mslevkindle

[mslevkindle]

Tammie Jean Colfax and John Ulbrecht were hostage by a mysterious man on a ski mask. The following day, Amelia Sachs went patrol on a possible homicide case where she saw a protruding tree on the ground until she realized it was not, but a hand sticking out of the ground.

Sachs caught herself in a predicament when she met Lincoln Rhyme, a C4 quad but brilliant Criminologist, together they unravel complex clues leading to the victims.

Review (May contain spoilers)

STORY: 3.8/5

GOOD

The forensic science, I absolutely love the technicalities of this book, I relate to it. The novel shows that the success of homicide investigation lies on the procedure and proper collection of evidences. One of the strengths of this book is the immense attention of details particularly places like the old New York, Rhyme's condition, and the crime scene procedure.

I also like how the forensic experts work together to establish the identity of the perpetrator, investigators cannot solely rely on evidences alone, through FS the evidences can tell you a story on what has happened. The book includes psychology, anthropology, pathology and DNA fingerprinting, which I really liked.

BAD (not really)

This book is considered to be my longest read, it took me 1 month to finish it, damn I almost DNF’ed. The book is divided into 5 parts with lengthy ass chapters, for a 599 page book it is quite a slow pace.

I did say I like the book right? But it turned out to be a textbook rather than a novel. Sure I understand the basic principles of criminal investigation and forensic science, but it is too analytical and scientific I almost lost my interest. It didn't bore but it exhaust me because of too much information.

Moreover, the terminologies used by the police in the US and my country is far different, I had difficulties understanding some of it, UNSUB for instance, while the book explained the acronyms and terminologies, I forgot about them and can't even remember some of them, lol.

WRITING STYLE: 3.7/5

As mentioned, I almost dnf the book because the chapters were too lengthy and kinda slow for my taste, nonetheless Deaver is a good writer, his writing style is very much descriptive, very sensory-rich at the same time very expository because he used a lot of information and facts.

CHARACTERS: 4.5/5

Lincoln Rhyme is a genius like I'm in awe, aside from being handsome, he is detail-oriented, analytical, truly a detective and favours trace evidence over other types of evidences, I mean obviously, he is an Edmond Locard zealot lol! I would definitely listen to his banters and spend time with him because FUCK YEAH, I like Locard too!

Rhyme however, lacks empathy and a snob, this man's priority is the evidences alone, I understand him though, you only get one shot at the homicide crime scene. What's also very interesting is the fact that he wanted to end himself but was horrified when he almost got killed, he even had the adrenaline to save himself.

Frankly, I was actually perplexed about his ability, he is a genius without a doubt but I could hardly believe that he was able to decipher every evidences the perpetrator has left in the crime scene, I was thinking it doesn't really make any sense especially he was not physically present in every grid, yes, trace evidences can definitely identify a certain perpetrator but there's no way they can do that in a span of 48 hours especially with class C evidences.

Eventually, my skepticism was addressed on the final part of the novel, the perpetrator used Rhyme's book and learn CS to his advantage, that also explains why he (Rhyme) was able to decode every single piece of evidences, it's not that I don't trust his wits but with the quality of evidences it is somehow questionable.

Amelia Sachs on the other hand is your typical beautiful girl, but more than meets the eye. I almost hate her though, she is quite a pushover and find physical evidences as a boring subject during her time is academy, (girl c'mon you gotta be kidding me), but as the story progresses, her character develops significantly, she became the eyes, ears, hands and legs of Rhyme. Sachs is definitely one of the reason why he choose to stay alive (despite saying she is the reason why he doesn't want to live anymore).

Thom is worth mentioning as well, I like him so much, I think that he and Rhyme compliments very well, and oh Sellitto and Banks too!

OVERALL THOUGHTS

My overall rating for this book is 4/5

If you want a graphic/morbid but technical book I highly recommend The Bone Collector, this book can teach you a lot in terms of police investigation and forensic science, some of the parts were quite silly but that's what fiction is all about.

[mslevkindle]

Device:

Kindle Paperwhite 5 11th Generation (16GB) Agave Green

Specification:

Display

6.8” Paperwhite display technology with built-in light, 300 ppi, optimized font technology, 16-level gray scale.

Battery

A single charge lasts up to ten (10) weeks Fully charges in approximately 5 hours from a computer via USB cable; Fully charges in less than 2.5 hours with a 9W USB power adapter.

Other Specs

Supports 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz networks Waterproof (IPX8), tested to withstand immersion in 2 meters of fresh water for 60 minutes. Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PMP through conversion; Audible audio format (AAX)

Source: SM Cyberzone

I'm a casual reader during my teenage days, casual because I'm broke ass, and only have few books. E-reading was already a thing back then, I remember using my Alcatel phone as an e-reader and use to read fantasy books for inspiration because I write novels as well *sigh* good times bro, good times.

Kindle was on my wishlist for a very long time and finally I got one as a birthday gift for myself, I bought it for P 6,500.00 (112 USD) it is a secondhand unit but in a very mint condition, and came with 3 cases and inserts as freebies.

Very cute and pretty

Review

Display: 4.8/5

The display is good and not straining on the eyes when reading, this is the very purpose of Kindle and other similar e-ink readers, they are designed for reading because it doesn't emit blue light unlike LCDs. With Kindle PPW5, I can read faster and longer, I like that it doesn't have glare unlike tablets. Kindle works on natural light even with zero brightness, and mimics the texture of the paper.

Portability: 4.5/5

Kindle PPW5 is very portable, handy and can fit my small bags, the only downside however, is the weight of PPW5, yes it is compact but can hurt your wrist after hours of reading, I see a lot of reviews that they preferred the Kindle Basic because it is lighter and smaller.

Battery Life: 4.5/5

To be honest, the battery didn't last 10 weeks to me lol because I read approximately 1-2 hours per day and 6 to 7 hours during rest days (depending on the availability) with wifi turned on, also I charge my Kindle once it reached 30% battery, I preferred it that way.

Overall Thoughts

Kindle PPW5 is worth every penny, this device is definitely one of my best purchases in 2024 although Amazon had released an upgrade I think there is not much difference compared to newer generation (based on the reviews). Is Kindle PPW5 still worth it? A big YES. Definitely a life changer, at least to me. My mental health got better? *fingers crossed* I don't know if it's a hyperfixation, hopefully not. Life gets rough sometimes but at least I have my emotional support Kindle, reading put me at ease, and since the device is solely for reading it lessen my social media exposure, hopefully, I can live without it.

My overall rating is 4.6/5

[mslevkindle]

Review on-going

[mslevkindle]

Nick and Amy Dunne seems to be living a perfect life as husband and wife, until a turn of events tested their relationship. Nick found himself in a distressing situation when Amy went missing on their fifth wedding anniversary on which he became the number one suspect.

Review (may contain spoilers)

STORY: 3.5/5

GOOD

Gone Girl is a domestic drama involving deceit, cheating and murder. What I like about the story is how flawed the characters were and how a person could go such length just to prove their ego. The story highlights sexism and how the media plays a huge role to manipulate people, a strategy that is still effective to this day, it just shows how fickle public opinion is.

The story itself is very easy to follow which makes it very compelling. The mystery on the disappearance of Amy later subdued as the chapter goes on. Props to Flynn, the anniversary treasure hunt of Amy is quite clever.

The twist wasn't a surprise to me since it was revealed halfway through the story, it doesn't bother me though since the main point of the story is not about who killed/abducted Amy but the motive why she went missing.

BAD

Absolutely the later parts of the novel, this is the reason why it took me some time to make a review because I love the book but at the same time I hated the ending. It also appeared that some of the chapters were poorly written specifically the chapter where Amy met her ex-lover, ugh I hate it, could've been better.

WRITING SYTLE: 4/5

I must say that the author's writing style is very good and clever. I like the transition of perspective between Nick and Amy. The story used first person point of view which I really like because it felt real, I can feel the characters' true intention and how flawed they were because Nick and Amy were unrealiable narrators.

CHARACTERS: 4/5

I'll get this straight, the characters were UNLIKEABLE. I read that the author is known for this and you know what? Hell yeah. As mentioned, Nick and Amy narrated their version of stories, you'll hate them but at the same time symphatized with both characters.

Amy's a bitch, oozes feminism, cunning and smart, I relate to her in some way, yeah Amy, FUCK COOL GIRLS!

Do I like her? YESN’T. She's sick and twisted asf.

Nick on the other hand is sociotropy, lazy and vulnerable... I know, I know, Nick was frame-up, he is innocent, but not really innocent.

Does he deserve it? YES. I would not want him as my husband, fucking dumbass.

Nick and Amy were match made in hell if you ask me. Haha.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

My overall rating for this book is 3.83/5

Gone Girl was a good read but I was truly disappointed by the ending, they both got their revenge but it is different from what I have expected. I thought the novel was somewhat realistic, marriage can be very scary especially if you have unresolved conflict with yourself it can definitely affect your relationship to others.

We cannot "fix" someone unless they do it themselves, that's the reality and that's what happened to both Nick and Amy, and I think the mindset behind fixing someone is BULLSHIT.

The reality of marriage was very well portrayed by Nick and Amy, which lead you to a question "is marriage really a compromise or sacrifice?" Well, the novel proved the latter.

MORAL OF THE STORY? Don't get married.

[mslevkindle]

The story began in an intriguing flashback on October 31, 1989 when a Danish police went to a secluded farm, a visit which resulted in his demise. Fast forward to the present, the story revolves around two detectives, Naia Thulin and Mark Hess unravelling the mystery behind the gruesome murders of 4 women in Copenhagen. Things got interesting when the fingerprint of Kristine Hartung, the missing daughter of Rosa Hartung was found in the crime scene.

Review (May contain spoilers)

I found this title while doing an in-depth research on books with mystery thriller crime genre and I'm so glad I stumbled on a post recommending The Chestnut Man.

STORY: 3.9/5

GOOD

I am a sucker for forensic, psychiatry, and police procedurals so this book hit the spot for me. The atmosphere felt so real, I felt like I was in the story as well, it's always cold and rainy, dark and gritty, definitely a nordic noir.

The story is very graphic and the details on how the serial killer slaughter its victims are absolutely gruesome. I also like the chase between the police and the killer, despite the plan of attack, the killer still manages to get away which makes it really exciting.

The story is a classic whodunit, I like to commend the writer because he didn't reveal much and there is no perspective from the killer either, although I had few characters in mind I was tricked and definitely astounded when the killer was revealed. I like how the killer lured the characters to his advantage.

BAD

Like other horror/thriller the snoopiness of the characters aggravates me, OKAY LET'S SPLIT UP AND I WILL CHECK IN THE DARK ALONE. Bruh, I understand they are police officers and it's part of the procedure, but Jesus, can you please not investigate alone especially at night?! It's quite dumb to go on a trip when the killer is at large, dude c'mon.

The confrontation between the killer and the MCs, was kind of disappointing, it could've done better I swear to god. I don't know if the writer got lazy at the point.

WRITING STYLE: 3.8/5

This book obviously introduced me to Søren Sveistrup, he is a screenwriter which clearly shows on his writing style. The pacing is great that you can read it in one sitting. The multiperspectivity didn't bothered me since I read novels with similar format, but of course the sudden change of perspective can be a bit infuriating, sub-plots were okay but some aren't really interesting and impactful that I only look forward to Thulin, Hess, Rosa and the killer.

CHARACTERS: 4.5/5

The story involved a lot of characters, hate to admit it but I don't have an excellent memory so I find it a bit of a challenge remembering the characters.

Nonetheless, the characters were written so well, Thulin for example, she is a very competent, smart and independent detective almost in par to her male colleagues. Hess on the other hand is very keen and smart I really like him, *cough* had a crush on him, lol.

The dynamic and chemistry between Thulin and Hess is remarkable, in comparison with other novels where the male lead often sexualizes the female lead, Hess did the opposite, he respect boundaries and respect Thulin both as a woman and a colleague.

OVERALL THOUGHTS (May include triggers, proceed with caution)

My overall rating for this book is 4/5.

The ending is sort of a cliffhanger to me, and I thought the writer could make a sequel on it, I'd like to see more of Hess and Thulin's adventure as detectives.

Is this book worth reading? Definitely a YES, if you love mystery thriller, police procedural books, I recommend you guys to read this.

Please note however that this book may contain triggers like s3xual/physical abus3, and p3d0philia. You might want to consider these before reading.

[mslevkindle]

My Library

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My Favorite Genres

Crime Murder Mystery Thriller Psychological Dark Romance

Others

DNF (no rating, just a review)