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Showing posts from June, 2022

False Witness: Book Review

I just finished reading False Witness, by Karin Slaughter. This is a psychological thriller novel along the same vein as Gillian Flynn. It stars two female leads who are sisters with a dark shared secret between them that threatens to blow wide open after someone unexpected comes back into their lives. Like Flynn (and Jewel), this story is incredibly character driven, with much of the time spent going over the backstories of the two characters, and much of the plot centered on how the two sisters react to the provocations of the central threat. I think this story was one of the better psychological thriller novels that I have read. I especially like the focus on the characters, the woman's perspective (both the characters and the author), and the way the story progressed. And the realism that was acquired by bringing the pandemic into the story was also a nice touch. As usual for thrillers, I will only do a spoiler section, as these stories are best read going in blind. Just know t

Cujo: Book Review (Quickie)

Cujo: Book Review (Quickie) I just finished reading Cujo, by Stephen King, which is one of his most popular books—so popular, in fact, that Cujo is now a household name known by basically everyone. Most people already know the basic premise: a 200 pound Saint Bernard goes rabid and threatens the lives of the main characters. All things considered, I think this is one of my favorite King novels. The horror is close to home, the supernatural elements are pared back to great effect, and the characterization is on point. Overall (No Spoilers) The last three King novels that I have read have been disappointing, even if there were elements in the stories that I liked. For reference, those stories were The Stand, Pet Sematary, and The Outsider—and you can go read my reviews of all these books on this blog. Because of this, Cujo was a refreshing return to form. King created serious conflict with compelling tension and an amazing ending. I read one review suggesting that all that cocaine gave h

Sacrifice: Book Review

I just finished reading Sacrifice, by Will Jordan. Jordan is a YouTuber who goes by the name The Critical Drinker, and I have been watching his videos on and off for a few years now. I tried his first book, Redemption, a while back, and I thought it was good, and perhaps even great in certain ways. I have a review of that on this blog. Sacrifice is the second book in the series, where Ryan Drake is thrown back into the action again, tasked with saving a hostage before he is killed by a terrorist who has a bone to pick with Drake. This book is another compelling entry to the series. Rife with tension, pace-paced action sequences, and cut-throat brutality, this book has a lot going for it. I also have some critiques of the book, but they aren't fatal by any stretch. As usual, for thrillers and mysteries, I only do spoiler reviews, as I think you should just jump into the stories with nothing but an author name to motivate you. Overall, I like the book, though I have to admit I have a