All posts tagged: Book Review

Mistress of my Fate, by Hallie Rubenhold (DNF)

Published by Alexandra

DETAILS Title: MISTRESS OF MY FATE Author: Hallie Rubenhold Publisher: Grand Central Publishing ISBN: 978-1455511808 Genre: Historical BACKCOVER BLURB Set during a period of revolution and turmoil, Mistress of My Fate is the first book in a trilogy about Henrietta Lightfoot, a young woman who was abandoned as a baby and raised alongside her cousins, noble children of a lord and lady. At just sixteen years old, circumstance and a passionate love affair tear Henrietta away from everything she knows, leading to a new life fending for herself on the streets of 18th century London as a courtesan, gambler, and spirited intellect of the city. WHAT I THOUGHT Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! This is not, and I repeat NOT my kind of book. So, how did I come by a historical novel with the absolutely gorgeous cover? A gift. A birthday gift from—well, I think it was given to me either in 2011 or maybe 2012. And, at the time, I did scratch my head wondering how it was someone thought I might like to …

The Bottoms, by Joe R. Lansdale

Published by Alexandra

DETAILS Title: THE BOTTOMS Author: Joe R. Lansdale Publisher: Vintage Crime ISBN: 9780307475268 Genre: Crime Fiction BACKCOVER BLURB It’s 1933 in East Texas and the Depression lingers in the air like a slow moving storm. When a young Harry Collins and his little sister stumble across the body of a black woman who has been savagely mutilated and left to die in the bottoms of the Sabine River, their small town of Marvel Creek is instantly charged with tension. When a second body turns up, this time of a white woman, there is little Harry can do from stopping his Klan neighbours from lynching an innocent black man. Together with his younger sister, Harry sets out to discover who the real killer is, and to do so they will search for a truth that resides far deeper than any river or skin colour. WHAT I THOUGHT The Bottoms should be a poignant coming of age story about 11 year-old Harry Collins and his 9 year-old sister, Tom (Thomasina) as narrated by Harry. Sadly though, it …

A Twist of the Knife, by Becky Masterman

Published by Alexandra

DETAILS Title: A TWIST OF THE KNIFE (Book #3) Author: Becky Masterman Publisher: Penguin ISBN: 9781250074515 Genre: Murder-Mystery/Suspense BACKCOVER BLURB Ex-FBI agent Brigid Quinn has seen it all, and survived. But nothing can cut her closer to the bone than family… Now happily retired in Arizona, Brigid gets called back to her home in Florida where her dad is suffering from pneumonia and her mother is suffering from chronic passive-aggression. Spending time with her dysfunctional family is not her fav thing, so when a close colleague asks for her help in overturning the conviction of a man on death row for killing his wife and three children, Brigid’s spirits are lifted. Taking on the entire criminal justice system is easier for her than dealing with her embattled parents. That is, until Love rears its ugly head and Brigid suspects her colleague is going rogue even more than she ever did… WHAT I THOUGHT A TWIST OF THE KNIFE is a good, old-fashioned whodunit updated for modern sensibilities, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing …