#BookReview | The Lake by Lotte and Soren Hammer

Title: The Lake

By: Lotte and Soren Hammer

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Pages: 371

Release Date: April 20th, 2017

Publisher:  Bloomsbury Publishing

Audience: Adult

Summary from Goodreads: Everything comes with a price

The chilling next instalment in the Konrad Simonsen series, perfect for fans of Johan Theorin and Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

The skeleton of a young woman is discovered, tied to a stone, in a lake deep in the Danish countryside.

The woman’s identity is a mystery; no one matching her description has been reported missing... After months of fruitless investigation by the local police force, a media scandal brings the case to nationwide attention and is quickly handed over to Konrad Simonsen and his team from the Copenhagen Police force.

It soon becomes clear that this unknown woman is the key to a sinister world of human trafficking, prostitution and violence.

A world where everything comes with a price and no mistake goes unpunished. 

Add on Goodreads

Review: This book starts off with a bang. There is torture and murder. The disposal of a body in a lake. A perfect setting for a murder mystery. 

I felt a little bogged down the first portion of the book, but once I really got into the mystery part of the story, I was sucked in and couldn't get out. The dialog was full of witty quips and the main character was very insightful. I couldn't believe this was translated from another language, because the words felt very american to me. Who ever did the translation did an amazing job.

I really enjoyed this read, and I am not one for thriller/mysteries. Check out The Lake this summer.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | Breaking by Danielle Rollins

Title: Breaking

By: Danielle Rollins

Genre: Contemporary 

Pages: 352

Release Date: June 6th, 2017

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Audience: Young adult

Summary from Goodreads: Prep school gets a twist of supernatural suspense in this commercial YA thriller.

Charlotte has always been content in the shadow of her two best friends at the prestigious Underhill Preparatory Institute. Ariel is daring and mysterious. Devon is beautiful and brilliant. Although Charlotte never lived up to the standards of the school—or her demanding mother—her two best friends became the family she never had. When Ariel and Devon suddenly commit suicide within a month of each other, Charlotte refuses to accept it as a coincidence. But as the clues point to a dangerous secret about Underhill Prep, Charlotte is suddenly in over her head. There’s a reason the students of Underhill are so exceptional, and the people responsible are willing to kill to protect the truth…

Suspenseful and scintillating, with hints of the supernatural, this fast-paced thriller will keep readers hooked. 

Add on Goodreads

Review: A dark thriller that dives into the issues of suicide and teen struggles. With such a dismal subject, I was hoping that the story would flow well and at least give me something interesting to attach myself to. The story progressed slowly and didn't have enough depth in the mystery aspect to keep my attention. There was a good concept here, but it fell flat for me. 

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

Title: Midnight Crossroad

By: Charlaine Harris

Genre: Paranormal Fiction

Pages: 305

Release Date: May 6th, 2014

Publisher: Ace Hardcover

Audience: Adult

Summary from Goodreads: From Charlaine Harris, the bestselling author who created Sookie Stackhouse and her world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, comes a darker locale - populated by more strangers than friends. But then, that’s how the locals prefer it...

Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town.

There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own).

Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth...

Add on Goodreads

Review: I'm a big fan of Charlaine Harris and the Sookie Stackhouse series. I thought I would be a big fan of this Midnight series... but I'm not. The writing was Harris' normal style. Well worded and and full of depth. It was the story that fell flat for me. It started off really slow and didn't keep me involved the whole time. I think people who like contemporary fiction will like this book more than paranormal fans.