Contemporary Reads

Reviews & recommendations of contemporary books.
Literary Fiction, Thrillers, Feel Good Books, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction & more…

The 6:20 Man: Trademark Baldacci

The 6:20 Man | David Baldacci

One of my preferred authors – David Baldacci. There is something very likable about his books that wants me to read. Maybe not always perfect, yet something I always keenly await and look forward to. I had read A Gambling Man last year. Being based in the old fashioned 1940s, I didn’t quite enjoy the setting. The 6:20 Man reverses just that with a fresh, contemporary setting in a bright, scorching New York summer. So, that was the first ‘yes’ for me.

The story bases around Travis Devine, a former army recruit – having left under mysterious circumstances (which later get revealed). Seeking a redemption of sorts, he takes up a job he absolutely loathes at Cowl and Comely. He soon finds himself dragged into a series of murders, beginning with a colleague he had had a relationship with. And it sets the ball rolling for a fast paced, …

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The Match by Harlan Coben

The Match | Harlen Coben | Book Review

This was my first book by Harlan Coben, an author I had long been wanting to read. And The Match seemed a good book to start with. A thriller hovering around the puzzles of ancestral origins, DNA matches, some murders in between and how it all is eventually linked.

Wilde, a boy left abandoned in the woods – with no memory of his parents or family – is dubbed as a modern day Tarzan, rescued aged around 6 by the police. Having grown up in foster care, some 35 years later now he finds a DNA match on a site in a bid to find his biological parents. And as he is doing so, there start running many side stories in parallel. We have the reality TV star Peter Bennet, we have a Richard Levine trial going on, there is the suspense dangling about the supposed birth father Daniel Carter …

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Ashton Hall: A Haunting Historical Thriller

Ashton Hall | Book Review | Lauren Belfer

There are some usual suspects. Ones you foresee impressing you, backed by past reputation. And then, there are some you call unexpected winners. Low profile, no hype, very less talked about. They come and floor you as a big pleasant surprise, just out of nowhere. And that is what Ashton Hall was!

I was in the midst of a mental block so to say, just being unable to settle on a book. I read and rejected samples of at least 8 books, loosing interest or just not having the patience to carry on for some reason. And then I chanced upon Lauren Belfer’s Ashton Hall. And lucky I was to do so.

Ashton Hall is historical fiction in the form that I like best. Fictional characters and their lives set in the past – centuries back. And our protagonist from the present day deducing links and putting them together …

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The Lies I Tell (Julie Clark)

The Lies I Tell | Julie Clark | Book Review

An intelligently conceptualized world of a con artist with a flawless delivery. The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark is an exciting tale of revenge, deception and morality. The book benefits from a unique plot, a never told before story – which makes it so exhilarating. The fast paced and crisp writing makes this book truly unputdownable. Since this was my first Julie Clark book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. And to be honest, I am left marveling at the beauty of it!

The Lies I Tell is the story of Meg Williams. Having being swindled out of their home, Meg and her terminally ill mother are forced to live out of their car until her mother finally passes, leaving Meg all by herself. There are some gripping accounts of the problems that present and how she survives dependent upon her dates she manages to attain on dating …

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The Meet Cute Method (Portia Macintosh)

The Meet Cute Method | Book Review | Best Books 2022

Portia Macintosh means smiles and laughter. And substantiating the same, here is another rib-tickling, light-hearted and feel-good romcom that is guaranteed to make your day!

Frankie George, is a Love & Dating writer for Stylife magazine. Being done with all the dating apps and tech to find love, she decides to try the traditional ways and see if they work. The kind you see in movies when two lovers meet, which she calls the meet cutes. She decides to put herself into various such situations and see if they stir up a romance. And there starts a rollicking trip with some unimaginably hilarious situations and a series of disastrous meet cutes. You can’t but laugh out loud at these – one-after-another failed attempts of Frankie which are genuinely funny.

I do not wish to talk about the story or situations in any more detail here. For, it is …

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French Braid by Anne Tyler: A good story dented by unexplained facts

French Braid | Anne Tyler | Unexplained Questions

French Braid is a story that spans 4 generations of the Garret family. A family saga that intricately takes you through the life of the Garrets, vividly showcasing their extremely varied personalities, the expectations, the disappointments, the responsibilities, the fears, the love and eventually the full circle of life.

To start with, just as a family drama is expected to be, French Braid is dotted with some neatly crafted characters. While you have Mercy coming across as much of a self centered and selfish person, Robin on the other hand is someone who may be socially inept but a loving husband. Alice is a bossy yet protective older sister, Lily – the rebellious one and David the youngest who probably is the most sensitive of all.

The relations between them are quite well pictured as well. A father who treats his son high handed, a son whose expectations of his …

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