BOOK REVIEW: Mr. Kiss And Tell – by Rob Thomas

Title: Mr. Kiss And Tell
(Veronica Mars #2)
Author: Rob Thomas
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary
First published: January 20th 2015
Finished reading: February 23rd 2016
Pages: 336

“What do you think? More cheese? Less cheese? Different cheese?” Keith held up a measuring cup of shredded mozzarella and looked inquiringly at Veronica across the kitchen island. She was slicing tomatoes but paused mid chop to look up with one raised brow. “When is the answer ever less cheese?” “Fair point.” He dumped the entire cup into the mixing bowl and started to stir.”

I read the first book The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line in January and I absolutely loved it, so I have been looking forward to the sequel. I’m not sure if it was the beginning reading slump or my sky high expectations, but I was disappointed by Mr. Kiss And Tell. Instead of devouring this second Veronica Mars book, it actually took me ages to finish. The plot was nowhere close as good as the first book, and the story itself didn’t manage to grab my attention. I’m not saying the actual case Veronica has to investigate isn’t intriguing, but unfortunately the focus in Mr. Kiss And Tell lies somewhere else. Between the ‘uninteresting’ political/police corruption case her father is involved in, the many unrelevant background stories of Logan (I’m not saying they aren’t interesting, but they don’t add anything to the story) and the romantic relationship between Veronica and Logan, the story of the woman that was brutally assaulted and left for dead is pushed into the background. Which is a shame, because the hunt for the person that is responsible and those related plot twists are the most interesting parts of the story. All in all quite a slow read and an unworthy sequel of what was such a promising series. Still, if you like Veronica Mars as a character, you will probably enjoy reading it as long as you don’t set your expectations too high.

WARNING: do not read this summary if you haven’t read the first book yet! It will most likely contain spoilers, even though I’ve made sure to keep it short.

Veronica Mars is back and about to start another complicated investigation after a woman was brutally assaulted and left for dead outside the Neptune Grand hotel. The victim claims one of the staff members did this to her and starts a lawsuit against the hotel. Veronica is asked to find out what really happened and see if the hotel can be held responsable… The case turns out to be more complicated than she originally thought as the witnesses don’t seem to want to cooperate and even the victim doesn’t seem to want to tell the full truth… The corruption within the police station doesn’t really help either and her father might actually be in danger for wanting to expose it. Will Veronica find out the truth?

I’m not saying Mr. Kiss And Tell is a bad read, but after such a great start of the Veronica Mars series the sequel is a bit of a disappointment. Instead of a fast-paced, action-packed crimesolving read I was expecting, there are so many other elements involved that the case itself is pushed into the background. More importantly, they slow down the pace considerately and lowered my final rating as well. It’s not a bad read though if you like the characters, and I hope Rob Thomas will decide to continue the series one day.

WWW Wednesdays #79 – February 24th

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 still haven’t finished All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr… Don’t get me wrong, I love this book so far both because of the prose, setting and characters, but somehow I haven’t been in the mood to read it. I’m fearing a starting reading slump, so I am trying to read quick, ‘easy’ or different reads instead. I’ve just picked up Bestiario by Julio Cortázar as well to start working on my promise to read more Spanish books; I’ve read a lot of his short stories during Uni and it’s nice to revisit them.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

* The first book I finished was Every Day by David Levithan. I had my reservations and wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turned out to be an excellent read.
* I then read Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn mostly because I needed something short and entertaining to get me to read again. Like the title says, this book is without doubt strange, mysterious and very intriguing! Recommendable.
* I also finished Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas, a book I picked up on a whim after remembering how much I loved Dangerous Girls last year. I still prefer that one, although Dangerous Boys is almost as good. Abigail Haas knows how to play with the reader’s mind!
* The last book I finished is Mr. Kiss And Tell by Rob Thomas, a Veronica Mars sequel that didn’t really live up to expectations. I loved the first book, but the sequel read a bit slow and failed to keep my attention. There was too much focus on the relationship between Veronica and Logan and politics and the actual case they were working on was pushed to the background…

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I really want to pick up The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton soon; both because I have been looking forward to it for quite some time now and I need it for a challenge as well. I might read Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson first though if I’m in the mood for a light read…. And I also finally want to stick to my promise and start with Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, but that depends on how I feel after finishing my current reads. The Liar’s Chair by Rebecca Whitney is still my newest TBR jar pick.

Teaser Tuesdays #82 – February 23rd: Mr. Kiss And Tell

TEASER TUESDAYS is a weekly book meme originally featured at A Daily Rhythm. To participate, just open the book you are currently reading to a random page, and choose two ‘teaser’ sentences from somewhere on that page. (no spoilers!)

I decided to pick up Mr. Kiss And Tell by Rob Thomas a few days ago since I was in the mood for a mystery/thriller read and I loved the first book of the series. Unfortunately, the sequel isn’t nearly as good as The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line… So far it has turned out to be quite a slow read and the plot just doesn’t grab my attention. Such a shame!

My teaser (55%):

“Veronica’s footsteps echoed with unnerving loudness as she made her way up to the hall. She’d been half afraid she’d run into janitorial or security, but so far there was no sign of them.”

What are you reading right now?

WWW Wednesdays #78 – February 17th

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 started All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr a few days ago and so far I’m in love with the prose. It’s so beautifully written! It’s been a while since I last read a WWII themed story as well, so I’m really enjoying this novel. I’ve also started Every Day by David Levithan, although it’s still too early to tell if I like it or not.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

* The first book I finished was Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider, my last TBR jar pick. I literally flew through the pages and I really loved the story and its characters.
* I then read Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, which turned out to be a lot better than both Gone Girl and Dark Places. Sick, twisted, disturbing, but very well done.
* The last book I finished since last week is Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, and it sure took me a long time to do just that. I know everybody seems to love this read, but unfortunately I wasn’t blown away by it. I didn’t hate it either, but I just expected more of it… More about my problems in the full review.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I really want to pick up The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton soon; both because I have been looking forward to it for quite some time now and I need it for a challenge as well. I might read Mr. Kiss And Tell by Rob Thomas first though since I’m in the mood for a mystery read and I loved the first book. I also finally want to stick to my promise and start with Outlander by Diana Gabaldon as soon as I finish All The Light We Cannot See… And The Liar’s Chair by Rebecca Whitney is my new TBR jar pick.

BOOK REVIEW: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line – by Rob Thomas

Title: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line
(Veronica Mars #1)
Author: Rob Thomas
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary
First published: March 25th 2014
Finished reading: January 19th 2016
Pages: 336

“There weren’t many people in this world who would let you be vulnerable and still believe you were strong.”

I think I’m one of those clueless persons that didn’t know there was a Veronica Mars TV show or movie (I’m giving my living in a Spanish speaking country as a weak excuse). Now I’ve read the first book in the Veronica Mars book series, I want to hit myself on the head for not discovering Rob Thomas‘ writing earlier. And if the TV show is just as good as the book, I’m sure I would love it as well… The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line is fast-paced, has interesting characters and plot and a prose that works like a charm. It’s been a while since I read a good, well written and entertaining mystery/thriller story and this one is definitely one of my new favorites. I really liked Veronica Mars as a character and the way how she is able to find out things that others may not have guessed earlier. Another bonus: Rob Thomas was able to incorporate a few interesting plot twists that I definitely didn’t see coming. The basic plot might not sound all that interesting, but he was able to turn the story into something special anyway. All in all, if you are in the mood for a good mystery read, look no further!

Veronica Mars left Neptune California as soon has she graduated high school, but after ten years she is back to help her father with his private investigator business. She traded in her law degree for her old license and now she is struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat. Everything changes when a girl disappears at a party during spring break… Veronica is called in to investigate the disappearance and the promise of a big paycheck helps her take her mind off the things that worry her. And that might just be for the best, because it turns out to be something a whole lot more complicated AND dangerous than the typical missing person’s case. And Veronica is not even safe from her past when she plunges deeper into the case… What secrets will her investigation reveal and will she find the girl on time?

Veronica Mars is one of those series I wish I had discovered earlier. I immediately fell in love with both the characters and the prose and I literally flew through The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line. The title had me worried a minute it was going to be one of those cheap and tacky mystery novels, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. This story by Rob Thomas is an example of the well written mystery/thriller read I have been looking out for, and I am already looking forward to pick up the sequel. If you like the genre, make sure you read this book!

WWW Wednesdays #76 – February 3rd

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 close to finishing Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch… It took me long enough! I still love the worldbuilding and the story is quite interesting, although I’m not completely blown away by it either. I also picked up my copy of Eve by Iris Johansen during my days away camping, but I don’t really like it so far. The case sounds interesting, but I feel I miss a lot of background information and the whole sexual attraction/romance scenes are cringe worthy. Fingers crossed things will improve later on!

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

Only one book finished this week: Confessions by Kanae Minato. It took me a little while to get used to the writing style, but as soon as I started reading the second confession (chapter), I was hooked. A very dark, disturbing but intriguing read!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I finally have a copy of All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, so I’m planning to pick it up soon. I might read Mr. Kiss And Tell by Rob Thomas first though, since I really loved the first book in the series… And I want to give Gillian Flynn another go and read her other novel Sharp Objects as well. My latest TBR jar pick is still Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider.

WWW Wednesdays #75 – January 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’ve started reading Confessions by Kanae Minato earlier this week, and although it’s an intruiging read I’m not sure if I actually like the writing style so far. I’ve also finally picked up my last TBR jar pick, Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch. So far it looks really promising!

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

* The first book I finished was The Death Code by Lindsay Cummings, which means I’ve finished my first series this year! I enjoyed this sequel just as much as the first book and I would really recommend it.
* I then finally picked up I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios, a book I absolutely loved. Kudos to the author for raising awareness to what war veterans are going through and doing that by writing this beautiful story in the process!
* The last book I managed to finish was my pending ARC Eternal War Armies Of Saints by Livio Gambarini. I loved the general plot and worldbuilding behind this story and it was really interesting, but it was quite a slow read and I did have some minor problems with it. More in the review!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I loved the first book in the Veronica Mars series, so I’m probably going to read the sequel Mr. Kiss And Tell by Rob Thomas next. I have also been thinking of finally picking up The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken… Although I might read Defending Jacob by William Landay first. Last but not least, Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider is my new TBR jar pick.

WWW Wednesdays #74 – January 20th

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’ve started reading my pending ARC, Eternal War: Armies Of Saints by Livio Gambarini yesterday. It’s a historical fiction/fantasy read and I’m really enjoying it so far! I’ve also finally picked up The Death Code by Lindsay Cummings… I have been wanting to read this sequel for too long now so I’m glad I finally did.

• WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

* The first book I finished is Illuminae by Amie Kaufman. People kept recommending this book to me and I have to say it was just as good as I thought it would be. Minor complaint: I NEED a physical version because the creative layout doesn’t look nearly as good on my kindle. 😦
* I then finished Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, which turned out to be quite a slow read and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I though I would. It’s more about the family history than it is about the missing girl… And somehow it didn’t manage to convince me completely.
* The last book I managed to finish (I DNFed Death Of Secrets by Bowen Greenwood) was The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas. Finally a good mystery read and a new series I can add to my favorites list!

• WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

I might try to read I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios next, although I’ve heard mixed things about it… Confessions by Kanae Minato is also still on my list as well, but I might read Defending Jacob by William Landay first since I’m in the mood for mystery/thriller reads. Last but not least, Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch is still my newest TBR jar pick…

Teaser Tuesdays #77 – January 19th: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line

TEASER TUESDAYS is a weekly book meme originally featured at A Daily Rhythm. To participate, just open the book you are currently reading to a random page, and choose two ‘teaser’ sentences from somewhere on that page. (no spoilers!)

I ended up DNFing my last mystery/thriller read (Death Of Secrets by Bowen Greenwood), so I decided to play it safe and pick a new one with a high goodreads rating. I have been wanting to read The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas for quite some time now and I’m glad I finally did, because so far it’s an excellent mystery read!

My teaser (4%):

“The room’s blinds gaped open, letting in a ray of pallid light. Leah was sprawled across the bed with her head shoved under a pillow, still wearing a sequined dress from the night before. Her legs were bruised and smudged with dirt.”

What are you reading right now?