May 25, 2015

Review: Moving Day by Jonathan Stone



Product Description:
Forty years’ accumulation of art, antiques, and family photographs are more than just objects for Stanley Peke—they are proof of a life fully lived. A life he could have easily lost long ago.When a con man steals his houseful of possessions in a sophisticated moving-day scam, Peke wanders helplessly through his empty New England home, inevitably reminded of another helpless time: decades in Peke’s past, a cold and threadbare Stanislaw Shmuel Pecoskowitz eked out a desperate existence in the war-torn Polish countryside, subsisting on scraps and dodging Nazi soldiers. Now, the seventy-two-year-old Peke—who survived, came to America, and succeeded—must summon his original grit and determination to track down the thieves, retrieve his things, and restore the life he made for himself.Peke and his wife, Rose, trace the path of the thieves’ truck across America, to the wilds of Montana, and to an ultimate, chilling confrontation with not only the thieves but also with Peke’s brutal, unresolved past.

My Thoughts:

Based on how much I loved The Teller by Jonathan Stone I have to say that I was a bit disappointed by Moving Day. There was some suspense but I was expecting more thrills. Stone gave us plenty of intrigue at the beginning by sprinkling in little teasers about Peke's past but not enough to sustain any action. 

When Peke goes on the hunt to get his belongings back it's just kind of a ho-hum adventure. I wanted so much more but really what can I expect from a 72 year old protagonist? The ending came through just a bit more but overall I was more disappointed than satisfied. 


I do however have to give credit where it's due. The writing is very well done and flows nicely. The characters come alive on the pages but I just wish they did more. 


My Recommendation:

I recommend this as a library read for when you want slower paced thrills.


May 9, 2015

Review: Eeny Meeny by M. J. Arlidge


Product Description:
Two people are abducted, imprisoned, and left with a gun. As hunger and thirst set in, only one walks away alive.

It’s a game more twisted than any Detective Inspector Helen Grace has ever seen. If she hadn’t spoken with the shattered survivors herself, she almost wouldn’t believe them.

Helen is familiar with the dark sides of human nature, including her own, but this case—with its seemingly random victims—has her baffled. But as more people go missing, nothing will be more terrifying than when it all starts making sense....


My Thoughts:
The creep factor is super high with this one! It really reminds me of how creeped out I was by The Book of Matthew by Thomas White. That one stayed with me for a long time afterwards and I feel like Eeny Meeny will also. I just keep thinking about what I would do if I was in the same situation as the victims in this book. Who I imagined myself with definitely made a difference in what I thought the outcome would be. (That's terrible, I know!)

Helen Grace is broken on the inside but not one ounce of it shows on the outside. She's a strong leader that has to make tough choices and the ending just breaks my heart for her.  I'm so glad that this is the start of a new series because I would love to see how her character develops with everything that unfolded in Eeny Meeny.

My only frustration with this one was who the serial killer turned out to be and how the case was resolved. It made me say, "Really?" but ultimately didn't take away from how much I loved this book. I just wish it would have ended differently.

My Recommendation: 
I recommend this one for anyone who loves suspense thrillers and intensely creepy books.