5 years later, I enjoyed this one even more than the first time. Maybe it's because I have read the follow-on series, and my fulfillment was better fi5 years later, I enjoyed this one even more than the first time. Maybe it's because I have read the follow-on series, and my fulfillment was better filled with that one.
Persephone is hands down my all-time favorite character of this whole series, and she was woefully short in lines. I missed the witty humor and her quotable awesomeness that was held in other books. I was so happy for those short moments though.
This time around, the romance and understanding with Blue were more apparent. However, I still want more of Blue and the ladies.
I highly recommend the audio version of this. Delanie Nicole Gill’s voice acting lifted this one up to a whole other experience in the creep factor! FI highly recommend the audio version of this. Delanie Nicole Gill’s voice acting lifted this one up to a whole other experience in the creep factor! From that first opening sentence, she gives 8-year-old Bela a voice that lets you know you are in for a ride of horror and suspense.
Josh Malerman gives his readers a LOT to love in this horrific haunting. Bela is a spectacular character, even if her parents are less than stellar.
There are some interesting characters, but by the time the séance and security protocols are involved, it gets a bit much.
The "loss of innocence" could have gone many different ways.
Overall, everything up to leaving the house with many rooms was 5-star material, but everything after brought it down to a 4-star for me.
I liked the case of the author, and the things going on behind the scenes. Kay being a target may get tiresome if it is every book, but I guess it wasI liked the case of the author, and the things going on behind the scenes. Kay being a target may get tiresome if it is every book, but I guess it was the same with Alex Cross.
I forgot how much nonstop smoking there was in the early 90s. It's pretty cringe to read about in 2024, haha.
I will continue on; I love the scientific bits that are thrown in.
Grant County is substantially darker than most of Will Trent. Karin Slaughter seems to be taking out of all of her anger at the injustices done to womGrant County is substantially darker than most of Will Trent. Karin Slaughter seems to be taking out of all of her anger at the injustices done to women here, and honestly good for her.
Lots of character development on a mostly darker slant.
Sara Linton- much self-guilt and self-exploration here. I liked the softer parts with Jeff and the strong parts at her clinic.
Chief Jeffrey Tolliver is surprisingly the softest character in the book, which I guess was echoed and expounded upon by Will Trent. In this one, he has a lot of the "Why won't you just let me love you" trope with Sara. The guilt of having to shoot someone and not knowing if it was the right choice.
Lena Adams-This one was almost more demanding on her than the first book. Dark connections with dark people, darkness in her own mind. I love how the relationship with her uncle and her career struggle developed. It's amazing how she can still accomplish anything, but she is a badass in her own way.
TW: Pedophiles, incest, cutting, teen pregnancy, genital mutilation, torture, suicide by police, death and dismemberment of an infant, attempted suicide, etc.
It was fun to have so much of the book involve my home state and places I have spent much time in. I have always been curious about what a peyote visiIt was fun to have so much of the book involve my home state and places I have spent much time in. I have always been curious about what a peyote vision trip would be like.
I can't believe Walt didn't react more to that last-second news.
This was a great one for the further evolution of Henry as a character, even though I always wanted more.
The reservation was the main setting, and the mystery was a bit convoluted.
A good one for showing that we all have craziness going on in our lives, but when someone takes a chance on us, it can make a big difference.
Chris Whitaker has woven together a richly developed cast of characters. This is a bit of a saga as it spans more than 25 years of these characters' lChris Whitaker has woven together a richly developed cast of characters. This is a bit of a saga as it spans more than 25 years of these characters' lives (starting in 1976 and ending in 2001).
Narrated through the eyes of Patch, a one-eyes boy who revels in his disability and takes on the persona of a pirate. He ends up kidnapped in place of one of the girls, and his plight to save and locate the rest of the girls ends up consuming him.
Saint, whose neverending search leads her to a life in law enforcement, constant feelings of inadequacy, and a struggle between her drive and her strict religious upbringing.
Misty, a girl who was saved yet feels unworthy of the life she was given.
Charlotte comes in later to narrate and enrich the story's further development as it grows. I love that Charlotte brings in some random, witty, foul-mouthed comedic relief in an otherwise mostly serious novel.
Ancillary characters abound, and Chris Whitaker does not waste the significance of characters.
I absolutely loved the details of the search for the missing and coinciding with the search for the serial killer. I love that the characters were flawed and real.
However, something about this just kind of started to feel TOO long. There are a LOT LOT LOT of chapters, to the point that it was kind of crazy. More than 200 chapters is insane. Sometimes in the last third of the book, I just wanted to skip ahead and see what happened. I think it drug on a bit too long.
This was my first novel by the author; he is obviously very talented. I will be picking up other novels in the near future.
It was great to see Walt deal with a case that devoted more time to tribal spiritualism and to have a different tone foLOVED how Native this one got!
It was great to see Walt deal with a case that devoted more time to tribal spiritualism and to have a different tone for this book. While I missed many regular ancillary characters, this was a great internal look into what Walt stands for.
I think this was a necessary healing that he needed and will bring greater strength to his character moving forward.
I freaking loved this! Admittedly, it was a bit weird to get into in the beginning, but Heavebreaker!
Sara Wolf is a fantastic character. I love her. I freaking loved this! Admittedly, it was a bit weird to get into in the beginning, but Heavebreaker!
Sara Wolf is a fantastic character. I love her. I don't even care if she turns evil and tries to take over humanity; I am on her side!
Jousting in space with steeds that are ship machines, alien components, and a robotic dog.
Political houses and intrigue. The spider.
LOVED the characters, all darker grey.
Okay, so if I were going to pick something a part, it would be the difficulty of grasping the full scope of visualization of both the arena (for some reason, I am envisioning Saturn's rings) and the full scope of the steeds in battle since they seem to be somewhat separate from the steed and the rider. We need more descriptions on these, and please, some mockup photos or something.
Also... The under the ocean... Freaking brilliant and diabolical. I love it. That fight with the psychopath was so creepy and terrible. Well done.
5 Stars, can't wait for more in this series, the ending was POW! ...more
I loved this until the end when it felt like I was missing pages, but nope, that was it.
The most hilarious part was when a character is pushed off toI loved this until the end when it felt like I was missing pages, but nope, that was it.
The most hilarious part was when a character is pushed off to their death. I know that's irreverent of me, but for some reason, the way it was written made me think of about a thousand ways to parody it.
I loved Spindrift; wish I liked the ancillary characters more and wanted a bit more of the history.
While Eric Van Lustbader stayed very close to Robert Ludlum's original view of the Bourne-verse in the last book, this one, he hits the ground runningWhile Eric Van Lustbader stayed very close to Robert Ludlum's original view of the Bourne-verse in the last book, this one, he hits the ground running with his own interpretation of the character and stretches his legs on how far he can take him and the storyline. It's not unlike the comic world that featured many different writers who had their own ideas, and I can respect him wanting to take on the reins of Bourne as his now.
It was a bit jarring initially because there were characters that I LOVED from Ludlum's version, especially Marie. Ludlum's Bourne had more humanity and less machine, whereas Van Lustbader's Bourne had more machine. But if you understand the story, you can see that it was necessary. Sometimes, in order to understand insanity and evil, you must become a version of that yourself. This was perfectly personified.
The craziness was really something has run rampant in any Bourne verse, this slightly sci-fi acceptance of sleeper cells on steroids, for lack of a better description.
In this one, there is some mind manipulation and many body parts WERE harmed in the process. Bourne is still fighting to regain memories, while having also to fight everyone on all sides.
There are some amazing, thrilling action scenes, and I liked that many characters playing both sides of the issues were exposed.
This was crazy, but what Bourne book hasn't been? You didn't come here for reality. This is fiction.
Ooh.. This was a close one for Jane. If there weren't more books in the series, I would have thought this could have easily become a painful exit for Ooh.. This was a close one for Jane. If there weren't more books in the series, I would have thought this could have easily become a painful exit for her.
The poison was used so perfectly.
Jane's luck just can't hold out much longer with so many people knowing what she looks like and her locations.
I don't want this to end, but I also don't want any more pain or torture for Jane. This was a hard one and a bit traumatic.
Carey is a freaking saint. It would be so hard to be the one at home.
Didn't quite pack the power that the adult Hannibal possessed.
This is still worth a read if you are an avid Hannibal fan because it is good to see hoDidn't quite pack the power that the adult Hannibal possessed.
This is still worth a read if you are an avid Hannibal fan because it is good to see how he became Hannibal, but this also weirdly feels like it's just another psychopathic serial killer rather than Hannibal.
Enjoyed the historical fiction relations to the development of young Hannibal's way of thinking and how he got interested in certain unsavory desires.
I liked the transition with the Vietnam war, especially since I am also listening to The Women in the car righAnother good one in the Longmire series.
I liked the transition with the Vietnam war, especially since I am also listening to The Women in the car right now and in a clear mindset of the Vietnamese War.
The FBI was an interesting transition, and you can definitely tell the small-town biases that come into play.
It is definitely a good one to help show the depth of character from the 2 main men.
Once again, the personal matters are what hurt the book, while the cases are strong and exciting.
Lindsay has her baby but is back at work in a week, aOnce again, the personal matters are what hurt the book, while the cases are strong and exciting.
Lindsay has her baby but is back at work in a week, an insanely short time period.
The romances are all terrible in this one. Although I do love the bit of karma that Patterson threw at one womanizer. The biggest issue was the unrealistic reaction of most women to their situations.
The trial was REALLY good and had some crazy curveballs. This was the highlight of this sone/
The 49ers player with the death of his gf was a great subplot.
And one top of ALL of this, we get a SERIAL KILLER. I love my serial killers, he was well depicted.