Tag: mystery

January 2025–Part One

January 14, 2025

Book #1:

Sandwich by Catherine Newman (Length: 236 pages).  As a new member of the sandwich generation, I was very interested in picking up this slim novel. The plot is very simple: a tale of an extended family’s week at the beach in Cape Cod, written from the perspective of the mother, Rocky. The novel switches between Rocky reminiscing about her children (both alive and dead) as well as experiencing the current state of her marriage, the lives and goings-on of her adult children and her aging parents. All of this to say, nothing much happens here, but I’m a fan of Catherine Newman’s writing (and her writing style) so I thoroughly enjoyed this slice of life as portrayed by the offer. This is a slow, quiet read but it’s very insightful and I’m glad I picked it up. 4 stars from me.

Book #2

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (Length: 303 pages). This was the “it” book of the holiday season, so I was excited to see it on a daily Kindle deal. Labelled a “cozy mystery” this is part closed door mystery (with a side of closed-door romance) and the mystery at its heart is a lot of fun. The premise here is two “enemy” best-selling mystery authors receive a last-minute invite to THE Grande dame of mystery author’s huge estate outside of London, over the Christmas holiday. There is a missing person, an attempted murder and the hunt is on for the killer. My one quibble with this is the secondary characters are given short shrift (for example, there is a third best-selling mystery author who isn’t described with much depth here). Overall, however, this is very well-written, the plot is fast paced, the chemistry between the two leads is believable and I had a great time reading this. 5 stars.

Book #3:

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend (Length: 513 pages).  This is a middle-grade fantasy book (the first of a series of 4) that is in the top 3 of many book bloggers’ top fantasy reads so I’ve been wanting to pick it up. For a book that is targeted for 8 years old and up, I found it a surprisingly great read for adults. I absolutely loved this reading experience! Morrigan Crow is a “cursed child” who lives in Nevermoor with a family who doesn’t like her (a la Harry Potter) and Morrigan is slated to die on her 11th birthday, as are all cursed children. However, the day of her birthday, she is whisked away and invited to join the trials for a magic spell society. The kicker is, if she loses, she’ll still die. This fun book has fantastic writing, snarky dialogue (which is what makes it so entertaining for adults I think) and a fast-moving plot. I enjoyed all of the ancillary characters, and I will definitely be reading further into the series. Although the word on the street is the follow up books aren’t as fun. 5 solid stars.

Book #4:

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (Length: 344 pages).  This is such an odd book that is enjoyable overall, even with a protagonist I truly did not like. Lauren lives in London and one night she discovers she is married to a man she has never met. And when this man heads up to their attic to change a lightbulb, he disappears, and a new husband appears. Rinse and repeat through the entire novel as Lauren finds something she dislikes about each husband/iteration. The plot becomes tiresome and frustrating. I did enjoy the “Twilight Zone” nature of this, and the plot is absolutely memorable, and, unlike other readers, I liked the resolution of this novel. But Lauren, zero stars from me! I’ll give this 3.5 stars because the writing is solid, and the plot is singular.

December 2024–Part One

December 16, 2024

Book #103:

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney (Length: 304 pages). This psychological thriller is very well-plotted and executed and it’s smart! I didn’t see the big twist coming here, but of course, looking back all of the signs were there. The premise is a couple who has been married for coming up on ten years wins a stay at a very remote B&B in Scotland during the winter, and things get very creepy, very quickly. I had a mounting sense of dread almost the entire way through and couldn’t stop reading. I love when that happens! Because of the nature of the twist here, I’d recommend the written version of this novel over the audio. I give this a solid 4 stars!  

Book #104:

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis (Length: 413 pages). Ashlyn Greer is a young woman who owns a used bookstore and also restores old books. She happens to have a gift for psychometry and can sense the emotions of readers/owners of old books, so when she comes across a beautiful pair of books with no author’s name but with intense emotions attached, she starts to investigate the provenance of these books. This is a beautiful love story: well-written and not manipulative, which I appreciate. The storyline here is very memorable and while this was slow to start for me, I am so glad I picked this one up. 4.5 stars from me!

Book #105:

A Winter in New York by Josie Silver (Length: 372 pages).  I’ve had this book for the entire past year, having selected it from the Book of the Month club. I waited until this month to read it because I wanted to enjoy its promised seasonal vibe, and it absolutely delivered! I LOVE this book. It’s set in New York City, obviously, and the premise here is Iris, a young British chef escapes a problematic romantic relationship and comes to New York to start over. She visits a gelato shop she recognizes from her mom’s old photos, and it turns out her mom has the only existing copy of the family vanilla gelato recipe which, thanks to a somewhat unbelievable series of events, is very necessary or the business will go under. It doesn’t hurt that the shop owner’s son Gio is a total hottie! This does have more depth than most rom-coms, I adored all of the characters here and the winter in NYC setting is magical! 5 solid stars from me.

Book #106:

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by M.C. Beaton (Length: 224 pages).  This is the second book in the Queen of the Village Mystery Series featuring Agatha Raisin. I listened to this on audio (and it was delightful–so easy and fun to listen to!). I am growing to like Agatha a bit more but I’ve read one doesn’t truly get to like (and understand her) until further on in the series. This installment features a handsome new vet who tries his luck at opening his business in the village, but doesn’t seem to like animals at all. He does, however, seem to be drawn to all of the single ladies who have larger pocketbooks. Agatha solves the mystery here with the helpful of her reluctant (single and handsome) neighbor and they get into all sorts of good trouble. I enjoyed this one! The setting is just as charming, the mystery is more at the forefront in this second novel and it’s an easy read/listen. 4 stars from me.

Book #107:

The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Length:355 pages). This magical book is in the top 3 books I’ve read this year! Set in a fancy hotel in Newport, Rhode Island, which has been rented out for a $1 million wedding, Phoebe Stone (the sole guest who isn’t involved with this wedding), has arrived with the sole intention of enjoying her $800/night penthouse suite for one single night, before killing herself. Instead, Phoebe gets strong-armed into being the willful bride’s confidante and is sucked into participating in all of the drama of the week-long wedding. Spending a week with the various members of the party affects her in unexpected ways. The writing here is truly lovely, the main characters are all multi-dimensional and fantastic and the supporting characters are funny and charming. There are some laugh-out-loud lines of dialogue and while trigger warnings do abound (suicide, obviously, along with infidelity), nothing here is gratuitous in my opinion. A solid 5 stars from me!

October 2024–Part Two

October 31, 2024

Book #90:

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (Length: 496 pages). This is an intense fantasy novel about 8 of the main secret societies at Yale. There is lots of black magic and violence, some necromancy and very little character development, but it’s a wild and fun ride. I think it’s well-written, the plot is interesting (a bit slow to start but once it gets going it’s hard to put down) and the action is a bit stress-inducing. You do have to read the sequel I think (which I have, and plan to review in the future) to get a solid resolution. I’ll give this one a solid 4 stars.

Book #91:

Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner (Length: 240 pages). I listened to this memoir on audio and it’s really good! The ghost writer is Lara Love Hardin, the author of The Many Lives of Mama Love (which I really enjoyed) so this memoir is very well-written. This memoir was recommended by a book podcaster who equated it with Jessica Simpson’s equally good memoir, and I’d say that comparison is very apt. I couldn’t stop listening to this once I started it. Crystal doesn’t sugarcoat her own mistakes and failings or her bad decisions, and I found her candor to be refreshing. I was fascinated to learn even more about Hugh Hefner and his narcissism (horrible man!) and I enjoyed learning more about the inner workings of the Playboy Mansion. This is absolutely worth a listen!

Book #92:

What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan (Length: 336 pages). Despite the dumbest cover ever, I really enjoyed this mystery! It’s a fun, fast read and is about Simon and Nina, a young couple who have been together for most of their high school years and are now in college. Nina has disappeared, per the title, and this mystery of her disappearance is told from the viewpoints of the parents of both Nina and Simon as well as the detective assigned to investigate what happened. This is not a whodunit as the killer is revealed early on, but it’s still a wild and pulse-pounding read, with a few surprising twists I enjoyed. 4 stars from me!

October 2021–Part Two

October 20, 2021

Thank you for joining me here!   I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.

Book #1:

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (Length: 482 pages). I really enjoyed this very atmospheric Gothic thriller. It’s similar to Mexican Gothic, but with a more fleshed out (and creepy) plot. The house is also its own character in this novel. I found the character arc of the protagonist Dr. Faraday to be interesting. He goes from fairly unlikeable to worth rooting for, and then back to, OMG please stop being such as ass. I thought the writing here is beautiful. The pacing is a bit slow in the middle but I was able to easily keep reading, and I was happy to pass this one on to a like-minded reader friend knowing she would enjoy it as much as I did. Great reading for October!  

Book #2:

Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres (Length: 402 pages).  I’ve had this memoir on my Kindle for quite a while, and I don’t remember who recommended it to me. This is written by a woman with five siblings, two of whom are adopted and are Black. The younger of the boys, David, is who the author was bonded with (and whose photo is on the cover of the book). Their bond is due to extreme emotional and physical abuse by the religious zealot parents (the physical abuse was only inflicted on the Black siblings). The author and her brother are ultimately sent to a religious “reform” school in the Dominican Republic when they are teenagers. I found the author’s writing to be excellent . . . she tackles the hypocrisies of Evangelical Christianity (and its related racism) with clear eyes and a complete lack of drama, even while recounting graphic tales of incest and abuse. This is worth a read, and if your book club is sufficiently open-minded regarding organized religion, this memoir should generate some fantastic conversations.

Book #3:

Bookman Dead Style by Paige Shelton (Length: 303 pages).  This is the very first “cozy mystery” I’ve ever read, thanks to picking up a small pile of them at a used library book sale. The plot of this one is very cute. Set in a book and typewriter repair shop in scenic Star City, Utah, which also happens to be the home to an international movie festival (think Sundance), the character development here is not the star attraction. The mystery and the plot are why readers like these mysteries, and while this one is very basic (and free of violence on the page), it’s fun to try to solve. This is a super quick read, I appreciated all of the bookish talk, and I found the plot was moving along sufficiently enough to keep my interest. A fun diversion for sure, and I’ll definitely read some more in the future.

Book #4:

Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (Length: 588 pages).  Since I’m obsessed with this author’s previous two novels (A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility both reviewed here previously), I was pretty nervous to read his latest novel in case it didn’t live up to his other books. I’m so happy to say that I LOVE this book! It’s similar to Rules in tone, and as with both of his other books, the character development is fantastic here. Even when I found myself not liking a character, I was able to understand WHY they were acting the way they were. The story arc concerns two brothers, Emmett and Billy Watson, who decide to travel along the Lincoln Highway in 1954, from Nebraska to California. Emmett has just been released early from a work farm for wayward boys thanks to the death of the boys’ father. Eight-year-old Billy wants to try to find their mother in San Francisco, and Emmett wants a fresh start, but they somehow find themselves in New York City along with a few other boys from the work camp. The tone of this novel reminds me of Of Mice and Men, for some reason–maybe it’s the journey. The cast of characters in this novel is delightful and the thread of the plot propels the story just quickly enough to maintain your interest. Billy captured my heart and I will absolutely count this gem of a novel in the top 10 books of this year for sure.

Book #5:

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (Length: 313 pages).  I adore this author–she is a fun follow on Instagram, and I will read anything she writes. This psychological thriller is a quick and fun read, and focuses on the relationship between Fern (who is on the spectrum) and her neurotypical sister Rose. Told in alternating chapters between Rose’s diary entries (flashing back to the girls’ childhood with their single mom) and in present time from Fern’s perspective, the plot is propulsive and I dare you to stop reading to find out what happens next. Fern is delightful, and I love her descriptions of working in the public library and her interactions with her coworkers and library patrons. She meets Rocco/Wally, who also may be on the spectrum, and her portrayal of one of her first adult romantic relationships is charming. The twist is fairly obvious early on, and the author comes right out with it about halfway through, but it’s still a great ride (and read). I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!

Book Reviews–September 2019

October 1, 2019

Welcome!  I have large stacks of books TBR (To Be Read) on my nightstand, plus electronic stacks of books lined up in my Kindle, as well as books on hold at the library.  As I read these books, I love to share my thoughts and opinions of what I’ve read here in this space, because I enjoy sharing my passion for books with others.  I do have an eclectic taste in books, and will choose books based on my mood, or what’s going on in my life that week.  Finally, the page numbers I list here reflect the number of Kindle pages, not paper pages.  Thank you!)  I hope you enjoy this series.

Book #1: 

A Better ManA Better Man  by Louise Penny (Length: 417 pages).  When one is obsessed with an author and a series, one often is simultaneously excited and nervous with each installment in the series, because what if it’s not as good as the previous books?  I was SO relieved to discover that this novel, the 15th in the series about the village of Three Pines and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is probably the best book written so far.  This is also the first time I’ve ever pre-ordered a book, but I was that excited about this book.  The characters and the central mystery are as top-notch as ever in this mystery, which is actually mostly set in Three Pines (not all of the books have been).  I adore reading Penny’s Acknowledgements at the end of her novels, as they get better and better.  Finally, I was absolutely surprised by the resolution of the mystery in this novel, which I love!  This is a must read.  (I’d advise starting with her first novel, Still Life, which is a bit slow to start, but stick with it).  

From the publisher:

Catastrophic spring flooding, blistering attacks in the media, and a mysterious disappearance greet Chief Inspector Armand Gamache as he returns to the Sûreté du Québec in the latest novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny.

It’s Gamache’s first day back as head of the homicide department, a job he temporarily shares with his previous second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Flood waters are rising across the province. In the middle of the turmoil a father approaches Gamache, pleading for help in finding his daughter.

As crisis piles upon crisis, Gamache tries to hold off the encroaching chaos, and realizes the search for Vivienne Godin should be abandoned. But with a daughter of his own, he finds himself developing a profound, and perhaps unwise, empathy for her distraught father.

Increasingly hounded by the question, how would you feel…, he resumes the search.

As the rivers rise, and the social media onslaught against Gamache becomes crueler, a body is discovered. And in the tumult, mistakes are made.

In the next novel in this “constantly surprising series that deepens and darkens as it evolves” (New York Times Book Review), Gamache must face a horrific possibility, and a burning question.

What would you do if your child’s killer walked free?

Book #2: 

Harry's TreesHarry’s Trees  by Jon Cohen (Length: 432 pages).  After Louise Penny’s novel, this is honestly the best book I’ve read all year, and maybe even in the past two years.  I just adore this novel!   There are two parallel stories involving two different grieving widow/ers and the widow’s child who meet in a forest.  There are references to trees throughout, with lots of educational tidbits shared with the reader.  The storyline is a bit offbeat and fun, and interesting all around.  The writing is excellent, the character development is deep, and the author has created a beautiful sense of place.  There’s even a library!!!  The ending is satisfying, but not too perfect, which I appreciate.  This is a must read!!

From the publisher:

A grieving widower, a determined girl, a courageous librarian and a mysterious book come together in an uplifting tale of love, loss, friendship and redemption.

Thirty-four-year-old Harry Crane works as an analyst for the US Forest Service. When his wife dies suddenly, Harry, despairing, retreats north to lose himself in the remote woods of the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania. But fate intervenes in the form of a fiercely determined young girl named Oriana. She and her mother, Amanda, are struggling to pick up the pieces from their own tragic loss of Oriana’s father. Discovering Harry while roaming the forest, Oriana believes that he holds the key to righting her world.

Harry reluctantly agrees to help Oriana carry out an astonishing scheme inspired by a book given to her by the town librarian, Olive Perkins. Together, Harry and Oriana embark on a golden adventure that will fulfill Oriana’s wild dream—and ultimately open Harry’s heart to new life.

Book #3: 

Illumination NightIllumination Night  by Alice Hoffman (Length: 276 pages).  I really enjoyed this novel.  The author is known for her writing, and she doesn’t disappoint with this particular novel.  I enjoyed her vivid depictions of the main characters (about 6 total).  The plot is a bit slow-paced, but it’s worth it as this book is more about relationships (between parents/son, grandmother/granddaughter, lovers, etc).  Not all of the characters are likeable, but that’s okay here.  The storyline about the “giant” who lives nearby is my favorite.   This is very well-done, and would make a good book club book!

From the publisher:

Elizabeth Renny has only made two decisions of consequence in her seventy-plus years. While the first, marrying her husband, had adequate results, the second—deciding she could fly from her bedroom window—is less successful. But her flight sets in motion a series of events that will forever change the lives of six residents of Martha’s Vineyard: a young boy who refuses to grow, a wife stifled by her irrational anxiety, a husband tempted by the unknown, a girl flirting with disaster, a gentle giant tortured by his size, and an old woman with nothing to lose.

Praised as “an intelligent novel” by the New York Times and “achingly vivid” by Newsday, Illumination Night is a sparkling and heartbreaking narrative that explores marriage, friendship, youth, yearning, disillusionment, and desire, a book as bright and memorable as the festival of lanterns for which it is named.

Book #4:  

The Last House GuestThe Last House Guest  by Megan Miranda (Length: 352 pages).  I’ve read the author’s previous suspense novels so I was looking forward to this one.  It’s a fun and fast read, and is well-written, overall.  I enjoyed the setting on the coast of Maine, and the dichotomy between the haves and the have-nots.  The Loman Family owns the majority of the rental properties in this enclave, and the narrator/protagonist is their young property manager.  The mystery at the heart of this novel is well-crafted.  I suspected one part of the solution but didn’t see the other part coming at all.  The story is well-paced and plotted.  Would make an excellent vacation/travel read.  

From the publisher:

Littleport, Maine, has always felt like two separate towns: an ideal vacation enclave for the wealthy, whose summer homes line the coastline; and a simple harbor community for the year-round residents whose livelihoods rely on service to the visitors.

Typically, fierce friendships never develop between a local and a summer girl—but that’s just what happens with visitor Sadie Loman and Littleport resident Avery Greer. Each summer for almost a decade, the girls are inseparable—until Sadie is found dead. While the police rule the death a suicide, Avery can’t help but feel there are those in the community, including a local detective and Sadie’s brother, Parker, who blame her. Someone knows more than they’re saying, and Avery is intent on clearing her name, before the facts get twisted against her.

Another thrilling novel from the bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and The Perfect Stranger, Megan Miranda’s The Last House Guest is a smart, twisty read with a strong female protagonist determined to make her own way in the world.

Book #5: 

The GrammariansThe Grammarians by Cathleen Schine (Length: 272 pages).  This is such a unique and fun read for anyone who loves words and language.  The novel follows the entire lives of word-obsessed twins, including their sibling rivalry, and their very different adult lives.  I enjoyed the wordplay and the definitions throughout.  If you love language and words as much as these characters do, you’ll enjoy this quick read.  

From the publisher:

An enchanting, comic love letter to sibling rivalry and the English language.

From the author compared to Nora Ephron and Nancy Mitford, not to mention Jane Austen, comes a new novel celebrating the beauty, mischief, and occasional treachery of language.

The Grammarians are Laurel and Daphne Wolfe, identical, inseparable redheaded twins who share an obsession with words. They speak a secret “twin” tongue of their own as toddlers; as adults making their way in 1980s Manhattan, their verbal infatuation continues, but this love, which has always bound them together, begins instead to push them apart. Daphne, copy editor and grammar columnist, devotes herself to preserving the dignity and elegance of Standard English. Laurel, who gives up teaching kindergarten to write poetry, is drawn, instead, to the polymorphous, chameleon nature of the written and spoken word. Their fraying twinship finally shreds completely when the sisters go to war, absurdly but passionately, over custody of their most prized family heirloom: Merriam Webster’s New International Dictionary, Second Edition.

Cathleen Schine has written a playful and joyful celebration of the interplay of language and life. A dazzling comedy of sisterly and linguistic manners, a revelation of the delights and stresses of intimacy, The Grammarians is the work of one of our great comic novelists at her very best.

Book #6: 

Mrs EverythingMrs. Everything  by Jennifer Weiner (Length: 481 pages).  Ugh.  I’ve read some of this author’s previous novels and was looking forward to a light-hearted, witty fun book.  This was not my favorite, by far.  The author follows the lives of two sisters, from the 1950s on.  It seems to me like the author wanted to write a feminist commentary on society, so she made a list of every “shocking” thing that can happen to women (ie, molestation, date rape, gang rape, unsafe abortion, etc) and shoehorned them into the novel’s narrative.  I am in no way offended by any of the above topics, and think they are important and should be written about, but I just don’t appreciate when they are gratuitous (in my opinion) to the plot.  Moreover, the inconsistencies in details irked me (ie, the girls’ father was an accountant for the Ford plant and thus brought home a new Ford every few years.  Yet later one of the characters mentions the new Chevrolet models that were brought home.  She also constantly switches between the character’s names “Melissa” and “Missy” sometimes within the same few sentences).   I did like how the author wrapped everything up at the end, so there’s that.  Overall, however, I wouldn’t recommend this book.  I may be alone in my opinion, so if I am and you enjoyed this novel, please share why!  I’d love to know what I may have missed here.  

From the publisher:

Do we change or does the world change us?

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.

Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.

But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?

In her most ambitious novel yet, Jennifer Weiner tells a story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world?