saltygalreads's reviews
306 reviews

Umboi Island is the third book in the Creature X series. Creature X is an adventure reality series hosted by Laura Reagan, in which her team travels to various locations in search of creatures from legends or folklore (think Ogopogo). For this adventure Laura and her team travel to Papua New Guinea to Umboi Island in search of the Ropen, a legendary creature that reportedly looks like a large bat or pterodactyl. The creature is said to be bioluminescent and Laura does indeed see glowing light on a nighttime excursion. They are not alone on the island, since there is another team there doing entomological research, in addition to a village and rumours of drug smugglers. Then a dead body turns up in the Creature X camp, stabbed with Laura's own knife and they discover that the village is empty. It is up to Laura and her team to investigate.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable adventure with loads of action and a great tropical setting in the Pacific. The protagonist, Laura, is likeable and daring, while her alter-ego and trusted work mate, Saad, is methodical and cautious. Everyone on the island seems a bit suspicious, which keeps you guessing. I also love the use of legendary "monsters" like lake serpents or yeti in the series. I googled a bit after I finished the book, surprised to find out that there really are legends of the Ropen and that explorers have gone to PNP to search for it! Umboi Island is a great escape and a well-written adventure. Recommended for all fans of Bigfoot and Ogopogo. If GoodReads did half stars I would give this a 4.5.

In 1998, two young men are skiing in the French Alps with two ski guides in stormy, unpredictable conditions. They ski off ahead of the guides and disappear into the whirling snow. Later only one of the young men returns and the other is never found or seen again. The repercussions of that loss reverberate through the years and impact lives. In 2020, a group of people, each with various connections to the missing man, gather at a luxury chalet on the mountain. Some in the group are hiding their true past and struggling to cover dark secrets, while one in the group is coolly plotting to serve up justice after all these years.

There have been a number of these "snowed in on a mountain" type thrillers this past year - One By One, The Sanitorium, Shiver. The Chalet relates the events of past and present from multiple POV, which I always enjoy. It also includes the perspective of people not directly connected to the missing man, which adds a very interesting dimension to the story by showing their confusion and frustration at the reactions and behaviour of some of the characters. I would definitely consider this to be more of a character study and a slow-burn, which I really enjoyed. The ending was deliciously sinister.

A great fireside read - 4.5 stars!

I almost decided to abandon this audiobook at the 50% mark, but instead upped the speed to 1.5 and finished it.

In a nutshell: alcoholic mother of a beautiful preteen remarries. Four years later, she is dead, having choked on her own vomit. Her daughter, now of college age, remains living with the stepfather and they proceed to have a sexual relationship for years. Years later, she then repeats history and targets a middle-aged man with a "beautiful" son that she desires. Meanwhile, the bodies pile up, seemingly accidents, or perhaps something more sinister is happening.

Because this novel was well-written, with a twisty plot and very vividly drawn characters, I have to award some stars for the writing. However, the subject matter and the driving narrative of the plot, the sexual targeting of minors by a step-parent, is abhorrent to me. When these young people are barely of legal age (splitting hairs if you ask me) there are then sexual acts between the step-parent and their step-child! My skin crawled as I read it.

Profoundly disturbing and distasteful, and I am not sure I want to read anything else from this author. There are some topics you just shouldn't exploit for the sake of fiction and book sales. 1.5 stars for the writing but thumbs down on everything else.

For their adoring fans, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier were the epitome of Hollywood glamour and passion. They loved each other recklessly and with abandon, threw themselves intensely into their acting roles, and lived a wild life of parties, champagne and jetsetting. They lived to excess and left carnage in their wake, including each other once their passion was spent.

Stephen Galloway chronicles their adventures and follies together in Truly, Madly. I found myself questioning how much their problems arose from the fantasy world of acting, alcohol, the constant travel and grueling schedule, as well as the experience of living in a fishbowl with their entire lives as public property, and the topic of gossip columns from Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons. Naturally this was the worst imaginable lifestyle for Vivien Leigh, eventually diagnosed with Manic Depressive Disorder. The toll this illness placed on both actors over the years was oppressively high.

The author researched his topic meticulously, which shines through in the long list of sources and references. I felt like I knew these legends of the Silver Screen much better after I finished it, while obtaining an insider view of the backstage during a golden era of Hollywood. If you are fascinated by this era, then definitely pick up this book!

I so enjoyed reading this and many thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy.

Stranded by Sarah Goodwin was not what I expected. It was much better in fact..

The novel is told from the point of view of Maddy, a twentysomething who has recently lost her parents in an accident. Maddy signs up for a Survivor-type adventure on a remote Scottish island where the chosen participants will have to survive for a year with minimal assistance from the show's production team. As we learn, Maddy has been excessively sheltered by her parents over the years - she hasn't gone to grade school or learned how to socialize and make friends or live independently in the world. This has resulted in her being socially awkward and struggling to read people and social cues the rest of us would pick up on easily.

The chosen participant group is a motley, assorted group of individuals who appear to have been selected to produce "dramatic television" through dissent and controversy. Unfortunately, working relationships deteriorate quickly and what appeared as a challenging adventure soon descends into a Lord of the Flies competition for survival.

I enjoyed this novel - especially the way Maddy uses her botanical knowledge to survive a threadbare existence on the island. Some of the characters are drawn a little one-dimensional and I would have enjoyed seeing a little more nuance in their personalities. However it was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a dash of outdoor adventure in their suspense reading. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for providing me a copy to review.

Jessie Mercado is an army veteran, former body guard and expert PI. She is hired by Owen Blake, co-owner of Mamertine Consulting, to find his missing business partner. Mamertine specializes in preparing white collar criminals for prison terms by helping them get their personal, financial and legal affairs in order. Jessie is plunged into an action-packed case for Carl Ferris, the missing partner, along with her sometime love interest and a array of friends and business acquaintances with unique skills.

I would classify this novel as "action-packed, fast-paced LA detective fiction". It is a fun read, with lots of twists, interesting characters and cool locations. You can visualize how it would look on-screen while reading - I think it would make a great detective series on a streaming platform. It was something completely different for me and I quite enjoyed it! If you're a fan of Michael Connelly or Jonathan Kellerman, the you would like this. Thanks to @Grandcentralpub for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This second instalment in the Secret Book & Scone Society series finds the four ladies coming to the rescue of a mysterious young woman, frightened and unwell, on the run and hiding in the bookshop. They suspect there is much more to this girl's story than they are being told - is she a victim of abuse and mistreatment, or is she guilty of a crime? Naturally, they investigate and become embroiled in a mystery surrounding the girl, the murder of a local woman, and suspicions swirling around a new antique buying business in Miracle Springs.

I enjoyed this second novel in the series, even more so than the original. I appreciated that there was more depth to the characters in this book, as we learned more about their backstories and saw more of their character traits coming through. The romance between Nora and Jed kicks up a notch as well, as they spend more time together and learn about each other. This novel has a less playful and more serious tone, exploring themes of violence towards women, captivity and abuse, in addition to the previous themes of loss, grief and regret explored in the first one. I love the way the author ends The Whispered Word with hope and empowerment. I would definitely continue with the series!

Frankie Percival is a mentalist who performs in a small capacity low rent theatre for a living. She has never hit it big time but gets by. Her beloved brother was injured years before in a terrible car accident that left him with persisting brain injuries. Frankie desperately wishes she had the money to do more for him - he is the only close family she has left. And then Frankie decides to consult with the team that produces Death Warrant - the most popular show around in which a person is assassinated on live television and their beneficiaries receive a huge payout based on ratings. Fortunately, they don't remember agreeing to this assassination plan as their memory is wiped clean of it after they sign on the dotted line.

This book is gripping - presenting a bizarre Total Recall world in which nothing is as it seems. I began to scrutinize everyone connected with Frankie's life - is he in on it? Is she? It is a smart, tense novel and I enjoyed every minute. I bet it would make a great movie! Highly recommended if you enjoy thrillers, science fiction or just a ripping good story.

Every town has its well-known upper class families, the ones everybody knows and gossips about. They host fabulous events, are pillars of the community, and everyone rushes to do their bidding. In Lockwood, that family is the Hayward family. The are the driving force behind The Fairway Players, the local theatre company that is a hub of community and friendship in the town. The Haywards announce devastating news that two year old Poppy has brain cancer and needs an expensive course of treatment. The community rallies around them and launches a crowdfunding campaign to pay for the treatment. But behind the smiling faces, there are tensions, jealousies and secrets. Money goes missing from the account, tensions run high and then someone dies, a victim of foul play.

The Appeal has a unique style, in which the reader is presented with the story as revealed in a file of emails, letters, Whatsapp discussions and other documents. A legal team is reviewing the file to assess whether the correct person was charged with the murder, the reader follows the paper trail with them while they consider the suspects.

The style does take a little while to get used to, so I was a little slower reading this. I was thoroughly engaged and enjoying it until the last 100 or so pages. In my view, it just took too long to do the reveal. The legal team had proposed so many possible solutions, the ending felt somewhat anticlimactic. I did enjoy the novel, however it lost some of the intrigue and momentum in the last part of the book. A solid three star read.