The Buried Life by Carrie Patel

 

The gaslight and shadows of the underground city of Recoletta hide secrets and lies. When Inspector Liesl Malone investigates the murder of a renowned historian, she finds herself stonewalled by the all-powerful Directorate of Preservation – Recoletta’s top-secret historical research facility.
 
When a second high-profile murder threatens the very fabric of city society, Malone and her rookie partner Rafe Sundar must tread carefully, lest they fall victim to not only the criminals they seek, but the government which purports to protect them. Knowledge is power, and power must be preserved at all costs…

The Buried Life is one of those books that I had to read at the right time to get into - I had tried to read it a few months ago and it didn't quite gel for me - that may be due to the fact that I had read a few similar books around that time. Whatever the reason, I put it aside but it had interested me enough for me to want to pick it back up again, which I did back in October (yes, I know, bad blogger, bad! :))

A fantasy murder mystery to start with, The Buried Life could be termed science fantasy - while not made obvious, there are clear indications that the underground world of the book is our future, with books and cultural references serving as clear nods to our own world. This makes for a nice twist on the Victorian-esque, gaslight ambiance the book is set in. While the worldbuilding was good, where The Buried Life excelled was in the characters. I really enjoyed getting to know Liesl, Rafe and Jane: a washer-woman who is not mentioned in the blurb but who I would say is probably more important to the plot and more interesting as a character than the other two. Her Relationship with Roman proves to be a hinge for the story and her actions have major effects on the future of Recoletta.

While the murder mystery is tied up nicely, providing a pleasant sense of closure to that part of the book, there are larger events that take over towards the end and set up the stage nicely for the follow-up (due out in February). I for one will be eagerly waiting to download it to my Kindle on the day of release!

I gave The Buried Life 4 stars.

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

Amazon
Goodreads

What if you were called upon to investigate the perfect crime? What if you realized that the person who had committed that crime had used a book you wrote to achieve it? That is the situation facing Pilgrim, codename for a man who does not exist. Pilgrim used to be a spy. Now he’s retired. But his retirement is about to end… When a terrifying weapon threatens America, Pilgrim will have to begin a race against time that will take him from Mecca to Turkey to Alsace to the Hindu Kush in order to find a faceless man. A man who may be closer to him than he could possibly expect…

I Am Pilgrim has received a lot of hype over the past few months – even here in France, every time I go into a bookshop I find it on the shelves, showered in praise from readers and critics alike. I am glad to say that it more than lives up to the hype – in fact I would imagine that this book will be up there in my top-ten list by the end of the year. Opening in a hotel room in the US, the book starts out as a murder mystery before delving into the history of the main character, the man who introduces himself as Pilgrim. From there, we are taken on a whirlwind tour of espionage, terrorism and murder, a globe-trotting thrill ride that also manages to delve into such themes as growing old, family, love and the cost of freedom. I loved the fact that while the entire story is told in first person, Terry Hayes manages to use that to segue into an omniscient third person at times, giving us a glimpse into the lives of various other characters along the way. I was hooked from the first page and it did not let up until the end. If you haven’t already, pick it up, read it and enjoy!

I gave I Am Pilgrim 5 stars (because I couldn't give it any more)!