Review Snippets: Part One

Oh so sad. I've only finished 10 books so far this year. UGH. That's what having a 16-month old (plus two other older kids) and a part-time business will do to your reading life. And reviews. Well, they are just not getting written as I would like. So I'm going to quick type up a few short reviews so at least I can document my thoughts.

The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer
I was drawn to this book because its main character is an archivist at the National Archives. My background in museum and archival work made me very curious and well, I know a former co-worker who actually works at the National Archives so it made me think of her. :-) Beecher White is an archivist who gets sucked into a presidential conspiracy when he discovers a book in a hidden compartment of a chair in an isolation room at the Archives. From there, he discovers he can trust no one and he is now part of a situation involving a brotherhood known as the Culper Ring. But is it the real Culper Ring (dating back to George Washington) or just a group claiming to be?

Hmm...this book was mildly entertaining. The last third got quite unbelieveable even for a political conspiracy book. I kept thinking I was reading a book that would be made into a movie. And quite a bit of it reminded me of the already-made movie National Treasure. If you're looking for something that is an easy read, a little over the top, and a bit of a thriller, this may be a good vacation read for you. Not a total waste of time, but definitely better books out there.

The Night Season by Chelsea Cain
The fourth installment in Cain's Archie Sheridan series. She steps away from the serial killer Gretchen Lowell storyline to introduce us to a new serial killer. One that kills his victims with a small octopus! And all while Portland is flooding. I wonder if Cain wrote her "Heart" series as a trilogy and now plans to write more without Gretchen involved?

I'll be honest and say, this is a great, fresh addition to the series! I actually liked the fact that we have moved on from Gretchen. This book was much MUCH less violent than the previous books (which is a nice change of pace). And many of the other original characters are still there and seem to take on more full development now that we're not focused on the Gretchen/Archie dynamic.

I think Cain is a really good writer. She is very creative. I mean, who comes up with using a rare small octopus as a murder weapon?! Don't worry, that wasn't a major spoiler. That is revealed early on in the book. I also think she does a great job of telling the story without a lot of extraneous information. Too many authors feel like they need to add 100 more pages than necessary. Highly recommend this one!
Evil at Heart Review
Sweetheart Review
Heart Sick Review

Source Disclosure: The Inner Circle was an e-book galley copy from Netgalley.com and I borrowed The Night Season from the library.