Woman of God by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

2.0 out of 5 stars -- A test of faith. A HUGE test. OK this woman had it so much worse than Job of the Bible. At first it was hard to see her go through the tragedies, but then it got to be WAY TOO MUCH. I often get suckered in to requesting a book based on the synopsis, but sometimes the actual story is nothing like what was written in the publicity materials. As it is here. I thought this novel was going to be about a woman Pope. NOT. So ignore the blurb. This is about a woman doctor, a humanitarian from KIND HANDS (an NGO), who goes to South Sudan to a hospital outpost to care for the victims injured in a bloody civil war there. The tide of hopelessness overwhelms the workers and all the intentions to do good works is futile in the face of murderous outlaw gangs, marauders, and the Gray Army. This militia has only one objective -- to kill everyone. Dr. Brigid Fitzgerald is dedicated and fiercely protective of her patients and her colleagues. But she is no match for the Gray Army leader, Colonel Dage Zuberi -- the king of atrocities. Death and more deaths... In between her stints at the outpost hospital in Sudan, Brigid deals with personal relationships, love and marriage. She has trials and more trials as she questions her faith in God and her religion. She has visions. She and her husband start a church that is an offshoot of Roman Catholicism and they become the targets of some powerful enemies, including those in the hierarchy of the church. She becomes one of the first female "priests" and that causes further problems. Will her adversaries get the best of her as at each point her faith is tested? I was totally disappointed in this novel and don't recommend it. Sure it's interesting for me as a Catholic to imagine a female priest and possible Pope, but despite the religious overtones, the novel never fulfilled my expectations. I felt let down by the continual drama and bad luck for Brigid. I never really connected with her character. Her "visions" left me in a state of disbelief. I had to struggle through to the end and deal with my disappointment of let down expectations. I rarely read Patterson anymore, and now, again, I know why. Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and Edelweiss for the e-book ARC to review.

A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi

4.0 out of 5 stars -- If you were really desperate for a baby, what would you do to get one? Is there really hope after a series of miscarriages and barrenness? That question is at the heart of this contemporary fiction novel that begs for debate and discussion. In this case, a surrogate is hired in India to carry the baby that a US couple, Priya and Madhu want so badly. In the awkwardness of the encounters between the surrogate and the natural parents are the twins angst and doubt. Who is using whom? For Asha and Pratap, the opportunity to grow this baby will provide much needed money to give their brilliant son a chance to attend a good school or for the family to buy a real home. For the donor couple, a bit embarrassed by the whole ordeal of secret surrogacy, the use of a host mother gives them the baby that Priya feels she NEEDS in order to create a family. Is this a moral dilemma? And if you don't have children, are you really a "family?" Segregated away in India at a special clinic in the House for Happy Mothers, Asha waits anxiously for the delivery of this child. She is in the company of other women who are doing the same thing as she -- and those women display a variety of emotions and rationalizations. Asha feels the baby move inside her and questions her own motives. Will she be able to give this infant up after carrying it for 9 months? Her husband, son, and daughter visit her faithfully but they don't understand the sacrifice involved here. Asha is no longer in control of her own body. These two couples undergo extreme examination of conscience. As they attempt to explain to others their reasons for choosing this route, both women especially have to look deep inside to analyze their motives to explain their choices. Families are divided, the verdict is in question--was this the right way to do it? Is it OK to use the baby farm? Are there winners and losers? As always, this author creates characters that could be you or me. She puts us in the position of having to evaluate our own set of beliefs and values. There is no right or wrong here, or is there? Personally I can't imagine hiring a surrogate, but then again, I was never desperate enough to have a child to have to think about this option. I do know women who would do this in a heartbeat. I don't allow myself to pass sentence. It was quite interesting to see the different points of view of these two women characters and how they handled this situation. Their families were both supportive and judgmental -- but isn't that like real life?? My only complaint about the book was the overly sentimental happy ending for everyone -- but hey, isn't that what we all wish for? At times very sad, but with a touch of humor, Amulya Malladi gets it -- life is really complicated! The inner thoughts of women are complex! Thank you to the author and to the publishers for this e-book ARC to review.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

3.0 out of 5 stars - Science fiction dealing with quantum physics and multidimensional reality -- not time travel per se. How would your life be different if you had made other choices at the times when the main path diverged? If you gave up the possibility of a brilliant career for love but had second thoughts? or vice versa? Jason is about to find out... Though I found most of the science of this unbelievable, it was an interesting premise that provided a couple of hours of entertainment. I am not a physicist certainly, but the concept of several different realities existing simultaneously along with multiples of the same person -- well, it was a bit much for my reality test. What Jason does for love is the subtext of this novel. I wouldn't call it a thriller nor a suspense tale, but it had lots of action as Jason tries to get back "home" to his wife and son. The concepts and philosophical ideas presented in this story would provide lots of fodder for book club discussions. Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the e-book ARC to review

Anything for Her by Jack Jordan

3.0 out of 5 stars -- What lengths would a mother go through to protect her daughter? What would a man do to make her suffer because of it?

This is a revenge story with what I consider a perfect cast of fairly despicable and unlikable characters. The reader knows at the outset about "that night" changing everything but is not told exactly what mother and daughter did, but it was pretty easy to guess quite quickly. They cover up a crime and try to go on with their lives but keeping the secret ruins their family. When Louise's husband reveals his affair with her sister, Louise leaves their family home and seeks to lick her wounds in the Cotswalds at their other house. She leaves her son at home with his father. Someone else has followed Louise and he proceeds to torment her by leaving dead birds for her to find. Brooke follows her mother to the house but when ordered back to home in London, she vanishes from the train station. Police get involved. Climax. And then a long "letter" at the end explaining every detail in case the reader didn't get it.

Louise is histrionic and overwrought all the time -- I got totally sick of her. None of the others fared much better in my care, concern, or empathy. Everyone is crying, sobbing, shedding tears, too much emotion. I never felt any tension build or felt any menace. Was sort of hoping for exactly the outcome of the story. Well. That was at least a real ending and everyone ended up where they should have, except perhaps for poor Dominic.

Thank you to NetGalley and JJP for the e-book ARC to review. I'll probably read this author's follow up novel to see how it has improved over this debut.

Into the Light by Aleatha Romig

3.5 out of 5 stars - First in a duology (The Light #1) Interesting premise and well-executed mystery that involves a religious cult and an investigative reporter. Told in alternating chapters and different points of view from the world of The Light (a cult led by Father Gabriel) and from the city of Detroit by Stella Montgomery, the reporter on the trail of her missing friend.

The Light is scary and a place where a woman is subjected to a man's rule. Sara awakes in the hospital, blind, and without memories. Her husband, Jacob, is right by her side. She requires discipline and has trouble with obedience. Jacob is there to help.

Stella's best friend vanished into thin air and there are no leads on her disappearance. While working on another story, Stella discovers that there are other women who have gone missing in Detroit and finds a pattern that leads her into some dangerous areas of the city.

Back and forth between The Light (in Alaska) and Detroit. I liked the way this narrative evolves and the reader is not sure what is really going to happen. Jacob explains his ties to The Light and his position. Sara tries to reintegrate after being released from the hospital. Stella searches for answers. Her police detective boyfriend is worried for her safety...

I broke my cardinal rule. I do not read books that end on cliffhanger unless I have the next book at my side ready to read as soon as I finish. I did not know this would end in this fashion and I am pretty unhappy about it. SO...be forewarned should you think about picking this one up now. Wait for #2 AWAY FROM THE DARK to be released first. Unless you like being left dangling with a very unanticipated twist. I am sure I would have rated this higher had I been able to read both at the same time.

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

Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica

Mary Kubica returns with an electrifying and addictive tale of deceit and obsession...

3.0 out of 5 stars -- Psychological drama. When Esther, vanishes from their apartment, Quinn begins an intense investigation and quickly discovers that there is much she did not know about her roommate. In a parallel narrative, Alex watches a young woman newly arrived in his town. and becomes infatuated with her. Quinn searches and Alex watches. What happened to Esther and why did she disappear? What is this girl, who Alex has secretly named Pearl, doing in this cold place near to Lake Michigan.

Slow pace with some tension created with the ominous tone. Lots of rambling stream of consciousness prose from the two main characters. Quite implausible and very predictable. I think most readers will have figured out some key clues by 19% in. Not enough action or suspense for me.

I've read all 3 of this author's books now and this was my least favorite. I am sure I will read the next by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin MIRA for the e-book ARC to review. 

Mercy by Daniel Palmer

4.0 out of 5 stars -- Mercy or murder? That's the moral debate at the heart of this novel. Is self-determination a fundamental right? Do the terminally ill or the severely disabled "deserve the right to hasten death to avoid inhumane suffering or escape from a life turned unbearable?" To die with dignity. Or should suicide or assisted suicide in those cases remain illegal and generally thought immoral? Would allowing it lead to abuse or reduce care?
Dr. Julie Devereux is a critical care physician working in Boston. She's also an advocate for death with dignity. She believes that patients should be able to end their suffering on their own terms. Her certainty ends, however, when her fiance Sam is severely injured in a motorcycle crash. When he begs Julie to help him die, she enlists the help of a volunteer with the organization Very Much Alive to help Sam recover his desire to live. Sam is getting better when he suddenly dies. His death is so surprising that Julie requests an autopsy. Then she notices that other severely ill patients are also dying at an unusual rate. And from a very odd cardiac event. Julie is determined to find out what, and who, is killing certain sick patients at the hospital. And why.
Medical thriller! Oh how I've missed this genre with too few new authors writing realistic and suspenseful books with lots of medicine and science. Intensive care, pathology, laboratory analysis -- it's all just how I like it -- DETAILED. As a nurse, I love the jargon and the information. Of course this is a bit far-fetched as far as the condition and Julie's investigation but there is always license with fiction to go a bit "out there" in a story. 
This is not the first book by Daniel Palmer that I have read, and he has moved up on my wish list as I await his next endeavor. It's not easy to assume the mantle of a popular author, but Michael Palmer's son has done it -- in fact, he's done it even better! And he's not even a doctor! Talk about meticulous research putting this complex story together so that even something so obscure becomes believable. It was a very fast-paced fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Provides for a great philosophical debate as well.

Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

Going backwards to DI Kim Stones book #3 -- because so many people seem to rave about this series and I want to know what I missed by starting with #4.

3.0 out of 5 stars -- Can you imagine having to bid against your best friends for the life of your daughter?

Two girls are kidnapped and the ransom is due. The person(s) holding the children don't ask for a specific amount -- they just want to know what it is worth to the parents to have their daughter come home alive. The catch is, the loser of the auction also loses their child.

DI Kim Stone of the West Midlands Police is assigned to the case right after the abduction and a press blackout is put in place because the same thing had happened with disastrous results just 13 months previously. The two sets of parents are frantic and one couple moves in with the other while the police set up shop in their dining room. Events escalate quickly and Kim her team have only one goal -- to bring both girls home alive.

I recently read #4 in the series and apparently am reading backwards as this is the third. Although the story is fast-paced and well plotted, I just can't get past the fact that I don't like DI Kim Stone. She is the typical brash and reckless cop who is stubborn and rarely follows orders, and she manages to always save the day and close the case (I don't think that is a spoiler as it is something we expect in this genre). She gets beaten up and keeps on going. She eats, sleeps, and breathes her cases while never being wrong. The rest of her team seem like flunkys. And in this one, a hostage negotiator seems romantically interested in her. Kim is also, of course, damaged by her past with a background that is vague. Regardless, I find myself still wanting to go back to books #1 and #2 because SO MANY people rave about them. I just don't know why this character leaves me cold.

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

Play Dead (Kim Stone #4) by Angela Marsons

3.0 out of 5 stars -- Whatever the horror that happens to you as a child, you must not let it define you. You should not seek revenge. Some can't let it go...

The corpse of a woman is found on the grounds of the body farm, Westerley, and DI Stone of the West Midlands Police discovers that this is one of the victims of a serial killer. She and her team think they catch a break when one of the intended next victims is found battered, but alive. Unfortunately, the woman cannot remember anything and is unable to help with any identification of the killer. Nor can she provide a possible motive for why she was targeted.

The narrative jumps around in point of view as the police begin the investigation. The voice of the killer tantalizes with snippets of childhood memories. A reporter gets very involved in the hunt when she realizes that she knew one of the victims back in her school days. All the while, Kim Stone tows the typical hard line to see the case through. And in the usual plot device, Kim almost becomes a victim herself.

This is the 4th book in the DI Kim Stone series, but the first one that I have read. My enjoyment of this thriller might have suffered because I do not know anything about this character nor about her past though there are some references in the narrative. I suppose nothing surprised me, however, as it seems to be the norm in this genre for the female lead investigator to be "damaged" in some way. This prevents them from having typical relationships and behavior -- and does not predispose me to really feeling the empathy that the author may hope to invoke. I'm sympathetic to a degree, and I was quite thankful there was no romance with a colleague in this book, but aren't there any "normal" women in police work? I believe that most of them are and would prefer more realistic portrayals of females in the police in leadership positions.

I would possibly read another in this series and definitely wish that I had started with the first three before picking up this one. Somehow I missed the fact that this was a series when reading the book synopsis and becoming intrigued by the premise. The pace was a bit slow in places and was not particularly suspenseful and I enjoyed it overall despite not feeling "gripped" with thrills.

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

The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza

4.0 out of 5 stars -- This second in the DCI Erika Foster series is just as creepy and entertaining as the first installment.

The Night Stalker creeps in when darkness falls. Phone lines and power are cut. Victims are single men and they are found with suicide bags on their heads. What do they all have in common and why are they being targeted?

This police procedural thriller takes the reader through the investigation with tantalizing clues, red herrings and a solid plot that keeps you glued to the pages. Even though you know who is doing this -- and why -- fairly early on, the well-developed characters and the well-written narrative provide a very satisfying read as it all comes together for a fitting and believable conclusion.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. The only thing that I wish is that Erika not be turned into a stereotype of a renegade "never follow orders" cop who is always in trouble at headquarters even though she ends up being right. I also hope that she doesn't end up as just another "damaged" heroine. I do really like that she is not involved in any romance and that her co-workers are interesting.

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

Blood Defense by Marcia Clark (#1)

4.0 out of 5 stars -- Fast-paced legal thriller, first in a new series keeps you guessing.

Samantha Brinkman is a sassy, sneaky, snarky defense attorney who tries to get away with more tricks than many of her sleazy defendants. When a high profile double murder case involving an actress comes her way, she's eager to get the media exposure and the courtroom time. And, of course, she does want to get her client, an LAPD detective, a "not guilty" verdict no matter what -- and she is willing to resort to some desperate measures to cast doubt so the jury won't convict. Assisted by her two employees: her best friend and an ex con hacker, she tries to find evidence of some kind that will at least get the jury's attention off her client. While investigating, she is derailed because of a shocking revelation by her client, Dale, and begins to have some serious doubts about him.

Lots of action, the body count rises, and there are many red herrings as Samantha et al prepare for and work the trial and put on Dale's defense. Since I have no experience in the real world of courtroom drama, I have no idea of some if the things that happen in this book are too farfetched to be realistic, but even while shaking my head in a bit of disbelief, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story. I liked the character of Samantha -- with all her issues, she's an interesting woman and even though she definitely walks a thin line with some seriously questionable behavior that is totally immoral -- I can't wait to read the next in the series.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the e-book ARC to review.

The Price by Alexandra Sokoloff

3.0 out of 5 stars -- What would YOU give for a miracle? DA Will Sullivan is on the brink of becoming governor of Massachusetts when his 5-year-old daughter, Sydney, develops inoperable pancreatic blastoma. Terminally ill and with no likelihood of a cure, Sydney is fading fast. Will and his wife, Joanna, spend every second at the hospital begging for a miracle. Endless days and sleepless nights take a toll on the couple and Will starts seeing some very creepy goings on while roaming the medical complex. Dazed and confused, he is at the end of his rope, worried sick about wife and daughter, when he meets a man he believes is a staff member who calls himself Salk. He seems to understand what they are all going through. They talk. Salk holds out hope... Paranormal thrillers are usually not my typical choice of reading material, but I flew through this in a couple of hours, glued to the page to find out how the setup resolved. It was very entertaining, if totally unbelievable, and I enjoyed it. I got this from the library because I read a trilogy by this author that I had liked a lot.

A Dream of Ice by Gillian Anderson

From Gillian Anderson, star of the X-Files, and New York Times bestselling coauthor Jeff Rovin comes the second book in the thrilling paranormal series Earthend Saga that began with "A Vision of Fire."

3.0 out of 5 stars -- Second in series is a little harder to read and, warning, it ends on a cliffhanger note that requires any interested fans to have book 3 nearby.

First, you must have read book one before you start this because it is assumed that the reader knows the main characters and has knowledge of how Caitlin O'Hara has a peculiar ability or two -- which includes communicating with an ancient people. Secondly, you must suspend disbelief and buy into the scenarios presented as if they were possible in some sort of reality.

This definitely will remind you of the "X Files" television series as Caitlin links again to the ancient civilization of Galderkhaan and seeks to uncover the mysteries and stop a dastardly plot. There is a lot going on and the narrative shifts and scenes between Caitlin, Flora - -with the Group, and Mikel out in the ice. I found myself the most interested in the sections that involved the discoveries and interactions that Mikel experiences and rather annoyed with Caitlin as a character. I do plan to read the third book, but probably not immediately.

Part thriller, part science fiction, and part mystical philosphy/religion, this is definitely something different and certainly imaginative world building.

Library book

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

4.0 out of 5 stars -- "People were like Russian nesting dolls -- versions stacked inside the latest edition."

Just "wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love."

As soon as I turned the last page and let the conclusion hit me with full force, I turned back to the very beginning and started to reread. It's that kind of story, but stranger, because it is told in reverse. The answer is there, but you don't see it until you've read to the end. Sure, you have guesses, but you don't really know.

Nic Farrell returns to Cooley Ridge after she receives a cryptic letter from her father. She'd left the place, and everyone there, behind 10 years previously when a friend of hers, Corrine, went missing and was never found. Implicated in the disappearance along with her brother, Daniel, her boyfriend, Tyler, and others in their group, she and her friends managed to satisfy the police that they were not responsible and she made it out and has created a new life for herself -- including getting engaged to Everett. Within 24 hours of her arrival in town, another girl, Annaleise Carter, vanishes. It's all coming back now...

Fast-paced backward suspense provided a very entertaining evening read for me. This will be a great vacation read -- see if you can figure it out from sifting among the red herrings, the lies, the many secrets, and the unspoken.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-book ARC to review.

The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard

Paula Treick DeBoard returns with a tale of dark secrets, shocking lies and a dangerous obsession that will change one neighborhood forever

4.0 out of 5 stars -- Paradise gone wrong

When Phil moves his wife, Liz, and 14-year-old stepdaughter, Danielle, into the luxury villa on the golf course of exclusive The Palms, he feels like the luckiest man alive. They can live in this paradise of the rich for free as he has been given a contract to be the community relations liaison for the new development with amenities similar to a resort. Although they know they are really outsiders and "house rich, cash poor" -- they begin to meet the other neighbors and become part of their new social world. Danielle is a bit of a nerd, and when Sonia suggests that her same age daughter, Kelsey, might be a new friend, Liz eagerly invites her into their home and the two become inseparable. Only problem, Kelsey seems obsessed with Aussie Phil...she won't leave him alone but he is NOT interested in the beautiful teenager. Or is he?

This is the kind of book that I devour. Even though the reader sort of knows what is going to happen, the build-up and the anticipation made it a story that I just could not put down.

It has all the elements of a "fatal attraction" theme with the reader seeing it all unfold and shaking head in frustration as it intensifies relentlessly. STOP HER! But how? And who is to blame...Told from the point of view of both Liz and Phil, and with some time shifting, the tale unfolds in tantalizing pieces and the conclusion will leave you thinking about this novel long after you've turned the last page. Great summer read, don't miss it!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Harlequin (US & Canada) Mira for the e-book ARC to review.

Guilty Minds (#3) by Joseph Finder

3.0 out of 5 stars -- This third in the Nick Heller series is fast-paced entertainment.

Nick, a private spy, is called to Washington, DC, to fix a situation involving an internet story about a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and a prostitute. The narrative is one that involves nonstop action and includes conspiracy and betrayal as well as interaction with a shadowy organization that solves problems for those who can afford them. Nick, trying to separate the lies from the truth, has his usual share of nearly impossible escapes and of course manages a romantic interlude in the midst of his investigation.

Fans of this author and the series will not want to miss this one. Though very predictable, it was an enjoyable read. Nick Heller is the male hero archetype of this genre and so the dialog is snappy and his skills very impressive as he seeks justice and an answer in this case.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the e-book ARC to review. 

Die of Shame by Mark Billingham

3.0 out of 5 stars -- Standalone delivers a complex mystery surrounding the murder of a member of an addiction recovery group.

They meet every Monday night -- two men, three women and the therapist/group leader. Their addictions are varied and their stories similar in the way that their problem has affected their lives. The narrative shifts in a slightly off-putting THEN and HERE AND NOW, etc. In an effort to focus on the NOW, Tony De Silva (leader) suggest that each member focus on the concept of shame as the root of their addictions. So they each, in turn, are meant to tell something about "something we did" or "something that was done to us." The shame that drove them to substance abuse. This sharing doesn't go so well as one of the members ends up dead.

Nicola Tanner catches the case, and with her partner, Dipak Chall, begins the very tedious investigation. Once they've learned a little bit about the victim, their efforts eventually center on the group members as probably suspects. There's enough suspicion to go around as they delve into the interactions of the group.

I was a bit surprised to find that this was the first and only book I've read by this author. I can't compare it to his apparently popular series featuring Tom Thorne. I felt this was quite slow moving and I really didn't like the flip flop of time though we do get a glimpse of each of the actions and thoughts of the main characters though they never really develop enough to earn my empathy or interest. Nicola needs a lot more fleshing out, but then again, how much of her private life was important to the drive of the plot. I was not really surprised with the revelation of the identity of the killer and can I just say that I definitely did not like the cop out ending. I don't know that this represents this author's finest book, so I may try one of the Tom Thorne series novels just to see if there are more thrills and suspense than there was in this one. Not a lot of action here either. So this story takes a long time to tell and not sure it's for everyone but maybe more for those who are already fans.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Edelweiss for an e-book ARC to review. 

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

3.0 out of 5 stars -- Melodrama and mystery on board a luxury cruise ship in the fjords of the North Sea in Scandinavia.

Suspend disbelief as this hot mess of a travel journalist -- Lo (??? this nickname for Laura ugh) Blacklock -- doggedly searches for a woman she spoke to (and borrowed a mascara from) on the AURORA, and who she claims was thrown overboard during the night. The only problem with her story is that there is no passenger registered in Cabin 10 and no one has any idea who she could be.

Lo's main difficulty while playing amateur sleuth is that she doesn't appear to be a very reliable person -- she gets very drunk the first night on the ship, she can't ever sleep, she doesn't eat, she vomits, she gets banged up (a lot), she takes medication for an anxiety disorder -- and yet...  She tries to get the ship's security chief and its wealthy owner to believe her, and they comb the AURORA looking for anyone who might know this missing woman or have seen her on the ship.

The book is fast paced but I found myself so annoyed by Lo and her constant peril and the ridiculous situations she put herself in that the climax and conclusion were a letdown. Without any sympathy for her, I wasn't much concerned with how things would turn out and the whole explanation for the mystery was quite lame. I have not read the previous book by this author and I'm not sure I will, but likely will give another try.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books for the e-book ARC to review.

The Girls by Emma Cline

3.5 out of 4 stars -- A coming of age first person narrative set in  late 1960s California.

Lonely Evie is 14 when she first sees "the girls" in the park. Fascinated by their grungy appearance and their aura of togetherness, she is drawn to them with an urgency that she doesn't understand. They seem to be so alive, so free, and Evie is desperate to get away from what she perceives as her shallow privileged existence in that limbo time between adolescence and young adulthood.  Since her parents divorced, and her best girlfriend defected, Evie lacks the attention she craves and so she seeks out the apparent Queen Bee of this group, Suzanne, and is taken along to their run down ranch in the hills to meet their charismatic leader, Russell. The ranch, the group, the leader are all meant to represent Charles Manson and his "family" so the reader feels that sense of foreboding though knowing what is going to ultimately happen.

Told in flashbacks and alternating with present day when Evie is middle aged and staying in a borrowed home, the story is a stream of consciousness centered on Evie's observations about herself and about what it means to be a girl in society. It is less about the violence and the murders than it is an attempt to explain how a disenfranchised teen could become enamored of this lifestyle, seeking desperately to belong somewhere, to be a part of something significant.

In 1969, I was 13 years old -- a little younger than Evie, and living a life that was the complete opposite of hers. I didn't, nor did any of my acquaintances, have any interest or intention to drink or experiment with drugs at that age and stage of our lives (though some did later in their teens). I think this might be what made this book so hard for me to understand -- how is someone so young as Evie so messed up in her head? Granted our family situations were a lot different (mainly a ton of siblings and parents who were together), but the topic that really got me was all this about how women and girls weren't valued because of their gender. That whole issue is anathema to me. I never thought those thoughts or felt that bias personally though I wonder now if there were messages that might have been intended to make me feel that way. I was probably oblivious having specific dreams and plans -- and a supportive family. So, perhaps that means that I am not the intended audience for this novel as I fail to appreciate the angst that drove Evie to that filthy ranch and her substitute family. One thing is for certain, however, and that is the teen-aged girl's proclivity for drama. That always existed in abundance an was certainly a driving force in behavior and oftentimes ended in bad decisions.

I would guess that many young readers will have no idea, or just a vague notion, about the Sharon Tate murders and Charles Manson, though I do remember it vividly. Newspaper stories were the stuff of nightmares for many of us for years to come. The girls who came under the spell of that psycho maniac were transformed into Russell's hit squad in this novel. The author must have done a lot of research for this debut and I appreciate that.

Overall, I have very mixed feelings about this book as I know it is going to be one of those that gets a lot of focus and certainly could be the subject of many discussions and arguments.  I think it is a title that will appeal to certain readers. All I can say to any parent of a teen girl --  make sure you demonstrate in every way, every day, how much she is treasured. Also, parents, I hope you always know where your children are and who they are with. Seems obvious, but so many things go wrong for kids when parents and other adults in their lives aren't paying attention. Despite her situation, and her perception of the lack of care and concern by her parents, I never felt the empathy for Evie that seems to be necessary to really love this story. Plus (possible spoiler), we are led to believe that she could have been a willing participant -- maybe -- if she had not been kicked out of the car and left at the side of the road on that fateful night of mayhem and murder.

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Random House Publishing for this e-book ARC to review.

Woman with a Secret by Sophie Hannah

Spilling CID #9 in series  ( I have only read #3 and #7)

A dark and chilling psychological thriller in which a woman desperate to hide a devastating secret in her past is drawn into a murder investigation...

4.0 out of 5 stars -- Enjoyable and complicated mystery featuring Detective Constable Simon Waterhouse, his wife Charlie, and the gang in another case in a long running series (this is #9).

The murdered man, Damon Blundy, was a not-so-well-liked columnist for the HERALD. "His vocation was pissing off as many people as possible: women, Jews, Muslims, atheists, pro-choicers...--you name it." The victim had no shortage of people who would have cheerfully killed him so the detectives assume it's personal. This investigation is not going to be an easy one.

Nikki Clements is a woman with a secret. How is she connected to the dead man? Hard to know, because she has a reputation as a liar. She lies about everything. There is only one person to whom she tells everything. A stranger on the internet.

This was a fun read and I enjoyed guessing about the identity of the killer until the conclusion. I have read a couple of other books in this series and I'm sure it would be best to read them all, in order, but I've been hit and miss. I am sure I'll read another.

Library Book