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.