Book Review | The Trust by Ronald Balson

The Trust is a mystery novel from Ronald H. Balson. It's the fourth book in the Liam and Catherine series.

When his uncle dies, Liam Taggart reluctantly returns to his childhood home in Northern Ireland for the funeral—a home he left years ago after a bitter confrontation with his family, never to look back. But when he arrives, Liam learns that not only was his uncle shot to death, but that he’d anticipated his own murder: In an astonishing last will and testament, Uncle Fergus has left his entire estate to a secret trust, directing that no distributions be made to any person until the killer is found. Did Fergus know, but refuse to name, his killer? Was this a crime of revenge, a vendetta leftover from Northern Ireland’s bloody sectarian war? After all, the Taggarts were deeply involved in the IRA. Or is it possible that the killer is a family member seeking Fergus’s estate? Otherwise, why postpone distributions to the heirs? Most menacingly, does the killer now have his sights on other family members?

As his investigation draws Liam farther and farther into the past he has abandoned, he realizes he is forced to reopen doors long ago shut and locked. Now, accepting the appointment as sole trustee of the Fergus Taggart Trust, Liam realizes he has stepped into the center of a firestorm.

This was my first Liam and Catherine book. It's the fourth in the series, but the Trust can definitely be read as a stand alone novel.

I really liked the characters of Liam and Catherine. Their happy marriage/family life was refreshing. I also enjoyed the not-so-happy dynamics between Liam and the family he left behind in Ireland. Liam was shunned from his family 16 years ago after they discovered he was a spy for the CIA. His uncle has now passed away, and Liam must return to the family as the trustee to his uncle's estate.

Liam's uncle basically knew he was going to be murdered, and he set up his trust so that his assets wouldn't be distributed to the family until the murder was solved. Answer me this: why do dead people always leave behind the most vague letter possible? Trust no one. I'm no expert, but I feel pretty strongly that it would help solve a lot of mysteries if they included some details in their departing letters.

Liam - who happens to also be a private investigator - must uphold his uncle's estate wishes (and withhold the estate from the family) while simultaneously working to solve his murder.

While I enjoyed the writing and I was interested in what was happening, I didn't really have a reason to care who the murderer was. I realized during the reveal that I had stopped guessing pretty early on.

In the end, The Trust delivered on its promises and I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't particularly stand out from the crowd.

6/10: Good Read

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review | Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill

Sea of Rust is a science fiction novel from C. Robert Cargill.

C. Robert Cargill is the author of one of my favorite novels (Dreams and Shadows). I was excited when I heard there was going to be a new Cargill release, and when I heard what Sea of Rust was about, it became one of my most anticipated books of the year.

C. Robert Cargill is also the screenwriter behind Sinister and Marvel's Dr. Strange.

I saw someone on Twitter refer to Sea of Rust as an "eventually true story". I think that's an excellent description. Sea of Rust takes place after the Artificial Intelligence has waged war on the humans and the robots are all that remain. The robots are now creating facets known as OWI (One World Intellengence) and battling against each other.

Even though the law of the land is now to upload to an OWI or shut down, many bots are resisting and fighting to save their individuality.

Brittle is one of the bots who refuses to be absorbed by an OWI. On the run, Brittle hangs out in the Sea of Rust - an expanse of expired and war torn robots - looking for parts.

Along with following Brittle's story, we are treated to the backstory of how AI came to exist and the wars that followed. I had chills reading about the downfall of humans and their robots. It was easy to imagine Sea of Rust as a glimpse into our future.

Sea of Rust is a smart book, and I really enjoyed it.

7/10: Recommended Read

Review copy provided by publisher

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | September 23

This was not a typical reading week for me. My 8 year old was home sick from school for a couple of days, and I pretty much spent those days playing Nintendo with him and reading. So other than my son being sick, it was a pretty awesome week.

Posted Last Week

Book Review | Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix (with Will Errickson)

Read Last Week

The first book I read this week was the awesome Paperbacks from Hell. You can read my full review here. It's a nonfiction book about the history of the horror genre. It's a must read for horror fans.

I also read Joe Lansdale's Edge of Dark Water. It turned out to be even better than I was expecting.

Sing, Unburied, Sing turned out to be less than what I was expecting. I probably won't be posting a review for Sing, Unburied, Sing because I don't have much to say about it. The writing was beautiful, but it just wasn't a book I connected to. I'm surprised, and I feel like I must have read it wrong.

I won't be posting a review for Saga either. Maybe once the series ends, I'll post some thoughts. I'm still enjoying it, but I feel like I'm getting less of a complete story with each installment so my ratings keep declining.

The last book I read this week was an old horror novella from Algernon Blackwood called The Willows. I loved it. I will be reading everything Algernon Blackwood I can get my hands on.

Review Copies

Hide and Seek (Helen Grace #6) by M.J. Arlidge - Hide and Seek is the 6th book in the Helen Grace series. I don't typically read series book out of order, but this is another book I plan to dive into anyway because I have high interest in it. I'm not going to post a synopsis because it definitely spoils book 5 if you are planning to read the whole series.

Current Distractions

I had several folks ask me last week whether or not I enjoyed IT. I did! I was very nervous about how they would handle the movie only being a part one of two, but I love how they are handling it so far. IT was scary, and it was full of childhood shenanigans. I don't ask for much more than that.

I started watching Marvel's Defenders again this week. If you haven't seen the other Marvel shows, I wouldn't recommend Defenders. It is written for those who have seen all of the predecessors. I'm not enjoying the directing or the storytelling much, either.

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading (or watching) this week or leave me some links!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading?, Tynga's Reviews' Stacking the Shelves, and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.

Book Review | Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix (with Will Errickson)

Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction is a nonfiction book from Grady Hendrix and Will Errickson.

Take a tour through the horror paperback novels of the 1970s and ’80s . . . if you dare. Page through dozens and dozens of amazing book covers featuring well-dressed skeletons, evil dolls, and knife-wielding killer crabs! Read shocking plot summaries that invoke devil worship, satanic children, and haunted real estate! Horror author and vintage paperback book collector Grady Hendrix offers killer commentary and witty insight on these trashy thrillers that tried so hard to be the next Exorcist or Rosemary’s Baby. It’s an affectionate, nostalgic, and unflinchingly funny celebration of the horror fiction boom of two iconic decades, complete with story summaries and artist and author profiles. You’ll find familiar authors, like V. C. Andrews and R. L. Stine, and many more who’ve faded into obscurity. Plus recommendations for which of these forgotten treasures are well worth your reading time and which should stay buried.

This book is astonishing.

First of all, Paperbacks from Hell is a gorgeous book. All of the pages are in full color, and every aspect of this book is high quality. You could call it a coffee table book, but there's a lot more to Paperbacks from Hell than just the stunning paperback images.

Paperbacks from Hell is divided up into the major categories of horror fiction that were prevalent in the 70's and 80's. Topics like 'Hail, Satan', 'Creepy Kids', 'When Animals Attack', and 'Real Estate Nightmares' walk the reader through the history of the horror genre. The written content in Paperbacks from Hell is just as extraordinary as the visual content. There's a lot of information about publishers, authors, and cover artists, as well as insight into what the readers were wanting and how the market shifted throughout the horror boom. The commentary is filled with a lot of humor and a lot of love.

I felt so much nostalgia reading Paperbacks from Hell. Whether I was remembering the books I saw growing up or remembering books I've read and loved, I had a great time revisiting the horror paperbacks of the past. There were also quite a few books that were completely new to me.

After making my way through Paperbacks from Hell, I can't help but have paperback envy and regrets over the books I've purged over the years. Paperbacks from Hell has sparked a love in my heart for even the worst of books.

I can't say enough about Paperbacks from Hell. It's a must read for anyone interested in the history of horror fiction, and I highly, highly recommend it.

10/10: Awesome Read

Review copy provided by publisher

Recent Updates and Currently Reading | September 17

I had a bit of normalcy this week. The kids returned to school on Tuesday, and I was able to go back to work on Wednesday. It feels like we are starting the school year over again after being out for a few weeks.

I had another great reading week, and I'm trying to get back into the swing of things with a couple of reviews. I also have a review book to share!

Posted Last Week

Book Review | Final Girls by Riley Sager
Book Review | Ugly Little Things by Todd Keisling

Read Last Week

The first book I finished this week was Final Girls by Riley Sager. It did a great job of holding my interest. If you love psychological thrillers, you might want to check out Final Girls. {You can read my review here.}

I also read Ugly Little Things: Collected Horrors by Todd Keisling. It contains a novella I recommended earlier this year, and it's actually cheaper to buy the entire collection than to the individual novella. {Review}

Review Copies

The Trust (Liam and Catherine #4) by Ronald H. Balson - St. Martin's Press sent me the latest mystery from Ronald H. Balson. It's the fourth in the series, but it's got rave reviews at the moment so I'm going to check it out. "The newest novel from the author of Once We Were Brothers finds private investigator Liam Taggart returning to his childhood home for an uncle's funeral, only to discover his death might not have been natural." It sounds like it will work as a stand alone.

Current Distractions

I finally have a theater open (post-hurricane) so my mom and I are going to see IT today. I'm sooo excited.

If you've ever had to endure hours of reading Captain Underpants, the movie is super cute. And... that's as far as I'm going to take that recommendation. (My kids loved it.)

So what about you? Let me know what you're reading (or watching) this week or leave me some links!

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This post is being shared as part of Book Date's It's Monday! What Are You Reading?, Tynga's Reviews' Stacking the Shelves, and Caffeinated Book Reviewer's The Sunday Post.