Expectation: A sprawling saga about one of India’s crime families.
Reality: Less literary than anticipated, I was mostly entertained while also being annoyed by the repetitive action and predictable tropes.
All tagged crime
Last Night in Montreal – Emily St. John Mandel
Expectation: A noir crime mystery with Mandel’s signature observations about life and culture.
Reality: Dreadfully slow and utterly pretentious, thankfully the author’s storytelling has improved since her debut.
Your House Will Pay – Steph Cha
Expectation: A trauma-fest ripped from the headlines.
Reality: A surprisingly balanced and detailed microhistory of early 1990s racial tensions in Los Angeles. The story had many layers that were explored in detail without making this feel like an agony dump.
One Day: The Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary 24 Hours in America – Gene Weingarten
I adored the premise of this book, and in many ways it is a love letter to journalism in its purest form. Weingarten is a gifted writer and researcher who was able to find marvel in both the mundane and monumental aspects of life on that day. Yet, as the chapters went on, the whole exercise began to feel tawdry and voyeuristic.
56 Days – Catherine Ryan Howard
Expectation: A whodunnit cashing in on COVID-19.
Reality: A surprisingly clever, sometimes shocking and utterly enjoyable mystery thriller that used COVID-19 as a logical plot point.
Parkland: Birth of a Movement – Dave Cullen
Acting as an embedded journalist, Cullen spent countless hours trailing and interviewing several of the MFOL teenagers. From the first meetings in a parents’ living room to political debates and a tour across the country, he was there for every early highlight, misstep and break down.
Billy Summers – Stephen King
Expectation: A supernatural thriller centered around a new Stephen King classic character.
Reality: A crime mystery that goes down several rabbit holes, but it’s an overall rewarding return to form for King.
The Anatomy of Desire – L.R. Dorn
Expectation: A mediocre thriller featuring social media influencers.
Reality: A mostly surface-level execution that is strongly aided by the full cast audiobook narration.