Monday, December 1, 2025

12.1.2025 - Before I Forget

Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this amazing book by Tory Henwood Hoen, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by the fabulous Barrie Kreinik.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 5 stars!

 

Cricket Campbell feels stuck in her job with a wellness company and her life in NYC.  When her older sister, Nina, decides it’s time to move their father who is suffering from Alzheimer’s into a care home, she decides to move into their beloved Adirondack lake house to take care of him, hoping to also repair their strained relationship.  While Arthur no longer knows Cricket, he now seems to have the ability to predict the future.  But for Cricket, believing in her dad’s prophecies must also mean facing her past.

 

Oh, this book.  It gutted me in the best of ways.  Anyone who is dealing or has dealt with a loved one with Alzheimer’s will see their lives in this book, with the sentiment that you must laugh or else you’ll cry at the forefront.  This book perfectly melds the two, with humor and sentiment on every page.  I loved the Adirondack lake setting, and the loving care both daughters showed to their dad.  It’s about memory, what we choose to remember and what we choose to forget, and at what cost.  This book was a privilege to experience.  As always, Barrie Kreinik was an exceptional narrator, making this book even better.

 

12.1.2025 - Kill Clause

 The Kill Clause by Lisa Unger

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing | Amazon Original Stories, and Megan Beatie Communications for gifting me a digital ARC of this short story by Lisa Unger - a free November First Reads Amazon selection.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Paige is a hit woman who does what she's told without question.  Until a small child is involved and her ethics take over.  But where will that leave her?

It's a short story, so you need to go into it as blind as possible.  But Lisa Unger has given us a complete short story, one that was satisfying from beginning to end.  Paige was a great character, as were others in this book, and I was rooting for her.  Easily read in one sitting, it's a must read for Unger fans and thriller fans in general.