Okay, so obviously this is no Pulitzer winner but hell effing Demon Copperhead won that and it was nothing but clichéd Appalachian trauma p
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Okay, so obviously this is no Pulitzer winner but hell effing Demon Copperhead won that and it was nothing but clichéd Appalachian trauma porn so maybe the Pulitzer ain't all it’s cracked up to be. This one is pure poolside fun. Get baked till you're looking like Kramer when he buttered himself like Kenny Roasters and have some fun when . . .
If you were here a couple of weeks ago for the Great Author Tantrum of ’24 when apparently I should have been drawn and quartered for faili
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If you were here a couple of weeks ago for the Great Author Tantrum of ’24 when apparently I should have been drawn and quartered for failing to read/review an advanced copy within a week of receiving it, then maybe I should be burned at the stake for this one since it was released in 2021, I received it as an ARC and three years later I just now finally got around to it. And to be 100% honest, I probably wouldn’t have even then if I had not been looking for a murder show to binge on the television and saw this title pop up which led to “hmmmmm, don’t I have a book by that name????” Also? I didn’t even read it. This was my latest “walk ‘n talk” that I finished during my lunch hour just now that I checked out via audio from the library.
But I digress . . . .
I REALLY appreciated the way this was delivered. I’m not a big true crime reader, but this approach to tell the VICTIM’S story with the perpetrator only coming in at the end to wrap up how he was caught and for him to get his comeuppance was such a change of pace.
This story of a serial killer literally didn’t even have a Wikipedia page before the book was written was one that had already been mishandled for eternity, so I appreciated the sensitivity with which it was told. I also “enjoyed” (wrong term, but I’m no tortured poet so you get what you get) the history of the hole-in-the-wall sort of gay bar scene in NYC during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s instead of only ever hearing about the Stonewall Riots, the terror of the AIDS epidemic, and how newfound technology so often cracks the cold case (like the new way of lifting fingerprints here or “23andMe” with the Golden State Killer).
If you are looking for a gory detailed sort of bloodbath serial killer book, this won’t be for you, but I thought it was so well done and the narration was great. Orrrrrrrrr, if you have Max you can simply watch the docuseries.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
I started attempting this “Walk ‘n Talk Wednesday” over on The ‘Gram, but I need to get my a$$ in gear and actually review the books I’m listening to I started attempting this “Walk ‘n Talk Wednesday” over on The ‘Gram, but I need to get my a$$ in gear and actually review the books I’m listening to in order for this to be a thing. I’m still fairly a newb when it comes to audiobooks and have only just now started venturing out of memoirs or true crime stories because I am Dug the Dog when it comes to distractions while I’m out getting my steps in – mainly in the form of . . . .
I just figured I would never be able to pay attention to something with a plot to follow without missing every key moment, but a co-worker who exclusively does audio recommended this one to me and said the reader was an absolute delight to listen to.
Meet Rhiannon. She’s a serial killer . . . . but don’t worry she only offs people who really have it comin’ to ‘em – sorta like Dexter. I love her. ...more
The story here is about the Larkin family. We start in in the Summer of 1951. Eldest daughter Myra is dabbling with her first taste of freedom as a young teen and is allowed to go to the diner after Sunday mass for a couple of hours before coming home to assist with family chores. On this given Sunday, Myra meets a young man who says his name is Mickey Mantle and that he is a rookie with the New York Yankees who has been sent back down to the minors for the time being. He offers Myra a ride home since it is raining outside and even gives her one of his baseball cards to remember him by . . . . and then that night neighbors down the street are victims of a grisly murder in their own home with the main suspect being a young, male, blonde stranger.
The story is then a SWEEPING narrative spanning sixty years and told by multiple members of the Larkin clan. Hot button headlines of the day are mentioned (such as the assassination attempt on Ronald Regan and Rock Hudson’s AIDS diagnosis), but also there are a couple of near-misses by notorious serial killers. And then. WHOA BOY OH BOY AND THEN! The Larkin mother begins receiving bizarre postcards from the only surviving son of the family, Alec, consisting of simple “hello and goodbye” messages – accompanied by the name and age of a child.
This was perfection. Family saga plus serial killers? Talk about my bucket list dream novel. Every Star.
Endless thanks to Little Brown for a copy in exchange for my honest review. ...more
This selection is another example of why everyone should have a ride-or-die, NetGalley addicted book bestie like Shelby in their life. Neighborhood WaThis selection is another example of why everyone should have a ride-or-die, NetGalley addicted book bestie like Shelby in their life. Neighborhood Watch was her most recent recommendation to me. She said to ignore the ugly cover and go request a copy pronto before reader copies got pulled from NG and since I am her minion I did exactly what she asked of me. And I do agree the cover is fug, but put “neighborhood” in a title and Imma be down to clown.
This puppy was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo Desperate Housewives - fully of rich beetches in their McMansiony hood. Everyone is up in each other’s bidness courtesy of the local “book club” – and then the body count starts rising. Good news is . . . .
(And yes I already know I’m going straight to H-E-Double-Hockey Sticks for continually thinking of the old Chris Rock special every time getting “high” on Robitussin was mentioned in this book.)
I am an O.G. James Renner fan. Despite my hatred for most covers not house related, I snatched up a copy of The Man from Primrose Lane (which, ironically features a main character who wrote a true crime novel) after some Goodreads friends dug it and then was lucky enough to get a reader copy of The Great Forgetting which earned all the Stars from my stingy butt too.
Imagine my dismay when Renner started writing true crime novels rather than fiction. You see, I’m a girl who loves to take a deep dive into all things murdery and culty on the boob tube, but aside from the occasional Ann Rule, only dabble in the written version. I made an exception with True Crime Addict because, once again, I was offered an early copy and also at that point I might have been somewhat addicted to Websleuths and the crazed keyboard commandos that could be found there. And it was good, but still the fact remains that I read garbage so this latest release has been sitting gathering dust for an age.
Buuuuuuuut, then I was looking for something to listen to on my “walk ‘n talks” and this was available in audio format from the library so I figured, why not? For audiobook listeners, the author has a great reading voice that should generate zero complaints. And as far as the subject matter? I had zero problems walking five miles while listening and was completely invested in this story of “crazy little children” who spent their free time having “Robitussin parties,” sex and sleepovers all in the suburb of Shaker Heights with apparently none of their parents all the wiser.
Renner’s version of true crime is different than a lot of authors. His stories are not well known and he sticks close to home with those that took place in Ohio. But he’s two-for-two when it comes to me getting totally caught up in the telling.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Okay, not really since I listen while walking, but boy oh boy did I really not have the same experience as nearly everyone else did.
In my defense, I didn’t know much about this before diving in aside from (a) I have had it on my TBR for eons thinking I would read it every time “Nonfiction November” rolled around (b) I thought it was a true crime book about a murder committed by fundamentalists and (c) I’m sort of obsessed with all things polygamy (excluding Sister Wives because Kody and Robin *barf* . . . but Escaping Polygamy???? Um I’ll take that with cheese thankyouverymuch).
While the (double) murder was the jumping off point of the book, when it comes to true crime stories and how desensitized I probably am with my obsession to all things cult and murdery, it wasn’t a real shock and awe sort of grabber. Buuuuuuuuut, as I said above, I’m always down for a trip to Colorado City so at first I was hooked. However, then came the entire history of the Mormon faith from Joseph Smith to Brigham Young to very little on Warren Jeffs and the downfall of his FLDS sect since this was released 20 years ago.
Nearly everyone else found this fascinating, though, so take my “meh” with several grains of salt. Or read Into the Wild or Into Thin Air by this author because I found both of those fascinating. ...more
For the first 2/3 of this novel I was feeling my most recent favorite vibes while living in Irina’s world – those that remind m
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OH. MY. GOD.
For the first 2/3 of this novel I was feeling my most recent favorite vibes while living in Irina’s world – those that remind me of Fleabag. But then things got nutty. American Psycho but make her a hot ginger who instead of working on Wall Street makes her living via fetish kink photography.
Obviously from the two references above, this sucker is for those who like things dark. Don’t read it if you are of a sensitive nature. There’s your warning. For those of you who like a whole lot of fuck-up-ed-ness in your fiction? This one is worthy of all the hot button marketing terminology: fresh, original, edgy, riveting, twisted, page-turner, you name it.
Eliza Clark, you are a fucking GIFT. I can’t wait to read more of what you come up with.
If you’re new to my space let me begin with a little recap of my reading style. #1, I hate face covers. #2, I generally don’t read blurbs. I 100% did If you’re new to my space let me begin with a little recap of my reading style. #1, I hate face covers. #2, I generally don’t read blurbs. I 100% did not read a blurb here and was willing to overlook my own opinion about a face cover because ever since I read Luckiest Girl Alive I have been dying to get my hands on a new release by Jessica Knoll.
Which leads to #3, I am an idiot. As soon as I started reading this I was like “hmmmm, they’re straight up naming Florida State as the place where this sorority killer did his killing??? Usually authors tend to name a fictional place.” And then I kept reading and was like “man, this is reading like a true crime story about something that really happened.” BECAUSE IT WAS! Good lord . . . .
If you like serial killer stories and fictionalizations of true crime, this one is not to be missed. It is so quietly powerful with regard to not only the mind of the murderer, but in general with how female victims and witnesses were treated (especially back in the 1970s, but I’m sure still today). And the delivery is matter-of-fact – not preachy or TED talky – it just is what it is. Obviously I had no clue what this was about before (or while) reading, but I was fully invested the entire time.
I haven’t read a serial killer story this good since . . . . I don’t even know. Dexter???? This had a perfect page count (THANK YOU, Catherine Ryan Howard for keeping it brief so I never left the edge of my seat), some Gilgo Beach feels, one scary mofo and an ending that had me like . . . .
I knew going in this was going to be young adult, but since I’m not a regular mom, I’m a cool mom who still appreciates YA (especially the stabby kind) and loves a good Christie knockoff I was all over it. I mean, a group of “influencers” get sent to a deserted island for some reality T.V. show where they aren’t allowed their screens for two weeks and then bodies start piling up? Um, yes please.
Well, it turns out I am a regular mom – not a cool mom *womp wommmmmmp* I appreciated the vibe of . . .
But not only were all of these characters completely interchangeable with the same voice (other than one of them calling every one “Babe” which made me wish she was the first to be whacked), they also seemed to keep forgetting their fellow island dwellers were being offed and did weird super teenage shit like playing spin the bottle instead of freaking the eff out or trying to find a way back to civilization like they should have been doing. I also guessed the first big “surprise” reveal right off the bat, but the actual whodunit was pretty satisfying and I’m always down for a good pool cover. Two Stars means “it was alright” and that’s about as much as I can say about this one.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
So I read this about a trillion days ago, loved it and then as it’s reward I never even bothered rating it, let alone talking about it. Basically, The Guest List amounts to a destination wedding to a creepy uninhabited island, which automatically makes my brain think of . . . .
Where you just know at least one person is going to get whacked and then since it’s Lucy Foley not only will the victim be unknown, but the remainder of the story is going to be along the lines of . . .
It’s just a given that it’s going to be a fun time. This would be an excellent rainy Saturday in October selection if you prefer the stabby over the scary.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. Foley has solidified herself as an auto-request for me.
So I read this about a trillion days ago, loved it and then as it’s reward I never even bothered rating it, let alone talking about it. Basically, The Guest List amounts to a destination wedding to a creepy uninhabited island, which automatically makes my brain think of . . . .
Where you just know at least one person is going to get whacked and then since it’s Lucy Foley not only will the victim be unknown, but the remainder of the story is going to be along the lines of . . .
It’s just a given that it’s going to be a fun time. This would be an excellent rainy Saturday in October selection if you prefer the stabby over the scary.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. Foley has solidified herself as an auto-request for me....more
Any time I hear of a book about a bunch of kids planning some epic sort of vacay where a wrong turn is taken I (a) immediately want it and
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Any time I hear of a book about a bunch of kids planning some epic sort of vacay where a wrong turn is taken I (a) immediately want it and (b) immediately go to the most obvious place in my brain regarding what the story is going to be about . . . .
It only took about 20 pages to find out this group of road trippers probably weren't going to be dealing with inbred cannibals, however. So six kids are on a trip down to Gulf Shores to partaaaaaay for Spring Break when they find themselves not only broke down in the backwoods of North Carolina, but with a sniper taking aim. The request is simple – give up the secret and only one person will be hurt.
The biggest problem I had with this one is there was about 250 pages worth of story delivered in nearly 400. Talk about a slog. Once the action picked up at about the halfway point things got spicey, but oh my word there was so much hinting around regarding what was pretty flipping obvious right from the jump. And the writing? It’s what my pal GirlWithThePinkSkiMask would call closed captioned ass . . . .
I mean we are talking EVERY. SINGLE. DETAIL. regarding what was packed in suitcases or the contents of drawers or the parts of a walkie-talkie. #snore The good news is once these chillins started spilling their secrets, the orange was pretty juicy and I did not see all the twists and revelations that were to come. This wasn’t nearly as good as A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (at least the first one, you know your girl don’t make a habit of reading past #1 in a series), but if you like the stabby YA it might work for you.
In addition to my house cover addiction, I have to confess that if you put “kill” in the title, there’s about a 112% chance Imma want to read it. If fIn addition to my house cover addiction, I have to confess that if you put “kill” in the title, there’s about a 112% chance Imma want to read it. If for no other reason than to carry it around the office so others can see it while waiting for their turn at the coffee bar or the copy machine . . . .
Last week I read How to Kill Men and Get Away With It, then I read this, and coming soon it’s Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone. Ahhhhhhh, it’s like hanging out with my besties.
This selection was absolutely a had me at hello with the premise of triplets who spend their free time murdering their boyfriends. And having it not be all about the gore or twists and turns was once again super satisfying to my hate-everything lately self.
Sissy has always had the role of the “cleaner” when it comes to her sisters’ shenanigans, but now it’s her turn. She’s identified her mark and now has a maximum of six months to make him fall in love with her before offing him, disposing of his body and moving on to the next. It’s her time and she’s ready . . . until she starts catching some feels.
This slow roller didn’t include a lot of shock and awe, but it kept me engaged right from the jump and I read it in a day. There was a bit of jumping of the shark with the added neighbor narrative muddying up the waters, but for the most part I really enjoyed this one. 3.5 Stars and rounding up because I’m full of the holiday spirit.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Did I totally take my Bookstagram photo in my firm’s law library/coffee bar surrounded by a bunch of dudes standing in line for their afternoon pick-me-up from the fancy barrista machine??? You bet your Birkin I did!
And now for what I have to say about the actual book. Cover? 27 out of 10. Title? Fifty’leven out of 10. Content??? Wellllllllll, let’s summarize this one in song, shall we? ♬♪♬ Grab your coat and get your hat – suspend all disbelief at the doorstep ♬♪♬
The story here is about “it” girl Kitty. Social media influencer by day and serial killer whenever the need arises. “Kitty’s Code” lays out a clear set of Dexter-esque rules where only the most deserving of uggos are the ones to get whacked.
Sounds great, right? Well, maybe it works better for those who believe you can cart out an entire grownass dismembered dead man in a Balenciaga shopping bag easy breezy beautiful Cover Girl style without ever breaking a sweat, leaving a drippy trail or struggling nary a bit to heave it past the doorman. Or maybe you didn’t like sausage rolls to begin with and can tolerate this “vegan” beating you over the head about how the mincer at the local pork processing plant is the best way to turn your latest victim into upscale pigs in blankets. Or maybe the add-in stalker and big reveal will be more your jam. Unfortunately for me, by the end of this one I was pretty bored.
Talk about anticipation! I immediately requested an ARC of this and upon rejection made a super early request for the library to purchase a copy upon Talk about anticipation! I immediately requested an ARC of this and upon rejection made a super early request for the library to purchase a copy upon publication date . . . and then waited, and waited, and waited. Lisa Unger, a title/cover like this and a closed door mystery????
The story here is about Hannah (and her husband Bruce), her brother Mako (and his wife Liza) and her lifelong bestie Cricket (and her boyfriend Joshua). The three couples are participating in a weekend getaway at, you guessed it, a secluded cabin that sleeps six. The story is provided by all three leading ladies, the cabin’s caretaker (unnecessary attempt at a red herring (???) - you are introduced to the bad guy almost immediately), a stranger (dun dun dunnnnnnn) and also happens to feature a sort of story within a story type of flashback to a past by a fourth male narrator. It’s clear from the jumpstart and a surprise Christmas gift of a 23 and Me knockoff under the tree that there’s going to be some dysfunction junction type of stuff going on – you just have to keep reading to find out exactly what it is.
This slow roller doesn’t ramp up the action until the halfway point so it requires some patience. There’s also the continually mentioned threat of impending storms that will flood the roads that doesn’t come to fruition for eternity either. As I said above, you know who the bad guy is right off the bat and the remaining characters are either unlikeable or undeveloped filler just waiting for the reveals, but said reveal was quite satisfactory so I’m going with 3 Stars. (But did anyone else notice the amount of typos and omitted words in the final product? Sloppy sloppy.)...more
Here’s an embarrassing confession: I read this in MARCH and never reviewed it so I went and ahead and read it again this weekend. I knew no
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Here’s an embarrassing confession: I read this in MARCH and never reviewed it so I went and ahead and read it again this weekend. I knew nothing before requesting it from NetGalley - I didn’t bother looking at the blurb and just assumed from the author, title and cover, that this would be yet another submission in the line of stories featuring . . . .
And I was sorta right that this did feature not only one, but TWO “final girls.”
The story here goes like this – back in the day someone pulled the ol’ stabby stab on a group of kids working at the local Blockbuster. It was assumed to be a jilted boyfriend and case closed. The only problem was said perp escaped and hasn’t even been heard from since. Fifteen years later and there’s another late-night stab session at a local ice cream parlor. In both cases only one girl made it out alive. So who did it? What’s the motive? And are the two cases connected or just coincidental???
Alright so this had a couple of things that are pet peeves for me. First, an über pregnant FBI agent (bonus this time there’s two babies in her big o’ belly rather than only one). I mean, COME ON. This chick would be on desk duty. However, it gave many Francis McDormand and John Carroll Lynch circa Fargo vibes so . . . . forgiven. Second, the traumatized victim from the past is now a therapist who is the only one the survivor from the present will talk to. God that is soooooo overdone. But, this damn thing was great and my guess was wrong regarding the whodunnit so I’m giving it all the Stars. A solid addition for anyone looking to add some items to their TBR for Stabtober : )
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley! ...more
Picture it, Sicily 1929. Okay, not really, but this was the story of a group of “golden girls”of sorts. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie have spent the past 40 years . . . .
As a thank you for their contribution to ridding the world of various drug lords, sex traffickers, Nazis, dictators, etc. the four have been given an all expenses paid retirement cruise. And also, now they are the targets for the next hit?????
Talk about an action-packed thrillride. I generally don’t tend to enjoy reading fight scenes and high adrenaline cat and mouse situations, but this one was an exception. Mad props for a new take on a familiar plotline, introducing me to these enjoyable ladies, for the humor and for keeping me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. This was pure fun.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!...more
Once again this was a blind item for me. No reading of reviews or blurbs – just Tiffany D. Jackson so yep I’ll read it. Imagine my surprise when I disOnce again this was a blind item for me. No reading of reviews or blurbs – just Tiffany D. Jackson so yep I’ll read it. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this was a Carrie retelling only without the . . . .
I’m not going to spend a lot of time breaking this one down (because at the end of the day it did follow along the Carrie storyline pretty accurately – only with a racial twist). My only real complaint is that not enough time was spent in Maddie’s head where all of the interesting stuff was developing. Oh, and also, can these unnecessary podcast inserts stop being a thing yet? They added zilch to the story.
It’s granny’s 80th birthday and the whole fam has gathered to celebrate. But when the tide comes in and there’s no chance of getting out until morningIt’s granny’s 80th birthday and the whole fam has gathered to celebrate. But when the tide comes in and there’s no chance of getting out until morning the bodies start piling up.
Daisy Darker was easily my most anticipated read of the Fall. I requested (and was denied) an early copy and immediately put in a library request that they purchase this. Then I waited (im)patiently for months and months until Pub Day when I was first in line for the library hold. I went in completely blind. No blurb reading, no early review peeking, nada. And now????
This one was a total snoozer. At 2% a “secret” of some sort is hinted about – and said hint repeats ad nauseam until 80% with little going on other than another dead person once an hour. It was hard not to compare this release to Lucy Foley’s The Guest List (which I really dug) – especially when it not only was a reimagining of the Christie classic, but also included a total copycat cover. More importantly – I can’t figure out why I get so stoked when Feeney has a new release. I went and looked at my other reviews for her stuff and I don’t rate them very high. You know the old saying, fool me once shame on you . . . .
Will I remember that the next time she has a new book being touted by her press team? Probably not.
I didn’t guess the ending here, but I think it was simply because by that point I didn’t really care. And it’s not like it was a twist that hasn’t been done a gajillion times before....more
Kelly (and the Book Boar)
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