Here’s another selection with a paltry Goodreads’ rating that I thought was pretty dang decent. The story here is about three lifelong pals
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Here’s another selection with a paltry Goodreads’ rating that I thought was pretty dang decent. The story here is about three lifelong pals on the cusp of growing up. At 15 Xavier, Robert (“Bobcat”) and Charlie are stoked that it’s summer break, that they have their first jobs as lifeguards together and that maybe they are old enough to spread their wings a bit and get out from under their parents’ thumbs. But then the body of a dead young woman is discovered in their upper-class neighborhood and the boys definitely seem to be hiding something. The question left to answer is . . . .
What happened on the greenbelt?
This was a more than satisfactory whodunit for me. The alternating of narrators between the three mothers and the police detective investigating the potential murder and the various backstories and skeletons of all the characters kept me wanting to turn pages. If you like a book that asks “how far would you go to protect your child” or “how well do you know your child?” this will most likely keep your interest as well.
The trope here is a fairly popular one of recent past: A stolen manuscript.
When Athena chokes on a big ol’ faceful of pancake while celebrating her latest literary achievement (this time a Netflix deal) with not-such-a-big-hit-author friend June, she leaves behind her latest novel next to the old fashioned typewriter she has always used to create her magic. With no prospects on the horizon for June and no one to know about her dirty little secret, June stashes the pages in her bag and passes this piece of literary fiction off to her agent as her own. Soon a bidding war for the title is happening and June Hayward is reimaged as “Juniper Song” – but is it because she simply wants a do-over or is this intentional “yellowfacing” in order to appear more in tune with the story of Chinese laborers she is pretending to have written?
Talk about a freaking SMART book. This takes all of the controversies regarding stories like American Dirt and just smacks you in the face with every side of the situation. And for anyone (*cough Remarkably Bright Creature trolls cough*) who thinks I am a wrongreader because I only want books with likeable characters? Number 1, eff off. Number 2, I LOOOOOOOOOOVE books with despicable characters and both June and Athena were truly awful. This release is one that will not only keep you turning pages, but could generate some actual deep conversation instead of just wine swilling at your monthly book club.
The only thing I didn’t love was the “thriller” type of twist at the end. I felt it dumbed this book down and wasn’t necessary. I also thought it had potentially been hinted at that (view spoiler)[Athena maybe had been pulling off a true “yellowface” of her own rather than just being a literary parasite (hide spoiler)] and that would have been a more satisfying ending for me.
I will anxiously await whatever this author comes up with next.
Like this one? You’ll LOVE A Ladder to the Sky....more
In case any of you are like me after finishing the absolutely unnecessary The Family Remains and were doubting Lisa Jewell, along comes None Of This IIn case any of you are like me after finishing the absolutely unnecessary The Family Remains and were doubting Lisa Jewell, along comes None Of This Is True and Ms. Jewell declaring . . . .
The story here is about Josie. She already has it in her head that she wants to make some changes in her life, so when she accidentally meets her “birthday twin” at a restaurant where they are both celebrating their 45th, discovers said birthday twin Alix has a podcast and suggests she be the subject for the next set of installments.
You may be thinking you know where this is heading and it’s another dime or dozen stalker situation, but oh would you be wrong! My oh my do I appreciate a quality unreliable narrator and this book has one of the best. And just look at all those houses on the cover!!!!!!! I loved it.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley! ...more
I mean WTF was that? I have never heard of Megan Hart before, but thanks for writing under a second name here so I have to remember to avoi
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I mean WTF was that? I have never heard of Megan Hart before, but thanks for writing under a second name here so I have to remember to avoid both of you in the future rather than only one. The big “twist” at the ending (which was guessable at the ¾ mark at max) is what most reviewers will probably be talking about, but I had already been there/done that a couple of years ago with another book that I can’t remember the name of at the current moment and am unwilling to invest any time looking up because it too was a 1 Star.
This entire thing was a convoluted (and predictable) mess featuring an every trope but the kitchen sink that could possibly be contained in a thriller approach to storytelling. Of course you have an unreliable narrator (ACCIDENT ONSET AMENSIA! HOW ORIGINAL! (said no one ever)), a philandering husband, an untrustworthy bestie, gaslighting, an obviously too helpful mother-in-law (*cough (view spoiler)[poison (hide spoiler)] cough*), addition of a third narrator midway through the book, more adultery, and on and on until the absolutely RI.DONK.U.LOUS. ending.
I award you no points, and may god have mercy on your soul. This is my punishment for having an endless supply of FOMO that sends my itchy fingers directly to the library website to download garbage rather than reading the advanced copies I’m lucky enough to receive and getting my NetGalley ratio up to a non-failing grade. ...more
Jamie befriends Kit due to sharing the same boat every morning and night on the way to and from their respective jobs. They add a couple other fellow commuters to their small friend group for random happy hours and eventually Jamie and Kit start mixing it up with their wives as well. Then Kit goes missing and the cops start sniffing around Jamie. But he had nothing to do with it. So they had a little spat – it happens to all friends, right? He surely didn’t harm Kit in any way . . . . .
That's all you get. You'll have to read this twisty tale all for yourself if you want to know more.
Okay so all I have to say about Louise Candlish at this point is she is a goddess. A glorious female warrior. Hear my womanly roar in her honor . . . .
The truth is supposed to set you free, but sometimes it’s not the truth that saves you. It’s the lies.
The jumping off point of this new release (wThe truth is supposed to set you free, but sometimes it’s not the truth that saves you. It’s the lies.
The jumping off point of this new release (which I sure as shit hope is a ginormous bestseller) is the old adage that when the cat’s away, the mouse will play. Oliver has been in a committed relationship with Nathan for years, but when Nathan heads out of town for a conference, Oliver feels like it’s time to . . . .
We're talking glass, steam, bear traps and just when you think the fun is over . . . . Knock knock – Who’s there???? A murdery stranger who tries to strangle you to death!
The only thing I can say about this book is HOLY MOLY . . . .
But I’m telling you, this is a book where it doesn’t even matter. There is zero chance you will see everything that gets thrown at you even if you figure out the basics. This is simply a story where you buckle up, sit back and enjoy the thrill ride. Every Star. ...more
Yeah, babe, yeah, babe, yeah, babe Any night, any day Say the word, on my way Yeah, babe, yeah, babe, yeah, babe In the mornin' or the late Say the word, on my way
^^^^a/k/a I am a fan.
The Wrong Family is about a couple (Nigel and Winnie), their child (Samuel) and the elderly woman (Juno) who shares their home. When Juno overhears something that was clearly not meant to be overhead she decides to do some digging into Nigel and Winnie’s life before her arrival and discovers maybe they aren’t as perfect as she once believed. But there’s more to Juno than meets the eye as well.
Okay, that’s all you get for a premise because the whole point of a book like this is to go in fairly blind. If you decide to give this ago please note there will 100% be moments where you’re all like . . . .
And around the halfway point things go sideways with twists and revelations you thought you saw coming but weren’t actually what they appeared to be. If you don’t like over the top tales, this one probably won’t be for you, but boy oh boy I love it when Tarryn Fisher shows . . . .
So apparently Goodreads ate my review of this? That’s unfortunate. Luckily I had a copy on the ol’ blog still so my apologies for this oldie, but I frSo apparently Goodreads ate my review of this? That’s unfortunate. Luckily I had a copy on the ol’ blog still so my apologies for this oldie, but I freaking love Samantha Downing’s stuff and refuse to leave a sadass blank space in lieu of my previously posted 4 Star gif festival.
From the placeholder “review” below, obviously this was a highly anticipated release for me. Now that I’ve finished?????
But some of you are gonna haaaaaaaate it due to the ending so let’s just hope that I can come to terms with my feelings before release date so we can still be friends.
I was lucky enough to score an early copy of My Lovely Wife when no one was even talking about it yet and it completely blew my socks off. I knew Samantha Downing was an author to watch and I literally knew nothing about this book (hadn’t even read a blurb) before attempting to receive an advanced copy. I recognized Downing’s name and the cover was so good I almost creamed my jeans = I neeeeeeeeeded it. Then I got nervous because sophomore novels – especially those on the heels of a megahit – are hard and I’m a giant asshole who tells it like it is. But then I started and discovered this was going to be a story about a . . . . .
“Go on the road trip. Scatter my ashes at the end. Once I’m in my final resting place, my estate will be equally divided between you.”
Sounds simple right? The only caveats? Don’t end up in jail, complete the entire trip and don’t deviate from the original road trip that was taken back when they were kids in any way or that person(s) gets bupkis. What could possibly go wrong?
Oh this was such a yummy slow roller of a read. I held off until I had the house to myself with the only interruptions to my reading being to play Uber driver for the children and letting the dog out to pretend he was pooping before coming in the house and actually pooping on the rug. I highly recommend reading this if not in one sitting, then in giant chunks where you can really get absorbed in the story. Obviously this would be pretty kickass to experience if you ever find yourself the passenger on your own drive from hell (looking at you, never-ending State of Kansas) or if you’re a freak like me you might find it to be a pretty decent holiday read despite it taking place in the heat of the summer and ending in the desert. Nothing says Merry Christmas like family drama! Recommended.
My undying gratitude to Berkley Publishing for making my wish come true on this one in exchange for an honest review. My fangirling opinions are all my own.
“Once upon a time, they said, a wicked mother gave birth to a daughter. The dFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
4.5 Stars
“Once upon a time, they said, a wicked mother gave birth to a daughter. The daughter appeared to be very sick and had all sorts of things wrong with her. She had a feeding tube, her hair fell out in clumps, and she was so weak, she needed a wheelchair to get around. For eighteen years, no doctor could figure out what was wrong with her.”
I had no idea how much buzz there was about this book on the intertubes until I received a copy. I really didn’t have any intention of reading it so soon since it doesn’t come out until Spring, but it started popping up all over the place and I was afraid I would get spoiled and then have to troll inform whoever ruined my good time that . . . . .
Unfortunately the Department of Family Services as well as the criminal court system didn’t quite see things that way and Petty has spent the last five years . . . .
I’m pretty sure the entire time I was reading this (which was literally an afternoon because I could not stop once I started) I probably looked like this . . . .
That’s a change from nearly every other blurb in the history of blurbing. If you like unreliable narrators, trashy docudramas about things like Munchausen by Proxy, and getting totally sucked in to a family you’d never want to be a part of in real life I suggest you put this on the TBR so you don’t forget to pick it up come March.
ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *quotes subject to change* ...more
Not everything ends up being a winner. My mediocre reaction to this one can probably be blamed on the fact that I have read quite a few stories revolving around . . . .
And, unfortunately, when it comes to stories of caretakers who just up and went “poof” in the night, I kinda liked The Au Pair better.
This book was perfectly fine - it just didn’t blow me away. The premise is as I said before – Jocelyn’s beloved Nanny Hannah left one night never to be heard from again. When Jo finds herself in a financial pickle after being widowed, she has to move back in to the family estate with own daughter. Human remains are discovered in a lake on the property and Jo immediately thinks it must be Hannah. Until Hannah shows up at the same door she walked out of 30 years ago.
The Nanny takes this sort of approach when it comes to storytelling . . . .
And raise you “so do all these dang neighbors and families and couples” in today’s book titles. You’d think they lived next door to a creeper like me who just wants to peep them but never actually meet them!
Second, I requested this book because it had a house on the cover. The version I received had hemlock or some shit instead, but trust that the house cover auto-request truly is a sickness that I have to fight tooth and nail to avoid. Bonus when I discovered it was by Lisa Jewell who I have really enjoyed in the past. But that’s all I knew. I just assumed it was going to be some “ drunken unreliable narrator on a train in a window who may or may not be gone” type of storyline. When it turned out to be . . . . .
The story here is presented by siblings Lucy and Henry and “the baby” Libby. Libby has just turned 25 and inherited what is known as The Chelsea House (basically code name for mansion) due to no one else on the trust coming forward in time to claim their share. The remainder of the story tells the family history, the house’s history and all of the goings on that occurred between the now and the back then when the parents and another man were found . . . . .
If you are looking for a lot of action and plot twists, this might not work for you. But if you enjoy slow rollers and family secrets it might be just what the doctor ordered. You’ll probably find the big reveal to be pretty obvious if you are an avid thriller reader, but it didn’t make me any less entertained while I was reading. Lisa Jewell has become a go-to-gal for me. I’ll happily auto request anything she puts out at this point – even if there isn’t a house on the cover ; )
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!...more
A woman goes missing in an upper-middleclass neighborhood. Of course the other residentsFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
A woman goes missing in an upper-middleclass neighborhood. Of course the other residents feel bad for her, but really how much can they do? Especially in a case like this – obviously the husband did it . . . .
There’s only one little problem, Olivia and Paul’s son Raleigh has admitted to breaking into a couple of the neighbors’ houses in order to hone his hacking skills. Olivia makes the rash decision to leave anonymous apology notes to the unknowing victims of her little cat burglar and assumes that will be the end of things. But like with most situations in life, nothing is ever simple and one of the houses Raleigh broke into just so happens to be Robert Pierce’s – the guy whose wife disappeared. Now the neighbors are not only talking about the missing wife, but who could be the kid breaking into homes. It’s only a matter of time before everyone’s skeletons start falling out of their various closets and . . . .
And also in some more immortal words of Aretha – who’s zoomin’ who????
I thought this was great fun. Despite not having a house on the cover (my old lady brain did appreciate the similarity to the cover art of An Unwanted Guest, though), this was right in my wheelhouse. Nosey neighbors! I do not interact with other humans voluntarily so I can’t say I’m of the caliber of people like this that I enjoy so much in books, but I do totally sit in the reading room and watch the only house I can see from my perch as the inhabitants come and go. (SIDENOTE: I’d say I’m a regular Edna Kravitz (and I’m sure only like two of you are old enough to even get that reference), but I am pretty much just a lazy peeping Tom. However, the only person in the neighborhood to ever tear down my walls and make a true friend out of me did so by knocking on my front door and saying “Hi, I’m Liv. I live across the street and I was wondering what color you painted your living room. I can see it when I look at your house from my house. Can I come in?” Anyone who has the balls to admit they have been spying on you is either destined to be your bestie or murder you so I decided to roll the dice on friendship and I’m still alive so I guess it worked.)
Where was I again? Oh yeah, this book that was enjoyable because it was about a potentially dead person and followed the basics. You know . . . . .
Shari Lapena’s first release The Couple Next Door was a bit “meh” to me, but after reading the aforementioned An Unwanted Guest and now this one, I have this to say . . . .
Hey looky there. A book with a bunch of houses on the cover. I never request those *winkFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Hey looky there. A book with a bunch of houses on the cover. I never request those *wink emoji* (If you’re new here please note – I request allllllll of these.) I have no idea why I didn’t review this one in a timely fashion because I really dug it.
The story this time around features a woman named Amy. Amy lives a cookie-cutter life in a cookie-cutter neighborhood where the biggest excitement is the monthly book club and probably shit like BUNKO. Don’t know what that is????
When new neighbor Roux shows up, she tries to spice Moms Night Out up a bit by playing a new game – Never Have I Ever. In case you aren’t familiar with that one either, it’s where someone makes a generally saucy sort of non-confession confession like “Never Have I Ever Had Buttsex” and then all the squares are like . . . .
When Amy shoots down participating in the new-and-improved frivolities because she'd rather stick to the plan of talking about the latest Reese Witherspoon selection, Roux confronts her to inform her she already knows Amy’s dirty secrets and that if she wants them kept under wraps she better cooperate.
Here’s the part that got me hooked. Rather than being some mealy-mouthed wimp (or, even more redonkulous, murdering the new neighbor), Amy is like . . . .
Meet Matt and Marie. Married for over two decades, financially stable and parents of college-aged daughters, they look like they could be on a brochure advertising what a successful marriage should look like. There’s just one problem . . . . .
Turns out it might be a case of the first time being so nice, Matt decided maybe he should do it twice as readers discover not only has Marie taken a fall off a cliff, but that wifey number one died in a house fire that was intentionally set!
Things get TWISTY! Oh so twisty. I can’t really say much more because DUH the getting there is all the fun. (Such fun!!!!) I said in my 2018 wrap-up I thought 2019 would truly be the year of the domestic thriller for me and boy was I on the money with that statement.
4 Stars instead of 5 because (a) I get sick of the every man is a scumbag narrative rather than simply dealing with the one scumbag at hand – especially when the author decided to wait until ¾ of the way through the book before beating the horse to death with this message and (b) while the police were a necessary part of the story, the subplot of the one detective’s own history was 100% unnecessary. This book was good enough without additional bells and whistles. Still highly recommended as a perfect “beachy read” if you prefer the stabby side of life : )...more
The Woman Inside is the latest in a long line of domestic thrillers. This one features a pill addicted wife and a philandering husband. I had a laundry list of issues with it.
To begin with, the blurb tells too much so I’m thankful I didn’t read it before starting. I would have been bummed that the first big “twist” was pretty much spoiled on the back cover.
Next, the timehops. The wibbly-wobbly is used quite frequently in mysteries/thrillers and works okay for me about 50% of the time. However, in this book the time goes from waaaaaay before to immediately before to waaaaaay after to immediately after and everywhere in between with no indication exactly where you are until you read a few paragraphs and figure it out . . . .
Third, too many POVs. It’s one thing to follow the husband and wife. It’s another to follow them annnnnd a mistress annnnnnnnd a couple of police detectives . . . . .
Fourth, now I’m a gal who likes an unreliable narrator as much, if not more, than the next guy. Buuuuuuuuuuut, there’s a big difference between . . . .
YMMV, but as a reader who picks up A LOT of thrillers, attempting to heave everything but the kitchen sink at me doesn't mean diddly. Nothing here was a surprise and I saw it all coming a mile and a half away. There's also a big difference between reading a book that owns how much it is over-the-top and is simply bringing the reader along for a crazy ride and one who tries to take itself seriously while being OTT.
I could have saved myself a lot of time and .gif hunting if curiosity would have got the better of me earlier and I had simply Googled these authors. An article about them in EW disclosed . . . .
Both authors are thriller junkies; they volleyed chapters back and forth, each taking on a POV. “Each chapter is in direct response to the one before, and throwing potential twists at each other. That really was fun,” Wands says. Adds Keenan: “The aim to shock and surprise with each chapter was very motivating. We got a little aggressive.”
Basically this was a game of trying to one-up the other. It didn’t work for me.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
The Silent Patient starts with a bang . . . . literally. The catalyst to all that is to cFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
The Silent Patient starts with a bang . . . . literally. The catalyst to all that is to come takes the form of a woman being accused of shooting her husband in the face five times . . . .
Mitchell says this is the perfect book to read for Valentine’s Day.
The book says . . . .
“As you will see, it’s an incredible story – of that there is no doubt. Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”
I say I wanted to comment about how “meh” I was feeling about the book in general and more particularly the progress I was making . . . . and then I looked and I was at 56% in what seemed like zero minutes. This one earns its stars for the pages apparently turning themselves. Yes, you have to suspend disbelief in order to have a good time, but if you are able to do so a good time you most certainly will have as therapist Theo gets his patient Alicia to speak again....more
There is very little chance I would have picked up the “girl with umbrella” version. Let me also say that the comparisons to Eleanor Oliphant or Where’d You Go, Bernadette? miss the mark as well. At best, this could be compared to specific moments such as . . . . .
I’m giving The Two Hearts of Eliza Bloom 2 Stars simply for my own personal enjoyment. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the writing and a modern Orthodox Jewish main character was certainly refreshing and not the cookie-cutter norm when it comes to female leads. However:
1. I don’t like twatty dudes . . . except occasionally when I pick up a motorcycle/shifter porno.
2. I don’t tolerate liars . . . . except occasionally when I pick up an unreliable narrator type of thriller.
3. I don’t accept cheating. Pretty much EVER.
That being said, my reaction to pretty much this entire thing was a big ol’ . . . . .
Not quite, but her three cabin mates did go missing and were never seen again. Fast forward to the future where Emma is a successful artist, but only able to paint the same image over and over again – three girls lost in a wood. When offered a chance to return to Camp Rich Bitch Nightingale as an art instructor, Emma doesn’t take long to debate her answer. Mainly because she feels . . . .
“Some wrongs are so terrible that the people responsible must be held accountable. Call it justice. Call it revenge. Call it whatever. I don’t give a fuck. All I care about is this particular wrong. It can’t be ignored. It must be righted. And I’m the bitch that’s going to do it.”
I picked this one up . . . . well, basically because I’m a lemming and it kept popping up on Instagram and convinced me I needed it. Sad thing is I still have an unread ARC of Sager’s first book that I never bothered to get around to. As for this one? It’s not going to change your life, but I will say it is compulsively readable. In my comments below you’ll see I said the mystery wasn’t a super shocker. I won’t give anything away, but I will say the present day goings on weren’t a shocker due to a very clear moment that made me go . . . . .
However, due to what I like to call “kitchen sink syndrome” it appears Sager is not an author who takes a direct route to the ending which amounted instead to one that was sort of a mess because the puzzle pieces just didn’t fit together seamlessly. The “two truths and a lie” bit was also not an effortless addition and came off more as a gimmick so 3 Stars it shall be. (Also, is “Lies” the new “Gone Girl” because it’s kinda appearing errrrrrrywhere.) I do appreciate that Sager’s two titles have similar cover art – old ladies like me need anything we can get that will help ring a bell when it comes to making a choice at the bookstore/library (Mary Kubica - and/or her people - are also really good at this)....more
Full Disclosure: I never read a synopsis for this before I decided I had to read it. FullFind all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Full Disclosure: I never read a synopsis for this before I decided I had to read it. Full Disclosure 2.0: I 100% wanted this book as soon as I saw the cover . . . but I also 100% didn’t want it because of the cover. Tell Me Lies (from the cover alone) was a story that could have either gone really well for me . . . or gone terribly bad. Luckily . . . . .
“I know what I know. Lust and love erase ethical parameters, and that’s just the way it is.”
Yes please. Even Mitchell could get on board with a “romance” book like this.
If you enjoy reading the darker side of love à la The Rules of Attraction, Tell Me Lies is a book you don’t want to miss. Told in alternating chapters by Lucy and Stephen, this is the story of a clinically depressed girl who fell in love with a narcissistic sociopath. It’s not very fast paced and there’s not a whole lot of action, but somehow it was still completely un-put-down-able.
Readers will be pleased to know that the pink elephant in the room is addressed and that the author doesn’t try to play dumb when it comes to the title. . . . .
But since I am super young and definitely not a person who has Tango in the Night on vinyl, I had a couple of different songs playing the loop in my head. Classics from The Biebs and Brit Brit . . . .
Just in time for Mystery & Thrillers Week on Goodreads!
Are you all familiar with the game “Two Truths and a Lie?” If you aren’t, by the time you’re finished with Amber and her experience in the hospital you will be. If you’re anything like me you’ll be ready to scream . . . .
Will you be able to figure out which things are true and which are lies? I didn’t.
It took me quite some time to get invested in Sometimes I Lie. Work was a little worky, I wasn’t really feeling the writing, the back-and-forth timeframe was a little too tight and the addition of the diary entries from waywayback only seemed to be muddying the waters for me even more. But then something happened (not a specific moment in the book, just my enjoyment level in general) and I ended up breezing through the last 70% in record time. I’m not sure if I read the first 30% wrong or if others have had the same trouble, but it ended up being pretty dang trippy once I got into it....more
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