Mystery – Page 28 – My Good Reads

‘Monsters’ – Emerald Fennell

Monsters

The first thing I have to wonder is how this passed me by when it was released in 2015.

The second thing I have to say is that this is a children’s book that will probably appeal just as much to adults.

Monsters…it’s an evocative title. When we’re told that this story focuses on two children you would never want to meet it seems they are the monsters referred to. Our female narrator has a morbid fascination with murders, and Miles is a sociopath whose macabre behaviour hints at something very odd going on under the surface. However, things are not quite as clear-cut as they seem – and thought they’re not particularly likeable characters, I came to feel something akin to sympathy for our narrator which made me rethink exactly who the monsters of the title were.

The two children meet when they both end up in the same seaside town for their summer holidays. Our narrator spends every summer in the hotel belonging to her aunt and abusive uncle, and Miles is on holiday with his overbearing mother (whose relationship with Miles appears to owe a lot to that of Norman Bates and his mother). When bodies start to appear in the otherwise quiet town, it seems a serial killer is at large and the two children are desperate to investigate further. It is inevitable that they will get themselves into trouble.

The cover drew me to this initially…and it sounded vaguely creepy, but in the style of ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events. It was certainly creepy, but nothing had prepared me for just how darkly humorous this was. This might not sit easily with some readers, as the humour to be found in a book about murder- where animals are injured and people are treated with casual indifference – is never going to appeal to everyone’s tastes. I have to admit that there were some scenes that had me laughing out loud: the demise of Fuka the cat, the ingenious way in which rival Mary is removed from the annual festival and the judgements on Mr Queen’s artwork to name but a few. Finding such humour in these circumstances might seem odd, but the two children were fascinating in their depiction.

While I was thoroughly enjoying this as I was reading, the ending took it into realms I really wasn’t expecting and which made it go from simply a good read to one that I will be urging people to try. The hypocrisy of our ‘polite society’ -which only comes to the fore with this shocking ending – really left me questioning just who the monsters were.

‘Behind Her Eyes’ – Sarah Pinborough

Behind Her Eyes

David and Adele seem like the ideal pair. He’s a successful psychiatrist, she is his picture-perfect wife who adores him. But why is he so controlling? And why is she keeping things hidden?

Having been entranced by ’13 Minutes’ I’ve gone through Pinborough’s other novels and had some mixed reactions. They’re well-written and there’s usually an element of mystery to them – and, on occasion, those twists you just don’t see coming. Having finally decided I had a clear enough run to read this without needing to keep stopping, I feel this is the same.

As with other reviews, this really is a book you need to know no more about than you’re given before you start.

The three main characters of David, Adele and Louise are all unlikeable to a degree. Their weaknesses are all too obvious, but this accurate depiction of them is, I think, what makes the premise of this work.

From the start it was all too clear that there was more to Adele and David’s relationship than we were being told. I spent most of the novel trying to second guess just who was playing whom…and I was getting there, but then the extra layer of oddness was drafted in and it totally bamboozled me.

Clever, very clever, but after I’d finished I couldn’t help but feel like I’d been conned. The ominous tone of the final scene also had me very uncomfortable!

‘Beware That Girl’ – Teresa Toten

Beware That Girl

It comes as little surprise to me that there are talks to turn this into a movie. Set against the background of an elite Manhattan school, we watch two girls – with plenty to hide – play a dangerous game, and it has all the characteristics of a tense film. Unfortunately, though I had the sense that this could have been a great book, it just didn’t do it for me.

The story is told through a split narrative. Sadly this meant that I never felt I got to know either character well enough to really care about them or what happened to them. On one hand we have rich girl Olivia, used to getting everything she wants, and then we have scholarship girl Katie. Both girls have their secrets, which they will do pretty much anything to protect. So far, so familiar.

During their senior year the girls meet Mark Redkin, a member of staff whom everyone seems to fall in love with. Superficially, he seems to be everything someone could want but it soon becomes clear that he is not quite what he wants everyone to think he is. From the first time we meet him, there are obvious signals that something pretty nasty is going to happen.

I found the setting and characterisation of this book largely responsible for my not really engaging with it. I don’t think that Kate, as a survivor of serious domestic abuse, would have been left in quite as isolated a position as she is, and Olivia is so clearly struggling with addiction and mental health issues that I’m amazed she was let into school without more careful monitoring.

The role that abuse played in this story was uncomfortable. The constant flashbacks to Kate’s life didn’t help me understand her better and felt more than a little gratuitous. And as for Mark’s treatment of nearly everyone he encounters…call me naive but alarm bells would have been ringing way before he even stepped foot in the door.

It was once we got towards the end of the novel that I got a glimpse of what this could have been.

Having been somewhat disappointed with this, I think I have to just say that I didn’t click with the characters/story and yet I can see this gaining a lot of fans.

‘Stunning’ – Sara Shepard

Stunning

Eleventh in the ‘Pretty Little Liars’ series, and if you’ve got this far you know what to expect.

There is an increasing suspension of disbelief as I read this series. Firstly, I cannot believe the parents of these girls are so oblivious to the issues they are facing; secondly, it amazes me that the girls themselves are so easily manipulated and, lastly, it’s all far too convenient how new characters wander into the series and just happen to be connected to all the others in some way.

In this instalment, Emily finds out more about the baby she gave up. Spencer is starting to find her feet as she prepares to go to Princeton. Aria is back with Noel, but learns some things about his parents that threaten to drive a wedge between her and Noel. Hanna continues to bumble around desperate to get Mike back. And in the shadows lurks A – a new A – who might or might not be Ali, determined to make the girls suffer (but not ever bring things to a head or the franchise would break down!)

So, pretty it isn’t and there is a very real sense that someone is cashing in on the success of the TV series. Only five more to go…

‘The Girl Before’ – J.P. Delaney

The Girl Before

I’d been intrigued by this novel when I read a sample from NetGalley, and was very excited to be sent a copy by the publishers in advance of publication in January 2017.

Having just finished this, my feelings are mixed. I raced through the book, desperate to know where this was going, but there were things that I feel will increasingly infuriate me once a little time has passed.

The story is told from two perspectives: that of Emma, then, and Jane, now. Both women look similar and have similar vulnerabilities (which only come to light as we progress through the narrative). Through what seems a fortunate set of circumstances, the women are authorised to rent an award-winning architect-designed home that comes with a clear set of rules that need to be followed. I’ll be frank, nobody in their right mind would deign to go along with this set-up. The approach of the two women to this experience, and the behaviour of Edward the architect, smack of some serious personality issues. Dare I say it, the whole premise of this experience felt exploitative.

From the beginning of the story it is evident that something awful happened to Emma. The evident similarities in the experiences of the narratives – told in a fairly linear fashion, though separated by some time – sets alarm bells ringing for Jane. The page-turning element was here in abundance, and it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that there is talk of a big-budget Hollywood movie before the book has even been published. I could not wait to find out exactly what was going on, and spent a lot of time second-guessing who exactly had done what, and why.

What concerned me most in this was the portrayal of the main female characters. Though we come to learn more about Emma, and perhaps come to understand her better by the end of the novel, I couldn’t help but feel she was presented in such a way as to make us believe that she deserved what was happening to her. Nothing is quite as it seems, but there was a sense that Delaney (thought to be another previously published thriller writer) put Emma in scenarios that encourage us to see her negatively. This is less apparent with Jane – who comes out fighting – but the behaviour of Edward was, at best, obsessive, but, at worst, abusive.

There were some genuinely creepy moments revolving around the house, and the experience of living by these clearly defined rules. Worryingly, there were moments where you could see the appeal of such an existence. What this reaction says about me, I probably don’t want to know!

All in all, this was a story that was skilfully presented. Perhaps, if I’m being brutally honest, this is a novel that seduces with its pared-down approach to telling us the story. While I found the narrative cleverly structured, I was more than a little surprised by the final outcome as there was a lot to explain this that I don’t feel we were given. I also found it hard to be asked to sympathise with such intensely unlikeable characters. What I did admire was the ending, which suggests that the story could continue in the future.

‘This Is Our Story’ – Ashley Elston

This Is Our Story

Five go into the woods at River Point. Four come out. Nobody will reveal who actually fired the shot that killed Grant, but all four boys had handled the gun. They know one of them is lying, but vow to stick together.

A gripping premise, and the cover hints at the actual outcome. I was desperate to know more from the opening, and I really enjoyed the twists and turns that made up this story.

It was interesting to see a lot of the story told from the view of Kate, a senior who has more in common with the River Point Boys than those close to her realise. As part of her Senior year work placement, she works in the office of the DA – and just happens to end up working on the case.

What follows is a really intriguing exploration of how a case might be built up, and the effects of a high-profile case on those involved. Throughout, I was second-guessing who might be responsible.

Ultimately, the ending felt a little flat – though not in such a way that disappointed me – simply because I’d been convinced something really dramatic would occur, but what we got instead was a very appropriate conclusion that made perfect sense.

‘The Other Alice’ – Michelle Harrison

The Other Alice From the moment I saw this cover, I was intrigued. Even without knowing it was by Michelle Harrison, once I read the outline for this story I was desperate to read it.

Midge has always loved his sister Alice’s stories, but he’s acutely aware of the hold they have over her. Alice has always been adamant that a story cannot be left unfinished, and when she has been unable to resolve a story, strange things have happened.

When Alice goes missing, Midge is convinced that the answer lies somewhere in her writing. Her notebook has gone missing, but Midge – along with a curious cast of characters from Alice’s own stories – are determined to find her and help the characters work out their ending.

What follows is a skilful blend of magic and horror, full of riddles and an almost grotesque cast of characters that will haunt your imagination for a long time after you close the pages of the novel. Recommended for readers above 9 years, I think this will also appeal to anyone who loves stories and writing.

I’m not sure if this will make it past the nominations stage for the Carnegie 2017 Awards, but it’s definitely one I’d recommend.

‘Wicked’ – Sara Shepard

Wicked

There is a part of me that thinks I am suffering a little from series overkill with this fifth book in the series, as it really didn’t grab me in the same way as the others.

This instalment begins with Ali’s presumed killer locked up, and A is assumed dead. Naturally, just when you think things are going to calm down, the whole story goes off in a direction you weren’t expecting. We are treated to Spencer acting in increasingly irrational ways; Emily decides she fancies a boy; Hanna gets together with a nice boy but is so determined to remain popular that she acts in truly appalling fashion and Aria gets a little close for comfort to her mum’s new boyfriend.

Although we have already met Kate, Hanna’s step-sister to be, she really steps up here and is more than a little irritating. The show certainly benefits from clever editing, but even in the books I am struck by just how dumb the adult characters are shown to be. How can all this stuff be going on around them and nobody notice?

While I am able to gloss over the increasingly frustrating clothing references (perhaps it’s my age) I was really not enjoying this. However, it picked up towards the end and does just enough to get our curiosity about Wilden aroused. While I will continue reading the series, it won’t be for some time…back to Netflix where we haven’t got some of the best characters bumped off!

‘Perfect’ – Sara Shepherd

Perfect

Although I wasn’t expecting some of the events that we’ve seen so far, I have to say that I think this is the best of the first three books in the series.

There was, naturally, a little less linking back to events and I got the impression that certain details are being put in place for us that might only make sense as we progress through the series. There felt to be more interruption from A, and I loved the fact that there was a more menacing tone to the notes/messages.

A lot of the focus in this novel is on Emily and her uncertainty over her sexuality. She has a refreshingly honest relationship with Maya and I felt really angered by the reaction of her parents and some of the other characters to what was revealed. I also found myself wondering how Mona turned so quickly, and Spencer’s behaviour is definitely setting off alarm bells. I can’t be the only one surprised at the apparent ease with which certain characters are getting injured/bumped off, so I’m wondering just who is going to be left soon!

‘The Naturals’ – Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Naturals

Seventeen year old Cassie has a natural talent – she can read people, and is adept at working out their likes and interests from observation. This is a skill that she’s always had, and refined with her mother’s help. Unfortunately, since her mother’s disappearance – and presumed death – Cassie hasn’t felt comfortable with her talent.

Then one day the FBI come calling and try to enlist Cassie in their new program, using teenagers with exceptional abilities to profile cases that haven’t been solved. Determined to try and find out more about what happened to her mother, Cassie enlists – and gets a lot more than she bargained for!

While the whole idea might be seen as preposterous, this is a highly entertaining novel that will be of interest. There are some graphic details connected to murders, but nothing like the level of detail that some writers seem intent on giving us.

I enjoyed seeing how Cassie got on with the other teenagers she is placed with. They are all damaged in some way, but the relationships that Cassie forges were interesting.

At one or two moments the story felt slow, but when we are introduced to the serial killer currently at work – who seems to be linked to Cassie in some way – it becomes a lot more intriguing. Throughout I was trying to second-guess just who was involved, and how, but I was totally off!