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tartinisdream's Reviews (1.26k)
Promising start!
The opening chapter of Don’t Fear the Reaper by Michelle Muto is a very powerful way to begin a story: with the death of the lead character by suicide. This chapter alone had me hook, line, and sinker. I wish it had maintained that level throughout the story.
Keely Morrison commits suicide to find peace after the death of her twin sister. What she finds on the other side is far from peaceful. Stuck in purgatory until a test decides her fate she is left with two guides: a demon and a reaper. The demon is there to make sure she fails her test, possibly. The reaper has bet his soul that she will pass and move on to heaven. Can she trust either of them?
Probably not.
The suicide in the story is never glamorized. The damage Keely has done to her family and friends is conveyed very well and Keely both sees and feels the pain that she has caused. She is also forced to come to terms with the fact that she did successfully commit suicide.
My biggest complaint with Don’t Fear the Reaper is the minimal character development. I felt that the author got too far out in the weeds of developing what purgatory was like that she missed some chances to really flesh out the characters. I hope these characters are developed further if this is to be a series.
My last comment is directed towards the ending: it was obvious. So much so that when it finally happened, I felt whacked upside the head with it.
Overall, Don’t Fear the Reaper is decent read. I look forward to reading more from Michelle Muto and watching her grow as an author.
The opening chapter of Don’t Fear the Reaper by Michelle Muto is a very powerful way to begin a story: with the death of the lead character by suicide. This chapter alone had me hook, line, and sinker. I wish it had maintained that level throughout the story.
Keely Morrison commits suicide to find peace after the death of her twin sister. What she finds on the other side is far from peaceful. Stuck in purgatory until a test decides her fate she is left with two guides: a demon and a reaper. The demon is there to make sure she fails her test, possibly. The reaper has bet his soul that she will pass and move on to heaven. Can she trust either of them?
Probably not.
The suicide in the story is never glamorized. The damage Keely has done to her family and friends is conveyed very well and Keely both sees and feels the pain that she has caused. She is also forced to come to terms with the fact that she did successfully commit suicide.
My biggest complaint with Don’t Fear the Reaper is the minimal character development. I felt that the author got too far out in the weeds of developing what purgatory was like that she missed some chances to really flesh out the characters. I hope these characters are developed further if this is to be a series.
My last comment is directed towards the ending: it was obvious. So much so that when it finally happened, I felt whacked upside the head with it.
Overall, Don’t Fear the Reaper is decent read. I look forward to reading more from Michelle Muto and watching her grow as an author.
I received this book along with In the Belly of Jonah and Lot's Return to Sodom as part of a promotion with Friday Reads. I was supposed to take part in a Twitter chat with the author but I missed it because it was held in the middle of the work day.
Widow's Might is the third in a series by Sandra Brannan. It is not important to have read the first two books before reading this book but there are far too many unnecessary references to the first stories in an attempt to drum up interest in the first two books. For me, it managed to make me loose interest in this book.
The basic story revolves around a serial killer that escaped the FBI years ago and has started killing again. The original FBI agent just happens to be in town so he gets another crack at the case. Liv Bergen is not a cop or an FBI agent but the FBI wants her. As a matter of fact, a couple of the agents want Liv for themselves. This plot detail does absolutely nothing for the story. Liv is the central character in the story but I can't say that I cared about her much.
The "whodunit" part of the story is fleshed out with a bit of South Dakota history, which I thought was the most interesting part of the story. Unfortunately, I found the ending drawn out with far too many, "wait, wait why" moments. The FBI, or maybe it was me, figured everything out and explained it nicely but then it took 15 pages for the killer to explain it all, AGAIN. By the time everything was finally wrapped up I wanted the killer to shoot me, also.
Overall, Widow's Might is a very easy and forgettable read that didn't make ever want to read another of the Liv Bergen mysteries.
Widow's Might is the third in a series by Sandra Brannan. It is not important to have read the first two books before reading this book but there are far too many unnecessary references to the first stories in an attempt to drum up interest in the first two books. For me, it managed to make me loose interest in this book.
The basic story revolves around a serial killer that escaped the FBI years ago and has started killing again. The original FBI agent just happens to be in town so he gets another crack at the case. Liv Bergen is not a cop or an FBI agent but the FBI wants her. As a matter of fact, a couple of the agents want Liv for themselves. This plot detail does absolutely nothing for the story. Liv is the central character in the story but I can't say that I cared about her much.
The "whodunit" part of the story is fleshed out with a bit of South Dakota history, which I thought was the most interesting part of the story. Unfortunately, I found the ending drawn out with far too many, "wait, wait why" moments. The FBI, or maybe it was me, figured everything out and explained it nicely but then it took 15 pages for the killer to explain it all, AGAIN. By the time everything was finally wrapped up I wanted the killer to shoot me, also.
Overall, Widow's Might is a very easy and forgettable read that didn't make ever want to read another of the Liv Bergen mysteries.
