Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane

 What a convoluted mess of a story that tried to be a mystery but ended up making me shake my head. I wanted to like it much more than I did, so even rating it 2.5 stars, I can’t level it up.

First of all, the premise: Aubrey Tanner returns 15 years after she, and her entire family, seemingly vanished from their family home. A meal on the table and a few bloodstains provide no answers for the police. In addition, a fire burnt down the family bookstore. Even the family patriarch, Xavier Tanner, who lived close by in his mansion can offer no help. The missing family’s house is left as is to rot. The years go by and Xavier succumbs to a heart attack. Soon after he dies, his will summons three women from town who each hold secrets about that day and the family. Everyone is gathered to hear the disposition of the Tanner assets. But what does Aubrey want?  Over the next few days, Marni, Stella, and Hanna realize that they are going to have to reveal the truth or risk losing everything. 

There was so much going on in this novel and so many characters to keep track of, not to mention trying to keep relationships and all their secrets and lies straight. I didn’t like any of the people in this entire book, not one. And don’t get me started on Aubrey. After a long drawn out sort of overly dramatic series of events and excruciatingly slow reveals, the long awaited answers didn’t give much of a payoff. I just didn’t like this one, unfortunately. 

I listened to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. It definitely helped to be able to distinguish the characters as the book is told from multiple points of view. The production had 4 female narrators with 3 of them doing a decent job of trying to sound distinct. All were overly melodramatic. I could not stand the voice of whichever of the 4 voiced the character of Aubrey. The rolling pitch and tone put me over the edge and I wish I could confirm her name so I can avoid her in the future. In any event, this recording was not enough to enhance my enjoyment of this book.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre and tags: domestic thriller, drama, murder, sexual assault, affairs, secrets and lies, wealthy famly

The First Time I Saw Him (Hannah Hall #2) by Laura Dave

 I was looking for a pulse-pounding follow-up to the first book (The Last Thing He Told Me) but that wasn’t what I got with this sequel. In the end, it was a yawner. 

It’s been a little over five years since Owen, Hannah’s husband and Bailey’s father, went on the run from the mob determined to punish him for turning them in. They’ve not seen or heard from him in all that time after settling in California where Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey (now a college graduate) have relaxed a bit and even formed a wary relationship with Bailey’s grandfather, Nicholas Bell, the former lawyer to the syndicate that Owen outed. 

Now, however, Owen suddenly reappears and gives Hannah a signal that informs her that the deal Nicholas made to keep them safe has collapsed. When they hear that Nicholas has died, they realize that the crime family is coming after them and they need to go on the run —again. 

Well, that should have been exciting and action packed with a lot of skillful maneuvers and contingency plans to evade capture and harm. It wasn’t. There was a huge amount of backstory explaining all the things that happened to bring them to this point and tons of characters. Hannah spent way too much of the book waxing philosophical about family and love and protection. Always reminding us what a great relationship she and her stepdaughter have. And how smart and clever she is to be taking on this protective role for Owen’s daughter. Their travel and evasion efforts sometimes were almost laughable, as when they leave a taxi after arriving at a hotel only to be running down the streets and in and out of shops. Umm where’s all your baggage including that laptop? Anyway, it was actually rather boring. I didn’t feel engaged nor did I really care about the characters except for Nicholas who actually seemed like the only one who understood this whole sorry mess and his responsibility for it. It wasn’t suspenseful. Ultimately, I was just disappointed but glad it’s over.

I was able to listen to the audiobook I obtained from my local library while also following along in the e-book ARC that was provided by the publisher. I’d like to say that the production enhanced my enjoyment of the book, but that wouldn’t be true. Despite a full cast of narrators, the voice of Rebecca Lowman was jarring. She sounded old and tired, not like a 43-year-old Hannah should be. The other narrators did OK with their speaking parts but since Hannah was the main character, even those changes in point of view didn’t help that much. Give it a pass.

This was the follow-up sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me (which was a better book). Definitely read it first.

Genre and tags: mob, on the run, family, thriller

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

 What a fast, fun, and totally twisted mystery thriller.

I thought I knew where this was going despite all the author’s attempts to divert me, but I was wrong! I love it when I’m surprised even if I have to suspend a lot of disbelief to get the payoff. If you’re looking for quick entertainment, this is the book for you.

Eden Fox is an artist on the verge of her big break. Before her first gallery exhibition, she goes for a quick sunset run to clear her head. When she returns to her secluded house, Spyglass, her key no longer fits the lock. A woman answers the door, and she looks eerily like Eden. The woman is wearing her clothes and is dressed for the art show. Even worse, her husband, Harrison, claims he has no idea who she is.  Of course Eden doesn’t have her phone or ID and so I thought, yeah, whatever, here we go with the frustrating “prove who you are while everyone thinks your crazy” trope. Well, that’s not where this went and I loved it all. 

Told in alternating points of view, this story brings in some real surprising truths to offset all that gaslighting but it turns out that the reader is the one who is shocked. I thought I had whiplash with all the turns. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, wham! It was so much fun to read and I loved the way the author dangled the story and where it led. No spoilers, just leap in.

Definitely an overhaul of the typical domestic psychological thriller, the plot shifts were handled very well and I just couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. This was a full case narration by Richard Armitage, Bel Powley, and Henry Rowley. It was extra good because of those side effects that really put the reader there in the moment. The narrators did a great job of voicing the main characters and making them sound authentic and real. It definitely reminded me more of a radio drama that provided a wonderful immersive experience that enhanced my enjoyment of the book. Not to be missed!

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Tags and genre: psychological, domestic suspense, identity, death date, guilt, revenge, gaslighting, affair

The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia

 Faith Richards, Detroit's beloved TV meteorologist known as "The Fair Weather Friend," disappears during a dinner break and is found dead the next morning. As the city reels, memorials are staged, and the local news continually updates, it turns out that there was a note Faith sent to one of her colleagues at the station that helps to identify some possible suspects. 

The story shifts through multiple perspectives to dive deeper into the woman behind that sunny public persona. This whole convolution of trying to pinpoint who did what is where the book fell off the rails for me. The characters, especially the fan girl Carol (my gosh, girlie, get a life) and some of Faith's coworkers (I'm looking at  you Matt along with your fiancee, Tara) are just placeholders for the reveals to come. Nobody is falling for those obvious red herrings and what is meant to be a shocking reveal, wasn't. The mystery is transparent and even at the end, a big disappointment was the abruptness and the unfinished subplots without a fair and just conclusion. 

I gave this a higher score than it probably merits because it was fast paced and easy to read in a single evening. The plot wanders through all the characters and I kept hoping for some rationale for decisions, but even the backstory of Faith is banal. I liked the author's previous book so much that I'm willing to give her next a try.

This brings me to my thoughts about the audio book. I was able to listen while reading along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Gail Shalan, has a voice that was grating and shrill. In addition, every female character sounded the same -- way too overwrought and discordant. They were indistinguishable so I was glad I had the book so I knew who was speaking. All that melodramatic gasping. In addition, yes, all the men in the story sounded exactly the same as well with just a bit of a lower pitch. This audio production would have benefited greatly with a larger cast and should have been done with all of the points of view in the story. I would not recommend a listen. 


This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Tags: murder, colleagues, secrets, weather, television, 

Inside Man (Head Cases #2) by John McMahon

 This is the second of the series which is full of action and has two parallel plot lines going at once. The FBI’s PAR unit (Patterns and Recognition) is scrambling after a CI is murdered and they find links to a gun manufacturing and distribution ring that also has ties to a homegrown militia. Along the way, the team discovers that there is an active serial killer that has connections to their dead CI. 

The PAR unit, comprised of brilliant neurotypical individuals with specific skills in puzzle solving, mathematics, etc., works alongside other agencies to infiltrate the gun gang. The case is quite convoluted and complicated by the discovery that a prolific serial killer who might have known their dead CI has been operating in the area and some of the victims have unusual modifications to their bodies. As they are scrambling to make their cases stick, there are many other deaths and the gun runner always seems two steps ahead. Is there a leak?

The members of the PAR unit include the lead investigator and analytical genius Gardner Camden, math prodigy Cassie Pardo, Joanne “Shooter” Harris, the weapons expert, and Richie Brancato, the rookie nepo hire. In addition, their old boss, Frank Roberts, comes back to help them. 

The story is suspenseful with a high body count. There’s some attempt to humanize the team members who we don’t get to know much better as everything is focused on the cases. At times it seemed overly complicated. A lot of lucky happenstance and I saw a few of the twists coming a mile away. I did like concept of this team and how their eccentricities make them more of an asset than one would often expect. I did like it and will definitely read the next installment.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Will Damron, did an excellent job with his ability to transition between a variety of characters and make them sound unique and distinct. He even captures the awkwardness and social ineptness of the PAR team members and makes them sound authentic and believable. His performance definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

This is the second in the series that should be read in order.

Genre and tags - thriller, FBI, murder, ghost guns, militia, serial killer, neurotypical agents

The Shark House by Sara Ackerman

 In 1998, marine biologist Dr. Minnow Gray travels to the Kohala Coast of Hawai’i to investigate a series of aggressive shark incidents. Minnow has always loved the ocean and her beloved sharks despite losing her own father to an attack when she was a child. The community is protective of the shark population, but the business people and mayor want to do a culling in order to decimate the creatures ahead of a big race that is bringing in a lot of publicity and tourists. Minnow tries in vain to convince them of the ecological damage that will be done if they go ahead. 

Like many, the movie, “Jaws” left me feeling terrified of swimming in the ocean in case there were sharks. Since I know nothing about sharks, it was easy to demonize them as monsters. This book gives a lot of information about sharks and also about all aspects of that particular area of Hawai’i. It’s easy to get lulled into the atmosphere and life on the coast of that island. I’m not saying I’m a convert and all my fear is gone, but all the details about the great white and tiger sharks was very interesting. I enjoyed learning about Minnow’s work as a marine biologist working in a beautiful but sometimes dangerous location. Minnow was a bit of an odd duck and I could have done without the instant and convenient romance, but the other characters were not really the focus of the story. 

I guess I liked this because I love Hawai’i and am drawn to the ocean while also respecting it. The creatures that live there fascinate me and I could definitely live near that beautiful place. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Jennifer Robideau, did a masterful job with the characters. Her voice has a natural musicality that matched the accents and pronunciations so perfectly. It all sounded very authentic and it felt like she was a local living on the island. I loved her voice and the appropriateness of her quiet ease with all the terms and the drama in the story. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre and tags: ocean, sharks, marine biologist, romance, childhood trauma with death of parents, Hawai’i, ecology, marine life

Update: Minnesota woman dies after shark attack in US Virgin Islands
By Ramon Antonio Vargas
Jan 12, 2026 8:41 am CST
The Guardian 

The Ice Angels (Elea Baker #1) by Caroline Mitchell

 Nordic noir atmospheric tension in this twisty crime thriller.

This start to a new series introduces Finnish crime inspector Elea Baker. Ten years after her 12 year old daughter Liisa vanished in Provoo, Elea is called to Lincoln, England, to consult on a series of chilling child abductions. The new kidnappings seem to mirror what happened in Finland and Elea has high hopes that she might actually find her missing daughter. Then, a surviving girl emerges and clues indicate that these disappearances might be related to the “Ice Angels” case. Elea has to work alongside her estranged husband as they try to piece together what might have happened during these long years. 

This was incredibly enjoyable as the police procedural describes realistic investigative methods. The narrative moves through different points of view and time jumps. Although this is a cold case from Elea’s perspective, the current events in Lincoln rachet up the tension as the reader wonders if her daughter is dead or alive. There is also a bit of focus on the emotional as the mother and daughter bond is explored. I liked the setting and the writing style and honestly, I wasn’t sure how I hoped it would end but the author did a decent job of wrapping it all up. I assume that there were be future books featuring these characters though I could be done with all that angsty stuff with her soon to be ex husband Swann. He’s moved on and has a family and I’m sick of messy domestics. And of course she has the rogue cop trope going on and I hope this series doesn’t fall down that hole. I’ve mixed emotions about continuing. So many authors go down this same path and I’m hoping this doesn’t go there. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Aryana Ramkhalawon, did a really good job of handling the various characters and their accents. Her pronunciation of the places and phrases was good. Also appreciated how she didn’t overact the voice of the 12 year old. Definitely captured the atmospheric tension. Her performance enhanced my enjoyment of the book as it created an appropriate immersive experience. 

This looks to be the first in a new series.

Genre and tags: crime fiction, kidnapping, Finland, England, police procedural, mothers and daughters