10/25/2017

Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern

I was not sure if this book would be one that fits my taste when it comes to Cecelia Ahern. Yes, the cover is nice and the color combination of the German edition, I actually kind of like. But the novel itself left me with a weird and awkwardly silent feeling. One thing is for sure. This novel is either one you´ll love right from the start or you don´t. There´s nothing in-between. And I am still figuring out, which one it is gonna be for me.

Lyrebird*

by Cecelia Ahern
Publisher Harper Collins UK on March 11, 2016
Genre Novel
Pages 432
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶½

In the south-west of Ireland, rugged mountains meet bright blue lakes and thick forests. Deep in the woods, a young woman lives alone, forever secluded from the world, her life a well-kept secret. She possesses an extraordinary talent, the likes of which no-one has seen before: a gift that will earn her the nickname Lyrebird. When Solomon stumbles into Laura´s solitary existence, her life is turned on its head. Pulled from her peaceful landscape to the cacophony of Dublin, she is confronted by a world desperate to understand her. But while Solomon knows the world will embrace Laura, will it free her to spread her wings or will it trap her in a gilded cage? Like all wild birds, she needs to fly. 

Story

When Laura and Solomon meet for the first time, she is fascinated and wants him to see her. But his world and hers are totally different. And soon Laura must learn that she has no other choice but to go with him – if she wants to be safe and in a place, that means a future to her. But the world outside the forest isn´t as quiet and understanding as Laura knows it from her Cottage. And then there is Bo. Solomon´s girlfriend. Bo wants nothing more but to get her documentary about Laura and does everything to make that happen.

Style

I felt at some point during the first third only pity for Laura and most of the other figures. There were so many conflicts, so much anger, aggression, hate, and other bad feelings that it was not always easy to understand what the author wanted to say with the particular scene, or the way how she described a situation Laura was in. And with Bo, I had my difficulties as well. Simply said: I didn´t like her. All the way through she was a bitch, acting and behaving like a bull in a china shop.

Characters

Bo is a woman who never sees it or realizes it when she is crossing a line. Her perfectionism and her inability to talk normal and to understand when it is enough is way too much. She isn´t capable of normal talk or just having a normal conversation with others without seeing a future camera motive. And that she is sometimes interfering too deep into the people´s privacy and doesn´t give a damn to change it, that made her in my eyes a very cold and uncongenial person.

Oh yes, Cecelia Ahern has again created wonderful figures. And the diversity is very interesting. And to see how Laura changes, how she finds her own place and voice in the world, was quite something to watch. But in the end, I wasn´t as touched or moved as other readers had told me they were.

Conclusion

I can´t say what I expected from this novel, but maybe my expectations were way too high. Well, I am still figuring out how to feel about it. My pity for the characters never left and during some passages, it wasn´t a nice read. To lose control over something you do from your heart is never easy and to see how someone else is taking over and doing things the complete opposite way is hart. But to get shown by another person how you act and really are towards others, that is a bitter pill to swallow.

Happy reading

*I read the German edition new release by Fischer Krüger on August 24, 2017 

Cecelia Ahern

Cecelia Ahern was born and grew up in Dublin. She is now published in nearly fifty countries and has sold over twenty-four million copies of her novels worldwide. Two of her books have been adapted as films and she has created several TV series. She and her books have won numerous awards, including the Irish Book Award for Popular Fiction for The Year I Met You. She lives in Dublin with her family.

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10/25/2017

Waiting On Wednesday #50 – Everlife by Gena Showalter

 

is a weekly event originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy. For whatever reason Jill is not blogging since August 2016 but her meme is still going on. Hope everything is ok and she will be back soon! Until then, I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday!

Oh boy, I have part one and two on my TBR and no clue if I will like them. But I like to complete a series or trilogy I started to collect and sometimes I am a bit crazy person who does things not in a rational way. And I am curious how the cover will look like for real.

Everlife

Author Gena Showalter
Everlife #3
Publishing Date February 27, 2018
Publisher Harlequin Teen
Format Hardcover
Goodreads

At seventeen years old, Tenley “Ten” Lockwood had to make the ultimate choice – where to live after she died. Loyalty to her selected realm has not wavered … until now. The numbers-obsessed Conduit is out of time. Sacrifices must be made, and a terrible price must be paid. But is she too late? As the Everlife descends into darkness, a single truth becomes clear: Troika and Myriad must unite at long last – or perish. In order to bring sworn enemies together, Ten must enter forbidden territory … and destroy the powerful Prince of Ravens. But there´s only one way inside – bonding with Killian Flynn, a deadly rival Laborer who sets her blood aflame. When nothing goes as planned and betrayal leads to the edge of utter defeat, Ten and Killian will have to rebuild trust from the ashes of their hearts. Victory seems impossible; The odds stacked against them. In the end, how far will they be willing to go for the sake of their realms and the Everlife?

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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10/21/2017

Die Mächtige by Trudi Canavan

This book, it´s original title is Millennium´s Rule-Successor´s Promise, came to me by surprise. After finishing the second book of this series, I wasn´t sure if I wanted to read this one, too. But then my curiousness won. Being nosy isn´t always a good thing *smile*. And despite the fact, that the cover of the German edition (you can see the original one at the end of this review) is kind of nice to look at, my favorite one is still the cover of the first book. Yes, the orange, red and yellow here is combined very well, that´s no question. But not really mine. 

Die Magie Der Tausend Welten: Die Mächtige*

by Trudi Canavan
Millennium´s Rule Series #3
Original Title Millennium´s Rule-Successor´s Promise*
Publisher Penhaligon on June 26, 2017
Genre Fantasy
Pages 704
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶

For a thousand years, Valhan, the most powerful of all magicians, dominated the destinies of a thousand worlds. But now he is dead, and chaos reaches around. His natural successor is the young magician Rielle, but she is reluctant to take that responsibility. Without regard to her wishes, her supporters and her opponents fight in the background. And no one knows that Valhan´s plans go beyond his death. He wants to be born again to dominate the worlds for another thousand years – and for this, he and his followers will remove every obstacle.(personal translation ©Vi at Inkvotary)

Story

Tyen tries to find a way where he can please not only Dahli but also the rebellion. His effort, to prevent Valhan from getting reborn leads him into a web of lies and where everyone is playing a game led only by their own interests. His feelings for Rielle are deeper than ever before, but both have their own plans and responsibilities. And when Rielle hears, that Qall, the young boy she once saved from becoming Valhan´s new body, can´t stay any longer where she left him, the time has come to take over her part of keeping him safe.

Style

I admitted it earlier in another review for this series, that the author´s style isn´t really mine. Well, I can´t say that it has changed. But I can´t say either that it hasn´t. It was nice to read about Rielle and Tyen, that´s for sure. But the story itself wasn´t as thrilling and haunting as I had hoped it would be. 

Sure, there were many scenes that were quite fascinating to read, and yes, sometimes I was very well entertained. But with all those many details the author provided during the ongoing story, the traveling that went on over pages and those scenes where Tyen or Rielle was thinking about everything that had happened or could happen, it literally got tired.

The writing style hasn’t changed. Something I appreciated very much while I read the beginning of this novel where the story was quite entertaining. A lot of things happened during those chapters and it seemed that Tyen´s world and life had come to a wonderful place and point. The reading pace was fast and I kind of enjoyed the novel. But then the author changed something. The story slowed down for no obvious reason, and many questions came up. A new figure, Qall, has stepped into the limelight. Well, he isn´t THAT new, for all those who read the first two books, yes, I know that, but he was then only a minor character.

Characters

At first, I was kind of pleased watching Qall and seeing him with his “family”. But then I thought what the heck? He turned out to be a very spoiled and arrogant young man who reacts to everything Rielle wants from him with bad behavior. It seems that he doesn´t respect women at all. He is defiant and naïve at the same time (no good combination if you ask me) and everything that comes out of Rielle´s mouth he doubts. It didn´t take long and I was literally upset when I read scenes with him or heard him talk or saw how he acted. 

Conclusion

Phew, I am still not sure what to think of this novel. The last hundred pages were a real pain to read and I was totally happy when I had finished it. I got some answers, had the feeling that a circle was closed and, yet I have many questions left. And the end of this book lets me guess that this wasn´t the end to Tyen and Rielle or the thousand worlds. 

Yes, there will be a fourth book coming out sometime. But this time I am really not sure if I will read it. For me, the story is kind of done. Is that rude? Maybe. But it is how I feel – at least for the moment *smile* 

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Penhaligon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Therefore, the cover and title of the German edition are shown first in this review.

*This book was published by Orbit/ Little Brown as Millennium´s Rule 03 Successor´s Promise on September 21, 2017 

Trudi Canavan

Trudi Canavan published her first story in 1999 and it received an Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Short Story. Her debut series, the Black Magician trilogy, made her an international success, and all three volumes of her Age of Five trilogy were Sunday Times bestsellers. Trudi Canavan lives with her partner in Melbourne, Australia, and spends her time writing, painting, and weaving.

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10/20/2017

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

The cover is one piece of beauty. Showing a lot and yet nothing. And the story between the two bookcases is one great piece of work. Karin Slaughter, you simply rock! I´ve read almost every book the author has written so far. And for me, it was very clear that I wanted to read this new one as well. Not only because I had heard so many great things about The Good Daughter, but mostly because I like reading a Karin Slaughter book very much.

The Good Daughter*

by Karin Slaughter
The Good Daughter #1
Publisher Harper Collins UK on July 13, 2017
Genre Thriller
Pages 512
Format Hardcover
Source Library
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶✶

Two girls are forced into the woods at gunpoint. One runs for her life. One is left behind. Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn´s happy small-town family life was torn apart by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father Pikeville´s notorious defence attorney devastated. And it left the family fractured beyond repair, consumed by secrets from that terrible night. Twenty-eight years later, and Charlie has followed in her father´s footsteps to become a lawyer herself the archetypal good daughter. But when violence comes to Pikeville again and a shocking tragedy leaves the whole town traumatized Charlie is plunged into a nightmare. Not only is she the first witness on the scene, but it´s a case which can´t help triggering the terrible memories she´s spent so long trying to suppress. Because the shocking truth about the crime which destroyed her family nearly thirty years ago won´t stay buried forever.

Story

When Charlie is about to meet someone at her old school, she is all the sudden right in the middle of a nightmare. A shooter killed two people, and Charlie is forced to deal with what had happened in a very strange and unwanted way. Her father, a lawyer, wants her to help him, but not in the way she thought. And when other bad things start to happen, she knows that she needs help from the outside. And asking that person for help means going back to her terrible past again. And with that, her demand for a fight is bigger than ever.

Style

The Good Daughter is a fantastic thriller that shows the reader from different perspectives what had happened in the past of the Quinn family and what is happening today. Both sisters have dealt with the killing of their mother in different ways.

Karin Slaughter´s language is clear, blunt and with many surprising twists and turns, you don´t expect or see coming. I was literally hooked and thrilled from page one to the last. The life of a small town where men believe they are the only ones who can handle things, rule and sometimes seem to think that they are God, is not the same, since the brutal killing of Charlie´s mother Gamma.

Characters

While reading it became more and more obvious to me, that not everything is the way it seems at first sight and that Charlie had changed. The former life-loving and fun girl who is always full of mischief had turned into a young woman still struggling with her past. Instead of dealing with it and working everything out so that she can start to heal, she is in a state where she supplanted everything. The great dialogues and the strong scenes show her fight in a very impressive way and let the reader be a part of it. Karin Slaughter once again shows figures that are very strong and weak at the same time and who play with each other and the reader in a perfect way. They all have a profoundness; a lack of choice and they all have gone through hell – each of them in a different way and some of them aren´t even aware of it.

Charlie is a woman who needs to have everything under control. Since the evil things had happened to her during her childhood, the box where she had put all the evil in, is strongly hidden deep in her soul. And poisoning her further life, marriage, and how she sees the world now. Oh, there is no doubt, that she has become a strong and very smart woman, and that she isn´t willing to let others suffer the same, not if she can avoid it. But the fact, that she has never worked herself through all the bad she had to endure, is very threatening. And when she is forced to watch the shooting at her old school, her past comes up with force and she has to deal with it. Though she doesn´t want to.

Conclusion

That was a great thriller. Probably one of the best ones, the author has ever written. Strong characters, hate, passion, a black widow, and men who believe they can rule and control everything are very well combined. Nothing is as it seems, and when the past and the present crush together, and the truth finally sees the light, nothing stays the way it was. Holy moly, this is for sure a must-read for every thriller-fan. For Karin Slaughter fans for sure.

Happy reading

*I read the German edition new release by Harper Collins on August 3, 2017

Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter, born 1971, is from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2003 her debut novel Blindsighted was published and went straight to the top of the international bestselling list and catapulted her onto the Thriller-Olympus. She is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including the Will Trent and Grant County series and the instant New York Times bestselling standalones, Cop Town and Pretty Girls. There are more than 35 million copies of her books in print around the world.

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10/19/2017

The Forever Court by Dave Rudden

A beautiful and a bit darker second part of this trilogy. Denizen has started his new life and to learn how to deal with his newfound mother. With this second book, the author gives another insight into his great and unique fantasy. Reading this book was like discovering a completely new world.

The Forever Court*

by Dave Rudden
Knights Of The Borrowed Dark Trilogy #2
Publisher Puffin on April 6, 2017
Genre Children 12+
Pages 416
Format Paperback
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶

Life is returning to normal for Denizen Hardwick. Well, the new normal, where he has to battle monsters in quiet Dublin bookshops and constantly struggle to contain the new powers he has been given by Venia, the daughter of the Endless King. But Denizen may need those powers sooner than he thinks – not only are the Tenebrous stirring again but the Order of the Borrowed Dark face a new threat from much closer to home …

Story

Denizen is learning how to use his new powers the right way. But what exactly means the right way? Is it that, what the Palatin wants from him or the way his mother wants him to act. And with Venia close by, no one can predict nor tell him how things will unfold. But Denizen knows that what he feels and what others think is appropriate and good for him are not the same.

Style

It was a bit sad to see that Denizen´s best friend Simon wasn´t as much involved in this story, as in the first book. And to see how Denizen and his mother are acting when it comes to each other – I can only say, poor boy. Dave Rudden´s way of writing is in some way special. His fantasy is huge, he matches things that make you laugh and puts things into question; simply great. His books show somehow the feelings and fantasies a teenage boy has. There is a lot of sarcasm, irony, and feelings involved that give you a clear insight of Denizen and his world. Sure, this time the tone is darker and some figures I liked from the other book, weren´t there anymore. But others, new ones showed up and gave Denizen enough to deal and think about.

Characters

There isn´t much of a figure description to find. Mostly you get the picture by reading how they act, think, and what they believe in. Denizen isn´t used to a caring and loving mother or to have one at all. And besides, his mother isn´t the type for carrying and showing emotions in public. She is a warrior, wants to train her son to become one himself but showing feelings? Why? Totally overrated. 

Conclusion

I enjoyed this book and had a good time reading it. Sure, it wasn´t as entertaining as the other and I was asking myself for almost half of the pages where this would lead, but after that, it turned and all the sudden things made sense. So, for every Dave Rudden fan out there this is worth your time. And for all fans of his trilogy anyways.

Happy reading

*I read the German edition new release by Fischer Sauerländer on May 24, 2017 

Dave Rudden

Dave Rudden completed his Creative Writing Masters at University College Dublin, earning a first-class honors degree. His short stories and poetry have been published in such journals as Bare Hands, Wordlegs, and the Quotable. He has been shortlisted for the Bath Short Story Prize and longlisted for the Fish Poetry Prize, and won the Fantasy Book Review Short Story Prize. He lives in Dublin, Ireland.

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10/18/2017

Last Breath by Karin Slaughter

This is a thriller novella that rounds up the actual thriller The Good Daughter. My review of that book will be up on the blog soon. I suggest that you read this novella first before you start to enjoy the main thriller. That is if you are able to read this eBook on a device at all. But it is totally worth your time, that´s for sure.

Last Breath*

by Karin Slaughter
The Good Daughter #0.5
Publisher Witness Impulse on July 11, 2017
Genre Thriller
Pages 176
Format eBook
Source Purchased
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

At the age of thirteen, Charlie Quinn´s childhood came to an abrupt and devastating end. Two men, with a grudge against her lawyer father, broke into her home – and after that shocking night, Charlie´s world was never the same. Now a lawyer herself, Charlie has made it her mission to defend those with no one else to turn to. So when Flora Faulkner, a motherless teen, begs for help, Charlie is reminded of her own past and is powerless to say no. But honor-student Flora is far deeper trouble than Charlie could ever have anticipated. Soon she must ask herself: How far should she go to protect her client? And can she truly believe in everything she is being told? 

Story

Charlie meets Flora during a boy scout meeting. Her first impression is that this girl is in desperate need of help and that she´s hiding something. But how bad things really are, she only figures out when it is almost too late for her.

Style

This is a fast-paced story in which nothing is as it seems. The language is clear, blunt, and direct. Karin Slaughter wrote with Last Breath a perfect start to her main thriller The Good Daughter.

The world of Charlie Quinn is no happy one. Sure, she is married and loves her husband very much, but with the shadow of the hell she had to go through during her childhood, her life is more of a denying thing kind of life than an actual happy one.

Characters

Don´t let yourself get fooled by Flora. That girl is a savvy psychopath which gives Charlie a runaround. A real bitch hid under the skin of a tiny teenager who knows how to play others. And created by the author in a perfect way. I was really impressed when I started to realize what Flora really was. A bitch.

Conclusion

A great story with very impressive characters and a plot that haunts you all the way to the end. Holy moly! If you can, read it before you start enjoying the main thriller.

Happy reading

*I read the German edition new release by Harper Collins Germany on June 12, 2017

Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter, born 1971, is from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2003 her debut novel Blindsighted was published and went straight to the top of the international bestselling list and catapulted her onto the Thriller-Olympus. She is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including the Will Trent and Grant County series and the instant New York Times bestselling standalones, Cop Town and Pretty Girls. There are more than 35 million copies of her books in print around the world.

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10/18/2017

Waiting On Wednesday #49 – Friction by Sandra Brown

is a weekly event originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy. For whatever reason Jill is not blogging since August 2016 but her meme is still going on. Hope everything is ok and she will be back soon! Until then, I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday!

For many years I am a huge Sandra Brown fan. From some of her books, I own the original US edition as well as the German edition. This here I heard so many great things about that I actually can barely wait to get my hands on.

Tödliche Sehnsucht

Author Sandra Brown
Publishing Date January 9, 2018
Publisher Blanvalet
Format Hardcover

Goodreads

Crawford Hunt wants his daughter back. Following the death of his wife four years ago, Crawford, a Texas Ranger, fell into a downward spiral that left him relegated to deskwork and with his five-year-old daughter Georgia in the custody of her grandparents. But Crawford has cleaned up his act, met all the court imposed requirements, and now the fate of his family lies with Judge Holly Spencer.

Holly, ambitious and confident, temporarily occupies the bench of her recently deceased mentor. With an election upcoming, she must prove herself worthy of making judgeship permanent. Every decision is high-stakes. Despite Crawford´s obvious love for his child and his commitment to being an ideal parent, Holly is wary of his checkered past. Her opinion of him is radically changed when a masked gunman barges into the courtroom during the custody hearing. Crawford reacts instinctually, saving Holly from a bullet. But his heroism soon takes on the taint of recklessness. The could over him grows even darker after he uncovers a horrifying truth about the courtroom gunman and realizes that the unknown person behind the shooting remains at large … and a threat. Catching the real culprit becomes a personal fight for Crawford. But pursuing the killer in his customary diehard fashion will jeopardize his chances of gaining custody of his daughter, and further compromise Judge Holly Spencer, who needs protection not only from an assassin but from Crawford himself and the forbidden attraction between them.

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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10/14/2017

Follow Friday #29 – Highlight September 2017

Launched by Sonja of A Bookshelf Full Of Sunshine, continued by FiktiveWelten with a new logo. The blog action is for lively communication between bloggers, a good network, and should be fun. Duration of the question: Friday to Thursday. Rules. No registration required. This week the FF is all about our book highlight for September. Good, the month is long gone and we are already in the middle of October, with golden leaves in the garden, horse chestnut laying all around, and a few very sunny (hopefully) days ahead. At least that´s what the weather forecast is pronouncing.

This time I present two books. Yup, I know. I am doing it again. Guess, I probably should change the title into the plural, but it is sooooo hard to choose between all the books I´ve read in September, that I came up with two again. 

My first choice is Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. What a heavy book it was. And I am not talking about the story alone. This book has quite some weight. Holy moly. Click the book title to get to my review.

 

The second book I picked is a thriller called Standoff by Sandra Brown. It is not new and it took me some years to get it, but now where I have read it, I am asking myself: why haven´t I read it sooner? Just click on the book title to read my review.

What was your reading highlight during September?

Happy reading

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10/11/2017

Die Wellington Saga – Verlangen by Nacho Figueras & Jessica Whitman

Ride Free, the original title is published with a smooth, silk-like feeling when you touch it and in a very elegant optic style. Feels great. And with the knowledge in mind, that this is a novel you can just enjoy without having to think that much, this third and last book promises nothing but some reading pleasure. Good, I am not that enthusiastic about it, as I was when I read the other two books. And this one turned out to be something different than a reading pleasure. But judge for yourself.

Die Wellington Saga-Verlangen*

by Nacho Figueras & Jessica Whitman
Die Wellington Saga #3
Original Title Ride Free (The Polo Season)**
Publisher Blanvalet on September 18, 2017
Genre Novel
Pages 319
Format Softcover
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶½

Antonia Black has always known her place with the Del Campo family – a bastard daughter. And it will take a lot more than her skill with horses to truly belong within the wealthy polo dynasty. In fact, she´s been shuttled around so much in her life, she doesn´t even know what “home” means. Until one man shows her exactly how it feels to be safe, to be free, to be loved. Enzo Rivas knows Noni is way out of his league. After all, he´s the stablemaster and she´s the boss´s sister. But he can´t see the hurt in her eyes and not want to protect her. And he can no longer deny the electric tension jumping between them. Yet just when he´s ready to risk it all and change their relationship forever, a secret from her past makes him question everything he thought he knew about her …

Story

Antonia, or Noni, as the family is calling her, is working like all the other employees at the polo estate the Del Campo family is running. Well, not quite. She is the half-sister of the boss and with that status a rich woman and not for every man the right one. But Antonia thinks otherwise. Money is great if you have it, but it´s not a guarantee for happiness or a happy family. Enzo is the man she wants, but he isn´t sure if he can fulfill all her needs and desires. Especially not after all he has been through.

Style

The tone has changed again. This time the novel is written in a soft, but still very melodic way and the authors give the reader a nice insight into Antonia´s former and current life. Okay, some scenes and dialogues are a bit kitschy and while reading some pages I thought that isn´t very round when it comes to style, romance, or the past previously told in the other books. But I can live with those imperfections as long as I can relax while reading such a novel and still having a somehow good time. Average doesn´t mean that it must be boring entirely.

Characters

I was missing some figures and those scenes in which the main figures of the other two books had small appearances were not as amusing or thrilling as before. But the fact, that Pilar shows her evil face, demonstrating her aversion to treating Antonia as a part of her family – that had something. Sure, it wasn´t nice but it gave this novel somehow sense and a touch of bitterness. And though you can´t speak of deep profoundness in general, a bit of it was shining through the pages at some point.

Antonia is a young woman who will inherit in a couple of weeks more money than she will ever be able to spend. She doesn´t need expensive shoes or clothes, a fancy house or a big lifestyle. That´s not her thing. All she wants and needs is to be loved and to feel accepted. She has very low self-esteem and is more willing to go back to the man who dumped her years ago because of his son than to tell him to go to hell. "Poor girl" was all I could think while reading the ongoing story.

Conclusion

It wasn´t as much fun to read as the other two have been. Sorry, but even though it is a nice to read a novel with a touch of crime in it, I still think that it is the weakest book of this saga. I am not saying that it isn´t a good book, but compared to the other two of this saga, it was – at least in my eyes – only a bit above average. Oh yes, I am well aware that this saga is perfect for all those who just want to relax and who don´t want to have to think while reading. I like those books from time to time, too. But even with that criminal touch in it, it couldn´t catch me as much as the others were able to. A wonderful birthday gift was it anyways *smile*

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Blanvalet in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you for it. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

**The original book was published with the title Nacho Figueras presents: Ride Free by Forever on July 26, 2016 

Ignacio Figueras

Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras is one of the best-known men in the world and the international advertising face of Polo Ralph Lauren. Celebrated by CNN as “David Beckham of the riding sports”, Figueras is beside his work as model captain and co-owner of the award-winning Argentinian polo team Black Watch. In 2009, he was named the second most beautiful man in the world by the readers of Vanity Fair. He teamed up with Jessica Whitman, to write a series about his passion polo. Figueras began playing polo as a child and has become one of the most recognizable and talented polo players in the world. Currently, he splits his time between Miami and Argentina with his wife, Delfina and their four children, Hilario, Aurora, Artemio and Alba.

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10/07/2017

Herz Aus Glas by Kathrin Lange

I got hooked by the cover. The mixture of red, black, and the various pink tones fascinated me and together with the summary, my interest was aroused. Though I am no pink fan. The English title could be Heart Of Glass. Usually, I am not that much into a mystery. But after reading the summary of this book, I somehow got curious. A curse and some true historical facts seemed to be a good combination.

  Herz Aus Glas*

   by Kathrin Lange
   Herz Trilogy #1
   Publisher Arena on January 7, 2014
   Genre Mystery-Thriller
   Pages 413
   Format Hardcover
   Source Publisher
   Goodreads
  ✶✶✶✶

Juli is little enthusiastic when her father suggests spending the winter holidays on Martha´s Vineyard. On the island, she meets David, whose girlfriend recently died in a fall from the cliffs. Although he meets her with repellent coldness, Juli immediately feels drawn to the good-looking boy. But then she learns of a centuries-old curse, which is to be responsible for the death of more girls. A ghostly voice begins to whisper to her warnings and soon Juli no longer knows what is reality and what is dream. When she finally falls in love with David, she is in deadly danger. (personal translation ©Vi at Inkvotary/ Cover ©Arena Verlag)

Story

Juli is kind of amused over the American lifestyle. She isn´t so happy to stay with her father on Martha´s Vineyard, but it is the only way for her to see him on a regular basis, she agrees. And when she meets David, she feels something strange going on. Yes, she is fascinated by him, but she also senses that there is way more behind the story of his girlfriend´s death as everyone wants her to know.

Style

The thriller is written in a partly old-fashioned vocabulary, that sounds sometimes very tense. Not only because there is a certain tension to feel between David and his father, but also because some parts of this thriller are very dark. Kathrin Lange writes open but sensitive about death, how it feels to lose loved ones and that not everything that looks great and shiny has to be good. There is always a hint of danger between the lines, a threat you can´t quite catch until you are right in the middle of a dangerous situation. And though the author doesn´t need to use loud tones, her voice is clear and very intense.

Characters

The author limited her character descriptions to the essentials and breaks with conventions. That way she creates fascinating persons. And in so many points of cruelty are not to be surpassed. Her figures have great intensity and are drawn with only a few words. The way how the author brings a psychological touch into the game, how she plays with opposites, and how she lets Juli see and hear things is amazing.

Charlie Sandhurst is the most serious figure. She is there all the time without even showing up. Her relationship with David is the key to everything in this book. On one side she is described to Juli as a radiant beauty, on the other as a manipulative beast who better got what she desired.

Conclusion

A wonderful and very unusual mystery thriller, who contains true history. The plot is very haunting, the story thrilling and some great figures prove that even a curse can complicate lives. A great start that´s for sure.

Happy reading

*This book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language.

Kathrin Lange

Kathrin Lange was born in Goslar in 1969. Although she initially had plans to join the police dog squad, her love for books then won the day and she first became a bookseller and then a writer. Today she is a member of the International Thriller Writers and writes bestselling novels for adults and teenagers. She lives with her husband and two sons in a small village near Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, Germany.

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10/06/2017

40 Stunden by Kathrin Lange

I knew the author from her YA books. How she was as a thriller writer I wanted to find out, so I asked for this book. And what a unique thriller it turned out to be! This thriller is about extreme religiousness, called “evangelical” by experts. Kathrin Lange uses fatalism some individuals have to create cases and background that works with the sometimes-perfidious psychological finesse humans can develop or already have inside them. 

40 Stunden*

by Kathrin Lange
Faris Iskander Series #1
Publisher Blanvalet on January 1, 2014
Genre Thriller
Pages 414
Format Softcover
Source Publisher
Goodreads

✶✶✶✶

When the investigator Faris Iskander receives a video, in which a man is beaten to a cross, he does not suspect that this is the beginning of a true nightmare. For only 40 hours remain for him to find the victim. If he fails, the perpetrator will fire bombs everywhere in the city. A race against time begins. Faris suddenly finds a link to a previous case – and realizes that the perpetrator is closer to him than he ever thought possible… (personal translation ©Vi at Inkvotary) 

Story

Faris gets a telephone call and from that moment on he is on an emotional rollercoaster and who literally pulls the ground under his feet. The perpetrator wants only to deal with him and Faris must not only follow his instincts but also dig out everything he knows as a special crime investigator and part of the SERV Team to solve this case. And when he finally realizes that there is something else even more dangerously hanging in the air, threatening thousands of innocent people, he has no other choice but to do things on his own and the only way he knows how to do them: alone. 

Style

The tone in this thriller is partly thoughtful and very burdensome. Kathrin Lange writes in a very decent style though she sometimes lets her figures become very blunt and direct. No matter how she creates a scene or a dialogue, it fits perfectly together. And Faris is a man with a lot of edges and a very dark side deep inside him. I liked the way how he thought things through, how he saw everything that happened around him, and how he dealt with the various situations. 

The plot is parted in three strands. Two of them cross each other multiple times before all three of them come finally together. The auctorial narrative perspective is the base for the entire story. Which gives you as a reader a wonderful insight into all the different scenes, the things that happen outside Faris´ work, and let you sometimes know more than Faris himself does. And one thing is for sure. The author doesn´t hide anything. She brings even the darkest things a human soul can have to the outside and develops over the entire thriller a tension and haunting plot that´ll hold you captive until the very end. Oh yes, the author has definitely no problems with speaking things out loud, even though she does write in a very sensitive way.

Characters

The authors´ main figure is a man that doesn´t fit into the general picture you might have from a man. Faris has gone through hell. And you could easily think that he is a broken man. But in this thriller, he shows a passion and a terrific instinct that saves many lives. His own included. I was very impressed by how three-dimensional and profound the author has Faris created. And her other characters are almost the same. There is the boss that would nothing rather do than to fire Faris because of his unconventional way to deal with his cases. And then there is his team, which he trusts with his life. And which teaches him a bitter lesson.

Conclusion

A very intense and unique thriller. Here is entertaining entertainment guaranteed. This story knows to convince with its tension and technical finesse. And the misuse of a certain accessory was especially impressive. Read.

Happy reading

*This book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language.

Kathrin Lange

Kathrin Lange was born in Goslar in 1969. Although she initially had plans to join the police dog squad, her love for books then won the day and she first became a bookseller and then a writer. Today she is a member of the International Thriller Writers and writes bestselling novels for adults and teenagers. She lives with her husband and two sons in a small village near Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, Germany.

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