Tag Archives: Fiction

If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio

“In the writing of this book I have consulted so many different editions of the complete works and the individual plays that it would be impossible to list all of them without the bibliography becoming longer than the story itself.” ~ M. L. Rio, Author’s Note, If We Were Villains

“Here I must also acknowledge that I have ransacked Shakespeare’s entire oeuvre with giddy abandon. The fourth-year thespians speak a kind of Pidgin English so saturated with Shakespearean words and quotes and turns of phrase that it could almost be classified as a new (and, there is no denying, exceptionally pretentious) dialect.” ~ M. L. Rio, Author’s Note, If We Were Villains

This book was recommended by The Secret History subReddit members. Had I only read the Author’s Note first, my lingering questions would have been answered and it would have saved me hours, because I would have realized the only thing this book has in common with The Secret History is a group of self-absorbed college students and a murder.

The story begins with Oliver being released from prison and we soon learn that one of his classmates in college was killed, so that’s probably why he was there. But why?

At 354+ pages, this book is 150 pages too long. If not more. It’s cleverly written in the manner of a script for a play, sections are Act I, Act II, etc., and chapters are Scene 1, Scene 2, etc. It’s Shakespeare’s plays all jumbled up. Quotes and thrown in here and there according to whim and if you don’t have a working knowledge of Shakespeare, it can make no sense.

It’s very possible there were too many characters. By the end of this book, it wasn’t possible to care less about the people who weren’t murdered. No surprise. I didn’t care about the guy who was murdered, either. Richard — and I don’t consider this a spoiler because it was obvious from his first appearance that he was the intended — was a jerk. Yes. But the penalty for being a jerk isn’t death.

All of the characters could have used a lot more development. As the author herself admits, they spoke their own language based on Shakespeare’s plays. So we learned they liked Shakespeare, they attended a college that let them concentrate on that. There was a least one gay relationship. That’s what we know. Who cares?

The setting and atmosphere weren’t very developed, either. After finishing the book, I’m left wondering why it was so long. The most interesting thing — the death of Richard wasn’t interesting, it was expected — was half way through the book when Oliver visits his family for Thanksgiving and finds out, one semester from graduation, his parents are pulling the plug on paying his tuition. Even that drama doesn’t last long.

What can you say about a writer’s style when it consists of quotes from Shakespeare? I guess it takes some book learnin’ to manage that, which she has — a master’s in Shakespeare, believe it or not. So I can see why this was the central theme of her first novel. It seems to be aimed at a niche audience of which I am not a member. I have nothing against Shakespeare. But if I was in the mood for The Bard, I’d pick up his work. Not someone else borrowing his work.

I finished the book just to find out what the solution to the puzzle was. I didn’t care about the people, whether Oliver did it or not. Or whether the group stayed friends, though it would be a surprise if they did. That almost never happens, in fiction or in real life.

This book was okay for what it was. But I would definitely not recommend it to a lover of The Secret History.

3/5

Paint an Inch Thick by Adam Dompierre

A Madcap Mystery, California-Style: Eddie London might be the worst detective in all of Summerport. Then again, he assures himself, it’s a pretty big city. But when Veronica Lawrence hires him to find her missing husband, Eddie sees his chance to transcend the low-stakes (and low-paying) cases that have thus far sustained his fledgling operation.

As part of his unorthodox investigation, Eddie goes undercover at the authoritarian Manticore Cooperative. There he does his best to outwit its charismatic and temperamental leader. Further clues lead to a violent dive bar and a wilderness compound run by a dangerous cult.

Among Eddie’s associates are his boisterous best friend and a newfound ally with her own reasons for taking on Manticore. Together they will try to surveil, bluff, and strong-arm their way to Mr. Lawrence’s safe return. And if that means conducting a car chase across the California freeway or taking a sucker punch to the back of the head, Eddie’s just the man for that too.

Veronica has given him seven days to locate her husband. Failing that, Eddie knows, another chance may not come his way. He has no intention of letting the opportunity pass by.

This book is part of the “Eddie London Mysteries” series. So you start out wondering what came before because, for one thing, our hero’s real name is a mystery. Eddie London is a fake ID for the current case. So imagine my surprise and relief when I actually started paying attention and found this is the first book in the series! So I’m not behind the curve!

Eddie London – or whoever he is – is young. Maybe he doesn’t think of himself this way, but he isn’t 30 yet if he’s to be believed. And that’s young. Wants to be a successful private investigator and The Case falls into his lap. He plays it pretty well because it takes awhile to figure out he doesn’t know what he’s doing! For the most part, he manages to pull it off though he does get himself into some pretty obvious predicaments. It’s not a stretch to figure out the guy you’re meeting any minute is going to walk in while you’re digging through his filing cabinets.

He meets a few ladies in his adventures and I really like the fact that he didn’t need to bed any of them after the first cup of coffee. Or the second. Or the adult beverages. He does let his mouth get away from him and kind of reminds me of a Myron Bolitar in the making. We need a LOT more “Eddie London Mysteries” installments to accomplish that, though!

The plot, unfortunately, didn’t make a lot of sense and there were way too many loose ends left hanging. The mystery was well-developed but the finish was lacking. Yes, our hero solved the puzzle – sorta – but what was really going on in the first place? No nice, neat package here though there was an effort!

All in all I really enjoyed this book. There were plenty of unexpected opportunities for a smile here and a giggle there. And though I still had plenty of questions after the last chapter, it wasn’t enough to ruin it for me. I’m really looking forward to the next installment!

4.5/5

Then She Died by Michael Geczi

Emotional and psychological episodes are nothing new for Will Post. He’s got a lifetime of experience. More than anyone would want or believe. But he doesn’t have any experience dealing with his recent killing of three people, and that’s his newest challenge, along with haunting hallucinations and delusions. His solution: hit the road, get out of Chicago, and hide and figure things out in the Berkshire Mountains in Western Massachusetts.

For a year, it works out well. He lives as a recluse, stays out of sight, and develops a new routine. Then he meets Val. They fall in love, move in together, and share a near-perfect life for several years … until she gets sick. And then passes away.

The episodes return, and Post inexplicitly decides to return to Chicago. Perhaps he can learn how to forgive himself and even heal. Chicago is no panacea, however. Chicago PD Detective Tanner Osborn is looking into the three killings, now ignored cold cases, determined to learn more.

Post faces other issues, as well, some dating back to his heartbreaking childhood, new ones tied to his return to Chicago, and others signaling a significant and intensifying psychological break.

And then there’s the voice in his head providing specific – and often conflicting – instructions.

Then She Died is a fast-moving and deeply penetrating look at the highs and lows surrounding life, love, death … and the always-important truism that actions – conscious and unconscious – have consequences.

Every single aspect of this story must be taken with a grain of salt. You’re already going to know that because right from the start there will be a constant nagging in your head. “This just doesn’t seem right? Is it?”

Is it? In the end you still won’t know, what with all the red herrings and loose ends that remain. Or will you?

This isn’t a case of too many characters, though sometimes it felt like it when a name popped back up and I couldn’t remember how they fit in. They were just under utilized and most of them could have been developed at least a little bit more. But taking that too far would have given away the whole thing! The “is this even real” vagueness is a must.

Looking for logic here isn’t going to serve you well. There isn’t any. But it was a fun ride!

3/5

Unicorns Can Be Deadly by Charlotte Stuart PhD

A young boy witnesses a kidnapping in a homeless encampment and flees for his life. After rescuing a young boy trying to escape from two men who are chasing him, private investigator and single mom Cameron Chandler is repeatedly told that ” you can’ t save everyone.” Nevertheless, she takes on several clients who want her and her partner Yuri at Penny-wise Investigations to find missing homeless relatives, including a three-month-old baby. Challenged by an investigation that ventures into a complex world of camaraderie and hardships where no one is safe, Cameron finds solace in her quirky but supportive family, her partner’ s trivia rants, her dog’ s obsession with stuffed endangered species toys, and a handsome detective who may or may not be interested in more than a professional relationship.

This is the fifth book in the Discount Detective Mysteries series, but if this offering is any indication, they can be read as a standalone (and the author did mention this). You can tell there’s been a lot going on earlier in the series, but there are enough clues and updates to prevent confusion and make you want to read the earlier books to get the rest of the story.

Cameron and Yuri are private investigators and partners working for Penny-Wise Investigations. Why does this company have the same name as the Stephen King monster from “It?” Actually, it makes more sense in this context than in the horror novel!

Cameron’s husband died suddenly but not before trashing the family finances. She lives with her mother and two kids and it’s refreshing that they don’t argue constantly! The family unit seems to be a great team. It also seems there’s a great working relationship with Yuri. Of course, private detectives always need a friend on the police department, so we have one of those.

We also have two characters with mysterious backgrounds – friend Gary and Cameron’s boss, P. W., the owner of the agency. You can tell there’s definitely going to be more about these two in upcoming books while the duo tries to figure them out.

The book was an easy read and the plot moved along nicely. The characters did get bogged down on occasion while they tossed theories back and forth, but it wasn’t enough to be distracting. There were several investigations going on at once, but they all tied in together to the point I was thinking if they solved one puzzle, all would be revealed.

There was one aspect that was problematic for me. There are a few instances where legal lines are bent and laws actually broken. After some discussion, it’s pretty much decided that since they did what they did for the right reasons and a worthy cause, it was okay. It’s not like they didn’t realize they were crossing those lines before it happened. There was also a lot of thought given to what to tell their cop friend and how to frame the lies.

On the one hand, the fact that they committed an actual crime to get information on a guy they were suspicious about was pretty ironic. On the other hand? It’s fiction and even real people have plenty of skeletons in their closets!

If I had been able to take a day to read this in one go, that would have been great! I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more!

4/5

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Finally! A female main character who is not an idiot! Well, unless you count getting stuck in this lifetime situation in the first place as stupid. None of the “I knew something wasn’t right . . .” or “That can’t be what I think it is . . .” and “I was so stupid!” when she goes ahead and makes a wrong turn anyway.

I did figure some of it out, but there were plenty of refreshingly surprising reveals.

Completely unbelievable, but a fun ride. Definitely six stars.

6/5

Make It Right by Ron Yates

Make it Right by Ron YatesThis review was written for LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers. I received a copy of this book from the author to review.

“Good fiction presents plausible problems. Chekhov maintained that the artist is not required to solve the problem but to correctly formulate it. I feel cheated when an author provides a tidy package without allowing me to participate in wrapping it up. I’d hate to deny my readers the opportunity of struggling with the problems I’ve formulated. In grappling with them, the reader will decide if they’ve been correctly formulated.”

When I saw these words in the preface, my heart sank. I don’t want to grapple with problems. I do that all day. When I settle in to read I want all the hard work done for me. I guess I want to be cheated with tidy packages. It’s also been my experience that when an author or screenwriter makes these claims, it usually feels like they were just lazy and couldn’t figure out how to finish the book or movie they were working on. I’m very relieved this wasn’t true of Ron Yates and these offerings.

I really enjoyed these stories and didn’t feel I was left hanging after finishing any of them. That’s not to say it was all over as soon as the last page was turned. I still find images and thoughts of most of these stories popping into my head at odd times, especially “I Sank the Mandolin.”

I love the way Ron Yates writes — direct and to the point — and his style was quite refreshing. There isn’t a word in these stories that doesn’t belong and make sense; no verbose scene-setting to skim through. But you still get that feeling of, say, exploring the old abandoned barn. And you still know enough about the characters to actually care about what happens to them, or to realize you have people in your own life who are just like that.

This is a short book and a quick, thought-provoking read.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist by Paulo CoelhoI’m a little more than half-way through my first reading of this book and I’m so glad I didn’t read any of the reviews or the recommendations on my book sites before I started.

The reviews confuse me, and I’ll be taking a harder look at them after I’ve finished my own analysis. But what struck me in a cursory skimming of them is how negative they are. Not just that they didn’t like it, or wouldn’t read it again, or wouldn’t recommend it to friends — they HATED it! — and didn’t have very kind things to say about anyone who DID like it. I’d estimate five zealously negative reviews for every good one, which accounts for the 3-star (give or take) over-all rating.

Not a single one of my book sites thought I’d like this book. Interesting — maybe those algorithms aren’t as helpful as we’d like to think! Or maybe some of the books I have that would have tilted that scale haven’t been included in my book lists yet. I’m constantly finding some that I haven’t cataloged.

I obtained this book from a friend. It came up on my radar at least three times in a 24-hour period, which got my attention, so when she said she still had her copy and would find it for me, I took her up on it right away. She’s reliable when it comes to things like this, but apparently she brought it by within hours!

I started reading it that night. I was sold on the first page. Thirty pages into it, unlike most books, I knew it deserved more than one reading. It’s a quick read if you like, and at less than 200 pages you can get through it in one day if you’re so inclined. It has a “Sally, Dick and Jane” writing style, which I’m surprised doesn’t irritate me in this case. Actually, I was surprised it has a Lexile Measure of 910L — I expected it to be lower, though I *am* new to this measurement and don’t have a lot of experience with it as yet.

I should be finishing this up in a day or two. And I fully intend to read it at least once more. I might buy my own copy of it before then, however, as this one needs lots of scribbles, notes, highlighting and tags.

4/5

If I’d Killed Him When I Met Him by Sharyn McCrumb

I just finished this book and I enjoyed it immensely. This is my first Sharyn McCrumb book and I love her writing style and her wit. I will definitely be reading more of her books.

That said, I wouldn’t recommend reading this book before you read the others in the Elizabeth MacPherson series. Most series writers that I read (for instance, Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone books) give enough background information in each book that you can pick up any one of them and you don’t feel like you’ve missed something. My first Kinsey Milhone book was “M is for Malice” and I didn’t feel lost at all — but I did start reading the series from the beginning.

That was not the case with this book. I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone, so I will just generally say that you can tell there’s *something* going on with Elizabeth and Cameron, her significant other or husband, but you really have a hard time figuring out what it is until almost the end of the book — and even then it’s a guess. It’s a little distracting because Elizabeth is supposed to be the focus of the series, but she seems to be distracted by something the reader isn’t completely privy to.

I highly recommend this book as a fun read, but don’t make your introduction to this series.

4/5