The classic story of Helen of Troy but with a deeper understanding of the women's role in the male dominated world and how they tried to control their own fate. Helen and her sister grew up knowing their role was to be placed in a marriage that would benefit the family (increase their power or land) and have many children to continue the bloodline. Helen, whose beauty was legendary was a pawn in a power struggle and her sister Klytemnestra was forced to give up her rights to the kingdom to Helen and was bound to Agamemnon. Both sisters married brothers and were caught up in a political hotbed. The story focused on the women's role in this power struggle but also their desires and fears for themselves and their children if they lost. For fans of CIRCE and other stories of the women of Greece told from a fresh perspective. 4 1/2 stars
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A couple begins their life together in a gated posh neighborhood in London only to find out that a woman was murdered in their flat. Add to that a mysterious man showing up in their welcoming party and other odd things. The couple's relationship is rocky and it doesn't help that she is living there alone for most of the time. You will look at your neighbors more closely after reading this. I listened to the audiobook which features a first rate narration with just the right suspense and British accent. 4 stars
What happens when you end up as the final girl of the final girls? Lynnette doesn't want to find out but she is in a race to save the other women in her support group for girls that survived horrific events, serial killers and the worst boogymen you can think of. They are anxious, they are armed and they have been private until now but someone has discovered the group and is picking them off one by one. Lynette and the others are badass but are they tough enough to survive and catch the killer before the killer catches them? A lightning paced thriller tailor-made for all those slasher horror movie and book fiends. Even if you have to read it with the lights all on and through your fingers, it is worth it. 4 stars
There is nothing like a serial killer to get your blood boiling and this particular one is most upsetting because he was a Doctor. Dr. Cream poisoned at least ten women over a fifteen year period before he was finally brought to trial in London in 1892. It is always fascinating to see how the police refused to use the new science of forensics which would have solved a great many of these crimes, the Victorian society norms that gave Dr. Cream a multitude of willing victims in search of an abortion and the ease of which a doctor was able to obtain deadly poisons in large quantities. Dean Jobb gives us a fascinating and grisly look at what makes a killer and how he can hide in plain sight making this just the ticket for those fans of THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY, Jack the Ripper and MINDHUNTER. 4 stars
I love Helen Ellis and her style of in your face but with a Southerner's grace of humor. Her essays speak to all ages of women whether you are in that age range, will someday be in that age range or remember how crazy that age was , the end result is always the same- giggle snort laughter. From gaging their dinner guest's sex life, to girl trips, to garage sales these essays speak to women who are not afraid to stare fifty in the face. Every time I read her I want to shout out "Right On Sister"! She is a national treasure, a character and a spokesperson for telling it like you wish you could. Fans of Erma Bombeck, Nora Ephron and Mrs. Mazel rejoice! 4 1/2 snarky stars
This is a destruction story, a creation story and a story of the Earth not as we know it but transformed into something strange. The strong survive and the weak do not but in Matt Bell's strange new world - the strong are regurgitating flesh and DNA to spit out new models of human and animal. Volunteers (who are anything but) arrive out of the destruction to work the fields and fuel the loom. It is where a small army will stage a fight or die trying. The other story is of two brothers, mythical faun creatures in the forest planting apple groves retreating to human form when around others. They are the legend of Johnny Appleseed come to life. Matt Bell's writing gushes forth in a slurry of thoughts and feelings giving the reader a true sense of the confusion and despair that has taken control. Frightening, brutal and freakishly fascinating, this Frankenstein meets climate change is perfect for fans of WestWorld, THE NEW WILDERNESS and the strange stories of Jeff Vandermeer. 4 1/2 stars
It is Summertime and the living is easy until Ruby shows up freshly released from prison landing on her old roommate's door ready to go back to life the way it was before. Harper can't find a way to say no and she can't find the right words to placate the neighborhood who thought that after the double murder of the neighbors and Ruby's conviction that would be the end. Once again the neighborhood is in a frenzy and Harper still isn't convinced if Ruby is guilty or not. Notes start appearing, a neighborhood watch starts and the whole time you wonder if they got it all wrong - what if the killer is still among them? Intense and diabolical, this one will fill the need for killer thrillers that keep you guessing. One of Megan Miranda's best and would make a great mini-series. 4 stars
Ike and Buddy share very few things in common but they have both seen the inside of prison and have gay sons whose murder they need to avenge. This unusual partnership has them seeing eye to eye on more than they thought they ever would, the one main goal is finding their sons' killers and maybe make up for all the unspoken support they didn't voice while the boys were alive. Brutal and violent yet full of unspoken tenderness, this story speaks for the bullied in society. We fear what we don't understand and sometimes we fight even if it is too late for redemption. These flawed characters will get under your skin and that is exactly where S.A. Cosby wants them to sit. Masterful writing for readers of gritty "tell it like it is" novels as well as those who favor an intense crime drama. 5 stars
An amazing true story of one woman's rise from slavery to becoming one of the wealthiest women in the islands. The daughter of a slave and a Scot in the West Indies, Dorothy fought for every little freedom. She did housekeeping and sold items at the market making enough to buy freedom for herself, her sister and mother. Aligned with powerful men Dolly began to create her empire and the children who would later inherit her legacy. Rebellion, politics, racism and excelling in a world that was stacked against her for her color and sex, Dolly's story is also one of great loves and devotion to her family. I listened to the audio and the narrator's melodic voice echoed the beauty of the islands perfectly. 4 1/2 stars
The sequel to THE GOLDEN CAGE is another tense Scandinavian crime noir that involves a woman who fought back from a tough childhood and disasterous marriage to faking her daughter's death so she could frame and convict her ex-husband and then go on to create a cosmetic's empire. Now Faye should be celebrating her wealth and power but someone is slowly buying shares to take over her company and her ex-husband has escaped prison. Faye is one of those characters that you want to see as a tragic victim but that would be severely underestimating her. Fans of all those dark Scandinavian thrillers and books by B.A. Paris and Lisa Jewel will love this. 3 stars
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