Whistle by Linwood Barclay

 It’s so hard to keep order and balance in the world…

I’ve long been a fan of this author, and when I saw he had tried something new with this book, a supernatural chiller, I thought I’d give it a go. Even though I’m more a modern thriller and suspense fan, I decided to check it out with high hopes. I ended up disappointed. 

The narrative jumps back and forth in time and point of view so it took quite a while before the dual timelines merged. I confess to enjoying one part of the story and its main characters much more than the other. Hint: events in the town of Lucknow, Vermont, the police chief there, and the townspeople were much more interesting and believable. The premise of trains and malevolent forces was enticing because I really like model trains for one, and I was curious as to how these special trains worked.  

I didn’t like Annie right off the bat and Charlie, her 7-year-old son, totally pushed the outer limits of my credulity about what a 7 year old can do and understand even with a supernatural force at play. I was so bummed by the conclusion. This little mean person inside of me wanted a far different end for Annie. OK, I won’t spoil it for you. But a completely different conclusion would have really enhanced my enjoyment of the book. 

Ultimately, I think Barclay should stick to the genre he’s best known for writing and I’ll continue to be a fan. It’s fine to try, but I’m not the audience for supernatural phenomena so this book might have just been a bad choice. It could have been a 4, however, had the right characters made it out alive. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Eva Kaminsky, did an OK job of voicing the characters but her most stellar contribution has to be when she makes the train sounds! It’s a shame that there wasn’t a male voice to do part of the narration as that would have boosted my listening pleasure.

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

Genre and tags - supernatural chiller, train sets, death and chaos

The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs

 Totally enjoyable with many twists and laugh out loud moments.

I was definitely needing something different and am so happy I picked this up. I enjoyed the story — three middle aged women sick of and disappointed in their husbands and their lives — decide to hire a hit man to get rid of the men so that they can head off on exciting adventures like their newly widowed friend Marlene. Things don’t go quite as expected. There’s drama, intrigue, and twists in the plot as the women discover exactly what they’ve set in motion. 

I enjoyed the characters and the anticipation of what was coming next in the story. The author kept me guessing and the dialogue made me chuckle. Who says late middle age has to be dull and that your marriage is as bad as you think. It was just a fun read.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publisher. The narrators, Kiiri Sandy and John Pirhalla, did a fantastic job voicing all the characters and bringing them to life. Their accents and dramatic flair really added to my enjoyment of the book as the production was very well done. 

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

Genre and tags - cozy, murder, hit man, theft, mystery, dark humor

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall

 Dystopian fiction that is extremely depressing.

I’m usually a big fan of post apocalyptic fiction and love to read about survivors and how they create a new world order from whatever disaster has fallen. The premise of this was interesting — oceans have melted due to climate change, bad weather has caused the water to rise and drown out all the coastal cities. The synopsis said that the survivors who stayed in New York City lived on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History, AMNH, that the residents called Amen. I thought the narrative would be about living in the museum and its artifacts and treasures, hunting in Central Park, carving out a living within a really cool building. But it wasn’t. Almost immediately the hypercane flooded them out and they had to leave. Then I had to endure a very long, repetitive, drawn out “on the run” scenario with one dreadful thing happening after another. The story is told from the point of view of a 13-year-old girl named Nonie. 

The book was very slow and I considered not finishing it but kept on going because I’m that person who has to know the ending. I’ll not ruin it for anyone who can’t predict what is likely. I guess the main problem with this book is that it was very depressing and not even the author’s attempt at creating sympathetic characters could make it better. So, basically this was typical end of the world as you know it stuff. And I’d definitely say that it had a lot of really boring filler. The author states that it took 11 years to write this book and it felt like about that long for me to finish it. 

I was able to listen to this audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Eunice Wong, did an OK job voicing the characters in the book, but it wasn’t compelling enough to change my opinion about the story itself.

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

Genre - dystopian, water rising flood, bad weather, survival

Murder at the English Manor (#20 Miss Underhay) by Helena Dixon

 

One of my favorite cozy historical mystery series!

I’m off to Markham Hall with Matt and Kitty! At the behest of her grandmother’s best friend, Mrs. Craven, they are looking into the disappearance of a maid. Agnes Jones worked for Lord and Lady Faversham near Dartmoor at Markham Hall but her sister, Dora who is Mrs. Craven’s maid and sister to Agnes, is concerned because she hasn’t heard from Agnes for almost a month. Where had the girl gone and why hadn’t she taken her things?  It’s almost inevitable that she’s come to no good end. Matt and Kitty need to find out the truth before one of the Faversham sons weds a wealthy American heiress to save the estate and Markham Hall. 

I really enjoy this series and love the main characters. Although I miss the original setting of the Dolphin Hotel now that Matt and Kitty have married and moved to manage their detective agency, they don’t spend a lot of time at home and so each book takes us to a new location and a new crime to solve, most often a murder or two. I love the period details and descriptions of 1930s South Devon. Looking forward to the next installment and the continuation of an unsolved mystery from Matt’s past. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publisher. The narrator, Karen Cass, did an excellent job of voicing all the characters and lending wonderful tone and appropriate dramatic flair to the novel. The production really enhanced my enjoyment of the book.  I highly recommend this entire series!

This is book #20 of the series. It’s best to read them from the beginning, in order.

Genre - historical, 1930s, South Devon, cozy mystery, murder, private investigator, amateur sleuth

Havoc by Christopher Bollen

 This is touted as a dark thriller reminiscent of books and movies about bad seeds and kids born evil. It was, however, a messy psycho drama that made me want to throw my kindle at the wall.

The premise, an 81 year old widow, Maggie Burkhardt, travels to Egypt during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. While staying at the Royal Karnak Palace Hotel in Luxor, Maggie can’t help herself. She likes to meddle in other peoples’ lives. Helping them, she thinks, to be free of their troublesome relationships and bad decisions. Unfortunately, a new guest at the hotel threatens what she has come to know as her home and family. She’s going to have to take care of him. The issue, however, is that Otto, her nemesis, is only 8 years old. 

As wild as that sounds, for a while I thought the author could pull this off. But that was before I figured Maggie out and knew I wasn’t going to be able to prevent the coming train wreck of a story. I’m very tired of unreliable narrators and unlikeable main characters.  If this had not been an ARC, I wouldn’t have finished it. I kept going and all my supposition proved right. The worst of it all, however, was the ending. Umm no. That was just terrible. I’ll not be recommending this one.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book. The narrator, Maggie Meg Reed, was OK but I really didn’t like the voice she used for the main character and especially it grated on my nerves to hear her do the voice of Otto.

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

Tags: mental illness, Covid, dark, thriller, murder, Egypt

25 Alive (Women's Murder Club #25) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

 Fast pace and return of familiar characters makes this a read-in-one-sitting  crime thriller

They're back for the 25th book in the Women's Murder Club series. The women include Sergeant Lindsay Boxer of the SFPD (married to federal agent Joe Molinari), medical examiner Claire Washburn, ADA Yuki Castellano (married to Jackson Brady), and crime reporter Cindy Thomas (married to Rich Conklin who is Lindsay's partner). The setting is San Francisco.

The story starts off with a murder that is devastating and personal: Warren Jacobi. He was Lindsay's mentor and partner but had retired. The only clue at the scene is a matchbook that has the words "I said. You dead." The club vows to avenge his death and find his killer.

Meanwhile, Yuki is prosecuting Dario Garza, a drug cartel member, in a high profile case that's leaving those involved in extreme danger. Joe Molinari is also involved in efforts to bring down this cartel. There seems to be a link between Jacobi's death and this cartel.  Cindy, ever the investigative journalist, finds another connection between the two. Claire really doesn't have a lot going on in this book.

It's rather convoluted with all the threads but it finally comes together in the end in a rather rushed dramatic climax and conclusion. As always, the short chapters, action, and mystery keep the reader entertained.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC. The narrator, January LaVoy, did a good job voicing all the characters and giving each their distinct personality. The only jarring and annoying note was when the child, Julie (age 5 or 6) spoke. Please stop!! I'd be fine without any of that dialogue in any future books. Regardless, the performance usually enhances my enjoyment of the book.

This is the 25th in a long running series that is best if read from the beginning and in order.

Tags - murder, crime, female friendship, legal, forensic, police, drug cartel, FBI

The Note by Alafair Burke

 Contemporary fiction, a novel about friends, dumb decisions and murder.

The three women have been friends since they were children: May, Lauren, and Kelsey. It’s been awhile, but they’ve arranged a get together in the Hamptons to catch up. All have some things they harbor as resentments for stuff that happened in the past. Secrets told, embarrassment, and acting out. As they reconnect, they are out and about in the town when they make a very bad choice involving placing a note on a car. 

What happens after this was kind of crazy to be honest. It didn’t track for so long until I figured out what was going on. It was quite a convoluted plot and predicable once the narrative revealed some important details that were dangled forever. I was OK with most of it until the end which was a real reach but the reasons were only obvious at the last minute. I didn’t care for any of the characters so honestly didn’t care what the outcome of this was going to be. Overall, it was rather a disappointment after getting through all the layers of secrets and lies. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the ebook ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Catherine Ho, did an OK job of voicing the characters given the lines she had to work with. Since most of the main characters were women, she did an admirable job of making sure each had an individual sound.

This is a standalone and not part of any series.

Tags and genre - contemporary chick lit, lies and secrets, murder, female friendship

Isola by Allegra Goodman

 Absorbing historical fiction that is both inspiring and depressing.

A novel based upon Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval, an orphaned noblewoman, who is entrusted into the guardianship of her cousin, Jean-Francois de la Rocque de Roberval. These events are purported to have taken place in the 1500s.

Cousin Roberval is a terrible guardian and mistreats Marguerite, appropriating and selling her lands, and basically kidnapping her away from her home in Perigord. He drags her onto a ship bound for New France (Canada) where he has been commissioned to establish a colony. Although no one actually knows the truth of what happened aboard the ship, Marguerite and a man (identification depends on which version of the story is true) are left marooned on an island in the gulf of Saint Lawrence. She lived there for abut 2 years. This is one version of what may have happened while she was there.

The tale is compelling but sometimes it was overwhelmingly relentless in the saga of hardship and misery that Marguerite endured. Also very heavy on religion, prayers, psalms, faith, and devotions. It astounds me that she survived her trials. Heaven knows I would not have lasted a week. I liked the book, but I had to take a couple of breaks because of all the difficulties and tragedy.

The title, Isola, comes from the Italian and basically means island. This reflects the importance of the island and isolation experienced by Marguerite as a central theme of the book. The challenges and the heartbreak that were endured basically alone. It is definitely a survival against all odds type of novel.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Fiona Hardingham, does an excellent job of voicing the characters and especially bringing the main character to life on the pages with appropriate dramatic flair. Her performance definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

This is a standalone and not part of any series.

Tags and genre - historical fiction based upon a real person, survival, tragedy, faith

No One Was Supposed to Die at this Wedding (Vacation Mysteries #2) by Catherine Mack

 Fast, fun, and funny — this second in the series is a must read for fans who love when an author breaks the fourth wall. I’m one of them!

This time, author Eleanor Dash and her sister, Harper, are involved on set during the filming of her previous blockbuster, When In Rome. Her best friend, Emma, has the lead role, and the two sisters couldn’t be more excited because Emma is going to marry her costar,Fred Winter, after the wrap. They’ll all go to Catalina Island for an intimate ceremony with some close friends, including Eleanor’s new main man, Oliver Forrest.  There are a couple of problems right off, however. First of all, Hurricane Isabella is going to make landfall in Southern California that weekend and secondly, on the hand pressed wedding schedule, the last line says, “A midnight murder will be served.” Now that’s some kind of invitation for amateur sleuth Eleanor who obviously has some skills since this kind of thing is her writing forte. Except the guests get a lot more than they bargained for.

At times hilarious and laugh out loud funny, this is also an expertly plotted murder mystery with lots of red herrings and a group of possible suspects along with the requisite storm locking them all on the island. I have really enjoyed both of these books and can’t wait for another. I love the writing style, the main characters, and especially Eleanor who is self-deprecatingly wry and clever as she tries to figure out the whodunit. This has the feel of an atmospheric cozy. Some irritating things but I just glossed over. 

I was lucky to receive both the audio book and the e-book ARC provided by the publisher so I could read along while listening. The narrator is Elizabeth Evans and she does an excellent job of voicing all the characters and giving them different accents and such to provide dramatic effect. It was a good production and it definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

This is the second in series and it does help you to have read the first one.

Tags - humor, murder, mystery, author, Hollywood stars, Catalina Island, wedding

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl

 Fans of reality television may enjoy this novel about a group of friends and family in the Garden State.

Showrunner Eden Bennett has her hands full with Huzzah's new prime time reality program. The show, Garden State Goddesses, highlights rivalry, friendship, secrets, love affairs, and ultimately murder. The drama centers on a New Jersey neighborhood family, the Fontanas, and Eden intends to get a lot of craziness on camera, especially since her cousin, Hope, is now married to one of the Fontana sons. Nobody expects things to go as far as they do, but the family and their friends cannot be managed and it all spins wildly out of control.

Less a murder mystery, this story is mostly about relationships (mainly gay), gossip, speculation, innuendo, and out right lying. It's all rather convoluted with a huge cast of characters that requires a printed list at the beginning to help keep everyone straight. Unfortunately, none of the characters resonated with me, and, in fact, I heartily disliked all of them. I didn't really care who died or why as petty grievances and mistaken ideas come to light. It's like this tries to be way too many things at once and ends up seeming like a disjointed mess with too many irritations. I wasn't really amused at any of it despite this being called funny and dark. I have no intention of reading a second installment as I don't care what happens to any of these characters. That being said, full disclosure that might explain my reaction, I don't watch any reality television as I don't like this type of drama.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. There is a large cast of narrators (5 of them) and I have no idea who was doing which character. Some of the voices grated on my last nerve -- especially whoever was doing Ruby and Bianca (the teenagers), and some of the others with their attempts at a Jersey accent or the one who did Birdie. So I have no idea whose voice(s) were tolerable and appropriate. Generally I enjoy audio while reading as it provides a more immersive experience. 

This is apparently the first in a new series. I won't be reading any further

Tags - murder, family, friends, gay relationships, reality television, secrets and lies, gossip.

Retreat by Krysten Ritter

 Twisty, if predictable, psychological thriller. 

Liz Dawson, an experienced con woman, needs to escape her current situation in Chicago and finds the perfect out when one of her marks actually helps Liz by giving her a job. Not just any work, but a fantastic opportunity out of the country in the super rich area of Punta Mita in Mexico. A wealthy homeowner, Isabelle Beresford, hires Liz to install a painting in her villa. Liz is quite excited to get out of town and definitely plans to enjoy her week in Mexico living it up in the beautiful home. Once there, however, not only does Liz settle in quickly, she meets other women who live there, and it is clear that they think she is actually Isabelle. Well, why not? She’s assumed other identities before and plans to live it up while she can. Soon, however, Liz finds that she might have gotten herself mixed up in something dangerous. Definitely not a simple con and it all goes spectacularly wrong. 

This started out well and I was fully engaged until about the half way mark when Liz’s deceptions start to fall apart and she is in constant fear of exposure. Events transpire that make Liz wonder about the Beresfords. But every time she knew she should get out before her duplicity was revealed, something kept her there. I guess she liked the wealthy lifestyle and all its trappings. All of that identity confusion and obsession got old quick and you just knew what was coming because of the big thing left unsaid. No spoilers. And, that ambiguous ending really irritated me. All in all, it was just a story with lies and secrets. Honestly, the whole look alike trope is getting old as well. 

Did not like any of the characters. They were hideous and very much stereotypes of this genre. Mostly a familiar story of the rich behaving badly and the typical assumption that many are not good people. I don’t believe it would be that easy to assume another person’s life. 

Listened to the audio book while following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator was the author herself and she did an adequate job of voicing the characters, getting the nuances right, and giving the story a bit of dramatic flair. Unfortunately, the production wasn’t enough to save the actual story from mediocrity.

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

Tags - lookalike identity theft, murder, wealth, psychological thriller, lies, secrets

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman

 “…for every writer is a murderer, and every reader is a sleuth.”

This is quite unique as it is not any sort of typical murder mystery. Nor is it suspenseful. It’s written more like a thesis that attempts to explain the art of writing this genre of fiction. The tropes, the various methods of murder, the possible motives, and even how a clever whodunit should be constructed. Much discussion of other authors and their canon. It’s described as metafiction. I found it disorienting. 

The shifting point of view is crazy — starts out in second person with the narrator, who seems to be the author, speaking directly to the reader with explanations, literary references (primary sources), and hints guiding our reactions to the situation and the characters. Then, to third person limited, to first person singular, and to first person plural. 

The plot: there is a detective, hired by someone, who is meant to report back on any suspicious or interesting observations that he makes while attending a 4th of July celebration at this wealthy enclave where the residents have known each other all their lives. Did I mention there are a ton of characters and I found them hard to keep straight. During the weekend there are deaths. Who is the killer?

And believe me, this moves along and I’m very interested in the detective’s process and the clues and red herrings. Totally invested. And then the big reveal at the end…doesn’t come. Now I’m the kind of person who feels cheated when faced with ambiguity. 

So, despite all the pretentiousness and thought provoking commentary, I was frustrated and confused by the way the narrator pulls a one up at the end. I come away thinking, what in the heck did I just read. I wanted to like it but the unconventional ending just ruined it. Sure I can guess all day but I wanted the author to do the work for me. Maybe this is brilliant work, but I’m just not clever enough to get it. 

I listened to the audio book while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I liked the voice of the narrator, Robert Petkoff, and he did an excellent job. I did, however, find the redundancy of the question and answer interviews hard to listen to so had to fast forward thru that. It definitely enhanced my appreciation of the book.

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

tags - metafiction, mystery, 1976, murder

Parents Weekend by Alec Finlay

 Fast paced mystery thriller.

The story centers on 5 students who go missing on Parents Weekend at Santa Clara University in California. Their parents wait for them at the restaurant but none of them show up. At first they aren’t too worried, but then tidbits and details start emerging. The parents of Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella have reason to be concerned.

This book marks the return of a character from previous books by this author: Special Agent Sarah Keller who has been transferred to the Bay Area while her husband, Bob, takes care of his ailing father. Sarah is immediately brought into the case by the local police. She takes point rather quickly and off goes the investigation.

Told from several different viewpoints, the reader learns about the issues in the families of the missing students. Eventually the pool of suspects dwindles. And this is where the book fell from a 4 + suspense thriller to a barely 3. I hated the ending and the explanation. How banal and predictable. All along I was hoping it wouldn’t go there but it did so I was very disappointed. No spoilers.

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, Brittany Pressley, did an OK job with the story but definitely struggled with the voices of so many characters trying to give them unique accents etc. This is definitely a book that would have benefitted from a much larger production cast, especially even at least one male voice. 

This is a standalone although has a character from previous books Sarah Keller FBI agent.

Genre - mystery, thriller, police investigation, missing kids