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Book review: Night Moves by Jonathan Kellerman

Book review: Night Moves by Jonathan Kellerman

I was an Alex Delaware / Milo Sturgis devotee until several years ago when I commented that the series seemed to have meandered off into something I struggled to read. I’m not sure I articulated the why exactly… but I know I got tired of the crap between Alex and his boring long-term girlfriend Robyn and the big deal made out of the fact that big beefy Milo was (inexplicably / unexpectedly) gay and learned, and not well accepted by his police colleagues. In short… it felt like the same story was being repeated again and again and I stopped caring.

Obviously Jonathan Kellerman heeded my advice (!!!!) cos the last few novels are back on track. Robyn is merely background noise and the focus is again more on the cases at hand than the other crap in the lead characters’ lives. (Which is interesting cos in other series I don’t mind the added personal flavour.)

three-half-stars

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Book review: Edge of Darkness by Karen Rose

Book review: Edge of Darkness by Karen Rose

When I talk about a series of linked books done well I usually refer to Karen Rose’s work. Rose is an author I discovered a decade or so ago and think I’ve mentioned before that I mapped out some of the relationships between the characters in her early series to ensure I read her books in the right order (given that I started after she had published quite a few).

Essentially what she did was include a couple of key characters with a few peripheral characters playing minor roles. And it’s one of those characters who’d pop up in the next book. Yes indeed…. every child wins a prize. She did however – back then – only write a few books in each series and (from memory) any characters we met before played pretty minor roles next time around.

This book is billed as the fourth in her linked series based in Cincinnati.  As a result it features quite a few characters readers have met before. And when I say quite a few, I mean shitloads. And in non-technical speak, I mean there were – I think – a few too many.

four-stars

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Book review: Monster in the Closet by Karen Rose

Book review: Monster in the Closet by Karen Rose

3 min read

It’s been a while since I’ve read any novels by Karen Rose, though I love her books. At one point I’d read so many I had to map them (and their interrelated characters) out – which you can do by accessing her author site!

I would have easily read this latest release in a sitting if my iPad’s battery hadn’t died on me. I very much enjoyed this book and her series are akin to a comfort read for me. Rose (like Nora Roberts) is adept at offering up likeable characters, interesting plot and a good balance between romance and suspense.

three-half-stars

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Book review: My Sister by Michelle Adams

Book review: My Sister by Michelle Adams

3 min read

I read this debut novel by Michelle Adams in a sitting. It kept me interested enough that I didn’t put it aside. It didn’t ‘quite’ hit the mark for me… in terms of the ‘harrowing secret’ promised, but did throw up a few unexpected twists at the end. 

three-half-stars

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Book review: Right Behind You by Lisa Gardner
Book review: Breakdown by Jonathan Kellerman

Book review: Breakdown by Jonathan Kellerman

2 min read

Regular readers may recall I struggled a little with 2015’s Motive by Jonathan Kellerman. It felt, I said at the time, a bit like he was going through the motions. Alex and Milo both felt a little stale and I welcomed Kellerman’s The Murderer’s Daughter (released in mid 2015) and felt it offered something fresh and new.

Breakdown, Kellerman’s latest, appeared with little fanfare (which makes me wonder if others agree with my thoughts). Indeed I hadn’t realised it was out until my review copy arrived and I noted it’d already been released. Kellerman offers up a slightly different Alex Delaware in this outing; and the plot – thankfully – kept me guessing.

three-half-stars

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Book review: Find Her by Lisa Gardner
Book review: Motive by Jonathan Kellerman