Lies by T. M. Logan
St. Martin's Press: 9/11/18
eBook review copy; 432 pages
ISBN-13:
9781250182265
Lies by T. M. Logan is a recommended psychological thriller that features a tangle of lies to uncover.
Joe Lynch and his 4-year-old son, William, are heading home when William
sees his mother's car. Joe assumes his wife, Mel, is meeting a client,
but impulsively decides to follow her so the two can say hello. When
they enter the Premier Inn,
instead of a client they see Mel in the hotel bar, arguing with her best
friend's
husband, Ben Delaney. Joe hustle's William back out to the parking
garage where they wait for Mel, but she leaves quickly without seeing
them, so Joe confronts Ben, who begins pushing him. Joe pushes back, and
Ben falls. Before he can summon help, William has an asthma attack and
he decides to get help for his son. When he checks back later, Ben is
gone, so Joe is assuming he is fine.
But later when he asks Mel about the meeting, she lies. Later she admits
it, but lies again. And then it appears that Ben is now taunting Joe
and trying to cause trouble, but Ben has disappeared, leaving his wife
behind. From this point on the novel is a tangled web of people
continuously lying, and amending their lies to new lies, and then
changing those lies. Let's just say everyone is lying all the time, you
can't trust anyone, and one of these liars is trying to ruin Joe’s
life.
The narrative in Lies covers an eight day period when Joe's world
is turned upside down and he must uncover the truth. It is certainly a
twisting tale of deceit and has an addictive start. After that it also
becomes a tad bit slow-moving and the lies aren't as shocking as they
continue. Once you realize there has been one big lie, and then that
morphs in to another big lie and then... Well, most people, even the
most trusting of souls, would have an inkling about the lies long before
the first one is told.
Joe is an appealing character and you will be rooting for him. He is a
good father and devoted spouse. Logan does an excellent job capturing
the emotional roller coaster Joe is going through while trying to find
the truth. However, I couldn't help but think as the plot unfolded that
Joe should have picked up on a few more clues along the way and noticed
what was happening so the current situation wouldn't be quite as
shocking as it is for him.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Press
via Netgalley.
In Her Bones by Kate Moretti
Atria Books: 9/4/18
eBook review copy; 320 pages
ISBN-13:
9781501166471
In Her Bones by Kate Moretti is a highly recommended mystery/suspense novel about a woman on the run trying to uncover the truth.
Edie Beckett, 30, is just trying to live her life out of the spotlight.
Fifteen years ago, her mother, Lilith Wade, was convicted of murdering
six women, and sentenced to death row. The media frenzy continued after
the release of the unauthorized biography by an unknown author. Edie is a
recovering alcoholic who keeps to herself, has a co-dependent
relationship with her brother, and an unhealthy obsession with the
surviving family members of Lilith's victims. She keeps notebooks on
their personal information, stalks them online (and in person if
possible).
Edie's current obsession is
Peter Lipsky, whose wife was fatally stabbed by Lilith. She's stalking
him online, through a survivor's message board, and collecting
information about him and his late wife, Colleen. Colleen's murder is
the one that doesn't fit the profile of Lilith's other victims. When
Edie meets Peter during one of her reconnaissance missions, she ends up
drinking too much and and goes home with him. She leaves before he wakes
up, but is later found murdered that morning. She doesn't remember much
of the night and now she is the prime suspect for his murder. Edie goes
on the run while trying to uncover what really happened and who killed
Peter.
Edie is a sympathetic, fleshed-out character and the main narrator in
the book, although there are also excerpts from the biography of Lilith
included and a few from Gil Brandt, the detective who caught Lilith, but
also helped Edie. As the novel unfolds, Edie reminisces about her
troubled childhood with Lilith while dealing with her current situation.
Edie is also clearly a damaged character, and much of this began in her
childhood with Lilith.
While on the run rather than talking to detectives, she does make some
questionable/interesting choices along the way and has a few stumbles.
In her own way, she is a resourceful, smart, and street savvy character.
She is clever enough to evade being caught while trying to ferret out
the truth about Peter's murder, which also requires her to look back at
his wife's murder. Was Lilith responsible for it or is there another
killer running loose out there and could Edie now be a target?
I found this to be a well-written, compelling mystery (rather than
thriller). The pace is even, rather than fast, until the end, but the
steps Edie takes and her reasoning is interesting enough to keep your
attention. In Her Bones held my attention throughout. Although I
had all manner of guesses and suspects, I didn't have a clue about the
ending until just before it happened. Nicely played Moretti!
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Atria Books
via Netgalley.
Three Little Lies by Laura Marshall
Grand Central Publishing: 9/4/18
eBook review copy; 352 pages
ISBN-13:
9781478948568
Three Little Lies by Laura Marshall is a highly recommended mystery told over two time periods.
In 2017 30-year-old journalist Ellen Mackinnon reports to police that
her friend and roommate, Sasha North, is missing. Both of the young
women had received threatening letters from a man in their past, Daniel
Monkton, who was released from prison five years ago. Is he in London?
If he is, then both women might have a reason to fear for their safety
based on the events that happened twelve years ago on New Year's Eve.
Ellen must dig into Sasha's friends and the past to try and uncover what
happened to her.
In 2005 the glamorous Monkton's moved into Ellen's neighborhood. Ellen
and Karina, her best friend at that time, were both 17 and obsessed with
them. The family had two handsome teenage sons, Daniel and Nicholas.
The mother, Olivia, was a famous opera singer, while their father, Tony,
was a musician, and their goddaughter, Sasha, is a beautiful teen the
same age as Ellen and Karina. Ellen and Sasha soon become fast friends,
with Karina on the periphery. Ellen loves the family, and especially
Olivia who provides her with a life-long love of music. But then the
events of New Year's Eve happen when Karina claims Daniel raped her.
The novel opens in July 2007 with Olivia at Daniel's trial for rape, so
you know that this is going to transpire. Ellen is the main narrator of
the novel, past and present, with additional chapters from the
perspective of Olivia and Karina. The story is told through current
events and those that started back in 2005. The flashbacks through
Ellen's point-of-view help flesh out the characters and make Ellen a
sympathetic character. It is a bit difficult to comprehend Ellen's
frantic search for Sasha, when it becomes clear that Sasha is not the
most reliable character. Ellen is almost too desperate in her search for
Sasha. It seems that after years of being her friend she should already
have a few clues and more insight into Sasha's personality. You can
like a person and still acknowledge that they have flaws and
shortcomings.
In the end, Three Little Lies is an immensely readable,
well-written novel and you will find yourself desperate to discover what
happened years ago and if it has some impact on Sasha's disappearance.
Marshall does an excellent job increasing the tension incrementally to
keep you on the edge of your seat while reading. Likely you will also be
looking for the three lies, although at the final tally, there are more
than three.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Grand Central Publishing
via Netgalley.
When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica
Park Row Books; 9/4/18
eBook review copy; 336 pages
ISBN-13:
9780778330783
When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica is a so-so novel of psychological suspense.
Jessie Sloane's mother, Eden, dies from cancer and now she must try to
continue on with her life after spending her teen years, since she was
15, caring for her mom. When the college she has applied to informs her
that her social security number belongs to a 3-year-old girl who died 17
years ago, she needs to find her social security
card, but can't. Jessie can't even find her birth certificate and she
doesn't have any other identification, like a driver's license. Eden
never told her the name of her father, so Jessie is running out of
options. She is also struggling with insomnia, which is causing
hallucinations and paranoia.
Between Jessie's narrative are flashbacks from Eden's past, beginning in
1996. Eden and her husband were newlyweds in 1996 and wanted to start a
family. Soon her inability to conceive became an obsession for Eden and
led to more expensive medical intervention to assist them. Her
obsession becomes increasingly unhealthy and threatens her marriage.
The quality of the writing is great, but the actual plot, not so much. I
struggled to get through this novel and kept talking back to the
plot/action because it didn't make sense. The ending, which was likely
supposed to explain all the things I was upset with in the novel only
resulted in pure disgust and reduced my rating to 2 stars. (It is 2
stars because Kubica gets 1 for her writing ability. Great writer; bad
plot device.) Saying anything about the extremely disappointing "twist"
at the end will ruin the novel for others, but I feel like it was a lazy
ending. When the ending technique used here has been tried in other
circumstances, it is consistently a hit or miss for people. This was a
total miss for me.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Park Row Books.
Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia
Atria/Emily Bestler Books: 9/4/18
eBook review copy; 336 pages
ISBN-13:
9781501177361
Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia is a highly recommended character driven novel of suspense.
Maya Stark, 23, works as a speech therapist at the Congdon Psychiatric
Facility in Duluth, Minnesota, but she is also a young woman with a
past. Her mother, Jane, left home and abandoned her when Maya was 10.
While her father did the best he could, Maya fell into a rough crowd
after that. She also was a patient at Congdon at one time. But after
that she pulled herself together, attended college, received her degree,
and got her position at Congdon.
When 19-year-old Lucas
Blackthorn is admitted to Congdon after a burglary attempt it makes the
news because Lucas disappeared along with his father, Josiah, ten years
ago while camping in the Boundary Waters area in Northern Minnesota and
Canada. They were presumed dead, but here is Lucas, alive and well,
although at the hospital because he is uncommunicative - until he meets
Maya and seems to recognize her. Their first encounter is violent, but
they eventually form a truce and begin to connect. She learns that
Josiah is still alive, maybe, and Lucas was just trying to get him help.
Lucas, however will not tell her where they were living.
While the narrative follows present day Maya and Lucas, it also reveals
the backstory of Maya and Josiah, which makes for some very compelling
intense reading. There are some similarities between Maya and Lucas's
stories, but also many differences. You can see the motivation behind
their actions and thought processes. They are both flawed characters;
loners, wary, but also survivors. Maya is a brilliant but flawed
character and I was fascinated by her
even while I was thinking, "No, don't do that - bad choice!" Maya's
background is much more troubled and brutal, but Lucas's survivalist
background living alone with his father in the Boundary Waters through
the brutal winters you know had to require determination, tenacity, and
skill.
Mejia knows how to write an exceptional story and she has given us another very good suspense novel with Leave No Trace. The plot is taunt and riveting with enough action to keep the steady pace moving. The backstory and character development in Leave No Trace set
it apart and makes the novel a riveting story. Yes, there are a few
moments where you will question Maya's choices and others where you will
have to suspend disbelief; but, setting that aside, I know I sat down
to read Leave No Trace and finished it that night.
The setting in the Boundary Waters resonated with me because I actually
was on a camping and canoeing trip there years ago. I could picture the
maps of the area (or dig out my old one) and clearly see how someone
could disappear in the area wilderness.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Atria/Emily Bestler Books.
Lake Success by Gary Shteyngart
Penguin Random House: 9/4/18
eBook review copy; 352 pages
ISBN-13:
9780812997415
Lake Success by Gary Shteyngart is a highly recommended thought-provoking tale of a mid-life crisis.
Hedge-fund manager Barry Cohen has packed his suitcase full of
expensive watches (and no change of clothes) and is running away from
home via Greyhound. There are several reasons for Barry's exit: he is
drunk; he had a fight with his wife, Seema; he is distressed over his
son's diagnosis of autism; and he is facing a SEC investigation. His
decision to run away has turned into a goal of finding his old
college sweetheart and creating a good story for his future biography.
Barry is in parts self-deluded and self-important, but with an
inferiority complex. He is out of touch with how regular Americans live,
but he taught himself how to make friends when he was in junior high
and these techniques that have served him well while making his millions
should work when relating to regular people too. He even throws away
his cell phone and credit cards. Barry's odyssey on Greyhound buses
takes him across America, from New York City
to Baltimore, Richmond, Raleigh, Atlanta, El Paso, Phoenix,
and San Diego.
Seema is seething. She's angry at Barry's departure and is overwhelmed
with their three-year-old son Shiva's diagnosis. She is a very
intelligent younger woman
and first generation Indian American
who left her law career for Barry. Now she is trying to keep track of
all the therapists who work with Shiva. She begins an affair with their
downstairs neighbor, a writer named Luis Goodman. Barry and Seema were
having dinner with Luis and his wife, Julianna, the evening of the fight
with Seema that marked Barry's decision to leave.
The narrative follows both Barry and Seema's lives in alternating
chapters. While writing about what they are experiencing, it is also
clear that Shteyngart is capturing the basic inability it is for various
people/groups to understand what others are enduring based on
abilities, income, sex, race, age, profiling, success, etc. The bulk of Lake Success
is set in the summer of 2016 just before Trump is elected President, so
it also depicts the differences voiced by supporters on both sides of
the political divide, with the main focus being pro- and anti-Trump
discussions. It should also be noted that it appears that Barry himself
is likely on the spectrum, undiagnosed and highly functioning, but
still.
While well-written, I vacillated back and forth on how I actually felt
about the story - after all I read books for entertainment, not just for
the literary merit. Parts of the novel are very entertaining,
heart-breaking, and revealing. There are funny and insightful moments.
Other parts, much like the endless miles spent riding the bus, were a
bit-too-drawn-out. Barry doesn't really experience growth on his
Kerouac-like bus trip or come to any life-changing self-awareness.
We also have two imperfect characters and they are both struggling,
although with very different questions. It is difficult to see Barry
leave his son with Seema for his own selfish misguided trip. He is,
ultimately, a rather lost man who has too much wealth observing those
around him. But on the other hand, Seema also does some selfish actions.
I did love Seema's father and his connection to Shiva. There is so
much to this novel and I think I need some more thinking time before I
settle on a final rating - one of the best of the year or just a very
good novel. Hmmmm. I'm going with 4 stars for now just based on the
general disagreeableness of the characters.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.
Better Times by Sara Batkie
University of Nebraska Press: 9/1/18
eBook review copy; 156 pages
paperback ISBN-13:
9781496207876
Better Times by Sara Batkie is a highly recommended collection of
nine short stories and the winner of the Prairie Schooner Book Prize in
Fiction.
The stories in the collection are divided into three parts, with four
stories set in the past, four from the present, and one set in the
future. All of the stories feature women or girls, and the experiences
or an event they have already gone through in their lives. They are
facing depression, uncertain futures, trials or illness and must find
their way through the world with the baggage they have already
collected.
The writing is quite extraordinary and it is clear why this is an
award-winning collection. As with any compilation of short stories,
there are hits and misses based on the tastes of individual readers, but
it is safe to say that the majority of the stories in this short
collection were winners for me.
Part One: The Recent Past
When Her Father Was an Island: A
Japanese girl's father is declared MIA after WWII. While she learns to
live without him, he continues to serve his country and fight the battle
on an unnamed island.
Laika: It is 1957 and a girl in a home for trouble women contemplates the fate of Laika, the first dog in space.
Foreigners: Rebecca, a depressed, divorced mother with a recalcitrant,
delinquent teenage son watches out her front window as her Russian
neighbor, Anya Demidov, is being arrested. Anya and her husband are
being charged with espionage.
No Man’s Land: It is the first summer of Desert Storm and Lucinda, 8,
and her sister Addie, 6, are living in Fort Dix, N.J. where their father
is a senior drill sergeant. It is also the summer her parent's
separated.
Part Two: The Modern Age
Cleavage: Nan, 28, has a mastectomy and struggles with her sexuality along with feeling her phantom removed breast.
North Country, Early Morning: Grace narrates the story of the night two
masked armed men planned to rob the emergency room. When the drug
delivery is delayed, they force everyone who is working into a
stockroom.
Departures: Betsey likes to snoop through the mail of her neighbor,
Fabienne, which is how she comes into the possession of the funeral
announcement.
Lookaftering: A young woman, Louisa, gives birth to three eggs in a pale lilac color, and undertakes taking care of them.
Part Three: The World to Come
Those Who Left and Those Who Stayed: The ground beneath Sherwood, Alaska
split in two, breaking a piece off into the ocean. The nine townspeople
who are now stuck on the ice floe struggle with their uncertain
survival.
Disclosure:
My review copy was courtesy of the University of Nebraska Press.
