The Radio Murders: The Collectors

The Radio Murders: The Collectors by Chuck Collins jumps right into the action from page one. Sometimes this is a great storytelling tactic, but I found it unsavory in The Radio Murders. It was a little hard to follow and I felt lost for a bit. I also found this novel to be a little too adult for my taste: lots of vulgarity in language as well as sex scenes. Aside from that, I found the story enjoyable, yet hard to follow with too many indistinct characters. It was a very tangled web of deceit  mystery and action. It was intriguing, mysterious, and action packed. It ends with a cliffhanger, making the reader want to know what happens next. Unfortunately, this reader won't be finding out. It's an okay book, but not for me. 2 Stars. 

I am a book tour host with CM Book Tours: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book for the purpose of review. All opinions are 100% my own.

The Genesis Secret

Tom Knox's Genesis Secret tells the suspenseful yet intelligent tale of reporter Robert Luttrell. Sent on a supposedly simple assignment about the excavation of Gobekli Tepe in Kurdish Turkey, the oldest remains of human civilization and apparent Garden of Eden. Rob is quickly drawn in to the mystery of Gobekli Tepe, why the locals are resisting the dig, and, ultimately, the death of the lead archaeologist. Back in the UK, a string of brutal murders are being committed and investigated by the Scotland Yard, especially Detective Forrester. Eventually, a connection is made and Forrester and Luttrell must work together to discover the Genesis secret and, more importantly, catch the crazed murderer. 

The Genesis Secret  is a fairly intense read, not one you can necessarily read at the beach or with distractions around, especially at the end. I mean, James Joyce is referenced! It's a good book; though slow to start, once it all starts to come together it gets hard to put down. However, it is rather violent and grotesque and the language is, at times, obscene and responsive to the violence. The characters attempt to be real and relatable, but fall short. I was more captivated by the story line and desire to solve the mystery than the fate of the characters. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. 3 & 1/2 stars. 

Gone Girl

On their fifth anniversary, Amy disappears. And Nick is the police's number one suspect.

Something's up, and evidence is mounting against Nick.  He's definitely keeping a secret, but did he kill Amy? And if not, what happened? 

Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is quite the adventure and enjoyable read. It's so crazy, but I really liked it. I didn't really like the end-end, the wrap up. But what other ending could their be? I don't know. I think I would have left that out, but really. Great book. Go check it out. Now. 

Alias Grace

I absolutely, 100% loooved this book!

Alias Grace is based on the true story of Grace Marks with a fictional narrative. In 1842, Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery were murdered. Grace Marks and James McDermott, servants of Kinnear, were convicted of the murder. Despite all this, Grace believes herself to be innocent. She doesn't remember the murder. And this novel reveals how, exactly, this came to be and how the murders were committed, as Grace tells her story, her memories, to psychiatrist Dr Jordan. [Not for reals, though, ya'll. This is a work of FICTION] Like Grace's quilt, her story has a pattern which slowly reveals itself to the reader.  It's a great book. Go check it out from your library. You'll love it. 

Dragon Bones

Dragon Bones is Lisa See's third book of the Red Princess series. I haven't read the first two, but I still understood it pretty well. It's a murder-mystery love story between Inspector Liu Hulan and Attorney David Stark, who happen to be married, but estranged as they separately mourn the death of their young daughter. Together they are assigned to cases near the 3 Gorges Dam along the Yangtze River in China. Liu is to investigate a suspicious death and David is to find out how Chinese artifacts are being smuggled out of the country. See paints a modern picture of China while tying in the mysteries of the past.  i like how See shows me her perspective of China and occasionally characters speak in Chinese that See translates for the reader. It wasn't an awesome book, but it was certainly enjoyable.  I liked reading about modern China (okay, 1990s China) and I enjoyed the characters as well as the mystery and journey of the novel.  If you think you might enjoy this Chinese murder-mystery style romance, give it a try!

the curious incident of the dog in the night-time

A murder-mystery told from the point-of-view of a boy on the autism spectrum, this novel is a very interesting read. It offers a unique perspective into the mind of a boy with autism/Aspergers. While not an especially exciting read, if you are interested in this point if view, I do recommend it.