Tag Archives: crime

Imposter

By Jill Hathaway, published by Harper Collins.

Impostor (Slide #2)

Goodreads synopsis: Be afraid of your shadow…Vee Bell has witnessed murder. She nearly died trying to track down the killer, all because of her secret condition. She’d tell her best friend Rollins but lately he seems more interested in his colleague Anna than her. Maybe she should confide in her long-lost aunt who’s turned up out of the blue? All of a sudden life is happening in reverse: Vee is waking up in weird places not knowing what she’s done. The only thing she’s sure of is that someone is messing with her. And when a prank goes horribly wrong, this time the hands with blood on them might be hers.

My review: After really enjoying Slide, (Review HERE!), I couldn’t wait to start this sequel! I had no idea what could happen in this book, as all of the loose ends from the murders in Slide had been wrapped up at its ending. However, Imposter went down an entirely new, unexpected route, and I really loved it. Vee’s never-met-before Aunt, who betrayed Vee’s mum and ran away, not even coming back for her funeral, turns up at her doorstep. Whilst Vee thinks that she is experiencing somebody taking over her body (what she usually does to other people), she begins to suspect her aunt Lydia, as maybe the Sliding is a family thing. I really enjoyed that element of suspicion, because it made me think that the new Slider was Lydia, too, but then all was revealed with a very unexpected plot twist!

I also really enjoyed the growing relationship between Vee and Rollins (her best friend). In the first book, I was practically yelling “YOU TWO ARE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER!” And I was so happy that they formed a relationship in this book. Rollins is a really great supporting character, but I would have liked him to have some more involvement in Vee’s secret plan with Mattie, Samantha and Regina (not saying what it is, I’ll spoil it :))!

Vee developed a lot more confidence, and investigated under even more pressure than in the previous installment. Through the first person narrative, I got a real understanding of her emotions towards all of the other characters in the story- especially I understood her hatred towards her aunt Lydia. I was rooting for her throughout, even when she was suspected of murder by her friends (I’m not saying whose murder!). As I’ve already mentioned, I loved her growing relationship with Rollins.

Overall, Imposter was a seriously awesome read. It was around the same meagre amount of pages as the previous title, Slide, but I still loved it anyway. It had such a clever plot, which kept me guessing at who-dunnit? the whole way through. I’ve grown to love the main characters even more, and really enjoyed reading their second psychological adventure. I really hope there’s a third book, or something, because I want to read more about Vee Bell’s life!

Drummer Girl

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By Bridget Tyler, published by Templar Books.

Goodreads synopsis: It was supposed to be the summer of her life. Instead, 17-year-old Lucy finds her best friend Harper shot dead in an LA swimming pool. How did it come to this? Lucy Gosling is the drummer in Crush, a rock band formed by five London schoolgirls that has just won the UK semi-final of an international talent contest. But when the band lands in Hollywood for the big final, things are not quite as they seem. The band’s lead singer, Harper, has just one thing on her mind- to win back her bad-news ex-boyfriend. Lucy must decide whether she’s playing to Harper’s tune, or setting the rhythm for the rest of the band…

My review: Since I had found out about this read, at a bloggers lunch, I had been itching to read it. Thanks to the lovely people at Templar, I got the chance to! I already loved it from the synopsis, and was totally sucked into the story from the first page. I really loved how it began with the scene of Harper’s murder, because that added an element of suspense, before the first real chapter had even begun. I think the beginning was a bit too quick for me, though. The five girls formed a band, then about twenty pages later they were already on their way to L.A. I would’ve liked it if the pace could’ve slowed down a little then, because I was pretty interested in the reality show the band Crush were in, and wanted to know more about it. Apart from that, the plot was absolutely brilliant. Many characters were introduced when the girls arrived in L.A., which was a bit overwhelming at first, but then that really made me think. It got me guessing throughout at who the murder could possibly be- most people had reasons to dislike Harper, so the outcome was totally unpredictable!

The plot and story also dealt with some very serious, and common themes in teenage life- such as self-image issues and love. They were dealt with very well in the book, and there was definitely a clear message about one band member’s self-image problems, which was, I think, very important to the story and added some very realistic drama.

I really liked the protagonist, Lucy- the Drummer Girl of the band. You could tell she was trying to keep everything together in the band whose members were growing apart, and I adored her determination and the fact that she never gave up. I also really loved the sudden rebel growing inside her- as she ran off to L.A. without permission from her parents, to try to win Project Next– the band show. It was interesting to see how she developed and grew apart from her parents throughout the novel, and then to join back up with them at the end, after the murder.

Speaking of the murder, HARPER! She was such an intriguing character. I didn’t really like her at all. She had her good things, but the bad points about her covered up those. It really added a conflict between her and Lucy during the story, as certain reasons behind Harper’s sudden interest in going on Project Next came to light. I only really grew to like her a bit more just before her murder, unfortunately! It was very interesting to see her true emotions come through right before her death. It made her tragic death even sadder and much more tear-jerking.

Overall, Drummer Girl was a really thrilling read. It was dramatic, fast paced, and had an constant element of suspicion throughout which kept me guessing at the murderer. Although the murder did not actually take place until very near the end, unlike I had expected, the story was still very action-packed and unpredictable. I loved all of it- what an amazing debut! he author really has a great talent, and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future!

I received Drummer Girl from the publisher, in exchange for a review.

Slide

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By Jill Hathaway, published by Harper Collins.

Slide

“I see through the eyes of a killer…”

Vee Bell hates being labelled as the ‘Narcoleptic freak’. Everyone thinks she just collapses because of her diagnosed Narcolepsy, but Vee knows differently. She collapses because she slides- every time she touches an object that somebody has had and felt a strong emotion with, she slips into them, and witnesses what they’re currently doing not matter how far away. One night, she slides into an unknown body, and witnesses that body commit the murder of her cheerleader-little-sister’s best friend: Sophie. Determined to track down the killer of such a lovely little girl, Vee begins an terrifying investigation.

Then another cheerleader is murdered. The stakes are getting higher now, and Vee has little time to solve the murders, because her little sister Mattie is next…

After seeing the sequel to this and reading the synopsis for it, I just had to start Slide! I devoured the whole thing in about a day- It was quite short at 250 pages, but had one heck of a plot. I’ve never read anything quite like it before. The psychological roots of this story made it pretty eerie, but also extremely interesting. The first murder was absolutely terrifying and on the minor character which was the last person I thought would be the first to die. The murder conspiracies were totally riveting and unpredictable, and I loved the genius way that the author connected Vee’s father to the murderer.

Vee was a really unique protagonist. I could tell she was the outcast right from the start- and not just because of her Narcolepsy condition, but because the bullying inflicted on her in the past. It made her a really three-dimensional and realistic character. Also, she was brave and strong and never gave up, despite the terrors and the unidentified murderer she was facing. I really liked her and can’t wait to read more about her in the sequel! I also enjoyed reading about the characters of Zane and Rollins. Rollins was her best friend who began to get distant with her throughout the events of Slide, but I was so happy their friendship became whole again at the end of the book, and that he didn’t leave her alone. Zane was a very complex love interest. As he had ties to the murderer and I don’t want to spoil the story, I won’t go into depth here- but I’ll just say he was very unpredictable. The author went in-depth with his character, making him just as three dimensional as the protagonist, but not arousing suspicion with his character. That made the resolution to the murder so unexpected!

In all, Slide was amazing. IT was a very complex but riveting and fast-paced crime story, with a lot packed into it. Despite supernatural, psychological themes, the book was realistic and had a really important, embedded messages about peer pressure and bullying. I loved it so much! I can’t wait for the sequel, IMPOSTER, published in later in April!

How to Fall

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By Jane Casey, published by Corgi.

How To Fall

“Sometimes the truth hurts. Sometimes it kills…”

Sixteen year old Jess Tennant moves to a holiday home by the sea with her mum, to escape London for the summer. It’s Jess’s mother’s old hometown, where her side of the family still lives… except for one member.

Freya is Jess Tennant’s never-met-before cousin, and she died under mysterious circumstances a year before, plunging to her doom on the rocks after falling from a clifftop. When Jess begins her summer, she’s already turning heads in the town- she looks exactly identical to her cousin. Confused at the dismissal of her cousins death as ‘accidental’ she delves into an investigation, forming a list of suspects and determined to discover whether the death was suicide, murder, or if it really was an accident. Suspects include the mean queen of the town Natasha, and even the boy next door, Will. Along the way she’ll get tangled up in other situations too, one involving falling in love with Will.

How did Freya really die? And what lengths will Jess go to in order to find out?

I picked this book up this morning, and as soon as I began reading I couldn’t stop. Despite the huge amount of pages (just over 400) I read this book pretty quickly, and loved every second of it! Jess was a really great character; and I loved her from the start. She made a great narrator… She’s the twenty-first century, female version of Sherlock Holmes- inquisitive, determined, adventurous; the perfect detective! The other characters were absolutely brilliant too.

I loved the plot; it was a classic whodunit? story line with a twist of love thrown into the mix. There were lots of plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. I found myself guessing ahead, trying to work out who was the killer, and in the end I had gotten it totally wrong! The ending was really shocking, yet satisfying. The hint of secret love and teenage rivalry made the story more exciting than it already was, as the reasons behind Freya’s death all came down to the dating side of things. The story was realistic; with a strong essence of the extreme consequences of bullying.

Overall, I seriously enjoyed it and recommend it to any young adults, and of course to crime fans in general. It’s brilliantly written, and a really great, thrilling read!

The Quietness

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By Alison Rattle, published by Hot Key Books.

The Quietness

The eldest child of a poor family living in the slums of London, Queenie, dreams of a better life with more money. When she finds an advertisement for a job working at the house of two sisters, Mrs Waters and Miss Ellis, she runs away from home to begin work as a carer for the many babies that the two sisters own. The babies came from women who had no husbands and did not want to be looked down upon in society, so hid away for months in the Waters and Ellis house, gave birth, then carried on with their lives leaving the child behind. All the while, babies are slowly disappearing, with Miss Waters claiming that they have been adopted. But Queenie is getting suspicious, and is determined to track down the truth of the baby farm.

In a higher-class part of London, a girl of the same age as Queenie called Ellen is living a lonely life inside of a house in which nobody cares about her. When her handsome cousin Jacob comes to stay after the death of his mother, Ellen begins to feel less lonely. But after a huge betrayal from Jacob, Ellen is about to fall into Queenie’s life in the strangest way, and together they will solve the crime behind the ‘baby farming’, become the greatest of friends, and discover something that will change their whole lives forever…

***WARNING: SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW BELOW!!***

I really enjoyed this! I wasn’t sure I’d really get into the story; I don’t read historical fiction much; but I really got hooked on it, and couldn’t stop reading. I liked the switching of the narratives every other chapter, and how the two girls come together and discover they are related under coincidental circumstances. Both teenagers came from very different, very interesting… at points frightful backgrounds, and I loved reading about them. I think that, after reading the authors note, the story became so much more real. Alison Rattle said that she had stumbled across the characters of Miss Waters and Miss Ellis and their crimes of Baby Farming whilst researching for something else. It was really shocking to hear that the events in this book were actually based on something that had really happened before!

The whole crime conspiracy building throughout the book kept me guessing about the ending, and when it came to the final pages I was shocked at the unpredictable closing paragraphs. It really tugged at my heartstrings- the unfortunate death of my favorite character (I’m not saying any names!).

Overall, The Quietness made for a really riveting, well written read. Highly recommended for YA’s and Adults alike!

Sister Assassin

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By Kiersten White, published by Harper Collins

Sister Assassin (Sister Assassin, #1)

“She never chose her deadly gift but now she’s forced to use it. How far would you go to protect the only family you have left?”

Meet two sisters who love each other very dearly; Fia, and Annie, who is blind. Orphaned, they are sent by their Aunt to a special Academy which claims it has the resources to help older sister Annie’s need in education due to her blindness. However, it’s not all they help with- as they are a school for extremely talented students… ‘Talented’ here meaning ‘Gifted with special, almost supernatural abilities’. Annie has the gift to for see the future and the dangers that lie ahead for those close to her in visions. The school also helps to train Fia, the younger sister, in combat. But why are they training her to kill?

Then Fia is sent to assassinate a man for a reason unknown to her, but she just can’t do it. Fia has killed two people before, and her past haunts her. She doesn’t want the weight of another death on her shoulders, and additionally she finds this ‘target’ different… innocent. But when Fia does not follow her orders from the Academy, her life and her sisters life are thrown upside down and life becomes a deadly game… Can Fia work out why the Academy wants this man killed and save those she loves?

Sister Assassin has got to be one of the most mind-blowing, exciting, books for teenagers ever! Obviously, I was hooked from the first page: Top secret mysterious organisation? Check. Superpowers of sorts? Check. Two loveable and well developed protagonists? Check! It’s a great, gritty thrill ride of a book; fast paced and tense. I liked how the narration kept changing from Fia to Annie, even though Annie’s parts were a bit lengthier at times. Despite how frustrating that got, I found that was a pretty great narrative hook. It really drew the reader in.

The ending was a bit of a ‘I NEED TO READ THIS AGAIN TO MAKE SURE I READ THAT PROPERLY’ ending. It really shocked me (I gasped out loud!)! I’ll warn you now; this story gets pretty violent and shocking, it’s not for the faint hearted!

All in all, this is a really brilliant book by an awesome author. I really hope there’s some kind of sequel in the making!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

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By Mark Haddon, published by Vintage.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Christopher has Aspergers Syndrome, he loves maths, knows every prime number up to 7,507, hates the colors brown and yellow, and will only read detective books like Sherlock Holmes. One night, he finds his neighbors dog laying upside down with a garden fork in its’ stomach. Determined to track down the killer, fifteen year old Christopher begins a detective journey. But upon finding the killer, he also finds that the reason that person killed the dog for goes a very long way back, and when Christopher finds out the reason his whole world is turned upside down.

WARNING: SPOILER ALERTS!!

I’ve seen this book, literally… everywhere. I’ve NEVER gotten around to read it. But finally, I did! And I loved it!

Christopher Boone is a very likeable character with a unique voice and brilliant personality. I loved his narration and how this book was written by him, in the hope that he would make a really great murder mystery novel. I was, admittedly, quite shocked when the killer was revealed before the halfway point in the book. I read it again and though, So what’s the rest of the story about? I didn’t realise that the murder linked to his mothers absence in the family, but it was great all the same.

Heart wrenchingly-sad, accompanied by Christopher’s diagrams and drawings, and with a touch of warmth and love to it, this award winning book is not to be missed!