Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

A group of writers, book industry professionals, and reading circle buffs were invited to the program for the Australian Mystery Writers' Festival, with guest of honour Henry McTavish, bestselling author of a detective series. The festival was to take place on the Ghan, the famous train route that bisects the immense desert of Australia. The train had been overhauled for comfort and luxury, an opulent hotel on rails and a world-renowned tourist destination.

However, in an unexpected turn of events not long into the journey, McTavish was found dead. It occurred to many of them that they had reasons to dislike him, and several were probably glad he was dead. The crime writers, each specializing in a different field, were eager to find and rule out the motives and alibis. While they were playing detective, the number one suspect turned into a victim.

The story also explores the unreliable nature of the literary world, such as ghostwriting, the significance of the author's endorsement, and the complexities of literary criticism. It's a great read for setting up a whodunnit! While the narrative is engaging and well-crafted, I found that the ending did not meet my expectations, given the buildup of the plot, deductions, and the final reveal.

Misteri yang sudah terungkai

Sejak semalam aku susah nak masuk blogspot. Bukanlah susah. Boleh je tekan continue to site tu tapi selalu takde macam tu. Seingat aku, takde pulak aku gatal tangan tukar setting apa-apa. Nampak minor. 

Mat Som by Lat

Komik yang diterbitkan sekitar 1989 ini tentang Mat Som bin Mat Top seorang perantau dari kampung yang bercita-cita hendak menjadi seorang penulis surat khabar. Duduk menumpang bersama kawannya di Kuala Lumpur ketika itu amat mencabar. Masih belum berjawatan tetap, sepucuk surat diterima daripada ayahnya dari Tanjung Malim yang memintanya 'berkawan' dengan Faridah, teman sepermainannya masa kecil dulu. Dia berbelah bahagi dengan permintaan ayahnya yang mahu dia berumahtangga dengan anak kawannya disebabkan ekonominya masih tak stabil dan ditambah pula dia mahu menimba pengalaman hidup merantau.

Walau pun ini komik tapi perjalanan cerita Mat Som macam novel. Dengan suasana tahun 80an yang tinggal menjadi sejarah buat aku rasa dekat sekali dengan jiwa. Aku paling suka part dia berjumpa dengab Pyanhabib dan sewaktu dia nak balik ke Kuala Lumpur, dia sempat ke tempat kerja ayahnya. Nostalgia betul. 

Endingnya juga sungguh baik. Mat Som ialah seorang lelaki yang bercita-cita, sederhana dan mempunyai identiti sendiri. 4.5 ⭐️

The September House by Carissa Orlando

Margaret and her husband, Hal Hartman, shared fantasies of owning a house—a place where they could live and grow old together. They fell in love with a gorgeous old Victorian house that was nearly one hundred fifty years old, despite a death that had occurred there. Undeterred, they bought the house.

They lived blissfully until the walls of the house started bleeding and making screaming noises every September. These events continued to happen cyclically and vanished in October. Not only that, they discovered that the house was filled with the spirits of the deceased, seemingly trying to convey a message. Margaret tried to learn more about the history of the house through articles in the library but couldn't find a solution.

After four years, Hal couldn't bear to live in the house for another September and mysteriously disappeared. Instead of having a poor relationship with her father, Katherine returned home to search for her missing father.

It is another story about a haunted house, a dysfunctional family, and generational trauma. It evokes different emotions throughout the novel, from spooky and sad to twisted. This ingenious book is riveting and well-documented through Margaret's POV and received a Goodreads Choice Award. 4.5 ⭐️ 

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

Omgomgomgomg. What a sweet revenge! A pat on the back to the author. For this, I give 5 ⭐️. 

A group of so-called friends hasn't seen each other in over a decade, so this is an informal reunion after one of them, Alfred Smettle, celebrated his second year in business at the Hitchcock Hotel. A themed hotel is what they needed, as autumn is the perfect season to commemorate the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. What a coincidence that they share a first name! Alfred invited his five former friends from college for the weekend. They took a film studies class together. Little did they know, he planned some kind of revenge for all of them because of the 'betrayal' that took place before they graduated. Staging a perfect murder as an accident may evoke a mood and create enough suspense.

Maybe the story paced a bit slow in the first half of the book, but I think it's necessary. The author keeps intriguing interactions between the characters in every chapter. Weird things have been happening all weekend. What we know is that no one can be trusted after a body is found, until it's too late to realize that the reunion is a bad idea. The plot, the secrets, and the closure have contributed to this beautiful writing.

Nadi Mahir

Tadi aku pergi dengar taklimat Nadi Mahir. Walau pun google meet tapi menarik sebab dah lama aku nak join bab kemahiran ni. Ada 5 kursus pendek ditawarkan. Dan aku pilih Mahir Jahit. Impian aku nak buat baju sendiri sebelum terlambat.😅

Mahir Masak pun menarik jugak. Tapi takut clash pulak kelasnya. Apa² pun kelas start tahun depan. Sempat kot aku fikir.

Silent Sister by Megan Davidhizar

This sibling rivalry is one of the fast-paced reads about things that don't go as planned, and lessons are learned about the nature of sisterly love after they're gone. I shed a few tears.

Grace and Maddy Stoll are siblings who are only 10 months apart. They have different circles, but they love each other nonetheless. Grace is the best sports student, outgoing, and has received a scholarship to college, while her sister, Maddy, is more reserved. She loves writing poems and tries her best to step out of her sister's shadow.

Their school is having a Senior Sabbatical week for the students as part of a traditional trip to Shady Oaks Lodge. The excitement turned into a nightmare when the sisters went missing from their room in the middle of the night, and only one was found on the side of the road the next morning, a mile from the lodge.

The search for Maddy Stoll continues, and there are rumors about a fight they had before the disappearance. While suffering from an injured head trauma, Grace becomes a suspect when the police treat it as a homicide. Her only solution is a journal that Maddy left behind and friends to clear things up because she's sure did not kill her own blood.

For a debut, I think the premise sounds familiar, but it's captivating with a twisted ending. Thanks to @times.reads and @putrifariza for the uncorrected proof copy. All views are my own 💙 

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

Derma darah

Hari Rabu yang lepas aku telah pergi ke hospital untuk menderma darah selepas 4 tahun. Ini kali ketiga.

Pekat betul darah aku.