This non-fiction recounts how Antonina Zabinska and husband Jan Zabinski, directors of the Warsaw Zoo and active with the Polish underground resistance during WW11 managed to shelter over 300 Jews escaping from the doomed Warsaw ghetto and hide them at their villa and the zoo’s structures. Remarkably, only 2 of the “guests” were captured by the Nazis and murdered, the others survived. The book is based upon the writings of Antonina Zabinski –the true life zookeeper’s wife, survivor interviews and research.
Set within the gilded cage of the zoo with the horrors of the Holocaust playing out in the background the author who is a poet and naturalist tells a tale of animal camouflage techniques with human survival. The story plays out from the perspective of the Zabinskis and sometime the image is a bit strained. Although the narrative portrays compassion and courage it shies away showing the pain and suffering and adds little to the heroism of the people involved. Being a poet the author’s prose is flowery and filled with metaphors. We have superfluous details described at length: animals, bugs, piano playing etc., and yet barely tell how the people managed to survive. The story bounces around a lot the narrative mainly focusing on animals and unfortunately lost in the shuffle are our two heroes. The characterization is rather flat and could have been more developed and more sensitive yet again they were plunged into trying circumstances.
I join those saying this is a great story but the problem is the way it was transmitted: overly poetic and too centered on the animal world…..
Book #2, in the Fifty Shades series
This series is definitely proof that a book doesn't have to be well written to be a best seller. I am not one to read erotic romance as a steady diet so I took a 5 years hiatus between installments before I succumbed to my friends rave about this series….curiosity got the better of me and I gave in….Well I am glad I waited this long between installments.
After all, this second book is a rehash of the first book, a kind of a soft-core bondage porn story that features two main characters: Anastasia a very young and adorable woman and Christian, a handsome and incredibly rich powerful man. Same as in the first book, “Fifty Shades of Darker” also becomes another sexually graphic romance with all the S&M unimaginable done in the state of the art playroom or anywhere else these two overly sexed people managed to find. The story is told from the point of views of Ana and not with a light touch. Lots of lewd language and opinions under the belts, especially Christian’s…definitely not literature and out of this world characterization.
The story doesn’t have much action actually there is near a total lack of plot. What there is concerns Anastasia’s troubles at work and Christian stalking by a former submissive partner. While the story moves on, some of the scenarios seemed to repeat themselves too frequently: the fights, the misunderstandings, his insecurity, her understanding and the “kinky-fuckery”and .....etc. all very redundant and extremely boring.
If you didn’t read the first book, “Fifty Shades of Darker” is not entirely unreadable as a standalone. I was glad when the first one ended but this second installment ends in a cliff-hanger, just enough tension to pique my interest to tackle book 3 “Fifty Shades Freed”. Who knows, I may not wait 5 years this time:), then again I may never pick it up…..
With the collaboration of Zach Bohannon, Lindsay Buroker and J.F. Penn
If you are a fan of horror, dark fantasy, mystery or paranormal suspense and love a plot that is fairly simple to grasp you will be pleased with this novella. It is quite an adventure taking us into a make believe world through 134 pages of chilling horror.
The authors meshed beautifully their part each taking the role of a character and blending their story into an eerie tale of demons, portals and gateways. Sonya (Thorn), Blake(Bohannon), Aiko( Buroker), Sebastian (Penn) board an Amtrak train from Chicago to New Orleans for 19 hours that will change their lives.
The train is the backdrop and where all the spooky action takes place. Demons escapes, body count rises and some will have to pay the ultimate sacrifice. The plot is definitely creative with no shortage of descriptive scenes: blood and guts, humans versus demons….ouf… this was one exhausting quick read.
I admit this is not my favourite kind of book although for a good part of the book I was deep into it till the action started to be too creepy for my taste. I lost a bit of interest yet I still stayed captivated till the end. I would say this is imagination at its best (or worse): so scary, so out of this world and definitely unbelievable ….. Thank goodness “Sacrifice” is a fantasy….
I received a review copy of this book from J.F. Penn
This is a Rapid Reads novel with the entire characteristic that makes it a fast, easy and enjoyable read.
RCMP sergeant Ray Robertson is on leave from his job in Haiti and is vacationing with his wife in the Turks and Caicos Islands when one morning jogging on the beach he discovers a body on the surf, the dead man he recognizes as a Haitian police recruit. Once a Cop, always a cop. He needs to finds out what happened……
Of course a novel that is barely over 100 pages sees a case that is easily solved or has a fast wrap up but as in the previous books getting there is what makes the mystery captivating. As Ray follows the leads he finds himself into the world of human trafficking: Haitian looking for a better live exploited by shady people. A very timely subject indeed. Of course the mystery unravels and becomes complicated…….
I like this series and appreciate Vicki Delany’s concise with no frills or long sentences style. She has a way to make a captivating plot within the limited pages she has to do it in. The story is simple yet not boring and all along she has stayed true to her character.
When one is limited with time, this book is a great escapism.
I received the ARC through the Early Reviewer Program
Book # 11 in the Harry Hole series
Our unorthodox detective is back, facing another killer, one that will remind him of an old nemesis in his past. In this chilling and emotionally charged mystery Harry is drawn back to the Oslo police force and soon is on the tail of a serial killer working the streets and targeting people using the online dating service, Tinder.
This is a crime fiction at its best: gritty, atmospheric, violent and gripping. “The Thirst” is top notch writing and one of the bloodiest novels written by Mr. Nesbo. I was immediately drawn into a dark police investigation and as the layers slowly revealed themselves I was not only caught up in a cat-and- mouse chase but also in a twisted and breathless journey into the mind of a depraved killer. What a razor-sharp and masterfully plotted “The Thirst” is. Not to forget the vivid and wonderful although rather complex characters that populate the pages, what more can we wish for.
OK, this novel is brutally violent and the story is laced with melancholy but take it from me this is one gripping white-knuckle ride that deploys all the key ingredients of a cracking good thriller: Tension expertly ratcheted upwards, effortlessly shifting objectives and scenery and a tempo that will outpace our ability to guess the outcome. What an ending…..
I received this ARC for review from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalleys
Book #3, in the Isabella Rose Thrillers series
Michael Pope and Isabella Rose are still caught up in a conspiracy and the exciting drama continues with act #3. As the pair travels across the globe trying to find out what is going on, we as readers are plunged into an amazing and suspenseful plot that has us turning pages at a rapid pace to see if they will eventually make it out of their predicaments in one piece. Again this latest is part of a series that in my views should be read in sequence although some may say “The Agent” also works well as a standalone novel.
Mark Dawson is an excellent story teller and has always offered an action packed and fast paced thriller. He knows how to hold our attention from the opening page and keep us interested till the very end with never ending action. But this time, beware, the story does not connect all the loose threads and ends quite abruptly, leaving us to believe a fourth book is in the making (I really do not mind, I simply can’t get enough of Pope and Isabella).
Pope and Isabella hunt is a race against time, a chase that will bring them from the slums of Mumbai to the wealth of Shanghai and to America. As the story moves on, Pope sees an opening to rescue his family and put an end once and for all at being the main target of hit men sent by the Manage Risk Team.
Again we find a great storyline, captivating to no end, populated with determined characters we can’t help but to root for. Maia, a new evil character, is a wonderful addition that gives a total different spin and one I am eager to see more of. Of course as in the other novels, all is said in a clear, vivid and appropriate language. This is a great installment that clearly deserves high marks from me.
This book follows “The Angel” book #1 and “The Asset” book #2.
I received this review copy from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalleys
Book # 2, in A Foreign Affairs Mystery
My favourite bureaucrat is back. Charlie Hillier (love this character) is eager to start his next posting. Moscow bound he comes….It doesn’t take long before he is working a fresh case….and follows the sparse clues that will bring him too close to dangerous powers that he and his client could have ever imagined ….Soon finding what happened becomes less important than getting out of the country……..
I enjoy reading Mr. Wilkshire storylines: they are a snappy quick and light read, have interesting premises and are well-written with to the point narration and clean dialogue. Most of all, the experience is very visual and cleverly entertaining.
Hillier, you have to love this guy, plays the role of a bureaucrat but is actually a likeable sleuth that is thrust into events beyond his control. Moscow is not Havana, his last gig, and the players are definitely not of the same calibre. They mostly play the game by their rules and Hillier soon finds himself at the wrong end of the stick…….
This story kept me interested from page one and I zipped through it in no time so captivated to see how Hillier would pull out of this predicament to save the day and his damsel in distress…awe… of course there has to be one…:)
I simply loved this story and can’t wait for Hillier's next assignment.
I received this ARC for review from Dundurn.com via Edelweiss
Mr. Adler has written a story that has kept me guessing, wanting more and flipping pages to see what this suspenseful and intriguing drama will lead to. He hasn’t disappointed me, as in the past this latest has provided all the unpredictability I enjoy. This is a genuine page turner with all the essential ingredients to make it a captivating thriller and a best-selling book.
Seems that search for Nazi gold is the topic of choice these days. “Heart of Gold” is the third book I have read lately on the subject of treasures taken from victims during WW11. Here we have Milton Gold a hustling lawyer hired by Karla to find her inheritance of one-hundred millions dollars in gold coins hidden by her father from the Nazi during the war.
When the hunt started, the thrills began and I couldn’t help but to keep holding my breath as Milton and Karla brushed close encounters and attacks from those who wanted to get their hands on the pot…..negotiating with foreign government was another challenge and getting the loot out wasn’t a piece a cake either….but a thrilling ride for the reader.
This is a dramatic and suspenseful action packed journey filled with climatic scenes and populated with a diverse cast of characters.
“Heart of Gold” is a provocative psychological story released at a time when threats and acts of hatred are made around the world, especially towards the Jewish community.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author
