Friction

- By Sandra Brown

Crawford Hunt is a Texas Ranger, who is recovering from his grief over losing his wife in a car accident. In the aftermath of loss, he takes up drinking, loses perspective of life, relinquishes custody of his daughter to his in-laws. But, one day, he wakes up determined to take control of his life and to get his daughter back. But his in-laws, particularly Joe Gilroy, his father-in-law, is fighting tooth and nail against him, for giving up custody of his granddaughter. His fate resides in the hands of Judge Holly Spencer, who though can sense the obvious love between Crawford and his daughter, is still wary of his past. During his custody hearing, a masked gunman walks in shooting randomly and kills the bailiff. Crawford, as was his natural instinct, protects the judge from a bullet and kicks the gunman on the knee. In the scramble that follows, the gunman escapes the courtroom, with a pursuing Crawford Hunt. The gunman, seemingly escapes to the roof and Crawford Hunt, tries to convince him to put his weapon down, which he does not listen to. The gunman shoots and misses the officer following Crawford hunt and is taken down by a SWAT team sniper. With his thoughtless act of running behind an armed gunman, without back up, seems to have put a black mark on his custody hearing and the odds of him getting his daughter back dwindle down.

Holly Spencer is an ambitious judge, temporarily presiding bench and is currently campaigning for judgeship. Post shooting incident, recovering from the jitters of shock and disbelief and confronting her fears in her own home, she is visited by Crawford, who questions her about the shooter and probes about his case. In the emotional outburst that follows, Holly is left sobbing and is comforted by Crawford, which eventually leads to a romantic interlude that leaves both of them in a compromising state. When the police investigation leads to the fact that the gunman shooting in the courtroom and the gunman shot by the SWAT team are different and that the shooter is still at large, there are bigger things at stake than just their feelings for each other.

The story that follows is a thrilling page turner of suspense, hot headedness mixed with jealousy and a bit of pettiness. The bits and pieces of the past thrown for each character, gives a bit of depth to each character. The story progresses at a break neck pace. Though the perpetrator shows his hand early, it’s the reason behind the shooting that keeps the novel moving forward. Thrown in between are few scenes between Crawford Hunt and his daughter Georgia, which were sweet and realistic, keeping an undercurrent of emotion running throughout the novel.

What I did not like in the novel are the romantic interludes between Crawford hunt and Holly, though they were well written, just did not seem to bind the story well enough. If I have to be picky, Joe Gilroy’s emotional anger and his actions to win the custody hearing were petty and irritating. The police offer leading the investigation of the shooter needed a regular boot up his ass, but then, that did not happen quite regularly enough. And my biggest disappointment was that the ending was a bit too far-fetched and certainly not to my liking.

However, despite the ending, the book is still worth a read for all suspense lovers. There is thrill, there is mystery and there are characters that steal your heart. So, give it a go!!

Happy Reading Fella readers!!

Sculptress

- By Minette Walters

I have to say, I have mixed feelings about this novel... while I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, it still left me slightly disappointed.

Rosalind Leigh is an author drowning in her own misery when her agent issues an ultimatum to find a story, like yesterday. Further to that, she is asked to write the story on Olive Martin, a convicted murderer.

Olive Martin is not easy to like. She is a heavy set woman, with fondness to eating and a temper like wild fire when riled. She lives in an unhappy house, with her mother, sister and homosexual father. On her birthday, having been disappointed with her family not throwing a party for her, she gets into an awful row with her mother and sister and finally hacks them with an axe and rearranges the pieces. Then suddenly, she finds a bout of compassion for her father and she does not want him to see the monstrosity that she committed and so, she confesses her crime to the cops. Her lawyers could do little to help her find a lenient verdict and she is sentenced to twenty five years of prison life.

In prison, she is called sculptress for the wax figurines she carves each day. During the arrest or the trail, nobody bothers to ask her as to why she committed the crime. Until now, when Rosalind visits her in prison, to find her side of the story. While Olive looks grotesque, she manages to make an impression on Rosalind which is quite contradictory to that of a psychopath capable of hacking people. And Rosalind wonders, if Olive Martin did commit the murders for which she was convicted. In her research to understanding more about Olive, Rosalind identifies a series of inconsistencies that makes her believe that Olive did not commit those murders. But, Olive insists that she did. Why?

The novel progresses with Rosalind's research, unraveling Olive's life in bits and pieces, each new piece adding more to the puzzle. Olive and Amber, her sister, have been inseparable growing up. So why did Olive kill her? No one seems to remember Olive exhibiting any wild or irrational behavior, yet she committed gruesome murders. Why? The cop who arrested her, found her talks to be non-threatening and yet, the violence found at the murder scene speaks loudly that he needs to be wary of her. And when Rosalind visits Olive in prison, she seems to be touched by her compassion for her misery. How can a person capable of compassion commit such heinous crimes?

As we reach ending, I personally felt that the novel went a bit flat. The pieces of the puzzle fall together to complete the picture, yet something is quite left unsaid. While I enjoyed the writing and the ease of story telling, I am dissatisfied with it, like just eating a spoon of ice-cream while the bowl of it is left untouched! Definitely savory, but not fulfilling.

Having said that, just for the thrill of reading a mystery, I would recommend this book.

Bad Luck and Trouble

- by Lee Child

Jack Reacher is an ex-military US army major, hitch hiking his way through the United States of America, to whichever place he thinks up next. With toothbrush, passport and a recently acquired ATM debit card, Reacher has minimal luggage and is always on the go. No permanent address, no phone, no email, he is as close to being untraceable on the planet as one can get. So, when tracked down by his past unit member, Frances Neagley, with a distress code that few in the world could understand, he immediately responds.

Back in his military days, Reacher was the head of a special investigative unit in the military, the Special Investigators. He hand picked eight members, who were the best the army could offer, and together they worked as a team to bring the bad guys down.So, when someone from this unit calls for help, it sure as hell is not for finding lost keys!

When he meets Frances Neagley in LA, she shows him an autopsy report of Calvin Franz, who was part of their unit. He was tortured and thrown out of the helicopter when alive, left as coyote food. His death has been brutal and vicious. She wants him to put the old unit back together to avenge Calvin Franz's death.

"You do not mess with the special investigators", was their tagline. But, now, someone did and in a gruesome way. And someone has to pay!

Reunited with survivors of his old unit, Reacher sets about hunting down the perpetrators. Trusting one another as they once did, not so long ago, they retrace the steps of Calvin Franz, only to find that they are facing something much bigger than avenging their own. What will they do?

Lee Child has done a phenomenal job of showcasing Jack Reacher, with a flare unmatched in crime thrillers, as yet. He weaves a web of suspense that leaves you breathless. He kicks up the adrenaline a notch, with every turning page. And he ties up the tale with a fascinating ending that leaves you in awe. He does not disappoint with this one. It is written with precision and dexterity well known to all his fans.

For me, personally, Jack Reacher is an enigma. For a while now, Reacher is shown as a drifter with his set of morales and a simple rule: You mess with me, you get what you get! He retaliates with precision and with a menace unmatched and unparalleled. And he delivers, every time.

However this novel is different to others, in that it is emotional or as close to emotional as Reacher could get. Military was an integral part of his life for a very long time. And the camaraderie he had with his Special Investigative team is more than that of his family loyalty. They believed in a code and they had each others back. And when someone messes with one of them, they would be dead men walking, as simple as that.

"You don’t throw my friends out of helicopters and live to tell the tale." - Jack Reacher.
That guy, I tell you, he tingles my spine and warms my heart. This is one book, you do not want to miss.

Happy Reading, fella readers!!

My Sister's Grave

- By Robert Dugoni

Oh Boy!! It was a fast paced, adrenaline pumping, emotional ride to closure. I could hardly take my eyes off the page.

Sarah Crosswhite disappears on a storm ridden night, while driving home. In the subsequent investigation, Edmund House, a convicted rapist , is tried and arrested for Sarah's murder, though her body was never found. The evidence was flimsy and the trial was a mere formality. The town moved on, however, her sister Tracy and her family, did not get the closure they sought.

Twenty years later, a dog digs up a bone that is identified to be that of Sarah Crosswhite. At that time, Tracy is with the Seattle Police department, as a detective, still trying to find the answers as to what happened to her sister on that fateful night. The evidence found in her sister's grave conflicts with the evidence twenty years ago. Tracy, convinced of a cover up, intends to seek justice. She reaches out to her childhood friend Dan O'Leary, who is now practicing law in Cedar Grove to help release an innocent from jail and to reopen the investigation of her sister's murder.

The rest of the story, moving between past and present, unveils the truth, bit by bit, as to what happened to Sarah. In her quest for truth, Tracy steps on a lot of shoes, but, she perseveres to the end, to find the answers. But, can she handle what she finds? Should she have left the dead for the dead, instead of seeking answers that should have been left buried, along with her sister?

Robert Dugoni does a fabulous job of keeping the suspense until the very end and misleading quite convincingly. I loved the characters in the novel. Just when I thought, this is the one who did it, I am faced with another side of the character, that had me rethinking! The characters had different shades, each contrasting and humane.

For a crime thriller, this still managed to evoke all the emotional triggers of love, affection, loyalty, friendship and courage, which was a pleasant surprise. The novel was well written, precise and logical. And the final twist?? I sure did not see it coming, I can tell you that much!

Not the sort to pick up if you are in a hurry to be somewhere. And certainly not for a bedtime read, you won't get any!!

For all fellow readers, who love a good crime thriller, this is a MUST read!!

Sleep Tight

- By Rachel Abbott

People do all sorts of daft things for no reason that anybody else can understand...

I LOVED it. I absolutely loved it. Rachel Abbott has done a phenomenal job of evolving the characters and the story, in a way that is captivating, enticing and ruddy brilliant. I have to say it, just one more time: I freaking loved it!!!

Ah, Olivia, my heart goes out to you! What an ill fated life did you live?  Her boyfriend leaves her and their two month old child, Jasmine, without so much as a word. A few weeks later, her parents are dead. And a few months later, she seems to be living a perfect life, married to a doting husband. A few years into marriage, she has two kids and lives in a semblance of luxury. Except, one day, Robert disappears with the kids, or so Olivia believes. However, he returns. A few years later, she disappears, along with the kids. There seems to be nothing amiss in the house, no chaos suggesting something out of ordinary and yet, something was missing. There were absolutely no photos of the kids or of Olivia in the house. Everything else looks the same. Except, for a LOT of blood that was cleaned, behind the locked doors of Robert's study. The cops investigating the disappearance seem to find a bread crumb trail, yet picking the crumbs left more questions than answers.

This is a dark tale of love, friendship and passion told at a mind-numbing pace and just when I thought its over, there was another curve ball thrown! Boy, I could not put this down and I could not get the characters out of my head.

What happened to Olivia and her kids? Why is the door to Robert's study locked? Whose blood was it in his study? Did he kill Olivia and the kids and buried them somewhere? Or was he a victim of some heinous crime? What happened to all the photos in the house? As the investigation progresses, unraveling the mystery, who is good and who is bad, who is the victim and who is the culprit? Every link is tied in the end, but that end was a fabulous journey, through the minds of the characters. Tom Douglas, the smart and determined chief investigator along with Becky, his partner, who is equally determined,  together peel off the layers to a gripping finale that will surely keep you at the edge of your seat.

I dare you to put it down!! Have fun, fellow readers!!

Gone Tomorrow

- By Lee Child

Careless and reckless, I want to fly and fly to a dream land. Can you imagine a place, when you walk on a street with tree shades and small lawns in front of every house? When you say a hi to everyone on the street, cheerfully waving at them and wishing them a good day, sometimes patting their puppies, because all are too familiar to you? When you look across and see the pretty boy on the other side of the street, the way your heart starts humming and the day looks bright and hopeful? You walk into the door and smell the aroma of fresh and strong coffee, hmmmmmm, what more do you want? Flying to your room and picking up your favourite couch book (yeah, well, there are few you can read on couch and there are others when you sit down and make notes ;)), playing rock music and pouring a mug of caffeine and settling on the couch to read the fantasy fiction and well, be lost in the world of suspense, thrill and adventure.

Hmmm, I have had an experience like that today. Well, the first part of cheerful streets, familiar people (shudder! No way!), pretty boy (boys and pretty can’t come in a sentence :D, so there are NO pretty boys, at least not in my dictionary), puppy (well, … I will be as far away from them as possible.. to be precise – borrowing Chandler’s words – my neck is exposed, they can sense my fear!) – this was just my stretch of feel good factor, but, the cup of coffee, the couch book, music and the world of suspense was for real. And the new book that took me through a tremendous experience and made me completely relaxed for the week was Lee Child’s “Gone Tomorrow”. Jack Reacher – yet again springs in with his impeccable logic and sheer heroism and takes me to the land of Afghan tribes, Osama bin Laden, US, UK, Soviet and to the year of 1983 – and into the life of a Delta veteran! As with every Lee Child novel, the logic and the logistics and the fights are dramatically simple, what with two hundred and seventy five pounds of muscle and thirteen years of military career and the tricks and smarts of a Military Police.

I desperately required some form of excitement and relaxation, with my mind being conked and crazy with no sleep for the past God knows how many days and adrenaline pumping for no reason in particular, the thrill of the novel took me to a different world and shunned me completely of my thoughts. Just filled it up with the terrain of grit, logic, wry humour and Jack no-middle-name Reacher! Starts of with the suspected suicide bomber and goes on to the deduction of a piece of information potentially embarrassing to U.S. Throw in NYPD, FBI, DoD, ex-Delta, ex-military and you got yourself a coup that even the caffeine stimuli is not required for the adrenaline rush through your nerves. Simple, logical, fairly unrealistic (well, I think so) and absolute time pass. I read it with a cup of coffee and a box of pizza and Linkin Park music and I did not realize that the day passed and I have not done anything fairly/remotely important!

Last Man Standing

 - By David Baldacci

“I defy you to begin this book and leave it unfinished” – Sunday Express…

Well, I got to say, that suits the book perfectly. I just could not keep the book down and believe me when I say that I have read enough action thrillers to not be surprised by the tone or the story or the action sequence. But this is my first Baldacci’s novel, an impulse buy and I was glued from the word GO. Amazingly written, giving enough rope to the details and practically painting the picture for the reader, both about the surroundings and from the perspective of the characters in that environment and to do it with such finesse is brilliant. And Baldacci has done an outstanding job with this one.

The story is about the FBI super-elite Hostage Rescue Team member, Web London. When he lost his entire team on what was supposed to be a bust operation of a drug dealer’s nest, in an alley, in what turns out to be an ambush, he just about lost everything he cared for and if there was something that he needed at that moment, was perhaps the retribution for his team, but he finds his reputation tainted and suspicions thrown at him from his own colleagues. And despite the deep loss he felt and apparently no time to regroup his thoughts, he needed to find answers. Answers to why he was the “last man standing” among his team and why he was not dead as he was supposed to be. And so begins his journey, in the due process sifting through the complex fabric of his life as a child and into a lethal world of his career and into finding the only other survivor, a ten year old boy named Kevin, who has gone missing.

The story inevitably grips the reader all the way to the last word. And more importantly, it evokes strong emotions towards all the people who do thankless jobs and never have a prayer said in their name (perhaps!) or have their memory confined to a wooden frame. And the author’s writing just about makes you wish that there would probably be a bit more to the story so that you could flip through the pages and get into the life of Web London, the protagonist of the novel and perhaps know him better, though what all was to be known about him was succinctly pointed out. He is just that sort of a character, with a little mystery associated with him and slips like a sand through fingers, never letting you get a grip! I, for one, could have used more about him!! On the other hand, there are other characters, each as strong as Web London, but well, the hype had to build around the main protagonist to cultivate the empathy!!! And I have no complaints!

Not the sort of a book you might want to pick when you are about to go to a party or on a date ;), but yeah, certainly something you want to pick, if you seem to be in a mood for some thrill and have time! Baldacci does not cut down on details and I got an impression that he likes to paint a vivid picture to the reader and build up the adrenaline, pretty much how the characters see it. You are as involved as the character and that is a significant achievement for any author. So, I got to say, hands down to David Baldacci, he has my attention and just about spiked my ante for another one of his writing.

The devotion of suspect X

- By Keigo Higashino

What caught me to this book was the title – “Suspect X”. Suspect X, was it referring to a specific suspect or a random suspect from a bunch of suspects? Then I thought about the word ‘devotion’ in the title and decided it should perhaps be talking about a single specific suspect, from a random bunch of suspects. Devotion could mean only one thing, in such a title. Honestly, despite the obviousness of the title, the narration unraveled a plot that unfolded at a decent pace and kept me turning the pages at full speed. Before I opened the book, after reading the back drop of it, I let my imagination unfold and I can honestly say that I was not very far off with my guesses. However, what kept me hooked to it was the beauty of the tale and the logical flow of the story.

Ishigami is a Math teacher. He lives and breathes Math. Considered one of the most brilliant Mathematician, there are few who can unravel his genius at problem solving. He walks to this daily deli were his neighbor Yasuko works, to pick his every day lunch. Despite being neighbors, they hardly exchange a word. Yasuko and Misato stay in a small apartment, next door to Ishigami, when one day, Yasuko’s abusive ex-husband Togashi visits. The conversation between Yasuko, Misato and Togashi escalates to a fight, with Togahshi ending up dead. While Yasuko and Misato try to fall over each other, over who has to surrender to the cops, Ishigami knocks on Yasuko’s door, asking about the commotion. His rare genius of a mind understands the situation in one quick glance and offers them his help.

When the cops identify a corpse to be Togashi, they come calling onto Yasuko’s door step. And coached by the brilliant Ishigami, they follow a script to tell a tale that Kusanagi, the detective cop, cannot find a fault with. Despite all that, Kusanagi has a nagging feeling that something was off. He talks to his consultant physicist and college mate, the brilliant Yukawa, who incidentally went to college with Ishigami. Though there are no obvious loopholes in the tales of the suspects Yasuko and Misato, when Yukawa talks to his friend Ishigami, he suspects something else.

From there on, starts the dance in the shadows of two genius minds who out challenge each other. While the what and who is obvious in the story, the comeuppance for the crime goes till the wire and the conclusion, trust me, will either make you scream, “Bloody Hell” or “WTH?”

But, if you enjoy the brilliant detection, this book is definitely worth the time.