Smiling Jack by Ken Catran

Title: Smiling Jack



Author: Ken Catran



Published: Auckland : HarperCollins Publishers, 2010



Pages: 271



Snippet:"It was clear that deep secrets had been stirred, and were now swirling around me. There'd been three deaths already, and I had a disturbing sense that there'd be more."



Summary: Robert lives in a small, prosperous rural town where his father is a respected and trusted pillar of the local community.
When his father and uncle are killed in a road accident, Robert's comfortable world is shattered. At the time he barely thinks about the evil grin on the playing-card Jack found at the site of the accident. Until the third death. And the fourth. With Jack's leering, malicious grin there each time. Robert realizes he never knew his father - and as friends and neighbours turn against him, he is forced to look deep into the shadows if he is to get out alive. (Taken from Goodreads)



Review: I was a huge fan of Ken Catran's Talking to Blue trilogy which are big murder mystery books. So when I found out about Smiling Jack I got really excited and tried everything to get my hands on it. In a way I'm glad I did get to read it so fast and that I enjoyed it. But I think after Talking to Blue I had far too high expectations of Smiling Jack and it just wasn't as good.



Smiling Jack is a good read of its own right though. There's no doubt about that. If you're a fan of mysteries then you will enjoy Smiling Jack. By the end I had figured out who the murderer was but I hadn't figured out the motives or some other tiny little details so it was actually a nice surprise in the end.



I really liked Robert as a character.  He was just really down to earth and a great character.  I hated how the townspeople treated him though, I really thought they were far too harsh on poor Robert.  Apart from Robert none of the other characters really stood out to me although Sarge Peggy was pretty cool.



There was a twist at the end that was a little crazy but it wasn't too bad.



To be honest I felt like this book was written more for a younger young adult age group. The writing wasn't too advanced and it was quite simple. It doesn't take very long to read through at all.



Overall, Smiling Jack is a good book by one of my favourite New Zealand authors and I really hope that Ken Catran writes more murder mystery books in the future. If you ever get the chance to read Smiling Jack then I suggest you do because it is pretty awesome.



Source: Library



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Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce

Title: Bloodhound





Author: Tamora Pierce





Published: New York : Random House, c2009





Pages: 551





Series: Book 2, Beka Cooper





Snippet:"Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it."





Summary: Having been promoted from "Puppy" to "Dog," Beka, now a full-fledged member of the Provost's Guard, and her former partner head to a neighboring port city to investigate a case of counterfeit coins. (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries Website)





Review: It has been a while since I've read a Tamora Pierce book and when I got hold of Bloodhound I was pretty excited because I do love Tamora Pierce.  Compared to all the other books by Tamora Pierce I've read I would say Bloodhound was good but it wasn't one of the best. By itself, I would have to say that it delivered on being awesome.





I really liked Bloodhound. Mostly because it was a bit of a mystery with the counterfeit coins.  I did think it didn't have as much of a fantasy atmosphere as I usually like but it was still enjoyable.





Characterwise I think Beka is pretty kick-ass. Same with Goodwin, I love female characters who are strong and independent and the two of them together just make one really great team.  One character I didn't particularly like was Dale.  I had my own reasons for not liking him which if I said anything would spoil part of the story.





Overall, Bloodhound was a good book, it was a little long though. I think it could've been cut back a little but I still enjoyed it.  I definitely look forward to the next book in the trilogy, Mastiff, which will be out next year. If you're a fan of Tamora Pierce and fantasy novels, I think you'll enjoy Bloodhound and the first book Terrier.





Source: LibrarySource URL: https://free1image.blogspot.com/search/label/mystery
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Dead is Just a Rumour by Marlene Perez

Title: Dead is Just a Rumour





Author: Marlene Perez





Published: Graphia, August 2010





Pages: 216





Series: Book 4, Dead Is





Snippet: "But I don't have to see that Circe woman, do I? She freaks me out."





Summary: May contain spoilers! As the creepy little town of Nightshade prepares to celebrate its 200th anniversary—on Halloween, of course—many of its paranormal residents are receiving mysterious blackmail letters. Psychic teen Daisy Giordano and her sisters set out to find out who is behind the threats. But launching an investigation isn’t easy for Daisy with her overprotective father watching her every move. Though she is happy to have him back after the years he spent being held captive by an anti-paranormal group called the Scourge, Dad is having difficult time adjusting to home life—and the fact that his little girl is now a senior in high school. He even disapproves of Daisy’s boyfriend, Ryan. Can their relationship take the strain? 

And Daisy’s got even more on her plate: A talented amateur chef, she has won cooking lessons with celebrity chef Circe Silvertongue. After nosing around (with a little help from Circe’s pet pig), Daisy begins to suspect the temperamental chef’s secrets aren’t only in her ingredients. . . .  (Taken from Goodreads)





Review: This is the fourth book in the Dead Is series and it is really good. I like Dead is Just a Rumour because it's short (it only takes a couple of hours to read) and it is really entertaining.  I love mysteries and this series is just full of them.





Daisy is a protagonist that is actually really awesome. She's a typical teenager apart from the fact that she has psychic powers but other than that she is really relatable and you can't help but love her.





I love Dead is Just a Rumour because it's really light and breezy.  There's a bit of suspense to keep you entertained and as I was reading it I found myself going through the pages so I could find out more.





My only complaint is that it ended quite abruptly.  Although, I have a feeling there could be a book after this one. Fingers crossed there is.





If you like paranormal or you like mysteries then Dead is Just a Rumour is definitely worth a read.





Source: NetGalleySource URL: https://free1image.blogspot.com/search/label/mystery
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Killer by Sara Shepard

Title: Killer





Author: Sara Shepard





Published: New York : HarperTeen, c2009





Pages: 321





Series: Book 6, Pretty Little Liars





Snippet:"The person's face was covered by a huge hood."





Summary: May contain spoilers! Former best friends Emily, Aria, Hanna, and Spencer continue to live in fear as they struggle to keep hidden even more secrets and someone new begins stalking them via their cell phones. (Taken from Christchurch City Libraries Website)





Review: Oh my goodness! Cliffhanger ending anybody. Killer has to be the most intense book in the Pretty Little Liars so far. Ugh I just wish I had the last two books with me.





Without giving too much away, there was so much mystery  going on. Like, what is up with A? All of this suspense is driving me crazy, I JUST HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.





I have just one little thing to say about Spencer, oh man I just feel like telling her that she is crazy. I just feel so bad for her and yeah. We'll leave it there.





Killer is a reminder of why I love to read and why I love mystery and suspense books.  If you have not read Killer or any of the Pretty Little Liars then you should definitely now.  I know the covers don't look like much but really the story and plot is so in-depth and amazing you can't help but get sucked in.





Source: LibrarySource URL: https://free1image.blogspot.com/search/label/mystery
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Wicked by Sara Shepard

Title: Wicked





Author: Sara Shepard





Published: New York : HarperTeen, 2009





Pages: 310





Series: Book 5, Pretty Little Liars





Snippet: "It was as if Hanna had dreamed the whole thing."

Summary: The stalker's identity has finally been revealed but high school juniors Spencer, Emily, Hanna, and Aria seem condemned to repeat the past as they resume their unrepentant ways.





Review: Oh My Goodness! Wicked is such a great book.  So many secrets and so many mysteries, I'm dying to know more.

The ending was such a cliffhanger that as soon as I finished it I groaned inward because I hadn't gotten the next book in the series.

I'll be making this review short because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read the books or haven't read up to this one.  But if you haven't read it you definitely should read it because this is such an amazing series and really addictive so make sure you have ready access to all of the books.

I found Wicked to be a really good book, so suspenseful and so addictive.  A couple of things I kind of expected to happen but most of it really surprised me.  I just wish I could read the next book.

If you haven't discovered the Pretty Little Liars Series yet then you definitely should.





Source: Library



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The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh

Title: The Night Tourist





Author: Katherine Marsh





Published: Hyperion, 2007





Pages: 240





Series: Book 1, The Night Tourist





Snippet:"You died this morning. You were ... hit by a train."





Summary: Jack Perdu, a ninth grade classics prodigy, lives his with father on the Yale University campus. Smart and introverted, Jack spends most of his time alone, his nose buried in a book. But one winter evening, a near-fatal accident changes Jack's life forever. His father sends him to see a mysterious doctor in New York City--a place Jack hasn't visited since his mother died there eight years ago. In Grand Central Terminal, he meets Euri, a girl who offers to show him the train station's hidden places--the ones only true urban explorers really know about. Eight flights below the train station, however, Jack discovers more than just hidden tracks and mysterious staircases. He has stumbled upon New York's ghostly underworld. This, Jack believes, is his chance to see his mother again. But as secrets about Euri's past are revealed, so are the true reasons for Jack's visit to the underworld.

Review: The Night Tourist was an interesting book. I have to say that it's more for a younger age than young adult but it is still a very enjoyable book.

I think that if you like mythology of the greek and roman sort then you'll definitely like this book. There were so many underlying references to several of the myths that I enjoyed it so much.

The story itself was really cool and I just loved the whole idea of it.

I just didn't think the characters were so great.

The whole time the book was hinting at this huge thing and I guessed what it was so it wasn't as enjoyable in my opinion.

This is the first book in a series and I know there is a sequel so I'll definitely read that at some point.





Source: LibrarySource URL: https://free1image.blogspot.com/search/label/mystery
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All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

Title: All Unquiet Things





Author: Anna Jarzab





Published: New York : Delacorte Press, 2010





Pages: 339





Snippet: "I put my hand to my head, suddenly dizzy."





Summary: After the death of his ex-girlfriend Carly, northern California high school student Neily joins forces with Carly's cousin Audrey to try to solve her murder.





Review: I am a huge fan of mystery stories and when I read that All Unquiet Things was a mystery story with no supernatural or paranormal elements I thought I'd give it a go.

I have mixed feelings about All Unquiet Things. The first part is kind of slow and the character's weren't that interesting in the first part either.

Luckily however, things started to get a lot more interesting and I found myself sucked into the mystery of the story.

Towards the end I was pretty sure I knew who the murderer was and I was proud to find out that I was right.

At the very end there was one part that I was hoping would happen didn't but you can't have everything.

Overall, All Unquiet Things isn't a bad read. If you find it hard to get into at first give it a chance because it gets better in the end.





Source: LibrarySource URL: https://free1image.blogspot.com/search/label/mystery
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Perfect by Sara Shepard

Title: Perfect





Author: Sara Shepard





Published: New York : HarperTeen, 2007





Pages: 298





Series: Book 3, Pretty Little Liars





Snippet: "Suddenly, she knew exactly who A was."





Summary: After their missing friend's body is found and another of their friends commits suicide, four former best friends live in fear of their secrets being exposed by someone who is stalking them via their cellphones.





Review: After reading the first book in the Pretty Little Liars series I was interested.  After reading the second book in the series I was addicted.  I think that now I've read the third book, Perfect, I am obsessed.  I simply cannot get enough of this series and I want to read more and more.





I'm glad I started this series later than earlier. I find myself having to read the next book straight after I finish the one I've just read.





Perfect is amazing.  I wouldn't go so far as to say it was perfect but I would say it was getting pretty close to it. I am truly blown away.





Some of the people I wanted to shake some sense into, others I feel so sad and so sorry for.  Like why can't A just let these girls live their lives! A is truly annoying me.  I want to know who you are A!!!





Oh and I really like Lucas, he seems so cool.  He'd definitely be someone I'd like to hang out with.  I hate how he was treated at one part because I had a feeling what was coming next would come.





The ending was such a cliffhanger that I really want to know more.  I hope that what happened isn't the end of things.  If you've read it you'll know what I'm talking about.  If you haven't, I refuse to spoil it for you.





Well, there is only one thing I can do now that Perfect is over and I'm at the end of this review; and that is to pick up Unbelievable.





Source: LibrarySource URL: https://free1image.blogspot.com/search/label/mystery
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When you reach me by Rebecca Stead

Title: When You Reach Me
Author: Rebecca Stead
Published: New York : Wendy Lamb Books, c2009
Pages: 199
Snippet: "'Do you even want to be friend's at all ?' I asked him."
Summary: As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1970s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a twelve-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.
Review: When you Reach Me was quite different to how I thought it would be but I really really liked it.
For starters there was the kind of twist ending that I really like and there were so many little bits and pieces that clicked together that made it so much more enjoyable.
There was a sad part, it wasn't too sad but I thought it was sad enough. But overall, the mood of the book was happy. It was very good.
The characters were all really interesting and some of the things I thought would happen didn't, in other words When You Reach Me was really unpredictable and so many unexpected things happened.
When You Reach Me is really good and if you get the chance to you should definitely check it out because it's very good.
Source: Library
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Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Title: Pretty Little Liars
Author: Sara Shepard
Published: New York : HarperTempest, c2006
Pages: 286
Series: Book 1, Pretty Little Liars
Snippet: "I'm still here bitches. And I know everything. -A."
Summary: Everyone has something to hide- especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna. Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful. But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished. How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and all the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling.
Review: I wasn't really sure if Pretty Little Liars would be my type of book at first but it sounded really interesting so I gave it a go and all I can say is that I found myself quite addicted.
I was flicking through this book quite fast because I really wanted to know more about all the girls and I wanted to know more about Alison's disappearance and who the elusive A is.
While there was one resolve that opened up more questions I find myself wondering just what is going to happen next.
There's not a lot I have to say about Pretty Little Liars other than it was a very exciting start to what I hope will be a great series and I cannot wait to read the next book.
Source: Library
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1st to die by James Patterson

Title: 1st To Die
Author: James Patterson
Published: London : Headline, 2001
Pages: 343
Series: Book 1, Women's Murder Club
Summary: As the only woman homicide inspector in San Francisco, Lindsay Boxer has to be tough. But nothing she has seen prepares her for the horror of the honeymoon murders, when a brutal maniac begins viciously slaughtering newlywed couples on their wedding nights.
Review: I quite liked reading 1st to die for a change of pace. I've read another mystery book by James Patterson before and I have to say that it seems like 1st to die is very similar.
I loved the mystery element, I loved following along with the story to find out who the murderer was.
But then when the murderer was revealed I found the book went around in circles a little bit. I love twist endings but to me it just seemed like there were too many twists, it was just twist after twist after twist. Although, I read a lot of mystery books and for me the ending was kind of obvious. I had it worked out who was responsible for the killings. But it is always fun to find out if you're right.
The characters were all really cool though. I liked everyone in the Women's Murder Club.
I think that if anyone is a fan of adult books and murder mysteries then you would love 1st to Die and quite possibly the rest of the Women's Murder Club. I know that I will definitely be reading the rest of this series at some point.
Apart from the ending, 1st to Die is definitely a worthwhile read.
Source: Library
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Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman

Title: Ghost in the Machine
Author: Patrick Carman
Published: New York : Scholastic Press, 2009
Pages: 205
Series: Sequel to Skeleton Creek
Snippet: "I want to live, don't you want to live?"
Summary: Although forbidden to see each other, Ryan and Sarah continue their investigation of the mysterious happenings at the dredge by communicating through video clips, text messages, midnight meetings, and journaling.
Review: I loved Skeleton Creek and could not wait to read Ghost in the Machine after the cliffhanger ending of Skeleton Creek. I managed to read this book and watch all of the videos in a day because it is so entertaining and amazing.
In a way Ghost in the Machine reminded me a little of the movie Disturbia because it's so full of suspense that you have to keep reading it to know wants going on.
So many of the videos were creepy and I started reading this at midnight, alone in my room and it was pretty freaky.
I thought it ended really well and it was so cool to see everything revealed. Although, it did have a bit of a Scooby-Doo feeling to it, but nonetheless it was a good ending.
Overall, Ghost in the Machine is definitely a good book to read if you're in the mood for something creepy and a book where you watch a video and read text to go along with it.
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Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Bites
Author: Ilona Andrews
Published: New York : Ace Books, 2007
Pages: 272
Series: Book 1, Kate Daniels
Snippet: "It's a reflex. Hear a bell, get food. See an undead, throw a knife. Same thing, really."
Summary: When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.
Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate's guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta's magic circles.The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate's guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she's way out of her league—but she wouldn't have it any other way…
Review: Magic Bites is more of an adults book with one or two mentions of adult themes. I decided for a change of pace and read an adults book. I actually really really loved Magic Bites. It was such a cool book.
I loved the descriptions of different bits and pieces. Be warned though, there were some graphic descriptions but they were really well written.
I loved Kate she was such a cool, tough chick. She was independent and there was something about her that just wasn't told to us. I vaguely know what it is but I think I need to read the next book in the series to find out exactly what it was.
I really liked how the vampires in this book were portrayed it was a lot different to any of the books I've read in the past and I loved it so much.
There were so many things that were awesome about Magic Bites that I could go on and on and you'd be here all night. But I actually don't have anything negative to say about Magic Bites. When I think about it, nope, it was a really well-written and completely awesome book. It is definitely worth reading. I know I will also be picking the next book up some time in the future.
If you feel like reading something different thats a little bit more of an adults book then Magic Bites is definitely a good book. It is full of magic, mystery, creatures of the night, well-written descriptions and fantastic characters. There's even a tiny bit of romance, not much, but enough to satisfy those who like a little bit of romance.
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The Dreaming Volume Three by Queenie Chan

Title: The Dreaming Volume Three
Author: Queenie Chan
Published: Los Angeles : Tokyopop, c2007
Series: Book 3, The Dreaming
Pages: 190
Summary: Where did the ghostly girls come from? And what do they want? Before the students know it, the missing girls enter the school, where Amber spots Millie, who speaks to her almost as if to warn her of something. Is there more to this supernatural mystery than just the school itself?
Review: Volume Three is the final book in the trilogy. I loved the entire series and while I'm relieved the scariness is over but I'm also sad that it has ended.
With Volume 3 I am not disappointed. It is really good and I thought it was highly scary too. Fortunately when I went to sleep after reading the entire series I didn't have any nightmares.
I loved the illustrations they were all really good. They were so well drawn that they added to the horror of the story so much.
I found the ending to be quite an interesting one. While they didn't explain one thing it was really obvious what had happened. I also felt sad by the ending because it wasn't a happy one and I felt sorry for the twin girls.
Looking back at the trilogy as a whole I felt that we didn't get to know much about Amber and what was known about her left holes and questions for me.
The rest of the book however, was really good.
Definitely check this entire series out.
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