Mystery – Page 32 – My Good Reads

‘The Prey’ – Tom Isbell

In the start of a trilogy that seems perfectly suited to the big screen, ‘The Prey’ lands us in the Republic of the True America. Rumours abound of radiation sickness, Crazies and mutated animals that everyone is warned about. Sometimes, though, those closest to you are the ones to be most afraid of.

We are introduced to a number of characters, each with their own stories (some of which get developed). We meet Hope and Faith, twins on the run with their father. When he dies, he urges the girls to separate. What does he know that makes this the best choice? We meet Book, a studious boy who seems haunted by his past. There’s also Cat, a mysterious boy running from his own demons.

These characters end up together, where they hatch a daring plan to escape the danger from within the camps they are contained in.

If I’m being honest, this was full of exciting action though it had the sense of scenes written with an eye on movie rights being obtained. I liked the characters and there was enough focus on them developing to keep me engaged. My main gripe is that I cannot imagine that, having been through what they had endured during this book, they would willingly turn their backs on their chance of freedom in order to return from where they came in an attempt to rescue the others.

‘In the Dark, In the Woods’ – Eliza Wass

This novel explores one girl’s attempts to escape the confines of her upbringing. Castella Cresswell and her five siblings are used to being seen as the outcasts of their school environment. They are used to being left alone, and it is such a shame that they are.

Castella makes for an interesting narrator. Even though she is seventeen, she seems much younger and I assume this is because of her upbringing. As she starts to question the extreme religious views of her father, and to recognise that the abuse he metes out is not normal, you could see her growing in confidence.

The children’ acceptance of their home-life is horrible to read. The weakness of the adult characters and their influence over these children was truly horrifying. By the end of the novel I was desperate for something to happen to provide the opportunity to escape.

A curious read. Dark, but compelling. Thank-you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

‘Knightley & Son: K-9’ – Ronan Gavin

As with the first book in the series, this is the kind of book that I think you’ll appreciate if you’re at least familiar with the original Holmes stories.

I enjoyed this, but not as much as the first book. For me, it was difficult to ignore the fact that Darkus and his father are not really working together in this novel. It felt like there were a number of characters running around doing their own thing who would, occasionally, meet up and share what they’d been doing.

I didn’t particularly like the subject, which I think was my key issue with the novel, and there were one or two coincidences too many for my taste.

On the positive side, you got to see a little more of Tilley and there is definitely a sense of Darkus’s growing confidence.

‘There Will Be Lies’ – Nick Lake

The cover for this novel, which I picked up because it’s on the CILIP Carnegie 2016 Long-list, gives little away. It suggests the importance of truth to the story, and the images used are somewhat confusing. My response to the cover pretty much sums up my response to this novel.

Shelby is nearly eighteen, but is treated in many ways like a much smaller child by her mother. The reasons for this become clear later.

As I progressed through the story, I found myself wanting to know more about the predicament Shelby finds herself in. The main thread of the story is intertwined with unusual elements that draw on Native American stories/ideas. These were interesting, though I found it disconcerting initially as it tended to distract from the developments within the key story.

For me the main theme of the novel was about the lies people tell, and how we reconcile ourselves to their consequences. An unusual coming-of-age story.

‘Knightley and Son’ – Rohan Gavin

Trying to find books to engage some of our more able readers – without them suddenly having to jump into ‘The Classics’ – is an ongoing issue for me as a teacher. Giving some of our younger students YA titles that deal with more mature themes can be a little off-putting for them. I’m not saying we have to start policing students’ reading material in the way that some condone, but I do feel there is something of a missing market so it is always exciting when someone recommends a new author/series.

Described as a Young Holmes for our times, this series by Rohan Gavin looks like it could form an ideal bridge between two quite distinctive groups of readers.

In this novel we are immediately introduced to the mystery surrounding best-selling book The Code perfectly. It is just macabre enough to pique your interest, without straying too far into gruesome description and putting people off.

When we first meet Knightley he is waking from a coma. We are told he is London’s top private detective so it is understandable that one of the first things he does is get back into trying to solve crimes; only this time he has the help of his thirteen year-old son, Darkus. A curious combination, but it works. Well.

For me this was a cracking read that keeps the reader interested and provides plenty of action. Of course, there are some wildly over-the-top moments and some of the villains could be regarded as pantomime but this is all part of the charm. Great fun.

‘Try Not to Breathe’ – Holly Seddon

A barely-functioning alcoholic journalist stumbles across one of the country’s biggest news stories of fifteen years ago in a vegetative state. Alex Dale is determined to find out exactly what happened to Amy Stevenson, and this book takes us through her experience.

I was gripped from the start, and the opening chapter immediately sets up an intriguing idea. We have so many questions, which we are made to wait a while for…

Alex was a character that I could imagine to be unbearable in life, yet her frailty and vulnerability was laid bare as we progressed through the novel.
The thriller element of this did have me a little wrong-footed. I did not guess who it was, but I was bothered by the fact that the guilty party seemed to be so mysterious throughout.

On occasion, I had to reread sections just to be completely clear whose viewpoint we were getting.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy

‘The Dead House’ – Dawn Kurtagich

For starters, this is one of the most intriguing covers I’ve seen for a while. Before reading the book, it got me intrigued; after reading, it captures perfectly the ideas within. If you want a flavour of what’s inside…

Three students: dead.
Carly Johnson: vanished without a trace.

Two decades have passed since an inferno swept through Elmbridge High, claiming the lives of three teenagers and causing one student, Carly Johnson, to disappear. The main suspect: Kaitlyn, “the girl of nowhere.”

Kaitlyn’s diary, discovered in the ruins of Elmbridge High, reveals the thoughts of a disturbed mind. Its charred pages tell a sinister version of events that took place that tragic night, and the girl of nowhere is caught in the center of it all. But many claim Kaitlyn doesn’t exist, and in a way, she doesn’t – because she is the alter ego of Carly Johnson.

Carly gets the day. Kaitlyn has the night. It’s during the night that a mystery surrounding the Dead House unravels and a dark, twisted magic ruins the lives of each student that dares touch it.

From the outset it is clear that this is an unusual book. I initially found the fragmented style of retelling the story quite disconcerting, and I had to concentrate hard to try and keep track of what was known for certain and how the events seemed to fit together.

Deliciously creepy, this book does get a little odd at times. It’s completely down to personal taste, but I found the supernatural references less interesting than the psychological aspect of the story. I felt that, on balance, they combined well to create a very different story.

Big thank-you to NetGalley for the digital copy.

‘Tragedy Girl’ – Christine Hurley Deriso

This novel is due for release in April 2016, but I received an advance digital copy from NetGalley. For these reasons I won’t give any plot spoilers away.

Anne goes to live with her aunt and uncle after the tragic deaths of her parents. She is drawn to Blake, the golden boy of the school, who also has experienced his fair share of tragedy. While things seem good, there are clues that not everything is quite what it seems.

In this novel we get lots of questions, and Anne’s constant questioning does make the book feel slow at times. Unfortunately, once these questions start to get answered I feel that the story is rushed to its dramatic resolution.

While this isn’t my cup of tea, I can certainly see it being a book that certain students that I teach will love.

‘The Shut Eye’ – Belinda Bauer

What can I say? A slow-burner in the sense that I spent most of the book feeling I was missing that one elusive detail that would allow everything to make sense. Yet this was not as off-putting as you might think.

I don’t want to give away any plot details here, but the story focuses on a number of key characters. We have the Buicks, James and Anna, whose son went missing some months ago; Edie Evans, a young girl who has been missing for over a year; DCI Marvel, who was investigating her case and Richard Latham, the psychic who seems to have been involved in both cases.

The focus on Anna, and the day-to-day impact of losing a child, is heart-rending. DCI Marvel is more than little infuriating, but well-meaning, and I found myself desperately hoping he’d get his happy ending and finally manage to put this case behind him. As we veer from story to story it reads like a jigsaw puzzle, with that final piece tantalisingly out of reach.

It’s only after I’d finished reading that I could really appreciate the skill shown in the writing of this novel. A surprise hit – and a writer I might have to try more by.

‘The Haunted Hotel’ – Wilkie Collins

A contemporary of Dickens, Collins is not the kind of writer you tend to stumble across. I first came across his works when I had to read ‘The Woman in White’ as part of my studies, and I was intrigued by the idea of ‘The Moonstone’ being the first detective novel. I had never read this, and decided it was about time to try something a little different.

The first thing that I have to say about this novel is that it focuses on a rather straightforward mystery, but is made that little more special due to the fascination with the supernatural.

Lord Montbarry breaks off his engagement to Agnes Lockwood, he marries the mysterious Countess Narona (about which there are more than one or two rumours) and then travels to a run-down palace in Venice. We learn of Montbarry’s death, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it. Suspicious, Montbarry’s brother travels to Venice to try and determine exactly what happened. The palace in Venice where Montbarry was staying has been turned into a fashionable hotel, but mysterious things are seen there.

I shan’t give away the specific details of what transpired, but it was a well-plotted and interesting story. What really stuck out to me was the deep interest in the supernatural that Collins shows. Some of the descriptions were quite horrific, but I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.