An exceptional mystery read.
 
Blurb: “She presumed their first meeting had been coincidental, but then discovered that he had already painted her in intimate detail. They agreed not to reveal anything about their previous lives to each other, not even their names. They became lovers and planned to marry, but then he disappeared and she had no means of discovering what might have happened to him. A decade later she received a postcard that enabled her to start the search but, in doing so, she discovered that she could be the most hunted target of the Cold War. She hoped she could survive long enough to find out why. The unseen and unthinkable escalating nuclear arms threat is the dreadful umbrella overshadowing this story, that riddles beneath the ideological standoff that dominated the middle of the last century, but there are other tensions here too, just as dangerous to the individuals involved. National security vies with personal fidelity, integrity with identity and nature with legality in this psychological thriller; and for the protagonist at the heart of it all is the perennial quandary: who really is the person that she loves?”
 
I enjoyed a lot reading this book.
The mystery within the whole story kept me reading and wondering what was behind everything. Mrs. A, the poser, the muse or whatever name the main character had is a strong female character on a mission. First, it seemed to be the mission to find her fiancé that she lost contact with since almost at the end of the world war two. As events evolved and more mysteries appeared, the story seemed much more complicated and her mission has changed slightly. The more I've read the more intrigued I became. Everyone seemed suspicious and it was hard to assume what stood behind the conspiracy. The author managed to get my full attention and everything made sense in a specific way. Leftovers from the war, secret objects inserted in people’s body that may become dangerous for many influencing people from many nations, espionage, fake and real deaths, disguises, talking with people you may not know their names and many other elements created the suspense effect of this book. There was love too, sometimes only as an appearance, a fantasy, an imagination or simply a different kind of love. All in all, this is a book I truly recommend.
 
Type of reader: Fans of exceptionally written novels of mystery, thrillers, suspense with psychological touch and flavors of war, espionage, and politics.
 
Quotes from the book:
 
“Derek had been a distraction, but the artist was her muse. She thought about him every day and most nights. She had even thought about him when she had been with Derek; especially at the most intense times. She had long admitted that the man she adored had become an icon rather than a reality. Like so many of those who had not been seen since the war, he remained as he was when last she saw him, even though she knew that, in reality, he must be quite different. She frequently feared that if she saw him again she might not recognise him. Even worse, she might have already seen him and not known it. How terrible that would have been, especially if he had recognised her.”
 
“Dreams and thoughts became intertwined. In light sleep he was her hero, lifting her from the mundane and moribund life of a department store spinster into an idyllic existence amid shared seclusion. In deeper sleep he was a diabolical deceiver, handing her over to Soviet surgeons who removed her hidden appendage without anaesthetic, and then left her to wither from infection. When she was awake he was close and distant, benevolent and menacing, familiar and strange.”
 
“An oath is the truth; but all truths are temporary. Time sees to that. Time changes everything. It changes you, it changes me, it changes everything that there is. It’s foolish to say I will always be this, because being this is not in one’s control. This belongs to time. When time changes this changes also. My oaths were always true. At the time when they were made.”
 
My rating: 5/5.
 
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This was a fast and interesting read. The author has an easy and very understandable way of putting words together. Everything starts in 1988 when Hannah’s sister Hailey was wounded and disappeared one night in the woods in the vicinity of an abandoned cemetery. Rumors were saying that some Satanic cult has taken her away and the media have reported amply on the subject. Hannah was only 16 then and she struggled how to cope with the events. Years went by but she couldn't live even for one day wondering what happened to her sister. Twenty years later, without any news about Hailey, Hannah receives some strange phone calls, messages, and witnesses other little things that make her think that she is being stalked and what’s worse that she is next. She couldn't go to the police at first as she was sure they wouldn't believe her, even, later on, she wasn't believed as she didn't have proof. By now she was seeing a therapist and actually, this is the way how we get to know everything, from the sessions that Hannah has had. Happenings made it that another person died and it seemed similar to her sister’s disappearance, but now Hannah is the major suspect. I will not reveal the ending, but I can only tell you that it surprised me. Either is a result of post-traumatic stress disorder or the crazy reality, I let you discover for yourself.

Type of reader: Occult/mystery/Thriller readers and all the others that love a book that keeps your attention wondering what will follow next and also trying to figure out what stands behind everything.

My favorite quotes from this book:

“I think my sister is out there, alive, somewhere, but I don’t know where to look. When I walk to work, I look behind every bush, peer around every corner, and look into the face of every stranger I pass on the street, wondering if it’s Hailey.”

“I wanted her gone. I wanted to be the special one. The one always in demand. I wanted to look down at others the way Hailey looked down at me. Please don’t judge me. It was a moment of desperation.” 

My rating: 4/5.

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Big Jim (James Peck), the main character after whom this gripping novel was named, is a professional big game hunter who leads organized safaris in the jungles of Africa together with his partner Caesar Wilde. The action takes place in 1950s and I had to keep this in mind as it was a very common practice at the time, together with Hollywood promoting the life in the safari through many movies. “Not to mention that the kills we make feed villagers in need of meat.” With this line in mind, I managed to get over the thought of being bothered by the hunting that it is a big part of the plot. I just let myself enjoy the trip in the safari, got to know many things about the nature, wild animals, bit of Swahili words and the most important about all the danger while sitting comfortably on my sofa. The more I turned the pages, the more the pictures were displayed in front of me. While there may be a bit of romance between Big Jim and Mary, a journalist going on a shooting safari and asking a lot of questions for her piece in the magazine, the main happening was something else. Maybe not fully understandable for a westerner, but totally believable for the locals, we are presented with a Jabilo (medicine man) that wants to regain power by mystically controlling an amazingly big Cape Buffalo to help him achieve his goal. The Mnyama (beast) seems unbeatable, killing a lot of locals, destroying villages and fighting the white hunters. Someone had to stop the buffalo and not having much of a choice, Big Jim takes the deal. What happens next I will let you discover on your own, not to spoil the suspense.

Type of reader: f you are looking for a read of action, a non-stop adventure into the heart of Africa in the 1950s, just grab the book and join Big Jim on his greatest adventure!
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My favorite quotes from this book:

“There was something about the Dark Continent which drew people from all corners of the earth. It had romance. There was danger and adventure beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Hollywood provided people a taste of this in the cinema, but there was nothing close to the real thing as an African safari.”

“How next should I strike? This was the question plaguing him. The tribes were falling in line with fear. They scurried for help from the government against the beast wreaking havoc against them. It would only be a matter of days before chiefs sought his magic to rid the territory of the curse. But he needed something more to solidify his power as jabilo. I need a victory against the white hunters……..I need one of them to die! Only then will my power be unquestioned. Mokonzi only needed to choose his next victim. The Mnyama would take care of the rest. But which hunter?”

My rating: 4/5.

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There is no need to use our logic when reading a paranormal story. And this definitely applies to this book. Once I managed to give up on using my down-to-earth logic I found myself enjoying discovering what was going on. How would you feel to discover all of the sudden that you are a succubus (a creature of female form who has sexual intercourse with us in our dreams and fantasies) and you dream about being hunted by a vampire and at the same time searching and feeling safe in your dreams only because of the man that made you fall for him from the first time you laid eyes on him? The story of Emily and Matthew is by far a different kind of love story on a different level, not known to us ordinary humans. I enjoyed seeing a new modern approach to the vampire world, some of them with more respect towards human lives and consuming special medication created for them. This medications are keeping them from hunting humans for their blood. It was thrilling to read about different ways how some of the characters in the book became vampires, werewolves or succubi. I did, however, lack something in feeling the big love between Emily and Mathew. The words were spoken, the gestures were there, but I couldn't just feel this strong connection between them. I did enjoy though every other aspect of the story and I must admit that the author surely has a rich imagination and good writing skills in displaying a great show in front of reader’s eyes.

Reader type: Any fan of paranormal, occult, vampires and other supernatural powers that love to read a well-written story that will not disappoint you but  will make you wanna read more.

My favorite quotes from this book:
“I saw something that I could never forget. He was both old and young at the same time, with two faces inhabiting the same body.”

“The unwelcome beeping of my alarm broke through the dream, and I sat up, catching my breath. He was real. I had felt him, as if he was there right in front of me, once more. I had seen him change with my own eyes, and I knew I had to find him again.”

““Who are you?” I asked him. He told me his name was Mathew. This is how we first came to know each other. I didn’t fully understand what had happened that day in the street, but it had brought me to him. I wanted to stay like that forever, in the dream with him.”

My rating: 4/5.

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I found this being a good, decent thriller. Unfortunately, the ending just didn't do it for me, it fell a little short and that diminished the pleasure I had reading it. The author does a wonderful job converging the destinies of Rachel, Megan, and Anna telling the story through their voices. The main character, Rachel, is a divorced alcoholic who wastes her time daydreaming about the lives of strangers while in denial of what a mess her own life has become. I admit that Rachel’s drinking problem was bothering at moments, even though this was understandable. Because she is often drunk, nothing she says or recalls is trustworthy. Who would have thought that so much can take place only by observing the houses while traveling by train? But, Rachel saw a lot.

Reader type: Thriller/mystery/suspense, not pretentious fans, prepared for a quick and easy read, but certainly above 18 as there are some gruesome violence and heavy drinking.

My favorite quote from this book: “I’m playing at real life instead of actually living it.”
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My rating: 3/5.
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