The Casual Vacancy by J.K.Rowling

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?
My Review:
It has taken me a long time to get around to reading this book - but I finally managed it!

I did start this book with equal parts of excitement and trepidation. I was excited to read something new by Rowling, but I had heard mixed reviews about the book, with some people trying to put me off it completely, but I am so glad I read it.

The big rule to reading this book. Completely separate it from the Harry Potter series. Got that?

Second rule. Don't give up with this book. The first half is very slow, and it did take some effort to get through. This might have been because there were a lot of characters that were introduced. But after the 200 page mark, it was like a little switch had been thrown.

The characters are really what makes this book. It feels like Rowling doesn't write characters, but writes people - if that makes any sense what so ever. The morality of these people was not black and white, everyone was a shade of grey - it felt like I was reading about actual people. There were very few likable characters, although when I found out more about their lives, I found myself growing more sympathetic towards them. I think that the characters show a reflection of ourselves, highlighting the aspects that we don't want to admit we have, yet are there all the same. Sometimes this book seemed too real, there is certainly no escapism in this book, and a great commentary on a part of British society.

The ending was great. It came out of nowhere, and I was fully satisfied with it, and I feel that there could have been no better ending. 

Rating: 4/5

Dead Silent by Sharon Jones

A snow angel etched in blood. An elite society. A secret dying to get out.
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The second Poppy Sinclair Thriller.

When Poppy Sinclair and her boyfriend visit snowy Cambridge, she doesn't expect to discover the body of a student - arms outstretched in the act of smearing bloody angel wings on the chapel's floor.

Suddenly, Poppy is faced with the possibility that the one closest to her heart might be the one committing the most malicious of crimes.

Dodging porters and police, dreading what she might find, Poppy follows the clues left by a murderer bent on revenge...

Long-hidden secrets are chillingly revealed, an avenging angel seeks forgiveness and red-hot vengeance must be quelled in the amazing new Poppy Sinclair thriller.

My Review:

I really enjoyed the first book - and I think that this one is better.

This time, Poppy is in Cambridge, with Michael, her now boyfriend, as he goes for an interview at the university. As you may have guessed, a murder happens. I liked that it was set in Cambridge, although I did have to check out some of the places on Google so I could visualize them better. This book also makes me desperately visit Cambridge.

I love Poppy as a character. Okay, she does make some silly decisions, but what teenager doesn't? In this book we got to explore the relationship between Poppy and Michael, and unlike in most YA novels, it didn't take over the action in the story.

The murder part of the story was great. It had a really good pace and I liked the addition of the secret society. I couldn't guess who the murderer was. In fact I would think it was one person, and then something would crop up, making me rethink my guess!

My only quibble with the book is the paranormal elements creeping in. It seems a bit out of place, and the series could probably get on fine without it.

This book was a great quick read, and I wouldn't hesitate to read the next book! 

Rating: 4/5