Book Review | We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

Source: Preordered purchase. This is a review of my personal reading experience.

We Begin at the End is a mystery novel by Chris Whitaker.

There are two kinds of families: the ones we are born into and the ones we create.

Walk has never left the coastal California town where he grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released.

Duchess is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Her mother, Star, grew up with Walk and Vincent. Walk is in overdrive trying to protect them, but Vincent and Star seem bent on sliding deeper into self-destruction. Star always burned bright, but recently that light has dimmed, leaving Duchess to parent not only her mother but her five-year-old brother. At school the other kids make fun of Duchess―her clothes are torn, her hair a mess. But let them throw their sticks, because she’ll throw stones. Rules are for other people. She’s just trying to survive and keep her family together.

A fortysomething-year-old sheriff and a thirteen-year-old girl may not seem to have a lot in common. But they both have come to expect that people will disappoint you, loved ones will leave you, and if you open your heart it will be broken. So when trouble arrives with Vincent King, Walk and Duchess find they will be unable to do anything but usher it in, arms wide closed.

Chris Whitaker has written an extraordinary novel about people who deserve so much more than life serves them. At times devastating, with flashes of humor and hope throughout, it is ultimately an inspiring tale of how the human spirit prevails and how, in the end, love―in all its different guises―wins

This was my first time to read Chris Whitaker. I look forward to reading more from him.

We Begin at the End was beautifully written. The characters were so well developed, flawed, and unforgettable. As much as I loved the characters, I also loved that there was a balance between plot and character. It was so well done.

I listened to the audio for much of this, and the prose and the narrator were a great fit.

It did take time for me to get sucked in, but it was such a well developed novel I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

If you love mysteries and crime novels, I highly recommend We Begin at the End, but I also recommend it for those wanting to explore other genres. 

5/5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Book Review | Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby

Blacktop Wasteland is a new crime fiction release by S.A. Cosby.

Beauregard “Bug” Montage is an honest mechanic, a loving husband, and a hard-working dad. Bug knows there’s no future in the man he used to be: known from the hills of North Carolina to the beaches of Florida as the best wheelman on the East Coast.

He thought he'd left all that behind him, but as his carefully built new life begins to crumble, he finds himself drawn inexorably back into a world of blood and bullets. When a smooth-talking former associate comes calling with a can't-miss jewelry store heist, Bug feels he has no choice but to get back in the driver's seat. And Bug is at his best where the scent of gasoline mixes with the smell of fear.

Haunted by the ghost of who he used to be and the father who disappeared when he needed him most, Bug must find a way to navigate this blacktop wasteland...or die trying.

Like Ocean’s Eleven meets Drive, with a Southern noir twist, S. A. Cosby’s Blacktop Wasteland is a searing, operatic story of a man pushed to his limits by poverty, race, and his own former life of crime.

Why Did I Read Blacktop Wasteland?

The early reviews have been amazing for Blacktop Wasteland! How could I not get pulled into wanting to read it? The majority of my friends have given it 5 stars and the rest a solid 4 stars.

The Strengths

I went into Blacktop Wasteland pretty blind outside of just knowing how well it was being received. Blacktop Wasteland turned out to be a really great crime novel. It was full of action and full of consequence, and I loved S.A. Cosby's voice.

Blacktop Wasteland had a lot of surprises, too. I'm certain I said "noooo" out loud more than once!

There was a lot of heart in Blacktop Wasteland. It makes me excited to see what Cosby does next.

The Weaknesses

Here is the part where I get purely subjective. Pretty early on I had Blacktop Wasteland pegged as a heist book. I am such a huge fan of heist stories, and I've been really craving them lately. I see now that Blacktop Wasteland is being billed as part Ocean's Eleven which is fair since my own mind went there (more specifically Ocean's Eight). I'm glad I didn't see the comparisons ahead of time, though, because my heist expectation would have been even higher. My mind kept expecting the plotting and the pacing of a heist novel but was being given a great crime novel that was something else altogether.

Final Thoughts

If you love a good crime story, I wholeheartedly recommend you pick up Blacktop Wasteland. I will not be surprised to see it on a lot of favorites and awards lists for this year.

⭐⭐⭐💫★
3.5/5 stars

Review copy provided by the publisher

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Book Review | The Tenant by Katrine Engberg

The Tenant is a Scandinavian mystery novel by Katrine Engberg.

When a young woman is discovered brutally murdered in her own apartment, with an intricate pattern of lines carved into her face, Copenhagen police detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner are assigned to the case. In short order, they establish a link between the victim, Julie Stender, and her landlady, Esther de Laurenti, who’s a bit too fond of drink and the host of raucous dinner parties with her artist friends. Esther also turns out to be a budding novelist—and when Julie turns up as a murder victim in the still-unfinished mystery she’s writing, the link between fiction and real life grows both more urgent and more dangerous.

But Esther’s role in this twisted scenario is not quite as clear as it first seems. Is she the culprit—or just another victim, trapped in a twisted game of vengeance? Anette and Jeppe must dig more deeply into the two women’s pasts to discover the identity of the brutal puppet-master pulling the strings in this electrifying literary thriller.

Many thanks to Scout Press for sending me The Tenant. The Tenant was a bestseller in Denmark, and I always get excited by bestsellers that have been translated into English.

Based on the blurbs and the synopsis, I expected there to be more suspense. I think The Tenant will be a great fit for folks who love mysteries, crime, and police procedurals.

I enjoyed all of the characters in The Tenant and the unfolding mystery. There was an older lady who was writing in her retirement, and I loved her. I also loved that all of the characters were flawed in different ways. It was interesting to experience the book through alternating view points between these different characters.

I enjoyed the writing in The Tenant as well. The English translation was written by Tara Chace, and I thought it was great. I especially loved the opening scene which did a great job of hooking me for the rest of The Tenant. I did find it a little hard to believe the sexy scenes were written by a woman, though.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Tenant. The Tenant is Katrine Engberg's debut novel and the beginning of a new series (which is already three books out in Denmark). I hope we get English translations for the rest of the series because I would happily read more from her.

⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Review copy provided by the publisher

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Waiting on Wednesday | Joyland by Stephen King

This post is being shared as part of Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday.

I am waiting for Joyland by Stephen King so hard core. First of all, crime fiction + Stephen King = made of awesome. To top that off, we get ghosts and an amusement park. Can.not.wait.

Joyland by Stephen King
June 4th 2013

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.

"I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts. That combo made Hard Case Crime the perfect venue for this book, which is one of my favorites. I also loved the paperbacks I grew up with as a kid, and for that reason, we’re going to hold off on e-publishing this one for the time being. Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book." – Stephen King

It doesn't come out until June, but I have mine pre-ordered already in hopes it will help with the waiting!

Discussion:
Are you a Stephen King fan? Will you be reading Joyland? Are you dying to read any books that aren't out yet? What books are you pining for this week? Let me know in the comments (or leave me a link!).

Book Review: Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark

Guilt by Association is the debut book of both Marcia Clark (of O.J. Simpson fame) and Mulholland Books (a new imprint of Little, Brown).

Book Description

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.

When I first heard about Guilt by Association, I knew right away I wanted to read it.  Experts claim you should "write what you know", and there is an automatic expectation when someone like Marcia Clark (whose career was in spotlight) writes a book.  I'm happy to report Guilt by Association surpassed my expectations. 

Clark's insight into criminal behavior and law enforcement made Guilt by Association very authentic.  The characters were likeable - the kind you would want to go out and have a few drinks with at the end of the day.  The story was complex and complete.  If you are a fan of mysteries, crime fiction, or legal thrillers, Guilt by Association will not disappoint you.

Review copy provided by publisher