Book Review: The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

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The Escape Game  by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss  opens on the set of a reality television show called "The Escape Room" where one of the season four contestants, Alicia Angelos, is found in a coffin on set ... dead. Fast forward to season five where Sierra Angelos, the murder victim's younger sister and suspected killer, has been brought back to the show and paired up with Beck, Adi, and Carter. Sierra wants to find justice for her sister, but when Sierra and her teammates start uncovering clues about the true killer, they must figure out how to survive the game. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for approving my request and providing me with a digital copy of The Escape Game  for free in exchange for my honest review. I was immediately drawn to the title and cover of the young adult novel. Throw in the plot being about an escape room, and I was completely sold on the story before even reading it. The story is told from the perspective of fou...
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Book Review: The Cuckoo's Calling (Comoran Strike, #1) by Robert Galbraith

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The Cuckoo's Calling (Comoran Strike, #1) by Robert Galbraith opens with Comoran Strike working as a private investigator in London, England. When John Bristow hires Comoran Strike to investigate the death of his sister Lula Landry, a famous supermodel, Strike is thrown into the world of celebrities as he investigates the case.

I read this book for one of the book clubs I was in, and had I not been in the book club, I'm not sure if I would have picked up this novel or not. When it was released it became public knowledge relatively quick that Robert Galbraith was actually J.K. Rowling writing under a pseudonym. It didn't really surprise me that she used one as I'm sure she wanted the book to be reviewed more honestly and not compared to her Harry Potter book series for children.

While I did enjoy The Cuckoo's Calling immensely, it did follow the typical formula for books in the mystery and thriller categories. I expected a lot more from J.K. Rowling, so I didn't give it as many stars as I would have had it been a debut novel for an author. But, don't get me wrong, I completely lost myself in the story and found it extremely binge worthy, and I enjoyed it so much that I've bought some of the other books in the series.

There were some things I had to look up as I was reading this book because I couldn't quite catch the meaning of certain things, even in the context of the book. One such thing was the use of "suppurating skin". I found out that it meant "discharging pus", and I think it would have flowed better had she just used the latter instead. And even though the British and Americans both speak English, I thought it was interesting that they say "clean their teeth" instead of "brush their teeth". Then, Galbraith/Rowling used a description of "paunchy man with a face the color of corned beef", and I thought that this was a really strange way to describe a character.

I'd also like to mention that they updated the cover of the book to tie in with the television series on Cinemax. Where I don't mind the revised cover, I really like the original cover the best. However, I will give the television series, 'Strike', a try once I've read all the books in the series.

All in all, I enjoyed The Cuckoo's Calling (Comoran Strike, #1) by Robert Galbraith and gave it three out five stars. If you enjoyed this book, I recommend Kiss The Girls and Make Them Cry by Mary Higgins Clark. 


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