Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward is a 2019 Park Row publication.
Strange, absorbing, but too predictable-
Maddie and her friend, Jo, travel abroad to dangerBeautiful Bad by Annie Ward is a 2019 Park Row publication.
Strange, absorbing, but too predictable-
Maddie and her friend, Jo, travel abroad to dangerous locations, which puts them in contact with paid ‘bodyguard’, Ian. Maddie and Ian begin an emotional affair, which is complicated by Ian’s entanglement with an unstable woman, and by Maddie’s friendship with Jo.
Nine years after they parted ways, they are reunited, and embark on a torrid, yet disturbingly intense, affair which eventually leads to marriage and the birth of their son, Charlie. It also brings Maddie full circle, as she and Ian decide to settle down in her old hometown in Kansas, a place that in her youth, Maddie couldn’t wait to escape from.
Now, an urgent 911 call sends police units to Maddie and Ian’s peaceful neighborhood where they discover a shockingly violent scene.
From here the story takes the reader back ten weeks prior to the 911 call, walking us through the events which lead up to the ‘Day of the Killing’, while also keeping us informed about the investigation as it proceeds.
The various timelines are not hard to keep up with, and for a while the murky shadows of Ian’s world held my attention, and intrigued me, more than any other character in the novel. Ian has obviously seen too much for a human to fully cope with psychologically, which has left him with PTSD. His mental state directly effects the nomadic Maddie who feels stifled by Ian’s inability to socialize and travel. And what about Jo? After Maddie married Ian, Jo cut off all contact with her, although Maddie still cares for her friend and misses her.
And what about the ‘accident’ that left Maddie’s eye disfigured? Everyone seems to think Ian is responsible for what happened to Maddie, but she refuses to accept that. However, she does try ‘writing therapy’ to help her deal with the aftermath and perhaps remember what really happened to her. Meanwhile, Maddie’s most pressing concern is keeping Charlie safe.
I found myself invested in the story early on, but as it progressed, things began to click into place like a child’s picture puzzle instead of a complex jigsaw puzzle. Yet, despite my having guessed where the story was heading, I kept turning pages, hoping to see a more ingenious plot development or a surprise twist in the works. Unfortunately, the story became more and more obvious and predictable. Yet, I had to see how it would all end. The conclusion didn’t disappoint me, but it didn’t wow me either.
I can tell the author put some thought into the book and to be completely honest, it isn’t a bad story. It is just a little uneven- too ambitious in some ways, but not challenging enough in others. I did, despite the predictability, find the book strangely absorbing. In the end, the outcome did provoke some deeper thought, especially on the topic of PTSD.
Many books are enjoyable and entertaining without requiring intense concentration and there’s nothing wrong with that. Often, we go to see movies to escape and be entertained at the end of a long week, and don’t seem to mind mid-range films that were good ‘in the moment’ but perhaps not all that plausible, realistic, or memorable in the long term. Maybe we are too hard on books that fall into that same mid-range zone. Even in this book, Ian admitted he wasn’t always up for hardcore military strategy or role-playing games, occasionally opting for a casual game of Candy Crush.
Not every book is going to challenge us in the extreme and to expect every book to reach that level reduces some of the entertainment value books provide to us. This one wasn’t mind blowing, but it was entertaining and enjoyable ‘in the moment’ and sometimes that’s good enough.
Josephine Baker's Last Dance by Sherry Jones is a 2018 Gallery Books publication.
I have walked into the palaces of kings and queens and into the housJosephine Baker's Last Dance by Sherry Jones is a 2018 Gallery Books publication.
I have walked into the palaces of kings and queens and into the houses of presidents. And much more. But I could not walk into a hotel in America and get a cup of coffee, and that made me mad. And when I get mad, you know that I open my big mouth. And then look out, 'cause when Josephine opens her mouth, they hear it all over the world ...
What a life!
I didn't know much about Josephine Baker. I remember watching a movie based on her life, many, many years ago, but I’d forgotten most of it, except for the children she had adopted. This book is a work of fiction, as well, but does offer the reader more than adequate insights into Josephine’s life, both professionally and personally.
It is hard not to feel impressed by Josephine’s bravery and fortitude. She survived things that would have broken the spirit of most people and kept right on living her life with gusto. Her childhood was horrific, but her adult life was utterly fascinating. She was bold, risqué, and multi-talented, and very funny.
This novel captures Josephine’s more interesting escapades in France and Germany and examines the culture-shock she experienced when she returned to the States where she struggled to adjust to the racial inequality in her own country. Her stage shows were racy, but nothing compared to her private life where she had numerous sexual partners and relationships of all stripes.
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Josephine’s tenure as a spy for the French Resistance is quite intriguing. Her bravery is exceptional, as she faced fear head on, with aplomb, where, here again, I think many of us would have faltered. The brevity of this section, however, is a little disappointing. There are some sections that are rushed through and the book did end in an abrupt fashion, leaving out some key areas of Josephine’s later years. However, it is quite evident the author went all in on her research, and she does her best to capture the wild and undaunted spirit of the incomparable Josephine Baker.
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Overall, this is an interesting look at an early trailblazer for black women in many different areas of life and entertainment. She is still an inspiration to so many people and performers even after all these years. I enjoyed looking some YouTube clips of Josephine while reading this book. She really could dance, but I think she really loved to sing more than anything else. Some of the clips are very grainy due to age, but still worth watching, and of course several clips captured her infamous eye crossings.
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I recommend this book to everyone- especially fans of historical fiction and performance art.
4 stars
*I won this book from Goodreads giveaway – Many thanks to Gallery Books...more
Pecan Pies and Deadly Lies by Nancy Naigle is 2013 Montlake publication. I recieved this book as a part of the Amazon Kindle first program. Cody TugglePecan Pies and Deadly Lies by Nancy Naigle is 2013 Montlake publication. I recieved this book as a part of the Amazon Kindle first program. Cody Tuggle , a country music star, is tired of being on the road and is feeling burned out and ready for some down time. He's thought of looking up an old girlfriend to see if maybe he made a mistake by chosing his career over family life. His manager, Arty, is vehemently opposed to that idea. Cody also remembers a pretty girl he met on a photo shoot named Kasey. He wishes he could find a girl like her. She's not interested in his fame or money and is easy to talk to. She has her own career and is raising a son alone after her husband passed away. When Cody has the chance to meet with Kasey again, he knows for sure he wants to gets to know her better. For Kasey life without her husband, Nick, has been hard. Raising her son alone she just can't seem to move on. The love she had with Nick was a one of a kind, once in a lifetime kind of love and Kasey is sure she will never feel that type of connection again. She does have an admirer though, but try as she might she can't feel anything for the law enforcement officer that has tried so hard to become a part of her life. But, we she finds herself touching base with Cody Tuggle again, something long buried starts making it's way to the surface and now Kasey is frightened by the feeling she has for Cody. A series of events unfolds that hits Cody pretty hard. He finds out some things that have him really upset and Kasey is the just the person he needs to help him deal with some heavy betrayals. But, when a death occurs, Cody becomes suspect number one. Did Kasey misread Cody? Could he be a cold blooded murderer? I loved the characters in this story, but Kasey's son Jake nearly stole the show. Kasey deserves a chance at HEA after going through the loss of her husband. Cody also deserves to have someone love him for who he really is. Although Kasey is not sure about how they will manage small town life with Cody's superstar status, Cody knows without a doubt this small town and Kasey and Jake is just what he wants, if he doesn't get send to prison for murder that is. Nancy Naigle has a real talent for tucking us in to a cozy spot and losing ourselves in a heartwarming romance and with a mystery and little suspense thrown in for good measure. If you haven't read the Adam's Grove series yet, get yourself over to Amazon or B&N and get a copy. These romance and mystery novels will appeal to any audience, even YA readers can enjoy these since there is no strong language, sexual content or graphic violence. If you enjoy contemporary romance, romantic suspense, or cozy myteries you will enjoy this series. ...more
I was lucky enough to win an ARC of this book on Goodreads. So, first of all I want to say "Thank You" to Goodreads, the author and publisher. I also hI was lucky enough to win an ARC of this book on Goodreads. So, first of all I want to say "Thank You" to Goodreads, the author and publisher. I also hope I'm not committing some kind of faux pas by posting the review before the book is released. However, I just couldn't sit on it that long. This book is not to be missed.
Brenna,is a private Detective, mother of a 13 year old daughter, divorced, and lives with a condition that causes her to remember every moment of every day in vivid detail. However, her memories of childhood remain fuzzy before the disapperance of her sister, Clea.
Now, a web sensation calling herself Lula Belle, begins repeating phrases that Brenna's mother used, and telling stories about her childhood that mirror Brenna's memories. Could Lula Belle be her missing sister?
When Brenna is hired by her former boss to look into the case, Brenna becomes as obsessed as the men addicted to watching Lula Belle's performances. One lead takes her to another lead, to a murder, then another murder. Brenna herself becomes a target as she gets too close to the truth.
I love this trend of mixing literary prose with the mystery novel. This is a dark, moody, mystery/psychological thriller combined with a rich, lush prose that sucks you into the story so deeply you don't even realize you've read half the book already.
Brenna's hyperthymesia (or something like that),is a blessing and a curse. It is useful as a PI, but mostly, it causes her to go off into her own world as she relives each detail of her memories. This makes Brenna a very interesting character. Her personal and professional lives are often difficult to balance. In this case it's even more personal. Brenna hopes to find answers to the questions that have haunted her all these years about her sister.
I think we should be keeping our eyes on this author. I see this author hitting the best seller list in the future. This a very good mystery and then some.
I believe this is the second Brenna Spector novel. I went to Amazon.com and ordered the first book right after I finished this one. . This one gets an A!...more
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