The Colorado Kid

Title: The Colorado Kid
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Mystery
Source: Library Book: Paperback
Rating: 3 out of 5 paws

Two older newspaper journalists are telling their protégé about the most interesting unsolved mystery their town has even seen: the choking death of a mystery man on an island of the coast of Maine.  They go through the investigation and the ins an outs of what makes this death so mysterious.  The further along the investigation gets, the more mysterious the circumstances get. What was a man from Colorado doing in Maine? How did he get a piece of sandwich stuck in throat, and where was the rest of it?  Was it an accident or was it something more sinister.

I wanted to read this book so much because of a television show.  I had watched the show "Haven" on syfy and after one of the episodes it said based on this book.  I loved the show and thought the book would be similar or have the same subject material, but it didn't.  The only similarities were the town's name and the journalist names.  Nothing else matched up between the two, which is fine but I was a little disappointed.  Plus this was my first Stephen King novel.  I figured I would take an easy step into this remarkable author's writing.

I did have to chuckle because one of the character's names was David Bowie, who if you know me, I am OBSESSED with the musician, so that got my interest and enjoyment off the bat.  I liked how King made the story mysterious, all the way to the end readers are unable to pick up on what happened.  He kept everything in the dark and created a certain atmosphere of the unknown.  He kept me in suspense, but at the same time there were no answers.  I enjoy a mystery that has an answer, like a puzzle.  I am a little OCD when it comes to needing a puzzle to be complete and while I know the whole point of the story is that the case is left as an unknown mystery, I was hoping there would be some sort of conclusion that would be satisfying.  It was a little lackluster, and I expected something more from an author so infamous and renowned for his writing.

It seemed to drag on and not have anything resolved from it, I felt a little let down.  I know this is my first novel by Stephen King, but it will not be the last.  I will try another one of his novels, maybe a different genre.  Horror might be his expertise, but based on what I read of this novella, mystery may not be his forte.  While it was entertaining enough to read, but it was not something that will standout with me as one of the best books/stories that I have read this year.

Silent Child

Title: Silent Child

Author: Sarah Denzil

Genre: Thriller, Suspense

Source: Ebook: Amazon

Rating 5 out of 5 paws

Summer of 2006 torrential rain caused the river to flood.  School called and notified parents to come get their children before the flood got worse.  Once Emma got to the school she discovered the unbelievable.  Her son was not there, her son had slipped away from the class and no one knew where he was.  Amid the search efforts, Emma stood by and watched as her son's red coat was fished from the river. Young Aiden was declared dead, drowned in the river flood, despite no body being found.  Ten years have gone by and Emma has learned how to move past her grief, she is married again and about to give birth to a baby girl.  But then....Aiden is found wondering out of the woods.  Unable to speak, his body shows signs of abuse, and neglect.  The truth is revealed, he never drowned but was taken.  But who would take a helpless young body?  Emma does everything she can to reconnect with Aiden and encourage him to talk, but he remains at a distance.  What will it take for Emma to get Aiden to talk?  Who took her son?  Who has been lying to her all these years?

 Reading the synopsis of this book draw me into it. It sounded interesting and the cover gives it the air of being incredibly creepy and chilling.  And it was.  It is sometimes rare to find a book that completely draws you into the story without even beginning the story yet.  I couldn't wait to begin reading this one, and boy am I glad I did.  I couldn't put it down, and needed to know what happened next.  It is one of those books that I have to recommend to others and it shot right to the top of favorite books of the year so far.

It all began with a flood, in a single moment everything changed for Emma.  She didn't know how she could survive with the loss of her soon, and then her parents soon after.  In her darkest moment, she meets Jake who seems to put her back together again like she was Humpty Dumpty.  He was there when no one else was.  But is he the man he claims he is?  Rob, her ex, Aiden's father abandoned her in her time of need.  Too consumed by his own grief.  Now that Aiden is back, so is he.  And he seems to have changed, but did he really?  Emma finds herself looking at everyone around her differently, wondering who knew what happened to Aiden, a boy who was too traumatized to tell her what happened all those years ago.

There is so much in this book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, anticipating what will happened next.  Just when you think you have everything figured out, something will happen that will change everything you thought you knew.  You have a character who doesn't speak, but he says so much through his actions and reactions to certain situations. There is so much depth to this one character than he seems to overshadow some of the others.  There are a few things that didn't fully get answered like why Aiden remained silent, but then again why are kids who are traumatized silent?  I do wish we went more into the psychology of it, but still enjoyed the read and that aspect of the novel.

One aspect is rather predictable, but not in a way that you would think which is what threw me for a loop.  I didn't think the people it ended up being were possible suspects despite clues that I didn't realize were clues.  Emma had a LOT of inner dialogue which got tedious for a bit, but doesn't fully take away from the story.  I can see why the author did it this way, I would have almost liked some more from Aiden other than the one chapter we get towards the end. Like maybe something with him battle with himself at telling Emma everything as opposed to remaining quiet.

Don't be surprised when you read this book in one sitting.  I read it in two, only because I needed to go to bed despite not wanting to.  It may have been a little longer than it should have been, but that's okay.  If you can get past the length (417 pages) you would enjoy it.  Especially if you like thrillers, or suspense.  The material may seem dark, but the author tackles it in a tasteful way that isn't too difficult to read.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber Book Review

Title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Genre:Fantasy
Source: Hardback - library
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws


Scarlet and her sister have never seen the world beyond their island.  Their father comes up with cruel punishments for their misdoings.  When her father arranges for Scarlet to marry a count, she believes she will be free from his tyranny, but also that her dreams of seeing the magical performers of the famed Caraval is over.  But her hopes arise when she receives 3 tickets to this year's performance, but her plans are challenged when Scarlet and her sister are whisked away to the Caraval's island by an unknown sailor.  Once they arrive Tella is kidnapped and made a part of the game.  The players must find here before the end of the week if someone wins, they win a wish.  Scarlet becomes engrossed in not only the game of magic, but one of love, and heartbreak.  She must decide who to trust and who to keep at arms lengths.  Sometimes getting swept up in the magic can have a dangerous result.  What will Scarlet find at the end of the game?

I decided to pick up this book because it came recommended through book clubs, goodreads, the book stores I went to.  Everywhere I went, the book was in my face, well not literally, but enough that I picked it up.  I have seen it compared to Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus, which has been one of the best books I have read in a while.  I can say I was happy I read the book and that there were some magic elements that I haven't seen in other books, but it didn't seem to mystify me as I had hoped it would and I would NOT compare it to Night Circus in any way..  Granted, I will be reading the next book in the series because it is an interesting story.


Garber gives readers a story that is both suspenseful and magical.  I found myself anxious to find out what will happen next and if Scarlet will be able to figure out the clues, although, I don't think there was specifically a right or wrong answer to the clues, but rather the questions the performers asked such as what is your greatest desire or who do you fear the most.  It was a story that asked the main character to look deep into herself to find her true self, not the self she believes she is.  I found that to be rather engrossing and interesting thought that we may not be who think of ourselves.  But I kept waiting for the magic to happen and it didn't seem to really happen aside for a few spells or potions here and there, but nothing that really blew me away the way Night Circus did.


I liked Scarlet to a point, I think she could have been smarter, more resourceful, but she gets this way by the end of the book.  She whined alot, was too concerned with her reputation rather than saving her sister, lies but then gets offended when she's lied too and more. I found her to be afraid too often in the book, which I guess was the point.  She was afraid to take the leap of faith so to speak not to find her sister, but to find herself.  I wanted so much more from Scarlet that we don't really get to see yet, and I hope we see her evolve into a stronger female, more independent if she appears in the next novel.  We get a lot of information about Legend, but we are never actually introduced to him which felt like a let down.  I almost pictured his watching from the balconies or somewhere in a Jareth in Laberynth kinda of way and him throwing obstacles in her way but nope.  Not once do we see Legend.


There were something that got mentioned but never explained such as what happened to Dante's sister, we know she went missing but never find out what happened to her.  Small things like that are what kept this novel from getting a higher rating from me.  I love how each section was broken into nights, so readers knew that everything that happened in one section is what happened in that particular night, it helped with keeping a time line straight. Although in that same respect, it seemed like no one actually slept at Caraval.  There is a lot that happens in Caraval, but at the same it almost feels like nothing happens other than a few lucky breaks.  I hope to see more in Legendary and hope we actually meet Legend and see what kind of person he is.


If you like YA and fantasy novels check it out.


Get it now by clicking the link


Check out some of these other reviews:
The Book of Meghan
The Book Monsters

Behind Closed Doors

Title: Behind Closed Doors
Author: B.A. Paris
Genre: Thriller
Source: Paperback
Rating: 5 out of 5 paws


On the surface, Grace and Jack seem to have the perfect marriage and are completely devoted to one another.  Jack is a successful lawyer protecting battered women, while Grace is the perfect little housewife with the green thumb and cooking skills that rival Gordon Ramsey.  But behind closed doors things are not always as they appear.  Grace and Jack are suspiciously never apart and it seems Jack always has his hand on her elbow or back, one might see this as a sign of affection, but could it be more?  Why doesn't Grace's friend ever see her without Jack.  What secrets could this couple be hiding behind closed doors?

I kept seeing this book in the stores, on Goodreads, and being recommended by friends in my book club.  I finally picked it up and snuggled into bed with the literary cats and devoured this book.  Everything else faded, I barely heard text messages or even the music I had playing.  I got lost in this story I could not get enough.  Everything I read online had me intrigued to begin with and then once I started in on it exceeded my expectations.


I was a little weary about reading it because I was unsure if there would be actual abuse which is something sometimes I have a hard time handling, but with all the raving reviews, I decided to see how dark this book actually got.  I can honestly say there is no outright physical abuse, it is all psychological. Jack feeds off fear and the anticipation of what will happen next, and the thrill of attempted escapes and pretending to be the perfect husband to the perfect wife knowing what is hidden within his perfect home. 


Paris' writing is fantastic and there are so many quotes and moments that make the reader kind of snicker even though this is a rather serious novel such as Millie's claims of not liking "Jorj Kooney" (George Clooney)  here are a few samples of Paris's writing from the book:


“We go downstairs and in the hall, he takes my coat from the cupboard and holds it open while I slip my arms into it. In the drive outside, he holds the car door for me and waits until I’m in. As he closes it behind me, I can’t help thinking it’s a shame he’s such a sadistic bastard, because he has wonderful manners.”


“And afterwards, as he drank in the sound of her fear and breathed in the smell of it, he wished he could keep her there for eternity"


Paris has an excellent way with using her words to describe every emotion, every sense, every interaction and minute detail.  She spared nothing with this novel and nothing is filler information.  It goes back and forth between present and past, but it doesn't mess up with the continuity of the novel and it is easy to follow along and keep up with what is happening and when.  I love the intelligence of not only Grace, but also Millie.  I loved seeing a character with a major disability like Down Syndrome be portrayed as highly intelligent and capable of many things.  I think this is something we need to see more often to help bring awareness to the awful stereotypes.  And the ending oh my gosh, it really makes the book.


So far this is probably the best book I have read this year, and I highly recommend it to everyone who is looking for that one great book to read.  I cannot wait to get my hands on another one of her books.

The Woman In Cabin 10

Lo is a travel journalist scheduled to go on a luxury cruise for an assignment.  A few days before the cruise is to set sail, he apartment is broken into shaking her up and causing her to be more on edge and frightened than normal.  It disrupts her sleep, eating and emotions.  But she decides to go on the trip anyway and try to get ahead in her field.  While there she meets people perfect for networking during a dinner.  Afterwards she tries to find some sleep only to woken by a sound in the cabin next door, and the sound of the sliding door opening and a something being thrown overboard.  Her heightened nerves already on edge she notified security and he informs her that no one was in Cabin 10.  She goes on a wild goose chase to find this woman she knew was there and figure out what really happened and who on the ship could be a murderer. 


Woman in Cabin 10 is Ruth Ware's second novel, and is taking the literary world by storm.  She has the strong ability to create a suspenseful, edge of your seat thrill of a tale.  She develops a story that takes the reader on a wild goose chase of a who done it, heightened with the unknown identity of the woman in cabin 10 as well as Lo's own anxiety and fears after being burgled a few nights before the cruise.  Ware, draws on the readers emotion to create the suspense and thrilling atmosphere of this novel and keeps the reader guessing.  There are a lot of twists and turns in this novel, although there were plot ideas that arose but were never expanded on, such as the internet/phone service being an issue.  She does a great job at building the suspense and making the reader want to know what will happen next.




The characters were a little hard to get attached to, maybe because there were so many to keep track of, I'm not sure.  Your heart goes out to Lo in the beginning, but she self medicates with alcohol a little too much in the novel, but again that plays into the storyline.  I downright despised Ben and couldn't believe Lo continued to trust him after his actions after dinner the first night.  I wanted more of Cole and some of the other characters, especially Anne and Richard.  The pacing starts out slow, but then picks up after the possible murder happens, but even then it still feels just a little bit slow as readers and assaulted with numerous possibilities and theories, though none of them are really followed up on.  Regardless of a few faults this book is a real attention getter from the beginning and keeps you interested/entertained until the very end.


I enjoyed it and finished within an evening.  I would recommend this highly to other mystery, and fiction lovers.  I give it a happy 4 star rating and look forward to what Ruth has in store for us next.


** If you haven't yet, check out the review for Ruth's debut novel In A Dark Dark Wood.