I asked Chat GPT to review one of my books...

So I've been binging Chat GPT. No, not to write books (thanks to a super-informative workshop organised by International Thriller Writers I know what legal mess that would end up being), but to compose a corporate-speaky email that needs to be tactful when I need to be ranting, or to find a fresh new way of saying "thank you for inviting me to be bitten my mosquitos for three days while speed-walking in dense vegetaion, but I'd really rather just read a book on the sofa with a G&T in hand".

Anyway, I grew curious what AI would make of fiction, so I asked it to review my book "Serial Wives", a thriller featuring Zero Zimmerman (look out for the sequel coming in 2024). Now, of course I know AI can't think or feel, and its power lies in distilling online information really fast, but hey, the book has online reviews and plot summaries, so go do your thing, right?

Ha! Here's the first paragraph of Chat GPT's attempt:

Yvonne Walus delivers an enthralling narrative in her novel "Serial Wives," where the fine line between love and obsession is masterfully explored. This captivating thriller takes readers on a suspenseful journey through the lives of complex characters, intertwining their pasts, presents, and their desperate attempts to hide dark secrets.

I mean, almost true? Especially the bits about an enthralling narrative and suspenseful journey. Not so sure about intertwining their pasts and presents, but I'll go with it.

Here's the second paragraph:

The story revolves around the enigmatic and charismatic protagonist, Suzanne. Beautiful and intelligent, Suzanne seems to have it all—a successful career, an adoring husband, and a picture-perfect life. However, beneath the surface lies a web of intrigue as she harbors a shocking secret: a trail of past husbands who mysteriously disappeared. As the novel progresses, the reader is kept guessing about Suzanne's true nature, her motivations, and her capacity for love or malevolence.

Wait, what? Who's Suzanne? The three protagonists are Joy, Caro, and the aformentioned Zero Zimmerman. Successful career, adoring husband? What is the robot smoking? But let us continue:

The pacing of "Serial Wives" is superb, with Walus deftly balancing moments of intense action with introspective moments that allow readers to delve into the characters' emotional turmoil. The intricate plot twists and turns keep the pages turning, as unexpected revelations shock and surprise at every corner. Walus has a knack for planting breadcrumbs throughout the narrative, leading readers to form their theories, only to be pleasantly surprised by the final revelations.

You know what? I'm happy with the last paragraph. Like, 100% happy. I'll take the win. Except... except that I didn't. "You got the plot wrong, try again," I told it like an idiot.

Apologies for the confusion. Here's an updated review:  The story follows the life of Claire, an enigmatic woman whose past is shrouded in mystery. Married multiple times, each of Claire's husbands meets an untimely and tragic end, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions. As the narrative unfolds, the reader is gripped by the relentless pursuit of truth, driven by a determined detective who begins to unravel the dark secrets hidden within Claire's past.

Yeah, nah. We tried again and again, until the AI admitted defeat. So, on the plus side, I beat Chat GPT. On the minus side... there is no minus side. I'm a masterful writer with a knack for planting breadcrumbs.

(And in case you're wondering, Amazon.com will tell you - accurately - that "Serial Wives" is about a serial killer who murders women and displays their bodies dressed in a white sheet with a fencing mask covering the face.)

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I thought long and hard whether to read "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes", the prequel to the Hunger Games Trilogy. Prequels are tricky. You have to maintain the voice and the mood, you have to offer something original but the same, you can't introduce inconsistencies or create paradoxes. 

So, I've just finished reading it, and really, really liked it. The voice. The mood. The originality as well as the sameness.

As far as I noticed, no inconsistencies or paradoxes (but do let me know in the comments if I'm wrong).

Things I valued: bearing witness to how the actual Hunger Games evolved. 

Things I valued but was saddened by: the character journey of Coriolanus Snow.

My only criticism: the book was not long enough. I wanted more. More game evolution. More history. More words. Suzanne Collins, please write another prequel.

The maid

"The Maid" by Nita Prose is a delight. The protagonist is an even more endearing version of Eleanor Oliphant, the plot is a cosy murder mystery, and the prose elegant. What will keep you glued to the book till the very end is the compelling character journey. Her vulnerability and determination make the reader root for her as she navigates the treacherous waters of the neurotypical world.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

"Mad Honey" by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is the best thing I read in the first quarter of 2023. It's the type of book that you read fast but reflect on slowly. It's the type of book you want to start again as soon as you turn the last page.

In equal measures a domestic suspense novel and high concept women's fiction, it's a winner in every category.

Blurb:

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising their beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined that she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in and taking over her father’s beekeeping business.

Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.

And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can trust him completely. . . .

Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in Ash, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.

I will find you by Harlan Coben

"I will find you", a domestic thriller by Harlan Coben, has it all: the characters, the plot, the pace, the heart. If it's your first Coben, it won't be the last. If you're a fan, you'll love the familiar author's voice spinning a totally brand-new story.

@Harlan, you've delivered again. Thank you for the amazing read.

Blurb:

David Burroughs was once a devoted father to his three-year-old son Matthew, living a dream life just a short drive away from the working-class suburb where he and his wife, Cheryl, first fell in love—until one fateful night when David woke suddenly to discover Matthew had been murdered while David was asleep just down the hall.

Half a decade later, David’s been wrongly accused and convicted of the murder, left to serve out his time in a maximum-security prison—a fate which, grieving and wracked with guilt, David didn’t have the will to fight. The world has moved on without him. Then Cheryl’s younger sister, Rachel, makes a surprise appearance during visiting hours bearing a strange photograph. It’s a vacation shot of a bustling amusement park a friend shared with her, and in the background, just barely in frame, is a boy bearing an eerie resemblance to David’s son. Even though it can’t be, David just knows: Matthew is still alive.

David plans a harrowing escape, determined to achieve the impossible–save his son, clear his own name, and discover the real story of what happened. But with his life on the line and the FBI following his every move, can David evade capture long enough to reveal the shocking truth?

This is how I lied

"This is how I lied" by Heather Gudenkauf is a page-turner. Beautiful prose, complex characters, twisty plot. Or is it complext plot and twisty characters? You be the judge. 

Definitely a must-read.

Blurb:

Twenty-five years ago, the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa—discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.

For decades Maggie was haunted by Eve’s death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened. As Maggie investigates and reexamines the clues, secrets about what really happened begin to emerge. But someone in town knows more than they’re letting on, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth buried deep.

Exiles by Jane Harper

Exiles is the third in the Aaron Falk series, and the fifth Jane Harper thriller. In a word: brilliant.

If you need a few more words, glad to oblige. Jane's writing voice is both lyrically poetic (what I call "beautiful words") and able to carry the narrative forward. The plot is fricking AWESOME, and I loved the twists and turns of the story. Rich in characterisation and imagery, Exiles (just like all the others) is the kind of book that transports you to a different reality. As you read the book, you want to visit Australia's wine country, take part in the festival, experience the slower way of life in a small town. That very slower way of life is fittingly mirrored in the book's slower pace, more murder mystery than thriller - and it's a good thing.

Blurb:

At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her pram, her mother vanishing into the crowds.

A year on, Kim Gillespie’s absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country to welcome a new addition to the family.

Joining the celebrations is federal investigator Aaron Falk. But as he soaks up life in the lush valley, he begins to suspect this tight-knit group may be more fractured than it seems.

Between Falk’s closest friend, a missing mother, and a woman he’s drawn to, dark questions linger as long-ago truths begin to emerge.