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Book Review: The Abomination – Jonathan Holt

June 18, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Title: The Abomination
Author: Jonathan Holt
ISBN: 9780062264336
Pages: 448
Release Date: June 18, 2013
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary:

When a body is found in the lagoons around Venice, Captain Kat Tapo is called to the scene to investigate. But this is no ordinary victim; it’s a woman dressed in the robes of a Catholic priest. As Kat searches for the murderer and the reason this woman was shot, it takes her from a virtual world called Carnivia to a much-maligned U.S. army base, and Kat begins to see the web of conspiracy that surrounds this case.

Review:

When I first read about The Abomination, it sounded like a sort of Da Vinci Code-esque thriller that would be mindlessly entertaining, if not exactly the highest quality of literature. But from the second I opened the book, I realized I was very wrong. This book was so much more than I’d thought, smart and sophisticated while still being entertaining. Not only does it have a rich, complex plot, it also has depth and two vividly drawn, well-developed characters.

There are so many aspects to The Abomination that it’s difficult to cover them all in one review. It’s the first in a trilogy, called The Carnivia Trilogy. Carnivia is a fictional massively multiplayer online gaming site that appears to be on the periphery of the novel, but as the book progresses, the reader realizes it’s key to the plot. Carnivia is lovingly described in detail, as is the larger setting of Venice. Readers will enjoy seeing this beautiful city come to life in front of them

The two main female leads in The Abomination are Holly Boland, a second lieutenant in the United States Army and Kat Tapo, a captain in the Italian Carabinieri on her first homocide case. Though these two women have disparate storylines, without much interaction, it’s interesting to see how alike they are. Both are strong, smart, and confident, and both are women in men’s roles. Both also are digging to uncover secrets that have been hidden for years, Holly by NATO and Kat by the Catholic Church. They are realistically drawn with surprising depth for a thriller, and readers will immediately sympathize with and root for them.

In some ways, this review hasn’t revealed much of anything about The Abomination, but I feel that’s best. This is a novel where it’s best to know as little as possible going in. If you know too much, you’ll miss out at the surprise and delight around every corner of this book. Suffice it to say, this book soundly beat my expectations, and it was one of the most unique and enjoyable novels I’ve read recently.

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Filed Under: book review, suspense/thriller ·

Book Review: Always Watching – Chevy Stevens

June 17, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Title: Always Watching
Author: Chevy Stevens
ISBN: 9780312595692
Pages: 352
Release Date: June 18, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Dr. Nadine Lavoie is a psychologist working at a hospital when a young woman is admitted. She tried to commit suicide, and as Nadine works with her, she becomes concerned because it seems as though she and her husband were involved in a local cult. As Nadine researches this organization, she’s shocked to discover that she is acquainted with its charismatic leader; he was the leader of a cult Nadine lived with for a short time as a child. Nadine begins to dig into her past, examining old memories, and realizes there may be parts of her life she’s been unable to face until now.

Review:

Dr. Nadine Lavoie is someone that readers of Chevy Stevens’ previous thrillers should be familiar with; she’s the psychologist who worked with both of the main characters of those books. Now she gets the chance to tell her own story. Nadine isn’t easy to like immediately; she comes across as a bit cold, and her need to fix things around her that she sees as broken is unending. But she slowly grows on the reader, and it becomes clear that her personality issues may be related to difficult issues from her past.

The story of Always Watching is certainly interesting. Stevens delves into the fascinating problems surrounding cults and the power of charismatic leaders. It’s very well done and completely creepy. As Nadine uncovers repressed memories and finds out more information about the cult, readers will have chills running down their spines. Stevens has dealt with many issues in her books—kidnapping and serial killers—but in many ways, this one is the most chilling, perhaps because of its realism.

Stevens’ books are intense psychological thrillers, and while Always Watching does fall into this genre, somehow there is less urgency surrounding it than in her previous novels. That’s not to say it’s not good or worth reading, but that it doesn’t quite have that unputdownable MUST CONTINUE READING quality that really characterize her other books. It’s quite possible this is related to the fact that much of the novel is Nadine being proactive, rather than reactive; she is exploring, and it’s not until the last half of the book that she actually feels threatened.

Always Watching is a great summer read, and if you enjoy psychological thrillers, then Chevy Stevens is an absolute must-read author. Despite the fact that Nadine is a character in all three novels, and this book takes place after Stevens’ previous two, there’s no need to consider this a sequel. These books can be read in any order; while this book references events in the previous two, it does not give away any serious plot details. Regardless of what order you read them in, though, if you enjoy suspenseful reads, then I’m begging you please pick these books up!

Other books by Chevy Stevens:

Never Knowing
Still Missing

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Filed Under: book review, psychological thriller ·

Site Migration

June 14, 2013 by · 3 Comments

Hello! I know I haven’t checked in with all of you in awhile, but I’ve been busy, busy, busy behind the scenes!

I’ve been wanting to move S. Krishna’s Books from Blogger (where it’s currently hosted) to self-hosted for some time. There are many reasons—more control, more flexibility, and more security—but the idea of actually making the move has been daunting. Well, no longer. The migration process begins today, and hopefully by Monday, you’ll have a bright and shiny site waiting for you!

During the weekend, the site may experience some downtime, but you shouldn’t notice any differences (besides the brand new design and layout, of course), except for one small group. If you use an RSS reader to access the site and you’re using the old Feedburner RSS feed, you won’t be receiving my posts anymore!

Please make sure you resubscribe here:

Subscribe to my RSS Feed

I hope you all enjoy the new site, and please bear with me over the next few weeks. I’ll probably be playing around, doing some tweaking and such, so things might be a little wonky!

Filed Under: General ·

Book Review: Loyalty – Ingrid Thoft

June 13, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Title: Loyalty
Author: Ingrid Thoft
ISBN: 9780399162121
Pages: 416
Release Date: June 18, 2013
Publisher: Putnam
Genre: Mystery
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:

Josefina Ludlow (Fina for short) is from a family of lawyers. But she’s chosen a different route; Fina was mentored by her family’s firm’s PI, and so she’s followed in his footsteps and become a private investigator as well. When Fina’s sister-in-law, Melanie, goes missing, her father calls on her to figure out what happened, as the prime suspect in Melanie’s disappearance is Fina’s brother, Rand. As Fina begins to take a hard look at Melanie’s life, she starts to wonder whether someone in her family has something to hide.

Review:

There are many novels these days starring female private investigators, tough women who know how to get the job done, so these books can start to run together. That’s not a problem for Ingrid Thoft, though; Loyalty is smart and well-written. Thoft herself has a PI certificate, so she knows something about the processes and lifestyle of a PI. Fina operates within a different world from the rest of us, and it’s wonderfully authentic.

Fina is a great main character in Loyalty. She’s strong, which she has to be to do her job, but she’s also fragile in some ways. She has trouble making commitments and it’s clear her family has messed her up pretty well. It’s interesting to see the dynamics of the Ludlow family; above all, Fina’s father has instilled in his children that the family comes first. Above all, you protect the family. It’s interesting to wonder whether Fina’s brothers have secrets they need protection from and what Fina might do if she uncovers such information.

The story of Loyalty takes the reader places they never might have expected when the novel first begins. Thoft isn’t afraid to discuss difficult issues, such as prostitution, head on, but it’s also great to see how she infuses emotion into the novel. There are parts of the book that are simply heartbreaking; the reader can feel Fina’s despair at the information she learns. But Fina is dogged and sees the case through, and this determination is what really carries the novel.

Thoft has a very promising debut on her hands with Loyalty, and readers will enjoy getting to know Fina. Thoft crafts all her characters, both major and minor, with such care that it’s difficult to say goodbye to them when the last pages of the novel have been turned. Indeed, readers will hope that this is the first in a series, that we will once again be treated to the complex and twisted dynamics of the Ludlow family, as Thoft has created a fascinating family in this book.

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Filed Under: book review, mystery ·

Book Review: A Hundred Summers – Beatriz Williams

June 12, 2013 by · 2 Comments
hundredsummers

Title: A Hundred Summers Author: Beatriz Williams ISBN: 9780399162169 Pages: 368 Release Date: May 30, 2013 Publisher: Putnam Genre: Historical Fiction, Beach Read Source: Publisher Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Summary: The year is 1938, and Lily Dane is looking forward to another quiet summer at Seaview, the beach community of her childhood. But her [...]

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Filed Under: book review, historical fiction ·

Book Review: If You Were Here – Alafair Burke

June 11, 2013 by · 2 Comments
ifyouwerehere

Title: If You Were Here Author: Alafair Burke ISBN: 9780062208354 Pages: 384 Release Date: June 4, 2013 Publisher: Harper Genre: Suspense Thriller Source: Publisher Rating: 4 out of 5 Summary: When a woman pulls a boy off the tracks of a Manhattan subway station, she’s hailed as a hero. But she disappears before she can [...]

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Filed Under: book review, suspense/thriller ·

Book Review: The Engagements – J. Courtney Sullivan

June 10, 2013 by · 3 Comments
engagements

Title: The Engagements Author: J. Courtney Sullivan ISBN: 9780307958716 Pages: 400 Release Date: June 11, 2013 Publisher: Knopf Genre: Contemporary Fiction Source: Publisher Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Summary: Frances Gerety, one of the few female ad copywriters in 1947, writes the tagline “A Diamond is Forever” for DeBeers on a whim. She doesn’t know [...]

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Filed Under: book review, contemporary fiction ·

Book Review: The Creation of Anne Boleyn – Susan Bordo [TSS]

June 9, 2013 by · 14 Comments
creationofanneboleyn

Title: The Creation of Anne Boleyn Author: Susan Bordo ISBN: 9780547328188 Pages: 368 Release Date: April 9, 2013 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Genre: History, Biography, Non-Fiction Source: Publisher Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Summary: In her part-biography and part-history, Susan Bordo examines the cultural impact that Anne Boleyn, the first queen in English history to [...]

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Filed Under: biography, book review, history, non-fiction ·