I really wasn't sure what to expect when I was granted this ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was so different from what I normally read but intrigued me in some way. I'm glad I gave it a chance because it was actually pretty fascinating. I learned a lot reading this. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I didn't read the synopsis before starting this book, but I was intrigued by the title and it did not disappoint. It's a unique thriller that's dark and twisted and uncomfortable at times. It's also fascinatingly weird and while I had to go back occasionally and listen to a few parts again to make sure I really knew what was going on, that only added to the complexity and mystique of the story. I am repelled and yet drawn to snakes and the chapters written from the viewpoint of the snake were my favorite part. I love reading books that are fresh and unexpected and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to discover this one.

Thanks # netgallery for this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was better than I expected. I was disappointed that the story so conveniently tied everyone together at the end. Having the snakes perspective was both unexpected and offered another interesting point of view

Reptile Memoirs by Silje Ulstein is a twisty Norwegian crime thriller with a very Noir feel to it. I often saw the descriptive images in black and white like an old art house film.

In 2003 Liv is obsessed with her python Nero. In 2017 Miriam's 11 yr old daughter is missing and Det. Roe thinks she is guilty.

We get everyone's POV including Nero the snake. How it all connects and who is guilty is deceptively told by narrator Julie Maisey. Ready made for PBS MasterPiece Theater.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publishers via #netgalley for fair and honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

This mystery/thriller contains several threads which are demarcated by time stamps which are quite helpful in keeping the storylines straight. But, on audiobook, it’s still a bit confusing. A well-plotted mystery, but the characters are quite unlikeable (although later reveals make them somewhat sympathetic regardless). And, the complexity of the telling hinders the flow.

This book is a little off putting at first, and jumps between narrators and timelines. The audiobook was enjoyable for understanding the Norwegian names, but overall I couldn't finish it. I stopped at 40%. It wasn't exciting enough for me and I didn't care for the characters.

This is a very eclectic read that won’t be for everyone but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a hint of weird and surreal fiction combined with the elements of crime drama. This is not a quick read and with the varied perspectives if your not paying attention you can get easily lost. There was several twists I did not see coming so if you have the patience for a dense crime read I recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media who sent me an ARC audiobook of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the audio version of this book. Also Goodreads for the change of a physical book.
This book was very interesting with a lot of twists and turns. At first I was completely thrown off with the switching of time eras. However once I got into the book and the lay of the writing this book was very hard to put down. I enjoyed the fact that the author also had the perspective from the snake. I really wish there would be a sequel to this!

This book was not my jam and I just couldn't get into it. It was not the fault of the author, who did a fine job writing and setting out the story. Perhaps it was the idea of such a strong connection with a snake or something - I just couldn't get into it enough that I was willing to finish it to find out what happens in the end. If you are into this type of story I think you'll like the book and the writing.

#ReptileMemoirs #NetGalley

Thank you so much Netgalley for approving me for Reptile Memoirs. This is one of the most suspenseful thriller I have read all year. A mother aggravated by her preteen daughter looks away for one minute when her daughter disappears. But rashinalizing that she probably just ran home, the mom takes her time. ( pissed off) but her daughter SHOULD be home, right?

3.5 stars

Most of the story skips back and forth between two times - 2005 and 2017; and two places - Ålesund, Norway and Kristiansund, Norway.

In 2005, nursing student Liv is a damaged young woman, having grown up with a neglectful mother and an abusive brother. Liv refers to the woman who gave birth to her as 'the woman who calls herself my mother' and gets nauseous if she happens to glimpse her brother Patrick in the street. Thus Liv shuns her family and shares a basement apartment in Ålesund with two young men, Egil and Ingvar, who like bands, beer and parties.

One evening when Liv, Egil, and Ingvar are tipsy they decide to adopt a snake, and get a baby tiger python named Nero. Liv keeps Nero in her room and becomes obsessed with the snake. She allows Nero to sleep in her bed and hears him speak to her in his hissing language. Lest you think Liv is delusional, Nero narrates his own chapters, and says he hissed the words 'hunt' and 'food' to 'the warm woman' when he tired of eating carcasses. Liv proceeds to use sneaky means to obtain live food for Nero, such as 'adopting' a kitten for 'her grandmother.'

Egil and Ingvar's parties attract all sorts, and Liv meets a drug dealer named David - who wants to get it on with Liv; and an artist named Anita - who wants to paint Liv.

We see the outcome of all these relationships as the story unfolds.

*****

In 2017, Kristiansund resident Mariam Lind - who owns the healthcare company OptiHealth - takes her 11-year-old daughter Iben to the Storkaia shopping center mall to buy clothes for school. When Mariam refuses to purchase a zombie comic book for Iben, the girl runs out in a snit, and Mariam - assuming Iben ran home - goes for a long drive to calm her nerves. When Mariam finally gets home, her husband - politician Tor Lind - says Iben hasn't returned, and the police are called.

A politician's missing daughter is big news, splashed across television and the internet, and the case is assigned to Detective Roe Olsvik - who's especially sensitive because he lost his own daughter Kiddo. Roe, a recent transfer to the Kristiansund Police Department, is a reclusive man. He shuns company and is suffering through a surprise 60th birthday party thrown by his colleagues when he gets word of Iben's abduction.

Roe is immediately suspicious of Iben's parents, and - despite the misgivings of other detectives - seems reluctant to look elsewhere. Roe gets even more doubtful when Mariam takes off to do her own investigation, certain she knows who kidnapped her daughter.

Many secrets are revealed as the story unfolds, and I enjoyed the book, though it lost credibility (for me) toward the end. On the upside, this is an intriguing tale with a good cast of characters, and I especially like the Kristiansund detectives Ronja, Birte, and August, who help solve the case.

I'd recommend the book to thriller fans looking for something a bit different.

The audiobook is narrated by Julie Maisey, who does a fine job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Silje O. Ulstein, and Grove Atlantic Press for a copy of the book.

This novel has so many twists that it gave me whiplash. The chapters are told by different characters. At first, it’s not clear how they relate to each other, but it all fit perfectly in the end. Every single theory I had ended up being wrong. I didn’t like any of the characters except for Nero, the snake, but I was still invested in their stories. Liv has an unnatural relationship with her pet python. Years later, Mariam leaves her daughter in a store and the girl disappears. An older cop is convinced that Mariam is responsible. A younger police officer is just trying to find the girl. There are other disappearances and murders in the past. Big trigger warning to animal lovers: there were scenes that I had to skip altogether. I guess if the plot is about a girl gone missing, a kitten and a puppy shouldn’t matter but, well, each one has their own triggers. The fact that the same narrator performs all the different points of view, including the male cop, is a little unusual, but Julie Maisey does a good job trying to make them all distinctive. A solid, and sordid, tale.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Dreamscape Media!

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.