Category Archives: Viking

Review: Pretty as a Picture by Elizabeth Little

Title: Pretty as a Picture by Elizabeth Little
Publisher: Viking
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

A CrimeReads Most Anticipated Book of 2020

An egomaniacal movie director, an isolated island, and a decades-old murder–the addictive new novel from the bestselling author of Dear Daughter

Marissa Dahl, a shy but successful film editor, travels to a small island off the coast of Delaware to work with the legendary–and legendarily demanding–director Tony Rees on a feature film with a familiar logline.

Some girl dies.

It’s not much to go on, but the specifics don’t concern Marissa. Whatever the script is, her job is the same. She’ll spend her days in the editing room, doing what she does best: turning pictures into stories.

But she soon discovers that on this set, nothing is as it’s supposed to be–or as it seems. There are rumors of accidents and indiscretions, of burgeoning scandals and perilous schemes. Half the crew has been fired. The other half wants to quit. Even the actors have figured out something is wrong. And no one seems to know what happened to the editor she was hired to replace.

Then she meets the intrepid and incorrigible teenage girls who are determined to solve the real-life murder that is the movie’s central subject, and before long, Marissa is drawn into the investigation herself.

The only problem is, the killer may still be on the loose. And he might not be finished.

A wickedly funny exploration of our cultural addiction to tales of murder and mayhem and a thrilling, behind-the-scenes whodunit, Pretty as a Picture is a captivating page-turner from one of the most distinctive voices in crime fiction.

Review:

Pretty as a Picture by Elizabeth Little  is a clever mystery which stars a refreshing albeit quirky lead protagonist.

Marissa Dahl is a socially awkward but gifted film editor  whose latest job is editing phenomenally successful direct Tony Dees’ latest movie. After signing a non-disclosure agreement, she travels to Kickout Island where she soon wishes she had read the script before signing on to the project. Marissa’s regrets soon pile up as she discovers the filming has been beset with troubles, not the least of which is the volatile director whose temper flares with alarming regularity. Following a shocking murder, Marissa unexpectedly teams up with teen podcasters Suzy and Grace  and security expert Isaiah in hopes of solving the crime. Their goal is to unmask the killer and in the process, figure out who is responsible for the long unsolved murder of Caitlyn Kelly.

Marissa is an endearing heroine who is trying to find her footing as changes to her friendship and business relationship with Amy bring life altering changes. She is now living on her own and returning to working within the movie industry. Marissa is a bit of a loner who views the world through  the lens of her vast movie knowledge.  With her editing gig on Tony’s movie a bit precarious, Marissa’s curiosity about the mysterious occurrences on site take her down an unanticipated path.

Marissa is the novel’s main narrator and being inside her head is an entertaining and sometimes poignant place to be. She is well aware she is quite different from most people and she works hard to compensate for her lack of understanding most social cues. But her unique perspective turns out to be a bonus as Marissa, Suzy, Grace and Isaiah investigate the shocking murder.

Interspersed with events in the present are short snippets from Suzy and Grace’s podcast. These short interviews provide intriguing insights into the unfolding story. These passages also sneak in delightful bits of humor which are laugh out loud funny. Suzy and Grace are charming teens who are surprisingly helpful during the investigation.

Pretty as a Picture is a captivating mystery with an absolutely marvelous cast of characters and a wonderfully atmospheric setting. The behind the scene peek into the making of a movie and the editor’s role are quite fascinating. The investigations into both deaths are interesting and take some rather unexpected turns. Elizabeth Little  brings this  brilliant mystery to a twist-filled conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this outstanding novel to fans who enjoy a suspenseful mystery and unique characters.

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Filed under Contemporary, Elizabeth Little, Mystery, Pretty as a Picture, Rated B, Review, Viking

Review: Land of Wolves by Craig Johnson

Title: Land of Wolves by Craig Johnson
Walt Longmire Mysteries Book Fifteen
Publisher: Viking
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

The new novel in Craig Johnson’s beloved New York Times bestselling Longmire series.

Attempting to recover from his harrowing experiences in Mexico, in Land of Wolves Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire is neck deep in the investigation of what could or could not be the suicidal hanging of a shepherd. With unsettling connections to a Basque family with a reputation for removing the legs of Absaroka County sheriffs, matters become even more complicated with the appearance of an oversize wolf in the Big Horn Mountains to which Walt finds himself feeling more and more empathetic.

Review:

Land of Wolves by Craig Johnson is a riveting mystery set in Wyoming. Although this newest release is the fifteenth installment in the Walt Longmire Mysteries series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

Sheriff Walt Longmire is still recovering from injuries he received in Mexico. He and his undersheriff Victoria “Vic” Moretti are on the scene of mutilated sheep when they discover the body of shepherd Miguel Hernandez.  The deceased works for local sheep rancher Abarrane “Abe” Extepare who claims to have no information about what could have happened to his employee.   Walt, Vic and Deputy Santiago Saizarbitoria are soon stymied as their investigation fails to uncover a suspect or motive for the crime.

Walt is mostly physically recovered from his ordeal in Mexico although he really should take more time off from work to recover.  He is rather introspective as he and Vic try to figure out what exactly happened to Miguel.  Experiencing unexpected ambivalence about his career, Walt makes decisions that could have deadly consequences  as he goes to extraordinary lengths to help the people in his jurisdiction.

Land of Wolves is a very atmospheric, intriguing mystery. The setting springs vibrantly to life through wonderfully descriptive prose. The dialogue is peppered with laugh out loud humor. The investigation is a bit slow starter due to lack of evidence but it soon goes in very unexpected directions.  With a shocking plot twist, Craig Johnson brings this clever mystery to a satisfying conclusion. Old and new fans of the Walt Longmire Mysteries are going to love this newest addition to this fabulous series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Craig Johnson, Land of Wolves, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Viking, Walt Longmire Mysteries

Review: The Witch Elm by Tana French

Title: The Witch Elm by Tana French
Publisher: Viking
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length:528 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

From the writer who “inspires cultic devotion in readers” (The New Yorker) and has been called “incandescent” by Stephen King, “absolutely mesmerizing” by Gillian Flynn, and “unputdownable” (People), comes a gripping new novel that turns a crime story inside out.

Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who’s dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life – he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Struggling to recover from his injuries, beginning to understand that he might never be the same man again, he takes refuge at his family’s ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden – and as detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he has always believed.

A spellbinding standalone from one of the best suspense writers working today, The Witch Elm asks what we become, and what we’re capable of, when we no longer know who we are.

Review:

Weighing in at a hefty 528 pages, The Witch Elm by Tana French is a character-driven mystery that is quite absorbing.

Toby Hennessy is the first to admit he is a lucky man. He has been blessed with a loving family, good looks, charm and a silver tongue. He has a wonderful girlfriend, Melissa and two best mates, Declan and Sean, who mean the world to him.  After finessing his way out of a tricky situation at work, Toby is celebrating his success with Declan and Sean with a few pints. However, his world is turned upside down when two burglars beat him nearly to death  later that night.  Toby’s road to recovery is long, arduous and quite frustrating as speech problems, memory losses and physical issues continue to plague him long after his release from the hospital.  He is even more distressed to learn his beloved Uncle Hugo is dying and prodded by his cousin Susanna, Toby decides to move into the family’s home to help care for Hugo.  The shocking discovery of a skull in a tree in their garden puts Toby and the rest of the family into a bit of a tizzy. However it is not until the police identify the victim that Toby truly goes into a downward spiral that has long lasting repercussions on his life.

Written in first person from Toby’s perspective, the slow moving narrative provides a firsthand view of Toby’s heartrending struggles in the aftermath of the beating.  He no longer knows who he is since the skills that he relied on for much of his life are now gone. His Swiss cheese memory leaves him doubting himself and he cannot help but be a bit suspicious of being taken advantage of by others. He is also embarrassed by the lingering physical defects that continue to plague him. Toby tries to hide the worst of his issues from his family but it is easy for everyone to see he is irrevocably changed by the attack.

The story arc and characters are multi-layered and the leisurely parceling of information sometimes bogs down the unfolding story. The discovery of the skull does not take place until fairly far into the novel and the subsequent investigation moves in dibs and drabs. Toby is plagued by suspicions as his cousins Susanna and Leon cause him to doubt his somewhat dubious memories of their shared past. He cannot trust what he believes to be true about himself and once he loses faith in the person he thought he was, Toby is rather desperate to uncover the  truth.

The Witch Elm is an innovative mystery with an interesting but somewhat difficult cast of characters to like. The novel is quite atmospheric and somewhat gloomy with some intriguing foreshadowing that  hint that something dire is going to occur. Readers will most likely figure out who killed the victim but Tana French throws in shocking twist that is definitely impossible to predict.  Although rather lengthy and somewhat long-winded on occasion, fans of the genre will enjoy this fascinating mystery.

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Filed under Contemporary, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense, Tana French, The Witch Elm, Viking

Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea by Morgan Callan Rogers

Title: Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea by Morgan Callan Rogers
Florine Series Book One
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Imprint: Viking
Genre: Fiction, Coming of Age, 1960s
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: A

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A captivating debut, introducing a spirited young heroine coming of age in coastal Maine during the early 1960s.

When her mother disappears during a weekend trip, Florine Gilham’s idyllic childhood is turned upside down. Until then she’d been blissfully insulated by the rhythms of family life in small town Maine: watching from the granite cliffs above the sea for her father’s lobster boat to come into port, making bread with her grandmother, and infiltrating the summer tourist camps with her friends. But with her mother gone, the heart falls out of Florine’s life and she and her father are isolated as they struggle to manage their loss.

Both sustained and challenged by the advice and expectations of her family and neighbors, Florine grows up with her spirit intact. And when her father’s past comes to call, she must accept that life won’t ever be the same while keeping her mother vivid in her memories. With Fannie Flagg’s humor and Elizabeth Strout’s sense of place, this debut is an extraordinary snapshot of a bygone America through the eyes of an inspiring girl blazing her own path to womanhood.

Review:

Morgan Callan Rogers’ debut novel Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea is a beautifully written coming of age story that is poignant and moving. Florine Gilham’s carefree and sheltered childhood comes to an abrupt end with her mother’s disappearance while on her annual getaway with a girlfriend.

Until her mother’s disappearance, Florine lives a charmed life in a small fishing community on the coast of Maine. With her father falling apart and desperately trying to cope with her own grief, Florine depends on her small circle of friends and her paternal grandmother, Grand, as she enters into her tumultuous teen years. Grand is a practical, no nonsense, down to earth woman and Florine moves in with her when her dad turns to another woman for comfort.

The other constants in Florine’s life are her friends Dottie, Bud and Glen. Dottie is a close confidant who is always there for her yet she does not let Florine become mired down by her grief. While she is not as close to Bud and Glen as she is to Dottie, the two young men are always on the periphery of her life and when Florine experiences other losses, they provide unwavering support for her.

Forced to grow up too fast, Florine is sometimes rebellious and she does not always make the best decisions. Her relationship with her father is often contentious but they do eventually come to terms with one another. Carlie’s presence is felt throughout the novel and while we come to know bits and pieces of her character, she remains elusively out of reach both literally and figuratively.

Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea is a compelling character driven novel told in first person from Florine’s perspective. The characters are well-drawn and appealing and the plot is engaging and realistic. Never bleak or depressing, there is a strong undercurrent of love and Morgan Callan Rogers deftly balances this sometimes heartbreaking story with wry and unexpected humor. The ending of novel is surprisingly hopeful as Florine finally begins to find her way.

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Filed under 1960s, Coming of Age, Florine Series, Morgan Callan Rogers, Penguin Group, Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea, Viking