In an Alpine village that could be anywhere the only excitement comes from visits from the peddler bringing supplies and the rare visitor from elsewhere. The girls of the town grow to become women who usually marry, become mothers and disappear in the night without a trace. The town then gets rid of their possessions erasing them from ever existing at all. Vera grows up following this pattern knowing that it might be her just like her mother before her that someday vanishes. Instead of waiting she packs a bag and walks away looking for a new life elsewhere. In a story that feels very much like Shirley Jackson's THE LOTTERY or a warning tale from the Brothers Grimm, there is a sense of foreboding evil in the dense cloud cover that comes and blankets the town every night. Creepy and an introspective look at women and motherhood that is sure to stay with you. 3 1/2 stars
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Norfolk England is the source of a two fold epidemic - the first being the start of the Coronavirus which has Ruth and her young daughter cutoff from work, school and other than her new neighbor (an essential worker who isn't home much) they are feeling isolated. Ruth's former lover/ daughter's father is checking up on them but he is dealing with the second epidemic which is an outbreak of suicides that now look like they were forced and cases could go back years. Masks, Zoom meetings and fear of the unknown virus are handled beautifully leading the way into mysterious deaths both past and present. One of the best pandemic related novels I have read this year. 4 stars
Nothing good can come from too much money or not knowing what happened to your new husband's first wife. Samira falls head over heels for a pro golfer and marries him quickly before moving to his palatial compound in the Colorado mountains. Once there, she discovers a bit more about his first wife through a hidden journal, her tragic accident that may have not been accidental and her husband's involvement. Add to that a few shady characters, one being her sister with issues, and we find that her new life might not be a fairy tale after all. Unreliable narrators, jealousy, money grubbing relatives, and revenge meets very naive second wife. Thriller for fans of B.A. Paris, Lucy Foley and Sarah Pekkanen. 3 stars
A young Black couple in 1965 Alabama find themselves in the hands of a white mob and it ends badly. Knowing he will be dead or worse if they are caught Melvin and his fiancé Bernadette flee the country to Ghana where a friend of Melvin's is now President. Leaving the US to hide in a foreign country where they don't speak the language proves more difficult than they thought and the FBI is hot on their heels. They find a friend in a young popular singer who is also traveling to perform for the President and is unaware that they are on the run from the law. He agrees to help them but their journey sparks a strong attraction between Bernadette and Kwesi and Melvin becomes more agitated the closer they get to their destination. This debut is a mix of political unrest, a love triangle, historical racism and the mysticism of Africa that forces a couple into a Bonnie and Clyde escape from the law. 3 1/2 stars
A novel that feels more like a memoir about bartending in New York than a novel. Samantha flees the west coast after falling apart taking a job as a bartender just until she is ready to go onto Harvard Law School. She starts from the ground up and slowly finds her way behind the bar at Joe's Apothecary. Even with all the headaches the more time that goes by the less prepared she is to leave - her coworkers, the clientele, her new friends and the new relationship. What makes this debut work is the "fly on the wall" approach to what goes on behind the scenes at a bar - after hours, prickly personalties and big egos as well as the art of small talk while mixing superior drinks. Wesley Straton does one better and gives us the stories behind some of the more popular concoctions and their recipes. Guaranteed to make you grab a martini glass and shaker at least by mid point, it is an enlightening coming of age tale about the joys of the local bar where everyone knows your name and they're always glad you came. 3 stars
Beware the hen party that goes awry. Lexi is marrying the man of her dreams so her Maid of Honor has organized 4 days of fun on a greek island. These six women are not all friends but have some connection to Lexi. Sounds heavenly but not all the guests are thrilled to be there and there are many secrets to be shared. A bit of cat fighting, old hurts, new friendships and relationships formed while others are broken and lots of twists - this is one batchelorette party you would do well to skip. BIG LITTLE LIES meets THE WEDDING PARTY with plenty of female bonding and solidarity set in an exotic locale. 3 1/2 stars
A collection of short stories that cover a wide variety of characters and subject matter - each with their own perspective delivered with a bit of humor and an easy going writing style. If I had to pick a favorite it would be the title story of an American kid studying latin in Rome who ends up trying to act as an interpreter for a has been actor who is interested in hooking up with his Italian costar and/or her young niece. A collection of quirky characters most of them just trying to get by and live up to expectations or older people trying to figure out where their life went. One thing is for sure and that is we find a little bit of ourselves in each story. Perfect reading for a brief snippet to digest when you don't have time for a massive saga. 3 stars
A well paced thriller that plays with our morals as much as it plays with our minds. Meg (her current name) is a con artist who has had several identities, posed as a variety of people and conned the bad guys out of big money. Our other protagonist, Kat has been waiting for Meg to make an appearance for a decade so she can out con the con artist and expose her. Kat is a wannabe journalist who feels that Meg is responsible for her bad luck in life. Strangely as the two women get to know each other better it is hard to see who is conning who and how similar their stories are. Is Meg a big fraud who needs to be taken down or is she something of a Robin Hood and becoming a friend to Kat? Unreliable narrators and trusting women who have been taken advantage of by bad men along with the dominant theme of taking justice into your own hands make up the body of this roller coaster ride. This is CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and MY FRIEND ANNA meets women helping women in BIG LITTLE LIES. 4 stars
An old world fairy tale of three sisters living under the thumb of their oppressive wizard father. Snakes, goblins, and other enchanted creatures live in the garden and woods of their home preventing outsiders from coming in without an invitation as well as keeping the sisters trapped within. Marlinchen is the youngest and while not as beautiful as her two older sisters, she is just as talented of a witch. They dare not disobey their father who turned their mother into a bird and would do that or worse to the girls for the smallest offense. When they do find a way around the charm and escape one night to the ballet, Marlinchen will fall for a handsome dancer who will change her life. Proving that a woman in love and angry possesses power like no other, Marlinchen must find a way to help her dancer and escape her father's powerful clutches. Eastern European style fairy tale that screams girl power is just what fierce readers of tales like THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE and other re-tellings of classic Brothers Grimm need in their book pile. 4 stars
A romcom that deals with the pitfalls of meshing modern relationships with the expectations and cultural traditions of immigrant parents. Angie is in her internship phase of med school and still doesn't know what she really wants. She works hard but feels like she is placed at the back of the line and pushed harder by the residents and her Ghanaian parents to be better than everyone else. She has not had any better luck on the love front either. She meets Ricky on a low point and he is everything she is looking for (except she isn't looking because she needs to study) but he is unavailable and then has the nasty habit of turning up everywhere acting friendly. Maybe they should just stay friends but what if he is her one? Coming of age story that targets the pressures we put on ourselves to be the perfect daughter and the pressure we feel from well meaning family to be the best. This debut is a cross between Gray's Anatomy and YINKA, WHERE IS YOUR HUZBAND and WAHALA. 4 stars
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