saltygalreads's reviews
306 reviews

The Devil to Pay is the eleventh book in the series about Detective Mike Green. This was my introduction to the series, as I haven't read the prior books. However I had no difficulty in appreciating the novel, although a familiarity with the prior books would fill in some of the gaps about Det. Green's history.

The story opens with Mike Green parked in a desk job that he finds tedious and routine. He misses the thrill of the chase and the tension of unravelling serious crimes. HIs daughter Hannah is now a constable, who responds to a domestic violence call in a wealthy urban neighborhood. She walks away from the call with a bad feeling and the sense that there was more to the story than she heard, but not having any evidence or an actual complaint from the partner, she must let it go. A little later, the husband from the call goes missing and is eventually found brutally murdered.

There was a great deal about this novel that I enjoyed - it was action-packed with a quick pace and I really enjoyed the setting in Ottawa. Since I've been there several times, it was nice to read a novel with a familiar setting. The characters were very believable and interesting, although I can see why Hannah would give a parent a few grey hairs! My only frustration was not knowing the final outcome of the court case and some ambiguity about which guilty party actually brandished the murder weapon. Even that, however, is very realistic and reflects the fact that these serious crimes are messy and don't often end in a satisfying way.

This is a solid read by a Canadian author and I would be happy to recommend it. Many thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for providing me with a copy

Trace of Evil is the first book in the series about Detective Natalie Lockhart, a young police detective in Burning Lake NY. Burning Lake is a fictional town loosely based on witch trial towns like Salem, with an old history of accusation and persecution of witches. Like Salem, the town has turned this dark history to its advantage by becoming a tourist haven for those fascinated by witchcraft.

In this first novel of the series, Natalie investigates the violent bludgeoning murder of Daisy Buckner, a popular high school teacher and friend of her older sister Grace. Natalie finds that many unpleasant things can be uncovered in the course of a murder investigation, and some of them can come uncomfortably close to home in a small town surrounded by your friends and family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish! Alice Blanchard is skilled at creating a strong sense of place and atmosphere - I can picture the neighborhoods of Burning Lake, hear the sounds and immerse myself in this witchy, secretive town. I am looking forward to jumping into the next book in the series.

Last One Alive is the second novel in the series about Detective Kjeld Nygaard and his partner Esme Jansson. Det. Nygaard is on the case when a survivor of one of his most horrifying and notorious cases is found murdered. Then two more murder victims are discovered, also previous survivors rescued by Nygaard. The common link between them is that they were the last one alive in the old cases. Does someone have a grudge against Nygaard? Why are they targeting survivors of his old cases? Then the killer makes it personal and abducts Nygaard's child as well. Can he put it all together and find her in time?

This is a tense, fast-paced novel that definitely grabs and holds the reader's interest. It has 72 chapters, but they are short and the action moves quickly. The basis for the crime spree makes sense and the resolution is satisfying. However I will say that I found it difficult to warm to Kjeld's character, as he is so distant and really gives very little away about himself. The most interesting and engaging character by far is Bengt. In addition, I did struggle a bit with keeping all the names from the prior cases straight, however that may just be my challenge with the Scandinavian names!

Altogether a solid detective fiction read! Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for making this available to enjoy and review.

Layla is the first book I have ever read by Colleen Hoover. I will say at the start that I am not a fan or a reader of romance novels, although this novel does not fit neatly into that category. It can also be classified as a thriller or mystery as well, and certainly has a suspenseful plot.

It is a difficult book to review without introducing spoilers, but that is what I am attempting to do. I took notes as I progressed through the book, and those reflect a rollercoaster ride of reactions - curiosity, surprise, disgust, disbelief and distaste. I am sure that many devout fans of Colleen Hoover love this book and the ending, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. The problems and obstacles for the two star-crossed lovers are all neatly resolved at the end, but it doesn't end so nicely for one particular character who I would consider as much a victim as anyone. And all this is for the benefit of two main characters that I find to be extremely self-absorbed and generally unlikeable.

Because the book is well-planned and well-executed, it still deserves a good rating, but it definitely is not for me. It also confirms my conviction that the romance category is just not my cup of tea.

Let the Right One In is probably one of the strangest novels I have ever read. Oskar is a young boy who lives with his mother in a housing complex in Blackeberg, Sweden. His father is an alcoholic and Oskar sees him only intermittently. At school, Oskar is friendless and is bullied cruelly by two boys in his class who take every available opportunity to make his life miserable. Until he meets Eli, a strange child who lives in the apartment next door to him and only comes out at night. Odd things are happening in Blackeberg - there is concern about people going missing when they go out at night. The police cannot make any sense of it.

Let the Right One In is dark, occasionally humourous, morbid and often grotesque. The characters, and there are many, are distasteful and unlikeable. The overwhelming feeling of the novel is grey, grim and forbidding, like November weather every day. The "good guy", if there is indeed one, is a 200 year old vampire that appears in the form of a child, engaging in despicable behaviour in order to survive.

The novel is far too long at 519 pages, with too many characters and overlapping storylines, and is in need of some ruthless editing as the story could be told in far fewer pages. Rather than being darkly entertaining, with humour to take the edge off of the grim events, Let the Right One In is often just disgusting and indulges in gratuitous descriptions of truly repulsive creatures or events.

There is some redemption shown in the true friendship and trust displayed between Eli and Oskar when they ultimately decide who to "let in", but it isn't sufficient to save this book for me.

Finlay Donovan's life is a dumpster fire - she is bouncing back from a divorce, struggling with writer's block to complete a novel and meet her deadline; she has lost her babysitter, and her house is a mess. During a meeting with her agent, they discuss the lurid details of a murder plot for her book and are overheard, with hilarious results!

I loved everything about this joyride of a novel. The humour and humanity of Elle Cosimano shines through in the engaging characters and supportive friendship of Finlay and Vero. I observed Finlay's working mother woes with compassion, as I too recalled a messy house, sticky clothes, unreliable babysitters, and toddler mishaps. The plot curveballs are so entertaining and the conclusion satisfying, with a final eye-popping surprise at the end.

I unreservedly give this a 5 star rating and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a lighter take on a murder plot. You will be entertained!

Elma has just moved back to Akranes from Reykjavik after the end of her relationship. She has transferred to the Akranes police department and expects life to be very dull and uneventful after policing in Reykjavik. However, very soon the body of a woman washes up on the rocks by the lighthouse, a victim of a violent crime, and it is determined that she was once a resident of the area. In the course of their investigation, Elma and her colleague Saevar uncover dark deeds in the community's past, and it seems almost everyone has something to hide.

In the Creak on the Stairs, the author does a great job of exploring dysfunctional family dynamics - from the typical "happy family" in which the husband is carrying on an extramarital affair for a year, to the family in which an uncle abuses children while his brother turns a blind eye, to the family in which two sisters navigate an awkward and distant relationship. The dark side of small town life, in which a idyllic seaside town can hide dark and unpleasant secrets, as well as unacknowledged well-known "secrets" is also explored. The character of Elisabet is skillfully portrayed - the reader may not like her, but cannot help but feel sympathy for her circumstances in life.

Altogether a very satisfying detective novel, and I am looking forward to continuing with this series. Highly recommended for fans of Nordic fiction, murder mystery and police procedural novels.

This is my second read from David Bell, and having read Kill All Your Darlings, I had high expectations. However, the Layover does not possess the tense atmosphere and fascinating characters of Kill All Your Darlings.

The main character, Joshua Fields, works with his father in real estate development. He is restless and discontented with his life, bored with his on/off girlfriend, and longing for a change. He encounters Morgan Reynolds in an airport lounge, has a drink with her, and after she suddenly kisses him and disappears, he embarks on a chase to find her and figure out the mystery surrounding her.

The major issue for me was that the characters of Joshua and Morgan were not very well fleshed-out, leaving me rather indifferent to their fates. In particular, Joshua is very nondescript and uninteresting, making me wonder why Morgan was attracted to him at all. The pace drags, and details about Morgan's story are very slow to be revealed, with the result that I struggled to stay interested and didn't feel invested in their story. There is little insight given into Morgan's actions which makes it difficult to feel empathy for her; and she repeatedly treats Joshua so badly that I got irritated and couldn't understand why he kept pursuing her.

Ultimately, the plot of this novel was lacking, as was the character development, resulting in a disappointing read.