I won’t waste time posting quotes or attempt to provide a synopsis of the plot, as anything I say would be woefully inadequate. Many readers have doneI won’t waste time posting quotes or attempt to provide a synopsis of the plot, as anything I say would be woefully inadequate. Many readers have done so much more eloquently than I am capable of doing. If you have read Wendell Berry then you know he writes thoughtfully about ordinary life and the mysteries of the world. Covering over 50 years about life in Port William, Berry's prose is full of wisdom and thought-provoking observations about human nature, love, and loss.
My favorite authors write about ordinary lives in an extraordinary way, and Wendell Berry is among the best of the best who can do so beautifully. His introspective writing touches my soul deeply, making me think and ponder, yet there is subtle humor here too. He makes me care deeply for his characters and feel their joy as well as their pain. Poignant and moving, I turned the last page with tears in my eyes.
Books like these make me glad I’m a reader. Simply beautiful and worthy of all the stars!...more
Molly is a maid at the Regency Grand, an upscale hotel. Her attention to detail and love of cleanliness and order makes this Unpopular opinion time!
Molly is a maid at the Regency Grand, an upscale hotel. Her attention to detail and love of cleanliness and order makes this a perfect job for her. Molly is neurodivergent, although it is not given a name.
When she finds Mr. Black, a long-term resident of the hotel, dead in his bed, the police investigate and Molly is their prime suspect. There are some dark secrets at the hotel, but, luckily for her, she has friends who help her sort things out.
One of my major issues with the story is how Molly is depicted. At one moment she is clueless, and another she is quite astute in deciphering the underlying message and unspoken nuances of social interactions. Molly also tells us a lot about her condition instead of showing us, and her actions were not always consistent with her character.
Eleanor Oliphant seems to have started the trend toward characters who are not neurotypical, and she remains the best. I loved Eleanor’s snark and humor, which was missing in this story. However, there are some delightful characters here, especially Molly’s Gran who helps Molly navigate the world with her pithy truisms, and Mr. Preston, the hotel’s doorkeeper, who assists in clearing Molly’s name. I also loved the references to Columbo, a TV show she often watched with her Gran, and her “tour of Italy” at Olive Garden was cute. None of this was enough to carry the story.
Unfortunately, the author felt a need to throw in a kitchen sink of social issues along the way, which took away from the charm of the story. Illegal immigration, domestic abuse, drug running, euthanasia, with the latter being the most egregious and out of character. I suspect it was added as an agenda of the author's. She should have restrained herself.
Unfortunately, stereotypes abound in the minor characters, especially the maid staff, and the ridiculous side story about an illegal immigrant was eye-rolling and offensive.
The courtroom scenes were silly. Then there was the ending. I don’t mind a twist in a book, but not when I find out Molly was sitting on information throughout the book that identified the murderer, information she kept from the police and the reader. There were no clues along the way, and when all was revealed at the end by Molly, it made me want to throw the book across the room..
This was a buddy read with my friend Marialyce. We both prefer little more edge and realism in our stories. I found much of this book boring and a slog to get through. If I want to read a cozy, I'll stick to Agatha Christie's Miss Marple.
It wasn’t for us, but many readers loved it, so do please read their reviews. It’s been optioned for a movie, but it's one I'll skip.
• I received a digital copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. • Publication date January 4, 2022 by Ballantine Books...more
It’s Christmas 1985 and Bill, a coal merchant, is busy delivering orders to the village residents. One of his stops is the Magdalen Laundries, a placeIt’s Christmas 1985 and Bill, a coal merchant, is busy delivering orders to the village residents. One of his stops is the Magdalen Laundries, a place for “wayward” girls, ran by the Catholic church and supported by the state. Bill makes a disturbing discovery and is faced with a dilemma.
Times are tough, and he and his wife are parents to five girls who could face retribution if he acts on what he has found. His first instinct is to not get involved but as he reminisces about his own mother’s history and the kindnesses that were shown him, he reconsiders.
“As they carried along and met more people Furlong did and did not know, he found himself asking was there any point in being alive without helping one another? Was it possible to carry on along through all the years, the decades, through an entire life, without once being brave enough to go against what was there and yet call yourself a Christian, and face yourself in the mirror?”
This is truly a story for everyone, regardless of religious beliefs. It’s about being the kind of person the world needs, a light in the darkness. It’s about doing the right thing, and challenging the status quo, even at great personal cost.
At only 128 pages, Small Things Like These is a beautiful and powerful story that is destined to be a favorite. To quote Mother Teresa: — 'Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.' The things we may consider small can make a big difference in a life.
Did you ever want to escape it all by spending time on an idyllic South Pacific island, with the gentle breezes, the warm sun, and your toes in the saDid you ever want to escape it all by spending time on an idyllic South Pacific island, with the gentle breezes, the warm sun, and your toes in the sand? Yeah, well, don't read this book, then. It will ruin your dream.
Lux’s boyfriend, Nico, is offered a load of cash to ferry Brittany and Amma to the island of Meroe in the South Pacific, an island with a creepy past. Lux agrees to go along. This was mistake #2, the first mistake was choosing Nico as a boyfriend. So off they go, and when they arrive, they unexpectedly meet a couple on the island who has a well-stocked liquor supply and plenty of food. FYI: This is NOT a survivalist story.
You know things won't go well, and they don't. Everyone has a secret but their liquor-fueled days are a slog to wade through. No one is likable, which isn’t a deal breaker for me, but reading pages and pages of angst and drama from a group of drunk twenty-somethings whose idea of intelligent conversation is filled with f-bombs (184 according to my kindle search), was boring.
Despite the “locked-room” island setting, I felt no creepy vibes or suspense and could not have cared less what happened to any of them. They were all stupid and obnoxious and I would have been glad to see all of them die. The entire book was filled with implausibility, plot holes and unanswered questions. The ending was preposterous. I can sometimes excuse these things if I’m having fun with a book. This was not one of those times.
The goodreads blurb: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. Don’t believe it! Gothic suspense? Hardly. Deliciously wicked? Nope! They did, however, get the setting right.
This was a buddy read with Marialyce, and sorry to say, a miss for both of us. I wish I had followed my instincts to dnf. 1 star for my lack of enjoyment, but in the spirit of Christmas I'm adding a star.
I loved the author’s first book, The Wife Upstairs, and will read her next book, but this was a complete miss. Many readers enjoyed it so do please read their reviews. This is probably a case of me being the wrong reader for this book. Not every book is for every reader.
*I received a digital copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own * Publication date January 4, 2022 by St. Martin's Press...more
When Chloe was 12 there was a serial killer on the loose, targeting young teenage girls. Her father was arrested for the murders, pleaded guilty and wWhen Chloe was 12 there was a serial killer on the loose, targeting young teenage girls. Her father was arrested for the murders, pleaded guilty and was sent to prison. Now, 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist and although suffering from her childhood trauma, she is trying to move forward in her life, although, unfortunately, with the help of alcohol and pills. As she prepares for her wedding, a string of copycat murders sends her in a downward spiral. Has her stress and anxiety caused her to see connections where there aren’t any or is a killer coming after her? The story is told in alternating chapters between the present day and flashbacks to her childhood.
However, I’m tired of drunk, pill-popping narrators. I guessed the ending immediately, but the author tried to throw in plenty of red herrings and a couple of other unexpected twists.
The story requires a large amount of suspension of disbelief, which is OK if I find the writing and plotting to be stellar. However, there was a lot of repetitiveness and extraneous details that felt like filler, plus there were a few things that took me out of the story, such as staying at a cut-rate highway motel, then mentioning the chocolate placed on her pillow (really?? Motel 6 places chocolate on pillows? ...more
Would you allow your 7-year-old daughter to go on an overnight playdate with a family you didn’t know?
No, me either.
But, get past the premise, and th Would you allow your 7-year-old daughter to go on an overnight playdate with a family you didn’t know?
No, me either.
But, get past the premise, and this is quite the tense page-turner. Lucia, after being allowed to to spend the night with a classmate, goes missing without a trace.
Told in multiple viewpoints, I found the voice of the kidnapped little girl the least compelling and believable. But it was still a compelling read that had me flipping the pages to see what would happen next. As each chapter unfolds, we are privy to all the lies and deceptions that are taking place. The ending required a bit of a stretch on the part of the reader, but overall, I very much enjoyed the story and will look for more from the author. ...more
It’s not in my nature to start with #17 in a series but I couldn’t resist, and I think it works well as a standalone. Now, I have the pleasure of goin It’s not in my nature to start with #17 in a series but I couldn’t resist, and I think it works well as a standalone. Now, I have the pleasure of going back and starting at book #1.
Niall and his wife Eden stop at a convenience store and Eden goes in to purchase kitty litter. She never returns, disappearing without a trace. When the police are eventually brought in, Niall is arrested. The evidence is damning but yet there is no body. Niall seems genuinely upset and devastated at his wife’s disappearance but is he reliable? There are plenty of red herrings and twists and turns to keep things interesting.
What made this book special and entertaining is not just the mystery, but the relationship dynamics between the characters. I loved the witty banter between the investigators. There’s also a tragedy in the life of one of the investigators that brings an added heartbreaking dimension. I like my detectives complicated and enjoy hearing some of their stories apart from the investigation. Although a bit long, the short chapters and a riveting plot kept the story moving along at a brisk pace.
I look forward to reading more in the Roy Grace series! ...more
Hadi and Sama are a young Syrian couple expecting their first child. Sama has been in the U.S. for seven years, while Hadi is a refugee escaping war-tHadi and Sama are a young Syrian couple expecting their first child. Sama has been in the U.S. for seven years, while Hadi is a refugee escaping war-torn Syria. Hadi’s father dies, and he travels home for the funeral, despite the fact that it is the night before his visa appointment hearing. He knows the risks of the political climate, and decides to go anyway. Inevitably, when he tries to return to the U.S., he is prevented from entering due to the travel ban.
It’s impossible to not feel sympathy for their plight. Lovers separated by circumstances beyond their control is an age-old tragedy. Should Sama relinquish her son’s U.S. citizenship to join Hadi in Syria so they can all be together? Or should Sama and Hadi give up their relationship in order to provide their son with a better hope for the future?
Despite such a compelling premise, I failed to engage with this story for several reasons. The angst and insta-love felt very YA to me. Then there’s the writing. The sentence fragments and flowery language, with an abundance of nonsensical metaphors, made my eyes roll. There were many plot holes and the open-ended conclusion was a disappointment. A world without borders is certainly a utopian ideal, but the practicalities are troublesome. I prefer a more nuanced story that leaves me thoughtfully considering the possibilities.
The anger and political undertones did nothing to endear this book to me. The insertion of bird migratory patterns, as an analogy to the immigrant experience, was a stretch. Behaviors were assigned to birds that left me skeptical.
Ultimately, this was a huge fail for me and I was grateful to have my reading buddies, Marialyce and Dorie, to discuss our frustrations.
We are all different readers, and our preferences are valid. I understand that some readers love flowery prose so I’m including a few quotes. Remember, this is an uncorrected proof, but you will get the gist. If it speaks to your heart, this is the book for you.
My heart swells, soaked in warm honey. It expands, overflows. Something pure, like an essence, flows out, through my pores, infusing the room with light. Transcendent and gold
The syllables flow off my tongue, limpid, rustling through trees, rippling over seas and fields and sand dunes.
The words glow, fine and numinous as fireflies in my lungs
…slept curled in a ball, breathing softly into him, smelled of lemon and red apples and vanilla, lived on a cloud and, when he wasn’t there, on crackers with salt
This wasn't the book for me, but do check out other reviews before you decide if it’s for you.
• I received a digital copy of the book from Edelweiss. All opinions are my own....more
I can be quite harsh when it comes to the details of medicine and the medical profession in a fictional book. But, in this case, I was able to suspen I can be quite harsh when it comes to the details of medicine and the medical profession in a fictional book. But, in this case, I was able to suspend some disbelief and go with the story of a stalker physician.
The physician in this case, Marcus, is super creepy. I personally know a narcissist, and can attest that the thought processes and actions of a person with narcissist personality disorder (NPD) are spot on. When Marcus sees Georgie out for her daily run, he becomes obsessed, despite having a loving wife and children at home. He is devious and dangerous and he decides he wants Georgie. What lengths will he go to get what he wants? It turns out very far.
How can someone who has such disordered thinking function in the real world? Those with NPD are experts at charm, manipulation and appear to all to be someone they are not. Is there a breaking point where the façade crumbles? Absolutely! This part of the story was very believable to me. I found it satisfying and validating to see one in action on the pages of a fictional novel, even if in the extreme.
The author was adept at keeping me on the edge of my seat in the latter chapters when Marcus’s delusions and manipulations come to a surprising and explosive conclusion.
As an engaging page-turner this fit the bill quite nicely. This was my first Peter James book, but won’t be my last! ...more
We have all read the news stories of a child who loses his or her life after inadvertently being left in the back seat of a car on a blistering hot daWe have all read the news stories of a child who loses his or her life after inadvertently being left in the back seat of a car on a blistering hot day. Such is the premise of this story.
On a busy morning, Leila is asked to drop off her nephew at daycare. On the way, she is distracted by an emergency call at work and forgets about Max, left asleep in the back seat. Three hours later she receives the devastating call notifying her that Max was a no-show at day care. The horror she feels as she realizes what she has done is palpable.
The story is more complicated than it first appears, and told in three parts: the event, the courtroom trial, and the aftermath. Was the aunt responsible? Was it accidental or did she deliberately leave Max in the car as she dealt with a work emergency? Leila insists she simply forgot but the prosecution claims it was a deliberate act. What are the complicating familial relationships that come into play?
This is not just a riveting courtroom thriller, but also a family drama with relevant social commentary that brings up many controversial issues. Like the peeling of an onion, the author is adept at uncovering the issues, but is never heavy-handed.
As with most books of this genre, its best to go in blind. Nothing is at it appears. Be prepared to be surprised, not once, but many times. This is a story full of lies and deception, surprises and thoughtful nuances. It would make a terrific book club selection....more
Adam & Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland and decide to use it to celebrate their anniversary. Adam is a screenwriter and a workaholic, which isn’tAdam & Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland and decide to use it to celebrate their anniversary. Adam is a screenwriter and a workaholic, which isn’t helping their marriage. Maybe a weekend away will be just what they need to repair their relationship. Adam suffers from prosopagnosia (face blindness), but in public his wife stays by his side and helps him out when someone they know approaches. Sometimes. She can be a little passive-aggressive. This feature adds a fun and unique element to the story.
The couple, along with their dog Bob, arrive at the remote location in the midst of a raging snowstorm, and strange things begin happening, starting with a bedroom that is decorated exactly like the one they have at home. Add in a spooky old church, a graveyard, lost power, and a strange face that appears in the window, and you have all of my favorite elements in a thriller.
The story alternates chapters between Amelia, Adam, and a mysterious woman named Robin. Interspersed between these chapters are anniversary letters, which his wife would never want Adam to read. They both have their secrets, which we learn about through the letters. No one is likable, which is not a deal breaker for me.
It’s clear something devious is afoot. Who will win this game and will all come out alive? This one kept Marialyce and I furiously flipping the pages, and playing amateur sleuth. Once again, the author fooled us with brilliant twists and turns. By the final reveal everything I thought I knew was in question, and I wanted to start over and read it again, knowing what I now know.
Were there a few inconsistencies and loose ends? Maybe, but I didn’t care, because I was engaged and thoroughly entertained throughout. I loved how the author laid out the story and how the secrets were revealed to the reader.
This would be a terrific winter read, and if you live in the northern climes, reading it in the midst of a snowstorm curled up by the fire would be perfect....more
While the author lost his son to addiction, the book mostly talks about the generational effects of the author’s own struggles with addiction and a trWhile the author lost his son to addiction, the book mostly talks about the generational effects of the author’s own struggles with addiction and a troubled childhood. It is a cautionary tale.
Memoirs are tough to rate. After all, this is the author’s story to tell, and I wish him the best in his journey of recovery and healing. I won’t go into details, but while I applaud his bravery in telling his story, appreciate the message, and have the utmost sympathy for his unimaginable loss, I wasn’t as taken with it as I anticipated.
* I received a digital copy of the book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own * Publication date Nov 2, 2021...more
This is the 3rd installment in the Horowitz/ Hawthorne series, featuring my favorite duo. This can work as a standalone, but for insight into the charThis is the 3rd installment in the Horowitz/ Hawthorne series, featuring my favorite duo. This can work as a standalone, but for insight into the characters I recommend reading the previous two books first (plus they are really good!). Horowitz is both author and a character in his own novel, as a bumbling ‘Watson’ to retired Detective Hawthorne’s ‘Holmes’. They are an unlikely pair that get along as well as oil and water. Their relationship adds much to the charm and humor in this story, with Horowitz’s cluelessness adding to the fun.
The two are invited to be the featured guests at a literary festival on the island of Alderney, off the coast of England. Horowitz’s biggest worry is how the eccentric, unpredictable Hawthorne will act when they take the stage to discuss his latest book. But that is the least of his worries once the host of the festival is found murdered. Hawthorne is asked to help with the investigation, and Horowitz tags along to take notes.
The cast of suspects/characters from the literary world is colorful and quirky, and I loved the witty satire, with the author poking fun at the literary world, and himself. Not every attendee is who they say they are and there are plenty of suspects and secrets to uncover. “There are an awful lot more than six people who wanted him dead… It’s a line to kill if ever I saw one.”
This was a buddy read with my friend Marialyce, and it was one we both loved and highly recommend. It’s great fun for those who enjoy a clever take on a classic Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, with the requisite multiple suspects and red herrings. Locked room mysteries are my favorite, in this case the ‘room’ being an island. I was kept guessing until the end, although the clues to the resolution are there for anyone to find. I loved this smartly written whodunit, but it’s the characters of Hawthorne and Horowitz that have completely won me over.
The real tragedy here? I will never get the hours and hours back that I wasted reading this. I’m a DNF Queen but I kept listening when I hated everythThe real tragedy here? I will never get the hours and hours back that I wasted reading this. I’m a DNF Queen but I kept listening when I hated everything about it. I’ve seen the glowing reviews and knew it would SURELY get better if I just listened a little longer.
Tedious, plodding, boring, and pointless. Plus, at 467 pages, it was at least 150 pages too long. I typically love slow-burn character studies as well as dysfunctional families, but not this time.
When I finally waded through nearly the entire book to find out the resolution to the "riveting" mystery of what happened to Joy and who the mystery girl was, the book firmly sealed its fate as the worst book I have read this year. The ending made the book WORSE, not better. The turd on top of this steaming pile was a stupid pandemic chapter.
Because I like to find at least one positive thing about a book, I will say there were flashes of humor that I enjoyed but they were too few and far between to make it worth slogging through such a long book. My time would have been better spent watching paint dry....more
Do we ever really know anyone? Do we even know ourselves as well as we think we do?
Elizabeth Strout has a keen understanding of the human condition. Do we ever really know anyone? Do we even know ourselves as well as we think we do?
Elizabeth Strout has a keen understanding of the human condition. I’ve said more than once that she can write about the ordinary in a most extraordinary way, and she respects her readers enough to never overexplain, which makes for an enriching reading experience.
Perhaps Strout says it best on her website:
It is not “good” or “bad” that interests me as a writer, but the murkiness of human experience and the consistent imperfections of our lives. — Elizabeth Strout
This is a short book but it demands to be read slowly and savored to pick up the nuances, as often there is more to be read between the lines than what is actually being said. It's one of those quiet books that grows on you with reflection.
Lucy Barton of Anything is Possible and My Name is Lucy Barton is now in her 60s and a widow. She and William, her first husband and the father of her children, have been divorced for years but remain friendly. William is going through a rough spot as he discovers the truth about his family history that has left him wondering if he ever truly knew his mother at all.
Lucy talks to us as if we were sitting down and having a chat. She had an impoverished childhood filled with things so horrendous that she can’t even speak of them, but is now a successful, celebrated author.
William is often cold and distant, and was an unfaithful husband to his wives. As Lucy helps William through his current crisis, we are privy to her most private and introspective thoughts as she works out the mystery of who she is and her relationships with others.
This a profound reflection on the human condition and relationships between spouses, parents and children. “Oh, William” can be “Oh, anybody”, for don’t we all have those secret places within us full of doubts, struggles, and weaknesses?
“This is the way of life,” Lucy says: “the many things we do not know until it is too late.”
Olive Kitteridge first stole my heart, but Lucy is in the running as my favorite Strout character. Lucy makes me want to be a better person who can see the human weaknesses behind the façade, to show grace and understanding to others because we do not know their personal struggles and demons.
* I received a digital copy via Netgalley for review. All opinions are my own. * This was a buddy read with my friend Marialyce, and one that inspired much reflection and discussion...more
Maddy had an overprotective upbringing and the untimely deaths of her parents have left her reeling. She needs a change and signs up What a fun read!
Maddy had an overprotective upbringing and the untimely deaths of her parents have left her reeling. She needs a change and signs up for a reality Survivor-type show where 8 contestants (four men, four women) are left on an island off the coast of Scotland, where they will live for one year. It’s an experiment to see how they will survive, and no one is voted off. But alliances are soon drawn, and Maddy, having few social skills, becomes the scapegoat for everything that goes wrong. If you wonder what would happen if society breaks down and it's survival of the fittest, this is a prime example of mob mentality.
The book opens with Maddy sitting for an interview for a tv show. She’s painfully thin and bedraggled, after unspecified criminal charges and time in prison. Things obviously have gone terribly awry, and not everyone made it back from the island. Maddy tells her story, and what a story it is!
Please note I hate camping or rustic anything. My idea of roughing it is making reservations at a luxury resort where I will just have to make do without my Tempur-pedic mattress. But, still, I loved the setting and the descriptions of how the group uses their skills to forage and provide shelter and food for themselves. The second half of the book was riveting and unputdownable, and the ending...well, I needed to talk about it!
As an aside, you do not have to be a fan of camping or roughing it in order to enjoy this book. My husband and I were huge fans of the show Survivor in its early days, and he would always joke (not really joking...) that had I been on the show I'd be the first voted off the island for two reasons: a. I would tell everyone once every 2 minutes that I was hungry. Seriously, I have an uncontrollable urge to voice it repeatedly. I don't do hungry well b. I have a 2-degree temperature level of comfort. I'm either too hot or too cold. The proper temperature is elusive and I have a need to repeatedly tell him how hot or cold I am. My fellow survivors would hate me and couldn’t get rid of me fast enough.
However, I do like living vicariously, and there was the Survivor nostalgic factor. Plus, this story was unique, which I appreciate. So many books are a variation of the same theme but this was different and I will likely remember it for that alone.
At the 50% mark, winter is setting in and conditions deteriorate rapidly after a surprising discovery. The tension ramps up, and I simply could not put the book down. I was glued to the page to find out what would happen and who would survive. I was at 95% at the end of a very long car trip, but I found myself urging my husband to run an errand so I could finish the book. He wasn't buying it.
Is it perfect? No. Told in the 1st person POV, we only hear Maddy’s story with no input from the others. It left me wondering why she was ostracized and if she was an unreliable narrator. But that also works in the plus column because it left me, as a reader, uncertain. Secondly, foreshadowing annoys me, and there was too much “if only I’d known how much worse it would get…”. To be fair, it DID get much, much worse, but I didn’t need to hear it repeatedly. Thirdly, the ending is problematic and requires some suspension of disbelief. Just read it, accept it as a purely entertaining read, and move on.
Billed as suspense/horror, I feel as if I missed something. Despite the blurb comparing this story to Stephen King and Michelle McNamara, I failed to Billed as suspense/horror, I feel as if I missed something. Despite the blurb comparing this story to Stephen King and Michelle McNamara, I failed to see a resemblance.
Richard Chizmar, the author, writes this as part memoir/part fictional 'true crime'. He tells us this part is fiction up front, so this is not a spoiler. Richard recounts the details of murders that happened in 1988 when he was fresh out of college. His hometown of Edgewood, MD was in a state of panic after four young girls were murdered, the work of a serial murderer nicknamed The Boogeyman.
Richard teams up with Carly, a fellow journalist, to try and solve the case, and is given details of the case from a detective (if I didn’t already know it was fiction, this would have been my first clue). Richard spends much time reminiscing about his small-town upbringing, including the minutiae of life in Edgewood. Those who are nostalgic about the 1980s may find these parts engaging. However, they didn’t contribute to the plot development at all, and the story dragged in places.
Richard is not involved in catching the killer in any way. Nothing happens to him that is scary or tense, and the tone is light. The final revelation of the murderer was surprising, but only because there were no clues that would have led to that conclusion. Worse yet, during an interview with the “murderer” certain things were never explained. More than one plot thread was dropped or fizzled. I wasn’t convinced by the staged (fake) photographs either. The girls looked older than teens with nothing about their appearance to indicate the 1980s.
It’s a unique and interesting premise, but it was missing the promised suspense, chills and thrills. To those who don’t enjoy horror, no worries, as this contains no horror. I didn’t think it read like true crime, but more like an early season of Stranger Things.
2.5 stars, rounded up. My expectations were high and maybe I’ve watched and read enough true crime for this to fail for me, but there are plenty of readers who loved it, so please do read other reviews....more
What is a father to do when he senses something is off about Ryan, his daughter’s fiancée? Everyone loves him, and thinks he's the perfect catch. But What is a father to do when he senses something is off about Ryan, his daughter’s fiancée? Everyone loves him, and thinks he's the perfect catch. But Ed knows better. His intuition tells him Ryan is dangerous. Should he act on it?
(To be fair, I‘m probably not the right person to ask since my husband and I once hired a PI to look into our daughter’s boyfriend, ha! As it turned out we were correct to follow our intuition. So, I’m on team ‘Follow Your Instincts’.)
But what about Ed? Should he follow his instincts? It turns out he has reasons that bring his motivation into question, so it's unclear. But he decides to go to great lengths to prove Ryan is not who he says he is, and risks everything to do so. No one, including his wife, agrees with him. Ed’s research into Ryan becomes an obsession, one that threatens to cost him his job and his family.
The author did an excellent job in keeping me on my toes, and uncertain if Ed was losing his grasp on reality or if Ryan was indeed not quite the catch everyone thought he was. This was an addictive read that I raced through.
I didn’t connect with a previous book by this author but I’m glad I gave this one a chance....more
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