Review: The Good Daughter

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I must be honest...I am probably the biggest Karin Slaughter fan. She could write the blurb on the back of a shampoo bottle and she would have me hanging on every word!

That being said, The Good Daughter, is an exceptional read! It is very difficult to review this book without giving away spoilers as Karin Slaughter pulls you in from the first page and never lets go. You will be sucker-punched with some revelations along the way and just when you recover, she catches you on the bond side!

If you are a fan, you know what to expect, if you have not read any of her books yet, what have you been wasting your time with? Pick this up when it is available and you will not be disappointed!

You will enjoy a novel where the author appreciates the intelligence of the reader!

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Scrappy Little Thing by Anna Kendrick

Firstly, Anna Kendrick does not look thirty one years old; even then, I think she has a while to go before writing her memoir.

That being said, she has been acting since she was a child and her first major role was in the Broadway musical, High Society.  Interestingly enough, her parents played little to no part in encouraging her to act, they were just supportive of their diminutive daughter.

It seems like she reluctantly made the move from theatre to the big screen. Her writing reflects her excitable nature and one could almost hear her voice as the words leap off the pages.
She comes across as a humble, down to earth woman.

However, I felt boredom set in towards the end of the book and quickly skimmed through. It was an ok read and I suppose perfect for her  fans.

DI Kim Stone Series by Angela Marsons

We are introduced to Detective Inspector Kim stone in Angela Marson’s thriller, Silent Scream. The death of a headmistress leads DI Stone and her charges to a dead body found buried near an abandoned children’s home. Another burial site and a few murder scenes later, DI stone uncovers the connection between recent events.  She must now hunt down a vicious murderer trying to cover his original tracks!

 

In Evil Games, DI Kim Stone is called to the murder scene of a convicted rapist. She is soon called to other murder scenes where her gut tells her that something isn’t adding up. Once the link has been established between these murders, a hunch leads her to a formidable enemy, an enemy that Kim may not be equipped to handle.

Best friends, Charlie and Amy, are kidnapped in Lost Girls. DI Kim is brought into the case at the request of an old acquaintance. The kidnapper struck previously but with a tragic outcome. The stakes are raised when each family is asked to bid for their child with a twisted ransom demand. To get the girls back Kim has to manoeuvre between paranoid superiors, a tenacious reporter, grief stricken parents, an outside negotiator and nervous kidnappers.

 

When asked to visit a body farm to help close cold cases, DI Kim Stone does not expect to find a murder victim amongst the bodies used for research.  Not long after their first discovery, they find a second body and a third victim, barely alive. In Playing Dead, Di Kim has to race against time to save a fourth victim from a serial killer with an agenda.

These books can be read as stand alones but the progression and growth of Kim Stone will be missed, so I highly recommend reading the series from the beginning. Subtle nuances in her character  and her relationships are drawn out by the expert hand of Angela Marsons. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and look forward to the next instalment, Blood Lines.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

To say that I am a huge fan of Trevor Noah is an understatement!

I thoroughly enjoyed this; part memoir, part history - his story, the story of his youth. He writes about his birth, childhood, teen years, and early adulthood from the point of view of a mixed race child born during apartheid right through the first democratic election hence the title, Born A Crime.
Everything we see of Noah is a product of his colourful and somewhat painful childhood. Do not be mistaken, he doesn’t see it as painful. He has a unique quality; where he embraces’ every situation to see its humour.

He had me rolling in hysterics; some of the stories will be familiar to reader if you have enjoyed his early stand up career. It is quite something when strangers try not to stare too hard at the crazy woman sitting alone and laughing out loud to herself.

There is a truly heart-warming relationship between himself and his mum which transcends the regular.  This book is a tribute to her strength and influence on his life. It is a well written, sometimes thoughtful and mostly humorous insight into one of South Africa’s famous children.

My favourite excerpts from Born A Crime are; when his mother & grandmother try to exorcise a “demon” from his home and his visit with his dance crew to perform at a Jewish school for a cultural exhibition.

Had he not followed the path that took him to where he is today, I have no doubt that Trevor Noah would have been a notorious pyro-maniac!

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

It seemed to me like Amy Schumer suddenly burst onto the comedy scene a few years ago. To my surprise, she had been working on her craft from a young age.

Her memoir, if you could call it that at her age (she’s thirty five years old) has shed light on her family life and her youth.  It documents her obsession with comedy and her rise on the comedy scene. She is proof that nothing happens without hard work.

She’s frank and open and discusses her sexuality, women in her industry, an abusive relationship and most importantly how young women view themselves.

She is vociferous, emotional and passionate on gun control.

This book is a triumph, in that she is funny, sensitive and forthright on issues and people important to her. It is a quick read into the psyche of Amy Schumer.

Blood & Bone (Alison Madison #3) by VM Giambanco

Detective Alison Madison has been given the lead on her first case, the murder of Seattleite Matt Duncan, who was brutally murdered during a robbery at his home.

Following the discovery of trace DNA matching a case closed seven years previously, detectives Alison and her partner, Kevin Brown, soon discover other cases with similar elements. After these cases are revisited they realise they have uncovered the “work” of a serial killer.

Matt Duncan’s wife, Kate, believes she is being stalked by her husband’s killer. Between keeping Kate safe and mounting pressure from her superiors and the media, Alison and her team slowly inch closer to the identity of this sadistic killer.
Interspersed with snippets of her past, her personal relationships and pressure from the DEA for her involvement in a previous case, this book will surprise you with a few unexpected twists as Alison’s case reaches its climax and finally its denouement.

This was my first read of a Valentina Giambanco novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It can be read as a stand-alone. She smartly gave small snippets of information giving you an idea of who, what, when and how past events affected Alice Madison in this novel without compromising the previous novels if you haven’t read them.

I look forward to reading the first two novels in the Alice Madison series.

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

"Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden. In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens. When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself, the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding..."




This is an edge of your seat suspense thriller by a fairly new author (to me!), Dot Hutchison. She writes a compelling story about a group of survivors. Survivors of a serial rapist and killer, called the Gardener. Their story is told by Maya, to the lead investigators after they have been rescued.

Hutchison draws you in by slowly releasing information, both to the investigating agents and you, the reader. You are held spellbound by Maya's account, from the moment of her kidnapping to the climax of their rescue. You continue to question her own motives during the investigation as she reveals more of her own complex character.  However, you will be well satisfied with the conclusion of the interview as all falls into place!

Read no further if you do not want a SPOILER!

But be warned. Dot does lose me for a short bit: Sophia should not have featured as the "escaped butterfly". After drawing me in using Maya's clever dialogue, I thought that was a clumsy attempt at a plot twist. The novel stands tall without that addition and would have been just as successful!

Peppered with passages and quotes that fans will Tweet and Instagram, you'll soon wonder if anyone will buy the movie rights from Dot.  A well written, enjoyable read!