Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie (Mini Review)

Title: Murder On The Orient Express

Author: Agatha Christie

Genre: Murder mystery

Pages: 315

Publisher: Harper 

Format: Paperback

Synopsis: 

"The murderer is with us–on the train now . . ."

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.

Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again . . .  ( Goodreads synopsis )

Review: Murder on the orient express is not usually a book that I would go for, but I am always one for branching out and trying something new. I also wanted to read this before the movie came out. I was pleasantly surprised but this one. Constantly I was wondering who the killer is, coming up with different scenarios but none of them came close to the truth. This is a book that you will most definitely fly through and I highly recommend giving it a chance. Honestly there is not a lot I can tell you about this book without giving anything away but if you are in the mood for something with a bit of mystery then this ones for you. If you want a challenge to figure out who the murder is before the author tells you, then give this one a go.

Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Stalking Jack The Ripper

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Genre: Young Adult/Historic/Thriller

Pages: 326

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson

Format: Hardback

Synopsis: 
Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world. (Goodreads Synopsis)

Review:
As of late I have honestly found it so hard to get stuck into a book but this one took me by surprise. Generally I tend to stay away from the Historic genre as it's just not my cup of tea but i'd been hearing people rave about this and decided to give it a shot. Boy was it worth it. I think the thing I usually have a problem with is the writing as it tends to sway to an old fashioned tonne which I don't like but this wonderful masterpiece made me forget what time it was actually set in. The world building is phenomenal and I could not put this down.  The writing flowed nicely and I found there was rarely a dull moment to be found.

My favourite scenes were the ones with Audrey and Thomas, the banter between the two of them was on point and I was constantly giggling to myself. I am sure I sounded like a mad woman haha. I loved how Kerri interwove true historical facts about Jack the Ripper into the story it made it feel all the more real. Audrey's character is one I have to say is now in my top 5 female characters. She is strong and independent, never did I feel like she was needy or annoying like many lead characters I could name. When Audrey's father told her that she could no longer be her Uncle's apprentice, I admired that she refused to listen to society telling her how to be and instead followed her passion even if that meant disobeying her father. I can't wait to follow on with Audrey's story as it is obviously far from finished. You might be reading this trying to figure out "who is jack the ripper?" well you'll just have to read the book and find out. Seriously go pick it up!! 

A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J Maas

Title: A Court Of Thorns And Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Young Adult/New Adult, fiction, fantasy 

Pages: 421

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Format: Hardback

Synopsis: When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever. (Goodreads synopsis)
Review:
This is my second time reading this wonderful masterpiece and once again I was captured right from the start. Sarah's world building is on point, I am always left with a clear image in my mind... and boy do I wish I lived in this world haha. One character in particular that I love is Lucien, he is down right hilarious and I found myself constantly laughing. I think that's something super important in a book, it can make you laugh but not just in your head but out loud. This book is the kind that you want to read in one sitting. ACOTAR has a bit of everything, its got action, romance, suspense, mystery. What more do you need? 
If I had to say anything bad about this book it would be that in certain scenes Feyre would talk about Tamlin and how "gorgeous" he is and his muscles. It just got a bit excessive and yeah I get he's attractive he's high fae but learn when to stop haha. 

This is a book that I highly recommend, I actually enjoyed it a lot more that throne of glass dare I say. Even if your not that big into fantasy and love romance, pick this up because once you start reading you wont be able to stop and let me tell you. A Court Of Mist And Fury is even more phenomenal. 

The Road To Winter by Mark Smith

Title: The Road To Winter

Author: Mark Smith

Genre: Young Adult, fiction, post-apocalyptic 

Pages: 240

Publisher: Text Publishing

Date Released: June 27th 2016 
Format: Paperback

Synopsis: Since a deadly virus and the violence that followed wiped out his parents and most of his community, Finn has lived alone on the rugged coast with only his loyal dog Rowdy for company.

He has stayed alive for two winters—hunting and fishing and trading food, and keeping out of sight of the Wilders, an armed and dangerous gang that controls the north, led by a ruthless man named Ramage.

But Finn’s isolation is shattered when a girl runs onto the beach. Rose is a Siley—an asylum seeker—and she has escaped from Ramage, who had enslaved her and her younger sister, Kas. Rose is desperate, sick, and needs Finn’s help. Kas is still missing somewhere out in the bush.

And Ramage wants the girls back—at any cost. ( Goodreads Synopsis )
Review:
The Road to winter was a well paced and fun read. It didn't take long to read at all. This book gave me a lot of Tomorrow when the war began by John Marsden vibes but was also different in so many ways which is awesome because there are some books i've read and you really have to think if you've already read the book as it sounds so familiar. One thing you should take into consideration if you decided to read this, it is apart of a series which I didn't realise until I had almost finished the book, oops.  If you are someone who enjoys a good post-apocolyptic read then this one is for you or maybe you've never ventured into this kind of genre before and must say it's a good place to start!


Warning! Some minor spoilers ahead! 


Now to go into a bit more detail. In the book it talks about this virus that has killed so many people, it's been 2 years. So where is the Aid? Is nobody going to help them out, and what caused the virus in the first place. So many questions. Rose seemed to use Finn a lot and she never seemed to tell him the full story.

 Rose's character for the most part got on my nerves, I can't fully explain it but one of the main things that irked me was when she would call Finn "Dog Boy". I would hate someone giving me a name like that. 
Something that I didn't pick up on and honestly I don't know how I didn't was Rose being pregnant. It was basically spelled out for me to but I just didn't see the signs.

I quite liked our main character Finn, he didn't make to many rash decisions and he was quite mature for his age. He knew how to look after himself and he didn't let his situation get the best of him. I also really liked to read Kas' character, I never saw her as a damsel. She could take care of herself, Kas was pretty awesome. 

Two big question I hope will get answered in the next book is Will Willow get reunited with her Parents? Are they dead? Also how in the world are they going to get Rose's baby back? 

Overall I quite enjoyed this and I will definitely look out for the next installment.

Singing Fire by T.L. Martin

Title: Singing Fire (#1)

Author: T.L. Martin

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy/Young Adult

Pages: 296

Publisher: ???

Date Released: November 27th 2016

Format: Ebook

Synopsis: Constant chills, panic attacks, and now paranoia – there’s a reason seventeen-year-old Charlie keeps to herself. 

Life is looking up when she gets a job at a whimsical tea shop and gains a few new friends, but little does Charlie know there are secrets lurking beyond its door. 

It only takes one night for her perspective on her small town to change forever. As if witches, vampires, and demons weren’t enough, she soon realizes she’s being hunted for a power she didn’t know she possessed. 
Singing Fire takes Charlie through an unexpected journey of self-discovery, betrayal, and forbidden love all while the clock is ticking for her to defeat the dark souls pursuing her – before anyone else dear to her has to die. (Goodreads synopsis)

Note: I was sent a review copy in exchange for a honest review
Review:
I really enjoyed the writing as it was super easy to get into and I rarely found myself wishing the pace would speed up because majority of the time it was awesome. The world building was also really well done. It made me feel as though I was actually there, I couldn't imagine it in my head so early. Something that I really enjoyed was that the main character Charlie struggled with panic attacks and she wasn't very good with social situations which I think was executed well. It was awesome to see Charlie's character grow and change into a more confident woman. Though there were times were I got annoyed with her character as she made a few rash decisions and was so fixated on being the hero that it got her into trouble. 

Also on a random note.. At the start of the novel it mentioned how Charlie had 3 birthmarks behind her ear but then I don't remember it mentioning anything else about it through out the novel. Perhaps that will be explained in the next novel? Like why she is the opal. 

One thing that I look for in a novel is an unexpected ending and T.L. Martin certainly delivered. The twist will definitely take you by surprise. I will definitely be looking out for the next instalment :) 

If you love paranormal mixed with a bit of romance then this one is for you :)