Review: Madeleine by Kate McCann

As a follower of true crime, it is only right that I read and reviewed Madeleine, especially as I have previosuly reviewed another book, Vanished by Danny Collins, also about the abduction. For those of you who have not followed the story, British 3 year old, Madeleine McCann went missing whilst on holiday with her family in Portugal in 2007. It is not known what happened to her, and she has not been seen since, the popular theory is that she was abducted from her bed, whilst unsupervised in the apartment one night.

From Amazon

Kate McCann's book is, as you might expect, very emotional and puts across Madeline's parents views on her disappearance and the subsequent police investigation. Of course this means that the abduction theory is the only one presented in the book. At times, particularly when discussing why she left her children alone in the apartment, it comes across as over-justifying her and her husband's actions but essentially seems like an honest and not over-exaggerated account. There is a particular focus by McCann on her family's treatment at the hands of the police when they were declared suspects in the disappearance, and at times it is easy to see how horrific it must be to be publicly accused of such a crime, and feel that the real abductor was getting away. The despair is palatable.

However, the book does not answer many key questions surrounding the case and, as expected, is very one sided. There is also a lot of criticism directed at others involved in the case, such as the hotel staff, police and other residents, some of this unjustified and which comes across as a ploy to increase the reader's sympathy for the McCanns.

Overall the book is vivid and detailed, although some of the recollections are dubious because of their detail, and although it presents a one-sided view of events, it is very readable. The purpose of the book is dubious, the official line is that it will raise awareness and the profits will go to the fund to help find Madeleine, however, from some of the content, it seems more like retaliation for all the police leaks about the investigation, at a time when the McCanns, by Portuguese law, could not speak out.

I wouldn't recommend this if you want a broad, unbiased overview of the case, but it does provide a good insight into her parents' feelings and actions.

Madeleine can be purchased from Amazon UK and Amazon US for £7 or $15.37.

Review: Pet Noir by Pati Nagle

Whilst Pet Noir originally sounded right up my street, especially as I am rather fond of cats, the reality was disappointing. The book follows Leon, a genetically engineered cat, who solves a range of cases along with his human companion Devin. That is perhaps the book's biggest downfall, as it is actually five short stories rather than one novel, which interrupted the flow when reading it. Some of the cases were predictable and felt rushed towards the end.

From Amazon

My one other major criticism is that the characterisation, at times, is unbelievable. Leon and Devin, are beautifully written, and it is a shame that the other characters are not written with such care. I did however like the idea of a cat detective, and Pet Noir did make me laugh in places.

As a final word, I would warn hard-core Sci-Fi fans that this is only really Sci-Fi in context, and the plot is rather more humour-based than heavy science-fiction.

Overall, I finished the book but didn't really like it, although that could be just that it wasn't what I expected. I wouldn't read this again, and I would only recommend it to fans of this particular sub-genre or perhaps the teenage reader, who wants something different. Only two stars I'm afraid.

Pet Noir is available from Amazon for £3.47

[This review copy was obtained in the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Giveaway]

Review: The Sex Club by L.J. Sellers

The Sex Club is the second L.J. Seller's novel I have had the pleasure to read, and like The Baby Thief it is a gripping thriller. It starts as a bomb goes off at a Planned Parenthood clinic, which young teen Jessie narrowly misses, however her luck runs out when she is found dead in a dumpster. Planned Parenthood worker Kera is intrigued and begins to uncover a secret 'sex club' amongst the city's young teens. As another teen is found dead, and more bombs are threatened, Kera must discover the links before it's too late.

From Amazon

The Sex Club is an enjoyable read, that kept me gripped throughout. However there are some elements that detract from the overall reading experience which has reduced the rating. The major problem is that the plot is too readily reveled, it becomes clear to the reader early on what is happening and the rest of the book, whilst enjoyable, is spent waiting for Kera and Detective Jackson to figure it out, rather than waiting to discover it yourself. In addition, the 'sex club' plot, is just a little too unbelievable the way it is presented, I'm not saying teens don't have sex, but the way the idea of the 'sex club' is set up is just too much of a stretch for me. The book falls apart towards the end, as while it's dramatic, the plot becomes even more stretched, and some character's become less believable.

It was very hard to rate this book as I really enjoyed it and feel that it would make a great holiday-read for many people. On the other hand there are plot and character issues that I feel would frustrate many readers, and did irritate me at points. Therefore I am giving it 3 and a half stars, although I do recommend you give it a go as it is only 69p from Amazon.

The Sex Club is available from Amazon UK for just 69p.

E-book - The Quest for Nobility by Debra L. Martin and David W. Small

In this fantasy novel by Debra L. Martin and David W. Small the parents of royal Otharian twins Darius and Dyla have been murdered; their cousin is stealing their throne, and they are falsely accused of murder. Their only choice is to flee to the forbidden and quarantined planet Earth, but it could turn out to be a one-way trip. 

To return home, they must find an ancient crystal, that once belonged to Merlin, to power the return portal. When the twins stumble upon the location of the crystal, the local crime boss sends out his assassin to retrieve it. Can Darius and Dyla use their PSI powers to open the portal home and reclaim their throne before the assassin catches up to them?

The Quest for Nobility has got some great reviews and is available from Amazon UK for £1.79 and is also available from Amazon.com, Smashwords and Barnes and Noble.