The Deepest Black

The Deepest Black by Randall Silvis
8/16/22; 320 pages
Poison Pen Press

The Deepest Black by Randall Silvis is a very highly recommended metafiction true crime memoir where Silvis is the main character.

When Silvis can't come up with the idea for a new novel he just happens to meet a stranger at a buffet who tells him about a murder case in a nearby small town in Pennsylvania’s rural Mercer County. Thomas Kennaday tells him some vague details about a local mystery involving an abandoned baby and the shooting deaths of two adults and a child. Then he mentions a young woman who will have more details, Phoebe, a resident of the house where the shootings occurred. The problem is that she only reveals small portions of the story as dictated by Kennaday, and there is much more going on that is apparent in her comments. This sends Silvis on a quest to uncover what really happened and why Kennaday told him about it.

Written like a true crime story this odd genre bending novel follows the plot of a true crime novel and a mystery but also veers off into supernatural. Silvis is the main character and narrator. I may be an outlier, but I though it was not only totally engrossing, but un-put-downable. Sure there are references to various collusions, unknown sections of alphabet agencies, an abuse ring, inexplicable events, spirituality, UFOs, oppression, mind control, men in black, and more, but it all made sense within the narrative. I appreciated his honest opinions about events he is observing in the novel.

Obviously, this is a novel that will work brilliantly for some readers and not for others.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Poison Pen Press via NetGalley.

The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream

The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream by Jeannie Zusy
9/20/22; 320 pages
Atria Books

The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream by Jeannie Zusy is a highly recommended novel that explores the relationship between sisters and the complications that can arise from being the caretaker for one of your siblings.

Maggie Frederick, the youngest of three sisters, realizes that it is up to her to take on the care of Ginny, her diabetic older sister with intellectual disabilities after Ginny nearly died from sepsis. Their oldest sister, Betsy, is off living in California. Ginny must be moved from Maryland to a nursing facility near Maggie's home in New York and her surly dog must move in with Maggie and her pets. Ginny, who is now in a wheelchair, is uncooperative, refuses to follow the rules, and won't curtail her sugar consumption.

As she tries to deal with Ginny's truculence over her care and health, Maggie is also trying to work her freelancing job, raise her son still at home, and deal with her separation from her husband. The struggles of dealing with a loved one with an intellectual disability is portrayed realistically, however, I wouldn't necessarily describe this as a novel that will have you laughing throughout.

There are moments where the sheer absurdity of a situation and the patience required to work through it will have you feeling Maggie's frustration over everything and appreciate the foolishness illustrated. Ginny's determination to continue eating vast quantities of sweets isn't really funny and neither is her porn consumption. From personal experience, there were several incidents that felt very realistic and anyone in a similar situation will relate to Maggie's narrative on some level.

The narrative is told through Maggie's point-of-view in a stream-of-consciousness style that requires and assumes that you to feel an affinity for her immediately. She has way-too-much she is expecting herself to do and accomplish, which makes the connection a challenge in some ways. The narrative does drag a bit and depends upon your interest in the character's situation to propel your involvement forward. At times this wasn't quite enough. Some of the shortcomings in the novel are rectified or at least explained while others remain. 3.5 rounded up

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Atria Books.

Dirt Creek

Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor
8/2/22; 336 pages
Flatiron Books

Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor  is a recommended debut mystery and procedural set in Australia.

In the opening we know her body has been found, as witnessed by the children who knew her. Following this is the investigation that begins when twelve-year-old Esther disappears on the way home from school. Detective Sergeant Sarah Michaels arrives in town to investigate Esther's disappearance and the whole community is thrown into the investigation. Esther's best friend, Ronnie, is determined to find Esther and bring her home.

Chapters are told through different points-of-view, including chapters titled "we" which represents a sort of Greek chorus composed of the children of the community watching and observing the death and investigation of Esther. It becomes clear as the investigation unfolds that everyone isn't telling the truth and that people have secrets they want to keep hidden, no matter the costs to the whole town. The children are honest with their insights, but also with their reasons to keep silent.

The action and tension in Dirt Creek builds very slowly and gradually as suspects are set apart and more information is gradually revealed by the children and the community. Media attention and the police investigation make those who could reveal more information even more reticent to do so. The personal lives of the families and their children is part of the narrative, and is also heartbreaking at times. Ronnie's chapters are the most moving because Esther was her best friend and it is clear that she misses her friend.

This is a character driven mystery. The children are sympathetic characters although also repetitious, while the adults are less sympathetic and more disagreeable. Several of the adult friendships are an important part of the narrative, but their friendships are also brought into question. The town itself is a desolate and destructive force among the residents.

The quality of the writing is quite good, but the actual slow progress of the plot inhibits the insights from making a big impact in the overall presentation of the narrative. It should be noted that there is a lot of violence in the plot that is off-putting and not necessary. The plot needs tightening up and a clarification of the direction the narrative is taking. additionally, it is never necessary to add everything you have big feelings about to one novel. 

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Macmillan via NetGalley.

The Couple at Number 9

The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas
8/2/22; 400 pages
HarperCollins

The Couple at Number 9 by Claire Douglas is a highly recommended psychological thriller.

Saffron (Saffy) Cutler and her boyfriend Tom are thrilled to inherit a home at 9 Skelton Place and start renovations immediately. When the builders uncover human remains, the police are called in and the investigation reveals that there are two bodies buried in their back garden. It seems that they have been buried there for at least thirty years. The investigation turns to Saffy's grandmother Rose Grey who owns the cottage and lived there during the time period that the bodies were likely buried. The problem is that Rose has been diagnosed with dementia and lives in a nursing facility.

What seems to be a horrifying discovery, but one that is removed from the current residents picks up the pace when it seems that not everyone who knows what happened thirty years ago is content to stand by and do nothing. And then Rose, whose memory seems to come and go, is being questioned by the police. She remembers something, but what exactly is unclear.

The plot unfolds through multiple points-of-view and in multiple timelines. The tension builds up as more information and background is revealed in both timelines. The interest is in how the stories from the past and present are going to explain the bodies and in the identity of the person who is trying to stop any information from being released.

Several interesting characters are presented and depicted as realistic individuals in the plot through their individual points-of-view. There are plenty of secrets among the characters and some of them pertain to the murders. This helps keep interest high and increases the tension in solving the mystery and discovering the identity of the killer.

I was totally engrossed until the narrative took a convenient turn and then a twist occurred that felt a bit too contrived. The pacing does seem a little slow at times, but it still held my attention and I kept reading. Basically this is an enjoyable, compelling psychological thriller. The multiple points-of-view work well in The Couple at Number 9 and keep the tension going right to the end.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of  HarperCollins.

The Pallbearers Club

The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay
7/5/22; 288 pages
HarperCollins

The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay is a so-so novel of an unusual relationship and a pseudo-vampire.

Art Barbara started a club for volunteer pallbearers while a senior in high school and it was through this club he met Mercy Brown. She brought her Polaroid camera with her to take pictures of the corpses. This begins the manuscript/memoir of Art, which is what you are reading. Between Art's memories are comments written by Mercy, after the fact, discussing what is in Art's memoir and clarifying various points in it.

I enjoyed the opening of the narrative and then things went off the rail and into a different supernatural direction. I gamely kept with it and found things to appreciate in the changed narrative, but as it progressed, it was increasingly difficult to keep an interest in the plot. This is a wildly unique novel with plenty of strengths and weaknesses. It didn't really work for me, but I could see potential for more appreciation by other readers.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via Edelweiss.

Red Flags

Red Flags by Lisa Black
7/26/22; 352 pages
Kensington
Locard Institute Thriller #1

Red Flags by Lisa Black is a very highly recommended forensic thriller and the first book in a new series.

Dr. Ellie Carr, a D.C. crime scene analyst and part of the FBI’s evidence response team, is called to investigate the case of a 4 month old missing baby, Mason Carlisle. Once she arrives at the scene, a mansion on the banks of the Potomac, she is shocked to discover that the child’s mother, Rebecca, is her own cousin that she hasn't seen in fifteen years. Rebecca, is a policy adviser to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation while her husband Hunter owns a wealthy lobbying firm.

There is no clear trace what happened to Mason and Hunter hires Dr. Rachael Davies, a Washington DC forensic scientist and assistant dean at the prestigious Locard Forensic Institute to assist in the investigation. Now Ellie and Rachel are working together. The case becomes much more involved and complicated and involves blackmailing a lobbying effort on gaming industry regulations.

Red Flags is a great introduction to a new series. The writing is excellent and the tension rises as various scenarios are looked at and suspects are considered. The case is complicated and information and clues are uncovered as well as clever insights. The investigation is interesting to follow and there are several twists to surprise you or point you in a different direction concerning the case. There are fascinating details for crime scene fans to follow.

Both Ellie and Rachel are equally interesting characters and the investigations are compelling and detailed. The narrative moves quickly and developments are rapid in the plot and the investigations. There are plenty of forensic details and discoveries in the cases. The whole case suddenly involves a multilayered investigation and technical details. The two women work well together and this portends well for the new series. I'm looking forward to the next novel in the series.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Kensington via NetGalley.

The Last to Vanish

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda
7/26/22; 336 pages
Scribner/Marysue Rucci Books

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda is a very highly recommended excellent thriller. Miranda is one of my favorite authors and she delivers the goods again!

Abby (Abigail) Lovett arrived in Cutter's Pass, North Carolina, ten years ago and is now managing The Passage Inn. Cutter's Pass, an access point to the Appalachian trail, is known as the most dangerous town in North Carolina based on the several unsolved disappearances tied to the city. The disappearances include the Fraternity Four, a group of students in 1997; Alice Kelly in 2012; Farrah Jordan in 2019; and Landon West in 2022.

Landon West was a journalist who was investigating the disappearances before he became a statistic. Now four months later his brother, Trey, has arrived at the Inn and he has some questions. Abby, who often feels like an outsider, notices all the reactions Trey is getting while looking into his brother's disappearance, which causes her to start looking a bit closer into Landon's disappearance as well as that of the others.

Cutter's Pass may be a picturesque tourist destination but it is also the most dangerous town in North Carolina and that moniker helps draw some tourists. It also seems that it might be true, but Abby can't get any answers and has to search for them. Then she finds some incriminating evidence and must look closely at everyone she knows

The writing is exceptional in this suspenseful thriller and mystery. The narrative is told through five parts of the novel. Each carefully plotted part focuses on a disappearance, starting with the most recent. The tension and apprehension build slowly at first but then it begins to multiply, and accumulate, as Abby uncovers more information and begins to question everyone around her. How well does she know her neighbors and friends? The sense of menace and dread will begin to start immediately. There are several shocking twists I didn't see coming at all.

Abby is a great character who will immediately garner your trust and you will care about her. All the secondary characters are equally interesting, realistic, and bring different dimensions to the unique plot. Even the setting, the mountains, hiking trails, and town, bring something unique to the narrative.

Once you start reading, The Last to Vanish becomes un-put-downable and it exceeded all my expectations. Another winning novel by Megan Miranda!

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Scribner.