Julie's Review: The Insomniacs

Author: Allison Winn Scotch
Series: None
Publication Date:  April 14, 2026
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 400
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: A mystery with a lot of heart and about how strangers can become friends/family
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Summary: In the city that never sleeps, it’s not always easy to share what’s on your mind with the people who know you best. Huddled in an all-night diner over coffee and pancakes, a lonely middle-aged mom, an injured baseball pro, an elusive retiree, and a young waitress examine the thoughts that plague them in the middle of the night. Empty-nester Sybil does what she does best: rolls up her sleeves and spearheads the efforts to turn this group of strangers into friends. Aimless after an injury threatens to ruin his career, Zeke finds genuine connection among the unlikely group. Tight-lipped Julian, who’s seemingly adrift in retirement and attempting to rebuild a relationship with his daughter, expands their circle when he takes their cagey diner waitress, Betty, under his wing. Betty, cautious about strangers and uncertain about strokes of good luck, entertains the trio in an attempt to resolve her own problems, which she keeps close to the vest.  Within a few restless months, the group of strangers have become a fragile family. And when one of them goes missing in the dead of night, they’re thrust into a propulsive mystery pulled straight from the true-crime podcasts Sybil obsesses over. Though ill-prepared and unequipped for the job, they begin to piece together the clues left behind. In chasing down answers, they uncover a reason for their friend’s disappearance, and are forced to wrestle with the question of how well you can really know anyone—and once you do, how much are you willing to risk to save them? And in doing so, save yourself? ~amazon.com 

Review: If you've been around this blog for a long time, you know that I am a big fan of Ms. Scotch's novels and her latest, The Insomniacs, is fantastic. I loved that it is a mystery but still has her wit, charm and characters. Each of the group members are bound by their inability to sleep in a city that never sleeps. Zeke can't sleep because he's in pain from multiple surgeries and thinking about how pitching is the only thing he knows how to do; Sybil doesn't know what to do with herself now that she's an empty nester and questioning all her life choices; Betty is running from something and can't sleep because of that; Julian can't turn his brain off no matter how he tries. This group that met online, takes it into the real world at an all night diner; little do they know their lives will be forever linked. 

I love how the story unraveled at the right pace allowing this reader to keep up and puzzle some things together. I liked how Sybil wouldn't give up on Betty even though she probably should have read the room a few times and backed off. That was definitely the mother/nuturer side of her. She also was the one who was a tad bit obsessed with true crime and might have wanted to solve this all by herself. Betty wanted to depend on the group and develop relationships but that's hard when you are constantly looking over your should.

I think though my favorite was Zeke. He was so open, honest and self-depreciating while trying to figure out his life. When you've been singularly focused your life because you think you are only good at one thing, you rethink it all when it's been taken away from you. I also really loved his pining for Sybil. 

I liked that the ending was open ended enough another novel or short story, but resolved enough that I wasn't left needing more if that's where Ms. Scotch decides to end their stories. 

Life is messy and complicated, Ms. Scotch shows that in The Insomniacs. 

Jenn's Review: Tryptich

Author: Karin Slaughter
Series: Will Trent #1
Publication Date:  July 26, 2006
Publisher: Dell
Pages: 480
Obtained: Amazon First
Genre:  Mystery, Crime
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Solid start to a long standing series
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Summary: From Atlanta's wealthiest suburbs to its stark inner-city housing projects, a killer has crossed the boundaries of wealth and race. And the people who are chasing him must cross those boundaries, too. Among them is Michael Ormewood, a veteran detective whose marriage is hanging by a thread and whose arrogance and explosive temper are threatening his career. And Angie Polaski, a beautiful vice cop who was once Michael's lover before she became his enemy. But unbeknownst to both of them, another player has entered the game: a loser ex-con who has stumbled upon the killer's trail in the most coincidental of ways and who may be the key to breaking the case wide open. In this gritty, gripping firecracker of a novel, the author of the best-selling Grant County, Georgia, series breaks thrilling new ground, weaving together the threads of a complex, multilayered story with the skill of a master craftsman. Packed with body-bending switchbacks, searing psychological suspense and human emotions, Triptych ratchets up the tension one revelation at a time as it races to a shattering and unforgettable climax.

Review:  I wanted to read this because I recently stumbled across the show "Will Trent" and I have been loving it. It didn’t take me too long to remember I am not a fan of Karin Slaughter’s prose. Her metaphor-mania is enough to make me manic, but she has something with Will Trent. After I got past the few chapters of descriptive hyperbole, I found the thread of the show I’ve been enjoying so much. I do not enjoy switching points of view or knowing the killer before the characters do, so I’m hoping that won’t be a theme in this series.

I will give this series a chance because, although the TV show has taken liberties with the characters, I do like the premise. Will and Angie are fascinating studies of foster care at its worst growing into broken but functional adults. Would I have liked Angie as much if I hadn’t seen the show? Maybe not, but I have a feeling she would grow on me across the course of the series.

Jenn's Review: Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

Author: Matthew Sullivan
Series: None
Publication Date:  June 13, 2017
Publisher: Scribner
Pages: 338
Obtained: purchased
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 3/5
Bottom Line: Ultimately, didn't work for me
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Summary: Lydia Smith lives her life hiding in plain sight. A clerk at the Bright Ideas bookstore, she keeps a meticulously crafted existence among her beloved books, eccentric colleagues, and the BookFrogs — the lost and lonely regulars who spend every day marauding the store's overwhelmed shelves. But when Joey Molina, a young, beguiling BookFrog, kills himself in the bookstore's upper room, Lydia's life comes unglued. Always Joey's favorite bookseller, Lydia has been bequeathed his meager worldly possessions. Trinkets and books; the detritus of a lonely, uncared for man. But when Lydia flips through his books she finds them defaced in ways both disturbing and inexplicable. They reveal the psyche of a young man on the verge of an emotional reckoning. And they seem to contain a hidden message. What did Joey know? And what does it have to do with Lydia? As Lydia untangles the mystery of Joey's suicide, she unearths a long buried memory from her own violent childhood. Details from that one bloody night begin to circle back. Her distant father returns to the fold, along with an obsessive local cop, and the Hammerman, a murderer who came into Lydia's life long ago and, as she soon discovers, never completely left. ~amazon.com

Review: This is not my usual read and I’m honestly not sure how I feel about the novel. It’s a novel about secrets and their destructive nature set in a book store, how could it go wrong?

I’m still trying to put my finger on it. While the mystery was intriguing and unfolded nicely, the novel just didn’t grab me. There are shifting story tellers, a technique I generally find off putting, but it was well done; one person’s perspective dovetailed into another so it was not confusing or jarring.

I guess my biggest complaint is that I never connected with any of the characters. While I found myself empathetic many times, none of the characters drew me in. In fact, some characters seemed more like a plot devices than true characters in that they were abandoned once they had served their plot advancement. While most brought about their own destruction or pushed their destruction on others.

Did I appreciate the twisty intrigue? Yes, it’s what kept me reading. Did I feel satisfaction upon completion? Not really. It won’t be a read I recommend.

Julie's Review: The Golden Spoon

Author: Jessa Maxwell
Series: None
Publication Date:  March 7, 2023
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 288
Obtained: purchased
Genre:  Mystery
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Classic whodunnit set on an old estate during a baking contest
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Summary: Every summer for the past ten years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for “Bake Week” but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin. The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect. A sharp and suspenseful thriller for mystery buffs and avid bakers alike, The Golden Spoon is a brilliant puzzle filled with shocking twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night until you turn the very last page of this incredible debut. ~amazon.com 

Review: There is nothing I enjoy more than a classic whodunnit type novel and this debut by Jessa Maxwell fits the bill. Each of the characters is hiding something but some a bit darker than others. You are never really sure who to trust and of course their secrets come out during the course of the novel. If I'm going to be honest, I didn't really care for any of the characters but I don't think you have to for the purpose of the story. 

Betsy Martin is one persona in front of the camera and another one behind it. Even though she's called "America's Grandmother", she is anything but sweet and nice. I will say given her amount of success, it's probably not that difficult to understand. She graciously opens up Grafton Manor for the show every year and even hosts the contestants there, which leads to some of them bonding more than others. 

I loved that each section of the book was named after the next baked good they would be challenged with on the show. For those of us who like the food challenge shows, it's a little peak behind the curtains but it really isn't about the show, it's just the setting for the plot. It's a catalyst to bring all these people together who end up bonded in ways they really didn't expect. 

I'm a huge And Then There Were None fan and this reminds me of that one in a lot of ways but Ms.. Christie will obviously be the Queen forever. If you are looking for a fun murder mystery with a cast of characters, then pick up The Golden Spoon. 

Julie's Review: The London Séance Society

Author: Sarah Penner
Series: None
Publication Date:  March 7, 2023
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Pages: 352
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Gothic, Mystery
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: A bit of the supernatural within a mystery
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Summary: 1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike. Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves… Written with intoxicating suspense and sultry prose, The London Séance Society is an entrancing tale that blurs the lines between truth and illusion, and reveals the grave risks women will take to avenge the ones they love. ~amazon.com

Review: I was not the kid who at sleepovers would be the first to touch the Ouija board even though it was mass produced from Parker Brothers and definitely not the adult to attend a séance. It doesn't mean I don't believe in the supernatural, I just don't want to mess with them. You just never know what you are going to get. I loved Ms. Penner's debut, The Lost Apothecary, so I was curious about her sophomore novel about seances, powerful women and of course the men who ruled the world at that time. 

Lenna heads to Paris to learn the ins and outs of being a spiritualist by famed teacher Vaudeline D'Allaire, who also taught her sister, Evie. She also wants to know what Vaudeline might know about her sister's death. Vaudeline also left Paris quicky under mysterious circumstances which of course leads to all kinds of rumors and inuendo. Vaudeline is called back to London due to the murder/death of a fellow spiritualist. Of course things aren't always what they seem and they aren't at the Séance Society. 

I liked how Ms. Penner used her imagination for the incantations for the seances in the books but if she hadn't I would have been none the wiser. I did figure out some of the mystery but there were a few twists that I didn't see coming and some red herrings. I will definitely be reading more of what Ms. Penner writes. 

Julie's Review: The Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons

Author: Kate Khavari
Series: Saffron Everleigh #1
Publication Date:  
Publisher: 
Pages: 
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: A good old-fashioned murder mystery
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Summary: Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh is determined to blaze a new trail at the University College London, but with her colleagues’ beliefs about women’s academic inabilities and not so subtle hints that her deceased father’s reputation paved her way into the botany department, she feels stymied at every turn. When she attends a dinner party for the school, she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon. What she doesn’t expect is for Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives, to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin. Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect and evidence quickly mounts. Joined by fellow researcher--and potential romantic interest--Alexander Ashton, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons to clear Maxwell's name. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list, in this entertaining examination of society’s expectations.

Review: Historical Mystery might be one of my new favorite sub-genres if they can all be like Kate Khavari's debut. Enter Saffron Everleigh who is trying to make her way into the male dominated world of academia by working her butt off to prove she's just as good as the men in the department. Unfortunately, some just see her as a pretty female in a skirt but that doesn't hold her back; she's determined to honor her father who died when she was young. 

Saffron is going to have to use all her knowledge when someone is poisoned at a department party from a poison and her beloved mentor is accused. Little does she know is that she'll endanger herself and those she cares about to find the truth. 

Saffron is a great heroine: she's smart, witty, self-assured and determined. She's confident in her knowledge and she'll take some calculated risks to protect those she cares about. I really enjoyed how I thought the book was going down one path (adultery) but it ended up in a completely different reasoning for the attempted murder. It doesn't hurt that she had the help of another scientist, Alexander Ashton, to help her with the clues. I'm pretty sure he didn't plan on getting sucked in with the case or with Saffron herself. 

I am definitely looking forward to the next Saffron mystery; hopefully I don't have to wait too long. 

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Julie's Review: The Department of Rare Books & Special Collections

Author: Eva Jurczyk
Series: None
Publication Date:  January 25, 2022
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Publishing
Pages: 341
Obtained: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: An ode to libraries, books and librarians everywhere 
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Summary: Liesl Weiss long ago learned to be content working behind the scenes in the distinguished rare books department of a large university, managing details and working behind the scenes to make the head of the department look good. But when her boss has a stroke and she's left to run things, she discovers that the library's most prized manuscript is missing. Liesl tries to sound the alarm and inform the police about the missing priceless book, but is told repeatedly to keep quiet, to keep the doors open and the donors happy. But then a librarian unexpectedly stops showing up to work. Liesl must investigate both disappearances, unspooling her colleagues' pasts like the threads of a rare book binding as it becomes clear that someone in the department must be responsible for the theft. What Liesl discovers about the dusty manuscripts she has worked among for so long—and about the people who care for and revere them—shakes the very foundation on which she has built her life. ~amazon.com 

Review: Sometimes I feel that a good mystery gets lost with all the suspense and thriller books out there now, so when I read the summary for The Department of Rare Books & Special Collections I knew it would be a good switch to some of my current reads. 

When a rare, collectible book goes missing at the same time the library director has a massive stroke it's up to Associate Director, Liesl to figure out what exactly is going on. Is the book stolen or just misplaced? If misplaced or shelved in the wrong place, why can't the team of librarians find it? And why does everyone, including the University President, want her to keep this quiet, brush it under the rug and not get the police involved? For the life of her she can't figure out what's going on. 

Add to the missing book, another department wants to do carbon dating on another one of their rare books. For some reason Liesl is hesitant but eventually gives in and allows Rhonda to do the testing. What's interesting is how this comes full circle in the novel. 

This novel is choc full of interesting characters and interesting relationships. Everyone is linked in some way or has something in their path that they don't all know about. That's about to changes as one of the librarians goes missing and everything starts unraveling. Liesl feels that things are out of her control and starts to let herself go a bit as well. 

I really enjoyed the character development in this one along with the plot. The interactions between all the characters are curious and lend to the mystery. I enjoyed the mystery and the inner workings of how a library and donors work at a university. 

I definitely recommend this novel for book lovers. 

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Julie's Review: Big Lies in a Small Town

Author: Diane Chamberlain
Series: None
Publication Date: January 14, 2020
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 400
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Mystery
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Do we ever escape our pasts to be able to move on?
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Summary: North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher's life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women's Correctional Center. Her dream of a career in art is put on hold—until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she accepts. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence, and a conspiracy of small town secrets. North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn't expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder. What happened to Anna Dale? Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural? Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies? ~amazon.com 

Review: Morgan is sitting in jail for a crime that will haunt her for the rest of her life. That is until she’s released to work on a mural held onto by her favorite artist for decades. She was in the middle of her Junior Year at UNC - Charlotte studying Art, when a mistake changed the path of her life. She's not sure why Jesse James Williams chose her to restore the mural in his home town but in order to gain her freedom she agrees to restore it.  The problem is she doesn't know the first thing about art restoration and her ability to not return to jail. It doesn't really help that she's on an extremely tight deadline because of the opening of the art gallery. 

Anna Dale is a novice artist that is picked by the US Government to create a mural in Edenton, North Carolina which is pretty much small town Americana. Which in the 1940s still means segreation and rampant racism. Anna being from New Jersey isn't sure what she steps into. For the most part, she's welcomed with open arms and even more so as she reveals her drawings for the mural which highlights signifcant areas and events for the town. Not everyone is happy and especially when she has a young black man assisting her out in the barn she's using. 

Then things change for Anna unexpectedly and she disappears from Edenton to leave no trace except for an unfinished mural. 

As Morgan works on the mural and begins to uncover some sinister pictures in it, which means that she's even more curious about Ms. Dale and exactly what happened to her. Along the way she begins to see if she can heal herself while trying to heal Edenton. 

What I really enjoy about Ms. Chamberlain’s books is that I really have no clue what she’s going to throw at me. She loves to lead you down a path and then switch it up on you. It is no different in this novel.

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Julie's Review: Pretty Guilty Women

Author: Gina LaManna
Series: None
Publication Date: September 3, 2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pages: 336
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: A story of how friendship binds you to your past, present and future
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Summary: Something has gone terribly wrong at the Banks wedding. A man is dead. Four different women rush to offer confessions, each insisting that they committed the crime ― alone. Ginger is holding her family together by a thread, and this wedding weekend is not the fabulous getaway she anticipated. Kate has enough money to buy her way out of anything. Well, almost anything. Emily can't shake her reputation or her memories, and she's planning to drown this whole vacation in a bottle. Lulu's got ex-husbands to spare, and another on the way ― as soon as she figures out what the devil the current husband is up to behind her back. Why would they confess to the same murder? Only they know ― and they're not telling. This page-turning novel explores the depths of friendship and the truths we love to ignore. ~amazon.com 

Review: I love a good mystery, a good classic who-dunit, which is what Pretty Guilty Women is at it's core. It is also about female friendships, forgiveness and understanding. Let's face it, female friendships/relationships are complex and when there's a misunderstanding it can be even worse. For 4 college friends reuniting isn't necessarily a happy event. Emily is dealing with a pain so deep she drinks to try to keep it supressed; Ginger is struggling with being a mom to a brood of 3 with a teenager who thinks she's an idiot and Kate struggles with being unable to obtain what she wants the most. The 4th friend is the one getting married and is mentioned throughout the book but isn't integral other than getting them all in the same place.

It's at the hotel bar that they meet Sydney with her baby Lydia and Lulu who each is harboring a secret one with more consequences for the group than the other. As the women drink more and longer into the day/night, each opens up about their own insecurities. Ginger still harbors ill feelings towards Emily even though she has no clu what she's been through in the last 10 years and well Kate is still bossy and in charge.

What ensues over the next 24 hours is murder and mayhem with various points of view but one thing is clear they are all covering up for someone, the question is whom? We are given snippets of the night as the police investigate the murder and the events leading up the murder. We are given the events leading up to the murder from each of the women's POV, which is always interesting. They each have their own version of the truth because it is what they saw and how their experiences shaped their view.

I like complex female friendships and none is more complex at times than mother/teenage daughter. Ms. LaManna does a great job of exhibiting this with Ginger and Elsie's relationship. They speak at each other and not to each other which is typical plus neither one really listens to the other one. Also, how do you repair a friendship when you have been harboring ill-will to someone for so long? This is Ginger and Emily's quandry. And who really is Sydney Banks? Is she on the run?

Now I will confess (haha) that I figured out who the murdered man was pretty early on BUT I didn't see a couple of outcomes of the murder coming, so I'm all about a twist that gives me pause.

I really enjoyed the mystery and getting to know these women and their struggles. It was a great reminder about how not to judge because you really have no clue what people have been through. For fans of Liane Moriarty, you will want to check out this one.


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Julie's Review: Girls Like Us

Author: Cristina Alger
Series: None
Publication Date: July 2, 2019
Publisher: Putnam Books
Pages: 288
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Mystery
Rating: 4.75/5
Bottom Line:
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Summary: FBI Agent Nell Flynn hasn't been home in ten years. Nell and her father, Homicide Detective Martin Flynn, have never had much of a relationship. And Suffolk County will always be awash in memories of her mother, Marisol, who was brutally murdered when Nell was just seven. When Martin Flynn dies in a motorcycle accident, Nell returns to the house she grew up in so that she can spread her father's ashes and close his estate. At the behest of her father's partner, Detective Lee Davis, Nell becomes involved in an investigation into the murders of two young women in Suffolk County. The further Nell digs, the more likely it seems to her that her father should be the prime suspect--and that his friends on the police force are covering his tracks. Plagued by doubts about her mother's murder--and her own role in exonerating her father in that case--Nell can't help but ask questions about who killed Ria Ruiz and Adriana Marques and why. But she may not like the answers she finds--not just about those she loves, but about herself. ~amazon.com

Review: Ah, complicated families that don't talk for years but are yet in similar lines or work make for great novels and Cristina Alger's Girls Like Us is no different. Nell and Martin have been estranged for the better part of 10 years besides the quick calls around birthdays and holidays, so when he dies in a motorcycle accident she returns home to her childhood home which was anything but happy.

As she asked to get involved with 2 local missing girls cases things don't start to look good for her dad's reputation after his death. In fact it looks like he might have been involved in the crime of those 2 girls. As Nell digs deeper into the cases that are seemingly linked she only becomes more suspicious of the local police force.

As she gets closer to the truth, she ask for help from her co-workers at the FBI. The case is quickly bigger than they think and has it's tenticals everywhere. The deeper she goes the more her life is in danger.

What I liked about Nell is that she was vulnerable while still being capable and strong. She has issues but doesn't let them set her back. She's smart and great at her job.

For fans of Meg Gardiner's books you will definitely want to read Cristina Alger's novels.

Julie's Review: The Mother-In-Law

Author: Sally Hepworth
Series: None
Publication Date: April 26, 2019
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 352
Obtained: Great Thoughts, Great Readers Book Salon 
Genre:  Mystery
Rating: 3.75/5
Bottom Line: Not your typical MIL book
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Summary: From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they'll never have the closeness she'd been hoping for. But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law. That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. And everyone in the family is hiding something...From the bestselling author of The Family Next Door comes a new page-turner about that trickiest of relationships. ~goodreads.com 

Review: I really enjoyed this book and the characters of Lucy and Diana. I almost felt like the rest of the characters weren't needed except for context. Lucy lost her mother when she was a young girl, so when she meets Ollie's mom, Diana, she wants to connect with her to have that motherly bond. Except Diana, isn't very open to that, in fact she pretty much blows Lucy off. 

We get both points of view from Lucy and Diana which are interesting because we see how these two women could bond if they would only let their guards down, more so Diana but Lucy begins to freeze her out as well. 

The book also switches back and forth between the past and present which allows the reader to have some context into the complexity of these relationships. I like complex relationships and what couldn't be more complex than a mother in law and daughter in law?! 

Ms. Hepworth does a great job of keeping you guessing until the end. I will say as the book went along I didn't see the twists coming except for who did in Diana. 

Julie's Review: Forget You Know Me

Author: Jessica Strawser
Series: None
Publication Date: February 5, 2018
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 352
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley

Genre:  Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Solid mystery with an AHH moment
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Summary: Molly and Liza have always been enviably close. Even after Molly married Daniel, the couple considered Liza an honorary family member. But after Liza moved away, things grew more strained than anyone wanted to admit―in the friendship and the marriage. When Daniel goes away on business, Molly and Liza plan to reconnect with a nice long video chat after the kids are in bed. But then Molly leaves the room to check on a crying child. What Liza sees next will change everything. Only one thing is certain: Molly needs her. Liza drives all night to be at Molly’s side―but when she arrives, the reception is icy, leaving Liza baffled and hurt. She knows there’s no denying what she saw. Or is there? In disbelief that their friendship could really be over, Liza is unaware she’s about to have a near miss of her own. And Molly, refusing to deal with what’s happened, won’t turn to Daniel, either. But none of them can go on pretending. Not after this. Forget You Know Me is a “twisty, emotionally complex, powder keg of a tale” (bestselling author Emily Carpenter) about the wounds of people who’ve grown apart. Best friends, separated by miles. Spouses, hardened by neglect. A mother, isolated by pain. One moment will change things for them all. ~amazon.com  


Review: Forget You Know Me can be a mystery/thriller/women's fiction depending on which part of the novel you are reading. Molly and Liza have been friends since they were young girls but distance has put a dent in their once strong bond; not only physical but emotionally. Molly has been dealing with debilitating pain for years since having her kids with no answers. She struggles with daily chores and tasks while getting little help from her husband, Daniel. Liza has been trying to adjust to Chicago and her life there. So it's understandable that maybe things aren't how they used to be when they were together all the time.

This all changes one night when Liza sees a man creep into Molly’s house while they are video chatting when Molly goes to check on the kids. Liza freaks out while Molly acts like it's no big deal. Meanwhile, Liza has to deal with her own tragedy that causes her to move back home and start her life from the ground up.

What is revealed is a web of lies that threaten Molly’s marriage and her friendship with Liza. What Ms. Strawser conveys through her writing is that friendships like marriage have peaks and valleys. Friendship takes work just like marriage but it often the thing that we put the least effort into during certain times in our lives. Neither Molly or Liza received more sympathy from me because their situations were very different. Molly was desperate for help that she felt she wasn't getting and it led her to make some stupid decisions. I felt that Daniel's subplot wasn't fully necessary but I understand why she wrote it in: to make Molly and him on even ground.

The book does have a shoe dropping moment that blind sided me which definitely added to the novel. I would definitely recommend this one to those who like a mystery woven in with contemporary/women's fiction. 


 

Julie's Review: Liars' Paradox

                                  Author: Taylor Stevens

Series: None
Publication Date: December 18, 2018
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 352
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Thriller, Mystery
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: An action packed book that will have you waiting for the next installment
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Summary: They live in the shadows, Jack and Jill, feuding twins who can never stop running. From earliest memory they’ve been taught to hide, to hunt, to survive. Their prowess is outdone only by Clare, who has always been mentor first and mother second. She trained them in the art of espionage, tested their skills in weaponry, surveillance, and sabotage, and sharpened their minds with nerve-wracking psychological games. As they grew older they came to question her motives, her methods—and her sanity . . . Now twenty-six years old, the twins are trying to lead normal lives. But when Clare’s off-the-grid safehouse explodes and she goes missing, they’re forced to believe the unthinkable: Their mother’s paranoid delusions have been real all along. To find her, they’ll need to set aside their differences; to survive, they’ll have to draw on every skill she’s trained them to use. A twisted trail leads from the CIA, to the KGB, to an underground network of global assassins where hunters become the hunted. Everyone, it seems, wants them dead—and, for one of the twins, it’s a threat that’s frighteningly familiar and dangerously close to home . . .  Filled with explosive action, suspense, and powerful human drama, Liars’ Paradox is world-class intrigue at its finest. ~amazon.com


Review: I'm a big fan of Ms. Steven's Munroe series and I also get her emails so I knew she was working on something new but that it was taking a bit of time to get it right. I'm so happy she took the extra time because Liars' Paradox is exactly what I would expect from her; high-octane! Jack and Jill (not their real names) are siblings who have always been pitted against each other by their mother Clare while she trains them to survive. Although they aren't sure what they are supposed to be on the look out for. Jill is more action while Jack likes to be a bit more methodical about how to go after a target. They both are loose cannons in their own ways. They are definitely not siblings who send each other holiday cards.

When they are called by their mother to come to her location, Jack kidnaps Jill out of her boyfriend's apartment and just as they show up her house explodes. All of the sudden they are being hunted by whomever blew up Clare's house.

What occurs throughout the rest of the book is Jack and Jill trying to fit the pieces of the Clare's past together and who has a bounty on both of them now. Can they use everything that Clare taught them to save themselves and perhaps find her? Who is behind all these webs that their mom has tried to shield them from all these years.

Some parts of the plot are hard to follow because of all the intricacies of it but in the end it comes together and you understand all the players in the game. Clare might be the most masterful of all of them.

I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

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Julie's Review: Girls' Night Out

Author: Liz Fenton, Lisa Steinke
Series: None
Publication Date: July 24, 2018
Publisher: Lake Union
Pages: 338
Obtained: Authors
Genre:  Mystery, Suspense
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Friendship ain't easy
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Summary: For estranged friends Ashley, Natalie, and Lauren, it’s time to heal the old wounds between them. Where better to repair those severed ties than on a girls’ getaway to the beautiful paradise of Tulum, Mexico? But even after they’re reunited, no one is being completely honest about the past or the secrets they’re hiding. When Ashley disappears on their girls’ night out, Natalie and Lauren have to try to piece together their hazy memories to figure out what could have happened to her, while also reconciling their feelings of guilt over their last moments together. Was Ashley with the man she’d met only days before? Did she pack up and leave? Was she kidnapped? Or worse—could Natalie or Lauren have snapped under the weight of her own lies? As the clock ticks, hour by hour, Natalie and Lauren’s search rushes headlong into growing suspicion and dread. Maybe their secrets run deeper and more dangerous than one of them is willing—or too afraid—to admit. ~amazon.com  

Review: We all have those friendships where one person seems to be the glue that holds all of you together right? Well it is the same with Ashley, Natalie and Lauren. Ash is the one that both brings them richer and in some ways separates them. After Ashley and Lauren have a fallout a year ago, Natalie lost contact with Lauren as well. In order to mend their friendships, Ashley invites both on a trip to Tulum saying it’ll help them heal. This is where is all goes haywire though.

Each woman has her share of secrets that they’ve been keeping from each other and in some ways themselves. When you admit something to another person it makes it real for you too; which none of them are truly ready to admit. Add in a handsome stranger who takes all of one of their attentions away and you have storm a brewing. What I loved about this book is that each friend was in the wrong in some way. None of them were better than the other. I also enjoyed how what occurred a year ago was revealed piece by piece by each of the friends. Female friendships are tricky and sometimes you have to evaluate whether or not you need to cut ties with a toxic one.

Ashley is completely self-absorbed and while I felt that at first she really did want to reconnect with Lauren and Natalie; as the time wore on I felt that she didn't. To defend her though, I don't think she knew how to approach the history. No one wants to dredge up the past when it doesn't put you in the best light.  She seems to want to move on to be a better mom but she's not willing to change her ways either.

Natalie perhaps had the biggest secret from her friends' but I didn't feel that she should have had to reveal it to Ashley to make her understand why she wanted out of their joint business. If Ashley wanted to keep it so badly, perhaps she needed to find away to buy Natalie out.  Natalie was trying to do what she could to save her family and her marriage and that included walking away from the business that she built from the ground up with Ashley. Also, doing business together was truly wreaking havoc on their friendship, which for Natalie was more important.

Lauren was the wild card for me. Yes she had issues with Ashley and perhaps Natalie to a degree but her life since letting them go a year ago has been a bit messy. Making up with Ashley was the least of her issues that she had to work out. I didn't feel that repairing her friendship with Ashley was her top priority, nor should it have been.

Sometimes in life you have to decide to let go of friendships. People come in and out of your life for reason and purpose. Some have expiration dates and some don't but we learn something from each of them about ourselves. 

Liz and Lisa have a knack for writing stories you want to read and women you want see yourself or people close to you in. Not only that but they aren't afraid of shying away from some subject matters that can't be easy to write. I have read each of their books and loved each of them for different reasons but Girls' Night Out is their best to date.


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Julie's Review: Not That I Could Tell

Author: Jessica Strawser
Series: None
Publication Date: March 27, 2018
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 338
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Mystery, Suspense
Rating: 4/5

Bottom Line: Another book that asks: "How well do you know your neighbors?"
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Summary: When a group of neighborhood women gathers, wine in hand, around a fire pit where their backyards meet one Saturday night, most of them are just ecstatic to have discovered that their baby monitors reach that far. It’s a rare kid-free night, and they’re giddy with it. They drink too much, and the conversation turns personal. By Monday morning, one of them is gone. Everyone knows something about everyone else in the quirky small Ohio town of Yellow Springs, but no one can make sense of the disappearance. Kristin was a sociable twin mom, college administrator, and doctor’s wife who didn’t seem all that bothered by her impending divorce―and the investigation turns up more questions than answers, with her husband, Paul, at the center. For her closest neighbor, Clara, the incident triggers memories she thought she’d put behind her―and when she’s unable to extract herself from the widening circle of scrutiny, her own suspicions quickly grow. But the neighborhood’s newest addition, Izzy, is determined not to jump to any conclusions―especially since she’s dealing with a crisis of her own. As the police investigation goes from a media circus to a cold case, the neighbors are forced to reexamine what’s going on behind their own closed doors―and to ask how well anyone really knows anyone else. ~amazon.com

 Review: Not That I Could Tell is another novel that makes us question how well we know our neighbors and our friends. Appearances aren't always what they seem and people can keep things they don't want out hidden.

Izzy, the new neighbor, doesn't want her new friends to know just how lonely she really is. She's been through a lot and trying to figure out how to move on. Clara, is the person that everyone wants to be friends with because she's the stay at home mom who tries to have it all together but you know she doesn't. It makes her endearing. Then there is Kristin that we don't get to know but learn about her through her friends. She remains a mystery right up until the end.

Each of them have a little something to hide. Although I didn't think any of them had major issues to keep to themselves except for Paul. Paul was creepy. Paul was off kilter and frankly a bit weird. He didn't seem too upset about his missing wife and kids which of course is always the case in a book like this; the husband is the suspect. Except the case fizzles out pretty quickly and the police have no reason to keep him in their sights. Especially since Kristin took the money and ran.


What got me was the ending of this book. It completely took me by surprise and made the whole journey worth it to me. I would definitely recommend this one for fans of suspense.



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Julie's Review: The English Wife

Author: Lauren Willig
Series: None
Publication Date: January 9, 2018
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 384
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 3.5/5
Bottom Line: Seemed a bit scattered to me
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Summary: Annabelle and Bayard Van Duyvil live a charmed life in New York: he's the scion of an old Knickerbocker family, she grew up in a Tudor manor in England, they had a whirlwind romance in London, they have three year old twins on whom they dote, and he's recreated her family home on the banks of the Hudson and renamed it Illyria. Yes, there are rumors that she's having an affair with the architect, but rumors are rumors and people will gossip. But then Bayard is found dead with a knife in his chest on the night of their Twelfth Night Ball, Annabelle goes missing, presumed drowned, and the papers go mad. Bay's sister, Janie, forms an unlikely alliance with a reporter to uncover the truth, convinced that Bay would never have killed his wife, that it must be a third party, but the more she learns about her brother and his wife, the more everything she thought she knew about them starts to unravel. Who were her brother and his wife, really? And why did her brother die with the name George on his lips? ~amazon.com

Review: English Wife starts off with a ball to open up the house that Annabelle (aka Georgie) and Bay Van Duyvilll have built on the outskirts of New York City to show to society. It is quickly diverted by the murders of the host and hostess who are found in the garden by Bay's sister, Janie and cousin, Anne. Everyone is quick to judge that either Annabelle is a murderess or that Bay is a murderer but Janie is convinced that it was a 3rd party. She decides to team up with a reporter, Mr. Burke, to figure out what the truth is, no matter what the outcome.

The story is told by going back into time when Bay first met Annabelle and then the aftermath of the murders. While I found the background of Bay and Annabelle's somewhat interesting, it was the piecing of all the players that could be involved in the murders that was perhaps the most intriguing. With Annabelle's background it opened the net a bit for suspects.

Ms. Willig definitely knows how to tell a story and this one is no different. There are a few different subplots but they eventually weave there way into the full story.

P.S. I love the colors in this cover it really captures the tone of the novel.

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Julie's Review: Don't Let Go

Author: Harlan Coben
Series: None
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 368
Obtained: Library
Genre:  Mystery
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Never, ever a let down from Mr. Coben
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Summary: Suburban New Jersey Detective Napoleon “Nap” Dumas hasn't been the same since senior year of high school, when his twin brother Leo and Leo’s girlfriend Diana were found dead on the railroad tracks—and Maura, the girl Nap considered the love of his life, broke up with him and disappeared without explanation. For fifteen years, Nap has been searching, both for Maura and for the real reason behind his brother's death. And now, it looks as though he may finally find what he's been looking for. When Maura's fingerprints turn up in the rental car of a suspected murderer, Nap embarks on a quest for answers that only leads to more questions—about the woman he loved, about the childhood friends he thought he knew, about the abandoned military base near where he grew up, and mostly about Leo and Diana—whose deaths are darker and far more sinister than Nap ever dared imagine. ~amazon.com

Review: Honestly, every time I pick up a book from Mr. Coben I'm not disappointed and he's done it again with Don't Let Go. Nap is a character that you will like even if some of his actions are questionable but he's a great detective. This time the case is personal when the prints of his long-ago girlfriend show up at a crime scene where a cop is killed.

Nap has never gotten over the fact that his girlfriend from 15 years ago disappeared into thin air right after his brother died. He's never really bought the story that his brother and his girlfriend committed suicide together, something always nagged at him about it. So when cops from Philly show up to question him about why he put Maura's fingerprints into the national system, Nap is pulled back into the mystery that shrouded her disappearance years ago.

As Nap starts to ask questions and un-bury long harbored secrets, he begins to find out that things aren't always what they seem and some conspiracy's are not only true but sometimes wilder than the theory itself.

It's not that the outcome is shocking or that there are a bunch of "shoe dropping" moments but its the story telling by Mr. Coben that solidifies this novel as one of my favorite of 2017. He makes you care about the characters, what happens to them and the resolution of the mystery.

If you haven't read Harlan Coben, Don't Let Go is a great stand alone to start with and then work your way through his back list.



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Julie's Review: Camino Island

Author: John Grisham
Series: None
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
Publisher: Doubleday
Pages: 304
Obtained: Local Library
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: An ode to book lovers with some mystery
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Summary: A gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a secure vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library. Their loot is priceless, but Princeton has insured it for twenty-five million dollars. Bruce Cable owns a popular bookstore in the sleepy resort town of Santa Rosa on Camino Island in Florida. He makes his real money, though, as a prominent dealer in rare books. Very few people know that he occasionally dabbles in the black market of stolen books and manuscripts. Mercer Mann is a young novelist with a severe case of writer’s block who has recently been laid off from her teaching position. She is approached by an elegant, mysterious woman working for an even more mysterious company. A generous offer of money convinces Mercer to go undercover and infiltrate Bruce Cable’s circle of literary friends, ideally getting close enough to him to learn his secrets. But eventually Mercer learns far too much, and there’s trouble in paradise as only John Grisham can deliver it. ~amazon.com  

Review: Camino Island is a great novel for those of us who love books and a shout out to independent book stores. If you are expecting a fast-paced, thriller for this Grisham novel, you won't get it. Now, that doesn't mean there isn't action, there is, but it's more of a slow burn and a mystery more than a thriller. It's a case of "is he guilty, or is he not".  At times, I also wasn't sure who was fully trustworthy.

Mercer is young, out of work and in extreme debt due to her college tuition. She's got no prospective employers and is at the end of her time on campus with no next move. So when she gets a mysterious call with a very unique proposition, she really has no choice but to take the opportunity. Plus it takes her back to the place where the her fondest memories are of her childhood.

It doesn't take long for Mercer to endear herself to the locals since she's pretty much a local herself having spent most of her summers there as a kid. She starts to learn the personalities of the local writers and even gets advice even if it isn't necessarily requested. As she starts to get invited to book signings and dinners, things start to heat up for her. It's the fact that she's genuine that doesn't truly make anyone suspicious but it's not like she's really good at the spy trade. She's also a bit naive as to whom to trust and who to fall in bed with. I mean Elaine even clues her in about Bruce and she still falls for the charm. So whom is using whom?

I haven't read a Grisham book in a while but I was happy to get back to him with Camino Island. It was like putting on a pair of your most comfy pants and settling in for what you know will be a satisfying evening. While this isn't his typical legal thriller it is definitely still engaging and intriguing. I'm happy to know that I can return to his books and know I'm getting a great read.
 Plus he really does give props to the independent and rare book stores out there. So a little bit of an insiders look into the business side of books.

If you haven't read Grisham in a while,  Camino Island is a great way to spend some hours with one of our iconic authors.


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Julie's Review: The Child Finder

Author: Rene Denfeld
Series: None
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 288
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Mystery, Suspense
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: A slow burn of a novel that will stay with you long after you close it
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Summary: Three years ago, Madison Culver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest. She would be eight-years-old now—if she has survived. Desperate to find their beloved daughter, certain someone took her, the Culvers turn to Naomi, a private investigator with an uncanny talent for locating the lost and missing. Known to the police and a select group of parents as "the Child Finder," Naomi is their last hope. Naomi’s methodical search takes her deep into the icy, mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, and into her own fragmented past. She understands children like Madison because once upon a time, she was a lost girl, too. As Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce the defenses that have protected her, reminding her of a terrible loss she feels but cannot remember. If she finds Madison, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life? Told in the alternating voices of Naomi and a deeply imaginative child, The Child Finder is a breathtaking, exquisitely rendered literary page-turner about redemption, the line between reality and memories and dreams, and the human capacity to survive. ~amazon.com

Review: The Child Finder is definitely a novel that is a slow burn because not only are you looking for a current child that is missing, but you are also peeling back the layers of Naomi and trying to figure her out as well. She searches for missing children because she herself is a missing child in some ways. There is something about this current case though, that has her memories becoming more vivid through her dreams than ever before. Will this be the key to unlocking her past?

As the stories weave in and out, we learn the hell that Madison has been through and pieces of Naomi's past start to creep back. It is Madison's story that is the most compelling though. How she creates an alternate life/person to protect the girl she was before. As a reader, you hurt for her and also realize that she's stronger than most kids. She's smart enough to learn to separate herself from the hell that she's living in.

There are parts of the story that will make you queasy and make you extremely angry. Yet, as the story begins to unfold you can only feel sorry for her captor because there is more to his story. Some how there is must more sinister history that Naomi is aware of as she begins to puzzle it together.

Naomi is a complex character. Her past is blank until she runs out into the strawberry fields to be rescued by the migrant workers. She feels drawn to save children who can't save themselves because she was able to save herself.  Her relationship with Mrs. Cottle and Jerome are her anchors throughout her life. Yet, she's still searching for something and unable to rest until she helps all the kids she can.

With the ending of the novel, I'm hoping that Ms. Denfeld brings Naomi back for another book that focuses on her search, trying to find her history.

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