2.28.2022 - The Club

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by Ellery Lloyd - 4.5 stars!

Home is a chain of ultra-exclusive clubs set in the best locations (including Upstate NY - love that!).  The launch party at the newest Home on a very remote island off the English coast is the event of the year.  Ned is the CEO, whom the staff alternately awe and fear; his brother, Adam, mostly does his brother's bidding.  The staff is handpicked and all sign an NDA.  Then there are the hand-picked guests.  Everyone has a secret - and now someone - or maybe more? - is dead.

This is reminiscent of an Agatha Christie, locked room murder mystery - which I'm a huge fan of that concept.  This is a bit of a slow burn, but I loved how everything unfurls to reveal all the secrets and lies - it was all excessive, over the top fun!

2.27.2022 - The Heights

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Atria Books for gifting me both a digital and paperback ARC of the latest thriller by Louise Candlish - 4.5 stars!

The Heights is a tall apartment building in London - expensive and discreet, especially for the person occupying the penthouse.  But Ellen Saint recognizes him instantly as the person who killed her son, and who she then killed.  So how could it be him?  

It's really best going into this with as little information as possible, but be sure that you are in for a wild ride of tragedy and revenge.  I truly felt for all the characters in this book which adds to the tension.  You will read the story told in the POV of Ellen, Vic (her son's father), and from a journalist who is documenting Ellen's story.  A medical condition I had not heard of before, High Place Phenomenon, which adds an interesting layer.  This is a slow burn of a book but one I couldn't put down!

2.25.2021 - One Italian Summer

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital copy of the latest novel by Rebecca Serle - 4.5 stars!

Katy is reeling from losing her mom and best friend, Carol, after she passed from a battle with cancer.  Katy had put her life on hold to take care of her mom and she now feels unmoored.  She's not sure if she wants to stay married to Eric or continue in her copywriting job.  What's worse is that Katy and Carol had planned the trip of a lifetime - a visit to the Amalfi coast of Italy where Carol went when she was younger.  Katy decides to take the trip by herself.  As soon as she arrives, she feels Carol there with her and then she sees the 30-year-old version of Carol in the flesh.

With her trademark touch of magical realism, Rebecca Serle has created a wonderful look into a close mother/daughter relationship.  As children, it's easy to think of our parents as formed humans just there for us.  We tend to forget that they had lives before us.  Katy is allowed to glimpse that and to also explore the relationship she had with her mom in a different light.  One of the best parts of this book was getting to virtually visit this corner of the world - from the views, to the food and wine, to the people - it was a delight! 

2.23.2022 - Sundial

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor-Forge for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest horror/thriller by Catriona Ward - 5 stars!  Did you read The Last House on Needless Street?  You must!  And this book is just as creepy, dark and disturbing - but you won't be able to put it down!

Rob and her husband, Irving, are trying to live the idyllic life in the suburbs, raising two daughters, Callie and Annie.  But, of course, nothing is as it seems.  Rob and Irving are always at odds, Irving and Callie are so close to the exception of Rob, and now Rob is fearful that Callie will hurt Annie.  She decides that she and Callie will go for a weekend to Sundial, the remote ranch where Rob grew up.  Rob needs to let Callie know the truth of their past.  But will they both make it home?

Move over Stephen King (but I still love you!) - Catriona Ward is able to deliver gut-wrenching, creepy, horror novels in short novels.  No more slugging through 900 pages to get to the end where everything happens!  Ward's writing is so good - she gets right to the heart of toxic relationships, dark feelings, and creepy atmospheres.  The different POVs from Rob and Callie, along with Rob's writings, let us see into their thoughts.  Lots of triggers here but definitely a must read!

2.22.2022 - The Night Shift

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the sophomore book by Alex Finlay - 5 stars!  This author is now a definite must read; Every Last Fear was wonderful as well!

In 1999, there was a brutal slaying of 3 young girls working at a Blockbuster Video with Elle being the lone survivor.  A local boy, Vince Whitaker, was charged with the crime but escaped after being let out on bail.  Fifteen years later, there is a similar killing at a local ice cream store, again with one survivor, teenager Jesse.  Elle, now a therapist, is called in to talk to Jesse since they can relate to each other's experience.  FBI Special Agent Keller is called in to help local authorities.

This story is told in short chapters from the perspectives of Elle, Keller and Chris, the younger brother of Vince, now a public defender.  You may figure out the culprit but that doesn't take anything away from the twists and turns and tension of this wonderfully-written book.  I loved these characters and hated to see this book come to an end.  Pretty please can we have a follow up with more from Agent Keller?  Don't miss this book or his first - definite must reads!

2.21.2022 - The Silent Sisters

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer/Amazon Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the last in the Charles Jenkins trilogy - 5 stars!  This is a must read series, even if you think you don't like spy novels!

Out of the 7 sisters - American assets who have been in deep undercover Russia for decades, two remain in Russia and both have gone silent.  Charles Jenkins is once again called into service to see if he can get the two out of Russia and into the US, providing that they haven't become double agents.  But on his first night in Russia, he gets involved in a fight that unknowingly puts him even more in danger from both the Russian government and the Mafiya.

This is not my usual genre, but anything that Robert Dugoni writes is a must read.  I am still in awe that he can write any genre - from Russian spy novels to his wonderful Tracy Crosswhite detective series to the emotional The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell.  This series was riveting and I couldn't put it down.  It's a series that is best read in order but there is enough info to enjoy it as a stand alone.  Highly recommended series!

2.18.2022 - This Might Hurt

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the sophomore book by Stephanie Wroebel.  3.5 stars rounded up.

Nat and Kit are two sisters, estranged after a difficult childhood and the death of their mother.  Kit is searching for peace and discovers Wisewood, a private island off the Maine coast. where guests must commit to a 6-month stay away from technology and the rest of the world in the search for becoming their Maximized Selves.  When Nat receives a threatening email sent from Wisewood, that states the sender knows the secret Nat has been keeping from Kit.  Nat rushes to Maine to talk to her sister before the author can reveal the secret.

Darling Rose Gold, her debut, was beyond fabulous and maybe I went into this one with too high of hopes.  It might have been me, but the multiple POV and timelines were a bit confusing.  It just wasn't as gripping as I had hoped, although points for very creepy island cult vibes!  I love Wroebel's writing and will be anxiously awaiting her next book!

2.16.2022 - Unmissing

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing Thomas & Mercer for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Minka Kent - 4.5 stars for one of the twisty books you'll read!

Merritt and Luca are living a charmed life - on the surface.  After the disappearance and presumed death of his first wife, Lydia, ten years ago, Luca met and married Merritt, they have a daughter and a son on the way, along with a chain of successful restaurants.  Except the restaurants aren't doing so well now and Luca is out of town trying to sell franchises.  Merritt is shocked when she answers the door in the evening and discovers Lydia standing there.  Merritt and Luca do their best to help Lydia but all is definitely not what it seems.

This is a fast read, made more so by the fact that you will be racing through all the twists and turns to figure out what will happen.  Told in short chapters alternating POV between Merritt and Luca, this was the perfect book to lose myself in.  I love Kent's writing and have been a fan of her other books - don't miss this one either!

2.16.2022 - Bone Deep

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books/Citadel Press for gifting me a digital copy of this true crime book - 5 stars!

Shortly after Christmas in 2011, Russ Faria came home from his weekly game night to find his wife, Betsy, dead on the floor with what would turn out later to be 55 stab wounds.  But the police who showed up felt that Russ didn't show the appropriate grief and didn't believe his story.  They overlooked the fact that first responders said she was cold when they arrived, that Russ had an iron-clad alibi that proved he was no where near his home when the murder occurred, and that there was a suspect close by that they barely looked into.  This book, cowritten by the prominent defense attorney who took on Russ' case, goes into the entire unbelievable story of how justice was anything but just.

A riveting read of a case that has been featured multiple times on Dateline and is soon to be a 6-episode mini-series.  This will have you shaking in your boots for a multitude of reasons - the extent that evil people will go to for money and that there can be so many people hellbent on prosecuting someone who is obviously innocent but grateful that there are people like Joel Schwartz who are equally as intent on righting such a grievous wrong.  A must read true crime book.

2.15.2022 - The Harbor

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books/Scout Press for gifting me the next installment in the wonderful police procedural series by Katrine Engberg - 4.5 stars!

Detectives Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner are working the case of missing teenager, Oscar Dreyer-Hoff.  While some say it's just the case of another runaway, the strange note left behind gives the detectives pause.  When a body is found in the community incinerator plant, it lends even more strangeness to the case.  

While this book can certainly be read as a stand alone, my favorite part of a series such as this is the personal relationships behind the stories.  I love seeing how Jeppe and Anette's lives have been - it feels like falling back with good friends.  Add that to a compelling mystery with lots of strange characters that keep you guessing, and it's definitely a win for me.  I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in this great series!

2.12.2022 - Where I Can't Follow

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital copy of this wonderful book by Ashley Blooms - 5 stars!

In Appalachian country, where poverty and drugs are rampant, Maren is trying to be good.  She's trying to avoid the path her mother took, take care of her grandmother, go to school for a better life.  Maren doesn't want to sell her grandmother's pills for money, adding trouble to the already troubled area.  But life is hard and the chips always seem to be stacked against her.  Legends of doors that appear to people in town are real to Maren - her mother walked through her door when Maren was young and never came back, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother.  When a little door appears to Maren, she has to decide whether to walk through hers or stay.

A beautifully-written magical realism book that tackles deep subjects in a way that brings them even closer to the reader.  You can see how people get stuck and don't see a way out of their lives.  The author doesn't portray these people as "bad" people, but rather puts a face to the problem and makes you feel the difficulties faced by each of these characters.  You feel the resiliency and the need, you feel the pull of family and friends and wanting to do the right thing.  I could picture Maren's beautiful door, feel its pull, and didn't want this book to end!  

2.12.2022 - One Night on the Island

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by a favorite, Josie Silver - 5 stars!

Cleo is a dating columnist in London, single, and about to turn 30 when her boss decides that she needs to celebrate her birthday by self-coupling, topped off with a ceremony on her birthday.  Part of Cleo is on board with the idea of embracing her single hood but part still wishes for someone special.  Her boss books her into a cabin on a remote Ireland island.  But Mack, newly arrived from the US and seeking time to reconnect with his roots and figure out his family issues, is also booked into the same cottage.  It's trouble from the start.

This is another fabulous read by Josie Silver - I absolutely loved it!  She is so good at creating characters that feel so real and ones you can't help rooting for.  There were a whole cast of such characters in this book, and it was so wonderful to see the whole island coming together for to support each other.  The island setting and descriptions added so much to the story as well.  I was unsure how the author could bring this book to a satisfying ending, but it more than met my expectations.  Don't miss this one!

2.10.2022 - Cherish Farrah

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for gifting me a digital ARC of this novel by Bethany C. Morrow - 3.5 stars!

Farrah is a young Black girl who manipulates her way into her best friend's home and family.  Cherish, a Black girl  was adopted by wealthy White parents, who give her a life even Farrah's wealthy parents can't.  When Farrah's parents hit a financial downturn, Farrah moves into Cherish's home.  But things start happening beyond even Farrah's strict control measures.

This one was tough for me - it was very slow, especially in the beginning.  The topic of racism and classism were interesting and there was also a horror vibe throughout.  I was probably not the right audience - I liked the writing and suspense but ended up feeling somewhat confused at the end.  

2.8.2022 - The ARC

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for gifting me a digital copy of the debut novel by Tory Henwood Hoen - 4 stars for an intriguing look into finding your true love.

Ursula lives in Brooklyn and works at a branding agency.  She's tried her hand at relationships but is never successful.  At 35, she's ready to meet her soulmate.  Enter The ARC - an intense service that guarantees they will find you the perfect person - at a hefty price.  But she decides to take the plunge and is immersed in a weeklong stay at The ARC's facility.  She is eventually matched with Rafael and everything is going perfectly.  But will it last?

Once you got past some of the craziness, this was actually pretty thought-provoking.  I've been married too long to even image dating by way of dating apps, but this takes it all to a different level.  Who's to say who the perfect match is for another person?  And what makes relationships last?  I'll be interested in reading more from this author.

2.6.2022 - With Love From London

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital copy of the latest novel by Sarah Jio - 4.5 stars rounded up!

When Seattle librarian Valentina learns that her estranged mother has passed away right on the heels of the breakup of her marriage, she flies to London where her mother had left Valentine her apartment and downstairs bookstore.  There, she discovers that her mother left her much more - scavenger hunt type notes that might fill in some of the mystery as to why Eloise left her teenage daughter never to speak to her again.  She also left her with a huge inheritance tax that threatens the bookstore itself.  

In the author's letter at the beginning of the book, Sarah Jio explains that the book was written at the height of Covid and in that crazy world that we still live in, she hoped that this book would be a comfort and cozy world to occupy for a few hours.  Mission accomplished.  This book transported you to a cozy bookstore in London, where friends become family, where community rallies around a good cause, and where love always wins.  Bravo!

2.4.2022 - Catch Her When She Falls

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut thriller by Allison Buccola - 4 stars for a captivating story!

Ten years ago, Micah's boyfriend, Alex, was convicted for killing her best friend, Emily.  It took Micah's mother's death to bring her back to her hometown of Calgary, PA, to try and start a new life.  She's living with Ryan, her high school friend, and owns the Stomping Ground, a coffeeshop in town.  Things are going well until they aren't.  Suddenly, someone is taunting Micah and insinuating that Alex is innocent.  Micah starts obsessing over everyone in her life and online blogs to try and figure out what's happening.  

I liked the way this story was told - Micah is driving towards Joshua, Emily's brother, and is having conversations in her head with him as she drives.  The story then goes on to fill in the blanks of all the past events leading up to this drive.  There are a lot of characters in this book and I found myself questioning many of them.  I am still thinking about that ending!  Great debut - excited to read more from this author.

2.2.2022 - The Fashion Orphans

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the collaboration between Randy Susan Meyers and MJ Rose - 4.5 stars!  

Estranged half-sisters Gabrielle and Lulu both have lots of debt and unresolved feelings over their not-so-maternal behaving, recently-deceased mother, Bette.  When they have to meet at the lawyer's office to go over her will, they are expecting to receive money to help them get out of their debt and then they can go their separate ways again.  But they are both shocked when they realize that their mother left them the contents of a secret closet filled with designer clothes, as well as lots of rules about what they can do with it. 

This was a good book to curl up with and escape into.  Even if you aren't into high fashion (and I certainly am not!), this was a peek into a different world.  But more than that, it is really understanding what was important to our parents, their past, and the things they cherished.  In this world where us older folk are faced with the knowledge that our children don't want any of the things that we have spent a lifetime accruing and that are valuable to us, this story of children learning to appreciate that was a breath of fresh air and hope!  It's also a story of working through grief and moving on, with the help of good friends and family. 

2.1.2022 - Woman Last Seen

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin MIRA Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest psychological thriller by Adele Parks - 4 stars for an intriguing mystery!

Leigh Fletcher is happily married to Mark and has two stepsons she adores.  Kai Janssen is married to wealthy Dutch businessman, Daan, and they live an exciting, glamorous life.  When both of these women go missing on the same day, Detective Clements feels that they are somehow connected, but she has to prove it.  Did both of these women walk away from their happy lives?

Best left to discover all the twists and turns yourself, so don't look too much into a synopsis for this one!  I enjoyed the tension and suspense in this book, as well as figuring out all the characters' motives and thoughts.  Without going into any spoilers, it was interesting to go into the minds of these women and why they behaved the way they did.  Another compelling read by Adele Parks!