Book Review: Ten Plagues

Author: Mary Nealy
Genre: Suspense, Thriller
Release: October, 2011
Source: Netgalley Rating: 4/5


Description: Join the breakneck chase through Chicago for a murderous maniac. As the victims begin piling up, detective Keren Collins’s spiritual discernment is on high alert. Will she capture the killer before another body floats to the surface? Ex-cop, now mission pastor Paul Morris has seen his share of tragedy, but nothing prepared him to be a murderer’s messenger boy. Will his old ruthless cop personality take over, leading him to the brink of self-destruction? Can Keren and Paul catch the killer before the corpse count reaches a perfect ten?


Review:


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• The book started off a bit slow. I kept reading because the book sounded interesting and I wanted to know where Ms. Nealy was going to go with it. I'm glad I didn't stop reading.

WHAT I DID LIKE

• I loved the suspense. It kept me wanting to know what would happen next. What will the killer do to show the next plague? Who will be the next victim? And when I found that the killer had been close, I wanted to know who it was.
• Keren and Paul's relationship. There was a bit of romance there, but it wasn't a major part. I like the banter they had. Keren develops feelings, but she's hesitant, not because he's now a preacher, but because of a past incident that he doesn't even remember.
• I liked that Paul still struggled. In the past, his anger was definitely an issue. In his cop days, he was not a likeable man. But, after losing his wife and daughter (first by divorce, then by death) he changed, became a Christian and preacher. He still struggles with his anger, especially during this ordeal. He's not perfect, but he's trying to live right.

I enjoyed reading Ten Plagues. If you're into suspenseful thrillers with a bit of romance, this book is just for you!

U is for Unthinkable

Author: Shirley Duke
Release: October 2010
Genre: Fiction, YA, Horror, Thriller
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3/5

Descrption: Omar Phillips is Bridgewater High's favorite local teen author. His Facebook fans can't wait for his next horror story. But lately Omar's imagination has turned against him. Horrifying visions of death and destruction come over him with wide-screen intensity. The only way to stop the visions is to write them down. Until they start coming true... Enter Sophie Minax, the mysterious Goth girl who's been following Omar at school. "I'm one of you," Sophie says. She tells Omar how to end the visionsbut the only thing worse than Sophie's cure may be what happens if he ignores it.

Review: Omar dreams of becoming a published horror writer. Until that day comes, he's satisfied with using his Facebook page to share his writings. What his fans don't know is, Omar's stories come from his dreams. As soon as he has them, he's compelled to write it down. But when his stories become reality, police zero in on Omar is a possible suspect. Realizing what's happening, Omar tries to find ways to fight the urge to write his dreams down. All seems lost until he meets Sophie, a Goth girl who claims to be just like him. The problem is, Sophie may not be who she says she is...

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

• The story was too short. The book is just under 100 pages and it felt rushed.

• Because the book was short, the characters were not developed properly. Had Ms. Duke made the book longer, the characters would've had more depth.

WHAT I DID LIKE

• Despite the fact that it felt rushed, it was a fast read. There wasn't a moment of boredom while I read it and I finished it in one reading. It caught my attention from the beginning and held it til the end.

• It had an awesome creepy feeling to it...had horror without being gory

If you're into good horror stories, Ms. Duke's, Unthinkable, is the story for you.