Month: November 2024

Wool (Silo #1) by Hugh Howey – Book Review

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Wool (Silo #1) by Hugh Howey - Book Cover

If you’re the homebody type who likes keeping fit by taking the stairs but isn’t particularly keen on having kids, then the Silo is just the place for you. Everyone else, though? Well, they all got totally screwed! In Hugh Howey’s sci-fi novel Wool, humanity has moved underground. Well, the few remaining souls, anyway. The Silo, drilled 144 floors deep into the earth, is the perfect setting for a claustrophobic sci-fi thriller.

Better Stay Inside the Silo

Human nature is predictable: lock someone up, and they’ll want to get out. At all costs. And as soon as you start reading Hugh Howey’s book Wool, you figure that’s exactly what’s going to happen. Surely, the whole story can’t possibly take place in this confined setting. They’ll find a way out.

But Hugh Howey has other plans. He says, “Yep, it all happens right here!” And you can forget hoping otherwise—Howey slams you right back down into the Silo.

That’s when you realize two things:

  1. There’s a reason this series is called Silo.
  2. Wool makes for a perfect adventure novel.

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You Will Never Be Found by Tove Alsterdal – Book Review

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You Will Never Be Found by Tove Alsterdal – Book Cover

There are two main types of Scandinavian crime novels. First, there are the ones that try to bring joy to the reader through a protagonist who carries the weight of the world on their shoulders, endlessly depressed (see: Reykjavík Nights). Then, there are those that stand out with some extra twist, like the Harry Hole novels, where the added flavor comes from the brilliance (and alcoholism) of a detective specialized in serial killers (see: Killing Moon). Tove Alsterdal takes a different path. Her book You Will Never Be Found focuses primarily on authenticity.

Eira Sjödin Returns to Investigate

Alsterdal’s series debut, We Know You Remember, won the prestigious Glass Key Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. So, it’s no surprise that the Swedish author’s protagonist, patrol officer Eira Sjödin, is once again given the chance to prove her skills with a new case.

What starts off as the disappearance of an unemployed actor soon reveals itself to be much more serious. Eira, who has been involved in the investigation from the very start, gets the opportunity to participate in the homicide investigation as well.

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The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith – Book Review

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The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith - Book Cover

Joanne K. Rowling, writing under the pen name Robert Galbraith for the Cormoran Strike novels, has recently found herself in the spotlight over several hot-button issues. She’s no stranger to the internet’s relentless storm of public backlash, so it’s not entirely surprising that the fifth installment, The Ink Black Heart, dives into this territory. Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott find themselves investigating an online harassment case that soon takes a deadly turn, immersing them in the darkest corners of the internet.

Incidentally, Rowling may have also set her sights on breaking the Guinness World Record for the thickest crime novel of all time…

The Ink Black Heart Makes Its Way to Netflix

The title, The Ink Black Heart, seems fitting for an exceptionally twisted villain. But instead, it refers to a surreal, bizarre, yet somehow endearing animated series that quickly achieves cult status. One of its creators, Edie Ledwell, becomes the target of an internet troll. But Anomie, as it turns out, is no ordinary troll; they’re the creator of an online game based on a character from this cult YouTube series, and a master manipulator with a massive fanbase. Strike and Robin are certainly in for a challenging case…

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