"An excellent finish to the Hunger Games trilogy. Katniss is the reluctant leader of the opposition, and finds unhappy surprises at every turn. Moving and extremely suspenseful.

Highly, highly recommended."

"Another in the Jackson Brodie series.
UK crime setting.
The chapters can head-hop as different sections within a chapter are written from the POVs of disparate characters.
Also, there is a ton of interior monologue--more than I care for.
However, I admire the challenge Atkinson takes--writing from the more difficult omniscient/multiple characters' POVs, usually within chapters. This can be confusing at times, and it is harder to track the stories. There is more interior monologue than I care for. Finally, at bottom, this is a child jeopardy angle, something I usually try to avoid reading.

It speaks to Atkinson's craft and narrative that despite these difficulties she carries off the story well.
Highly recommended."

"This is the best thriller I've read in six months, since I read I.S. Berry's The Peacock and The Sparrow. Finder has just been able to announce that The Oligarch's Daughter will be made into a movie. Well-deserved.

Every scene is a nail-biter, full of suspense. The plot twists and turns in engaging (and relevant) ways. I found one characterization annoying, but in the overall scheme of the book's narrative it's minor.

Finder, one of the best thriller writers around, knows business and Wall Street, knows New York, knows London, knows the intelligence services, knows Russia, and gives a shout-out to Oregon (Yes!). His characters, in wonderful fashion, are not who they seem at first.

Highly, highly recommended. Put this in your summer TBR stack if you haven't already."

"Great (first) prequel that sets up the Hunger Games antagonist with classic, yet very engaging and entertaining authorial backstory. I won't reprise the plot except to say that Collins is excellent at making the young Snow sympathetic in spots and repellant in others. "