liseyp's reviews
1375 reviews

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd

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emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you to the author, publishers Macmillan and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review. 
 
There are only two things people know about the Surrealist painter Juliette Willoughby - that she died in a fire with her more famous artist lover, and that none of her artwork survives. But, when two art students begin to study Juliette they find there may be darker secrets beyond the story everyone knows. Secrets that are still having repercussions decades later. 
 
A richly detailed absorbing mystery. I loved the depth of the characters, the overlapping timelines, the reveals, the secrets which remained hidden. 
 
One of the things I always love about Ellery Lloyd stories is the roundedness and balance of the characters. No one’s perfect, everyone is nuanced, and it’s delivered so convincingly. And that’s more true than ever in this latest book. The three main characters that the story is told through, Juliette, Patrick and Caroline, are all fully breathing and formed characters. 
 
The plotting is also exquisite. I felt fully immersed and felt every heart in mouth moment of potential discovery or worried that the innocent would suffer for the sins of others. Exquisite. 

You Like It Darker by Stephen King

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A collection of short stories and a couple of novella length ones from my favourite writer of all time. 
 
There’s a lot about mortality in this particular collection. Not death per se, but about living after loved ones have died and about reaching old age and reflecting on a life lived. Individually and collectively the stories are brilliant - possibly the most satisfying collection King has published. Previous collections have featured stand out stories, but there’s not a single one in this book that doesn’t stand up well on its own. 
 
I love not only the stories for themselves, but also for the Constant Reader Easter eggs of Castle Rock, the semi-sequel to Cujo (what does happen to people who have to live with the trauma of what happened in that book), the Duma Key shout out and more. 
 
But, it’s the reflections on mortality that stay with me and seem to shadow even the author’s note, which has a very reflective (and pleasingly unapologetic) tone. A bittersweet undertone to the gift that this collection is to new and returning readers. 

The Half Burnt House by Alex North

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Christopher was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was attacked as a school pupil. But, for him and his sister Katie the impact of that event is felt throughout their subsequent lives. But, is there really such a thing as coincidence, or was that attack simply another step in a predetermined story that was always leading to the same ending. 
 
A gripping story, although the complexities of knowing what is true and what is the twisted logic of characters affected by childhood trauma, are sometimes hard to follow. If you like a nice clear cut resolution to a story I’d suggest giving this one a miss. 
 
The characters are mostly well-rounded. The main female character’s husband is a little bit one-dimensional and could have done with being a bit more likeable. There are also a number of plotlines that were worthy of more development than they got. 

Estella's Revenge by Barbara Havelocke

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dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Thank you to the author, publisher Canelo Hera, and online book club The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this. This is an honest and voluntary review. 
 
A dark re-imagining of Great Expectations from the perspective of Estella, Miss Havisham’s ward. 
 
It’s an interesting concept. Raised in the house where time is frozen in Miss Havisham’s post-abandonment depression, Estella is naturally affected by that experience. This book takes that concept and runs with it. 
 
There are moments which echo plot points in Great Expectations, but this is a far darker tale. While Pip’s life is impacted by his early poverty, he is able to improve his life and gain independence and autonomy through his mystery benefactor. Estella however has to face the restrictions of not just her upbringing, but of the legal and social limitations placed on women of the time. 
 
Unfortunately the concept was let down by the delivery. Estella is not a sympathetic character. That she’s unlikable and makes bad decisions is understandable given everything she goes through. But, she’s also very hard to empathise with at all. The coldness of her character bleeds into the writing. The plotting also dragged, particularly in the second half. I wanted to read the whole thing, but I was ready for the story to be over by halfway through so everything after that was grudged. 

The Two Deaths of Ruth Lyle by Nick Louth

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0.0

It’s a massive spoiler, but one of the key plot points is that a character is a Transwoman who transitions because of the influence of a significant death in their past. Utterly relying on the trans person is mentally ill trope. Just no.
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The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

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adventurous challenging funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you to the author, publishers Sceptre and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review. 
 
In an alternative version of our world a time travel door allows people who were recorded as dying to be plucked from history and brought into the present day. Each of these travellers is supported by a ‘bridge’ who helps to settle them into the 21st century and also monitors them for a secretive government department. 
 
An ambitious debut novel that takes complex social commentary, science fiction and a dose of humour and love to create something uniquely wonderful. 
 
The main character carries a lot of the book, and does it so well that I didn’t realise until quite late on that we are never given a name for her. It’s first person perspective so it’s not difficult to manage, but is unusual. What is noticeable is that even in first person narrative the supporting characters are well developed. Travellers Arthur and Maggie are particular favourites. 
 
The story deals really well with not only the transitions for the travellers, but how their own pasts impact on their experience in the future. From Maggie who embraces feminism and film, to Arthur who finds a time where he can be open about his sexuality but where gender norms still restrain him. 
 
I also really enjoyed the bureaucracy of the whole process. That this amazing world-changing technology is drained of its wonder by the filing of reports and the rules and approval processes for every decision. That the travellers are able to find any measure of joy against this backdrop makes that joy and pleasure even brighter. 
 
A wonderful book. 

Hunted by Abir Mukherjee

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dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Thank you to the author, publishers Harvill Secker and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review. 
 
FBI agent Shreya Mistry has an uncanny ability to get inside the head of a suspect. But, she’s less able to explain what her instincts tell her making it difficult to get the backing of senior colleagues. She knows everything isn’t how it appears when a young woman is at the centre of an attack on a mall, but as the agency tries to shunt her aside her commitment to the truth unites her with two parents who can’t trust the authorities to find their children, and all three are caught in a race across the country, hunted by forces known and unknown. 
 
An unrelenting thriller that keeps up the pace throughout before hurtling me into an ending that I won’t forget. 
 
Told from different perspectives the novel doesn’t shy away from the challenges of a world where people are judged by perceptions based on the colour of their skin and ancient prejudices, without ever becoming preachy. That hate leads to hate. Challenges perceptions of who the bad guys are without feeling judgmental, and recognising that at the end of the day it is the innocent people with families and feelings who are caught in the cross-fire. And, above all it’s a really good story told well. 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Kell is one of the last Antari, magical brings powerful enough to cross the boundaries between worlds. Lila is a pickpocket who dreams of adventure. When she picks the wrong pocket and adventure finds her, life will never be the same again. 
 
I had to read this one because my daughter recommended it, and while she rarely reads she’d ordered the two sequels before she was halfway through this one. I’m not as big a fan. Having read more widely I find that this pales in comparison to the Realm of the Elderlings or Mistborn series. 
 
However, the characters are decent. There’s a sense of threat and pacing that carries the story along. And some reasonable world building. But, perhaps best suited to people who are intimidated by longer fantasy series, and are looking for a lighter entry to worlds of complex magic and tradition. 
The Shadow Key by Susan Stokes-Chapman

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Thank you to the author, publisher Harvill Secker, and online book club The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this. This is an honest and voluntary review. 
 
After losing his job as a surgeon in disgrace Henry Talbot accepts the position of family doctor at an estate in Wales. Refusing to believe local legends of ill luck and counter charms, Henry is intrigued at what he believes are more scientific reasons behind the death of his predecessor and the ramblings of the mentally ill lady of the estate. 
 
A compelling gothic mystery. 
 
 I liked both main characters. Henry Talbot avoids being either as stereotypical as the villagers assume he will be, while not being too virtuous either. Linette, as the daughter of the estate family left to basically raise herself is also a well-balanced character. 
 
Although the villains are occasionally almost cartoonishly evil in how unredeemable they are, the plotting is well-paced enough that this doesn’t distract from the story too much. 
Dark Road Home: A tense and gripping Irish crime thriller by Sheila Bugler

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Thank you to the author, publisher Canelo Crime, and online book club The Pigeonhole for the chance to read this. This is an honest and voluntary review. 
 
More than two decades after leaving home Leah Ryan returns to her small Irish hometown at the same time to discover that her high school boyfriend has been murdered and it may all tie back to the night her mother was severely injured in a hit and run incident. 
 
Ambitious story, but story-telling style pulled me out of the plotting too often. 
 
The core story of the woman returning to a small town who know many of the parts of her she tried to run away from then discovering the secrets her friends and family were hiding from her, is a good one. 
 
The main character of Leah is likeable, and there are some decent supporting characters. The story could have been greatly improved with more focus on a couple of them though. The lead detective investigating the murder feels more a source of exposition than of driving the story forward. And the darker characters which would have been more interesting to explore remain quite surface level too. 
 
Plus, and this is absolutely a matter of personal taste, I’m not a fan of story styles where there are info dumps to catch readers up who aren’t paying attention - and it irked me particularly in this one because I thought the author had done a really good job of seeding the back story until one character has to spell it all out for those who weren’t paying attention. One of the advantages of reading on a format where you can see other readers’ reactions and views as they go through the book, means I know many readers appreciated the recap, but it really pulled me out of the story and contributed to that character grating every time they appeared. 
 
Also, and again I’m sure this is also personal preference, but, ‘twists’ that are delivered by people in peril, fade to black, next chapter opens after a time jump when all imminent peril has been removed, just feel like a ‘cheat’ move. And it happens twice. 
 
There is a core of a good story here, and lots of potential in the delivery, and I think that just makes me more disappointed, because it just falls short for me.