Bogormen

Title: Stay Close
Author: Harlan Coben
Genre: Crime
Rating: 2.5/5
# pages: 399
Date read: April, 2022

Megan is a suburban soccer mom who once upon a time walked on the wild side. Ray used to be a talented documentary photographer, but now finds himself in a dead-end job posing as paparazzo. Broome is a detective who can’t let go of a cold case.

Three people living lives they never wanted are hiding secrets that even those closest to them would never suspect. And as each confronts the dark side of the American dream—the boredom of a nice suburban life, the excitement of temptation, the desperation and hunger that can lurk behind even the prettiest facades—they will discover the hard truth that the line between one kind of life and another can be as whisper-thin as a heartbeat.


The third book I've read by Harlan Coben and unfortunately the weakest. Can't put my finger on why exactly, but part of it is definitely that it came across as a lot less realistic than the others... especially when it came to 'Ken' and 'Barbie'.

I'm glad this isn't the first book I've read by him, or I probably wouldn't have continued with any of the others. Now I'm more inclined to give him another chance.

Title: I'd Know You Anywhere
Author: Laura Lippman
Genre: Crime
Rating: 2.5/5
# pages: 386
Date read: May, 2016

Eliza Benedict cherishes her peaceful, ordinary suburban life with her successful husband and children, thirteen-year-old Iso and eight-year-old Albie. But her tranquillity is shattered when she receives a letter from the last person she ever expects - or wants - to hear from: Walter Bowman. There was your photo, in a magazine. Of course, you are older now. Still, I'd know you anywhere.

In the summer of 1985, when she was fifteen, Eliza was kidnapped by Walter and held hostage for almost six weeks. He had killed at least one girl and Eliza always suspected he had other victims as well. Now on death row in Virginia for the rape and murder of his final victim, Walter seems to be making a heartfelt act of contrition as his execution nears. Though Eliza wants nothing to do with him, she's never forgotten that Walter was most unpredictable when ignored. Desperate to shelter her children from this undisclosed trauma in her past, she cautiously makes contact with Walter. She's always wondered why Walter let her live, and perhaps now he'll tell her - and share the truth about his other victims.

Yet as Walter presses her for more and deeper contact, it becomes clear that he is after something greater than forgiveness. He wants Eliza to remember what really happened that long-ago summer. He wants her to save his life. And Eliza, who has worked hard for her comfortable, cocooned life, will do anything to protect it - even if it means finally facing the events of that horrifying summer and the terrible truth she's kept buried inside.


This book could have been awesome, but unfortunately it just fell flat. It was told from multiple POVs, but all four were utterly unsympathetic, which made it really difficult to actually care about what happened. Also, the asides about the children seemed pointless, and never actually went anywhere, so I wonder why Laura Lippman put them in there in the first place.

I almost gave up several times, but the writing was good, and kept pulling me back - I got curious, and wanted to see where it ended.

Fortunately the book did improve, as Eliza lost some of her doormat tendencies and started acting rather than just reacting to things, and the end was satisfactory - although less suspenseful than I had expected.

Title: Sandmanden (Joona Linna #4) (The Sandman)
Author: Lars Kepler
Genre: Crime
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 524
Date read: December, 2014

During a cold winter night in Stockholm a man is found walking alongside a railway bridge, suffering from hypothermia and legionella. After he's rushed to the hospital, it's discovered that, according to a death certificate, the man has been dead for over seven years. He is believed to be a victim of notorious serial killer Jurek Walter, who was arrested years ago by Detective Inspector Joona Linna and sentenced to a life of total isolation in forensic psychiatric care. As Joona Linna investigates where the "dead man" has been all these years, some unexpected evidence leads to the reopening of a cold case. Danger is imminent, and someone needs to get under the skin of the serial killer--fast--as they are running out of time.

Not quite as good as Lars Kepler's other books, but still very, very much worth reading. Unlike the others, this one cannot stand entirely on its own though, as it ties together events from the third book and leads into the fifth... Not enough to leave a major, annoying cliff-hanger, but enough so that I'm glad I have the fifth book ("Stalker") already standing on my shelves.

Parts of it seemed even less realistic than the earlier books in the series, and I did occasionally get annoyed with people just rushing into dangerous situations rather than waiting for backup, but on the other hand they were mostly life-and-death situations, and I guess I can understand the human inclination to not just stand back and wait if somebody's life is at stake. But especially Disa's lack of self-preservation instinct bugged me.

The side trip to Russia seemed to serve no real purpose, other than to once again have Joona end up in a bind. I didn't think that part was ever properly explained.

So the book did have certain issues which caused me to bring the rating down a notch. But even so I did eagerly finish it in just two days, so it still deserves the three stars I left it with.

Title: If You've Got It, Haunt It
Author: Rose Pressey
Genre: Crime
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: 304 pages
Date read: November, 2014

Cookie Chanel, owner of "It's Vintage, Y'all", loves hitting up estate sales to find new old clothes for her shop. But she gets more than she bargains for when Charlotte Meadows - deceased - decides to follow her home and threatens to haunt her until Cookie finds out who really murdered Charlotte. She doesn't trust that the police will do their job, but may be putting Cookie's life in danger by insisting she acts the sleuth herself.

I'm not typically a huge fan of whodunnits, but I will make an exception in the case of cozy mysteries if the "cozy" part is done right. And Rose Pressey managed to "do it right". I was greatly charmed by Cookie and her openminded friend Heather, who - though she couldn't see Charlotte herself - instantly believed Cookie that she was, in fact, there. Adding in a psychic cat who can communicate using an Ouija board, and the whimsy is hard to resist.

I greatly enjoyed it, even though I did think the confession at the end of the book too easily gained... but that's my common complaint with practically all mysteries and shouldn't be held against Rose Pressey's writing. She kept me very nicely entertained, and that's all I ask.

Title: A Deadly Yarn (A Knitting Mystery #3)
Author: Maggie Sefton
Genre: Crafts, Mystery
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 272 pages
Date read: August, 2013

Kelly and Megan are happy for their friend, Allison Dubois, a talented, young artist who's joining a designer's New York studio. But when they arrive to take Allison to the airport, they find her dead on the apartment floor, apparently from an overdose of sleeping pills. Police suspect suicide, but Kelly and Megan aren't convinced. Soon, Kelly learns that while Allison's career was on the fast-track, her social life was a mess. A bad news boyfriend, a jealous design student, and a mysterious man named Brian arouse Kelly's suspicions as she and her friends try to unravel this tightly stitched puzzle.

I was in the mood for a cozy read, and I knew that despite being a murder mystery, this series has actually fit the bill quite nicely so far, so I saw no reason why the next book should be any different.

Fortunately it delivered as expected, and I greatly enjoyed being back with Kelly, Mimi and the others. There was less actual knitting-related in this book than in the two previous ones, but that bothered me less than I would have anticipated. Even though the setup to the murders is getting increasingly ridiculous, the actual sleuthing in this one was a lot more well thought out and realistic and in the two first books. I hope Maggie Sefton can keep this up! I appreciate that Kelly isn't trying to work against the cops, but actually relates her findings to them as appropriate.

Title: Knit One, Kill Two
Author: Maggie Sefton
Genre: Crafts, Crime
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 273
Date read: June, 2013

Kelly Flynn never picked up a pair of knitting needles she liked—until she strolled into House of Lambspun. Now, in the first in a brand-new series, she learns how to knit one, purl two, and untangle the mystery behind her aunt's murder.

I am once again reminded that I really don't like detective stories much. I really liked this book (as the rating shows), but it was blatantly obvious to me that I read it in spite of the mystery involved, and not because of it. Of course it didn't help that I found the mystery - and especially the resolution - ridiculously unrealistic.

However, putting that aside, I loved the rest of the book - the small-town atmosphere, Kelly's introduction to the environment, the knitting shop... why is it that knitting shops such as Mimi's are so abundant in books, yet I've never encountered a single one of them? Is it an American thing... or a fictional thing? ;)

Anyway, cozy mystery that would probably be spot-on for anybody who enjoys their sleuthing novels. As for me, as much as I love the knitting part of the plot, I think I'll give the rest of the series a pass.

Title: Dødsenglen (The Angel of Death)
Author: Sara Blædel
Genre: Crime
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 306
Date read: June 2011, September 2014, September 2021

"The Angel of Death" - an ancient and valuable icon - has been in the possession of the rich family Sachs-Smith for generations, but always as a well-kept secret. So it is a shock to everybody when it suddenly disappears one day... even more so when the police are able to tell the family that their mother's death some months earlier wasn't suicide, but is now investigated as a murder case.

Meanwhile, Louise Rick from Copenhagen Police is involved in a case about a woman who has gone missing during a vacation to Spain. One of the theories the police has is that she wanted to start a new life, but when a well-known movie instructor shortly after disappears without a trace in the same area, Louise no longer has any doubts: the two women have been kidnapped or killed.


A terrific continuation to the Louise Rick series. Sara Blædel clearly improves by each book - her writing is ever tighter and the plot more detailed. This one included a twist I had not seen coming, but which turned out to be completely believable in the scope of the novel.

My only complaint with this novel is that there was too little about Louise's private life and especially one huge (and important!) thread concerning her foster son was left hanging. I hope this is merely in order to pick it up in a later sequel - otherwise I think she made a huge mistake in not tying it off properly here.

But excellent entertainment regardless. Definitely one of the best in the series.

Title: The Night of the Mi'raj (aka "Finding Nouf")
Author: Zoë Ferraris
Genre: Crime, cultural
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 356
Date read: October, 2010

When Nouf ash-Shrawi, the sixteen-year-old daughter of a wealthy Saudi dynasty, disappears from her home in Jeddah just days before her arranged marriage, desert guide Nayir is asked to bring her home.

But when Nouf's battered body is found, Nayir feels compelled to uncover the disturbing truth, travelling away from the endless desert to the vast city of Jeddah, where, most troubling of all, he finds himself having to work closely with Katya Hijazi, a forensic scientist. The further into the investigation he goes, the more Nayir begins to question his loyalties: to his friends, faith and culture.

I'm not usually a big fan mystery/crime/detective novels. They have to be really good - or at least "just right" for me to care much about them. As crime stories go, I'd have to say that this was just "okay". Though I understand the reasoning, I think it was a mistake to tell the story from Nayir's view point. Since Nouf was dead by the beginning of the book, the reader couldn't get to care about her, and therefore didn't need the closure of discovering her murder, and as Nayir didn't know enough about her to care for her either, the motivation to solve the murder was secondhand at best, and made it really difficult to relate or even care whether or not we found the murderer. Sure, I was curious, but that was about it.

But as always it was fascinating to read a book that takes place in a culture so foreign to what I'm used to, so Zoê Ferraris still managed to keep me interested by the atmosphere, even though I was somewhat indifferent to the plot.