Scan barcode
sea_caummisar's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoy a good thriller from time to time. Its been a while since I've read one, and I remember that I'm not a huge fan of the police procedure plot lines. This story would have been more my flavor if we spent more time on the serial killer. The psychic aspect was interesting. After 350 pages of it, I'm burnt out on psychic stuff, but I'm still glad I read it
leviel's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting idea but the writer just didn't pull it off. Spent more time rolling my eyes than enjoying the book.
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
2.0
2.5
I have to admit that this book just didn't work for me. It might for some readers, to each their own.
I have been trying to come up with the right word to describe this (and writing like it), because I encounter it a lot. Maybe someone knows and can help me out. We all recognize a Mary Sue and Gary Stu (sometime Marty Stu), but what do you call it when the whole book--plot, narrations, characters, etc all have a Mary Sue feel to them. Pat, maybe?
I actually have a litmus test for this, even if I don't have a title for it. My test is hugging. But what could hugging have to do with anything, you might ask? Well, it has been my experience, in reading several hundred books a year for several years that when you encounter a book in which there is lots and lots of hugging the author is using this small action as a weak demonstration that the MC is an open, good person, makes meaningful connections with people, etc. Similarly, it shows how comfortable those people are with him/her (usually her). Now, I'm a bit of a hugger in real life, coming from the touchy-feely hippy family that I did. But I don't hug my BFF, my ex-boyfriend, my friend's uncle, his cop partner and the nurse who cares for my mother in the nursing home. More importantly, all those people don't come up and hug me.
But it's not just about hugging. The hugging is almost always accompanied by a certain innocent narrative tone, in which small things (like a hug) are made big deals of. It's like a pearl-clad, mary jane wearing, pastel sporting teenager swooning over their first kiss while the married 40-year-old, with the kinky nightlife that's forced to listen to it thinks, 'God, it really just isn't that big a thing.' Any romance in these sorts of books are always heavily descriptive, possibly purple, and almost all tell as the narration beats the reader over the head with how awe-inspiring one person or the other is, how meaningful the small unimpressive events are, and how in looooooove they are.
The fact that this book falls within this pat(?) grouping is a guarantee that I'm not likely to enjoy it, as I almost never enjoy these books. But this book also annoyed me in other respects. I hated that as soon as Emily got together with Jake she let him start making all her decision. I didn't like their insta-love and, even worse, their insta-relationship, which was only compounded by their insistence on waiting to have sex until their relationship was more established. I don't know, 'I'm ready to let you rule my life' and 'I'm ready to die for you' seems pretty established to me.
I didn't like that the author gave Emily a rich, high-power, nice guy ex, who was still madly in love with her, just to show she was a desirable commodity. I didn't like that Emily had all this important information that she never shared with anyone. I didn't like that she pulled the cliché, TSTL, 'I'll go off and save the day by myself and require rescue' shtick a bagazillion other TSTL heroines have pulled. I didn't like that the villain was the same old, seen it a 100 times, man obsessed with a woman he wants to own for no discernible reason. I didn't like that people made un-followable intuitive leaps of logic that lead them to plot points. And I didn't like the deus ex machina-like way the characters were easily able to learn just what they needed at just the right time to save the day. Too easy!
The one thing that saved this book for me was Leo and his wife. I adored their relationship. The editing seemed pretty clean, I don't remember many cock-ups and to the right reader this might be a hit.
I have to admit that this book just didn't work for me. It might for some readers, to each their own.
I have been trying to come up with the right word to describe this (and writing like it), because I encounter it a lot. Maybe someone knows and can help me out. We all recognize a Mary Sue and Gary Stu (sometime Marty Stu), but what do you call it when the whole book--plot, narrations, characters, etc all have a Mary Sue feel to them. Pat, maybe?
I actually have a litmus test for this, even if I don't have a title for it. My test is hugging. But what could hugging have to do with anything, you might ask? Well, it has been my experience, in reading several hundred books a year for several years that when you encounter a book in which there is lots and lots of hugging the author is using this small action as a weak demonstration that the MC is an open, good person, makes meaningful connections with people, etc. Similarly, it shows how comfortable those people are with him/her (usually her). Now, I'm a bit of a hugger in real life, coming from the touchy-feely hippy family that I did. But I don't hug my BFF, my ex-boyfriend, my friend's uncle, his cop partner and the nurse who cares for my mother in the nursing home. More importantly, all those people don't come up and hug me.
But it's not just about hugging. The hugging is almost always accompanied by a certain innocent narrative tone, in which small things (like a hug) are made big deals of. It's like a pearl-clad, mary jane wearing, pastel sporting teenager swooning over their first kiss while the married 40-year-old, with the kinky nightlife that's forced to listen to it thinks, 'God, it really just isn't that big a thing.' Any romance in these sorts of books are always heavily descriptive, possibly purple, and almost all tell as the narration beats the reader over the head with how awe-inspiring one person or the other is, how meaningful the small unimpressive events are, and how in looooooove they are.
The fact that this book falls within this pat(?) grouping is a guarantee that I'm not likely to enjoy it, as I almost never enjoy these books. But this book also annoyed me in other respects. I hated that as soon as Emily got together with Jake she let him start making all her decision. I didn't like their insta-love and, even worse, their insta-relationship, which was only compounded by their insistence on waiting to have sex until their relationship was more established. I don't know, 'I'm ready to let you rule my life' and 'I'm ready to die for you' seems pretty established to me.
I didn't like that the author gave Emily a rich, high-power, nice guy ex, who was still madly in love with her, just to show she was a desirable commodity. I didn't like that Emily had all this important information that she never shared with anyone. I didn't like that she pulled the cliché, TSTL, 'I'll go off and save the day by myself and require rescue' shtick a bagazillion other TSTL heroines have pulled. I didn't like that the villain was the same old, seen it a 100 times, man obsessed with a woman he wants to own for no discernible reason. I didn't like that people made un-followable intuitive leaps of logic that lead them to plot points. And I didn't like the deus ex machina-like way the characters were easily able to learn just what they needed at just the right time to save the day. Too easy!
The one thing that saved this book for me was Leo and his wife. I adored their relationship. The editing seemed pretty clean, I don't remember many cock-ups and to the right reader this might be a hit.
erinann78's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 Stars
Conduit is an intensely gripping thrill ride from start to finish. I was hooked from page one and devoured this book as quickly as I could.
Angie Martin created such an interesting and intriguing storyline. Emily Monroe is a private investigator and a psychic. She, along with her partner and best friend, get pulled into a police investigation involving a serial killer. It just so happens that this particular serial killer is also a psychic; a psychic who is obsessed with Emily and is using the women he kills to connect with her.
I absolutely loved Angie Martin's writing style. Third person narration is usually not my favorite but I think Ms. Martin did it perfectly. Each chapter focuses on a different person so we are able to get a better understanding of all the characters and the intricacies of the case. I felt it allowed me to connect with the characters in a way I'm not always able to with third person narration.
Ms. Martin incorporates paranormal aspects in a believable and engrossing way. She doesn't spend too much time explaining all the details of these characters psychic abilities. We are given enough information to understand what is going on but we also know that not every question has an answer. The psychic aspect is just treated as a natural characteristic which made it seem more realistic to me.
While Conduit is not a romance novel, it did have a romantic element woven into the story. I feel that this added a new dimension and offered a welcome break from the intensity and dark subject matter.
Crisp prose, complex characters, suspense, and an original and riveting storyline make Conduit a must read!! I'm excited that this is a start to a new series, I look forward to reading more about these characters.
Conduit is an intensely gripping thrill ride from start to finish. I was hooked from page one and devoured this book as quickly as I could.
Angie Martin created such an interesting and intriguing storyline. Emily Monroe is a private investigator and a psychic. She, along with her partner and best friend, get pulled into a police investigation involving a serial killer. It just so happens that this particular serial killer is also a psychic; a psychic who is obsessed with Emily and is using the women he kills to connect with her.
I absolutely loved Angie Martin's writing style. Third person narration is usually not my favorite but I think Ms. Martin did it perfectly. Each chapter focuses on a different person so we are able to get a better understanding of all the characters and the intricacies of the case. I felt it allowed me to connect with the characters in a way I'm not always able to with third person narration.
Ms. Martin incorporates paranormal aspects in a believable and engrossing way. She doesn't spend too much time explaining all the details of these characters psychic abilities. We are given enough information to understand what is going on but we also know that not every question has an answer. The psychic aspect is just treated as a natural characteristic which made it seem more realistic to me.
While Conduit is not a romance novel, it did have a romantic element woven into the story. I feel that this added a new dimension and offered a welcome break from the intensity and dark subject matter.
Crisp prose, complex characters, suspense, and an original and riveting storyline make Conduit a must read!! I'm excited that this is a start to a new series, I look forward to reading more about these characters.
see_sadie_read's review
2.0
2.5
I have to admit that this book just didn't work for me. It might for some readers, to each their own.
I have been trying to come up with the right word to describe this (and writing like it), because I encounter it a lot. Maybe someone knows and can help me out. We all recognize a Mary Sue and Gary Stu (sometime Marty Stu), but what do you call it when the whole book--plot, narrations, characters, etc all have a Mary Sue feel to them. Pat, maybe?
I actually have a litmus test for this, even if I don't have a title for it. My test is hugging. But what could hugging have to do with anything, you might ask? Well, it has been my experience, in reading several hundred books a year for several years that when you encounter a book in which there is lots and lots of hugging the author is using this small action as a weak demonstration that the MC is an open, good person, makes meaningful connections with people, etc. Similarly, it shows how comfortable those people are with him/her (usually her). Now, I'm a bit of a hugger in real life, coming from the touchy-feely hippy family that I did. But I don't hug my BFF, my ex-boyfriend, my friend's uncle, his cop partner and the nurse who cares for my mother in the nursing home. More importantly, all those people don't come up and hug me.
But it's not just about hugging. The hugging is almost always accompanied by a certain innocent narrative tone, in which small things (like a hug) are made big deals of. It's like a pearl-clad, mary jane wearing, pastel sporting teenager swooning over their first kiss while the married 40-year-old, with the kinky nightlife that's forced to listen to it thinks, 'God, it really just isn't that big a thing.' Any romance in these sorts of books are always heavily descriptive, possibly purple, and almost all tell as the narration beats the reader over the head with how awe-inspiring one person or the other is, how meaningful the small unimpressive events are, and how in looooooove they are.
The fact that this book falls within this pat(?) grouping is a guarantee that I'm not likely to enjoy it, as I almost never enjoy these books. But this book also annoyed me in other respects. I hated that as soon as Emily got together with Jake she let him start making all her decision. I didn't like their insta-love and, even worse, their insta-relationship, which was only compounded by their insistence on waiting to have sex until their relationship was more established. I don't know, 'I'm ready to let you rule my life' and 'I'm ready to die for you' seems pretty established to me.
I didn't like that the author gave Emily a rich, high-power, nice guy ex, who was still madly in love with her, just to show she was a desirable commodity. I didn't like that Emily had all this important information that she never shared with anyone. I didn't like that she pulled the cliché, TSTL, 'I'll go off and save the day by myself and require rescue' shtick a bagazillion other TSTL heroines have pulled. I didn't like that the villain was the same old, seen it a 100 times, man obsessed with a woman he wants to own for no discernible reason. I didn't like that people made un-followable intuitive leaps of logic that lead them to plot points. And I didn't like the deus ex machina-like way the characters were easily able to learn just what they needed at just the right time to save the day. Too easy!
The one thing that saved this book for me was Leo and his wife. I adored their relationship. The editing seemed pretty clean, I don't remember many cock-ups and to the right reader this might be a hit.
I have to admit that this book just didn't work for me. It might for some readers, to each their own.
I have been trying to come up with the right word to describe this (and writing like it), because I encounter it a lot. Maybe someone knows and can help me out. We all recognize a Mary Sue and Gary Stu (sometime Marty Stu), but what do you call it when the whole book--plot, narrations, characters, etc all have a Mary Sue feel to them. Pat, maybe?
I actually have a litmus test for this, even if I don't have a title for it. My test is hugging. But what could hugging have to do with anything, you might ask? Well, it has been my experience, in reading several hundred books a year for several years that when you encounter a book in which there is lots and lots of hugging the author is using this small action as a weak demonstration that the MC is an open, good person, makes meaningful connections with people, etc. Similarly, it shows how comfortable those people are with him/her (usually her). Now, I'm a bit of a hugger in real life, coming from the touchy-feely hippy family that I did. But I don't hug my BFF, my ex-boyfriend, my friend's uncle, his cop partner and the nurse who cares for my mother in the nursing home. More importantly, all those people don't come up and hug me.
But it's not just about hugging. The hugging is almost always accompanied by a certain innocent narrative tone, in which small things (like a hug) are made big deals of. It's like a pearl-clad, mary jane wearing, pastel sporting teenager swooning over their first kiss while the married 40-year-old, with the kinky nightlife that's forced to listen to it thinks, 'God, it really just isn't that big a thing.' Any romance in these sorts of books are always heavily descriptive, possibly purple, and almost all tell as the narration beats the reader over the head with how awe-inspiring one person or the other is, how meaningful the small unimpressive events are, and how in looooooove they are.
The fact that this book falls within this pat(?) grouping is a guarantee that I'm not likely to enjoy it, as I almost never enjoy these books. But this book also annoyed me in other respects. I hated that as soon as Emily got together with Jake she let him start making all her decision. I didn't like their insta-love and, even worse, their insta-relationship, which was only compounded by their insistence on waiting to have sex until their relationship was more established. I don't know, 'I'm ready to let you rule my life' and 'I'm ready to die for you' seems pretty established to me.
I didn't like that the author gave Emily a rich, high-power, nice guy ex, who was still madly in love with her, just to show she was a desirable commodity. I didn't like that Emily had all this important information that she never shared with anyone. I didn't like that she pulled the cliché, TSTL, 'I'll go off and save the day by myself and require rescue' shtick a bagazillion other TSTL heroines have pulled. I didn't like that the villain was the same old, seen it a 100 times, man obsessed with a woman he wants to own for no discernible reason. I didn't like that people made un-followable intuitive leaps of logic that lead them to plot points. And I didn't like the deus ex machina-like way the characters were easily able to learn just what they needed at just the right time to save the day. Too easy!
The one thing that saved this book for me was Leo and his wife. I adored their relationship. The editing seemed pretty clean, I don't remember many cock-ups and to the right reader this might be a hit.
ker95's review
4.0
Emily Monroe has some psychic abilities, and uses them discretely in the PI firm she owns with her best friend while hiding her gift from most of the world. But a really bad guy has his sights on Emily to complement his own psychic abilities.
A great cast of characters - friends, police detectives and a new friend with psychic abilities as well work to protect Emily while searching out the bad guy.
The story was mostly believable, the writing very good, the romance didn't overtake the book. I hope this is the beginning of a series!
A great cast of characters - friends, police detectives and a new friend with psychic abilities as well work to protect Emily while searching out the bad guy.
The story was mostly believable, the writing very good, the romance didn't overtake the book. I hope this is the beginning of a series!
hosborneauthor's review
5.0
This book certainly ticked all the boxes for me when it comes to a five star ranking. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Emily's story, even though the end gave me chills! Miss Martin has clearly researched her topic well, and I could find no fault with the criminological and victimology aspects of the novel. I've read The Boy's Club before, and this one surpasses that, although both are five stars. If you want something that will keep you on edge, with a rapid pace, check out Conduit today!
hazelbright's review
1.0
Cheap sensationalism with an overly abundant and supremely non-credible serial killer POV, and that serial killer one who says things like, "Wipe your nose, you disgusting little wench." Sure, people call women wenches all the time. You know, I can suspend disbelief for a premise - that people are psychics, for example. That they have magical skills, can talk to the dead, whatever. But you'd better give me credible dialogue, or none of that works.
Tip: when you write a novel about something like psychic crime fighters, a premise corny enough that the whole thing teeters on the edge of a vast abyss of stupidity, a little more about the psychic thing or the crime fighting thing would be nice. I do not care about boyfriends broken up with, clients whose husbands turn out to not be cheating on them, the serial killer's mom and dad's relationship, or all of the rest of the blah blah blah that makes up the bulk of this book.
Just terrible.
Tip: when you write a novel about something like psychic crime fighters, a premise corny enough that the whole thing teeters on the edge of a vast abyss of stupidity, a little more about the psychic thing or the crime fighting thing would be nice. I do not care about boyfriends broken up with, clients whose husbands turn out to not be cheating on them, the serial killer's mom and dad's relationship, or all of the rest of the blah blah blah that makes up the bulk of this book.
Just terrible.
cherime's review
5.0
Conduit snatches you up and does not let you go. There is no dross in this action packed story. The villain, having gone wrong from childhood escalates into the personification of evil. How far will you go for love? What will you give up? A question the characters must answer. I really do not want to spoil this tight tale of good and evil with a supernatural bent. The characters are beautifully drawn. All in all a very satisfying read.
More...