ARC REVIEW: Murder Game – by Caroline Mitchell @Caroline_writes @bookouture

Title: Murder Game
(Detective Ruby Preston #3)
Author: Caroline Mitchell
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: October 31st 2017
Publisher: Bookouture
Finished reading: September 29th 2017
Pages: 285

“It was easy to identify with the killer as some inhuman monster, impervious to their efforts to stop him in his tracks. But killers were people. And people made mistakes.”

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

I’m slowly getting back on track with my blogging… No memes, other posts or bloghopping just yet, but I’ll be posting some long overdue reviews during what’s left of October. I’ve missed you all! ❤

I have to confess it took me a while to warm up to the main character Ruby Preston and that was one of the reasons I didn’t enjoy the first book as much as I thought I would. Fortunately enough I had no such problems with book number two, leaving me with very high hopes for Ruby Preston’s newest adventure in Murder Game… And this newest installment definitely didn’t disappoint. No, I found myself on the edge of my seat as soon as I started reading the first page, craving popcorn as a way to calm my nerves while I turned the pages impatiently to find out what would happen next. Because there is no doubt left that Caroline Mitchell has succeeded in creating another monsterly masterpiece of a serial killer! I have a weak spot for serial killer thrillers and this series without doubt manages to satisfy my somewhat onorthodox cravings for creepy and disturbing characters. You will be in for a treat with this one! The writing is very engaging and draws you right in, and I literally finished Murder Game in one sitting. This story works as a stand-alone as well, although especially the second book is highly recommended as well for serial killer/detective thriller fans. You won’t find a boring minute in this story and the fast pace will help you fly through it! Without doubt one of my preferred detective series and one to keep an eye on if you enjoy the genre.

There is a new killer out there, seemingly playing a twisted game of life or death with his victims… Sending clues to the relatives in the form of three disturbing photos: alive, tortured and dead. Ruby Preston and her team will have to race against the clock to solve the puzzle and stop the killer from striking again… But then there is the question of the uncanning similarity to the crimes of a convicted serial killer. A coincidence or a copy cat? Or did the notorious Lonely Hearts Killer have a partner in crime? It is up to Ruby Preston to find out before it is too late, even if that means using less orthodox methods. Will they succeed?

If you are looking for a fast-paced, engaging, twisted serial killer thriller that is packed with plot twists, Murder Game is the right fit for you. Unputdownable and action-packed indeed! I literally finished this third book of the Detective Ruby Preston series in one sitting and it was one hell of a ride. Murder Game was just as good as the sequel Sleep Tight and I can definitely recommend giving this series a go even if you weren’t completely convinced by the first book like me!

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WWW Wednesdays #157 – October 4th

WWW WEDNESDAYS is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World Of Words and is all about answering the three questions below.

• WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I’m still reading The Rules Of Magic by Alice Hoffman, and I’m still not all that far into it. I normally would have finished it by now, but I’ve been distracted by a new hobby during the last few days. I discovered I absolute love to crochet! I wanted to try a few patterns out of the Snuggle And Play Crochet book I finished last week even though I had no knowledge of the crochet techniques… And it turns out it was easier to learn than I thought! (Or at least the basics haha.) Meet Mr. Red Fox a.k.a. the reason I’ve been slacking on my reading during the last few days. He still needs some arms but I ran out of red yarn. xD I actually made a granny blanket for the zebra I will be making soon as well, but decided to make Mr. Fox first since he seemed to be easier haha.

I haven’t continued with IT by Stephen King yet, but I’m planning to do so soon. I haven’t been reading much during the last couple of days in the first place, so that’s probably why as well.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. Heartless by Marissa Meyer (3/5 stars) REVIEW
I really wanted to love Heartless and I was sure I was going to after reading the first couple of chapters. The writing is wonderful and take you right to the magical world these famous characters live in. I just loved Cath and her baking; I’m craving to start baking something myself right now (and eating it afterwards of course!). Everything was going great until the love triangle, which positively ruined Heartless for me. After the introduction of this romance trope, the main focus was on this relation and I felt kind of betrayed. Oh well, most people seem to love this story, so I guess this will be yet another unpopular opinion to add to the mix… If you dislike love triangles as much as I do, consider yourself warned though.

2. Murder Game by Caroline Mitchell (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW 08/10
I know I wasn’t convinced by the first book of this series, but I loved book two and this third book is just as good as the previous one. I literally finished Murder Game in less than a day and found myself on the edge of my seat the whole time! Fast-paced, well written, suspenseful… An excellent serial killer thriller!

3. Bentwhistle The Dragon by Paul Cude (2/5 stars; DNF at 49%) REVIEW 06/10
Honestly, I’ve tried. I’m not saying the writing is bad and it truly shows just how much time is put into the detailed and extensive descriptions and worldbuilding. The thing is, the pace is supersuperslow and I just can’t get myself to keep interest. One superlong and extensive description after the other kind of had the reverse effect on me and instead of finding myself intrigued by another story about my favorite mythical creature, I was rather bored by it all. I don’t think the age group would be happy with so many descriptions and the lack of action either… All in all definitely not for me, and unfortunately I just couldn’t bring myself to torture myself any further with more extensive descriptions (especially since I found the mystery and ‘dangerous’ situation not all that suspenseful to be honest).

4. The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank (4,5/5 stars) NO REVIEW
I must have read this classic a dozen of times before and I don’t think I can add anything new to all the reviews that have been written about it before… I had my first experience with her diary during high school, where we read the book in Dutch and went to visit the place where she was hiding with her family in Amsterdam. This diary is such a powerful story and really shows what it was like for Jews in hiding during the war… Very intriguing read everyone should read at some point in their lives.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I’m picking up The Secret Mother by Shalini Boland next even though the publish date is still relatively far away… I absolutely loved her previous thrillers and can’t wait to start her newest.  Another ARC I need to pick up soon is Halfway by Lokesh/Anubhav Sharma. And after so many glowing reviews, I’m also reading Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. This novel has all the signs of becoming my next 5 star read! My newest TBR jar pick is still Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly.

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WWW Wednesdays #156 – September 27th

WWW WEDNESDAYS is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World Of Words and is all about answering the three questions below.

• WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I’m currently close to finishing Bentwhistle The Dragon: A Threat From The Past by Paul Cude, a YA fantasy read with dragons. The pace is quite slow, but there is no doubt that the worldbuilding is extensive with a lot of attention to details and descriptions. I’m also about to start Heartless by Marissa Meyer, a story I’ve been wanting to read for months… I’m really looking forward to that one. IT by Stephen King I decided to put temporarily on hold until October so I can finish some other books first… Plus, it’s probably the perfect Halloween read for next month in the first place right? 😉

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

1. Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes (4,5/5 stars) REVIEW 28/09
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up my copy of Flowers For Algernon, but I’m more than happy with what I found. The writing is simply brilliant, as both the progress reports and the prose itself give the perfect insight of what happens to Charlie during the experiment. The way others react to Charlie during different stages of the experiment is both intriguing and unfortunately very accurate as well. Hopefully an eye opener! Flowers For Algernon is able to provoke strong emotions and is utterly heartbreaking in the end.

2. Snuggle And Play Crochet by Carolina Guzman Benitez (4,5/5 stars) NO REVIEW
These patterns are absolutely adorable! I will be looking forward creating at least a few of these as gifts for a few of my friends who have either young children or are about to be parents… I’m having a feeling the loveys will be a huge success, although the plush animals are adorable as well. I’m still a crochet newbie, so I could really appreciate the helpful explanations of the different stitches and how to put the different parts together!

3. Her Last Secret by Barbara Copperthwaite (3,5/5 stars) REVIEW 29/09
This psychological thriller is mostly a character-driven story and the pace was a lot slower than expected. I struggled a little in the beginning, both because of the pace and my lack of connection to the characters, but the second half of the story more than made up for it. I loved the countdown idea and how slowly more of the present day event is revealed… And the final part is more than shocking! The story will make you think a lot of things and suspect a lot of people, but I can garantuee you won’t guess the final truth about what really happened.

4. The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan (3/5 stars) REVIEW 01/10
I’ve only just finished this one so I need a little time to think… It’s a character-driven story set in 1914 on a lifeboat, where the characters have to survive after their cruiseship sinks on the way to New York. The pace is quite slow and I’m not a fan of the characters, but the historical setting is quite well done and it shows in the way the characters interact as well. Nothing much happens during the story though. I’m still on the fence about this one to be honest.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I’m picking up Murder Game by Caroline Mitchell next even though the publish date is still relatively far away… I’m dying to find out how the series continues.  Another ARC I need to pick up soon is Halfway by Lokesh/Anubhav Sharma. I also want to read I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh; I’ve had that one on my TBR for way too long now. My newest TBR jar pick is still Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly, a historical fiction read which I have been wanting to read for ages so I’m really happy this title popped up.

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Friday Finds #147 – September 22nd

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the most interesting books I’ve encountered during the last week and have added to my neverending TBR list on Goodreads. Below a selection of my newest additions; click on the book descriptions to go to its Goodreads page! 😀

My finds:

ARC REVIEW: Sleep Tight – by Caroline Mitchell @Caroline_writes @bookouture

Title: Sleep Tight
(Detective Ruby Preston #2)
Author: Caroline Mitchell
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
First published: April 20th 2017
Publisher: Bookouture
Finished reading: April 8th 2017
Pages: 345

Ruby craned her head to one side. “You’re talking to the Queen of Fuck-ups. I’m sure it won’t come as any great shock to me.”

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

I read the first Ruby Preston book last year and I admit it took me some time to warm up to the main character. But as soon as I saw the blurb of Sleep Tight and realized this sequel was going to be another serial killer thriller, I just had to give Ruby a second chance. And I’m glad I did, because whatever reservations I had about her character in book one have completely vanished by now. Her connections to the organized crime definitely add a whole different level to what is already an interesting plot! Sleep Tight had me hooked right from the start and it has been one hell of a ride. Twisted serial killer… Check. Lots and lots of plot twists… Check. Fast pace and well written prose… Check. Interesting characters… Check. Possible Jack The Ripper reference… Check. What’s more to ask? If you like fast-paced detective thrillers with an original touch, I can definitely recommend this series. Sleep Tight reads like a train and even though the identity of the killer has been revealed a bit early, this won’t stop you wanting to find out how the story ends. Intense until the very last page! I will definitely be waiting impatiently for the next Ruby Preston adventure.

WARNING: Possible spoilers! Please don’t read this summary if you haven’t read the first book of this series yet. I’ll keep the summary super short but it’s impossible to keep it completely spoiler-free…

A new killer seems to be on the loose in the streets of East London… Various murdered young women are being discovered, their bodies posed into a sickening recreation of fairytale stories. Detective Ruby Preston is determined to find out who is after these deaths, although things are becoming more and more complicated as her ‘dodgy’ lover Nathan Crosby seems to be involved. Ruby shouldn’t be working on the case, but very few people know about their relationship and she risks everything to find proof Nathan is being framed. She will have to find the real killer before her collegues find Nathan… But as more bodies start showing up, it will become more and more difficult to prove his innocence.

I’ve always been intrigued by serial killer thrillers and the one in Sleep Tight is without doubt a very twisted and disturbing creation. The fairytale/Jack The Ripper references are a nice touch as well and the ‘complicated’ situation of Ruby’s personal life mixed up in the murder investigation adds a whole other level to the plot. Unorthodox police work indeed! This thriller simply reads like a train and I enjoyed every single minute of it. There are some hints in the end that have made me VERY curious about the next book!

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WWW Wednesdays #132 – April 12th

WWW WEDNESDAYS is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World Of Words and is all about answering the three questions below.

• WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I’m currently reading three books, although I’m going to finish the Netgalley ARC What Doesn’t Kill You by Ed James first. It’s the third book in a detective series and so far without doubt fast-paced and entertaining, although I feel part of the ‘spark’ of the previous two books is missing. The other two titles are ARCs as well. The first Life Sentence by Lily Luchesi, the third book in a paranormal romance series. It’s also probably the last time that I’m reading a vampire story, because this series has yet again confirmed me I seem to be allergic to those fanged creatures. Luckily this series has other creatures as well, but that doesn’t take away my feeling that these kind of books just aren’t for me and to keep reading them wouldn’t be fair to the authors. The other title I’m about to start is Enchanters by K.F. Bradshaw, another fantasy read and a Reading Alley ARC.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

* The first title I finished since last week is The Color Purple by Alice Walker, a modern classic I decided to pick up for various challenges. I had high hopes for this one as I had heard a lot of things about it, but I guess this was another case of unpopular opinion for me. I struggled a lot with the writing style in the beginning; up to the point that I even considered DNFing it. The plot itself is without doubt both intriguing, shocking, in your face and full of raw emotions, but I had a hard time with Celie’s POV. Not because of the shocking/graphic elements, but because her dialogue was really hard to read with all those broken sentences, bad grammar etc. I know it’s because she is an uneducated child wife of the South and it does feel authentic, but it doesn’t take away I struggled a lot to keep reading.
* I then read Sleep Tight by Caroline Mitchell, the second book in the Detective Ruby Preston series. It took me some time to warm up to the main character in the first book, but I had no such problem in the sequel. I was hooked right from the start and it was one hell of a ride! Well written prose, interesting characters, twisted serial killer, possible Jack The Ripper reference, lots and lots of plot twists… What’s more to ask? I’ll definitely be waiting impatiently for the next Ruby Preston adventure.
* Afterwards I decided to pick up another pending ARC: Miranda’s Rights by Lily Luchesi. It’s also a sequel and a paranormal romance story with lots of supernatural creatures, although the main focus is on vampires. And those fanged creatures might be the main reason I liked this story less than most other readers… Although it does have a love triangle as well. It is a fast read though and fans of the genre will probably enjoy it a lot better than I did.
* The last book I finished is Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken, another sequel and part of my Beat The Backlist challenge. To be honest, I enjoyed this sequel a lot less than I thought I would. I found it overlong, almost boring and the plot a bit thin. Basically it’s about Ruby trying to find someone and messing up a lot along the way, with various people betraying her or not being what they seem to be… Not at all as good as the first book (which I really enjoyed), and Ruby started to annoy me with the whole ‘I’m dangerous/I can’t be around others/I need to be alone’ thing. The writing style is as good as ever, but it sure took me a lot longer than expected to finish this one…

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

Next up are three more ARCs… All for the April ARC month. Among Friends: Travels In Cuba by Heather Murray was sent by the author and sounds like an intriguing travel read. Both Castle Of Water by Dane Huckelbridge and The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger are Netgalley ARCs and are a case of coverlove and intriguing blurb combined. I also still want to read Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult; I’ve been mentioning this title for way too long now and I’m picking this up as soon as I finish this months Netgalley titles!

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WWW Wednesdays #131 – April 5th

WWW WEDNESDAYS is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World Of Words and is all about answering the three questions below.

• WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I’m currently reading three books; the first two being for the Beat The Backlist challenge because I have been neglecting this challenge terribly in March. The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a (modern) classic I somehow never picked up before and I’m still deciding what to think of it. And I’ve been wanting to read the sequel ever since I finished the first book, so I’m hoping to continue Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken as soon as I finish  the first. Although I might read the ARC sequel Sleep Tight by Caroline Mitchell first, because I’m in the mood for another thriller.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

* I first finished The Yellow Envelope by  Kim Dinan, which didn’t turn out to be as good as I was hoping for. Instead of a travel memoir, it was more of a self-discovery journey and I had a lot of problems with the tone, focus of the story and (negative) cliches. More details in my review…
* I then read the collection of short horror stories Silence Under Screams by Collin Henderson, and it sure turned out to be a proper horror read. There are four stories in total and each is unique in its own way and represents a different subgenre. Warning: some of them have very graphic descriptions!
* The last book I was able to finish in March was History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera and I can definitely understand why so many people seem to love this book. I enjoyed reading this book, although it kind of feels bad to say that since part of it is really sad. Excellent character development and loved the prose! Not a 5 star read as expected (it felt a bit messy), but definitely more than recommended for fans of the genre.
* My first April read was an ARC: Blood Moon by John David Bethel. The fact that this story is somewhat based on a true event is without doubt shocking, because the main character sure has to go through a lot. Interesting read with a lot of action and graphic scenes (warning if you don’t like those!), and I liked the use of Spanish even though there were quite a lot of mistakes.
* My last read was actually a reread: The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda. Back in January I couldn’t help myself and had to read this ARC as soon as I got a copy, and I decided to reread it before writing my review, since it’s going to be published soon. I enjoyed this thriller just as much the second time around. She is definitely one of my new favorite authors of the genre. I love LOVE her writing style.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

Next up are three more ARCs… All for the April ARC month. What Doesn’t Kill You by Ed James is a Netgalley ARC and part of a detective series I’ve been enjoying so far. Among Friends: Travels In Cuba by Heather Murray was sent by the author and sounds like an intriguing travel read. Enchanters by K.F. Bradshaw is a Reading Alley ARC and will give me just the dose of fantasy I need (hopefully). I also still want to read Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult , probably after I finish these three ARCs though.

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