REVIEW: THE NIGHT SISTER BY JENNIFER MCMAHON

Published by Doubleday, 2015. Hardcover, 322 pgs.

    I enjoyed this book immensely! This was a fast-paced thriller with a great premise and structure. The reader follows two sisters, Rose and Sylvie, who live in the Tower Motel in Northern Vermont in the 1950's. Sylvie is the charismatic one, having aspirations of living in Hollywood and being an actress in Alfred Hitchcock films. Flash forward to 1989, and we follow Amy (Rose's daughter) and her two friends (also sisters) Margot and Piper. The hotel has long since closed, and they spend their days wandering around the property- roller skating in the empty swimming pool and goofing off in the old rooms. The last time period is modern day, where Margot and Piper find out a horrible crime has been committed on the property. This forces them to re-evaluate their childhood spent at the hotel, and investigate to figure out the sinister connections between unexplained events.

     I read this in a few hours one afternoon and a couple hours the next day. The transition between the time periods was seamless, and never left me with that all-too-often feel of "I don't want to switch to this section, I want more time in this perspective". I loved that McMahon acknowledged Psycho and wasn't trying to deny the connection between both creepy motels. There was enough substance to keep me guessing, and the perfect balance of reality and magical realism to make the story eerily believable. I liked how it explored the relationship between siblings and friends, particularly how those bonds can be fractured and the extent of loyalty. The Winter People was a fantastic late season ghost story last year, and McMahon has grown even further with this book. I recommend for anyone looking to get out of a reading slump, and particularly for a spooky Halloween/Fall read. Also, I got to hear her speak and she's just super cool and an awesome person. So that's nice too:-)

 

REVIEW: A PLACE WITHOUT SHADOWS (BOOK 2 OF THE DEADLOCK TRILOGY) BY P.T. HYLTON

Published by Six String Books, 2015. Paperback, 313 pgs
Book 1 Review- Regulation 19

First off, I give props to any author who provides a recap of the previous book in a series as a preface to the upcoming book. Hylton does this through a section titled "What We Know". Rook Mountain, Tennessee is adjusting to some tough changes. While a single day hasn't passed in other parts of the country, the residents in this town have experienced eight harrowing years. PT Hylton did not disappoint with book two!

I was excited for fresh material as the mission to eradicate the enemy continues. We are introduced to a new setting called The Sanctuary in this installment, as well as some creepy new creatures to join the eery ranks of the Unfeathered. The title meaning was revealed in the second half and alluded to the ominous forest setting. We are also reunited with some old favorite characters from book one. I particularly appreciated that Hylton continued to draw strong female characters, with Sophie taking a strong position similar to Christine in the previous novel.

I like how Hylton plays with the changing laws in this society. In this case, we have the former Regulated days, and now the Unregulated system. It illustrates how tenuous judicial systems can be, and how a slight imbalance can tip a society into general chaos and lawlessness. The resulting uncertainty and unease made for a suspenseful second book. Going hand in hand with the legal system is the question of morality. The younger generation only knows the rough, unfair system that was in place with Zed, and wants to uphold the prior laws at any cost...unaware of how life was before. Many older folks realize the destructive nature and are warring against the "Zed Heads". This is fun for the reader as we get to see a complex power struggle.

Also, about time travel....this novel has highlighted that it can be tricky and troubling- don't think I would care to engage in it. Writers must have an interesting time outlining these types of stories, I'd love to see all the charts and notes. This was another fast-paced, action filled ending with crazy twists and turns. Looking forward to The Broken Clock, but will be sad when the trilogy ends.

REVIEW: THE GIRL IN 6E (DEANNA MADDEN #1) BY A.R. TORRE

Published by Orion, 2014, Kindle Version, 336 pgs

**This is an erotic thriller. Violent content and extremely graphic sex scenes are present throughout most of the book so be warned.

I heard about this on Lindsey Rey's Booktube channel, as well as seeing it on a To-Be-Read video for Rachel for her Booktubeathon challenges. I was in between books, and on a whim downloaded it to my Kindle. I read it until 1 am  (rarely do I stay up that late), and immediately finished it when I woke up in the morning.

Deanna has some problems. The major one being constantly plagued with the desire to kill everyone she encounters in the slowest, bloodiest way possible. Part of this is a result of horrific family trauma as a teenager. As a freshman in college, she decides she can no longer control her urges and rents an apartment, installs a steel door, and conducts her life solely through the internet.

What ensues is a fascinating, compulsively readable book about a lifestyle that is unimaginable to me. We hear about her means of financial support, the profession of webcamming. We are given descriptions of her 900 square foot apartment, and what her day-to-day existence has been for the last three years. This includes how she acquires food and basic necessities, the strict daily schedule, the personalities and requests of her vast clientele, her continuous internal monologue, and discussions with therapists. Her loneliness, occasional despair, and lack of outside stimuli is palpable.

We also get the perspective of Jeremy, the UPS driver who leaves packages outside her door and wonders about the mysteriousness of the girl who lives in 6E. Besides this content, (which is more than enough to sustain the novel), we have a mystery/action plot line that allows us more glimpses into Deanna's tendencies and how she might possibly train herself to control them. 

There was an instance with Jeremy that I found pretty unbelievable given the circumstances, and the likelihood of her carrying out one of the tasks was a bit unrealistic, but I found the story so gripping it didn't affect my overall rating. The inner demons she struggles with on a daily basis sound terrifyingly plausible, and the book makes you wonder how many people we are surrounded by that have killing tendencies. The writing wasn't super literary, but perfect for the fast-paced story. A.R Torre spent time researching the sex industry and interviewing popular webcam girls to make the story be a realistic representation of what the job would entail. This is great read if the content won't offend, and you are searching for a can't-put-it-down book. Already downloaded book two, Do Not Disturb.

REVIEW: REGULATION 19 (BOOK 1 IN THE DEADLOCK TRILOGY) BY P.T. HYLTON

 Published by Six-String Books, 2015. Paperback, 312 pgs.
 PT Hylton's Booktube Channel
His Website
      We open on a prison. Prisons absolutely terrify me. One of my worst fears is being set up for a crime and ending up in jail a la Orange is the New Black style. It wouldn't stop there. I'd end up getting an infraction of some sort and be put in solitary. Before this thought process is allowed to go further, let's discuss this novel. Frank Hinkle has been in prison for nine years. One day, he is unexpectedly given a reprieve from his sentence on the condition that he perform a certain task. In agreement, he is released to a vastly different Rook Mountain, Tennessee to the one he left. His friends and family are unrecognizable in their behaviors and lifestyle, his brother has disappeared, regulations are in place to keep the citizens of the town from leaving, and mysterious objects are found that end up being of paramount importance. Other than the basics, the less you know the better. 

       This book is a nice blend of elements. We have a Dystopian Tennessee setting nine years in the future, as well as flashback sections to the time before "Unregulated". We also have mystery/thriller/fantasy components with time travel thrown in for good measure. Regulation 19 is distinct and doesn't fit into any one specific genre. Due to the gritty style and excellent writing on a mystery in a small town, I'd liken Hylton's style to Stephen King if I had to think of the closest author comparison.  My favorite settings are rustic so this added to my overall enjoyment. Woods, cabins, and mountains simultaneously give the story a comforting feel, but a sinister one as well due to isolation and the event that keeps it walled off from the rest of the world. The juxtaposition makes for an intriguing story.

     I enjoy creepy small town stories, and this one delivered. I felt for all the characters and was interested in their relationships with each other. There are lots of twists and turns in this book, and, as some fellow reviewers have said (and I wholeheartedly agree) I never knew where the story was going and enjoyed the continuous surprises. There are a couple devices near the end that helped provide explanation and set the reader up for the second installment in the trilogy. This could easily have felt contrived, but it was done seamlessly and that impressed me even more. 

      I would also like to promote P.T. Hylton as a fellow Booktuber and a very nice, articulate person. Thrilled to say that I can wholeheartedly recommend his book as well. I was lucky to receive a signed copy with annotations throughout highlighting PT's thoughts/feelings on the scene or experience while writing. If you go here, you can get signed copies and also buy all three books in the trilogy for $32.95 (includes shipping-US only.) All three can be shipped to the UK for $59.95. I recommend buying directly from him for the great personalization! I'm very excited to see how A Place Without Shadows deals with the changes presented in book one. Highly recommend!   

REVIEW: THE SALINGER CONTRACT BY ADAM LANGER

Published by Open Road Media, 2013. Paperback, 255 pgs

I didn't take the amount of notes I usually do for this one- so I hope I still have some helpful thoughts. I flew through this quick, literary mystery/thriller. I read this for the #TBRTakedown Read-a-thon created by Shannon from the channel leaninglights on Booktube. This is a novel I'd had on my shelves for a long time. I had received this in a Book Riot Quarterly box over a year ago so it was high time I read it!

We have our main character Adam Langer- yes, the same name as the author even though this is fiction....or partly. The background and writing life of this character is quite similar to the author bio. The fun of this book is the blurred line between fact and fiction. When Langer (in the story) befriends thriller writer Conner Joyce, they both go on a journey neither of them intended. Joyce is struggling to write his next novel and is then approached by a stranger. This mysterious man offers him an unusual proposal which would solve his financial issues. Unsure how to proceed, Joyce enlists the help of his trusty friend Langer, who is experiencing his own money problems in the sleepy college town of Bloomington, Indiana. 

Past the setup, the less you know the better. Book lovers will enjoy the literary references...spoiler: Salinger is mentioned...a lot. I liked the discussion on where the book industry is headed, specifically what readers deem worthwhile creative content and how much they are willing to pay for it. The reader is also exposed to some publishing houses "franchise boosting" authors. All large houses have them- and their big name releases provide bonuses for employees and advances for other authors.

Trust and friendship are major themes that Langer explores. I had no idea writing a novel could have such high stakes! This was a fun, average mystery/thriller with a bit of a book-loving twist. Perfect for a one or two sitting read.