Tag: Books

Killman Creek by Rachel Caine, Book Review

~ Veselin ~ 2 Comments

Gwen survived the encounter with her husband’s serial killer buddies. Peace didn’t last long. She’s now chased by a worse enemy – a ransom group who produces deepfakes to extort rich people. They’re now after Gwen. She is interesting because her husband is a serial killer who is somehow connected to the group.

Gwen is not helpless, she shoots well, she’s deeply suspicious of everyone and everything, and moves a lot. So in an ideal world, the hackers wouldn’t be able to find her. Unfortunately, the world is not ideal and the wonders of the modern Big Brother have turned against her.

This book is disturbing. It’s like a different point of view to Chris Carter story. There’s blood and horror, and the book is like a scream that never stops. You have Gwen and a few of her friends who are rational, and then you have characters who are acting like victims. They are doing everything possible to sabotage their chances of survival. Buddy, I know this is the first time you see me but please hop in my pretty, white van.

At the end of the day, you don’t buy this book if you have no tolerance to horror. It’s fine but I liked Stillhouse Lake more. I had to skip a few exceptionally silly pages, and I think I missed one of the clues this way. 4.5*/5.

Exit Strategy by Lee Child and Andrew Child, Book Review

~ Veselin ~ 20 Comments

Exit Strategy is book 30 of the series about the retired military police officer Jack Reacher, no middle name. Reacher, a 60-something, overweight, and homeless, is traveling the country with a thin stack of cash, a debit card, and a toothbrush, like a modern version of the hitchhiker Arthur Dent. Exit Strategy is also a book from the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. The two books have many things in common, for example there’s no exit strategy at any part of the plot. Actually, Reacher only has one strategy, which involves using his massive size to crush the bad guys, just like the Murderbot.

Book 29 of the series was called In Too Deep. In my review from 2024, I awarded it with 1* and evaluated the whole series as unreadable, probably thanks to the new writer. I remember being surprised that it had over 4 on Goodreads, a mistake the readers have already corrected. Book 30 currently stands at 3.75, the lowest Jack Reacher has ever received. However, this is probably due to the piling disappointment after several sub-par or disastrous books that might’ve discouraged long-term fans of the series from buying it.

Exit Strategy is readable. Reacher crushes bones in a satisfying way. There are no Russians, no three-letter agencies, world-scattering conspiracies, or disposable femme fatales. The villain is some rich dude. This is already a major improvement. The best stories from the earlier years didn’t have complex plots or multiple espionage tropes either.

Reacher enters a town and finds another retired vet, who is in trouble. He forms a small crew to solve the problem in his way, Karateka style. He is, in a sense, still like the old Steven Seagal. Large, static, not very smart, linear, arrogant, quick with the choices. But the book is readable and offers many things the good Reacher books offered, including an unexpected ending that made sense.

I think, despite being sub-par compared to the books before Andrew Child, this is an okay thriller. I hope the duo keeps positive learnings with their next work. 4/5.

Anniversary Harvest

~ Veselin ~ 3 Comments

I had a work anniversary a few days ago and rewarded myself with some new thrillers.

Left to right:

  • Killman Creek by Rachel Caine – a continuation of a very successful first part.
  • Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Weatherspoon and Harlan Coben. Bad Goodreads reviews on this one but I respect both authors and will give it a chance. Harlan Coben has been on a negative trend lately. I hope this collaboration gets him out of the slope.
  • Exit Strategy by Andrew and Lee Child. In Too Deep was a flop but I adjusted my expectations. I now imagine Jack Reacher as played by late-day Steven Seagal – arrogant, slow, and absurd. After reading a scene where Reacher defeated an armed opponent while tied to a table, I expect nothing less. Looking forward to seeing if he can beat an international conspiracy while sitting on a chair.

The Edge by Lucy Goacher, Book Review

~ Veselin ~ 1 Comment

Clementine’s sister, Poppy, has supposedly taken her own life. For six months Clementine accepts it as suicide and lives with the grief of not picking up the phone right before it happened. Then new information surfaces, and it starts to look a lot more like a serial killer. Almost right after, it becomes evident to Clementine that the killer might be one of the 3-4 men in her life.

But which one?

At different points in the book, I was convinced it could be any of them. Lucy Goacher keeps us guessing the entire time, pushing the story to a Agatha Christie style grand finale, after explaining all the bits and pieces leading to it.

The book brought to mind the novels by Nicci French, where nobody believes the main character for countless pages and she has to face some dark force entirely on her own. The book is translated by the same translator, published by the same publisher, and designed in the same style as the Nicci French’s series. It’s up to the bar. I marked it as 4/5. It’s more Maud O’Connor than Frieda Klein. A lot more “nobody believes me” than “I’m going to run over the killer like a train and he won’t see it coming”.

The Revenge of the Damned, Book Review

~ Veselin ~ 2 Comments

The Revenge of the Damned is something like the closing act of the story arc about Sten fighting against the Taan empire. Over the course of the previous books, Taan had the upper hand – more military power and superior leadership. However, the Empire had a lead in manufacturing capacity and energy production. In book 5, the clash between the Empire and the Taan has already passed its inflection point. At this stage it’s less a question of who wins but more like when and how Sten’s boss wins.

There’s just one small complication: Sten has been captured and now has to somehow win the war from prison.

The book has its good and bad moments. The first part, let’s call it Prison Break, is strong, and the final part probably is too. The middle, however, contains long stretches that read like excerpts from a history textbook, explaining events and background in great detail. These sections are a bit tedious and slow things down. I generally don’t like things being told to me in books, I prefer things shown to me instead.

Several new characters appear, clearly meant to make it to the finale and perhaps show up in future books. There’s a cat-like creature who can’t see in daylight but is exceptionally good with forging, a professional gambler, and a faithful alien with prophet-level beliefs. Alex, on the other hand, feels like he’s running a little low on fuel and is a burden to the story.

At this point, it’s fair to say the main story is essentially finished. There are sequels, but if the series continues, it will probably have to be about something else.

4/5