Well paced, complex and twisty plot and likeable characters
350537
One of Miranda's talents is being able to flesh out the plot without letting readers in on the characters' secrets. It's obvious we're supposed to become suspicious of Leah and I pondered on the notion of a split personality / dissociative identity disorder from the get-go. And there's really nothing in the narrative that gives it away - either way.

We've really only got Leah's word that there's an Emmy... and her identity becomes murkier and less evident as time goes on.
I was an adolescent when I first started to see myself as two people. The feeling that you are at all times both subject and object. That I was both walking down the hall and watching myself walk down the hall. p72

This is a book about secrets.

I enjoyed the plot itself and the 'whodunnit' element, but it was also interesting to watch Leah's growth. We learn she was an excellent student but things fell apart when she didn't get the job she expected after University. She recovered, obviously but then she feels she needs to hide her latest failure (losing her job) from her high-achieving sister and her mother - who worked hard to give her daughters every opportunity and had heightened expectations as a result.

I very much enjoyed this well-written and well-paced book by Miranda and loved the characters she offers we readers. They're complex but real and ultimately very likeable.
4896853
Well crafted character and a surprising plot.
4739142
This is an exceptionally mature and complex book considering it is MacBride's first novel.  His comfort with the material and sureness of plotting remind me of Jim Kelly, whose first novel The Water Clock was another spectacular debut that has borne out over several follow-ons.  I know that MacBride has written more books since but this was only recently recommended to me so I'm going to try and review it in isolation.

On the face of it, this is a really good police procedural that has a strong cast of characters, including the requisite flawed protagonist, who is a just-back-from-horrible-on-the-job-injury Detective Sergeant Logan McRae.  He's a bit of a head case (natch) but he's also bright, insightful, and his earlier scrape with death has given him a perspective that few other experiences can provide.  The main storyline involves the abduction and murder of young children.  The introduction of these murders is handled with respect and compassion by the author but also with unflinching directness. Some of the murders have obviously common threads but others are far outside the profile and are deeply frustrating for the investigating team.  There may or may not be an association with a known thug who has been fished from the local waters, quite dead and minus his kneecaps.  With so much going on, it would be easy to make hash of the story, but MacBride weaves it all together with deftness; he doesn't waste a word.  For those of you who are familiar with the Dalziel and Pascoe mysteries of Reginald Hill, there is a police supervisor named Insch that bears more than a passing resemblance to Dalziel...and that's a good thing.

Finally, as if there isn't enough going on (and, believe it or not, I never had a problem keeping track - unlike some other books that require backtracking to keep straight), there is a marvelous turn on how the media can, by the stroke of a pen, manipulate the facts of an investigation and influence the opinion of a willing public that is always happy to believe the worst.

There is some awesome writing coming out of Scotland these days and the Tartan Noire movement is extremely well-named.  I'm not sure MacBride is ready for official membership yet, but, based on this, he has his feet in the water.
3965974
I was told about this series by a women I met in the book section of Costco.  I thought I'd give it a try based on her comments.  I'm very glad that I did as I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The plot was complex but not confusing, the characters were very well drawn and likable. I've now read others in the series and looks forward to more.
2501601
Rowling has written an engaging and tightly plotted mystery.  The characters are well delineated and clearly drawn.  I was especially impressed by how "true" the characters remained to themselves as the plot thickened (when I thought this was a debut novel). The situations with the paparazzi were interesting in retrospect as I wondered how much her own experience with the press and fans influenced her depiction of them.
We learn enough about Rowling's damaged detective, Cormoran Strike, to like him and want to know more in succeeding installments of this obvious first in a series.  His backstory with military service, marriage/divorce and law enforcement "friends" offer opportunity for additional story/plot nuggets for the future. His Girl Friday, Robin Ellacott, is intelligent and a worthy foil to Strike, although the boyfriend/fianc is unknowable and likely to quickly disappear from the scene.
I liked that both entirely likeable and entirely unlikeable characters played a part in the plotting. There are several clear candidates for the villain and plenty of red herrings along the way.  The ending is always in doubt until the final chapters.  It is testament to Rowling's ability that Lula, who is already dead when she first appears in the tale, emerges in totality even without the benefit of including "back flashes" as the book proceeds.
I hope that Rowling continues writing mysteries with Cormoran and Robin in many future novels.
3359216
I like a story with well-drawn characters and clearly defined good guys and bad guys. I also appreciated the lack of foul language in this book and others like it ('he cursed' works for me). I felt that the main characters were likeable and relatable. The soul-searching was prevalent. There were plot twists, action, and tension, so the story drew me in and kept me turning pages. The characters were still in process of resolving their issues at the end, but both Brinna and Jack were well on their way. Their progress was a good lead-in for the next book in the series. It was edited superbly, and I liked the ending.
3354785
Mystery, action, a little chaotic teenage romance, a dash of fantasy and adventure non-stop--this is a book which launches full speed ahead and refuses to let go even a little bit until the very end.

This is the third book in the Amanda Lester series. Although there are reminders and explanations of the happenings up to this book, I wouldn't recommend it as a stand alone.

The book starts there where the last one left off, more or less. Amanda receives a hefty list (even for a seasoned detective) from the Head Master of the secret detective school of all the problems/mysteries she's supposed to solve. Add that to the chaos arising in Amanda's own life, and this girl has her hands full. And that's an understatement.

Amanda is a head-strong girl, who's ready to tackle any problem. She's smart and clever, but by no means perfect. It's her group of friends, each one a character all of their own, which bring her through. Unfortunately, her social skills are lacking, often getting her in trouble. But it's this side 'drama' which makes the story hit home and Amanda a character younger teens can sympathize with. Friendships aren't easy, especially as a teen.

As for mystery, this book is packed. Questions and problems shoot from every direction, some related and some not, which adds to the spaghetti knot of twists and turns. The mystery, although surrounding something as sweet as rainbows, isn't a play thing. There are murders and moments of violence, which although fitting to the age group, are extremely serious threats.

Between kidnappings, murder and possible zombie attacks, it's the sprinkles of humor that make the book shine. There are several characters which ease the tension and bring moments of chuckles or plain silliness. As to the romance, that's a tale and battle all of its own...but then with Holmes and Moriarty as love possible suitors, the mixture is sure to explode.

As with the other books, there is a ton of plot and sub-plots going on. Still, it didn't feel like too much in this book, but kept the tension high the whole way through. There are light fantasy elements, which add a nice twist. The attempted scientific explanation behind these elements was interesting, but at the same time, fell short and left a few things unanswered (holes), which makes this a 4.5 stars for me.

Summed up: this is a fast-paced, unpredictable mystery for younger teens. The characters are a delight and the story is full of life. It's impossible to see what is coming next. I highly recommend this book and read it in one sitting.

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
2910056
Intertesting and well crafted plot, moves along at a good pace
4636618
Great story,interesting plot, move along at a good pace.
493536
Well-developed, multi-faceted characters combined with an interesting and unpredictable plot made this an enjoyable book that I looked forward to reading from start to finish.
4233593
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I like a story with reasonable amount of complexity to keep my mind on overtime. This a well paced and well written story of Megan and her tragic family. I like authors who can mix genres to provide a unique story, and this book contains paranormal (haunting) suspense, romance, and murder/mystery - in a great package because they are well integrated. It is all served with a strong emotional pulls. The characters are well drawn, consistent and believable. The setting is very well described so you can imagine it easily. I like a book to end well, and this book didn't disappoint. There is some head hopping that caused me to slow down and re-read, but that didn't detract from otherwise excellent writing.
3096068
As a fan of Bob Avey's first book, Twisted Perception, I know I can always count on him for a few things -- a tight well-constructed plot, complex believable characters, and an interesting mystery that plays fair with the reader.  Beneath a Buried House doesn't disappoint.  Police detective Kenny Elliot is back, and he's got a lot on his hands, both professionally and romantically.  Avey does a great job of balancing his protagonist's personal life with his casework.  I was especially impressed with Avey's ability to create a layered universe of characters -- suspects and otherwise -- that kept me guessing, but didn't confuse me with a boggling list of random bad guys.  If I have a quibble, it's that I would have liked to have seen more nice normal Pagans in the story -- as a practicing Wiccan I know they exist, even in Tulsa -- but on the whole, I thought Avey did an admirable job of not vilifying a group that gets vilified enough already.  I highly recommend Beneath A Buried House -- it's worth a read, as is Twisted Perception.  Go get 'em.  You won't be disappointed.
4602014
The characters are great, funny, witty and mysterious. The second book could be read as a stand a lone, but I would recommend reading the first book in the series before the second. The characters continue to develop well in the series and I enjoyed them. The plot is twisted and keeps you guessing, easy to follow and interesting.
1387431
This was an easy five stars. The two main characters, Angela McGlynn and John Knox, are both fascinating and well-rounded. I felt great sympathy for Knox, especially near the end of the book when the reason for his PTSD is rolled out in full detail. There were hints of a dark past in foster care for McGlynn. She's a strong woman, a fighter, and a survivor. Who wouldn't want to curl up with a mystery novel when it has characters like these?

The plot is complex and multi-threaded. It's in the style of old-school hard-boiled detective fiction. Readers must determine which characters are the good guys and which are the bad. There are numerous twists and turns, and near the end, unexpected allies help McGlynn survive the day.

McGlynn is a computer hacker by night. Because of this, there's a fair bit of information about how computers work. Some readers might find it's too much detail. I work in the computer industry and found it to be accurate and interesting. The explanations of what McGlynn is doing are clear, concise, and easy to follow. I thought they added veracity to the story. I'll be looking forward to the next volume in the series.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2941260
Interesting concepts, well realized characters and intricate plots, a thoroughy enjoyable read.
776645
Very entertaining with a good plot and interesting characters.
2198209
In, Erased, Jeramy Gates creates a fast-paced thriller with an intricate plot that will please most readers, and particularly those who enjoy government conspiracy theories.  The characters are interesting and the plot careens along like a good roller coaster all the way to the finish, with well-written prose that enhance the narrative.  This is a fast and engrossing read, despite its flaws.
 If you start reading this book and find yourself confused and unable to figure out who the characters are and how they relate to each other after the first few chapters, keep reading.  Things will start to sort out and youll be happy that you didn't give up.  But, it is not easy to figure out the many characters in the early chapters.  The reader also has to get used to the authors somewhat unusual literary device of re-telling the same scene from the different perspective of a different character, so that the reader is covering the same temporal ground twice and it takes a little while to figure that out and adjust to it as a reader, but in the end it is an interesting format that does add texture to the narrative.
 There are some gaping plot holes in this story, not the least of which is the bouncing ball (briefcase) that we are trying to follow and which disappears and reappears without much explanation about where it has been.  The very beginning of the complex plot includes a courier who is killed off in an early chapter (no surprise there) by a cab driver without any explanation about how this particular cab driver could possibly have arranged to pick the courier up at the San Francisco airport so that he could fulfill his part in the drama.  There is also another pick-up much later in the story that is important to the plot and which seems impossibly coincidental and is not explained by the author.
 Meanwhile, the central character, Sarah Murphy, is described in lush detail and the reader genuinely cares about what happens to her. She turns out to be more plucky and resourceful than anyone expected (and shes a lawyer, so its nice to see a lawyer portrayed in a heroic way).  The peripheral characters are less well formed, but still interesting.
 This is an enjoyable read and great for a summer weekend at the beach.  Nothing too overly politically heavy-handed, despite some opportunities, which is good.  No deep meaning, but lots of fun and excitement.  Dont think too hard  just keep reading.
 [Spoiler warning  stop here if you're concerned]  the main plot premise of the story is that Sara was kidnapped and brainwashed in a Manchurian Candidate kind of way and ends up acting upon post-hypnotic suggestion and is supposed to be the patsy in a plot to assassinate a rap star who has commissioned a documentary film that will expose terrible conditions in a Chinese manufacturing plant owned by powerful American interests.  The black ops agents who set up the elaborate scheme are using Sara to disguise their intentions, which is why this otherwise unassuming lawyer is suddenly caught up in the grand conspiracy and all the action of the story.  Its a bit implausible to think that this kind of mind control could really work as described, or that the black ops assassins would go through all the trouble to use it rather than just kill people themselves (as they do plenty of in the story).  But, thats the plot device and so we suspend reality enough to buy into it and then let the plot go from there. Im fine with that, and I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the story despite all the holes and despite the dubious premise.]