These Things Hidden by Heather Guddenkauf

 I cannot believe the last time I wrote on my blog was three years ago.

Though I never stopped reading I was too busy to write because of my work and photoshop addiction. Then I realized I need to start blogging because everytime I look for a new book to read., I end up wondering if I read them already. I was mostly disappointed with the books I read this year except for three which stuck in my mind. They are:

1. The Swallow: A Ghost Story by Charis Cotter-a story about two children who communicated via the wall that separated their attics in their adjoining homes.

2. The Woman Outside My Door by Rachel Ryan- about a woman who was concerned that her son has a new imaginary grandma who meets him regularly.

3. Flicker in the Dark by stacy Willingham-an excellent book about a psychologist whose dad was incarcerrated 20 years ago for kidnapping and killing young girls. Then for some reason the kidnapping starts again. If I have time, I will write a review about this book.

Now back to Heather's book.

     Allison Glenn is a teenager who is sent to prison for killing her newborn child. The story is told by 4 characters-Allison, her younger sister,Brynn, Charm and Claire. After 5 years in jail , Allison is released due to exemplary behaviour at age 21. She is placed in a halfway home. While there, she tries desperately to get a hold of her sister who refuses to talk to her. 

    There is a woman who owns a bookstore named Claire who has an adopted son . Claire has a frequent visitor named Charm who shows an attachment to her adopted son,Joshua. As for Allison, the halfway matron gets her a job at the bookstore. That's where everything starts to unravel. 

    Allison gets pregnant by a guy whose name is Christopher. His sister name is Charm and they both live with thir loving stepfather named Gus. She managed to hide her pregnancy because she is tall and has a long torso. When she gives birth, the first child, a girl, came out without breathing. Thinking the child was dead, Brynn, took the body to bury it but it was raining furiously. Hence she slipped and dropped the child into the raging river after realizing it was alive. 

    The distraught sister came back wanting to kill herself only to find out Allison gave birth to twins. The other child was a boy, Joshua. She couldn't take care of him so she gave him to Christopher who did not want anything to do with the child. His sister, Charm , then took the child. Since their fireman stepdad was very ill ,they decided to drop the baby off at the fire station.  After doing this Gus, the stepfather ,called the authorities to report that someone left a baby at the station. As for Allison, seeing she caused eveything , allows the authorities to blame her for the baby girl's death. This practically destroys Brynn.

    That is how Claire got the baby as her husband also worked at the firestation.

    Finally the 4 women meet and find out what really happened. Brynn, who was already mentally ill because of what happened, tries to drown Joshua so that he would join his sister in heaven. Allison saves the boy and promises Claire she will not try to get custody of Joshua. Charm and Allison bids the boy farewell on separate occassions'and promises Claire they would not show themselves again to the family.

    The sad part was that Brynn was so bereft she kills herself. Then they find her diary which retells the whole sordid incident, thus exonerating Allison from the previous "crime".  It was so heart wrenching!

The Shape of Night

It's been a long time since I reviewed a book but not because I stopped reading but rather because none really peaked my interest. Then finally I revisited an author I have forgotten for quite a while - Dr. Tess Gerritsen.
What interested me was she has departed from her usual style and decided to add a supernatural twist. But let me interject that this book can be read with two different views.
Let us start with the main character, Ava Collette. Ava is a promiscuous drunk albeit a very successful food critic and writer. She escapes to a secluded mansion after she has committed a grave sin that she could not face. Hence her drinking intensifies as she rents this haunted mansion in Maine previously owned by a handsome seafaring rake, Capt. Brodie, hence the name of the place aptly named Brodie's Watch.
There are 2 scenarios. One wherein the ladies of the house, who shares the same physical appearance as her, dismiss any romantic relations they have and decide to stay single. They were also known to go every night at the bedroom of late Mr. Brodie and eventually die of old age as single women. Second scenario. Actual crimes. First, the suspicious death of a teenager who died at the mansion during Halloween several years ago and next, the mysterious disappearance of the previous tenant.

Now, Ava Collette's sin- she subconsciously hated her successful doctor sister who met a wonderful man (supposedly) and got married. She ,on the other hand, just screwed several men and ended up always single and unsatisfied. Then one New Years's Eve, she gives a party wherein her sister and her husband come in separate cars just in case her sister is called in for work.She is an emergency doctor. Lucky for her raging libido and secret resentment of her sibling, her sister is called in to work. Hence the moment everyone leaves , she and her brother-in-law have sex . They both realized what they did and are greatly horrified not necessarily for the betrayal but because they actually enjoyed the wild sex. Quickly, they blame their drunkenness for that surging passion they exhibited. Still the husband was so bereft of his deception that he quickly and drunkenly leaves the house. Hence the car accident that kills him.

Miss Judas Iscariot then tries to console her bereaved sister, hoping the husband dies and keep their treachery a secret. Her wish was granted and the cheating bastard dies. She then escapes under the pretense that she needs an isolated place to write her book and escapes into this haunted mansion located, as mentioned earlier, in Maine. However she is still haunted on how she actually enjoyed the sex that she keeps on thinking about it constantly. Then, supposedly, Capt. Brodie's appears and asks her to be his slave so he can make her suffer.Willingly she accepts the challenge and makes him have sex with her while she is tied up and beaten like any regular s and m bondage relationship. She actually enjoys it and awaits this bondage type of sex every night. As though she wanted to be punished for her sins.

Here is the premise  on both sides.She actually is being whipped and penetrated by a ghost (She wakes up wet all the time but with no bruises usually related to being held in bondage) or she has completely gone insane and thinks that the beating will purge the sin of her loins out off her body.

Now here comes Mr. Prince Charming, a doctor who is a magnificent painter and the carpenter fixing her house who was always believed to have killed the teen several years ago.Then they find the body of the previous tenant. She eventually has an affair with the doctor but is still entranced by the ghost. She waits for him every night with bated breath. The ghost then appears and brings her to a jury instead of their usual s and m sex. He calls her a whore and demands her to confess her sin. Then she eventually relates the tragic night that she actually enjoyed but which she is ashamed of.

Let us fast forward. She realizes from the doctor's painting that he has been painting the deceased from afar and that he used binoculars. He was doing the same thing with her that's why she always saw that mysterious light in the middle of the night. So, it wasn't really the ghost ?Or was it really the sexy specter of Capt. Brodie? She also found out that the good doctor was also the teen boyfriend of the girl that died several years ago. Then she sees two figures, struggling in the dark after which the doctor comes crashing to his death. She faints. When she wakes up, she sees the carpenter who was wrongly accused of the murders. He said he saved her and called the cops and the ambulance. She was still insistent that Capt. Brodie was there and tried to save her only to have the carpenter deny seeing anyone else at the balcony. Her sister is called and the dutiful sibling drove all the way to Maine to visit evil drunk Ava. Ava eventually tells her sister that her drunkenness has cost so many destroyed lives though she conveniently omits the adultery that also took place. Her poor, unknowing sister hugs her and tells her she will always be there for her little sister. The deceitful tramp!

Time passes, and the book will be formally launched. Her editor insists on visiting the place so that they will have pictures of the mansion included in the book. After pictures where taken Ava looks back and swears she saw Capt. Brodie at the widow before he finally disappears.

I watched Investigative Discovery wherein a mother who thinks she caused her handicapped child's death goes off tangent and visits all S and M and Bondage Sites. She eventually dies because she wanted to be tied up , beaten and choked. Which most scientists would think why Ava imagined this Captain who wanted to be her Master and make her suffer, because with joy comes pain and suffering.Then another probable theory from people who actually sees ghosts like me.Could Capt. Brodie really exist or has she become stark raving mad because of her guilt of actually enjoying the sex she had with her brother - in-law ? I think the did ghost exist because her editor felt a sinister presence choking him when he visited. Then the medium she hired saw a dark presence on camera but it just hovered over her and Ava never left her bed. In her dreams she was always brought to Capt. Brodie's old bedroom wherein he would handcuff and tie her up to the bed. Also in her dreams they would have sex  after which he would beat her up. I think its both. There was a ghost hovering over her and protecting her but the S and M dreams are a figment of her imagination because of her guilt. She just wanted to be punished just like the mother in Investigative Discovery.

A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay

 I know it's been a long time since I made a review but most of the books I read were not hideous enough for me to lambast nor were they excellent enough to warrant a review. A Noise Downstairs however has broken that spell. This novel gets 5 stars from me! I usually pride myself in finding out who the culprit is due to the length of time I have been delving in mysteries. However, Barclay is so adept in  twisting his tale with several plausible scenarios that I eventually started doubting my own suspicions.

Let's start with a brief summary. College professor Paul Davis used to have a very ordinary life until, while driving along a deserted road , he surprises a colleague  disposing 2 dead bodies. His fellow worker then attacks him but fortunately, a cop was passing by and stopped the ongoing crime from escalating into something more serious. Paul was saved but was so injured that he had to seek both medical and psychological help. His coworker has since been thrown in jail.

To assist him in his recovery his wife, Charlotte, finds a vintage typewriter for him to write his thoughts down. She found it on sale and thought he might be intrigued by it. However, before he knows it  Paul swears the typewriter is possessed and types by itself at night.  Paul can hear the noise coming from downstairs but Charlotte insists she hears nothing. Now she is worried the physical and psychological trauma he experienced has pushed him over the edge.

When the truth started to unravel, my suspicion was almost correct until I reached the last few pages. I was amazed how things turned around. I did not see that coming! Such an excellent thriller!

Don't Close Your Eyes

I have been very busy but while checking my bookmarks, I saw my poor neglected mystery blog and decided to update it. So here goes!
Don't Close Your Eyes by Christie Craig - It has a very good plot but unfortunately, since it was made by a Romance novelist there was this intense desire to add sex even though how ridiculous the scenario was. Like her carrying her thong in her purse when she goes to school to teach. Really? She was not even planning to swim or go to the gym? You put an extra underwear if you are scared you would have an accident during your period and believe me! A thong shall not be a good alternative to catch any flow ! She then tosses her purse at the back of the guy's car which conveniently hurls the precious little thong to pop out of the purse! Aroused , the guy dutifully rushes to her school with the said thong and brings it to her classroom. This ignites her lust that she immediately goes to bed with him once they get back to her house from school.
There were a lot of titillating scenes that I guess were acceptable and very standard in romance novels but it irritated me because it deflected from the actual storyline. Still, the plot was good. However this book made me vow never to get a book by a romance novelist ! I read books with a lot of sex but her scenes were bordering on the ridiculous.

Suspect by Michael Robotham

I was initially irritated with the first part of the novel because Mary Magdalene, as usual, was unofficially described as the Patron Saint of Prostitutes. Nowhere in the bible was Mary Magdalene ascribed as a person of whoredom! Nowhere! She wasn't the one who put oil in Jesus' feet nor was she the adulterous woman Jesus saved from stoning. Even the nuns called their order the Magdalene Sisters because they catered to wayward women of ill repute! To think they should know better! What? You mean to say they didn't read the bible either? But I digress! 
After my initial aggravation, I eventually (and grudgingly) decided to finish the book. To my surprise it was really a very suspenseful thriller!

Joe O'Loughlin is a psychologist who is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease . One day, a cantankerous detective asks the doctor for insights into the stabbing death of a young woman. Why he was chosen for this particular case will eventually be revealed as the story progresses. We also learn that the victim was a nurse and an ex-patient who accused him of sexual impropriety earlier in his career.
O'Loughlin has an alibi for the night of the murder, but he decides not to share it because of its "complicated" nature. Even though I did guess who the "real" perpetrator was, I still enjoyed the book because of Robotham's writing style that was very engaging if you find "edge of your seat" thrillers enjoyable.
I am now reading "Shattered" by Mr. Robotham.

Say You're Sorry by Michael Robotham

2 teenagers, Piper Hadley and Tash McBain , are polar opposites but this does not stop them from being very close friends. One Sunday morning, they mysteriously disappear and this incident has caused a nationwide search for them. After an exhaustive search that proved to be unsuccessful and highly disheartening for their families, the search stops and becomes dormant until three years later.

During a harrowing blizzard that practically paralyzes the city, a husband and wife are brutally killed in the farmhouse where one of the girls used to live. In addition, they also discover a frozen and highly mutilated corpse of the girl who used to be a resident of the mentioned farmhouse but in a different area.The suspect they apprehend is the mentally unstable handyman of the couple who they recently fired. This troubled young man hears voices and claims that he saw a girl that night being chased by a snowman. Hence it was up to Psychologist Joe O'Loughlin to analyze the situation and try to see if their findings can actually help locate and save the other missing girl.

This is a fast paced thriller which kept you guessing up to the near end. Just when you thought you found the killer, an unexpected turn of events comes in to shock the reader.The only thing I did not like about this book was that several incidents from earlier books of Mr. Robotham are mentioned, hence giving out spoilers for the previous books of this particular series. Hence, I shall be reading his first book, "Suspect ",after I am done writing this critique.

Grantchester

I haven't read a good book these pass days so I decided to make commentaries on programs I have watched recently.

Grantchester is a very good series wherein the main characters are a cop and an Episcopalian priest (Or Anglican because it's in England) . The setting is in the 50's.These strange pairing actually is delightful as they try to solve crimes with their diverse way of thinking.However I do want to take the time to comment on some points which I did not find amusing.
Sidney, the priest, has a childhood friend who he deeply loves. Unfortunately, he has decided not to embark into an amorous relationship with her making her toy with another man's feelings instead and inducing him to marry her. Bereft, Sydney becomes totally alienated to any woman who shows him some attention. The girl, eventually chooses to visit Sydney almost everyday, feigning her husbands's lack of attention towards her needs. I actually think she never intended to save the marriage because she keeps on putting herself in this adulterous situations by constantly visiting Sydney while her husband works.
She implies that she is bored and feels useless because now she is not working and they have numerous maids that actually performs her duties as a wife except the sexual part.Obviously her husband resents her constant visits to the priest as he ends up punching Sydney for encouraging her. The fact is she is the one who was pursuing Sidney. I believe she never wanted the marriage to work. I know an older woman in real life who was in a similar situation who also experienced this "lack of excitement" during the same time frame. However, this other wife was keen on making this marriage work by insisting on accompanying her husband when he had to work out of town. Since the husband was rich (just like this girl's husband) he obliged and had his wife shop around and tour whatever place his business brings him to while he worked. Beats fantasizing on illicit affairs and making the husband the bad guy ! The girl in the series , on the other hand, prefers to have herself driven to her loved one on a daily basis. She ended up being pregnant with her husband but decides to throw caution to the wind and joins the priest instead. Talk about - Nope! I don't like to save my marriage and no one's stopping me! That was how season 2 ended.Despicable woman!

Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton

To tell you the truth, I hate this book. Several readers gave this novel high marks because it was indeed an interesting read with several layers of events. However, I just could not stand the characters. They are supposedly "damaged" individuals with little dark secrets. Frankly, I find them to be nothing but a pack of immoral characters! The setting was made during the Falklands war and did give viewers an insight on how people reacted to the situation.I loved Ms. Bolton's other books but not this one.
Let's start with the main character, Catrin. She is a grieving mom who blames her best friend, Rachel, for "accidentally" killing her two sons. While she was embarking on an illicit affair with Callum, her friend Rachel, is involved in a car accident that kills her sons. Bereaved, she ends up leaving her husband and dreams of killing Rachel for three years. Rachel is the friend she forced to babysit her kids while she screwed her lover. Eventually, she gives birth to Callum's child who dies at birth. Her husband then realizes she was involved in an affair because the child turned out to be a redhead like her lover.

The Witch

I know this is a movie but after being horrified by its story line, I was impelled to write about it. It is NOT a "slasher" movie that prevails most often in our silver screen but rather a very extremely disturbing film. It was based on documents found about the puritanical era so the language they used and the sentiments the characters felt are addressed in this movie. I was distressed because it implied the presence of a cruel and vengeful God we read about in the old testament instead of the loving new testament one who is always sanctified by church authorities.

It is about a very pious family that was tormented and eventually killed off by evil spirits. No matter how much they prayed and adhered to all the laws God has given them, their prayers went unheard. What was also troubling was that the way their lives ended showed no possible hope that their souls were saved in spite of the horrific events they had to endure. So reminiscent of the Salem Witch trials wherein several people died a painful death with God not intervening at all. Makes you wonder if you are wasting your time even asking for the yoke of pain to be removed from your shoulders. I know it is only a "story" but the mere fact that it is actually one of the documents made during the Salem Witch trials, a more famous record of atrocity allowed to happen in the olden days, makes you pause and think. If this happened to God-fearing people who did the right thing, imagine what could possibly happen to you. Repent and pray and still feel the flames of hell?

Evil Games By Angela Marson

I almost did not finish this book.
Kim Stone, the main character, is a very caustic individual. I was really getting annoyed with her acerbic character that reading the novel turned to be a grating experience . However, I was very impressed with her other novel, "The Silent Scream", that I decided to take a "sneak peek" at the ending and see if enduring her painful personality would be worth it.. Fortunately, I succumbed to my habit of reading the last part of the book and eventually got intrigued! This awakened my interest and induced me to reread the book and  finish it.
I proceeded midway (close to where I stopped) and found a fascinating discussion between Kim Stone and her former psychiatrist about sociopaths. It was a very compelling discussion without the medical precision John Burley had in his novels which I thought was too complicated for a layman to endure. As mentioned in my previous blog, John Burley is an actual medical doctor who shared a little bit too much of his medical knowledge that it tended to be slightly grueling if you have a short attention span like me. Anyway, back to the story.
Though it still had the usual "surprise" at the end as in her other book, "The Silent Scream", the story  was different but equally captivating. All I can say is that it is similar to Agatha Christie's "Curtain" with a psychiatrist's point of view. Several crimes, but different styles.