Recent Reads - The Terrifying Tales

The Terrifying Tales by Edgar Allen Poe - This collection of classic tales of suspense and horror is one of the spooky books that I inevitably pick up to read during October (my other favorite is Dracula). The only downside for me is this collection doesn't include my very favorite work from Poe - The Raven. The cover features a raven, so I think that's a bit of false advertising!

The collection begins with The Tell-Tale Heart, in which the narrator explains to the reader how and why he murdered his landlord. He describes himself as quite sane and brilliant in his planning, and yet as the events of the day in question unfold, his insanity becomes more chillingly obvious. This is the story I used in my creative writing class as the example of building tension through the repetition and rhythm of the heartbeat. Since the narrator is addressing the reader very directly, I considered this book as breaking the fourth wall for the 52 Book Club Challenge.

The Cask of Amontillado is another classic, and the narrator's planning and cold calculation to be rid of his enemy is so sinister. The Masque of the Red Death and The Fall of the House of Usher are full of spooky atmosphere and fate. 

In The Murder in the Rue Morgue and The Purloined Letter, the narrator has struck up a friendship with the eccentric genius M. Dupin, who solves a puzzling and gruesome murder. The Murder in the Rue Morgue is considered the first modern detective story, and the manners and methods of M. Dupin are similar to the more well-known fictional detective Sherlock Holmes so it's easy to see how Poe's work became a model for other detective stories. 

The Pit and the Pendulum is the last in the collection, and is another atmosphere-driven short story. The narrator is a victim in a Spanish Inquisition torture chamber. The narrative focuses on the sensory experiences and the fateful knowledge that a horrific death is coming ever closer, building suspense and tension. With each new discovery of what is in his torture chamber, he finds that he escapes one terror only to realize that another worse fate awaits him.

For the October Mini-Challenge, I selected this book for Pick Your Scare Level, and while it's not the gory slasher style horror more common in today's books and movies, I consider it "Keep You Up All Night" level suspense.

This is a book that breaks the fourth wall (#25) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

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Recent Reads - Killers of a Certain Age

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn - Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have certainly earned their retirement, having worked their entire adult lives as professional assassins for a secretive agency known as the Museum. And so in the opening pages of this thriller, they are meeting on board a cruise ship for an all-expenses paid vacation to mark the end of their active employment, and they have some mixed feelings about it. Their training is everything though, and they recognize a Museum operative among the crew members and quickly deduce that they are the next targets. First order of business is to get off the ship alive, and the next is to figure out why the Board of the Museum wants them dead. And naturally, if they want to survive, they will need to kill those who have signed their death warrants.

What follows is a thrilling global chase, as these four sixty-somethings disguise themselves, track down information and leads, and hunt down the hunters. Every skill they've learned in their decades-long careers, their long years of experience, and their trust in each other will be put to the test in a kill or be killed mission.

Billie is the main viewpoint character, and the present-day narrative is punctuated occasionally by flashback scenes that provide insight into Billie's recruitment and training with the Museum, and the early missions the foursome completed. It feels strange sometimes to be rooting for cold-blooded killers, but Billie and her friends are definitely likeable and the epitome of sympathetic characters. Besides, the Museum has always exercised great discretion in the targets they remove, which only adds to the tension of why the organization has now turned on its own assets.

From the publisher:

"This Golden Girls meets James Bond thriller is a journey you want to be part of." -Buzzfeed

Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that's their secret weapon.

They've spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can't just retire ― it's kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they've been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They're about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman―and a killer―of a certain age.

By the same author: A Murderous Relation, A Dangerous Collaboration, A Treacherous Curse, A Perilous Undertaking, A Curious Beginning, Night of a Thousand Stars, Bonfire Night, Twelfth Night, City of Jasmine, Whisper of Jasmine, Midsummer Night; A Spear of Summer Grass, Silent in the Grave, Silent in the Sanctuary, Silent on the Moor, Dark Road to Darjeeling, The Dark Enquiry, Silent Night, The Dead Travel Fast

This is a book with cover font in a primary color (#41) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

I've picked this as the first book in The 52 Book Club's Connections Challenge. 

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - The Pink Bonnet

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The Pink Bonnet: True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime by Liz Tolsma - Cecile Dowd is a young widow doing her best to raise her three-year-old daughter by herself, but times are hard in Memphis during the depression. One day Cecile leaves Millie Mae with a neighbor so she can go job hunting, and when she returns she finds that the neighbor has turned Millie over to Georgia Tann, director of the Tennessee Children's Home Society. So begins Cecile's desperate search to find her daughter, and to her horror she realizes that not only is Miss Tann's adoption agency corrupt, but Miss Tann has powerful connections.

Percy Vance is a lawyer that does work for Georgia Tann and believes that she is doing what is best for children - or at least he hasn't paid attention to any little signs that contradict that, until he is confronted by a distraught Cecile. Reluctantly, he recognizes that Cecile IS a good mother and that there are a lot of suspicious things about Georgia Tann's operation. Percy decides to help Cecile, despite the risk of crossing his ruthless employer and her cronies. The level of corruption Percy and Cecile start to uncover is breathtaking, but against the odds they continue the search for Millie Mae.

We are also introduced to two contrasting adoptive family situations, and either one could be Millie. Tolsma keeps us guessing which of the two it is until quite late in the story, adding to the tension and complexity of the moral dilemmas in the plot.

In many ways this was a dark and disturbing story, because it is based on historical events. Georgia Tann really did operate the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis, and had powerful and corrupt connections that allowed her to continue. It's estimated that she kidnapped and sold over five thousand children between 1924 and 1950. Even celebrities like Joan Crawford, Dick Powell, and June Allyson adopted through Miss Tann. An investigation was finally opened in 1950, but Georgia Tann died of cancer before being held to account for her crimes. And very few, if any, of the children were ever found or reunited with their birth parents.

Knowing that Cecile's anguished search and the plight of Millie and other children likely reflected the experiences of real people added to the suspense and tension of this story. The plot drives the story far more than character arcs, but Cecile is a believable and sympathetic character right from the start. Percy is also appealing and mostly realistic. I stayed up quite late into the night to finish the story because I needed to know whether Cecile and Percy found Millie before it was too late, and whether there was any satisfactory justice. A compelling true crime story that handles situations of domestic abuse, abuse of children, and the heartless cruelty of Miss Tann and her associates without being graphic or using coarse language.

From the publisher:

A Desperate Mother Searches for Her Child
Step into True Colors -- a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime

Widowed in Memphis during 1932, Cecile Dowd is struggling to provide for her three-year-old daughter. Unwittingly trusting a neighbor puts little Millie Mae into the clutches of Georgia Tann, corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children's Home Society director suspected of the disappearance of hundreds of children. With the help of a sympathetic lawyer, the search for Millie uncovers a deep level of corruption that threatens their very lives.

How far will a mother go to find out what happened to her child?

Visit Barbour Publishing for more info on where to buy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

©2008-2019 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Odd Thomas - #collaboreads

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Odd Thomas: An Odd Thomas Novel by Dean Koontz - This novel - and this author! - is not in my preferred genre of reading material, but the #collaboreads challenge for December was to read something that is a friend's favorite, and Dean Koontz happens to be one of my husband's favorite authors. Where better to get a book recommendation than from my spouse!

I started with Odd Thomas: You Are Destined to Be Together Forever because I already had it on my Kindle (I had acquired it for hubby to read some time ago!) and I initially thought it was a novella. Turns out it is only a short story, so I definitely felt like I needed to read more in order for it to 'count' in the #collaboreads challenge. And I did find it interesting. This story was published just before the conclusion to the Odd Thomas series, but it takes place prior to the first novel, so for me it served the purpose of introducing the characters and giving me a taste of what I'd be in for. In it, Odd (for that is his given name, not an adjective to describe him!) and his girlfriend Stormy, are met by the ghost of a recently murdered man that only Odd can see, which leads them to a cabin where two women need their help. Odd is able to figure out how the man was killed and set things right. The other event in the story, and the inspiration for the title, is that when Odd and Stormy finally make it to the fair (their destination before being met by the ghost), they receive the fortune teller's card assuring them that they are destined to be together forever.

Now back to Odd Thomas: An Odd Thomas Novel - This introduces the character Odd Thomas and the story is told from his perspective. He is a young man from a deeply dysfunctional family who has the ability to see ghosts. He interacts with dead people almost as a matter of routine, and views his ability as both a gift and at times a curse. He explains that when a spirit lingers, it is because they are not ready to move on to the next world, and sometimes it is because there is some injustice surrounding their passing. Odd's sixth sense often allows him to understand the spirits well enough that he is compelled to help resolve the issue and protect those still living. Very few people know of his paranormal ability - Stormy and the Chief of Police being two of the most important.

In the opening chapters, Odd has several strange encounters that serve to set the stage, and he particularly notices a new character in town that he refers to as Fungus Man, and that his sixth sense indicates is very bad news. Even more disturbing, Odd sees an unusual number of bodachs, which he describes as sort of spiritual beings that revel in some kind of energy surrounding death and evil. Of course, no one else can see what he does, but Odd has an increasing conviction that the presence of the bodachs and the other strange happenings indicate that something incredibly evil and disastrous will happen soon, something that will result in the death of huge numbers of people. Odd pursues the leads from his sixth sense mostly on his own, compelled to do whatever he can to find out what is planned and to stop it if at all possible.

There are many twists and turns in the story, and many weird and wonderful characters, along with a rather surprising ending. Overall, although this was a bit of a departure from the genre I usually read, I did enjoy it and wouldn't be opposed to continuing in the series.

Riveting. {What part of the book could you NOT get enough of?} I really enjoyed all of the 'good guy' characters, and the wry humor throughout. As narrator, Odd Thomas is often self-deprecating, and the descriptions of people and events seen through his eyes are quirky and unusual. I liked the relationships he had with the people he loved - those few people that knew of his ability. 

Elements. {How did you relate to/care for the characters?} Odd is a very likable character who cares very deeply for his few trusted friends, and he is sensitive and compassionate when he deals with the troubled folks around him. For example, his landlady needs Odd's assurance each morning that she is still visible. She fears that one day she will inexplicably turn invisible. Many people would see her as mentally unbalanced, but Odd understands that it's how she has dealt with the sudden unexpected deaths of her close family and he takes seriously his role in calming her worries first thing every morning, and does so with great kindness. Odd's other close friends - particularly Stormy, Chief Porter, and Little Ozzie - are also very likable and sympathetic characters.

Associate. {What other books are like this one? Does it remind you of a TV show or movie with its themes and characters? Did it serendipitously line up with things going on in your life or in the news right now?} I guess there are probably all kinds of shows and movies with related themes, but none in particular came to mind. However, I often thought about the many large-scale terrorist attacks in recent months and years as I was reading about Odd's growing fear that Fungus Man had a huge killing spree in mind, and as Odd moved closer to the horrific event and his determination to avert the disaster even as he realized that time was running out. That association was rather disturbing to me on occasion, but made me appreciate what must be a similar sense among our law enforcement and intelligence personnel sometimes - having pieces of information that indicate terrorist plots but will they be able to put those pieces together in time to thwart the planned attack or have enough evidence to convict a terrorist or criminal and keep them from harming anyone else. 

Design. {You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? How did it relate to the contents of the novel?} I was much more drawn to the cover art for the short story, as it gave more clues to story elements. The cover of the novel is less interesting to me, although the enigmatic expression and focus on the eye in the depiction of Odd are hard to turn away from. I always think it's strange when an author's name is so much larger on the cover than the title of the book. To me, that's backwards.

Stars. {How many out of five do you give this book? Would you recommend this book to a friend?} I could give this four and a half stars. It is an incredibly well-crafted story from a respected and gifted author, and I'd have to say it's a mark of a great story when it keeps me turning pages and enjoying it even though it's not in my wheelhouse, so to speak. For readers who like stories with paranormal elements, this is obviously an excellent choice; but for readers who prefer a more gentle story without the elements of evil, I wouldn't recommend this.

This review is linked at Rachel A. Dawson for #collaboreads (December's theme was A FRIEND'S FAVORITE)

The topic for December is "A FRIEND'S FAVORITE" and we hope you'll ask a friend for a must-read recommendation, get your hands on a copy, read it throughout December, and link up with your review on December 28!

©2008-2016 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Teaser Tuesdays/First Chapter First Paragraph - Odd Thomas

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm. To play along, just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title and author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

Pale, puffy, his watery gray gaze floating over store windows, looking almost as bemused as an Alzheimer's patient who has wandered out of his care facility into a world he no longer recognizes, Fungus Man carried stuffed shopping bags from two department stores.
"What's that yellow thing on his head?" Stormy asked.
"Hair."

 ~Odd Thomas: An Odd Thomas Novel by Dean Koontz, 17% on my Kindle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is a weekly link-up hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea. To participate, share the first paragraph (or two) of a book you're reading, or thinking about reading soon.

    My name is Odd Thomas, though in this age when fame is the altar at which most people worship, I am not sure why you should care who I am or that I exist.     I am not a celebrity. I am not the child of a celebrity. I have never been married to, never been abused by, and never provided a kidney for transplantation into any celebrity. Furthermore, I have no desire to be a celebrity.     In fact I am such a nonentity by the standards of our culture that People magazine not only will never feature a piece about me but might also reject my attempts to subscribe to their publication on the grounds that the black-hole gravity of my noncelebrity is powerful enough to suck their entire enterprise into oblivion.

Odd Thomas: An Odd Thomas Novel by Dean Koontz

Here's the blurb:

"The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz's dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours.

Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it's different. A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde of hyena-like shades who herald an imminent catastrophe. Aided by his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Odd will race against time to thwart the gathering of evil. His account of these shattering hours, in which past and present, fate and destiny, converge, is a testament by which to live -- an unforgettable fable for our time destined to rank among Dean Koontz's most enduring works.

What do you think? Would you continue reading?

©2008-2015 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/