Christopher Rice (1) (1978–)

Bone Music"Bone Music" is original, well-written, emotionally engaging and very very threatening. It is all the things I want in a thriller but I can't continue with it.

I was only 11% through this book when I set it aside, intending to get back to it when my mood lifted. That was three months ago and I haven't been able to bring myself back to it.

I suspect that this will end up being a popular series with a remarkable heroine. The obstacle for me is that I'm at a point in the story where a show more woman who has survived childhood abduction and abuse, commercial exploitation by her father and all the nastiness associated with public notoriety in this peck-me-to-death-on-Twitter threaten-me-on-Instagram age and who has gone on to build a safe space for herself, is about to have that space violated with the help of those who should be protecting her.

It's a series. She's the main character. So she must survive this also. At the 20% mark, there must be a twist that sets her on a new path.

The problem is that this mindset, this careful planning of violation and destruction, revolts me. It's too real. Too common. I don't want it in my head, especially when it's placed there by someone who writes as well as Christopher Rice.

I'm reluctantly adding this to my DNF pile. The good thing is that it's taught me that there are some plot devices that I need to avoid. I'll take a look at Christopher Rice's other books and see if there is something there that will allow me to enjoy his obvious talent. show less

Unlike the previous bundles this one doesn't contain only novellas but 2 full length novels. I will be honest here and admit that I didn't read those two novels. I wanted to read short stories not 344 pages for one of them. I will read them as soon as my exams are over and update this review, but this bundle should have come with a warning. What I like about bundles is that I get to read about different stories and people in one book. The stories blended together nicely.

I am all about giving show more an author a second chance, but I don't think that Christopher Rices writing agrees with me. This is the second story I read of his and I didn't manage to connect this time either. Dance of Desire was a rocky experience for me. I liked it at first, but then something stopped working for me and I felt like the story shifted in another direction. I will give him another chance, but if I see that three out of three novellas weren't for me, I will start skipping his stories. It wouldn't be fair to me and to the author to keep reading and reviewing something I don't like. Rating: 3 stars because I liked half of the story and I don't think it deserves less.

I love the Montgomery Ink series by Carrie Ann Ryan and I was very happy to get to explore it more. A couple of weeks ago I read Adoring ink and I was wondering if I had seen Brody (the hero of that novella). I delighted to see him been introduced here even if the author used him. Also I realized that Holly and Jake were together far longer than I thought. The only thing that I didn't like about this novella was how Sloane kept saying that he wasn't worthy of Hailey and was trying to push her away. I loved that Hailey fought for him and in the end they managed to work things out. Hidden ink is another winner for me. Rating: 4.5 stars

I don't have anything to say about Blood on the Bayou by Heather Graham, but my rating is 4 stars

Finally here is my review for Searching for mine. I had the chance to read this novella about a year ago, but I was happy to re-visit this world.

Searching for Mine is a novella about Connor, Nate's brother. It's short, but it was satisfying enough for me. I could easily see this book been a full lengthy novel, but it is ok as it is now. What made this novella different from the other books in the series is that connections didn't directly helped Connor and Ella get together, but it made Connor take the first step in making things something more than what they were.
The first thing that comes into my mind when I think of this book is the essays and the books Connor is forced to go through in order to get the degree he wanted. I added a couple of books on my to read list after that and I realized that I want a man like Connor. Not the side of Connor with the 3 B thing. The one who wrote that essay in the end and is secretly like me.
Ella and her son were an adorable duo and great as individuals. How the author managed to place in 130 pages the things she did is something that is beyond me. Because we don't get to see only Connor developing a bond with Ella, but we also see Connor developing a bond with her son.
Overall, I am very satisfied with this novella and I am recommending it not only to the fans of the series, but also people who are looking for some short and sweet book to read. Rating: 5 stars show less

3.5 stars

This is a quick, spooky read that mixes southern gothic with things that go bump in the night. The setting is Spring House, an antebellum mansion outside New Orleans with a pre-Civil War history steeped in violence & blood. It burned to the ground in 1850 but was restored in present day after being purchased by the wealthy Chaisson family.
As the story opens, Caitlin Chaisson is celebrating her birthday & receives an unwanted gift...witnessing her husband Troy & one of the party show more planners having a private celebration in the upstairs bathroom. It's the last straw for this fragile, insecure woman & she attempts suicide in the backyard gazebo.
This sets off a chain of events that will threaten the lives of 3 people closest to her.
Blake Henderson grew up with Caitlin but they've been estranged since he filled her in on Troy's extracurricular activities. He's still haunted by the murder of his lover 15 years ago & about to learn some hard truths.
Willie Thomas has been the family's groundskeeper for most of his life & knows every tree & flower. He also knows there's something strange about the plant growth & hears whispers about what occurred there during the time of slavery.
Nova is his daughter & a student at LSU. During research on Spring House, she uncovered odd stories passed down by slaves after the plantation was destroyed.
Caitlin's failed suicide awakens a terrible evil lurking underground for over 100 years, waiting for a chance to exact revenge. Blake, Willie & Nova band together in an effort to understand the deadly force & avoid being added to the rising body count.
This is a supernatural thriller that supports Faulkner's theory that the past is never past. Louisiana is the perfect setting for a dark, unsettling tale that is a horror story on the surface but also a commentary on weightier issues such as forgiveness & the state of your soul.
The author does a good job of creating an atmospheric read. Vivid descriptions of the terror unleashed in the present are mixed with unspeakable conditions endured by slaves in the past. It's easy to conjure the lush vegetation, overhead canopies of branches & vines, the unseen critters scuttling in the dark. All this lends a pervasive sense of menace you're sure you could catch sight of if you just turn the pages fast enough.
The only false note for me was the apparent ease with which characters accepted some of the explanations for what was happening. Maybe they were a little more open minded since they grew up there. I think my reaction would have been a series of "WTF?" 's quickly followed by a seat on the next bus out of town.
Ultimately, those left standing are changed forever. Not just by what they've seen but because they've been forced to take a hard look inward & accept responsibility for their actions.
The ending leaves the door open for a sequel. One of them has been saddled with a "gift" & it might be interesting to see what they do with it. In the meantime, I'll be a little nicer to my house plants. show less

The Vines is the latest Southern Gothic horror tale by author Christopher Rice and it is one very creepy story. It takes place in an old mansion on the outskirts of New Orleans. The mansion may have been restored to its original southern glory but it can’t escape its cruel southern past. In fact, when its owner, Caitlin Chaisson, tries to commit suicide after finding her husband with another woman, she fails but when her blood is absorbed into the ground, it sets off a horrifying chain of show more events that is rooted literally in that past.

This is a tale drenched in the lore, superstitions, and history of the Bayou and dripping with atmosphere and creepiness. Character development receives a bit of short shrift here but that’s okay because it is replaced by nature as antagonist and there is something truly frightening about the idea of nature as blood-thirsty villain. The Vines was great fun to read but I feel I need to add a warning because there is a downside to reading it - you may never look at vine-covered buildings the same way again. show less