Saturday, February 8, 2025

The Last Days of Kira Mullan

The Last Days of Kira Mullan by Nicci French
3/4/25 (paperback); 464 pages
HarperCollins/William Morrow
Maud O'Connor #2

The Last Days of Kira Mullan by Nicci French is an exceptional, intense, very highly recommended novel of psychological suspense following a woman determined to get justice for a murder no one else believes happened.

Nancy North suffered a psychotic break that resulted in her restaurant closing and friendships lost. She and her partner Felix have been forced by circumstances to move to a new flat. It's in an old house, is dank and dark, and has paper thin walls. Nancy is taking her meds and seeing her therapist, but the move and new circumstances is stressful and she feels it. Nancy responsibly talks to her doctor, who ups her dosage a bit, but she still feels something is not right.

When a young woman in the downstairs flat, Kira, is found dead, Nancy is sure she was murdered. She talked to Kira, who  before it happened. Felix dismisses her feelings, blaming it all on her illness. He also cruelly, with a calculated intent, tells everyone else around her about her struggles with mental health and her unreliability. Nancy talks to the police, who also dismiss her instincts. The boys club at the police station closed the case, but when it is brought to her attention, Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor has misgivings about her colleagues’ investigation of Kira’s death.

The writing is outstanding in this well-plotted, fast paced tense, compelling, and un-put-downable thriller. The atmosphere is increasingly full of paranoia and menace. Readers will know from the start that Kira was murdered, so they will also know Nancy is telling the truth. The treatment Nancy receives from the other residents of the apartment building, along with the neighbors, is frustrating but also all of these people are potential suspects in Kira's death.

Nancy is a fully-realized character who is honestly presented with all her strengths and weaknesses. Based on how she is depicted by Felix and treated by others, readers may have doubts about Nancy's reliability as a narrator and her recovery. The gaslighting Nancy experiences along with the dismissal, punitive measures, and negation of anything she says is abusive and disturbing. The other residents are also developed as individuals, and completely untrustworthy.

Maud O'Connor is a wonderful character and it was thrilling to see her back. The first book with Maud is Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?. Her approach to investigating and questioning suspects is insightful. She is observant, intelligent, and detailed oriented. Her tenacity is admirable. (It seems that there may be big changes in Maud's future.) The final denouement races at a heart-stopping pace.

The Last Days of Kira Mullan is another excellent novel from Nicci French (the writing team of Nicci Gerrard and Sean French) and I am anxiously awaiting another book in this series. Thanks to William Morrow for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Broken Country

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
3/4/25; 320 pages
Simon & Schuster

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall is a very highly recommended domestic drama that is both a love story and morality tale.

It is 1968 and sheep farmers Frank and Beth Johnson are still mourning the death of their nine-year old son, Bobby two years earlier. They are out working with the new lambs in the Dorset countryside along side Jimmy, Franks younger brother, when a strange dog attacks and kills three lambs. Jimmy is quick to grab a gun and shoot the dog before he attacks any more lambs. Coming across the field is Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager who subsequently broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo and Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life.

Alternating chapters are set before, in 1955, when Beth and Gabriel met and fell in love. Also foreshadowed in a few chapters early on is a murder trial taking place in their present day. We know the person is close to Beth, although the victim isn't named until much later. This helps set a foreboding tone as readers know something is going to happen to someone.

This is an extremely well-written emotionally complex story of love, grief, guilt, and consequences. Beth is not a reliable narrator. She drops hints about what is and has happened but the full story isn't known until later in the plot. When some of the unsaid secrets/events are spoken and revealed it makes a huge difference in the novel. The grief of dealing with the lose of a child is a major part of the narrative.

Admittedly, I almost set Broken Country aside except for the fact that the quality of the writing is excellent. The focus is on the love story for much of the novel which is not a genre I normally read. Love triangles don't interest me. I didn't enjoy that storyline or Beth choices and actions which encompass a large part of the novel. What changed everything was the last part of the novel.

Broken Country may be most appreciated by those who enjoy romance novels and morally ambiguous characters, but those who like literary novels dealing with loss along with suspense will also appreciate it. 4.5
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Tilt

Tilt by Emma Pattee
3/25/25; 240 pages
Simon & Schuster

Tilt by Emma Pattee is a highly recommended literary survival story that takes place over the course of one day.

Annie, 35, is pregnant, 37 weeks along, and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a major earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. She is rescued from the debris by Taylor, a salesperson she had just lost her temper with, and they make their way outside the store. She sets out without her purse or phone amid the confusion and chaos to walk to her husband Dom's workplace. While walking she talks to her unborn baby, nicknamed "Bean" and reflects on her past, meeting her husband, conversations with her mother. All this while she makes her way through devastating destruction in an increasingly dangerous city.

Tilt is an impressive, well-written debut novel that covers the hopefulness, disappointments, and struggles found in self sacrifice, marriage, and impending motherhood, along with the self doubts all while the character is seeking safety and survival. The narrative switches between Annie's memories of the past and her navigation through the current catastrophe. Her internal monologue to to Bean continues throughout her trek in search of safety and her husband. The setting feels realistic and the trauma of the crisis increases with each step her swollen feet take.

Annie is depicted as a realistic character amidst an unimaginable situation. While she isn't always likable and doesn't always act in a logical manner, it is clear that she is doing the best she can through the disaster. As she shares her reflection with Bean, her bond grows strong.

I do love the cover of the book. This is a very quick read and resembles another novel where a woman is traveling through a disaster. The ending was disappointing in the lack of closure but it was also somewhat expected. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Monday, February 3, 2025

Battle Mountain

Battle Mountain by C. J. Box
2/25/25; 368 pages
Penguin/Putnam
Joe Pickett Series #25

Battle Mountain by C. J. Box is a riveting, very highly recommended intense thriller and the 25th novel featuring Joe Pickett. This one directly continues the story in Three-Inch Teeth, which I would recommend reading before enjoying Battle Mountain. They are both 5 star reads so this is a win/win suggestion.

Outlaw falconer Nate Romanowski left his daughter in the care of Marybeth and Joe Pickett and is living off grid while following the trail of Axel Soledad the man who murdered Nate's wife. He eliminated three of his followers, but Axel was not there. Later Geronimo Jones finds Nate and the two men set off to track Axel down and make sure he is taken out. 

At the same time Governor Rulon asks Joe for a personal favor. His son-in-law Mark Eisele and elk hunting guide Spike Rankin have both gone missing. He wants Joe to go down and find him. The two different searches are heading to converge at Battle Mountain.

This is an extremely well-written, un-put-downable, compelling character-driven thriller. The complex, tension-packed, fast-paced narrative follows multiple storylines until everything eventually merges toward the end. The two different searches are equally interesting. The final confrontation is larger than expected and becomes a real showdown.

All the characters are fully realized, complex individuals. At this point, readers know their strengths and weaknesses and the moral dilemmas they have encountered. It certainly helps that I've read several books in the series now and know all the characters, their abilities, the background, and the setting. 

Each new Joe Pickett novel I read makes me an even greater fan of C. J. Box. Thanks to Penguin/Putnam for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Famous Last Words

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister
2/25/25; 336 pages
William Morrow
 
Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister is a very highly recommended thriller/novel of suspense full of twists and surprises. It is a story about a marriage, a crime, and so many secrets.

Camilla (Cam) is returning to work as a literary agent after nine months of maternity leave. Her husband Luke has already left for the day. He left a note, so she tries to contact him via texts and continues on to drop their daughter Polly off at daycare. While at work the news breaks about a hostage situation in London. The police arrive, and Cam learns Luke is involved. But he isn't a hostage, he is the gunman - and he escapes. This turns her world upside down. How well does she know her husband and was her life built on a lie?

This is a well-written, excellent, and satisfying thriller packed full of twists, clues, and secrets. The narrative is told through three parts, and unfolds through the point-of-view of Cam and Niall, a police detective/hostage negotiator. After a fast-paced start, the middle part slows down the pace a bit, but it also provides all manner of clues and hints to pick up. Then the pace quickly picks up again to a surprising ending. You have to set some disbelief aside while reading, but the twists, secrets, clues, and reveals are worth it.

Cam and Niall are fully realized, believable characters with strengths and flaws. Both are introspective, intelligent, thoughtful characters. The hostage situation affected both Cam and Niall over the years and as the search for Luke continued. Cam's love of reading books will resonate with many as will her devotion to Luke in spite of everything.
 
Famous Last Words is an excellent, twisty thriller. Thanks to William Morrow for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

 

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Not Who We Expected

Not Who We Expected by Lisa Black
2/25/25; 320 pages
Kensington
Locard Institute #4

Not Who We Expected by Lisa Black is a very highly recommended investigative thriller and the fourth novel in the Locard Institute series. This can be enjoyed as a standalone novel, but the whole series is definitely worth reading.

Locard Institute forensic experts Ellie Carr and Rachael Davies are contacted by legendary rock star Billy Diamond to find his missing daughter, Devon. She and her boyfriend Carlos, had left Yale six months earlier to take some time off. They went to a career development retreat called Today’s Enlightenment in Nevada and contact between Devon and Billy dwindled away to nothing. Then Carlos's body is found a few miles away from the ranch in the Truckee river and Billy wants to know his daughter is okay. 

Ellie goes undercover to join the isolated retreat and find Devon. She quickly understands that the retreat is a cult and attendees follow every word and order from their leader, Galen. In the meantime, Rachel is working with Billy to learn more about Devon and her deceased sister, Isis. Billy knew Isis and she was the reason he contacted Rachel to find his daughter.

As expected the writing is excellent and the fast-paced plot is engaging and increasingly tense. Both Ellie experiences and activities in the cult and Rachel's look into Isis's past are compelling and interesting. Ellie's experiences increasingly indicate a dangerous situation, while Rachel discovers unexpected information about her sister. Black includes an informative afterward concerning cults and additional reading material about them as well as quotes from some cult survivors at the beginning of each new section.

Ellie and Rachel are fully realized, intelligent, complex strong female characters. Having read the previous Locard Institute novels, I know these characters and their past cases but new readers should be able to easily follow the plot without this prior knowledge.

Not Who We Expected is an excellent investigative thriller and I'm eagerly anticipating another future installment of the Locard Institute series. Thanks to Kensington for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.


 

Friday, January 31, 2025

You'll Find Out

You'll Find Out by Lisa Jackson
2/25/25; 512 pages
Zebra/Kensington

You'll Find Out by Lisa Jackson is a recommended collection of two of her previously published romance novels, The Shadow of Time and Gypsy Wind. This is probably better suited for and will be appreciated more by readers who enjoy romance novels. When I see Lisa Jackson's name I'm looking for one of her suspense novels. For me she is a go-to author for novels of suspense, mysteries, and thrillers. These are well-written, but not one of my usual genres.

In The Shadow of Time, Mara, a new widow, has her true love Shane reappear. When she was pregnant, she had been told he was dead and ended up marrying another man. Now Shane is back and still wants her and his newly discovered daughter but someone is determined to sabotage their reunion.

Gypsy Wind follows Becca and her family's horse farm. Becca and Brig Chambers have a history and still both desire and distrust each other equally. This creates a tense atmosphere when he is back in her life and the past and present clash.

Romance readers might want to give this a try. Those looking for one of Jackson's thrillers can skip it. Thanks to Zebra for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Thursday, January 30, 2025

The Garden

The Garden by Nick Newman
2/18/25; 320 pages
G.P. Putnam's Sons

The Garden by Nick Newman is a highly recommended dystopian fairy tale-esque literary novel with gothic/horror elements.

Evelyn and Lily, two elderly sisters, live only in the kitchen of a decrepit manor and spend all their time caring for the garden, fruit trees, and tending the bees behind the stone walls that keep them secluded from the outside world. They have lived in isolation for years. Evelyn carefully follows the instructions of the almanac written by their mother, even though the information in it no longer resembles the world they live in where dust storms are always a threat. At the same time Lily takes the daily chores leisurely and prefers to dance or play. When a nameless young man is found hiding in the house it changes the dynamics of the relationship between the sisters.

In this eerie, slow-paced atmospheric novel it is clear from the start that something isn't entirely right with the sisters. Their life-long relationship is dysfunctional. There is character development but in their completely isolated and dystopian world their personalities are odd, childlike, and still subservient to their deceased mother orders. They are also still acting out their roles from childhood. Their deceased mother is almost another character and flashbacks to their childhood intimate she was likely abusive.

For readers many questions will quickly arise and most won't be answered. No location or time period is ever mentioned and it's likely the sisters don't know. We have no clear understanding why everything from outside the wall is to be feared. Some of the sister's ritualistic behavior is nonsensical. We know that huge dust storms can occur. We know they have been instructed to fear men. The tension increases when Evelyn begins to suspect someone is on their land, while the horror elements are slowly uncovered in a natural development of the narrative.

This is a well-written dystopian novel that has similarities to other previously published books in the same post-apocalyptic/isolated population genre, but is a unique, entertaining take on the trope.
Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Picks and Shovels

Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow
2/18/25; 400 pages
Tor Publishing
Martin Hench Novel #3

Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow is the excellent, very highly recommended period tech novel and the origin story of forensic accountant and computer security expert Martin Hench.

Martin Hench flunks out of MIT, but while there he falls in love with the emerging computer technology and programming along with all of the possibilities it represents. He also meets his friend Art, joins a group of assorted people all obsessed with programming, works for a dubious business, obtains a 2 year degree in accounting, and eventually he and Art make their way to San Francisco. There he picks up odd jobs until he talks to a predatory computer business, Fidelity Computing. He ends up working for the start-up company that was started by three of their best former saleswomen who are actively opposing Fidelity's business practices.

This is a well-written, completely compelling, detailed period drama that captures the time period and the excitement over personal computers along with the atmosphere in San Francisco and the growth of Silicon Valley as a technology hub. The pace is fast and the plot is engaging so the pages just fly by. It also confronts the very real issue of computer companies trying to lock customers into their brand alone rather than making parts (and operating systems) interchangeable.

Hench is a fully-realized, complex character with both strengths and flaws. All of the secondary characters are equally fully developed as unique individuals. Readers meet Hench at seventeen and into his early 20's while he experiences growth and learns many life lessons that will make him who he is later on in life.

This is the third book in the series, but the series has been presented in a reverse chronology so this starts in the late 1970s and continues into the early 1980s. It can be read as a standalone novel. The first novel in the series is Red Team Blues followed by The Bezzle (set in the 1990s).
Thanks to Tor Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Monday, January 27, 2025

Justice Bites

Justice Bites by James Chandler and Laura Snider
2/18/25; 314 pages
Severn River
Smith and Bauer #1

Justice Bites by James Chandler and Laura Snider is a highly recommended, gritty, legal thriller and the first novel in a new series.

Small-town lawyer Marko Bauer is an alcoholic who is consistently late so it is inevitable that he is late when meeting his new client, Nick, who is accompanied by his older cousin Allee Smith. Allee is newly released from prison where she was serving time on drug charges and needs to find a job. When she learns at the courthouse that the Yellow Lark Restaurant will hire ex-cons, she applies and encourages Nate to do the same. After working there for several weeks she knows that she needs to find something else.

Allee learns that Marko has been picked up for DWI, and will lose his drivers license so she visits him in the jail and proposes he hire her as a driver. He hires her and he also has her meet with a client he was just assigned. This begins a new beneficial partnership where they help each other and disclose a whole lot of small town corruption.

This is a fast paced legal thriller with two very flawed but intelligent protagonists who are up against a corrupt controlling family in a small Iowa town. The plot can be predictable at times but the discoveries along the way will hold your attention. You will also have to set some disbelief aside that no one ever saw or exposed the corruption as small towns are know for their gossip. It is an entertaining plot and Justice Bites will hold your attention throughout.

This seems to be the start of a new series and it will be interesting to see where it goes. The ending indicates a promising future partnership. Thanks to Severn River for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Sunday, January 26, 2025

Every Precious and Fragile Thing

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbara Davis
2/18/25; 431 pages
Lake Union Publishing

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbara Davis is a highly recommended domestic drama.

Mallory Ward is a social worker who works with at risk youth in Boston. Due to a tragic and stressful situation there, Mallory is encouraged to take time off from work. She decides to returns home to Little Harbor, Rhode Island, and stay with her mother, Helen, a death doula who cares for terminally ill clients. The two have had a tense relationship but hopefully they can mend it. 

Making Mallory's visit more complicated is that Aiden is back in town visiting his mother, Estelle, in the house next door. He was the love of her life who who broke off their wedding plans ten years ago. The two have unresolved issues.

This is an extremely well-written novel which examines the complex relationship between mothers and their children, dying with dignity, repairing broken relationships, and confronting long held secrets. The narrative is told through Mallory's point-of-view as well as Helen's which include long descriptive letters she wrote to the love of her life who is gone.

The characters are fully realized, complex, and depicted as unique individuals with strengths and flaws. The past and present experiences of these characters all contain mistakes and secrets, but they all also long for a resolution and connection. What they seek may vary depending upon the relationship, but they all must admit to or confront their past to obtain the trust and reconciliation they currently need.

There are several big reveals and twists in this family drama. One huge twist was surprising but it also required setting a large amount of disbelief aside. Helen's long letters were also a bit too lengthy at times.  Every Precious and Fragile Thing started out strong for me but lost some momentum along the way.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Friday, January 24, 2025

Falls to Pieces

Falls to Pieces by Douglas Corleone
4/1/25; 285 pages
Thomas & Mercer

Falls to Pieces by Douglas Corleone is a recommended novel of psychological suspense.

Two years ago Kati Dawes and her teenage daughter, Zoe, fled the east coast and started living under new names and off the grid in Hawaii. When Kati's fiancé, attorney Eddie Akana, disappears while they are hiking, she is a suspect. Kati is desperate to find Eddie because she can't have any media attention or photos of her publicized. Noah Walker, Eddie’s law partner, agrees to help her while Kati is the main suspect, but then Zoe disappears and Kati is frantic.

The novel, which is divided into three parts, starts out at an even pace as Kati is worried about finding Eddie and also concerned about hiding her real identity. There are switches in the narrative between Kati, Zoe's private thoughts, and flashbacks to the past they are running from. The pace takes off and explodes during the last part of the novel when the number of secrets and twisted ties between characters and the action increases.

It does feel like the story was being told rather than naturally developing during several sections of the narrative. Part of the novel also ties in a wide variety of different subjects and current buzz words while following several different trails. There are numerous twists at the end, some of which readers might have suspected and some were surprises.

I actually enjoyed the novel more at the beginning and my enjoyment lessened as I kept reading. It could be over the massive amount of disbelief that kept creeping into my thoughts while reading.
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger
2/25/25; 384 pages
Park Row Books

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger is a very highly recommended locked-room mystery/thriller. Unger is one of my automatically read authors and she delivers an excellent novel again!

Adele Crane and her two teenage children, Violet and Blake, have been struggling since her husband Miller disappeared along with millions of dollars he embezzled from his company five years ago. Now Blake has told her about a streaming reality competition called Extreme Hide and Seek run by adventurer Maverick (Mav) Dillan. The prize is a million dollars, something that would really help Adele and her children. Adele has had some success online as a health influencer, so she applies and makes the team.

Mav and his team are holding the competition on the remote Falcão Island, at the site of an abandoned, dilapidated resort that is on the verge of collapsing. Adele's competitors are Malinka, a famous young mountain climber, and Wild Cody, a former kid's show host. Once Adele arrives, she can see there are internal struggles with Maverick's team. Complicating matter further is a huge storm heading for the island and a mysterious old woman, with muscular enforcers accompanying her, is warning them to leave.

This is exactly the well written and plotted mystery I needed. Once the plot is set up in this multifaceted, complex, and engrossing locked-room mystery/thriller, the action takes off at a fast pace. I was engrossed throughout. You think it's going to be a hide and seek game, but it is so much dangerous and becomes a fight for survival. There are so many secrets as the sense of dread rises with each page - and for multiple characters. Everyone is live-streaming leading up to the game increasing the tension as the views matter and determine success.

The narrative unfolds through the point-of-view of several different characters, including Adele, her children, Maverick, his girlfriend Angeline, and more. Adele is a fully realized character and you will be supporting her all the way. All the other characters are also portrayed as realistic, complicated individuals with secrets and shortcomings.

It is so enjoyable to read a well-plotted and executed mystery/thriller that doesn't feel like every other thriller out there. Thanks to Park Row Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

The Unforgetting

The Unforgetting by Bonnie Traymore
2/11/25; 288 pages
Pathways Publishing

The Unforgetting by Bonnie Traymore is a highly recommended psychological thriller where secrets from the past haunt the present.

Reagan is struggling with postpartum when buried memories from ten years ago are trying to resurface. At a raging party ten years ago her friend Lanie was found the next day dead at the bottom of a ravine. Reagan's memories of the night are blurry because she was wasted and doesn't remember much from that night. But now she feels like she is remembering bits and pieces from the night. Then Ella invites Reagan and others to a gathering of remembrance and healing at her family's cabin in the Adirondacks where the death occurred. Reagan attends with hopes that it will help her recover her memories.

This is a fast-paced, quick read. As one would predict, the reunion is tense and uncomfortable, and the buried memories are disturbing. There isn't a lot of character development beyond that of Reagan, which is perfunctory. The rest of the characters are quickly slotted into their roles into the entertaining but familiar narrative trope. 

The good news is that the swift pace, high tension, and low page count will keep your interest high throughout. Thanks to Pathways Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Monday, January 20, 2025

Nothing Ever Happens Here

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass
2/11/25; 304 pages
Graydon House/Harlequin

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass is a recommended novel following two mysteries in a small Minnesota town.

Shelby and Mackenzie are best friends. The night Shelby survives an attempted murder is the same night Mack's husband, Leo, disappears. Fifteen months later, Leo is still missing and Shelby thought she was safe - until she receives a threatening note. Then a group of senior citizens, led by Florence, decide to investigate and discuss the cases along with another suspected murder on a podcast, which quickly goes viral, increasing the threats to Shelby. At the same time Mack is dealing with the financial mess Leo left behind.

This mystery involving Shelby's attacker and the disappearance of Leo were both interesting, however, the incompetence of the police was disappointing. The even-paced narrative has the feeling of a cozy mystery, especially after the farcical seniors enter the picture.  The ending is satisfying, although not entirely unexpected.

This novel is a good choice if you enjoy a group of wacky seniors crime solving and can set a major dose of disbelief aside. After the first unlikely occurrence which happens early on I was bothered. Then the (annoying) seniors entered the picture and from that point on the novel was just okay for me. The plot might have held my attention more if the group of seniors were left out.

Thanks to Graydon House/Harlequin for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Sunday, January 19, 2025

Once You Were Mine

Once You Were Mine by Elizabeth Langston
2/11/25; 363 pages
Lake Union Publishing

Once You Were Mine by Elizabeth Langston is a highly recommended family drama following characters in dual time periods while exploring DNA testing and changing societal attitudes.

In 1968 seventeen-year-old Molly Mitchell is pregnant and her parents send her away to an abusive "maternity home." She is mistreated, shamed and condemned at the facility with the goal of coercing her into signing adoption papers. Her roommate there, Gwen, becomes a lifelong friend. After she leaves the home she works hard to make a life for herself.

In the present day Allison Garrett takes a DNA test and makes some startling discoveries. Because her mother was adopted, her background was a mystery. The results of the test show that Allison is closely related to her best friend, Bree. They are cousins. This sets into motion a search for answers and the truth in both families.

This is an even paced family drama that alternates between the two different time periods. It demonstrates the difference between a time when family secrets could be hidden and the current time when almost everything can be discovered and exposed. Although the genealogical research and ancestry question is the main story line, there are also several other subplots that are followed.

The characters in both timelines are fully realized and portrayed as complicated realistic individuals. Molly's story is basically the trauma she experienced at seventeen and then the life she made for herself afterward. The story of Allison and Bree follow complications in their daily lives along with the ancestry question, which shakes up both families and leads to tangled emotions.

The novel starts out strong but does lose some energy in the middle. There were some ancillary subplots that could have been eliminated to tighten up the novel. Additionally, the maternity home was certainly a real thing years ago and adds a highly emotional hook to the plot, but that was not a universal experience of all pregnant teens. Honestly, many families can look into their history and find complications and secrets.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Friday, January 17, 2025

Not Our Daughter

Not Our Daughter by Chad Zunker
2/11/25; 240 pages
Thomas & Mercer 

Not Our Daughter by Chad Zunker is a highly recommended novel of suspense following a family on the run.

Greg and Amy Olsen were going to adopt the baby they were fostering, Marcy, when the court gave the birth mother, Candace, custody. That night Candace turns up at their house, covered in blood, and begs for them to immediately run away and save Marcy because "He's coming here... for her." She dies on their doorstep and Greg and Amy went on the run to protect their daughter. Thirteen years later they are living under the radar as Cole and Lisa Shipley and daughter Jade in a small Colorado town.

When Cole withdrawals money from a Cayman Islands account to treat Jade’s scoliosis. Since they were suspected in the death of Candace, the account was being monitored so the withdrawal triggers a new FBI manhunt. FBI agent Mark Burns, who was on the original case, is immediately in pursuit. Making their situation more perilous is the fact that the man who killed Candace is now also hunting for them.

This is a well-written, classic cat and mouse trope of pursuit and escape. Here an innocent family is on the run being pursued by the known and unknown. They have to use their wits and attention to details to evade being captured while sending evidence of their innocence to the FBI. You'll be cheering the family on and hope they can escape the clutches of the FBI, police, and the mystery man.

The plot moves at a lightning fast pace and the tension is high right to the end. The short page counts make this a quick read that will keep you engaged throughout. It can be a bit predictable, but there are more surprises and twists along the way that will keep your interest high.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Blood Ties

Blood Ties by Jo Nesbo
2/11/25; 384 pages
Knopf Doubleday
Kongeriket #2
 
Blood Ties by Jo Nesbo is a very highly recommended chilling and suspenseful Nordic noir/crime fiction and the sequel to 2020's The Kingdom. This can be read as a standalone but reading the first book in the series does add more to the complex back story. Robert Ferguson is the translator.

Brothers Carl and Roy Opgard are on their way to being moguls in the small Norwegian town of Os. Carl (mis)manages the area’s successful spa and hotel and has plans to expand while Roy owns an auto repair shop and convenience store. Roy plans to get financing to buy land and open an amusement park with the world’s largest wooden roller coaster and Carl also wants money to finance his plans. Threatening their success is a new highway to be built nearby, bypassing Os and taking tourist dollars away from them.

Roy must shrewdly (and violently) handle the situation and find a way to prevent the bypass from happening. At the same time Sheriff Kurt Olsen is determined to present new evidence linking the Opgard brothers to old crimes. Adding to the complexities is the return of Natalie Moe, who Roy rescued years ago as a teenager. Natalie is now in charge of marketing for the spa and showing an interest in Roy, which is mutual.

The slow-burning start helps set up the various schemes and plans the Opgard brothers have and also serves as a way to establish the character's role and history in their relationship. There are a lot of moving parts in the plot. There is no doubt that Roy is a killer and can resort to violence, but he is one with his own deliberate standards. His role is to be the enforcer for any plans he and Carl have. As the older brother he feels it is his job to protect Carl. This care isn't always reciprocated. The second half of the novel picks up the pace and the complexities, keeping you glued to the pages.

As expected the writing is excellent, capturing the atmosphere while portraying various characters as unique individuals. The brothers are connected by blood, as the title refers to, and Roy takes this burden on as his most important role. Carl abusing this tie to his benefit. Roy must confront the question how far does loyalty and family ties go. Those who read and enjoyed The Kingdom will definitely want to read Blood Ties.

Thanks to Knopf Doubleday for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Tell Me You Trust Me

Tell Me You Trust Me by Elle Owens
2/11/25; 301 pages
Thomas & Mercer

Tell Me You Trust Me by Elle Owens is a highly recommended debut mystery/thriller following a woman's search for her missing husband.

As he was leaving in the morning her husband Ethan implored Marissa to trust him. Now Ethan has disappeared, leaving Marissa and their eighteen-month-old son Logan behind. She contacts the police and her family is there to support and help her, but they are more demeaning to her than comforting. When she turns to the playlist she shared with Ethan, she sees a new song added by Ethan, "Trust Me," and the two begin to communicate through song titles. 

Ethan worked for her father, who subsequently presented her with evidence that Ethan was having an affair. Marissa doesn't know what to believe, after her brother Peter privately pointed out that their father has fabricated videos before. As her parents become increasingly controlling and dismissing of her capabilities, Marissa manages to slowly uncover the incriminating documents Ethan was hiding from her as well as the surveillance devices installed by her family.

Once I started reading Tell Me You Trust Me it was impossible to stop. Communicating through song titles was unique and the mystery was increasingly interesting as the plot unfolded. Following Marissa as she discovers new clues held my complete attention. There are a whole lot of hidden clues and evidence along the way. 
 
Admittedly, you have to suspend some disbelief, which I easily did, and the identity of the antagonists is clear early in the novel. Don't expect any shocking twists. The fast pace along with the amount of clues and evidence she discovers will hold your attention, which makes up for the lack of twists.

Marissa does experience growth in the novel and manages to care for and protect her son through the whole ordeal. It is satisfying to see her finally get a backbone and stand up for herself, however some of her cluelessness can be challenging to understand. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

 

Monday, January 13, 2025

End of August

End of August by Paige Dinneny
2/11/25; 320 pages
Alcove Press

End of August by Paige Dinneny is a very highly recommended literary family drama and coming-of-age story. This is an excellent, beautifully written debut and I look forward to Dinneny's next novel.

It's 1979 and fifteen-year-old Aurora Taylor and her nomadic mother, Laine, are heading back to Monroe, Indiana, to be with Gran because her Grandpa Jay has died. Years ago Jay helped Gran (Katherine) stop drinking and was admired by the community and loved by Aurora. Laine and Gran, however, always clash, so Aurora assumes this will be a quick visit, a fight will erupt between the two, and Laine will have them pack up and move again. Laine's MO is to always run away. Aurora has lived in eighteen different towns and attended thirteen different schools.

Once there, however, Laine begins an affair with a married mailman, so the two stay in Monroe. This gives Aurora time to actually make a best friend, while falling in love with Gran, the town, and her first boyfriend, the pastor's son Harry. Aurora knows that once her mother's affair ends, things will explode and Laine will want them to pack up and move again. Aurora wants to stay in Monroe but she also knows her mother's actions will reflect on her and may sabotage all her dreams.

The writing is excellent in End of August. Once I started reading I was immediately captivated by Aurora's story of her dysfunctional family, personal trauma, and the itinerant life she has been living. The narrative explores demanding mother-daughter multi-generational relationships and a longing for security and inclusion. The beautifully rendered prose within the even paced plot depicts the various characters while creating a sense of time and place. The complexities of family relationships along with personal trauma is handled with compassion and insight.

Aurora is a fully realized, complicated, sympathetic character and you will wish the best for her as she negotiates her troublesome life. As she approaches her sixteenth birthday, Aurora is mature enough to understand that she craves stability, something she has never experienced before as her mother's emotional instability and selfishness has never actually taken into account what would be best for Aurora. She loves having a best friend and accepts both her strength and flaws. She also has established a good relationship with Gran, seeing her start drinking again after Jay's death and then later stopping. Harry is also a wonderful character.

End of August is a wonderful coming-of-age story that you will remember. Thanks to Alcove for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Saturday, January 11, 2025

This Is a Love Story

This Is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer
2/4/25; 304 pages
Penguin/Dutton 

This Is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer is the highly recommended literary New York City story which covers decades of a marriage and family, while also serving as an ode to Central Park. The chapters are told from the point-of-view of each person and that of the park.

Central Park has been part of the lives and marriage of Abe and Jane for fifty years. The park witnesses their love, struggles, emotions, depression, and frustration. Now Jane, an accomplished artist, is dying from cancer, and Abe, a successful author, is recount their lives and relationship, every little memory, beginning with when they met. Next chapters unfold from the point of view of Alice, a graduate student who falls in love with Abe. The story of Max, the son of Abe and Jane comes next. He resents his mother, avoids relationships and is also well acquainted with the park. The narrative then moves back to Abe and Jane.

The narrative captures the complexity and intimacy of each person's story. There are parts of the novel that are quite touching, insightful, and poignant. There are beautifully written sections, but I can't say that about the whole novel. This Is a Love Story has a whole lot of potential but I struggled with the style of the writing. Then, once I was getting into the cadence of it, the switch in characters happened and I had to attend to a new characters emotions. 

I appreciate the story and the intense emotions, but the writing was a turn-off for me. These might have worked better as interconnected short stories with a clear delineation between them. 3.5 rounded up. Thanks to Penguin/Dutton for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

 

Friday, January 10, 2025

North of Ordinary

North of Ordinary by John Rolfe Gardiner
1/14/25; 224 pages
Bellevue Literary Press 

North of Ordinary by John Rolfe Gardiner is an exceptionally well-written, very highly recommended collection of ten short stories. The introduction is written by Christopher Benfey and the illustrations are by Maria Nicklin.

All the stories in this collection are character studies of a variety of characters across a span of different years. The insightful writing handles the failures and struggles of his characters in a thoughtful, profound manner, revealing moments in their individual lives with discernment. As with any short story collection some stories will resonate with different readers more than others, but as a whole this is an exquisite collection that most readers will greatly appreciate.

The stories include: 
Tree Men: a college student takes time off and works for a tree service.
North of Ordinary: a man remembers a flirtation with a female classmate at a strict Christian college
Freak Corner: the narrator reflects on what his deaf sister and a transgender neighbor experienced at the hands of the neighborhood bullies, the Knox brothers, in the 1950s.
Their Grandfather's Clock: a grandfather along with his younger second wife visit his daughter and her family.
Virgin Summer: a young man on a student-exchange trip to France is taken as a last minute exchange of host families to a villa and experiences some historical and social enlightenment.
The Man from Trenton: a writer with his wife on an Amtrak quiet car are beset with a loud man on speakerphone and a confrontation ensues.
The Voice of the Valley:  the postmortem tale of an ambitious and wily women who bought a tiny radio station.
Familiars: two couples who’ve taken vacations at a North Carolina beach house together for 17 years find their friendship begins to wear thin.
In the Time of Magic: a man who is a university's returning scholar after a five year gap shares his story with another older student.
Survival: Lester, a frail elderly man, recounts the story of each house he passes as he walks to a graveyard.

Gardiner is truly a master maker of sentences. Thanks to Bellevue Literary Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via LibraryThing. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

 

Thursday, January 9, 2025

Open Season

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman
2/4/25; 288 pages
Ballantine Books
Alex Delaware #40

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman is a very highly recommended procedural and the fortieth novel set in LA featuring Psychologist Alex Delaware joining Homicide Detective Milo Sturgis in an investigation.

The body of a young woman who was drugged and murdered is dumped near an emergency clinic. As soon as they seen to be narrowing in on a suspect, the man is found murdered, shot in the neck by a bullet with a full metal jacket from a .308 rifle. A sniper is suspected, but who and how does it tie to the murdered young woman. Soon, based on the weapon used, the case expands to previous incidents with similarities.

As expected, the writing is excellent, the pace is fast, and the journey to the finding the killer is compelling. Following the investigation to the different cases, directions, and questions that arise with the detectives is intriguing. All of this is naturally accompanied by Alex's keen insights that assist in discovering what is really going on with these cases. It is a pleasure to follow the disclosure of new information and where each new clue leads the team.

At this point, fans of the series know these characters well and what to expect from them. For anyone not following the series, this can be enjoyed as a standalone procedural. You won't have the history, but you will still be able to appreciate the twists the investigation takes on the way to a surprising final denouement.

Thanks to Random House/Ballentine Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Amorphous Breaking the Mold

 Amorphous Breaking the Mold by Steven Burgess
1/1/24; 338 pages
sbgbooks.com

Amorphous Breaking the Mold by Steven Burgess is a recommended quirky, unique science fiction novel told through the dialogue of the characters. The group of characters are a diverse mix - all of them with distinct personalities. It all starts when an object from outer space crashes into a restaurant at a golf course and releases a pulsating yell ooze.

The plot, such as it is, all unfolds through the dialogue of the characters who all display unique personalities and can be entertaining, humorous and absurd. They are also caricatures of a type of person rather than fully realized individuals. There are some informative chapters about slime mold before the slime mold hits.

This novel perplexes me. I think I would actually enjoy it as written more as a performance piece. If the description pointed this out ahead of time I wouldn't have been expecting the science fiction novel I expected to be encountering. With all the dialogue and interaction between characters, I think it could work as a TV show or film. As a science fiction novel it failed for me. The alien doesn't arrive until later in the novel. If I'm reading sci-fi I want the alien encounter front and center, and a lot of real action accompanying some hard facts directly in the story.  

Thanks to sbgbooks for providing me with an advance reader's copy via LibraryThing. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

 

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Johnny Careless

Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade
1/28/25: 240 pages
Celadon Books

Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade is a highly recommended procedural and the debut novel of a veteran screen writer and showrunner for Blue Bloods.

Police Chief Jeep Mullane has returned to head up the small police department in his hometown on Long Island’s North Shore after working at the NYPD, as his father did. Jeep is used to being the blue collar guy among the wealthy. His best friend growing up was Johnny Chambliss, nicknamed Johnny Careless, son of the elite Chambliss family. When a body washes up on a beach in Bayville, Jeep can immediately identify him from the tattoo on his ankle. Jeep has a matching tattoo so he knows it is his friend Johnny.

Mourning the loss of his friend, Jeep is also questioning what happened to Johnny and, since he can't investigate the death, undertakes his own investigation into Johnny's death. Jeep knows many of his friends secrets and the corruption among the wealthy elite and eventually has a colleague give him clues to follow. At the same time he is under pressure from the local mayors to break up an organized gang who are target stealing expensive cars in the area.

The well-written narrative moves between the present day action to flashbacks from Jeep's past following incidents, many involving Johnny, that are spaced about a year apart, leading up the the present. This develops both the characters of Jeep and Johnny, while showcasing their friendship and how it changed over the years. Since Jeep knew Johnny's family, he is privy to inside information and has insight into their characters too. 

As the even-paced plot unfolds, there is a lot of political and societal expectations heaped upon Jeep's shoulders. This is an intricate mystery that has many moving parts that don't all connect as expected, but it does reach a satisfying conclusion. Johnny Careless is a police drama that is a quick read and compelling throughout.

Thanks to Celadon Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.