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Dear Debbie, I have a beef with everyone around me who doesn't understand how much I do for them. Why are people so horrible? Debbie's response - burn it all down. Debbie is a wonderful mother, wife and dedicated advice columnist at the local paper. Her two daughters are brilliant and her husband has worked hard to provide a good life for them. But when things go south Debbie takes matters into her own hands. Justice will be served but at what cost? It is easy to see why Freida McFadden has a solid and ever growing fan base. It goes so fast and has so many "she did what ! " moments that I forgot to breathe. 4 stars 
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What sets this adventure/thriller/backstabbing drama apart from the others is the background of the author. Not only was Stephen Fishbach a contestant on Survivor but also a producer so the man has seen some stuff. We have all watched reality survival shows and wondered how much is real and how much is staged but no one prepared me for the amount of psychological manipulation on both sides of the camera. Kent is a past winner on a survival reality show and has spent time on the fan circuit but now it is looking like the end when he gets a chance to be a contestant on a new show. ESCAPE! will dump him along with the other interesting pool of contestants on a deserted island where they will fight for keys to unlock the treasure chest that waits close to shore. The idea is not to escape until the very end when there are fewer survivors and those who make it to the end will get a bigger payout. Beck is a reality show producer who lost a contestant to an accident on her last show. Disgraced she is looking to make a comeback as a top producer on ESCAPE! The reality and staged (or edits stitched together) elements begin to blur as ambition and greed take over. Filled with danger at every level and the best/worst of humans this is one island very far from paradise. Reality show lovers will eat this up as will those of us who prefer to read about danger instead of experiencing it. 4 stars  Harriet is finally coming to terms with who she wants to be and how she wants to live. She is wearing men's suits, going to clubs where she can be herself with her new girlfriend and ride her bike all over Chicago while working cases as the agency's first female detective. This would not be a problem in present day but at the turn of the century being queer and dressing in men's clothes was illegal. Harriet is eager to prove herself with this new case even though she was chosen because as a woman she can blend in better at the settlement house where immigrant families will feel comfortable opening up to her. While investigating the murder of a journalist and wrongful imprisonment of a single mother, Harriet is up to her bike wheels in danger from corrupt politicians and an anarchist group. Journey through the gritty streets and booming downtown where dangers lurks in the shadows as much as city hall. This series shows a side of Chicago not usually talked about and the difficulties and dangers of being different. Harriet is a tough as nails detective but also shows vulnerability and compassion. This historical mystery series straddles the line between cozy and noir. 4 stars  Sisters at odds find a dying sea monster that means one of them must become the wise woman's apprentice. An old school fairy tale from the Cornish coast that features superstitions, mythical creatures and the clash between following the old ways and new religion/science that is coming into their lives. The townspeople are quick to seek the help of the wise woman but just as quick to lay blame when things go badly. Beautiful imagery of the rugged coast and just as rugged people as well as the time honored tales of scary monsters that come up on the shore or lay wait in the waves. A phenomenal debut and I hope to see more from this author soon. Fans of ISOLA and GODKILLER will find much to love here. 4 stars  In 1941 North Carolina single women are yanked off the street by local law accused of being infected and amoral. Subjected to a painful"cure"and endless questioning they are then sent to a farm colony to be reformed. Superintendent Dorthy Baker needs this position to work out better than her last and she, like the others, truly believe that they are helping these women return to society changed for the better. Believing it was for their own good the women were administered shots of mercury for infections they did not have, sterilized in secret, isolated for days in unsanitary conditions and forced to labor without even a timetable of their release. The cruelty and inhumanity under the guise of helping was staggering yet these women endured and protected each other. The atrocities committed unchecked, like the Indian and negro reform schools before them, previously hidden are now spot lit in this well researched and heartfelt story. Readers of Donna Everhart's southern women's stories as well as TAKE MY HAND by Dolen Perkins-Valdez and THE LAST CAROLINA GIRL by Meagan Church will appreciate this incredible story. Take time to read the interesting author's notes at the end and questions to facilitate book club discussion. 4 stars  A sister and the younger brother she has raised reluctantly agree to join the school for witches they have been on the run from their whole lives. Even though Vic does not have magic she manages to convince them she needs to stay by her brother's side and her above average fighting skills may come in handy fighting the many dangers in the castle both within the walls and outside. Battling with mommy issues and lack of control over Henry, Vic tries to understand what happened to her mother and what hidden agenda the Order has. A secret castle with hidden rooms, monsters everywhere, power struggles and an enemies to lovers romance highlight this dark academia with teeth. Hand this to lovers of A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, A DEADLY EDUCATION and grown up HARRY POTTER kids. 4 stars  A mostly self taught diver and ocean archeologist yearns of finding the big treasure. From his childhood in Cuba to moving to the U.S. Roger Dooley was determined to find the largest Spanish sunken treasure shipwreck in history. The problem is he had to locate it without knowing the general area where it sank, searching for any documents over 300 years ago, then finance it and then put a claim on it before local governments or other treasure seekers could. In superb storytelling Julian Sancton shares Roger Dooley's life and obsession with finding the San Jose as well as the history of Europe's thirst for gold and silver that led to the fateful battle and ship sinking and the early history of deep sea wreck exploration and treasure salvage. The one and a million chance he would find it and the toll it would take. Armchair history buffs, wannabe treasure seekers and curious readers who enjoy a biography of a man who wouldn't give up on his dream. It is an enjoyable and thrilling journey that readers of the Key West Florida treasure hunters, the search for the Titanic and THE WIDE WIDE SEA will enjoy. 4 stars  Riveting historical horror with a classic gothic feel and the unique addition of Irish folklore. The great potato famine was a dark time in Irish history that has not been explored very much up till now. Maggie is a land agent's daughter who had the good fortune to be educated and lived a notch above the tenant farmers but still many levels below the Lord and his family. As the potato crops continue to rot and Maggie's love affair with Lord's son becomes apparent Maggie is sent away, her father fired and her family evicted with nothing and left to starve. Alone and in a workhouse she is offered an opportunity to pose as a Lady and the heir to keep the estate from being taken away. Driven by hunger and revenge Maggie takes the offer but it comes with a blood price and the house is haunted by an ancient spirit. There is much to discuss in this historic look at the mistreatment of the lower classes by the upper class, the lack of independence or freedom for women, the mix of the old ways and religion with the new and the horrific fate of millions of tenant farmers and their families who starved to death. Irish descendants as well as readers of gothic thrillers will find much to love and learn. 4 1/2 stars  Sally Lambert has always considered her dogs to be her children so she goes into full mom mode when their horrible neighbors send to police to her door and say that Champ has bitten the neighbor's daughter. Of course fearing the authorities and unjust punishment the family and a friend grab Champ and go on the lam. The situation continues to escalate while a police detective is given a soggy stack of papers documenting the whole story written by an unknown author. Sophie Hannah is known for her Agatha Christie mysteries and she employs some of those methods here. I enjoyed the story of the family's desperation to rescue their beloved dog and the antics of the neighbors but got a bit bogged down by the soggy manuscript and trying to figure out who had written it. Dog lovers everywhere will get it as will her Agatha Christie fans. 4 stars  A sheltered daughter in 17th century Bern must navigate life after her father is murdered. The more she digs into her father's past the closer she gets to danger and uncovering a secret society worked to hide. Beatrice goes boldly into a society where her sheltered upbringing and not knowing who to trust would have hindered her progress but it is that lack of a traditional female upbringing that makes her fearless. I wish more had been made of why she was convinced everyone was afraid of her. It was an interesting cross between historical fiction and horror. 3 1/2 stars  |
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