It's no news to my regular readers that I almost always parallel-read two books, one on my kindle while I'm on my way to and from work etc., and a "real" one (not that ebooks aren't real) at home.
My last parallel-reads were these two:
Karin Slaughter
A paperback I bought for 2 euros from the second-hand stall run by the church once a month in the town centre, this one will next go to my book-swapping friend Andrea who then can decide whether she'll donate it back to the church for another round, keep it, throw it away or give it to someone else.
Early on in the book it becomes clear that this is not the first one about medical examiner Sara and her ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey, as well as Jeffrey's partner Lena. The couple literally stumple upon a terrible crime, its investigation bringing to light even more terrible secrets.
It was a gripping story, and if you don't mind gory details, this book is for you. But I DO mind, even though some of the detail was important to the story; also, I found much of the dialogue unnecessarily lengthy. In short (!), the book could have been more to the point, and although especially towards the end the story picks up speed, it could have gained from being better paced.
But that's just my impression; maybe I simply wasn't in the mood for this kind of crime thriller. Karin Slaughter is a very popular author, but I doubt I'll be actively seeking out more of her books. Her website is here.
Murder in the Family
Kurt Berwick
This free ebook from Amazon's Kindle shop was something of a strange read: Most - but not all - of it is in letters, and there is very little actual storytelling.
We meet various members of the Quilter family; the "present" time is 1928, while the events the story is about have taken place in 1900: One family member was shot in his bedroom, with only the family being in the house at the time, and freshly fallen snow clearly shows that nobody entered or left before or after the deed.
28 years later, one son of the victim has become more and more convinced that he, a teenager back then, must have done it - why, he can't explain - but somehow amnesia must have wiped out the actual event from his memory. To help him see that it can't have been him and gain peace of mind, one of his sisters asks the family doctor for help who in turn engages a crime analyst.
The analyst only has a bundle of letters to examine and still comes to a satisfying conclusion - but only the VERY end of the book reveals the truth.
It was an unusual book but still pleasant to read, although I found it confusing that almost all family members were adressed alternating between two names. For instance, one of the sisters is called Judith but the letters to her start with "Dearest Marie", while Jonathan is also Daniel, and Robert is Henry... Why?!
I could not find out more about Kurt Berwick, other than that he is a contemporary author and has written quite a few books available on Amazon and listed on Goodreads.com.
My concentration is not good these days. It's all I can do to read a chapter a night in bed. I would find reading two books simultaneously confusing. How do you manage not to mix the plots up?
ReplyDeleteIt's relatively easy because my reading is so "situational". I stick to one story while I'm out and about, waiting for or being on trains, and another story is for bedtime reading and during lunch break when I'm working from home. I don't read on my Kindle when I'm home. Also, usually the two parallel books are very different; sometimes one is non-fiction (so no story to get mixed up with).
DeleteSometimes books seem to be padded out with unnecessary detail, and the horror element is often gratuitous, too. If nothing else, it tells you which authors to avoid in future, or at least learn to skim.
ReplyDeleteTrue, Janice. Maybe in a different frame of mind I would have had more positive things to say about the book. The story itself is well constructed, and the topics - domestic violence and religious fanatism - are (sadly) never outdated.
DeleteMy library has a LOT of books by Karin Slaughter (doesn't that sound like a pen name?) and I see that the TV series "Will Trent" is based on one of hers. The one you read is one of her earlier books. I will have to check out some of the others to see if she is always so gory.
ReplyDeleteI think it's her real name, but it suits the gory details in this book!
DeleteHer name sounded familiar enough to me, too, and I at some point (probably around 20 years ago) I must have read something by her.
I've never read any Karin Slaughter. I suppose I still might try one of these days, if I find a paperback for £2!
ReplyDeleteCheck your local churches and charity shops, Steve. And once you've read the book, donate it back so that it can be sold again - all for a good cause.
DeleteKurt Berwick I wonder why so little info about him? It's a mystery. I also tried and found nothing.
ReplyDeleteYes, strange that, isn‘t it. I wonder whether the author is an actual person or if this books were AI generated.
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