Reading Quick Thrillers on Kindle Unlimited- The Widow by Valerie Keogh (Spoilers Ahead)

Plot Summary

So I started reading The Widow by Valerie Keogh and it was quite easy to get into. Simple sentences and lucid language without compromising the plot kept the mystery element going throughout the novel.

There are two major characters in this book- Allison and Jo, although the book mainly revolves around Allison. Resourceful and calculating Allison decides to settle for a rich guy and then plans to kill him in a way which looks like an accident.

Hoping to inherit all the property of her deceased husband, she discovers the shocking truth after his death that it was not his property to give because his parents had arranged it in such a way and she would basically be left without anything.

Moreover the woman whom she met on Facebook and once met in a restaurant turns out to be a stalker and threatens to reveal her secret to the police and relents only if Allison promises to share half the share of the property she’d inherit from her husband. Allison silently agrees.

But then a new twist comes in the form of Portia, Allison’s office colleague who kidnaps her along with her husband but some turn of events lead Jo to rescue Allison and then Allison blackmails Portia and her husband to give her money which would stop her from complaining to the police.

The money is given by Portia who in a last conversation with Allison reveals that she was in an abusive relationship with her husband but now was leaving him and that money she has transferred in her account is not known to her husband.

My Thoughts

The twists and turns happening in the novel don’t seem forced. They might seem bizarre but the way they are done appear seamless and in continuity. The character building of Allison and Jo is done through sprinkling their inner monologues in the right places which make the book genuine and shows organic story-telling. Their little habits add a layer to the character building so much so that the reader could easily discern the kind of personality they have and easily compare them to some of the real life people they know. It is s contemporary novel set in modern-day London which makes it more easier for the reader to get into the atmosphere.

Some parts of the ending are predictable and some are not. The story builds up to that ending so it doesn’t seem abrupt.

The book despite being short seems naturally progressing and the plot moves forward organically.

So if you want to read a short, easy, mystery read with an atmosphere in which you can settle in easily, this book is for you.

I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Der Tod in Elizabeth das Musical

Thanks to the Youtube channel ACI01 I have been introduced to European musicals. And I have been mesmerized by them ever since. The most recent one has been Elizabeth das Musical and it’s songs Der Letzte Tanz (The Last Dance) and Wenn Ich Tanzen Will (When I Want to Dance) are the ones in which I love to watch Der Tod (Death) again and again. I am glad to come across the YouTube channel Fitzrove which gave me an idea to discuss about Der Tod in a blog. I would be discussing about the German adaptation of Elisabeth das Musical performed in 1992.

Uwe Kröger as Der Tod in Elisabeth das Musical

Uwe Kröger starring in Elizabeth das Musical in 1992

From the moment I saw Uwe in the song Der Letzte Tanz, I was immediately reminded of the vampire Lestat- stealthy, graceful, flamboyant, effeminate and beautiful. It is kind of like the 70s Rockstar era which reminds one of Freddie Mercury and the like. He is not macho but exudes power in subtle ways. The careful expressions of his eyes gives his audience subtle hints of his intentions. He is ruthless but in a cold, calculative manner. He believes in luring instead of extricating by force.

Depression and escapism combined to form Der Tod in Elizabeth’s head is a personification of death itself. She wishes to be devoured by it in some instances and in some instances she is fearful of him. Her increasing depression makes that image of Death more charming and I think Uwe has perfectly captured that allure through his body movements and expressions. His chemistry with Pia is spot on which is why Uwe leaves a lasting impact on the audience through his portrayal of death.

Uwe and Pia

Elizabeth’s sub-conscious mind knows how hopeless it all is. Deep down she knows it all too well. Which is why one sees Der Tod being a hopeless creature in some instances of the play. In some ways he is an extension of herself.

Elizabeth, in her vast years of experience and self-knowledge knows in what trap she is falling into which is why she keeps one foot in her real life and one foot into the ‘ultimate reality of life’. When one side starts falling down completely she gives in to her escapism and Death starts becoming more and more alluring in her imagination.

The Charming and Alluring Death

The Last Dance
Der letzte Tanz

Belongs to me alone
Gehört allein nur mir

This line in which Death tells her that she will choose him at the end is her own internal voice telling her to choose the easy way out. As the difficulties in her life increases her mode of escapism seems more captivating to her. It kind of becomes like an addiction. And I think Pia Douwes has done an amazing job in bringing out that overwhelming expression whenever the captivating Uwe tries to draw her in.

Distressed yet Intrigued Elizabeth

All in all it is an escape mechanism for a woman in distress trying to picture the biggest reality of life in the most charming of ways. Giving me Emily Dickinson vibes here.

Check out these links if you want to watch Uwe in all his glory and Pia in all her elegance along with the powerful music and captivating performance of the actors.

Link to Wenn Ich Tanzen Will (Multilanguage) by ACI01 https://youtu.be/BnxMEiUPpsc

Link to Der Letzte Tanz (Multilanguage) by ACI01 https://youtu.be/g5jGaxXyJ04

Link to Fitzrove’s video https://youtu.be/hUNO_zAAJRI

Young Blood- A New Take on Vampiric Folklore

So, listening to Young Blood was quite an experience for me. Full of conspiracy theories and a tightly written script which didn’t make the conspiracy theories seem askew made it an intriguing experience to listen to the audiobook. It is an audible original so you are bound to enjoy the magic of the sound engineers which takes the experience of listening to an audiobook to another level.

The drama consists of ten episodes of approximately half an hour each and it absolutely feels like you are watching a series with your ears. The brilliant acting of the voice actors along with the amazing sound effects prove to be the best aids in imagining the various scenarios.

It revolves around a New York times science writer Damon Ellis who is going through a mid-life crisis and wants to get a Pulitzer worthy story. A chance encounter with a woman during his daily run proves to be a turning point in his life when he finds the identity card of the woman in which her birth date marks her in her late 70s but in appearance make her looks like a 30 year old.

After doing some research he comes across an organization called Calypso which claims to have found the cure for aging. But at what price? Shocking truths are revealed in this journey wherein our protagonist struggles to find more answers and struggles to bring them to the public without seeming to be out of his mind although he faces severe accusations of lying.

The drama is written in such a way that at one point even the listener starts suspecting Damon and the unreliability of his narration comes across as something believable. The story knows that it’s a conspiracy theory which is why it gives you all the data but then leaves the choice on you to believe it or not.

Written in a true conspiracy theory fashion I suggest readers to listen to this powerful and intriguing audio drama. A scientific take on vampirism where the high profile people stay young due to shady organizations like Calypso which feed them the blood of young people ( and by young I mean adolescent children) takes the vampiric folklore and mixes it with science to give the vampire a new narrative. Several big names are said to be associated with this and even the celebrities, billionaires and influential people’s intelligence, strength and beauty is attributed to this practice.

All in all, it is a very interesting drama. The theories seem plausible and you don’t want to stop knowing more. That is the thing about the most intriguing conspiracy theories- they seem to give an answer of the most ridiculous of things in the most reasonable ways. Gives you a belief that anything is possible. And that is what creativity and good story-telling is all about. So I suggest you plug-in and listen to this drama and make your chores a tad more interesting!

Then She Vanishes Review-Spoilers Ahead

Then She Vanishes is a mystery/thriller novel written by Claire Douglas. It was published in the year 2019. The novel starts off with a woman killing a man and an old woman in their house. The woman then proceeds to shoot herself outside her own house. The said woman is Heather Young who is in her 30s. There is another interesting fact about her, which is that her sister Flora disappeared at the age of 17 in 1994.

Heather had a friend in school called Jessica who is now a journalist and is now covering this case.

Now, Jessica thinks that it was her fault that Flora disappeared and Jessica and Heather fell out ever since. Heather’s mother Margot is also angry with Jessica which is why when Jessica first approaches Margot to enquire about Heather and the case, Margot shuns her initially.

Plot

The plot of the novel is quite simple. Disappearance stories are not unheard of. Neither are murder mysteries. But the execution of both of these themes are done in quite an interesting and engaging fashion.

Now it is clear from the start as to who the criminal behind these murders is. The same Heather Young who is in the hospital with a bullet in her chest and a severe head injury. But the questions keep arising. Why would a a married, well-settled woman in her 30s, that too with a baby, try to kill two strangers out of nowhere? And the biggest question of all- has that anything to do with the disappearance of Flora all these years ago?

Writing Style

The writing style of the novel is quite simple. It is a contemporary novel so there isn’t any massive world building. It is based in the modern era in a small town in the UK. The chapters are divided according to the perspective of each character. And the story progresses accordingly.

However in between these chapters there are some journal entries which clearly portray the muddled mind of the individual writing them. Now it is not revealed whose journal entries they are but it is made quite clear that the person writing them is clearly unhinged.

One might guess it is Heather, but is it? The clever twist and turn of phrases often plant the seeds of doubt in the reader which make the novel more of a page turner. So, in the mystery department I must say that the writing style of the novel is a win-win.

Some of the Characters

Heather Young

First of all, let us talk about Heather Young. While being unconscious from the beginning of the novel, we do get to know her from second hand sources in the majority of the novel.

In her 30s, Heather is a married woman and the mother of a baby boy.

It is told in the novel that Heather had been struggling with post-natal depression and she is described as a very shy, quiet type of a person.

Even her childhood friend Jessica describes her to be a very shy teenager. But slowly we get to see the various layers of her character. The uncanny events that had happened and the way Heather had reacted to them portray quite a different picture of her altogether.

Is Heather just a quiet person or a cautious one? Is she hiding under the pretence of low-profile so that no one looks too carefully at her? Such questions constantly come up in the minds of the readers and I think it was intentional so as to keep the readers hooked and suspicious of Heather’s true intentions. And I think it works very well.

Jessica

Jessica is perhaps one of those characters who are very conflicted in themselves. In her internal monologue, Jessica describes herself to be a tough woman. Although her last reporting scandal lowers her self-esteem in her eyes.

Jessica has had a childhood in which she was ignored by her mother. She comes from a financially stable family but lack of love pushes her more towards the Young family in her teenage years.

Although Jessica is a character who has done questionable things in the past, one could see that she owns some redeeming qualities.

I loved the fact that Jessica is quite self-aware. She knows for a fact that her boyfriend Rory is more of a good human being than her and admits that from time to time. Her compassion for the homeless guy who sleeps outside her office is not told but shown. Her friendship with Jack, her colleague is quite a nice addition to her personality.

The twinge of guilt she feels every time she talks to Margot is yet another instance of her keen self-awareness wherein she knows that although she empathises with Margot, she still wants that story which could re-establish her journalism career.

I know there are many more characters in this book but I wanted to talk about these two specifically. To know more about the other characters, you may go and read the book.

My Final Thoughts 

I think if you are a fan of mystery/thriller novels, you should give this one a try. It is a contemporary novel, easy to go into, nicely paced with a revelation lurking right in the corner, so it can prove to be a good read to get you out of a reading slump. As to ratings, I would give this book an 8 out of 10.

So these were my thoughts on the book.

AUDIBLE ESCAPE GEMS:THE CORINTHIAN BY GEORGETTE HEYER(I am in love with Richard Wyndham!)

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer is one of my top favourites of her books besides Venetia and others that I have read so far. The Corinthian starts with Richard’s mother and sister practically goading him to marry a suitable lady(actually a specific lady which has been decided on for several years)which starts as a very comical encounter between him and his mother and sister and his brother-in-law(who was sort of forced to come to join in on the goading but is miserable and wishes to be somewhere else).

You see,that is what is so special about her book,every character,every scene has a special importance. It’s as if every character is a spice in her wonderful recipe of a book.

This book has such a vivid impact on you because of the fact that every character,every scene is done with a precision which is Georgette Heyer’s style. The character of Sir Richard Wyndham doesn’t appear superfluous or overwhelming because she explains it vividly,his circumstances,his habits in his earlier youth and the events and interactions of him with other people which made him so bored and eventually sardonic.You like Richard not because he is some ideal,strong-charactered man but because he is through with all those follies and utterly bored and therefore cynical of other people’s supercilliousness. He is done with them.And then an encounter with Penelope changes things.

Well,before you jump to presumptions let me tell you that though this trope is done many times and you might have watched movies of a similar style,but I think you should give it a try. Because Penelope doesn’t change him,she is just young(19) and not yet bored as Richard is.Richard is amused by that.That thing in no way clouds his judgements or the general view of the world.Penelope turns out to be a fun pal. The execution of this somewhat clichèd theme is done with an accuracy which doesn’t border on out of the blue and weird plot which make you roll your eyes but with quality humor and charm which is Georgette Heyer’s style.

So,if you don’t want to miss out a considerable dose of funny and healthy romance,you can listen to the Audible Escape’s gem-The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer, narrated by the extraordinary Georgina Sutton who breathes life in each and every character by her unbelievable voice acting!

ENCHANTING AUDIO DRAMATISED VERSIONS FROM AUDIBLE:PRIDE AND PREJUDICE(BBC RADIO DRAMA)

Now we have the whole movie versions for just our ears with the rest to imagine in our minds with the aid of beautiful pieces that serve as background music for the movie that is playing in our ears.Also to assist the whole thing we have the sound of carriages,horses,doors closing,the winds,the rains,the bells-everything to make it just perfect. And also we have it short,that is,for those of you who find descriptions of scenery and other stuff a bit tedious,well then,these short two-hour dramas are just for you.

Full of dialogues and less narrations of the era’s culture,habits etc. because you can feel it already through the music and the sounds of cups and plates serve as a direct insight,so I say it’s a win-win situation.

And such narrators as that.My personal favourite was Mrs Bennett.The exasperation,the giddiness,the erratic nature is perfectly captured by the narrator as is the silliness of Lydia and Catherine by the respective narrators. Mr. Darcy’s voice has that authority and command with the huskiness that gives his masterpiece of a voice a final touch.

Mr Bingley’s voice has that gentleness and submissiveness as befits his character,so is Jane’s voice. In this way we can easily discern the temperaments of our characters just by the amazing voice acting without reading long character descriptions.

And…the background music is Regal and beautiful and completely fits the period of the novel.All in all it is a treat for the ears so don’t miss it out.

(p.s. Don’t buy the separate Pride and Prejudice audio for 1 credit instead buy the whole Jane Austen BBC radio drama collection for 1 credit,in that way you’ll get the dramatizations of all Jane Austen’s works,well,except Love and Friendship and,you’ll also get Emma,it’s there,although its not included in the description).

Buy this for 1 credit

Instead of this for 1 credit

Like me,who ended up buying both!

MARGARET ATWOOD ASTONISHES ME AGAIN:PROSE LIKE THAT WOULD SUCK THE LIFE’S BREATH OUT OF YOUR SOUL…

The Robber Bride is the sixth novel written by Margaret Atwood in 1993.

The Robber Bride is a book about three women who are in their middle ages right now and also about the woman named Zenia whom they have encountered at some point in their lives and boy what an encounter they have had!

Without giving much spoilers, I would like to tell all the reasons why you should read this book.First of all,the way Margaret Atwood writes her characters is almost uncanny.All the three characters-Tony,Charis and Roz are different in their own ways but when you read their chapters you can’t seem to shake yourself of the fact that the author has the personalities of all three of them imbibed in her-otherwise how is it possible that she can write so exquisitely!

Especially the character of Charis-I loved how it was written.I love those mystical elements in her persona.Such books are written to be read more than once.And with Tony,you can almost believe that the author thinks like Tony and so will you when you read the chapters of Charis and countless number of other protagonists she’s written over the years!

Her intellligence,her power to think beyond are nicely captured in the most delicious,entrancing and page-turning prose ever written.You never get bored.You never get tiresome.Her sentences are short but so powerful that you can fill the gaps yourself.

She doesn’t write the whole thing down,insttead she prompts and prods your mind in such a way that you are evoked.There really is something mystical about her books,especially this one and Cat’s eye.

A great many books of Margaret Atwood have the undertone of the World Wars that have actually happened during the author’s time especially the Second World War and we see this in this book as well.

The childhood of our three protagonists is affected by the war as their families-especially their parents were affected by it.We see it in Roz’s sometimes overbearing and erratic personality in making herself trying to fit in(even though she is a rich and successful career woman),Tony losing herself in her historic wars and Charis being Charis.

Whatever those characters faced in their earlier years has resurfaced in their personality traits and that process is shown in a little but impactful words.

Also I would like to add that I loved the relationship between Tony and her husband,West.I know there were some hitches but it had a nice feel,a nice tone to it.Out of the few romantic couples I like in books and pop culture these days(except in classics!),I liked their romance.It was cute,heart-warming and memorable.

Overall this book is a great work of intellect.It digs deeper into your soul through its characters’ psyche,through its bizzare and sometimes overwhelming scenes(which make it more interesting)and after you finish the book still you’ll want to go back and read it again because you’ll be sure that there’s a lot yet left to disclose.

CAT’S EYE BY MARGARET ATWOOD

Cat’s Eye is a book that is very close to my heart because of the fact that I think at one point I have gone through all those phases which relates me not only to the protagonist but also to almost all the characters in her book.

In this book,nobody is the villain(although in the beginning you might feel otherwise).But gradually you start understanding that childhood bullying is toxic but growing up,becoming an adult in no way saves you from the poisonous feelings arising from jeoleousy,intrigue and scorn.

Do we really feel pity for the pitiable or are we helping them just because there is a really tiny portion of ourselves filled with glee.Margaret Atwood deals with such intricacies of the human mind and heart that you might think that she is looking straight into your soul.

Such complexities of the human mind,such weaknesses and the power to overcome that weakness coming with another weakness often renders the characters pitiable and we start seeing ourselves in it.

We do pity Elaine in her childhood and sort of hate Cordelia and her gang for what they did to her.But is it really inside an thirteen year old girl to be that vicious or there is more and why does Elaine repeatedly remembers her.Is it because she wants to show Cordelia her current status or is she regretful of something she did to her.

When you start getting deeper you’d realise that things are not what they seem and that our treachereous emotions make us do certain actions that give us a great sense of delight and superiority but in reality we are wounding us deeper than we know.

And by the time we realise it,it is too late.

Margaret Atwood with her brilliant prose and pace makes us realise that the person standing opposite to you might be the same as you and the only way to cure your wound caused by them is to forgive and forget.

Because that person standing opposite you might just be the mirror reflection of you.

EMMA BY JANE AUSTEN

Jane Austen’s works are often long and detailed which might feel tedious to some readers but once you are in,you really start appreciating the author’s take on people’s behaviour and the reasons behind it.

Every minor character,be it some distant Lady or Aunt-all their nuances are explained by the author giving the reader a distant insight into the lives of the people in that era.

And here’s the thing-Jane Austen wants you to believe that she is just giving the detailed description of the life surrounding her and that the female protagonist’s actions are justified because you know the reason behind that-due to Jane’s detailed description of the character’s mind but then bam! you are proved wrong and then you go back to the text realising that the author is just relating to you the workings of the character’s mind,she is in no way justifying her actions,she is leaving that for you to decide.

Because she so artfully and thoroughly describes you the workings of the mind-you start thimking,”Well! that is reason enough”.But then comes the second character’s perspective and you start seeing things in a clearer light.

And that is what Jane Austen wants to tell us-When you enter inside someone’s mind-the intentions and the thoughts are so noble that you seldom mistake their actions and think them to be as noble as their thoughts.But that’s not the case.The little nuances or selfishnesses that we shrug off might actually sabotage their noble deeds.

The little vanities in our character that we take for granted might actually become a vital ingredient in hurting other people’s feelings.

I heard a person say that we think that we’ve figured out the person in front of us because our high intellect and past amity with our fellow creatures backs us up but here is where we go wrong.

And I think that that is what happened between Emma and Miss Bates(though I must admit that I watched the movie first,the 1996 one-starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam)-so that gave me a clearer insight and consequently I didn’t like her attitude towards Miss Bates in the book from the start.

Same thing happens with her and Harriet-she fails to grasp the inner workings of Harriet’s mind and assumes that she knows her better than herself(mind you,that’s a very dangerous attitude!) and we have all those fixes as a result!

Also,because of all this tangle,Emma starts doubting herself and falls into an even more complex labrynith taking Harriet with her.Also because of all that she fails to observe the little partialities shown to her by Mr Knightly or even if she does notice them she,based on her assumptions takes them to be tokens of a life-long friendship.

Because of all these entanglements and assumptions backed up her vanities and people’s trust in her intellect and understanding,Emma leaves no room for circumspection which results in her grossly miscalculated actions and misery for her friend Harriet.

In a sense Emma can also be termed as a coming-of-age novel because it is the story of Emma gaining perspective of her society,understanding people’s behaviours,getting to see their true colours(I am looking at you Mr Elton!) and consequently knowing herself-shedding off her vanities,her assumptions and becoming truly empathetic.

I bought this book second hand and got this movie-tie-in edition!Cheap buying has its perks!

THE COLOR PURPLE BY ALICE WALKER

I listened to the Audiobook version narrated by the author herself.

I was shocked and startled from the beginning of the book.

The novel starts with a young black teenager Celie who maintains a diary in which she writes letters to God telling him everything that goes on with her life.

The book follows the trials and tribulations of a poor black woman who suffers a lot,including getting raped by her father and getting preganent consequently,getting sold off to a husband in marriage,abused and beaten by her husband and spending a major part of her life being a helpless submissive who just accepts things without raising any voice,just in order to survive.

But she finds her silver lining in the form of Shug Avery-who is an opera singer and also the mistress of her husband.She shows her that there is more,much more to life than just being a hopeless and pitiable creature.

The novel follows her journey to find happiness,love,her orientation,her self-esteem and ultimately God.

The one thing I like about this book is that all the characters-whether they are the ones who hurt others or the ones who are hurt by others-they all have a perspective.

This book is not only about Celie but also about Albert,Shug Avery,Nettie,Harpo,Sofia-they all recover themselves of their past wounds and become a better version of themselves.

Celie doesn’t shy away from revealing the deepest secrets of her heart,the feelings of jealousy,agitation that she sometimes got in her moments of insecurity made her all the more realistic and humane.And that made her character arc more interesting and satisfying.

And the one thing that I loved about this book is that the author wrote it the way she talked.She didn’t feel any qualms in writing the prose with some grammatical errors and I think that gave more credibility to the story.

All in all,The Color Purple is a story about embracing yourself,not changing the way you are,not pitying yourself and finding happiness and embracing it in the form you want to because that is when you feel truly connected to everything-the trees,the birds,your surroundings and everything becomes pleasent and soothing inside out.And that is when you realise your real worth and find your self esteem making you independent and strong.