BLOG TOUR REVIEW: The Pursuit Of William Abbey – by Claire North #blogtour @Tr4cyF3nt0n @OrbitBooks

Hello and welcome to my stop of the The Pursuit Of William Abbey blog tour! A huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to be part of this blog tour. I’ve been meaning to try Claire North‘s books for ages now and there was just no way on earth I was going to be able to resist that blurb. Today I’m interrupting my blogging break to talk about this most intriguing story… Please join me while I share my thoughts!

Title: The Pursuit Of William Abbey
Author: Claire North
Genre: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism
First published: November 12th 2019
Publisher: Orbit Books
Finished reading: November 13th 2019
Pages: 432

“And whatever you love most is the thing the shadow kills. That is the first lesson of the curse that was laid upon me.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

As soon as I started reading the blurb, The Pursuit Of William Abbey started ticking all the right boxes for me. A historical and international setting: check. A shocking event that changes the life of the main character forever: check. A curse and everything it entails: check. The promise of a lot of movement: check. That feeling of impending doom: check. Oh yes, the blurb alone already fully convinced me I was going to be in for a VERY interesting ride. And now I’ve had the chance to read The Pursuit Of William Abbey, I can state that this story has one of the most compelling and captivating premises I’ve had the chance to encounter this year.

There are quite a few different elements I loved in The Pursuit Of William Abbey. I’m struggling a bit to decide where to start, but I guess we’ll keep it simple and return to the core of this story. And there is just no way to describe the plot without calling the curse the key stone on which the rest of the story is build. I don’t want to give away too much, but as you might have guessed from reading the blurb, the main character William Abbey is cursed in the beginning of this story and his life changes forever after that. In the rest of the story, this curse is omnipresent and will determine every movement and even thought of William Abbey and those close to him. The curse gives The Pursuit Of William Abbey a touch of the mystical and what I personally would call magical realism. Why? This story isn’t full blown fantasy; instead it’s rather a work of literary fiction with a historical setting and a blurred line between the surreal and reality. This mix of genres is most fascinating and while it might not be for everyone, (historical) fiction fans will find it probably very easy to warm up to this story.

Another thing that stands out in The Pursuit Of William Abbey is both the international setting and diversity of different countries, local customs and politics incorporated into the plot. The nature of the curse alone forces William Abbey to travel a lot, and as the story develops he will have more than one reason to travel the globe. The many many references to different countries, local events and culture definitely made my travel heart happy and gives this story a complex, multifaceted and global feel. From Europe to Asia to Africa to the US; William Abbey never stops and as a consequence we never stop either.

The structure of the plot is also very intriguing. Basically, we start at the end, set in 1917, and then slowly learn more about the events in 1884 and the years after as William Abbey narrates his story through flashbacks. This way, his motivation for his actions in 1917 France are not clear for a long time, and this technique definitely helps you stay invested as you try to find all the answers. There are also quite a few characters in play, and this might be a bit of a juggle in the beginning, but my advice would be to just take your time with this story… This won’t be too difficult, as the pace in The Pursuit Of William Abbey is surprisingly slow in general despite the many different settings, events and quite some action. Part of this slower pace can be explained through the detailed descriptions that help this story come alive… If you are a fan of elaborate and thorough descriptions, you will definitely be in for a treat.

The slower pace in The Pursuit Of William Abbey can also be explained through the extensive character development, and the fact that this book can be considered a mainly character driven story. While the different international settings and events of course play a role, I felt the main focus was on William Abbey, the other key characters and their development. A lot of thought was put in both their descriptions and growth over time. It was also fascinating to see the different attitudes towards and reactions to the curse. The characters helped build the bridge that connects the surreal with the more worldly elements… And they are definitely the reason why this mix of different genres works so well.

I don’t want to talk too much about the plot itself and the things that happen to William Abbey to avoid spoiling the fun of discovering it all on your own… But I can say this about The Pursuit Of William Abbey in general: if you are a fan of slower character driven (historical) fiction, don’t mind a hint of magical realism and love a multilayered international plot, you should definitely add this fascinating story to your wishlist.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Claire North is the pen name for the Carnegie-nominated Catherine Webb, who also writes under the name Kate Griffin. Her latest book, 84K has been shortlisted for the Brave New Words and Philip K. Dick Awards. Catherine currently works as a live music lighting designer, teaches women’s self-defense, and is a fan of big cities, long walks, Thai food and graffiti-spotting. She lives in London.

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DNF ARC REVIEW: The Noble Path – by Peter May

Title: The Noble Path
Author: Peter May
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
First published: May 31st 1992
Publisher: Quercus Books
Finished reading: October 27th 2019
Pages: 544
DNF at 35% (190 pages)

“Nothing was more difficult in life than coming to terms with your own limitations.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Quercus Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I have been meaning to try Peter May‘s books for a long time now… In fact, I have a physical copy of Entry Island waiting on my shelves, but somehow I haven’t been able to find time to read it yet. I was stoked when I received the email that my request for The Noble Path was approved a few months back, and after multiple fellow bloggers recommending his work, I fully expected to enjoy my time with this story. And I most definitely never would have guessed I would end up DNFing it instead!

First of all I have to say that this is most likely a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me‘, especially since it has such a high rating on Goodreads and overall positive reviews. I’ve tried really hard to warm up to the story, giving it a second, third and fourth chance and even reading other books in between to see if a change of scenery would help me finally connect to The Noble Path afterwards. But no such luck, and after days of struggling and seeing myself starting to skimread just to try and turn those pages, I knew it was time to just throw in the towel and let this story be. I hardly ever DNF a story and I still feel mighty guilty about this, but it has become painfully clear that The Noble Path just isn’t the right story for me and I might just not have been the right target group to begin with.

I still think that the historical background and setting of The Noble Path is absolutely fascinating. 1978 is a turbulent, dark and bloody time for Cambodia, with the Khmer Rouge reign and devastating genocide. A very disturbing and heartbreaking backdrop for this story, and I do believe the author does a great job with his descriptions of both the Cambodian and Thai setting and the events related to that era in history. It shows a lot of work has gone into research of this period, and I can really appreciate that. That said, I’m just not sure if I’m the right target group for this story. The Noble Path has that Rambo/Die Hard typical action movie vibe with an overload of action, violence and bloody scenes; especially once Elliott is in Asia it almost feels like you reading about a  Rambo II spin-off… Not necessarily a bad thing, but not exactly my cup of tea and it made me struggle to connect to the story.

The Noble Path has quite a few different POVs, and it can be a challenge (especially in the beginning) juggling them as well as trying to connect them to get a full picture of what is going on. I wasn’t really a fan of how the different characters were described, and I once again felt like the wrong target group as the story seemed written for the typical white male audience with its sometimes sexist comments, excessive violence and graphic scenes. I by no means have a weak stomach and don’t mind things getting bloody,dark and violent, but the tone in The Noble Path really put me off. Once again, this is a personal reaction and I’m by no means saying this is a bad read, but it did prevent me from actually reaching that final page. I’m really sad my first encounter with Peter May‘s work ended on this negative note, but I still have hope for his other books… Although I confess that I’m going to take a little break for now.

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ARC REVIEW: Cold Fear – by Mads Peder Nordbo

Title: Cold Fear
(Greenland #2)
Author: Mads Peder Nordbo
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: March 17th 2018
Publisher: Text Publishing
Finished reading: October 23rd 2019
Pages: 357
(Originally published in Danish: ‘Kold Angst’)

“Sorry is the most useless word ever invented.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Text Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I really enjoyed the first book The Girl Without Skin despite its brutalness last year, so as soon as I saw there was going to be a sequel I knew I had to add it to my wishlist. Main characters Matthew and Tupaarnaq are without doubt fascinating to follow, and I’ve been looking forward to discover what would happen to them next… Before I discuss my thoughts on Cold Fear, I first have to stress that this is one of those series you have to read in order, because this sequel wouldn’t make much sense if you try to read it as a standalone. Trust me, you wouldn’t do yourself a favor if you pick up Cold Fear before reading the first book!

That said, let’s continue with my thoughts on Cold Fear. After enjoying the first book, I was totally expecting to have a good reading experience with the sequel as well… But it turns out I ended up having mixed thoughts about it. First of all I have to say that the Greenland setting really complements the plot in many ways. Instead of being just a random setting for the story to take place, the harsh, brutal and almost ominous Greenland setting is almost omnipresent and almost feels like yet another character taking part in this story. Between the many descriptions and the role of the Greenland setting in the plot, it really made the different places mentioned in Cold Fear come alive for me… And it turns this series into a fantastic example of the powers of the unforgivable Nordic setting that makes reading nordic noir so special.

One of the things that stands out in Cold Fear is the sheer brutality of the plot. Almost excessive violence, murder, canibalism, abuse, rape, child abuse, rape, drug abuse… All of this and more is included into a plot filled with graphic scenes and this story is definitely not for those with a weak stomach. I myself don’t mind things getting bloody and violent, but I did start to wonder if this story went a little too extreme and took it one step too far… Some scenes just seemed excessive, especially those set in the bunker and everything related to the (child)abuse and rape. Trigger warning are definitely in place! Related to this, I also felt the plot itself was a bit too over the top, farfetched and the story itself lacked cohesion for me. Even with the knowledge of the first book, I had a hard time following the story at times and I guess the 1990s flashbacks didn’t really help either. Things can get a little confusing and I personally wasn’t all that satisfied by certain explanations nor how the story ended. I would have liked to see less seemingly useless violent graphic scenes and more background and plot building… As it was, the story just jumped all over the place for me, without giving a satisfying direction or justifying said violence and deaths.

As for the characters… Matthew and Tupaarnaq are without doubt fascinating characters, but I felt their development lacked more fleshing out in the sequel. Especially when it comes to Tupaarnaq, who didn’t seem to present and mostly reverted to cliches when she did appear in the plot. Likewise, Tom and the other more important characters also lacked fleshing out for me. I felt that the focus point of Cold Fear was basically on the extreme violence and making this story as brutal and shocking as possible, and as a consequence I don’t think the sequel reached its full potential nor lived up to expectations for me. Others did react better to Cold Fear though, so take my rambles with a grain of salt and don’t hesitate to try it if you think you can stomach the graphic scenes…

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ARC REVIEW: Deadly Silence – by OMJ Ryan

Title: Deadly Silence
(Detective Jane Phillips #1)
Author: OMJ Ryan
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: October 26th 2019
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Finished reading: October 26th 2019
Pages: 311

“We all feel like that, Guv. He has a very punch-able face. The trick is not to let it show.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Inkubator Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I think it has become pretty obvious I have a weak spot for a good serial killer thriller… It turns out I was craving another dose without even knowing so, because when I read Meggy’s review of Deadly Silence I immediately caved in and somehow a copy of this new detective series ended up hanging out on my kindle. My current read wasn’t really working for me, so I decided to put that on hold and start reading Deadly Silence instead. Best decision ever! Meggy always makes the best recommendations, and this new series is without doubt fabulous and right up my alley!

There is a lot to love in Deadly Silence, but let’s just start with the fact that this first installment of a new detective series is so damn readable! I found myself hooked from the very first chapter and flying through those pages like there was no tomorrow… The only reason I didn’t finish it in one sitting is that I started it too late in the evening to do so, because this story definitely makes you want to keep reading. Engaging, well written, suspenseful, shocking and even a dash of dark humor here and there… The writing was definitely everything I could have wished for and more. The plot itself was without doubt well developed as well. The case Jane and her team have to investigate is a tricky one, and as key information has been hidden for you, you won’t be able to form a proper idea about the motive behind the killings straight away. Instead, plot twists and secrets are used to misguide you… Quite successfully as well, although I do have to admit I guessed who was behind it quite early on. Somehow I didn’t mind too much though, as the story itself was engaging enough to keep me focused and make me want to discover if I was right all along.

As for the characters… Jane Phillips without doubt makes for a very intriguing main character. Things can be said about her being the typical damaged detective lead, but I personally liked her sass and attitude towards the investigation and life in general. The other members of her team were easy to like as well, with the big exception of Brown of course. He is truly exasperating and will make you want to hit things sooner than later… Also, I don’t get how he could actually function as a DCI, but I guess he does make for the perfect ‘enemy’ to be pitted against our main character Jane. The character development in Deadly Silence in general is solid and I really liked the message behind the motive of the killer and the story. Keeping silent and doing nothing can be just as damaging… Silence can be deadly, especially if the silence lasts for a long time.

As you might have guessed, I really enjoyed my time with Deadly Silence and I will be looking forward to the next book. If you are, like me, a serial killer and detective thriller fan, you should add definitely add this title to your wishlist! Thanks again Meggy for putting Deadly Silence on my radar. ❤

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ARC REVIEW: The Other Daughter – by Shalini Boland @bookouture

Title: The Other Daughter
Author: Shalini Boland
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: November 5th 2019
Publisher: Bookouture
Finished reading: October 15th 2019
Pages: 260

“She’s inside a nightmare. She’s inside hell. And nothing will ever be the same again.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I’ve been a fan of Shalini Boland‘s psychological thrillers ever since I read The Girl From The Sea back in 2016, and I’ve enjoyed every single story since then. As you might already guess, every time I find out about a new Shalini Boland story, my heart skips a beat and I instantly have a new title on my wishlist. My reaction was no different when I first learned about The Other Daughter, and now I’ve had the chance to read it  I can say that this newest story without doubt lived up to expectations.

There is just something about the writing that draws you right in, and even before starting The Other Daughter I already knew I had to free my schedule, because Shalini Boland‘s psychological thrillers in general are so engaging that you will have a hard time letting go before you reach the end. The only reason I wasn’t able to read it in one sitting was that I started it too late in the evening and had to get some sleep in between or I wouldn’t have been able to function the next day otherwise. Mind you, I did this reluctantly… The Other Daughter is so gripping that you keep turning those pages without noticing the time flying by; both the writing and the plot itself are probably the cause of this.

As with most psychological thrillers, the suspense is build up slowly but surely, keeping you in the dark about certain key information until the plot twist bombs are ready to be dropped on you. Past and present chapters are mixed in a balanced way, enabling you to learn about those dreadful events nine years ago as well as learning more about what it happening in the present. The plot development is well handled, and constructed in such a way to give maximum effect to that humongous plot twist reveal close to the ending. It doesn’t happen often anymore while reading (psychological) thrillers, but The Other Daughter managed to take me completely unawares. I’m talking about flabbergasted and staring at the page with my jaw dropping to the floor here! And I always love when that happens.

The characters in The Other Daughter are without doubt an interesting bunch. While I’m not sure if they are exactly likeable and some actions and personality traits can really get on your nerves, there is no doubt that the characters are thoroughly developed and feel realistic as they all have their flaws and make their mistakes. Who can you trust and how is the past related to the present? What happened to Holly that day? If you are looking for your next psychological thriller, The Other Daughter is without doubt a gripping and brilliant read. There is a reason she is one of my favorite authors of the genre!

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ARC REVIEW: Like Follow Kill – by Carissa Ann Lynch

Title: Like Follow Kill
Author: Carissa Ann Lynch
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: October 25th 2019
Publisher: One More Chapter
Finished reading: October 13th 2019
Pages: 280

“I’m like a ship that is full of holes, sinking faster by the minute. And it’s not like I don’t know how to swim, how to get my head above water… it’s just that I don’t want to.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and One More Chapter in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

There is no denying that the cover is eyecatching, and there was just something about the blurb as well that made me want to read Like Follow Kill instantly. Between the whole social media angle and that stalker vibe, it really sounded like we would be in for a treat… I appreciate the fact that the blurb only gives you minimum facts about the story, leaving lots of surprises and plot twists for you in store to discover along the way. I will keep my review short for the same reasons, as I don’t want to spoil the fun, but what I can say is that it would probably be wise not to trust any of the characters and prepare yourself for some very shocking twists. This story takes unreliable narrator to the next level!

This story basically revolves about two characters: Camilla and Valerie. They were once in school together, but were never actually friends and went their own ways afterwards… Camilla is a fascinating character. It shows she has been having issues long before the accident that killed her husband and left her scarred for life… She is the perfect unreliable narrator, her grief, alcoholism and mental health problems in general blurring facts and fiction as you follow her in this story. Her development is thorough and her character is thoroughly flawed as well, and even though she is not exactly likeable she somehow manages to grow on you anyway. Stalker vibe and questionable actions or not, you can’t help but feel at least a tiny bit sorry for her as well as admire her for following through with her search. As for Valerie… She is less present, as we mostly see her through Camilla’s eyes, but she is without doubt essential to the plot. I never really liked her, but then again we mainly see the polished online version of her… Her character works really well to show the consequences and possible dangers of such a public and online life though, something all too topical nowadays where a lot of people seem to be living through their social media accounts.

The writing is solid and makes it really easy to fly through those pages. The plot is also well constructed and handled perfectly to keep building up that suspense as well as managing to mislead you successfully. Things can be said about the credibility of certain aspects of the plot, but there is no denying that Like Follow Kill was a very entertaining ride with an ending that I never saw coming and left me flabbergasted. Those final chapters are on fire!! If you enjoy reading psychological thrillers with an unreliable narrator and an explosive twist, Like Follow Kill should definitely be on your wishlist.

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Close To You – by Kerry Wilkinson #blogtour @bookouture

Hello and welcome to my stop of the Close To You blog tour! A huge thanks to Sarah Hardy for inviting me to be part of this blog tour. I always have a great time reading Kerry Wilkinson‘s psychological thrillers and actually already had this title on my Netgalley shelf when I saw the blog tour invite. A sign? Who knows, but there is no doubt that Close To You is another winner. Want to know why? Please join me while I share my thoughts!

Title: Close To You
Author: Kerry Wilkinson
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: October 17th 2019
Publisher: Bookouture
Finished reading: October 4th 2019
Pages: 304

“That’s my fear – that the truth I’ve been telling myself for two years was never the truth to begin with.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

While it’s true that the fact that I’ve enjoyed Kerry Wilkinson‘s books in the past is reason enough to want to read his newest title Close To You, it is the blurb that made this story irresistible. I mean, it says it right there without hesitation: the main character’s husband hasn’t been missing these last two years, because she is the one who killed him and she got away with it. Talk about starting your story with a bang! Add the promise of suspense with the mystery man in the photo and there was no way on earth I was going to be able to resist this story. And I’m glad I didn’t, because it turned out to be a very entertaining ride indeed!

The premise of Close To You is without doubt one of the strongest points of this story. The hint at a crime that happened two years ago, the present situation with strange things happening to the main character Morgan… Both definitely add a proper dose of suspense to the plot and made the story more interesting. Close To You switches between past and present, and the flashbacks will help you understand why (accurate label for those chapters!) Morgan ended up doing what she did. Despite the flashbacks, the story has a superfast pace and you will find yourself flying through those pages as you try to figure out if David could be alive and/or who could behind the attempts to wreck Morgan’s life. Things can be said about the credibility of certain aspects of the plot, but there is no denying that Close To You provides a very entertaining ride.

As for the characters… I honestly don’t understand what Morgan ever saw in David to start with, but that might just be me. He is without doubt a highly unlikeable and frustrating character to have to deal with, but I guess he has that role to play as the story wouldn’t have its instigator otherwise. I also had mixed thoughts about Morgan, although I do admit it was interesting to see her develop over time. Her progress in those years between the Why and Now chapters is admirable, and it is intriguing to see how it is all threatening to fall apart after those recent events… It makes you think about just how easy it could be to set someone up and destroy a life. I struggled to connect with Morgan though, mostly because she started to frustrate me with just how dense she seemed to be when it comes to David as well as the present events.

That said, if you are looking for a fast and entertaining psychological thriller with an ending that will catch you unawares, Close To You is still a great choice. The fact that you already know what Morgan did two years ago, but don’t know why she did it, is without doubt a great premise to build a story around. The plot slowly builds up to that moment in the Why chapters, while also adding another healthy dose of suspense in the Now chapters… Making it really hard to stop reading before you finally discover the truth about both past and present events.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kerry Wilkinson has had No.1 crime bestsellers in the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Singapore. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States. His book, Ten Birthdays, won the RNA award for Young Adult Novel of the Year in 2018.

As well as his million-selling Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written the Silver Blackthorn trilogy – a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults – a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.

Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry has spent far too long living in the north of England, picking up words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’.

When he’s short of ideas, he rides his bike or bakes cakes. When he’s not, he writes it all down.

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