Search This Blog
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (2)
- Utah
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (2)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (7)
- France (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (2)
- Italy (1)
- Scotland (2)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Bolton's Debut Novel Just As Addicting As Her Latest
4:44 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Although her husband was reared in Unst, 33-year-old Tora Hamilton is a stranger to the remote, weather-beaten Shetland Islands. She is still getting used to Lerwick, her new hometown, when she comes across a dead body buried on the property she and Duncan recently purchased from a trust associated with the church. At first, she assumes it's one of the infamous bog bodies—a Stone Age corpse perfectly preserved by the peat. The post-mortem reveals the truth; not only is the body that of a recently deceased woman, but the victim had her heart cut out. A few days after giving birth.
It's this last bit that Tora—an obstetrician who has been trying to get pregnant since she married Duncan five years ago—can't let go of. Why would someone murder a new mother? And so savagely? What are they to make of the runes carved into her body? Was this a ritualistic killing? Or something even more sinister? Obsessed with finding the truth, Tora digs deeply into Shetland folklore and local secrets to solve the mystery. Everyone warns her to back off, but she refuses to listen. Even when it becomes apparent that someone will do anything—anything—to silence her.
I became aware of Sharon (S.J.) Bolton because of her latest book, Little Black Lies. After being completely blown away by it, I knew I had to read every novel the author had ever published. So I did. Sacrifice is Bolton's first novel and it's interesting to compare and contrast it with Little Black Lies. The former is just as atmospheric, just as unsettling, just as compelling. It's less sophisticated in some ways, but no less enticing. With a brave, admirable heroine guiding the story, it's absolutely impossible to look away. Just like Little Black Lies (which happens to be my favorite Bolton mystery), Sacrifice is a dark, twisty suspense novel that will keep you turning pages until the wee hours of the morning. Trust me on this—you don't want to start Sacrifice (or any Bolton book for that matter) unless you have all day to inhale it because once you begin reading, you won't be able to stop. Did I mention that I binge-read all of her books in a matter of days just so I could get on with my life? Well, I did. Bolton's mysteries are that addicting. Consider yourself warned.
(Readalikes: Reminds me a bit of Peter May's Shetland trilogy [The Blackhouse; The Lewis Man; and The Chessmen]; also of Ann Cleeves' Shetland mysteries [Raven Black; White Nights; Red Bones; Blue Lightning; Dead Water; Thin Air; and Cold Earth])
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a dozen or so F-bombs plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, mild sexual content, and disturbing content
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
4 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
Time Travel Thursday51 minutes ago
-
-
Loyally Luke Review + giveaway3 hours ago
-
#ThrowbackThursday. Stephen Fry in America4 hours ago
-
-
-
The Wild Lavender Bookshop by Jodi Thomas9 hours ago
-
Daily Prompt 15 May Wednesday11 hours ago
-
-
World of Books ~ Review20 hours ago
-
Review: One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke22 hours ago
-
-
Spoon To Be Dead By Dana Mentink1 day ago
-
Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum1 day ago
-
Displaced Persons - Joan Leegant1 day ago
-
Reading Recap April 20241 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Bridge to Bat City3 days ago
-
-
-
Blood Rubies by Mailan Doquang5 days ago
-
-
-
-
47. The One and Only Family1 week ago
-
A bit of catching up1 week ago
-
-
May TBR2 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
March Monthly Wrap-up1 month ago
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?7 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra10 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ▼ 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
Ok. I need to check this author out!
ReplyDeleteAren't Sharon Bolton's books good? I love them. I wish they were available on audio. I'd love to listen to them.
ReplyDeleteI liked this one, too. And her settings!! Her books make me want to travel to distant islands like The Shetlands, or the Falklands. :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds outstanding!
ReplyDelete