You by Caroline Kepnes

Title: You
Author: Caroline Kepnes
Page Count: 422
Rating: A
Keywords: Thriller, Stalking, Mystery, Twisted
Genre: Fiction
Younger Readers: Absolutely not for children. Sexual content, drugs, stalking, and language.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

My Review:

This book was dark, twisted, and absolutely disturbing. That being said, it is also addictive and completely intriguing. It is better to go into this one without knowing too much about the plot. Just know that this is not even remotely appropriate for children and will probably make you uncomfortable at least once!

I read this book at the beginning of 2017 while on vacation with my now fiance (yay!). He would read passages over my shoulder and be completely weirded out but also grudgingly interested. That says a lot. He is typically a self admitted high fantasy genre only reader. This is one of the most awkward books to recommend to someone because the content is so intense at times but completely worth the roller coaster of emotions.

Characters are all flawed in extreme ways and Carline Kepnes does an amazing job of writing them so fully that they feel real. Joe's mental state is never played up too much that it feels comical. She perfectly maintains a feeling of realness that will have you afraid to walk alone for weeks.

If you enjoy mysteries, thrillers, and truly engrossing books check out this novel. You will be sucked in immediately and feel very awkward recommending this to your friends and family. But you totally should.

Bonus, Lifetime is developing this book into a television show with Gossip Girl's Penn Badgley playing Joe Goldberg. Check out the book before you watch the show.

Mystery Monday! Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)

Title: Career of Evil
Author: Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)
Page Count: 492
Rating: A
Keywords: Private Investigator, Amputation, Serial Killer
Genre: Mystery
Younger Readers: Stalking, murder, sexual assault, and language all present

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Cormoran Strike is back, with his assistant Robin Ellacott, in a mystery based around soldiers returning from war.

When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg.

Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible – and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.

With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them…

Career of Evil is the third in the series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A mystery and also a story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives.

My Review:

Oh goodness gracious I loved this book! We get to see so much more of Robin in this book and, no surprise really, but she is a complete and total bad ass.

Sometimes mysteries are clear cut from the beginning. As you read along it is possible to pick out whatever the answers are before the big reveal at the end. These can be satisfying at times, or just plain boring at others. Boy oh boy this book was the polar opposite. In the nearly 500 pages I thought I had figured out who had sent the severed leg at least half a dozen times, only for my theory to be completely destroyed several paragraphs later.

Along with playing with your own personal sleuthing skills, this book is great at messing with your own emotions and perceptions. Any time I would think I knew exactly how I felt about a certain topic, then something would be written that just left me completely confused. 

While The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm both possessed darker elements that verged on creepy, this book is on a whole other level.

If you are looking for a truly engaging read that will consume your life, give this one a go. 

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Wicked
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Page Count: 300
Rating: A
Keywords: New Orleans, Fae, Supernatural, Apocalypse
Genre: New Adult Paranormal
Younger Readers: Detailed sexual content, older readers only

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

My Review:

If you are familiar with Jennifer L. Armentrout's books then you know that you are in for a fun read. The stories are always fast paced and engaging with intriguing paranormal elements throughout. Wicked did not disappoint in the regard at all.

Ivy is a relatable character that never comes across as whiny. I felt that she was a fun mix between the romance stereotype of helpless girl and the steely hard heroine I would expect in some dystopian. She has her moments, but she is far more kick-ass than a damsel in distress.

Our male leads are the hot but troubled Ren and the feisty pixie Tink. No, this isn't a love triangle. Both characters add to Ivy's character is delightful ways, showing her strength and compassion. Tink also is a great source of comic relief for the potentially heavy story line of the apocalypse.

Last week I reviewed Fifty Shades of Grey and mentioned that the sex scenes were surprisingly awkward for the book being such a popular erotica novel. Wicked has fewer full sex scenes but the build and tension between Ivy and Ren was far sexier than I would have expected.

If you are looking for a fun read and maybe want to start a trilogy you should definitely give this book a try. It is fun, fast paced, and hot.

Mystery Monday! The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)

Title: The Silkworm
Author: J. K. Rowling as Robert Galbraith
Page Count: 455
Rating: B
Keywords: London, Writers, Murder, Sadism
Genre: Mystery
Younger Readers: This is not Harry Potter. Sex, murder, drugs, alcohol, and other inappropriate content is pervasive. 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Private investigator Cormoran Strike returns in a new mystery from Robert Galbraith, author of the #1 international bestseller The Cuckoo's Calling.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days—as he has done before—and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives—meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before...

My Review:

I will fully admit to being obsessed with The Cuckoo's Calling a few years ago. That was an amazing start to a new series and restored my faith in J. K. Rowling's ability to write engaging fiction for adults. I had previously attempted to read her novel A Casual Vacancy. That attempt was several years ago and my bookmark is still sitting at the halfway point.

When I picked up this sequel I had high hopes and this may have been why I did not rate The Silkworm as highly as its predecessor. The mystery was twisted and creepy, a trait that I adore in my mysteries. Cormoran kept the story alive and continued to fill his role well. The real change for my reading experience was his assistant, Robin. Not only does she feel more present throughout, but her growing interactions and relationship with Strike added interest to the story and quickly made her my new favorite character.

For what I did not like, this mystery was just so drawn out. I was engaged and desperately wanted to know who the murderer was and how it had even occurred that I sped through the chapters. However, I began to notice that there certainly were not enough pages left to wrap it up satisfyingly. And sure enough the ending left something to be desired. All questions were answered too quickly. It was just plopped in front of the reader, wrapped in a pretty bow. I wanted more investigation, more of a slow reveal. This was my main complaint.

If you have read The Cuckoo's Calling and enjoyed it, then by all means pick up this sequel. It is satisfying enough and great fun to read that it is unlikely you'll regret the journey. If you have not read The Cuckoo's Calling get to reading! It is truly an amazing mystery series and fully illustrates Rowling's world building capabilities and skill with character development.

Check back next Monday for my review of Career of Evil, book three in Rowling's Cormoran Strike series. Hint: it was amazing.