Time for another round of Yvo’s Shorties! This time around a thriller sequel that was another hit and a most-anticipated science fiction read that turned out to be a new all time favorite.

Title: A Faint Cold Fear
(Grant County #3)
Author: Karin Slaughter
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: 2003
Publisher: Arrow
Finished reading: August 24th 2021 
Pages: 480

“Everybody had something horrible happen to them at one time or another in their life; it was part of the human condition. How they struggled through adversity proved what kind of people they were.”


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I’m trying to make my way through Karin Slaughter’s series this year, and I confess that I’ve been seriously slacking so far… But I’m determined to finish at least the Grant County books before the end of September, so we’ll see how things go I guess. A Faint Cold Fear is book number three of the series, and it is another pitch black and disturbing read. Seriously, Karin Slaughter does like to write her stories dark dark dark. The plot itself is both fascinating and highly twisted, with not only the mysterious suicide but also the brutal attack of medical examiner Sara Linton’s sister as an explosive start. Things are intense right from the very beginning, and as the story starts to unfold and events start taking place things only get more disturbing and ominous. There are lots of twists to keep you busy, and it won’t be easy to guess how things would all end. The only reason I’m not giving A Faint Cold Fear the full 5 stars is because I absolutely HATE Lena, and she is particularly despicable in this particular sequel. Especially with Ethan only enhancing her worst features… In fact, there were quite a few unlikeable characters in play in general. I still can’t wait to discover what happens in the next one though.

Title: Project Hail Mary
Author: Andy Weir
Genre: Science Fiction, Space
First published: May 4th 2021
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Finished reading: August 26th 2021
Pages: 481

“Human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.”


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BOOM!! Andy Weir has done it again!! The Martian is one of my all time favorites, and even though Artemis and me didn’t get along I’ve been highly anticipating his newest title. And I’m happy to announce that Project Hail Mary was another absolute success for me! I guess it shows that I love his stories as long as he sticks with a male main character? Anyhow, Project Hail Mary. I confess that I’m usually not all that into space sci-fi, and especially if it has aliens involved, but this book is an exception to that rule. I was basically hooked as soon as I read the first chapter. There is just something about his writing style, dry sarcastic humor and dialogues that is a perfect fit for me, and I actually slowed down my reading pace to properly savour this story. The plot itself takes place partly in space in the ‘present’, and partly on Earth in the time leading up to the mission launching. I really liked the balance between the two, as the Earth flashbacks help fill in the bigger picture and show just how important it is that our main character Ryland Grace succeeds. Ryland himself has big Watney (The Martian) vibes, both in humor, personality and his ability to adapt, but I personally didn’t mind as it makes for another great character. Rocky is probably the star of the show though, and I LOVED the development of both his character and interaction with Ryland. And somehow, even though there is a lot of science involved, the plot never felt tedious and I enjoyed every single minute of the ride. Such a great way to end the story too!

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