The Alienist by Caleb Carr

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Title: The Alienist

Author: Caleb Carr
Series: Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Book #1)

Genre: Thriller / Mystery / Historical Fiction

Length: 599 pages

Published: 1994

Publisher: Bantam Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The year is 1896, the place, New York City. On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or "alienist." On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels.

The newly appointed police commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt, in a highly unorthodox move, enlists the two men in the murder investigation, counting on the reserved Kreizler's intellect and Moore's knowledge of New York's vast criminal underworld. They are joined by Sara Howard, a brave and determined woman who works as a secretary in the police department. Laboring in secret (for alienists, and the emerging discipline of psychology, are viewed by the public with skepticism at best), the unlikely team embarks on what is a revolutionary effort in criminology-- amassing a psychological profile of the man they're looking for based on the details of his crimes. Their dangerous quest takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who has killed before--and will kill again before the hunt is over.

Fast-paced and gripping, infused with a historian's exactitude, The Alienist conjures up the Gilded Age and its untarnished underside: verminous tenements and opulent mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. Here is a New York during an age when questioning society's belief that all killers are born, not made, could have unexpected and mortal consequences.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

So the plot was excellent. I enjoyed the search for the killer, the use of "new" technology to examine the bodies and the crime scenes, and the use of what we now would call profiling. There were some great little subplots by including political intrigue, sinister crime bosses, and even romance. 

My main issue with the book was that it was slow to develop the story. Things didn't really pick up for awhile and it was hard to get into the book. There were a lot of philosophical type debates that went on and sometimes those would make my eyes glaze over, so I'd find myself having to put the book away for a day or so. Otherwise this was a pretty good read.

You can purchase The Alienist through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Alienist? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka

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Title: As Red as Blood

Author: Salla Simukka
Series: Snow White Trilogy Book #1

Genre: Thriller, Young Adult

Length: 256 pages

Published: original: 2013; version I read: 2014

Publisher: Skyscape

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) In the midst of the freezing Arctic winter, seventeen-year-old Lumikki Andersson walks into her school’s dark room and finds a stash of wet, crimson-colored money. Thousands of Euros left to dry—splattered with someone’s blood.

Lumikki lives alone in a studio apartment far from her parents and the past she left behind. She transferred into a prestigious art school, and she’s singularly focused on studying and graduating. Lumikki ignores the cliques, the gossip, and the parties held by the school’s most popular and beautiful boys and girls.

But finding the blood-stained money changes everything. Suddenly, Lumikki is swept into a whirlpool of events as she finds herself helping to trace the origins of the money. Events turn even more deadly when evidence points to dirty cops and a notorious drug kingpin best known for the brutality with which he runs his business.

As Lumikki loses control of her carefully constructed world, she discovers that she’s been blind to the forces swirling around her—and she’s running out of time to set them right. When she sees the stark red of blood on snow, it may be too late to save her friends or herself.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This is the English translation of the Finnish original. Lumikki is a loner, and slowly throughout the book, during short flashbacks, you learn why she has shut herself off from everyone around her, including her parents. After finding $30,000 in cash hanging in the school's darkroom, and noticing that it had been washed because it was bloody, Lumikki finds herself drawn into the mystery surrounding the money. At first it was against her will, and later, as she herself is targeted, she finds herself wanting to unravel the mystery. 

This book was an incredibly fast read. Everyone involved got what they deserved, in my opinion, and the book ended with the storyline completely wrapped up. I'll definitely be watching for the English translation of the second book in this trilogy. 

You can purchase As Red as Blood through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read As Red as Blood? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Codex by Douglas Preston

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Title: The Codex

Author: Douglas Preston

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Length: 404 pages

Published: 2003

Publisher: Forge Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) "Greetings from the dead," declares Maxwell Broadbent on the videotape he left behind after his mysterious disappearance. A notorious treasure hunter and tomb robber, Broadbent accumulated over a half a billion dollars' worth of priceless art, gems, and artifacts before vanishing---along with his entire collection---from his mansion in New Mexico.

At first, robbery is suspected, but the truth proves far stranger: As a final challenge to his three sons, Broadbent has buried himself and his treasure somewhere in the world, hidden away like an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. If the sons wish to claim their fabulous inheritance, they must find their father's carefully concealed tomb.

The race is on, but the three brothers are not the only ones competing for the treasure. This secret is so astounding it cannot be kept quiet for long. With half a billion dollars at stake, as well as an ancient Mayan codex that may hold a cure for cancer and other deadly diseases, others soon join the hunt---and some of them will stop at nothing to claim the grave goods.
The bestselling coauthor of such page-turning thrillers as Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities, Douglas Preston now spins an unforgettable tale of greed, adventure, and betrayal.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This was one of those books that just begged me to not put it down. The concept was great - three brothers heading out separately to try to find their father's tomb, and their inheritance. Tom, the brother who we follow the most throughout the story, is reluctant to start the search. In fact, he only ends up going to Honduras because of Sally Colorado - a woman who wants to find the Codex, a Mayan medical encyclopedia. There are a lot of near-death experiences and you see most of the characters transform because of these experiences. The action almost seemed non-stop, making this a great thriller to read.

You can purchase The Codex through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Codex? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Moving Day: A Thriller by Jonathan Stone

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Title: Moving Day: A Thriller

Author: Jonathan Stone

Genre: Thriller, Contemporary Fiction

Length: 284 pages

Published: 2014

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) 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 Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Amazon Prime's "Kindle First" program is pretty neat. You get offered the chance to get one of four books for free the month before the book is officially published. That's where I found Moving Day. I probably wouldn't have looked twice at this book before looking over the selections for April. But the description made me want to read it. And I'm glad I did. 

It's well written, descriptive but not overly descriptive, and intriguing. And you know when the main character manages to track down his belongings and gain them back that the book is not over - that there is more to the adventure and that a final showdown will take place with the thief who took Peke's things in the first place. 

The author leaves enough of Peke's past a mystery that you keep reading hoping to tease out another little tidbit. By the end, you know everything, as Peke comes full circle to the seven year old boy he was. 

The last several chapters are rather chilling, but it's definitely well worth the read. 

You can purchase Moving Day: A Thriller through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Moving Day: A Thriller? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Garden of Shadows by V.C. Andrews

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Title: Garden of Shadows 

Author: V.C. Andrews
Series: Dollanganger (Book #5 / Prequel)

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Length: 376 pages

Published: 1987

Publisher: Pocket 

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Before terror flowered in the attic there was a young girl. An innocent, hopeful girl...

When young Olivia arrives at Foxworth Hall, she thinks her marriage to handsome Malcolm will bring the joy she has longed for. But in the gloomy mansion filled with festering desires and forbidden passions, a stain of jealous obsession begins to spread— an evil that will threaten her children, two charming boys and one very special, beautiful girl. For within the halls of this cursed house a shocking secret lives. A secret that will taint the Foxworth family for generations to come...

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This is more like a prequel than the fifth book in the series. This takes up the story from the grandmother's point of view, starting with how she met Malcolm Neal Foxworth and ending with the day Corinne returns to Foxworth Hall with her four children to hide them away in the attic. This book will tell you what caused Olivia to become the cruel grandmother that Cathy, Chris, Cory and Carrie find waiting for them in Flowers in the Attic. 

Even more, a shocking secret will be revealed that hasn't even been hinted at in the other books. This secret will blow your mind. To fully enjoy the series during your first read through, be sure to read this book last. If you decide to read again, then you can read in any order you want, since you'll already know the secret of the Foxworths. 

You can purchase Garden of Shadows through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Garden of Shadows? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Seeds of Yesterday by V.C. Andrews

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Title: Seeds of Yesterday

Author: V.C. Andrews
Series: Dollanganger (Book #4)

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Length: 408 pages

Published: 1984 (original) 1990 (version I read)

Publisher: Pocket 

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The horror began with Flowers in the Attic, the terrifying tale of four innocent children locked away from the world by a cruel mother. 

The shocking fury continued with Petals on the Wind and If There Be Thorns. Now V.C. Andrews has created the last dark chapter in the strange, chilling tale of passion and peril that has captivated millions of readers around the world. 

Cathy and Chris, entwined with the evil that haunts their children, living with the fearful spectre of Foxworth Hall, are awaiting the final, shuddering climax... prisoners of a past they cannot escape.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This takes place a good 15 years after the events of If There Be Thorns. Chris and Cathy arrive at the newly reconstructed Foxworth Hall. Bart says there is a surprise waiting for them. They are there to start overseeing some of the plans for Bart's twenty fifth birthday party, where he will come into his money and he'll have all the money left to him by his grandmother. Soon Cindy will join them, as well as Jory and his wife Melodie. They will be a family again. Cindy, Chris and Cathy will go to Hawaii after Bart's birthday party and that will be the end of it. Or so they think.

Setting foot in that house was just another tragic story waiting to happen. Event after horrible event keeps them in that house for far longer than they desired initially. The question running through the whole book is "Will Bart be redeemed in the end?". He can't forgive or forget that Cathy and Chris are brother and sister. He can't look at Chris as anything more than his mother's brother. He loves Cathy intensely but also hates her. And throughout it all, there's yet another bitter old man leading him along.

This book was excellent and closed up a lot of loose ends. I can't wait to read the fifth book in the series (which is truly a prequel but I was told to read it last so that I got the full effect of the situation without spoilers), Garden of Shadows, as it should help shed some light on some of the mysteries around the Foxworth family.

You can purchase Seeds of Yesterday through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Seeds of Yesterday? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

If There Be Thorns by V.C. Andrews

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Title: If There Be Thorns

Author: V.C. Andrews
Series: Dollanganger (Book #3)

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Length: 374 pages

Published: 1981 

Publisher: Pocket 

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Fourteen-year-old Jory was so handsome, so gentle. And Bart had such a dazzling imagination for a nine year old.

Then the lights came on in the abandoned house next door. Soon the Old Lady in Black was there, watching their home with prying eyes, guarded by her strange old butler. Soon the shrouded woman had Bart over for cookies and ice cream and asked him to call her "Grandmother."

And soon Bart's transformation began...

A transformation that sprang from "the book of secrets" the gaunt old butler had given him... a transformation fed by the hint of terrible things about his mother and father... a transformation that led him into shocking acts of violence, self-destruction and perversity.

And now while this little boy trembles on the edge of madness, his anguished parents, his helpless brother, an obsessed old woman and the vengeful, powerful butler await the climax to a horror that flowered in an attic long ago, a horror whose thorns are still wet with blood, still tipped with fire...

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

The third installment of the Dollanganger series starts with a prologue by Cathy, summarizing what would be found within the pages of the novel. The book then follows alternating viewpoints of Cathy's two children: Jory and Bart. Jory is the golden child who feels loved and content in his world. Bart is the child that feels as though no one loves him. He's clumsy, awkward, has shortened nerve endings so he does not feel pain like others, and feels like he doesn't belong. 

Then the abandoned house next door is fixed up and an old, veiled lady in black moves in with her elderly butler and a few maids. Chris and Cathy are unsuspecting that their secret is about to come out to their children - in a way they did not choose. 

Bart is torn between loving his mother and hating her as he befriends not only the old lady next door, but her elderly butler: a spiteful, wicked, scheming old man who gives him Malcolm Neal Foxworth's journal and makes him read it. 

The conclusion is terrifying and heart-breaking at the same time. I admit fully that I teared up during one of the final scenes. Though it can be difficult at first to distinguish between which brother is narrating, you soon get a feel for their different viewpoints and styles. Jory is ever the optimist and Bart is always a pessimist. Definitely worth the read!

You can purchase If There Be Thorns through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read If There Be Thorns? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Petals on the Wind by V.C. Andrews

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Title: Petals on the Wind

Author: V.C. Andrews
Series: Dollanganger (Book #2)

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Length: 439 pages

Published: 1980 (original) 1990 (version I read)

Publisher: Pocket (version I read)

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) For Carrie, Chris and Cathy, the attic was a dark horror that would not leave their minds, even while they built bright, promising new lives. Of course mother had to pretend they didn't exist.

And Grandmother was convinced they had the devil in them.

But that wasn't their fault. Was it? Cathy knew what to do.

She now had the powers she had learned from her beautiful mother. She knew it in the way her brother still yearned for her, in the way her guardian touched her, in the way all men looked at her.

She knew it was time to put what she knew to the test. To show her mother and grandmother that the pain and terror of the attic could not be forgotten... Show them.

Show them—once and for all.

My Review:

I give this book a 4 out of 5. 

This was good, but slow starting. The book picks up with Chris, Cathy, and Carrie on a bus south to Florida. While on the bus, Carrie gets violently sick and a mute black woman makes the driver take the four of them to her "doctor-son", who she works for. Chris and Cathy relate most of their story leaving out some of the details, such as information about Cory and his death. The doctor takes the three of them in and arranges to become their legal guardians. 

The book follows through several years of their lives, as they continue growing up (though Carrie doesn't do much growing). Cathy relates some of the awful things Carrie went through at school because of her size. Chris is on his way to becoming a doctor and Cathy is on her way to becoming the prima ballerina she wants to be. She is also intent on revenging Cory's death, and their imprisonment against both her mother and grandmother. 

It took me awhile to get into the story, and all I kept thinking was "wow, Cathy is such a wanton creature". The story ends with Cathy, Carrie and Chris back at Foxworth Hall, as Cathy's quest for revenge is carried out. 

All in all it was a good book just a little slow in starting as the three remaining Dollanganger children try to come to terms with the horrors of their youth.

You can purchase Petals on the Wind through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Petals on the Wind? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

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Title: Flowers in the Attic

Author: V.C. Andrews
Series: Dollanganger (Book #1)

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Length: 411 pages

Published: 1979 (original) 1990 (version I read)

Publisher: Pocket (version I read)

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The four Dollanganger children had such perfect lives -- a beautiful mother, a doting father, a lovely home. Then Daddy was killed in a car accident, and Momma could no longer support the family. So she began writing letters to her parents, her millionaire parents, whom the children had never heard of before.

Momma tells the children all about their rich grandparents, and how Chris and Cathy and the twins will live like princes and princesses in their grandparents' fancy mansion. The children are only too delighted by the prospect. But there are a few things that Momma hasn't told them.

She hasn't told them that their grandmother considers them "devil's spawn" who should never have been born. She hasn't told them that she has to hide them from their grandfather if she wants to inherit his fortune. She hasn't told them that they are to be locked away in an abandoned wing of the house with only the dark, airless attic to play in. But, Momma promises, it's only for a few days....

Then the days stretch into months, and the months into years. Desperately isolated, terrified of their grandmother, and increasingly convinced that their mother no longer cares about them, Chris and Cathy become all things to the twins and to each other. They cling to their love as their only hope, their only strength -- a love that is almost stronger than death.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Words can not describe how much I loved this book. A very good friend of mine has been telling me for a very, very long time to read this series. I've been putting it off. I finally got around to it (mostly because of the Lifetime version of the movie which just came out last month). I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN.

I spent the entire book rooting for these poor children who are locked away in an attic. I spent the entire book hating their mother for doing this to them in the first place and hating her even worse at the end. I was not expecting the twists at the end. I almost threw the book, but then I realized that I wanted to find out what happened even more. (I won't say more because I don't want to spoil things for anyone!)

I can not wait to start in on the second book in the series, Petals on the Wind. I have high hopes it will be just as thrilling as this one. 

You can purchase Flowers in the Attic through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Flowers in the Attic? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Book #3) by Stieg Larsson

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Title: The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Author: Stieg Larsson
Series: Millennium Trilogy (Book #3)

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Length: 563 pages

Published: 2006

Publisher: Knopf

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Lisbeth Salander — the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels — lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

The final volume in this thrilling trilogy is perhaps the most thrilling of them all. Lisbeth is trying to heal from being shot in the head all while locked in her hospital room by the police. After the Section takes out Zalachenko and nearly takes out Lisbeth, it's time to fight back. Mikael spends his days finishing his book about the Section and Lisbeth and manages to smuggle a hand held computer into Salander's room. While there, she is able to use her hacker skills to get a few hacker friends on the trail, help Erika Berger with a nasty stalker, and write her autobiographical statement to deliver at the time of her trial. 

The trial is set for mid-July and it's a race to see whether those in Salander's court can stay one step ahead of the ruthless government entity which Mikael calls the Section.

And just when you think it's all over, there's another sixty pages tying up all the loose ends, at least one of which is barely mentioned throughout the book but is an integral part of the story. 

You can purchase The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Girl who Played with Fire (Book #2) by Stieg Larsson

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Title: The Girl who Played with Fire

Author: Stieg Larsson
Series: Millennium Trilogy (Book #2)

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Length: 503 pages

Published: 2006

Publisher: Knopf

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The girl with the dragon tattoo is back. Stieg Larsson's seething heroine, Lisbeth Salander, once again finds herself paired with journalist Mikael Blomkvist on the trail of a sinister criminal enterprise. Only this time, Lisbeth must return to the darkness of her own past (more specifically, an event coldly known as "All the Evil") if she is to stay one step ahead--and alive. The Girl Who Played with Fire is a break-out-in-a-cold-sweat thriller that crackles with stunning twists and dismisses any talk of a sophomore slump. Fans of Larsson's prior work will find even more to love here, and readers who do not find their hearts racing within the first five pages may want to confirm they still have a pulse. Expect healthy doses of murder, betrayal, and deceit, as well as enough espresso drinks to fuel downtown Seattle for months.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This is an excellent follow up to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Mikael Blomkvist and his magazine Millennium have achieved notoriety for his takedown of Wennerstrom. Lisbeth Salander is off seeing the world and living off the money she managed to steal from Wennerstrom before he was destroyed. And then she returns to Sweden. 

And murders start happening. Blamed for the murder of three people, Salander secludes herself in the secret apartment she had bought in order to track down who is framing her. Convinced of Salander's innocence, Mikael spends his days trying to figure out who really killed the three victims Salander is blamed for killing. 

It's a race for the truth, and it ends with a bang. 

I could not put this book down. Who is the mysterious "Zala"? Who is really responsible for these murders? Why is Lisbeth being framed and by whom? If you want to find out, pick up the second book in this trilogy and start cracking that mystery!

You can purchase The Girl who Played with Fire through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Girl who Played with Fire? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Book #1) by Stieg Larsson

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Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Author: Stieg Larsson
Series: Millennium Trilogy (Book #1)

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Length: 465 pages

Published: 2005

Publisher: Knopf

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch—and there's always a catch—is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

It's been a long time coming, but I'm finally tackling this trilogy. It came on my radar around the time that the movie came out, and I knew I needed to read it. Naturally I was busy reading other books and since the movie was on its way out every single copy in the library was checked out. [I'm experiencing similar issues with both Flowers in the Attic (because of the new Lifetime movie version) and Labor Day (which I'm going to read for a book club I'm in).] So I've finally gotten around to this series. I also have to admit that I saw the movie version of this book about a year ago. The movie does a really good job, but the book is so much better (as most books are). 

My favorite character, without a doubt, was Lisbeth Salander. She takes absolutely no shit. As other characters ponder the enigma that is Lisbeth, they see her as the perfect victim. Which she truly is. Even though she takes no shit and has a "don't care" attitude, she is definitely broken. She gets her revenge on a number of people, including the man who is supposed to be her guardian. 

The other main protagonist is Mikael Blomkvist. Freshly convicted of libel against a major industrialist, Mikael is a journalist in disgrace. He ends up taking a job in the middle of nowhere ghostwriting an autobiography of industrialist Henrik Vanger. That is just the cover story, though, as his real purpose is to find out what happened to Henrik's beloved niece, Harriet, who disappeared in 1966 and is believed dead. 

It takes a long time for Lisbeth and Mikael to finally cross paths and meet up with each other (over half the book!), but once they're working together, the pair make a formidable research team. 

There is more than one mystery to be solved in this novel, and Larsson makes sure that all of the mysteries are solved by the end of the book. It's well written and does a great job explaining some of the more technical financial terms that the average person might not understand. Definitely worth the read!

You can purchase The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? by Henry Farrell

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Title: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Author: Henry Farrell

Genre: Suspense, Thriller

Length: 245 pages

Published: 1993 (version I read) 1960 (original)

Publisher: Carroll & Graf

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Baby Jane, a child star of early vaudeville, resented having to grow up in the shadow of her prettier sister Blanche Hudson, who became Hollywood's reigning love goddess. Now, some fifty years later, they are together and alone. And reality has toppled crazily into eerie fantasy. Blanche now finds she is growing old in the shadow cast by Baby Jane -- and a very sinister shadow it is.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

I'm going to admit that I didn't have high hopes as I started reading this book. I didn't know that I was going to start reading this at breakfast Saturday morning and end up spending the next two days finishing it in my spare time. I could not put this down. 

There are a lot of different points of view which makes it nice. You have the point of view of the Hudsons' neighbor, Mrs. Bates; Blanche's; Jane's; Edwin Flagg's; and even a few others. The way the book was written really had me hooked right from the start. It was also an extremely quick read. 

There are definitely some terrifying moments. The author did an amazing job building up suspense, making you believe one thing when later you find out something else really happened. Definitely worth the read!!!

You can purchase What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? through Amazon in hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.