2.29.2020 - Woman on the Edge

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and Samantha Bailey for the opportunity to read this gripping debut psychological thriller - great read and it leaves me anticipating her next book.  4.5 stars.

Morgan is still reeling from the news that her husband wasn't who she thought he was and suffering from guilt and shame after he died.  She is on the subway platform when a woman she has never seen before suddenly comes up to her, hands Morgan her baby, and then falls to her death under the train.  Suddenly Morgan finds herself being questioned by police as to whether she really knew the woman, Nicole, and whether she actually pushed Nicole to her death.  How can Morgan prove her innocence and how can she trust anyone around her?  And why would Nicole give Morgan her baby?

Told in alternating chapters of Morgan in the present and Nicole before, I found myself not trusting anyone either and anxious to find out the truths in these different stories.  Good book to discuss with topics such as suicide, mental illness, postpartum depression and survivor's guilt.

2.28.2020 - You Are Not Alone

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen for the opportunity to read and review their latest psychological thriller.  4.5 stars for a book that was hard to put down until I figured out all the twists and turns!  I'm not giving much of the plot away here - the less you know going into the book, the better.

Shay Miller is lonely and her life isn't going the way she planned.  She was let go from her job, she's living with her guy friend who she secretly likes but who has a new girlfriend.  When she sees a tragedy happen, it ends up leading her to a new group of friends and changes her life.  But are they really her friends?

This is a real cat and mouse game and I loved every minute of it!  If you've read these authors previous books, you know you are in for a good time.

2.27.2020 - Separation Anxiety

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Laura Zigman for the opportunity to read her new book.  I read Animal Husbandry years ago and remember loving it.  This was a solid read for me - kind of a lighter-hearted view of real anxieties and issues.

Judy is 50 years old.  She has lost both her parents and her best friend is dying from cancer. She wrote a best-selling children's book years ago that was turned into a series, but her attempts at writing since then have fallen flat.  Her teenage son, Teddy, is pulling away from her.  Her husband, Gary, suffers with his own debilitating anxiety issues that have caused him to not be able to fully engage in a satisfying job.  The couple sleep in separate areas now and consider themselves separated but can't afford a divorce.  As Judy was going through boxes in an effort to tidy up, she found an unused baby sling she received as a gift when Teddy was born.  Missing comfort, she ends up putting their dog in the sling and carrying her around.

Lots of real life issues here as we age, change and try to be happy.  Would make an interesting book club read with the right group of friends and wine!

2.25.2020 - Please See Us

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Caitlin Mullen for the opportunity to read her stunning debut novel - 5 stars for a book that is so beautifully written.

The book takes place in the gritty world of Atlantic City - past its prime, a shadow of its former glittery self.  There are Jane Does - victims of a serial killer, laid in a marsh, side by side, just waiting for someone to discover them.  We hear their voices.  But the novel is set around Clara, Lily and Luis.  Clara is a young psychic, abandoned by her mother, raised by her aunt who is too deep into her issues to do anything but use Clara.  Lily is returning home to Atlantic City after a very public breakup and humiliation, finding work at a spa in a casino.  These two characters meet by chance but become entwined into finding out the mysteries of the lost women. Luis works at the spa - he is deaf and mute, bullied, with seemingly no voice.

I was transported by this book.  The writing is so perfect and really draws you into the atmosphere - the perfect slow burn.  I was so worried about so many characters in this book!  Plus, there is much to be discussed - sexual abuse, women's roles.  Heartbreaking but real and such an amazing new voice - can't wait to read more from this author.

2.23.2020 - Watching From the Dark

Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin/Random House, and Gytha Lodge for the opportunity to read the second book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series.  4.5 stars for another great read!  Loved getting back into these characters and am already anxious for the next book.

Aidan Poole logs onto Skype to talk to his girlfriend, Zoe.  However, tonight, all he sees is that someone else is in Zoe's apartment and a violent struggle takes place in her apartment.  Fearing the worse but afraid, he contacts the police but doesn't leave his name.  Jonah's team gets the case and find Zoe dead in her bathroom.  Once they start investigating, they discover that Zoe was the one in her group of friends that helped and supported everyone else.  But there are a lot of people keeping secrets here.  The book switches from the active investigation to Zoe's story from about a year and a half before the murder.

I suspected everyone of the murder - the author did a great job of keeping me guessing until the very end.  Great read!

2.21.2020 - Follow Me

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Kathleen Barber for the opportunity to read her sophomore book - great read!  I was a huge fan of her debut - Are You Sleeping? - which was turned into a gripping TV miniseries entitled, Truth Be Told.  Be sure to check them both out!

Barber used a very timely subject for this thriller - social media and stalking.  Our subject, Audrey Miller, seems to have it all.  She just got her dream job as social media manager for a museum in Washington DC, leaving her life in NYC behind.  She's also a big social media influencer, with over a million followers on Instagram.  But someone has been watching Audrey for a long time and is ramping up the stalking.  Audrey's best friend from college, Cat, also lives in DC, working as an attorney putting in long hours to try and move up in her firm.  Audrey's presence makes it hard for Cat to focus on her job the way she always did.

Enough said - hopefully you aren't living alone in a basement apartment while reading this book because there is plenty of creep factor to make you scared!

2.19.2020 - This Won't End Well

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Camille Pagan for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel - very cute book with fun characters.

This is the story of Annie.  We meet her as she has just lost her job as a chemist because of sexual harassment against her.  Her fiancé, Jon, called her from the airport to tell her that he was going to France to find himself and asked her not to contact him for a month.  She's living at home with her mom, who is a hoarder, and working as a house cleaner for some money.  She's upset with her best friend, Lessa, and they aren't speaking.  She makes a vow to herself to not let anyone new in her life.  Until she meets a new neighbor, Harper, and a PI, Mo, who is investigating her.

The tale is told in forms of Annie's digital diary, complete with text and email notes.  It's a funny, sweet story about endings, beginnings and finding your way.  Another good read from Camille Pagan!

2.18.2020 - Saint X

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Alexis Schaitkin for the opportunity to read this ambitious debut novel.  I thought it was wonderful and would make a fabulous book club selection because there is much here to explore.

When college freshman, Alison, is on vacation at Saint X with her family disappears and is later found dead, little sister Claire and her parents must figure out a way to move on.  Especially since two island men, Eddie and Clive, were suspected of her murder but released for lack of evidence.  We see Claire as a young adult obsessed with finding the truth.

This book explores how this death reaches and touches so many people, even those on the periphery, for decades to come.  Plus there's the class issue to explore - Rich families spending vacation on Caribbean islands; the island natives earning a living catering to such families.  Beautifully written, you will be transported both to the islands as well as the gritty world of NYC.

Fabulous debut - can't wait to read more from this author!

2.16.2020 - The Antidote for Everything

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley and Kimmerly Martin for the opportunity to read this book - 4.5 stars!  I was a huge fan of Queen of Hearts and this follow-up is another winner.  The author is a physician so writing stories that take place in hospitals and to doctors ring true.

In this book, we meet best friends Georgia and Jonah.  Georgia is a female urologist and Jonah is a family practice doctor, both working in the same clinic.  Georgia heads for Amsterdam for a conference - one that Jonah was supposed to attend with her but had to cancel.  While she is there, Jonah informs her that the clinic is refusing treatment to gay and transgender patients.  When Jonah, himself a gay man, refuses, he is on the block to be fired.  Georgia does her best to remedy the situation but may end up causing even more heartache.

These are wonderful, real characters that you will love spending time with.  There are some very important political thoughts - how a doctor/hospital can refuse to treat any person because of a difference of belief.  But it's mostly a book of friendship and what lengths we would go to for those important to us.

2.14.2020 - The Other Mrs.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Park Row, and Mary Kubica for the opportunity to read and review her latest psychological thriller - definitely a book that has lots of twists and will keep you guessing until the ending!

The Foust family - Will, Sadie and their two boys, Otto and Tate - move to Maine when Will's sister dies by suicide.  They inherit the house and become guardians to Imogene, a troubled teenager who is none too happy with her new living situation.  The Foust's are looking for a new start - in Chicago, Otto was being bullied at school, Will had an affair and Sadie had to resign from her medical position.  But things take a bad turn when a neighbor, Morgan Baines, is found dead in her home by her young stepdaughter.

The book is told from Sadie's point of view as well as Camille and Mouse.  Figuring out all the twists will keep you up late in the night!  Another winner from Mary Kubica.

2.13.2020 - The Lost Book of Adana Moreau

Thanks to NetGalley, Hanover Square Press, and Michael Zapata for the opportunity to read and review this book.  This is a very different book - beautifully written but one of those books that makes me feel I'm not quite smart enough to read and enjoy it the way I should.

The story is basically about a science fiction book that was written by a Latin American writer that was lost for decades.  Saul, cleaning out his grandfather's home after his death finds the lost book and tries to reunite it with the author's son, who is living in post-Katrina New Orleans.  The story - the very many stories - between those two events fills the pages of this book.

I loved the writing and it was interesting to see the connections made between all the characters. What I definitely took away from this book is that we all have stories - and they are best shared with those we love.  But I struggled a bit with the science fiction books and all those stories.

This one is getting rave reviews and lots of press so it may be just the book for you!

2.11.2020 - The Sun Down Motel

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and Simone St James for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book - I loved it!  5 stars for a book you can't miss!

In 1982, Viv was a young girl escaping her family life and heading for NYC.  Instead, she ended up in Fell, NY.  She got a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel, where things are very creepy indeed.  Then Viv disappears without a trace.  In 2017, her niece, Carly, is also escaping from her life.  Her mom just died and Viv was always the family secret.  Carly is determined to get some answers to her aunt's disappearance so she heads to Fell and gets a job as the night clerk at the same motel.  Both of these women are determined to investigate wrongs, even at their own peril.  They aren't alone - this book is full of creepy ghosts haunting the motel and the pages of this book.

I really got lost in this book and the dual timelines/viewpoints of Viv and Carly.  The writing is spot on - you can feel the nostalgia of the 80s and the creepy quiet of the motel.  Highly recommended read!

2.10.2020 - No Bad Deed

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow and Heather Chavez for the opportunity to read and review this debut thriller - 5 stars for a book that I truly couldn't - and didn't - put down.  I was so close to finishing it this morning when it was time to get the day started, so I had no choice but to carry the book around with me reading in any spare second I had.  It's that twisty, suspenseful good!

Cassie is coming home late from her veterinarian clinic when she sees a man and woman fighting.  Flashbacks from a time in her past when she didn't act and someone died, Cassie leaves her vehicle and follows the pair, only to find herself in danger.  The attacker manages to steal Cassie's van - with her purse and all identifying information inside.  So now her entire family is at risk.  Meanwhile, her husband, Sam, has been acting distant - taking phone calls in private and keeping secrets.  Then he disappears while trick-or-treating with their young daughter.  Did he leave of his own accord to be with his mistress?  Cassie sets out to find both the truth and her husband.

That's all you need to know - plenty enough to pick up this book when it is released next week.  Carve out some time and just enjoy this thriller - and hope that this author has more stories for us to come!

2.9.2020 - Dead to Her

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow and Sarah Pinborough for the opportunity to read this book - loved it!  4 stars for a very twisty book that will definitely keep you guessing until the very last page!

Taking place in Savannah in the houses of the Uber-wealthy, Marcie is the young second wife to Jason.  As such, while she has youth on her side, the rest of society living and fitting in doesn't come quite as easy.  When Jason's boss, William, brings home a young, wilder new wife, Keisha,  just months after his wife died, Marcie is no longer the youngest.  She watches her husband flirt shamelessly with Keisha and her jealousy flares up.

The rest you need to read to discover because there is a lot going on here and I don't want to give anything away.  Lots of heat, voodoo, questionable people and choices to keep you wondering who's doing what to whom.  Lots of fun between these covers!

2.8.2020 - All the Best Lies

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Joanna Schafflausen for the opportunity to read the next installment of this wonderful crime/police procedural series.  I think Schafflausen is the best at giving us enough information to remember what we read in previous books yet still make a wonderful stand alone if you haven't read the others.  Which you definitely should.

FBI agent Reed Markham has been haunted by who killed his biological mother.  He was adopted into a wonderful family and had advantages that he never would have with his poor, single mother, yet he couldn't rest until he knew what happened to her.  Finally having a window to investigate, he takes Ellery Hathaway with him to Las Vegas to see if he can find out anything about this cold case before it's put away forever.  However, his investigation takes him to look at his adopted family closer and Ellery's own estranged father makes an unwanted appearance.

Enough said - these are fabulous books and I couldn't put them down.  I love these characters and was so glad to get back into their world.  5 stars for a must-read series!

2.7.2020 - Postscript

Many thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and especially Cecelia Ahern for letting us back into Holly Kennedy's life after Ahern's wonderful first novel, P.S. I Love You.

It's been 7 years since Gerry died and Holly found the 10 letters that Gerry left for Holly to find after his death.  She is now in a relationship with Gabriel, working in her sister's shop, and happy.  When her sister, Ciara, convinces Holly to do a podcast from their store about Gerry's letters, the story hits people hard.  Holly is contacted by a woman who wants Holly to write a book and leaves her a business card with the words, P.S. I Love You Club in an envelope after she passes away.  Holly meets with this group of terminally ill people who want Holly to help them write letters to their loved ones.  But this brings Gerry back into the present stronger than ever and threatens Holly's stability and relationships.

This is a must-read book, especially if you were turned inside out by the first one!  Ahern is a master at mixing romance, grief, hope and humor into a book that will make you do some deep thinking about life and death.  5 glorious stars!

2.6.2020 - One Day You'll Burn

Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Joseph Schneider for the opportunity to read and review his debut novel - 4.5 stars!  I'm excited to read more from this author and more adventures for these characters.

Tully Jarsdel is not an ordinary Los Angeles police officer.  He was an English professor working towards his PhD when he decided he needed to make a change.  He joined the police academy and was then fast-tracked to homicide detective under a new program where he was paired with a veteran detective, Morales.  When they are called to a gruesome scene in Thai Town, where a victim was burned alive, Tully's academic background helps him figure out key clues to solving the crime.  But will it be enough?

This is a great police procedural but it also explores many other themes - depression, parental expectations, fitting in.  There is also a very intellectual side to this book, with discussions on philosophy, right/wrong, films.

A great debut novel and hope for more Tully stories!

2.4.2020 - Things in Jars

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Jess Kidd for the opportunity to read and review this book.  3.5 stars.

Bridie is a detective, sometimes called quietly to help the police investigate a crime.  She is asked to try and find a child who was kidnapped from a wealthy baron.  However, this is no normal child.  She is held secret in the manor house, her existence known by only a few in the house.  She is thought to have extraordinary abilities and supernatural powers - some of which are very frightening.  Bridie's search takes her through the darkness of London - from collectors of the macabre and unique, to the circus.  She must also confront her past, which is told in alternate chapters.

This one is getting lots of buzz but it was a bit of a difficult read for me.  The writing is beautiful, you can totally envision the grittiness of London in the 1800s, you can see the characters.  But there are just so.many.words.  I found myself wanting to skim through paragraphs to get to the story.  And there was a great story - such interesting and colorful characters.

2.2.2020 - Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley and Kathleen West for the opportunity to read and review this novel - I loved it!  This would be a fabulous book club read, especially for parents/teachers dealing with high schoolers.

In the wealthy suburb of Liston Heights, Minnesota, Julia is an intense helicopter mom of Andrew and Tracy.  Julia gave up her journalism career to stay at home and the kids have always been her complete job.  Desperate for Andrew to have a more substantial part in the upcoming school play, she persuades her husband to make a big donation to the costume shop for the drama club and talks to the principal about the fact that Andrew is owed this part.  In her excitement to see what part he is selected for, she sneaks into the school to see the posting and inadvertently hits another student.  Of course, the moment is captured on video and goes viral.

Isobel, an English teacher at the high school, grew up with a cross to bear from her father's actions and is adamant that the kids in her classes will understand the responsibility of their privileged life and encourages them to view the novel's in the curriculum with a more liberal viewpoint than others are comfortable with.  Tracy becomes attached to her teacher and starts questioning women's roles in the world, much to the chagrin of Julia.

Enter social media.  Besides the viral video, there is also a gossip website that encourages parents to talk badly about the teachers in the school.

There is so much to discuss in this book - rank and privilege, helicopter parenting, mean mom attitudes, and a healthy respect for the damage that social media can play in all these.  But the writing is spot on and it made for a very enjoyable, light read while exploring more complicated subjects.

2.1.2020 - A Cold Trail

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Robert Dugoni for the opportunity to read the latest installment in his Tracy Crosswhite series - another 5 star chapter in this wonderful series!  You could easily read this as a stand alone but it's of course much better to be able to understand all the back stories of the characters.

Seattle Homicide Detective Tracy Crosswhite and her attorney husband, Dan, are back in the town they grew up, living in Dan's parents' old home and taking a break to relax and spend time with their newborn daughter.  But it doesn't take long before Tracy is pulled back into investigating the murder of a police officer's wife, a journalist who was looking into a cold case murder.  Dan, meanwhile, is taking on the case of a local businessman who is trying to be forced into selling his business to the town.  But is all this stirring up things that might threaten their own family?

These are such good characters and Dugoni's writing keeps you glued to the pages and involved in the story.  The setting of rural upper Washington in the winter helped set the scene of this cold case perfectly.  As always, highly recommended.