YVO’S SHORTIES #229 – Kisscut & Whispers Under Ground

Time for another round of Yvo’s Shorties! This time a double dose of sequels; one a dark crime thriller and one a mix of urban fantasy and detective thriller.

Title: Kisscut
(Grant County #2)
Author: Karin Slaughter
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: 2002
Publisher: Arrow
Finished reading: April 29th 2021
Pages: 432

“It was odd how you could love something so much, but forget about it when it wasn’t right under your nose.”

I’m trying to make my way through Karin Slaughter‘s series this year so I will hopefully have caught up by the end of 2021… Kisscut is the second Grant County book and once again an extremely dark, disturbing and twisted crime thriller. I mean, I like my thrillers on the dark side, but Karin Slaughter definitely takes it to the next level and this story is pitch black rather than a gentle gloom. Child abuse, rape, addiction, cancer, suicide, female mutilation, grooming… Kisscut includes multiple harrowing topics and this series most definitely isn’t for those with a weak stomach. I still like the medical examiner angle with Sara Linton, as it gives the story a slightly different perspective. True, we also have the ‘regular’ detective investigation with her ex-husband Jeffrey Tolliver, but it’s been interesting to see the two balanced. I do have to say that I still hate Lena, which is in a way strange after everything she’s been through so far… But the fact is that I simply can’t stand her. That said, I really liked the plot in Kisscut and there were definitely some twists I didn’t see coming. I’ll be looking forward to see how the series continues!

Title: Whispers Under Ground
(Rivers Of London #3)
Author: Ben Aaronovitch
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Crime
First published: June 21st 2012
Publisher: Gollancz
Finished reading: May 2nd 2021
Pages: 418

“Because you don’t want to go, I thought, and because you’ve marked enough squares on the suspicious behaviour board for me to call bingo.”

I’ve become a fan of this series and I’m still not sure why it is taking me this long to actually pick up the books… Especially considering I even own physical copies of the next couple of sequels. Finally reading Whispers Under Ground has reminded me how much I enjoy this series though, and I’m definitely planning on continuing with the next book very soon. This series is the perfect mix of urban fantasy and detective thriller, all thrown together with a sense of humor that is slightly sarcastic and 100% my cup of tea. This is definitely a series to read in order though, because you won’t understand the background of the characters or the way this urban fantasy world works otherwise. Whispers Under Ground might just be my favorite yet and I really liked both the plot and the developments in the main characters. The fantasy and supernormal elements are so well balanced with the detective part of the story, and instead of clashing the two genres complement each other perfectly. Urban fantasy can go both ways for me, but this series has been a big hit for me so far!