"First Lie Wins" by Ashley Elston

This twisty-turny cat-and-mouse thriller totally drew me in. The world of subterfuge and secret identities that Evie Porter lives in is cleverly woven. Each direction the plot takes, and each new revelation, is satisfying and nicely unpredictable. I don’t do well with stories that have too many characters, hidden identities, or overly complex plots - and this book managed to hit a perfect balance: intriguing puzzles, a good cast of characters, and an imaginative storyline, but without losing the reader in complexity.

The story kept me turning the pages as each plot point unfolded. The main character, Evie Porter, and the small group of friends and confidantes are very likeable despite the shady business they’re involved in, and I really wanted good outcomes for all of them.

I found the drawing together of the loose ends towards the end of the book immensely satisfying - any details that would have spoiled the plot earlier in the book were so subtly written that I didn’t spot many of them until their importance became obvious as the plot was revealed.

Highly recommended. I’m also very glad to see that there’s a TV adaptation in the works!

Thank you #NetGalley and Headline for the free review copy of #FirstLieWins in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: ★★★★★

NetGalley Review

"Dogboy v Catfish" by Luke Gracias

This is a moderately engaging police procedural.

The blurb is so concise that I’ll repeat it here:

“The police investigation into Dogboy's disappearance leads them into the dark world of counterfeit designer goods, money laundering, and drug smuggling. With Dogboy's assets frozen and the mob protecting their interests, the missing persons case escalates to homicide. Catfish is in a race against time to get hold of Dogboy's assets before the police get hold of her. One question remains - is Dogboy dead or alive?”

Yes. That’s exactly what happens. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The plot holds together, but there are no real surprises, and each chapter just felt like turning the handle to move one step further towards the end. The perfunctory writing style added to this same of trudging through the book - often seeming like a checklist of activities that each character needed to be doing. Some randomly spurious details thrown in from time to time: “Sabina had her Canon DSLR with the 400 mm zoom pointed across the street” (the only relevance here being that it was a camera) - perhaps this was the author’s attempt to inject more realism, but it just felt like padding to me. The characters were distinct, but lacking depth.

So… engaging enough for me to get to the end - that’s all.

Thank you #NetGalley and the author for the free review copy of #Dogboyvcatfish in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

My rating: ★★★☆☆

NetGalley Review

"Call for the Dead" (George Smiley Book 1) by John le Carré

This is my first spy novel, so I thought I’d start with something by a master of spy fiction. John le Carré doesn’t disappoint: the characters and settings are very evocative of their time, and a very unglamorous world of espionage is well portrayed.

I was only vaguely aware of the Smiley stories, so had no expectations. The character of George Smiley, as an aging intelligence officer no longer in his operational prime, is sympathetic and engaging - and I cared what happened to him.

This isn’t an action story: the plot has some pleasing twists and turns, with the expected deception and misdirection from some of the characters, but it’s a slow burn rather than a page turner.

I was a bit conflicted about rating this book. It’s almost certainly a good example of the genre (despite my lack of experience), hence the 4 star review. But it’s a genre that I don’t think I’ll engage with. This was one of the reasons I wanted to start with a classic - so that I’d have a good example to decide whether or not I want to read more spy novels. It turns out that I don’t.

My rating: ★★★★☆

"Isaac and the Egg" by Bobby Palmer

I cried. This tale of love, loss, and companionship will stay with me for a long time.

My rating: ★★★★★

"Calico" by Lee Goldberg

What an excellent read! I’m not familiar with Lee Goldberg’s books, so I came to this with no expectations. This is a well paced police, investigative, procedural, mystery in and around Calico in modern day California, inextricably linked to events over 100 years earlier in the same location.

The plot kicks along at a nice pace, with elements of the story and the mystery being revealed throughout - with lots of surprises along the way. I found the central character, Beth McDade, interesting and likeable. She has a chequered past, with some aspects of her character that still get her into degrees of trouble - but she is competent, determined and loyal, giving her the doggedness to get to the bottom of the complex events she’s investigating.

The parallel story in 1880’s Calico paints a vivid picture of life in a small mining community, which felt real and alive to me, with a good mix of supporting characters.

The story kept me on my toes the whole way through. The uncovering and resolving of each layer of mystery was satisfying without being predictable, and I was intrigued by how all the threads would be resolved right to the end.

My only minor gripe is that the central theme of the book is left unmentioned for the first 7 chapters, despite being (to me) very obvious, which I found quite frustrating. Although perhaps that’s just me, as it’s also not mentioned in the blurb, so I won’t reveal it here. It certainly didn’t distract from a 5-star review for an incredibly engaging and interesting read.

Thank you #NetGalley and Severn House for the free review copy of #CalicoBook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: ★★★★★

NetGalley Review

"The Hound of the Baskervilles" by Arthur Conan Doyle

Having seen the excellent TV series ‘Sherlock’ and other adaptations of these stories, I was very curious to read at least one of the original books. Unfortunately, it’s not really for me. The character of Holmes is unlikeable, and the condescending way he treats Watson is annoying. It seems that we should find some attractive mystery in the inscrutable nature of Holmes, but for me it had the opposite effect - I just found him arrogant and supercilious.

The character of Watson is likeable enough, but the remainder of the characters seemed quite 2-dimensional. The story was a bit ponderous, with various dead ends and red herrings - which always make me wonder why I just wasted 10+ pages of reading on something that has no bearing on the plot. Perhaps mystery novels just aren’t for me.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

"The Future" by Naomi Alderman

This was an absolute page-turner for me. It is a compelling story, full of action and rich characterisation, set in a familiar world of polution, climate crisis, and personal and corporate greed. The setting is close to the bone, and the book has a lot to say about our place in this world. This didn’t make it a difficult read - rather it gave the plot and characters’ motivations a poignancy.

The plot moved at a good pace, with plenty of twists and reveals that kept me on my toes. The cast of characters is nicely varied, with each character having a unique and well drawn personality. They all have an emotional presence and authenticity that made the book a joy to read - and I was genuinely engaged with the overall plot and the outcomes for the main characters.

The book has a satisfying, unexpected, and thought-provoking ending. The characters, technology, and overall spirit of the story left me wanting more - I would love to see these characters or settings appear in a future work by the author.

Thank you #NetGalley and 4th Estate for the free review copy of The Future in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: ★★★★★

NetGalley Review