It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey. In order to get some consistency to my posting I thought I’d jump on board this great idea. As a self-proclaimed bookaholic, I love talking about my books and finding out what others are reading.

Last week I posted the following reviews:

COLD CALLER by Jason Starr (really dug this reread)

GUILT BY ASSOCIATION by Marcia Clark (didn't connect with this one unfortunately)

This week I'm sticking with my crime fiction theme:

THE CREEPER by Tania Carver (I've had this in my tbr for a while now and am enjoying it.)

Suzanne Perry is having a vivid nightmare. Someone is in her bedroom, touching her, and she can t move a muscle. She wakes, relieved to put the nightmare behind her, but when she opens the curtains, she sees a polaroid stuck to the window. A photo of her, sleeping, taken during the night. And underneath, the words: I m watching over you.

Her nightmare isn't over. In fact, it s just beginning. Detective Inspector Phil Brennan of the Major Incident Squad has a killer to hunt. A killer who stalks young women, insinuates himself into their lives, and ultimately tortures and murders them in the most shocking way possible.

But the more Phil investigates, the more he delves into the twisted psychology of his quarry, Phil realizes that it isn't just a serial killer he s hunting but something or someone infinitely more calculating and horrific. And much closer to home than he realized . .

PRIVATE SYDNEY by James Patterson and Kathryn Fox (newly published by Random House)

Even for Private Investigations, the world's top detective agency, it's tough to find a man who doesn't exist . . .

Craig Gisto has promised Eliza Moss that his elite team at Private Sydney will investigate the disappearance of her father. After all, as CEO of a high-profile research company, Eric Moss shouldn't be difficult to find.

Except it's not just the man who's gone missing. Despite the most advanced technology at their disposal, they find every trace of him has vanished too.

And they aren't the only ones on the hunt. Powerful figures want Moss to stay ‘lost', while others just as ruthlessly want him found.

On top of that, a routine background check has become a frantic race to find a stolen baby and catch a brutal killer – a killer Private may well have sent straight to the victim's door.

Short Review: GUILT BY ASSOCIATION by Marcia Clark

From the back of the book
Los Angeles D.A. Rachel Knight is a tenacious, wise-cracking, and fiercely intelligent prosecutor in the city's most elite division. When her colleague, Jake, is found dead at a grisly crime scene, Rachel is shaken to the core. She must take over his toughest case: the assault of a young woman from a prominent family.

But she can't stop herself from digging deeper into Jake's death, a decision that exposes a world of power and violence and will have her risking her reputation and her life to find the truth.

My Review
There are two core plot threads to GUILT BY ASSOCIATION; the murder of DA Rachel Knight's colleague Jake - initially staged as a murder-suicide, and the rape of a young woman who's doctor father has strong political ties. Jake was involved in the rape case which was reassigned to Knight following his death which links the two threads.  

Whilst not being a bad book, I found GUILT BY ASSOCIATION to be an average read. I didn't connect with any of the characters and found the mundane day-to-day actives depicting Rachel getting dressed, eating lunch/dinner, and drinking at the hotel bar distracting and little more than filler content. The street slang dialogue was also a cause for annoyance with a 'BG' (baby gangster) heavily involved in proceedings. As for the crime aspect, the cases themselves resolved all too convenient with the ending feeling rushed despite some enjoyable passages. Not one I'd recommend but I can see how it would be appealing to more casual readers. 

Verdict - there are better mainstream crime reads out there. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey. In order to get some consistency to my posting I thought I’d jump on board this great idea. As a self-proclaimed bookaholic, I love talking about my books and finding out what others are reading.

I recovered my reading mojo last week and was able to finish three books - the first time that has happened in the past couple of months! Click on the links below to read the reviews:

DESOLATION GAME by Greg McLean

THIEVES FALL OUT by Gore Vidal

ALL THE LITTLE PIECES by Jillian Hoffman

This week I'm reading GUILT BY ASSOCIATION by Marcia Clark 

Los Angeles D.A. Rachel Knight is a tenacious, wise-cracking, and fiercely intelligent prosecutor in the city's most elite division. When her colleague, Jake, is found dead at a grisly crime scene, Rachel is shaken to the core. She must take over his toughest case: the assault of a young woman from a prominent family.

But she can't stop herself from digging deeper into Jake's death, a decision that exposes a world of power and violence and will have her risking her reputation--and her life--to find the truth.

With her tremendous expertise in the nuances of L.A. courts and crime, and with a vibrant ensemble cast of characters, Marcia Clark combines intimate detail, riotous humor, and visceral action in a debut thriller that marks the launch of a major new figure on the crime-writing scene.