Category Archives: Mystery

Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz & David Hayward
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Synopsis: Meet Paul and Lacey Hansen: orphaned, pot-growing twentysomething siblings eking out a living in rural Northern California. When a headless corpse appears on their property, they can’t exactly dial 911, so they move the body and wait for the police to find it. Instead, the corpse reappears, a few days riper . . . and an amateur sleuth is born. Make that two.

When collaborators Lutz and Hayward (former romantic partners) start to disagree about how the story should unfold, the body count rises, victims and suspects alike develop surprising characteristics (meet Brandy Chester, the stripper with the Mensa IQ), and sibling rivalry reaches homicidal intensity. Think Adaptation crossed with Weeds. Will the authors solve the mystery without killing each other first?

Review: I love the Lisa Lutz series, so when I found this novel I wanted to try it too. It must be said that this was something very intriguing. This book is written by two different authors and each writes a chapter without touching anything in the chapter the other did and not knowing what the other would write in advance. So at the beginning of the book we have an exchange between the two writers who agree on how they will write this book. Because it must be said that they had tried to write one together before and it had all turned to disaster!

Lacey and Paul are two siblings who live together and who possess marijuana plants in their basement, selling them to who can afford it. But Lacey wants more, she wants to leave, leave this life behind and to travel as she has always wanted to. And when one day a headless corpse is found on their field, our two heroes only see one solution, to move away it from home for the police to find him. But nothing goes as planned, and the body reappears a few days later. Finally determined to understand the events, they call the police so they investigate the strange murder.

I loved the Lacey’s character, she has a real desire to change her life and decides against all odds to find out who that body in her garden is and to find the murderer. It’s something that is ultimately still more complicated than expected, especially when everyone hides many secrets. I admit that I was looking forward to see who the culprit would be, and I really did not expect that. The revelations appear in the latest chapter in surprise.

Each chapter ends up with the correspondence of the authors about their chapter and the others. We can thus read arguments, opinions, advices, and discussions. Also included there, some annotations of each in their writings. It was very funny to see what they thought, and how they were trying to destabilize the other. It must be said that they have no idea at all about the future of each character and each of their decisions changes, complicating the events. Problem? The history between the two authors is ultimately more interesting than the book itself, and this eclipses what they are trying to do. Both we also have a completely different writing style, although it feels that they adapt to each other. But when the Lisa’s writing is simple and light, David is more dense and complex, which is always a bit difficult when changing over a chapter. It was interesting to follow the history of our two writers but it’s true that I was expecting something different, even if the story is fun to read I had a little trouble with this new novel. But I think if you are looking for something a little crazy and fun, this is perfect.

3mellianefini

Where by Kit Reed
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Synopsis: In a coastal town on the Outer Carolina Banks, David Ribault and Merrill Poulnot are trying to revive their stale relationship and commit to marriage, and a slick developer claiming to be related to a historic town hero, Rawson Steele, has come to town and is buying up property. Steele makes a romantic advance on Merrill and an unusual 5 a.m appointment outside of town with David. But Steele is a no-show, and at the time of the appointment everyone in the town disappears, removed entirely from our space and time to a featureless isolated village–including Merrill and her young son. David searches desperately but all seems lost for Steele is in the other village with Merrill.

Review: The first thing that I can say about this novel is its unusual appearance. Indeed, if we focuse on the spine of the volume, we can see different lengths of the pages, giving a very pretty appearance to the novel. I confess that this kind of esthetic change is always a point that attracts me a lot even if it does not really do anything with the story. Besides, let’s talk a little more about that… I’m always quite intrigued by small town stories and the disappearance of all the people, even though it is a fairly common theme, is always really interesting.

We follow several characters alternately here without it being too consistent. Either we really have three different characters but two are truly and primarily emphasized. David is the companion of Merrill but since the arrival of a stranger in the city, Steele, his relationship with his half is not really rosy. Wanting to settle the case during an appointment, David joins the man to explain himself, but Steele never shows up and when our hero decides to go home, he realizes that all the inhabitants of the city ​​have disappeared. But our man is determined to find his beloved and to understand what happened at all costs.

Alternatively, therefore we follow Merrill and through her, the inhabitants of the city. They find themselves in a strange place that no one understands the location or the purpose. Highlighting the fears of the population, everyone reacts rather violently but our heroine is determined to take it all calmly. Trying to do the best with respect to her son Ned (the third point of view that we can follow from time to time), Merrill will try to find a way to save him from her father and to find a way out from this unpredictable location.

The story is quite intriguing and I admit that I was curious to see what exactly this disappearance and mysterious village were. So I waited impatiently for the end but I think I was disappointed by the lack of answers we receive. There is also no real action here as it is mainly tracking the feelings of the characters in the changes they undergo. So it’s true that at the end of history I’m a little confused and I would have liked to understand a little more overall. But that does not change the fact that the story is very intriguing and we remain curious throughout the chapters. A different book.

3 

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Where de Kit Reed (VO)
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Résumé (traduction personnelle) : Dans une ville côtière sur les abords de Outer Carolina Banks, David Ribault et Merrill Poulnot tentent de relancer leur relation et de s’engager dans le mariage, et un brillant développeur prétendant être lié à un héros historique de la ville, Rawson Steele, est venu en ville pour acheter des biens. Steele essaie de charmer Merrill et donne un rendez-vous inhabituel à David pour 5 heures en dehors de la ville. Mais Steele ne se montre pas, et au moment du rendez-vous tout le monde dans la ville disparaît, entièrement retiré de notre espace-temps dans un village isolé sans relief – y compris Merrill et son jeune fils. David les cherche désespérément mais tout semble perdu alors que Steele est dans l’autre village avec Merrill.

Avis : La première chose que je peux dire de ce roman c’est son aspect atypique. En effet, si l’on se concentre sur la tranche du volume, on peut voir différentes longueurs de pages donnant un très joli aspect au roman. J’avoue que je changement d’esthétique est toujours un point qui m’attire beaucoup même si cela n’a pas vraiment à voir avec l’histoire. D’ailleurs parlons-en un peu plus… Je suis toujours assez intriguée par les histoires de petites villes et la disparition de tous les habitants, même si c’est un thème assez récurrent, intrigue toujours beaucoup.

Nous suivons donc alternativement plusieurs personnages ici sans que cela ne soit trop conséquent. En soit il y a réellement trois personnages différents mais véritablement et principalement deux sont mis en avant. David est le compagnon de Merrill mais depuis l’arrivée d’un étranger en ville, Steele, sa relation avec sa moitié n’est plus vraiment au beau fixe. Voulant régler l’affaire lors d’un rendez-vous, David rejoint l’homme pour s’expliquer, mais ce dernier ne se présente jamais et quand notre héro décide de rentrer chez lui, il se rend compte que tous les habitants de la ville ont disparus. Mais notre homme est bien décidé à retrouver sa bien-aimée et à comprendre ce qu’il s’est passé coute que coute.

Alternativement, on suit donc Merrill et à travers elle, les habitants de la ville. Ils se retrouvent alors dans un étrange endroit dont personne ne comprend la localisation ou le but. Accentuant les peurs de la population, chacun réagit de manière assez violente mais notre héroïne est elle bien décidée à prendre le tout avec calme. Essayant d’agir au mieux par rapport à son fils Ned (le troisième point de vue que l’ont peut suivre de temps en temps), Merrill va essayer de trouver un moyen de le soustraire à son père et à trouver une porte de sortie de cet endroit imprévisible.

L’histoire est assez intrigante et j’avoue que j’étais curieuse de voir ce qu’il en était exactement de cette disparition et du village mystérieux. J’attendais donc la fin avec impatience mais je pense avoir été déçue par le peu de réponses que l’on reçoit. Il n’y a d’ailleurs pas vraiment d’actions ici, c’est surtout le suivi des sentiments des personnages au cours des changements qu’ils subissent. Du coup c’est vrai qu’en fin d’histoire je suis un peu confuse et j’aurai aimé comprendre un peu plus l’ensemble. Mais cela ne change pas le fait que l’histoire est très intrigante et que l’on reste curieux tout au long des chapitres. Une découverte différente.

3 

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Site Unseen by Dana Cameron
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Emma Fielding Mystery, Book 1

Synopsis: Brilliant, dedicated, and driven, archaeologist Emma Fielding finds things that have been lost for hundreds of years–and she’s very, very good at it. A soon-to-be-tenured professor of archaeology, she has recently unearthed evidence of a 17th century coastal Maine settlement that predates Jamestown, one of the most significant archaeological finds in years. But the dead body that accompanies it–a corpse washed ashore near the site–has embroiled Emma and her students in a different kind of exploration. With her reputation suddenly in jeopardy–due to the ruthless machinations of a disgruntled rival–and a second suspicious death, heartbreakingly close to home, Emma must unearth a killer among the artifacts. But that means digging deep into her past to dark secrets buried in the heart of the archeological community–which, in turn, could bury Emma Fielding.

Review: I love Dana Cameron’s Fangborn series, so I was curious about her earlier Emma Fielding series. The first couple of books are out of print, but I managed to hunt down a second hand copy of Site Unseen. (Yes, I know: I could have gotten the ebook, but I wanted a print copy.)

When the book arrived I was about to start on another book, but decided to have a peek at the beginning of Site Unseen…

Yup: I got hooked right away and read it immediately instead of letting it wait its turn. It’s that good.

I liked Emma from the start, and soon was rooting for her. The archeological dig she’s working on was very interesting to read about (and having Time Team on in the background helped set the mood, I must say), and when the mystery part kicked in I almost couldn’t put the book down. I had to know what was going on.

This isn’t a fast paced mystery. There’s a slow pace at which things progress, but still I was hooked. Both by the developing story, and the way this book is written.

All in all this is a really enjoyable read, and I will most certainly try to get hold of all books in this series, because I want more.

This book is out of print, but available as ebook here

 

The Green Muse by Jessie Prichard Hunter
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Edouard Mas, Book 1

Synopsis: In Belle Époque Paris, the morgue is the place to see and be seen …

“This morning I was called upon to photograph the dead again.” So begins the story of Edouard Mas, a photographer’s assistant with a detective’s soul. Edouard’s job is to take pictures of corpses before they are carted off to the Paris Morgue. If the bodies are unidentified, they will be put behind glass for the whole city to view, in a morbid display of lost and found.

Edouard begins to come across more and more bodies stripped of their identification and laid out in methodical poses, and he knows he is dealing with those who dabble in art—the art of death. The morgue—their museum.

Edouard’s investigation takes him from the sterile halls of La Salpêtrière to the opulent, smoke-filled soirees of high society, but he must do everything in his power to stop the artists of death, before they go after somebody he loves …

In exquisite prose—so vivid you can almost taste the absinthe and hear the rustling skirts of the Moulin Rouge showgirls—Hunter tells an unforgettable tale of murder and lust in the City of Light.

Review: I was quickly drawn to this novel depicting a time in France that I find fascinating. Then a story in France by a foreign author is always interesting to see.

We alternately follow three different points of view. Moreover, we do not really understand at the outset when the characters will be reunited together and when the stories will be linked. Oh yes because it must be said that nothing presaged a crime scene photographer, a young girl from a good family and a student to intersect one day in their life.

Thus we follow Augustine, a young girl in love with a married man who does not love her back and because of her strange behavior within her family, she is placed in an institution, La Salpêtrière, where they think she is hysterical. She does not really know if she’s crazy as everyone says it, or if she just does not have the proper behavior because of her one-way relationship. Augustine is a young pretty touching girl who discovers feelings and what this implies, though she does not really know what to do with all that. It’s a pretty quiet person, manipulated and innocent that we discover through the chapters in the form of diaries she wrote to tell what‘s going on in her life.

The second character that we follow is Edward. He is a photographer, a designer who gets to take the soul of his subjects to make real works. He is called on many crime scenes but the last he attends are strange and the police do not seem interested in what he has to say. Edward therefore decides to understand what is happening and who is responsible for it all. But it could be much more complicated than expected, and people close to him could end up in danger.

Our third hero is none other than Charles. This man, a student, is fascinated by death. He goes with his friends to the morgue every week to discover the death’ art along with this. A strange character who meets at this place a young unhealthy woman, V, and opens up to a world of death. V is a manipulative person, sick, dark who plays with death. She will project Charles in a world of murder which he can not get out. It must be said that the beautiful girl is very good at obtaining what she wants to have and Charles will do anything for her.

It was a very strange novel. I had a little trouble to really get into the story and I‘m not sure whether I have completely succeeded. But one thing is certain, the author shows us something very different from what we can find, and I was curious to see how everything would be linked together. It was also interesting to see what these characters would do next. We’re a bit lost in the chapters which are presented in different forms as I said, with letters, diaries, but also usual chapters. It was an interesting discovery even if I have a little trouble explaining exactly what my feeling was.

3-5 

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The Eterna Files by Leanna Renee Hieber
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Synopsis: London, 1882: Queen Victoria appoints Harold Spire of the Metropolitan Police to Special Branch Division Omega. Omega is to secretly investigate paranormal and supernatural events and persons. Spire, a skeptic driven to protect the helpless and see justice done, is the perfect man to lead the department, which employs scholars and scientists, assassins and con men, and a traveling circus. Spire’s chief researcher is Rose Everhart, who believes fervently that there is more to the world than can be seen by mortal eyes.
Their first mission: find the Eterna Compound, which grants immortality. Catastrophe destroyed the hidden laboratory in New York City where Eterna was developed, but the Queen is convinced someone escaped—and has a sample of Eterna.

Also searching for Eterna is an American, Clara Templeton, who helped start the project after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln nearly destroyed her nation. Haunted by the ghost of her beloved, she is determined that the Eterna Compound—and the immortality it will convey—will be controlled by the United States, not Great Britain.

Review: The cover and the summary immediately attracted me as soon as I saw them and I really could not wait to get into the story. I must say that I love the novels from the Victorian era and mixing it with paranormal elements could only please me. Yet I confess that in the end I’m a little disappointed by this volume, but I’ll come back a bit to that afterwards.

After the death of Abraham Lincoln, Clara and her guardian, Senator Bishop, a man she likes a lot, have put together a team together to try to find the secret of immortality, a compound called Eterna. For years, researchers have tried to find the solution and the arrival of Louis changed that. This scientist has also a hidden story with our beloved Clara. But one morning, our heroine learns that the whole team is dead except one person. The young woman is therefore launching in a race against time to find Eterna, all with her friends. But Clara is not like any other women because she happens to have visions and sees things that no one else is able to do. Alternatively, we also follow Harold, a man who does not believe in the supernatural world and who is engaged by the Queen of England to lead a team of very special people. Their goal is to find Eterna for England and to prevent Clara and Americans to recover it before them.

Many characters are highlighted in this story, some more interesting than others elsewhere. I admit I was a little lost about some of the protagonists, not really understanding who they were. But the volume especially focuses on Clara and Harold, two completely different characters. Clara is a young touching woman. We know that she has lost her beloved, but because of their secret relationship, no one knows that, and she keeps her feelings for herself. She is determined to understand what had happened to her lover and to recover Eterna if it does exist. I admit that I was passionate about her character, to understand and discover how she was going to resolve everything. Conversely, I have not been very interested in Harold and his chapters. This is a man who does not believe in the supernatural world, but he is determined to carry out his mission. It’s quite a shame, but I found his chapters rather flat and I rather looked forward each time to return to Clara.

To conclude, I spent a good time in general with the novel even though the history of the England side interested me less. However, I am curious to see what will happen afterwards to our dear Clara who must cross one of many trials.

3 

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Mr. Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham
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Veronica Mars, Book 2

Synopsis: In the second book in the New York Times bestselling mystery series, Veronica Mars is back with a case that will expose the hidden workings of one of Neptune’s most murderous locations.

The Neptune Grand has always been the seaside town’s ritziest hotel, despite the shady dealings and high-profile scandals that seem to follow its elite guests. When a woman claims that she was brutally assaulted in one of its rooms and left for dead by a staff member, the owners know that they have a potential powder keg on their hands. They turn to Veronica to disprove—or prove—the woman’s story.

The case is a complicated mix of hard facts, mysterious occurrences, and uncooperative witnesses. The hotel refuses to turn over its reservation list and the victim won’t divulge who she was meeting that night. Add in the facts that the attack happened months ago, the victim’s memory is fuzzy, and there are holes in the hotel’s surveillance system, and Veronica has a convoluted mess on her hands. As she works to fill in the missing pieces, it becomes clear that someone is lying—but who? And why?

Review: Younger, Veronica Mars was a series that I took a great pleasure to follow every evening coming back at home from school. I was very sad to learn that the show was canceled, particularly when we know that many of our questions remained. But now, years later, a movie set several years after the end came out. You can imagine my joy! And even if it was very nice to see all the characters, a little something was missing for me. I’m not saying that it was not good, listen to me, but I expected more. Yet I had a great time too. But the story does not end there because thereafter, a book appeared. Oh yes, joy again! A story set after the end of the movie that we had the opportunity to watch. I admit right away that I have not read the first novel, and it is also always in my wishlist. After all the ovations I heard about it I admit that I was very intrigued. I was a little afraid because it’s true that I still remember all the books about Charmed, Buffy, Angel … It was nice to read them but they didn’t really left me good memories. However, I can assure you right now, this one has nothing to do with them and I had a great time with this new novel.

Back a little more to the story … So it is with pleasure that we find here all the characters that we had discovered earlier. Yes, because I was very surprised to see that as in the TV show, Veronica’s quests allow us to meet old acquaintances with pleasure. Okay I admit that I forgot about some of them, but the references allow us to place the characters gradually. For cons, I was quite surprised to see that we have still here the consequences of certain events of the film, something I thought would happen in the first volume. But it’s true that suddenly I wonder what is going on in the previous volume

The story begins with the impact of the Weevil’s history and the impact of his case. A trial that could also help everyone to get rid of Lamb and all his shenanigans. But that’s not all because another survey is also highlighted here. Indeed, our heroine is engaged to determine if the story of a client of the Neptune Grand Hotel is true or not. The girl was raped and left almost dead without knowing how she got out of the hotel. She now claims interest. Veronica is launching headlong into this new case that echoes in her and she is desperate to find the truth. But this story is much more complicated than expected, and many revelations come to change the direction of the investigation.

What really touched me here too is the history between Logan and Veronica. We remember a little crazy Logan, never thinking about the consequences of his actions and I admit that it’s quite surprising to see how much he has changed. He now works for the army that he takes in high esteem. Even if it takes a little time to Veronica to understand this, it is fascinating to see how his character has evolved. By cons, their history and the turning it takes was really heartbreaking and I was very touched by what was happening. We understand perfectly what is going on and I’m curious to see how it will evolve in the future. Another surprise are about some Weevil’s choices and I admit that I was a little disappointed even if it is true that we can understand the decision given his fairly difficult choices.

In any case I had a good time with this novel and I’m curious to see what will happen next.

3-5

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