Review: Sole Survivor by Dean Koontz

This book has also been on my list to read for a long time, and it was well worth the wait. I enjoyed this so much more than Door to December, and was kept on the edge of my seat the entire way. I always enjoy the 'supernatural themes' and this novel had action, suspense, paranormal activity and meaning of life themes. What more could you want?

I would thoroughly recommend this book to any fan of Koontz or those that enjoy action spiced with the paranormal.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Door to December by Dean Koontz

The Door to December is an earlier book by Koontz, and has been on my list to read for a very long time. The book follows the story of a young girl kidnapped and subjected to psychological torture and brainwashing. The link to the occult was promising in the beginning, but ultimately came to an average conclusion. The romance between the lead cop and the victim's mother was laughable, and I was always one step ahead of the plot.

If anything, it makes you realise just how far Koontz has come over the years, and how his writing has matured. This book was most likely very gripping and quite scary in its time. I'm glad I read it, but if you're a fan of Koontz, I wouldn't recommend stepping back in time to read this one.

My rating = **

Carpe Librum!

Review: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

I had wanted to read this book for a long time, given it's status as an American classic, and that the author also wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's. In Cold Blood is a true crime story, based on the murder of a farming family in Kansas in 1959. The author introduces the reader to the Clutter family and they seem like the perfect family. This is not a 'whodunnit' though, as we are introduced to the killers early on, and follow the case right through to the conviction.

This book is more haunting than modern day crime fiction, and there were several nights that I didn't want to read the book before going to sleep, because of the dark subject matter. You really get into the head of the killers, and it's a little disturbing. The book is not overly graphic, it's more the fact that the killers seem to have little value for human life.

I guess I would say that this is not an 'enjoyable' read, but I'm satisfied that I read it, and understand the controversy it created in its time. I can now understand why critics claim this is one of the best true crime stories of all time.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!