10.31.2022 - The Girlfriend

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by a favorite, KL Slater - 4.5 stars rounded up!

As she is preparing for a huge blowout of a Halloween/birthday party, Jennifer gets a knock on her door from two police officers telling her that her husband, Cole, has been in a car accident and is dead.  Days later, while still reeling, Sara shows up on her doorstep with baby Rory in her arms.  Sara says that she is the rightful owner to Jennifer's home and that Rory is Cole's son.  How does Jennifer begin to tell her own children that Sara is moving in with them?  

This is such a fast-paced thriller that will keep you guessing with all the twists.  I really felt for so many of these characters and especially all the kids.  Another fabulous read by this author - don't miss it!

10.30.2022 - The Daughter-in-Law

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by Shalini Boland - 4.5 stars rounded up because I couldn't stop listening and reading it.  The audiobook was wonderfully narrated by Katie Villa, who seamlessly narrates both male and female voices - and there were quite a few characters in this book.

Seb had a brief online relationship with Caroline, flew to Australia to meet in person, then married her and returned home to England and his family pub.  His parents greeted her with less than an enthusiastic welcome.  Now the newlyweds are trying to get to know each other while living and working with his family.  But everyone here is keeping secrets.

Go into this one as blind as possible - there are so many twists and turns right up until the last page.  Shalini Boland is so good at creating tension and suspicion among her characters so you'll never see what's coming.  Another fast-paced must read from this author!

10.28.2022 - The Couple in the Cabin

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful novel by Daniel Hurst and perfectly narrated by Eilidh Beaton and Matt Bates- 5 stars!

Hell knows no fury like a woman scorned!  When happily married Grace returns home early and unexpectedly from a work event, she discovers her husband, Dominic, with another woman in his backyard man cabin.  She reacts quickly and locks the pair inside the cabin.  Dominic and his mistress are desperate to get out.  But has she done this before?

This was the perfect combination of mystery, dark humor and just plain entertainment - a fabulous audiobook!  Told in the POV of both Grace and Dominic, we learn the backstory of their relationship and their pasts.  You can't help but feel for Grace.  Plus, it was so helpful to have two good narrators for each POV - they were both great and it made for seamless listening.  This was my first book by this author - I definitely need to read more of his books.  I couldn't put this one down!  

10.28.2022 - We Are the Light

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Avid Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by Matthew Quick - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Lucas Goodgame lives in an idyllic Pennsylvania town, aptly named Majestic.  He works at the local high school counseling students while his wife, Darcy, is a speech teacher at the nearby elementary school.  They love to go to the Majestic Theater to watch films.  But it was there that the unimaginable happened and 19 people died, including Darcy.  The town thinks that Lucas is a hero, but he feels much different.  The shooter's brother, Eli, begins camping out in Lucas' backyard and and the two form an unlikely pair.

Told in epistolary form as Lucas writes letters to his Jungian analyst, we are privy to the backstory of the tragedy and how the survivors and town struggle to heal.  This sadly all too common tale of mass shootings focuses on the people and town and less about the shooter.  But it's a beautifully written book filled with so many important topics - grief, mental illness, PTSD, family, community.  While it may seem to be a depressing subject, in the author's skillful hands, it is a book filled with light and hope.  Highly recommended.

10.27.2022 - The Widowmaker

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the second Black Harbor book by Hannah Morrissey, wonderfully narrated by both Adam Verner and Xe Sands - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Twenty years ago, rich businessman Clive Reynolds disappeared.  But now his car, a 1978 Porsche dubbed the Widowmaker, has been found submerged with a body inside.  New investigator Ryan Hudson has been assigned the case - his first as lead investigator - but he is distracted by the murder of his partner and friend.  When a witness to the murder, Morgan Mori, was just photographing the Reynolds Christmas party, the two storylines become entwined.  And Morgan is dealing with her own demons.

I was so intrigued with Morrissey's debut novel - Hello, Transcriber - which also took place in Black Harbor.  This one was just as dark, atmospheric and powerful with great characters.  I really felt for Morgan and Ryan and was intrigued at their past stories and how they are trying to move on.  A main character from the first book, Nik Kole, is back with a minor role here.  Black Harbor is the perfect name for this town with lots of dark secrets - don't miss this book!  

10.27.2022 - The Resemblance

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the debut novel by Lauren Nossett, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld - 3.5 stars rounded up!

At the University of Georgia, a fraternity brother steps off a crosswalk and is struck and killed.  The witnesses say that the driver looked just liked the victim - and he was smiling.  Detective Marlitt Kaplan is first on the scene.  The daughter of a UGA professor, she is no stranger to the campus.  But Marlitt's past starts to affect her investigation of the fraternity life at the school.

I always enjoy police procedurals as well as novels set at universities - it seems the perfect backdrop for so many emotions.  This was a good debut novel but I did feel slightly uninterested and that the story rambled a bit.  The detective characters didn't seem to have each others' backs and everyone had their own agendas.  The narration was good and I was intrigued to listen to figure it all out - I'll be anxious to read more from this author in the future.

10.26.2022 - Such a Pretty Girl

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by T. Greenwood - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Ryan Flannigan is living a quiet, peaceful life in Vermont with her daughter Sasha.  But that peace is shattered when she learns that a photo taken of her in 1977 during the blackout in NYC was found in the possession of a pedophile and sex trafficker.  The photo was inscribed on the back by her own mother.  Then Henri, the photographer, is found dead by suicide.  Ryan goes back to the West Village with Sasha to attend his memorial and is forced to confront her past.  Her mother, Fiona, took Ryan to live in an artist apartment building so that Fiona could realize her dream of becoming an actress.  But it was Ryan who became successful.

Told from Ryan's point of view both in the 1970s and 2019, this was a wonderfully-written introspective of mother and daughter relationships.  This is a look at stage moms who will sell their young daughters to get close to their own dreams.  It's the selling out of young girls, putting them in films way too old for them and much worse. The grittiness of NYC in the past becomes almost another character and you can feel, taste and smell the city.  I loved how Ryan found her family in Gilly, his family, and Henri - people that would always be there for her when her own mother wasn't.  This is heartbreaking in its realism and I loved it.

10.24.2022 - The Nursery

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by a favorite, Sue Watson - 4.5 stars!

Emily is a single mom to teenage Sofia, living in a small town where she can blend in and escape her past.  But now it seems that her past may be catching up to her - she's caught someone looking in her windows.  And it appears that Sofia is keeping secrets of her own - she is suddenly acting out and has befriended a stranger on Instagram.  Emily glances a message from this person - Your mother isn't who you think she is.  

This was another addictive read from Sue Watson.  I didn't see some of those twists coming but was glued to the pages to see how it would end up.  The characters were great and you were never quite sure of any of them!  I liked how most chapters ended up with a hint of what was to come - it really kept the tension high and kept me reading.  

10.23.2022 - The Boys From Biloxi

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest courtroom thriller by the one and only John Grisham - 5 stars!

Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco grew up friends in Biloxi, Mississippi, where their families went back for generations.  But when they were teenagers, their families went in opposite directions - Keith's father, Jesse, decided to become a lawyer and fight for the right side, where Lance Malco became a crime boss, ruling over the corruption rampant along the Gulf Coast.  The families will come together in a courtroom.

This was pure John Grisham - maybe a bit long with a lot of characters and background, but it all intertwines so perfectly.  The courtroom scenes are of course spot on and you can feel the desperation and passion on both sides.  And that ending.  This is another fabulous read from a master writer!

10.16.2022 - How to Kill Men and Get Away With It

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for gifting me a digital ARC of this debut novel by Katy Brent - 5 stars!

Kitty Collins is a top Instagram influencer, from a wealthy family who owns a meat packing conglomerate.  But Kitty has a secret, even from her circle of friends - she sees red when she sees men mistreating women and does something about it!  And knows how to get away with it!  Except for that one stalker who seems to know her every move.

I absolutely loved this very dark humor tale of a woman getting back at those men who seem to feel it's their right to do whatever they want to women.  I couldn't put it down and Kitty's character was a hoot.  But there's lots of mystery there too - what happened to Kitty's first love?  And can her new boyfriend, Charles, be trusted?  Just who is stalking her?  Definite female Dexter vibes confronting the #MeToo movement.  What a fabulous debut - can't wait to read more from this author!

10.16.2022 - The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and CamCat Books for gifting me an audio ARC of this book by Marcy McCreary and narrated wonderfully by Rachel Fulginiti - the first in a series starring Detective Susan Ford - 4.5 stars!

Forty years ago, The Cutmann Hotel, located in the Catskills, was a glamorous resort, owned and operated by the even more glamorous and perfect Roth family.  At least, that's what Susan thought as she grew up nearby and was friends with one of the Roth daughters.  But now, Susan is back home and working as a detective in the same department that her father retired from.  A cold case from then haunts him still - the disappearance of Trudy Solomon.  When skeletal remains are found, Susan and her dad start investigating only to find that Trudy is alive and living in a care home with dementia.  But all roads somehow lead back to the Roth's.

This was a listen now on NetGalley and I was in the need of an audiobook, so took a chance on it with not very high expectations.  But I really enjoyed this book - I loved the snippets of conversation from Trudy, giving hints as to what happened to her so long ago; I loved the relationship between Susan and her dad; and the police procedural and mystery were spot on.  I can't wait to read more from this author and am thrilled that this is the start of a series.

10.15.2022 - One Last Gift

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine/Dell for gifting me the sophomore novel by Emily Stone - 4.5 stars rounded up!  I loved Always, in December and this one is just as great!

Cassie and Tom lost their parents at an early age and were raised by their Aunt Claire, who took care of their physical needs but wasn't especially close emotionally.  But they had the best of friends - Sam and Hazel - who were always there for them.  Cassie always had a crush on Sam and thought it might be reciprocal until an eventful vacation.  Then when Tom dies, Cassie is afloat and devastated.  Tom had always made Christmas special for Cassie, leaving her clues to a treasure hunt before finding her present.  Then she finds his last gift to her - one more scavenger hunt.

I loved this book and these characters!  While my reading taste tends to be on the darker side, I am a sucker for a good romantic story like this one.  This one has the substance I need in a romance book and covers the difficult subjects of grief, moving forward, conquering our fears, the friends we make family, and lots of second chances.  Emily Stone has become a must-read author for me and I am here anxiously awaiting her next book!

10.12.2022 - The Neighbour Upstairs

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller (apparently a republish of an older one that I didn't read!) by a favorite, Kathryn Croft - 4 stars!

Olivia and Carl are separated and Olivia is trying to forge out a new life for herself and their daughter, Ellie.  She soon meets and becomes obsessed with the neighbor upstairs, Michael.  Michael's sister, Chloe, is the biggest detriment to their new relationship but Olivia is determined to make things work, until everything goes very, very wrong.

The writing style was a bit difficult to get your brain around - there were sections where Olivia was talking to Michael - so it was Your hand, You did this.  Not my favorite.  There was some additional confusion as to where Olivia was physically located when she was writing this, but it becomes more clear as you go along.  While it was a good thriller and I was anxious to read until the end, none of the characters were likable and you wanted to scream at Olivia for some of her choices!  Croft's books are usually 5 star reads from me, so check out the rest of her books!

10.7.2022 - The Night Ship

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Atria Books for gifting me the latest historical fiction novel by Jess Kidd - 4 stars!

Based on a real-life event, this book centers on two 9-year-old characters - Mayken is newly orphaned and bound for the Dutch East Indies in 1629 on the ship Batavia; and Gil, sent to live off the coast of Western Australia with his grandfather in 1989 after his mother's death.  We go along Mayken's journey on the ship, from initial boarding to being shipwrecked on the same island that Gil finds himself on 350 years later.

I liked the way this story played out - short interchanging chapters between Mayken and Gil's lives, and the fact that Gil discovers the story of the shipwreck and those searching the island for artifacts.  It's full of beautiful writing, even when the subject matter is disturbing.  A hint of supernatural, ghost story passed down for centuries winds itself through this book.  Both these characters find themselves on the outside of their world, never quite fitting in their own skins.  I was drawn more to Gil's story and found myself anxious to get back to his chapters.  Jess Kidd once again makes you inhabit entire new worlds.

10.4.2022 - Boldly Go

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the new memoir by William Shatner, along with Joshua Brandon - 5 stars!

William Shatner, AKA Captain Kirk of Star Trek fame, imparts his thoughts about his life and life in general in his new book.  No matter how much you may know about Shatner, there will be surprises to learn in this book.  Plus, his signature wit comes through as he shares his thoughts about never saying no to opportunities and living life as large as possible.  

In my household, Star Trek was like a religion.  My husband had watched the original series when it was first shown on TV in the 1960s, but when our boys were growing up in the 1980s, it was the perfect thing to watch.  We started with the original series and at that time, there was always a spinoff to watch.  My kids were Star Trek characters every Halloween, their first email addresses were Star Trek related (my husband and I still use them!).  So of course I had to read his latest book, just like I'll have to listen to his next album.  But there's a lot of life lessons and positivity in this book - in fact, I dare you to find something negative here!  A definite must read for Trekkers and everyone else!

10.3.2022 - Mad Honey

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Ballantine Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the wonderful new novel by a long-time favorite, Jodi Picoult, and Jennifer Finney Boylan - 5 stars!

Olivia was living the perfect life in Boston, married to a heart surgeon, with young son Asher.  But looks are deceiving.  When Olivia fled back to her hometown of Adams, New Hampshire, with Asher, she wanted only to keep him safe.  There, she took over her father's beekeeping business.  Years later, Ava and her daughter, Lily, arrive in Adams, escaping from an equally bad situation and looking for a fresh start.  Teenagers Asher and Lily meet and fall in love.  All is well until Olivia receives a call from Asher, who is in jail, telling her that he thinks Lily is dead.

Wow - this is Jodi Picoult at her finest.  A book that makes you feel and think and learn, looking at sides of issues that you didn't before - including beekeeping!  The story is told from both Olivia and Lily's perspectives, and in Lily's case, from a reverse timeline.  In these authors' capable hands, it's not hard to keep up with and lets the suspense and tension build.  No spoilers from me so I'll keep my review brief.  But this is a must read - and extra points for including the recipes mentioned in the book!