ARC Review: Silk

It is the time of Jack the Ripper, the widowed Queen Victoria sits on the throne of England. The whole of London is on edge wondering when or where Jack will kill next. The Palace, Parliament, and the press are demanding the police do more to find him.

In another part of London, rough-around-the-edges war hero, Metropolitan Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone has his own serial killer to find. Inter departmental rivalries, politics, and little evidence to go on hamper the investigation at every turn. In a battle of wills, Bloodstone presses forward following his instincts in spite of the obstacles.

Adding to those problems, away from the strains of the investigation, he is engaged in the ups and downs of a new relationship with a lovely hat maker.

I received a free copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderfully written crime novel with plenty of intrigue and suspense. I lapped up every page. I liked reading from numerous points of view, William, a Lord who is used to having the best things in life and Bloodstone who is a copper married to his job.

I thought the characters were well written and I found myself liking them. The setting was exactly what I think it would be in Victorian London. There were points that made me laugh and points that me angry that the characters were being slow and not working them out quicker. All of which I love.

My main downer on this book is that I expected it to be about Jack the Ripper and it isn’t he comes up in the last chapter but that’s all. That was a big disappointment for me. If it’s in the synopsis it should be in the book. Misleading, trying to people to read it for the wrong reasons. Which is a shame since it’s a perfectly good book that does not need that gimmickry. I will read the next one in the series but if it does the same thing, it will be the last time I read this author.

4 out of 5 stars.

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Review: Dead Jealous (Poppy Sinclair #1)

People think of Mother Nature as a gentle lady. They forget that she’s also Death…

Sixteen-year-old Poppy Sinclair believes in quantum particles, not tarot cards, in Dawkins, not druids. Last summer, in a boating accident in the Lake District, Poppy had a brush with death. But the girl she finds face down in Scariswater hasn’t been so lucky. As she fights to discover the truth behind what she believes is murder, Poppy is forced to concede that people and things are not always what they seem and, slipping ever deeper into a web of lies, jealousy and heart-stopping danger, she comes to realise – too late – that the one thing that can save her has been right there, all the time.

I was a little hesitant at reading this at first. The start was at a sort of hippy and spiritual festival, I don’t really like books with those settings, but I persevered and boy I am glad I did. Poppy the main character was  a skeptic she does not believe in spirits, ghosts or other things she has been brought up believing.

The story revolved around Poppy finding the body of a dead girl and seeking the identity of her killer. Poppy carried out her own investigation, getting in lots of trouble along the way. I loved the storyline and really enjoyed the romance in this book. It progressed well and wasn’t insta-love which was refreshing.

The relationship between Poppy and her mother was interesting. Basically Poppy could do whatever she wanted and her mum wouldn’t bat an eye.

I am looking forward to reading the second in the series.

4 out of 5 stars.

Sister

Sister by Rosamund Lupton is concoction  of crime and drama, oh my they go well.  Synopsis taken from amazon:

 

When her mom calls to tell her that Tess, her younger sister, is missing, Bee returns home to London on the first flight. She expects to find Tess and give her the usual lecture, the bossy big sister scolding her flighty baby sister for taking off without letting anyone know her plans. Tess has always been a free spirit, an artist who takes risks, while conservative Bee couldn’t be more different. Bee is used to watching out for her wayward sibling and is fiercely protective of Tess (and has always been a little stern about her antics). But then Tess is found dead, apparently by her own hand.

Bee is certain that Tess didn’t commit suicide. Their family and the police accept the sad reality, but Bee feels sure that Tess has been murdered. Single-minded in her search for a killer, Bee moves into Tess’s apartment and throws herself headlong into her sister’s life—and all its secrets.

Though her family and the police see a grieving sister in denial, unwilling to accept the facts, Bee uncovers the affair Tess was having with a married man and the pregnancy that resulted, and her difficulty with a stalker who may have crossed the line when Tess refused his advances. Tess was also participating in an experimental medical trial that might have gone very wrong. As a determined Bee gives her statement to the lead investigator, her story reveals a predator who got away with murder—and an obsession that may cost Bee her own life.

A thrilling story of fierce love between siblings, Sister is a suspenseful and accomplished debut with a stunning twist.

This book took the reader on a journey which was full of twists and turns. As soon as I thought I knew what had happened the story did a 180 and I had no idea what had happened but was still left gasping for more. I like the story being told as she wrote letters to her sister and spoke to a journalist, it gave some pause when the journalist went away and added suspense.

I like stand alone books to have a nice clear cut end, that leaves the reader knowing exactly what happened. I am sorry to say this was not the case in this book. The ending was very ambiguous, I even read the a Q&A with the author to try and shed some light on the ending, her answer was that it was up to the reader what happened. I wanted to pull my hair out when I read, I was infuriated!

Other than the ending it was a good read but if you do not like ambiguous endings I do not think the book is for you.

I am thinking of doing a section on favorite characters and what makes them so great, also a section on the cleverness of Harry Potter and how each character or element is so well thought out. Hopefully this will mean less time between blogs. I have been busy and not had that much time to read, but I plan to change that.

Last but not least, I entered a writing competition and am in the top two. There is a vote to see who wins, here is the entry. http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1382530-two-finalista-for-writing-competition

I am not going to say which one is mine just now because that is unfair. I will post my short story here ones the winner is announced (even if I come second).

Night bookworms.

 

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• Sister by Rosamund Lupton (plus critique winner!) (sallyjenkins.wordpress.com)
• Adam Woog’s Best Mysteries of 2012 (seattlemysteryblog.typepad.com)