Killing Rachel by Anne Cassidy

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 336pgs

The Story

Rose's mother and Joshua's father have disappeared. Police inquiries have gone nowhere and the case, it seems, is closed: Rose and Joshua have been told that the police believe their parents are dead. But Rose and Joshua still hold out hope that they are alive. Joshua is determined to follow up his own inquiries, which includes working out the meaning of the cryptic notebooks - the murder notebooks - they have discovered. Then Rose is distracted by odd, desperate messages she receives from Rachel, a former best friend from her school, followed by the terrible news that Rachel is dead. But perhaps Rachel's death will provide one more piece of the puzzle about what has happened to Rose and Joshua's parents . . .

The Review

A big thanks to Bloomsbury Australia for sending me a review copy of this book!

I quite enjoyed the first book in the The Murder Notebooks series, Dead Time, and surprisingly enough, I also quite enjoyed this sequel, KILLING RACHEL, as well and I probably enjoyed it far more than the first book itself which is great. But of course this book isn't the most perfect mystery thriller book out there in the genre, but it's definitely a great quick read for everyone and will hook you immediately until you reach the final page!

KILLING RACHEL, the second installment of the series, is solely based on the disappearance of Rose and Joshua's parents that happened many years ago. Both Rose's mum and Joshua's dad were your common police officers who were working together on cold cases and who were going to get married in the previous years, knitting everything together into this one perfect family. But then these teens parents suddenly disappear and are presumed dead, leaving Rose and Joshua to be separated. But that's until years pass and where Joshua gets in contact with Rose, and as they begin working on finding out what happened to their parents, they try and piece together what was broken so long ago which is what they are also trying to do in this sequel as well. But in connection to their parents disappearance, Rose this time, is also trying to get in contact with a girl she used to know at boarding school, a girl named Rachel, and whom has been sending Rose mysterious letters which creates many further complications in this sequel too.

Now despite the sometimes-slow pacing, this book was actually wonderfully done. The author had really up-stepped her game on this one and I was interested all the way through because on a whole it was a completely different book compared to the first book that I read. So while I found the previous book, Dead Time, to be mostly focused on Rose and Joshua's relationship, I'm kind of glad it wasn't focused on entirely in this sequel but rather it more on the storyline itself and finding out what exactly happened to their parents and how this mysterious 'Rachel' girl helped shape Rose into who she is today. I just liked that different turn in this book than reading about the whole relationship between Rose and Joshua, even though their relationship does take an interesting turn as well.

Overall, KILLING RACHEL isn't a perfect book but I was really entertained by it. So be sure to check it out if you're looking for a nice quick read!

The Rating

4/5 stars

Dead Time by Anne Cassidy

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 344pgs

The Story

Rose and Joshua first met when Joshua and his dad came to live with Rose and her mum. Then their world turns upside down when their mother and father go out for dinner one evening and never return. With police inquiries going nowhere, Rose is dispatched to live with her chilly, unfriendly grandmother and Joshua is sent to live with his uncle. Then Joshua comes to London to study and Rose is witness to not one, but two murders. Why is this happening to Rose? Can it be anything to do with the investigations Joshua has been doing into the disappearance of their parents? A taunt and pacy thriller that is the start of a stylish new serieis from an acclaimed writer for teens.

The Review

A big thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a review copy of this book!

Anne Cassidy's new book, DEAD TIME, follows a girl named Rose, a sometimes lonely and quiet young teenage girl, whom had experienced a past tragedy where her mother and her 'sort-of' stepfather disappeared five years ago. So when Rose witnesses two other murders of kids from her local high school, she is more than determined to find out who did it - which is easier said than done. But when she starts to reconnect with her estranged stepbrother and friend, Joshua, he is even more concerned and yet far more eager to find out what happened to their parents and as a result they begin investigating . . . leading to all sorts of trouble.

My feelings towards this book are mixed. There are parts where I really enjoyed the plot and its main characters, and then there were other parts too, where I found myself a little overwhelmed by the book's events and was sometimes confused by them as well. While the whole mystery side to the storyline was mostly easy to follow and at times contained pretty exciting stuff, but what the story lacked was oomph from the main character, Rose, who had blindly followed Joshua's every action and move when it came to finding out what happened to their disappearing parents. I understand the connection they shared and why Rose would allow Joshua to lead the way, but for some reason I wanted more character depth from her and more strength to built up into her character, you know? But regardless of that, I still liked the book and their characters, and assuming that this book is apart of a series, I really hope there will be more improvement in the next installment!

Overall, I would highly recommend DEAD TIME for all you mystery and thriller lovers out there. With lot's of questions that are eventually answered along the way, and with many surprising twists added into the mix, readers will definitely enjoy reading this book!

The Rating

3/5 stars