Category: Mystery - DEEBIBLIOPHILIA

DEEBIBLIOPHILIA

you are not alone by hendricks & pekkanen

1/15/2020

This is the third book from the duo that brought you The Wife Between Us and Anonymous Girl. This story is written in the same vein, however I found myself less invested in this story. You know the old saying 'if it seems too good to be true, it probably is?' I wrestled with this and the main characters lack of common sense throughout the whole story - and as the reader I was powerless to shake some sense into her. What I did love, and found truly unique, was the addition of her stats book, and the statistics that mark each chapter. The narration shifts between multiple characters point of view, and the present/past, so you get glimpses into what happened. It took me until the 3/4 mark to really piece together what was going on, and I was totally satisfied by the ending. It's an entertaining read...and with that ending, I'm rounding up my 3 stars to 4. These women sure know how to amp up the suspense.

you're missing out: podcasts

6/26/2019

If you're like me, I'm always looking for ways to improve the commute to work, cooking, cleaning, etc.

Introducing: Podcasts.

They've literally changed my life. Who knew cooking for an hour would fly by, and that I wouldn't mind cleaning the kitchen after? I've been alternating between podcasts and audio books (I use Audible) because there don't seem to be enough high-quality true-crime podcasts out there that actually solve the crime in the end. I personally don't want to invest hours upon hours of a season where there is no resolution. I need everything wrapped and tied up with a bow. I'm all about the true crime podcasts, or anything with mystery, however I'm not opposed to other genres. Here are my favourites from the past couple of years. I'll be adding to this list as I find more and more.

1. bear brook

Bear Brook is by far my favourite podcast from this year. It has everything you want from a true crime story: mystery, a cold case, and new technologies that helped solve this gruesome crime. Personally, I don't like investing in true crime podcasts that don't wrap everything up with a perfect bow...because I need to know!

2. serial

The podcast that wrangled me into this world of episodic digital documentaries. I loved the story of Adnan Syed, but more importantly, because Sarah Koenig hosts it. She is superb at showing both sides of the case, without appearing biased.

3. up and vanished: season 1
'what happened to tara grinstead?'

The story of Tara Grinstead is complicated and confusing. This story starts at point A, and suddenly veers you of the course you think you're taking. It's exciting, exhilarating, and one incredible investigative true crime story. It's hosted by Payne Lindsey, who is easy to listen to, and the episodes fly by (there are a lot).

4. missing richard simmons

Missing Richard Simmons is not a true crime story, but it is a mystery that I couldn't stop listening to. When my friend first recommended this story, my initial thought was 'that eccentric fitness instructor from the 80's???' I downloaded the first episode and never listened to it for 3 months. What a mistake that was. This is still one of my all time favourites. It's like falling down a rabbit hole to another world.

5. uncover: season 1
'escaping NXIVM'

Who would have thought all of this was happening right where we live? A huge part of this story takes place in Vancouver, BC. It's an incredible story about a cult, masking as a multi-level marketing company. This is dark and not for the faint of heart.

6. the teacher's pet

An Australian true crime podcast from last year, that looks at the disappearance of Lynette Dawson. This story is peculiar. Long story short - her husband moves his teenage mistress/student into their family home. It's all levels of creepy and disturbing.

7. dirty john

The Netflix story that took the world by storm, is first told through a podcast. I really enjoyed listening to this one, and although the daughters voices are almost unbearable, and the mothers frame of mind antagonized me, you'll thoroughly enjoy this California family drama.

8. the shrink next door

My sister and I both found this story to be devastating. When the doctors who are supposed to help you, end up taking advantage of your mental state, and abuse that relationship. The whole time I was shocked and enraged over what these people went through.

9. to live and die in LA

I'm only on episode 3, but so far so good. It's the story of a missing actress from LA.

something in the water by catherine steadman

7/3/2018

I really enjoyed Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman. Sometimes I go into a book without reading the synopsis, and this is one of those examples. With a quick glimpse at the back reviews by B.A. Paris, Riley Sager and Amy Engel (all favorites’), I had a feeling this was a psychological thriller, but had no expectations going into it. I really loved the premise and found it unexpected and unique. I don’t want to say too much in fear of giving away the mystery at the heart of the novel…which is what is ‘in the water?’ I will say that it took me about 100 pages to feel really invested in this story, but the build-up and character development is important to the narrative. As many of you know, I absolutely love morality tales, and this one is the perfect mix of bad decisions and thought-provoking scenarios. The perfect summer/beach read.

the last time i lied by riley sager

5/29/2018

He did it again! An atmospheric thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page. This one includes all of my favourites: Unreliable narrator, family secrets, red herrings, gothic undertones and a complex plot, filled with psychological suspense. This is the perfect summer read!

The Last Time I Lied is one of those stay up all night and read no matter how early you have to get up in the morning for work. I was lost in the pages of this haunting story that spans generations. As we learned from Final Girls, Forests + Riley Sager = a terrifying experience.
Releases in July.
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Thank you @duttonbooks and @riley.sager.

Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their tiny cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. The games ended when Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin in the dead of night. The last she--or anyone--saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.

Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings--massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. The paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the socialite and wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale. When Francesca implores her to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor, Emma sees an opportunity to try to find out what really happened to her friends.

Yet it's immediately clear that all is not right at Camp Nightingale. Already haunted by memories from fifteen years ago, Emma discovers a security camera pointed directly at her cabin, mounting mistrust from Francesca and, most disturbing of all, cryptic clues Vivian left behind about the camp's twisted origins. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing threats from both man and nature in the present.

And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale, the more she realizes it may come at a deadly price.
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📷: @mariahmilliephotography

bone music by christopher rice

5/15/2018

I just finished Bone Music, and my initial thoughts are 'Wow, this has all the makings of a great Netflix series!' This book is the backstory of Charlotte Rowe, which reminds me of why Marvel is so successful. A thriller that is both vivid, intelligent, and intensely moving, with a strong female protagonist. There is LOTS going on, and I don't want to give anything away. The book synopsis really doesn't do this book justice. Superhero, meets vigilante, with a mix of sci-fi, murder mystery, and the supernatural. It's LONG. I'm talking 450 plus pages long, and at first it deterred me from starting this. But with many hours to spare yesterday and today due to an unexpected knee injury, I was able to finish it in a few sittings. When I first saw the cover of this book, the title threw me off. But after getting half way you understand that the title refers to the symptoms of a powerful drug - "the shaking hands, the throbbing in her bones." What I loved most about this book, was the reason the drug was created in the first place - to wipe out sexual sadism. rape, and domestic violence. A unique approach to the thriller genre. It will not disappoint!

her pretty face by robyn harding

4/2/2018

“Her Pretty Face” – Whose pretty face you may ask? I wrestled with this question throughout the novel, with many red herrings strategically placed throughout to throw me for a loop.

I absolutely loved this domestic suspense novel, and finished it in two days. Shocking, violent, and raw, this book grabs the reader and doesn’t let go.
This novel explores reinvention, grief, and retribution, and leaves you wondering if people can truly change.

This title releases in Canada on July 10, 2018!
Thank you so much @robynharding and Rebecca from @simonschusterca for sending me this ARC.

jar of hearts by jennifer hillier

4/2/2018

Jar of Hearts claims to “grab you by the throat,” and that’s exactly what it did. A sophisticated, and chilling psychological thriller, with a mix of Orange is the new Black, Gillian Flynn and Karin Slaughter. This book is spectacular and I devoured it one day. Split into 5 parts, with different narrations, this book will have you reading well into the night.

What I loved most about this book was the author's ability to have you sympathize and hate Geo simultaneously. Are we the product of our parents? And I don't mean that in a purely biological sense either. The cycle of abuse is real, and violence is often passed from one generation to the next. I remember discussing this with a colleague years ago, when she brought up an article about generations of violence and the cycle of child abuse. She fully believed that as a child of abuse, she was statistically likely to pass this on to her children, and because of her traumatic childhood, decided to not have children. What a tragedy. This story affected me both emotionally and psychologically. It also leaves you to reflect on how emotions influence our decision-making.

Jar of Hearts will definitely be a buzz-worthy book when it releases in Canada on June 12. Make sure that you pre-order. This will be an incredible summer read.

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster” – Friedrich Nietzsche.

I will warn you that this book is heavy! It has dark subject matter, with explicit details.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and St. Martins Press - Thank you!

into the black nowhere by meg gardiner

1/4/2018

I was fortunate enough to receive an amazing package of books from Dutton back in November, full of Advanced Reader Copies. I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't read the first instalment in the UNSUB series, however I found this one works as a stand-alone. This was an intense and thrilling reading experience. I started this on December 29th as we headed up to Whistler for New Years Eve weekend. Once I started, I couldn't stop, and I read well into the night on News Year Eve (super anti-social). The characters are mesmerizing, the detailed scenes heart-wrenching, and the plot is completely original. I felt like I was watching an entire season of Criminal Minds. I highly recommend this one for anyone needing a fast-paced, addictive psychological thriller. I didn't think any thrillers could top Good Me, Bad Me, Final Girls, or The Good Daughter this year, but this one knocked it out of the park. Bravo Gardiner!

Details from Goodreads:

Inspired by real-life serial killer Ted Bundy, an exhilarating thriller in which FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix faces off against a charming, merciless serial killer

In southern Texas, on Saturday nights, women are disappearing. One vanishes from a movie theater. Another is ripped from her car at a stoplight. Another vanishes from her home while checking on her baby. Rookie FBI agent Caitlin Hendrix, newly assigned to the FBI's elite Behavioral Analysis Unit, fears that a serial killer is roaming the dark roads outside Austin.

Caitlin and the FBI's serial crime unit discover the first victim's body in the woods. She's laid out in a bloodstained, white baby-doll nightgown. A second victim in a white nightie lies deeper in the forest's darkness. Both bodies are surrounded by Polaroid photos, stuck in the earth like headstones. Each photo pictures a woman in a white negligee, wrists slashed, suicide-style--posed like Snow White awaiting her prince's kiss.

To track the UNSUB, Caitlin must get inside his mind. How is he selecting these women? Working with a legendary FBI profiler, Caitlin searches for a homology--that elusive point where character and action come together. She profiles a confident, meticulous killer who convinces his victims to lower their guard until he can overpower and take them in plain sight. He then reduces them to objects in a twisted fantasy--dolls for him to possess, control, and ultimately destroy. Caitlin's profile leads the FBI to focus on one man: a charismatic, successful professional who easily gains people's trust. But with only circumstantial evidence linking him to the murders, the police allow him to escape. As Saturday night approaches, Caitlin and the FBI enter a desperate game of cat and mouse, racing to capture the cunning predator before he claims more victims.

look for me by lisa gardner

12/20/2017

If you haven't read Find Her by Lisa Gardner, you need to read it prior to reading Look For Me. Look For Me can act as a stand-a-lone, however the character of Flora Danes is so unique and intense. Find Her is book # 8 in the Detective D.D. Warren series. It's one of those books that always stays with you. It truly made me question what kind of survivor I would be? Flora Danes is held captive for 472 days in a coffin-sized box. It's a terrific, fast-paced revenge thriller, that looks at what it means to find yourself again . Look For Me follows Flora Dane, as D.D. Warren's new sidekick. I loved the sarcastic banter, the community of survivors, and the mystery at the heart of this novel. I highly recommend this one! A compelling, well-written read, that makes you question, 'what does it mean to be family?'

turtles all the way down by john green

11/12/2017

I have seen this book all over Instagram and in everyone's hands in passing this month. I've read a few of John Green's books including Finding Alaska and The Fault in our Stars. I know I'm not the targeted audience for YA, however I do love this genre. I listened to this on Audible, so it may have impacted by opinion, as the multiple voices were read vastly different than I would read on my own. The main character suffers from an anxiety disorder. Listening to the narrator gave me anxiety, which proves Green's ability to force the reader into the characters shoes in a compelling and powerful way. At the heart of this story is the mystery of a billionaire, which Aza and Daisy attempt to solve in order to earn the large reward. I didn't think the two themes blended at all. I found the story to lack a solid plot line. Events were unrealistic, characters were self-absorbed and narcissistic, and the unending references to Star Wars was enough to make close this one and never return. Sadly, I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone. For some of my favourite Young Adult reads, check out the link.