The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner

The truth did not always set you free. Sometimes it bound you to dark, bloody deeds and cost you the people you loved. 

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Melanie Stoke had been abandoned as a child at City General Hospital with no memory of where she came from. She had been adopted by the rich parents whom she loved. The real daughter of Stokeses, Meagan was murdered before Melanie arrived by a serial killer, Russell Lee. He was sentenced to death for kidnapping, torturing and murdering other six small children. 

After twenty-five years, Melanie suddenly has a sense of dejavu, a black void, and voices. Someone who knows what happened to the family got a tip from an anonymous caller saying that she was Russell's daughter and there are a lot of unanswered questions about the death of Meagen. 

I am pretty confident that these promising premises could fulfil my expectations. For me, the disappointment of the romance dynamic between the characters itself became an unnecessary element of the story. However, nothing about these characters is to be trusted and I have to go through their 'messy' lives. The Other Daughter was originally published in 1999. I cannot believe it is the first time I've read anything by Lisa Gardner. Somehow, this is my crime fiction explorations and still kept my interest.

Thanks to @times.reads and @putrifariza for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

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

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Fairy Tale by Stephen King

A make-believe story comes in many forms along a continuum. Seventeen-year-old Charlie Reade has a normal life, a sober father, plays two varsity sports, and has accidentally saved an old man when he fell off a ladder. Mr. Howard Bowditch is a fellow who lives alone with his old dog, Radar and is famous for his foul temper. 

Charlie made acquaintances and did chores as a caretaker since Howard was badly injured. He was sure the old man had secrets in his shed. About time, he left everything to Charlie including the house and Radar. What he was leaving him wasn't a gift but a burden, he claimed. Through the cassette tape, he describes what is in the shed in case Charlie decides to follow in his footsteps. There is a hole/ well of another world within reach. If he brings Radar, there is a place and a way to make the dog young again and give her a second chance. He wanted to find out the last request from Howard only he knew it was a dangerous mission, a world created out of a collective of old-time bed stories. 

I enjoyed the revamped story of a journey through the mind of a young man. These methods often have similarities in general throughout King's distinctive writing style. I give this book 5 ⭐️ regardless of the cliché ending.

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

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

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#donereading #FairyTale by #StephenKing #igreads #igbooks #bookstagram #emabaca #goodreads #bookreview #bookrecommendations #definitelybooks #letsgetreading

Deep Water by Emma Bamford

 

This novel had so much potential, at least judging by the synopsis, a great setting, premise, and beautiful book cover, but unfortunately, it didn't work for me. Don't feel intimidated by my review😅. It's just my two cents. 

Jake and Virginie are on a big sailing adventure in their Wayfinder. Their life savings were invested in her. Then, they come across an island, Amarante. Amarante was a prison in a penal colony. Westerners think Amarante like a paradise that will heal the wounds. They met other groups. They traded lives on land for dreams of adventure at sea. Their rules are simple, to show willingness to help others, to provide, to hunt, to fish together. 

However, the conflict arises when the boat has an engine problem.  They might lose everything, belongings, money, dreams, and their future together. The main protagonist being an unlikable character creates unnecessary tension. Am I the only one crying out for the reveal of the characters and Amarante's backstory? 

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

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

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#donereading #DeepWater by #EmmaBamford #igreads #emabaca #igbooks #goodreads #bookstagram #definitelybooks #letsgetreading #bookreview #malaysiamembaca

The Last Dance by Mark Billingham

 

Two bodies were discovered in adjacent rooms at the Sands Hotel. One of them was Adrian Cutler. He's from a well-established family that links to organised crime. Just on a big case on his first day back after his wife's death, Detective Sergeant Declan Miller who's a bit quirky, unorthodox, brilliant, inattentive, flippant, and sarcastic is a perfect main character who I love. Alexandra was murdered when she was investigating the Cutlers and the other gangland. The investigation was still ongoing. Whoever had been responsible for the killing had not only been careful but 'might' be connected to his wife's murder. 

5 ⭐️. I was so pleased to have read a good premise and great writing from the author. Definitely not the last. What I did not like about this book is I had to wait until next year for the next instalment. Urgh. I hate it. 

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

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

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#donereading #TheLastDance by #MarkBillingham #igreads #igbooks #goodreads #bookstagram #emabaca #letsgetreading #definitelybooks #bookrecommendations #bookreview #malaysiamembaca

Wraith by Mark Wheaton

 

Cecily Underwood and her mother never stayed in one place for too long and avoided large crowds since they left France.

After her mother died under tragic circumstances, she

inherited a fortune from her great-grandmother who is dying to see her for the last time. Unfortunately, Marguerite LeClercq had been found dead an apparent suicide.

Though they were long estranged, Cecily believes the wraith has something to do with it. She knew the tragedies that had befallen her family had lived on in the form of a curse and carried it down through the centuries. 

About half the story, I felt a little disoriented, but it fits in Cecily's current state of mind. She hadn't known her family history and the curse capable of making everyone suffer. This is a story of unsettling revenge in a slow-burn horror that sends chills down your spine. I give 4 ⭐️

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

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#donereading #wraith by #markwheaton #igreads #igbooks #bookstagram #goodreads #emabaca #bookrecommendations #bookreview #malaysiamembaca