Kindle First Reads For August 2024

Amazon Prime is giving 2 free books for August Kindle First Reads. I rarely download First Reads anymore becaue I always get disappointed at the quality of writing and the stories. I dared to download 2 books hoping for the best.

tags: friendship, motherhood, mystery

⭐⭐⭐⭐

From Goodreads

In a funny and suspenseful debut, Christine Gunderson explores the myth of the perfect mother, the bonds of female friendship, and the haunting impact of secrets.

What you see isn’t always what you get.

Take Ainsley. The gorgeous mother of two lives a picture-perfect life with her husband, Ben—aspiring politician and heir to a candy fortune—in suburban Washington, DC. But in reality, Ainsley has no idea what she’s doing and is terrified someone will figure out who she really is and where she came from.

Nikki’s fighting to keep afloat as a stay-at-home mother of four, subsisting on chicken nuggets and very little sleep. She’s a mess on the outside, and inside yearns for the validation—and the paycheck—of the television news career she left behind.

When a dangerous figure from Ainsley’s past becomes a coach at her kids’ school, she fears the worst and confides in Nikki, spilling every detail of her former life.

Together, they devise a plan to expose the coach and safeguard their kids. But can they protect their own lives—and their new friendship—in the process?

Two women who are unlikely to be friends team up to protect young girls from a pervy predator in his mid 50s. Both are stay at home moms, one is super rich, Ainsley, and the other is Nikki, a sort of a scatter brain because she has 4 small children, 5 year old twin girls, a 2 year old boy who pretends to be a tiny Luke Skywalker, and a 2 month old baby boy, so I understand her a little bit. Nikki provides the humor and there are lots of funny passages mainly from her. Sometimes it's much too much but I prefer it rather than excessive cussing and mindless sex in a novel. 

The book is a 3 star novel IMHO but I gave it a bonus star for Ainsley choosing Persuasion as her favorite Jane Austen novel. 👍📙

tags: DNF, fantasy, gumiho, Korean folktale, mystery, romance

From Goodreads

An enemy on her tails, an innocent at her side, and a dangerous power within her that could destroy them all.

Jayci Lee melds Korean folklore with modern Americana in this fiery new series.

In a race to stop an ancient evil from destroying the worlds as they know them, Sunny comes to a startling, heartbreaking if she chooses love—everything will burn.

Sunny Cho aspires to be the dullest, least interesting person in any given room, which can be challenging for a nine-tailed fox spirit. So she drifts from city to city—staying clear of any and all attachment—and keeps her fox buried deep inside her. It is better this way. She would rather live as half of herself than risk losing control of her terrible powers.

Ethan Lee, a friend she left behind eight years ago, is a brilliant and distractingly hot PI. When he tracks her down and asks her to help him find his brother’s murderer, Sunny knows her uneventful life is about to be turned upside down.

Traversing the mortal realm and the world of gods, Sunny and Ethan discover their quest is much more dire than mere vengeance, and their friendship might be…more.

An ancient evil is stirring, and Sunny is faced with an impossible save the worlds from annihilation or claim the love fated by the heavens.

I am a Korean drama addict - action, dramedy, fantasy, historical fiction, slasher, thriller. When I read the synopsis, I was already choosing the Korean actors to play in my mind while reading, the male and female leads (Park Bo-gum and Kim Yu-jung).

Unfortunately, the novel is written in the first person present tense (FPPrT). I went ahead and downloaded, thinking I might be able to tolerate it.

I'm sorry but I couldn't continue reading. I can't explain why I am allergic to FPPrT format. I read 6% before giving up. In other words - DNF (Did Not Finish).

Back to watching Korean dramas. 

Celebrate Independence Day

Savannah GA Waterfront

 Happy Independence Day! 

Final Witness

tags: mystery-crime

⭐⭐⭐

From Goodreads

One summer night, two men break into an isolated manor house and kill Lady Anne Robinson. Her son, Thomas, convinces the police that his father’s beautiful personal assistant sent the killers, but Thomas is known for his overactive imagination, and he has reasons to lie.

Thomas’s father, Sir Peter Robinson, the British minister of defense, refuses to believe his son. Instead, he marries his assistant, Greta Grahame, and will be giving evidence for the defense at her trial. He will be the final witness.

Author Simon Tolkien successfully combines legal suspense and psychological tension in this sharply etched portrait of four people whose lives are changed by a murder. Alternating between the trial in London’s Central Criminal Court and private moments among the characters, Tolkien expertly describes the art of the trial, the clash between Britain’s social classes, and, most notably, the complexity of family relations. Who is telling the truth—the new wife or the bereaved son? What will Sir Peter tell the court? With tantalizing ambiguity, Tolkien keeps readers guessing about the true motivations of these characters until the final witness.

We moved to a new house and I found a hard copy of this book while putting back books in shelves. No one in my house claimed ownership of the book. I certainly did not buy it because I hardly buy hard covers anymore. I have gotten used to reading Kindle books although I have both hard and ebook copies of my favorites.

I like the book. It is not the best but a quick read and satisfying murder mystery and courtroom drama. 

Eric

tags: drama, Netflix series

⭐⭐

Vincent is a puppeteer in 1980s New York whose nine-year-old son, Edgar, has gone missing. Vincent's increasingly volatile behavior alienates him from his friends and family.

After issues with substance abuse, Vincent becomes convinced that he can reunite with Edgar with the help of his seven-foot-tall puppet, Eric.

Oh boy. What a disaster this series is. Almost all the characters are unlikeable except maybe for the homeless young Black man who is befriended by the missing child.. 

It is a mishmash of dysfunctional family, racial issues, corrupt police, gay people hiding their sexuality, pedophilia, the usual rich snobby parents, and annoying puppets. 

Benedict is maybe a good actor but he can only do so much with a stupid story and script. His character is an alcoholic, does drugs, constantly quarrels with his wife, and sometimes ignores his child. 

I wasted 6 hours on this series. Not recommended. 

Night Watch Series

tags: magicians, sorcerers, Russian book series, shape shifters, thriller, urban fantasy, vampires

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

from Amazon  

Ignite your imagination with this immersive fantasy read!

"Like Tolkien getting mugged in a Moscow back alley by John Le Carre." —Bleeding Cool

The explosive first installment in Sergei Lukyanenko's visionary and internationally bestselling Night Watch series—an inventive blend of atmospheric urban fantasy and riveting spy thriller set in contemporary Moscow.

The Night Watch series tells the story of the Others, an ancient race of magicians, shape-shifters, vampires, and other supernatural beings that live among us, and swear allegiance to either the powers of Darkness or the forces of Light.

For the past 1000 years, the two sides have been locked in an uneasy truce, keeping their powers in balance as each side secretly plots to take the advantage for themselves. The forces of the Light tasked with keeping the Dark Others in check are the Night Watch.

Night Watch features Anton Gorodetsky, a mid-level Light magician, who during his first field assignment, stumbles upon a cursed young woman—an Other of tremendous potential power who has yet to choose between Light and Darkness. As the two sides prepare for battle, Anton discovers that their destinies are closely intertwined, and the slightest wrong move could cause the destruction of Moscow, or even the world.

The first story of the novel, Destiny, was made into a successful Russian film, Night Watch, which, although keeping the characters and many of the events of the original novel, alters some significant elements of the story.

6 books in the series, available on Kindle

Night Watch

Day Watch

Twilight Watch (also known as Dusk Watch)

Last Watch (also known as Final Watch)

New Watch

Sixth Watch

****************************************************************************

I saw the movies first before reading the books. I love the movies but I love the books more.

Read the synopses of the books here

City Hunter

I've been waiting a year for this live action City Hunter. Streaming on Netflix April 25. 

A Small Town In Germany

tags: comedic, mystery, spy catcher

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From Goodreads

The British Embassy in Bonn is up in arms. Her Majesty's financially troubled government is seeking admission to Europe's Common Market just as anti-British factions are rising to power in Germany. Rioters are demanding reunification, and the last thing the Crown can afford is a scandal.

Then Leo Harting—an embassy nobody—goes missing with a case full of confidential files. London sends Alan Turner to control the damage, but he soon realizes that neither side really wants Leo found—alive.

Set against the threat of a German-Soviet alliance, John le Carré's A Small Town in Germany is a superb chronicle of Cold War paranoia and political compromise.

With an introduction by the author.

John le Carré's short novel was first published in 1968 and in the "introduction" he wrote that he was not happy with the book. He meant it to be comedic but the German people were not too happy with his depiction of them. He revised some of what he wrote and he was half satisfied with the finished novelette. 

I disagree with him. I loved the novel. It really has several laugh out loud portions specially the dinner with the German guests. The description of the wife of one of the guests is so funny. The book has the signature le Carré numerous characters that have their own quirks and personalities. 

Alan Turner, the spy catcher that everyone at the embassy despised and feared, was sent to Bonn to find Leo. He had a clever and hilarious brusque way of extracting information from the embassy people in order to know Leo and where he could be. All the embassy people told half truths about their relationship with Leo, including the 2 women, one worked at the embassy and the other was the wife of the head of the embassy. They both loved Leo. 

Leo never spoke throughout the book and only appeared on the last page but he was so alive and present through the descriptions of various people in and out of the embassy.

The book is comedic but tragic. Alan and Leo have become 2 of my most favorite characters created by  le Carré. 

Highly recommended for John le Carré enthusiasts.

Ripley

Goose🥚

The actor Andrew Scott is almost 50 years old and therefore much too old to play 25 year-old Tom Ripley. He looks more like the father of Marge or an older friend of Dickie. Who did the terrible casting? 

Scott also lacks the irresistible charm of Tom Ripley as described in the books. What young people befriend an old man with no charisma nor good looks? 

Filming in black and white screams overly pretentious and it annoyed me so much. 

I've seen two versions, one with Matt Damon and another with Alain Delon. They are not perfect but I enjoyed them more because both actors did excellent job as a con artist. Watch those instead. 

Not recommended even if you haven't read the book.

The 70s

 

Blondie and Debbie's runaway cat...

I know a girl from a lonely street 

Cold as ice cream, but still as sweet 

Dry your eyes, Sunday girl 

Hey, I saw your guy with a different girl 

Looks like he's in another world 

Run and hide, Sunday girl 

Hurry up, hurry up and wait 

I stay away all week and still I wait 

I got the blues, please come see 

What your loving means to me 

 She can't catch up with the working crowd 

The weekend mood and she's feeling proud 

Live in dreams, Sunday girl 

"Baby, I would like to go out tonight 

If I go with you my folks'll get uptight" 

Stay at home, Sunday girl 

Oooh oooh oooh 

Hé, j'ai vu ton mec avec une autre fille 

Il semblait dans un autre monde 

Cours te cacher Sunday girl 

Quand je t'ai revu l'été j'ai décidé 

Si ton amour était pareil au mien, 

Je pourrais être Sunday girl 

Dépêche-toi, dépêche-toi et attends 

Toute la semaine absent et pourtant j'attends 

J'ai le cafard, je t'en prie viens voir 

Ce que ton amour représente pour moi 

Dépêche-toi, dépêche-toi et attends 

Toute la semaine absent et pourtant j'attends 

J'ai le cafard, je t'en prie viens voir 

Ce que ton amour représente pour moi 

I got the blues

 

Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up and wait 

Hurry up, please come see 

What'cha do to me

 

Short Stories by Ellis Peters

Never Pick Up Hitch-Hikers!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From Goodreads

A hitchhiker is caught in a murderous web.

 His whole life, William Banks has been trying to escape his mother, who wants desperately for him to become a lawyer. Banks wants to paint, and when he gets the opportunity to attend art school in the next county, he jumps at the chance. It’s only forty miles, but it’s a start.

Getting to class, however, will be a deadly proposition. On his way there, Banks is picked up by Alf, a down-on-his-luck crook who has dreamed up a plan involving a fire, a burned body, and a dead hitchhiker. By all rights, Banks shouldn’t live to see morning, but a stroke of luck—and a very helpful village girl—help him escape death without his ever knowing he was in danger. Caught up in a bizarre case of missing identity, Banks must think quickly to save his own life—once he finally realizes someone is trying to kill him.

First Published January 1, 1976

This novelette is more of an adventure with a bit of comedy. It has a little mystery and lots of dead [bad] characters. The women in this short story are more prominent specially the wife of the bank robber. She is formidable both physically and mentally. The setting is 1970s but she wears a 60s bouffant hairstyle, think Amy Winehouse. The wig (hair extensions) adds 4 inches to her height and when she removes it for the night, it sits on the dresser looking like a Pekinese. LOL

60s bouffant hair style

The Assize of the Dying

Aunt Helen

⭐⭐⭐

In The Assize of The Dying, a defendant in an English courtroom is sentenced to death for a terrible slaying he insists he did not commit. Rising to his feet, Louis Stevenson places a medieval curse on the prosecutor, the judge, the jury foreman, and the actual killer—the four men responsible for his fate. Profoundly shaken by the condemned prisoner’s words, a young couple looking on believes Stevenson’s declaration of innocence. And their determination to uncover the truth only intensifies when two more deaths follow in quick succession.

In Aunt Helen, the seemingly civilized residents of a stately English country house keep secrets about love, marriage, adulthood, and desire hidden behind closed doors—until the “perfect murder” threatens to expose them.

First published in 1971 

In The Assize of the Dying, there is a supernatural element, sort of, when the falsely accused hexed the judge, prosecutor, jury foreman, and the killer during the assize that if he dies in jail, all four will also die. He killed himself and all four people he cursed died one by one. There is a contrived romance in the novelette. 

In Aunt Helen, I guessed who the villain is right away. 

Most Loving Mere Folly

First published January 1, 1953 under her real name Edith Pargeter

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A pair of artists is undone by jealousy and despair on the outskirts of London

In a forgotten suburb of London recently leveled by German bombs, an artists’ colony has taken root. Theo Freeland spent the war painting, studiously avoiding danger, while his wife, Suspiria, made pottery during the day and drove ambulances at night. But now the war is over, and Theo spends his time drinking himself into a stupor while Suspiria tolerates him as best she can. She has her work, and that’s enough. After all, she and Theo are promised to each other—till death do they part. Death, as it happens, is right around the corner.

Suspiria’s life changes forever the night her husband is helped home by Dennis Forbes, a strapping young mechanic who can’t take his eyes off the drunkard’s wife. When Theo is later found poisoned, and Suspiria claims Dennis as her own, the village turns on them. But the real tragedy is yet to come.

Suspiria at 36 is 14 years older than Dennis and she is already married. Still, they fall in love a la Vronsky and Anna.. Expect tragic outcome. Poor Karenin, I mean Theo. 

*******************************************************************************

Ellis Peters, the author of the Brother Cadfael mystery novels set during the medieval period, is the penname of Edith Pargeter. She is my favoritest author and her The Heaven Tree Trilogy sits at Number One on my favorites fiction books list.