Tuesday, March 29, 2016
The 6th Target by James Patterson
I didn't really enjoy The 6th Target by James Patterson. I'm not even sure I'm going to read any more of the Women's Murder Club series. It hasn't gotten any better. This story had three different crimes being investigated. Half of the time I had a hard time keeping track of which mystery was being discussed at any given moment. On top of that, Lindsay is confusingly developing feelings of some sort for her current partner even though she still loves Joe, but Joe has a job that keeps him away all the time. Not to mention, Joe LIVES on the other side of the country. I'm just not a fan of stories that have stupidity in relationships and the woman always seems to be the culprit. If you don't want a long distance relationship, why start one in the first place? If you're open to it, then be open to YOU moving if need be. Then to top it off, don't get angry and pout when it's time for him to leave. You signed up for it. Deal with it or cut loose. It really irritated me that when Joe shows up in this book telling her he's asked for a transfer to her city but he can't stay "right now," she gets mad at him and literally runs away from him. The man just told you he was uprooting his life for you and that's all you've got for him? And you supposedly love him? And, you recently thought you were getting hot and heavy for your partner? I just hate it when women are always portrayed as being confused when it comes to love. It's cliche and annoying. There's no place for it in the life of such a decorated cop who always gets the perp. As for the crime side of the plot, the 3 crimes were interesting enough, but they all felt like side plots. None of them felt well developed. Also, Claire got shot AGAIN. Are we really going to have to suffer through Claire getting shot every few books?
Friday, March 25, 2016
The 5th Horseman by James Patterson
Honestly, I think The 5th Horseman by James Patterson has been my favorite in the
Women's Murder Club series up to this point. The story felt more captivating to me. That may be because there are a couple of stories in the plot at the same time. They're kind of related, but not completely. So, it really keeps you guessing as to who the murderer is. It's in a hospital setting where the hospital involved is being sued for multiple deaths due to incorrect medicines. When in reality, it's murder. However, deciding who is guilty is difficult because there is a twist that I won't give away. Like I said, this one has been my favorite in the series so far. They are quick reads and I'm plowing through the series unless something else catches my attention.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
4th of July by James Patterson
I had a couple of issues with 4th of July by James Patterson. It's the fourth book in his Women's Murder Club series. Like pretty much every book I've read of his, it's well written. However, with this being the 4th book, I expected that I knew the main character, Lindsay Boxer by now. Nope. Apparently, she not only plays guitar, she also is into cars and can work on them herself. It just didn't fit for me. It felt weird for her to have those characteristics. Then, he throws in the fact that her father abused her as a fleeting thought. It was there for just a second and then gone. That's not a piece a person that is small. That sort of thing makes a person who they are. So, why didn't we know about that before? I say again, it felt weird to not know that about her. Was I surprised about the dad part? No. The cars and guitar, yes. Then, there is that fact that this so-called women's murder club is missing a member after the death of Lindsay's lawyer friend in the last book. It just felt cliche that the new member introduced in this book is a lawyer as well. Why get rid of one just to replace her with another? It felt as if it were a little bit of a sacrilege, as if Jill had not really mattered in the first place. I get that you might not feel as though you have much to pull from as far as members of a murder club go. However, why not add a stay-at-home mom who watches too much CSI? That could even add a bit of a comedic spin to the books. Despite these annoyances, I still enjoyed the plot. It won't deter me from reading the next one.
Monday, March 21, 2016
3rd Degree by James Patterson
Third Degree by James Patterson is the third book in his Women's Murder Club Series. This one was much like the other two. The story is well written. The characters are likable. However, this one had a completely unexpected twist that made me flummoxed. I couldn't believe it about a main character. I'm not sure where the series will go from here. It definitely has me curious. I will absolutely read the next one. Also, this one ends with a budding romance that could bring some sweetness to the suspenseful stories.
Friday, March 18, 2016
2nd Chance by James Patterson
Second Chance by James Patterson is the second book in his Women's Murder Club series of books. It's a book that might disturb you if you are sensitive to racist situations as several black people are murdered in what appear to be hate crimes. There is also a father-daughter relationship that tugs at the heartstrings. It's well written. However, like the first one, it's nothing super special. The culprit ends up being not the one you expected, of course. So, that's always good. There were allusions to him, but I totally missed them. I had already pinned it on someone completely different in my mind. It's a pretty quick read. I wouldn't consider it a waste of time.
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer was a bit of a conundrum for me. I spent most of the book thinking there was no real point to the book and wondering why I was continuing. It's well written but the plot was just pretty pointless to me. It's set in the early 1900s in England. It has a "possible" incestuous relationship that made my skin crawl throughout the story. There is a young boy who is lower class. His father died in the war... or did he? Is that man even his father? Parts of the plot ARE intriguing, and the characters are likeable enough. However, it just felt like it was going nowhere... or maybe just nowhere good. I could have stopped reading at several points in the book, but I hate to leave a book unread once I get started. Then, I got to THE VERY LAST SENTENCE. Until I refreshed my memory that this book is the first of a series of 5 books, I was literally irate that I had invested all that time for THAT ending. Now, I HAVE to read the next one. Since I know the story actually does continue, I can't just leave it as it is. So, if you're going to read this book, make sure you're ready to start a 5 book series. The ending is a total cliffhanger, and there is a second part of the story that is left completely unaddressed and is even easily missed if you're not paying attention.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
1st To Die by James Patterson
1st To Die by James Patterson was a pretty quick read for me. It wasn't awesome or anything, but was a good book. It's a murder mystery with total girl power. It's nice to have a group of 4 women being the solvers of crime. It was a good book, but I'm guessing I would forget it if it weren't a series. The culprit was pretty predictable. However, it's well written. I will try the 2nd one in the series and see how it goes.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Low Pressure by Sandra Brown
Low Pressure was a surprisingly good find for me. Honestly, based on the book's cover, I was not expecting it to be this good. I know, it's the first rule of being a "good" reader... never judge a book by it's cover. I apologize. It's about a woman who writes a book about her sister's murder just before a tornado hits. Unfortunately, there are doubts as to whether or not the correct man was convicted. A tornado CAN make a crime scene more difficult. There is one big part of the story that I could do without. The incestuous manner of a couple of the relationships kind of made my skin crawl. I don't want to give anything away, so that's all I'll say about that except, no, there were no actual incestuous relationships as far as true definition of the word goes. It was just a detail of which I could not let go. It does not cause the book to be unreadable though. On the contrary, it kept me engrossed the entire time. If you come across this book, grab it. It's completely worth the read. The ending had me going, "Say what!?" I did not see it coming. Low Pressure is a really good whodunit.
The Help
I'll start off by saying that if you can listen to this book as an audio book, then do so. The readers really made the book even more endearing for me. I feel as though it made it more "real" for me listening to it. It felt as though I knew these women and could just walk over and talk to them if I so chose. The book tugged at my heartstrings. I love a book that makes me feel... something, anything, it doesn't matter. This book did that. The Help is about black women who worked as maids for white women in the early 1960s. I felt compassion for the women of color who had to endure such lives of disregard and contempt. Women who had to walk on eggshells with their white employers and, sometimes, even their own husbands at home. I'm not sure if many men would love this book. The circle of women and their closeness definitely lends itself to a good female bonding book club option. I would definitely recommend this book.
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