The Best of Friends by Lucinda Berry

 A night that changed the lives of 3 families. "An accident with the three boys. The hospital. One of the boys had died."

What an emotional roller coaster in a heartbreaking novel that I absolutely could not put down so read it over several hours today. Three lifelong friends, Lindsay, Dani, and Kendra, have teenage sons who are also best friends. Something happened between the boys on that tragic night and the story is gradually revealed over the course of the narrative told by the female friends in alternating chapters. I had to make a paper chart with names so that I could keep it all straight and that helped immensely.

This is not usually the kind of book that I enjoy, but I was drawn in immediately and was glued to the pages as the events unfolded. I felt sympathy for each of the mothers for different reasons and the writing was superb in drawing out the emotions without being manipulative or maudlin. Of course the boys kept secrets from their parents as all teenagers do and the boys' immaturity added to the the entirety of the sorry drama as it all played out. So many topics addressed and so much pain in a nightmare that no parent ever wants to be in. I liked it immensely even as my heart feels heavy just thinking about it all tonight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. This would make a great read for a book club.

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

Genre - family drama, mature themes, death and dying, heartbreak

Dead Girl Walking (Jessie Novak #1) by Roberta Gately

 An Emergency Room nurse, Jessie Novak, plays detective in this crime thriller.

When a young couple is attacked, shot, and left for dead in an alley, they are brought to Boston City Hospital by ambulance. Jessie is on duty and finds the wife, Ann Hart, barely alive and the husband with a less serious wound. For some reason, she can't get the crime out of her mind and is quite suspicious about the event. Meanwhile, she's harassed by a reporter and is involved with two local cops who share many investigative details about their investigation with her. NO SPOILERS.

I confess I picked this up solely because I have also worked as an ER nurse. I'm always interested in medical thrillers and thought that this first in a new series might hit the spot for me. Unfortunately, I found it all fairly ludicrous and my ability to take the necessary leaps to credulity was strained to the max level. I simply could not stand the main character, Jessie, nor could I even remotely imagine the level of her involvement in a crime such as this as an ER nurse. The other main irritation I developed was with Jessie's romantic entanglements. Overall, I did not find this gripping or suspenseful -- it all just seemed silly to me. I doubt I'll be interested in another installment featuring this character.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for providing a copy of this e-book ARC for me to read and review. 

This is the first in a new series featuring this nurse.

Genre - crime thriller

Deadly Cry (DI Kim Stone #13) by Angela Marsons

"...even though there are two types of killer, there does remain one single commonality. They will carry on until they are stopped."

A serial killer is taking lives at a rapid rate but reaches out to DI Kim Stone begging for her help to stop. The victims are found with broken necks and the crimes seem random and senseless. Kim and her team are very busy trying to solve this complex case. NO SPOILERS.

I have to say that I am growing weary of this series and with the main character. I used to think of Kim Stone as being an eccentric loner, but honestly, her personality borders on psychopathology. Her complete disregard for orders, following her "gut" instinct, the way she treats her colleagues and others -- all lead me to dislike her more with each installment. The story line here was not as compelling as usual and, though I read it in a single sitting, it wasn't intense or particularly gripping. I am sure most of Marsons' fans will disagree and will eagerly snap this one up and give it heaps of praise. No doubt it's just me requiring more stimulating fare. I do like that readers are given more glimpses into the lives of Kim's team and I did enjoy that aspect of this book. Perhaps this thirteenth in the series is just a one-off disappointment and I do plan to continue reading hoping that Kim Stone has a personality adjustment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

 

This is #13 in a long series that should be read from the beginning in order.

Genre - crime fiction, female detective, UK

House of Correction by Nicci French

Tabitha Hardy stands accused of the premeditated murder of her former teacher and neighbor, Stuart Rees. His bloody body was found in a shed outside the house she had bought and was renovating in Okeham, where she had grown up. Upon arrest and questioning, Tabitha can't seem to recall anything specific that happened that day and she is remanded to Crow Grange Prison to await trial. After firing her lawyer, Tabitha decides to represent herself in court. NO SPOILERS.

This book took me forever to read and I honestly would have marked it DNF except for this crazy issue I have that I just can't do it. I didn't like the story or any of the characters and found the whole trial and courtroom scenes hard to believe. I've read this author before and enjoyed the books, but this one was just not for me. If you can relate to an unreliable narrator with lots of problems and can suspend disbelief, this might work for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this e-book ARC to read and review.

 

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

Genre - psychological

The Company Daughters by Samantha Rajaram

 "Half-light and half-darkness. Like the best of lives."

Amsterdam, 1616, Jana Beil has worked hard to survive. Now, after tragedy leaves her without a position as a servant, she decides to accept the offer presented by the Dutch East Indies Company, or V.O.C. The Company will send her to Batavia on a long, dangerous journey by ship to become the bride of a settler in this Asian colony. Longing for security and a future, these Company Daughters will be married off to strange men and begin a new life on the other side of the world. Of course, nothing goes as expected and The Company promise isn't the answer to any hopes and dreams. Jana contents herself with a forbidden love but life does not come with any guarantees. NO SPOILERS.

I enjoyed this historical fiction novel and Jana's story. Jana is determined and diligently tries to improve her situation through many sorrows and travails. Although she and Sontje find mutual pleasure in their relationship, their moments are stolen and they are always at the mercy of men. Although I liked the story well enough, it seemed that much of it was centered on Jana's thoughts and reflections more than relating details that I was looking for in regard to life in the colony so it left me a bit disappointed in a vague way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

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

Genre - historical fiction; LGBT literary fiction

Shadow Sands (Kate Marshall #2) by Robert Bryndza

 This is the second book in a series featuring Kate Marshall, a former DC in the Met Police, now a lecturer in criminology at Ashdean University in Devon. Kate had left the Met under a cloud when her lover and former boss turned out to be the notorious Nine Elms serial killer. But her past years spent as a detective never allow her to find the peace she wants as she rebuilds her life in Thurlow Bay for there's a new mystery to solve after she and her son, Jake, find a dead body in the Shadow Sands reservoir on a SCUBA dive. NO SPOILERS.

Kate is an interesting character with her history of alcoholism and the grief she experiences over lost time with her now teenage son. She's had to overcome a lot of personal and professional turmoil and is slowing getting her life back together. She and her research assistant at the university, Tristan Harper, have an interesting partnership as they work as unofficial private detectives in this case. I like the further development of their characters in this story and am looking forward to seeing what comes next for them.

The book was fast-paced and I've long been a Bryndza fan and enjoyed his other thrillers as well. I was thoroughly entertained and read in a single sitting. I'm ready for #3 and will try to be patient as I wait. I don't think this works well as a standalone as Kate's backstory is very important so be sure to read the first before picking up this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the second in a series and should be read in order from beginning.

Genre - mystery, crime thriller