3.7.2022 - The Party at No 12

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Bookouture Audio for gifting me both a digital and audiobook ARC of the latest thriller by Kerry Wilkinson - 4 stars!

After her divorce and inheriting some money, Hannah has decided to travel.  Her family insists on throwing a small party before she leaves, so a house is rented and family and friends invited.  Hannah is nervous because there are issues between most of the attendees but she's anxious for everyone to be friends again.  But no matter her best intentions, one of those attending won't live through the night.

This is one of those books that I couldn't figure everything out until the very end - there were lots of twists and turns and lots of suspense.  Everyone had secrets and motives and very questionable behavior!  The book was wonderfully narrated by both Tamsin Kennard and Andrew Kingston.

3.6.2022 - The Lightning Rod

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow/Custom House for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by one of my favorite authors, Brad Meltzer, which means it's a shining 5 star review from me!  This is the second in the Zig & Nola series but there's enough detail that it could be read as a stand alone.  However, go back and read The Escape Artist because it's equally wonderful!

Archie Mint seems to have the perfect life until he's killed when he tries to stop a robbery in his home.  But there were many secrets he took to his grave.  "Zig" Zigarowski, former mortician at Dover Air Force Base, is called in to prepare the body.  He soon discovers there is a connection between Mint and military artist, Nola Brown, who saved his life two years ago and who has a connection to Zig's daughter.  Nola's brother joins Zig in trying to find Nola before anyone else - because there some secrets people will kill to protect.

I absolutely loved falling back into Zig and Nola's world and the writing perfection of Brad Meltzer.  This was a tense thriller that kept me flipping the pages as fast as I could.  You'll learn lots about some of the inner workings of the government as well and I continue to be humbled by the care and love shown to fallen soldiers and their families, as portrayed in this series.  I loved the writing style used too - some paragraphs would open with sentences such as, "This is Nola at thirteen."  And then go on.  So there was a narrator guiding the reader with hints of both past and future.  This is a highly recommended series - don't miss it!  Fingers crossed that there is book #3 quickly in the works!

3.5.2022 - The Summer We Buried

 

Many thanks to NetGalley,  Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for gifting me both a digital and audiobook ARC of the latest mystery by Jody Gehrman - 4 stars!

Tansy and Selene were great friends twenty years ago, but guilt about an incident that happened then caused Tansy to sever the friendship.  But now Selene is back and is telling Tansy that she owes her for covering up what happened all those years ago.  Selene is worried about her daughter, Jupiter, and her current relationship.  Tansy is a guidance counselor at the school Jupiter attends and Selene wants Tansy to break them up.  But getting involved with the Rathbone family again will cause Tansy to relive all those memories.

This was a good character study of people dealing with abuse, trauma and mental illness.  You really felt for these characters, the situations they were in, and what they would do for those they care about.  That's not to say that those situations were handled the right way, but you can definitely understand the motivating factors.  An entertaining mystery that was wonderfully narrated by Emily Ellet.

3.5.2022 - The Fell

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for gifting me a digital ARC of this book by Sarah Moss - a different look into the pandemic's affect on individuals.  4.5 stars!

In England, Kate has been exposed to Covid, though she is not sick, and is under strict quarantine and not allowed to leave her home or she risks jail time and heavy fines.  She is a single mom to teenager Matt, who is spending most of his quarantine time on the computer.  Kate has reached her limit and needs to take a break outside, so she heads out for a walk.  She is spotted by her neighbor, Alice, who had cancer so is very vulnerable to the virus.  All is fine until Kate takes a fall.

Told in stream of consciousness narratives from these individuals plus Rob, a mountain rescuer.  Once you get used to the narrative style, I really liked delving into each of these people's thoughts on everything from the pandemic to the mundane.  It's an interesting look at the toll that social isolation takes on people, even when necessary.  I'm glad I read this as we are (fingers crossed!) hopefully coming out of the pandemic as opposed to being in the midst of it, but the pandemic still has a varying degree hold on all of our thoughts and is still extremely relevant.

3.4.2022 - The Golden Couple

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audiobook ARC of the latest thriller by the writing team of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.  4.5 stars rounded up for an intriguing thriller!

Avery Chambers lost her therapist license which now gives her the license to practice therapy without any restrictions.  She has developed a 10-session plan to "fix" people's issues.  But her techniques are completely encompassing and intrusive.  After reading about her successes with clients, Marissa Bishop schedules an appointment to meet with Avery to try and fix her marriage to her husband, Mathew.  Marissa made the biggest mistake of her life and cheated on Mathew; she is desperate to make things right.

Told in different storylines between Avery and Melissa, you will soon discover that everyone is keeping secrets.  This is an intriguing, tense thriller that will keep you glued to the pages and wonderfully written by Hendricks/Pekkanen.  There are lots of twists and turns that will have you second guessing everyone. This is a great read and another winner by these authors.  I alternated between reading the digital book and listening to the audiobook - which was wonderfully narrated by Karissa Vacker and Marin Ireland.  

3.1.2022 - Girl in Ice

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for gifting me a copy of the latest atmospheric thriller by Erica Ferencik - 4.5 stars!

Val struggles through her days, with the help of anxiety meds and alcohol, as a university professor in linguistics, studying ancient languages.  But her fears keep her from traveling or from much of any type of life, especially since her twin brother, Andy, died by suicide while studying climate issues in Greenland.  Then Andy's mentor, Wyatt, contacts her from their remote Greenland lab, asking her to travel there to help him.  Wyatt and his team recently found a young girl encased in deep ice; they were able to thaw her out and she's alive.  But they have no way to communicate with her and need Val's help.  Val has to get up her courage to travel there and to use the time to also investigate her brother's death.

Erica Ferencik is the queen of atmospheric thrillers - you'll need to cuddle up with a few more blankets when you read this book!  It's an intense thriller, made more so by the brutal environment of the Arctic.  I loved the relationship between Val and the young girl as they struggled to communicate.  There's something so frightening about these remote science labs with small teams that have you questioning everyone.  Plenty to think about in terms of climate change as well - I'm now terrified of ice winds!  

3.1.2022 - Listening Still

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this wonderful book by Anne Griffin - 4.5 stars!

Jeanie Masterson can hear the last words of the dead, a trait passed down to her by her father who runs the family funeral home in their small Ireland hometown.  But her father doesn't always pass down the true words spoken by the dead, instead giving the grieving family platitudes.  Jeanie struggles with her gift, alternately feeling that it is a curse, holding her to stay stuck in her life.  When her parents let her know that they are retiring and moving away, leaving Jeanie and her husband, embalmer Niall, to run the business, Jeanie starts reflecting on her life, her choices and her future.

I started out reading the digital copy but totally got sucked into the beautiful narration by Nicola Coughlan on the audiobook.  I loved imagining Jeanie's gift - that the dead had but a brief time to impart any last wishes to someone left behind.  This really is a book that lets you think about dying, grief, but also living your best life.  Jeanie felt stuck in her life and into her family style of not really communicating truthfully, so much so that she was paralyzed in moving forward or knowing what she wanted.  Lots of life lessons here with a touch of magical realism.