London Falling. A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family´s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe

Zack, grand nephew of Shoah survivorrs seemed to be just another 19-year old troubled teenager, but as he disappears and found dead in the Thames, his middle class parents may discover in horror that their belovoed son was leading his very own secret life. 

At first, Zack seemed to be a slightly more dangerous masculine version of Anna Delvey: he built up an identity as the son of a fictive Russian billionaire with connections as high as Roman Abramovic, mixing up with the London underworld. 

In any of the details meticulously shared in the well-documented and well-written true crime story of his case by Patrick Radden Keefe - London Falling. A Mysterious Death in the Guilded City and a Family´s Search for Truth, there is no mention that Zack didn´t love his family, or was alienated in any possible way from them. Swallowed up by social media, trying to show off and build a satisfactory identity. An identity that everyone seemed to take it seriously, until something may have been revealed and put himself into danger in relationship with his entourage. There is a new world, with new expectations and trusting your child is not enough; one needs also to understand what the actual dangers and illusions luring ahead may be. 

Patrick Radden Keefe is going so much into the deep details of the case, from social to family history, in a curious yet empathic way. As a mother of son, was often thinking of the deep drama his parents are going through. Lovely parents with a sense of justice who just wanted to understand what actually happened to their son, and maybe also why did he followed this path, or at what extent they were sharing a responsibilty. 

This book - that I had access to in the audiobook version - is a complex investigation where parenting meets true crime, in a contemporary episode in a city with a century-old personal history of crime. A recommended read for understanding the world our children are living in. 

Highly recommended.

Rating: 5 stars

 

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

A mother-daughter trip to Japan turns into a memory journey through unsettled memories. With allusions and suggestions of impressionist nature, Cold Enough for Snow by Australian-based author Jessica Au  was a minimalistic, although too short - 90-page length - read.

There is no plot or proper story, but memories within memories prompted by the encounter. There is not too much proper communication between the two, not the expected empathy that you may show as a mother towards your child you haven´t seen in a while or as a child towards the mother you haven´t see in a while. The encounter itself creates the context for unclear memories and unsettled endings.

It enfolds as an episode, as the fragment of a dream, as a memory of the memory. Sometimes, as the angle of the story is changing, there are details added, that are soon after abandoned due to the next shift of memory. 

The writing is seamless and powerful, and from the beginning to the end it was a full immersion, with many hours of afterthought afterwards.

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rachel´s Random Resources: Murder in Rome by T.A.Williams

 

Long time no news from DCI Armstrong and his sweet Oscar canine assistant! I am happy to share some good news, as the newest book from the series Murder in Rome is ready and it was really worth waiting it.

Dan Armstrong is mostly based in Florence, but this time, his investigative steps are taking him to the historical city of Rome, where he is requested to help finding the murderer of a rich financier, the uncle of a famous TV personality. And who can say upfront ´no´ to a famous TV star? Soon after though, there is a second murder taking place, and Dan has to find who is behind it, until it is not too late. It seems that getting to know Rome took him - and Oscar - into a completely new direction.

Cosy, smart and very well connected to the daily realities, Murder in Rome is well planned and written with humour that may not affect the seriousness of crime investigations. As usual, the environment is well depicted, and the ambiance is very specific, as you almost feel yourself transported into old castles and Rome´s historical sightseeings.

A recommended read if you love Italy and want to discover it, especially Rome, with different eyes and in a more unique, crime-related way.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Rachel´s Random Resources: The Hotel by the Sea by Julie Caplin

I love Portugal for its sense of privacy and calm, and for the warm and friendly people. A romantic novel set in this beautiful country can only promise good things, in addition to some more inspiration for the coming summer holidays.

The Hotel by the Sea by bestselling author Julie Caplin is an invitation to relax, and spend some romantic adventurous hours in the company of Rebecca and the handsome Felipe and his bubbling family. 

Disappointed in love, Rebecca decided to take a temporary job at a family hotel in Algarve. But love is following her, and instead of taking a break from the life of the heart, she is faced with some complicated choices and a very charming acquaintance. 

What I usually love about Caplin´s books is the relatable and realistic characters: they are very much alive with their mistakes and flaws, bad choices and blind love. They reflect the behavior and choices - bad or good - of people one may encounter in the everyday life, although they are always part of well planned stories that will definitely finish within a couple of hours. But as long as we are spending time with those characters, it feels like a movie where love is always in the air.

This is the 13th book from the Romantic Series by Julie Caplin, some of them previously reviewed on my blog.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Random Things Tours: The Woman in the Wall by Heidi Amsinck

 

When human remains are accidentally discovered in an apartment in Copenhague, it is almost impossible to fathom how the criminal can be caught any time soon. As the police investigator is trying to get the media involved, the smart reporter Jensen - whose full name remains a mystery - comes to mind. She may be professionally smart, but her choice of life partner, with whom she is having a child, wasn´t so, as the father of her child is a murderer. Jensen herself has a complicated family story of herself, with a legendary author claiming now being her father. In the end, all those dots and a bit more, may be connected in many unexpected way, leading to a terrific key to the murder.

The Woman in the Wall by Heidi Amsinck is an unforgettable thriller. Amsinck is a London-based Danish journalist and crime writer, whose Jensen thriller series are based in Copenhague. 

What makes the reading of this book fascinating is the skillful art of misdirecting the reader. The twists are so brutal - in the good, crime writing kind of way - that you cannot guess what will happen next. The best approach is to simply give up any projections and just follow the directions Amsinck chose, with her own plot in mind. 

The book is the newest (the fifth) installment from the Jensen Thriller series that I´ve reviewed previously, but can be easily read as well as a standalone. Personally, I always love smart women journalists as main characters in thrillers, therefore, these series are definitely a great read.

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Rachel´s Random Resources: The Sunshine Teashop by Jaimie Admans

 

Some people may have it all until...all plans and dreams are falling down as a fragile game of cards. In some cultures, there is the concept of ´evil eye´ that may hunt the success, hitting hard those who may enjoy life´s gifts way too much.

Before Dolly took up on the road on a campervan, she had dreams of opening a café and a charming boyfriend. Until the named boyfriend was caught kissing her best friend...Running away from the broken dreams on a campervan loaned from the boyfriend, Dolly may be trying to forget everything she went through. But, maybe the chance is knocking again to her door, as she is landing in Yorkshire and meets a gorgeous stranger. Could she trust someone again so fast?

The Sunshine Teashop by Jaimie Admans is a humorous and uplifting romantic comedy. Dolly is my favorite character but I suppose it´s almost impossible not to like her. Although heartbroken, she is able to see the light and follows her survival instinct running away from a place that hurted her. Starting a new love story, while feeling safe and appreciated, is part of her strength of trusting herself again and giving a new chance to romance.

A recommended read for unbeated romantics and strong women.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu

 ´I was just another robotic Asian kid´.

Boring Asian Female, the debut novel by Canwen Xu is the book everyone was talking around the bookosphere this month (good marketing, by the way).

Although I have mixed opinions about the character - maybe too psychotic for my taste - it reflects, in extremis, the obsessions with priviledge and immigrant ambitions. Elizabeth, the Asian-American storyteller, turned her desire to get accepted to Harvard - that rejected her at first - into a tormented story of obsession and stalking. Laura, her overachieving Asian-American alter ego, accepted to Harvard in the blink of an eye, is far from being ´just another boring Asian female´, and Elizabeth focuses all her efforts and energy to emulate her - going as far as eating habits and dressing.

It is hard not to laugh and to ironically criticize her, but there is often a drama hidden in such a behavior, but the scream of help doesn´t resonate among her other peers or even her mother, until it is too late. Her erratic efforts of turning herself ´interesting´ enough for Harvard is what happens when someone is really taking seriously the status-obsessed mindset. 

The alternance between drama and irony is very well portioned. I would have been definitely charmed more by a more dynamic take on dialogues for instance, and more connectivity between the characters. I also felt that not all characters were equally developed, especially her housemate. But from the point of view of the ideas and authenticity, as well as for the humour, it was a pleasant, thoughtful read.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review