Book Review – No One Will Hear Your Screams by Thomas O’Callaghan

There are times when the habit of reading does not make any sense. I am sure, that is the story for a lot of us right now. And has been for the past few months. But, how much time does one spend brooding over things, or overthinking things to no purpose? Slowly and surely we will jump back on the reading train.

No One Will Hear Your Screams is a thriller, as one can deduce from the title itself. What I did not realise was that it was a part of a series as well. Thomas O’Callaghan‘s No One Will Hear Your Screams can be read as a standalone, but once you’ve read it, I can assure you, you definitely want more of the same.

A medical examiner’s observations leads to an investigation that unveils many many ghastly incidents. Abuse, murder, arson, and a lot of chilling criminal acts before the investigating team actually gets a clue. There is a grotesqueness in Thomas O’Callaghan‘s No One Will Hear Your Screams that needs multiple trigger warnings.

A good police investigation, and an excellent team is a part of this book. The dynamics of the team and their individual personas are very interesting as well. Hot on the heels of a deranged serial killer, and unlikely witnesses and clues, Thomas O’Callaghan‘s No One Will Hear Your Screams serves up a chilling read. One excellent in writing and plot.

Thomas O’Callaghan‘s No One Will Hear Your Screams serves up a chilling read. One excellent in writing and plot.

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Is there anything I did not like about this book? Well, I would have liked the story behind the killer’s spree. There are enough hints through out the book as to what set him off, one or many incidents could have led to it. But it stops just short of painting a clearer picture. I guess it is true that one can never pinpoint a particular place in time when in such cases. It would have been a slow build.

Thomas O’Callaghan‘s No One Will Hear Your Screams is an excellent read for lovers of this genre. As mentioned before there are triggers for rape, abuse, and a lot more. If you haven’t yet read a chilling thriller, this one is not for you. But for those who have, No One Will Hear Your Screams can prove to be riveting.

You can purchase a copy of No One Will Hear Your Screams here – Amazon

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No One Will Hear Your Screams by Thomas O’Callaghan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Book Review – The Friday Edition by Betta Ferrendelli

First off, let me note that one thing stood out for me in The Friday Edition. It was a good thing too. The fact that we begin with a woman who has lost everything and is just surviving every day as it comes. At the end of The Friday Edition, she gets a handle on things and makes an effort to move on, and live life! This is a commonality that would probably be felt by a lot of us readers.

We start off with a death. Robin is on the ground, dead after falling from her apartment. While everyone is sure, and quick, to call it a suicide, her sister, Samantha, is not. Sam does not believe Robin could take her own life. Everything is skewed, the suicide note is unlike one Robin would have written, the whole circumstance is completely unbelievable to Sam. But who is going to believe Sam, while she hardly ever remains sober?

Sam, left alone after a divorce and losing custody of her child, fired from her job as a journalist at a daily and now working a weekly – Sam is buried under a lot of pressure and is hardly getting by. Her sister’s death gets her nosing around and the whole plot thickens.

I am not going to get into that because, where is the suspense left if I did! Though I must add, as you near the end of The Friday Edition, you can figure it out yourself. But, the plot was good, the details leading up to it, the whole thing was rivetingly good.

Perhaps, I was unable to empathise with a few characters, but that did not keep me from enjoying The Friday Edition. Good writing, quick pace, smart plot, there are a lot of things keeping the reader interested in flipping the pages.

Oh, did I mention this is book one of a series??? I am definitely adding them to my list this year.

Definitely go read.

Thanks to The Write Reads and Betta Ferrendelli for the ARC.

The Friday Edition by Betta Ferrendelli

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Book Review – Someone You Know by Olivia Isaac-Henry

Right then, another suspense and I am loving it! Someone You Know was such a thrilling read. The book is about twin sisters, Edie and Tess Piper. They are as different as they are the same. And one day Edie goes missing. Life is not the same any longer for anyone involved, especially Tess.

The book starts off in present-day London with Tess. A glimpse into her life. Twenty years since her sister went missing, Tess is struggling. She has a job, but she has troubles. She has her episodes. Oscillating between being there and going on a bender. Tess makes do. Every time she hits a low, her father, Vince Piper, comes and helps her pick up the pieces.

Vince is no better. He was an unemployed man living with his wife (Gina) and twin daughters, struggling with depression. All he does is watch TV and smoke. Also in Edie and Tess’s life are their uncle Ray (Vince’s brother) and his wife Becca. The girls love their uncle Ray. But he has a special place for Edie, with whom he shares his interests in music and dance. Vivacious Edie and solemn Tess. That is until tragedy strikes and their mother is killed in a road accident. The family copes, but it is not the same any longer.

Ray arranges for Vince and the girls to move to a new neighbourhood, a new school. But it just makes the sisters drift further apart. A few years later, Edie goes missing. Twenty years later, Tess receives her father’s phone call claiming the police have found Edie remains. And that sets off a chain of reactions that are catatonic. Tess floats in and out. She is either so drunk she does not remember things, or she is sober enough to figure things out. Vince was incapable of handling things. A man who takes the easy way out. Ray and Becca make the funeral arrangements and are basically all up in it like they have always been. Considering Ray and Becca think of the girls as their own daughters, their behaviour can be excused, but only slightly.

As Tess retraces her sister’s footsteps, she makes some astonishing discoveries. She realises that not all is well; wonders if Gina and Edie’s deaths are connected. She begins to see things from a different perspective. Finally, she finds out the truth about everything.

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The fact that these characters can make you so passionately judgemental shows excellent writing and that makes Someone You Know a good book.

How did I like the book? It was well written. The suspense was good, the plot great and the twists and turns kept me turning pages. Ray was a complete ass, Vince was an incompetent and irresponsible parent. And Becca was confusing. Tess on the other, the reader starts off with pity for Tess, but as you read, you really want to hit her on the head with a nice thick book. If only she drank more coffee, she would see what was right there under her nose. The fact that these characters can make you so passionately judgemental shows excellent writing and that makes Someone You Know a good book.

The ending of the book was a bit hurried. It made sense, but it could have been better explained. That it was short lived was a bit of a disappointment to me. The book is also put forth in a to and fro between the past and the present. The past from Edie’s perspective and the present form Tess’s. It was lovely to read this way, not only because it shows us two sides of the same coin, but also because it shows us Edie and Tess as they are. The people they were and would become are what these perspectives give us.

On the whole, Someone You Know is a good book. It does not have the gore that is off-putting to most readers, and it is suspenseful enough for readers who love this genre. Overall, Someone You Know can be enjoyed by all.

Go read.

You can find a copy of Someone You Know here – Amazon, Kobo.

Goodreads

Someone You Know by Olivia Isaac-Henry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Book Review – Girls Of Glass by Brianna Labuskes

It has been a very long time since I read a mystery that kept me guessing. And what a refreshing challenge Girls Of Glass was.

Five-year-old Ruby Burke is reported missing. She was at the beach with her mother and four days later her body is found on a beach. Everyone is on the list of suspects, with fingers pointing firmly to Ruby’s mother Charlotte. Alice Garner and Joe Nakamura investigate the kidnapping and death of the child. The Burkes are local royalty and when something like this happens, they pull no stops. It is all hands on deck.

With a frenzy amongst the local and national media and people wanting to get their two seconds of fame, the investigation goes in all directions. Ruby is the granddaughter of a prominent judge and the attention that this case warrants, is both a boon and a bane. Charlotte is a fragile being, she is shattered with the disappearance and death of her only child. There are plenty of what-if moments.

The Burkes, even though they lead a prominent life, have their own secrets. Such grotesque dark secrets that would tarnish reputations. What happened to Ruby? As questions are asked and answers are sought, one can of worms after the other is spilt.

Girls Of Glass was a wonderful read. It was not full of gore, but it does have the element of horror in it. What the author, Brianna Labuskes does best is to bring your attention to detail. And when you think you have guessed the culprit, she takes you down a road that makes you question yourself.

Brilliant plot and very well written. I would not say this book is a fast read, the pace is a bit dragging here and there, but it keeps you hooked. It may be tedious in the beginning to handle the constant to and fro between the before the kidnapping and after, but one gets used to it. The other tiring bit of the book is that characters go into their own monologues – mind talk. Beyond a point, this can be tiresome. I had to skip a lot of such instances. There are only two main characters who are male and the rest are female, showing many shades. From fragile to survivors. Yet, the empathy that is normally invoked in the reader for such characters is rather minimal.

If one does discount this, then Girls Of Glass is a good book. There are a good plot, very clever surprises and a lot of investigative thrill. I would recommend it to those who the genre of mystery.

You can get a copy of Girls Of Glass here – Amazon, Barnes&Noble

Goodreads

Girls of Glass by Brianna Labuskes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Book Review – The Heist Artist by Vish Dhamija

I read a Vish Dhamija book a while back and I was hooked! (You can find the review to that book here.) It is only natural that I wanted to sign up for reviewing The Heist Artist as well.

Vish Dhamija is one of India’s best when it comes to writing crime thrillers. The Heist Artist is about a con man called “Captain” and his plot to get a painting that has been marred in controversy for a long while. How does the book start? Well, we are given a brief background of the Captain. Then a corrupt politician hires the Captain to “retrieve” a lost Van Gogh painting – Poppy Flowers. The painting in question is said to be in India, and the prospective buyer intends to make the purchase for 200 million! A thrilling deal, indeed.

Having a corrupt politician finance the deal makes things very easy and the Captain spends months reconnoitring the art scene in Delhi masquerading as an art professor. He locates the painting less than halfway through the book and then on, it is all thrill. The planning and execution of the heist are meticulously written. And Captain and his accomplices and successful. Or are they? When 200 million dollars are involved, will anyone be stoic about the object? A cat and mouse game follows, where greed, duty and survival play an essential part.

The Heist Artist is a thrilling book. Once it crosses the point where Captain finds the painting, it becomes one fast ride. The research, the writing add value to the book and make for a lively read. The car chases, the hide and seek… all of it is one giant adrenaline rush. Excellent work, as usual, from Vish Dhamija. I enjoyed this one for it kept me guessing at times. If I had to point out one thing as a negative, then it would definitely be the ending. After all that thrill, the ending was a bit lacklustre. As is real life. Therefore, that tiny let down can be excused.

All that aside, if I have a bone to pick it has to be with the publisher’s end. Given HarperCollins’ giant footprint in the book industry, this book falls way short on their standards of publishing. Vish Dhamija made a great story, which was wonderful to read. And as the reader goes about reading, there are the sudden ‘potholes’ of errors that will jerk your attention. A book goes through many stages from manuscript to final print, and it is disappointing that the end result was this. I hope the next print of this book is almost error-free and is a joy to read. (The copy I received was not an ARC, therefore I had to make a mention of this.)

I have to add I would give a four-star rating for this book, but since it was too irritating stumbling upon error after error, I take away one star. 

You can find a review of The Heist Artist here – Amazon, Flipkart

Goodreads 

The Heist Artist by Vish Dhamija

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Thanks to Writersmelon for the review copy.

Book Review – Fireside Chat with a Grammar Nazi Serial Killer by Ryan Suvaal

I received this short story ages ago and only realised it has been lying around among the mountains in the drafts folder. Thank you, Sam, for reminding me about this.

Blurb –

Seventeen gruesome killings across the United States, within a span of six months and there is one clear connection among victims. They were all writers.

While media is decorating the murders with sensationalist stories, and law enforcement is playing catch-up, the homicidal maniac remains elusive and secretive.
Things get very interesting, when one day she decides to appear on an internet talk show for an honest fireside chat.

Have you read a book that is just two chapters long, but was riveting with every word? If not, then you must grab Fireside Chat with a Serial Killer. It is about a serial killer who goes live on a chat show on the darknet. 23 pages and you are done with the book. It is short and packs a very impressive punch.

There are so many interesting aspects that the author has touched upon and you really are tempted to find out more about them. Like how the killer is a grammar nazi, yet she targets only those authors with the initials SD. Or how does she do it? Just glimpses but not the clearer picture. I was left intrigued and bereft. I wanted more!

Even if this story was an incredibly short one, it does make an impact. The writing, needless to say, was good. Given that it was about a grammar nazi serial killer, the writing had to be on point as well.

You are sure to enjoy this book. Pick it up!

Book Review – The Birthday by Carol Wyer

Long time no book review. It was not because I did not read any books, it was because I was too lazy to write a post about it.

I picked up The Birthday for its blurb and its cover. It is a simple enough plot, girl goes missing and then her body is found. The investigation begins and everything is a convoluted mess. What makes The Birthday interesting are the characters and the writing.

Ava Sawyer goes missing from her classmate’s sixth birthday party. Search parties are organised and then fingers are pointed every which way pointing out irresponsibilities. Things die down when there is no clue and the investigation comes to a dead end. Two years hence, Ava’s body is discovered buried under the ground, in the same compound where she was reported last seen. An investigation begins and it opens up a can of worms.

Leading the team of investigators is Detective Natalie Ward. The Birthday is the first of the series featuring Detective Natalie Ward. Her team investigates into the body found and suddenly there are two more murders. Both of the victims were girls who went to Ava class and were present at the birthday party from which she went missing. Natalie Ward and her team reach a dead end at every turn they take.

The ending may be obvious in the last few pages, but till that point in the book, there is absolutely no clue. The plot is kept wonderfully suspenseful and was a delight to read as it keeps you guessing.

There were a few things I thought could have made the book a bit better. Perhaps an insight into the working of the mind of the murderer, what sets him off, why was there a gap between Ava’s murder and the next, so many questions. To a few of them, there was a vague answer in the book. But, it could have been great if there was a better background for the criminal – the whats, the whys and the hows.

Being the first of the series makes The Birthday a book that drafts an outline about Natalie Ward’s team and their personal lives. The books coming up would no doubt delve further into that domain. It will be interesting to read how the team dynamic evolves over time and how each of their lives turn out.

The Birthday makes for a quick and absorbing police procedural. Readers who enjoy crime thrillers will enjoy this one.

You can find a copy of The Birthday here – Amazon

Goodreads

 The Birthday by Carol Wyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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