bookswithlydscl's Reviews (639)

very much one outside my comfort zone - gothic and witch themes combined don't tend to sit comfortably with me but the writing here was beautiful, a great story and it wasn't so bleak that it made the whole thing tough to read (as I found with A Haunting in the Arctic). Great characters, the split narrative/timelines worked really well and I loved that it was pretty hopeful at the end - Sentimental maybe but for me reading a Gothic/fantasy/horror style story like this it's what I needed to close the book out with.

Beautifully written dealing with tough subjects. Lovely characters, filled with music and sisterly love but also deals with domestic violence, broken homes and family separations.
Despite the weight this story flowed beautifully and was full of light, life and hope.

I love high concept thrillers with vivid and evocative settings and a cast of characters living lives I can only dream of so, having read and loved "The Villa", I was immediately intrigued by the concept of this book, with its isolated and secluded Wellness Centre setting and an almost cult like figure in the form of Wellness Guru, Ariel Rose.

And overall it ended up being a solid 3 star thriller for me. The concept and mystery drew me in immediately and I knew there had to be a twist or two along the line which kept me reading, unfortunately what knocked it down was the characterisation of main character, Hollie which just didn't work for me at all.

I really dislike characters who are written to handle their trauma by using alcohol as medicine, it makes for a contrived unreliable narrator trope which for my reading preference is really irritating. With Hollie we also had another pet peeve of mine, her inability to communicate effectively, making for more contrived ways to keep the plot moving forward.

Normally I wouldn't have continued reading as the main character is obviously a major figure throughout, however the dual timeline with other character perspectives broke up Hollie's chapters and added enough intrigue to keep me on the hook and keep reading to figure out what on earth is going on.

The final reveals of the truth of the situation did stretch credulity and required a lot of suspension of disbelief. It also didn't all quite flow and come together in the way that "The Villa" did. However overall I can say enjoyed the ride, it was what I needed at that moment and I will go back and read "The Escape" next as having read two books now from Ruth Kelly I can see the patterns of style, tone and pacing and setting and I like it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a digital review copy of "The Ice Retreat" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Slow to start but picked up pace and the final third was fantastic. 

That was just what I needed right now. A wonderful children's story with a great message.

3.75* 

Overall this was a satisfying read. I loved the setting of Labyrinth House and the notion that this was a book within a book. Maybe it made it a little contrived on occasion but those were two key factors that drew me in to the story. I also love a locked room mystery and when you set it within an actual labyrinth you have literal twists and turns throughout. The one thing that knocked it down was the reason for 'the blood' (when you read it you'll know what situation I mean) as it felt, frankly, ridiculous - I can't say too much more without giving spoilers to major plot points.

The characters weren't particularly memorable but I often find in Japanese mysteries like this that it is often the case and for me didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. I also enjoyed reading a slightly more modern murder mystery (it's set/was originally written in the late 1980s), however, as always, with a classic locked room mystery it doesn't matter what era it's set in - it's the layers of the story and the plot twists that keep you hooked which it did here for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press | Pushkin Vertigo for a digital review copy of "The Labyrinth House Murders" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

A great concept that didn't have an incredible amount of depth so what started with great promise ended up feeling too thin over too long a book.

Probably my favourite so far

The first half took a while to get into but worked out well for the second half. Enjoyed but didn't love as much as I hoped I would.
Clearly an affectionate look at slasher horror with a much more diverse lens which I really appreciated.

Really enjoyable spy/ufo short story. Sucked me right in and I enjoyed the ride.