Close Reach - a frozen and soaked review!

by Jonathan Moore

Random House Publishing Group - Hydra (6 mai 2014)

200 pages - 3.15 $ (kindle edition)

Always good to know that Jonathan Moore was nominated for the Bram Stoker price (Brams: good old Dracula's daddy) (the master of Brrr). It herefore suggests a good novel... a creepy one. 

What that book's about

In a riveting tale of suspense and terror on the high seas,Bram Stoker Award nominee Jonathan Moore pits human beings against nature—and something far deadlier: one another.

Kelly Pratihari-Reid and her husband sail their yacht into Antarctic waters, thinking their gravest concerns will be ice and storms—and their cracked marriage. A British girl shrieking across a short-range VHF frequency ends that illusion. It’s coming, she screams. It saw us and it’s coming back! Her voice is drowned by a tide of signal-jamming static, and Kelly sees a target on the radar screen: A ship is coming for them.

Thus begins an unforgettable cat-and-mouse game across stormy polar seas and dire landfalls. Kelly’s pursuers will test her to the limits of her endurance—and beyond. For the ship in her wake is crewed by pirates, with a young leader trained to use the most sadistic tortures in pursuit of his ultimate objective . . . a goal as shocking as it is horrific.

What's about that book

One thing is for sure, this book has almost nipped in the bud my desires to leave one day one a cruise on my yacht - what with icy storms, pirates and other mishaps - what has totally nipped it is my distinct lack of a boat...

I am not a pro at navigation but the author and yes it shows (or rather read). The terms are technical but not in I-explains-everything-so-well-it's-becoming-bloody-boring kind of style. Kelly and her husband - Dean - make a long cruise and we sail with them, at the same time. Navigation maneuvers are present to describe the action of the protagonists and it's well done. Sailing enthusiasts will be delighted with this book because they can very easily imagine themselves on Freefall, the boat designed by Dean. Similarly, some more medical scenes are very well described and in a professional manner. The author has clearly enquired which gives an impression of professionalism that I like in novels (I don't like when an author is trying to make me believe that impossible things are real!) (it's just a case of "C'mon! that can't even exist")

Regarding the characters, I can not say too much as not to reveal the book but they are very well written. The pirates are detestable to wish and I enjoyed every problem they encountered (mwahaha). The pirates' victims are moving and we feel the horror of their situation. Dean is the good guy, always ready to help others at the risk of his life but rather subdued in the novel. As for Kelly, she is focused, efficient and her past allows her not only to be combative but also to be strong and resourceful.

As for the story, it changes constantly in a creepy game of cat and mouse. The beginning focuses on the pursuit and the collision at sea and, despite (or rather because of) the technical terms, I found it very well done. There was not a moment to stop and I really saw myself on the boat. Once the collision happened, the story takes place on land and Kelly will discover the pirates' purpose. A purpose she'll do everything to destroy. Some scenes are very hard and graphic and can bother some people but honestly, they serve to show the horror of the situation and in that, they are excellent (one should not forget Moore's nomination to the Bram Stoker price!) (it gives one an idea of his talent for horror) (you have been warned!)

In a nutshell

An excellent novel, technical and well done, a big bunch of horror, a plausible story (yes, pirates do exist...) A book that will appeal to sailing enthusiasts, horror enthusiasts or both! It's a 4/5 for me.

Warning: An e- galley of this title was provided to me by the publisher. No review has been promised and chronic above is an unbiased review of the novel.

Stalk me (early review)

de Richard Parker

Exhibit A (25 février 2014)

384 pages - 16.99 $

I thought the idea was original and topical... Internet is full of videos taken by people who not only stop to watch an accident, but film events with little consideration for the victims. I've seen Stalk Me on Netgalley and I thank Exhibit A for the book.

The blurb

Your worst nightmare just went viral…

After being involved in a severe car accident and a vicious roadside assault, Beth Jordan wakes briefly to discover a coach party of students recording the aftermath with their phones.

Beth furiously attacks the crowd before being restrained and lapsing into a coma.

When she wakes in hospital, Beth is horrified when she’s told the video clips have been shared online and that millions of people around the world have now seen the incident.

The driver of the car she collided with has vanished without trace and Beth needs the recordings to help piece together exactly what happened.

But somebody is viciously murdering the owners of the clips and deleting them. What is concealed within those moments and can she find the survivors before the digital fragments of the event disappear forever?

What I think of it

The story mainly focuses on Beth Jordan, who tries to understand why a person could assault when she was crawling out of her car after the accident. She is smart, resourceful and courageous and as we identify with her, we're as resolved as her to discover the truth about these videos. The other characters in the novel appear briefly, often the time of the disappearance of their video, apart from the owner of the latest video and his family that we follow a longer time. So we did not really have time to connect with them, especially since they are not, a priori, really likable. They have put their online video with touts and insulting titles for Beth they name "bitch".

The pace intensifies progressively. Initially, the novel focuses on the return to life of Beth, on her discovery of the death of her husband and the fact that life went on without her. This part is very well led, it allows us to feel Beth's feelings and to understand later how horrible are the online videos. When Beth understands that they disappear go, she tries to contact the owners to find that they die one after the other. From there, the tempo accelerates as Beth must find the other owners before they disappear. Her purpose is both to warn them of the danger and finding what, in the video, is so compromising. What was once a simple quest for Beth who wanted to see the last moments of her husband, while she passed out, eventually became a real enigma. Knowing who wants to remove the video and witnesses and why doing so become her priority... and ours.

I do not like movies where the main character risks her/his life by systematically taking the wrong decision and in which the villain keeps coming back. It has the knack of getting on my nerves - literally. I usually end up yelling at the character "come now, don't go there", "c'mon, end him, or he'll come back!" I must say it's very rare that a character listens to me (if not ever) and when the film ends, the cushion of the couch lost some feathers. This book makes me feel the same way. Beth runs after the truth and harvests trouble but carry on her race anyway. So for fans of this kind of suspense, this book is excellent: go buy it! I must say that the author is very good to describe vivid scenes, especially those of fear and panic.

One thing I liked about Stalk me is the thought behind the story. What society do we form when people film others's misfortune, use it to collect crumbs of glory on the Internet or even make money with it. When people allow themselves to insult a person seen in a video without knowing his history, without knowing the context in which that person is. The ease with which people, sheltered behind the screen, criticize, injure, insult or demean others is present in the book and it reflects reality.

In a nutshell

A very interesting story, a main character in which it's easy to identify yourself, a never ending irritating suspense that blows you away. This is a 3.5/5.