Review: Dear Wife, by Kimberly Belle

Dear Wife, by Kimberly Belle

Harlequin Audio - 2019
Thriller
Audiobook
Narrated by Vivienne Leheny, Chris Andrew Ciulla, and Pete Simonelli

9 Hours, 37 Minutes

Dear Wife is an edgy and compelling thriller. 

Two women, one on the run from an abusive husband, the other mysteriously gone missing.  Who are these two women, and how are their stories related?  

Beth Murphy has carefully planned every aspect of her escape from one life and the beginning of her next.  She knows her abusive husband is smart and her only hope of escaping him is to be smarter, to never underestimate him, and to never slip-up. 

Another woman - Sabine Hardison, is missing. There are few clues to her disappearance. She has taken almost nothing with her. Even her car - the only clue to her disappearance, is found abandoned and has little in the way of clues to offer. Police suspect foul play, but without any real evidence, the investigation falters, but Marcus, a local detective, is determined to find answers.

Told in alternating points of view, this story is a well woven and intricate tale of escape and survival. The tension rose in a steady arc as each chapter carefully revealed clues and laid the groundwork for the next. Though i was able to figure out some aspects of the plot, I was also shocked and surprised by several others. The main character was well developed and Belle does very well at rendering a character that displays the desperation of a an abused and tormented woman attempting to flee her abuser. 

As the story went on, the rising tension and gaining momentum elevated my interest in the story, and by the final chapters I was desperate to find a few more minutes here and there to carry on with the story. The final chapters tied things up with a very satisfying adding.

Narration was provided by a trio of performers - Vivienne Leheny, Chris Andrew Ciulla, and Pete Simonelli.  As always, a multi-performer cast adds depth and enjoyment to the audiobook experience. Each performed well offering suitable emotional range to their character.  

Dear Wife is a well timed and captivating domestic thriller. Edgier and updated but still  reminiscent of the 1987 novel Sleeping With The Enemy, by Nancy Price.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: Follow Me, by Kathleen Barber

Follow Me, by Kathleen Barber

Simon & Schuster Canada - Available February 25, 2020
Thriller
E-book

352 Pages

* I received this digital ARC courtesy of Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

A thriller for the age of social media.

In a world where it is not uncommon for some individuals to post the minutiae of their daily existence on social media, Barber has written a timely thriller to make people think twice about how much they share on their timelines.

Audrey lives her life on the internet. With a million Instagram followers she carefully cultivates, designs, photographs, and filters things that most of us do by rote.  She lives for the "likes" and the comments.  

When Audrey accepts a job that combines her two passions - art history and social media, she moves from New York to Washington to become a social media manager for part of the Smithsonian group.  

The move brings her closer to her college bestie who for her own reasons lives her life as privately as Audrey lives hers publicly, and her ex-boyfriend who she cannot seem to stay away from. Not everything in her new life is picture perfect though.  Her new apartment is not exactly a glamorous insta-worthy backdrop, it has a broken lock and the land-lady's son who lives just upstairs is creepy. Speaking of creepy, there is also some man hanging around her work all the time.  After a few happenings, Audrey realizes that she has a stalker, and while her stalker knows everything about her, she knows nothing about them. Audrey is learning that when you share every bit of your life online, there is nowhere left where you can hide.

Follow Me is a thriller centered around social media, now so much a part of our everyday life. This makes it easy for the reader to relate to the basic premise of the story if not the character of Audrey herself. We all have that one friend (or two) that simply shares too much information on their timelines. The story easily captures the reader's attention early on and the reader is soon considering and re-considering characters from page to page. The tension increases in a steady arc resulting in a taut well executed thriller. 

A quick and easy read, Follow Me is a gripping and cautionary story that will have you checking the privacy settings on your social media accounts.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: An Illusion Of Thieves, by Cate Glass

An Illusion of Thieves, by Cate Glass

MacMillan Audio - 2019
Fantasy
Chimera - Book 1
Audiobook
Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

9 Hours, 24 Minutes

A thrilling story that brings the magic of fantasy together with the edge of your seat tension of a heist style adventure-thriller.

In a land where magic is forbidden, and those who wield it (and often their family as well) put to death, Romy was born into poverty. Afraid that Romy would one day expose her magic she was sold off by her mother as a young girl and sent to the "Moon House" to be trained as courtesan to the local nobility and ruling elite. She became the favored companion to the Shadow Lord, and as such she lived a very comfortable life, with all the finer things, and not completely without love. 

When her brother Neri commits and act of reckless greed, and thieving that jeopardizes their entire family, Romy is called upon and attempts to use her influence with the Shadow Lord to save them. While their lives are spared, the consequences are nonetheless steep.  Her father takes the fall, and he and the rest of the family are evicted from the city, She is banished from the castle, but confined to the city and made responsible for her careless and impulsive brother Neri who is now on probation - and any wrong move on his part could cost them both their lives. 

Despite the Shadow Lord's attempts to create a peaceful and prosperous life for all in the city of Castanga, there are those who plot to steal the his power and incite a civil war. A small act of kindness on Romy's part as she is being evicted from the castle returns to haunt her as she is called upon when the plot is discovered, and she is put in an unfair and seemingly impossible situation. Failure would mean the death of not only Romy and Neri, but thousands of others in the resulting war and unrest. Romy must put her wisdom and education to the test, and she must put her trust in a motley little group of other skilled people from Beggars Circle trying to live discretely and without notice. 

This book a a fresh and welcome addition to the fantasy scene. One reason I found this book so exciting is that as a reader who has always tolerated the strong romantic sub plots prevalent in many fantasy stories but never particularly enjoyed them, I am thrilled to say that romance is not a significant part of this story. The second main reason is that the romance has been replaced with a taut and intricately orchestrated heist type adventure element.  The lead in to the climax was slow, but not boring, and once the real action started it had me eagerly listening and hanging on to every word. 

Narration was performed by Saskia Maarleveld who is a well respected audiobook narrator.  She has a wonderful voice with a very good character range, as well as providing a good emotional scope to those characters. Her tone and cadence is on par with what you would expect from such an experienced and well respected narrator.  She makes listening a pleasure and  makes it easy to get lost in the story. 

If you like magic, and you like a good heist adventure, you will probably enjoy An Illusion Of Thieves!

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Reflections of Queen Snow White, by David Meredith

The Reflections of Queen Snow White, by David Meredith.

David Meredith (Indie) - 2019
Fantasy
Audiobook
Narrated by Robin Waters

6 Hours, 18 Minutes

* I received this audiobook review copy courtesy of *the author in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

"...and they lived happily ever after." So many of our childhood fairy tale books ended with those words; but does anyone ever really get to have a "happily ever after"?   What really happened to our beloved childhood characters after we closed their books?

In The Reflections of Queen Snow White, David Meredith writes a sequel of sorts, for the classic story of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. 

In Meredith's story we see Snow White, now a middle-aged queen and deeply depressed widow on the eve of her daughter Raven's marriage, too broken by grief to help plan the wedding. As she roams aimlessly through the castle, she stumbles upon her step-mother's mirror. Gazing into its depths, she is compelled to examine the truths of her past and how it has molded who she has become. Can she ever find happiness again now that her husband is gone?

I do enjoy a good fairy tale - all grown up and re-told, and this book was no exception. Couples do not often die peacefully and simultaneously in each-other's arms, and even the luckiest of us must deal with a certain amount of grief in this life. That is something that our childhood stories didn't always address or prepare us for,  

Meredith has re-created Snow White as well as her relationship with Charming with depth and dimension; even the mirror is not what we would believe on the basis of our childhood readings. This book was an imaginative and well thought return to the kingdom of long ago and far away. 

Narration for the story was provided by Robin Waters with a pleasant and clear tone, and she provided for an array of characters,  

The Reflections of Queen Snow White, by David Meredith was a bitter-sweet re-visit to childhood favorite. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Sunday Summary November 3 - November 30, 2019

Well, another month has come and gone.  This time of year is always hectic. As I write this, I am just home from my son's 8th birthday party.  I give little thought to Christmas until after his birthday (I never wanted his birthday to become lost in the holiday shuffle), but once his birthday has been celebrated, I know that the holidays will come and go in a blur of stress and excitement.  It is a perfect time to read - even just a little. While I may not have a lot of time to read, I find it grounds me and offers me an opportunity to slow down and de-stress when I need it most. 

By the time the next Sunday Summary is posted, it will be all over but the clean-up as they say,  so let me take a moment to wish you the best of the holiday season. Whatever traditions you celebrate, I hope you feel a reason to celebrate (even if it is just life itself) and loved ones to celebrate with. Wishing everyone good health and good fortune, and hoping that the new year sees us being a little kinder to each other globally. I think the world really needs a little more kindness. 

Click on any of the images below to be linked to the full review.

November 10th was world Keratoconus day.  Keratoconus is a debilitating and progressive eye disease.  You can read more about this disease, the symptoms and warning signs, as well as how having Keratoconus has affected my reading experience by clicking the image below.

I am currently reading Follow Me, by Kathleen Barber, a thriller for the Instagram age! 

I am currently in between audiobooks. 

I have many titles on my list that I am excited to get into.  Depending on my moods for whichever genre at the time, these are the books I will be diving into next:

When We Were Vikings, by Andrew David MacDonald, a book described by the publisher as: "A heart-swelling debut for fans of The Silver Linings Playbook and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time." - Available January 28th from Simon & Schuster Canada. 

West Of Sin, by Wesley S. Lewis - A mystery/Thriller set it in the exciting city of Las Vegas. - Available February 4th, from Books Go Social

Master Of Sorrows, by Justin T. Call - this fantasy is one of my most anticipated for early 2020. A fantasy in which the main character may not be our hero, but instead a dark power. - Available February 25th, from Blackstone Publishing.

There is more - including some previously released titles from Indie/small press authors to fit in as time allows between ARCs, and as always, more on the way!

Happy Reading,
Christine

Review: Elevator Pitch, by Linwood Barclay

Elevator Pitch, by Linwood Barclay

Penguin Random House Canada - 2019
Thriller - Psychological
Audiobook
Narrated by Jonathan MacLean

12 Hours, 52 Minutes

Elevator Pitch, by Linwood Barclay is a gripping thriller that will have you thinking twice before blindly stepping into a high-rise elevator! 

New York city is one of the most vertical cities in the world. So when hen an elevator car suddenly plummets killing the car's occupants, the city is shocked. When two more grisly elevator mishaps happen right on the heels of the first, it is clear that someone is orchestrating these events. With the city held hostage by terror, tourists are cancelling, businesses and the local economy are being impacted, and people dying waiting for emergency responders to reach them on upper floors. How long can a city like New York survive without the use of elevators, and who would would do such a thing?

Two New York detectives who discover their victim may be linked, and a reporter who has been a long time critic of the mayor try to figure out who would do this before the next gruesome scene presents itself. 

This was my first Linwood Barclay novel, but I doubt it will be my last. Barclay took an easily identifiable and relatable scenario - riding an elevator, and created a compelling thriller around it. I was drawn in to the story easily, and it kept my attention.  As in any good thriller, there were plot twists, and I can say that one of them had my jaw drop while I reached for the rewind. I am happy to report, that I did not correctly guess who was responsible. 

Narrated by Jonathan MacLean. His narration was clear and pleasant, with good tone and cadence, and voices to a variety of characters with emotion appropriate to the story. 

 Elevator Pitch will have you happily choosing the stairs,

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: 'A brightness Long Ago, by Guy Gavriel Kay

A Brightness Long Ago, by Guy Gavriel Kay

Viking - 2019
Fiction - Historical, Fantasy
Print
448 Pages

Set in a land reminiscent of Italy centuries ago, a man - Danio Cerra, tells the stories of his past and the people and events the fates used to shape his life and the times. 

It starts when he is barely more than a boy, working at the court of  a count so sadistic, he is referred to as "the beast".  He sees Adria, a woman he knows to have ulterior motives enter the count's chambers. He knows she is there to kill. Adria makes a quick escape, but it is not the last either Danio or the reader see of of her. 

As the story continues, we also meet a young, but tremendously skilled healer, and two army commanders who are fierce adversaries. Each of these characters enters and exits through the story several times, and each of them are changing the world as they know it, and being changed by it. 

For me, the fantasy aspect of this story was a little more subtle than I would like. I fell in love with one of Kay's previous works - a trilogy called The Fionavar Tapestry, and it is to this day one of my favorite books/series of all time. A Brightness Long Ago was not like the the Fionavar Tapestry, woven thick with fantasy. This was a piece of historical fiction with subtle threads of the fantastical woven into it.   I am not a particularly great fan of Historical Fiction per se; but one cannot deny the quality of Kay's prose for this book. It is lyrical, and has great depth. It is a story examines what it is to be an individual forging one's way in the world, how the memories made one day shape our decisions the next, and in the end, mold us into who we are to become.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern

Penguin Random House Audio - 2019
Fantasy - Historical
E-book
Narrated by a full cast - Dominic Hoffman, Dion Graham, Bahni Turpin, Fiona Hardingham,       Allan Corduner, and Jorjeana Marie

18 Hours, 37 Minutes

This long awaited story by Erin Morgenstern - author of The Night Circus, did not disappoint. 

The story starts for us with Zachary, a university student in Vermont. While in the library one day, he finds a mysterious book.  This strangely enchanting book draws him in (as good books often do), but the book becomes even more mysterious when he goes to check it out, only to find that it does not scan out properly. Later, he is stunned to find one of his own memories in the pages. Shocked, he looks closely at the odd book and it  reveals three symbols as clues to the mystery - a sword, a key, and a bee - symbols from the memory of his childhood inked into the pages of the book.

He follows those clues, and finds himself attending an exquisite literary masquerade party. The party leads to a person, and the person to a door. Eventually finds himself in an intricate subterranean, labyrinthine, library world, where books are treasures, and his story and the stories of others merge across time and place in the most painfully beautiful way. 

I have been waiting for this book ever since I enjoyed The Night Circus, years ago.  There is always a concern when a book is so highly anticipated. Often, with that much anticipation I feel let down by the reality - that is not the case with this story. It is every bit as enchanting as The Night circus.  

There are several stories being told here, and yet they are ultimately all part of a bigger story. The layers and characters twisting and turning in space and time, slowly weaving themselves into the greater tale. Intricately beautiful, and beautifully intricate.

The greater story is a love story of sorts. it is an Ode to stories and storytelling.  There are even subtle references to stories from our real world that will warm the heart of book lovers. I noticed some of these tiny nods to some of my favorite books from over the years and adored the references, even more so for their matter-of-factness or subtlety.

The prose is enchanting, and the world building for this book is incredible.  Readers who enjoy portal fantasies will especially enjoy this story, for there are portals within portals in this intricate tale. It has a richness created from the use of elements such as time, fate, and the moon, it tells of pirates, and rituals, and so much more. This really is the kind of story one can get lost in. 

This is one of those books that I know I will re-visit in the future, even though I have finished it and loved it. It is just one of those books that you know will reveal even more to you should you read it again, and I know I will.  

Narration for this book was provided by a full cast of narrators with extensive credits to their names. If you you listen to audiobooks regularly, you will know the names, or at least you will know their voices - we're talking about some of the best in the industry here!  If not, you are in for a treat! Their performances were perfect and well suited to the characters and the story. 

The Starless Sea, was worth the wait, and worth the hype. It is a story that has become an instant favorite of mine, and I look forward to reading it again some day. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Book Of Dreams, by Nina George

The Book Of Dreams, by Nina George

Random House Audio - 2019
Fiction - Literary
Audiobook
Narrated by Steve West, Elizabeth Knowelden, and Xalvador Tim-Bradbury

10 Hours, 11 Minutes

The Book Of Dreams, by Nina George is a stunning story told from the the spaces between life and death, dreams and memory, past and present, and regret and redemption. 


The book follows three main characters. Henri, Sam, and Eddie. Each having their own story, yet each being very much part of each-other's. 

Henri, is a former war correspondent who has never been able to make the right decisions, and lives with his regrets. Sam is his estranged son. He is a Mensa candidate and a synesthete, experiencing the world quite differently than most people, and with greater sensitivity. Eddie is a woman who was once rejected by Henri.  She has moved on but she has yet to deal with the feelings she still has for him.

When Sam's school is holding a father-son event, he invites Henri to attend.  On the way to reunite with Sam, Henri has a horrible accident.  Badly injured and in a deep coma, he is admitted to a neurological facility with a questionable prognosis.

Sam starts skipping classes to visit with Henri, and it is while visiting that he meets Eddie. The two continue to visit daily, and bond over their mutual concern for Henri.

While Henri lingers in a coma, these three people all confront their own lives in the strange ethereal space where life and death, dreams and reality, and past and present meet. The threads of their lives beautifully woven into each other, swirling around and intersecting, each finding meaning in and from each other.  

I really struggled with writing my synopsis for this review.  To say too little risked making the story sound uninteresting, to say too much could spoil the beauty and magic of experiencing this story oneself.  While this story did not come across as a complicated read, it did have a subtle complexity. 

George's prose was breathtaking. The story evoked a mystical and ethereal feel that paired perfectly with the exploration of feelings of grief, regret, forgiveness and hope; of realizing our lives are not self-contained even if we may, at times, feel isolated. 

This story was narrated by Steve West, Elizabeth Knowelden, and Xalvador Tim-Bradbury. Each performing with clarity and pleasing tone, as well as performing with emotion appropriate to the story. Having a full cast of course makes it easier to follow a story such as this - told from multiple points of view.

Emotionally rich and poignant, The Book Of Dreams is a beautiful and moving story that will stay with a reader long after finishing.

Happy Reading,

Christine

I See You, by Clare Mackintosh

I See You, by Clare Mackintosh

Penguin Audio - 2017
Thriller
Audiobook
Narrated by Rachel Atkins

10 Hrs, 58 Min 

I See You, by Clare Mackintosh is an unnerving thriller that will have you re-thinking your routines. 

Like most of us, Zoe Walker has a routine that she follows to get to and from work.  She leaves home at the same time, she takes the same route to the train, and has a favorite place to wait on the platform and to sit on the train. Like most of us, Zoe has never given her routine very much thought. 

Then one day, as she is sitting in her favorite seat on her favorite train car, she is surprised to see a photo of herself in an ad for a dating site called "FindTheOne.com".  Initially concerned, her mind is quickly put to ease with the idea that it is probably only an innocent case of a look alike in the ad.  She sees other adds for the site - a new add every day with a new woman in the picture

That unease turns to terror when she recognizes the women she sees in the ads also in the news as victims of violent crimes! Now she realizes it really is her in the picture, and that she has been made a target in some one's deadly and twisted game..

This story starts with a definite chill factor. Most of us are very much creatures of routine, and imagining someone using that to target you is frightening and unnerving. Towards the end of the book, as the plot slides towards its resolution, it seems to stretch the boundaries of plausibility a little bit, but I personally was wrapped up in the story well enough to not have it bother me. The story ended with a bang, because although I thought I had things figured out, there was a pleasantly surprising extra twist that really caught me completely unaware. 

Narration of this story was performed by Rachel Atkins. Her tone and cadence were pleasant and clear and she was able to give voice to a range of characters, and appropriate emotions. 

I See You is a thriller that will have you looking over your shoulder for some time after you finish.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Ramblings: Eye Disease And The Bookworm - World Keratoconus Day 2019

November 10 - Keratoconus Day

*Originally posted November 10, 2018, Updated and re-posted November 10, 2019

Today is World Keratoconus Day. 

What does this strange sounding word have to do with a book blog? Simple - It is an eye disease; and what could be more threatening to the day to day happiness of an admitted bookworm than an eye disease? 

 

I have Keratoconus. I will always wear strong glasses. I will always have some vision issues, and Lasik is not an option.  I am one of the lucky ones though. I was diagnosed early enough to not have gone legally blind (it does not cause complete blindness, but can impair vision sufficiently enough to be considered legally blind) and/or require a cornea transplant. I was able to retain enough visual acuity to maintain my driver's license and most importantly, I am able to see my son's beautiful, smiling face. I did have to undergo a procedure called Corneal Collagen Cross Linking on my right eye, and expect that I may yet have to have the procedure on my left eye. Cross linking does not cure the disease, nor does it correct the damage already done by the disease. It merely halts progression of the disease. That is why early detection is so important. 

In the early stage, keratoconus symptoms can include:

• mild blurring of vision
• slightly distorted vision, where straight lines look bent or wavy
• increased sensitivity to light and glare
• eye redness or swelling

Left: normal cornea; right: cornea with keratoconus.

In later stages, keratoconus symptoms often include:

• more blurry and distorted vision
• increased nearsightedness or astigmatism (when your eye cannot focus as well as it should). As a result, you may need new eyeglass prescriptions often.
• not being able to wear contact lenses. They may no longer fit properly and they are uncomfortable.

Keratoconus usually takes years to go from early to late stage. For some people, though, keratoconus can get worse quickly. The cornea can swell suddenly and start to scar. When the cornea has scar tissue, it loses its smoothness and becomes less clear. As a result, vision grows even more distorted and blurry. 

Epidemiology estimates vary from 1 in 2000 to 1 in 500 people affected due to the symptoms so closely imitating astigmatism. Most will be diagnosed early in life (teen years), but some (like me) much later.

It was when I had the cross-linking done that I fell in love with audiobooks.  Nothing like sitting in a dark room with nothing to do to make you want a story read to you. Prior to attending my procedure appointment, I loaded up a tablet with a few audiobooks and turned the screen brightness way down for when I needed to view the screen for a few seconds. This was my company and entertainment for the first few days after the procedure. After a few days, I started venturing out of my dark room wearing sunglasses and still not ready to read or watch T.V.  While I puttered about doing light housework in my sunglasses I continued with the audiobook I had started, and I learned how much more pleasant housework is with a story, and how many more stories I could fit into my life by listening while I work.

Keratoconus is also the reason I love my kindle so much.  I haven't given up on hard copy yet - I love the heft of the book, the feel of the pages, and the smell of paper and ink; but the reality is my kindle is easier for me to read from.  Print books come with certain challenges that my Kindle addresses.  Smaller fonts in print books can be addressed by increasing the font size, the slight curve of the page near the binding is not an issue on an e-reader screen which is perfectly flat, shadows created by the location of the light source when reading in print are corrected by an adjustable, soft, evenly distributed back-light on the hardware. It takes me a little longer to read a print book, but that's okay, I still like to sometimes. Maybe one day I will no longer care to read print at all, but that day certainly has not come yet. 

There has always been a bit of a long standing debate/rivalry over the validity of audio and/or e-books vs. print books.  I would like to say that all formats are valid.  While I am still able to read print with a little effort, there are others who cannot. My Grandfather-in-law has macular degeneration and is now legally blind. An avid reader before his disease claimed his sight; he has relied heavily on audiobooks for years. 

Every year on Keratoconus day, I try to post something to raise awareness of the disease and its warning signs. 2018 was the first time doing so as a bookblogger. This is now my second year posting this on my blog, If you have read this far, I thank you. 

If you would like to learn more, you can start by visiting https://www.keratoconusgroup.org/
If you know someone recently diagnosed, searching for "keratoconus group" on facebook and requesting admission to the group will provide a much needed peer support. 

Happy Reading!

Christine.