The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter (The Athena Club Bk. 1) by, Theodora Goss ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Adventure, Classic Horror Retellings, Mysteries, Suspense, Victorian Historical Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

416 Pages

Synopsis: Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture…a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes.

But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein. 

When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past returns. Now it is up to the monsters to triumph over the monstrous. 

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter is an absolute delight from start to finish for so many reasons. It’s clever, creative, and original, with funny and memorable characters that fans of classic horror will love.

This motley group of young women, or as they call themselves, “monsters”, each take turns contributing to the story that Catherine Moreau is writing, which relates how they meet and the adventure they embark upon. It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the writing, because each character kept interrupting Cat, especially young Diana Hyde who is hysterically incorrigible. While I wound up loving these asides, at the beginning they were a bit distracting. 

The plot itself is so imaginative and Theodora Goss has my deepest admiration for coming up with the idea to bring together the “daughters” of some of classic horror’s most infamous villains to solve a mystery. And not only that, but she gives them all fully developed personalities and backstories without taking away from the central plot. There are even nods to Sherlock Holmes & Watson, and Dracula.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter is truly a monster mash-up of epic proportions, and I cannot recommend it highly enough, particularly to fans of classic horror. I just read that the sequel will be coming out in the summer of 2018, and I can’t wait for the further adventures of the Athena Club!

 

 

 

 

 

The Darkest Lies, by Barbara Copperthwaite ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mysteries, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookcouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

433 Pages

Synopsis: A mother desperate for the truth. A daughter hiding a terrible secret.

Melanie Oak appeared to have the perfect life. Married to her childhood sweetheart, Jacob, the couple live with their beautiful daughter, Beth, in a pretty village.

Nothing can shake her happiness–until the day that Beth goes missing and is discovered beaten almost to the point of death, her broken body lying in a freezing creek on the marshes near their home.

Consumed with grief, Melanie is determined to find her daughter’s attacker. Someone in the village must have seen something. Why won’t they talk?

As Melanie tries to piece together what happened to Beth, she discovers that her innocent teenager has been harbouring some dark secrets of her own. The truth may lie closer to home and put Melanie’s life in terrible danger.

I really enjoyed The Darkest Lies, which was my first book by Barbara Copperthwaite, but I did have a couple of issues that stopped it from being a perfect read.

The story is told mainly from Melanie’s POV, although details from the night that Beth was attacked emerge, and there are brief and frightening glimpses into the unknown killer’s disturbed mind. Melanie drove me a little crazy at times. While I had complete sympathy for her and what she was going through, her search for her daughter’s attacker becomes an obsession which has her reporting every new theory she comes up with, to the police, and accusing her friends and townspeople. As the story progresses, she becomes more and more isolated, and she really has no one to blame but herself. She also has these internal conversations with Beth, but she barely visits her in the hospital because she’s too busy berating her friends and neighbors.

The story itself though is fast-paced and intriguing. I suspected who the true villain was about halfway through the story, but because of several twists, I wasn’t absolutely certain until right near the end. The last few chapters were full of surprises which did a lot to overcome my previous issues.

In the end, The Darkest Lies, wound up being a solid psychological suspense story for me. The chapters are short which helps make this a quick read. If you’re a fan of authors like Lisa Jewel, I highly recommend this. I will definitely be on the lookout for future books by this author.

 

 

Little Monsters, by Kara Thomas ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Dysfunctional Families, Mysteries, Teen relationships, Thrillers, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: June 25th, 2017

336 Pages

Synopsis: Kacey is the new girl in Broken Falls. When she moved in with her father, she stepped into a brand-new life.  A life with a stepbrother, stepmother, and strangest of all, an adoring younger half sister.

Kacey’s new life is eerily charming compared with the wild highs and lows of the old one she lived with her volatile mother. And everyone is so nice in Broken Falls–she’s even been welcomed into a tight new circle of friends. Bailey and Jade invite her to do everything with them.

Which is why it’s so odd when they start acting distant. And when they don’t invite her to the biggest party of the year, it doesn’t exactly feel like an accident.

But Kacey will never be able to ask, because Bailey never makes it home from that party. Suddenly, Broken Falls doesn’t seem so welcoming after all–especially once everyone starts looking to the new girl for answers.

Kacey is about to learn some very important lessons: Sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes when the you’re the new girl, you shouldn’t trust anyone.

Little Monsters has been one of the more hotly anticipated books of 2017, and I’m happy to say that it more than lives up to the hype. 

I love stories about the darker layers of the human psyche, especially in regards to teens. It would have been easy to turn this into a more horror/thrillerish ripoff of Mean Girls, but Kara Thomas has made her characters fascinating if not always likable. Kacey herself, is a sketchy character. There were times when I really liked her, especially during her interactions with her stepbrother and half sister, and other times, I had doubts in her innocence, even though she seemed determined to discover what happened to Bailey. The other characters are equally well written. I especially loved Bailey’s journal entries, which showed how much someone can change in a fairly short amount of time. Their inclusion gives the already suspenseful story an additional creepy and menacing layer. 

The story itself moves along at a steady pace and because I was so invested in the characters I finished it in two sittings. There are a lot of red herrings, so I didn’t really guess who was behind Bailey’s disappearance until right before the big reveal. The only reason why I didn’t give this a perfect 5 is because I thought the supernatural plot device of the “Red Lady” was interesting, but ultimately never went anywhere. 

In the end, I have to agree with the many other reviewers who have commented that Little Monsters is a perfect book for fans of Pretty Little Liars. It’s an enjoyable, twisty mystery and thriller that will keep you guessing right up until the end!

The Operator (The Peri Reed Chronicles #2) ~ By Kim Harrison – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mysteries, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers

Thanks to NetGalley and Pocket Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 22nd, 2016

512 Pages

Synopsis: Peri Reed’s job eats her mind, but for a special task agent in hiding, forgetting the past can be a blessing. 

Betrayed by the man she thought she loved and the agency who turned her into the very thing she fought against, Peri abandoned the wealth and privilege of Opti for anonymity riddled with memory gaps and self-doubt. But when a highly addictive drug promises to end her dependency on those who’d use her as a tool for their own success, she must choose to remain broken and vulnerable, or return to the above-the-law power and prestige she once left: strong but without will–for whoever holds her next fix, will hold her loyalty.

Yet even now as then, a love based on lies might still save her life.

Before I begin my review let me first stress that The Operator is the sequel to The Drafter, and it absolutely CANNOT be read as a standalone. If you try to read it without having read the previous book you will be completely lost and possibly wind up with a very bad headache! So, now that I’ve done my duty and warned you all, I can now tell you how awesome this book is! Some of you might be familiar with Kim Harrison’s urban fantasy series, The Hollows, which I’m still lamenting the end of. While the Peri Reed Chronicles features a kick-ass heroine, in the same vein as the beloved Rachel Morgan, that is the only similarity between the two series. This series is set in Detroit in the year 2030. Peri Reed is part of a select group of people who can manipulate time. She works for a covert government agency called Opti and her talents as a drafter come into good use because if a mission goes bad, she can skip back in time, not far, just a minute or two. But in most cases it’s more than enough to turn a failure into a success. Unfortunately there are consequences to having this ability. Living through two different timelines can completely destroy the mind, so drafters are partnered with “anchors” to help blend the timelines together. Even then, memories are usually lost, but Peri used to believe that what she was doing was worth the sacrifice. Without going into spoiler territory, let’s just say that by the end of The Drafter everything pretty much blew up in her face, and she was left betrayed, hurt and confused and on her own. The Operator opens almost a year later, with Peri hiding out from the same people she used to trust and love. She’s determined to have nothing to do with Opti and her former colleagues but sadly, they’re intent on getting her back. They’ve concocted a drug that will stop the memory loss associated with drafting without destroying the mind and try to draw Peri back into the fold with this tempting offer. Of course there’s a catch: the drug is highly addictive and when Peri initially rebuffs their overtures, they inject her without her consent. So now she spends almost the entire book running for her life and fighting the addiction. Just like Rachel Morgan was in The Hollows, Peri is a character you can’t help but root for. She’s smart, tough, has mad skills, and is independent, yet she also makes her fair share of mistakes. Which makes it a good thing that she has friends who stand by her. Chief among these is Silas, who is a gorgeous scientist/anchor that I regretted not seeing enough of in the first book. He and Peri have a rather complicated history which is revealed fully in this story. Because of his intelligence, love, and unwavering loyalty to Peri, he’s the perfect partner for her, even when she doesn’t want to admit it. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s quite handy to have around in a fight. There are quite a few secondary characters which, could have derailed the main plot, but not in Kim Harrison’s skilled hands. While a good chunk of the novel is told in the third person from Peri’s POV, you get to see things from the other characters’ perspectives, even the villains, which really brings them to life. The one complaint I had about The Drafter was that initially it was a little confusing mainly because poor Peri didn’t know what was going on half the time because the very people she trusted were playing her. In The Operator though, everything is pretty above board. You know who the villains are and Peri’s objectives are clearly set out. The only reason why I didn’t rate this a perfect 5 is because I think (I can’t even believe I’m saying this), it could have been a little shorter. At 512 pages, it’s a hefty book, and while the book was action-packed from beginning to end, I think the story could have been just a little bit tighter if say, 50 pages or so had been shaved off. But honestly, this is just one small flaw in what otherwise is an absolutely outstanding read. The ending perfectly ties things up while setting the stage for the next book. If you enjoyed The Drafter, I guarantee you’ll love The Operator even more. If you’re a fan of The Hollows but have been unsure of Kim Harrison’s transition from urban fantasy to science fiction, I encourage you to give this series a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. And finally, if you’ve never even heard of Kim Harrison (Really? Where have you been? Not judging!), but you love fast-paced science fiction, with fantastic world-building, awesome car chases, and memorable characters, I think you might want to give this series a look. As for me, the third book can’t come soon enough!

IQ ~ By Joe Ide – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mysteries, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Mullholland Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

336 Pages

Synopsis: East Long Beach. The LAPD is barely keeping up with the neighborhood’s high crime rate. Murders go unsolved, lost children unrecovered. But someone from the neighborhood has taken it upon himself to help solve the cases the police can’t or won’t touch. They call him IQ. He’s a loner and a high school dropout, his unassuming nature disguising a relentless determination and a fierce intelligence. He charges his clients whatever they can afford, which might be a set of tires or a homemade casserole. To get by, he’s forced to take on clients that can pay. 

This time, it’s a rap mogul whose life is in danger. As Isaiah investigates, he encounters a vengeful ex-wife, a crew of notorious cutthroats, a monster attack dog, and a hit man who even other hit men say is a lunatic. The deeper Isaiah digs, the more far reaching and dangerous the case becomes.

IQ is one of the most diverse interpretations of Sherlock Holmes I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Isaiah Quintabe (Sherlock), has all the knowledge and deductive kills of his fictional predecessor, but he’s much more affable. Writing him as a young black man who dropped out of high school, was an inspired decision on the part of the author in my view. I mean let’s face it. Even modern day retellings of Sherlock aren’t exactly overflowing with diversity, although there have been some female versions which I’ve greatly appreciated. Isaiah is complicated and comes with a tragic past, which makes him someone readers will become emotionally invested in. Juandell Dodson (Watson), who starts out as Isaiah’s roommate and becomes his partner is equally complex. He’s a smooth talking drug dealer which should have been a complete turnoff for me, but much to my surprise I actually wound up liking him. The mystery itself is tightly written and even at times, humorous. It also kept me guessing right up until the last couple of chapters, which is always a plus. But what really kept me reading were the detailed descriptions of East Long Beach, the characters, and the dialogue. The book is actually divided into two stories set in 2005 and 2015. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but I felt a bit of a disconnect each time the time period would switch, even though they both involved Isaiah. I think it might be because I’d just be settling into one story, when on the next page it would switch to the other. Overall, I think IQ is a fantastic start to a new mystery series, and I highly recommend it to fans of this genre, especially if you’re looking for a neat twist on Sherlock.

 

Unnatural Deeds ~ By Cyn Balog – 3.5 Stars

Tags

Mental Illness, Mysteries, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 1st, 2016

288 Pages

Synopsis: Victoria Zell doesn’t fit in, but she’s okay with that. All she needs is the company of her equally oddball boyfriend, Andrew. She doesn’t care what anyone else thinks…until magnetic, charming, mysterious Z comes into her life, and she starts lying to everyone she knows in an effort to unravel his secrets.

And then something terrible happens. Someone is dead and it’s time for Victoria to come clean. Interspersed with news clippings, and police interviews, Victoria tells her story to Andrew, revealing her dark, horrible secrets…secrets that have finally come back to haunt her.

I’ve read every book by Cyn Balog, and what I’ve learned is that she can be counted on for storytelling that is like no other. Unnatural Deeds is an eerie and haunting tale that kept me guessing right up until the end. The story is told in the second person by Victoria as she narrates what has happened to her boyfriend Andrew. Kudos to Balog just for pulling this complicated technique off successfully. I’m not generally fond of second person narration but honestly, Balog is such an accomplished writer that this was done seamlessly. I did however run into problems with the characters. While I liked that Victoria was an unreliable narrator, I thought she came across as too one-dimensional. From the very beginning while she somewhat intrigued me, I was never able to connect with her. Andrew was much more sympathetic, but there was a distinct lack of character development. Surprisingly, the one I liked the most was the sleazily charming Z who ended up being a much more complicated character then I originally thought. There were so many secrets and lies between these characters that most of the fun came from trying to unravel them all. And best of all was the huge twist at the end which I did not see coming. So, despite my issues with Victoria and Andrew, Unnatural Deeds is still a worthwhile read that older teens and adults who are fond of twisty mysteries with unexpected endings, will enjoy. Cyn Balog is one of my favorite YA authors and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

 

 

Forgive Me ~ By Daniel Palmer – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mysteries, Sex Trafficking, Thrillers, Witness Protection

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: At DeRose & Associates Private Investigators in Virginia, Angie DeRose strives to find and rescue endangered runaways–work that stands in stark contrast to her own safe, idyllic childhood. But in the wake of her mother’s sudden death, Angie makes a life-altering discovery. Hidden among mementos in her parents’ attic is a photograph of a little girl, with a code and the hand-written message on the back: “May God forgive me.”

Angie has no idea what it means or how to explain other questionable items among her mother’s possessions. Her father claims to know nothing. Could Angie have a sister or other relative she was never told about? Bryce Taggart, the US Marshal working with her agency, agrees to help Angie learn the fate of the girl in the photograph. But the lies she and Bryce unearth will bring her past and present together with terrifying force. And everything she cherishes will be threatened by the repercussions of one long-ago choice–and an enemy who will kill to keep a secret hidden forever.

Release Date: 5/31/16

While I don’t think Forgive Me is one of Daniel Palmer’s best novels to date, it’s still a good example of what makes this prolific author so popular. There are two plots unfolding in this novel, and I think that’s where I ran into trouble. There’s the heart-breaking story of sixteen-year-old Natalie, who runs away from home only to fall into the hands of a sex-trafficking ring. Her story is difficult to read at times, but it’s extremely compelling. As usual the author has thoroughly researched his subject and he pulls no punches. There are some scenes that will make you cringe, especially since you know similar scenes, or worse, are played out every day all over the world. There’s also Angie DeRose, who’s been hired by Natalie’s parents to find their daughter. Her story takes a backseat until about 3/4 of the way through when it becomes the central plot. It’s so sudden that I found myself wondering what had just happened. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I think Palmer is setting the stage for a series (his first). At least I hope so because otherwise there’s a plot hole to end all plot holes, as well as some loose threads that were never tied up. One of Palmers biggest strengths lie in the compelling characters he creates, and Angie and Natalie are no exception. Natalie, the daughter of divorced parents, is a an intelligent girl who is vulnerable because of a neglectful father and alcoholic mother. You can’t help but become emotionally invested in her. The same goes for Angie, who discovers that her idyllic childhood with her parents was based on a heinous secret. The truth when it’s unveiled is an explosive bombshell and one I didn’t see coming. The secondary characters are engaging and well-defined and the interaction between them is perfectly written. In the end Forgive Me is a bit like reading two books in one, and I wish that Daniel Palmer had written the two as two separate novels. But overall, just like with his previous works, I still enjoyed it and have no problem recommending it to readers who like mysteries and thrillers.

Evening Wolves ~ By Luke Taylor – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mysteries, Political Thrillers, Romance, Spy Thrillers, Techno-Thrillers

Thanks to Luke Taylor for sending me his book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Homicide detective Michael Erland passes through the gates of the opulent Fircrest Mansion to solve the murder of a woman with no fingerprints, and finds himself in the middle of a brutal struggle between Homeland Security and a domestic terrorist known as Jupiter, a hacker and criminal mastermind who steals information to sell it to the highest bidder and will stop at nothing to make the biggest transaction of his career and end the lives of those who would try to stop him. The agent who’s pursuing Jupiter, the enigmatic and stunningly beautiful Sierra Marland, conscripts Erland’s help as the only one she can trust, and as Marland and Jupiter lock wits and wills in a fiery chess game of death and consequence, Erland is forced to walk the tightrope between justice, vengeance, and love.

The man in the brown dining chair awoke from the murky depths of unconsciousness to find himself bound and gagged. Blinking sway the fog, painful shafts of light pierced his eyes. His skull echoed with the thick, dull pain of medical narcosis and felt like a blacksmith’s anvil at day’s end.

Where was he? What happened? Why was there nothing to recall but a few seconds of memory?

And with that opening, the action NEVER lets up in this first book in Luke Taylor’s Wolves and Leopards series. This has a huge cast of characters but the three major characters are Erland, Sierra, and the sinister Jupiter. I absolutely loved Sierra who’s a kickass yet vulnerable agent desperately trying to to bring down her twin sister’s murderer as well as saving the country. stymied and betrayed at every turn by traitors and bureaucrats, there’s only a handful of people she can trust, yet she never gives up. Erland is an honest and hardworking cop who gets pulled into a fight between government agencies and the terrorist organization run by Jupiter. He’s completely over his head yet he manages to not only keep up, but also to become an essential asset in stopping the terrorists. While there’s definitely some instant chemistry between them, the romance develops slowly mainly due to all the chaos around them. As they start to have feelings for one another, there are some lovely and touching scenes, which is pretty hard to do in a book such as this. Jupiter is a villain that rivals any depicted in Bond books/movies. He’s a man devoid of a conscience, only caring about power and money. Because he’s such an interesting character I wish there had been a little more of a backstory,  but with all the other characters it’s obvious why there wasn’t room. There are too many supporting characters to list, but they’re all extremely well written and fully developed. One word of warning: the author is not afraid to kill off his characters. Two of my favorites perished and it’s a credit to Luke Taylor’s talent that I got quite emotional over their deaths. But in a way, never knowing who was going to make it out alive made the reading experience even more exciting. The ending was absolutely perfect and it has me looking forward to the second book in the series Shatterpoint Alpha. 

Evening Wolves is a mammoth book clocking in at over 700 pages, and while there’s a lot of descriptive phrasing, the plot never dragged, and I found myself reluctant to put it down when real life intruded. After finishing it I wasn’t surprised that the novel was a Finalist in both the 2015 Beverly Hills Book Awards and the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Awards. The entire time I was reading I was thinking of my dreamcast if this was ever made into a movie. If you’re a fan of authors like David Baldacci, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn, and the late great Tom Clancy, and you’re looking for a new author to add to their venerated ranks, I highly recommend this.

A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell Mystery #1) ~ by Deanna Raybourn – 4.5 Stars

Tags

British Royalty, Historical Fiction, Mysteries, Victorian Era

 I received this e-Arc from Edelweiss and NAL/Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 1st, 2015

Synopsis: London 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry–and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England now gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans, as Veronica discovers when she thwarts her own abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron with ties to her own mysterious past. Promising to reveal in time what he knows of the plot against her, the baron offers her temporary sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker–a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is bad-tempered. But before the baron can deliver on his tantalizing vow to reveal the secrets he has concealed for decades, he is found murdered. Suddenly Veronica and Stoker are forced to go on the run from an elusive assailant, wary partners in search of the villainous truth.

Deanna Raybourn makes a welcome return with her first Victorian era mystery since she concluded her Lady Julia series. Featuring the same type of quirky characters that she’s known for, A Curious Beginning does not disappoint.

Like Lady Julia and her true love Nicholas Brisbane, Veronica and Stoker don’t exactly hit it off in the beginning. Actually, throughout much of the story Stoker is highly suspicious of Veronica’s role in his friend’s murder. This is a man who was once highly respected in his field and now makes his living as a taxidermist. His backstory is just as intriguing as Victoria’s and left me wanting to know even more, particularly in regards to his brother and his dysfunctional family. 

Victoria is a confident, outspoken, and occasionally audacious woman, before her time, as Deanna’s heroines tend to be. She is constantly looking forward to her next adventure which explains why she so willingly accompanies first the mysterious baron, and then Stoker, neither whom she knows very much about. She’s fully capable of taking care of herself and is absolutely lethal with a hatpin! She also hangs on to a small velvet mouse named Chester from her childhood which adds an endearing quality to her.

This first book in the Veronica Speedwell series doesn’t offer much in the way of actual romance, but it has plenty of sexual tension between it’s two main characters. Their witty dialogue is one of the most enjoyable parts of the story and it’s going to be interesting to see how their relationship develops in subsequent books. 

The plot is fast moving and the only thing I found lacking was how long it took for the mystery to truly get going. Despite a strong beginning, once the baron is murdered Veronica and Stoker spend the first half of the book as fugitives hiding out with a travelling circus. During this time, they’re not doing any real investigating. Instead, this seems more of a device to develop their relationship and I confess I was a little frustrated. Once they leave the circus though, things get really interesting, and when the full conspiracy is revealed, it comes as a big surprise! I truly did not see it coming. 

Deanna Raybourn is a master of leaving her readers craving more and A Curious Beginning is a fine example of this. Intriguing and clever, it sets up the series perfectly. If you enjoy historical mysteries with eccentric characters and plenty of action, I highly recommend this. I’m looking forward to Deanna’s next novel featuring these two stubborn yet likeable characters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dogs ~ By Allan Stratton – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Contemporary Fiction, Domestic Violence, Ghost Stories, Historical Fiction, Mental Health, Mysteries, Thrillers, YA Fiction

 I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 1st, 2015

Synopsis: Cameron and his mom have been on the run for five years. His father is hunting them. At least, that’s what Cameron’s been told. 

When they settle in an isolated farmhouse, Cameron starts to see and hear things that aren’t possible. Soon he’s questioning everything he thought he knew and even his sanity. 

What’s hiding in the night? Buried in the past? Cameron must uncover the dark secrets before they tear him apart.

“Out of the corner of my eye, I catch something moving by the barn. When I look, it disappears. Wait. There it is again, at the cornfield. Some movement, some thing.”

 Fifteen- year-old Cameron and his mother never seem to be able to settle in one place. His mother claims she’s protecting him from his abusive father, but Cameron can’t help wondering if she’s just being paranoid. She refuses to share why she’s so afraid, and since Cameron has few memories of his father, he doesn’t know what to think. The thing is when you live in constant fear, you’re also constantly waiting for the worst to happen, and as a result, you come to doubt not only your judgement, but others’ as well. This is the case here. Cameron is admittedly frightened, but he’s unsure if this is because he’s worried about his father finding them or because his mother might be unbalanced. This uncertainty sets the tone for the rest of this creepy story. It’s related in the first person POV of Cameron, and eventually you come to question even his reliability. In addition to the stress of constantly being on the run, he also suffers from nightmares. When you add in the fact that he has “episodes” where he silently moves his lips as though he’s talking to someone who’s not there, well, you start to wonder. 

Location, Location, Location. Stratton amps up the creep factor by having Cameron’s and his mother’s latest hiding place be an isolated and somewhat decrepit farmhouse she rents, in Wolf Hollow. Of course on his very first day of school Cameron is targeted by the town bully who immediately tells him his house is haunted and he should watch out for “the dogs”. Naturally these can’t be cute fluffy ones like these:

or even this little fella:

No. They’re more like a pack of these:

It’s gradually revealed that the farmhouse is indeed the site of a murder–or murders, which took place long ago. When Cameron is contacted by the ghost of Jacky–a young boy, it’s not immediately clear if he’s really just a figment of Cameron’s imagination. What is clear is that both the boys situations are similiar, and it’s not long before Cameron decides to play detective. 

Cameron is an appealing and sympathetic narrator who teens will definitely relate to and root for. While there are plenty of paranormal details, the author successfully balances these with real life issues such as bullying, mental illness, and domestic abuse. 

The mother’s character slightly annoyed me. She’s another stereotypical parent who thinks the best way to protect her child is to keep secrets from him. Naturally this causes even more problems. I honestly felt like shaking her at times!

Interestingly, the more likeable adult character is Ken, the mother’s new boyfriend. While Cameron is initially distrustful of his overtures, he actually winds up being the only real stabilizing force in this kid’s life.

The mystery of Jacky and the farmhouse is slowly and thoughtfully explored, and by the end of the book Cameron and the reader have a more thorough understanding how past events can have such an incredible impact on people decades later. 

Although some of the topics brought up are serious, I think this book will find it’s target audience with 12-15 year olds. While there are disturbing elements, nothing is graphically depicted. Instead, The Dogs allows the reader to use their imagination. Like Fuzzy Mud, by Louis Sachar, it’s a great book to use in a classroom or a book discussion group.