Book Review: Glass Houses by Louise Penny

Glass Houses

by Louise Penny

Genre: Mystery, Contemporary, Fiction

Synopsis:

When a mysterious figure appears on the village green on a cold November day in Three Pines, Armand Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec, knows something is seriously wrong. Yet he does nothing. Legally, what can he do? Only watch and wait. And hope his mounting fears are not realized.

From the moment its shadow falls over Three Pines, Gamache suspects the creature has deep roots and a dark purpose. When it suddenly vanishes and a body is discovered, it falls to Gamache to discover if a debt has been paid or levied.

In the early days of the investigation into the murder, and months later, as the trial for the accused begins in a Montreal courtroom on a steamy day in July, the Chief Superintendent continues to struggle with actions he’s set in motion, from which there is no going back. “This case began in a higher court,” he tells the judge, “and it’s going to end there.”

And regardless of the trial’s outcome, he must face his own conscience.

In her latest utterly gripping book, number-one New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny shatters the conventions of the crime novel to explore what Gandhi called the court of conscience. A court that supersedes all others.

Review:

As always, I must warn you that this post may contain spoilers. I don't find that I have much of a filter when it comes to these things.


Honestly, I don't think I will ever not like a Louise Penny book. I'm only sorry I didn't read this one sooner, and that when I did start reading it, I didn't give it the attention it deserved. I adore the world that Louise Penny has created in these books. Not just Three Pines, and not just because it's set in the region where I live... I love the people as if they were my own friends and neighbours, and I love the atmosphere, and I love the attention she gives to food.

So before I read it, I saw a ton of reviews that toted this novel as her "best one yet" and everyone saying it was their favourite... I won't say that, but I will say that it took on a slightly different feel, and I liked it. It made me cry, and that's usually a sign of a very good book. (Or maybe I was just an emotional wreck when I was reading it... Who knows?)

The story goes back and forth between the events leading up to a murder that took place in Three Pines in November, and the Montreal courtroom in July, where the case is being tried and Armand is giving his testimony.

Of course there is more to the story than the murder itself. In previous books, Louise dealt with corruption in the government; in this one she addresses drug cartels. In order to stop this one significant source of crime and death in Quebec, Gamache and his team must launch a huge top secret undercover operation which results in many more deaths, and crimes that they themselves must commit, for the greater good. The line between right and wrong is not always clear.

I mentioned it in my Goodreads review, but I'll say it again here, the last three chapters were really what got me. The major action scenes happen then (which were what made me cry), we finally discover who the murderer was, as well as the identity of the head of the drug cartel, and we are left in suspense to find out whether or not Armand Gamache will maintain his title as Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec!

My Goodreads rating:

Book Review: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Stalking Jack the Ripper

by Kerri Maniscalco

Source: I bought a e-version fairly cheap on Google Books

Genre: Young Adult, Historical fiction, Mystery, Horror

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life. 

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world. 

Review:

It took me two weeks to finish this book, for a few reasons. One being that I was trying to read three books at once, which rarely goes well for me. Another being that it was an e-book, which I generally find more difficult to read. They're handy because I can read them on my phone, which I always have with me. However, if I have my phone screen in front of me, the temptation to do any- and everything other than read is strong.

That said, I did find that the beginning was a little uninteresting. It wasn't exactly slow, the murders start happening almost immediately, but it didn't quite grab me until a few chapters in.

I really enjoyed the characters. I loved how independent, spunky, and feminine Audrey Rose was, and I fancied how odd, brilliant, and flirtatious Thomas was. I just really liked their chemistry and dialogue.

I appreciated the inclusion of period photos, they helped to really put you in the setting. The photos were creepy, but not gruesome; ranging from medical diagrams to a leper to evidence from the Jack the Ripper case.

I was quite intrigued by this teenage female MC in Victorian England, being so interested in the inner workings of bodies, forensic science, mystery solving, etc. She knows where her interests lie, and nobody's going to stop her - I love that! I loved that her uncle recognized her brilliance and drive and was willing to apprentice her, despite her father's wishes. And, of course, I loved that Thomas was attracted to her brains.

For Audrey Rose's character alone I would give the book five stars, but on top of that, there was a really interesting interpretation of the Jack the Ripper case. I was relatively surprised by the identity of Jack (by that point it was really only down to two possible suspects, in my opinion), and the resolution of the case and how the final evidence was presented to confirm  this character's guilt was delightfully creepy and weird.

I found the story to be very tastefully executed, despite a horrific topic. The conclusion was satisfying and could pretty easily be left at that, but it leads so tidily into the next book that I am quite looking forward to reading Hunting Prince Dracula. I believe I would recommend this book, but only if the person appreciates horror and murder mysteries. I wouldn't exactly describe this as a horror, myself, but it does describe some of the horrific facts of the historical case, so... it's kinda creepy and gross in that way.

My Goodreads rating:

Book Review: Dark Places

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

So I had written a couple of quick reviews when I first finished this book, but I'd like to expand a bit.

I was introduced to Gillian Flynn's writing a couple years ago when I read Gone Girl. I found it extremely captivating and the very essence of a thriller, so I had pretty high expectations for this book, and I was not disappointed.

To summarize, the story is about Libby Day, a woman whose family (mother & two older sisters) was murdered when she was 6 years old, and her brother was accused and convicted of the crime. She's grown up in the limelight of that crime, hating & fearing her brother, and living off the settlement money and donations sent to "little baby Day" by the public. But 25 years later, the money's run out, and it's time for Libby to grow up, face her fears, and learn what really happened that fateful night.

The story flips back and forth between the present and the days leading up to the murders. In the present, it's always from Libby's point of view, but the flashbacks are told from various points of view: the mother, the brother, etc. That makes is a bit hard to follow, but also adds interest as you try to piece together what happened.

Libby was my favourite. She is bratty and annoying from the start, make no mistake. I wanted to shake her and say, "Get over yourself and just do something!" a lot of the time, but I guess that's sort of the point, because as the story unfolds, she engages more and more and begins to come to life. I also pitied her her lot in life, and was rooting for her the whole time as she made new discoveries and ventured outside of her (many and irrational) comfort zones.

From the first page, I was absolutely gripped by the story. I read it over the course of a weekend, which is pretty fast for me. I think Gillian does an excellent job of keeping just the right amount of creepy thrills without it being overwhelming, scary, or horrifying. Not to say that the murders depicted weren't horrific, and I did get a bit squeamish with some of the descriptions, but it wasn't enough to turn me off of the story.

The ending was really not what I was expecting, at all. I had my ideas from the beginning of who the killer might have been and why Libby was spared, but I didn't suspect the outcome. Once it was presented, of course everything made sense, and I remembered all the little clues we'd been given throughout the book.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of thrillers, mysteries, crime fiction, etc! Gillian is a master at these, and I'm very much looking forward to reading her other titles.

Let me know if you've read Dark Places and what your thoughts were!

Book Reviews: The Mermaid Chair & The Vanishing Season

Continuing to review the books I've read over the course of this past year, here we have The Mermaid Chair and The Vanishing Season. Enjoy!

from Indigo.ca

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

The Mermaid Chair was an intriguing title and a fun cover that I happened upon at a yard sale. I recognized the author, so I thought I would give it a shot. It was not as good as I had hoped, but I was still pretty hooked. Really interesting characters, and a lovely chemistry between them. But I find that sometimes titles can be misleading. There was indeed a mermaid chair in the book, but I didn't feel it had as much significance to the story as the title implies...

Jessie  is suffering from empty-nest syndrome and realizing that she's not sure whether she still loves her husband or not. Then she gets a call asking her to come home, to help take care of her eccentric mother who has been making questionable decisions. Jessie grasps the chance to get away from her own life. While she tries to help her mom sort through the reasons behind her strange behaviour, Jessie also tries to sort out her own feelings. But then she meets Brother Thomas, and her life suddenly becomes very complicated.

It was a good read, - a sort of self-discovery and love story - but took me longer than anticipated to read because it wasn't as interesting as I thought it might be. I don't think I would recommend it, just because I didn't love it. But it was good.

 

from Indigo.ca

The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

 

**SPOILER WARNING: I tried not to, but I think I may have inadvertently spilled some figurative beans with this one.**

I found this book at Chapters, marked down to $5. The cover and title appealed to me. It sounded like a pretty interesting concept:

Girls started vanishing in the fall, and now winter's come to lay a white sheet over the horror. Door County, it seems, is swallowing the young, right into its very dirt. From beneath the house on Water Street, I've watched the danger swell.

The residents know me as the noises in the house at night, the creaking on the stairs. I'm the reflection behind them in the glass, the feeling of fear in the cellar. I'm tied—it seems—to this house, this street, this town.

I'm tied to Maggie and Pauline, though I don't know why. I think it's because death is coming for one of them, or both.

All I know is that the present and the past are piling up, and I am here to dig. I am looking for the things that are buried.

From bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes a friendship story bound in snow and starlight, a haunting mystery of love, betrayal, redemption, and the moments that we leave behind.

It's more or less a ghost story, told by the ghost. That is to say, it's narrated in the first person, from the point of view of the ghost or spirit (we're not quite sure which). It's about three teenagers in a small town: the brainiac new girl, Maggie; her neighbour, the eccentric rich girl, Pauline; and Pauline's best friend, Liam. It's a story of first love, of backstabbing friends, of broken hearts... but it's also a story of bravery & nobility & doing the right thing, and of moving on...

 

The ending is strange. It's simultaneously satisfying and dissatisfying. For good measure, at the climax we're sure that two of our main characters are going to die. Someone does die, but not who we're expecting. In the end we finally find out what/who is telling the story, but it's rather disappointing.

 

We're given the impression that there's a serial killer on the loose and so one of the girls might surely become a victim and die in that way. Then there is Pauline's carefree lifestyle, being sure that she will die young because her father did, which makes us think she will most likely be the casualty. There are also hints that maybe the ghostly narrator is someone who lived in Maggie's house hundreds of years ago, which was my preferred idea. But none of these were true, which was disappointing for me...

 

I liked the book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Young Adult and creepy reads.

Book Reviews: The Buckshaw Chronicles #2 & Little Bee

from Indigo.ca

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag is the second book in the series by Canadian author Alan Bradley (sometimes known as The Buckshaw Chronicles). The stories, set in the 1950's, are about a young girl detective, Flavia de Luce, who has a passion for chemistry and, when she's not terrorizing her older sisters, solving mysteries (especially murders). She also gets herself into all sorts of mischief along the way. I happened upon the series when I was given The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (book #1, which I adored!) in a box of books. Since then I found books #2 and #3 in second-hand book sales, so I continue to keep an eye out for the rest of the books!
I recently learned that Alan Bradley has co-written an intriguing book called Ms. Holmes of Baker Street: The Truth About Sherlock, and just released a new Flavia de Luce mystery (September 21, 2016), which means there are now eight books in the series. I love the cover art of these books, and the poetic titles - combinations that are sure to catch my attention! The fact that the main character is a strong-willed young girl makes them even better; and add to that a Canadian author = hopeless case for me!

In The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, a TV puppeteer, Rupert & his assistant, Nialla, come to town. Rupert appears to have old ties to the Ingleby's - the strange couple whose son died five years earlier in an apparent, but suspicious, suicide. As the oddities begin to pile up, Flavia befriends Nialla, and investigates the Ingleby's son's death, as well as the shocking death of the puppeteer in front of the whole town. True to form, she also gets herself into a few tight spots. Ultimately, however, Flavia is instrumental in solving both cases.

Loved the book, and would definitely recommend it. :)

from Amazon.com

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

The number of books in my room, and all around the house, which make up my To Be Read "pile" is enormous... but, as true book nerds know, that doesn't mean you stop buying & collecting books. I went into my local new & used bookstore a few weeks ago (it's right beside where I work - a very dangerous work hazard!) and Little Bee was being featured at the front of the store, as a promotion for lesser-known books. The cover art and back cover blurb are what drew me in, and when I went to check out with it, the clerk told me she had also been intrigued by it and hoped I would let her know if it's good.

We don't want to tell you too much about this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this: It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific. The story starts there, but the book doesn't. And it's what happens afterward that is most important. Once you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.

I mean, who wouldn't be intrigued be that, right?!

Well... it certainly was an interesting read. There's this unspeakable shared past that keeps being referred to throughout the book, which you think must be just terrible... but it's really not as bad as they make it out to be, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, it's disturbing and unpleasant, but not the great horror I was expecting... The last, probably, 1/2 to 1/3 of the book was rather weak and not very interesting. It has a relatively happy ending, but it doesn't feel like it ended well. It was in no way "extremely funny," although I enjoyed Little Bee's dialogues and found her view of the world to be beautiful and amusing. It was a book that I couldn't put down at times, had me crying at times, had me chuckling to myself at times... but I really didn't love it, and would not recommend it.

Book Reviews: August-September reading

Hi again! It has been a while, but here's the latest in what I've been reading...

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It's taken me nine months to do it, but I can now say that I have read the complete Sherlock Holmes collection: 56 short stories and 4 novels. I also watched the movie when it came out last year (or was it the year before... time flies...) and between the two I have completely fallen in love with both Sherlock and John Watson. I won't go into really describing each story, and to be honest, it's been a while since I read the first ones. But I think my favourite Holmes story will always be The Hound of the Baskervilles. I also particularly enjoyed The Adventure of the Dying Detective and The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire. In the Dying Detective, Holmes pretends to be dying of some rare disease in order to draw a confession out of a murderer. In the Sussex Vampire, a woman is believed to be a vampire because she is found with her mouth to her young child's neck, where there are pinpricks, and her mouth is covered in blood. Holmes figures out that the child's half brother was trying to kill his brother with poison darts, out of jealousy, and the mother was sucking the poison out.

Overall story rating: 9.5/10 for all
Recommendation: 13+ (the British might be more difficult for younger readers)


Over Her Dead Body by Kate White. I read another book by Kate White, this book actually takes place before that one. In this book, main character Bailey Weggins lands a great job working for a high profile celebrity magazine. Shortly after starting work, her boss is found dead in the office and Bailey makes it her business to find the killer. Another coworker dies along the way, but Bailey eventually finds her man.

Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: 14+


My Wicked Vampire by Nina Bangs was by far the strangest take on vampires and other-worldly creatures that I have ever read. In this book (which is apparently part of the Castle of Dark Dreams series), main character Cinn Airmid is hired by Sparkle Stardust to work for the Castle of Dreams - an adult theme park - because Cinn has a unique ability with plants. Meaning that she can develop plants that do unimaginable things. Cinn believes that it's all science, but Sparkle knows that the truth is that Cinn is a descendant of the plant goddess Airmid and Cinn is actually a demi-goddess which means she has some of Airmid's own powers. And Airmid doesn't like what Cinn's doing to her plants. Cinn is suddently thrown into a world she never knew existed and falls for the most lethal creature of all - vampire.

Overall story rating: 7/10
Recommendation: 17+


If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now by Claire LaZebnik. I found this to be a really awesome "coming-of-age" story that I kind of felt able to relate to. College dropout Rickie is a 25 year old single mom to the very challenging 7 year old Noah, who has been unemployed and living with her parents since Noah was born. She can't get along with her mom, and can't understand her son. Things start to change when Noah complains that his new gym teacher pushed him too hard and let the other kids kick him and laugh at him. Rickie goes to the school in a rage and tries to get Coach Andrew Fulton fired. That of course doesn't work, but it sparks an interesting relationship between Rickie and Andrew and they ultimately fall in love. *sigh* <3

Overall story rating: 10/10 
Recommendation: 14+


Smart Girls Think Twice by Cathie Linz. This was your typical romance. Between a smart, naïve girl, and a buff, guarded boy. It's more or less love at first sight, and lots of sexual tension between them for most of the book. The story wasn't very well developed/written. The characters were, I feel like the main characters are some of my friends. But the story line was lacking. And it was all very predictable - nothing new going on here. The basic opposites-attract, fall in love, then one runs away and hurts the other, and then they get back together and live happily ever after. The End.

Overall story rating: 5/10
Recommendation: 19+ (a lot of explicit imagery)


I have now read 30 out of my aimed 52 books. There are 14 weeks left of 2011 so I've got 22 books left to read, approximately 1.5 every week between now and the new year!! Wish me luck!  =0D

Yikes!! More Book Reviews

My, my, my, how the time flies! Was my last post really in May?!? Yikes! Well, things have been busy... just not that busy, I don't really have an excuse for ya. Somewhere in the course of the last 6.5 months, my goal has shifted from reading all the books on my list (which was 52 or something like that) in the year, to just reading 52 books this year, equaling out to one a week. I am, of course, trying to check off the list. But, as always, I keep accumulating more books, which look so much more interesting than the old ones, so the older ones keep getting pushed aside. But I am, slowly, working through them. So, to cover the last couple months...

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan and Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella. I've really been enjoying the Shopaholic series, I look forward to someday getting my hands on the rest of them. I think I may have bought another of Sophie's books on my last Value Village run, but I can't remember. Becky is, as always, infuriating and yet reminds me in small ways of myself. I think she gets more annoying with each book! In the Takes Manhattan book, Becky and Luke move to New York. She ends up getting into a lot of debt - again. She also can't stand Luke's mother, who only appears to have an interest in him now that he's becoming famous and making a name for himself. Unfortunately things get really sour when some reporters back in London find out that the finance guru is a complete fake and has loads of debt - overseas, to boot! This also sheds a bad light on Luke and his efforts to open the new branch of his company in New York. They have a huge fight and Becky goes home and discovers who the culprit was behind all of her bad luck. Then she makes the huge decision to sell all her things, pay off her debts, and move to New York - alone. Two months later, Luke goes to find her and proposes. In Ties the Knot, Becky is especially frustrating as she accidentally starts to plan 2 completely different weddings and hasn't got the backbone to choose one and cancel the other. Option 1: New York dream wedding, all expenses paid (by Luke's mom). Option 2: Sweet, traditional London wedding at home, with her mom and dad paying. Both weddings are planned for the same day and she manages to keep both mothers in the dark. In the end everything works out, of course, but it's a close call!!

Overall story rating: 9/10 for both
Recommendation: 14+

Too Small to Ignore by Dr. Wess Stafford was a really moving view of the world's children and how we should be ministering to them. This is not my first choice of book genre's, which I suppose is why it made the impact that it did. Dr. Stafford spent most of his growing up years in Africa as a missionary kid, and I loved the stories he shared about life as a little boy in their village. How different life was there. He also shares unpleasant stories about the boarding school he and his sister lived at for most of the year. Terrible things that people - Christians - do to children, because nobody is there to stop them. That's why children need advocates. That's why I am one. I may not have experienced the horrible things that those children, or that Dr. Stafford, have suffered, but I have compassion and empathy and a sense of justice. It was a really good read...

Overall story rating: 8/10 It's not really a story, more of a biography, but quite interesting
Recommendation: Adults and mature teenagers, particularly those interested in Compassion, the mission field, and/or child advocacy...

The Prince Next Door by Sue Civil-Brown. This was a fun little book about a thrill-seeking dermatologist who just wants to have a good time over her vacation. Her new neighbour seems mysterious enough, but then she finds out that he's trying to disprove that he is the prince of some obscure little European country that nobody's ever heard of. That's just too much of an adventure for Serena to pass up, so she and a couple of her friends decide to help Darius. The plan involves robbery and deception, with some kidnapping thrown in. Things don't turn out as planned for those involved, but they do find their answer - and, of course, Serena and Darius fall in love. :)

Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: 16+

A Body to Die For by Kate White. Halfway through this book, I realized there is one that comes before, which I have since bought. Unfortunately now I know what happens in the first one, but this one was such a thriller I'm sure I'll have no problem getting through the other one. It starts off with Bailey, the main character, going to a friend's spa to relax, and discovering a dead body in the spa, her first night there. She spends the rest of that weekend (and a couple others?) comforting her friend, getting friendly with a cop, and conducting her own investigation. The murderer really is the last person you would expect...

Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: 16+

The Film Club by David Gilmour. This is a true story about a dad who let his son drop out of high school on the condition that they would watch 3 movies (of Dad's choice) together every week. The father had spent some time as a film critic, so he tried to introduce his son to a wide range of different styles of movies. Old movies, new movies, art movies, fun movies, etc.etc. It was a bonding time for them and many topics were discussed during these years. It's an interesting concept, but definitely not for everyone.

Overall story rating: 7/10
Recommendation: I wouldn't really recommend it

Rapid Descent by Gwen Hunter. Parts of this book were a bit boring for me, just because it's all about kayaking so there were certain parts where it's talking about techniques or tools that I'm not familiar with, but at the same time it was interesting, and now I have a slight interest in learning to kayak. Anyway, the story is about this woman (Nell), who goes kayaking with her husband (Joe). She gets caught up in a fallen tree and is unconscious for a while. He gets worried and decides to go for help. She wakes up a day later to find his note and is worried that he might be hurt somewhere because he hasn't come back. She goes out looking for him on the water, despite being very sick. She can't find him and eventually comes across some campers who get her some medical attention. They search for Joe for a long time, but never find him. She also discovers that Joe has a family (which he told her he didn't) and they're rich. And, at the end of the search, she finds out she's pregnant. Fast forward 7 years, Nell has a booming river touring business. The cold case opens back up. Nell was always their first suspect, even now. They eventually find the body, and the real killer, and Nell finds her joy and a new love.

Overall story rating: 8/10
Recommendation: 18+

So... quick overview of all those books. It's been a while since I read some of them, so I'm a bit rusty on the stories.

Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

This was a really fun story, I totally enjoyed it. It had a very Lemony Snicket / Roald Dahl feel to it that was really magical and extraordinary and made you feel like anything is possible.

The story is about these 4 special children who take Mr. Benedict's crazy tests and end up joining his secret society to become spies. Their mission: to discover what exactly The Thing To Come is, and bring a stop to it. Reynie, the boy telling the story, is very bright with a knack for problem-solving and leadership. Sticky has an incredible memory. Kate is extremely resourceful and knows distances just by looking at them. Then there's Constance. Nobody really knows what her talent is, other than being obnoxiously negative and ornery. Her stubbornness does end up saving the day, but what makes her truly special doesn't come to light until the very end - surprise!

I can't really describe it much more than this without telling the whole story. The children go undercover to this private academy to solve Mr. Benedict's mystery. They find some other surprises along the way. And they have almost daily contact with Mr. Benedict and his crew across the river by using a flashlight to send Morse code messages. The messages sent back are always coded tho, so they always have to figure out what Mr. Benedict is trying to tell them, and then do it. They almost get caught a few times, but are ultimately successful.

I found it to be a really fun, interesting adventure, and when I got to the end I realized that there are at least 2 other books about these extraordinary children and their adventures. If I ever come across them I would definitely get them! :)

Overall story rating: 9/10
Recommendation: anyone - it's quite big, though

Book Review: The Suicide Club by Gayle Wilson

This is a really powerful and emotional story about some very troubled teenagers. Main character, Lindsey Sloan, is the "gifted coordinator" at Randolph-Lowen High School. She specializes in teaching the gifted and especially bright students in their small Alabama county, and surrounding counties. She's a trusted and favoured teacher and always sees the best in her students. Until Detective Jace Nolan arrives.

Jace has been sent to investigate a series of three fires that were set to black churches in the area. His team "up north" has put together a profile of the perpetrators, which they believe to be young, white, particularly intelligent males, since they've left no trace of their crimes. Jace is convinced that the culprits are among Lindsey's students, and while the fires have stopped, he believes it's only a matter of time before the individuals strike again, seeking the adrenaline high the fires gave them.

Lindsey absolutely refuses to believe that any of her students could be involved in these crimes. Even after her students make a big deal about her and the detective spending time together, and then she finds a rattlesnake in her home. Jace deduces that the very act proves that the ones who started the fires are in her class, and they think that because she's been seen with him, they think she knows something and is ratting them out to the police. Lindsey still won't believe it, although she's convinced the rattler didn't just crawl into her laundry hamper, despite what her neighbours have to say. But when someone locks her in the ticket booth at the football game and sets the booth on fire (from which Jace rescues her), she can't help but think Jace may be right, even if she can't fathom any of her students wanting to harm her.

In the meantime, the case is developing into an epidemic of suicides, starting with a young girl. One of Lindsey's students, Andrea Moore was quiet and sweet and kept to herself, and Lindsey was probably the last person she spoke to before taking her own life. When they find out that she had a history of depression and cutting, Lindsey and one of the school counselors, Shannon, are beside themselves wondering why they hadn't known and how they could have helped her. It's later on discovered that someone set up a fake profile for Andrea on a social networking site, making obscene posts supposedly written by Andrea about her sexual acts. This prompted cruel rumours and e-mails which eventually drove Andrea to her fate. The following days are hard on everyone, students and staff alike, and the counselors fear that the attention will bring about a copycat suicide - some kid thinking that they'd like the same attention and love Andrea's getting postmortem. When Lindsey discovers the next suicide victim a week later, they believe their fears have come true. Tim Harrison is the last person Lindsey would have thought would commit suicide, and nobody can figure out why, until Jace does some investigating and finds out that Tim, too, was the victim of cruel rumours and vicious e-mails in the days leading up to his death. Rumours that he was gay, which he was, but nobody knew.

Things start to spiral when the school principal is found dead, supposedly suicide, in Shannon's house. The coroner soon discovers that it was murder, however. Deciding that things have gotten way out of hand, and having been scared thinking it was her friend who was dead, Lindsey concedes that it's possible one of her students might be involved, and Shannon finally goes to the police with the hunch she's had since Jace first started the investigation.

The story climaxes with a very intense and eerily real Columbine situation, where 3 students from the gifted program come to school early bearing guns and explosives and taking Lindsey hostage, killing administration staff, first response officers, and one other student before Jace and the police force take down 2 of them and rescue Lindsey. These teens were responsible for starting the rumours about the other two, and while they hadn't made them commit suicide, it was the intended goal. Shannon had been their intended victim, but they ended up having to kill the principal when he showed up at her house and surprised them. They had had a whole list of victims, mostly in Lindsey's program, who they had intended to kill in the shooting, but got off schedule, and things ended the way they did.

Of course, there's a passionate love story going on between Jace and Lindsey, which at times feels a bit corny, but has a sweet enough ending. :)



Overall story rating: 10/10
Recommendation: 18+ for language and mature content