Disturbing and engrossing mystery
586848
There are few things I like more than a murder mystery, but one with a protagonist who reminds me so much of Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock Holmes is perfection.

Garvie Smith does not want to be here.  His strongest motivation for most anything is to avoid responsibility and slack his way through life.  He could do well in school, but it just doesn't interest him and that's the key point, he isn't interested in most anything.  But the muder of his ex changes all of that and he has ins and thoughts that the norms wouldn't.  Pretty soon he is carefully moving through the town, finding out things, related and unrelated to the murder that most people would like to keep hidden.

This book was really so fabulous.  Garvie quickly runs afoul of people who just want to' put this all behind us,' and an overly by-the-book inspector who can't see the potential in this nosy teen.

The story is dark and the guilty and non-guilty alike turn out to be lacking in conscious.  This is no sweet mystery with a happy ending it is dark and disturbing as most of the adults in the story show their own craven frailties in the face of this terrible crime.

Not for the faint of heart.
295003
This book has many things that I enjoy about a mystery.  I read it as an Amazon first and I would likely have missed it  under other circumstances.  The title says a great deal about this story of a delusional serial killer who believes he needs the hearts of young women to ward off the mental demons that torment him.  He goes undetected until a clairvoyant young man begins to see the ghost of his victims just before he captures them.  Somehow this young man is connected spiritually to the ghost of his mother who you soon learn was also murdered at the time of his birth.  Enter a female officer with a dark history that she is trying to outrun.  This case may release her from her own demons.  I have to admit there are some startling moments in the book so it may not be for the faint at heart.  it is intense, horrifying at times and riveting to the end.  Originally written in french, I suspect that it loses some of its punch in the translation and this has a noticeable but forgivable impact on the story.  If that is the case I don't think I would have survived the original.  Read this one sitting somewhere well-lit, warm and secure
1932647
This is a bit difficult to read given that much of the story is written in phonetic language.  Once the reader gets past this, one becomes engrossed in the mystery and differences of the characters.  The ending is surprising, to say the least, and it leaves the reader with an affirmation that humans are humans and that they do things that are not always "human."  The female characters are strong and decisive while the male characters are gentle and appear to defer the difficult decisions to the females.
This story does, indeed, remind one of a Dickens' reads and does justice to his signature of cold, dark, wet, and eerie environments.
Suggestion:  in order to get past the difficulty of the phonetic language, I tried reading it out loud to me....it made all the difference in the world.
424561
The murder mystery is complex and compelling amid an intense personal dilemma! This book is recommended for readers who like difficult puzzles. The story keeps the reader engaged and wanting to find the solution.
295594
A blend of British police procedural, literary mystery and dark social commentary, Susie Steiners Missing, Presumed brings to life the Cambridgeshire countryside, the splits between town, gown and village, and the great divide between the rich and poor. Browbeaten characters, dark motivations, and a missing girl case that drags too long for politics and convenience together it makes for a prickly read that blends being depressing with constant hints of promise for the future. It all feels all too real. But its also oddly compellingthe reader wants to know, wants to find out not just who-done-what but why and where and how all the side avenues may or may not be connected.

In the end, Missing, Presumed is a fascinating mystery, an absorbing commentary on modern life and politics, and an oddly haunting tale with characters who stick in the mind, and promise that lifts it from miserable to hope. Its a long slow read, but a rewarding one.

Disclosure: I got it on a deal and I offer my honest review.
2879151
The Poison Artist was a deeply disturbing, creepy read that really grabbed me - some incredibly atmospheric writing and a google inducing concept meant that this one had an awful lot going for it.

Caleb is a scientist who is basically falling apart. An incident from his childhood haunts him and despite his intelligence and scientific training he really is a bit of a mess. Working currently on a project about pain, he meets and becomes obsessed with an enigmatic woman he meets one night out drinking..

This was very intense in its prose, and in it's execution, as Caleb spirals ever downwards. There is some fascinating background information about poisons woven into the plot and yes, this is where whenever you put the book down, you may go google crazy looking things up - just because it is horrifyingly interesting.

As for the tale itself beyond that, it is VERY creepy in places, Jonathan Moore has a way of describing situations and feelings that just gives you a little shiver - that feeling that you want to be looking over your shoulder all the time. There is a killer on the loose, the intriguing truth behind Caleb's childhood trauma and a lot of moving parts that are all highly compelling within the story and it is all really excellent and addictive.

The mystery element is terrific, you are never really sure what is going on or what might happen next - the flow of it is excellent and Mr Moore cranks up the tension as the finale approaches and right up until almost the last page I wasn't sure where it was going to go.

Overall really really good. An author I will most definitely return to.

**Publisher Review Copy**

Happy Reading Folks!
1910296
Engrossing mystery that weaves the past and present as you are drawn along to the solution.  Very entertaining read and recommended
2288614
In this well-crafted mystery, the author presents several levels of conflict for an American scholar, whose sabbatical in Cambridge leads him down supernatural pathways in unraveling an ancient and terrible crime.
Brian Craig, professor of history at a Chicago University, hopes to enhance his knowledge of Tudor history, and get a grip on his unsettled emotional life during his months in England. Instead he finds himself embroiled with six women!  Three are from the past, strong and independent women whose murders have remained hidden in the dust of history. Three are in the present, a current close friend who is becoming far more than that, a college love who suddenly reappears, and his devoted daughter, all three of whom visit him during his peaceful sabbatical, which turns out to be anything but peaceful. Visited by apparitions of a silent ghost who leads him into the depths of the long-lost mysterious deaths, he seeks justice for the women's cruel and barbarous murders, and spiritual rest for their souls.
The author weaves the two themes of past and present into a compelling story, treating the protagonist's painful emotional turmoil with sympathy and understanding.  It is a ghost story without horror, a fine accomplishment and satisfying read.
3205596
This is a dark, entangling, deeply unsettling sort of book. The type that digs gritty fingernails deep into your skin, your very bones, and doesnt let go, not even after you're finished reading.

The main thrust of the plot follows Kate whose mother is dying of cancer. Her stepfather is concurrently sleeping with Gillian, who happens to be a doppelg&auml;nger of Kate and further, there is a serial killer called the Doll Collector on the loose killing girls who have similar appearance to her as well. Gillians stepbrother Jonah increasingly matches the description of the killer, but it couldn't really be him, could it?

Kate begins delving into her past and her mothers past, bringing things to the surface that she would have preferred to keep hidden. Abuse, mental illness, loss, and pain begin narrating the pages and her emotions, especially negative ones like anger and rage, start boiling over in a way she can no longer control and the lines in her own mind begin to blur.

Perhaps the answers to now lie in the past, no matter how difficult it is to face them. Chilling and compelling, this is beautifully written debut novel.
3656750
And Bess Blinke finds that out the hard way when her best friend is murdered and she starts to discover secrets about her friends past.  Shocking, disturbing secrets.
This is an excellent mystery!  Set in a beautiful tropical setting.  (I lived 13 years on Oahu and it was great to read about so many things and places I remember so fondly.  Victoria Landis obviously knows the island culture well.  Most "Haoles" never really see that culture unless they live somewhere on the Hawaiian islands for a while and really embrace the native people and not just the tourist image.)
It's very believable how Bess is left floundering while trying to help her friend's children and family through their loss while struggling to stay alive and solve the mystery. There were quite a few story twists and turns that kept me guessing what would happen next.
There was a very satisfying ending to the tale that didn't leave me feeling cheated and wondering what happened.
A great mystery!
I received a free copy of this book in order to review it.
4378684
Somewhere in upstate New York lies an older mansion with a beautiful garden.

Not just trees and flowers grow in the garden, it also has a vast collection of butterflies  young women who have been kidnapped and each bearing an intricate tattoo on her back. Overseeing it all is a man known simply as the Gardener and his obsession goes beyond capturing these lovely creatures to preserving their beauty for all time.

When the garden is discovered, one of the girls is brought in for questioning. The FBI agents tasked with piecing together this intricate puzzle find more than they bargain for when the girl they're questioning is just as much of a puzzle herself.

The Butterfly Garden is one of several books I picked up when I was given a free preview of Amazons Kindle Unlimited.

I admit, dear reader, that I was a little hesitant when I first picked up The Butterfly Garden. Just from the quick blurb I had read, it reminded me of The Girl Before and while I enjoyed that book, I was also left unnerved by it. The same can be said of this book too.

Told primarily from the viewpoint of Maya, one of the survivors of the butterfly garden, The Butterfly Garden is a creepy tale of obsession and redemption. The Gardener is a man obsessed with the perfection of youth, his precious butterflies almost never making it past their 21st birthday. The handful that do are cast aside, ignored for their fading beauty and causing them to become bitter.

The Butterfly Garden is a difficult read. There are a variety of subjects that would make it off-putting for some  including kidnapping, rape, and murder. It is deeply disturbing which is why I cant recommend it for all of my readers.

Readers who enjoyed such psychological tales such as Gone Girl or The Girl Before might enjoy The Butterfly Garden. A fairly quick read but one that is likely to stay with the reader long after theyve finished the last page.
2344202
By Way of the Mourning Sun by Joseph J. Costantino is a fascinating and disturbing love story. After a chance meeting getting off a train, Tom Penfull and Yolande Bilotra find themselves beginning to date. Unfortunately, Yolande has a mysterious and troubled past: her current life in New York City is haunted by her experience back in her native city, Bilbao, Spain. An old boyfriend and charismatic speaker, Nick has a hold Yolande as he tries to establish the Mourning Sun Ministry in Brooklyn.
 This nifty novella has plenty of fine twists and turns as the individual motivations of characters lead to intriguing deceptions and surprises. On one level, By Way of the Mourning Sun has a parable quality to it, or at the very least a cautionary tale, as Tom and Yolande must deal with injuries of trust and belief  only time can provide an opportunity for healing. Ultimately, Costantino gives Yolande the most captivating of challenges: she has to figure out how she can be someone else besides a victim who has submitted herself to sanctimonious hypocrisies. As with her old friends Lisa and Samuel, Yolande is burdened with so many issues of loyalty and guilt that her turmoil is palpably realistic.
I highly recommend Costantinos engaging novella, By Way of the Mourning Sun.
3425
This is a very unusual mystery that takes place in a London suburb that is told from the perspective of several different characters on two different timelines.  As confusing as that may sound the story actually holds together really well.  By telling the story from multiple perspectives the author puts the reader in the position of trying to decide who is the most reliable witness out of several obviously unreliable witnesses to the events of a particular night.  It is a story where all the character are connected to each other whether they would like to be or not and no one knows the other person as well as they thought they did.  I thought that the first person narrative style was especially chilling toward the end of the book as the characters get pulled deeper and deeper into events that all of them are causing and played a part in but all seem to be powerless to control.  This is a very good mystery/thriller that will leave the reader guessing and actually get more interesting after the initial mystery is solved.
4918916
As a child, Michelle witnesses a ghastly crime committed by her mother, which sets the pace for this scary but riveting murder mystery. Its a compelling psychological thriller that explores the length a person will go to seek payback against those who exploit and abuse others. The reader is introduced to a myriad of multifarious, flawed and diabolical characters that draw you into their world of deception, betrayal, manipulation, infidelity, unrequited love, abuse, violence, and murder. And then there is Detective Bishop Jones who is assigned to catch a serial killer, who seems to be several steps ahead of him, slowly turning his job into a cat and mouse game, with many twists and turns, and eye-openers, slowly leading up to an explosive ending.  This story contains strong sexual content and adult subject matter and is not for the squeamish. Although the story can be difficult to read, it touches on many social and mental health issues.
469364
The charming countryside of the Berkshires has a dark side, which Kathryn Stinson, a curator currently on leave from her Boston job, discovers when she arrives to track down an old family mystery. With photograph of an unidentified woman in hand, she seeks out locals who might have answers about an ancestor who left the area decades earlier. She hopes to learn the secret about the photograph from Emily Goodale, an elderly woman who was born and raised in the area who teases Kathryn with requirements of what she must see and learn before she can ask Emily any questions. The postmistress Millie does her best to help when she can.

But Kathryn isn't the only newcomer. She rents a house whose owner, Diana Farley, an activist and free spirit, was killed in an accidental shooting on her property. Diana's husband shows up periodically to rummage through boxes in the attic, looking for material for an upcoming photography exhibit, or so he says. Kathryn finds his unexpected appearances unnerving and suspect, especially after she begins to question Diana's death.

Even more concerning are the members of the Barker family, who live farther up Rattlesnake Hill. Earl, the middle of three sons, is a local landscaper who takes care of the Farley home. He's surly, brooding, and a suspect in Diana's death.

When Kathryn finds a stuffed rattler in the house, the story sets a quick pace of rapidly shifting suspicions, unexpected encounters, discoveries that undermine assumptions, and an abiding sense that the locals are withholding something. The characters are well drawn, and Kathryn's changing views of the people who surround her keep her (and the reader) forever off balance.

I was given an ARC by the author in exchange for a fair review.
1531137
This is a really entertaining mystery. The resolution was definitely a surprise as were some other elements. The characters are interesting and the main character is likeable. I certainly want to read more in this series. No explicit sex, but at least one disturbing plot element. Violence at a PG-13 level.
3256495
Dr. Rachel Goddard has returned in DISTURBING THE DEAD but it is a different time and place. Two years have passed since she found out the truth about her childhood. She has recently bought a veterinary practice in the Appalachian mountains and is trying to settle in. This time she is caught between a crazy man bent on harming her and trying to befriend the citizens of her newly adopted town.

At the same time Deputy Chief Tom Bridger is attracted to Rachel but she is still trying to recover from previous mistakes. I liked Tom. He had some personal issues that he was trying to get over but he was upfront with Rachel about how he felt towards her.

The actual mystery surrounding the once cold-case death of Pauline McClure was the best part of this story with plenty of twists and turns. The author explored the lives of the Melungeons, a multicultural group of people that have resided in the area for decades. The tension between some of the white people and the Melungeons drove the story. Tom, half-Melungeon, had empathy for both sides. I could understand his dilemma.

DISTURBING THE DEAD was a much better mystery than THE HEAT OF THE MOON. I am still not too overly fond of Rachel but I enjoyed Tom's character. The cultural impact along with a fairly decent amount of suspense kept my interest in this series.