4.30.2022 - The Vanishing Triangle

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing Little A for gifting me a digital ARC of this true crime book by Claire McGowan - 3.5 stars rounded up.

In the 1990s, eight women went missing in a small triangle area of Northern Ireland.  In an area reeling from The Troubles, these women were basically ignored and their cases floundered or ignored.  

I'm a huge fan of Claire McGowan's thrillers.  This one was a tougher read for me.  I'm probably more of a timeline reader when it comes to true crime; this book was ordered by and stressed the political and societal issues in Ireland and the world.  Therefore, I never got quite as involved in the individual murders and missing women stories because there were so very many stories, as well as mentions of them to understand societal issues.  But it was a good and necessary read - there is not one among us who is not important and no death or missing person should be ignored.  And no victim should be shamed because of their sex, profession or clothing choice.  

4.28.2022 - Unmasked

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the fascinating story of Paul Holes - 5 stars!

Paul Holes is the detective who found the Golden State Killer - this is his story.  We learn how cold cases came to be an obsession to him and how he took these murders and victims as his personal responsibility.  But that doesn't come without a cost, and Paul Holes paid that as well.  

Like so many others, I have always been fascinated with true crime, from devouring Ann Rules' books as a teenager to now.  This book details so many murders and cold cases investigated in one county - how frightening to extrapolate that across the country.  While so much of investigation work is solitary, done during sleepless nights, Holes details his collaborations with other detectives, agencies, and Michelle McNamara to try to solve this decades-long rape and killing spree.  Well written - I couldn't put it down.  A must read for true crime buffs - and an extra big thank you to Detective Holes and all the others who work so diligently to bring resolution to victims' families.

4.26.2022 - I'll Be You

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Janelle Brown - 4.5 stars rounded up for a book that was hard to put down!

Identical twins, Elli and Sam looked so much alike that they frequently changed identities for their child acting jobs, in social situations, and even their parents couldn't always tell them apart.  But their personalities varied - Elli tried hard to be the perfect child and later the perfect adult and was much more introverted.  Sam loved the spotlight and faced her demons of pills and alcohol.  After a major fight between the two, Sam hasn't spoken to Elli in over a year and is shocked to learn that she adopted a toddler and is off on a retreat, leaving Charlotte with their parents.  Sam is worried about Elli's disappearance and starts investigating.

This book was told from both Elli's and Sam's points of view, in both the past and present, so we see how their childhood experiences shaped them.  I was fascinated with the group that Elli got involved with, GenFem, which bore a very similar resemblance to the NXIVM cult.  Both characters were fully formed and you will get invested in both storylines.  Great read!

4.26.2022 - Murder in the Neighborhood

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thread for gifting me an audiobook of this true crime story by Ellen J. Green, narrated by John Chancer - 4 stars!

On September 6,1949, twenty-eight-year-old Howard Barton Unruh shot thirteen people in less than twelve minutes on his block in East Camden, New Jersey.  This is considered the first recorded mass shooting in America.  Told through the eyes of then 12-year-old Raymond Havens, we get an intimate account of Unruh's behavior, background and life.

This was a meticulously researched book - we hear from the neighbor boy who befriended Unruh, who listened to him talk about the war, his stamps, history.  We learn ab out Unruh's past as well as the constant bullying he faced in his neighborhood.  While I believe everyone has to take personal responsibility for his actions, this book will leave you feeling somewhat sympathetic towards Unruh even while deploring his actions.  It's hard to believe how far we've come since the 1950s - it seems like hardly a night goes by where we don't hear of a mass shooting somewhere in the US on the news.  

4.25.2022 - The Housemaid

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest thriller by Freida McFadden - 4.5 stars!

Millie is down on her luck, living in her car, desperate for a job when she is hired to be a housemaid for Nina Winchester.  So the attic room where she has to live is small and creepy, Nina's daughter is spoiled and Nina is moody and temperamental.  Millie is just happy to have this chance and figures she can put up with just about anything.  But can she? 

This was just pure entertainment full of twists and turns.  Told from the POVs of both Millie and Nina, I loved trying to figure out just exactly what was going to happen and what secrets everyone was keeping.  I thought the narration was spot on and Lauryn Allman did a great job with all the characters.  

4.23.2022 - The Children on the Hill

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scout Press Simon & Schuster for gifting me a digital copy of the latest thriller by one of my favorites, Jennifer McMahon.  5 creepy, twisty stars!

In 1978, Vi and Eric are living with their grandmother, Dr Hildreth, a renowned doctor who works with mentally ill patients at the institution on the hill above their house.  Vi and Eric are very bright, homeschooled and have started The Monster Club, including a book detailing all they've learned.  One day, Gran brings home Iris, a teenager, and tells Vi and Eric that she is their new sister.  Iris is mute but soon warms up to the siblings.  In 2019, Lizzy Shelley is a monster hunter and is convinced that her sister is behind a string of missing girls.  She travels to Vermont to put an end to it.

Go into this one as blind as possible because the twists keep coming and will have you reeling!  A take on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, this book explores the theme that there are monsters everywhere and inside us all.  Told in alternating chapters between 1978 and 2019 as well excerpts from a news article, this is such a creepy, thriller that I literally could not put down.  A definite must read - don't miss this one!

4.21.2022 - Like a House on Fire

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/GP Putnam Sons for gifting me a digital ARC of this debut novel by Lauren McBrayer - 3.5 stars rounded up!

Merit has been a stay-at-home mom to two young boys and married to Cory for 13 years.  But she feels like she has lost her way and needs more in her life.  She goes back to work as an architect and is instant best friends with her boss, Jane.  Suddenly, her whole focus in life changes and begins to revolve around Jane.

I have mixed feelings about this book - it was well written and a quick read.  I really liked the first part of the book, watching Merit come into herself.  She certainly faced issues that most women and especially working mothers face.  However, I felt bad for Merit and Cory's kids because both parents seemed very checked out of their lives.  I did like the way the author ended the story.

4.20.2022 - Watch Out for Her

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by Samantha M. Bailey - 4 stars for an intriguing thriller!

Sarah and her husband, Daniel, move from Vancouver to Toronto for a fresh start - and a start away from their babysitter, Holly.  But is their new home any safer?  Are they any safer?

Told in two different points of view - Sarah in the present and Holly before.  This book will leave you wondering who you can trust, especially in this world of surveillance devices everywhere.  None of the characters were extremely likable and but it didn't take away from the tension of figuring out all the secrets people are keeping to themselves and how everything would play out.  

4.18.2022 - The Latecomer

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookish First, and Celadon Books for gifting me both a physical and digital ARC of the latest book by Jean Hanff Korelitz. If you loved The Plot, you must read this one too! 4 stars!

This book revolves around the Oppenheimer's, a wealthy Jewish family in NYC. We learn about the parents, Johanna and Salo, how they met and their beginning relationship. Johanna is desperate to be a mother and has a fantasy of how that will look. However, they struggle with infertility and eventually require the new in vitro fertilization to get pregnant - and with triplets! Johanna has the fantasy that these three babies will be extremely close and cause their family to become close. But fantasy and reality never quite mesh. We follow this family through the decades as the triplets grow old and eventually leave and through Johanna's decision to try her fantasy family again by using the last frozen embryo and a surrogate. It's this latecomer, Phoebe, who tries to pull the family together.

Told through multiple points of view, this was a slow burn of a character study but intriguing enough that I couldn't put it down. While not many of these characters are endearing, it was so interesting to see how these family dynamics played out. This would be a good book club pick with so many topics - infidelity, secrets, grief, racism, sexual identity - the list goes on! In the vein of The Plot, this requires some time to settle in with these characters and the wonderful writing but it's well worth it!

4.14.2022 - Everything Left to Remember

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me the audio ARC of this memoir by Steph Jagger - 4.5 stars!

Steph's mother has Alzheimer's and Steph is struggling with the knowledge that her mother's memories and stories will be gone forever.  They decided to embark on a trip to Montana to share this time and make connections and memories.

This was a gorgeously-written book - you will feel like you are sitting in the backseat while the two are on their road trip.  I'm hoping that listening to all the patience and understanding in how Steph dealt with her mother will be passed along to me.  Steph found a way to accept this situation, take value in it, and move forward.  Her respectful view of Mother Nature is also to be admired.  I'm glad I was able to take this journey with them.

4.14.2022 - Left on Tenth

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for gifting me a copy of this moving memoir by Delia Ephron - 5 stars!

Delia & her sister, Nora, both writing legends, also shared medical problems - leukemia.  Still reeling from her sister's death, Delia's husband dies from prostate cancer.  Just out of the pages of one of their screenplays, after an op-ed Delia wrote in the NYT about Verizon, Delia is contacted through email by Peter, a long ago acquaintance that Delia doesn't remember.  Before long, they are madly in love - at an age and time in their life where neither thought that possible.  Then Delia is diagnosed with AML, a horrible leukemia.

Told partially through email passages, this is both a heartbreaking and hopeful story - of love and devotion, of second chances at love and life, of a community coming together to help and support.  Having lived through my mother-in-law's trials and eventual death from AML, this was a tough read but also an important one.  How blessed Delia was to be surrounded by Peter and a tribe of friends to help and support them.  Lots of life lessons in this one as well - grab onto all those second chances when they appear because this is the only life we have.  Continued good health and love to Peter and Delia with an appreciation to them for sharing their story.

4.13.2022 - Healing

Many thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for gifting me both a physical and digital ARC of this important book by Theresa Brown, RN.  Today is my stop on the blog tour for this book which published yesterday, 4.12.2022.  5 stars!

Theresa Brown is a Hospice nurse when she finds out that she has breast cancer.  While this is a blow for anyone, Theresa's perspective of being on the other side of health care is eye opening.  She takes the reader on the journey from the first scary moment through her surgery, treatment and life after cancer.  

This is an immensely-readable medical story - I felt like I was sitting with a friend talking about these issues.  And as women, way too many of us have experienced these same horrifyingly scary moments, no matter how things turn out in the end.  Theresa is open in discussing such a private moment but gives clarity on how important small touches and words can mean to a patient going through such a scary time.  Theresa also opens up about her own mistakes and regrets, along with the times that the things she did made such a huge difference in other people's lives.  This is a book that you would like to get in the hands of every hospital administrator who is more concerned about dollars than patients.  Highly recommended!

4.11.2022 - The No-Show

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Beth O'Leary - 5 stars!

Three very different women - Siobhan, a life coach; Miranda, a tree surgeon; and Jane, a volunteer for a charity shop - have all been stood up.  On Valentine's Day.  By the same man.  

That's all the info you need before starting this book.  If you're expecting a typical rom-com, meet-cute kind of story, be prepared to be so surprised at the depth of the emotion and the twists in this book.  I loved all three women - a fun book club discussion would ensue seeing which character people most relate to - plus a bunch of wonderful supporting characters.  Definitely go into this one knowing as little as possible so you get to experience that twist that you won't see coming.  Highly recommended - don't miss this one!

4.9.2022 - Unlikely Animals

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful book by Annie Hartnett.  4.5 stars rounded up!

Emma Starling was born with The Charm - an ability to naturally heal people.  She went off to California to attend medical school but lost her way and her ability.  She returns home to small town Everett, New Hampshire, because her father is dying of a brain disease.  Clive Starling has been hallucinating small animals as well as the ghost of a famous NH naturalist, who is giving him advice on his last days.  Clive also is the only one taking an active interest in finding Emma's estranged best friend who has gone missing.

I loved all the quirky characters in this story, including those inhabitants of the town's cemetery who give commentary to the tale.  While tackling difficult subjects like addiction, infidelity, and caring for aging parents, we are treated to a hilarious story of wild animals in the house, antics of elementary school children, and given the gift of love, hope, and second chances.  Be sure to read the author's note at the end and don't miss this book!

4.7.2022 - 214 Palmer Street

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of this mystery novel by Karen McQuestion, skillfully narrated by Stacey Glemboski.  3.5 stars rounded up!

Someone hit Sarah in the back of the head with a rock in the home she shares with her husband, Kirk, causing a massive head injury.  At home recovering, Sarah keeps discovering things that she doesn't quite remember.  Does her husband know something she doesn't?  

I think it's best going into this book with as little knowledge as possible.  That being said, I was a bit confused listening to this book trying to figure out who was who in the beginning, because there is a "her" narrator and a "now and then" timeline.  But that could be just me. This is a mystery in two timelines, focused on Sarah, Kirk, Clarice (Sarah's coworker), and Gavin (Kirk's childhood friend).  

Narrator did an admirable job voicing both male and female voices.

4.6.2022 - Bomb Shelter

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me a digital copy of this wonderful memoir by Mary Laura Philpott - 5 sparkling stars!

The author and her husband are happily married and the mother of two children.  Life was good, even though Mary Laura is a self-professed worrier since childhood.  But in the early morning hours when they found their son having a seizure on the bathroom floor, all those worries seemed to come true.  

Every once in a while, you read a book and when you're done, you just want to hug it.  And then thrust it immediately into the hands of everyone you know.  This is that book.  While my circumstances aren't hers or any one else's, as stated in the book, everyone has something.  So everyone will be able to relate to this book.  We are all doing the best we can to go through life, worrying and trying to protect those we love whether friend, spouse, child, parent or even a stranger.  I laughed out loud at so many of these essays - the cholesterol one had me reading passages out loud to my husband, who is going through the same issues.  But I also cried, felt hopeful and understood.  Which is why everyone needs to read this book.  And then read it again.

4.4.2022 - The Shadow House

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Books for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the new book by Anna Downes - 4 creepy stars!

Alex is desperate to run away from her past, so she heads to Pine Ridge, an eco village in a remote section of Australia, with her teenage son and baby daughter.  She's hoping that this new start will be just what they all need.  However, she soon discovers that her family seems to be targeted in ways that are very similar to happenings that have been the topic of rumor and fear among the inhabitants for years.  Are Alex and her children safe or has she led them into an even worse situation?

Told in alternate POVs between Alex and Renee, the former inhabitant of the farmhouse on the property.  This book has all the creepy vibes - haunted woods, a creepy deserted house, people with lots of secrets, and mysterious happenings.  But it also speaks to just what a parent would do to protect their child and how to let go of fear to trust again.  I also loved the honest author's note at the end - don't skip reading that!

4.3.2022 - At Least You Have Your Health

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for gifting me a digital copy of the wonderful novel by Madi Sinha.  I was a huge fan of White Coat Diaries and I loved this one too - 5 stars!

Dr Maya Rao is a gynecologist and mother of 3 young children, trying to do it all but never feeling like it's enough.  When an encounter with an important patient goes wrong and she has to leave the hospital where she has spent her entire career, she feels lost.  Amelia, another mother at the exclusive school where her oldest daughter attends, talks her into joining her practice of concierge medicine for wealthy clients.  But Maya may have to sacrifice her values in order to do Amelia's bidding.

I loved this book - this would be the perfect book club selection for moms who are trying to do it all and feeling like a failure at every turn.  Add to that this book's topics of colorism, classism, sexism - there's a lot to talk about!  In addition, we see how culture and family background/expectations follow and change Maya's core.  But she is so relatable - I'm not sure I've laughed harder at the car wash and cloth diaper scenes!  This is definitely a must read book!

4.2.2022 - The Lying Club

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin/Park Row Books for gifting me a copy of this wonderful thriller by Annie Ward, a great follow up to Beautiful Bad.  4.5 stars rounded up!

This story centers on three women in a wealthy Colorado town.  Natalie is the administrative assistant at the private school which is full of entitled students, jealous and overindulgent parents.  Brooke and Asha's daughters used to be best friends but now there's trouble there as well as in their marriages.  Natalie catches the eye of Coach Nick, but also worries about his involvement with Brooke and Asha.  Then there are the two bodies being carried out of the school; Natalie can't remember her involvement. in that scene but she's being interviewed by the police.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down!  There are lots of twists and turns in these people's lives that we love to hate and I found myself still cheering them on.  I loved how the police transcripts were intermingled in the story.  This is just a fun, twisty thriller that will keep you glued to the pages!

4.1.2022 - Lessons in Chemistry

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Bonnie Garmus - can I give more than 5 sparkling stars?

In the 1960s, Elizabeth Zott is a chemist - unusual in those days and she has the battle scars to prove it.  No one takes her seriously or gives her credit.  Except for Calvin Evans, another unusual brilliant chemist.  It's the perfect love story, until tragedy strikes.  Elizabeth soon finds herself a single mother and the reluctant star of a hit cooking show, Supper at Six.  But Elizabeth can only be one thing - herself - and not everyone is happy about that.

Gush alert - I loved, loved, loved this book and these characters!  I love quirky characters and this book is chock full of them - including the dog!  This takes you back to a time when women were expected to stay at home and do what they were told and Elizabeth bucked that trend from the beginning.   While there are definitely some difficult subjects, the humor in this book is laugh out loud, spot on, perfection.  You will not be able to put this one down - nor should you!  Highly recommended - amazing debut.  Can't wait to read more from this author but how do you top perfection?