Book Labyrinth: mystery

Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts

April 14, 2015

Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee

Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 304
Series: The Agency #4
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

In a tale steeped in action, romance, and the gaslit intrigue of Victorian London, Mary Quinn’s detective skills are pitted against a cunning and desperate opponent.

Mary Quinn has a lot on her mind. James Easton, her longtime love interest, wants to marry her; but despite her feelings, independent-minded Mary hesitates. Meanwhile, the Agency has asked Mary to take on a dangerous case: convicted fraudster Henry Thorold is dying in prison, and Mary must watch for the return of his estranged wife, an accomplished criminal herself who has a potentially deadly grudge against James. Finally, a Chinese prizefighter has arrived in town, and Mary can’t shake a feeling that he is somehow familiar. With the stakes higher than ever, can Mary balance family secrets, conflicting loyalties, and professional expertise to bring a criminal to justice and find her own happiness?

My Thoughts:
Reading this book was like coming back to an old friend: it was so good to hear from Mary again. I love James/Mary and how they interacted in this book. I would have loved even more of them together, but I like how the circumstances allowed us to hear a bit from James' POV for the first time. Rivals in the City is about the return of a familiar villain, which brings Mary back into the Agency's fold.

This is much less a mystery than the previous books in the series, as it’s about catching a specific person they already know has committed a crime. The plot allows for some interesting involvement of Mary's heritage and getting some answers about her father's missing years. The book is also about Mary facing her past and considering her future with James. Considering the book description I expected this to be a bigger conflict, but it really only came up a few times.

One thing I found missing in the book was Octavius Jones. I so expected this character to make a return, and I was very disappointed when he didn’t have a presence in the book. I also found the ending to be a little bit abrupt, though it was still a good one.

I was a little disappointed in this book, probably only because I had such high expectations for it after the long wait and after I loved Book 3, The Traitor in the Tunnel, so much. Nevertheless it was still a very decent read, and I think fans of the series will find something to enjoy in it. Mary is an amazing character, and overall I highly recommend this series. It offers a different side of Victorian London than we see in a lot of books, and stars an incredibly intelligent and tough POC lead.

The Cover:
Gorgeous!

Rating:

January 21, 2015

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

All Fall Down by Ally Carter
Release Date: January 20, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 320
Series: Embassy Row #1
Review Source: ARC for review from Scholastic Canada

Synopsis: (from Amazon)

A new series of global proportions -- from master of intrigue, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter.

Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her -- so there's no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door, who is keeping his eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can't control Grace -- no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

My Thoughts:
All Fall Down was a highly anticipated title for me, as I’m sure it is for a lot of people. I was so excited to start a new series from Ally Carter, and I wasn’t at all disappointed.

Grace is a different type of heroine for Ally Carter, which I really appreciated. Grace is a lot broken. She's dealing (or not dealing) with her mom's death, she's been to a shrink, and you can just tell she’s not coping well. Grace swears that her mom was murdered, but no one will believe her, which sets up an incredibly interesting mystery.

One of my favourite aspects of the book was the setting of Embassy Row. Grace’s grandfather is the US ambassador to the (fictional) European country of Adria. I loved meeting the international kids and seeing the lifestyle there. I loved the action scenes (which we all know Ally does so well), and the conspiracy element to it.

This book has a lack of romance to it, but you can definitely see things developing in the future. That being said, it was refreshing to not have a romance plot line. I didn’t miss it at all, especially since Grace is a younger character who has way more important things to deal with. I liked that friendship was the primary type of relationship featured, especially since there was a great gang of supporting characters.

All Fall Down is a good first book in a new series. It has a whammy of a conclusion and a set up that will get you incredibly excited for Book 2. Awesome, as expected from Ally Carter. Definitely recommended.

The Cover:
Besides the girl looking intensely skinny, I love it!

Rating:

January 16, 2015

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall
Release Date: January 13, 2015
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 336
Series: Untitled Series #1
Review Source: ARC for review from Razorbill Canada

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

A fast-paced international escapade, laced with adrenaline, glamour, and romance--perfect for fans of Ally Carter

Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. Part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle, they believe Avery is the key to an ancient prophecy. Some want to use her as a pawn. Some want her dead.

To unravel the mystery putting her life in danger, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the monuments of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul with two boys who work for the Circle—beautiful, volatile Stellan and mysterious, magnetic Jack. But as the clues expose a stunning conspiracy that might plunge the world into World War 3, she discovers that both boys are hiding secrets of their own. Now she will have to choose not only between freedom and family--but between the boy who might help her save the world, and the one she's falling in love with.

My Thoughts:
I really liked this book for the most part, but I didn't truly love it. The plot was exciting, but the background to it was hard to believe in some instances. Saying that one family caused World War I and World War II? Saying that the problems in the Middle East are because of a family causing trouble that goes into larger society? These statements are highly simplistic, and a bit offensive.

There was a lot about The Conspiracy of Us that I did like, though. The running around Europe part was exciting and fun, even if I did wonder why a girl would run off to France with someone she doesn't know without calling her mom first. The action scenes were especially well done. I could picture those parts like a movie, which isn’t always the case, so I think the author deserves major props for how cinematic the writing was there. I also liked that despite what the book description says, there isn’t really what I would consider a love triangle. There are two guys vying for Avery’s attention in their own way, and it’s a complicated situation -- that is going to get even more complicated in the next book -- but it’s definitely not typical love triangle drama.

The Conspiracy of Us is a great Gallagher Girls read-alike, and I think it will appeal to a lot of people. It’s the first book in a new trilogy, which means there's not a whole lot of resolution. The end is a bit of a cliffhanger, and it opens up a lot of questions for the next volume. Overall I recommend this one.

The Cover:
I loveeeeee it!!

Rating:

November 27, 2014

Foreign Exchange by Denise Jaden

Foreign Exchange by Denise Jaden
Release Date: October 10, 2014
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Pages: 326
Series: n/a
Review Source: eBook from author for review

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Jamie Monroe has always played it safe. That is, until her live-for-the-moment best friend, Tristan, jets off to Italy on a student exchange program. Left alone with her part-time mother and her disabled brother, Jamie discovers that she is quite capable of taking her own risks, starting with her best friend’s hotter-than-hot older brother, Sawyer. Sawyer and Tristan have been neighbors for years, but as Jamie grows closer to the family she thought she knew, she discovers some pretty big secrets.

As she sinks deeper into their web of pretense, she suspects that her best friend may not be on a safe exchange program at all. Jamie sets off to Europe on a class trip with plans to meet up with Tristan, but when Tristan stops all communication, suddenly no one seems trustworthy, least of all the one person she was starting to trust—Sawyer.

My Thoughts:
Probably my favourite thing about this book is the characters and how they interacted. I thought Denise Jaden did a good job of creating layered characters who had shades of grey to them, just like real people. Our main character is Jamie, an all around girl next door type. However Jamie has had a pretty tough life, having to look after her little brother constantly and having a mom who doesn’t make it easy on her.

The secondary characters in Foreign Exchange were also very interesting. I liked that Sawyer had hidden depths and he wasn't what people thought he was. There’s this idea we have, both in fiction and real life, that if you're a Popular Beautiful Person then you must automatically be a completely horrible person too. Of course this isn’t true, and this stereotype is completely proven false by his character. Tristan, Jamie’s best friend and Sawyer’s sister, is definitely capital-T Trouble. She’s a total control freak and is seemingly a compulsive liar, something which Jamie is just figuring out. Things are never what you think they are with Tristan, and it makes for an interesting mystery to unravel.

This book has a lot of good elements, but I think what I enjoyed most was seeing Jamie coming into her own and out of Tristan's shadow, making her own decisions and getting away from that toxic friendship. Jamie does make some pretty sketchy decisions, but I didn’t find them entirely unbelievable. I could see someone who's a little desperate and naive going along that same path. On the romance side of things, I definitely dug Jamie/Sawyer. Romance isn’t the primary focus of the story, but it does make up a nice part of it. I liked seeing these two truly get to know one another.

Overall I definitely liked this book. I didn’t completely fall into the story, but it did provide an enjoyable reading experience, and I’d recommend it.

The Cover:
Not my favourite.

Rating:

[Strong 3/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble

October 6, 2014

Unmarked by Kami Garcia

Unmarked by Kami Garcia
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 384
Series: The Legion #2
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The heart-pounding sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Unbreakable, by New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures co-author Kami Garcia.

He is here... and he could be anyone.

Kennedy Waters lives in a world where vengeance spirits kill, ghosts keep secrets, and a demon walks among us–a demon she accidentally set free.

Now Kennedy and the other Legion members–Alara, Priest, Lukas, and Jared–have to hunt him down. As they learn more about the history of the Legion and the Illuminati, Kennedy realizes that the greatest mystery of all does not belong to any secret order, but to her own family. With the clock ticking and the life of someone she loves hanging in the balance, Kennedy has to ask the question she fears most: what is it about her past that has left her Unmarked?

My Thoughts:
One of the things I absolutely adored about the first book, Unbreakable, was the Supernatural feel to it. They hunted down clues in different locations, they fought off spirits or whatever came their way. In terms of cast members it was more of a Scooby Gang, but the feel of the book was pure early days Supernatural, and it was awesome. Needless to say I was disappointed when that feeling was missing here.

While the book has a different feel to it, that doesn’t mean it lacks in excitement. There are some huge reveals that I can't really even hint around, because they’re massive spoilers that you definitely want to read for yourself. There’s a lot going on in regards to studying the history and mythology behind the Legion of the Black Dove. Because so much happened I can’t really say that Unmarked suffers from second book syndrome. What I can say is that I should have been excited by how action packed the book was, but instead I was almost bored at times because of where it ended up. I think what I missed were the quieter moments, like the conversations between Kennedy and a certain character (you might guess who, but I can’t talk about it, because, of course, spoilers).

Another thing I didn’t care for was the complete cliffhanger ending. While the first book also ended at a crazy moment, it ended in a place that the book was leading you to. The group had followed a set of clues and the book ended after the big reveal. In Unmarked, on the other hand, we’re still working towards something when the book suddenly ends. Yes, a piece of information is revealed, but plotwise we’re totally hanging off a cliff, which is not my cup of tea.

I definitely still enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it like the first book. I look forward to where the series is going -- I just wish it had stayed closer to the first book with group antics and more conversations, instead of Kennedy being so insular.

The Cover:
Kind of meh?

Rating:

September 18, 2014

Forget Me by K.A. Harrington

Forget Me by K.A. Harrington
Release Date: August 7, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 288
Series: n/a
Review Source: ARC from Razorbill Canada

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

An edge-of-your seat psychological thriller with a romantic twist

On the three-month anniversary of her boyfriend Flynn’s death, Morgan uploads her only photo of him to FriendShare to get some closure—but she’s shocked when the facial recognition software suggests she tag him as "Evan Murphy." She’s never heard of Evan, but a quick search tells her that he lives in a nearby town and looks exactly like Flynn. Only this boy is very much alive.

Digging through layers of secrets and lies, Morgan is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her boyfriend, her town, and even her parents' involvement in this massive web of lies.

My Thoughts:
I was extremely intrigued by the concept of this book from the first time I heard of it. The very basic premise could have gone so many ways, which I really liked because it made it hard to predict. Forget Me is a straight up contemporary mystery/thriller, which we don’t see a lot of in YA. I can’t talk too much about the plot because it’s incredibly twisty, and it’s more like journey that you need to experience for yourself. What I can say is that I thought the author did a great job. The story ties together in such an interesting way. I loved the mystery solving aspect and how it made sense that teens were the ones doing the detective work, figuring out if there was some kind of conspiracy.

Forget Me has an eerie feel to it, especially at the beginning when you have no clue what's going on. Granted, I started reading it late at night, but an abandoned mini golf course is genuinely creepy. Most of all, though, an abandoned amusement park. Can you say fun house mirrors?! The book has some definite pull the covers up to your chin moments.

There are a lot of great aspects to this book, with one of my favourite parts being the friendship between Morgan and Toni. I love celebrating awesome female friendships. Both girls here felt like fully realized characters, and they were unflinchingly supportive of and loving to one another.

Overall? I found Forget Me to be a very intriguing and satisfying read.

The Cover:
Like! Perfect creepiness. (Although I have to admit when I see a smaller version I keep thinking the carousel is a boat.)

Rating:

July 15, 2014

Her Dark Places by Kelly Killarney

Her Dark Places by Kelly Killarney
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 175
Series: The Sutton Files #1
Review Source: eBook from author for review

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
‘Veronica Mars’ meets ‘Felicity’ in this sexy, snarky, New Adult Romantic Suspense novel.

Jasmine “Jazz” Holloway gets more than she bargained for when she heads to Sutton College for her freshman year. A long-distance relationship with her high-school boyfriend is tough to maintain. Especially when Brennan, the cute boy down the hall, keeps flirting. And after someone starts threatening her roommate, Jazz enlists the help of Sean, a smokin’ hot upperclassman who runs a P.I. agency out of a darkened corner of the library.

Jazz has to fight her attraction to both guys as she works to uncover the stalker. But as the stakes rise and tension heightens, the hardest part for Jazz will be keeping her own secret...what she’s really doing at Sutton College. And that’s something no one can know.

My Thoughts:
Her Dark Places was pitched to me as Veronica Mars meets Felicity, which is basically my dream book. I have to say that it really lived up to this for the most part, so A+ to the author for making accurate comparisons. The book features a Veronica Mars-esque snarky heroine who champions her friends and can lash out and act rashly when hurt. The Felicity aspect comes in with Jazz starting her first year at college, settling in and forming new relationships, with Audrey, her roommate, and with Sean and Brennan, two very opposite guys.

Since this is a book set at college I wouldn’t have minded some more scenes about actual class work, but this doesn’t really detract from the book in any way. I enjoyed Her Dark Places quite a bit. It’s a quick read with a satisfying ending. There’s an overarching mystery that will continue with the series, and an episodic mystery that's completed within this book. Her Dark Places is exactly the type of series book that I enjoy. There’s some conclusion, but also enough questions and unresolved issues to keep you coming back.

I recommend Her Dark Places to fans of New Adult, especially to those looking for contemporary New Adult stories that are a bit different from the norm. This book puts the mystery at the forefront, which is a nice change of pace for the category. If you're looking for romance, though, you won't be disappointed. There's not what I would call a love triangle at all, but there are two guys who Jazz interacts with a lot, both of whom I really enjoyed reading about. Overall: a good story + interesting characters = a winning read.

The Cover:
I like it, though I must say when I first saw it I thought "paranormal" because of the blur and the wispy hair.

Rating:

[4/5]

Purchase Links:
Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble