Book Review: Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern

An estranged father’s weekend with his beloved five-year-old daughter turns into a nightmare when she gets into the lift of a city centre tower block and goes down without him. She vanishes without a trace. It sets off a race against time, and a nationwide manhunt, to find her. As the police investigation closes in, suspicion falls on those closest to her - with devastating consequences. Daddy Dearest is a terrifying story of love, obsession, and psychological meltdown. 'My daughter has always had a thing about lifts. There’s something about the thrill of pressing a button and seeing the lift doors close which excites her imagination. It terrifies me. Every time she walks in, I imagine it’s the last time I’ll see her. What if she hits the button before I get there? What if the lift doors close and I can’t get her out? It drives me nuts. There are eight floors in the Sears building, nine if you count the basement, and the lift is fast: more like a fairground ride, really. It does top to bottom in twelve seconds. I’ve timed it. Taking the stairs, I’ve done it in forty-two. That leaves a gap of thirty seconds. You’d be surprised what can happen in that time. I was.'

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

When I started this book, I had very different expectations. But, must say, Daddy Dearest is very different from every other thriller I've read. It is so complex and so painfully real, there were moments when I didn't know should I cry or laugh. Let me tell you something about the plot:

The main character is a man who is living in a flat. He is just an ordinary man, something very grumpy, sometimes very ironic. He describes himself as „not necessarily misanthropic by nature“. He hates people but wants to be loved by them in the same time. He finds his neighbors annoying and avoids too much contact with any of them.

Book Review: The Collector by Anne-Laure Thiéblemont

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Publication date: August 11-th, 2015.

In the merciless microcosm of Paris art auctions and galleries, some people collect pre-Colombian statuettes, while others, like Marion Spicer, collect trouble. When she inherits a prestigious art collection from the father she never knew, her problems start. In order to come into possession of her inheritance, she must first find three priceless works of art, a quest that draws her into a world where people will kill for a love of beauty.

Edmond Magni is one of the greatest collectors of eighteenth-century art and an owner of a very imposant collection of pre-Columbian art. He is so obsessed with it, those figures are more important to him than actual human beings. But when he dies of an unexpected death, his only relative is a long lost daughter who never met him. The entire collection is her inheritance now, but there are conditions: she must find three missing statues. It might be a hard work for someone else, but not for Marion Spicer. She is also into the world of art, working as a private investigator and looking for stolen art. The collection of her long lost father is not a source of income for her, but a treasure of beautiful pieces of art that have to be preserved for future generations. But the world of art is not a safe place at all. Marion throws herself into the world of thieves, fake auctions, grave diggers, smuggling and making perfect replicas. In order to find the three missing statues, she stamps on something bigger: a murder!

This is my very first book from this author and from the very first page I was captivated by the plot. A very prestigious collector of art dies and his daughter who works also in the world of art inherits the most wanted collection of pre-Columbian statues. There are some very fine pieces of art here and also a detective story. It's like Indiana Jones meeting Lara Croft. The story takes you from the most prestigious museums of Paris to the old tombs in Colombia and Peru.

But what started very enthusiastic and fully-packed with adrenaline, ended somehow diluted. Maybe it was just me, but the ending left me very disappointed. After that kind of rush, I was expecting a real BAM at the end. The end didn't surprise me nor left me with my mouth open. But, that's just my opinion.

I liked Marion as a character. I liked her hunger for justice, her hunger to finish whatever she started. I liked her passion for art, her admire of pieces of history. She sees the things as evidence of existence of the people that lived on this planet before us, not as a source of money.

Overall, The Collector is a beautiful piece of art full of mystery and action. It is an interesting and fast-paced read perfect for the fans of Indiana Jones. And everyone else, of course.

My opinion: 3,5 / 5.

You can pre-order the book on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk . 

Review: The Morgenstern Murders by C.M. Albrecht

*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Dr. Ezra Morgenstern runs an abortion clinic and constantly faces angry religious fanatics. But one day, standing by the window at his home located at the edge of the cliff above the Pacific, he notices someone climbing up the cliff. Dr. Morgenstern calls the police. The police officer that answers the call faces the most incredible sight: two dead bodies, three with the dog. The doctor and his wife and their dog are murdered.

Couple of years earlier, Jonas McCleary moved to Sand Bluff to work as a sheriff. But the crime level was very low so he didn't have any job to do. So, now he works as a private investigator. Alex Kershaw, the first officer on the murder scene, calls McCleary to help him solve the case.

How has motive to kill the doctor and his wife? Is it some religious fanatic who thinks that abortion is sin? Or maybe his daughter who now inherits the clinic and the money? Or maybe his daughter's husband who has debts?

Well, PI Jonas McCleary has to solve this case.

Review: Murder Has Consequences by Giacomo Giammatteo

 

Title: Murder Has Consequences

Author: Giacomo Giammatteo

Genre: Mystery, Crime, Thriller

Format: ARC Kindle

1. Murder takes time - Never rush. Know what you are going to do before, during, and after the job. Know your victim. Their face. Routines. Neighborhood. Family.

2. Murder has consequences – When doing a job you can never, ever, let it get personal. Each assignment is just a job. If you let it get personal, it will have consequences.

3. Murder takes patience – If someone has a routine, trust it. Wait them out, and it will pay off. As for yourself, never be predictable. Don’t shop at the same place. Don’t do anything at the same place or at the same time or on the same days.