After the Crash by Michel Bussi

ISBN-13: 9781780227320
Publisher: W&N
Publication Date: August 2015
Format: Paperback, 400 pgs
Source: Library 

December 23, 1980. A night flight bound for Paris crashed into Mont Terri, a snowy mountainside near the Turkish border. All the 169 passengers were perished except for an infant girl, who was thrown out from the plane before the plane caught fire. The media dubbed her as "the Miracle Child of Mont Terri", and just when the world is amazed and overjoyed by this little survivor, there comes a million dollars question. There were two infants on board and there are two families who came forward and claim the child. So is she Lyse-Rose or Emilie? The infants' age were merely a few months apart and given that DNA testing isn't introduced during that time, it was difficult to tell who's who given that family members who could recognise them were either perished or too young an age to be trusted. 

Eighteen years later, Crédule Grand Duc, a private detective is asked to investigate this mystery by one family. On the verge of giving up and committing suicide, the mystery suddenly dawned on him in his final moments. The notebook he had recorded during his investigations had now fallen into Marc's hands; a university student who has taken a liking to "Lylie", a beautiful university mate who has grown up from that unfortunate tragedy eighteen years ago. Marc intends to find out the truth but it seems he is not the only one who is looking for "Lylie". 

After the Crash is no doubt a very intense mystery that had me turning the pages. However, there was one thing that prevent me from enjoying and liking this book fully is the credibility part and the family melodrama which follows. While there are some characters who are interesting, such as the detective and even "Lylie" who remains vague, there are also some characters who would frustrate or infuriate readers. And then, there is that DNA part which perplexed me. It might be true that "Lylie's" identity wasn't identified due to the technology which wasn't common then, but the authorities or even the families would choose to remain "nonchalant" even when the girl has grown up and surely they could have her DNA tested and compare with the remaining family members? This book has a very interesting and intense premise but it lacks plausibility in my opinion. That said, the book was a page-turner and I'm sure it would appeal to readers who want an entertaining and an intense read. 

Travelers Rest by Keith Lee Morris

ISBN-13: 9780316335829
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: January 2016
Format: Hardcover, 368 pgs
Source: Library

I figured I better put up a review today since I might be swamped by the one-week school holidays next week. I hope you have a great weekend ahead and here's my thoughts on Travelers Rest. 

Tonio and Julia Addison, accompanied by their ten-year-old son Dewey, is travelling home across country after collecting Tonio’s brother, Robbie, from a rehab centre when the blizzard hit. Since it is night time and for safety reason, they decided to take refuge at Travelers Rest, an old hotel located at a small mining town called Good Night. 

However, Tonio finds Travelers Rest strange, and most of all it has no heating and the hotel looks quiet with only a staff at the reception. Tonio wants to continue with their drive but Julia is adamant about staying at Travelers Rest. With the snow piling and that there is a diner and bar nearby, Tonio gave in and they checked into Travelers Rest. 

Robbie is the first who check out this weird town. With his character and his somewhat lukewarm relationship with the Addisons family, it is not surprising that he would pocket Tonio’s money and wander to the nearby bar himself. Tonio may appear to be distant with Robbie, but Julia likes her brother-in-law and will subconsciously find herself comparing with Tonio. 

They managed to make do with their accommodation but the bad weather forces them to stay for another day and thus, they remain. However, it seems like the longer they stay they are bounded and allured by an unexplainable force which had them wander through the maze of the hotel's spectral interiors and soon the family members find themselves separated from one another and this is when the reader will follow their journey and enter into a strange realm where the past intersects with the present. 

Travelers Rest has all the elements of an intense supernatural thriller, but truth be told it is more of a case of characters study which allow readers to glimpse into the characters' minds and understand their individual feel of isolation; and how some past memories can have a hold upon us. While this isn't a bad story, I felt myself disappointed with Travelers Rest as I had expected it to be a spooky gothic read but it turned out to be something else. That said, it was still a worthy read once I got into the story and learnt something about this sad, trapped family. At times I found myself feeling sympathetic towards some of the characters; and it took me a while to connect with them. The only likeable (to say the least) character is young Dewey, who I think is smart at his age and appears to have some sense and control initially until he too was swept away by their circumstances. The ending offers the answers the readers have been wandering about but not necessarily a satisfying one. 

Hidden by Karen E. Olson

ISBN-13: 9780727885326
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Publication Date: November 2015
Format: Hardcover, 224 pgs
Source: Library

Nicole Jones has been living happily in Block Island for the past fifteen years. She enjoys the close-knit community and that everyone seems to know everyone in that small island. Life there may not be as glittery as the mainland, but she knows she would be safe there. After all, Nicole has taken on a new identity and she intends to stay hidden there with no one who knew of her past except herself. 

Aside from staying hidden, Nicole is keeping herself away from computers and the Internet, not because she has no knowledge but on the contrary she is an expert and a computer hacker, too. When someone close from her past reappears in Block Island one day, she knew her new life is coming to an end and she has to face the past no matter she likes it or not. However, that person isn't the only one who is hot on her trails, for it seems there are other people who want her dead and in order to survive, she has to re-hone her computer and hacking skills to escape, even if that means putting herself and her friends in danger. 

I am new to Karen E. Olson's books but I am glad to say I quite enjoyed this intense suspense about a female hacker on the run. Nicole may have made mistakes years ago but she has matured and has become more conscientious than before. As I began to read more about her, the more empathy I felt towards her. This book also led me into thinking of the security of the Internet as well as the web services we so often use today; and that everything could be traced or hacked easily given the skills. 

Hidden is not fully the whodunit type (though it had kept me very curious!) nor a police procedural kind of thriller but instead it focuses more on the complexity of Nicole's double life and how she is dealing with her past which has eventually catches up to her. I'll be checking out her second book in the series, Shadowed,which I believe would be released in June 2016.  

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

ISBN-13: 9780385538497
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication Date: February 2014
Format: Hardcover, 336 pgs
Source: Library

"Everyone in town had a story about the Devil's Hand, and though the stories differed in detail, one fact remained the same: it was an evil place, and bad luck to go there." Pg 59

To begin with, The Winter People is a disturbing, unsettling novel. The cold atmospheric setting, the characterisations and there of course the unsettling storyline. 

During the 1900s in West Hall, Vermont, there was a woman named Sara Harrison Shea. She had a happy family with her loving husband, Martin, and a little girl called Gertie. When Gertie was found dead one day, Sara went berserk. Martin tried to do anything to help bring his wife back, but Sara was gone emotionally. She was later found dead tragically one day. Nobody knew what happened; and from then onwards there were rumours that Sara's ghost walks the streets after midnight. The townspeople began to leave offerings on their doorsteps to prevent her from coming inside; and that practice continues to the present day. 

Present day: 19-year-old Ruthie Washburne never really believes in West Hall's rumours. Growing up in an isolated farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and younger sister, Fawn, her biggest dreams is to leave her sleepy town and live a "normal" life where Internet and phones are accessible. Life is simple and blissful for them until Alice goes missing one night. Ruthie only found out about her mother's disappearance the next morning since she was out late with Buzz, a boy whom she hangs out with. But that is not all, she also found an old journal belonging to Sara Harrison Shea hidden at her house. 

On the other end, Katherine is devastated over the loss of her young son, Austin, and her husband, Gary. Gary died in an accident two months after their son's passing. Katherine found out later that Gary visited West Hall on the day he died so she travelled to that place to search for some answers as to why Gary went there in the first place. 

What follows is a series of events that linked Ruthie and Katherine together; and through bits of legends and rumours surrounding West Hall as well as Sara's journal, they find out about the dark, horrific secrets which had happened so many years ago and how some people would do anything to get what they want despite the consequences. 

The Winter People has all the elements of a great psychological thriller. To top it off, the characters are all intriguing and the premise just blew me away. I wish I could say what most bothered me in this story but that would spoil everything. Suffice it to say it has a few topics worth thinking and discussing and the author pulled no punches when the imaginative is concerned; one factor which I truly appreciate in a story like this. A very absorbing story and an unforgettable premise; this would no doubt make it onto my top reads in 2016. 

The Oxford Inheritance by Ann A. McDonald

ISBN-13:  9780062203670
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published Date: February 2016
Format: Hardcover, 336 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

A mystery set in the prestigious Oxford University. I knew I wouldn't resist reading this by the academic setting alone; plus there is murder and bits of dark power forces in this story. Sounds like a winner to me. 

When Cassandra Blackwell received a mysterious package surrounding her late mother’s past, she knew she has to leave America for England to uncover the truth about Joanna Blackwell. She managed to get through the scholarship system to find a place in the prestigious Oxford University, but she isn't prepared by the erratic schedules, the aristocracy of some students who think they have all the rights to their claims and most of all, the attention of Hugo Mandeville, the guy who both intrigues and intimidates her at the same time. 

As she spends more time in Oxford and trying to mingle with the popular group to get information of her late mother’s existence in the university and the reason why she fled without completing her studies, she stumbles upon a dark secret - a secret society called the School of Night within the University and though there are very few speculations about it, no one dares mention it out loud. Plus, there is no evidence supporting there is such a society and the library archives are equivalent to non-existence if one doesn't has a special pass for the access. But Cassie is smart and determined and she has found one or two resources who have helped her in every means they can. 

When her findings lead her into dangerous circumstances, she knew she has hit the right direction and is more determined to unravel the truth about the society and the activities they undertake, especially seeing her bubbly room-mate, Elvie, is dead and there is no explanation over her suicidal act, as so they claimed. 

I have to admit I didn't know what to expect before reading The Oxford Inheritance. I knew there would be mystery, conspiracies and secrets and I loved the way how the author built the suspense and the academic world-building she created, leading me deeper and deeper into the story until I was as caught up as Cassie's determination in solving the mystery. Although this is unlike the usual crime thrillers or police procedurals which I read, it is intriguing and intense just the same. As I mentioned before, there are bits of dark power forces mentioned so this novel has a little paranormal feel but didn't really take up the overall story; there isn't much romance element (definitely no love triangle here) but I was glad to see there is a love potential between Cassie and one of the characters towards the end. The core of this story is mainly on the characterisations, the search and the mystery behind the society; and of course I was quite satisfied with the ending too. All in all, it was an enjoyable read to me. 

Our Song by Dani Atkins

ISBN-13: 9781471142246
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: January 2016
Format: Paperback, 512 pgs
Source: Purchased 

Ally and Charlotte are not supposed to meet under any circumstances, not when they had an unpleasant exchanges over a guy back during their university days, and definitely not at the same hospital where their husbands are being admitted under emergency circumstances. 

David, who is Charlotte's husband, used to date Ally then. Despite different personalities, David and Ally loved each other and they were very happy. Charlotte came between them unexpectedly and unintentionally after she shared the same dorm with David and two of his friends. Although Charlotte knew of their relationship, she couldn't help being attracted by David all over again. She first met David when she was seventeen; it wasn't a pleasant encounter considering they'd almost died in a skiing accident but David's bravery and his looks are forever etched in Charlotte's mind all the way towards adulthood. When David and Ally broke up due to lesser time together and some misunderstandings, Charlotte ended up getting her dream man and married him eventually. They are happy but Charlotte always have this fear that David might go back to Ally if they have the chance to meet again. 

Ally is devastated over her husband's accident. On top of the bad news, the least person she wants to meet is having to face Charlotte in person after all these years. Despite the awkwardness, Ally and Charlotte share the same grief and worry over their husbands' lives as both of them are in critical conditions. David suffered from a serious heart problem while Ally's husband, Joe, is unconscious after he had fell into a frozen lake while rescuing a dog. Charlotte and Ally might not be the best of friends right then, but this circumstances has brought them a chance to speak of the past while they waited for news of their husbands. 

Told from Ally's and Charlotte's perspectives and with chapters alternating between the past and the present, this novel is about four different people and how one fateful night had decided their past, present and future. While this is a love story, there are also friendship and families elements which have made this book a moving read. What makes this book a worthy read to me is aside from the story, it is the author's ability of bringing her characters to life. Each of them is unique and memorable, but I have to say Joe is my favourite character among all. He is kind, funny and most of all, his selfless attitude which has not only won Abby's heart but mine as well. 

While some of the premises aren't new, this book is still an absorbing read and will take you on an emotional roller-coaster 'ride'. I may have gone past the height of the intense emotions it had evoked in me, but it is the act of selfless love as well as hope that still lingers in my mind. 

Girl in the Dark by Marion Pauw

ISBN-13: 9780062424792
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: February 2016
Format: Hardcover, 336 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Told in alternating voices between the two lead characters, this psychology suspense tells a story about a long-lost brother convicted of a horrifying crime and a lawyer sister's fight in clearing his name. 

Iris is a single mother and a lawyer. She has a young son, Alex, who has behavioural issues and while her relationship with her mother is lukewarm, she needs her help at times in taking care of Alex when she is busy at work. She loves Alex, well which mother doesn't love their children, but Alex isn't an easy child to manage and sometimes, she blames herself for being a bad mother and wish she could do something more for Alex. She knew Alex loves fishes and thus, she didn't question about the aquarium in her mother's house until an incident that leads her into questioning it. That incident is knowing she has an older brother, Ray, and why her mother didn't mention him all the while. 

However, the news of having a sibling isn't as shocking as hearing that Ray has committed a crime and is now put in a mental institution for the criminally insane considering he is autistic. Although Iris doesn't know Ray very well, she believes there must be something amiss behind that hideous crime; surely Ray wouldn't murder his neighbour and her little girl for an unreciprocated love? Plus, he is mentally challenged so that adds on to her doubts. Curious about Ray as well as the case, Iris decided to search for answers to this mystery and of course, why her mother has hidden Ray’s existence from her from the beginning. 

As much as I was intrigued by the mystery, unfortunately this psychology thriller fall short to me due to the credibility part. The thrill and the mystery had me flipping through the pages quickly but I just didn't buy the part about Ray's hidden existence and the motive of the crime; overall it didn't make sense to me. I won't go further expressing my thoughts as I don't want to spoil anything but I was just disappointed that the reason behind was simply that. Still, this story portrayed a descriptive tale about family ties, lies and secrets which I think might appeal to readers who enjoy reading these issues. 

The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones

ISBN-13: 9780547053738
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: June 2008
Format: Paperback, 304 pgs
Source: Purchased

There is a Chinese saying "民以食为先 " (min yi shi wei xian), which means "food is god for the people" or simply put "food is the basic need of man". Indeed, we strive in life not only to enrich our minds but to feed our stomachs as well. 

In this novel, author Nicole Mones shares with us not only the history and the art of Chinese cuisine but also a life experience story of a widowed woman and a chef and how food can nourish one's body and soul as well. 

Maggie McElroy is a food writer for Table magazine. Her husband Matt passed a year ago and while she is still coping over the loss of Matt, she finds some solace in her work but that peace is shattered when she has received news that a woman in China has filed a paternity claim against Matt and now that he had gone, Maggie has to fly there to settle it. Without a doubt, Maggie is shocked over the news but thinking back she knew Matt's infidelity comes with a reason considering she doesn't want a child in the first place. With their busy work schedules and frequent work trips, she thought it isn't a good time for them all, plus she isn't ready, yet. Despite the difficult times, Maggie accepts an assignment from her editor to profile Sam, a half-Chinese American chef when she's in China. She knew work will keep her sane plus her editor told her that Sam is the last in a line of gifted chefs tracing back to the imperial palace. With Sam gearing up for China's Olympic culinary competition and news that his new restaurant would be opening soon, she knew this profile will make a great article for her column. 

On the other end, Sam Liang is disappointed that his restaurant is not going to open as he'd lost his investor. When Maggie asked if she could do a profile of him, he rejected because without a restaurant there isn't much to say about but Maggie is adamant and is willing to interview and watch him prepare for the banquet for the competition. As the days go by, Maggie finds herself fascinated by Sam's culinary skill as well as his determination. Through their exchanges, she found out that Sam's late grandfather, Liang Wei, was a great chef himself and had written a book called The Last Chinese Chef. Sam and his father, Liang Yeh, are currently working together in translating that book but the progress is slow, given that Sam's father's heart isn't in it. Liang Yeh used to cook but has given up this skill the time they'd moved to America. Sam decided to continue their family's line of cooking and he returns to China to learn all the skills and techniques from his three Uncles, who are living in China. Sam knows that the Chinese cuisine is different from the Chinese-American cuisine back home and he intends to cook up a storm not only for the competition but for him and his father as well. 

As Maggie watches Sam prepares for the banquet, she finds herself drawn to him by his passion for cooking and most of all, the friendship he has extended to her when she is alone and helpless in China. Sam has even gone through the extent of being with her when she faces the woman's family and the little girl who is believed to be Matt's daughter for the first time. Aside from Sam's friendship, Maggie also learns a lot about Chinese cuisine, its history and artistry and most of all, the human connection (关系 guanxi) which not only brings people together in a banquet but also this "ingredient" which has warmed and healed her heart.

What I really liked about this story is aside from the history and the culture of Chinese cuisine, it tells a heartwarming tale of two different people coming together and the discovery of one's self. I especially liked reading snippets of the various philosophy and metaphor about the Chinese cuisine history/culture at the beginning of each chapter; and though they appear to be excerpts from Liang Wei's The Last Chinese Chef, I found them to be very informative and meaningful. One example: 

Apprentices have asked me, what is the most exalted peak of cuisine? Is it the freshest ingredients, the most complex flavors? Is it the rustic, or the rare? t is none of these. The peak is neither eating nor cooking, but the giving and sharing of food. Great food should never be taken alone. What pleasure can a make take in fine cuisine unless he invites cherished friends, counts the days until the banquet, and composes an anticipatory poem for his letter of invitation? - Liang Wei, The Last Chinese Chef, pub. Peking, 1925        

Finally, this novel is a nominee for the Kiriyama Prize* for Fiction (2008). 

* The Kiriyama Prize is an international literary award awarded to books about the Pacific Rim and South Asia. Its goal is to encourage greater understanding among the peoples and nations of the region. Established in 1996, the prize was last awarded in 2008. (From Goodreads)

Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel

ISBN-13: 9781447280026
Publisher: Picador
Publication Date: March 2015
Format: Paperback, 256 pgs
Source: Purchased

I am sure many readers are familiar with this author's name - Emily St. John Mandel. After all, she is the author of Station Eleven and this book was well received by critics; most of them stating her writing beautiful and lyrical. I should have picked up this book based on all the glowing reviews but instead, I decided on reading her debut, Last Night in Montreal. Why? Perhaps I wanted to have a feel of her writing first before I dive into her other well-known works, not that LNIM isn't popular and anyway I believe readers who loved Station Eleven would have snapped up Emily's earlier works by now. 

Rambling aside, here is what I thought of Last Night in Montreal. Did I love it? Yes! Is Emily's writing good? It is more than good; her writing is as what other readers said - beautiful and lyrical. Most of all, I loved the way how she plot the story; intertwining with flashbacks and some doses of lost memories and melancholy. So what is the story about? It is a love story, a mystery and basically it is a story of a girl, Lilia, who travels since young and why she never stays in a place for long. When she was seven, her father "abducted" her. They travelled from a state to another, sometimes to Canadian border and little Lilia finds them very thrilling. This thrill continues all the way to her twenties, and though she no longer travels with her father the thought of staying at a place never lingers in her mind. 

Lilia befriended some friends and found herself a few lovers during her travellings, but it is Eli, her most recent boyfriend, who finds her leaving most puzzling and is adamant to find her, even if it means leaving for Montreal and French is a foreign language to him. There, he met Michaela, who is the one who tipped him off about Lilia's whereabouts in the first place but she wants some answers from Eli first. You see, Michaela is the daughter of a private detective who is entrusted to oversee the case of Lilia's disappearance years ago. 

While Lilia seems to take the centre stage in this novel, I think Michaela and her father also play a huge part in this story. So what did I think of Emily's debut? I was totally entranced by her storytelling; and yes I was blown away by the ending, too. All in all, it is a well-rendered melancholy story about human connections. 

Someone Out There by Catherine Hunt

ISBN-13: 9780008165253
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: December 2015
Format: Paperback, 390 pgs
Source: Purchased

Someone Out There not only has a grabbing title but it is also an intense psychological thriller that had me at the edge of my seat. 

Laura Maxwell seems to have it all - she is a successful solicitor and she has a good-looking, loving husband whose family runs a hotel business so their life is blissful and perfect in anyone's eyes. However, since Laura took up the Pelham divorce case there are a series of accidents which cause her to believe they aren't coincidental and that someone is watching her and wanting her dead. 

Her client, Anna Pelham, wants to get a divorce from her abusing husband and gets a custody of their daughter, Martha. Harry Pelham is hot-tempered, impulsive and gets jealous easily. Laura totally understands Anna's decision of getting a divorce and she will try every means to win the case. Anna fears for her safety as well as for Martha, and she is sure the two death threats emails she has received lately came from Harry too, though they had not come from his email address. 

But that is not all that occupies Laura's mind. She faces some difficulty at work in which a colleague has forgotten to do a proper procedure for another case and has landed both of them in hot soup. Their superior, Marcus Morrison, wants them to cover their mistake without tarnishing the firm's image but in the end, it just got worsened and her colleague is fired. Morrison can be ruthless when it all comes to business and protecting himself. 

While this story mostly centers around the culprit targeting Laura (oh, the intensity!), the reader also gets to know more about the secondary characters (they can be quite complex) and how they all got entangled in Laura's "mess". While the culprit's identity is revealed during the last quarter of the story, it will still keep the reader engrossed because of the culprit's motive. Overall, it is an impressive debut by UK author Catherine Hunt and I am very curious to know what she will be writing next. 

Confess by Colleen Hoover

ISBN-13: 9781476791456
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: March 2015
Format: Paperback, 320 pgs
Source: Purchased

I have to admit I chose this book because it is the Winner of the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance. Since I rarely read romance nowadays I tend to rely on reviews and book highlights for my picks, especially authors whom I am not familiar with. I have definitely heard of Colleen Hoover's but just never got around to reading her books so I figured this is the time to dive into Confess. 

Twenty-one year old Auburn Reed is trying to put away her sad past and to rebuild her shattered life. She had lost her first love to a sickness in Portland when she was fifteen and till now she still misses him. But life has to go on and she's moved to Texas where she got herself a job as a hairdresser. A chance leads her to enigmatic artist, Owen Gentry, after she's seen his "Help Wanted" ad and a series of confessions pieces left by anonymous people displayed outside his art studio. Owen gets his inspirations from these confessions and he expresses them to his paintings. Auburn is not only attracted by his creativity but him as a person as well. 

Owen's painting means the world to him. After losing his mother and brother to a car accident a few years back, he is sure life wouldn't get better until he meets Auburn. Auburn is like a ray of sunlight into his dark life; and for the first time Owen feels he has a life besides painting. As much as Owen likes Auburn, there is something which he couldn't tell her because if he does, not only it would destroy their relationship but it would also destroy what is important to Auburn, too. 

I can see why Confess is chosen for Best Romance because it is quite an intense love story with lots of emotions. The things Auburn and Owen have gone through make one's heart ache. Then unforeseeable circumstances challenge their love and there are some choices and sacrifices to make. While there are times I knew what would be coming, I still found myself getting caught up with the wave of emotions through Ms. Hoover's writing. She managed to capture the voices of Auburn and Owen and make you care for them; and in this novel she has two narratives so the reader is able to understand more about each protagonist and the feelings they are experiencing. I couldn't say the story is new, but it was moving and made me think about fate and second chances. I have added Ugly Love to my to-read list as I have heard it is another great read by Ms. Hoover. I shall see how that book goes when my reading moment arrives. 

A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding by Jackie Copleton

ISBN-13: 9780091959067
Publisher: Hutchinson
Publication Date: July 2015
Format: Hardcover, 304 pgs
Source: Library 

I found this book through my friend and fellow blogger, Wendy of Musings of a Bookish Kitty, and after reading her lovely review I knew I wanted to read it. 

Amaterasu Takahashi is the only survivor after the bombing of Nagasaki forty years ago. She and her husband, Kenzo, decided to leave for America for a new life because the past carried too much horrific and painful memories for them, especially Amaterasu. She blamed herself for leading her daughter, Yuko, to her death after telling her she would like to meet up at Urakami Cathedral to talk with her over some matters. Japan was at war then and no one expects the bombing would happen until it was all too late. Amaterasu escaped the bombing but unfortunately Yuko didn't. Her body was never found and while Amaterasu and Kenzo initially held onto the belief that she might be alive, they have soon given up hope and decided that Yuko may have perished after all. Their young grandson, Hideo, wasn't spared too and all these had devastated the couple. 

Amaterasu and Kenzo managed to find some peace in America until sickness has taken Kenzo away from Amaterasu. As if things aren't painful enough, Amaterasu opens her door one day to find a scarred man claiming to be her grandson. Amaterasu doesn't believe him, but the man has a collection of old letters which Amaterasu couldn't resist to read; and once again Amaterasu is being brought back to the past and led her into thinking that if she hadn't protect her daughter from a forbidden relationship would she be alive then. 

While one can say A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding is a war story, it is also a heart-wrenching story about family, love, secrets and forgiveness. While the reader is concerned if Hideo is Amaterasu's long-lost grandson, at its core this is more of Yuko's story and the reason(s) why Amaterasu has gone through all lengths to protect her. The impact and the aftermath of the war wasn't an easy read and while it doesn't take too much of the story, the sad and horrific event remains in the reader's mind as Yuko's past slowly unveils through bits of her journals as well as Amaterasu's recollections. The reader will also came to understand more about Amaterasu because there is also part of her story too. 

This is Jackie Copleton's debut novel and I will be sure to watch out for her next release. 

What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan

ISBN-13: 9780062413864
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: December 2015
Format: eBook,496 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Rachel Jenner's life is never the same again after her eight-year-old son, Ben, has gone missing during their late afternoon walk with their dog, Skittle. It isn't supposed to happen, since they always walk the same route in the woods many times and Rachel could only blame herself for allowing Ben to run ahead of her on that fateful day.  Ben's disappearance has added a strain to her already disarray state, since her ex-husband, John, has walked out of their life ten months ago and had married another woman who is working in the same hospital as her husband. John is a consultant paediatric surgeon and he certainly take pride in his job. Rachel, on the other hand, is trying very hard to move on but found herself being depressed most of the time. 

DI James "Jim" Clemo has never taken on a big case until he is summoned by his superior to take on the case of Ben Finch's disappearance. Eager to perform and take his career to a higher level, he grabs this opportunity and even recommend his girlfriend, DC Emma Zhang, as the family liaison officer to Rachel's family. Jim and Emma's relationship is never made known to anyone in the police force and Jim is confident that their secret affair wouldn't mess with their professionalism. 

Tension and anxiety began to build as Ben's disappearance has dragged for a week yet there isn't any clue of the case. To complicate matters, Rachel's unconventional speech during the press conference has led to an outrage of discussions and comments on all social media platforms; while some offer sympathies, most of the comments are harsh and some even insinuating that she has something to do with her son's disappearance. 

While What She Knew is a tense whodunit kind of story, what makes this psychological thriller different from the others is the way Rachel and Jim give their perspectives to the readers; the former being a broken woman who has too much to handle and the latter who takes his job seriously and blames himself for not solving the case sooner. The case has affected him so much to the extent that it affects his emotional state; where at times the readers are able to read his thoughts through the transcripts by his psychologist, Dr Francesca Manelli. Rachel's voice is very distinctive throughout the story; her emotions are painted descriptively and I felt she is very much like a real person. Jim, on the other hand, appears to be a tough detective but he has his vulnerable side that even his girlfriend hasn't seen. And that broke my heart, too. 

What She Knew is not only a wonderful debut by Gilly MacMillan, but it also has lots of issues for readers to ponder and discuss about. I think the ending offers a good resolution to the overall story; it is not perfect yet I couldn't think of a more perfect resolution than it. Highly recommended. 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

ISBN-13: 9781444775815
Publisher: Sceptre
Publication Date: May 2015
Format: Paperback, 320 pgs
Source: Purchased

First of all, Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holidays. Now that the holidays are over, it is back to reality and honestly speaking, I am still trying to 'tune' myself back to fit into my normal routine and let's just say I am still coping, ha. Anyway back to the review. 

I am sure many of you have this experience - You have heard and read so many glowing reviews of a book but yet you have put off reading it for many reasons. A Man Called Ove is one of those books to me. This charming story has evoked so many emotions in me; it'd made me laugh, smile and cry. It's amazing how a story could do that to you, but here it is. 

Ove isn't a man you would warm up with at first glance, or even after your first meeting with. For starters, he is grumpy. And he doesn't think highly of anyone who doesn't do things the right way and properly. And he certainly doesn't stand people talking in codes; especially a language which may imply a slang or referring things in other words. In other words, he is simply an old-fashioned man who believes doing or mending his own stuff and following the rules. He has worked hard all his life, paid his taxes, never had a loan and is fiercely loyal to his Saab car. He is also a man of few words but as the story progresses, readers will be able to understand the characteristics of Ove; why he becomes the person he is and how towards the end he will make us readers think differently of him and even truly respect him as a person. 

I wouldn't want to say too much about this book as I feel it is best to read it yourself but I do want to say it has led me thinking about a lot of things after reading it. Such as, in terms of technology and lifestyles, it appears that things aren't what they used to be. We strive for improvements in technology, yet we seem to have forgotten how to take in the joy of building things our own way and preserving them. We tend to change new things more easily and more frequently now; and while this certainly implies that our society has improved over the years but from another angle it might also mean our sentimental values deteriorate.  

Of course the story might lean towards sentimentality, but it gravitate towards a feel-good and hopeful feeling which allows me to see the older generation differently and in a new light, especially people like Ove. 

As you can tell, I enjoyed reading this book very much and now I know why it is a bestseller. 

PS: I want to thank my blog reader, Reta Kenter, for taking her time in writing to me and recommending this book to me.