Book Review of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn in Anticipation of the Upcoming HBO Series

Camille Preaker is a reporter at a low-budget newspaper in Chicago. When the editor wants to send Camille to investigate the vicious killings of two pre-teen girls in her hometown of Wind Gap, MO, she’s reluctant to go. Recently released from a mental health facility, Camille is still fragile. She knows going back will only dredge up memories of her dysfunctional childhood. Against her better judgment, Camille agrees to cover the story, but it just might end up being the death of her.

I read and loved Gone Girl and had Sharp Objects on my TBR for ages. HBO’s upcoming series, starring Amy Adams, made me move the book up on my list. 

Unfortunately, HBO has not yet released the trailer for the series, which is slated to air in "Summer of 2018" according to the HBO website. I guess we'll have to wait it out.

This one was definitely dark and twisted. There’s a lot of dysfunction going on here. I had a love, hate relationship with Camille. I hated the way she seemed strong and capable one minute, and needy and pathetic the next. Many of the other characters were highly unlikable and downright strange. It just goes to show that you do not need to create likable characters to have a likable book. And liked it, I did.

Gillian Flynn certainly has a dark imagination. She’s also a fabulous writer. The character detail, story descriptions, plot twists…basically everything…is so detailed, fleshed out and intricate that  I found myself in awe that this was her debut novel.

By now, most readers know what’s behind Camille’s hospital stay. However, I’d have to say that Sharp Objects should most definitely come with a trigger warning. Knowing ahead of time that the topic of cutting is prevalent here is important for some readers.

I enjoyed this book, as creepy as it was. It was interesting and extremely compelling. I finished it in less than a day. I’m now looking forward to watching the series.

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

New Detective Novel to Add to Your TBR List - Hard Court by Robert Germaux Cover Reveal

Author Robert Germaux is releasing his third novel, Hard Court, on April 11, 2016, and we have the Cover Reveal here!

ABOUT HARD COURT:

Miles Bradshaw, the dot-com billionaire owner of Pittsburgh’s first NBA franchise, hires private detective Jeremy Barnes to look into what appears to be a simple case of harassment of one of the team’s players.  But when Jeremy (JB to his friends) begins his investigation, the case proves to be anything but simple, eventually involving a local businessman with suspected criminal ties, a major FBI task force, a computer geek in California and a mob boss in Erie. 

Along the way, JB, who can quote Shakespeare as quickly and easily as he can land a solid left jab, uses his wits and his ever-present sense of humor to wend his way through a cast of characters who range from the ridiculously inept to the ruthlessly lethal.

As Hard Court unfolds, there are numerous surprises and plot twists, culminating in a dramatic confrontation that neither JB nor the reader could have predicted.

ABOUT ROBERT GERMAUX

Both my parents were readers. I'm talking stacks-of-books-on-their-nightstands readers. So it's no surprise that at an early age, I, too, became an avid reader. Everything from sports books (especially baseball) to Nancy Drew to the Hardy Boys to almost anything about distant and exotic places.

Although I've always enjoyed putting words on paper, the writer in me didn't fully emerge until I retired after three decades of teaching high school English. I quickly wrote two books aimed at middle school readers, at which point my wife urged me to try a novel for adults. As is usually the case, Cynthia's idea was a good one.

Over the next few years, I wrote several books about Pittsburgh private eye Jeremy Barnes. I took a brief hiatus from the detective genre to write Small Talk and The Backup Husband. Now I’m back and will be releasing my first Jeremy Barnes novel, Hard Court, on April 11.

In our spare time, Cynthia and I enjoy reading (of course), going to live theater productions, watching reruns of favorite TV shows such as "Sports Night" and "Gilmore Girls," and traveling to some of those distant and exotic places I used to read about as a child. So far, we've been fortunate enough to walk in the sands of Waikiki, swim in the warm waters of the South Pacific and share a romantic dinner in Paris.

I love interacting with my readers and getting their input on my characters and stories. Please feel free to contact me via my website.

READ THE "HARD COURT" PRESS RELEASE HERE

*Cover Reveal media prepared by My Book Tour