Book Review: Sometimes I Lie (Alice Feeney) @alicewriterland @Flatironbooks

Sometimes I Lie, the debut novel by Alice Feeney, was a book that I was virtually bombarded with last year when it was released in the UK. I watched in jealousy as all my book blogger friends abroad devoured this psychological thriller and I patiently waited for the North American release. Now that it is here, I am pleased to report that Sometimes I Lie was worth the wait!

The novel opens with the introduction of Amber who is in a coma and unable to communicate with the world around her. All she knows for sure is that she is, indeed, in a coma, her husband does not love her anymore and that sometimes she lies. From the first pages, I was pretty much hooked. I appreciated Fenney’s slow release of information and I was eagerly awaiting more clues so I could try and figure out the wrongful parties. How did Amber end up in a coma? Was her husband involved? Maybe her sister? Perhaps her co-worker nemesis?   I loved how Feeney kept me on edge and slowly drew me in.

Told mainly through the perspective of Amber, partially in the present as Amber listens to those around her in the hospital and in the past, in the events leading up to the “incident” that put her in a coma, I enjoyed that Feeney was able to keep things fairly chronological and that I didn’t have to do a lot of guesswork to when things happened or read past pages to reorient myself. Her writing style is pretty straightforward and to the point. Aside from a few diary entries from Amber’s youth, I appreciated that it took place all in the present. This was a change from the past few psychological thrillers I have read in which we go further into the past and then shoot back to the present continuously.  I also love myself a good, ol’ unreliable narrator.

I have read a few reviews that claim the story is filled with too many of the classic thriller clichés but I personally did not mind this. Was there a lot going on? Sure. Did it work for me? Absolutely. I liked having a little bit of everything thrown in! And I loved the final twist.

Overall, I was impressed with this debut and I will absolutely read more from this author!!

5/5 stars.

Thanks to Flatiron Books, the author (Alice Feeney) and Netgalley for a copy of this novel; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Want to see what the rest of #cjsreads felt while reading Sometimes I Lie?  Keep reading to see what Chandra and Jessica thought!

Book Review: Force of Nature (Jane Harper) @Flatironbooks

Last year, when the #cjsreads trio was formed, our first novel was The Dry by Jane Harper which was an atmospheric thriller starring Federal Police Agent, Aaron Falk. Pretty much as soon as we finished reading, we unanimously decided we needed more of this series and our dreams came true with Harper’s sophomore novel, Force of Nature.

This novel follows Aaron Falk and his partner, Carmen, as they investigate a missing informant from their latest investigation into some corporate money laundering. A group of five ladies went into the woods, four came out and the only one missing is the whistleblower set to testify against her employer and colleagues. There is no doubt that betrayal and deceit were present in this work place but could it have led to murder?

From the first pages, when the women emerge from the wilderness missing a member of their crew, it had a The River At Night by Erika Ferencik vibe and I was all about this. I am not a nature girl myself so anything that has to do with people fighting through the elements and battling mother nature totally creeps me out. Adding the extra layer of personal relationships and the struggle of who to trust was icing on the cake for me.   I think one of my favourite features of a Harper novel is the atmosphere. She does such a fantastic job at creating the setting as an entire character and throughout my read, ng I couldn’t help but feel fascinated by how INVESTED I was in the descriptions of the bushlands. There is no doubt that Harper’s prose excels in this landscape.

Told in back and forth between the women in the bush, fighting for their lives and trying to survive, and Aaron Falk with Carmen, investigating in the present was entertaining even though I didn’t find there too be very many twists and turns. It was a very straightforward story: this is who went missing and this is why it happened. Very blunt. No time wasted.

Overall, did I enjoy this novel? Absolutely! Will I read more in this series? Absolutely! Did I LOVE it as much as The Dry? No, but it was still a fantastic read!

4/5 stars.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for a copy of this novel; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Of course, the #cjsreads crew read this one as one of our February picks!  Want to see what Chandra and Jessica thought of Force of Nature?  Keep reading to find out!

Book Review: Good Me Bad Me (Ali Land) @byAliLand @Flatironbooks

I am all about living in Canada, the true North strong and free and all that, but I really struggle when I see a book on my wishlist that comes out so much later here than in the UK!  One of these books was Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land.  After reading a plethora of positive reviews and hype during the time of the UK release (which was in January), I waited with baited breath until I could get my hands on a copy!  Now that I have read one of my most anticipated September titles, I am feeling a little bit mixed about my feelings.

The novel opens with the introduction of Milly (aka Annie) who is new to the foster care system after turning in her mother, a serial killer, to the authorities.  Milly is awaiting her mother’s trial in which she is the star witness.   However, Milly has some secrets too; wrestling with her guilt and dealing with her troubling past, Milly is forced to face her most internal desires and question whether or not she will be good or bad.  After all, she is her mother’s daughter.

One of the first things that struck me about this novel was the characterization.  Kids are creepy.  Kids as a narrator are creepy.  This was clearly represented within the pages of this story.   Milly is such a complex character and she was really interesting to watch develop.   She seems to be quite the mess, and for good reason, and I felt like I was able to get into her headspace through my reading.  Land does a brilliant job at creating a memorable character here.  However, one of my main issues with the text came from the disjointed narrative style.  I realize that this was probably intentional due to the unreliable nature and psychological state of our protagonist but I found this style a little hard to follow.   I think I would have gotten much more from the text if it had been more of a third person narration instead of first person.  I did end up getting used to it in the end and I did find that by the end of the text, I was following it easier.

I loved the little vignettes that were placed throughout the text that gave insight to the atrocities that Milly witnessed while living in her mother’s house of horrors.  I thought this gave such an eerie and ominous tone to the text and legitimately creeped me out.

Now, my mixed feelings do not come from a hatred of the text or from a lack of entertainment because, don’t get me wrong, this novel was binge read worthy and I finished it very quickly, it was just completely different from what I was expecting.  I was thinking this would be full of twists and turns but I knew exactly where the plot was going.  I thought this would be a fast paced thriller and instead, it was a slow burning character study.  I feel like maybe I became a bit of a victim of the hype on this one, but I still really enjoyed the story for what it was.

If you are looking for a fast paced thriller with mind-blowing twists, then this one probably will not be for you.  However, if you into a character that will look deep into the psyche of a character and bring an eerie feeling to your bones, then this will be up your alley!

4/5 stars from me.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for a copy of this book; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Want to know what my other #cjsreads members thought about this one?  Keep reading to see what Jessica and Chandra had to say about Good Me Bad Me.

Book Review: The Fact of A Body (Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich) @Flatironbooks ‏@alexandriaml

I always struggle when I review a work of non-fiction- especially when it is a memoir.  Who am I to judge if someone has a story that needs to be told?

However, when #cjsreads chose this book for one of our May titles, I figured I would try!

The Fact of A Body, a non-fiction novel by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich, was one that I was very intrigued by. Following an anti-death penalty lawyer in the deep South, her perception is changed when her firm begins working on a case with convicted murderer and child molester, Ricky Langley.   Part true crime, part memoir, Marzano-Lesnevich, recalls her time watching the confession tapes and going through the crimes, but also how it connects to her own personal history.

The book opens with Marzano-Lesnevich arriving at her new law firm for her summer internship in Louisiana. As she begins watching the first tapes of Ricky Langley, something inside her stirs and she cannot ignore her unsettling feeling. Narrated through alternate time periods, the memoir jumps around and then blends together in its finale. Chapters uncover not only Rickey’s life and his crimes but also his past and his family history. Marzano-Lesnevich explores her own past and childhood.

This work was really different.  At times, I felt as if it was a little jumpy, but the author does make sure to label each chapter with their time period so it can be followed.   I was incredibly interested in the chapters surrounding the psychology of Langley; the author does a phenomenal job of presenting the facts of his case and trial.

However, my favourite part of the novel was the author’s ability to recognize how personal histories can affect a perception.

I applaud the author’s courage to be able to share her own tale and publish this body of work.  I feel like all true crime fans will be interested in this one!

Thanks to the publisher (Flatiron) and the author for the copy of this novel; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Keep reading to see what Chandra and Jessica thought of this one!

What Chandra Thought

5 beautiful, shiny stars.

Do you ever just turn the last page of a book, sit back, and go WOW? That’s exactly what happened for me with this piece of art. This book tells two different stories – a tale of convicted murderer and paedophile, Ricky Langley, and the author’s own story; how through her research into Ricky, faces her own past – changing her initial view into his case.

I have never read a book like this one. Bouncing back and forth between the tales, the author’s research and clear ability to weave a story seeps through the pages and into ever fibre of your being. You can see her bare her own soul unabashedly while somehow making you empathize for Ricky. She also has the ability in her reconstruction to show how everyone else affected by this case uses their own experiences to try and understand. Personal experiences give people reason to find compassion in some cases. She truly shows the complexities of holding on to secrets, raw emotion, and the scars that become part of human growth, both physically and mentally. Her blending of her own memoir with this true crime story is unprecedented and something that will be with me for a long time coming.

Fans of Serial and Making a Murderer will be fascinated by this novel. If you pick up this book, and you should, take the time to read the foreword, the Sources Consulted section and the Author’s acknowledgement.

What Jessica Thought

The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich is unlike any other book that I’ve read. It’s a combination of a memoir and a murder case. It was very intriguing reading through the author’s background and what led her to the Ricky Langley case. When I saw that this was part memoir, I was a little curious as to how this would all play out. The legal disclaimer at the beginning of the book is very helpful and informative (how all the information given about Langley is something that is publicly available, from trial, etc). 

We follow two stories. The story of Ricky Langley and the murder he committed – which then leads to the trial where he eventually crosses paths with the author. The other story is the author’s upbringing. She grew up with two lawyers as parents. These two storylines are very important. We get to see Alexandria’s character take shape, as well as her beliefs before entering into the law firm in Louisiana (completely anti-death penalty). All of that changes the second she sees and hears Langley on tape talking about his crimes. Langley is facing the death penalty for murdering 6-year-old Jeremy Guillory.

We dive deep into Ricky’s background with the author. She puts all of her energy into the details of the murder and soon finds herself digging into his complicated childhood. There’s something unsettling and uncanny about his story – Alexandria is forced to face her own childhood and unearthing deep buried secrets and the past that could be affecting her views of Langley’s crime.

This is an emotional and intellectual thriller that definitely does not read like a memoir/nonfiction. It’s interesting diving into the mind of a lawyer who is having an internal battle with herself over this case and what it means for her beliefs. I would highly recommend this to someone that wants a thriller or mystery that has a unique twist to it. Having this be a true story made it even more chilling to read – Ricky Langley isn’t a made up character and what he did is real and cannot be undone.

This was a page turner for me and I loved it!

5/5 stars!

 

Book Review: If We Were Villains (M.L Rio) @Flatironbooks @SureAsMel

“O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!”

– Hamlet

I have a real warmth for Shakespeare; I majored in English Literature while I was in University and am an English teacher, so, I was over the moon when I discovered that this text explored a modern mystery with a Shakespearean twist.

Let me just tell you, I was floored during my reading.

I could not believe this was a debut novel. I truly cannot say enough amazing things about If We Were Villains by M.L Rio. Between the text’s originality,

Between the text’s originality, fast-paced plot, complex characters and smart dialogue, I was captivated.