Where the Wind Blows
-Caroline Fyffe
"What if she swooned, or worse yet, started crying? He had little experience with women. Decent ones, anyway."
Should Be Reading @ Wordpress
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Teaser Tuesday (1)
This is officially the first "Teaser Tuesday" I have ever participated in, but it seems like great fun!
Expecting a Slap in the Face
When you work at a hospital for the criminally insane, it is essential that you don't let your mind slip beyond your control.
Dr. Matthew Russel is the managing director of a mental hospital for the criminally insane in Claude Bouchard's novel Asylum. Becoming more and more frustrated with his job, Matthew knows it's time for a vacation. Especially when he learns that he's days from losing his wife and children.
Matt promises his wife, Cass, that he'll make a change. And by the last page, it's a change that I guarantee the reader won't see coming.
But, trying not to give too much away, to believe the end, I need to believe the entire novel.
Yes, I was brought in with the opening of the novel. Bouchard did a wonderful job in drawing the reader into the story line.
Yes, the characters were intriguing. (i.e. when Matthew snaps and does something completely ridiculous such as kills a man and throws him into a dumpster)
However, when I'm doubting whether I, as the reader, can believe the narrator ... there's something not right. Towards the end of the novel I found myself scoffing at a plot twist instead of being surprised or entertained.
Not to be harsh, but I would rather this have been a short story, leaving out the day by day account of Dr. Matthew Russel. At least that way the end would have actually slapped me in the face, like it was supposed to.
Asylum on Amazon
Dr. Matthew Russel is the managing director of a mental hospital for the criminally insane in Claude Bouchard's novel Asylum. Becoming more and more frustrated with his job, Matthew knows it's time for a vacation. Especially when he learns that he's days from losing his wife and children.
Matt promises his wife, Cass, that he'll make a change. And by the last page, it's a change that I guarantee the reader won't see coming.
* * *
Although at the end of the novel I understand the middle, while reading Asylum I had countless problems with the plot. The first thing that bothered me is that it is drastically unrealistic. Around every corner there is a man with a knife, a car jacker, a robber, a sexual predator, and Matthew is always there to save his family. He's "Family Man." The super-hero dad that every father wants to be. And like I said, with the last chapter, I completely understand why Matthew needed to save each member of his family.But, trying not to give too much away, to believe the end, I need to believe the entire novel.
Yes, I was brought in with the opening of the novel. Bouchard did a wonderful job in drawing the reader into the story line.
Yes, the characters were intriguing. (i.e. when Matthew snaps and does something completely ridiculous such as kills a man and throws him into a dumpster)
However, when I'm doubting whether I, as the reader, can believe the narrator ... there's something not right. Towards the end of the novel I found myself scoffing at a plot twist instead of being surprised or entertained.
Not to be harsh, but I would rather this have been a short story, leaving out the day by day account of Dr. Matthew Russel. At least that way the end would have actually slapped me in the face, like it was supposed to.
rating: 2/5 cups
Monday, March 5, 2012
Do Not Resuscitate
DNR.
Do not resuscitate.
Those were the letters that Dr. Elena Gardner wrote on her husband's chart while he lay in a coma. Then someone turned off his life support.
DNR. The letters that were written on Chester Pulliam's chart right before his life support was withdrawn. Signed by Dr. Elena Gardner. Except she wasn't the one who wrote them, this time.
Midnight calls every Tuesday to Elena's phone. Letters that guarantee she will pay for what she's done. A suspicious eye focused on her, waiting for her to slip up again.
In Richard Mabry's book, Diagnosis Death, Elena is being framed for multiple homicides. And the killer is getting closer. Are all of these threats connected or are they coming from separate sources? Mabry takes the reader on a trek through the hospitals in Texas, weaving in and out of patient rooms, forcing them to keep their eyes glancing back over their left shoulder.
The main character, Dr. Elena Gardner, is easy to connect with on a personal level. She's a woman who has lost someone very close to her and is still struggling with the pain that loss caused. Readers can easily compare their own loss with that of Elena's, bringing them closer to understanding the fears that hide in the pages. This novel is fast-paced, but doesn't omit the details needed to fully comprehend the plot. Wonderful read, especially for anyone who has interests in medicine.
Do not resuscitate.
Those were the letters that Dr. Elena Gardner wrote on her husband's chart while he lay in a coma. Then someone turned off his life support.
DNR. The letters that were written on Chester Pulliam's chart right before his life support was withdrawn. Signed by Dr. Elena Gardner. Except she wasn't the one who wrote them, this time.
Midnight calls every Tuesday to Elena's phone. Letters that guarantee she will pay for what she's done. A suspicious eye focused on her, waiting for her to slip up again.
In Richard Mabry's book, Diagnosis Death, Elena is being framed for multiple homicides. And the killer is getting closer. Are all of these threats connected or are they coming from separate sources? Mabry takes the reader on a trek through the hospitals in Texas, weaving in and out of patient rooms, forcing them to keep their eyes glancing back over their left shoulder.
The main character, Dr. Elena Gardner, is easy to connect with on a personal level. She's a woman who has lost someone very close to her and is still struggling with the pain that loss caused. Readers can easily compare their own loss with that of Elena's, bringing them closer to understanding the fears that hide in the pages. This novel is fast-paced, but doesn't omit the details needed to fully comprehend the plot. Wonderful read, especially for anyone who has interests in medicine.
Diagnosis Death on Amazon
rating: 4/5 cups
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Wedding Cake Crumbles
Disappearing dresses.
Skeletons hiding in the closet.
Allergic reactions to her fiance.
Not to worry, Sherilyn is determined to marry the man of her dreams in Sandra D. Bricker's Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride.
When Sherilyn and Andy become engaged, they decide to move back to Atlanta, Georgia. Sherilyn earns herself a career at The Tanglewood Inn as the hotel's wedding planner, working with her best friend, Emma. But it seems Karma has set her sights on Sherilyn's happiness as things take multiple turns for the worse.
If Sherilyn could only forgive herself for the mistake she made when she was younger, perhaps Karma's revenge would retreat. Then she could have her own happy ending.
This sequel to Always the Baker, Never the Bride had me reading at lightening speed. It's as delicious as the first one, maybe even more. Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride centers around Sherilyn Caine, wedding planner extraordinaire. And now it's her turn to be the bride. Readers can find themselves right beside Sherilyn as each piece of her wedding begins to fall apart, before the date is even set. The connection that Bricker's words create with the reader is a wonderful flow of friendship. The more the reader comes to know Sherilyn, the closer they step to being in her shoes.
And what fun shoes to fill!
Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride on Amazon
Skeletons hiding in the closet.
Allergic reactions to her fiance.
Not to worry, Sherilyn is determined to marry the man of her dreams in Sandra D. Bricker's Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride.
When Sherilyn and Andy become engaged, they decide to move back to Atlanta, Georgia. Sherilyn earns herself a career at The Tanglewood Inn as the hotel's wedding planner, working with her best friend, Emma. But it seems Karma has set her sights on Sherilyn's happiness as things take multiple turns for the worse.
If Sherilyn could only forgive herself for the mistake she made when she was younger, perhaps Karma's revenge would retreat. Then she could have her own happy ending.
This sequel to Always the Baker, Never the Bride had me reading at lightening speed. It's as delicious as the first one, maybe even more. Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride centers around Sherilyn Caine, wedding planner extraordinaire. And now it's her turn to be the bride. Readers can find themselves right beside Sherilyn as each piece of her wedding begins to fall apart, before the date is even set. The connection that Bricker's words create with the reader is a wonderful flow of friendship. The more the reader comes to know Sherilyn, the closer they step to being in her shoes.
And what fun shoes to fill!
rating: 5/5 cups
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