End of Watch by Stephen King - last part of the The Bill Hodges Trilogy

The story of a retired detective Bill Hodges came to an end. The story, which began in the novel Mr. Mercedes, continued in Finders Keepers, has its finale in the End of Watch. This is my review.

I have written several times about Stephen King, and every time I emphasized that I love his books (I read all, see my ranking of his novels), and I am constantly impressed by the hard work, diligence and creativity of the writer.

End of Watch isn't one of his best works, but keeps level - it is a well-written and well-told story of a detective mixed with elements of the paranormal. Specialty of Stephen King :-)

If you have enjoyed Mr. Mercedes (see review) and Finders Keepers (my review), it seems to me that I no longer have to convince you to read this book.You buy it, I'm sure :)

On the other hand, those who did not read about the adventures of a retired policeman, I encourage to read the first part. Of course each of them can be read as a stand-alone story, because Stephen King smoothly weaves the most important information about past events, so even if you do not know the fate of previous heroes of "End of Watch", you will learn everything necessary. But it has its minus - if you decide to then read the Mr. Mercedes or continuation - disappears element of surprise, because you will know exactly what happened.

Different points of view
End of Watch for me it's also a good example of how to in novels refer to the past and not to get bored readers who read the earlier books, and tell important information to readers, who do not read previous titles.

King uses an interesting method - an event that we know from the first part tells from the different perspective - we know what's going to happen, but we look at it from another angle, because the author also focuses on other characters.

End of Watch it's a good book, therefore, I recommend :-). And I am glad that the author is already working on another novel! It is to be titled Sleeping Beauties. Interestingly, Stephen King will co-writes it in collaboration with his son Owen. Planned premiere - somewhere in 2017.

Buy End of Watch on Amazon! >

Book review: The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King

In 2010 came out very good collection of short stories by Stephen King called Full Dark No Stars. Since then, the writer published several novels and prepared a new volume of stories - The Bazaar of Bad Dreams.

In The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (see description on Amazon) there are twenty short stories, each one has an introduction, where King tells us how he came up with the idea, and why he decided to write it down.

The author devotes a lot of space reflection on death, suffering, aging. And it's not surprisingly, you have to remember that King has almost 70 years old. The writer himself, however, points out that he looking mainly for a good story, so looking into these categories - unfortunately, some stories are weak or have a bad ending.

This does not change the fact that Stephen King once again proves that it is an extraordinary observer of daily life and has an incredible talent for concise, short dialogues that reflect the great character of the people and the relationships between them.

I love the work of King (see my rating of his books). Would I recommend The Bazaar of Bad Dreams? Only those who already know other collections of the author and want to learn what's new Stephen King wrote. To everyone else I can recommend the previous volume of short stories - Full Dark No Stars, which are very, very, good.

I think that The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is not a book for people who previously did not read other works by King, because I am convinced that this only discouraged you to read another books by Stephen King.

Writer admits he is primarily a novelist and loves long stories that allow readers to sink in the world. They are like a marriage, while the sort story is only like fleeting romance :-)

Which stories I liked the most and deserve attention in my opinion? I will mention seven: Premium Harmony, Ur, The Dune, Bad Little Kid, Blockade Billy, Obits and That Bus Is Another World.

Buy this book on Amazon.com  >

Gone Girl - great book and movie

Very rarely after watching a movie I find myself wanting to buy the novel on which the film was based on. That is exactly what happened when I saw Gone Girl directed by David Fincher.

This history is so great that even though I already know the key points, surprising twists and strong ending, I bought the novel by Gillian Flynn to see how this story was written.

Interestingly, Gillian Flynn also wrote the screenplay for David Fincher's movie!

Gone Girl - the story
According to an official description: „On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?„

David Fincher, director of such films as Seven, Fight Club and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, created a thriller that develops slowly. gradually increasing tension until about the middle of the movie, when action begins to speed up and since then it is difficult to tear yourself away from the screen.

Movie and novel - a strong finale
The movie is worth seeing but also you should definitely read the novel to the end, because the finale is really, really great. I would like to tell you more about it and explain why I think it is so good, but I do not want to spoil the surprise and deprive you of these emotions that accompany while watching this movie or reading the novel.

Gone Girl is an interesting thriller about marriage, trust, betrayal, revenge and emotions that are associated with all of the above.

Even if you watched the movie, be sure to read the novel. You will not be disappointed!

Buy a novel on Amazon >

See the movie on Amazon >

Buy the movie on DVD >

Top 10 best novels by James Patterson with Alex Cross

James Patterson is a great thriller and crime writer. He created many stand-alone novels and several famous cycles. One of them - with Alex Cross in the main role - I like the most, what's why I created ranking of best James Patterson books with Alex Cross.

Patterson has written more than 100 novels, some as a co-writer. I do not know them all, maybe when I'm retired, I will have the time to read them :-), so I wanted to focus on a particular segment of  Patterson's work. To be more specific – on the Alex Cross series.

Alex Cross is a former FBI agent and psychologist who works in Washington DC. I like this character, because he is so different from the typical detectives in most crime novels.

Cross first appeared in the novel called Along Came a Spider published in 1993 (in 2001 the novel was filmed by Lee Tamahori with Morgan Freeman in the lead role).

Since then, readers got 22 novels with Alex Cross in the lead role. The last one is from 2014 and it is titled Hope to Die.

Which is best in my opinion? Below I present my top ten best novels with Alex Cross:

1. Alex Cross, Run (see description)
2. I, Alex Cross (see description)
3. Along Came A Spider (see description)
4. Hope to Die (this is the continuation of Cross My Heart) - (see description)
5. Kiss the Girls (see description)
6. Pop Goes the Weasel (see description)
7. Four Blind Mice (see description)
8. Jack & Jill (see description)
9. Cross Fire (see description)
10. Mary, Mary (see description)

If you are looking for a good thriller turn your attention to Patterson's work, the Alex Cross series in particular!

Interesting biography of Stephen King by Lisa Rogak

Haunted Heart: The Life and Times of Stephen King is an unauthorized Stephen King's biography written by Lisa Rogak. If you want to know how Stephen began his career, reach for this book.

For forty years Stephen King published books that have sold in hundreds of millions of copies. I'm a big fan of his work and I've read all this novels, short stories and books (like Dance Macabre and On Writing). See my top ten best novels by Stephen King >

I also read the biography of the King of Horror written by Lisa Rogak. Even if you know facts from King's life from e.g. Wikipedia or this autobiography On Writing, you should read this book. Why? Because it is well-written, contains lots of anecdotes and comments of King's friends and family.

Rogak writes also how Stephen King fared with fame, fans and critics. Besides, there is a lot of information in it about the circumstances in which Stephen King created his stories, so you can look at his novels with a completely new perspective.

This is a official description of a book:
"One of the most prolific and popular authors in the world today, Stephen King has become part of pop culture history. His best-selling novels such as Carrie, It, Christine, and many others have captured the imaginations of millions of readers. But who is the man behind those tales of horror, grief, and the supernatural? Where do these ideas come from? And what drives him to keep writing at a breakneck pace after a thirty year career?

In this unauthorized biography, Lisa Rogak reveals the troubled background and lifelong fears that inspire one of the twentieth century's most influential authors. Despite his dark and disturbing work, Stephen King has become revered by critics and his countless fans as an all-American voice more akin to Mark Twain than H. P. Lovecraft. Haunted Heart chronicles his story, revealing the character of a man who has created some of the most memorable and frightening stories found in literature today." (from Amazon)

Stephen King still writes
This is a good book, but you have to remembered that Rogak has written it in 2008, when Stephen King published Just After Sunset - collection of short stories. Since then a lot has changed. On the market there are seven new novels by Stephen King. Latest novel - Revival - which is the seventh since 2008, has premiered on the 11th November this year. A new collection of short stories and several TV series based on his work also add up to his achievements.

It is clear that Stephen King, though sometimes he says that he plans to retire, still does not meet his threats, right? :-) Although he could live a comfortable life with what he has earned, still he creates and shares with readers the new great stories.

I read "Haunted Heart: The Life and Times of Stephen King" with curiosity and I recommend it to anyone.

Top 10 best novels by Jo Nesbo

I like Jo Nesbø's  books - each of his crime novels is well written and have interesting plot. If you don't know this Norwegian author, see which of the Jo Nesbo novels are the best.

Jo Nesbo sold over 23 million copies of his Norwegian novels. He is best know as an author of series with inspector Harry Hole. His first novel ever written was The Bat (1997), which is also the first part from Hole's series.

These best selling crime novels are very interesting for several reasons: have distinctive main character, a surprising turns in the plot, good dialogues and detailed background story. That's why I was never bored reading any of the Nesbo's books.

But you must to know that Nesbo is an example of a writer who has steadily improved his skills. This means that his later novels are better than earlier titles.

Of course, I recommend reading Jo Nesbo books in order (you can check the chronology e.g. on the official website of the author). Especially when it comes to novels with inspector Harry Hole.

But, in my opinion, best book by Jo Nesbo is The Son, which is a stand-alone novel. You should read this book first. It's great!

This is my ranking of top ten best novels by Jo Nesbo:

1. The Son (see description)
2. Police - Jo Nesbo latest book (see description)
3. Nemesis (see description)
4. Phantom (see description)
5. The Redeemer (see description)
6. The Bat - first book of Harry Hole series - (see description)
7. Cockroaches (see description)
8. The Snowman (see description)
9. The Redbreast (see description)
10. The Leopard (see description)

If you want to know the style and atmosphere of books written by Jo Nesbo you must read The Son. It is a stand-alone novel, so you do not need to know the other titles by this author. When read the rest :-)

Enjoy!

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King - book review

I love Stephen King's books. I'm always impressed by his hard work, imagination and skills to create an interesting story. Mr Mercedes, his latest novel, is another of them.

If you want to know why I'm such a big fan of the works of this author, see my ranking of best books written by Stephen King.

Is it worth to read Mr Mercedes? I'm convinced that the answer is: yes. This is the most straight-up mystery-thriller in King's bibliography and it's good.

In Mr Mercedes we have a classic battle between good and evil: on one hand, there is Brady, who plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over many innocent people, and escapes. One year after the police still doesn't have any suspects.

On the other hand, there's Kermit William Hodges, a retired cop, who is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges decides to catch the killer, before he strikes again. William has no time to lose, because Brady's next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands of people.

This is only a brief description of the book Mr Mercedes (see full description), but from the beginning we know who is the killer, so no spoilers here :-). The bigger question is whether and how Hodges will connect all the information and find Brady?

The action takes place over almost 500 pages, but we are not dealing with painstaking police work, but more of a psychological war between the murderer and the detective. The book is very well written, has interesting plot, characters and dialogues. 

That's why I think that Mr Mercedes is successful King's debut in a detective genre, but if you want to know best works of Stephen King, I encourage you to read titles from my ranking of King's novels.

If you are going on vacation, a long journey or just want to read a good crime book, go ahead and reach for the Mr Mercedes. It will most certainly catch your attention.

Review: Jeff Abbott - Panic

If you are looking for an interesting and well-written thriller to take for a long journey or you just have a free evening, reach for the novel Panic by Jeff Abbott. It will be good choice. 

Jeff Abbott is an author of over ten mystery, crime and suspense novels. Before he decided to become full time writer, Abbott worked as a creative director at an advertising agency.

Panic, which was first released in 2005, is an excellent example of the scheme: a common man is suddenly in unexpected danger and must fight against opponents to be able to return to his normal life.

Here is a description of the book from Amazon:
„Evan Casher is a successful documentary filmmaker with a perfect life- until the day his mother is brutally murdered. Suddenly pursued by a ruthless circle of killers, Evan discovers his entire past has been a carefully constructed lie. With only one chance at survival and no one he can trust, Evan must discover the shocking truth about his family and himself...”

I other words Evan, while trying to find his father, meets FBI agents, brutal killers, spies and mysterious people from his parents' past. He wants to get his revenge on the people who murdered his mother and uncover all the secrets about his family.

What I like most about this novel? The story with a surprising finale. It is a very interesting idea. However, I think that the author could have included more detail into the plot, which would make the story more credible. But if you are looking for a good thriller for the free evening or as a gift for a thriller lover, Panic wirtten by Jeff Abbott is a title ideal for you and I encourage you to read it.

Top 10 best books by Lee Child

Dynamic, well-written and interesting - this is how you can characterize Lee Child's books. So if you are looking for a great thriller, I encourage you to buy one of titles written by this author.

Lee Child, whose real name is Jim Grant, is a British thriller writer. He made his debut in 1997 with the novel Killing Floor, which won the Anthony Award for Best First Novel. A great character - Jack Reacher, a former Major in the United States Army Military Police Corpsfor, has made his first appearance in this book.

Jack Reacher is 6'5" tall (1.96 m) with a 50-inch chest, and weighing between 220 and 250 pounds (100–115 kg). He has ice-blue eyes, dirty blond hair and very little body fat. If you watched the movie One Shot from 2012, based on Child's excellent novel, it is clear to you that Tom Cruise does not fit that description at all, right? ;-)

But this was a little off topic. Back to Child's work - his first novel was a bestseller, so naturally Child began to write another one with enthusiasm :). Each of his books has an interesting story, situations, and above all, an incredible action and amazing twists in the plot. In particular, I encourage you to read the first two Child's bestsellers from my list of his best thrillers. They are awesome!

Child has written more then dozen novels with Jack Reacher in the lead role. Not all hold the same high level, that is why I recommend you to read the titles from my ranking of Lee Child's best books.

This is my list of top ten great novels by Lee Child:

1. The Hard Way (see description)
2. Gone Tomorrow (see description)
3. Without Fail (see description)
4. One Shot (see description)
5. Persuader (see description)
6. The Enemy (see description)
7. Killing Floor (see description)
8. Never Go Back (this is the latest Lee Child's novel - see description)
9. The Affair (see description)
10. Worth Dying For (see description)
 
What is your favorite novel written by Lee Child?

Top 10 best books by Michael Connelly

Novels written by Michael Connelly are an excellent page-turners, well-written crime stories with interesting plots, great dialogues and memorable characters. That is why I recommend them to anyone who asks me "what to read?". If you are also looking for a new book or do not know this author  yet, see my list of Michael Connelly's best novels.

In many interviews he says that Raymond Chandler inspired him to become an crime and detective author. Michael Connelly studied journalism and creative writing on the University of Florida. After graduation, he began working as a crime reporter and wrote mostly about crime beat. He was also worked as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times.

Everything has changes when he published the first book with LAPD Detective Hieronymus Bosch in 1992 titled The Black Echo. It won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by the Mystery Writers of America. Since than this author has written 17 more books with Hieronymus Bosch in the lead role.

But Harry Bosch series is not the only one, which he creates. Michael Connelly bibliography includes also standalone novels and others series (ex. with Mickey Haller or Jack McEvoy). All his fiction books are very popular in the world - they have been translated into over 30 languages and have won many awards! I think that Hollywood also helped this writer. When Lincoln Lawyer movie had a premiere, many of movie-fans started to take interest in this author's detective novels. 

I like Michael Connelly's best selling books, because they always have expressing characters, interesting plots and good dialogues. I never get bored reaching for crime novels by Connelly. I particularly like the Bosch series, but this is not a ranking of the best books with this detective. Below is a general list of books which in my opinion are the best novels written by Michael Connelly.

See my ranking of top ten crime fiction books by Michael Connelly:
1. The Poet (see description)
2. The Black Echo (see description)
3. The Last Coyote (see description)
4. The Lincoln Lawyer (see description)
5. The Concrete Blonde (see description)
6. The Drop (see description)
7. The Black Box (the latest book by Michael Connelly - see description)
8. Angels Flight (see description)
9. Lost Light (see description)
10. Trunk Music (see description)

I choose the books which in my opinion are the best crime novels by Michael Connelly, but I encourage you to read  a series of Harry in chronological order. You can find the list of Bosch novels set in order for example on Wikipedia. If you are looking for full Michael Connelly's bibliography - see his website.

BTW - this year a new book by Michael Connelly will be out - called The Gods of Guilt. Publishing date is set on December 2! See more details >

What's your favorite Michael Connelly's novel? :)

Top 10 best books by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is - in my opinion - the master of unexpected twists and turns in the novels. This American author of thrillers often was able to surprise me with the story's ending what's why, if someone wants a great crime novel that sucks you in action from the first page, I recommend to read one of Coben's books.

Harlan Coben's work can be divided into three parts:

First one consists of a series in which the main character is Myron Bolitar - a former basketball player and sports agent in one person. He first appeared in the book Infamous in 1995.

Second - stand-alone novels.

Third - new young adult series with the nephew of Myron - Mickey. For the first time he appeared in the novel, Shelter in 2011.

I like Coben's books because of interesting characters, great dialogues and unexpected twists. It is impossible to be bored while reading his novels. I remember that I literally could not get away from reading Tell No One. Instead of going to sleep I sat most of the night, until I read the last page.

He has written more than twenty novels. I chose the books which in my opinion are the best novels by Harlan Coben. Below is a list:

1. Tell No One (see description)
2. Gone For Good (see description)
3. Deal Breaker (see description)
4. Fade Away (see description)
5. Promise Me (see description)
6. The Innocent (see description)
7. Back Spin (see description)
8. One False Move (see description)
9. Caught (see description)
10. Darkest Fear (see description)

What is your favorite novel written by Coben? :)

Top 5 best books by Henning Mankell

Henning Mankell is a very popular Swedish writer known around the world. His books have been translated into over 40 languages. On my blog I will only concentrate on his novels where Kurt Wallander is the main character although Mankell is not only a crime novels author.

Kurt Wallander is a fictional police inspector living and working in Ystad. This character has brought Mankell his fame and made ​​him one of the best-selling writers in the world. This is another example that a interesting, memorable character is already a half of success in writting a bestseller novel :).

I like to read the Mankell's books, because they always have a well-constructed plot, carefully and curiously described. Sometimes the pace of the action is pretty slow, but after reading a few thrillers in a row, where the action is practically on every page, this is a nice change.

Therefore, I recommend to read Mankell's novels were we can expect long conversations, descriptions of tedious witnesses' questioning and Kurt checking all leads, because the story always illustrates what changes are taking place in modern Swedish society as the whole world changes, what problems people are facing nowadays etc.

So if you are looking for a good crime story, with a intresting and troubled policeman in the lead role, the novels of Kurt Wallander will be perfect for you!

Since Kurt as the main character appeared in only nine novels, I decided to choose five titles that I think are absolutely worth reading.

So below is a list of books which in my opinion are the best novels written by Henning Mankell with Kurt Wallander.

1. Faceless Killers (see description)

2. One Step Behind (see description)

3. Sidetracked (see description)

4. The Pyramid - short stories about Wallanders' early years in the police (see description)

5. The Fifth Woman (see description)

Of course, when you read those books, get the rest :).

The Pact - touching novel about teen suicide

There aren't many interesting and well written novels about suicide, especially among teenagers. That's why I decided to tell you about The Pact: A Love Story by Judi Picoult, a good novel, where author with sensitivity and tact has addressed this issue.

Judi Picoult is a bestselling writer, she is an author of Nineteen Minutes, House Rules, My Sister's Keeper (which is an excellent novel in my opinion). You can see her full bibliography on Wikipedia.

"I wanted to write the anti-Romeo and Juliet story: the families that are too close, insteady of enemies" - as the author explains on her website an idea for this novel.

Summary from Amazon: "Until the phone calls came at 3:00 a.m. on a November morning, the Golds and their neighbors, the Hartes, had been inseparable. It was no surprise to anyone when their teenage children, Chris and Emily, began showing signs that their relationship was moving beyond that of lifelong friends. But now seventeen-year-old Emily has been shot to death by her beloved and devoted Chris as part of an apparent suicide pact."

We deal with the drama of two families - one family has to deal with death of their daughter, the other one - with son that was arrested and accused of murder. The novel tends to reflect on how well we known people, who live with us. Do we really know another person, even if is our daughter, son or partner?

It turns out that almost everyone expected that Chris and Emily will be together. With time, however, Emily felt worse and worse - the pressure from the environment that they will be a perfect match was unbearable. Especially that Emily has treated Chris more like a brother than a lover. All these problems caused that she began to have suicidal thoughts. She shares her thoughts with Chris, and he attempts to prevent her from committing the act.

I have mixed feelings about The Pact. On the one hand is an interesting idea and subject, on the other - some parts in the novel are simply unbelievable. Yes, it's a painful book, with dramatic moments, but - in my opinion - it should be written more fairly, with more dramatic and surprising story, because it is hard to resist the impression that from the beginning Picoult favors Chris and she in on his side, which leads to the conclusion that he didn't do it. Besides, many chapters in the book are unnecessary and only slowing down the plot.

It might not be the best novel Picoult wrote (I recommend everyone to read My Sister's Keeper - great novel), but because of the subject and many various and interesting information about the phenomenon of suicide among teenagers, I think this book is worth reading. 

I think you will be moved by The Pact: A Love Story and you'll long not be able to forget it.

Guide: Kindle - which version to choose?

Reading books with Kindle is becoming increasingly popular. Everywhere you can see people bent over a small device - in parks, at school, bus or on the plane. If you also would like to become an owner of e-book reader, but you don't know which one would be the best for you - I encourage you to read my arguments, which can help you decide which version of Kindle you should choose.

Kindle (Wi-Fi) - $109 NOW it costs $69 with special offers, $89 without it (see description)
This is the cheapest and lightest Kindle. Ideal version for whose who just want to read. If you do not plan to play games, watch movies, browse the web or listen to audiobooks and reading e-books is the only purpose of buying Kindle I would recommend you this version. 

 

Kindle don't have speakers (so no audiobooks supported), multi-touch (has 5-way controller) or 3G, but their big advantage is the weight and price. It has also less internal memory (2GB instead of 4GB), but it doesn't matter to me – I never read so many books at once :). The battery lasts for one month, without using a Wi-Fi.

Kindle Touch (Wi-Fi) - $139 (see description) - (currently unavailable)
If you would like to listen to the audiobooks (also in MP3 format!), have a full-touch screen, more memory (4GB) and longer battery life (two months instead of one) – this is a great choice for you.

Kindle Touch 3G - $189 (see description) - (currently unavailable)
As above, except that in this version you will also receive free 3G, so you don't need to look for Wi-Fi in order to use the Internet. So if you care to always have access, this model will be perfect for you.

Kindle Touch is currently unavailable, but Amazon has introduced two new e-book readers - Kindle Paperwhite for $119 and version with 3G for $179. I don't have an opinion about them. You have to check details on Amazon page, where it is written that this is "World's most advanced e-reader - higher resolution, higher contrast touchscreen with built-in light and 8-week battery life".

Kindle Keyboard (3G) - $189 NOW it costs $139 (see description)
It is worth to buy this version only if you plan on doing a lot of notes and would rather have buttons instead of using the keyboard screen. The downside is the larger size and weight of the device.

Kindle DX - $379  NOW it costs $299 (see description)
I think this version is only good for people, for which 6' is a too small screen, because Kindle DX is the only model that have 9.7' screen. But it is also the heaviest model (weighs two times more than the Kindle Keyboard and over three times more than the Kindle Classic). 

Buy Kindle with special offers or not?
Another question is whether to buy a version with the advertisements or not? Is it worth to save some dollars and get the ads? They are not invasive, never appear when reading, but I still think that it is worth to spend a little more to have peace and do not see any advertisements. Especially since you are buying the Kindle for years. It is Better to do a one-time expense, than watch the ads at all times when the screen saver turns on.

So which Kindle you should buy?
I think everyone should first consider what do they need the Kindle for. I've done some looking at the specifications on the Amazon website. Comparing the versions I had in back of my head the thought that I will use it only for reading. So - as I said above - I chose Kindle for 89 dollars. Why? Because of it's size, weight and price :). And I do not regret the decision. Kindle as a e-book reader works great!