The OC by D.P. Lyle, Book Review

A solid story about a stalker who is unusually creepy and perhaps more dangerous than the million others like him. A beautiful journalist receives threats and unwanted advances, like flowers and chocolates, combined with threats. The detective trio Jake, Nicole, and Pancake are trying to help because they see the danger past the weird acts of attention. However, they have trouble figuring out who he is. This type of people normally physically chase their victims, while in our case, the perpetrator hides in the shadows.

I guessed who the villain was maybe five pages before the official reveal, so I’m not sure whether to feel proud of myself or not.

The book has a certain neon glow and the intentional smell of cheap things, like an exploitation movies from the past. It doesn’t feel too heavy, despite the constant threat of the stalker. I’d say it’s fine and an acceptable read. Not award-winning rocket science but not annoying either. Jake, Nicole, and Pancake are simple and well-intended characters.

I’m not sure why only parts 1, 2, and 5 of the series have been translated into Bulgarian while 3 and 4 were skipped. A strange choice by the publisher. It’s even stranger to translate a book that had the modest 199 ratings and 37 reviews on Goodreads, mine included. Won’t be the least popular book I read this year but it will be very close to the bottom.

4/5, straight to the overflow shelf.

A Slip in the Daily Steps Average

I slipped on my 10K-steps goal for November, despite having two additional weekend days in the month. I found it quite difficult to maintain the average and eventually didn’t make it. The weather, knee pain, lots of work, zero hiking, a couple of emergencies, and several low-energy days all contributed. At least WordCamp Sofia was good.

November in Books

I managed to finish 7 books this month.

Best

  1. The Shadowed Sun by N.K. Jemisin – the duology is over, and so are all the books by Nora Jemisin, translated in Bulgarian. I liked it, although the memories about it are already fading.
  2. For We Are Many by Dennis E. Taylor – the self-replicating Bobs have reached a hostile alien form, they named “Others”. The Others show no mercy.
  3. Charity 1 by Wolfgang Hohlbein – speaking of mercy, the aliens in Charity show no mercy either. The destruction of humanity is almost complete, yet there’s Charity. Where does that lead us I couldn’t find because I stopped after book 3.
  4. The Housemaid’s Secret (The Housemaid, #2). It’s all about the plot twists and I will need some time to recover from them.

The other 3 books I read were fine, although not particularly great.