A Game of Lies

"A Game of Lies" by Clare Mackintosh is the second in her Walsh Detective Ffion Morgan series. I love Clare's writing style, I love the setting, I love her characters, and - most of all - I love this twisty plot.

Blurb:

Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they've signed up for.

Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won't just be eliminated - they'll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they'd ever imagined, and they're trapped.

The disappearance of a contestant wasn't supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she's watched on screen, and find out who these people really are - knowing she can't trust any of them.

And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.

Titanium Noir

So, "Titanium Noir". Reading it I kept forgetting it's by Nick Harkaway, because the SF whodunnit flavour made me think of John Scalzi's "Locked In" series. This is what you need to know:

• It's really good.
• It's smaller than the author's "Gone away world" - also easier to figure out what's going on.
• It's a fun book.
• It'll make you think.

Blurb

Cal Sounder is a detective working for the police on certain very sensitive cases. So when he’s called in to investigate a homicide at a local apartment, he’s surprised by the routineness of it all. But when he arrives on scene, Cal soon learns that the victim—Roddy Tebbit, an otherwise milquetoast techie—is well over seven feet tall. And although he doesn’t look a day over thirty, he is ninety-one years old. Tebbit is a Titan—one of this dystopian, near-future society’s genetically altered elites. And this case is definitely Cal’s thing.

There are only a few thousand Titans worldwide, thanks to Stefan Tonfamecasca’s discovery of the controversial T7 genetic therapy, which elevated his family to godlike status. T7 turns average humans into near-immortal distortions of themselves—with immense physical proportions to match their ostentatious, unreachable lifestyles. A dead Titan is big news . . . a murdered Titan is unimaginable. But these modified magnates are Cal’s specialty. In fact, his own ex-girlfriend, Athena, is a Titan. And not just any—she is Stefan’s daughter, heir to the massive Tonfamecasca empire.  

As the murder investigation intensifies, Cal begins to unravel the complicated threads of what should have been a straightforward case, and it becomes clear he’s on the trail of a crime whose roots run deep into the dark heart of the world.

Ripper by Shelley Burr

Ripper by Shelley Burr is a worthy sequel to WAKE. Well written, twisty, a page turner almost impossible to put down. Lane Holland is fast becoming my favourite book person, I hope to continue getting to know him in future instalments. 

Blurb:

Gemma Guillory knows her once-charming town is now remembered for one reason, and one reason only.

That three innocent people died. That the last stop on the Rainier Ripper's trail of death seventeen years ago was her innocuous little teashop.

She knows that the consequences of catching the Ripper still haunt her police officer husband and their marriage to this day and that some of her neighbours are desperate - desperate enough to welcome a dark tourism company keen to cash in on Rainier's reputation as the murder town.

When the tour operator is killed by a Ripper copycat on Gemma's doorstep, the unease that has lurked quietly in the original killer's wake turns to foreboding, and she's drawn into the investigation. Unbeknownst to her, so is a prisoner named Lane Holland.

Gemma knows her town. She knows her people. Doesn't she?

"Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro

"Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro is speculative fiction book that delves into the nuances of what near future could bring. Set in a future both familiar and fantastical, the story centers around Klara, an Artificial Friend designed with exceptional observational skills. Through her eyes we discover a world where technology meets human emotion in unexpected ways.

Ishiguro's novel is a timely exploration of the heart's capacity for affection, the enigma of artificial intelligence, and the eternal question: What makes a life worth living and remembering? 

The reviewers seem to love or hate this book. What do you think?

 

Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner

I was captivated by the narrative created by Susan Meissner in "Only the Beautiful". The novel weaves together the lives of two women, separated by time and circumstance, yet bound by an unbreakable thread of courage and determination.

Set against the backdrop of California in 1938 and Austria in 1947, the story introduces us to Rosanne, a young woman whose life takes a heart-wrenching turn. Her journey becomes a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the resilience of the heart. Rosanne's ability to see colors when she hears sound adds a unique layer to her as a story character.

In Austria, we meet Helen Calvert, whose experiences during World War II have left an indelible mark on her. Her determination to uncover the truth about Rosanne's fate reveals the depth of her compassion and the lengths she's willing to go to seek justice. 

Susan Meissner writes beautiful prose capable of evoking emotions in the reader. This is a story of love, loss, and the unyielding spirit of those who dare to defy the odds.

Heartfelt.

Uplifiting.

Read it.

With My Little Eye

 I! Love! Joshilyn! Jackson! And! I! Love! Her! Books! More!

That's all you really need to know. But okay, some of the things I valued about "With my little eye" were:

• the beautiful prose
• the quirky, super-interesting characters
• the heart-tugging plot
• did I mention the prose?

Read it already :-)

For those who need a blurb:

It started with the letters…

For actress Meribel Mills, disturbing fan mail is part of the price of fame. So when she starts getting creepy letters written in fruit-scented marker she is mostly unphased and diligently files them along with her other messages from unhinged fans. After all, she’s a single mom approaching forty, not the kind of hot young celeb who sparks dangerous obsessions. But there’s something different about Marker Man…

He’s been in her home…

Meribel’s sheets smell of unfamiliar cologne, and objects have gone missing around the house. Plus, the letters have become more perverse, with drawings of a naked Meribel tied up or chopped into pieces. While the police insist that stalkers hardly ever escalate to violence, Meribel has played the dead girl one too many times on TV to risk becoming her in real life. She and her daughter move from Los Angeles to Atlanta for a fresh start—but no distance is great enough.

He’s watching her…

Years of being in front of a camera have given Meribel a superpower—she can feel eyes on her, a creeping sensation like bees inside her skin. And someone definitely has her in their sights. Could Marker Man have followed her all the way across the country?

Who else might be watching—her ex-husband? The lover she left behind in LA? Her new neighbor? Suddenly, every man in her life is a suspect, but she can’t keep herself and her daughter safe from a monster she can’t identify. When the paths of all of these men collide, Meribel will find herself alone in the fight of her life, desperate to protect those she loves as danger closes in from all sides.

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.)