Review: Panic Button by Kylie Logan

You can tell by the illustrated cover alone that Panic Button by Kylie Logan is a cozy mystery. Technically, a cozy mystery is a crime novel without the gore (think Miss Marple) and they usually have an artist's impression of an idyllic setting on the front.

Panic Button is centred around a charm string and in the Victorian era, young girls collected and traded buttons and threaded them onto a charm string. It was said that when they'd collected their 1000th button, they would meet their Prince Charming. 

The main character of the series runs a button shop, and given I like buttons and was moderately interested in the creation of charm strings, I thought this would make a fun and easy-going read on the plane home from Hawaii. 

It did, but it also confirmed that cozy mysteries just aren't enough to keep my interest. The main character investigating the crime was just too much for me, but very indicative of the genre. 

Do you like cozy mysteries?

My rating = **

Carpe Librum!

Review: Nyctophobia by Christopher Fowler

Nyctophobia is a fear of the dark (or darkness) and is the perfect title for a novel, don't you think? Paired with an appropriately dark and spooky cover, Nyctophobia by Christopher Fowler ticks the box in a number of genres, including: science fiction, urban fantasy, supernatural and mystery of the highest order.

I'm still reeling from this book. I adored it, it was a five star read..... right up until the ending. This book had me in its grip, but it ended one sentence too soon, argh!!

I haven't stopped thinking about it, and the premise was brilliant. The new owner of Hyperion House in Spain moves in with her husband and agrees to keep on the old housekeeper and gardner. The housekeeper tells her the servants quarters of the grand house never see sunshine and are always locked, refusing to give her the keys. 

Callie won't let it go and wants to know more. Having suffered from nyctophobia as a child, Callie's old fears threaten to resurface when she finally learns what - or who - is occupying the servants quarters.

I won't say anything more, you really need to experience this book for yourself. I wanted a particular ending and my reading experience was scarred when I didn't get it, but Nyctophobia will be up there as one of my favourite reads of the year, I'm sure of it.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Lonely Planet Hawaii by Sara Benson and Amy Balfour

Earlier this year, I waited to purchase the latest copy (2016 version) of Lonely Planet Hawaii by Sara Benson and Amy Balfour in preparation for my holiday and first-time visit to the country.

Reading zealously with sticky notes and flags over the course of a few months, it took me a while to understand the layout and approach to this travel guide. 

My first impressions were that the layout was a little haphazard, until coming to the realisation that the book was organised by island, not by activity. This means if you're interested in sea turtles, you have to look at references for sea turtles on every island. 

Finally, the free map at the end of the book was a complete waste of paper. The free maps in the Waikiki Trolley brochure were a much better resource when out and about in Honolulu and Waikiki.

Lonely Planet Hawaii was a logical place to begin my research, but in the end, I found my online research to be more useful this time around.

My rating = **

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Review: Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier

Set in Edwardian London, Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier takes place from January 1901 to May 1910 and was a joy to read. 

This historical novel confidently covers themes of mourning, mourning etiquette, class and the suffragette movement with an engaging and natural writing style.

The chapters are narrated in the first person by several of the main characters, although each character picks up the thread of the story and continues with it, rather than re-living the same events from their point of view. 

Each of the voices are unique, making it impossible to confuse the characters. 

My favourite character by far was Simon Field, the gravedigger's son and the conversations that take place in the cemetery were some of my favourite parts of the book.

I recommend Falling Angels for those interested in the mourning etiquette of the Victorian and Edwardian periods and readers looking for something a little different.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Silent Twin by Caroline Mitchell

* Copy courtesy of NetGalley *

The Silent Twin is my first Caroline Mitchell novel and features one of my favourite tropes, a detective (in this case DC Knight) who uses their supernatural abilities to solve crime. Add to that the case of a missing nine year old twin and a suitably creepy cover, and I was ready to fall in love with The Silent Twin. Unfortunately this was just an okay read for me.

DC Knight's abilities weren't explained well enough for my liking, although to be fair, this is the third in the Detective Jennifer Knight series by Mitchell. It should be noted then that if character development is important to you, you'll want to start at the beginning of the series, however the novel can be read as a standalone.

Blackwater Farm was a great setting, but the 'whodunnit reveal' came from left field and to be honest I felt a little jibbed. Unless I'm the dumbest reader on NetGalley, I didn't pick the person responsible for the twin's disappearance although thankfully wasn't fooled by the red herrings thrown in. Oh well, it happens.

Overall, The Silent Twin was an okay read that had stacks of potential but fell short for me. I believe the author/publisher opted for the safe road here instead of making more of the supernatural elements and the entities at Blackwater Farm.

My rating = ***

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I've flagged Caroline Mitchell's Paranormal Intruder as a book I think I'll enjoy a lot more; being a personal account of paranormal activity in her home.

Review: Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke

Sour Candy is contemporary horror, and at only 67 pages, this novella is a quick and easy read. Don't be fooled though, author Kealan Patrick Burke manages to pack a punch from the very first page.

How's this for an opening sentence:

Four months to the day he first encountered the boy at Walmart, the last of Phil Pendleton's teeth fell out.

I was hooked from the start, and the concept is brilliant: Phil sees a strange boy in a grocery store who later turns up at his house calling him Daddy. Phil has no idea where the boy came from, but everyone around him believes Adam is his son. The other-worldly child wears odd clothes and will only eat sour candy, hence the title of the book.

If you like the feeling when the hairs on the back of your neck start marching towards the top of your skull, then Sour Candy is definitely for you. Also recommended for fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Winner of Choosing Xaverique by Karyn Sepulveda announced

Thanks to everyone who entered last week's giveaway to WIN a copy of urban fantasy novel Choosing Xaverique by Australian author Karyn Sepulveda. 

Entries closed at midnight Friday 15th April, and the lucky winner is.......

Suzanne

Congratulations Suzanne, you'll receive an email shortly and will have 7 days to provide me with your postal address. I'd like to thank Noble Words for the prize.

This is the last giveaway for a few weeks as I take a well-earned break on the high seas with a stack of books to read. I hope you all have something captivating to read and stay tuned for more bookish giveaways in May/June.

Carpe Librum!

Review: Precious Things by Kelly Doust

* Copy courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers Australia *

Precious Things by Australian author Kelly Doust follows a handmade beaded collar through history to the present, touching on the women who owned it and wore it in the past.

Maggie is an auctioneer in London and she comes across the collar in a box of neglected lace and fabric and is immediately drawn to it. 

Interspersed between Maggie's narrative of busy family life in present day London, are individual vignettes from the previous owners of the collar, from 1890s France to the present day. Despite being written by the same author, each of the characters had their own distinct voice and setting, and as a reader I appreciated the skill required to accomplish this.

I loved the little sketches breaking up some of the content within the chapters, but I was soooo glad there was a timeline at the back, detailing the women who had owned and worn the collar/coronet so I could refer to it at the end.

When it comes to presentation, Precious Things was the most thoughtful and beautiful advanced review copy I've ever received. You can see in the photo below that it came wrapped with lace and ribbon, several postcards with quotes and a precious thing, a candle holder. Given author Kelly Doust has worked in the publishing industry herself, this should come as no surprise but it still made an impression I won't forget.

The cover design for Precious Things is wonderful, however my only gripe is that the collar on the cover doesn't match the description of the collar/coronet in the novel and I so desperately wish that it did. The collar in the novel had a recurring fleur de lis pattern, and I just don't see that in the lace collar on the cover.

If you're a fan of Kate Morton, historical fiction, vintage items and dual timelines, then Precious Things is for you.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Winner of The End Of Seeing by Australian author Christy Collins announced

Thanks to everyone who entered last week's giveaway to WIN a copy of The End Of Seeing by Australian author Christy Collins. It was one of the most popular giveaways this year, so thanks to author Christy Collins for providing the copy.

Entries closed at midnight Friday 8th April, and the lucky winner is.......

Rosalie!

Congratulations Rosalie, you'll receive an email shortly and will have 7 days to provide me with your postal address.

For those of you who missed out, feel free to check out my current giveaway. It'll be the last one for about 3 weeks though as I'm going on holidays and won't have regular access to update my site. I'll have lots of time for reading though, and can't wait.

Carpe Librum!

Friday Freebie: Choosing Xaverique by Karyn Sepulveda

RRP $18.95

* Copy courtesy of Noble Words *

Blurb
“I died this morning. At exactly 8.17am my heart stopped beating and I lay cold and still in the street. At 8.24am my heart resumed beating, I jumped up from the dusty pavement and ran home. Confused? Well, that makes two of us.”

Gabby Valis is just your average 15-year-old Sydneysider, with a life full of best friends, boys and school. At least, that’s what Gabby believes. But dying a horrible death – and inexplicably making a full recovery from her horrific injuries almost instantly – is bound to change a person. Gabby discovers that, like her father and grandmother, she is a Xaverique, a super-species with extraordinary powers that evolved from humans long ago. She must resolve to use these powers – and stay a Xaverique – before her 16th birthday or lose them forever.

Gabby’s love for Noah, a boy with terrible secrets, will be tested as she is drawn into battle with a great force for evil. And Noah must resolve some questions of his own: about his nature, his place in the world and where Gabby fits into his existence.

A final showdown – a war between good and evil, between family and true love – will force Gabby and Noah to choose their destinies… and live with the consequences.

This is a powerful urban fantasy with echoes of Cassandra Clare, Stephanie Meyer and Jess Shirvington, an extraordinary young adult debut and the first in a trilogy set in Australia’s iconic Sydney.

Author Bio
Karyn Sepulveda is a teacher and writer of Theatre in Education productions with a Masters in Creative Writing. She is currently writing the sequel to Choosing Xaverique, due for publication in late 2016. Karyn lives in Sydney with her partner and two young children.

For each book sold between 8-12 April, Karyn will give a copy to Father Chris O’Reilly’s Youth Off the Streets centres around Australia, and donate 20 per cent of sales taken between 13-17 April to this amazing charity.

Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed.

New logo unveiled for Carpe Librum

Last year Carpe Librum turned 10 and as the site steadily climbs towards achieving one million hits I thought it was time for a logo.

Without further ado, I'm excited to share my new Carpe Librum logo with you below.

I love the fresh new look, and thanks to those who provided their feedback in the Crowd Design poll, your input meant a lot.

Stay tuned for a revamp of the blog design in the next few months as I update my style to fit with the new logo. Exciting times ahead and thanks for your support.

Happy Reading!

Review: Maestra by L.S. Hilton

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

Maestra by L.S. Hilton is the 'it' book at the moment - with film rights already sold - and let me tell you, it's hot!

Take a crime novel set in the art industry, spice it up 100 degrees and add a dash of the filthy rich and you have Maestra.

Judith Rashleigh is our femme fatale and is working for one of the top auction houses in London while harbouring a secret ambition to rise well above her station. She studies the rich and successful and those who know their fashion brands will enjoy her desire for beautiful things. I'm not much of a fashion aficionado, but I loved the references to paintings and artists, so there's something here for everyone.

Having said that, if you don't enjoy reading hot sex scenes, then look away now. The cover design of Maestra (showing a canvas slashed open) is intentionally provocative for good reason, there are plenty of hot sex scenes in this thriller. Judith is a confidently sexy woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to seek it out. She also uses her sexuality to further her own agenda in a serious and often risky way.

Judith has been compared by some readers to Lisbeth Salander but I can't really agree with the comparison. There are clear reasons Lisbeth does the things she does, but Judith's desire and ambition don't come with a detailed backstory; they just 'are'.

Maestra is an entertaining and sexy read, and the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because I wanted to know more of Judith's back story and motivations.

This book is hot hot hot! In fact, I don't think I've read a book this hot since reading Six Degrees by Honey Brown. Maestra is the first in a trilogy, so I look forward to finding out what Judith Rashleigh does next.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Friday Freebie: WIN a copy of The End Of Seeing by Australian author Christy Collins

Valued at $19.95 AUD

* Copy courtesy of the author *

Blurb

Determined to discover the truth about the disappearance of her partner, Nick, Ana sets out to re-trace the route he took as a photojournalist on the other side of the world - a journey that saw him presumed dead, on a ship wrecked off the coast of Italy.

But Ana doesn’t believe Nick is dead. In his photos, in the messages her memories of him seem to carry, and in her growing suspicion about his own need to disappear, she is increasingly sure he is alive somewhere.

As she tracks his journey, she begins to witness the world that Nick saw through his camera - a world in which disappearance is not unexpected.

Author Bio

Christy Collins' novella The End of Seeing was one of the winners of the Viva La Novella Prize 2015 and is published by Seizure. Her work has been shortlisted for the Writing Australia Unpublished Manuscript Prize and long-listed for the Vogel. 

She is currently a PhD candidate in Creative Writing at the University of Tasmania. She lives in Melbourne and tutors in Australian Literature at the Australian Catholic University.

Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed.

Review: The Secret Heiress by Luke Devenish

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

Australian author? Check
Gothic setting? Check
Twins? Check
Manor house? Check
Servants? Check
Inheritance? Check

The six elements mentioned above make for a very enjoyable read and those who love seeing these topics penned in any Kate Morton novel, will enjoy this offering by fellow Australian author Luke Devenish.

The Secret Heiress is a deeply layered mystery set in central Victoria in two time frames with two main characters, Ida in 1880s and Biddy in the 1900s.

The mystery kept me guessing and the complex layers of lies and deceit were difficult to unravel, making for a satisfying read in a 'whodunnit/whydunnit' kind of way. I highly enjoyed the upstairs/downstairs environment, and I think this is the first gothic historical fiction novel I've read set entirely in Victoria.

My only complaint would be the lack of chapter breaks. There were very clear breaks between time periods, however these sections were quite long with no chapters to break up the pages. (There were a few sentence breaks but I always like to stop reading at the end of a chapter and I wasn't able to do that here).

Luke Devenish is an accomplished writer and this was an impressive and refreshing read in a genre generally dominated by female authors. Recommended for historical fiction fans far and wide; particularly those who haven't read a gothic Australian novel before.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

HFVBT Book Blast for The Tapestry by Nancy Bilyeau

Published March 2016

The Tapestry (Joanna Stafford #3) by Nancy Bilyeau

Henry VIII's Palace of Whitehall is the last place on earth Joanna Stafford wants to be. But a summons from the king cannot be refused. After her priory was destroyed, Joanna, a young Dominican novice, vowed to live a quiet life, weaving tapestries and shunning dangerous conspiracies. That all changes when the king takes an interest in her tapestry talent.

With a ruthless monarch tiring of his fourth wife and amoral noblemen driven by hidden agendas, Joanna becomes entangled in court politics.
Her close friend, Catherine Howard, is rumoured to be the king's mistress, and Joanna is determined to protect her from becoming the king's next wife--and victim. All the while, Joanna tries to understand her feelings for the two men in her life: the constable who tried to save her and the friar she can't forget. 

In a world of royal banquets, jousts, sea voyages and Tower Hill executions, Joanna must finally choose her future: nun or wife, spy or subject, rebel or courtier. The Tapestry is the final book in a trilogy that began in 2012 with The Crown, an Oprah magazine pick. Don't miss the adventures of one of the most unforgettable heroines in historical fiction.

Author Bio

Author, Nancy Bilyeau

Nancy Bilyeau has worked on the staffs of InStyle, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Ladies Home Journal. She is currently the executive editor of DuJour magazine. 

A native of the Midwest, she earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. The Crown, her first novel, was published in 2012; the sequel, The Chalice, followed in 2013, and The Tapestry in 2015. 

Nancy lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

Winner of Crime Scenes edited by Zane Lovitt announced

It seems quite a lot of my subscribers enjoy reading crime fiction and many of you keenly entered last week's international crime giveaway. Up for grabs was a copy of Crime Scenes, a collection of short stories by Australian writers edited by Zane Lovitt. 

Entries closed at midnight Friday 25th March, and congratulations go to the winner........

Richard Harrison

Congratulations Richard, you'll receive an email shortly and will have 7 days to provide me with your postal address. Thanks to Spineless Wonders for this giveaway, and I hope you all had something exciting to read this Easter.

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky

The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky is an easy to read YA novella set in a Sydney girls's school in 1960s. 

Eleven girls and their teacher Miss Renshaw take an unplanned excursion outside the school grounds one sunny day, and their teacher strangely disappears.

With an eerie feeling like that in Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay, The Golden Day is eerie in a subtle way, although Australian author Dubosarsky doesn't attain the giddy heights of Joan Lindsay in her execution.

This novella is well-written with a mystery to excite YA readers and is suitable for middle grade readers too.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

P.S. I won this copy of The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky in the Australia Day blog hop in 2015, thanks to Allen & Unwin.

Winner of Ian Ross Twilight of the Empire series announced

Thanks to those who entered last week's massive giveaway of 3 paperback books from author Ian Ross. The giveaway was open internationally and many readers entered to win the Twilight of the Empire series pictured below.

Entries closed at midnight Friday 18th March, and congratulations goes to:

Waughzone67

Congratulations Waughzone67, you'll receive an email shortly advising you of your win and will have 7 days to provide me with your postal address. Your prize pack valued at $90AUD will be sent to you directly by Harper Collins Publishers Australia, who I'd like to thank for their generosity.

For those who missed out, click here to win some crime fiction in this week's giveaway.

Carpe Librum!

Friday Freebie: WIN a copy of Crime Scenes, a collection of short stories by Australian writers edited by Zane Lovitt

RRP: $27.99

* Copy courtesy of Spineless Wonders *

Blurb
Is there really such a thing as an innocent person?
Teachers, cops, mothers, wives, everyone has their breaking point; that moment where it could go either way. From the prostitute with no way out, to the bitter author, and a cop who just wants his leave, the characters in this collection will baffle and bewilder you at every turn.

About this short story collection
This collection features stories from emerging Australian crime writers alongside award-winning authors Angela Savage, Peter Corris, Leigh Redhead, Andrew Nette, David Whish- Wilson, P.M. Newton, Carmel Bird and Tony Birch.

Author Bio
Zane Lovitt’s story ‘Leaving the Fountainhead’ won the SD Harvey Short Story Award at the 2010 Ned Kelly Awards for Australian crime fiction, while his debut novel, The Midnight Promise, won the 2013 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction.

That same year he was named a Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelist. His second novel Black Teeth will be available in July 2016.

Giveaway
This giveaway has now closed.

Review: Watership Down by Richard Adams

Originally published in 1972, Watership Down is a classic and popular children's book and reading it for the first time, I can understand why it has endured.

Set in the South of England, we enter a world where rabbits can talk and each warren of rabbits has their own culture. Other animals can also talk, with accents differentiating each species (mice, birds, cats).

Watership Down is an adventure story featuring Hazel and his friends and the natural world they inhabit. The rabbits face real dangers from men and the animals that hunt them and they're ultimately seeking a safe environment to live in peace and procreate.

I instantly warmed to Hazel, Fiver and his friends and in fact the rabbit names warmed the cockles of my heart in a way that I just can't describe. Rabbit names included: Buckthorn, Haystack, Strawberry and the infamous Bigwig, all with their own personalities.

Featuring snippets of rabbit mythology and occasionally including tales told by storyteller rabbits (rabbits love to listen to stories), Watership Down can be enjoyed by adult, YA and Middle Grade (MG) readers alike. Those seeking deeper meaning will enjoy the themes of leadership, sacrifice, freedom and peace that underly the various stages of the adventure story, making it a classic that I'm sure will endure for generations.

I loved Watership Down and will be recommending it widely.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

P.S. I read the Kindle ebook and don't you just love the cover?

Friday Freebie WIN 3 paperback books by Ian Ross from his Twilight of the Empire series valued at $90 AUD

* Copies courtesy of Harper Collins Publishers Australia *

Today's Friday Freebie is a massive giveaway of 3 paperback books from author Ian Ross valued at $90AUD and it's open internationally. Enter below to win his Twilight of the Empire series.

RRP $29.99AUD

War at the Edge of the World
Centurion Aurelius Castus - once a soldier in the elite legions of the Danube - believes his glory days are over, as he finds himself in the cold, grey wastes of northern Britain, battling to protect an empire in decline. 

When the king of the Picts dies in mysterious circumstances, Castus is selected to guard the Roman envoy sent to negotiate with the barbarians beyond Hadrian's Wall. Here he will face the supreme challenge of command, in a mission riven with bloodshed and treachery that tests his honour to the limit.

As he struggles to avert disaster and keep his promise to a woman he has sworn to protect, Castus discovers that nothing about this doomed enterprise was ever what it seemed.

RRP $29.99AUD

Swords Around The Throne
Rome is in peril. The old order is changing - and Aurelius Castus has been summoned back from Britain to find himself caught up in a treasonous conspiracy threatening to bring down the Emperor Constantine.

Rewarded for saving the emperor's life in battle, Castus is promoted to the Corps of Protectores, the elite imperial bodyguard. The swords around the throne.

But he soon discovers the court to be as dangerous as the battlefield; behind the gilded facade of empire, there are spiralling plots, betrayals and seductions. A nest of traitors. And one relentless enemy.

Battle For Rome

RRP $29.99AUD

The Roman Empire is on the brink of civil war. Only Maxentius, tyrant of Rome, stands between the emperor Constantine and supreme power in the west.

Aurelius Castus, promoted from the ranks for valour and loyalty, is now a tribune in Constantine's army. But great honour brings new challenges: Castus is tormented by suspicions that his aristocratic wife, the mother of his child, has been unfaithful. And as Constantine becomes increasingly devoted to Christianity, Castus is forced to ask himself whether he is backing the wrong man. 

All know that the coming war will decide the fate of empire. But Castus's own battle will carry him much further - into the shadowy realms of treachery at the heart of Rome itself.

Author Bio
Ian Ross has been researching and writing about the later Roman world and its army for over a decade. He spent a year in Italy, teaching English, but now lives in Bath. Visit his website: www.ianjamesross.com or find him on twitter: @IanRossAuthor

Giveaway
This giveaway has now closed.

Blog Tour & Review: All These Perfect Strangers by Aoife Clifford

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

Today I'm participating in a blog tour for All These Perfect Strangers by Aoife Clifford hosted by Simon & Schuster. Here's the teaser for the book:

‘This is about three deaths. Actually more, if you go back far enough. I say deaths but perhaps all of them were murders. It’s a grey area. Murder, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. So let’s just call them deaths and say I was involved. This story could be told a hundred different ways.’ 

All These Perfect Strangers is the debut novel from Australian author Aoife Clifford and with a teaser like that and descriptions of an unforgettable morally complex page-turner and a chilling, self-assured debut novel, I was primed to fall in love with this one. Unfortunately I didn't fall in love, but it was a solid read for me. 

This YA crime novel meets coming-of-age story takes place from the perspective of Penelope (Pen) Sheppard. Set in three timeframes, we have Pen's life at University, Pen consulting her Psychiatrist Frank and her earlier years as a teenager living at home with her Mum. A crime and surrounding mystery during her teenage years is slowly revealed throughout the novel but wasn't as revelationary as I thought it'd be.

The highlights of the novel were the realistic descriptions of university life and the familiar descriptions of life in a small town. There were also some standout characters (although Pen wasn't one of them) which included her Mother's boyfriend, Tracey her best friend and fellow Uni student Toby.

Also being called domestic noir, All These Perfect Strangers had a similar ending to Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes although I believe it was done better here.

I think All These Perfect Strangers by Aoife Clifford will appeal to YA readers who enjoy reading crime with a dash of mystery.

Before I close, I must mention the cover. The ARC (advanced reader's copy) sent to me came with an alternative cover and matching postcard/bookmark which I instantly fell in love with. I wish they'd used that for the release and much prefer it to the final published cover (above). Funny when that happens.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review: Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes

* Copy courtesy of NetGalley and Simon & Schuster *

Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes is the second in the series to feature stalker and charming murderer Joe, who we met in You. He's a serial killer and anti-hero but you can't help but root for him, especially when he's in love.

In Hidden Bodies, Joe moves to LA to chase the girl who broke his heart, took advantage of him and 'did a runner' to exact his revenge. Joe quickly starts hating on the people, the culture and sub-culture of LA and the Hollywood scene in a very amusing way that makes the pages turn quickly.

Joe's need for revenge and his loathing of try-hard actors and their false little worlds soon begins to fade though as he hones in on a new project.

You was one of my top 5 books for 2015, and the only reason I didn't give the sequel Hidden Bodies a full 5 stars was because of the ending. It was just too much of a cliff hanger for me, and I desperately want to know, will he or won't he? That said, Joe is an unforgettable narrator and I'm hoping to find out what happens to him next in a third instalment.

It's no secret that Stephen King is a fan of Kepnes' work and has called her writing hypnotic and scary, so if my recommendation isn't enough, then take the word of the King.


My rating = ****1/2

Carpe Librum!

Two winners of The Changing Season by Steven Manchester announced

Thanks to those who entered my Friday Freebie last week to WIN 1 of 2 ebook copies of The Changing Season by Steven Manchester.

Entries closed at midnight Friday 26th February, and congratulations go to our two winners:

Denise Newman Ange Sharma & Debbie Rodgers!

Congratulations Denise & Debbie, you'll receive an email shortly advising you of your win and your ebook prize will be sent to you directly by the author.

Thanks to Steven Manchester for the giveaway copy and to the winners, I hope you enjoy your prize. If you missed out, stay tuned for three more giveaways coming soon.

Carpe Librum!

P.S. Unfortunately Denise Newman didn't respond to any of my emails informing her of the win and consequently has forfeited her prize. Congratulations to the runner up winner Ange Sharma.

Review: Revival by Stephen King

Stephen King's novel Revival is what I'd call a slow burn. Covering themes of family, addiction and faith, Revival spans 50 years in the life of Jamie Morton and his priest, Reverend Jacobs.

Reverend Jacobs is obsessed with the power of electricity and he discovers he has the power to heal people. But does he heal with faith or science or is the whole thing just a con?

Although not a standout bestseller when compared to other novels in Stephen King's vast body of work, Revival contains an interesting plot exploring some big issues and showcasing some great writing along the way. Here's my favourite quote from page 60:

"Her blond hair was underground now, growing brittle on a satin pillow in the dark." 

Oh my gosh, that still gives me the creeps! The best part of Revival was Jamie Morton's childhood growing up in New England. Stephen King has an unbeatable talent for writing young characters and the first quarter of the book had me chuckling and smiling, and the remainder of the book had me (and Jamie) yearning for the innocence of those early years.

Promotional material claims Revival is a 'masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe' although I'd have to disagree. Revival was an enjoyable story and a great page turner with a few flashes of brilliant writing, but it wasn't a knock-out for me.

My rating = ***


Carpe Librum!


This month it was announced that Revival has been adapted for the big screen by Josh Boone and is being reviewed by Universal Pictures, so let's hope we see it on the big screen.

Winner of a copy of Spellbound by Maree Coote announced

Thanks to all those who entered my Friday Freebie last week to WIN a copy of Spellbound by Maree Coote. 
Entries closed at midnight Friday 17th February, and congratulations go to (drum roll):

Mary Preston!

Mary is a regular visitor to Carpe Librum, so it's great to see her name come up. Congratulations Mary, you'll receive an email shortly advising you of your win, and you'll have 7 days to provide me with your postal address. Your prize will be sent to you directly by Melbournestyle Books.

Thanks to Melbournestyle Books for the giveaway copy and stay tuned for more giveaways.

Carpe Librum!