Tag: crime

Monica’s Musings: Bright Young Women

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

“Right here, right now, I want you to forget two things: he was nothing special, and what happened was not random.”
― Jessica Knoll, Bright Young Women

Summary: January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldn’t be
further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on
Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee. Tonight is a night of
promise, excitement, and desire, but Pamela Schumacher, president of
the sorority, makes the unpopular decision to stay home—a decision that
unwittingly saves her life.

Startled awake at 3 a.m. by a strange sound, she makes the fateful decision to investigate. What she finds behind the door is a scene of implausible violence—two of her sorority sisters dead; two others, maimed. Over the next few days, Pamela is thrust into a terrifying mystery inspired by the crime that’s captivated public interest for more than four decades.

On the other side of the country, Tina Cannon has found peace in Seattle after years of hardship. A chance encounter brings twenty-five-year-old Ruth into her life, a young woman with painful secrets of her own, and the two form an instant connection. When Ruth goes missing from Lake Sammamish State Park in broad daylight, surrounded by thousands of beach-goers on a beautiful summer day, Tina devotes herself to finding out what happened to her. When she hears about the tragedy in Tallahassee, she knows it’s the man the papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer. Determined to make him answer for what he did to Ruth, she travels to Florida on a collision course with Pamela—and one last impending tragedy.

Bright Young Women is the story about two women from opposite sides of the country who become sisters in their fervent pursuit of the truth. It proposes a new narrative inspired by evidence that’s been glossed over for decades in favor of more salable headlines—that the so-called brilliant and charismatic serial killer from Seattle was far more average than the countless books, movies, and prime time specials have led us to believe, and that it was the women whose lives he cut short who were the exceptional ones.

My Opinion: Bright Young Women is based on the real-life murders by Ted Bundy. This book is really difficult to rate. It started out really good. I appreciate the author’s attempt to focus on the victims rather than “the defendant”. I love the title and the cover is absolutely gorgeous! The title is a play on the words of the Florida judge who called Bundy “a bright young man”, because the focus is on the young women who recognize their worth and intelligence.

Despite the potential this book had, the execution fell completely flat for me. This story is all over the place and not in a good way. I think part of my problem was that I listened to the audio version. It made it that much more difficult to keep track of where in time we were.

My biggest gripe is with the character Ruth. Her sections were off-putting and felt unnecessary to the overall story. I was completely offended when Ruth was outraged by another women grieving a miscarriage in a group grief therapy session, and referred to a late-term miscarriage as losing a “turnip”.

This book would have benefited from including a historical note at the end. I knew a little bit about these murders, but by the end I had to find out which parts of the book were factual and which were not.

For an even more detailed review with pictures from the Ted Bundy case, please see this impressive review by Goodreads user, Barbara! Click Here

Monica’s Musings: The Woman in Cabin 10

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

“What was going to happen to me? There were only two possibilities—they were going to let me go at some point. Or they were going to kill me.”
― Ruth Ware, The Woman in Cabin 10

Summary: Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea.

At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant. The cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for, so the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

My Thoughts: This book started off slow and took me a minute to get into. However, the pacing after the first 25% was great! The suspense built, layer upon layer, until I couldn’t wait to figure out what was going on. Unfortunately, it is revealed a little earlier than expected, with a few minor twists nearing the end.

I can’t say I didn’t enjoy this one, as it was a quick, compelling read, but I did expect much more from it. This one felt confusing, like a debut that you expect to be a little rough. I would still recommend it, but I wouldn’t say it stands out among other thrillers/mysteries.

Monica’s Musings: A Flicker in the Dark

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

“It made me realize that monsters don’t hide in the woods; they aren’t shadows in the trees or invisible things lurking in darkened corners. No, the real monsters move in plain sight.”

― Stacy Willingham, A Flicker in the Dark

Summary: When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested as the serial killer and promptly put in prison. Chloe and the rest of her family were left to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. She finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she worked so hard to get.

And then a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, and that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid and seeing parallels that are not really there, or for the second time in her life, is she about to unmask a killer?

My Thoughts: I have never had so many guesses for how a book would end. It was fun to keep up with because I kept switching my prediction on who was guilty. The story is solid and structured in an interesting way, integrating Chloe’s past memories seamlessly into the current narrative, where she is either lost in thought, dreaming, or having flashbacks, rather than using the format of the past/present chapters.

I really liked all the characters. They were interesting, and each had something to hide. That helped add extra twists and turns. They all had a purpose, whether to confuse us or reveal more about Chloe’s past, traits, and fears.

Book Review: Batman: Nightwalker

First line: The blood underneath her nails bothered her.

Summary: As an eighteen-year-old Bruce Wayne is graduating high school and inheriting his families company and fortune he becomes entangled in the crimes of Gotham City. When trying to stop an escaped criminal Bruce lands himself on probation at Arkham Asylum. While cleaning floors he meets an elusive member of the group called the Nightwalkers, a group determined to kill the rich of the city and use their money to help the under privileged. Madeleine has been arrested for the murder of three prominent Gotham citizens but refuses to talk to the police. However, something about the young billionaire starts her talking. As Bruce gets more involved in the case, he sees that he could be in danger too.

Highlights:

“The darkness was his ally, not his enemy.”

Batman was probably my first superhero. I remember watching Michael Keaton play the caped crusader and being a little scared of the dark plotline. I continued to follow the Bat of Gotham through the Dark Knight trilogy (Heath Ledger as the Joker—AMAZING). Now I currently watch the show, Gotham on Fox, which follows the younger years of Detective James Gordon, Bruce Wayne and the villains like Penguin and the Riddler. Lu’s depiction of Bruce reminded me a lot of the boy in Gotham. She does a great job of bringing him to life and carefully crafting him into the superhero he is to become.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Bruce and Alfred his protector and guardian. It is one of my favorite parts from the movies and TV show as well. They have a bond that is deeper than blood. Alfred takes care of him but also has respect for the man he is becoming. At the same time though Bruce realizes that Alfred means more to him and that without him he would not be who he is. The story also touches on themes of the times. The struggle between the upper and lower classes, racial tensions and the need to equal rights for all. Batman is a symbol that something good can live in such a dark place.

“The world would always have the liars and traitors and thieves, but there were still those who were good at heart.”

Lowlights: I missed not having the normal Batman villains. Madeleine was okay. Most of the Batman villains are flashy with lots of humor thrown in. She was smart but a little dull. I am looking forward to the villain story in Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas later this year!

FYI: Check out Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo!

Book Review: Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions

Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions by Amy Stewart

First line: On the morning of her arrest, Edna Heustis awoke early and put her room in order.

Summary: In the third book of the Kopp Sisters series, Constance, the first lady deputy, strives to find justice for the women that are brought to the jailhouse. These women were arrested on morality charges but Constance is out to prove that these women are just trying to provide for themselves and have a little freedom. At the same time she has to find her sister, Fleurette, who runs away to join the stage show of May Ward and her Dresden Dolls.

Highlights: I love that this is based on true stories. As I was skimming through the historical notes at the end of the book, I saw that the news articles about Constance Kopp appeared in the Wichita Beacon. As the first woman deputy, she had to fight the constant backlash from the people that believed a woman should not and could not be a deputy. She proves them wrong. Norma makes me laugh with her straightforward speech and tough demeanor.

Lowlights: I feel that the story is slow moving with multiple storylines intertwined. The story could have been condensed and made a little shorter.

FYI: Check out the libraries database, Newspapers.com, and search for Constance Kopp. It is very interesting to see the real life woman and her stories.