Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

 

Title:  Beautiful Ugly

Author:  Alice Feeney

Narrated by:  Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton

Publisher: MacMillian Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 19 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley and checked out through Libby with the Kewaunee Public Library

Do you prefer reading books with single POV or multiple POV?

Grady Green has just found out that his latest book has made the best sellers list, but his joy is tempered as his wife Abby has not returned home to hear the news.  He receives a mysterious phone call from her and then she disappears.  A year later, Grady’s life has gone off the rails, but he has one last opportunity to get back on the right path.  His publicist has been left a writer’s retreat on a remote Scottish island that another of her famous writers used to use to write his books.  Grady can use it to crank out a book.  Once on the island, he notices that things are odd. Is he seeing his missing wife?  Why does everyone wear the same mysterious ring?  Can he leave the island?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This book had a great first chapter that pulls you in with Abby going missing.

·       I loved Richard Armitage as the main narrator of the audiobook.  There were also sound effects throughout the novel, especially with phone calls.

·       The story was primarily told through Grady’s point of view, but there are some chapters set in the past told through Abby’s point of view.

·       I loved the Scottish island setting of Amberly.  Being cut off from the rest of the world gives the story an eerie feel.

·       This novel had interesting characters.  I felt like I was losing my mind with Grady on the Island. I must admit that my favorite character though was Grady’s dog.

·       I enjoyed this thriller until the end.  There was just one too many twists and it fell into the very unbelievable category for me.  I was disappointed as I had really enjoyed the book until that point.

Favorite quote: “Sometimes I think we are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.”

Overall, Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney had all the makings of a great thriller, but unfortunately the ending made this an overall disappointing read.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

 

Title:  Verity

Author:  Colleen Hover

Narrated by:  Vanessa Johansson, Amy Landon

Publisher: Audible Studios

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 10 minutes

Source: Audiobook from Amazon Music monthly allotment and physical book from the Kewaunee Public Library.

What is your favorite novel with an unreliable narrator?

Lowen Ashley has been caring for her mother who was dying of cancer.  She put her career as an author on hold and now that her mother has passed away, she finds herself in financial ruin.  She is offered a job to finish the remaining books in a wildly successful series by Verity Crawford.  Verity has been in an accident and has also recently lost her two daughters.  Lowen goes to Verity’s home to go through her notes to make an outline to finish eh series.  While there, she discovers Verity’s shocking autobiography. She also finds herself attracted to Verity’s husband, Jeremy.  Is Verity all that she seems to be?  What will Lowen do with the information that she has?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the Page-turners Book Club selection for May at the Kewaunee Public Library.  Sadly, I had to miss the meeting due to a luncheon.  Happily, the luncheon was for my oldest son who won a scholarship.

·       The audiobook had great narrators, but I really didn’t like listening to an audiobook that was filled with constant F bombs.  That’s not how I talk in my everyday life, and I don’t really care to hear it.  There was also a LOT of sex scenes which were also awkward to listen to on an audiobook.

·       This was a hard book to read, there were scenes of violence against unborn children and babies.  It was really hard to imagine a mother that is obsessed with her husband and hates her own children.

·       There was a gothic Jane Eyre type vibe to this book.  Verity is the “wife in the attic” while Lowen is the young new author working downstairs.

·       Positives about this book:

o   The story moved along, and I wanted to know what would happen.  It was an engaging plot.

o   It reminded me of a soap opera with lots of drama.

o   It had an open ending – what was the truth?

·       Negatives about this book:

o   Violence against children. I could hardly read it – I was horrified.

o   Graphic, constant sex scenes.

o   Cheating.

o   Repetitive and not well written.

o   There were a lot of plot holes, and the ending wasn’t plausible.

Overall, I didn’t really care for Verity by Colleen Hoover. This is my first Colleen Hoover novel and I’m not sure that I want to read more.  Are all of her other books like this?

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict

 

Do you enjoy working on jigsaw puzzles?  We were working on them more as a family during COVID times, but not as much now.  My daughter just asked if we could work on one again, so we’ll see if the puzzle table comes out.

Edie O’Sullivan is eighty years old and enjoys her job putting together crossword puzzles for national newspapers.  She loves her great-nephew/adopted son, Detective Inspective (DI) Sean Brand-O’Sullivan.  Sean is having a stressful Christmas season as he and his husband, Liam, work on trying to show that they would be good adoptive parents.  A package with a few puzzle pieces including a picture of Sean’s watch shows up on Edie’s doorstep.  Will she be able to put together the puzzle and solve the clues to stop the murderer from reaching her family?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel had great characters.  I felt like they were all unique personalities and interesting.  Edie is a very grumpy character and seems to not care, but she deeply loves her nephew Sean.  She has put up walls to protect herself from the heartbreaks she has suffered through her life.  I wanted to spend more time with Edie and the characters in this community.

·       I couldn’t put this book down and read it quickly as I wanted to know the answer and if Edie would be able to save her nephew.

·       This novel was a good look into not judging people.  Many people have things going on in their life that you don’t know about.  Give people grace.

·       I enjoyed that signature on the note that came with the puzzle pieces was signed “rest in pieces.”  It made me chuckle every time I read it.

·       I definitely did not guess the ending of this one!  Besides the resolution of the mystery, the ending also had a heartwarming conclusion.

·       The author had a variety of challenges in the book for the reader to complete with answers at the back of the novel.  I was lazy and didn’t do any of the challenges.

·       This author has written other Christmas mysteries that interest me.  I’ll maybe pick some of them up to read next year.

Overall, The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict was a riveting mystery with a great grumpy older main character with a heart of gold.

Book Source:  E-book review copy from NetGalley and I purchased a paperback edition from Amazon.com. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

 

Are you a fan of Jane Eyre?  Have you read the book?  Do you have a favorite movie or TV version?

The Wife Upstairs is a modern day take on Jane Eyre.  Jane has recently moved to Birmingham Alabama and works as a dogwalker in the rich Thornfield Estates Community.  She takes trinkets on the side and is always watching. Resident Eddie Rochester’s wife Bea has recently been presumed dead.  Bea had started a Southern homestyle line and made a fortune.  Eddie and Jane soon start a romance, but Jane has a lot of questions.  What exactly happened to Bea and how was Eddie involved?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a Rogue Book Club selection for November.  Unfortunately, only one other member read it, but she enjoyed it as much as I did.  She had not read the original Jane Eyre and still enjoyed this book on its own merits.

·       This retelling of Jane Eyre was a new story in itself.  It kept the names and some scenarios from the original tale, but it gives the story its own unique spin.

·       This book kept me guessing.  I kept thinking that I had it figured out and then the story would switch.  This was often achieved with changing the point of view.

·       I didn’t really like any of the characters.  Unlike the original novel, this Jane was not a good person.  I still wanted to know what would happen to the characters.  It was a plot driven novel.

·       Jane grew up in foster care.  She is street smart, but she can read people and blend into her surroundings.  She mimics Bea’s style and that of the ladies in the neighborhood.  Jane is strong willed and will get her happy ending.

·       The author said at the end that she gives Jane the ending she deserves.  I’m not sure if I agreed with the ending of the book being the ending that Jane deserved.

·       Minus one star for the “Reader, I F&*^ed him” quote.  While it did make me chuckle, I didn’t like this rewrite of the famous Jane Eyre quote.

·       This also reminded me of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier which is itself a modern day take on Jane Eyre.  Just like in Rebecca, the start of the novel was romance between Eddie and Jane as they got together. 

Overall, I thought The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins was very entertaining!

Book Source:  A gift from a friend

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

Title: Bright Young Women

Author:  Jessica Knoll

Narrated by:  Sutton Foster, Imani Jade Powers, Corey Brill, Chris Henry Coffey

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 58 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you!

Do you like true crime stories?  Bright Young Women is a historical thriller that tells a fictionalized version of the killings involving Ted Bundy.

In 1978, a serial killer attacks a sorority at Florida State University killing two and severely wounding two others.  The sorority president, Pamela Schumaker briefly sees the killer when she goes to investigate a sound.  Will she be able to help put the killer behind bars?

Tina Cannon has been looking for her friend Ruth since she disappeared.  She feels her disappearance has something to do with the serial killer.  Will she be able to find out what happened to Ruth?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I thought this novel was very interesting.  I liked how the story focused on telling the victims story rather than focusing on the killer.  This is a fictional account of the Ted Bundy murders and trial.  It shows how the press and public made Ted Bundy a “sexy” character and imbibed him with smarts and charm that he did not possess.

·       A Florida judge called Ted Bundy a “Bright Young Man.”  The title of this book is a play on this.

·       I had a feeling of dread while reading this novel.  This eventually turned to hope by the end of the novel.

·       I also felt frustrated while reading the novel.  Tina and Pamela were often dismissed because of being women or because of relationships they had in the past.

·       The story is told through multiple point of views which I enjoyed.  The audiobook had different narrators for the different point of views which I thought really added to the audiobook experience.

·       The story also is told in the past in the 1970s when it was experienced as well as in the present as Pamela and Tina work to uncover what happened to Ruth.

·       I thought the overall message on how a crime is portrayed by the media may be vastly different than reality was very powerful.

Overall, Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll is a historical thriller that tells the story of the victims that are often behind in the media portrayal of a crime.

The House by the Cemetery by Lisa Childs

 

What do you think about cemeteries?  Peaceful or scary?  I think they are peaceful, but I know that they scare a lot of people.

River Gold has returned to her hometown of Gold Creek Michigan at the death of her father, Gregory Gold.  Gregory Gold was an entrepreneur funeral home owner.  His original funeral home was in Gold Creek, but he has started a chain of funeral homes across the country that has brought him great wealth.  Gregory was also extremely vain and a womanizer. River’s mother, Fiona, is his last and current wife.  His first two wives still live in the family compound. When River was a pregnant teen, she escaped from Gold Creek and carved a life out for herself in California with her daughter Sarah, and Grandma, Mabel.  She has always wondered what happened to her high school love and Sarah’s father, Michael.  Why didn’t he meet her when she was going to leave town?  Michael’s brother, Luke, is now the Sheriff and is investing Gregory’s death as a murder.  Who murdered Gregory and why? 

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a perfect read for this time of year.  It had just the right amount of suspense, spookiness, and romance.

·       This was the type of novel where there were many in the family who wanted to kill Gregory for good reason.  I did not guess the killer in this one. 

·       I loved the cover and use of purple.

·       I especially liked that there was a family tree at the beginning of the novel.  I made use of it often as I got to know the characters.

·       There was one mystery I kept wondering about throughout the novel that got a semi-conclusion in the epilogue.  I hope there is a book two to flesh out this story more.

·       This was a quick read, which I loved in this busy time of year.

·       The story was told through multiple narrators including the killer at times.  I could have done without the killer’s thoughts.

·       I enjoyed the family drama and especially liked River, Luke, and Sarah.

Overall, this was an enjoyable light spooky mystery suspense novel that was perfect for the Halloween season.

Book Source:  Review copy from Kensington Books. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister

 

What is the last book you read that you couldn’t put down?  I started Just Another Missing Person last Saturday and had it finished up by Sunday.  It was the type of book that I stayed up too late to read as I really wanted to see what happened.

A case of a missing woman from the previous year has haunted Detective Julia Day as she was not able to solve the case.  Her marriage and home life deteriorated during this time.  When a twenty-two-year-old woman, Olivia goes missing, Julia is on the case immediately.  Her disappearance does not make sense, but Julia also realizes that there are many similarities to the disappearance a year ago.  She soon finds that her own family secret is wrapped into Olivia’s disappearance, and she must NOT solve the case to keep her family safe.  Can she go against her own ethics?  What about Olivia’s family?  Where is Olivia?

My thoughts:

·       This story was told through three points of view: Julia, the kidnapped woman’s father Lewis, and Emma, a mother who worries that her son may be involved in the disappearances.

·       The characters were very well developed and real. I could understand their motivations and felt like I was in their minds.

·       I liked the focus on motherhood / fatherhood.  How far would you go to protect your children? If your child does something terrible, do you protect them or protect others from them?  Julia, Lewis, and Emma are all motivated by their children in their actions.

·       This book had a moment in the middle where I was like, what the heck just happened? I had to reread what I had just read.  I love a book that can throw me off like that.  I couldn’t put the book down from that point until the end.

·       I enjoyed the mystery and how all the strands come together for a great ending.

·       Just Another Missing Person was well written and intriguing.

Overall, Just Another Missing Person is a great thriller and my favorite read from July.  I could not put this book down!

Book Source:  Giveaway copy from William Morrow Books. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

 

Title: One Perfect Couple

Author:  Ruth Ware

Narrated by:  Imogen Church

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 14 hours and 25 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you!

 

If you could be on a reality TV show, which would you like to be on?  I always thought it would be fun to be on The Amazing Race.

Lyla is a post-doctoral researcher.  Her boyfriend Nico is an actor.  He receives an opportunity to join the cast of a new reality show, One Perfect Couple, but only if Lyla goes with him.  She decides to join him to help out his career.  They must compete against four other couples for a prize.  Unfortunately, Lyla finds out that individuals are voted off and that the point of the show is to recouple.  She is not happy that Nico left this detail out of the explanation.  A horrific storm hits the island where the show is filmed in the Indian Ocean, and all of the teams are cut off from the world on a desert island with limited food and water.  As people start dying one by one, are there more sinister forces at play?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This book is survivor meets Lord of the Flies meets Agatha Christie’s And then There are None.

·       This was a very engaging audiobook.  I enjoyed the thrilling suspense.

·       Lyla is the narrator of the story, and Imogen Church did a great job of providing her voice in the audiobook.

·       Lyla is also my favorite character.  As a woman in STEM myself, I enjoyed her perspective on everything, even though I wanted to sit down and have a serious talk with her about her relationship with Nico.

·       I loved the tropical Indian Ocean setting. 

·       I enjoyed the surviving while deserted on the island scenario as well as the bonding between the characters that took place on the island.

·       All the couples have various problems that come to head in such a tense situation.

·       I don’t want to get too much into the plot and ruin the story.  I finished this audiobook quickly and greatly enjoyed the thrill of the story.

·       I wasn’t wowed by the ending, but it worked okay for me.

Overall, One Perfect Couple is another great suspense thriller from Ruth Ware. 

 

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

 

Title: The Return of Ellie Black

Author:  Emiko Jean

Narrated by:  Mizuo Peck, Tessa Albertson, Nicole Lewis, Rebecca Lowman, Joy Osmanski, Angel Pean, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Erin Ruth Walker, CJ Wilson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 11 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you!

Do you prefer books with one POV or multiple POVs?  I like both.

Ellie Black disappeared two years ago.  The trail went cold until one day, she appeared alone on a trail.  Detective Chelsey Calhoun receives the call about Ellie’s return.  She tries to get more information from Ellie on what happened, but Ellie is a closed book.  Chelsey’s own sister met a violent end, and she becomes obsessed with the case of Ellie Black.  Where was Ellie Black at for two years and were other missing girls at the same location?

My thoughts on this book:

·       Wow!  I thought I was very smart and had this book figured out and then it took a hard left at the end.  I enjoyed the thrills!  There were many twists and turns in this story, and it was very engaging.

·       Even more impressive was that this was the debut novel of author Emiko Jean.

·       Detective Chelsey was an intriguing figure.  An adoptive daughter of a past police chief, she feels she is always trying to live up to impossible standards.  As an Asian female cop, she knows people underestimate her.  She is haunted by the tragic death of her sister, and it drives her to figure out the mystery of Ellie Black to potentially help other victims.

·       The novel had an interested discussion on how the disappearances of women of color are not treated the same as the disappearances of white women. Ellie Black is Native American.

·       The story was told through multiple points of view. There were different narrators in the audiobook for each point of view which worked great.

·       There were disturbing scenes of violence in this book.  It was creepy and scary at times.  It left me feeling unsettled.

·       I don’t want to give too much of the plot away as it is great to discover it on your own.

If you are looking for an engaging thriller that you can’t put down, I highly recommend The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean.

Hope to Die by Cara Hunter (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 Title:  Hope to Die

Author:  Cara Hunter

Narrated by:  Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, Roy McMillan

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 21 minutes

Source: Audiobook purchased from Amazon.com.  Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for the physical copy of the novel.

Do you have any favorite fictional detectives?  I love the classic detectives – Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Miss Marple, but I always love to find new and fascinating detectives to read about.

Detective Inspector (DI) Fawley and his team are called into a gruesome and puzzling murder scene in Oxford, England.  At a remote home, an elderly man has killed an intruder.  At first it seems like a burglary gone wrong, but as the team investigates further, they discover there is much more to the story.  I loved all the twists and turns, so I am not going to go any further with the summary.

My thoughts on the novel:

·       Hope to Die is the sixth novel in the DI Adam Fawley series.  This was the first book I’ve read in this series, and it worked well as a standalone novel.  I definitely want to go back and read the other books in the series.

·       There is a great list of characters at the start of the book with detailed descriptions of them.  This really helped when you are starting this series six books in.  I could see this helping to refresh one too even if you had read other novels in the series, but it has been a while.

·       This mystery was very twisty and turny.  I kept thinking I knew what was going on, but then the story would take another left turn.

·       There was a fun reference to Thomas Hardy books in this novel which was fun as I am currently reading Far From the Madding Crowd for my Back to the Classics Book Club.

·       Hope to Die was very well written and intriguing to listen to in an audiobook.   I always enjoy the use of different narrators for different viewpoints.

·       Hope to Die was written in a unique format.  Mixed media is used such as case files, interviews, letters, news stories, excerpts from a Netflix special, etc.  There are no chapters, but sections are broken up for readability.

·       The Acknowledgements section has interesting information about a real-life case that inspired this story.  The real-life story has a documentary on Prime Video discussing the case.  I just added it to my “to watch” list.

·       This is a very popular crime procedural series and I’m glad I’ve found it. 

Overall, Hope to Die by Cara Hunter was an intriguing suspense mystery with a complex case and great ending.  I highly recommend this novel.

This book was published on June 11, 2024.

Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda

 

Title: Daughter of Mine

Author:  Megan Miranda

Narrated by:  Ines del Castillo

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 19 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you @simonandschuster @BookClubFavorites #BookClubFavorites for the free books!

Do you like to vacation by a lake, ocean, or other body of water?  I always think it’s fun to canoe, boat, and swim in water during vacations.

Hazel Sharpe’s father has recently passed away.  She returns home to Mirror Lake for his funeral and to settle the estate.  Much to her surprise, she discovers that her father, a long-time detective in town, left her his house, and her brothers his assets, but his accounts are empty.  As the town goes without rain, two cars are discovered in the lake as goes to record lows.  She realizes that her father has left her clues to follow to figure a mystery that is ongoing at Mirror Lake.  What does it all mean, and what does it have to do with her mother’s disappearance when she was a child?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This thriller had a lot of twists and turns that were very exciting.  It was a great thriller for keeping me engaged and awake through a long drive last month.

·       This was my first book by author Megan Miranda, and I definitely need to read more of her novels.

·       I love water and my career is based on it.  I really liked how each chapter started with a summary of how many days the community had been without rain.  I liked how the water was tied into the story.

·       I felt a sense of foreboding throughout the novel that was tied in with the weather.  It all cumulated in the climax at the end.  I had some hints along the way, but I didn’t guess the ending.

·       I liked the family dynamics and how they played out in the novel.

·       I felt bad for Hazel as she spent her life grappling with being abandoned by her mother.

·       I love the setting – it made me want to visit Mirror Lake, North Carolina.  I had to Google it when I finished the novel, and it looks like it is a real place!

·       I liked how the book had the theme of “daughters are different.”

·       Ines del Castillo was a great narrator!

Overall, Daughter of Mine was a riveting thriller and I greatly enjoyed it.