The Liar's Book Club (#9 Secret, Book, and Scone Society) by Ellery Adams

A cozy mystery characterized by friendship and a blend of tragedy, joy, and hope for the future.

A category four hurricane batters the mountain town of Miracle Springs, North Carolina. Guests are waiting for a groom at a wedding and when he fails to appear, his intended bride and her friends are locked in by the storm and unable to find out what has happened. As flash floods isolate the entire community, power is out, and many have lost everything, a body in formal wear is found in a rusted out old car washed up on the banks of the river. In addition, a valuable manuscript that the almost bride, Jess, was working on, goes missing. As the community tries to recover, Nora Pennington and the fellow members of The Secret, Book, and Scone Society must unravel local secrets and lies to catch a killer before all the evidence is gone. 

This is the 9th book in the series and the first one I have read so it's my first time meeting everyone and that was a lot of characters to keep straight and to put into the different groups. The core of girlfriends forming that Scone Society book group is Nora, the main character and owner of the bookstore, along with June, Hester, and Estella. There's another book club run by Sheldon Vega, called the Blind Date Book Club. The bookstore seems to be a popular place in town for people to gather so they all know each other, some better than others. In any event, the tragedy of the storm brings an outpouring of help, donations, and resources for all those affected. All the while, the book club people are investigating the crime and comforting the bereaved Jess. Nora's boyfriend, Sheriff Grant McCabe, is officially on the case and feeds Nora information. So this was typical amateur cozy sleuthing with all the tropes.  It was almost too saccharin and the people overly empathetic, giving, and up in each others' business. Happy ending guaranteed. I liked it well enough, but I don't know if enough to read another. 

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, Cris Dukehart, was able to master different accents and tones to portray all of the different characters though of course a male voice would have really elevated the production. Listening to a good dramatic performance always enhances my enjoyment of a book.
 

This is the 9th book in the series but the first I have read. I think I would have benefited somewhat by having more familiarity with the characters and the backstory.  

Genre and tags: cozy mystery, North Carolina, storm and flood damage, rescue and recovery efforts, murder, folio restoration, robbery, bookstore, food, coffee, wine 

The Trial of Lizzie Bordon: The Making of a Monster by Roland O'Leary

 This audio production features a full cast of narrators so that the story really comes alive. It is reminiscent of an old time radio show with sound effects. The script comes from trial transcripts and other primary sources so it is more accurate than some of the so called docu-dramas about this woman.

I enjoyed it and wish it had been longer. The crime has never really been solved definitively though I’m sure many have an opinion. It was just so long ago and forensics and evidence and trial procedure are much different now.

This is part of the Trials of the Century series and is the 4th but the only one I've listened to.

The performance is about Lizzie Borden, accused and found not guilty of murdering her father and stepmother. 

The Dying Light (Two Rivers #4) by Ann Cleeves

 Excellent procedural drama.

Set in sweltering North Devon, Detective Matthew Venn and his team are called to the scene where a young woman has been found dead in the swimming pool at Tide House, a luxury holiday home owned by a prominent political family. Even more alarming, her best friend, the property owner’s daughter, has vanished. Venn and his cohort are thrust into a tangled web of local friction and some unusual coincidences. The community isn’t as forthcoming to questioning as Matthew would like and they try to decipher the dangerous truths hidden behind the calculated silences. 

There was a lot going on in this story and the mystery Is complicated by the families of the girls and the people in the town. There’s a lot of psychological tension and not much physical evidence. This isn’t fast paced but proceeds methodically as Venn approaches the case in a sympathetic manner. This was the first I’ve read in this series and it won’t be the last. I liked the characters and the glimpses into their personal lives intrigued me. I enjoyed the surprising revelations and the conclusion.

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, Jack Holden, did an excellent job of voicing all the characters with their accents and imbuing them with unique personalities. His pacing enhanced the story and made me enjoy it even more. 

This is the 4th book in a series featuring Detective Matthew Venn but only the first I have read.

Genre and tags: police procedural. Devon. Murder, Friendship. Secrets

Conspiracy Theory: A Thriller

 Engaging and fast paced procedural and legal thriller.

Novelist and lawyer Michael Harris is struggling to find an inspiration for a new book when he stumbles onto an old national tragedy, the assassination of first lady Gloria Hale. She was killed years ago, but Michael starts digging into old files kept by her former secret service agent. The material he gathers obviously triggers someone because a deadly chain of events begins. Key evidence burns and bodies start dropping so Harris starts to believe that his hypothetical is actually an active high level coverup that puts him in danger. Can you say conspiracy? or is it something even more complicated... 

Oh this was so good, and what an excellent writer Phillip Margolin is. The plot is convoluted but it felt grounded and plausible. There are some familiar suspense tropes, but the rapid pacing makes it a genuinely suspenseful read. I liked the characters, and even though I'm not overly fond of series, I wouldn't say no to another book featuring this main character. It was a nice blend of politics, legal maneuvering, police procedural, and serial killer thriller. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also reading along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Therese Plummer, did a fantastic job with all of the character voices. Her dramatic flair and acting ability made the drama come alive and created a thoroughly immersive experience that enhanced my enjoyment of the book. 

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

Genre and tags: murder, drugs, serial killer, conspiracy, government cover up, politics, legal 

Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley

 A historical mystery and classic whodunit. 

Set at an exclusive Swiss resort circa 1950, the story is told by four distinct perspectives. When three deaths disrupt the holiday that is meant to be enjoyed by Miss Marple and her friend, recently widowed Mrs. Bantry, In due time, Miss Marple cleverly sifts through long buried wartime secrets to out the responsible party. 

The narrative shifts between the following: Catharine Narracott, wife of Anthony Narracott, Conservative candidate who works in the War Offices. Actress Sylvia Sinclair, mistress of Anthony, who is rapidly aging out of her usual roles. Bruno Crane, a war time acquaintance of Anthony Narracott and loyal companion to Mrs. Bantry, Diana Glass. There is some gold...

After only a day or so, a blizzard sets in and a train wreck in the tunnel ensures that everyone is stranded at the hotel. So this is a typical locked room type mystery. I loved the atmospheric setting and would have loved to know more about the actual hotel, but, alas, there are murders and suspects and backstory and a lot of rambling before the truth comes out and Miss Marple solves the crime. 

I didn't care for the multi-POV and the story moved very slowly with one grand reveal at the end. I didn't like the outcome (no spoilers). Nevertheless, it kept me guessing as first one red herring and then another possible culprit was dismissed. 

I wasn't a huge fan of the basic premise and plot so I might read another of this type by Lucy Foley.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The full cast narration by Hayley Atwell, Lucy Boynton, Adeel Akhtar, Mara Wilson, and Hugh Kermode was refreshing and enhanced my enjoyment of the book. The author, Lucy Foley, also contributes with an author's note. One thing though was that in many cases there were differences between the text and the audio version which can be jarring if you are reading alone. Not sure how many people actually do this, however. And not sure why these changes were made. 

Not sure if this is the first in a new series by the author.

Genre tags: historical fiction, 1950s, cozy, Switzerland, war crimes, stolen gold, Nazi, murder 

Will I Be Next? by Kerry Wilkinson

 Slow burn psychological premise centered on long buried childhood secrets and past trauma catching up in adulthood.

Thirty years ago, six children provided key testimony that sent their Sunday school teacher, Martin Yale, to prison for a heinous crime. Faith, one of those six, receives an unexpected visitor from her past, Jacob, another member of that group who comes to warn her that the others are suddenly dying under suspicious circumstances. Faith has received hate mail in the past from Martin’s son, but those letter stopped. Who is targeting and hunting the members of their group now. It’s time to unravel all the secrets. 

Well, there were some surprises but it took so long to get to them and in such a roundabout way. Once the revelations began, I felt so much of it stretched my credulity and the motivation for what was happening was a stretch. I never quite warmed to any of the characters and definitely kept me guessing about whom to trust. This was less a thriller and more domestic drama with all the shifting relationship dynamics. And, as stated, it was very slow moving. 

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, Rose Robinson, did a fine job of voicing the characters which enhanced my enjoyment of the book. 

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

Genre and tags: psychological drama, childhood sexual abuse, marital affairs, children, secrets, trauma, murder, revenge

A Cruise to Nowhere: my search for Amy Lynn Bradley by James Renner

 Just finished a deep dive into this true crime book about the disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley over 28 years ago. She vanished from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Rhapsody of the Seas on March 24, 1998. After reading, I also watched the Netflix documentary and went down the rabbit hole into endless information about this case, this young woman, her friends, and her family. So very frustrating not to have answers after all this time.

I read a lot of true crime and this was a bit different. As the author puts it, it’s also a bit of a memoir, as he does share a lot of his personal thoughts and observations about himself, his life, and his reaction to everything he did as he researched for this book. The personal interviews with many of the important people involved in his search for what could have happened left few investigative avenues unexplored. I did not know anything about this until I picked up this book. Now, thoughts about this are going to keep me awake some nights. I do not like unsolved mysteries. 

I am just left with overwhelming sadness that no one really knows what happened to this young woman. Maybe one day all wil be revealed and the family can get the closure they are searching for as they try to live their lives without her. 

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

Genre and tags: nonfiction, true crime, missing persons, cruise ship

The 10:12 by Anna Maloney

 Claire Fitzroy is just trying to get home when her 10:12 NorthRail train from Manchester to London is hijacked. Although she's a middle aged history of art university lecturer, Claire makes a decision to fight back. Her desperate actions save lives, but the aftermath thrusts her into a chaotic media storm and trial where the public debates if she is actually a heroine or a murderer. Although the outcome sees justice, Claire is left still traumatized and seeking answers about why those men chose that train and why they did what they did. 

The beginning is quite gripping as the train hijacking begins and the passengers, basically led by Claire, start resisting. Lots of action and very fast paced as decisions are made and people die. Trying to keep track of all the characters is a bit daunting as they divide into the good guys vs the baddies. Then the story transitions to disjointed pieces of Claire's book, communication with her publisher, and some texts. A slow burn courtroom session follows and the drama sort of stalls the momentum. After that, we segue into Claire's search for answers and meaning which definitely downshifts the pacing and tension. The shift from action thriller to introspection and Claire's exploration and amateur investigation into the men involved in the terrorist plot changes the tone and it went on overly long. Then there's the hint that things are not what they seem and there are secrets being kept making this a high level coverup conspiracy within a story about terrorists operating under a conspiracy theory. 
It was OK but not what I was expecting. I certainly didn't read this as being any sort of feminine rage story. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The audio book features an ensemble cast consisting of Elaine Claxton, Sarah Thom, Maxim Reston, and Dane Williams. The performers did a good job with their parts although some really spoke quite fast in a clipped fashion that was hard to follow so I was glad I had the book to help me keep it all straight. The production definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book. 

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

Genre and tags: suspense thriller, terrorist, hijack train, anti Chinese, incels, conspiracy nuts, courtroom, prison, murder, assault, intelligence community