Tag Archives: Murder Mystery

Please See Us, by Caitlin Mullen

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“In death, the women are still dressed to walk the streets. To attract clients with a slice of leg, cleavage. To mime desire with a cant of the hips, a toss of their hair. Dressed to be undressed.”

Missing posters are hung around Atlantic city for a missing girl. Clara, a psychic, sees the missing girls face and feels as if she can help find her. Clara meets Lily while she working and begs her to help. But Lily has her own dark past. Will they find the missing girl or become victims themselves?

“It seems both cheap and dear, the price of freedom- twenty minutes with a man.”

Chapters alternate between two main characters, Clara and Lily. Occasionally, a chapter will be from one of the bodies of the murdered victims (Jane Doe’s).
The writing style is opulent and the setting is well-developed because of the overgrown writing.

The story is heartbreaking. The victims voices are strong and reflect an image of their whole person as they lay dead in swamp blanketed in their afflictions.

If you like slower paced mysteries, then I recommend this book for you because the progression is slow. I would read a bit and then put it down. It took a while to get from point A to point B; the goal being to find the missing women. For example, the evolution of Lily and Clara’s relationship took center stage at one point for an extended period of time. If you like your mysteries fast paced, then this probably isn’t for you. If you like thought-provoking dialogue and contemplative situations, then you will probably enjoy this.

Something you might or might not be into: One of the main characters, Clara, sees visions throughout the novel. Her visions are a common occurrence and help piece together what happened to the women who were murdered.

There are several triggers in this novel including sexual torture, rape, and drug use.

Please See Us is Caitlin Mullen’s debut novel. Visit Caitlin Muller’s website.

Read Publisher Weekly’s Review of Please See Us.

Visit Simon and Schuster’s page for Please See Us to learn more.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

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Saint X, by Alexis Schaitkin

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“By late morning, a mother and fathers faith that their child will turn up any moment has given way to terror.”

While on vacation on Saint X, the body of young Alison is found dead. Several years later living in New York, her younger sister Claire is determined to find out what really happened to her sister Alison that night on Saint X.

The first 36 pages are truly hard to get through because of the lush descriptions. These pages focus on what the island was like during the family’s vacation on Saint X, and it was a tedious 36 pages that felt like 360 pages. But, if you can get through that…it gets better and the story takes off, though it does still contain countless descriptions and stories within stories throughout the novel. I started to get into the night Alison was killed, and continued reading. I was invested regardless of the wordy paragraphs and side-stories. I had to know what happened to Alison, how all the stories being revealed were connected, and find out the truth.

“She was what all the dead are: whatever the living make them.”

The characters are what boosted this rating above a 3 star for me. If you decide to read this, I encourage you not to skim…though you might be tempted because of the extraneous elements. The insights and voices of the characters are worthwhile and perceptive. Most of the characters were not likable, yet their observations were penetrating, intuitive, and emotionally charged.

“Are the things out the van window poverty, or just people living their lives?”

Overall, I’m glad I stuck with it. I enjoyed the book and think the ending has a good thematic message. I read this with a group, and it created great discussion. I recommend reading this with a book club or buddy!

Saint X is Alexis Schaitkin’s debut novel. Visit her website to read more about her book.

Saint X is a top 20 most anticipated book pick for Good Morning America.

Read Entertainment Weekly’s interview with Alexis Schaitkin about writing Saint X.

Follow author Alexis Schaitkin on Twitter.

Thank you to Celadon books for sending me an advance read paperback copy. Opinions are my own.

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Amnesty, by Aravind Adiga

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“A legal is just someone who is unwanted in the same way everyone else is.”

Danny, a young adult in his twenties from Sri Lanka, has been living in Australia illegally for four years as a cleaner. Soon into the novel, one of the residents that he cleaned for is killed. Danny might have an idea of what could have happened, but he internally struggles with the responsibility of this knowledge since the decision to help with the murder case could get him deported. The novel takes place throughout this one day in Danny’s life.

“But whoever did it, and for whatever reason, one thing was almost certain. The killer was a citizen.”

The story pays homage to the thoughts and difficult decisions that immigrants, specifically illegals, make throughout the day. It highlights questions of accountability and examines the echelons of humanity. Danny’s flashbacks and encounters throughout the day also illuminate his own prejudice towards legal immigrants and citizens.

“Rich Asians and poor Asians don’t seem to talk to each other, and that’s how Australians make most of their money.”

The writing was disjointed and made it hard for me to read. I found myself rereading sentences often to make sure I read them correctly. Sometimes that made it hard to process different things that were occurring, which took away from the enjoyment. It is written in an unusual way and Danny was a peculiar character who had eccentric qualities.

Read Seattle Times review for Amnesty.

Click here to read the New York Times advanced praise for Amnesty.

Aravind Adiga is the author of The White Tiger, winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2008.

Visit author Aravind Adiga’s website for more information.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.

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Above the Bay of Angels, by Rhys Bowen

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“Now I wanted to become an expert cook—but more than that, I wanted to be an independent woman with the means to live life on my terms. Now was time for me.”

In Victorian England, young Bella takes a letter from a dying stranger in the street. She uses the dead stranger’s name, background, and letter of recommendation to obtain a job working as a cook for Queen Victorian in Buckingham Palace. But as events transpire, Bella realizes that she is not the only one with a secret.

The overall story is a very light historical fiction that slowly builds up to Queen Victoria’s stay at the Hotel Regina Excelsior on the Riviera in France. Once they arrive and acts of treason begin to unfold, the story begins to pick up a bit.

For the first 3/4 of the book, it’s basically about the main character, Bella, wondering if anyone will realize she is lying about who she is, helping choose dishes for the Queen, and trying to prove herself among a kitchen full of men. During this time, she is pulled this way and that by various men who are romantically interested in her, and she often thinks about what decision to make regarding their romantic interest in her.

“Did I really want to become a real chef? Even if the prospect of marriage was offered to me?”

Chapter 30 (82% on a kindle) a mystery develops involving a murder. Before this murder mystery occurs, it is mainly what I described above.

There is little historical context outside of the royal family, though I enjoyed reading the Historical Note at the end.

Visit author Rhys Bowen’s website to learn more about her books.

Rhys Bowen is an award winning author. Her novel In Farleigh Field won best historical novel Agatha Award winner. Watch the book trailer for In Farleigh Field below.

Her mystery series, A Royal Spyness Mystery, is popular. Click here to view the books in order.

Follow Rhys Bowen on Facebook.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Above the Bay of Angels. Opinions are my own.

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Nothing More Dangerous, by Allen Eskens

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“Boady, the men who beat and murdered those people for all those years, do you think they simply disappeared because someone passed a law?”

A colored, divorced woman, Lida Poe, goes missing in the small town of Jessup, Missouri in the 70’s. The town is painted in racism and composed of prejudice beliefs. Growing up in Jessup, teenage Boady Sanden considers himself an average young man and doesn’t realize the segregation and discrimination until he befriends his new neighbors and sees the reaction from certain town members. Boady begins to recognize his own racial thoughts while he and his new friend, Thomas, get pulled into the middle of the Lida Poe murder case. Was there more to her murder case than what was being disclosed?

“You’ll never change what a person thinks in their head or what they feel in their heart by passing a law. If a man doesn’t want to look at who he is deep down, he’s not going to much care what the law says about it.”

I really loved the setting of the novel and watching Boady purge the racial stigmas that he had grown up hearing and believing. The friendship he creates with Thomas, his neighbor, was my favorite part of the novel. While the book obviously centers on overcoming prejudices in the 1970’s, the target for the reader is identifying and conquering our own prejudices, even including predispositions, whatever those might be.

The focus of the story isn’t the murder of Lida Poe, but her murder is used in the growth of the plot and character development. The story centers around Boady and his surroundings; like his peers in school who are blinded by racism and let those feelings drive their actions.

**There is a lot of racial slander in this novel. Violence and hate crimes occur.**

Pictured below is the face of young Emmett Till who is mentioned in the book a few times during the dialogue. Beaten, drowned, and then burned alive, read about the murder of Emmett Till here.

Allen Eskens is the author of award-winning book The Life We Bury.

He is a best-selling author. Nothing More Dangerous is his sixth book. To view all of his books, and the order to read them in, click here.

Follow Allen Eskens on Facebook.

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Dreamland, by Nancy Bilyeau

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“Everything is real on Coney Island – and nothing is real.”

Peggy Battenberg is requested to stay with her family on Coney Island. She reluctantly accepts. Peggy feels trapped within her family, their name, their riches, and she wants to shape her own identity. Shortly after arriving to the Oriental Hotel on Coney Island, prejudices are unearthed and a prevalent divide of social classes greet her while making her way to Dreamland. But, women begin to show up dead. Who can she trust and why is she being followed?

“On Coney Island, you can always find someone to do anything.”

Restrictions on women and the treatment of foreigners are spotlighted throughout the story. It focuses on the social structure and the formation of society on Coney Island during 1911 more so than the police procedural. The lush atmosphere was a character in itself and played a dominant role in the movement of the story.

Technical Stuff:
It starts with a woman being murdered in the Epilogue, but the murder is not revisited until the main character, Peggy, begins her extended stay at Coney Island which is sometime during chapter 5. (There are a total of 37 chapters.) However, the story deviates from the murder mystery for quite sometime after this chapter and instead focuses on the main character’s struggle for independence within her rich family, and her new found romantic interest. Because of this, the murder mystery fell to a quiet whisper until chapter 28 (or 78% into the story on a Kindle) when Peggy decides to look for the killer who has been murdering women on the island. That only leaves an eventful 22% left for the reader. I was wanting more suspense throughout the entirety.

The novel was very well researched. Click around below to learn more about Dreamland.

The Oriental Hotel, a Coney Island luxury hotel in the 1890’s. Peggy’s family stays at the Oriental Hotel in the novel.
Hellgate, a boat ride at Dreamland before it burned down. The are several scenes that include Hellgate in the novel.

Visit Nancy Bilyeau’s website to get more information about her books.

Thank you to Hannah Groves from Endeavor Media for providing me with an advance copy. Opinions are my own.

Sin Eater, by Megan Campisi

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“Sins of our flesh become sins of hers through the Eating, praise be.”
After committing a crime, 14-year-old May is condemned to be a sin eater. She begins to follow the elder sin eater to learn her new job. While learning, a deer heart is placed at someone’s Eating although the dead didn’t confess to the sin that matches that food. May decides to discover the truth of the murder mystery, but she finds secrets, witchcraft, and lies along the way and her world is quickly and quietly turned upside down. “My soul carries the sins of this town. I’ll carry them with me until I die.”

Throughout the story, May examines her new purpose and the new freedoms it provides. She internally ponders the meaning of her identity: does the role of a sin eater define her?

“I wish you could show folk your insides the way you show your face. Then they’d know I’m not wicked at all.”

I really enjoyed taking this journey with May. She was a very unique character, and it was both bleak and fun to be inside of her head.

Overall thoughts:  The 16th century setting was phenomenal. It was eerie, dark, and I was easily transported there. The ending was fantastic. I thought I had the mystery all figured out, but I was wrong! Of course, there are a couple of things you might figure out along the way, but the final twist at the end totally caught me off guard. The main character is unique and her burden as a sin-eater is interesting to follow. I love how May names the people that she encounters; she is a quirky character and I loved her. My only complaint is that in the middle it started to get repetitive with May going to someone’s house who was dying, listening to their sins, and then eating the foods to carry on their sins for them. This made the pacing in the middle get a bit slow.

There are several old English words, so you might consider reading this on a Kindle to translate the words that are unfamiliar.

I recommend this to historical fiction lovers who don’t mind imaginative elements. May was awesome and I miss her already. This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley and Edelweiss for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

More about this:

What is a sin eater? -According to Wikipedia

Sin eaters and the lost sacraments

Sin eaters eat your sins

Visit her author page on Simon and Schuster.

Visit her website for events, books, contact info, plays and other stuff!

Read Publisher’s Weekly review for Sin Eater.

Click here to visit Pan Macmillan’s page for Sin Eater, by Megan Campisi.

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The Other Mrs., by Mary Kubica

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“If it wasn’t for you, I said, leaning in to whisper the words in his ear, I’d be dead.”

A lot of twists and turns in The Other Mrs. takes readers on a thrilling ride. Within the first three chapters, Sadie and her family move into her husband’s sister’s house in Maine to take guardianship of her husband’s niece because his sister committed suicide. (Yes, they move into the house his sister killed herself in.) Sadie thinks about how her husband was having an affair back in Chicago and is grateful for the move, but then uneasiness creeps into her life as events begin to unfold. She wakes up in the morning to find the word “DIE” written on her car. They find out the neighbor has been murdered, a case is opened, and Sadie is on edge. ALL WITHIN THE FIRST 3 CHAPTERS!

I kept trying to figure this one out, but there were so many twists it really made me keep guessing. Did Sadie just black out?! What is up with her son’s behavior? Did Sadie’s husband murder their neighbor Morgan? Did Camille? Was he cheating again or was it Morgan’s suspicious husband who killed her? Who the heck is Mouse…which girl is it?!?

Netflix has recently signed a film deal for The Other Mrs. Read more about this here!

Visit Mary Kubica’s website to learn more.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

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Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, by Deepa Anappara

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I really enjoyed the atmosphere created. The environment reveals a distinct separation of classes and the varied lives according to social status and monetary value. Police negligence, religious violence, and educational values are exposed through this fictional tale. The language was great, and I enjoyed the story being told through the eyes of nine-year-old Jai.

“The man scratches at his feathery beard. “Kids around here disappear all the time,” he says. “One day they’ll have too much glue and decide to try their luck somewhere else. Another day they’ll get hit by a rubbish truck and end up in a hospital. Some other morning, they’ll be picked up by the police and sent to a juvenile home. We don’t make a fuss about anybody vanishing.””

The story itself became repetitive. After one child disappeared, Jai and Pari investigated and played detective, and I was into it. However, then the same thing just kept happening. Another would disappear, Jai and Pari would investigate, turn up empty handed and go home, then another disappear, etc. So, the progress wasn’t as engaging as I would have preferred.

For me, the most powerful chapters were “This Story Will Save Your Life” which were mostly stories of the djinns and other beliefs regarding wandering children. My favorite scene was when Jai and Pari went to the railway station. Because of the title and blurb, I have to admit that I thought a big portion of this novel would take place around the railway. However, there was only one big scene there in the beginning. I wasn’t too pleased with the ending, but I respect the underlying messages delivered to the reader through that conclusion.

I think the themes embedded in this story are significantly valuable. However, the progression of the story was uniform. Overall, I liked the story because of the important leitmotifs. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this copy. Opinions are my own.

Author, Deepa Anappara was chosen for the Deborah Rogers award for her novel Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line.

More on railway children:
Railway Children in India
What happens to “railway” children

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Jar of Hearts, by Jennifer Hillier

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This is a fast-paced thriller and I really enjoyed it. The beginning starts off strong with hard evidence proving Geo helped, in some way, with the murder her best friend, Angela, when she was in high school. How would you be able to explain helping cover up the murder of your best friend fourteen years ago in high school after a party? With your boyfriend? Buried in your backyard? The body dismembered?

“It wasn’t just Angela who died that night. Part of Geo did, too, and she’s long suspected it was the best part of her.”

“Back and forth and back again, the saw tore her best friend open. She heard the moment when saw hit bone. It made a scraping sound.”

The whole time I was trying to decide if I liked Geo or not, and what the motive was. There are jail scenes, court room excitement, and teenage drama that all add up to a tangled network of secrets that lead to the truth of Angela’s murder. The truth isn’t fully revealed until the end; so, the reader must piece the entire story together page by page.

Since the murder of Geo’s best friend, Angela, happened in high school, all the flashbacks occur during their time as teenagers in high school. The attitudes, relationships, and choices made while teenagers were definitely reflective of their youth and development.

There were a few twists during the last half that made that portion more of a page turner. As you are getting to the end, more information is revealed that creates for a sobering ending. Although I was able to figure some things out, I wasn’t able predict everything. However, there were some things I felt seem far-fetched.

Within the first 30 or so pages there is a rape scene, and it will not be the last. There is a lot of sex and details regarding sex. Abusive relationships is also a notably detailed.

Taken from Jennifer Hillier’s website.

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