Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford

A body has been found on the Land Trust roof. Joseph Barrow and Phineas Drummond, a detective from Cahokia PD Murder Squad investigating the murder. But the body was put there to tell a story, deliberately someone's idea to create a chaos and crazy scheme.

The city of Cahokia is home to three major ethnic groups: native Americans (takouma), African Americans (taklousa) and European Americans (takata). The story of a city that is full of accidents, improbabilities, grand ambitions, tragedies, sudden changes and the slow march of time to wipe away native power and native property rights.

This historical crime novel is set circa 1922. It is a whimsical and imaginative tale that explores topics of organisations such as subversive networks, anarchists, race radicals, KKK, Class solidarity, the Church, ancient Aztecs and the Inca.

The book is definitely NOT about whodunnit but focuses particular attention on symbols and the inside story of distinctive of the ethnic. The author also expertly pulls all the threads together to provide a satisfying detective noir theme to tell history through a wider and more inclusive lens. My personal rating is 5 ⭐️

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 

Geneva by Richard Armitage

Sarah Collier was a scientist who worked on a prototype gene therapy and just received a Nobel Prize. Not even 50 yet, she left everything and considering an early retirement. She starts to show symptoms of dementia and wants to keep things private until then. 

Her husband, Daniel urged her to attend an event on a new product that would be held in Geneva - brain implants. This product could be a lifeline, but it could also be a terrifying Pandora's box if it fell into the wrong hands before it was fully trialled. Only potential investors were in attendance. Unfortunately, the truth about her condition was exposed. She's losing her grip. 

I can honestly say, the author offers a window into the subtlety of dementia. This is how Sarah felt in the early stage, which affected her thinking, memory, reasoning, personality, mood and behaviour. Having a father with Alzheimer's has taken quite a toll on Sarah. But the truth is more shocking! 

Another imaginative and uniquely twisted story about betrayal and relationships, and how all is not always as it seems.

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 

The Spider by Lars Kepler

Joona Linna and Saga Bauer begin to build somewhat of a 'history' with Jurek Walter, a serial killer. To make a long story short Walter was killed by Joona. Since then, Saga has been getting help from a psychiatrist and struggling to return to duty.

After three years, she received a package that contained a metal figurine of a man and nine white bullets. It was posted before the murders took place. National Crime Unit think that there must be some influence by Jurek Walter. The killer aimed to make things personal. Eight people close and had conflicted with Saga died. She's been trying to stop a serial killer, but in the process, she becomes a suspect.

Of course, it's full of murders. It feels surreal and I can understand why it takes longer to capture the killer. Absolutely a psychological mess it puts you through violence and torture.

There were a few parts where I had to step back and process what I had just read because it was just a bit too much for me. It managed to surpass my expectations. The character-driven is the best part of this book. 5 ⭐️


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

The Marriage Act by John Marrs

It is set in a dystopian future in which AI is rising at an exponential rate. Making Britain better necessitates improved health and economic conditions. To do this, the government is pro-marriage and has been requested to disseminate the benefits of the Marriage Act. A modern housing area was built as a Smart Marriage home, allowing Audites installed in their own homes to be judged and experience firsthand the complexities of these married couples' relationships. The Smart Marriage demonstrates how out of control life has become, not only destroying marriages and communities through gentrification, but also discriminating against those who refuse to upgrade, cohabiting, single, and bereaved inhabitants. 

The premise of this novel piqued my interest. The stories are filled with extraordinary supporting characters who question society's notions of government propaganda. Despite the blurry line between what is ethical and what is not, the story concludes with a moral.

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

The Night House by Jo Nesbo

Wow. Definitely 5 ⭐️. I certainly try to avoid spoilers. I could understand by reading other reviews that this book has gone wildly far from expectations. I didn't expect to love this SO much. A great plot with SHOCKING twists. I'm terrified to read a different genre from Jo Nesbo.

Delusions and hallucinations are the two symptoms that can involve paranoia. In the beginning, the author delves into the fascinating world of supernatural horror to the lasting impact on emotional grittiness. The book contains three parts that identify who Richard Jonasson is. An insight into the depths of his psyche, and a stark exploration of trauma that takes him to the point where he believes this serious mental health problem affects how he thinks, feels and behaves. His recollection of fifteen years earlier in writing is vivid when he tells his family has the same tendency to paranoid schizophrenia. How things piece together at the end brings the story to a satisfactory conclusion.

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 #TheNightHouse by #JoNesbo #igreads

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Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham

This may be my first time reading Michael Robotham but surely not the last. His writing claims distinguishable visceral qualities to form a good example of characters. The third instalment brings another solid crime writing. 

On his nineteenth birthday, Elias Haven killed his parents and twin sisters. He began to hear voices of “demons” that tormented him and told him to commit murder leaving his brother, Cyrus Haven the only one who survived. After 20 years, he was released from psychiatric hospital. 

Cyrus is now a forensic psychologist who investigates a violent and suspicious death. Rohan Kirk, 67 was found beaten to death in his house and his daughter, Maya is missing. Two days later, the police discovered her body. The case is unexpectedly drawn into the prior crime based on the similarities of facts. A great crime thriller that kept me guessing right up to the end! And the method of alternating chapter by chapter between POV characters is brilliant. I give 4.8 ⭐️

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 #LyingBesideYou by #MichaelRobotham #definitelybooks #igbooks

#igreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookstagram #goodreads #emabaca #letsgetreading #malaysiamembaca

My Husband by Maud Ventura

Oh my. I don't think Ariane needs a husband more than a psychiatrist. After 15 years together, she couldn't stop comparing her life and evaluating the relationship. She has always loved her husband unconditionally, despite jealousy and doubt. She became obsessed and meticulous about everything and wrote down notes categorized thematically to reflect experiences that influenced her daily life. She's even going through her husband's things. 

This book contains themes of chronic anxiety, marital problems, and adultery. Going through her life is exhausting. Generally, the idea that this kind of person existed before me is surreal, even revolting. What I need most in a long-term marriage is peace, quiet, and learning how to restrain. There's no single formula for successful marriages. It does not come with a guide. Bear in mind that marriages take work, sacrifice, and respect.  

So, what's wrong with Ariane's husband? Is he some kind of psycho or what? And yet, the epilogue of the book shows the perspective and frame of the story from him. Brief, unsettling, and mind-boggling. I give 4.5 ⭐️ 

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 #MyHusband by #MaudVentura #igbooks #igreads #emabaca #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookstagram #goodreads #letsgetreading #definitelybooks 

The End of August by Yu Miri

This book has a lot to offer as a valuable window into Korean history. The End of August is a semi-autobiographical of the author's grandfather, Lee Woo-Cheol from 1925 until he died in the late 1970s. The story begins with the scene of called forth for her ancestors through ritual (thanks to kdrama!). How the author put down their last moments together is phenomenal and like a closure for me.

Lee Woo-Cheol was a long-distance runner in Korea. His dream was robbed because the Tokyo Olympics were cancelled in 1938. Furthermore, he has mouths to feed and is trapped under Japanese rule. Despite all that, he was a philanderer, and his wife left him leaving their children behind. The rest of the story is quite sordid like everyone in the family has such a terrible fate.

Considering everything, it's a remarkable and thought-provoking exploration of a Japanese invasion, women's exploitation, and communism through the lasting impact of dramatic backstories. I give 4.5 ⭐️

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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#donereading #TheEndofAugust by #YuMiri #bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #igbooks #igreads #goodreads #emabaca #malaysiamembaca