The book opens with an epigraph: “I have noticed that even people who claim everything is predestined and that we can do nothing to change it, l3.5 ⭐️
The book opens with an epigraph: “I have noticed that even people who claim everything is predestined and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road” Stephen Hawking
After a short delay, and a quick snack service-a series of call buttons will summon the flight attendants on the short Sydney-Hobart flight.
Apparently, an unremarkable woman who nobody noticed upon boarding, has stood up, and while in an almost trance-like state, has started to make her way through the cabin, predicting the “cause of death” and “age of death” for all of the passengers on board.
“FATE WON’T BE FOUGHT!”
The plane will land safely, but everyone on board will be forever changed-especially the six passengers whose predicted deaths loom in the VERY near future.
A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as the woman had predicted, and when that death is followed by another, the passengers who were on board that flight, begin to worry.-What if she is right?
The book opens with witty musings about human behavior in airports, and on airplanes, (all spot on!) as we get to know our passengers before boarding and on the flight, written in the third person POV, with alternating chapters from the first person POV of our “death lady”, Cherry.
I was initially engaged but by 25%, it started to seem more like rambling as we learned about how each of the passengers felt after the flight.
With 400 pages to go-I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue!
Which passengers would brush off the predictions as nonsense, and which passengers would try to thwart fate??
Finally, at around the 50%, mark-when the first prediction comes true, I became more invested again, as I had now grown fond of a few of the characters: particularly Allegra and her mom, Leo and Neve, and Sue and Max.
I continued reading, worried about their fate.
BUT-I found myself wanting to skim through Cherry’s chapters.
I didn’t feel like we needed to hear from her AS often as we did, nor did we need to hear AS much of her back story. Cutting SOME of these chapters would have trimmed enough of the 512 pages to offer us a quicker pace.
How much reviewers are enjoying this seems to correlate with how much Cherry’s chapters resonate. I preferred the chapters which focused on those who received her predictions.
We learned of some surprising connections by the end of the book, and there were some satisfying and heartwarming conclusions for a few of the character ARCs, leaving me conflicted on how to rate this book.
While I LOVED how the story ultimately came together by the denouement, I cannot ignore the fact that at one point I questioned continuing on and that I felt compelled to skim read Cherry’s chapters, so 3.5 ⭐️ feels about right.
A buddy read! Was it a 5 star read for DeAnn? Be sure to watch for her review!
Expected Publication Date: September 10, 2024
Thank You to Crown for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. These are my candid thoughts!...more
Amy and Greg have just celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary and they are expecting their first baby.
LIFE is GOOD
So when Greg fails to come home Amy and Greg have just celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary and they are expecting their first baby.
LIFE is GOOD
So when Greg fails to come home from walking their dog Rusty, Amy knows he didn’t leave of his own accord, despite what the POLICE think- forcing Amy to do some sleuthing of her own.
Kirsten and Nick are “the other couple”.
They have just enjoyed a romantic weekend away but on their rainy drive home, they swerve to avoid hitting a dog-and instead accidentally kill his owner.
They SHOULD call for help – but they DON’T
Instead they decide to conceal the accident-after all nothing will bring the dead man back-but THEY have MUCH to hide and even MORE to lose.
But they underestimated the man’s widow- If Amy can’t get justice – she will settle for revenge.
But, WHO ends up on trial?
Letters from an unidentified person, in the courtroom, will keep you guessing.
This was a fun buddy read with my friend Susan, and this CLEVER book had us both revisiting earlier chapters when we realized what we had missed.
We kept swapping theories and we couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, to find out how it would all play out. (Be sure to watch for her insightful review)
It’s only my second book by the talented Diane Jeffrey-the first being “The Guilty Mother” (or The Appeal” if you are in the UK) and both have been addictive, satisfying reads!
I can’t wait to catch up on some other earlier titles!
Claire Ross, the bestselling author of the epic love story, “The Starlit Ballet” has disappeared from the Hamptons on her wedding day2.5 ⭐️ rounded ⬇️
Claire Ross, the bestselling author of the epic love story, “The Starlit Ballet” has disappeared from the Hamptons on her wedding day.
In her book, TWO Soulmates reincarnate over several centuries managing to find one another in each and every lifetime.
So it seems devastating that she would disappear just as she is about to find her own “happily ever after”.
Her mother, Miranda Ross has decided to hire PI Nina Travers to find out what happened to her daughter. Known as an investigator with unusual methods, Nina will follow the “CLUES” that she THINKS she has found, written into the pages of Claire’s novel. (I beg to differ)
She will also follow the posts on Social Media, written by her adoring fans, dubbed “The Starlites”-After all, these fans know Claire BEST, and they are determined to find her…...more
Warning ⚠️ Perla Wultz is one of the most despicable, vile, manipulative characters that you will ever meet!
Twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum, (iWarning ⚠️ Perla Wultz is one of the most despicable, vile, manipulative characters that you will ever meet!
Twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum, (inmate 82145) was found holding his daughter in his arms, her throat slit-the two friends invited to his daughter Jenny’s 12th birthday sleepover party, lying beside them-DEAD.
An inquisitive doctoral student, Dr. Timothy Valden has decided to interview Folcrum for his dissertation. He hopes to discover WHY he committed the crime and what REALLY happened the night of the “FOLCRUM PARTY”??
What will it take to get Folcrum to agree to an interview? An “Arby’s Beef N Cheddar, upsized with curly fries and a root beer.
And, what will it take to convince Perla Wultz to mimic that famous crime and kill her own daughter, Sophie, on her 12th birthday?
EVEN LESS
In fact, it’s her own idea. She has saved a life before and knows it is thrilling to do so, but that the feeling pales in comparison to TAKING a life.
But, first she will have to set a plan in motion to frame someone else to take the fall.
This is a DARK, DARK story (but not graphic) filled with DECEPTION and SURPRISES! The tension is palpable as the days grow closer to Sophie’s 12th birthday party.
Will she survive?
The story unfolds through the alternating perspectives of Perla, the journal entries of 11 year old Sophie, and the interviews between Dr. Valden and Leewood Folcrum, with emails and commentary from neighbors peppered in.
The pace is fast and short chapters allow you to say “just one more” as you race to find out if Perla will succeed.
A.R. Torre is a pseudonym of Alessandra Torre- her dark alter ego writes psychological thrillers while Alessandra writes spicy romances-And this novel is definitely A.R. Torre’s MOST UNSETTLING yet.
It was “unputdownable”!
AVAILABLE August 20, 2024
Thank You to Thomas & Mercer for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!...more
Chloe Cooper is walking her mom’s elderly dog, Brodie when she witnesses a jet ski emerge from the mist and rain. September 27, 2019- Jerrin Beach-7 AM
Chloe Cooper is walking her mom’s elderly dog, Brodie when she witnesses a jet ski emerge from the mist and rain. There is a swimmer in its path, but the driver doesn’t appear to see her. She hears the “thuck” as the jet ski hits the swimmer. And, then watches as he turns around, not to help, but to finish the job.
“It’s Criminal: She’s Been Watching You-The Chloe Cooper Story” is the brand new season of the TV show born from the true crime podcast produced by Trinity Scott and Gio Rossi. (introduced to us in her earlier book-Beneath Devil’s Bridge”) They will cover the crime, and the involvement of its socially awkward witness, Chloe.
Turns out she was a bit of a VOYEUR and STALKER in addition to being an Artist, autodidact, bartender, dog walker and caregiver to her terminally ill mom.
Readers become privy to the events that occurred “After the Hit and Run” for one chapter - before shifting to “Before the Hit and Run” for the FIRST HALF of the book-with a few chapters of “It’s Criminal” sprinkled in.
This is when the SECRETS of Chloe’s new neighbors, Jemma, the glamorous influencer for women in their 60’s and her husband, Adam a renowned surgeon, will get exposed-many of them because they live in a house with no blinds…
Expect to return to “The HIT AND RUN” and “AFTER THE HIT AND RUN” in the second half of the book.
This is where the TWISTS and MISDIRECTION that Loreth Anne White is known for, will really start to catch you by surprise!!
And, one in particular made my JAW DROP to the floor!
It’s one of my favorites by the author and it CAN be read as a stand-alone, but why not read “Beneath’s Devil’s Bridge” while you are waiting…
This is a SPICY DEBUT novel that was ORIGINAL and ENJOYABLE- BUT I would NOT call it swoon worthy!
Molly Marks writes Hollywood rom-coms for a living—dThis is a SPICY DEBUT novel that was ORIGINAL and ENJOYABLE- BUT I would NOT call it swoon worthy!
Molly Marks writes Hollywood rom-coms for a living—despite NOT believing in love. She KNOWS that romance is a genre with its own set of beats, though different from those of thrillers and detective novels. You start at the “meet cute” and END the story when things are finally going well. You NEVER continue on to the part where he cheats on her or the kids kill their sex life.
Seth Rubinstein believes in soulmates and “once in a lifetime” love, despite his job as one of Chicago’s most successful divorce attorneys. Over the last decade, he has tried to find “the one” often rushing into relationships in his zeal to find his “happily ever after”.
But so far, no one can compare to his high school girlfriend, Molly Marks-the first girl who broke his heart....more
Inspired by the HORROR classic, Rosemary’s Baby, we have “The New Couple in 5B”-55 Park Avenue-a historic NY city building now called the Windemere-buInspired by the HORROR classic, Rosemary’s Baby, we have “The New Couple in 5B”-55 Park Avenue-a historic NY city building now called the Windemere-built on the same soil where “The Church of the Holy Name” once stood until it burnt to the ground.
All that remained of the building was the foundation, some of the stones, and the Gargoyles that stood sentry over the front door.
Moving in, a newlywed couple, Chad and Rosie Lowan, he an actor, she a writer, who inherited the 5 million dollar unit from his Uncle Ivan.
Rosie has plans to write a book about the building’s history-divided into sections for the Violent Murders, the many Accidents, the frequent Suicides, and the natural deaths-which seem to have happened in abundance at this address-one of which occurred in their very own unit-where a writer, Paul, once lived with his beautiful, dancer wife, Willa.
Are there dark forces at work in this haunted building?
At first, the building and its eclectic tenants couldn’t feel more welcoming. But soon, the Lowans begin to wonder why the SAME doorman is always on duty, and why there are cameras everywhere? And, what about the intercom, which summons that doorman without needing to even press a button?
Creepy and claustrophobic, this ENTERTAINING story has a gothic feel which will grip you from the opening pages-but don’t expect it to feel plausible.
A fun buddy read with Susan, Ceecee and Mary Beth, which offered much lively discussion! Be sure to check out their amazing reviews for additional thoughts!
This book is available now!
Thank You to the Chandler Public Library for the loan of this title!...more
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