3.31.2024 - Where the Crawfish Swim

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Books Go Social for gifting me a digital ARC of this true-crime inspired fiction story by Andrea Smith - 4 stars!

Inspired by the real life 2016 Pike County, OH, massacres, this is a fictionalized story of the killings of one family by another.  In this story, DEA Agent Dalton Edwards is tasked with fitting in with the locals in order to uncover possible drug operations.  Dalton discovers the community is tight-knit and strangers aren't trusted.  But he works hard and soon becomes privy to more than a few secrets.   

The author uses the notorious names of the Hatfields and McCoys to show how these two neighboring clans fought for what they thought was rightfully theirs.  And what they would do to make sure they got it.  It's a sad reflection on what money and power can do to an evil heart.  Well written, this book will keep your interest and you'll be hoping the bad guys get theirs in the end.  

3.30.2024 - How to Solve Your Own Murder

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for giving me a digital ARC of this fabulous mystery by Kristen Perrin - 5 stars!

In 1965, Frances is at a county fair with her two best friends, Emily and Rose, when a fortune teller tells her that she will be murdered.  From then on, she's obsessed with preventing her murder as well as suspicious of those around her.  In present day, Frances' great niece, Annie, is summoned by Frances' lawyer to Castle Knolls where Frances has a grand estate to discuss her inheritance.  Annie is the one to find Frances dead, the long-ago prophecy come true - she has been murdered.  And the changes in the will say that the one who solves Frances' murder is the one to inherit everything.  

Told in dual timelines from the 1960s to present, we learn Frances'  story, Emily's disappearance, how Frances came to live at Castle Knolls.  Annie, an aspiring mystery writer, is determined to solve the mystery and figure out how killed her great aunt.  There's a big cast of interesting characters, lots of clues, and you're a better person than I if you are able to figure out who did it!  But it was such a fun ride - I was totally invested in both timelines - perfectly written and executed!  Bravo!

3.30.2024 - Good Half Gone

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing Graydon House for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Tarryn Fisher - 4 stars!

Iris Walsh saw her twin sister, Piper, get kidnapped, but no one except her Gran believed her and the case quickly went cold.  Iris always felt like Piper was the good half of the twins - pretty and popular where Iris stayed in the shadows.  As an adult, Iris is obsessed with finding out what happened to Piper.  To do that, she gains an internship at the Shoal Island Hospital for the criminally insane, off the shores of Washington, accessible only by ferry and water taxi.  Will she finally find her answers to what happened?

What a creepy location for a thriller - a remote hospital for the criminally insane!  You could feel the horror and isolation in the writing, on the sides of both patients and staff.  Iris' grief and obsession are so strong, and her Gran is an amazing person as well, having to take the place of the twins' mother in raising them.  This book was filled with tension and twists and another great read by Fisher!

3.29.2024 - Fill For Me, Kill For You

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful stand alone thriller by Steve Cavanagh - 5 stars!

Amanda is grieving the loss of her daughter and husband.  The police are unable to pin her daughter's murder on the suspect, and Amanda can't rest until he pays for what he did.  When she meets Wendy at a grief support group, they form an alliance.  Just like in the movie, Strangers on a Train, they come up with a foolproof plan to enact their revenge against the men that destroyed their lives.  In another part of the city. Ruth is viciously attacked in her home by a man with startling blue eyes.  She is left traumatized, affecting every part of her life. 

This book was pitch perfect.  Told from multiple POV, each chapter ended with a cliff hanger that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could.  All the storylines converged in a perfect way and I never saw any of the twists coming.  And that ending!  Whew!  This is an absolute must read thriller!

3.24.2024 - The Truth About the Devlins

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam GP Putnam Sons for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by an all-time favorite, Lisa Scottoline - 5 stars!

TJ is the black sheep of the Devlin family.  His parents, brother and sister are all lawyers in the family firm, Devlin & Devlin, while he is an ex-con only working in the firm because he is family.  Everything gets turned upside when his older brother, John, comes to TJ and tells him that he needs his help.  John has accidentally murdered one of his clients that he had accused of embezzlement.  TJ throws himself into the investigation to help John, but soon realizes that trouble runs very deep and he's in the middle of it.

Another fabulous thriller by Scottoline - I couldn't put this one down because I was so invested in TJ!  I kept rooting for him to be okay, to stay sober, and to do the right thing.  This is family drama at its best, with sibling and parent turmoil aplenty.  I was also horrified by the medical experiments inflicted on inmates at the Holmesburg Prison. and loved Gabby's passion towards social injustice.  This book addresses this issue, along with addiction issues, sensitively but truthfully.  Highly recommended!

3.20.2024 - The Trail of Lost Hearts

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the new book by Tracey Garvis Graves, perfectly narrated by Eric Meyers; Kate Handford - 4.5 stars!

Wren believes that if you pay attention, the universe will send you exactly what you need.  But she's struggling with that now when her world comes crashing down.  Suddenly, she's feeling bereft and shameful.  When she discovers geocaching, it helps give her motivation to get out of bed and be outside.  She decides to take a weeklong solo geocaching trip in Oregon.  She soon meets Marshall on the trail and he saves her from a scary encounter.  Marshall is dealing with his own issues, but they soon decide to team up.  Is the universe finally sending her what she needs?

Just like in her previous book, Heard it in a Love Song, this one features likable and relatable characters that you will be rooting for to find their way.  They are both dealing with grief and need time and understanding to process and move on.  I'm a big fan of this author's writing style, featuring mature characters dealing with real life.  Extra points for this one because of the locations - Wren is from Dayton OH, where I grew up, and Marshall from Portland, where my husband and I honeymooned.  Not sure I've read a book that mentioned Skyline Chili before!  Narration was great - mostly from Wren's POV with Marshall's voice filling in his story.  Great read and audiobook!

3.20.2024 - Never Better

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this memoir by Gonzalo Riedel - 5 stars!

Less than a year after their youngest son was born, Gonzalo's wife, Erica, died from appendix cancer.  He was suddenly a single dad, raising two small boys, grieving the love of his life.

This was such a brutally honest and open memoir about grief.  Gonzalo gives us lots of "before" memories of life with Erica, while showing us the huge holes left behind afterwards.  I so appreciated the fact that he didn't sugarcoat all the emotions he felt in the height of his grief, while still having to get up every day as a single dad.  It will rip your heart apart but also give you hope, because life is always hopeful.  There's enough humor and self-deprecation to not push this book over into depressing, and I loved that he acknowledged all of his feelings.  I will return to this book again and wish nothing but happiness ahead for this family.