Breaking The Dark by Lisa Jewell

I had mixed feelings about this book. I'm not a fan of Marvel, but I love the topics of how beauty obsession and possessiveness can ruin lives. It begins with Jessica Jones abandoning the superhero life and living like a normal civilian as a private investigator.

Her client, Amber Randall has a difficult situation. Amber's teenage twin just recently met her ex-husband in the UK during the summer, and now she believes their behaviour is strange upon their return. Jessica discovered that it involves some kind of mental control and an obsession with perfection. This wasn't her first encounter with this; she had been abducted by a psychopath who had exerted brainwashing over her before. In my opinion, there's a loophole in the plot where Jessica and the twin's sudden recovery makes their escapades lack depth.

I like the alternating points of view from Ophelia and Polly. They hold more special abilities than Jessica herself. Polly, a novice in the beauty influencer field, is focused on one task: she picks Ophelia and her family, who have 'malevolent' powers to help her build a great cosmetic empire. Her infatuation becomes contaminated and self-centred. As the stories progress, they become intertwined. Overall, it's an engaging read.

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing and Izah for the review copy. All views are my own 💙

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store

Ungu Karmila by Ramlee Awang Murshid

Semuanya bermula apabila Arif seorang pakar tumbuh-tumbuhan telah mengambil satu spesis bunga hutan di kawasan larangan. Dia kemudian berjaya menghasilkan tumbuhan kacukan pertama seumpamanya dinamakan Ungu Karmila. Ungu Karmila diletakkan di rumah hijau, banglo yang baru didiami bersama isteri, Karmila dan pembantu rumah mereka. Sejak dari itu hidup mereka tidak bahagia. Sehinggalah berlakunya tragedi meragut nyawa yang diklasifikasikan misteri kerana tiada senjata yang digunakan dan saksi kejadian, cuma spekulasi.

Penduduk setempat yang merupakan orang asli kuat mengatakan bahawa tapak rumah itu banyak roh jahat. Malah sebelum banglo yang diberi nama Vila Sunyi siap dibina, ia sudah memakan nyawa. 

Selepas beberapa tahun, abang Arif, Arafat telah mencari sebuah kumpulan peneroka alam ghaib bagi merungkai misteri, membersihkan nama adiknya dan sekali gus 'membuang' hantu/ entiti di rumah tersebut. 

Novel ini diterbitkan sekitar tahun 2008 hingga mencapai ke cetakan 16. Dah lama tak baca tulisan RAM. Bagi aku beliau seorang pencerita yang punya identitinya tersendiri. Karya fiksyen ini walau pun lambat aku baca tapi tetap menimbulkan rasa debaran dengan perspektif yang berbeza.

All The Colours Of The Dark by Chris Whitaker

Such a remarkable story! It definitely deserves 5 stars. It leaves a lasting impact, with deep emotional and psychological layers. This is a blend of complexity in the search for a serial killer and a unique, profound friendship. Patch Macauley, who was born with only one eye, was kidnapped when he was thirteen.

He formed a bond with Grace in the basement. For a year, he became a friend to Grace. He succeeded in escaping, but the perpetrator and Grace were not found. In another town, there was a missing teen. Patch becomes a different person. He aims to save her, but he struggles to convince others of Grace's existence. He tries to recall her through their conversations.

His friendship with Saint Brown, who stands by him through his evolution as a person searching for justice, seems beautifully dynamic. A decade laid out like a twisting path, from a little thief to a man who robs banks, paints art and ends up in prison. He had lost more than could ever be counted as a price for redemption. Each second, he devoted his life to seeking out the parents of missing teens. I'm impressed by how Patch and Saint tried to decipher a code that was based on the dark place from ages ago with Grace. It brings in an element of mystery and suspense. The unwavering friendships depicted in this book made me envious. The plot, the setting, the pace, the character development, and the ending itself were highly satisfying.

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing and Izah for the review copy. All views are my own 💙 

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store

The Angsana Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu

Su Lin has an uncanny knack for discovering mysterious murders. On her way to visit a family friend, she found a dead man slit by his throat in the quarry which was owned by Pang Tai. Pang Tai's daughter, Mei Mei happened to be there by the body, covered in blood and showed signs of trauma. Su Lin is convinced that Mei Mei didn't kill the man and is unlikely to protect someone.

The latest series (#8) indicates the absence of the Japanese, while highlighting ongoing problems with the British attempts to 'stabilize' the administration including the opium ban, and introducing a new government official named Jack Wilson with a confidential mission, about Su Lin's dream to further study and live abroad, her inevitable romantic with former Chief Inspector Thomas Le Froy, her unresolved issues with her lively best friend, and of course her candid grandmother.

I found the story is predictable in the enjoyable way that cosy mysteries can be, leisurely pace and readable with set against the backdrop of Singapore in 1946 with all its colonial quirks

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing and Izah for the review copy. All views are my own 💙 

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store

Sigandi by M. Navin

Dua tahun lepas Theeban datang ke KL dengan niat mengubah nasibnya. Bermula dengan bekerja sebagai penjual barang haram di bazar karat, dia bertemu Kaasi. Di sana dia mula mengenali Sarah yang kerap mengunjungi gerai. Sarah memperkenalkannya pula dengan figura Ibu, seorang transgender yang menjaga kelompok minoriti di kawasan gelap itu. Ibu bukan sekadar menjual nasi lemak tapi ketua dalam segala aktiviti tidak bermoral yang lain.

Pergaulannya semakin hari telah melenyapkan sifat Theeban yang dulu. Impiannya hanya ingin balik semula ke kampung selepas dia punya cukup duit. Dia terperangkap dengan rasa takut pada Ibu, rasa berbelah bahagi pada Sarah dan demi mendapatkan rawatan terhadap penyakit yang dialaminya maka dia menjerumuskan diri dengan satu lagi dosa yang tak terampunkan.

Aku tak banyak baca buku fixi. Tapi buku ni antara top 3 dalam rating terbaik. Layak untuk direalisasikan menjadi drama/ filem. Penulis dan penterjemah memang memberi sepenuh jiwa dalam karya ni. Macam real. Semua watak penting dalam menghidupkan jalan cerita. Sarat dengan adegan gore, dan moral dalam pada masa yang sama. Aku bagi 4.5 ⭐️

The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne

The Red House Mystery was first published in 1922 and considered as The Golden Age of Detective Fiction whodunits.

The plots revolve around the “locked room” mystery from amateur sleuthhounds Antony Gillingham and Bill Beverley. Both had become acquainted a few years earlier and happened to meet at the Red House. Red House was owned by Mark Ablett, a philanthropist. The house party was shocked by a gunshot, and it turned out that Robert Ablett was killed in a locked room. Robert was Mark's long-lost brother who just arrived from Australia. The deceased and his brother had never been on good terms. As a result, a court of law has decided Mark guilty by some 'last seen theory'. But it was not an ordinary crime because Mark was never found at the scene. Hah! That's the case.

The author does not provide enough clues for the reader to work out in this soft-boiled mystery, but in the end, it's really all about the final twist and a devilishly family skeleton.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Safe Enough by Lee Child

I just finished this amazing twenty-short story collection that spans the past twenty years of the author's career. The stories feature characters reminiscent of Reacher, including assassins, secret agents, bodyguards, and bad guys.  It was such a fun read and a nice change of pace from the usual full-length novels. Some of the stories were pretty good, others were just decent, and a few were truly poignant. Here are a few of my favourites;

4. Safe Enough ❤️
- This story follows Wolfe a city man living in the country who works as an electrician. He becomes involved with a couple in his neighbourhood who are constantly fighting, and when the husband disappears, things take an unexpected turn.

5. Normal in Every Way ❤️
- Set in 1954, this story revolves around Walter Klebb, a misfit rookie in SFPD. He noticed a pattern of unsolved cases but never received any recognition.

6. The .50 Solution ❤️
- In this thrilling story, a client hires an assassin to use a calibre of .50 to eliminate a target but things don't go as planned.

7. Public Transportation ❤️
- This story tells the tale of a 14-year-old girl who was tragically killed by a man. By using the victim's iPhone tracker, the police lose track after making some progress. 

Patriarch by Shahnon Ahmad

SN Shahnon Ahmad memang popular dengan karya satiranya yang menyelar pemimpin negara dan politikus. Pedas dan melucukan tapi benar belaka. Aku puas hati dengan penceritaan yang disampaikan dari prolog hingga ke epilog. Diterbitkan kali pertama pada tahun 1991 tapi relevan sampai sekarang.

Berita kematian Patriarch melanda Kota Belantara. Rakyat terlalu gembira dengan pemergiannya. Dia digambarkan sebagai pemimpin kuku besi, korup dan penindas rakyat. Pendek kata dari utara, barat, timur dan selatan, semuanya mengharapkan dia meninggal. Begitulah kebencian rakyat yang bukan biasa-biasa terhadap politikus yang busuk ni. 

Turut diselitkan juga ketika sakaratul maut mula menyinggah. Patriarch atau nama sebenarnya Jasadiah masa mula-mula dipilih oleh tiket demokrasi bukanlah orang yang buruk perangai. Dia seperti politikus menjelang pilihanraya yang suka menyogok janji-janji a.k.a manifesto yang hanya berkepentingan untuk puak-puaknya. Tapi tulah, janji tinggal janji. Kuasa dan amanah sebagai pemimpin telah memakan dirinya sendiri.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

The Bee Sting has made it to the shortlist for the 2023 Booker Prize, with its exploration of family conflicts, sexual misconduct, anxiety, bullying, toxic behaviours and deception, giving an emotional rollercoaster to the whole point of this book. The intricate layering of multiple points of view in the book offers a comprehensive look into the lives of each member of the Barnes family, enhancing the overall reading experience.

Dickie Barnes, who owned a car dealership in a rural Irish town, found himself in a financial predicament as his business began to decline due to a missing sum of money from the account, causing distress to his wife, Imelda, and children. Their marriage is on the rocks. She feels that Maurice Barnes, Dickie's father, is the only one who can offer assistance. Being impoverished exposes their true selves and unveils even more shocking truths.

To bring the backstory into the book giving just enough information to illuminate my curiosity. The ending is deliberately ambiguous which is my favorite kind of thrilling element. Therefore, I rate it 5 stars.

Lelaki Berkasut Merah by Bahruddin Bekri

Di awal cerita melihatkan Jamal bin Lomo seorang anggota kumpulan kongsi gelap, Geng Kasut Merah telah dituduh membelot hingga mengakibat pertelingkahan antara kumpulan lain dan menyaksikan GKM berkubur. Ada 2 perkara yang dirahsiakan Jamal sejak dari itu. Misi bossnya dan bungkusan hitam yang menjadi rebutan. 

Dalam pada dia ingin merubah menjadi insan yang lebih baik, dia ditemukan dengan anak muda yang berniaga pada cuti semester di sebelah gerai pisang gorengnya. Beberapa insiden berlaku yang menyebabkan hidup Jamal jadi kelam kabut lagi. Dia menjadi sasaran. Sama ada sejarah lama menghantuinya kembali atau dia mempunyai musuh baru.

Pada aku tulisan penulis menghiburkan. Aku pernah baca karyanya yang lain, ini memang trademarknya. Clean dan steady.