What Lies Between Us, by John Marrs ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Dysfunctional Families, Mental Illness, Mystery, Substance Abuse, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 15th, 2020

371 Pages

Synopsis: They say every house has its secrets and, the house Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.

Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.

But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her.

Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.

I’ve been trying to stick with light, fluffy “escapist” fare lately, for obvious reasons. What Lies Between Us is definitely not that. No. This is more “WHAT. THE. HELL. DID. I. JUST. READ?” kind of book!

Everything, EVERYTHING works here. To say Maggie and Nina are complicated is a huge understatement. I went through the first part of the book thinking one was pure evil. Then, about the midway point, I changed my mind and was sure the other was the spawn of Satan. And then during the last few chapters my opinion changed yet again! Between these and the other jaw-dropping revelations, my head was spinning when I finished this three hours after I started.

Just like its characters, the storyline is dark, twisted, and deeply disturbing. Yes, what happens most likely would never occur in real life, but in a story like this, who cares! Marr keeps ratcheting up the suspense bit by bit until it almost becomes unbearable, and from chapter to chapter I didn’t know what was going to happen next. The only thing that was certain was that I wasn’t putting this down until I reached the end. Speaking of—what an ending! I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it in the last 24 hours since I finished!

What Lies Between Us is definitely going to be on my shortlist of favorite books of 2020. Unsurprisingly it’s already been snapped up by Hollywood (Renee Zellweger’s Big Picture Co/MGM TV production company). I’m already thinking Amy Adams as Nina, and Glenn Close or Meryl Streep as Maggie. I cannot recommend this nail biting thriller for readers who love dark, twisty mysteries and loads of family drama. It’s a memorable read which I guarantee will take up long term residency in your head after you’ve finished! Preorder this from your favorite retailer, or file a request at your library now. I guarantee this is going to be one of the most buzzed about books of the summer!

Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel, by Ruth Hogan ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Dysfunctional Families, Mystery, Supernatural

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date : April 14th, 2020

352 Pages

Synopsis: From the bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things and The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes—a novel of mothers and daughters, families and secrets and the astonishing power of friendship.

Tillie was a bright, outgoing little girl who liked playing with ghosts and matches. She loved fizzy drinks, swear words, fish fingers and Catholic churches, but most of all she loved living in Brighton in Queenie Malone’s Magnificent Paradise Hotel with its endearing and loving family of misfits—staff and guests alike.

But Tillie’s childhood was shattered when her mother sent her away from the only home she’d ever loved to a boarding school with little explanation and no warning. Now, Tilda has grown into an independent woman still damaged by her mother’s unaccountable cruelty. Wary of people, her only friend is her dog, Eli. When her mother dies, Tilda goes back to Brighton, and with the help of her beloved Queenie sets out to solve the mystery of her exile from The Paradise Hotel, and discovers her mother was not the woman she thought she knew at all…Mothers and daughters…their story can be complicated…it can also turn out to have a happy ending.

What initially caught my eye about Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel was the awesome title and visually appealing cover. Then, when I read the synopsis with its description of an intriguing mystery complicated mother-daughter relationship, and wacky guests, well, my requesting it was a forgone conclusion. And for the most part, it did not disappoint.

The story is split into two narratives. That of six-year-old Tilly, and the present day middle-aged Tilda who is struggling with intimacy issues and OCD, which go back to the trauma of her mother inexplicably sending her away all those years ago. While I enjoyed both past and present passages, I have to admit I enjoyed young Tilly much more, although Tilda did grow on me eventually. The secondary characters are delightfully quirky as promised and added an extra layer of fun to an already enjoyable tale.

I truly enjoyed Hogan’s descriptive style of writing which helped bring her story and characters to life without slowing the pace down. While reading I could have sworn I could smell the ocean air and hear the waves crashing on the beach. There were also a few little twists that managed to surprise me before the eminently satisfying ending.

Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel was my first book by Ruth Hogan and it’s left me with the burning desire to scoop up her other books. With its beautifully descriptive setting of seaside Brighton, and a storyline that almost immediately sucks you in, this will hold wide appeal for readers no matter what genre they usually prefer. Its poignant exploration of love and loss is tempered by moments of levity resulting in a multi-layered, memorable read. I highly recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a story that’s a little off the beaten path with enjoyably eccentric characters, and topped off with a splash of the supernatural. 

Out of Body, by Jeffrey Ford ~ 3.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Horror, Mystery

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 26th, 2020

176 Pages

Synopsis: A small-town librarian witnesses a murder at his local deli and what had been routine sleep paralysis transforms into something far more disturbing. The trauma of holding a dying girl in his arms drives him out of his own body. The town he knows so well is suddenly revealed to him from a whole new perspective. Secrets are everywhere and demons fester behind closed doors.

Worst of all, he discovers a serial killer who has been preying on the area for over a century, one capable of traveling with him through his dreams.

I requested Out of Body on NetGalley because a librarian starring in a horror story was irresistible to me. While it was a quick read, I wound up wanting more from the characters and the story though. To be honest, this is exactly the reason why I don’t read more novellas, because more often then not I’m disappointed in the overall lack of development. In this case, I liked the main character, but thought he needed more oomph. I loved the small town setting, and its residents. I thought the evil hiding in their midst quite intriguing, and the alternate world was well written. I just feel that with a full-length story, so much more could have been added to this. However, I did like Jeffrey Ford’s writing style, so I’ll be looking for more of his stories.

The Apartment, by K. L. Slater ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon UK for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 28th, 2020

266 Pages

Synopsis: It’s an opportunity she can’t refuse. The woman before her tried…

Freya Miller needs a miracle. In the fallout of her husband’s betrayal, she’s about to lose her family home, and with it the security she craves for her five-year-old daughter, Skye. Adrift and alone, she’s on the verge of despair until a chance meeting with the charismatic Dr. Marsden changes everything. He’s seeking a new tenant for a shockingly affordable flat in a fashionable area of London.

Adder House sounds too good to be true…but Freya really can’t afford to be cynical, and Dr. Marsden is adamant that she and Skye will be a perfect fit with the other residents.

But Adder House has secrets. Even behind a locked front door, Freya feels as if she’s being watched: objects moving, unfamiliar smells, the blinking light of a concealed camera…and it’s not long before she begins to suspect that her dream home is hiding a nightmarish reality. Was it really chance that led her here—or something unthinkably dark?

As the truth about Adder House starts to unravel, can a Freya and Skye get out—or will they be locked in here forever?

The Apartment is a twisty tale of gaslighting that had me completely glued to the pages from beginning to shocking end. You obviously have to suspend disbelief a little because obviously, who in their right mind would move into an apartment, especially one that seems to good to be true, with a five-year-old daughter, without doing some research, but this is so much fun, that’s accomplished fairly easily.

K.L. Slater does a wonderful job ratcheting up the tension, piece by piece, layer by layer. Despite a few poor decisions, I really liked Freya, and I loved Skye, who has quite the precocious personality. I was so invested in them that it broke my heart as Freya started to unravel, and Skye lost her joie de vivre. It actually reminded me a little of Rosemary’s Baby, only without the satanists. The only thing I found a bit jarring were the segues through Freya’s memories of her past with her deceased husband. They were unnecessary and to top it off, the only loose plot thread was tied to his death.

Overall though, The Apartment is a thoroughly enjoyable read that mystery/psychological suspense fans will easily breeze through in 1-2 sittings. I’m looking forward to seeing what Slater comes out with next.

The Book of Koli (Rampart Trilogy #1), by M.R. Carey ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 14th, 2020

416 Pages

Synopsis: The first in a gripping new trilogy, The Book Of Koli charts the journey of one unforgettable young boy struggling to find his place in a post-apocalyptical world. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and Annihilation.

Beyond the walls of the small village of Mythen Rood lies an unrecognizable world. A world where overgrown forests are filled with choker trees and deadly vines and seed that will kill you where you stand. And if they don’t get you, one of the dangerous shunned men will.

Koli has lived in Mythen Rood his entire life. He knows the first rule of survival is that you don’t venture beyond the walls.

What he doesn’t know is—what happens when you aren’t given a choice.

M.R. Carey is an author that has never let me down. I loved his urban fantasy/horror Felix Castor series, and as disappointed as I was when that ended, I was blown away by The Girl With All the Gifts, and enjoyed The Boy On the Bridge, and Fellside. I was a little worried that The Book of Koli being another post-apocalyptic novel was going to be too similar to some of his previous stories, but I should have known better, because this is as creative and original as any of his other works.

The setting is what used to be England, centuries in the future. Apparently, our society sent everyone back to the dark ages with climate change and wars. We also puttered around with genetic experimentation which resulted in deadly vegetation. For most of the first half, there’s not a lot of action, but it’s not boring either. There’s much to learn about fifteen-year-old Koli, and this strange world he lives in. It took me a couple of chapters to get used to the vernacular used by Koli and the characters, but it further fleshes them out. Without venturing into spoiler territory, my favorite scenes are with Koli interacting with Monono, the “tech” that winds up getting him in so much trouble. Let me just say that Monono is so much more than ordinary AI. I also loved the pairing of him with Ursula, who’s a wise woman who travels from village to village with her high tech “drudge.” I’m looking forward to learning more of her backstory, because not only does she know more about our time period and the collapse of civilization, but her speech pattern is more in line with ours.

The second half of the book really takes off action-wise, as Koli and Ursula fall into the clutches of a murderous cult. The ending answers some questions, but brings up new ones as Koli, Ursula, Monono, prepare to begin the next phase of their quest. It’s left me extremely excited for the sequel! I highly recommend The Book of Koli to fans of post-apocalyptic fiction, who are looking for something a little unusual.

 

 

It Will Just Be Us, by Jo Kaplan ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Literary Horror, Mystery, Southern Gothic, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 11th, 2020

512 Pages

Synopsis: Sam Wakefield’s ancestral home, a decaying mansion built on the edge of a swamp, isn’t a place for children. Its labyrinthine halls, built by her mad ancestors, are filled with the echoes of the past: ghosts and memories knitted together as one. In the presence of phantoms, it’s all Sam can do to disentangle past from present in her daily life. But when her pregnant sister Elizabeth moves in after a fight with her husband, something in the house shifts. Already navigating her tumultuous relationship with Elizabeth, Sam is even more unsettled by the appearance of a new ghost: a faceless boy who commits disturbing acts—threatening animals, terrorizing other children, and following Sam into the depths of the house wielding a knife. When it becomes clear the boy is connected to a locked, forgotten room, one which is never entered, Sam realizes this ghost is not like the others. This boy brings doom. As Elizabeth’s due date approaches, Sam must unravel the secrets of Wakefield before her sister brings new life into a house marked by death. But as the faceless boy grows stronger, Sam will learn that some doors should stay closed—and some secrets are safer locked away forever.

Part 1

The Parable of the Knocker

In Wakefield Manor, a decaying ancestral mansion brooding on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia, there is a locked room. For years it has been inaccessible, closing out from the world all the aborted secrets stilled in its dormant womb. After climbing the main staircase that curves up through the house like a twisted spine, you’ll find a long hallway with striped and long-faded viridian wallpaper that evokes algae-choked seafoam. On the third floor you’ll pass a linen closet, a disused nursery, a bathroom with a cracked clawfoot tub, and a wood-beamed room inhabited by broken furniture draped in white sheets. Then the hall narrows and turns a corner, it’s high ceiling webbed in shadow, and you are faced with a windowless passage, at the end of which lies the heavy door of distressed mahogany—and whatever lies beyond it.

Tell me you don’t have goosebumps from reading that! This opening paragraph from It Will Just Be Us, is the best introduction to a haunted house story that I’ve read since The Haunting of Hill House.

I’m going to be honest and say that the characters and some of the directions the storyline takes are slightly predictable, but this is a minor complaint. It’s difficult to capture a reader’s attention and keep it with a book that doesn’t have a lot of action, but Jo Kaplan does a wonderful job here. While I said the characters are a bit predictable, they’re still interesting, especially the narrator, Sam. She’s just complicated enough, that although I was fairly confident where her decision making was going to lead, I wasn’t 100% positive.

What really makes this book, is the modern southern gothic setting and storyline which is a mix of The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, both by Shirley Jackson, with the real life Winchester Mystery House. I’d also add that there’s even a nod to The Shining, by Stephen King, near the end. The descriptive details of the house are wonderfully done and I could picture the rooms and its inhabitants, both past and present, in my mind. The house’s history and its connection to slavery is shared through the generations of Wakefields who resided there, and adds layer after layer to this haunting tale. Wakefield Manor is so vividly brought to life that it actually becomes a character in its own right. The story isn’t fast-paced, but it has this steady creeping sense of menace that kept me mesmerized. There is one particular scene that I need to warn would-be readers and animal lovers about. A bird is graphically tortured in one of the opening chapters. You should be able to see this coming though and easily skim past it.

Overall, while not the most original literary horror tale, It Will Just Be Us, is a worthy read thanks to Jo Kaplan’s beautiful writing style. I highly recommend it to fellow fans of the genre, and I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.

 

Mayhem, by Estelle Laure ~ 3.0 Stars

Tags

1980s, Domestic Abuse, Horror, Mystery, Substance Abuse, Suspense, YA Fiction

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

Release Date: July 14th, 2020

304 Pages

Synopsis: It’s 1987 and unfortunately it’s not all Madonna and cherry lip balm. Mayhem Brayburn has always known there was something off about her and her mother, Roxy. Maybe it has to do with Roxy’s constant physical pain, or Mayhem’s own irresistible pull to water. Either way, she knows they aren’t like everyone else. But when May’s stepfather finally goes too far, Roxy and Mayhem flee to Santa Maria, California, the coastal beach town that holds the answers to all of Mayhem’s questions about who her mother is, her estranged family, and the mysteries of her own self. There, she meets the kids who live with her aunt and, it opens the door to the magic that runs through the female lineage of her family, the very magic Mayhem is next in line to inherit, and which will change her life for good. But when she gets wrapped up in the search for the man who has been kidnapping girls from the beach, her life takes another dangerous turn and she is forced to face the price of vigilante justice and to ask herself whether revenge is worth the cost.

From the acclaimed author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back, Estelle Laure offers a riveting and complex story with magical elements about a family of women contending with what appears to be an irreversible destiny, taking control and saying when enough is enough.

The premise for Mayhem checked all my boxes. It’s set in 1987 (the eighties is my favorite decade), and it’s described as a combination of The Craft, and Lost Boys. As soon as I read that, I just knew I had to get my greedy little fingers on it. As I made my way through the first half of the book though, I grew increasingly uncomfortable with how much it directly lifts from The Lost Boys, without adding anything new. I mean, the Frog brothers, and Sax Man, are included. Even grandpa’s quote: “One thing living in Santa Carla I never could stomach, all the damn vampires” makes its way in, except the setting is changed to Santa Maria. The cave’s description sounds exactly like the vampire’s nest in the movie, and the characters start out eerily similar. But after I reached the halfway point, the story seemed to find a little of its own footing. I wound up liking the story behind the Brayburn legacy, and the characters grew on me. I particularly like the way the mother-daughter relationship progresses, as Roxy begins to recover, Mayhem is able to get out of the unhealthy caretaker role she’s trapped in. In the end I’ve settled on a neutral rating of 3 stars. I’m almost positive there’s going to be a sequel, so I’m curious as to where Laure takes this.

The Girl From Widow Hills, by Megan Miranda ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Sleepwalking, Substance Abuse

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

Release Date: June 23rd, 2020

336 Pages

Synopsis: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last House Guest—a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick—comes a riveting new novel of psychological suspense about a young woman plagued by night terrors after a childhood trauma who wakes one evening to find a corpse at her feet.

Everyone knows the story of “the girl from Widow Hills.”

Arden Maynor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. Strangers and friends, neighbors and rescuers, set up search parties and held vigils, praying for her safe return. Against all odds, she was found alive, clinging to a storm drain. The girl from Widow Hills was a living miracle. Arden’s mother wrote a book. Fame followed. Fans and fan letters, creeps and stalkers. And every year, the anniversary. It all became too much. As soon as she was old enough, Arden changed her name and disappeared from the public eye.

Now a young woman living hundreds of miles away, Arden goes by Olivia. She’s managed to stay off the radar for the last few years. But with the twentieth anniversary of her rescue approaching, the media will inevitably renew its interest in Arden. Where is she now? Olivia soon feels like she’s being watched and begins sleepwalking again, like she did long ago, even waking outside her home. Until late one night, she jolts awake in her yard. At her feet lies the corpse of a man she knows—from her previous life as Arden Maynor.

And now, the girl from Widow Hills is about to become the center of the story, once again, in this propulsive page-turner from suspense master Megan Miranda.

I’ve enjoyed Megan Miranda’s previous books, so I’ve been excited about The Girl From Widow Hills, since I first heard about it last year. After reading it in one sitting yesterday, I can honestly say that I believe this may be Miranda’s best work yet!

I loved the complexity of the characters because it adds to the pervasive air of untrustworthiness. No one is above suspicion here, not even Olivia/Arden. There are two mysteries: who murdered the man in her yard, and what really happened to her twenty years ago? I’m not sharing any spoilers, but let me just say that nothing and no one is what they seem, and both mysteries are very much connected. Arrogant me thought I had everything all figured out by the halfway point. Well, was I completely off base! At the end of the book there’s one of the most surprising plot twists I’ve come across, and it knocked me off my feet! The only reason why I’m not giving this 5 stars is because I wish Olivia’s relationship with her mother was a little more detailed. There are some questions I still have regarding it, even at the end.

I predict that The Girl From Widow Hills is going to be one of this year’s biggest summer blockbusters, so mark your calendars. Just don’t start this close to bedtime because otherwise you’ll be up very late reading this unputdownable thriller!

 

The Burning, by Laura Bates ~ 3.0 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Social Issues, Supernatural, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 7th, 2020

352 Pages

Synopsis: A rumor is like fire. You might think you’ve extinguished it, but one creeping, red tendril, one single wisp of smoke is enough to let it leap back to life again. Especially if someone is watching, waiting to fan the flames.

New school. Check.

New town. Check.

New last name. Check.

Social media profiles? Deleted.

Anna and her mother have moved hundreds of miles to put the past behind them. Anna hopes to make a fresh start and escape the harassment she’s been subjected to. But then rumors and whispers start, and Anna tries to ignore what is happening by immersing herself in a history project about Maggie, a local woman accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century.

In her newfound friendships with Alisha, Cat, and Robin, as well as her connection with Maggie, Anna finds a voice to face her tormentors.

“We are the voices of the witches you could not burn. And we’re not putting up with it any more.”

From Laura Bates, internationally renowned feminist and founder of The Everyday Sexism Project, comes a debut novel that is a harrowing look at misogyny through the centuries. It’s a powerful call to action, reminding all readers of the implications of sexism and the role we can each play in ending it.

The Burning earnestly attempts to tackle a plethora of social issues including: depression, sexual assault, teen pregnancy, abortion, homophobia, child abuse, bullying, cyber-bullying, body-shaming, and slut-shaming. Then it throws in some light romance, a historical mystery, and a pinch of the supernatural. And, therein lies the problem. While well-meaning, there are so many ingredients it can’t figure out what it wants to be, and instead becomes a bit of a mess. Adding to this is some awkward dialogue which made the characters unbelievable at times. The reason I’m giving this 3 stars is because the pacing was consistent, and there are some touching moments that made me connect to some of the characters, especially Anna.

The Burning is Laura Bates’ debut, and I sincerely hope to see more from her in the future, because I think her writing shows promise. This however, comes across more as a mishmash of after school specials that adds little to any of the issues it touches upon.

 

 

The Boy From the Woods, by Harlan Coben ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Bullying, Mystery, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 17th, 2020

384 Pages

Synopsis: The man known as Wilde is a mystery to everyone, including himself. Decades ago, he was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. After the police concluded an exhaustive search for the child’s family, which was never found, he was turned over to the foster system.

Now, thirty years later, Wilde still doesn’t know where he comes from, and he’s back living in the woods on the outskirts of town, content to be an outcast, comfortable only outdoors, preferably alone, and with few connections to other people.

When a local girl goes missing, famous TV lawyer, Hester Crimstein—with whom Wilde shares a tragic connection—asks him to use his unique skills to find her. Meanwhile, a group of ex-military security experts arrive in town, and when another teen disappears, the case’s impact expands far beyond the borders of the peaceful suburb. Wilde must return to the community where he has never fit in, and where the powerful are protected even when they harbor secrets that could destroy the lives of millions…secrets that Wilde must uncover before it’s too late.

The last couple of weeks I’ve had a bumpy road in regards to good reading, so it was with great anticipation that I turned to one of my go-to authors, Harlan Coben. And I’m happy to say that with The Boy From the Woods, he once again delivers a picture perfect suspense tale.

If you’re a longtime reader of Coben, you’ll have noticed that while most of his books are standalones (except for his Myron Bolitar) series, there are commonly cross references to events and characters between his books. Here, Hester Crimstein, a sassy 70-year-old defense attorney who answers her phone “Articulate,” and has appeared in previous stories, gets a well-deserved starring role. And teaming her up with an enigmatic introvert with quite the mysterious background like Wilde is a study in how to write perfectly compelling characters who readers will instantly love. I absolutely loved, Loved, LOVED the scenes and dialogue with these two, and they make wonderful foils for each other. The secondary characters are intriguing and I was kept guessing as to who was or wasn’t a villain and what everyone’s motivations were.

The story unfolded at a fast pace and contained several twists right up until the end. I’m thinking (hoping) that this is just the first book featuring Crimstein and Wilde. If you’re a fan of Coben, The Boy From the Woods will serve as confirmation as to why you excitedly look forward to each new release of his. If you haven’t tried one of his books, but you like twisty suspense with quirky characters, well, what are you waiting for?