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theretiredlibrarian's reviews
791 reviews
Some Choose Darkness by Charlie Donlea
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Last Seen Alive by Joanna Schaffhausen
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the digital review copy.
The monster from Boston detective Ellery Hathaway’s past comes roaring back to her with a deal to give up the locations of his murder victims but only if Ellery comes to see him in prison. Francis Coben is the notorious serial killer who kidnapped and tortured Ellery when she was 14 years old. She was saved by FBI agent Reed Markham and Coben was sent to prison. Even though Coben has been locked away for almost two decades, the public is still obsessed with him and his crimes. A filmmaker wants to produce a new docuseries about Coben and his missing victims with the highlight being Ellery’s face to face interview with Coben. Needless to say, things go horribly wrong.
The characters were interesting, the action nonstop, and Coben was the cliched handsome but evil monster serial killer- still pulling strings and plotting from behind prison bars. The book did highlight how society has become enthralled with serial killers with so many movies, books, and series about them. Serial killers are the new celebrities.
I didn’t realize this was the fifth in a series when I requested this from NetGalley. I didn’t have any trouble figuring out the major points of the previous books. Author Joanna Schaffhausen provided plenty of context to fill in the gaps and I never felt lost. Long time fans of the series will enjoy this new installment. Casual readers like me who jump into this book without the prior knowledge will be compelled to read the earlier adventures of Ellery and Reed.
The monster from Boston detective Ellery Hathaway’s past comes roaring back to her with a deal to give up the locations of his murder victims but only if Ellery comes to see him in prison. Francis Coben is the notorious serial killer who kidnapped and tortured Ellery when she was 14 years old. She was saved by FBI agent Reed Markham and Coben was sent to prison. Even though Coben has been locked away for almost two decades, the public is still obsessed with him and his crimes. A filmmaker wants to produce a new docuseries about Coben and his missing victims with the highlight being Ellery’s face to face interview with Coben. Needless to say, things go horribly wrong.
The characters were interesting, the action nonstop, and Coben was the cliched handsome but evil monster serial killer- still pulling strings and plotting from behind prison bars. The book did highlight how society has become enthralled with serial killers with so many movies, books, and series about them. Serial killers are the new celebrities.
I didn’t realize this was the fifth in a series when I requested this from NetGalley. I didn’t have any trouble figuring out the major points of the previous books. Author Joanna Schaffhausen provided plenty of context to fill in the gaps and I never felt lost. Long time fans of the series will enjoy this new installment. Casual readers like me who jump into this book without the prior knowledge will be compelled to read the earlier adventures of Ellery and Reed.
A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Five Decembers by James Kestrel
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Murder
When We Were Them by Laura Taylor Namey
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ink and Shadows by Ellery Adams
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0