Sarah and her husband have just bought a house in a swanky part of an Australian town. The house has some issues which is why they could afford it. Sarah is a social media influencer, blogger, best selling author and therapist, and happily married. LIE,LIE,LIE... She hopes to continue her success by blogging about their renovations of a murder house. But soon it is apparent that her husband hates the house, the cat hates the house and the neighbors hate that they bought the house. Sarah has a lot on her plate and she may have neglected to have taken her anxiety meds, had a bit too much wine to drink and is not getting enough sleep. While Sarah is not a likable character we still feel bad for her and don't want to see her murdered in her sleep, right? Kidding aside, this book does take a mental breakdown seriously as well as external threats in addition to the drama of living in a haunted house. Moves at a feverish pace with news clippings providing a bit of foreshadowing. 3 1/2 stars
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Lou Berney's characters are not people who stand out in a crowd. They are just everyday people caught up in a situation that is out of their control but they have to try. Hardly is waiting to fix a ticket when he spies two little kids and their mom who seem off. A glimpse of fear in her eyes and a hastily covered cigarette burn on the kid's wrist sends him wanting to help those kids be safe. What can a guy who works at an amusement park horror house do? His friends say to leave it to the authorities but the more Hardly tries to report it the less confident that anyone will do anything. For the kids and their mom's sake he will take on a David and Goliath situation that is doomed from the start. Some authors make you feel too much and yet we willingly come back for more heart wrenching. His many fans will be happy as will fans of Willy Vlautin, Amor Towles and underdogs everywhere. 4 1/2 stars (pub. date Sept. 19)
Happy book birthday to UNTAMED SHORE by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
I have enjoyed the author's other books which bring a touch of horror to Mexican history but this book is a departure. This story takes place in the late 70's in Baja Mexico. Viridiana doesn't want to marry her boyfriend and spend the rest of her life working in the family business in between spitting out babies. She is self educated and speaks multiple languages and these skills are why she finds herself with a summer job working as an personal assistant to a wealthy American toying with writing a book and helping him, his wife and his wife's brother interact with the locals. Baja is small so anything that happens is known to all and will get back to Viridiana's strict mother. She begins to see the brother as a way out and tries to balance her reluctance to giving in totally with her growing infatuation. But what does she really know about any of them and can they be trusted? When something bad happens innocence is lost and she begins to see them for who they really are. Coming of age story that shows how the wealthy tourists support the economy but at a high price. Her fans will enjoy this and she will gain new fans who don't typically read horror. 4 stars (pub. date- Sept. 19) The Thursday Murder Club is on a new case sadly following the murder of a friend. He was executed over the small matter of an antique box full of heroin that was entrusted to his care. Of course the police are not overjoyed that this lively group of elderly armchair detectives are getting cozy in the caution tape. They should be because this bunch is very good at finding things that others miss even if they do tend to find themselves on the wrong end of a gun barrel. On a side note the great love between Elizabeth and Stephen is coming to an end as he is sliding downhill rapidly due to dementia. It and the grief from both parties is handled well as is the friendship between the club members and those closest to them. A bit of danger, a bit of mystery and a lot of fun crime solving as we have come to expect from this series. 4 stars
The Rubicon women are an interesting mix and although they have not spent much time together that is about to change. Grandma has just gotten a cancer death sentence and doesn't have any other choice than to head to the tiny town on the ocean where her daughter and granddaughter can care for her. Life gets more exciting when teenage Jack finds a dead body while leading a kayak tour and Beth, her mom loses a patient which might be connected. The three decide to find the killer or killers themselves which seems easier on the tv detective shows than it is in reality. Jack is one tough girl who is passionate about her back door habitat just like her single parent mom who was also raised by her self-made real estate mogul single mom. This debut is not quite cozy, not quite dark and grizzly but a nice balance of family drama, loyalty and a solid murder mystery laced with danger. 4 stars
A Korean-American family must deal with something no one wants to face - dad didn't come home from the park and his disabled son did emotionally overwrought. To make matters worse Eugene is autistic and also has a rare disorder that doesn't allow him to communicate at all. 20 year old twins Mia and John begin to unravel their dad's papers and computer to try to figure out what happened only to discover he was working on a secret project "The Happiness Quotient" trying to define happiness. Within the coded notes may be the truth but the truth may not be what they expect nor want. The police have damaging video from the park and Eugene's outburst tirade may be used to charge him with hurting his dad. The family must now work to clear Eugene and shine a light on this hidden side of their dad. A family drama caught up mystery as well as a look at the importance and variety of communication. I was fascinated by Eugene, both his condition and interactions with the family and was less interested in the side line project on happiness. Angie Kim shares much information on the Angelman Syndrome, autism and new ways of communicating that will interest a wide variety of readers. 4 1/2 stars While there has been quite a few recent books on British women doing their part for the war there have not been as many of American women taking those jobs left vacant by men fighting overseas. Nora's husband is serving abroad leaving her at home with limited income and two kids. She takes a job as a riveter at the Boeing plant about the same time some of her new co-workers are falling prey to a serial killer. She is already uneasy due to the vandalism at her house, losing loved ones to war, her teenage son has been sneaking out of the house each night and something is off with the new garage apartment tenant. Nora begins poking around to solve the murders and may be getting too close. A grown up Nancy Drew mystery that also touches on the very real issues of racism against Japanese Americans, homophobia and the changing views of women entering male dominated jobs in the workplace. Bookclubs will find much to love in this historic thriller. 4 stars
The second thrilling adventure of a French detective caught between a rock and a hard dangerous place namely having to work for the Nazis who have taken over Paris. Henri Lefort has no love for the Nazis running his country and in his mind messing up everything good about Paris. He really has no love for solving this case that involves yet another missing German but he also very much wants to keep living. Somehow this case leads to another that his friend with access to better food and wine, wants him to look into involving missing children. Henri's banter is sharp, his heart is big and his brushes with near death and the gestapo are becoming legendary. Included in the character list are some very real players in wartime Paris and this gives the series a real footprint with a fictional detective. For historical mystery lovers who always root for the underdog! 4 stars
Ben Packard is the Sheriff in a small town in upper Minnesota. He is trying to lead a more quiet life than he had in Minneapolis but being a gay sheriff in a small town and gearing up for an election isn't that easy. What starts out as a random murder of a man with many friends and no enemies leads to more deaths and many more secrets. Was it a shady business deal or bad blood between his two wives who are sisters? Quiet but deadly mystery that proves small towns can have just as much drama and danger as the big city. This is the second book with Sheriff Packard in a satisfying series that fans of S.A. Cosby and C.J. Box will enjoy. 3 1/2 stars 1938 and trouble is brewing in Germany but you would never know it in Paris where there are bubbles, grand parties and art and wealth everywhere. Charlie is escaping a series of bad events (one being her soon to be divorced husband) and starting over as a reporter for The Times in Paris. Determined to make a name for herself she quickly becomes one with high society and the very busy social scene. At her first big event one of the wealthy is murdered and Charlie is right in the middle of the biggest story of the year. As she digs deeper she finds herself closer to her new friends who are all keeping secrets the biggest being that one may be a murderer. Elegant and filled with the promise of endless parties, overflowing champagne flutes and more murders, this is the start of a new series and an unflappable heroine we want to know more about. This will appeal to historical murder mystery lovers the likes of Agatha Christie and MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER by Colleen Cambridge. 3 1/2 stars
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