The Imposters

The Imposters by Tom Rachman
6/27/23; 352 pages
Little, Brown and Company

The Imposters by Tom Rachman is a recommended literary novel told in stories.

Dora Frenhofer is an aging author with a failing memory. She wants to finish one more novel but she also knows her mind is going. It's the pandemic, she's in lock down and writing chapters about characters who are based on interesting individuals from her life. She invents stories that are likely based on her real life. Taken together, the stories the individuals chapter tell work together to create a whole picture.

This novel may, perhaps, not be one that everyone will generality enjoy. Many will appreciate the skillful, elegant writing but not everyone is going to like the literary device where the individual stories make up the totality of the novel. There were parts of the novel that I enjoyed very much, but not the entirety.

Normally, I appreciate character studies and novels that focus on character development, however, I felt very disconnected from this novel. I found it very difficult to immerse myself in the stories and care about the overall theme. What is clearly present is a depressing tone.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Little, Brown and Company via NetGalley.

The Quiet Tenant

The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon
6/20/23; 320 pages
Knopf Doubleday

The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon is a very highly recommended debut thriller about a serial killer and the one woman he kept as a prisoner.

A woman who has been instructed by her captor to call herself "Rachel" has been a prisoner, chained up and locked in a backyard shed for five years. She knows his rules and routines. She lives in constant fear and follows everything he says in order to live. Her captor is Aidan Thomas is a well -liked, hard-working family man and serial killer.

When his wife dies through natural causes, Aidan is forced to move. He takes Rachel with him, instructing her to say she is a friend who needs a place to stay, especially to his thirteen-year-old daughter Cecilia. She has a room/prison cell in the house and has a small measure of freedom in her new arrangements. However, when Emily, a restaurant owner who has a crush on Aidan, begins to try and form a relationship with him, it may unbalance the already tenuous situation.

The well-written narrative is told through the points-of-view of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily, as well as some chapters from previous victims of Aidan. The Quiet Tenant is a woman-centered novel. Aidan is never developed beyond the superficial, but neither are the women beyond how Aidan influences their lives. Rachel is the most developed, but she is also the most fearful of her captor. 

This is absolutely a compelling and an un-put-down-able thriller. It is also, admittedly, a melodramatic novel, but, whatever. The narrative held my rapt attention throughout. It is an intense novel where the suspense keeps building and growing throughout the entire novel. Readers will fell Rachel's fear and trepidation while simultaneously learning how popular and well liked Aidan is in the community. A story of survival and resilience in an incredibly stressful and heartbreaking plot. Michallon is a writer to watch and I look forward to her next novel.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday via NetGalley.

The Hotel

The Hotel by Louise Mumford
6/22/23; 336 pages
HarperCollins

The Hotel by Louise Mumford is a highly recommended thriller.

Ten years ago four eighteen-year-old students travel to Ravencliffe, an abandoned hotel rumored to be haunted on the Welsh coast, but only three returned. Bex, Leo, Richard, and Oscar go to the hotel and film themselves exploring the spooky  setting. Something happens and Leo disappears, never to be seen again. The footage they filmed goes on to become a cult horror movie with a large fan following and an annual convention for fans, RavenCon.

Since her life-long friend Leo disappeared, Bix has hidden herself away and wants nothing openly to do with fans. However, she does attend the RavenCons just to see what is going on with the fans. It is there, on the tenth anniversary, she learns that Oscar, Richard, and, apparently, herself are going back to Ravencliffe and filming again. She doesn't want to, but a package she receives in the mail guilts her into participating and returning to the setting of her nightmares.

The narrative covers what happened ten years previously during the filming of the original Ravencliffe film that went viral and the current time period during the re-visiting of the movie sight. Mumford does an excellent job capturing the chilling terror in the original cult movie and the behavior of rabid fans, which creates the tension in the anticipation of what may happen in the re-boot. The creepy, apprehensive atmosphere will pull you into the story.

Bix is a sympathetic character and readers will like her. The pace is slow, especially at the start. It eventually picks up, but it does slow down the appreciation of the plot. Keep at it and the mystery is solved, but the writing could have been tightened up a bit the keep a faster pace. I did like the alternating between decades in the narrative to tell the story of the films in both time periods.

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

What the Neighbors Saw

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman
6/20/23; 304 pages
Minotaur Books

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman is a highly recommended domestic psychological suspense novel set in a wealthy DC suburb.

Alexis and Sam buy a fixer-upper in an exclusive DC suburb. It's a stretch for their budget, but Sam is sure to make partner at his law firm soon. Besides, they need the space for their family since Alexis is pregnant with their second child. It becomes clear that they may have taken on more than they can handle, especially after their second child is born. Having a space for their live-in nanny does help Alexis even though Sam is often away and becoming increasingly distant.

Alexis soon starts to meet the neighbors. After neighbor Blair's husband Teddy is found murdered on the steep banks of the Potomac River off a neighborhood walking trail, a friendship begins to form between Alexis and Blair. Blair actually helps Alexis meet other women in the neighborhood. Soon it becomes clear that the upscale neighborhood may not be as safe as Alexis first thought.

What the Neighbors Saw is a compelling novel that will hold your attention, like really good gossip. And the discussion of all the neighbors and their secrets is a very real thing in this novel domestic suspense. Many of the characters are simply caricatures of types of people, but there is a lot of juicy gossip that will be shared about them. Additionally, since Alexis just had a baby, even with a nanny she is exhausted all the time.

The novel alternates between chapters narrated by the first-person points-of-view of Alexis and Blair, so readers have real insight into their characters and thoughts. It becomes clear that social status and wealth has little impact on actual character. Alexis was embarrassed by her background, but she clearly had nothing to be ashamed of, especially as the novel progresses. What the Neighbors Saw is an entertaining domestic suspense novel, even if you guess where the plot is going.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Minotaur Books via NetGalley.

Welcome to Beach Town

Welcome to Beach Town by Susan Wiggs
6/20/23; 336 pages
HarperCollins

Welcome to Beach Town by Susan Wiggs is a highly recommended coming-of-age novel.

Alara Cove is a California beach town known for its surfing and small town charm. Nikki Graziola, the daughter of a surfer, grew up in her dad's beach side trailer park. She became a scholarship student and valedictorian at the prestigious Thornton Academy, when, instead of her approved speech, she exposed the school's cover-up of a hazing incident that left her best friend dead. The school refused to give Nikki her diploma, even when other students came forward. She left her dreams of college behind and ended up marrying a professional surfer and becoming one herself. A tragedy has her returning to Alara Cove fifteen years later only to see the same wealthy family still controlling the town.

The novel is divided into four parts. Part one grabbed my attention and made me care about Nikki, while part two was less successful. The narrative picks up later in the novel and eventually reaches a satisfying conclusion. The plot is going to wander about quite a bit in the middle, however, before events eventually tie up all the loose ends. Set some disbelief aside, keep reading, and most readers are going to enjoy this novel as a great summer read.

As a character driven novel, the main focus are the people and you will care about them, flaws and all. All the characters are distinctive and believable. The descriptions of the beach town of Alara Cove, surfing, and making art will resonate with interested readers. Welcome to Beach Town is an enjoyable novel from start to finish if you just go with the flow.

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

Malibu Burning

Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg
9/1/23; 304 pages
Thomas & Mercer
Sharpe and Walker #1

Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg is a very highly recommended thriller and procedural. What happens when you mix a charismatic and caring con man, a smart aleck, insightful former US Marshall, and a brilliant arson investigator and add in wild fires? A very engaging, entertaining thriller and pursuit.

An unexpected incident allowed US Marshall Andrew Walker to apprehend master thief and con man Danny Cole. While serving his sentence, Danny is a volunteer inmate firefighter and several memorable incidents during a fire sear a plan into his mind. When he is released, Danny begins to set his plan into motion.

Walker, now a new arson investigator, is assigned to partner with veteran arson investigator Walter Sharpe. Sharpe has an encyclopedic knowledge of flammable items and no real need for a partner, especially a comedian wearing a Stetson. When a series of fires begin right as the Santa Ana winds are blowing, resources are stretched thin and the fires are out of control. Sharpe and Walker are investigating, while Danny and his group are planning.

Memorable characters, great dialogue, dangerous situations, fast-paced action, and an interesting plot all work together to make Malibu Burning an impressive un-put-downable novel.

Obviously, the writing is excellent which makes for a compelling and captivating narrative. The descriptions and details in the story make it come alive and the plot keeps the action interesting and moving along at a brisk pace. Adding to its appeal are the well-developed and engaging characters who are all portrayed as unique individuals. There is plenty of humor, especially in the interaction between Walker and Sharpe, and several heart-stopping scenes with even a twist or two.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.

Don't Forget the Girl

Don't Forget the Girl by Rebecca McKanna
6/20/23; 368 pages
Sourcebooks

Don't Forget the Girl by Rebecca McKanna is a so-so novel dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic incident.

Jon Allan Blue is about to be executed. Blue is the serial killer suspected in the murder of 18-year-old University of Iowa freshman Abby Hartman. Her body was never found. Abby's friends, Bree and Chelsea are still mourning her and upset that the memory of Abby is being overshadowed by the story of Blue's other victims. Now, twelve years after Abby disappeared, Blue's upcoming execution is news and a podcast is planning to focus on the story.

Rather than being a thriller, the narrative is really a deep-dive focus on the personal lives and feelings of Bree, Chelsea, and Abby, with Abby's chapters set in the past. At the beginning with the revelation that Bree was having an affair with a student, I was ready to set the novel aside. I stuck it out but perhaps should have DNF it. Adding to my discordant feelings is the fact that Bree and Chelsea's chapters are written in third person, while Abby's are written in first person. I found this incongruous and it made the flow of the story rough. However, since I was never fully invested in any of these characters and their feeling, it really didn't matter after awhile because I didn't care. This may be more of a new adult novel and I'm simply not the target audience.

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