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#0039 They're Going to Kill You Research Reading

Writer's picture: AlexanderAlexander

In July, I selected the books I would read to prepare myself for writing my next novel. There are always five. It’s what I do. Let me tell you about them.

 

 

The first was a recommendation from my wife, Starter Villian by John Scalzi. She found the book amusing, and I much agree. This is also a great case of how the cover can matter. No doubt, my wife picked this up because we love cats.


Here’s the blurb:

Charlie’s life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.
Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.
But becoming a supervillain isn’t all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they’re coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.
It’s up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.
In a dog-eat-dog world…be a cat. 

This is a well-written book. It uses many of the writing tips I’ve seen abound. Such things as ending each chapter with a hook. The story itself is entertaining and unique. Honestly, I’ve got no complaints about the book and would happily recommend it to anyone that would enjoy a humorous thriller.

 

 

The second book was Buried Schemes by David C. Horne. One random day, when I was early into figuring out my TikTok account, David messaged me. We had a short, friendly chat, and I bought a copy of his first book to support our indie author community.

Here’s the blurb:

How far would you go to walk away with millions of dollars in buried treasure?That’s the question Justin Hughes and his wife Ashley must answer when they discover a long-lost Viking hoard while vacationing with their two best friends on an island in Wales. Set against a vivid backdrop of rural Wales, ‘Buried Schemes’ takes you on a thrilling journey as four American tourists are faced with grave decisions which may alter their lives forever. Torn between returning home to their mundane workaday lives and somehow keeping the treasure for themselves, lines are crossed and loyalties are tested. Filled with evocative imagery of long-lost riches, sumptuous meals, crumbling ruins, and the British Isles, this novel fills the senses as the characters find themselves immersed in an adventure of grand proportions.

 

Well, now I’ve read it, and I can say that he’s made me feel insecure about my writing career. I’m partly joking. This is another well-written book. I would have never known that this was his debut novel. The formatting might give away its indie author origins; however, the story is skillfully designed and adeptly told. This is another one that I’d recommend if you like international crime and thrillers.

 

 

 

For the third book, I read a book titled Irish Fairy and Folk Tales. Back when I started my writing career, I went to Barnes and Noble and went on a spending spree. Later that same day, I realize that the prices of book at Barnes and Noble are ridiculously high, compared to Amazon. So that was my first and only Barnes and Noble books spree. This book was a random buy from that day.

Unfortunately, there’s no blurb on the back, so you’ll just have to use your imagination. The collection has about 15 stories over 150 pages. So most of them are only a few pages in length.

 

This was a painful read for me. I found most of the stories barebones and lacking. I’d hoped this would give me some ideas for my upcoming novels, and I made a few notes, but overall, this book was a disappointment. I don’t recommend it and I haven’t included a link to it.

 

 

 

The fourth book is The Coworker by Freida McFadden. This is also the fourth book I’ve read from Freida. To be more correct, I’m still reading it. I’m on chapter three. I had some significant changes to my life in July that slowed me down a good deal. You can read about that in my Author Life blog entry.

Here’s the blurb:

At least, everyone thinks so at Vixed, the nutritional supplement company where Dawn works as an accountant. She never says the right thing. She has no friends. And she is always at her desk at precisely 8:45 a.m.
So when Dawn doesn’t show up to the office one morning, her coworker Natalie Farrell―beautiful, popular, top sales rep five years running―is surprised. Then she receives an unsettling, anonymous phone call that changes everything…
It turns out Dawn wasn’t just an awkward outsider―she was being targeted by someone close. And now Natalie is irrevocably tied to Dawn as she finds herself caught in a twisted game of cat and mouse that leaves her wondering: who’s the real victim?
But one thing is incredibly clear: somebody hated Dawn Schiff. Enough to kill.

 

Freida writes thrillers, and each one comes with some great twist. Her books are great research material for my Gonna Kill You Trilogy Series. I’ll give you an update once I’ve finished it, but I’m sure it’ll be amazing like the other three.

 

 

 

The fifth and final book is 23 by NJ Miller. This one made it on my list because it’s a Comedy Thriller. The first entry in the Gonna Kill You Trilogy Series is a Comedy Thriller. The second entry goes a little lighter on the comedy. I’m hoping to add back some of the humor in the third entry, and this book might just be what I need to show me the way.

Here’s the blurb:

We all slip up at some point in life, don’t we? The real issue, the one that matters most, is whether we can get away with it.
Raquel Fitzpatrick, the slipper upper in this case, is a foodie, a writer, a mother of three, and wife to one. She’s an over thinker, a more than she should wine drinker, and during just one summer, she inadvertently created a catastrophic situation that would take a miracle to rectify.
When new neighbours moved in across the road, Raquel unnaturally decided to be friendly—a decision that could bring her world crashing down. Just one silly mistake triggered a chain of events that could land her behind bars, leaving her with no choice but to turn to her eccentric and annoying family for help.
But there was one huge problem. Her husband Dave is a law-abiding police officer.
Dive into this engaging tale of love, adventure, and the importance of staying true to oneself even when the odds are stacked against you. Don’t miss out on this exciting read; grab your copy today and join Raquel on her unforgettable journey!

 

I’ve got high expectations for this one, but it’s have to wait until I finish The Coworker. Again, I’ll update you when I wrap it up.

 

 

 

And those are my research reads for my upcoming novel, They’re Going to Kill You, the last entry in the Gonna Kill You Trilogy Series. Thanks for reading!

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