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A retired cop befriends a young woman seeking answers about the dead brother she never knew. Dennis was sent through the system and ended up at a boy's institution in remote Oregon where he drowned. Amanda born years later was adopted and now is trying to find connections to her birth family. Larry is a lonely widower who sees something special in Amanda and offers to help her for what turns out to be a hard road. People aren't talking about what happened at the institution and the paper trail is long. The side story is about Amanda's passion that of caring for a solitary polar bear at the zoo. She is trying to help the bear connect with his family through DNA. Their search goes deeper into uncovering what was really going on at the school putting them in danger with justice for Dennis within their reach. Rene Denfeld mirrors two stories beautifully showing the connection of siblings and the cost of trying to "help" those in need with cruel methods. Food and shelter mean nothing without love, caring and compassion. Heartbreaking and pulse pounding at the same time this will appeal to readers who love character driven stories as well as legal thrillers. 4 1/2 stars 
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Trapped by the puritanical standards of her village and family Maria yearns to have the freedom to swim like a boy and not marry who her father chooses for her. When she meets Sam and falls in love this freedom is put to the test. They each make an unconventional choice which leads to a dangerous path. Sam will become the pirate of legends while Maria will be cast as an adulterer and witch. A wonderful seafaring adventure combined with historical fiction revolving around strong women held in contempt by powerful men. It also touches on the dilemma when loyalty to your country disagrees with your own moral compass. A love story for the ages based on true historical figures in Colonial America. 4 stars  Happy book birthday to THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS by Lisa Scottoline T.J. is the black sheep in the family. He is in recovery after a tragic accident landed him a jail sentence and changed his path from the rest of his family of attorneys. Now working as a private P.I. with his family helping throw him clients but worried about his sobriety. While trying to help his brother out of a tough spot the domino stacks start to fall knocking him over as his brother throws him under the bus. This solid legal thriller also shares the stage with a deep family drama. When you are at your lowest point your family will always have your back right? In true Lisa Scottoline style there is a tricky mystery to solve mixed with humor, emotion and lots of drama. Fans of John Grisham and her book WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BENNETTS will enjoy. 4 stars  This is a reimagined and expanded story of the slave Jim and Huckleberry Finn the way it should have been told. Like every slave Jim is very aware of the need to stay out of the spotlight but when he learns that he will be sold he takes the only path available to him and runs. Huck is running too and they both travel one step ahead of danger from slave catchers and con men finding life on the river just as dangerous as Hannibal. Jim has a big heart and he tries to keep others particularly Huck safe but there is no future for a runaway slave just as there is no such thing as a kind slave owner. The biggest difference in this telling of Mark Twain's classic is that Jim secretly can read and write showing far more intelligence and humanity than the idiotic white people he meets. HIs speech changes completely once he is with fellow slaves or free people of color as does theirs which is the biggest irony of all . All the songs and entertainment and speech secretly mock the very white people who consider themselves superior. This story also highlights the extreme abuse, idiotic assumptions and justifications made by slave owners. A brilliant retelling of a classic filled with brutal honesty and the same ironic wit of Mark Twain. A new classic is born. 5 stars  Alex and Holly are in love and they think that it will last forever. It might have if Alex had not been attacked and tossed into the river to drown. When he comes to it is in a different year randomly landing on future days or past days only to wake in unfamiliar surroundings. A chance meeting with an unusual professor leads to some answers but not many. Can he alter his life by making small changes? What if he went to Cambridge instead of singing for cash on the corner and wasting away drunk and high? What if random acts of kindness changed his life course. The only outcome he can live with is if he is with his true love Holly. For fans of OONA OUT OF ORDER and THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY and those of us who question how much of our lives are coincidence and how much fate.The audiobook was made more enjoyable by the lively British slang and accent. 3 1/2 stars  Lois is sent to a divorce ranch in Reno thanks to Daddy footing the bill. She, like the other guests, are there to live for the required weeks in order to rid themselves of their pesky husband. This was one of the only options open to women in the 50's and most went back home to their parent's home after the divorce was final passing the control from one man to another and back again. Lois is timid and a rule follower until she meets the mysterious Greer who teaches Lois how to let loose a bit and break some rules. While Lois is gaining confidence and thinking for herself the friendship may have a dark side. A coming of age story for adult women kept in a golden cage by the men who supposedly love them. This honest look at the famous Reno divorce ranches where new friends, new freedom, and new possibilities were an enticing combination. For fans of BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME and THE DOLLHOUSE. 3 1/2 stars  Theodosia (Theo) leaves Australia and shows up at her older brother's place in the states suddenly to follow her dream of becoming an author. He agrees to give her the summer and she spends her days writing at a coffee shop where she meets a famous author who quickly becomes a mentor and much more. Life is good until the author is murdered. Theo with the help of her brother and a P.I. friend try to uncover what happened but get pulled in as Theo is outed by social media as the potential murder suspect. It looks like the author was considered the head of a conspiracy theory network and these are the very people who are after Theo. It doesn't help that the author sent her manuscript to his publisher and they want to publish it. This imaginative thriller looks at the power of social media to control society and the underground groups who have the power to put someone on a pedestal or pin a target on their back. There are many threads to keep untangled that are pulled together quickly (surprise) in the end. Once again Sulari Gentill writes about authors and their manuscripts in a way that should put the CIA or other government agencies on high alert. 3 1/2 stars  Annie is a robot who is designed for pretty much one thing pleasing her owner in and out of bed. She might not be the best cleaner but from Doug's eyes she is pretty darn perfect. Annie meets Doug's best friend and does something unforgivable which spirals into really radical behavior. Annie is learning to be human (to please Doug of course) but finally when Annie takes matters into her own hands and stands up for herself it makes her feel even more human and Doug look like a class A jerk. At some point in the book you start to forget that Annie isn't human (which is a nod to the ability of the author) only to be reminded how confusing it must be for her to have to navigate independent thoughts and her own needs first. The audio was wonderful but this is one that you shouldn't be played around young ears. 4 stars  In a world revenged by climate change and shortages - a mother and daughter are relocated to a crumbling high rise where Sil's aunt lives and works. Sil's mother won't talk about their past leaving Sil to try to get answers from her aunt's stories. There are no friends for Sil to hang out and desperate for answers of her family's history, she becomes obsessed with the penthouse owner and her mysterious dogs. Imagination, loneliness and a need to make sense of her world leads Sil to find a way into the penthouse and solve the mystery. It is hard to pigeonhole this lovely story into one genre. Part coming of age, part futuristic warning story, part HARRIET THE SPY it is a unique story of a little girl looking for herself. 4 stars  In the 1990's Lacey along with her older sister are used to small kids barging into their room and the constant annoyances that happen when your parents run a home daycare. No one can prepare them for the day when a one of those children accuses the parents of Satanic practices and child abuse. With both parents tossed in jail Lacey depends on her tough as nails sister until she is murdered. Adrift in a cruel world and the foster system Lacey's only friend is Dylan. She and Dylan are separated and when they find each other again as teens and tragedy happens yet again they decide to flee to Canada. Fast forward years later and they are both under assumed identities and with promising careers. Lacey still looks over her shoulder and it is only a matter of time before someone finds them. An emotionally charged look at a flawed legal system, the effects of fuzzy memories or coerced testimony that destroy not only one person but the whole family. It also examines how social media can fuel the witch hunt allowing the public to become judge and jury. Book clubs will have much to discuss and readers of intense books like MY DARK VANESSA, WHERE THE CRAWFISH SING and SHADOWS OF PECAN HOLLOW will be captivated. 4 intense stars  |
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