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raindropsinreverie's reviews
617 reviews
Mercy or Mercenary by Sheila Parker
3.0
I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.
Ralph McGuire, an author of biographies, is found dead in his house by his niece, Joanna. The cause of death? Overdose of medications. However, Ralph suffers from Alzheimer's and could not have accessed his medications unaided. So who killed him? Joanne recalls that a stranger in a large overcoat and a low-pulled hat visited her uncle ten minutes before he was found dead. Who was that man (or woman) and what happened in Ralph's room? There are attempts on the lives of Ralph's wife, Isabel, and his friend, Duncan, both of whom were assisting him in writing the biography of actor Leo Adare.
The thing I liked the most about this book was the well thought plot. The mystery and the thrill of finding you did it kept me hooked throughout. The characters were well-written. However, I feel that a lot more could have been added to the story. It lacked interesting sub-plots and except for the murder and attempted murders, there isn't much going on. I also feel that the identity of the murderer could have been kept under wraps for a bit longer. A lot of details and important information were revealed quite early and had they been withheld, this would have been a even more engrossing read.
This book needs to go through editing and proofreading once more before publishing.
I look forward to more books from Sheila Parker :)
A huge thanks, once again, to NetGalley and the publisher Troubador Publishing Limited Matador for the advance copy
Ralph McGuire, an author of biographies, is found dead in his house by his niece, Joanna. The cause of death? Overdose of medications. However, Ralph suffers from Alzheimer's and could not have accessed his medications unaided. So who killed him? Joanne recalls that a stranger in a large overcoat and a low-pulled hat visited her uncle ten minutes before he was found dead. Who was that man (or woman) and what happened in Ralph's room? There are attempts on the lives of Ralph's wife, Isabel, and his friend, Duncan, both of whom were assisting him in writing the biography of actor Leo Adare.
The thing I liked the most about this book was the well thought plot. The mystery and the thrill of finding you did it kept me hooked throughout. The characters were well-written. However, I feel that a lot more could have been added to the story. It lacked interesting sub-plots and except for the murder and attempted murders, there isn't much going on. I also feel that the identity of the murderer could have been kept under wraps for a bit longer. A lot of details and important information were revealed quite early and had they been withheld, this would have been a even more engrossing read.
This book needs to go through editing and proofreading once more before publishing.
I look forward to more books from Sheila Parker :)
A huge thanks, once again, to NetGalley and the publisher Troubador Publishing Limited Matador for the advance copy
The Atlas of Disease: Mapping Deadly Epidemics and Contagion from the Plague to the Zika Virus by Sandra Hempel
4.0
An amazingly written book. I absolutely loved reading it. The maps illustrating the spread of various diseases over time, ranging from historical outbreaks of illnesses to current times, and also the future, was a definite selling point for this book.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.
The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity--And Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race by Daniel Z. Lieberman, Michael E. Long
4.0
The following is an excerpt from the book. This is how Dopamine is introduced to the reader:
"It is fuel for the motor of our dreams; it is the source of our despair when we fail. It is why we seek and succeed; it is why we discover and prosper. It is also why we are never happy for very long.
"To your brain, this single molecule is the ultimate multipurpose device, urging us, through thousands of neurochemical processes, to move beyond the pleasure of just being, into exploring the universe of possibilities that come when we imagine."
An engaging and informative book, it explains the role of dopamine in our behaviour. It gives a fantastic look on this molecule.
Highly recommended.
"It is fuel for the motor of our dreams; it is the source of our despair when we fail. It is why we seek and succeed; it is why we discover and prosper. It is also why we are never happy for very long.
"To your brain, this single molecule is the ultimate multipurpose device, urging us, through thousands of neurochemical processes, to move beyond the pleasure of just being, into exploring the universe of possibilities that come when we imagine."
An engaging and informative book, it explains the role of dopamine in our behaviour. It gives a fantastic look on this molecule.
Highly recommended.