Sorry for Your Loss by Georgia McVeigh

 

What is a thriller novel, show, or movie that you have enjoyed lately?

Iris has recently lost her fiancé and has joined a local grief group to work through her loss.  While there, she meets the very handsome Jack who has recently lost his wife to cancer.  As Iris plots ways to win Jack’s affections, she discovers things are not what they seem.  What is real and what is deception in Iris and Jack’s world?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is a contemporary psychological thriller.

·       It’s hard to write a review for this one as I don’t want to give anything away.  It’s best to go in not knowing much about the story.

·       There were many twists and turns in this one, some I figured out, and some where a surprise.

·       The story alternates between the present and the past.  Iris lost her twin sister, Marcie, growing up and it details their relationship and Marcie’s fate.

·       The story is set in London.

·       Iris is not a very likeable person, but I was intrigued to see what she would do next.  I also felt sorry for the losses that she had in life.

·       The novel was very action packed at the end and I couldn’t put it down.

·       The story is told as Iris’s inner monologue.

·       I can’t believe this is a debut novel.  I’m interested to see what Georgia McVeigh writes next.

·       The ending did leave me wondering what could happen next. 

Overall, Sorry for Your Loss by Georgia McVeigh was an intriguing contemporary psychological thriller. 

Book Source:  Review copy from Penguin Random House.  Thank-you!

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

 

What is your favorite mystery/thriller? Recommendations please.

Camille Baylis is unhappy in her marriage to lawyer Ben.  He tracks her every move.  She is sure he is hiding something from her so she comes up with a plan with Aubrey Price to have Aubrey take her car and spend a day as her so that Camille can figure out what Ben is up to.  Aubrey is sure Ben knows something about her parents’ deaths.  When Ben is found dead the next day, only one woman has an alibi.  Who murdered Ben and why?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I don’t want to give too much away in my thoughts so they will be brief.

·       The plot is intricately woven and entertaining.

·       I was guessing up until the very end and I was surprised by the ending.

·       I loved the romantic subplot with Aubrey and her protective housemate, Duncan.

·       I enjoyed the alternating viewpoints between Camille, Aubrey, and Hank (Ben’s law partner).

·       I loved The First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston.  Anatomy of an Alibi was good, but not as good as The First Lie Wins.  I think the story was tighter in First Lie Wins.  There was a lot of characters to keep straight in this one. 

Overall, Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston was an enjoyable contemporary thriller.

Book Source:  Review Copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!

Retreat by Krysten Ritter with Lindsay Jameson

 

Title:  Retreat

Author:  Krysten Ritter with Lindsay Jameson

Narrated by:  Krysten Ritter

Publisher: Harper Audio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 41 minutes

Source: Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the review copy of the physical book.  Audiobook purchased from audible.

Who is your favorite con artist in book or film?  I love Thomas Crown in the Thomas Crown Affair.

Liz Dawson is a beautiful and smart woman who has lived her life as a serial con artist.  She takes an easy job installing a piece of art in Isabelle Beresford’s vacation villa in Mexico.  When she is mistaken for Isabelle, Liz takes over her life.  She soon finds out, “Oh what a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive.”  What secrets did the real Isabelle have and will Liz make it out alive?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I liked that the main character, Liz, is a con artist and it was interesting to hear her story and how she can pretend to be high class people and scam them.  Even thought she was a con artist; I find myself liking her and rooting for her.

·       This was riveting to listen to on audiobook.

·       This was a fun book to read.

·       I loved the beautiful Mexico setting.  It was nice this week especially with the giant blizzard we had in Northeast Wisconsin.

·       I don’t want to give away the plot, but I sort of guessed the end, but not quite all the way.  There was a great twist!

·       There were a lot of rich people behaving badly in this story.  It was a good escapism read.

·       This was a fast-paced suspense thriller and a quick read.

·       The story is contemporary and a psychological thriller. 

·       The ending was open ended and has kept me thinking.   I do wish it had been a clear ending. 

Overall, Retreat by Krysten Ritter with Lindsay Jameson was a great escapism thriller read.

 

It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica

 

Happy #bookbirthday to It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica!

What is the best thriller or mystery that you have read lately?

Courtney Gray is vacationing with her family and her brother’s family in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  The mostly peaceful family vacation is shattered when she discovers that her brother and sister-in-law have been murdered and her niece Reese is missing.  Did Reese have anything to do with the murders?  Where is Reese? Why were her parents murdered?

My thoughts on this book:

·       The story is told with short chapters from alternating viewpoints that keep the action moving.  It was a very engaging story.

·       Reese’s point of view (POV) is from the start of the vacation moving forward while Courtney’s POV is from the murder forward.  It was an interesting way to change the viewpoint.

·       Reese hates Wisconsin and describes everything at the resort as terrible.  I thought Mary Kubica did a great job of getting into the mind and character of a sullen teenage girl.

·       There were a lot of twists, turns, and red herrings that kept me surprised up until the end. 

·       I have enjoyed other Mary Kubica books in the past and this one was another great one by her. 

·       This novel was a great suspense thriller and domestic drama.

·       Courtney really starts to wonder if she can trust anyone.

·       I don’t want to spoil the book by going into more details, but it was excellent, and I couldn’t put it down.

Overall, It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica is a riveting suspense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Book Source:  NetGalley.  Thank-you!

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

 

Title:  The Housemaid

Author:  Freida McFadden

Narrated by:  Lauryn Allman

Publisher: Bookouture

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 46 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

Have you watched any good movies lately based on a book?  I am looking forward to watching the new Housemaid movie soon!

Millie Calloway has just recently been released from prison and feels lucky to have found a job as a housekeeper to the Winchester family.  On the surface, they appear to have the perfect life, but as things keep getting weirder, will Millie be able to figure out what is going on and stay alive?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was the Rogue Book Club selection for January.  We all read the book and enjoyed it.

·       The plot moves along and is very engaging in this book.

·       I really enjoyed that the audiobook narrator has a New York accent.  The audiobook made my drives to work go by fast.

·       I did sad sigh while reading this book about some very poor decision making by characters.

·       There was great suspense this novel that kept me on the edge of my seat.

·       This was great escapism reading.

·       I want to read the rest of the series.

·       There was dark humor in this book.

·       I really liked the ending much more than I thought I would.  I guessed the twist but was pleasantly surprised by the ending.  I don’t want to say too much and ruin the story for someone else.

·       I felt like this was a grown-up version of the Fear Street or Christopher Pike novels I read as a teen.

·       This was my first Freida McFadden novel and I know she is well loved.  Do you have a favorite?

Overall, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was a fast-paced thriller and good escapism reading. 

Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson

 

What was the last book that stunned you?

Thom and Wendy Graves live in a beautiful house by the sea in Massachusetts.  They have been married for over twenty-five years and together raised one son, Jason.  Everything looks perfect from the outside, but there are cracks in their marriage.  Thom likes to drink and have affairs.  They both share a secret from early in their relationship which holds them together.  What is this secret?  What is the heart of the problem with their marriage?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a very cleverly written story and was unique.

·       I loved the references to “I Know Where I’m Going” and “Dial M for Murder” amongst other classic movies.

·       The reader really gets to know the characters backwards through time which was interesting.

·       I really wanted the details on the mystery from early in their relationship, so it was interesting to read it backwards through time and finally get those details.

·       The ending was perfect.

·       This is a toxic love story.  It was interesting that the demise of the love story was at the beginning of the novel and then it worked backwards to how their love story started.

·       The story goes from 2023 to 1982 when Wendy and Thom met at age 14.

·       This is a domestic suspense novel and a slow burn thriller.

·       Thom and Wendy are not particularly likeable characters. 

Favorite Quote: “The first attempt at killing her husband was the night of the dinner party.” This was a great first line.

Overall, Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson is a unique, and clever domestic suspense novel and slow burn thriller.  I enjoyed reading it.

Book Source: Thank-you to NetGalley for a review copy of this novel.

A Mother Always Knows by Sarah Strohmeyer (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Title:  A Mother Always Knows

Author:  Sarah Strohmeyer

Narrated by:  EJ Lavery, Karla Serrato, and Reena Dutt

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 31 minutes

Source: Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the review copy of A Mother Always Knows by Sarah Strohmeyer. Audiobook purchased from Audible.

Do you like reading about cults?  I do, I always find them fascinating.

Stella O’Neill is a librarian living a normal life until a true crime obsessive posts her current name and address online.  Suddenly everyone knows that as a child she lived in a Vermont commune of “diviners” and that her mother, Rose, was murdered when she was ten years old.  Her murder has remained a cold case. Will Stella be ablet to solve her mother’s cold case?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The cover of this novel is great and fits in well with the story!

·       This was a riveting thriller and I enjoyed listening to the audiobook.  Great narrators.

·       Multiple narratives between Rose in the past right before her murder, Stella in the future, Priti the wife of a suspect in future.

·       The three POV’s worked well together.  Priti is the outsider trying to piece things together.

·       Rose’s chapters detailed the inner workings of the cult.

·       Stella has vague memories of living in the cult from age three to ten.

·       I enjoyed the novel, We Love to Entertain, from this author previously.

·       There was a great twist at the end of the book that I did not guess.

·       The parts of the story in the commune were creepy.  Radcliffe MacBeath is the guru in charge.  Rose has started to realize that he is fake and a hypocrite.  She wants out, but how can she escape with her daughter?

·       Stella may have divining powers where she can sense dead bodies by walking over their graves.

·       There were great twists and turns in the book.

·       I was only annoyed with one item when Rose wouldn’t leave the commune when the opportunity arose, and she had a way out. 

Overall, A Mother Always Knows by Sarah Strohmeyer was a twisty thriller with a unique premise.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

 

Which genre often takes you out of your comfort zone?  Thrillers also take me out of my comfort zone, but I love it.

Nina Swann lost her husband a year ago.  She receives a card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her husband.  They connect and Nina feels like she may have a second chance at love.  Her daughter, Ash, feels, that something is wrong and starts digging into Nick’s past.  Is he who he says he is?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The story has three primary points of view – Ash, Nina, and Martha.  Martha is a florist with the perfect husband, Alistair, who seems not so perfect as he keeps disappearing.  Other points of view, also pop up include Nick’s and other various people that he interacts with.  It could be confusing at times, but I thought it was very intriguing.

·       This novel was a bit repetitive and slow in the middle, but I couldn’t put it down for the last 1/3 of the book.

·       I really liked the ending.  Everything came together at the end and there were a few surprises left.

·       It’s a disturbing story about love and trust.  What happens in your life if your lift partner is not the person you think they are?

·       The villain in this novel was one of the best villains I’ve ever read.  One that seems like the nicest guy you’ve ever met until you let him into your life.

·       I don’t want to give too much away on the plot as I really enjoyed it!

Overall, Don’t Let Him in by Lisa Jewell was an intriguing domestic thriller that kept me reading too far into the night.  Can you trust the one you love?

Book Source: Thank-you to NetGalley for a review copy of this novel.

 

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?

Heartwood by Amity Gaige

 

Title:  Heartwood

Author:  Amity Gaige

Narrated by:  Justine Lupe, Alma Cuervo, Rebecca Lowman, Ali Andre Ali, Cary Hite, Helen Laser

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 45 minutes

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

What is a goal that you hope to accomplish in the next ten years?  I hope to get back to the Grand Canyon so that my kids can see it for the first time.

Valerie Gillis is forty-two years old and close to finishing her goal of hiking the Appalachian Trail when she goes missing in Maine.  Alone and lost, she writes her thoughts down for her mother.  Maine State Game Warden, Beverly, is leading the task force looking for her.  Lena is a seventy-six-year-old retired woman in Connecticut that is fascinated by the disappearance.  Will her armchair sleuthing help to find Valerie?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I love, love, loved the full cast audiobook recording.  There were three main points of view:  Valerie, Beverly, and Lena.  I also loved the interviews/conversations that popped up throughout book with her hiking buddy, Santo.  The voice actor really brought Santo to life!  I loved his story of being a black, “fat” hiker on the Appalachian Trail.  I want a book just on Santo’s adventures.

·       I enjoyed the hiking aspects of the Appalachian Trail as well as the relationships between hikers on the trail. 

·       Valerie’s husband, Gregory, also follows along and meets Valerie at stops along the way to keep her supplied.  She decides during the hike that she no longer loves Gregory and lets him know. Did Gregory have anything to do with her disappearance?

·       Valerie’s trail nickname was Sparrow.  I thought the trail nicknames were interesting.

·       Valerie decided to go on this hike after being burned out as a nurse during the pandemic.

·       I enjoyed the guitar music at the end of the audiobook.

·       Over the course of the book, I grew to love Valerie, Beverly, and Lena as well-rounded characters.   I like how the book looked to the future to where their lives went after this mystery.

·       The pacing of this book was slow at times, it’s not a fast-running thriller, but I was intrigued and wanted to know why Valerie was lost and whether she would be found.

·       This is a Read with Jenna Book.

Heartwood by Amity Gaige was an intriguing contemporary suspense audiobook set in nature with well rounded characters.  The audiobook with the full cast was a great experience.