The Ladies of the Secret Circus, By Constance Sayers ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 23rd, 2021

469 Pages

Synopsis: 

Paris, 1925: To enter the Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder—a world where women tame magnificent beasts, carousels take you back in time, and trapeze artists float across the sky. But each daring feat has a cost. Bound to her family’s strange and magical circus, it’s the only world Cecile Cabot knows—until she meets a charismatic young painter and embarks on a passionate love affair that could cost her everything.

Virginia, 2005: Lara Barnes is on top of the world—until her fiancé disappears on their wedding day. Desperate, her search for answers unexpectedly leads to her great-grandmother’s journals and sweeps her into the story of a dark circus and a generational curse that has been claiming payment from the women in her family for generations. (Goodreads)

The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a darkly magical read, that I enjoyed so much I didn’t want it to come to an end. The first quarter of the book delves into the life of Lara in 2004/2005 as she struggles to move on after the mysterious disappearance of her fiancé on their wedding day. You find out a little bit of her background, and her family’s magic, but the real revelations come when her great-grandmother Cecile’s journals fall into her hands. The majority of the book alternates from Jazz Age Paris to the early 2000s and what Lara discovers involves the supernatural, star-crossed lovers, a family curse, and the question of what you’re willing to sacrifice to save the one you love. It’s exquisitely told and although it’s almost 500 pages long, I had to make a concentrated effort to slow down. There are so many elements to this atmospheric novel: demonology, history, art, circuses, and magical realism. Sayers skillfully builds layer upon layer, until I felt as though I was within the pages of the book. There’s a little bit of romance but this isn’t really the focus of the story. All that’s left to say is that The Ladies of the Secret Circus is creative, mesmerizing storytelling at its finest, and perfect for fans of The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. 

You’ll Thank Me ForThis, By Nina Siegal ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Domestic Abuse, Mystery, Suspense, The Netherlands

Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 23rd, 2021

256 Pages

Synopsis: A pulse-pounding psychological thriller based on the popular Dutch tradition of blindfolding teens and pre-teens and dropping them in the middle of a forest—and what happens when it goes horribly wrong.

Twelve-year-old Karin is blindfolded and dropped into the Hoge Veluwe National Forest with three other children. With nothing but a few basic supplies and emergency food, the children are tasked with working together to navigate one of the Netherlands’ most beautiful and wild locations and return to where their families are anxiously waiting.

Karin quickly finds herself at odds with two of the older teens, and suddenly looks up to see that the other children have vanished. As Karin struggles against the elements to find her way back, she soon realizes that something far more sinister lurks in the woods.

Grace, Karin’s mother,and an American married to a Dutch husband, has been nervous about this practice from the start. At first she tells herself that the space is good for her daughter, but as the hours begin to tick by and the children fail to arrive at their designated campsite, she becomes certain that something has gone horribly wrong.

As Karin fights for survival, and Grace hastens to find her daughter, the night culminates in the reveal of a deadly secret—and a shocking confrontation—that will push each of them to her edge. (Goodreads)

As you can see in the synopsis, You’ll Thank Me Later is based on the Dutch tradition of “dropping,” in which groups of pre-teens are left in the woods, where they have to work together to find their way out. Here’s a 2019 New York Times article which tells more about it.

Admittedly my first reaction was: “Are they crazy? Oh my God! How can they blindfold their babies and desert them in the woods? What kind of horrible parents would do that?” However, that reaction is coming from my deep belief in Murphy’s Law, and the pretty much irrefutable fact that if anything can go wrong, it will. Then I started reading more about it and learned that the UK has a right of passage called the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and even the Boy Scouts of America have sponsored similar outings. And I do understand the purpose behind these: Cooperation, self reliance, etc.

After finishing this book though, I say again Murphy’s Law people! The story itself is a quick one at a little over 256 pages. I liked the main characters Karin and her mother, Grace, and the chapters alternate between the two of them. The mystery certainly kept me guessing almost right up until the end. My biggest issue concerns the dialogue which often comes across as stilted and rather awkward, which is surprising as the author is American. Overall though, I found You’ll Thank Me For This an entertaining read that I easily finished in under two hours.

You Love Me (You #3), By Caroline Kepnes ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Dark Comedy, Mental Illness, Mystery, Romance, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 6th, 2021

400 Pages

Synopsis: Joe Goldberg is back. And he’s going to start a family—even if it kills him.

Joe Goldberg is done with cities, done with the muck and the posers, done with Love. Now he’s saying hello to nature, to simple pleasures on a cozy island in the Pacific Northwest. For the first time in a long time, he can just breathe.

He gets a job at the local library—he does know a thing or two about books—and that’s where he meets her: Mary Kay DiMarco, Librarian. Joe won’t meddle, he will not obsess. He’ll win her the old-fashioned way…by providing a shoulder to cry on, a helping hand. Over time, they’ll both heal their wounds and begin living their happily ever after in this sleepy town.

The trouble is…Mary Kay already has a life. She’s a mother. She’s a friend. She’s…busy.

True love can only triumph if both people are willing to make room for the real thing. Joe cleared his decks. He’s ready. And hopefully, with his encouragement and undying support Mary Kay will do the right thing and make room for him.

Anyone familiar with the two previous books in Kepnes’ You series, knows Joe Goldberg is, um, unlucky in love. His relationships tend to be full of drama and end very, very badly…as in dead bodies being left behind. But in You Love Me, Joe is determined to make a fresh start. No drama, no killing, he’s a “good guy.” Well, you can probably guess how THAT goes! If you’re at all familiar with antihero Joe Goldberg, whether through the book series or the tv/Netflix adaptation, you know he has a myriad of mental health issues which I’m guessing include an antisocial disorder or attachment disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder. He perversely has a charming side, which kind of makes you root for him and his undying quest for true love. In this third installment, Joe is after sexy librarian, Mary Kay DiMarco, who like Joe’s previous loves, is a bit of a mess. Like Beck, Candace, and Love, I didn’t particularly care for Mary Kay. Joe’s types always seem to be at best, self-absorbed, and at worst, as disturbed as Joe, which makes me contrarily be more on his side. I also thought Mary Kay’s relationship with her BFF, Malanda, was a little too reminiscent of Beck and Peach in the first book. But, as usual, seeing everything play out through Joe’s eyes, gives the story a darkly comedic tone, especially as this time when bodies start to pile up, Joe is more a hapless victim himself. It took a few chapters for me to get sucked back into Joe’s world, but once I did, I couldn’t put this down. There were a couple of big twists that I didn’t see coming, and although the finale was a bit frenetic, it happily hints that there will be a 4th book. All in all, You Love Me is another implausibly bonkers yet highly entertaining entry in the You series, and I think it will leave fans quite happy.

Near the Bone, By Christina Henry ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Horror, Implied Rape, Mystery, Physical & Emotional Abuse, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 13th, 2021

336 Pages

Synopsis: Mattie can’t remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods she realizes they’re not alone after all.

There’s something in the woods that wasn’t there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws.

When three strangers appear on the mountaintop looking for a creature in the woods, Mattie knows their presence will anger William. Terrible things happen when William is angry. (Goodreads)

Let me begin by warning that Near the Bone isn’t going to be for everyone. It has some graphic gory scenes, as you would expect from a creature horror tale, but even more disturbing are the instances of physical abuse that Mattie suffers at the hands of William. These could definitely be triggering for some readers, so I wanted to put that front and center. That said, the majority of Near the Bone is a fantastic page-turner, and I found myself surprised at quite a few revelations. The best part is Mattie herself, from her shocking backstory (which once revealed was not at all what I expected), to the enjoyable development of her character from a terrified, traumatized victim, to a young woman who finds her inner strength under unimaginable circumstances. Unfortunately the ending didn’t live up to the rest of the book though. I was hoping for some sort of explanation regarding the monster and where it came from, and why after all the years that Mattie and William had lived on the mountain, it didn’t make an appearance until now, but alas, these questions were left unanswered. There was also something with a family member of Mattie’s which was brought up several times, only to be dropped, which really irked me. And finally, there was something about William that was casually tossed in near the end, that I thought was unnecessary. I’m frustrated, because if it weren’t for these plot holes I probably would have given Near the Bone a higher rating. I would still recommend this for creature horror fans though. It’s an engrossing and quick read and Mattie will capture your heart and have you rooting for her.

The Lost Apothecary, By Sarah Penner ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, London, Mystery, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Park Row for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 2nd, 2021

320 Pages

Synopsis: A female apothecary secretly poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a collision course.

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.

Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley, in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary bottle near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive. (Goodreads)

The Lost Apothecary is a solid debut by Sarah Penner that seamlessly travels from 1791 to the present day, and connects these three strong characters in surprising ways. I’ll be honest and say that it was Nella’s and young Eliza’s lives and their developing relationship that captured my attention the most, but I enjoyed Caroline’s mudlarking and sleuthing in the present day as well. There were a couple of things that prevented this from being a perfect read for me. The first, is that I could have done without the drama between Caroline and her unlikable husband. While I realize that the twist with them in the last half of the book, is coincidentally connected in more than one way to the events of the past, I thought for the most part, their relationship to be an annoying and unnecessary distraction. My second issue, was that in both timelines, obstacles and hindrances were cleared up a little too quickly and neatly. However, these are very minor dislikes, and overall I quite enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The Lost Apothecary is a captivating tale about secrets, friendships, and three women determined to control their own fates.

Crimson Phoenix (Victoria Emerson #1), By John Gilstrap ~ 3.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 23rd, 2021

320 Pages

Synopsis: Victoria Emerson is a congressional member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the state of West Virginia. Her aspirations have always been to help her community and to avoid the ambitious power plays of her peers in Washington, D.C. Then Major Joseph McCrea appears on her doorstep and uses the code phrase Crimson Phoenix, meaning this is not a drill. The United States is on the verge of nuclear war. Victoria must accompany McCrea to a secure bunker. She cannot bring her family. 

A single mother, Victoria refuses to abandon her three teenage sons. Denied access to the bunker, they nonetheless survive the nuclear onslaught that devastates the country. The land is nearly uninhabitable. Electronics have been rendered useless. Food is scarce. Millions of scared and ailing people await aid from a government unable to regroup, much less organize a rescue from the chaos.

Victoria devotes herself to reestablishing order—only to encounter the harsh realities required of a leader dealing with desperate people…

I have to be honest and say, despite me being a fan of John Gilstrap, Crimson Phoenix left me frustrated. The premise was exciting, but the actual story wound up being surprisingly formulaic. For the most part, I found the characters to be rather flat and uninspiring, and the dialogue awkward and a few times, even cringy. The chapters alternate between three povs: the stereotypical politicians in the bunker and the sketchy soldiers who are supposed to be protecting them; Victoria, the major and her two youngest boys; and her older son Adam and his girlfriend who are attempting to meet up with his family at a predetermined rendezvous point. While I appreciate a strong female character, Victoria came off a little too perfect and almost robotic at times, and as for the other characters, well, I just finished this last night and I’m already forgetting their names. For all that, I did keep reading, mainly because I kept believing things would improve, but alas, it didn’t. It wasn’t all bad though. The breakout of the war was well done and given the current political climate completely believable. The apocalyptic landscape was also well written and very descriptive. But in the end, there just wasn’t anything or anyone memorable here, and I think the best word I can come up with to describe my feelings is “meh.” However, my opinion is very much in the minority as I’ve been seeing mostly 4-5 star reviews, so if you are a fan of Gilstrap, or enjoy apocalyptic fiction, I recommend you check this out.

The Minders, By John Marrs ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Computer Hacking, Dystopian Fiction, Espionage, Government Conspiracies, The United Kingdom, Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 16th, 2021

416 Pages

Synopsis:

In this electrifying near-future thriller, five strangers guard government secrets, but only four can be trusted.

In the 21st century, information is king. But computers can be hacked and files can be broken into—so a unique government initiative has been born. Five ordinary people have been selected to become Minders—the latest weapon in thwarting cyberterrorism. Transformed by a revolutionary medical procedure, the country’s most classified information has been taken offline and turned into genetic code implanted in their heads.

Together, the five know every secret, the truth behind every government lie, conspiracy theory and cover up. In return, they’re given the chance for to leave their problems behind and a blank slate to start their lives anew.

But not everyone should be trusted, especially when they each have secrets of their own they’ll do anything to protect…(Goodreads)

The Minders is the third book by John Marrs set in the UK in the not too distant future. While you needn’t have read The One and The Passengers to keep up, I’d still recommend you do so to get a better sense of the world and technology. The chapters alternate between the five complex main characters, and as usual, Marrs does a solid job fleshing out their backstories. The plot itself is a little slower paced in the first half than in the previous books, but it’s still compelling, and given the increasing sophistication of hacking, I could see some of the things detailed in the book happening. My only quibble is that I felt like I was being told rather than shown what was happening, yet despite this, I was still drawn into the story. I have to say that after reading three books in this unnamed series now, I’ve found that the author is quite adept at making what would ordinarily be ludicrous plot points acceptable. Overall, The Minders is another exciting and creative piece of science fiction and a worthy follow-up to the previous books. 

Faithless In Death (In Death #52), By J.D. Robb ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Cults, LGBTQ, Mystery, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 9th, 2021

400 Pages

Synopsis: The scene in the West Village studio appears to be classic crime-of-passion: two wine glasses by the bed, music playing, and a young sculptor named Ariel Byrd with the back of her head bashed in. But when Dallas tracks down the wealthy Upper East Side woman who called 911, the details don’t add up. Gwen Huffman is wealthy, elegant, comforted by her handsome fiancé as she sheds tears over the trauma of finding the body—but why did it take over an hour to report it? And why is she lying about little things?

As Eve and her team look into Gwen, her past, and the people around her, they find that the lies are about more than murder. As with sculpture, they need to chip away at the layers of deception to find the shape within—and soon they’re getting the FBI involved in a case that involves a sinister, fanatical group, and a stunning criminal conspiracy. (Goodreads)

I know you’re probably sick of me raving about the In Death series by J.D. Robb, aka, Nora Roberts, but it’s really one of the best mystery series out there, and the upcoming Faithless In Death is a perfect example of why.

This is the 52nd book in this juggernaut of a series, but you’ll find no retreaded plots or tired old characters here. No, instead there’s a murder that seems ordinary until it morphs into this huge sinister conspiracy that could have been ripped from today’s headlines. Of course Team Eve is all over this as they operate like a well-oiled machine. While I would have liked to have seen more of Eve’s dishy husband Roarke, I have to be honest and say that I can never get enough of him, so I’m not taking any points off. What I love, is the skillful way Robb juggles both the central mystery, with further developing her characters’ stories.

As usual, Eve and company nab the villain(s) in an exciting and satisfactory manner, leaving me sighing happily yet somewhat disappointed that I finished it too quickly. Every time I open a new book in this series, I feel like I’m reuniting with old friends, and Faithless In Death brought out those emotions as well. I’m already counting down to the next book, Forgotten In Death which sadly won’t be out until September 6, 2021. I guarantee that fans of the series will love this new entry. And for those who haven’t tried these books, despite being this far along, you could pick up here without getting lost. I don’t really recommend it though simply because you’ll miss all the characters’ backstories which help bring them to life.

The Power Couple, By Alex Berenson ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Espionage, Mystery, Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review review.

Release Date: February 9th, 2021

432 Pages

Synopsis: Rebecca and Brian Unsworth appear to have it all. A nice house in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Two well-behaved, healthy teenage children. Important government jobs—Rebecca working in counterterrorism for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Brian serving as a coder for the National Security Agency. Their lives stand to improve even more, as Brian, in his off-hours, has just developed and sold a highly profitable app.

However, the Unsworths’ marriage isn’t as perfect as it seems. After two decades together, they’ve drifted apart, talking little and having sex even less. Seeking to revive their strained relationship, they decide for their twentieth wedding anniversary to take their two kids, Kira and Tony, on a European getaway.

They have a blast…until one night in Barcelona, when Kira doesn’t come home from a dance club. She’s gone. Abducted. Over the course of a single weekend the Unsworths will do everything possible to find her—as Kira herself discovers just how far she’ll go to break free of the trap that’s been set for her. And even as Rebecca and Brian come together for Kira, they realize their marriage is more tenuous than they realized.

The Power Couple is another example of how Berenson can spin an exciting yarn that’s impossible to put down. The story is told from the povs of Kira, Rebecca, and Brian. Additionally, Rebecca’s and Brian’s chapters are in the past and present, which could have turned into a convoluted mess, but instead gives the reader an intriguing look into their complicated marriage and how their relationship and decisions tie into Kira’s kidnapping. There are several twists, especially in the last half of the book, that caught me by surprise, by in retrospect made sense. The finale is a little crazy, and veers into Mr. and Mrs. Smith territory, but as the villain gets their just desserts, I’m not going to quibble. While The Power Couple screams “HOLLYWOOD!” it’s not your average popcorn thriller, as it in addition to the mystery and action, it delves deep into its characters’ psyches. I highly recommend this for fans who love flawed characters along with their mystery/thrillers,

 

Children of Chicago, by Cynthia Pelayo ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Agora Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 9th, 2021

320 Pages

Synopsis: When Detective Lauren Medina sees the calling card at the murder scene in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, she knows the Pied Piper has returned. When another teenager is brutally murdered at the same lagoon where her sister’s body was found floating years before, she is certain that the Pied Piper is not just back, he’s looking for payment he’s owed from her. Lauren’s torn between protecting the city she’s sworn to keep safe, and keeping a promise she made long ago to her sister’s murderer. She may have to ruin her life by exposing her secrets and lies to stop the Pied Piper before he collects.

I love fairytale retellings and have read quite a few, but Children of Chicago is the first I’ve come across to take on The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Pelayo not only brings the sinister Piper to life, but also the complex history of the city itself. Even without a terrifying mythological figure manipulating into wishing for their “enemies” to be killed, Chicago has a long association with darkness, so it makes the city the perfect setting for the Piper to take up residence. The Piper here is part fairytale, part urban legend, akin to Candyman and Bloody Mary. Given that this story harkens back to the Middle Ages, Pelayo actually takes this beyond a mere retelling and incorporates into the rich tapestry that makes up Chicago. The main character, Lauren, is someone with many layers, and you don’t discover her entire backstory until the final chapters. She’s a fascinating character, and one that kept me puzzled as to the exact nature of her past relationship with the Piper. The final few chapters contained a few shocking twists that I didn’t see coming, and has left me eager for the sequel. I HIGHLY recommend Children of Chicago to readers who enjoy horror and dark fantasy.