bookswithlydscl's Reviews (639)

Enjoyed this, simply written, fable/fairy tale style. I'm not sure how impactful it'll be long-term, though.
Jeremy Irons was a wonderful narrator.

I really enjoyed this, helped I think by the audiobook.  Was a fun read, the final third added some great action and a classic slasher face off. Suspend belief and take in all the references back to great slashers of the 70s, 80s and 90s and you'll have a great time.

I'm sure when this came out originally it would have been really scary for audiences, but unfortunately, for me, it read a little dull. It's the end of the world, and nothing really happens though the final few pages are particularly effective. I'm glad I've read it as I do enjoy dystopian fiction, but this one didn't really work for me.

In The Cracked Mirror we have two worlds colliding as hard-bitten LA Homicide Detective, Johnny Hawke and elderly English amateur sleuth Penny Coyne have to come together to figure out whodunnit as they go down the rabbit hole to uncover secrets, lies and red herrings all whilst figuring out how on earth these worlds apart personalities are going to successfully work together.

The concept for this book was immediately intriguing - Agatha Christie meets Michael Connelly, ok let's give it a go! I did however, struggle to get into it and it took me a while to get used to the narrative voice and writing style, but once the story found its pace I came to enjoy it despite some of the plot contrivances and coincidences (which after finishing I came to appreciate their place in the plot).

I appreciated the unique set up - not many people can make a crime/crime hybrid novel but here we have a cosy golden age style crime mystery intermingling with a brutal American crime thriller and it works in many ways. It's so creative and different that despite my misgivings at the beginning I'm glad I continued. The settings and situations are vivid and effective and there really is some laugh out loud humour and it all wraps up with an inventive ending that I didn't see coming which I always appreciate.

If you're a mystery/crime/thriller fan I would encourage you to give this out of the ordinary, bonkers and fun book a read because I can pretty much guarantee it won't be like much else you've read.

3.5* 

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Abacus for a digital review copy of "The Cracked Mirror " in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Much like Our Wives Under The Sea this is a character driven, slow burn, melancholic literary horror. I had this on my highly anticipated release list as i love a dystopian setting, and the atmosphere in this was perfect. The city is its own character and comes to life on the page. The never-ending rain, the grey, damp, and dull lives, and society fighting to build lives around crumbling foundations all matched the moody, despairing, and depressing lives of Isla, Irene and Agnes. 
As with OWUTS, you never can quite get a grip on the story or the lives of our characters. It's all very fluid with glimpses of details and a vague sense of motivation that builds to a perfect final 50 or so pages where it builds to a crescendo that still doesn't provide a whole lot of closure but does also give us some answers and clarity (albeit still pretty fluid and dreamlike).
My main wish for this book (and probably would need a companion piece) would be to have more about the city and society- the rituals, the dispersed communities and their goals to survive.
If you want straight forward you're not going to get it but if you're looking for a strong character focus and are able to read between the lines and have patience you will be rewarded.

a fun nostalgia filled read. I loved the babysitters club as a teenager and remember this installment well and for the most part it actually held up pretty well!

I love seeing older titles get their time in the sun again and with The Lady Vanishes we are getting a lovingly republished Golden Age classic mystery that's probably better known for it's 1938 Alfred Hitchcock screen adaptation.

It was first published as The Wheel Spins in 1936 and tells the story of glamorous socialite Iris Carr who is looking forward to returning home after a summer jaunt to a remote location in Europe. Having remained longer than her friends she finds herself journeying home alone but on the train to Trieste, she is pleased to meet the kindly governess, Miss Froy. They strike up a conversation and Iris warms to her new companion but after taking a nap she is shocked to discover that Miss Froy has disappeared without a trace and none of the other passengers on the train will admit to having ever seen such a woman.

Doubting her sanity and fearing for her life, Iris is determined to find Miss Froy before the train journey is over. Only one of her fellow passengers seems to believe her story and with his help, Iris begins to search the train for clues to the mystery of the vanished lady.

This story has been on my list to read for years especially as it has been highlighted as a masterclass in gaslighting and suspense, with a synopsis like that you can't help but be intrigued! Sadly I found myself skim reading a lot of it as the character of Iris was insufferable and unfortunately I found the whole thing tiresome and repetitive. 

There are some interesting coded comments about society at that time (building up to WW2) peppered throughout the book which added some interest but not enough to overcome my issues with the main character. There is also a lot of barely hidden xenophobia and old fashioned jingoistic views of England and the English which didn't sit right with me and very clearly made it stand out as being 'a book of its time'. Whilst that's a fair point, Agatha Christie's books after all haven't held up well in many areas and are still considered classics, for me it didn't make for an interesting reading experience, especially combined with the other issues I had with the thinness of the plot and poor characterisations. 

2*

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press | Pushkin Vertigo for an eArc of "The Lady Vanishes" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

A bit of a convoluted ending but overall a really effective mystery thriller.

4* mainly for those beautiful, bittersweet final few pages.

3.5*

Probably the most satisfying final third of any of the Lucy Foley books I've read and tied with The Guest List for a favourite of hers but as always I just struggle with the writing style, something about it never fully clicks for me.

I do like that she has a set style, and it works when you're looking for a fast-paced and easy to read thriller - a multi-timeline narrative, large cast of characters with short snappy chapters and different points of view of the storyline, and one location around which all the action revolves.

Slow to get going, but after about halfway it really picked up pace. Convoluted as it is, I love when everyone has a connection, and in books like this, the most unlikeable characters always get their comeuppance.

A fun thriller, love an exclusive setting with hoity toity types as it makes for plenty of potential victims. One of 2024s big holiday thriller releases.