many ARCs as possible. Have around 12 to finish by end of the month 👀

@Andrew65 As always, thanks for hosting.

As with most collections, some stories work better than others, & my particular favourites were 'Miss Marple's Christmas' by Ruth Ware, & 'The Mystery of the Acid Soil' by Kate Mosse. I felt that these authors captured the spirit of Christie's indomitable senior citizen detective the most accurately. 4🌟

(Continued in comments)

This was a difficult book to rate. On one hand, I thought the plot was good, it was fast-paced, & the chapters from the point of view of the killer were very chilling, however, the main character doesn't seem to have a personality. They were a complete blank - in fact I couldn't tell you much about any of the 'good guys'. Is it ironic that the character with the most depth was the killer?

(Continued in comments)

Dame Julie Walters is something of a national treasure in the UK. In her role as Petula Gordino, in Dinnerladies, she doesn't even have to speak to have me in fits of giggles. She's a wonderful comic actor with her facial expressions saying a thousand words. She also starred in one of my favourite films of all time - Educating Rita.

3.5🌟 (Continued in comments)

📕 Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell (tagged)
📖 Could not think of a particular author
🎬 Face Off
🎤 Freddie Mercury
🎶 Faith - George Michael

#ManicMonday #LetterF @CBee

This is the very definition of a slow burn read. The first 60% of the book is setting the scene of what is going on where things are very gradually revealed. It's very atmospheric as the feelings of unease & menace permeate the book, using the mythology & legends of Greece & Crete as a base. I swear at one point I could almost feel the hot sun on my face. 4.5🌟

(Continued in comments)

This was a great police procedural - fast-paced, excellent plotline, & genuinely likeable main characters. Main character, Max Craigie, is a welcome change from the usual gruff, sometimes misogynistic police types. His relationship with Janie gives off vibes of perhaps becoming a genuine friendship, & fingers crossed, we may get a male/female cop duo who don't fall for each other. All in all, I really couldn't fault this. 5🌟

This is a spin on the 'locked room' trope - the difference here is the technology & the myths & legends that may or may not be true. Set in 2045 the technology is certainly intriguing. It takes a little getting into - for the first few chapters I wasn't sure what has happening - but when the story settles into the whodunit, it's so good.

(Continued in comments)

I enjoyed the second book of this duology even more than the first. In this one, Margaret George does a superlative job of humanising one of the most infamous figures in Roman history.

It's a lengthy book (almost 600 pages) & events move quite slowly as this is more about Nero the person & what could have led to his downfall. Recommended to readers who enjoy historical fiction full of rich detail. 5 🌟

📕 East of Eden - John Steinbeck
📖 Emily Bronte
🍿 Educating Rita
🎹 Erasure
🎶 Everything I Do (I Do It For You) - Bryan Adams.
Enough time has gone by that I actually like this one again.

#ManicMonday #LetterE @CBee

AAh! Missed it again. Here‘s last weeks Monday just before this week‘s Monday.

📕 Deja Dead - Kathy Reichs
✍️ Daphne Du Maurier
📺 Dark Matter
🎸 Depeche Mode
🎵 Domino Dancing - Pet Shop Boys

#ManicMonday #LetterD @CBee

After a slow first couple of chapters, it's a fast-paced read which effortlessly kept my attention throughout the rest of the book. The book posits some interesting questions for the main character - how far would you go to see that someone who killed a loved one faced punishment if the law failed to? Is there a line you wouldn't cross or a point where you would feel that things had gone far enough?

(Continued in comments)

First of all, this is a very readable book. It keeps the attention & the pace never lets up. It definitely shows great promise for future books. I didn't find the characters very believable though. There were definite red flags several times in Cameron's behaviour, which were ignored or swept under the carpet by other characters.

(Continued in comments)

This turned out to be a really good Gothic horror novel. Ivy is a main character with whom it's easy to empathise & become invested in what happens to her. The strange atmosphere & sense of foreboding at the Blackham home is evoked well & although I did guess some of the twists, I didn't guess them all.

(Continued in comments)

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4866841510

#AugustARCs @clwojick

I've been waiting for a book that completely swept me away for a while & it's finally here. I absolutely loved the supernatural mystery side of things. Signa (I kept misreading her name as Sigma) is one of those main characters that starts off a bit annoying but then grows on you. (Continues in comments)

4.5🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4657792116

#AugustARCs @clwojick
#20in4 @andrew65

Well that was one creepy-ass read! I started reading it yesterday evening but had to abandon it & pick it up again this morning. I usually complain that horror books are not scary enough, but I don't have that complaint here.

I can't say too much about the plot without giving it away, so I will just say that this is the second book I've read by this author & I've loved both, although endings are not their strong point. 4🌟

Due to hospital visit yesterday & a sick cat this morning, I am starting this a little late. Still hoping to make #20in4 hours read.

@andrew65

I thought this was a moving account of a tragic story. Starting with the lives of Robert's parents, the authors take the reader through the early history of the family, to the events of that night, & the aftermath. It was sensitively done, keeping the shocking nature of the murders but not sensationalising them. 4🌟

TW: stalking, violence, domestic abuse, death of a child, death of pregnant women, death of a pet.

Late again!

📕 Commodus by Simon Turney
✍️ Agatha Christie
📺 CSI all 3 but Vegas was the best
🎸 The Cardigans
🎵 Coffee & TV - Blur

#ManicMonday #LetterC @CBee

This is an excellent read with a nod to Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None'. I found it a bit difficult to get into for the first 20%, but when the murders start to happen things pick up considerably. I ended up flying through the last 70% of the book in one day! The family were an interesting group of characters, but the nicest was Poppins the dog, a sweet Old English sheepdog (no harm comes to Poppins if anyone was worried). 4.5🌟

This starts off quite well but soon gets bogged down. DI Alex King is the usual 'police detective with a broken relationship'. DC Chloe Lane, meanwhile, comes across as more of a stroppy teenager than a young woman with a promising career. The plot itself is okay but nothing different to what has already been done a thousand times before. 2.5⭐

This sounded like a fast-paced action-packed read, but the first half was surprisingly mundane. Somewhere around the 48% mark, I was really beginning to regret not DNF-ing this one, but the author actually pulled it round in the second half of the book, & I ended up being glad I hadn't quit.

If you like action thrillers which don't worry too much about characterisation, you'd probably enjoy this. 3.5🌟

Managed to completely miss this yesterday.

📕The Body in the Library - Agatha Christie
✍️ Pierce Brown
📺 Buffy / Bones
🎸 Bon Jovi
🎵 Behind The Wheel - Depeche Mode

#ManicMonday #LetterB @CBee