​A remote island cut off by unforgiving seas is just the place for a reclusive artist to thrive.  Vanessa lives on the island alone after dumping her cheating husband and the stress of the art world.  Her one local friend Grace took care of her until her recent death.  Vanessa left Grace the island but gave her art collection to a foundation.  Grace has always been overprotective and she is not happy that Beck , the curator, is coming to the island to claim background notes and sketchbooks after a human bone was found in one of the artist's pieces that some feel might be that of her ex-husband who went missing.  Perfect tension and misdirection marks a story that, just like the unpredictable sea and indirect blue light, the reader is never sure who is telling the truth.  This modern gothic thriller includes characters whose moods shift faster than the tide on an island that harbors many secrets and an undercurrent of jealousy and obsession that feels quietly menacing. Readalikes would include the tense mysteries of Tana French as well as mysteries of reclusive artists like THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR and obsessive love stories like Stephen King's MISERY.   4 1/2 stars

A remote island cut off by unforgiving seas is just the place for a reclusive artist to thrive. Vanessa lives on the island alone after dumping her cheating husband and the stress of the art world. Her one local friend Grace took care of her until her recent death. Vanessa left Grace the island but gave her art collection to a foundation. Grace has always been overprotective and she is not happy that Beck , the curator, is coming to the island to claim background notes and sketchbooks after a human bone was found in one of the artist's pieces that some feel might be that of her ex-husband who went missing. Perfect tension and misdirection marks a story that, just like the unpredictable sea and indirect blue light, the reader is never sure who is telling the truth. This modern gothic thriller includes characters whose moods shift faster than the tide on an island that harbors many secrets and an undercurrent of jealousy and obsession that feels quietly menacing. Readalikes would include the tense mysteries of Tana French as well as mysteries of reclusive artists like THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR and obsessive love stories like Stephen King's MISERY. ​ 4 1/2 stars

Zo's mother has just died leaving her alone and adrift until she gets word from an attorney that she has inherited an estate outside New Orleans. She is confused because she has never heard of the woman who left her this gift but agrees to accept the strange conditions to formally be given the estate. It is a massive house with a guardian owl, unusual townspeople and a hunky grounds manager all leaving Zo unsteady. Soon she will realize her connection to Divinity and all that it entails reminding us that not all gifts are free. There is danger lurking beyond the gates, there is temptation everywhere and it is almost impossible for Zo to know who to trust and who to lust after. For adult readers who read and reread the TWILIGHT series switching to DISCOVERY OF WITCHES you now have Zo and the witches of Divinity. This series will also appeal to older young adult readers (spicy romance) in a big way. ​  4 stars

There is a lot going on in this story that centers around two sisters who both attended Princeton roughly 6 years apart and both were part of a secret society. Maya loved and hated her years at Princeton she made great friends but was caught up in some shady society dealings and one friend died. Naomi is just about to graduate when Maya gets the call that her sister is dead. Maya soon learns that Naomi was in the Sterling society and maybe the more secretive Greystone and all the darkness and secrets of those years come flooding back. She doesn't think Naomi's death was an accident but she may die trying to prove it. Corrupt professors, secret dealings and campus politics are all in play here along with issues of race, class and improper relationships plus all the normal drugs, drinking and sex that most college students deal with. The chapters alternate between Maya then and now and Naomi in the last few months leading up to her death. You might need some notes to keep up with the timeline and shenanigans and the ending is a shocker. ​ 4 stars