For years, Nadezhda and Vera, two Ukrainian sisters, raised in England by their refugee parents, have had as little as possible to do with each other - and they have their reasons. But now they find they'd better learn how to get along, because since their mother's death their aging father has been sliding into his second childhood, and an alarming new woman has just entered his life. Valentina, a bosomy young synthetic blonde from the Ukraine, seems to think their father is much richer than he is, and she is keen that he leave this world with as little money to his name as possible. If Nadazhda and Vera don't stop her, no one will. But separating their addled and annoyingly lecherous dad from his new love will prove to be no easy feat - Valentina is a ruthless pro and the two sisters swiftly realize that they are mere amateurs when it comes to ruthlessness. As Hurricane Valentina turns the family house upside down, old secrets come falling out, including the most deeply buried one of them all, from the War, the one that explains much about why Nadazhda and Vera are so different. In the meantime, oblivious to it all, their father carries on with the great work of his dotage, a grand history of the tractor.
--------------------------------------------
Surprisingly, I loved this book.
It's not my usual type of book. And I wouldn't go as far to say "Mad & Hilarious" as the Daily Telegraph has proclaimed.
But it was fun. And also a little close to home.
The sisters relationship seemed to almost mirror mine & my sisters - although ours is not as fragmented as theirs :). The story of their father and his new relationship is also similar to that of our father's and his relationship with his partner. Although, in all fairness to my father's partner - she isn't very similar to Valentina!
The story starts with the father (Nikolai) telling his youngest daughter Nadia about the woman he wants to marry (his wife had died a few years previously). His fiance is from his homeland - the Ukraine - and needs to get married so she can stay in the country. But first she must get a divorce from her Ukrainian husband.
The story is interspersed with the family history. How the father & mother came to meet (he was Ukrainian & she was Polish). How they managed to escape the concentration camps and came to live in England. And also, while all these backgrounds are being told, and Nikolai is trying desperately to marry, and then divorce, the very voluptious Valentina - he is writing a book titled A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian.
Some of the characters are not likeable at all. Some of them I ended up feeling so sad for. And the book finished a little too early for my liking. I wanted to find out more, but you'll have to read it to understand what I'm talking about. There were a few story lines that could have been followed up, but were left just hanging - although there was really so much going on in the book it would've been quite difficult to add a few more threads into it.
I liked it and will make someone else from bookclub read it next :)
Sarah Linton has fled to Atlanta seeking refuge from the patient in her ER, she'll find herself deeply ensnared in a case which rips the lid off secrets as dark and complex as they are disturbing. When Special Agents Will Trent and Faith Mitchell join forces to probe into the life of the victim, they embark on an investigation which will change all of them forever.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Wow this was good! I don't know if it's because it's been a while since I have read this genre (I've been scratching a Paranormal Romance itch for the last 6 months or so) of if it's just a brilliant book but I loved it. This is all-time favourite genre though so it was a very comfortable read.
But when I say comfortable, I don't mean the content. This woman can write a good story can't she?
The characters were really well formed. And this is really good because it appears to be the first book in a new series, and I sometimes find it can take the characters a few books to get to know (when written in a series) and I really want to know them in the first book. I didn't feel that I was missing too much of the main characters personalities and histories when I read this. She has done a great job with the backgrounds and I can't wait to read more.
I love the idea of Agent Will Trent having a secret that only his partner and his boss know. It makes him seem so real and more than a little appealing. I felt a connection to this character straight away, I guess I was glad to be one of only a few to know his secret (well, me and the other 500,000 people that have read the book).
I understand (or maybe I just made this bit up, but it sounds good) that Dr Linton will be a part of the series which is great. She's good for the story. I'd like to see her relationship develop (or not) with Will, and to see how she & Agent Mitchell work together and as partners with Will.
I also really enjoyed the mindgames of this book. It's been a while since I've read this type of book and I realised I've missed it. I've been reading these types of books since I discovered Dean Koontz when I was around 13 and have devoured them ever since. I know it's a great book when I have to finish it the night I start it because I HAVE to know what happens. Mo Hayder did exactly the same thing for me with Birdman.
Scared me so much I couldn't put it down until it was finished.
And to me, this is the sign of an excellent writer.
Interesting enough, someone I know has recently said that they haven't read another Karin Slaughter after they became so upset with the ending of the book they had just finished. This person was most incensed about this and felt completely duped (I don't know which book she was referring though). I also think this is a sign of a good writer (although you don't want to alienate them completely 
) because she has got this reader so completely involved with the story and she has evoked such a huge emotion in this particular reader that the reader has actually taken action because of this book. Surely that is a writers goal in writing a book? They want their readers to feel as passionate about their books as they, the author does.
Anyway, I for one can't wait to read more. And I promise if I don't like the ending to keep reading more 
For years, Nadezhda and Vera, two Ukrainian sisters, raised in England by their refugee parents, have had as little as possible to do with each other - and they have their reasons. But now they find they'd better learn how to get along, because since their mother's death their aging father has been sliding into his second childhood, and an alarming new woman has just entered his life. Valentina, a bosomy young synthetic blonde from the Ukraine, seems to think their father is much richer than he is, and she is keen that he leave this world with as little money to his name as possible. If Nadazhda and Vera don't stop her, no one will. But separating their addled and annoyingly lecherous dad from his new love will prove to be no easy feat - Valentina is a ruthless pro and the two sisters swiftly realize that they are mere amateurs when it comes to ruthlessness. As Hurricane Valentina turns the family house upside down, old secrets come falling out, including the most deeply buried one of them all, from the War, the one that explains much about why Nadazhda and Vera are so different. In the meantime, oblivious to it all, their father carries on with the great work of his dotage, a grand history of the tractor.
Posts
