Her baby was kidnapped a year ago as a newborn, her marriage fell apart and she can't sleep - Isabelle is a mess. She has spent a year watching people in the neighborhood and doing anything she can to find Mason with no success until a podcaster approaches her to tell her side of the story and help find her baby. He seems to be genuine but something feels off. Intense and emotional with a kickbutt twist the author gets us into the head of a new mom who is frantic and sleep deprived struggling with depression. This is a sure bet for all of us that can't get enough of the unreliable narrator. 4 stars
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A gruff female professor travels to a remote village in possible Iceland to study a special kind of fae and finish the book that has been her life's work. She and her massive dog lack social skills and she gets off on the wrong foot almost immediately. It takes about a third of the book for townsfolk (and the reader) to warm up to her but that changes when her easy going and charming colleague shows up unexpectantly from London. Wendell is looking to buddy up on Emily's project so they can present the findings together but she thinks there is another reason for him following her up to this frozen field study. From forest brownies to hissing frightening changelings and deadly fae royalty we see a very different side to the faerie realm than Tolkien or what you hope to find in your garden. Emily searches for practical data on a subject based on local lore and wants to be taken seriously which is difficult enough for a female professor in 1909 and the lighter side of Wendell balances the story nicely. This will appeal to young adults and adults alike. 3 1/2 stars
Alice is on the run in Alabama headed to Chicago to search for her older sister and not at all certain how or when she will get there. A chance bus stop leads her to a welcoming town where everyone shares the same skin color and missing are the back entrances, not welcome signs and separate and not equal issues of her past. She falls in love with the town and soon with a son from a founding father making New Jessup her home. Alice is still eager to find her sister but is more focused on her new home and caring for her family. It would be paradise if not for the secrets of clandestine activities her husband and friends are involved in and the ever present threat of messing up their hard fought independence from the town on the other side of the woods. A quiet but profound look at the beginnings of Civil Rights and the less talked about issues of chosen segregation as seen through the eyes of a woman yearning to escape the violence and heartbreak of her youth. Fans of THE VANISHING HALF as well as books about Greenwood and other all black communities will enjoy. 4 stars
A deeply moving story of an Iranian-American family in flux caught between the unyielding traditional patriarchy and rebellious women aching for more freedom. Fleeing Iran during the political revolution in the late 70's Yusef and Shireen come to America to settle and raise two daughters - Mitra the rebel and Anahita the pleaser. Mitra makes herself unmarriageable so that the younger Anahita can marry. Yusef cuts Mitra out of the family and the gap widens when Anahita is killed in a tragic accident. Mitra closes herself off emotionally from her boyfriend and what is left of the family but when a young woman in trouble turns to Mitra it will help her to open her heart and try to repair ties. For everything a man gets wrong the support of the women get right. Prevalent themes of sexual abuse, infidelity, class differences and the search for freedom and independence all play a major role as well as the behind the scenes support of these strong women. Readers and book clubs looking to immerse themselves in a rich culture with all the universal drama that goes on in every family will find much to love here. 4 1/2 stars
In the HIndu calendar it is known as the Age of Vice and for the Wadia family power and excess become their mantra. Sunny is caught between wanting to impress his abusive father, do the right thing and impress his journalist girlfriend as well as save Ajay the young man pulled out of poverty to serve the family. A horrible accident takes multiple lives and protects the guilty sending loyal Ajay to go to prison as proxy. Sunny deals with the guilt and nightmares in oblivion from excessive amounts of alcohol and drugs. Neda tries to reconcile her ideals and writing with the reality of the city and her involvement with Sunny. The Indian equivalent of THE GODFATHER, this gangster saga has all the corruption and violence you would expect plus themes of family, loyalty, loss of innocence and search for redemption you would not expect. An excess of everything that eventually will create a bonfire and take all the players down with it. This will appeal to readers of crime that take place outside the U.S. also fans of SHANTARAM .
4 stars Wicked good female gangster story set in post war London. Nell is pregnant and cast off by both boyfriend and family. She is lured into a shoplifting gang by the leader the notorious Queen of Thieves Alice Diamond with promises of easy money and nice things. The dream ends all too soon when she is picked up and sent to prison for six months. At the end of her sentence she is without the baby and a bit more savvy as to the Forty Thieves operation. Now spying for Alice she infiltrates a rival gang leader's nightclub and takes charge of her own future. Old fashioned violence, double-crossing and more evidence of good people turning to crime just to make ends meet. Fans of Peaky Blinders, THE ALIENIST and Beatriz Williams WICKED CITY will eat this up. 3 1/2 stars Geeta didn't kill her husband but she is reveling in the perks of being a widow. No one messes with her and her business is booming. She strikes fear into the hearts of the villagers who treat her as half witch and half Godfather. The only glitch is that now some of the other wives want that same freedom and want Geeta's help to rid them of their husbands. What follows is a "be careful what you wish for" tale that challenges what we think of as the voice of Indian women. A glowing debut full of dark humor and perfect for fans of EROTIC STORIES FOR PUNJABI WIDOWS
4 stars Houses remember.
What was a great first line of a famous horror story written at an Italian villa in 1974 is still true when best friends Emily and Chess spend a summer there in 2023. 1974 a few rock musicians plus the girlfriend of one along with her half sister take in the beauty and peaceful surroundings of the villa to create - a book and songs. Emotions and stress play their part along with sex, drugs and rock and roll and at the end one is dead, one goes to prison for his murder and the two sisters leave with a best selling album and horror novel. 2023 Emily is going through a rough divorce and is in a writing slump when her best childhood friend Chess, an influencer and author, calls her with an offer to spend the summer in an Italian villa. It should set off warning bells that this is where a murder took place but instead inspires her to write another kind of book. A fast paced story that is part historical look at 70's rock musicians living a free life, part a celebration of female writing and part murder mystery. Not your peaceful vacation! 3 1/2 stars |
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