Book Review: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

-
Image
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston is about a woman named Evie Porter that has everything a woman could want. But the catch is ... Evie Porter doesn't exist. Her identity and location comes first ... Evie Porter. The mark comes second ... Ryan Sumner. Lastly, the job. Evie only knows her boss by Mr. Smith, but after she failed miserably with her last job, Evie can't screw up the Ryan Sumner job if she wants to go leave this live behind and reclaim her true identity. WOW . . . Ashley Elston weaved a fantastic story that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading First Lie Wins . It's so engaging that I couldn't wait to find out how it all was going to end. There were twists and turns galore that had me guessing the whole time. The author did wrap up the story line but ended in a way that there could be a sequel. I truly hope there's a sequel because I want more of this tale!! One of the things I enjoyed the most about First Lie Wins is that
Post a Comment

Book Review: In The Woods (Dublin Murder Squad #1) by Tana French

-
in the woods dublin murder squad tana frenchOne of the book clubs I belong to decided to read In the Woods by Tana French.  It's the first book in her Dublin Murder Squad series AND her first published book. I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about the book, and I am super surprised it was an Edgar Award Winner.

To begin with, at least 100 pages could have been cut out. I have never seen a mystery book have so little happen for so many pages. On top of that, French rambled on about how the main characters, Detective Adam "Rob" Ryan and Detective Cassie Maddox, were best friends. It seems like she was forcing it a bit. The friendship seemed more like a friendship one would have in high school or college, not an adult friendship. And, of course, she had them sleep together, and she turned Rob into a total ass. He didn't want a relationship with Cassie and didn't want to blow her off, which is what he did in the end. Cassie even tried talking to him about it, and he acted like a sulky little boy and wouldn't talk with her about it. By the end of the book, Rob finally realizes how he's acted like at total ass and finally reaches out to Cassie after he hears she is engaged to Sam O'Neill, who was another detective helping them out on the case. We find out that she has deleted Rob's phone number from her cell phone.

Something that bothered me quite a bit was French kept referencing a ton of television shows and characters throughout the book, with most of the references in the first third. The majority of the references are to cop and FBI shows. It made me think that she had writer's block and was watching these shows for inspiration . . . that's how many she referenced.

At times, I felt like she was using a thesaurus just so she could throw in bigger words, and these words interrupted the flow of her writing and just didn't fit. Obviously, she never had a teacher or professor tell her not to use big words just to use them.
As far as the two mysteries go, the present day mystery was solved, and the culprit wasn't really too surprising. The one from the 1980's never was solved, and there was no real connection to the present day mystery. On top of that, all the memories that came flooding back to Rob, during the present day mystery, he ended up forgetting. It was like French didn't know how to wrap up this particular mystery.  I wish I knew if it ever gets resolved in the other books in the series.

I am glad that I read the book, but I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone. If you must read the book, don't waste your money on it and check it out from the library or borrow a copy from a friend.
Synopsis:  Taking place in Dublin, Ireland, three children disappear into the woods in 1984. Only one is found alive . .  Rob Ryan. Fast forward to the present day. A 12-year old girl is found raped and murdered on an archeological dig in those same woods. Detective Rob Ryan and his partner are put on the case to find the killer. Is there a connection between his friends disappearing all those years ago and this murdered girl?

Follow Us On Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/runningbibliophile/https://www.instagram.com/therunningbibliophile/https://www.pinterest.com/therunningbibliophile/youtube the running bibliophile
Location: Dublin, Ireland

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Product Review: Mr. Clean: Clean Freak Deep Cleaning Mist - Gain Scent

-
Image
One particular weekend night, I was watching television, and a commercial came on advertising Mr. Clean: Clean Freak Deep Cleaning Mist. In the ad, it mentioned that it would take off grime and dirt after spraying it on the surface and wiping it off with a simple swipe. It went on to mention that it could be used in the bathroom, and I thought, "I really need to try this product on my bathtub." Excited, I couldn't wait to buy it and looked for it at the grocery store the next day while I was getting my weekly groceries. I wasn't expecting to actually find it in stores yet because it usually takes the stores in my area a few weeks to get products in stock after I see it advertised on television. Much to my surprise and delight, my local Kroger Grocery Store actually had the Mr. Clean: Clean Freak Deep Cleaning Mist in stock and in no less than two scents. I grabbed the Gain Scent bottle and stuck it in my grocery cart. Eventually, I decided to use it to cle
Read more

Book Review: Hidden Beneath (Maine Clambake Mystery, #11) by Barbara Ross

-
Image
Hidden Beneath (Maine Clambake Mystery, #11) by Barbara Ross is the story about Julia and her mother Jacqueline attending a memorial service on Chipmunk Island for Ginny, who was an old friend of Jacqueline.  When something seems off at the memorial, Julia decides to delve into the cold case of Ginny, and in the process of the investigation, a murder takes place on the island. Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books, for the Advanced Readers Copy of Hidden Beneath (Maine Clambake Mystery, #11) by Barbara Ross in exchange for my honest review.  I first became familiar with this series and author while reading a collection of short stories that included one from the Maine Clambake Mystery series.  I was excited when I was approved to read this newest book and was not disappointed. This newest edition can be read as a stand alone as the author does a fantastic job of recapping the backstories of the characters from previous books in the series.  I found all the main characters to be
Read more

Product Review: Naturelle Biotera, Anti-Frizz Intense Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner

-
Image
As a woman with wavy hair that frizzes horribly whenever the humidity is high, and let's be honest, the humidity is high in the Southeast, I thought I'd try out Naturelle Biotera Anti-Frizz Intense Smoothing Shampoo  and Naturelle Biotera Anti-Frizz Intense Smoothing Conditioner . I purchased my product at a local Sally's Beauty Supply, and they said that if I didn't like the product that I could return it, which is a win win situation for the customer. What I didn't realize until I was using the product is that for the best results, Biotera recommends using not only the shampoo and conditioner but the leave in conditioner as well. Since I didn't buy the leave in conditioner, my review is solely on the shampoo and conditioner. For those of you who don't like a strong scent, then you'll be pleased with the light scent of this product. The aroma has hints of cinnamon apple. Where I love the scent of cinnamon and apple, I personally don't care for the t
Read more