Eeny Meeny (A Helen Grace Thriller)
By: M. J. Arlidge
Rating: 4 of 5
“Eeny Meeny” is a an interesting debut to what is going to be a series of some sort (there is an excerpt in the book for the second book “Pop Goes the Weasel” to be released in October 2015. While there was a good portion of the book that I enjoyed, I also felt that perhaps there was a little too much going on. That is probably because the author was busy introducing a number of characters who will continue on in the next book.
The action was extremely fast-paced, with a good number of chapters only lasting a few pages before the action changed to other individuals in other locations. This didn’t bother me at all, in fact, it added to the sense of urgency. The premise of the book was rather harsh but then again, when is serial murder not harsh. The difference between this and other books, is that the author gave us the viewpoint from almost everyone involved in the story, so we really saw what was happening and what each person was thinking. That definitely ratcheted up the violence and could make the book unacceptable to some individuals.
Without re-writing the blurb of the book, the story is about a serial killer who abducts pairs of individuals and leaves them to die. The only way out is for one of the two to kill the other. The police have to race against time to try to figure out who is responsible – with many wrong turns along the way. As each pair is taken, it becomes more and more obvious that there is a tie-in to an individual and the action moves ever closer to the police themselves.
I would not classify this book as a mystery as there is no way of figuring out the whodunnit based on the story. It is a hard edged police procedural book with a good number of individuals with serious issues. I guess that is my way of saying that it is not for the faint of heart. It is a book that I would recommend to adults only and those who can deal with a wide range of serious abuse situations. If not, I suggest you don’t read the book – it is violent. There are elements of S&M involved, too, and those are in what I might classify the lighter moments of the book. Because of the violence, I can understand why some people really might not like this book.
As a debut book, I think it shows a lot of promise. I’m hoping that ensuring books will show the author’s growth and I will consider continuing to read the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book via the publisher.
“Eeny Meeny” is a an interesting debut to what is going to be a series of some sort (there is an excerpt in the book for the second book “Pop Goes the Weasel” to be released in October 2015. While there was a good portion of the book that I enjoyed, I also felt that perhaps there was a little too much going on. That is probably because the author was busy introducing a number of characters who will continue on in the next book.