About Me

The story behind A Book A Week, and the reader behind the reviews.

It started with a New Year's resolution:
1 book a week, 52 books in a year.
I kept reading, and it grew into something much more.

Back in 2011, I was an avid reader who had somehow lost my way with reading. Between working and being a full-time student, reading for pleasure had slowly fallen by the wayside.

I wanted to change that. So I gave myself a New Year's resolution to read one book every week for a year. I started A Book A Week on January 1, 2012 as a way to hold myself accountable and share what I was reading along the way.

I didn't quite reach my goal that first year, but I kept reading. I kept reviewing. And all these years later, I'm still here, looking forward to whatever book comes next. Some years I crush my goals, some years I don't, but my love for a good book has never wavered.

Line drawing portrait of Ethan

Hi, I'm Ethan

Reader. Blogger.
Book lover.

I'm a lifelong reader with a particular soft spot for mysteries and thrillers. I've always loved the genre, and I credit those stories—the twists, suspense, and need to know what happens next—with keeping me a reader as an adult. My reading has taken me in all kinds of directions since then, but I'll always come back to a good mystery.

I love creepy horror novels. A fascinating work of nonfiction can completely pull me in, too. And I've found plenty of favorites in science fiction, literary fiction, romance, and other genres I might never have picked up when I first started the blog. That's part of the fun. I never quite know what kind of story is going to grab me next.

When I'm not reading or writing reviews, you'll usually find me at home with my husband and our pets. I'm a classically trained musician and composer, an enthusiastic home cook, and a backyard gardener. There's usually a trip to look forward to or some new project that has caught my interest, too.

At the end of the day, I just really love books. There's nothing quite like discovering a story I can't put down or finding an author I can't wait to read again. Even when a book doesn't quite work for me, I still enjoy thinking about why and putting those thoughts into words. That's what keeps me reading, reviewing, and sharing it all here on A Book A Week.

Loose hand-drawn fountain pen illustration

Review Disclaimer

Honest reviews, always.

Some of the books I review are ones I've purchased myself. Others are provided by publishers or authors in exchange for an honest review. Either way, what I write here is always what I really think.

Not every book is going to work for every reader, and that's part of the fun of talking about books. I'll tell you what worked for me, what didn't, and hopefully give you enough to decide whether a book might be right for you.

Good, bad, or somewhere in between, you'll always get my honest take.

Contact

Have a question about the blog, a book you think I should read, or just want to say hello? I'd love to hear from you.

Drop me a note using the form below.

Let's Connect

I'm always happy to hear from readers, publishers, authors, and fellow book lovers.

Review Copies

I'm always open to considering books for review. I read across a pretty wide range of genres, though mysteries and thrillers tend to be particular favorites. If you'd like me to consider a book, send along a little information about it and why you think it might be a good fit for A Book A Week.

Publishers & Authors

Review requests, interviews, features, or something else you have in mind? Send me a note. I'm always happy to hear about new books and opportunities that might be a good fit for the blog.

General Inquiries

Have a question, a recommendation, or just want to talk books? Those messages are welcome, too.

Find Me Elsewhere

Goodreads Twitter / X

Send a Message

Your information will only be used to respond to your message.

Book Review

Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark by Tilly Bagshawe

Monday, April 9, 2012

A Book A Week
Review / archive
Every detective has a case that haunts them. For former LAPD Detective Danny Mcguire, that case is the murder of millionaire art dealer Andrew Jakes. When police arrived at the Jakes home, they found the elderly Mr. Jakes savagely murdered and tied to his much younger wife, Angela, who had been brutally raped. With stolen art and jewels, the scene looks like a horrific burglary. Suspicion is placed on the young Mrs. Jakes, who survives the incident and whom Mr. Jakes left his entire fortune. Surprisingly, Angela leaves her entire windfall to a local charity, and disappears from LA. With his number one suspect/witness gone, Danny Mcguire is left to ponder the case with no leads.

Ten years later, Danny Mcguire, newly married, living in France, and working for Interpol, has all but moved on from the Jakes case. He is still haunted by the look in the young wife's eyes, but has accepted that he will never know the truth behind the killing. Then one day he is contacted by Matt Daley. Daley is a struggling script writer who happens to be the estranged son of Andrew Jakes. In an attempt to discover a compelling story, he looks into his father's case and finds that other murders fitting the exact profile of his father's have occurred in various cities around the world. When his relays this information to Danny, the two embark on a fast paced, world wide investigation to uncover the truth behind these murders.

Although the bestselling author, Sidney Sheldon, passed away in 2007, author Tilly Bagshawe continues his tradition of fast paced, intriguing mysteries in a expert manner. This story had as many plot twists as we've grown accustomed to in stories like this, and the ending is sure to leave readers reeling. The beginning of this novel has several time, location and character changes over a short number of pages. While this is vital to the telling of the story, I felt that the jumps could be a bit confusing. Fortunately, I stayed with it, and the last two-thirds of the novel were clearly written and very entertaining. This novel is a solid addition to the mystery genre and a nice continuation of the Sidney Sheldon legacy.

For more information visit the authors' websites  http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/features/sidneysheldon/index.html
http://www.tillybagshawe.com/, my Amazon review http://www.amazon.com/review/RLJETJLH9EUWX/ref=cm_cr_dp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0062073419&nodeID=283155&tag=&linkCode=
and http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12337186-sidney-sheldon-s-angel-of-the-dark.

(week 15, book 16)
Posted by Ethan EmailComments

Keep Reading

View all reviews →

Loading more reviews…

Email this review
17 Comments

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 10, 2012 at 7:27 PM

    If you're into hard-boiled crime, I just read a fun, light book in which you might be interested. It was one of those impulse buys that worked out well. It's called "A Drop of the Hard Stuff".

    I know I'm also looking for a good recommendation :) I found a pretty great review of it right here:
    http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2070456,00.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. RyanApril 10, 2012 at 8:34 PM

    I confess... I've never read Sidney Sheldon. But through some sort of weird madness, I have at least a dozen of his novels sitting on my shelves.

    ReplyDelete
  3. KHAIRU DHANANIApril 11, 2012 at 5:56 PM

    Ethan, nice review. View my blog to c ur blog link. and thanks for the giveaway. http://khairusworld.blogspot.ca/2012/04/in-my-mailbox.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NamApril 12, 2012 at 1:31 AM

      Spoiler Alert !!

      Hi .. just finished reading the book.. but I just wanted to completely understand this .. soooo is it just that Sofia is still mental and Carlos was her last victim ??? So did she trick him into being her lover and kill him so she could be free and marry matt??

      Delete
    2. EthanApril 12, 2012 at 8:03 AM

      *SPOILERS BELOW*
      I think it was really just a way to end the book with a final twist and to leave readers guessing. It does appear that Carlos was "used" in some way, to help Sofia to escape. I'm sure she killed him once he was of no use to her.

      Delete
    3. NamApril 12, 2012 at 6:55 PM

      Spoiler Alert !!

      Ethan ,what do you think?
      The implication of Carlos being used could also mean that it was Sofia who was the actual mastermind behind all the murders and not Frankie.

      Gosh ! I just could not put the book down...!:)

      Delete
    4. EthanApril 12, 2012 at 7:44 PM

      *SPOILERS BELOW*
      I think that she could possibly be the mastermind and not even be aware that she did it. I tend to think that the open ended ending was meant to provoke this kind of discussion and second guessing.

      Delete
    5. AnonymousJune 1, 2012 at 7:50 PM

      I agree. This may be far fetched but I have also thought that perhaps Sophia/Lisa and Carlos killed Matt. The body at the end could actually be Matt. (Carlos' ID being used as a cover) The reasons I came up with this idea are that in prison Carlos became a protector and attached to Sophia, the same way Frankie did. Carlos as well as Frankie was involved in changing Sophia's appearences. Sophia (and Lisa) married rich men (Matt included) who left their families. So it appears that Matt and Lisa are happy but.....Then a body is discovered-Is it really Matt or does the cycle continue? I realized that there are
      gaps in this idea and conditions of the murder are not the same but its just a thought...What do you think?

      Delete
    6. AnonymousDecember 12, 2012 at 7:32 PM

      I absolutely loved ^ your thesis!
      Even,I,for one believe that Lisa possibly killed Matt because of the turn out of events which drove him to the extent of abandoning his pregnant wife.
      It could also be that Matt possibly killed Carlos out of sheer jealousy...but somehow I'd stick to the former!

      Delete
    7. AnonymousJuly 28, 2016 at 4:00 AM

      love ur theory. i was actually wondering what the end could be, but this theory totally opened new doors 4 my imagination

      Delete
  4. Amritorupa Kanjilal April 13, 2012 at 3:10 AM

    Hello,I found your blog through the Book Blogs network, and I'm glad I visited. I love your style of reviewing, and you have a very varied taste in books... hope to read you often now!. following you!

    Please do visit my book blog at http://riversihaveknown.wordpress.com/
    And if you like it, please do follow. Looking forward to having you over!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EthanApril 22, 2012 at 3:39 PM

      Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoy my reviews.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousJune 9, 2013 at 12:16 AM

    Guys, did anyone else also think that this book was a little similar to Tell me your dreams (another sidney sheldon novel). Here are my reasons:
    *SPOILERS*
    1)The way the book ended, with the open ending, leaving it to the readers to decide
    2)In both cases, the murderer (the girl) suffers from multiple personality disorder...in this book sophie pretends to be having it in the court
    3)In this book, the murders happened to men who left their wife and children
    whereas, in tell me your dreams, it was because the men tried sleeping with the girl
    4) In both the books, the girl has had a bad childhood, because of which it disturbs her mentally and as a result, she punishes innocent men, who she thinks commited the same crime and ought to be punished...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Neha SharmaJanuary 11, 2014 at 4:22 AM

    This is a good read. Why is it carrying the name Sidney Sheldon, when in no way its closer to his style.
    This is the first time I am reading Tilly bagshawe, luckily this happens to be a good thriller.
    The author lacks creativity that is evident, but some how manages to tell a good story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EthanOctober 8, 2014 at 7:50 PM

      This seems to be a growing trend in popular fiction. Author's such as James Patterson, Stephen King, John Grisham, are marketed like a reliable brand. Their books can be sold on the reputation of that author. From a business perspective, it makes since for a deceased author's family or estate to continue publishing books under their name.

      Delete
  7. AnonymousMay 16, 2014 at 4:24 AM

    matt is in danger....... IN Morocco... away from family... alone with sofie...Man be careful :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Born FreeJanuary 17, 2015 at 9:24 AM

    There is only one Sidney Sheldon.

    ReplyDelete

Powered by Blogger.