Midnight Sun

A review by Alex

First off, I've been reading Jo Nesbo for a few years now, specifically his Harry Hole series. Nesbo is a Norwegian writer who pens mostly dark crime novels that are typically set in Norway. The books are translated from Nesbo's native language and I have to applaud his translator, Neil Smith. There's no doubt you are reading a foreign book set in a foreign location (for me at least), and yet nothing feels lost in translation. At times I can even hear the accent in the characters' dialogue.


Midnight Sun is a story about salvation and redemption.

"How are we to start this story? I wish I could say that we'll start at the beginning, but I don't know where it starts."

And so begins the story.

Ulf, as our main character has now decided to call himself, has just arrived in a rural village in northern Norway during the middle of summer. This means twenty-four hours of daylight, hence the book's title.
A fixer who it turns out wasn't very good at fixing, Ulf is now on the run from his former boss. As he contemplates his next move, Ulf finds himself reflecting on the choices he made that landed him in the deep shit he's currently in.
While in Finnmark, he reluctantly befriends a few locals including a mother and son bearing a burden of their own.
With the walls of his crappy world closing in on him, Ulf begins to wonder if he deserves the fate waiting for him. And if it's time accept his penance.

This was the first stand-alone novel I've read by Nesbo and while it wasn't as dark or gruesome (but trust me, there's still enough to go around), his writing is as solid as ever.
It was a bit slow in the beginning while you're collecting the first few pieces of the story, however it picks up by the end just like any decent suspense novel should.
Nesbo does a good job of working in the landscape and culture without interrupting the reader with too much descriptive content ( a pet peeve of mine). I loved feeling like I was getting a glimpse of this territory that is fairly unfamiliar, even for most Norwegians.
There is a religious aspect to the story, but it acts more as a character or setting in the book rather than a message the author is trying to share with you.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspense. I give it four out of five cups because of the slow start.

If you do read the book and enjoy it, you should try his Harry Hole series.

Fame & Obsession (Lords of Lyre Book 2) by Cora Kenborn

Review by Cattigan

Book Blurb:
An empty house in Hollywood isn’t what Phoebe Ryan envisioned when she said “yes” to a rock star’s proposal…

Phoebe is pregnant and alone in Tinseltown. She had hoped for a fresh start, but instead gets flashing cameras and tabloid gossip while her famous fiancé is on tour. Then the body of a young woman surfaces, bearing the same scars Phoebe has kept hidden for years. Phoebe fears the nightmare she can’t forget has come to collect an overdue debt.

Julian Bale struggles to balance his life as a touring rock star and his new role as a family man…

Everyone wants something from him, but he just wants to go home to the woman he’s fought so hard to keep. When inside information comes to light, threatening his fiancée and unborn child, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect what’s his, even if it costs him everything he’s worked for.

Phoebe and Julian thought they left the drama and danger behind, but they thought wrong…

When the monster from Phoebe’s past claims the most innocent of victims, accusations and grief shred what they’ve fought to build. Some say tragedy can make or break a family, but can Phoebe and Julian unite to fight for what was taken from them, or will fame and secrets ruin everyone?


I had a hard time getting lost in this book at first.  Our heroine Phoebe is pregnant and it seems that her pregnancy hormones are affecting everything, including the story.  This book didn't have  Kenborn's usual style of banter between characters.   Julian and Phoebe's relationship is filled with angst and animosity which confused me since Fame and Obsession ended with them working a lot of their crap out together and now we jump back to square one. 

 

Then BAM! They start acting like the couple I remember from the original book.

 

The suspense and climax had me reading faster and feeling disappointed when it ended.  

 

Parts I loved: Phoebe's colorful cursing at Ryker and the doctor while in labor (this is the Kenborn  styleI know and love!).  I love the made up jumble of obsenities. I also love Cletus the Fetus, the use of the word "snarkism", and our hero and heroine's special line about traffic.  I was also thrilled to see a blurb about the next book in this series and am looking forward to it. Overall though I think I have to give this installment three out of  five cups.