The River Murders by James Patterson and James O Born

The River Murders by James Patterson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 448

Publisher - Grand Central Publishing

Source - bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Sometimes figuring out the truth means going to the point of no return. For Mitchum, returning isn't something he concerns himself with.

HIDDEN: After being rejected from the Navy SEALs, Mitchum becomes his small town's unofficial private eye. But his investigation skills are put to the test when he must find his missing teenage cousin--and uncovers a government conspiracy in the process.

MALICIOUS: Mitchum is back. His brother's been charged with murder. Nathaniel swears he didn't kill anyone, but word on the street is that he was involved with the victim's wife. Now, Navy SEAL dropout Mitchum will break every rule to expose the truth--even if it destroys the people he loves.




My Review

This is a 3 in 1 - 3 individual stories with the same main character and some of the others pop up that had been in the first story. Mitchum is a drop out from the Navy SEALs - he didn't get past the final stages. Now he does PI jobs locally and has a paper round, he finds himself caught up in mutliple dramas, involving family and sets out to make things right.

Story 1 - Hidden - Mitchum's niece goes missing, he has to team up with people he would rather not and finds himself in a whole host of trouble.

Story 2 - Malicious - Mitchum's Brother is a suspect in a murder and Mitchum needs to move quickly to investigate but someone may not want Mitchum digging.

Story 3 - Malevolent - Someone is attacking those close to Mitchum, he needs to dig into his background and see who would have it in for him family before they strike again.

I went back and forth on this between 2.5 and 3 stars. Some bits I did like but other bits I couldn't get past. Like he is highly trained, a local PI but also does a paper round. In highly dangerous situations something has to happen or be witnessed before he "remembers" he has a gun on his waist. There was loads of things that stuck for me and drew me out of the story. I would never had put this down as a Patterson book, I don't recognise him anywhere in it apart from the small chapters. I think some folk will really enjoy it, I just couldn't get past the bits that annoyed me. It has a decent pace and there is always something happening to keep you interested.

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According to Yes by Dawn French

According to Yes by Dawn French
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 352

Publisher - Michael Joseph

Source - Poundshop

Blurb from Goodreads


The Foreign Land of the Very Wealthy - otherwise known as Manhattan's Upper East Side - has its own rigid code of behaviour. It's a code strictly adhered to by the Wilder-Bingham family.

Emotional displays - unacceptable.

Unruly behaviour - definitely not welcome.

Fun - no thanks.

This is Glenn Wilder-Bingham's kingdom. A beautifully displayed impeccably edited fortress of restraint.

So when Rosie Kitto, an eccentric thirty-eight-year-old primary school teacher from England, bounces into their lives with a secret sorrow and a heart as big as the city, nobody realises that she hasn't read the rule book.

For the Wilder-Bingham family, whose lives begin to unravel thread by thread, the consequences are explosive. Because after a lifetime of saying no, what happens when everyone starts saying . . . yes?



My Review

Rosie Kitto has left England and bagged herself a job looked after two wee boys from a very rich family whilst their parents are mid divorce. Rosies employer is Glen Wilder, not a hair out of place, she is very conservative, cold, her home, her grand children, her rules. Rosie could not be anymore different, eccentric, embracing life, emotions and trying to work through things she has ran from in England. America has a lot to offer for Rosie but Rosie has much more to offer this family, the power of letting go and saying yes.

Let me start by saying I loved how this started, think a non magical Mary Poppins, Rosie is the breath of fresh air this family needs. The grandmother Glen doesn't do emotion, affection or letting go, Rosie is all about living in the moment, praising the children, encouraging the kids to embrace who they are and showing them with affection. She challenges Glen's rule and the males of the family respond positively. As Rosie moves in she teaches them all how to interact, how to say yes, and finds herself learning what causes the family to be the way they are.

So she is fun loving and I really liked how she broke down the boundaries without being a bitch, she was so good with the kids and just brought life to the family. However the book then took a turn that I didn't see coming, I didn't really get the point of and it just ruined it a wee bit for me. Sex in a book is never an issue, I have read 50 shades but I just felt was it really required in this story and how it comes about. Maybe one or two scenes ok I got but the other parts just, for me, seemed to come from no where and it took away from the book.

Her relationship with Glen, if you can call it that also flipped a wee bit and I was a bit like really? Like I get what the author was going for and one part I thought ah fair enough but other parts I just couldn't fathom. I am absolutely in the minority as so many seemed to love this book and I didn't hate it at all. I just struggled to get my head around Rosie's choices/behaviour because she was so fun loving and focused on the job/bairns then it took a total sweep in direction. I also felt some of the issues covered in the book weren't given as much attention, scope, depth for how big a thing it was compared to some of the smaller stuff. Not badly written at all, I do like French books, I think this is my second and I will read her others but I think the things the main character chose to do and because it was so unexpected, to me, I just couldn't wrap my head around. 2.5/5 for me this time, absolutely grab a copy and check it out, as I say so many loved it and I didn't hate it I just didn't love it.

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Host by Robin Cook

Host by Robin Cook
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 416

Publisher - MacMillan

Source - The Works

Blurb from Goodreads

The explosive new thriller from New York Times–bestselling author and master of the medical thriller, Robin Cook.

Lynn Peirce, a fourth-year medical student at South Carolina’s Mason-Dixon University, thinks she has her life figured out. But when her otherwise healthy boyfriend, Carl, enters the hospital for routine surgery, her neatly ordered life is thrown into total chaos. Carl fails to return to consciousness after the procedure, and an MRI confirms brain death.

Devastated by Carl’s condition, Lynn searches for answers. Convinced there’s more to the story than what the authorities are willing to reveal, Lynn uses all her resources at Mason-Dixon—including her initially reluctant lab partner, Michael Pender—to hunt down evidence of medical error or malpractice.

What she uncovers, however, is far more disturbing. Hospitals associated with Middleton Healthcare, including the Mason-Dixon Medical Center, have unnervingly high rates of unexplained anesthetic complications and patients contracting serious and terminal illness in the wake of routine hospital admissions.

When Lynn and Michael begin to receive death threats, they know they’re into something bigger than either of them anticipated. They soon enter a desperate race against time for answers before shadowy forces behind Middleton Healthcare and their partner, Sidereal Pharmaceuticals, can put a stop to their efforts once and for all.



My Review

Ooft the blurb from Goodreads gives away so much! Lynn is close to finishing her training and becoming a doctor. When her boyfriend is getting some minor surgery she recommends the hospital she is a trainee in, why wouldn't she it is a great hospital. However something goes wrong and Carl doesn't come round from the anaesthetic. Lynn and her fellow trainee Michael start digging and uncover worrying information. Soon they are threatened and can either let it go and save themselves, risking many innocents, or fight to protect their patients and uncover what exactly is going on with Carl.

I do like a book that makes you think or check out conditions so a medical thriller will always get a start straight off for that for me. However, there was so much going on that I didn't like. Lynn and Michael have a great friendship, very loyal and Michael goes out on a limb for her. However the dialogue at times is very boxy and forced it just didn't flow at times for me. There is an incidence of animal cruelty that that scene really wouldn't have been affected had they just omitted it, animal cruelty always gets a stars down from me particularly when it adds zero to the scene/story.

The whole how are for why, whilst original and something different it just didn't work for me overall. Too much of it I just sat and thought, really? Just no! I think some of it is really heavy on medical jargon/details which may switch some readers off, I actually didn't mind this although it was a bit heavy going at times.

The main character was really lacking in emotion at many key points where regardless of your job, with what had just happened with your partner, you would have an emotive reaction. On the other hand there were scenes her emotions almost blew what they were trying to accomplish, it just didn't work for me personally.

Interesting although disjointed in parts and I felt the ending came swiftly and let me asking if that was really how we were wrapping it up, sure many will be fine with it. 2.5 out of 5 for me this time, I would read Cook again, I did enjoy some aspects of the book however too much annoyed me that over shadowed the bits I did like.

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Tony and Susan by Austin Wright

Tony and Susan by Austin Wright
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - Over two days

Pages - 384

Publisher - Warner Books

Source - Waterstones

Blurb from Goodreads

Receiving a manuscript and request for feedback from her vengeful ex-husband of fifteen years, Susan Morrow is drawn into the life of the story's fictional character and confronts a devastating parallel darkness from her own past.

Austin Wright's novel is a disturbing and dazzling work: it describes a special reading experience, combines the suggestiveness of a thriller and the depth of a psychological novel. He talks about fear and regret, revenge and maturation, marriage and failure.


My Review

This book splits into two, Susan receives a manuscript from her ex husband for some feedback. We slip between the story within the manuscript and Susan herself as she readies herself to read it, absorb it, her thoughts on both the story and all it conjures up. Her past, her life with Edward (ex husband), her current husband and really her thoughts on everything from the past to the present and what the stories conjures up in her. The manuscript story itself "Nocturnal Animals" started off really strong and pretty frightening because of how easy you could see it happening to anyone.

The pace threw me a bit, Susan's story is such a different pace as you aren't too sure what is the significance of getting the manuscript. I'm still not if I am honest, I got a bit lost within the stories, I followed the manuscript story so much easier and then the closer it came to an end I was a bit lost as to where it was going. I think Wright was trying to do something with both these stories and I personally just didn't get it. I was left with so many questions, I found some of the dialogue with the characters clunky, not flowing as other characters interactions did.

I would say, looking at other reviews and feedback on this book I think I am in a minority as so many loved or really enjoyed it. I think that is possibly more about me as a reader than the actual authors writing, sometimes a book just isn't for that specific reader and I think this may be what happened here. I went back and forth on if this was a two or three star for me, I think I have to go with a 2.5 as I didn't get the book, I didn't enjoy most of it. I think the message or what the author was trying to do was completely lost on me and I am happy to blame the reader in this case. I would say give it a try, see how you get on with it and I would love to hear your thoughts.

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Broken River by J Robert Lennon

Broken River by J. Robert Lennon
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 5 days

Pages - 276

Publisher - Serpent's Tail

Source - from a friend

Blurb from Goodreads

A modest house in upstate New York. One in the morning. Three people—a couple and their child—hurry out the door, but it’s too late for them. As the virtuosic and terrifying opening scene of Broken River unfolds, a spectral presence seems to be watching with cold and mysterious interest. Soon the house lies abandoned, and years later a new family moves in.

Karl, Eleanor, and their daughter, Irina, arrive from New York City in the wake of Karl’s infidelity to start anew. Karl tries to stabilize his flailing art career. Eleanor, a successful commercial novelist, eagerly pivots in a new creative direction. Meanwhile, twelve-year-old Irina becomes obsessed with the brutal murders that occurred in the house years earlier. And, secretly, so does her mother. As the ensemble cast grows to include Louis, a hapless salesman in a carpet warehouse who is haunted by his past, and Sam, a young woman newly reunited with her jailbird brother, the seemingly unrelated crime that opened the story becomes ominously relevant.

Hovering over all this activity looms a gradually awakening narrative consciousness that watches these characters lie to themselves and each other, unleashing forces that none of them could have anticipated and that put them in mortal danger. Broken River is a cinematic, darkly comic, and sui generis psychological thriller that could only have been written by J. Robert Lennon.


My Review

One house, a murder leaving behind a child, an observant presense, a flip forward in time and a new family. That is the history and the new family know of what happened, the daughter is young and obsessed, the mother is trying to pen her novel and deal with health issues. The husband is selfish, self involved, stoned on recreational drugs and a bit of a Lothario!

The story flips about, we have the happenings of the killers, the insights of the family members and their own personal journeys, actions and the consequences of said actions. The observer is a different angle, a presence that grows in awareness as it experiences more of the human interactions and experiences. I think what the author was aiming for absolutely went over my head, I didn't get the angle or what they were going for.

It is such a busy book, family, relationships, infidelity, murder, violence, drugs, teenage problems and that is just some of what the book offers. I found my head spinning a wee bit to be honest, so much going on and not always clear the relevance of what was happening or what it had to do with the previous happening. However, I am very much in the minority, this book has been loved by many and I think, in this instance, it just didn't work for me. A lot of people like books that pluck the brain, keep you on your toes and guessing where the book is going, for me is was just packed a bit much. There is intrigue, mystery, a who done it type thread, personal dramas and of course the unusual presence of the "observer". Certainly not your run of the mill book and as I said many have loved it, it just didn't work for me, 2.5 out of 5 for me, check it out yourself and see how you find it.

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All For You by Sheila O'Flanagan

All for You by Sheila O'Flanagan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 512

Publisher - Headline

Source - Gift from a friend

Blurb from Goodreads


As TV's favourite weather forecaster, Lainey is good at making predictions. But what she doesn't foresee is that her own life is about to hit a stormy patch. With a string of failed relationships behind her, surely history isn't about to repeat itself with her beloved Ken? To add fuel to the fire, her estranged mother announces that she's returning to Dublin. Deanna has always been dismissive of Lainey's choices - particularly in men. And Deanna's lectures are the last thing Lainey needs now.


Yet is there more to her mother than she knows? Uncovering some long-concealed family secrets, Lainey begins to reassess her life. Is the happy-ever-after she's always dreamed of really what she wants after all?



My Review

Meet Lainey, beautiful, successful, on tv doing the weather, educated in meteorology she is a really smart lady. Her mother is a feminist, famous and carving out her mark in the world and travelling all over to spread the good word, her and Lainey do not have the easiest of relationships. When it comes to Lainey's love life she has had two broken engagements and frets over her relationship with Ken and where is it going? All Lainey wants is to settle down with the man she loves, surely that isn't too much to ask?

Ok so lets start with what I did like, I love learning stuff in books, wee random snippets of info is always welcomed. Every chapter gives you a word relating to something to do with meteorology and what it means, first time I have had that in a book and I loved it. It isn't a subject I have given much thought to but to be honest, after reading the snippets I think I would pick up a book relating to it to learn a bit more. I liked her parents who although they didn't play a massive centre stage part but when they are in it they are lovely characters who helped shape Lainey.

What I couldn't get on with was Lainey's complete inability to see how fabulous she is on her own right. Every thought focuses on pleasing her other half or if something if blatantly the guys fault she blames herself. I think my problem is I have had personal dealings watching folk go through this type of behaviour and find it really upsetting and frustrating. You just want to reach into the book and wake her up! Reading it was very frustrating although it is testament to to the authors writing ability that she has captured it so well to evoke that response.

Her mother, Deanna, is frustrating for a very different reason, she goes the opposite way and is completely focused on the fight for feminism. Nothing gets in her way, I do mean nothing, and she has no qualms ramming it down folks throats. The two characters are worlds apart and I got annoyed in equal measures for very different attitudes and behaviours by the two. I did like when we flash back to Deanna's past and learn a bit more about her and why she became the way she did.

The writing itself is very easy to get on with, it was the characters traits and actions that I found really wearing. I am sure many people will get on well with this book however it just wasn't for me. This was my first time reading this author and whilst I didn't enjoy this book I would read her again as I think the presented issues was more my problem, 2.5 out of 5 for me.

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Maestra by L S Hilton

Maestra by L.S. Hilton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 343

Publisher - Zaffre

Source - Bookshop

Blurb from Goodreads


A shockingly original thriller - the launch title of Zaffre, the new fiction imprint of Bonnier Publishing Fiction

Judith Rashleigh works as an assistant in a prestigious London auction house, but her dreams of breaking into the art world have been gradually dulled by the blunt forces of snobbery and corruption. To make ends meet she moonlights as a hostess in one of the West End's less salubrious bars - although her work there pales against her activities on nights off.

When Judith stumbles across a conspiracy at her auction house, she is fired before she can expose the fraud. In desperation, she accepts an offer from one of the bar's clients to accompany him to the French Riviera. But when an ill-advised attempt to slip him sedatives has momentous consequences, Judith finds herself fleeing for her life.

Now alone and in danger, all Judith has to rely on is her consummate ability to fake it amongst the rich and famous - and the inside track on the hugely lucrative art fraud that triggered her dismissal.

Set in the exotic palaces and yachts of Europe's seriously wealthy. With a heroine as wickedly perceptive as Amy Dunne and as dangerous as Lisbeth Salander, this marks the beginning of a sequence of novels that will have readers around the world on the edge of their seats and holding their breath.



My Review

So, firstly the blurb has it as "an original thriller" guys this is an EROTICA thriller, whilst there is a thriller/murder story there is a lot of graphic sexual content. I think had I realised what the book was before I started reading it I would have been better prepared and possibly liked it better. My problem is, if I go into a book expecting horror and get chick lit I won't be happy. Not the authors fault but you expect one thing and get another it does impact on how you enjoy and take the story.

Judith works in an auction house and I learned a wee bit about art but it isn't the heart or focus of the story but worth mentioning. She is skint, underappreciated and ends up working extra hours as a "hostess" kicking off a chain of events leading to murder, lies, conspiracy and being on the run. The action side is actually quite good and a strong female character who is ruthless is certainly a breath of fresh air. However, it is a bit fantastical especially some of the events that transpire but makes for good reading. Judith uses sex to unwind and get what she wants, seeing her end up in group parties and I felt some of the sex scenes where gratuitous and maybe even just for shock value. I have read the 50 shades books so no stranger to erotic and or graphic scenes but really some of it I just didn't feel was in keeping with the rest of the content.

I know some folk have really loved this book so would absolutely say to give it a go if you aren't easily offended and don't mind graphic sex scenes. There is a lot of action, bit of crime, thriller, retribution and it keeps your interest. There is another book to this series which I will read and hopefully get on better knowing what is potentially in store. The blurb on that also reads "thriller sensation" but as Judith is in it and we know how she likes to de-stress and blow off steam I think we can assume "erotica" will feature. 2.5 out of 5 for me this time, if you have read it I would love to hear your thoughts.

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