There was an image posted on social media of a gorgeous woman sitting in bed, smoking a cigarette and sporting the sexiest bed hair ever. Here it is:
Author, Dominic Piper, said, “Read Femme Fatale and wake up looking like this.”
Sure, I thought, I’ll give it a go.
I did not wake up looking like this woman.
Because I didn’t wake up.
Because I didn’t go to sleep.
Because I could not put the book down for one single moment.
Instead, there I was at the crack of dawn, feeling as though someone had sandpapered my eyeballs, looking as if birds had made a nest in my hair…then had a bit of domestic argy-bargy in their new abode and set the whole thing on fire.
Post Femme Fatale thoughts.
Smoking cigarette lady: “A calming cigarette is the only way I can relax after a stimulating, satisfying, vigorous workout with a Dominic Piper thriller.”
Smoking hair lady: “Holy crap, I look and feel like hell. But goddamn did I have a good time!”
If you’d like to have a goddamn good time, I suggest you read this book. Dominic Piper is an incredibly talented author. His writing is intelligent, witty, suspenseful–just brilliant. I cannot wait for the next installment of the Daniel Beckett PI series.
NB: There are plenty of numbers coming up. Please refer to footnotes below.
I won’t talk about the plot of the novel since that’s easily found in the book’s description on Amazon. I won’t include spoilers because spoilers are evil, and I despise them. (1) But I will tell you a little something that happened while reading Femme Fatale. Firstly, I need to explain that I am one of those helpful (2) people who, when watching a movie, will yell out early in the proceedings, “That’s the bad guy right there!” And not long after, will predict the plot &/ending. (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
When I read Dominic Piper’s first book, Kiss Me When I’m Dead, I predicted something that was going on even though it was pretty out-there. (5 + 7) The fact that my brain went to that scary place may have something to do with one of the fields I worked in previously. Which of course I can’t tell you because…no spoilers. If you’ve already read Kiss Me When I’m Dead, you’ll be wondering what sort of nefarious business I’ve been up to. You’ll just have to trust me that it wasn’t bad stuff. Or you could go on believing I’m nefarious. I still won’t tell you. (1)
While reading the second novel, Death Is The New Black, I identified the bad person as soon as they entered the scene. (6 + 7)
So, I was reading Femme Fatale, anticipating the moment when I would figure it all out. I kept reading and reading. Nothing was coming to me. I felt inclined to whack myself in the head in case my spidey sense was on the fritz and needed a reboot. Instead of making early predictions and smugly waiting to confirm I was correct, I began asking questions. Who is that little old guy? How is he connected to that badass chick? What the dickens is that person doing in that room in that particular state?
The percentage of the book completed crept higher and higher and I was no closer to answers. (6) (6) (6) (6) (6) Damn it! And by the way, WHERE THE FREAKING HELL IS RIKKI?! I was agitated—frustrated at this new feeling of not having even a tiny clue as to what was going on. Dominic Piper totally stumped me. And even though I was going crazy over it, I’ll admit to you that I kinda liked it.
Actually, to be perfectly honest, I liked it a lot.
I have loved every one of the books in the Daniel Beckett series. Femme Fatale is my favourite so far. Dominic Piper is now a one-click author for me. This guy writes anything–I’m reading it.
Footnotes
- If spoilers had faces, I’d punch ’em. Right between their little evil spoiler eyes.
- Some may use the term annoying in place of helpful. But those people don’t know what on earth they’re talking about.
- The prediction is made aloud of course. There’s no point keeping it to yourself. No one ever believes early predictions when they’re announced as the credits are rolling.
- It’s okay to do this in your own home. In a movie theatre, not so much. Although, in public, bad guys can be pointed out by elbowing your seating partners and pointing vigorously at the screen. Chin tips, wide eyes, nods, and eyebrow waggling are more discreet. None of which are suggested if your seating partners are strangers. Strangers are weird and always interpret there’s-the-bad-guy body language as “Yes, you may touch my popcorn.” (Popcorn being code for private parts, obviously.)
- I have a well-developed spidey sense when it comes to plot lines.
- I enjoy figuring everything out early.
- I also enjoy being right.
- You must trust me because I’m always right.
You’re going to need a book link. Because the book is fabulous and you have to buy it immediately. (8) Here it is: Femme Fatale at Amazon
And here are some social media links for the author.
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You might ask what I’ve been up to recently. And if you didn’t? Well…I’m telling you anyway. I’ve just returned from a trip to Europe which included these places: Barcelona, Genoa, Marseille, Naples, Messina, Valletta, and Madrid. I might do a separate blog post about my travels, including great things to do/see/eat in these places. I’m none the wiser about Genoa, Marseille, and Naples, because as soon as I arrived at those places, I was herded onto a bus and taken to another location, eg., Cinque Terre, Avignon, and Pompeii. I have loads to say about Barcelona, though. I am totally and utterly in love with Barcelona. I may also be in love with churros dipped in hot chocolate. Not just any old hot chocolate—the thick kind they do over there. Best in the world IMO. Then there’s the tapas, the sangria, their chocolates, the art, architecture and…I could go on forever. But another time. When I’ve sifted through what seems like 5000 photos so I can choose a few to show you. Give me a few months to get that sorted. In the meantime, I’m off to check out how much I have left of that fresh creme brulee nougat I brought back.
Oh, and since Halloween’s coming up, here’s one of my books getting into the Halloween theme. It’s just pretending to be scary. It really isn’t.
And this is me pretending to be a vampire.
Until next time, take care & happy reading. xx Sayara
