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These Toxic Things
Mickie Lambert creates “digital scrapbooks” for clients, ensuring that precious souvenirs aren’t forgotten or lost. When her latest client Nadia Denham, a curio shop owner, dies from an apparent suicide, Mickie honors the old woman’s last wish and begins curating her peculiar objets d’art. A music box, a hair clip, a keychain–twelve mementos in all that must have meant so much to Nadia who collected them on her flea market scavenges across the country.
They mean a lot to someone else, too. Mickie has been getting threatening messages from a long-dormant serial killer to leave Nadia’s past alone.
It’s becoming a mystery Mickie is driven to solve. Who are the women, now dead or disappeared, who once owned these odd treasures? How did Nadia really come to possess them? Who is the killer watching every move Mickie makes? Discovering the truth means navigating the secrets of a sinister past. One, Mickie fears, might be inescapably entwined with her own.
They mean a lot to someone else, too. Mickie has been getting threatening messages from a long-dormant serial killer to leave Nadia’s past alone.
It’s becoming a mystery Mickie is driven to solve. Who are the women, now dead or disappeared, who once owned these odd treasures? How did Nadia really come to possess them? Who is the killer watching every move Mickie makes? Discovering the truth means navigating the secrets of a sinister past. One, Mickie fears, might be inescapably entwined with her own.
430 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2021
About the author
Rachel Howzell Hall
25 books1,930 followersRACHEL HOWZELL HALL l is the critically acclaimed author and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist for And Now She’s Gone, which was also nominated for the Lefty-, Barry-, Shamus- and Anthony Awards and the Audible Originals bestseller How It Ends. A New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister with James Patterson, Rachel is an Anthony-, International Thriller Writers- and Lefty Award nominee and the author of They All Fall Down, Land of Shadows, Skies of Ash, Trail of Echoes and City of Saviors in the Detective Elouise Norton series. Her next thriller, These Toxic Things, out in September 2021, recently received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, calling the novel ‘cleverly-plotted’ and ‘a refreshing take on the serial killer theme.’
Rachel is a former member of the board of directors for Mystery Writers of America and has been a featured writer on NPR’s acclaimed Crime in the City series and the National Endowment for the Arts weekly podcast; she has also served as a mentor in Pitch Wars and the Association of Writers Programs. Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. For more information, visit www.rachelhowzell.com
Her next novel And Now She’s Gone will be published in September 2020. You can find her at www.rachelhowzell.com and on Twitter @RachelHowzell.
Rachel is a former member of the board of directors for Mystery Writers of America and has been a featured writer on NPR’s acclaimed Crime in the City series and the National Endowment for the Arts weekly podcast; she has also served as a mentor in Pitch Wars and the Association of Writers Programs. Rachel lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. For more information, visit www.rachelhowzell.com
Her next novel And Now She’s Gone will be published in September 2020. You can find her at www.rachelhowzell.com and on Twitter @RachelHowzell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,418 reviews
September 14, 2021
Fuck this book.
The characters were mostly unlikable. The plot was predictable except for where it made no damn sense. There were too many side plots/stories that added nothing to the book. The main plot relied too much on stupidity to keep it moving. Also needed lots and lot of rain. In Los Angeles. Like a years worth of rain in one story just to delay a fence getting built. At that point, I don't know why you don't put it in another city.
I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate the main character. If all of our grandparents' Facebook memes about what's wrong with kids these days coalesced into a fictional character, it would be Michaela Lambert. Like those memes, she refers to herself as a Millennial, even though at 24, she is clearly in Gen Z. Everything gets handed to her and she doesn't appreciate any of it. She frequently wrecks cars because she's on her phone not paying attention, but her parents buy a new one and give her their old one. She's currently driving a "hand me down" Mercedes Benz. She lives in her one-bedroom "apartment" that is really her parents' guest house and nicer than where most people live. She constantly "borrows" her mother's designer clothes, shoes and purses and proceeds to spill shit on them. She worked for her dad's company until she decided to quit and go work for her boyfriend's company instead.
She is a "digital archaeologist" making Memory boxes. What is a digital archaeologist? Apparently, someone who can Google and take and upload pictures. What is a Memory box? A glorified scrapbook uploaded to an Alexa with hologram tech? Why? Because we needed some convoluted way to insert Michaela into the story for a few weeks. Yes, it takes her weeks to take a dozen pictures and write a blurb for each of them shorter than this review.
I could go on and on about all the stupid shit that happens in this book, but I'll stop with one more. Michaela over-reacts and freaks out about almost everything. If she farted, she'd call 911 to report strange noises. The one time she doesn't do this is when she comes home after spending the night elsewhere. She finds her refrigerator open and a jug on the counter. It's still cold. This she decides isn't worth mentioning to anyone. BTW, the jug was cold because a killer was still in the house (she keeps forgetting to lock the door and arm the alarm despite a stalker and threatening texts).
I only finished reading the book because I was hoping her dumb ass would get killed. Spoiler: she doesn't. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. It's much worse than I've been able to convey.
The characters were mostly unlikable. The plot was predictable except for where it made no damn sense. There were too many side plots/stories that added nothing to the book. The main plot relied too much on stupidity to keep it moving. Also needed lots and lot of rain. In Los Angeles. Like a years worth of rain in one story just to delay a fence getting built. At that point, I don't know why you don't put it in another city.
I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate the main character. If all of our grandparents' Facebook memes about what's wrong with kids these days coalesced into a fictional character, it would be Michaela Lambert. Like those memes, she refers to herself as a Millennial, even though at 24, she is clearly in Gen Z. Everything gets handed to her and she doesn't appreciate any of it. She frequently wrecks cars because she's on her phone not paying attention, but her parents buy a new one and give her their old one. She's currently driving a "hand me down" Mercedes Benz. She lives in her one-bedroom "apartment" that is really her parents' guest house and nicer than where most people live. She constantly "borrows" her mother's designer clothes, shoes and purses and proceeds to spill shit on them. She worked for her dad's company until she decided to quit and go work for her boyfriend's company instead.
She is a "digital archaeologist" making Memory boxes. What is a digital archaeologist? Apparently, someone who can Google and take and upload pictures. What is a Memory box? A glorified scrapbook uploaded to an Alexa with hologram tech? Why? Because we needed some convoluted way to insert Michaela into the story for a few weeks. Yes, it takes her weeks to take a dozen pictures and write a blurb for each of them shorter than this review.
I could go on and on about all the stupid shit that happens in this book, but I'll stop with one more. Michaela over-reacts and freaks out about almost everything. If she farted, she'd call 911 to report strange noises. The one time she doesn't do this is when she comes home after spending the night elsewhere. She finds her refrigerator open and a jug on the counter. It's still cold. This she decides isn't worth mentioning to anyone. BTW, the jug was cold because a killer was still in the house (she keeps forgetting to lock the door and arm the alarm despite a stalker and threatening texts).
I only finished reading the book because I was hoping her dumb ass would get killed. Spoiler: she doesn't. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. It's much worse than I've been able to convey.
September 24, 2021
This was refreshing in its originality, which I loved, but since I predicted the big reveal about halfway through, I'll go with a solid 4 Stars!! What a fast-paced, intriguing and impressive read!
I'm almost ashamed to say, I had never read a book by this author before, so I was not sure what exactly to expect going in, but now that I'm done I can happily say this book was originally executed, exceptionally well-written, had tons of great characters and plot lines, and I couldn't recommend this more!
Even though there were certain aspects of her that annoyed me at times, I really enjoyed reading from Mickie Lambert's perspective, so much that she might in fact be my new favorite protagonist of 2021. She was genuine, flawed, loyal, and unapologetically herself. I became really invested in her family's story, and was pretty shocked by the little twist in their storyline! There was another twist at the very end, almost as an afterthought that actually made me gasp out loud - bravo RHH! I'd never heard of a memory bank before reading this, needless to say a digital archaeologist, so I was incredibly intrigued by Mickie's job almost immediately. The further she got into her project and started unearthing decades-old clues that revealed we were actually dealing with several cold case homicides, and in turn a serial killer, I was HOOKED!
While this was a story centered around these decades-old cold cases, this was also about family and the fact that sometimes blood is not the only thing that defines it, which I think I loved even more than the thriller and mystery aspect! Heart-warming at times, then spine tinglingly chilling, this novel read much faster than an over 400 page novel.
All things considered, I think it would be best to go into this with as little to zero knowledge of the plot, and just prepare yourself for a perfectly paced, and incredibly dark suspense/mystery/thriller that will leave you gutted afterwards!
Now that I know what RHH is capable of I really look forward to any forthcoming releases! I'm officially a HUGE fan!!
I'm almost ashamed to say, I had never read a book by this author before, so I was not sure what exactly to expect going in, but now that I'm done I can happily say this book was originally executed, exceptionally well-written, had tons of great characters and plot lines, and I couldn't recommend this more!
Even though there were certain aspects of her that annoyed me at times, I really enjoyed reading from Mickie Lambert's perspective, so much that she might in fact be my new favorite protagonist of 2021. She was genuine, flawed, loyal, and unapologetically herself. I became really invested in her family's story, and was pretty shocked by the little twist in their storyline! There was another twist at the very end, almost as an afterthought that actually made me gasp out loud - bravo RHH! I'd never heard of a memory bank before reading this, needless to say a digital archaeologist, so I was incredibly intrigued by Mickie's job almost immediately. The further she got into her project and started unearthing decades-old clues that revealed we were actually dealing with several cold case homicides, and in turn a serial killer, I was HOOKED!
While this was a story centered around these decades-old cold cases, this was also about family and the fact that sometimes blood is not the only thing that defines it, which I think I loved even more than the thriller and mystery aspect! Heart-warming at times, then spine tinglingly chilling, this novel read much faster than an over 400 page novel.
All things considered, I think it would be best to go into this with as little to zero knowledge of the plot, and just prepare yourself for a perfectly paced, and incredibly dark suspense/mystery/thriller that will leave you gutted afterwards!
Now that I know what RHH is capable of I really look forward to any forthcoming releases! I'm officially a HUGE fan!!
June 28, 2021
Rachel Howzell Hall is a relatively new author for me, but hands down one of my favorites. Her last book, And Now She's Gone was in my top 10 reads for 2020 and I will always pick up anything coming from her in the future. One thing I love about Rachel's books is that people will always develop strong feelings for her stories and
These Toxic Things
will definitely get people talking!
The story is centered around one main character and her name is Mickie Lambert. Mickie is a "digital archeologist" and she creates digital scrapbooks for clients. These service is great for those who want to cherish their memories souvenirs so they aren't forgotten. Mickie's latest client, Nadia Denham recruits Mickie to help gather items in her curiosity shop These Beautiful Things. After Nadia dies of a suspicious suicide, Mickie tries to respect Nadia's wishes and gather her requested items for her digital scrapbook. However, these specific items that Nadia requested also mean something very important to someone else and this person isn't willing to negotiate.
What an original and peculiar story! It's definitely a different type of mystery / thriller than I'm used to, but has the same formula that I've come to love in And Now She's Gone. This book really is quite original, and still provides that slow burning suspense that I've come to love with Rachel's writing. I definitely could not put this book down, and in fact, probably will get in trouble with the husband for the lack of chores completed while reading this book. Also, without spoiling anything, the ending completely won me over. Rachel, you did it again!
The story is centered around one main character and her name is Mickie Lambert. Mickie is a "digital archeologist" and she creates digital scrapbooks for clients. These service is great for those who want to cherish their memories souvenirs so they aren't forgotten. Mickie's latest client, Nadia Denham recruits Mickie to help gather items in her curiosity shop These Beautiful Things. After Nadia dies of a suspicious suicide, Mickie tries to respect Nadia's wishes and gather her requested items for her digital scrapbook. However, these specific items that Nadia requested also mean something very important to someone else and this person isn't willing to negotiate.
What an original and peculiar story! It's definitely a different type of mystery / thriller than I'm used to, but has the same formula that I've come to love in And Now She's Gone. This book really is quite original, and still provides that slow burning suspense that I've come to love with Rachel's writing. I definitely could not put this book down, and in fact, probably will get in trouble with the husband for the lack of chores completed while reading this book. Also, without spoiling anything, the ending completely won me over. Rachel, you did it again!
October 3, 2021
The older I get, the less I can stomach writing from the point of view of the murderer who is watching their latest potential victim as they go about their life and fantasizing about exactly how they're going to nab/assault/murder that person; if this is also not your bag, beware that there are a few sections herein from the POV that don't really add anything to the story, so feel free to skip. I'd almost like to give this more stars to combat the many poor reviews this book has already on GR that are essentially people griping about how "woke" it is, and about Howzell Hall's capitalization of the word Black, but alas, this is a middle of the road thriller that has a few tense bits but is not the best of her work. The plot is a more convoluted than necessary, one of the reveals at the end more confusing than anything and I never understood why with all she was going through, Mickie was so very cavalier about locking her door.
August 7, 2021
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
Urgh. I seem to have hit a brick wall with constantly coming across mediocre plots. This was another one. Frankly disappointed by the plot development, I had had high hopes of this read because of the blurb. The writer explores an interesting premise but I seriously did not get a sense of danger, tension or any feelings of anticipation. This book fell flatter than a pancake on Tuesday.
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
Urgh. I seem to have hit a brick wall with constantly coming across mediocre plots. This was another one. Frankly disappointed by the plot development, I had had high hopes of this read because of the blurb. The writer explores an interesting premise but I seriously did not get a sense of danger, tension or any feelings of anticipation. This book fell flatter than a pancake on Tuesday.
For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...
August 15, 2021
Did Not Finish
This is an awful book in every single way.
The main character is supposedly a millennial, but the author seems to forget that millennials are in their thirties, and turning 40. Because of this, the mc's actions seem extremely childish. She steals her parent's clothes for no reason. She screws her boss and breaks up with him--only to drunk screw him. She honestly expects to get a fence installed the same day it is ordered. She throws fits. She is just unpleasant to read about.
All of the characters are unpleasant and so badly written they seemed like cartoons rather than people.
The rest of what I read was just badly put together. Such as the mc having an accountant father and having worked in his firm, but not knowing when the fiscal year ends.
There was supposedly a plot--a mystery even--but it was so slow to show up that I lost all interest.
And honestly, this "memory bank" that the mc did for a job was just so ridiculous that I laughed every time it was brought up.
This is an awful book in every single way.
The main character is supposedly a millennial, but the author seems to forget that millennials are in their thirties, and turning 40. Because of this, the mc's actions seem extremely childish. She steals her parent's clothes for no reason. She screws her boss and breaks up with him--only to drunk screw him. She honestly expects to get a fence installed the same day it is ordered. She throws fits. She is just unpleasant to read about.
All of the characters are unpleasant and so badly written they seemed like cartoons rather than people.
The rest of what I read was just badly put together. Such as the mc having an accountant father and having worked in his firm, but not knowing when the fiscal year ends.
There was supposedly a plot--a mystery even--but it was so slow to show up that I lost all interest.
And honestly, this "memory bank" that the mc did for a job was just so ridiculous that I laughed every time it was brought up.
August 11, 2021
Intriguing
I chose giving this book a 3 as I didn't care for Michaela being so nosey. The things that happened to her were caused by her actions. I did like the twists and turns and how each characters personality came out. Also not knowing who the true killer or killers were until the very end. It was a fast read for me. I will recommend this book however as the main character may be of others liking.
I chose giving this book a 3 as I didn't care for Michaela being so nosey. The things that happened to her were caused by her actions. I did like the twists and turns and how each characters personality came out. Also not knowing who the true killer or killers were until the very end. It was a fast read for me. I will recommend this book however as the main character may be of others liking.
April 27, 2024
I didn’t do well with this author’s series featuring Homicide Detective Elouise Norton, recently reviewed in “Land of Shadows.” And, because I felt somewhat like an outlier, I thought I would go ahead and try one of her stand-alone books to see if I might feel differently about her as a writer.
So, I ordered this book from my local library. Besides, the premise sounded fairly interesting.
Michaela (Mickie) Lambert is a digital archaeologist who pieces together a person’s life story from artifacts that are important to them. She will find them in any way possible whether it is through social media or home movies or art or whatever suits the client. Her talent is to bring it all together for her clients.
Her latest client, Nadia is obsessed with memorabilia – collecting and selling and hoarding it. And she wants a record of her life before her memories slip away.
This is a perfect assignment for Mickie to help distract her from the train wreck of a personal life she is experiencing currently.
Unfortunately, her client, Nadia is found dead with a suicide note nearby, which doesn’t go along with what Mickie understands with her recent assignment given to her by her client.
So, she can’t help but wonder…was it really suicide?
In the meantime, there is a serial killer on the loose.
So many secrets. So much to unravel. And danger around every corner while Mickie decides to still continue to complete her already paid for assignment.
Will it be enough to keep this mystery interesting?
And…will all that is going on be enough to make this story turn into an intriguing, riveting, page-turning pleasure read so that all the pieces will eventually fit together?
So, I ordered this book from my local library. Besides, the premise sounded fairly interesting.
Michaela (Mickie) Lambert is a digital archaeologist who pieces together a person’s life story from artifacts that are important to them. She will find them in any way possible whether it is through social media or home movies or art or whatever suits the client. Her talent is to bring it all together for her clients.
Her latest client, Nadia is obsessed with memorabilia – collecting and selling and hoarding it. And she wants a record of her life before her memories slip away.
This is a perfect assignment for Mickie to help distract her from the train wreck of a personal life she is experiencing currently.
Unfortunately, her client, Nadia is found dead with a suicide note nearby, which doesn’t go along with what Mickie understands with her recent assignment given to her by her client.
So, she can’t help but wonder…was it really suicide?
In the meantime, there is a serial killer on the loose.
So many secrets. So much to unravel. And danger around every corner while Mickie decides to still continue to complete her already paid for assignment.
Will it be enough to keep this mystery interesting?
And…will all that is going on be enough to make this story turn into an intriguing, riveting, page-turning pleasure read so that all the pieces will eventually fit together?
Read
July 31, 2021Calling all my slow-burn thriller lovers, These Toxic Things is for you! Snag it on September 1st. I finished These Little Things this afternoon. This book has all the fantastic elements for a good read. There’s a serial killer, stalking, and a cold case. The pacing was a little slow for my taste, but the ending made up for it. 🤯🤯🤯 I didn’t guess the end. I enjoyed the uniqueness of this book. I've never read a book about “digital scrapbooks.” I didn't know that was something people did for their loved ones. I thought that was a super neat idea for a thriller.
September 19, 2021
Did Not Finish-13 percent.
This is all over the place and I am not enjoying it. I did not finish at 13 percent and sent it back to the Amazon Kindle Unlimited Stacks. I did like the illustrations I had seen so far, but the story just was not engaging at all.
This is all over the place and I am not enjoying it. I did not finish at 13 percent and sent it back to the Amazon Kindle Unlimited Stacks. I did like the illustrations I had seen so far, but the story just was not engaging at all.
September 6, 2021
4 stars… maybe 3.5 🤔
This is a bit tough to review as it started very strong for me. It’s a slow burn psychological thriller/mystery and I was totally into seeing where it was going. There were a lot of red herrings along the way which was fun because I literally didn’t trust anyone as I felt a big twist was inevitably coming. A quirky phrase here or there would send me down crazy paths trying to figure things out. That was fun.
But, the climactic ending got a bit messy and confusing for me. I had to reread some passages to figure out exactly what was going on. Maybe that was a me thing and not a story issue. I’m not sure. 🤷🏼♀️
Another small observation: this book takes place in LA and it’s always raining. As a drought stricken LA dweller I kept mumbling “I wish” as just about every chapter opened with this torrential LA rain.
All in all this was a good read and I’ll read more by Rachel Howzell Hall as she has a unique, bold voice. I also look forward to seeing more of my favorite GR reviewers' opinions on this book.
This is a bit tough to review as it started very strong for me. It’s a slow burn psychological thriller/mystery and I was totally into seeing where it was going. There were a lot of red herrings along the way which was fun because I literally didn’t trust anyone as I felt a big twist was inevitably coming. A quirky phrase here or there would send me down crazy paths trying to figure things out. That was fun.
But, the climactic ending got a bit messy and confusing for me. I had to reread some passages to figure out exactly what was going on. Maybe that was a me thing and not a story issue. I’m not sure. 🤷🏼♀️
Another small observation: this book takes place in LA and it’s always raining. As a drought stricken LA dweller I kept mumbling “I wish” as just about every chapter opened with this torrential LA rain.
All in all this was a good read and I’ll read more by Rachel Howzell Hall as she has a unique, bold voice. I also look forward to seeing more of my favorite GR reviewers' opinions on this book.
September 28, 2021
These Toxic Things is the seventh novel by American author, Rachel Howzell Hall. Twenty-four-year-old Michaela Lambert is a digital archaeologist for the Memory Bank, and her latest client is Nadia Denham. Nadia’s Memory Bank will be a digital collection of those things she holds most dear, together with their background stories.
Nadia owns Beautiful Things Curiosities Shoppe, located in a run-down little plaza next to a diner, a locksmith, a hair salon, a boarded-up bar and a carpark that harbours a collection of somewhat derelict RVs. Real-estate developer, Peter Weller is keen to get his hands on the plaza but, to his annoyance, the remaining four shop-owners are standing their ground, despite some underhand tactics.
At their first meeting, Mickie’s new client has arrayed her precious keepsakes on a table with notes for each item detailing when and where it was acquired, and from whom. But before they get together for a more thorough discussion, Nadia is found dead, an apparent suicide, something that sits completely at odds with Mickie’s impression of an enthusiastic woman eager to digitise her memories for her own future reference.
Mickie’s boss insists she go ahead with the project, for which he has been paid, but she has to endure the chagrin and disdain of the store manager, Riley. The items and their backstories are quite intriguing, although Mickie notes that they all seem to have come from desperate women, some of whom later met with nasty ends.
Meanwhile, Mickie’s personal life is in upheaval: creepy notes under her door; threatening texts ordering her to stop what she is doing; a car tailing her home; and a weirdo confronting her in a café. Luckily, she has a very supportive family with police connections, and some good friends. She’s a smart girl, shares whatever concerns her and listens to their sound advice and observations.
While her ex-boyfriend (inconveniently also her boss) is not quite off the scene, Nadia’s rather dishy son seems interested, and interesting. But Mickie is being careful: there’s some nutjob out there grabbing young women and killing them, and no way is she going to add to the list of victims.
Howzell Hall gives the reader a story that is cleverly plotted with several red herrings and a chilling twist. This is a tale that may have us considering where we perceive personal danger lies. Her characters are believable and Mickie’s family and friends are so appealing that many will envy her relationship with them.
It is certainly refreshing to have a protagonist who is fairly security conscious, one who doesn’t assume she’ll be OK but, instead, lets people know where she’s going and when to expect her back, who doesn’t go and investigate a strange noise on her own but calls for help. The Magic 8 Ball predictions as section headings is a cute touch. Another brilliant crime fiction read that puts Howzell Hall firmly on the Must Read list.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer.
Nadia owns Beautiful Things Curiosities Shoppe, located in a run-down little plaza next to a diner, a locksmith, a hair salon, a boarded-up bar and a carpark that harbours a collection of somewhat derelict RVs. Real-estate developer, Peter Weller is keen to get his hands on the plaza but, to his annoyance, the remaining four shop-owners are standing their ground, despite some underhand tactics.
At their first meeting, Mickie’s new client has arrayed her precious keepsakes on a table with notes for each item detailing when and where it was acquired, and from whom. But before they get together for a more thorough discussion, Nadia is found dead, an apparent suicide, something that sits completely at odds with Mickie’s impression of an enthusiastic woman eager to digitise her memories for her own future reference.
Mickie’s boss insists she go ahead with the project, for which he has been paid, but she has to endure the chagrin and disdain of the store manager, Riley. The items and their backstories are quite intriguing, although Mickie notes that they all seem to have come from desperate women, some of whom later met with nasty ends.
Meanwhile, Mickie’s personal life is in upheaval: creepy notes under her door; threatening texts ordering her to stop what she is doing; a car tailing her home; and a weirdo confronting her in a café. Luckily, she has a very supportive family with police connections, and some good friends. She’s a smart girl, shares whatever concerns her and listens to their sound advice and observations.
While her ex-boyfriend (inconveniently also her boss) is not quite off the scene, Nadia’s rather dishy son seems interested, and interesting. But Mickie is being careful: there’s some nutjob out there grabbing young women and killing them, and no way is she going to add to the list of victims.
Howzell Hall gives the reader a story that is cleverly plotted with several red herrings and a chilling twist. This is a tale that may have us considering where we perceive personal danger lies. Her characters are believable and Mickie’s family and friends are so appealing that many will envy her relationship with them.
It is certainly refreshing to have a protagonist who is fairly security conscious, one who doesn’t assume she’ll be OK but, instead, lets people know where she’s going and when to expect her back, who doesn’t go and investigate a strange noise on her own but calls for help. The Magic 8 Ball predictions as section headings is a cute touch. Another brilliant crime fiction read that puts Howzell Hall firmly on the Must Read list.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer.
October 19, 2022
I feel bad, I should have DNFed this, but I didn't for some reason and... here we are. There's just too much going on- 20 pounds of side plots in a 5 pound bag
September 16, 2021
I really wanted to love this book, but it never grabbed me. I struggled to push through hoping something would pop, but it never did for me. Not every book is for every person. Some people will absolutely love this, and others may not connect with the characters or get pulled into the story. One thing that really bothered me was that it seemed like every time someone was talking they didn't finish their sentence. It was just
.......it felt repetitive. I do think the story itself was interesting. It just wasn't my favorite. It might be yours though.
.......it felt repetitive. I do think the story itself was interesting. It just wasn't my favorite. It might be yours though.
September 8, 2022
Los Angeles twentysomething Mickie Lambert is in the business of preserving people’s memories—taking these objects and turning them into a kind of digital scrapbook. That is just what she is doing when curiosities shop owner and client Nadia Denham is murdered. Mickie is shaken, to say the least, and she can’t help but wonder what these objects really said about Nadia. And what do the objects in her own life reveal about her?
Funnily enough even thought a lot happens in this book I really thought that it was a great slow burner mystery that kept me guessing right to the end.
Filled with tension, suspense and suspicion I was constantly trying to figure out what was going on and who the culprit might be. I was rooting for Mickie throughout and was praying that nothing bad happened to her by the end. I also thought that Howzell Hall conveyed the storyline in a really unique and interesting way, revealing plot twists and important moments of the story bit by bit which just made me keep coming back for more.
Yes I know that people have claimed that Mickie is a tad annoying and self-obsessed but she is supposed to be a modern twenty something and let’s be honest… in this case art does mimic real life!
Funnily enough even thought a lot happens in this book I really thought that it was a great slow burner mystery that kept me guessing right to the end.
Filled with tension, suspense and suspicion I was constantly trying to figure out what was going on and who the culprit might be. I was rooting for Mickie throughout and was praying that nothing bad happened to her by the end. I also thought that Howzell Hall conveyed the storyline in a really unique and interesting way, revealing plot twists and important moments of the story bit by bit which just made me keep coming back for more.
Yes I know that people have claimed that Mickie is a tad annoying and self-obsessed but she is supposed to be a modern twenty something and let’s be honest… in this case art does mimic real life!
October 3, 2021
It took me a little while to actually decide to read These Toxic Things for a few reasons. To be brutally honest, I haven't read very many books written by Black authors. When I do, I end up loving them but I'm always a bit hesitant writing reviews for fear of being nonauthentic or coming across as artificial. At my age sometimes we're still learning, you know? It's sad that we have to learn at all but we are. With that said, I absolutely loved These Toxic Things!
Mickie is a young Black woman who creates Memory banks, holographic scrapbooks, for people. Do these even exist and if they do, I want one!! I created digital scrapbooks professionally for years for people and this is would be like the Tesla of the scrapbooking world. Anyway, she is hired to create a Memory Bank for an elderly woman who has Alzheimer's. The woman is truly looking forward to telling her story to Mickie, they meet once and then the woman commits suicide. Mickie, however, is not convinced that it IS suicide and as she continues to work on the woman's memories she finds that the memories are pointing her toward a very horrifying conclusion. In addition, there are things in Mickie's personal life that are not as they seem which are becoming interwoven with her job on the Memory Bank and soon it all comes crashing down. Who survives? Who doesn't?
Wow - there is so much going on in the book but there are a few things that should be addressed. First, I seriously don't give two shits whether Mickie, at age 24, is a millennial a Gen Zer, a Boomer or whatever other word our idiotic society has come up with to divide humans. She's a character in a book. Get over it already. Second, Black is used with a capital "B" because that is how the publishing industry has set its standard from the Associated Press to Reuters to every worth publishing house in the US. If you don't like, if you feel you need to give a book a one star rating based on this, then perhaps you should get help for your very overt racism. Third, there is CURSING in the fucking book. Yep, there is. That's what grown ass adults do in the real world. If you are not adult enough to read a book with FUCK in it then might I suggest the Christian book section for you or Clifford the Big Red Dog!!!
There! I loved the book. The writing is authentic. The characters are REAL!!! The story is not predictable but you might figure out "whodunnit." Who cares!? Go get your junior detective badge and pin it on. GREAT BOOK!!!!!!!! I'm off to read more of her books right now. I hope she curses in those as well!
Mickie is a young Black woman who creates Memory banks, holographic scrapbooks, for people. Do these even exist and if they do, I want one!! I created digital scrapbooks professionally for years for people and this is would be like the Tesla of the scrapbooking world. Anyway, she is hired to create a Memory Bank for an elderly woman who has Alzheimer's. The woman is truly looking forward to telling her story to Mickie, they meet once and then the woman commits suicide. Mickie, however, is not convinced that it IS suicide and as she continues to work on the woman's memories she finds that the memories are pointing her toward a very horrifying conclusion. In addition, there are things in Mickie's personal life that are not as they seem which are becoming interwoven with her job on the Memory Bank and soon it all comes crashing down. Who survives? Who doesn't?
Wow - there is so much going on in the book but there are a few things that should be addressed. First, I seriously don't give two shits whether Mickie, at age 24, is a millennial a Gen Zer, a Boomer or whatever other word our idiotic society has come up with to divide humans. She's a character in a book. Get over it already. Second, Black is used with a capital "B" because that is how the publishing industry has set its standard from the Associated Press to Reuters to every worth publishing house in the US. If you don't like, if you feel you need to give a book a one star rating based on this, then perhaps you should get help for your very overt racism. Third, there is CURSING in the fucking book. Yep, there is. That's what grown ass adults do in the real world. If you are not adult enough to read a book with FUCK in it then might I suggest the Christian book section for you or Clifford the Big Red Dog!!!
There! I loved the book. The writing is authentic. The characters are REAL!!! The story is not predictable but you might figure out "whodunnit." Who cares!? Go get your junior detective badge and pin it on. GREAT BOOK!!!!!!!! I'm off to read more of her books right now. I hope she curses in those as well!
September 27, 2021
Rachel Howzell Hall is hardly an unfamiliar name if you enjoy a good mystery – but her latest, These Toxic Things, shows she’s only just begun to show readers what she can do.
Michaela – Micky – Lambert works as a digital archaeologist, creating virtual treasure troves that showcase her clients’ memories and treasured keepsakes, personally investigating and curating origin stories and contextual information. She’s on the outs with her boss-turned-boyfriend, her newest client has unexpectedly died, and now she’s receiving notes – someone is stalking her, and she’s starting to wonder if there’s anyone she can truly trust.
This was such a fun and thrilling book! Rachel Howzell Hall writes such realistic and relatable characters, and Micky Lambert is the perfect flawed heroine. Whether she’s indulging at brunch with a friend, or turning an investigative and analytical eye on her clients’ memories, she’s the kind of person you instantly want to root for. Family is at the heart of her world, and refreshingly, she’s not afraid to turn to them – there’s no “mysteries” solvable with a simple conversation here, and Micky clues her parents in to the situation at a completely reasonable stage. It’s an approach that reinforces the realism of the novel, and I appreciate an author willing to put the effort in to make that work.
The mysteries that thread through the story, too, are just so beautifully and carefully crafted. The author had me positively glued to the page, torn between wanting to race through to the end and find out what was going on, and drawing the book out longer to keep from having to let it go too soon. It’s the best kind of dilemma a writer can induce, and Rachel Howzell Hall really managed balancing tension with enough breathing space to keep it all from becoming too much.
These Toxic Things is another excellent book in the author’s body of work, one that makes me very excited to see what she’ll do next.
Michaela – Micky – Lambert works as a digital archaeologist, creating virtual treasure troves that showcase her clients’ memories and treasured keepsakes, personally investigating and curating origin stories and contextual information. She’s on the outs with her boss-turned-boyfriend, her newest client has unexpectedly died, and now she’s receiving notes – someone is stalking her, and she’s starting to wonder if there’s anyone she can truly trust.
This was such a fun and thrilling book! Rachel Howzell Hall writes such realistic and relatable characters, and Micky Lambert is the perfect flawed heroine. Whether she’s indulging at brunch with a friend, or turning an investigative and analytical eye on her clients’ memories, she’s the kind of person you instantly want to root for. Family is at the heart of her world, and refreshingly, she’s not afraid to turn to them – there’s no “mysteries” solvable with a simple conversation here, and Micky clues her parents in to the situation at a completely reasonable stage. It’s an approach that reinforces the realism of the novel, and I appreciate an author willing to put the effort in to make that work.
The mysteries that thread through the story, too, are just so beautifully and carefully crafted. The author had me positively glued to the page, torn between wanting to race through to the end and find out what was going on, and drawing the book out longer to keep from having to let it go too soon. It’s the best kind of dilemma a writer can induce, and Rachel Howzell Hall really managed balancing tension with enough breathing space to keep it all from becoming too much.
These Toxic Things is another excellent book in the author’s body of work, one that makes me very excited to see what she’ll do next.
July 28, 2021
Mickie Lambert is a digital archaeologist. When her latest client, Nadia Denham, a curio shop owner, dies from an apparent suicide, Mickie honors the old woman’s last wish and begins curating her peculiar objets d’art. A music box, a hair clip, a key chain―twelve mementos in all that must have meant so much to Nadia, who collected them on her flea market scavenges across the country. These items also mean a lot to someone else as Mickie is getting threats. Mickie is determined to solve the mystery of who and where these items have come from. Discovering the truth means crossing paths with a dormant serial killer and hoping to escape.
Thoughts: After reading And Now She’s Gone last year, I knew I needed to get my hands on this! Let me say first-this story is original and unique! I can honestly say I have never read anything like it. AT ALL! It is different than any type of mystery I have read. It was refreshing! Rachel writes a slow burn that isn’t boring in the least. It’s kind of like when you are creeping down a hallway and trying not to make any noise but, needing to see what’s around the damn corner ! All of the characters are suspicious plus she throws in cold cases and serial killers…what’s not to love?! I also really enjoyed the mom and daughter relationship in the story. Again, she has set this story in LA which was fun since I am familiar with the areas. I don’t want to give anything away so it doesn’t spoil it for you! Go into this blind, I promise you will love it!
Thoughts: After reading And Now She’s Gone last year, I knew I needed to get my hands on this! Let me say first-this story is original and unique! I can honestly say I have never read anything like it. AT ALL! It is different than any type of mystery I have read. It was refreshing! Rachel writes a slow burn that isn’t boring in the least. It’s kind of like when you are creeping down a hallway and trying not to make any noise but, needing to see what’s around the damn corner ! All of the characters are suspicious plus she throws in cold cases and serial killers…what’s not to love?! I also really enjoyed the mom and daughter relationship in the story. Again, she has set this story in LA which was fun since I am familiar with the areas. I don’t want to give anything away so it doesn’t spoil it for you! Go into this blind, I promise you will love it!
September 28, 2021
I enjoyed this book as it was fast reading and more twists than I thought possible for one character to handle. Takes place in Los Angeles, CA and starts in a rundown strip mall where the owner is trying to drive the businesses out so he can bulldoze it down and rebuild. There are lots of secrets and so much more.
October 26, 2021
I couldn’t get past capitalizing the word ‘black’ every time it was used to describe an African American person, which was much too frequent for my liking. I’ve never read a book where there was so much emphasis on a person’s skin color.
Read
September 4, 2021No review. I made it a DNF. And I loved her former stuff too.
After about page 50, I just threw in the towel. I couldn't even understand the conversations. And the profanity and context issues became more increasing and muddled as it progressed. Seriously, I didn't even understand the digital concept entirely either.
Good luck with this one. Not for me.
After about page 50, I just threw in the towel. I couldn't even understand the conversations. And the profanity and context issues became more increasing and muddled as it progressed. Seriously, I didn't even understand the digital concept entirely either.
Good luck with this one. Not for me.
Shelved as 'dnf'
January 2, 2022GAH! Two abandoned books in two days. The first for stilted, wooden prose, this one for distracting, overbaked descriptions.
I need a literary cleanse. 2022, you'd better pull it together, fast.
I need a literary cleanse. 2022, you'd better pull it together, fast.
August 1, 2021
Wanted to Like This One More Than I Did
I had read some great reviews of this book and others by this author, so I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, I found myself completely turned off by the level of profanity in even just the early chapters... all the “bad words” you can think of as well as the N-word. The author is an African American woman, and I fully believe that Americans of African origin have the right to use that word if they feel they need to or even reclaim it on their terms. But, for me, even seeing that word in print makes me crazy uncomfortable. This is a very slow-burn “thriller,” but I think those two concepts (slow and thriller) do not coexist happily together. This did feel a bit too slow at times. Because of these issues, I found myself disappointed in this book. If you don't mind “thrillers” that are a bit slow in places as well as profanity and other potentially objectionable language, you might enjoy this book better than I did.
WARNING: Profanity
I had read some great reviews of this book and others by this author, so I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, I found myself completely turned off by the level of profanity in even just the early chapters... all the “bad words” you can think of as well as the N-word. The author is an African American woman, and I fully believe that Americans of African origin have the right to use that word if they feel they need to or even reclaim it on their terms. But, for me, even seeing that word in print makes me crazy uncomfortable. This is a very slow-burn “thriller,” but I think those two concepts (slow and thriller) do not coexist happily together. This did feel a bit too slow at times. Because of these issues, I found myself disappointed in this book. If you don't mind “thrillers” that are a bit slow in places as well as profanity and other potentially objectionable language, you might enjoy this book better than I did.
WARNING: Profanity
September 28, 2021
I am kind of caught on how to review this book. For the first 1/3, I kept marveling that it even got published. The writing felt so casual and simple, and I was surprised to find out the author was actually somewhat known (allegedly a bestselling author?).
But it got better. Sort of. At least it got better enough to make me want to find out what the ending was. So, I stuck with it, despite finding Michaela "Mickie" one of the least likeable protagonists I have experienced in recent times. The cast of characters around her, even the "bad" ones, were all more interesting and multi-dimensional than Mickie, who was so pathetically self-absorbed and constantly behaved like your basic bimbo in any horror movie. Mickie WAS the woman who runs up the stairs when being chased. But somehow she survives.
There were also a lot of weird plot holes and confusing things that come close but not entirely together in this novel. AND, more annoyingly, there is a lot of "extra" that is completely unnecessary and just serves to make the book longer. (Mickie's "relationship" with this Christopher person is a prime example - while her other fling moves the plot along, I don't even know why Christopher exists.) A lot of this book feels like the author was maybe dropping personal hints or inside jokes into it, but whatever the case, she had too many plots happening at one. It ultimately felt sort of like a soup with ingredients that don't mix together properly.
Still, the idea behind the story was (mostly) interesting. And I was actually impressed with how the author leads me to think I read one thing, but when I went back, she never actually said what I thought. (No spoilers, because it is clever.) I like that mind trick, if anything.
But it got better. Sort of. At least it got better enough to make me want to find out what the ending was. So, I stuck with it, despite finding Michaela "Mickie" one of the least likeable protagonists I have experienced in recent times. The cast of characters around her, even the "bad" ones, were all more interesting and multi-dimensional than Mickie, who was so pathetically self-absorbed and constantly behaved like your basic bimbo in any horror movie. Mickie WAS the woman who runs up the stairs when being chased. But somehow she survives.
There were also a lot of weird plot holes and confusing things that come close but not entirely together in this novel. AND, more annoyingly, there is a lot of "extra" that is completely unnecessary and just serves to make the book longer. (Mickie's "relationship" with this Christopher person is a prime example - while her other fling moves the plot along, I don't even know why Christopher exists.) A lot of this book feels like the author was maybe dropping personal hints or inside jokes into it, but whatever the case, she had too many plots happening at one. It ultimately felt sort of like a soup with ingredients that don't mix together properly.
Still, the idea behind the story was (mostly) interesting. And I was actually impressed with how the author leads me to think I read one thing, but when I went back, she never actually said what I thought. (No spoilers, because it is clever.) I like that mind trick, if anything.
August 11, 2021
Now this is the perfect slow burn head spinning thriller that I absolutely loved!!
Mickie Lambert loves her job as a digital memory archaeologist! So she’s excited when her latest customer Nadia Denham hires her! Nadia owns her own curio shop filled with so many amazing quirky items. When Nadia shockingly commits suicide, Mickie decides to honor her wishes and complete the job. Nadia left a music box, a key chain a hair clip twelve items in all that held a special meaning to Nadia. Nadia left letters describing how and who she got theses items from and why they mean so much to her. While Mickie works on her job it appears she also has a stalker, or someone that doesn’t want her to uncover the truth behind the items Nadia left behind. Soon she begins googling the names of The original owners mentioned in Nadias letters who gave Nadia the trinkets and she’s shocked to uncover that all of them are considered missing… what has Mickie stumbled into? Threatening texts, phone calls and her apartment getting broken into someone in the background is determined to stop Mickie from finding the truth. Five stars!!
Mickie Lambert loves her job as a digital memory archaeologist! So she’s excited when her latest customer Nadia Denham hires her! Nadia owns her own curio shop filled with so many amazing quirky items. When Nadia shockingly commits suicide, Mickie decides to honor her wishes and complete the job. Nadia left a music box, a key chain a hair clip twelve items in all that held a special meaning to Nadia. Nadia left letters describing how and who she got theses items from and why they mean so much to her. While Mickie works on her job it appears she also has a stalker, or someone that doesn’t want her to uncover the truth behind the items Nadia left behind. Soon she begins googling the names of The original owners mentioned in Nadias letters who gave Nadia the trinkets and she’s shocked to uncover that all of them are considered missing… what has Mickie stumbled into? Threatening texts, phone calls and her apartment getting broken into someone in the background is determined to stop Mickie from finding the truth. Five stars!!
September 6, 2021
Well damn. Rachel Howzell Hall continues to grace us with her writing abilities. I just need to sit with that ending.
edit to add review:
Mickie Lambert works for a digital scrapbooking company. Mickie’s client Nadia Denham dies from an apparent suicide, so Mickie decides to honor her last wishes by curating Nadia’s beloved trinkets. Little does Mickie know that it’s the beginning of strange happenings, and she has to figure out what’s going on before she winds up in grave danger.
Howzell Hall has quickly cemented her position as a favorite writer for me. This slow burn murder mystery was full of twists and turns without falling into some of the tropes typically repeat in this genre. The characters were fantastic. The writing is immersive and atmospheric. I couldn’t put this one down.
I don’t want to give away anything plot wise because I really think that you just have to experience this goodness for yourself!
And do yourself a favor and skip the racist ass reviews on this thread.
edit to add review:
Mickie Lambert works for a digital scrapbooking company. Mickie’s client Nadia Denham dies from an apparent suicide, so Mickie decides to honor her last wishes by curating Nadia’s beloved trinkets. Little does Mickie know that it’s the beginning of strange happenings, and she has to figure out what’s going on before she winds up in grave danger.
Howzell Hall has quickly cemented her position as a favorite writer for me. This slow burn murder mystery was full of twists and turns without falling into some of the tropes typically repeat in this genre. The characters were fantastic. The writing is immersive and atmospheric. I couldn’t put this one down.
I don’t want to give away anything plot wise because I really think that you just have to experience this goodness for yourself!
And do yourself a favor and skip the racist ass reviews on this thread.
August 29, 2021
Maybe a 3.5 because of the clever idea and what the author attempted to do. The execution was not always there unfortunately.
Full rtc
Thanks to Amazon Publishing (Thomas & Mercer) and the author for the gifted finished copy.
Review Date: 08/28/21
Publication Date: 09/01/21
Full rtc
Thanks to Amazon Publishing (Thomas & Mercer) and the author for the gifted finished copy.
Review Date: 08/28/21
Publication Date: 09/01/21
September 4, 2021
I'm torn about this one
The pros...
This is a good book. A couldn't-put-it-down page turner with some interesting twists and turns. Predictable enough to be believable but still keeps you guessing.
The cons...
This was a great first liner for the main character, Michaela..."I gave him a woman's smile, the one that has beheaded more important men than the one sitting across from me at this high-gloss conference table." It's a high powered first liner for a confident woman. But then the author proceeds to turn her into a simpering vapid senseless woman who does all the wrong things while she has her face buried in her cell phone.
The most unbelievable thing about the book is that Michaela would be so terrified for her life and yet so oblivious to her surroundings. This is the character in the horror movie you root for to die to put her out of your misery.
I'd give it a 5 for story line and a 3 for character development so I averaged it out to a four.
The pros...
This is a good book. A couldn't-put-it-down page turner with some interesting twists and turns. Predictable enough to be believable but still keeps you guessing.
The cons...
This was a great first liner for the main character, Michaela..."I gave him a woman's smile, the one that has beheaded more important men than the one sitting across from me at this high-gloss conference table." It's a high powered first liner for a confident woman. But then the author proceeds to turn her into a simpering vapid senseless woman who does all the wrong things while she has her face buried in her cell phone.
The most unbelievable thing about the book is that Michaela would be so terrified for her life and yet so oblivious to her surroundings. This is the character in the horror movie you root for to die to put her out of your misery.
I'd give it a 5 for story line and a 3 for character development so I averaged it out to a four.
August 16, 2021
The main thing I found unbelievable in this book is the amount of days it was stormy and rainy in Los Angeles. 😆
(Decent weekend binge read. Some predictability but enough turns to keep me interested.)
(Decent weekend binge read. Some predictability but enough turns to keep me interested.)
September 12, 2021
This mystery is long and it’s definitely a slow-burn. There’s a LOT going on (I took extensive notes to keep track of everything & everyone). I thought I’d rate it 3 stars until THAT ENDING! Clever clever clever. Totally worth the time & effort put in. 4/5
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