This is a wildly imaginative speculative fiction story. Carolyn is a “librarian” in a library that contains all the secrets of the universe. However, she is like no ordinary librarian; her agenda is complex and difficult to describe. The story is complicated to enter and impossible to predict. So, imagine gods and monsters, much bloody violence but occasional hilarious sections. Reading this book reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. In short, a very original epic fantasy about cruelty that is also a thriller.
Category: anger/revenge
Hench – Natalie Zina Walschots
This is an imaginative example of speculative fiction. Imagine a comic book world of super-heroes and dastardly villains. Even villains need administrative help, so Anna is recruited from a temp agency. When Anna is injured as collateral damage in an out-of-control encounter with a super-hero, she develops a righteous anger toward this super-hero (Supercollider). Consequently, she devotes her energy and talents to the downfall of this super-hero (and others) by working for a super-villain. A very interesting take on office politics follows; justice and the nature of heroism are also topics. And how can you not love a story with a villain called Quantum Entanglement! Thanks Amy, for giving me this book.
Amy Notes: It was on the staff recommendations shelf one of my local bookstores; Book Warehouse. Three cheers for independent bookstores staffed by booklovers.
Five Little Indians – Michelle Good

Knife – Jo Nesbo

The Gilded Cage – Camilla Lackberg
Faye is a trophy wife living in a gilded cage in Stockholm. When her husband Jack discards her and humiliates her as part of a divorce after 10 years of marriage, Faye dedicates herself to revenge, to destroy Jack’s life. Her skills are a formidable intellects plus a bloody-minded willingness to use sex and violence as manipulative tools. Revenge is nothing other than problem solving after all. This is a provocative and contemporary betrayal and revenge novel in the #MeToo era. Lackberg is a master of Scandinavian psychological suspense thrillers.