Lee Hunts

I just finished reading Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn. Finally, finally, after countless years, I have come around to reading this book. This is the first time, and I have never seen the movie, even. I was spoiled on the major twist of the story, so I kept putting both of them off. Now, that said, I think the twist would have been quite obvious on a meta-level if only because I've read Flynn's two other novels—admittedly, she is a bit of a one trick pony. The good thing is that my assumptions about the context of the major twist were actually wrong, so there were a lot of unexpected things in this novel. It was a wild ride, to be sure. This book apparently kickstarted the domestic thriller craze that is now commonplace today. At the very least, it came at the very beginning of the trend. It begins with Nick Dunne, a very normal husband, waking on his fifth anniversary to speak with his wife, Amy. Later in the day, he returns home to learn that his wife is nowhere to be found. He ...

I just finished reading The Cabin at the End of the World. This is a psychological horror novel written by Paul Trembley, and it is notable for its controversial ending. Some part of me thinks that this kind of book is best read with as little context as possible. I sat down to read it knowing only about the controversial ending and a very mild "spoiler" a so-called "friend" mentioned to me. I didn't even read the back of the book description to get the general idea. In the past, this general sentiment has motivated me to skip over the non-spoiler section of my reviews for most mysteries, but I guess if you want to avoid as much context as you can, you can just click off the review. I want wider appeal for some of my reviews, so I will include a spoiler-free section in this review. Video: https://youtu.be/X7WeG1bvzB0 Non-Spoiler The basic premise of Cabin is that a small family of three go on vacation to a cabin in the middle of nowhere in the hopes that they ca...

I just finished reading Betrayal, which is the third book in the Ryan Drake thriller series. In the latest instalment, Ryan Drake finds himself in hot water when a person from the past shows up in his life and does the incomprehensible. This is a betrayal that demands explanation, and it lands Drake in Russia, where he is dragged into a complex conspiracy that threatens his life and American relations with Russia. This book, in terms of plot, is by far the best book in the series up to this point. At the same time, the characters are only increasingly lacking as the story progresses and this weighs down my enjoyment, especially in retrospect. Interestingly, I've become more critical of the other books in hindsight, and I'm not entirely sure whether that is a more accurate reflection of my views or not. Either way, the previous books, while tense and exciting, notably lacked in the power of the plot twists. Maybe the Caine plot twist was good, but I remember the rest of the twis...

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, fast-paced action sequences, and cut-throat brutality, this book has a lot going for it. I also have some critiques of the book, and they do have an effect on enjoyment. 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 ...

I just finished reading Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn. I have already read Sharp Objects (and I have a review of that), and I rather enjoyed that book for its atmosphere and its characters, even if the twists at the end were rather predictable. That motivated me to pick up another book by Flynn, and this is the next one on the block. This book is primarily about Libby Day, the sole survivor of a massacre of her whole family by her brother. She was the witness that helped put her brother behind bars. Now, she is pulled back into case twenty-five years later when a member of a true crime club contacts her. What follows is another novel steeped in dark emotions, disturbing sexuality, and violence, complete with a twisty plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat. As usual, for mysteries, I think the story is best consumed with as little information as possible. That the author is Gillian Flynn should be enough of a pitch. As such, I will only be doing a spoiler review. Overall, I loved ...

I just finished Redemption, a novel written by Will Jordan. Jordan is a Youtube critic known as the Critical Drinker. I've always enjoyed his takes on the various movies that he reviews, so I wanted to check out his books, this one being the first of nine, to see if it was any good. His book is marketed alongside David Baldacci and Lee Child mystery/thrillers. I haven't read Baldacci yet, but I have read one Child novel, which I rather enjoyed, so I think I naturally compared the two. And since I have also read the novels of various Youtubers—including Justin Little, David Stewart, and Daniel Greene—I will also be comparing this book to those. This book follows the protagonist, Ryan Drake, a British man who now works for the CIA. At the beginning of the book, he has landed a job in tracking down MIA operatives for the CIA, despite a problematic past he is ashamed of. In this novel he is asked to extract a highly trained MIA operative who is being held in a prison. The job is sh...

I just finished reading BoneMan's Daughters, by Ted Dekker. Dekker is a Christian author who writes suspenseful thrillers. I read a few of his other works when I was growing up, though I don't entirely remember all of them. Dekker always had the reputation of being a weird and disturbing writer, someone who was always controversial within the Christian community. That, of course, was why I liked him as a kid; he was one of the "cool" authors. So, I was interested to revisit him and consider the work from my more recent perspective. Summary (No Spoilers) BoneMan's Daughters is a book about a failed father who has become estranged from his wife and his daughter. This is because of a long past of neglect, after putting his career as an intelligence officer before his family. But, his attitude changes, and he wants to fix things. Juxtaposed with this is the BoneMan, a serial killer about to be released, who sees himself as a perfect father and ...