Tag: Mystery

A Flicker In The Dark by Stacy Willingham

Fiction

This story contains three hundred fifty four pages spread out into forty eight chapters, and I had correctly guessed who the killer was by page eighteen. When I had reached the climax of the story and the grand reveal, I was kind of disappointed that it had been that obvious, at least it was for me, but the story was still engaging nonetheless. I enjoyed suspicions bouncing around, evidence surfacing, and the main character going slightly mad. It kept me going, waiting to see if she herself needed as much, if not more, help than the patients that came to her for mental aid did. I did keep expecting the psychiatrist to get locked in the psych ward, which for me would have been a terrible cliche to include in the story on top of it being clearly evident who the killer was, so I’m a little glad that that did not happen. 

I can see why the book is popular amongst certain social media circles, it can be read in a few days, justice prevails, it is not a difficult read, but it is entertaining, and therefore it can appeal to a large audience. It’s a book that makes me not want to buy books just because I see them in the recommended piles at bookstores, but I am also glad that I did read it to see what the fuss was about. I’m not bummed out that I spent my money on it, but I also don’t know if it is something I would find worthy of my time to read again. I’d say, it’s a good book for a reader who is just starting out, but it might be a let down for seasoned readers. It also makes me wonder if the author’s other works are better or if I will find myself feeling that I just read another average book.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Fiction

I picked up this book because when I saw the cover, it haunted me. It’s just a simple washed out picture of a woman, but the one strip of paper ripped in front of her mouth left me with an eerie feeling that I wanted to go away but at the same time craved to feel more of. I had to include a picture, maybe you will feel what I felt when you see the artwork. I hoped that I would find a worthy story inside that gave me the same feeling as the cover.

It’s a very mysterious tale that begins with a diary entry, which leads you to expect more entries, but then the next chapter is from the point of view of someone else. You learn about the woman in the diary through the eyes of her psychotherapist for a while before you get to read from her point of view again. It goes back and forth a little bit, not in an irritating way, but in a way that makes you want to get to the next part so you can unravel the mystery. I read this in three days because I couldn’t wait to see what was going on. I did figure out what was happening a little while before it was revealed, which disappointed me a bit, not because I figured it out, but because I really enjoy being surprised and I don’t think of myself as someone who is good at piecing clues together. Maybe I am just getting better at it because I have been reading much more frequently lately. 

I do recommend this book. It was an easy read, but it kept you thinking and it made you want to stay up late in an attempt to try to finish it before going to sleep.

Missing 411: A Sobering Coincidence by David Paulides

Nonfiction

Missing 411: A Sobering Coincidence, isn’t a book so much as it is an accumulation of briefly summarized missing persons reports. The victims outlined in this book, the fifth in a ten part collection, are young men that disappear without a trace and are found in or near bodies of water. The author delivers the name, location, and date last seen of each victim, then gives a brief overview of the details of the case, in which you will notice some other common factors. As you read, you will note frequent mentions of missing clothes, bodies being found in areas that had been previously searched, and interviews from family and friends saying that what happened was completely out of character for the person. Oftentimes, the young men are excellent students, have good jobs, and are involved in their communities, they are not the sort of people that would have a reason to vanish. 

I don’t have much more to say about this book. If you love mysteries, you might like this book. I love mysteries, but I didn’t like this so much. I had a certain expectation before I started reading this book which was hyped up due to having watched two documentaries, Missing 411 (2017) and Missing 411: The Hunted (2019), which were adaptations of the authors other books. I highly recommend either of the documentaries over this one book, I believe you can watch them for free on YouTube. They are spooky, well made, and leave you wondering. I was looking forward to reading all of the books in the Missing 411 series, but having been so disappointed in A Sobering Coincidence, I don’t think I’m going to bother unless the books are given to me. The details of the cases themselves are interesting, but the structure of the book makes it feel like you’re reading a textbook rather than a novel.

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder – Chapters 18-36 and final thoughts

Fiction

Fire Study comes to a clean conclusion, but not without a great deal of turmoil leading up to it. While I was reading, there were many passages I came across that made me feel similar to the way I felt when I was watching Infinity War. I just kept thinking, this isn’t going to end well, there is no way the people I want to live are going to survive. But somehow, some of the people I wanted to live do survive, but there are the expected casualties. Even with the deaths, I was left feeling satisfied, not desiring more from the story but I would of course welcome more. 

I will say, the story moved a little fast for me. It seemed like there was a lot crammed into this one book without there being enough down time, time for the reader to breath and absorb what they had read. I enjoyed the book, but I would not have minded it being slightly longer so it could have had some moments for the characters to relax. The journey that the characters go on needs to be completed in a certain amount of time due to the dangers involved, and the pace definitely induces anxiety, which is what I imagine the characters would be feeling, so maybe this is intentional. 

There are companion books to the series, another trilogy, along with three short stories. I think I am going to take a break from Yelena and the adventures she has in Sitia and Ixia, and begin a new series for next week’s blog. If you have been reading my entries and want to continue the series, the next book to read is Shadow Study. The short story, Assassin Study, follows Valek and takes place after the events of Poison Study and before the reunion of Valek and Yelena in Magic Study.

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder – Chapters 1-17

Fiction

Fire Study starts off slow, with Yelena continuing her magic lessons, but as of right now, the beginning is the only slow part in this story. A possible trail leading towards Cahil and Ferde is detected, and Yelena and a small crew leave the Citadel to seek them out. You will not get a break from the action and adventure for many, many chapters, the chase is fast paced and a little exhausting. I can’t imagine I would have survived this journey as well as Yelena and her companions did, but they do have magic on their side. So once again, Yelena’s magical training is put on hold as she tries to capture criminals, stop nefarious plans, and keep herself out of harm. Yelena’s life is always in danger, this being a constant since Poison Study, even more so now as her Soulfinder abilities are no longer a secret. The last Soulfinder lived over 150 years ago, and they had to be killed due to their lust for power. Magicians generally don’t trust anyone who possesses these skills as they have had a bad track record throughout history. 

Yelena is supposed to be getting special training from Roze, the First Magician, but I’m starting to doubt that it will ever happen with the way things are going. Until I reached the midpoint of this book, I was starting to wonder if Yelena would ever make it back to the Citadel, the chase she was involved in lasted that long. Just when you think one plot point is going to reach its conclusion, another conflict is thrown in, effectively putting everything already in play on hold. 

I’ll have finished Fire Study by next week, and we shall see if the story has a clean end. I don’t think it will, as it seems there is another trilogy chronicling Yelena out there waiting for me to read.