MysteryTag Archives

Book Review: The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon

The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon

  • Method of Obtaining: I received my copy from the publisher.
  • Published by: William Morrow
  • Release Date:  1/2/2013
        

The summer of 1985 changed Reggie’s life. Thirteen, awkward, and without a father, she finds herself mixed up with her school’s outcasts-Charlie, the local detective’s son, and Tara, a goth kid who has a mental hold over Reggie and harbors a dark secret. That same summer a serial killer called Neptune begins kidnapping women. He leaves their severed hands on the police department steps and, five days later, displays their bodies around town. Just when Reggie needs her mother Vera-an ex-model with many “boyfriends” and a thirst for gin-the most, Vera’s hand is found on the steps. But after five days, there’s no body and Neptune disappears.

Now a successful architect who left her hometown behind after that horrific summer, Reggie doesn’t trust anyone and lives with few attachments. But when she gets a call from a homeless shelter saying that her mother has been found alive, Reggie must confront the ghosts of her past and find Neptune before he kills again.

Reason for Reading:
  • I’ve read Jennifer McMahon before and was interested in seeing what she has coming out.

I also recommend:

 

My Review:

The One I Left Behind is the second of Jennifer McMahon’s books that I’ve read and I have to say that, although I’m not a big fan of the suspense/mystery genre, McMahon does have a way of capturing my attention and propelling me quickly through her stories.

The One I Left Behind has two central themes: the first being that of the suspense/mystery – someone named “Neptune” is out there cutting the right hand off of women and then murdering them shortly after. The second theme is that of the relationship between a daughter and her mother (and aunt). There’s some issues there that, through the course of the book, need to be addressed and resolved.

McMahon continues to do what she does best in this book. She offers a no-frills, romping ride through clues and scary circumstances while offering glimpses into the life of her main character, Reggie, and letting her readers see how that character develops over time. Past and present are both touched and are pulled together in the end to provide a fun, interesting twist of events that (although somewhat predictable) was fun and fulfilling.

While this might prove a bit boring to someone who is thoroughly immersed in the genre, to someone like me who has spent very little time there in the past few years, it was new, fun, and something different to read. Also, I didn’t feel at any point like I was being treated like an idiot – which is why I had veered away from the genre to begin with.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

MarindaRue Can Read | The Book Pod | Minding Spot

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Lydia
4 January, 2013
Contemporary, Mystery, reviews, Suspense/Thriller
5 comments
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Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

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Reason for Reading:
  • I read Rebecca Stead’s, When You Reach Me and loved it.

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

When seventh grader Georges (the S is silent) moves into a Brooklyn apartment building, he meets Safer, a twelve-year-old coffee-drinking loner and self-appointed spy. Georges becomes Safer’s first spy recruit. His assignment? Tracking the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the apartment upstairs. But as Safer becomes more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: how far is too far to go for your only friend?

My Review:

I was already a fan of Rebecca Stead after her beautiful book, When You Reach Me. So when I saw Liar & Spy was coming out, I knew it would be something special.

My assumption was not wrong.

This little book reminded me of playing pretend, of dealing with bullies, of forging new friendships and dealing with change. With a quiet, leading voice, Rebecca takes her main character Georges (the S is silent) and leads the reader through a story filled with such small ups and downs that the ride seems like it’s going nowhere until the destination hits you and realization dawns. I don’t know how else to describe this journey.

Filled with surprises, revelations, and most of all, lessons about the importance of community and fellowship with other people – which includes the openness of mind to accept them, this is a middle-grade novel that, I suspect, will be knocking on the door of another award.

If you have middle-graders or contact to middle-graders, please recommend this book. It has such a story to tell and lessons to teach – but manages to be understanding and not preachy about those lessons. Most of all – it’s fun. I mean, what kid doesn’t imagine being in a spy club of sorts?

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

The Book Smugglers| Cheerful Book Reviews | Reading Everywhere

  • The publisher provided this review copy via NetGalley.
  • Published by: Random House Children’s Books
  • Release Date: 8/7/2012
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Lydia
11 August, 2012
Coming of Age, Middle Grade, reviews
2 comments
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The Pigeon Pie Mystery by Julia Stuart

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Reason for Reading:

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

When Indian Princess Alexandrina is left penniless by the sudden death of her father, the Maharaja of Brindor, Queen Victoria grants her a grace-and-favor home in Hampton Court Palace. Though rumored to be haunted, Alexandrina and her lady’s maid, Pooki, have no choice but to take the Queen up on her offer.
Aside from the ghost sightings, Hampton Court doesn’t seem so bad. The princess is soon befriended by three eccentric widows who invite her to a picnic with all the palace’s inhabitants, for which Pooki bakes a pigeon pie. But when General-Major Bagshot dies after eating said pie, and the coroner finds traces of arsenic in his body, Pooki becomes the #1 suspect in a murder investigation.
Princess Alexandrina isn’t about to let her faithful servant hang. She begins an investigation of her own, and discovers that Hampton Court isn’t such a safe place to live after all.
With her trademark wit and charm, Julia Stuart introduces us to an outstanding cast of lovable oddballs, from the palace maze-keeper to the unconventional Lady Beatrice (who likes to dress up as a toucan—don’t ask), as she guides us through the many delightful twists and turns in this fun and quirky murder mystery. Everyone is hiding a secret of the heart, and even Alexandrina may not realize when she’s caught in a maze of love.

My Review:

The Pigeon Pie Mystery. Look at that name. Now think about it – maybe you will come to the same conclusion I did at first: the mystery must be about who, on earth, would eat pigeon pie?

However, that is not the mystery contained within the pages of this insanely witty, very dry, very British book about the HH Princess Alexandrina (Mink) and her maid from India, “Pooki”. I don’t read a lot of mysteries these days, and when I do I stick to authors that I’ve found through a (very painful) process that I have honed over the last few years. I don’t like sensationalism, but I do like interesting character development – the more quirks the better.

Julia Stuart’s writing reminds me a bit of Alexander McCall Smith’s. But while his writing tends to be about developing the same characters and providing thoughtful insights into life in Botswana, Stuart’s writing veers more toward bringing out the ridiculous in those we see around us. She’s a fantastic mix of the more outgoing of Austen’s awkward situations and McCall Smith’s lovable characters. I don’t know how to describe it better than that.

So, having loved The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise with all its eccentricities and, having been moved to tears more than once (both from laughter and sorrow), I jumped on Stuart’s new novel faster than you can say Victoria and Albert.

For the last two days I have savoured this novel (look at me, spelling with extra vowels now). I’ve giggled and enjoyed every quirk – from ghosts to murder mysteries to monkeys to ill-fitting trousers on amorous doctors. And while I’m a bit disappointed that there wasn’t the same level of bitter-sweetness in The Pigeon Pie Mystery, I hereby deem it a novel worthy to be read – but only by those who appreciate good, dry British humour (and don’t mind picking up an extra vowel or two).

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Coffee Addicted Writer | CMash Loves to Read | Brodart’sVibe Blog

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Lydia
25 July, 2012
Mystery, reviews
2 comments
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Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

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Reason for Reading:
  • Received from Tor Teen for review

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

Orphaned at the age of six, Jane Williams has grown up in a series of foster homes, learning to survive in the shadows of life. Through hard work and determination, she manages to win a scholarship to the exclusive Birch Grove Academy. There, for the first time, Jane finds herself accepted by a group of friends. She even starts tutoring the headmistress’s gorgeous son, Lucien. Things seem too good to be true.
They are.

The more she learns about Birch Grove’s recent past, the more Jane comes to suspect that there is something sinister going on. Why did the wife of a popular teacher kill herself? What happened to the former scholarship student, whose place Jane took? Why does Lucien’s brother, Jack, seem to dislike her so much?

As Jane begins to piece together the answers to the puzzle, she must find out why she was brought to Birch Grove—and what she would risk to stay there….

My Review:

I received Dark Companion by Marta Acosta in the mail from Tor Teen and, I admit, I was hesitant at the idea of yet another vampire book – not to mention one that has the dreaded Twilight word for comparison on the back. But then I started to read it and I was impressed – something that surprised me very much given all my pre-conceptions.

Dark Companion is a mix between a paranormal gothic and a boarding school novel. There are rich, privileged kids – but none of the snobbery that i’d come to expect, which was a pleasant surprise. There are good relationships, explanations that made sense, and – this is the most important of all folks – a destructive relationship that is not sugar-coated and made to look like it’s the end all, be all of relationships.

I think what I enjoyed the most about this book is that Jane struggles with herself and recognizes, through the tools she’s gained from her very “Jane Eyre”-esque past, that something isn’t right. I loved that there were explanations which made the schools lack of technology plausible, and that I, as a reader, was not just being treated with a heavy hand by the author.

I think Dark Companion is a book that will appeal to those lovers of gothic and boarding school novels out there, and may just do a little bit to redeem the vampire craze by providing us with a book that was intelligent, interesting, intriguing, and even funny when it needed to be.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Anna’s Book Blog| Bookish Whimsy | The Hollow Cupboards

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Lydia
11 July, 2012
Gothic, reviews, Urban Paranormal, Young Adult
2 comments
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Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

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Reason for Reading:
  • The hype brought this one to my attention.

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty’s anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen’s Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

My Review:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman is making a splash in the book world, and every bit of that splash is well-deserved. This is a story for children and adults alike – with dragons, politics, war, intrigue, mystery, murder, and love.

I admit, I went into the book a bit biased toward loving it. The beautiful cover, the typeface, the idea of humanized dragons and a forbidden romance was enough to hook me – but once the story got moving Rachel Hartman’s astonishing writing and the complexity of what I was reading took me over. You see, it was so complex it was almost simple. I thoroughly enjoyed the Seraphina’s story as an adult and was able to appreciate the messages of acceptance, honesty, and forgiveness … but at the same time I know my nine year old nephew would love the action and the idea of old knights who speak of times when dragon fighting was the norm, and hidden secrets by a young girl who doesn’t know what to do with her life and the gifts she’s been given.

At the end of the book there is a page which details what influenced Rachel Hartman while writing this book and with the listing of polyphony, irish music, and more, it all began to make sense. There’s magic in this story. Dragons are treated here unlike any other fantasy I’ve read. At first I worried that it might come across dorky – like some mermaid books I’ve had the misfortune to read, but my worries were put to rest quickly.

This is a tastefully done fantasy, filled with everything one could hope for. If you try to steer clear of the hype on books, I advise you to ignore it and pick this one up on its own merit. If hype gets you, then trust me when I say the hype on this one is not wrong

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Candace’s Book Blog| Elizziebooks |Reading Between Classes

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Lydia
10 July, 2012
Adventure, Fantasy, Favorites, reviews, Young Adult
6 comments
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Never Tell by Alafair Burke

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Reason for Reading:
  • Received an email letting me know about this title and took the bait – it looked good!

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

Sixteen-year-old Julia Whitmire appeared to have everything: a famous father, a luxurious Manhattan townhouse, a coveted spot at the elite Casden prep school. When she is found dead in her bathtub, a handwritten suicide note left on her bed, her parents insists that their daughter would never take her own life.

But Julia’s enviable life was more complicated than it seemed. The pressure to excel at Casden was enormous. Abuse of prescription anti-depressants and drugs for attention-deficit hyperactivity ran rampant among students; an unlabeled bottle of pills in Julia’s purse suggests she had succumbed to the trend. And a search of Julia’s computer reveals that in the days leading up to her death, she was engaged in a dangerous game of cyberbullying against an unlikely victim.

NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher is convinced the case is a suicide, but she knows from personal experience that a loving family can be the last to accept the truth. When the Whitmires use their power to force a criminal investigation, Ellie’s resistance causes trouble for her both at work and in her personal life.

As she is pressured to pursue a case she doesn’t believe in, she is pulled into Julia’s inner circle—an eclectic mix of overly precocious teenagers from Manhattan’s most privileged families as well as street kids she met in Greenwich Village. But when the target of Julia’s harassment continues to receive death threats, Ellie is forced to acknowledge that Julia may have learned the hard way that some secrets should never be told.

My Review:

Never Tell was my first experience with the writing of Alafair Burke. I decided to pick up this book on a whim, because lately I’ve been craving a bit of good crime fiction – mostly because it’s what I used to read voraciously back in the day and I rarely get to it (although Tana French is fantastic and will always be high on my list).

I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw in this book. Gone is the super-sexy, put-together crime detective that I’d come to expect with these types of books (think Kate Beckett on Castle) – and instead I was given Ellie – a detective with more than just flaws in her background. She makes mistakes, and she has to live with those mistakes and that’s what pushed this book above the churned out crime books that I’ve experienced in the past.

Never Tell is the story of a 16 year old suicide – but was it suicide? Wealth, power, technology, deceit, lies – everything factors into this story, which is, by the way, sectioned into nice headings which let you know which person Ellie is currently after.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ride this book took me on. Honestly, I had no idea “who done it,” and didn’t really care until the end because I was just sitting back and getting a thrill from the ride.

My one complaint is that this book is labeled as a suspense novel and never once did I get that feeling of suspense. There were no real moments when I was thinking of biting my nails, and when I think suspense books – that’s what I think about doing because sadly, I am a nail-biter. Other than that though, I recommend Never Tell – especially if you are a fan of crime fiction … but who am I kidding? I bet you already know about Alafair Burke!

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Wendi’s Book Reviews | Genre Go Round Reviews | Book Reviews & More by Kathy

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Lydia
23 June, 2012
Contemporary, Crime, Mystery, reviews
0 comments
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Wide Open by Deborah Coates

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Reason for Reading:
  • I was approached for a book tour on this book, and it looks interesting!

I also recommend:

  • Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

Summary from GoodReads:

When Sergeant Hallie Michaels comes back to South Dakota from Afghanistan on ten days’ compassionate leave, her sister Dell’s ghost is waiting at the airport to greet her.

The sheriff says that Dell’s death was suicide, but Hallie doesn’t believe it. Something happened or Dell’s ghost wouldn’t still be hanging around. Friends and family, mourning Dell’s loss, think Hallie’s letting her grief interfere with her judgment.

The one person who seems willing to listen is the deputy sheriff, Boyd Davies, who shows up everywhere and helps when he doesn’t have to.

As Hallie asks more questions, she attracts new ghosts, women who disappeared without a trace.  Soon, someone’s trying to beat her up, burn down her father’s ranch, and stop her investigation.

Hallie’s going to need Boyd, her friends, and all the ghosts she can find to defeat an enemy who has an unimaginable ancient power at his command.

My Review:

Lately, I haven’t been as into urban fantasy as I was in past years, but when I was approached with a request to check out Wide Open, I admit to being fascinated by not only the synopsis, but also the gorgeous cover. I’ve admitted it many times – a good cover can suck me in.

Deborah Coates had a fascinating idea for this book – the presence of lingering ghosts, the mystery of an unsolved murder of a sister of the protagonist, and other supernatural elements all can combine for an electrifying, fascinating story… but there was almost too much.

As I was reading, I found myself getting distracted, wondering if maybe there was too much. Don’t get me wrong, I was entertained – as long as I didn’t stop to think too hard. But I do stop to think when I read, and there just wasn’t enough of an explanation for what was happening.

It’s a fine line – that line that separates the real from the supernatural. It’s a hard one to walk because I understand that, as an author, you don’t want to reveal too much so holes aren’t poked into your story, but yet.. there still has to be something to make the story believable in its unbelievably (if that makes sense?). I think that Coates tried to do this – but the end felt rushed and unsettling, with a focus shifting toward another aspect of the story rather than the strangely large paranormal aspect.

I’d recommend Wide Open as a story that is entertaining as surface pleasure, but don’t go into it expecting for everything to be fully explained or, like me, you’ll end up a bit disappointed.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Wicked Little Pixie

Book Equals

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Lydia
8 April, 2012
reviews, Urban Paranormal
0 comments
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Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear

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Reason for Reading:
  • I’m a huge fan of Maisie Dobbs.

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

t’s Christmas Eve 1931. On the way to see a client, Maisie Dobbs witnesses a man commit suicide on a busy London street. The following day, the prime minister’s office receives a letter threatening a massive loss of life if certain demands are not met—and the writer mentions Maisie by name. After being questioned and cleared by Detective Chief Superintendent Robert MacFarlane of Scotland Yard’s elite Special Branch, she is drawn into MacFarlane’s personal fiefdom as a special adviser on the case. Meanwhile, Billy Beale, Maisie’s trusted assistant, is once again facing tragedy as his wife, who has never recovered from the death of their young daughter, slips further into melancholia’s abyss. Soon Maisie becomes involved in a race against time to find a man who proves he has the knowledge and will to inflict death and destruction on thousands of innocent people. And before this harrowing case is over, Maisie must navigate a darkness not encountered since she was a nurse in wards filled with shell-shocked men.

My Review:

I’m not much of a mystery reader – I’ll be the first to admit that, after reading mysteries for years, they become a bit predictable for me.

The exception to that, however, is a well-researched historical mystery, and Jacqueline Winspear offers this decadent, perfect combination of mystery, fantastic heroine, and historical accuracy that is hard to resist.

I’ve only read a few of the Maisie Dobbs stories (and oddly out of order, so don’t let not having #1 stop you from reading them!) and they are really, really easy to get into and very hard to put down. I feel like I’m cheating on my homework every time I picked this book up – even though my homework was done! just because I was enjoying myself so thoroughly.

I really enjoyed the plot of Among the Mad. I’m reviewing this for a book tour, and took a chance and let the tour host pick my title for me, and I am thoroughly pleased with how that Russian Roulette turned out.

If you haven’t experienced the Maisie Dobbs stories, I recommend you do so as soon as possible – even if you aren’t a mystery lover. I think you’ll find there’s a little bit of everything for everyone in these books.


About the Author

For more reviews on The Maisie Dobbs Tour, please follow the book tour.  Follow the #Maisie Twitter chats which are starting on 3/8 with Nancy Pearl

 

 

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Lydia
9 March, 2012
Historical, Mystery, reviews
3 comments
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Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

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Reason for Reading:
  • The reviews got me on this one – as well as the description.

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

As she sits in her Bloomsbury home, with her two birds for company, elderly Harriet Baxter sets out to relate the story of her acquaintance, nearly four decades previously, with Ned Gillespie, a talented artist who never achieved the fame that she maintains he deserved.

It would appear that I am to be the first to write a book on Gillespie. Who, if not me, was dealt that hand?

Back in 1888, the young, art-loving Harriet arrives in Glasgow at the time of the International Exhibition. After a chance encounter, she befriends the Gillespie family and soon becomes a fixture in all of their lives. But when tragedy strikes – leading to a notorious criminal trial – the promise and certainties of this world all too rapidly disintegrate into mystery and deception.

My Review:

Gillespie and I is one of those rare books where all those raving reviews? They are spot on.

There are so many things I want to praise about this book. So let’s start with the title – it’s perfect. It’s eye-catching, it inspires curiosity, and it’s quirky enough to be completely unique.

Then there’s the cover – perfectly fitting the story, and – frankly, it’s gorgeous. The color palette, the arrangement of symbols, it’s all just plain perfect.

Now.. the insides of this beautiful book..

So many twists and turns, y’all. I loved, loved, loved where this story took me. Instead of a cliche love story, I got a fascinating mystery that involved absolutely no love story at all and it was so incredibly perfect. The style of narration kept me on the edge of my seat, and the twists – I’m not even joking I shivered right now because they are so delicious.

I’m not much of a mystery lover, but I’ll tell you right now – this is a book that would have me converting to reading the mystery genre full-time if more were like it.

About the Author

For more reviews on Gillespie and I by Jane Harris, please follow the book tour.

 

 

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Lydia
15 February, 2012
Historical, Mystery, reviews
4 comments
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Grace Hammer by Sara Stockbridge

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 Reason for Reading:

  • This one has been on my TBR list for so long I’ve honestly forgotten why I put it there in the first place.  

I  recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

Grace Hammer lives a sweet enough life with her four children in London’s dank and dirty East End, dipping the pockets of wealthy strangers foolish enough to venture there. She keeps a clean house and a tight hold on her magpie nature, restricting her interests to wallets and pocket watches, which are bread and butter – at night she dreams of shiny things. Unbeknown to Grace, her most audacious crime is about to leap seventeen years and come knocking. Out in the dark countryside Mr. Blunt rocks in his chair, grinding his teeth, vowing furious retribution. He has never forgotten his scarlet treasure, or the harlot that stole it from him. At night he dreams of slitting her lily-white throat…

My Review:

I was less than impressed with this book, which makes me very sad because it had the potential for great fun.  A strong, female lead, the Victorian time-period and London as the perfect setting.. everything should have added up to a fantastic little story about pickpockets and knaves.

I think the combination of Stockbridge’s writing as well as the lack-luster character and world building really just turned me off on the story and I had to force myself to finish it.  I kept hoping at 50, 75, 100 pages in that it’d pick up, that there would be a big climax that would make it all worth while, but instead the story just sort of limped along and felt so disjointed that I felt lost most of the time.

This is one I was sad I didn’t take off the TBR list without bothering to read it.  I remember vaguely thinking about how much fun this would be – I’m glad I waited to read it rather than be even more disappointed then than I am today.

Check these reviews!

That’s What She Read

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Lydia
18 September, 2011
Adventure, Historical, reviews
2 comments
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