The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer

 An atmospheric, character-driven mystery about grief, hidden trauma, and family secrets.

A new divorced woman, Fiona Winslow, returns to her family home in Australia. It’s a crumbling estate that needs a lot of work, but she’s just the person to do it. Strangely, her mother is not happy at all that Fiona has come back and doesn’t want her to do anything to the mansion. Despite all, Fiona is determined and gets to work trying to clean the place that has been abandoned for over a decade. Under the dust and detritus, she finds a box of books. Intrigued, she starts reading The Midnight Estate, a captivating story of love and betrayal that eerily mirrors her own family and this very house.

I loved the book-within-a-book structure and even though I knew at once what she was reading, I really liked the way the author did the reveals. The timelines and characters are masterfully tied together in a very gripping narrative that kept me glued to the pages. I fell in love with the characters and bristled at the coercive control and abuse. Definitely led to a haunting and satisfying 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, Siho Ellsmore, did a fantastic job with all of the character voices. Her dramatic flair and accents really enhanced my enjoyment of the story. Her talent created a vey immersive reading experience and I highly recommend it. 

My copies of both the e-book and audio book were titled The Midnight Estate.

This a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre and tags: mystery, abusive relationships, old houses, Australia

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen

 Engrossing and hard to put down, this psychological thriller blends elements of historical fiction centered on 1960s psychical experiments. 

In 1964, four young women named Betty, Kathleen, Ivy, and Helen are recruited by a university researcher to undergo high-stakes parapsychology studies testing their extra sensory abilities. As the tests grow increasing invasive, the subjects form a tight bond but the program suddenly vanishes from history, leaving the fate of the four women a mystery.

Decades later, a newly divorced woman named Riley Bell takes a live-in caretaker job for an elderly wheelchair bound Betty. Stepping into her home, frozen in the 1960s with no modern technology, Riley begins uncovering Betty’s past. 

Told in a past and present timeline and from the different women's points of view, the journey back reveals what happened to the women and the true extent of their gifts. 

What an eerie, atomospheric blend of historical fiction and psychological suspense that felt remarkably grounded in truth. The dual timeline structure creates a slow burn tension that shifts between the trauma experienced by the women in the 1960s and Riley’s present-day investigation. 

This novel shines witih its rich character dynamics and emotional depth exploring themes of female friendship and solidarity, institutional control, and the restraints placed on women in that particular time period. It also shows the scars left by being treated as research subjects rather than as persons. It was scary to see the women fall under total control of Dr. Trimble and the things he subjected those young women to in the name of pursing his own fame and glory. It was quite sad actually. 

Even though I am a skeptic about ESP and psychic abilities, I recognize it might only be because I’ve never experienced any sixth sense or lucid dreams that predicted an event or provided an answer. I really enjoyed this novel of paranormal suspense.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Saskia Maaleveld, did a fantastic job of creating unique voices for all of the main characters and I was totally immersed in the story. The production enhanced my enjoyment of the book. Highly recommended. 

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

Genre and tags: based on real experiments of 1960s, ESP, parapsychology, test subjects, test effects, historical fiction, psychological thriller, suspense 

The Talking Bone by Rene Denfeld

 Atmospheric mystery thriller focused on exonerating a death row inmate.

Death row investigator, Ruby Spencer, known as the exonerator, travels to Georgia with just two weeks to prove the innocence of a man facing execution for the murder of a gas station cashier. While racing against the clock, Ruby also uses her skills to track down missing women who have been overlooked by society. The investigation soon unearths long-buried secrets that connect the death row case to dark truths about Ruby’s own past and family origins.

Although the premise was solid, there are a lot of things going on in this book that require suspension of disbelief at the coincidences and parallels. The core story and procedural elements are halfway decent, keeping a steady pace as the timeline winds down. The author, however, loses me when she pushes the atmospheric and supernatural elements with the bone giving her clues and information that feel out of place and detract from what could have been a sharp grounded mystery. If you strip away that extra magical realism fluff, it’s enjoyable but didn’t live up to my expectations and its full potential.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The production had two narrators, with the primary being Allyson Ryan. I had a really difficult time tolerating her breathy and overly dramatic voice with her pauses and how difficult it was to differentiate between Ruby and the other female characters who all sounded the same. The character of Mitchell was voiced by James Shippy who did a good job for those short parts. I typically really enjoy the immersive experience of listening while reading. 

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

Tags and genre - mystery thriller, crime thriller, missing women, murder, death row inmate, poor house, orphans, abuse, sexual assault

The Author Weekend by Laura Zigman

 This is a sort of bizarre genre-bending hybrid that sits between a locked room mystery and a sharp satire of the publishing industry and their authors.

Aging mystery author Faye Wader is hostess of a fan retreat on a remote island off the coast of New England. She’s driven by insecurity and has an intense rivalry with an author she calls her nemesis.  The story of the weekend is told through four distinct perspectives — there’s Faye herself, her ambitious long-suffering wanna be author Jade, her agent Hal, and her editor, Merry. Everyone arrives but the event quickly spirals out of control. Faye, afraid her publisher is about to reject her latest book, is triggered by an obsessive fan who is poking holes in Faye’s origin story. She desperately tries to keep the weekend and schedule on track while her world unravels. 

This is crazy with its behind the scenes glimpse into the brutal world of book publishing. Definitely you can see the decimation of the ego, Faye’s desperation, and her psychological implosion. It was a bit of a slow burn and I think it might have been meant as tongue in cheek humor, but I found it hard to empathize with Faye and her neuroses as everything starts to fall apart with multiple betrayals. 

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 recording featured four different narrators: Gabra Zackman, Carol Monda, Joel Froomkin, and Emily Lawrence. I thought they did a decent job and I always enjoy lots of different voices for characters but I definitely did not like the voice of Jade Smythe who was voiced by Gabra Zackman. Her voice just grated. Other than that, the audio provided a nice immersive reading experience.

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

Genre and tags: publishing industry, author weekend, fans, editors, agents, murder, competition

The Break-in by Katherine Faulkner

 Slow moving domestic mystery.

Art restoration expert and wealthy London mother, Alice Rathbone, watches her life fall apart after a botched home invasion leaves a young man, Ezra Jones, dead. And, she was the one who killed him. Though the police rule the death as self-defense, Alice is consumed by guilt and paranoia. Online threats, suspicious phone calls, and things going missing from her home create confusion and stress. Alice is obsessed and does some extremely reckless things to try to find answers as to why her house was targeted. She can't move on so begins investigating Ezra's family. Her search drags her into a web of secrets, gaslighting, and betrayals involving her husband, her nanny, and her closest friends. It soon becomes clear  that the real danger was inside her home long before the intruder broke in.

The set up was good with the home invasion and the self-defense angle, but then it quickly got bogged down with endless angst on Alice's part. It became annoying with her running off half-cocked, violating her bail conditions, and making (and keeping) contact with Ezra's mom and sister. At the very end, the pace picked up as the reveals start rolling in one after another. I had to really suspend disbelief at some of the absurd things Alice did. There were a lot of messy subplots going on at the same time that diluted the impact of the primary mystery. Alice had to juggle toxic female friendships, a scheming nanny, hidden past affairs, and personal vendettas along with a revenge scenario. I did not like Alice so all that she did and what happened to her meant I ended up not really caring after all that convoluted mess. It was just too much too late. 

I'm giving this 2.5 stars rounded up. The book was way too long with tons of needless filler that made the story evolve more slowly and also quite boring at times. I almost stopped reading as it seemed like it was going nowhere except Alice whinging about can't move on. More domestic drama than thriller.

I listened to the audio book while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Shiromi Arserio, did a decent job trying to voice all the different characters but with so many females it definitely would have benefited from a larger cast performance.

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

Genre and tags: affairs, home invasion, stalking, revenge, secrets and lies, toxic female friendship, nanny, blackmail, Huntington's Chorea, grooming, pregnancy 

Replaced by Stephanie Kreml

 I’m having PTSD reading how this woman’s life is being dismantled.

OK it’s now just TOO MUCH. And it’s gotten completely unbelievable that all of these things would happen and that degree of persecution and manipulation would actually occur. There is no way that paperwork showing a divorce and marriage would hold up. The whole scene with the reading of the will and the lawyer saying that the husband changed the will. He would have had to sign it with witnesses in the lawyer presence. Lawyer accepted new will without ever seeing his client? 

And that those signed documents would not be analyzed. And so many of the legal aspects I am not buying. Things would not happen like that in real life. 

I was liking this at first as it moves really fast but things kept piling on and I can’t suspend my disbelief enough to recommend. It’s just ridiculous now.

Skip it. I finished but reluctantly. 

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

Genre and tags: domestic drama, schemes, manipulation, gaslighting, child custody

Three Reasons for Revenge by Dervla McTiernan

 A mastermind’s deadly game of retribution makes for a chilling thriller.

When student Alexis Turner walks into a Melbourne police station to report a sexual assault by a prominent university psychologist, she specifically asks for Detective Sergeant Judit Lee. The allegation strokes a raw nerve for Judith as it reminds her of a case she failed to finish a decade earlier. But before Judith can properly launch an investigation, Alexis vanishes without a trace. Shortly, three individuals receive personalized, anonymously delivered packages that contain a secret that is designed to destroy the recipent’s life. As Judith tries to piece together how these targets are connected, she realizes she’s not investigating a crime but she has been lured into a meticiulslly planned revenge scenario. 

Very unsettling psychological thriller that is suspenseful and thought provoking. The plot got me hooked and it took awhile to figure out how these seeiminly separate storylines were connected. The pacing was brisk and engaging. Judith Lee as a main character is definitely flawed (as usual) and driven by her own past mistakes but also by an authentic personal investment into getting justice for those the perpetrator has ruined. Definitely the narrative addresses power dynamics and long term trauma. A very addicting crime thriller that was quite sad and left me wanting more.

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, Alison McGirr, did a decent job with all the voices but this definitely could have benefited from a larger cast as there were a ton of characters. I love listening while reading because it creates a more enjoyable, immersive experience with a book. 

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

Genre and tags: crime thriller, female detective, murder, revenge, long term trauma, psychopath

System of Justice (Tom Berte #3) by Dan Buzzetta

 Compelling legal drama bridges the gap between Washington politics and raw courtroom battles.

Civil attorney, Tom Berte, is forced out of his quiet Albany practice and dragged back into the line of fire when a shocking murder rocks the nation's highest court. A Supreme Court justice has been murdered in his chambers, and the prime suspect is Madison Redding, a court clerk who also happens to be the protege of Tom's late mentor. Madison swears her innocence prompting Tom to step into the unfamiliar territory of criminal defense. There's a lot going on behind the scenes as Tom risks it all and tries to clear Madison's name.

I was at a distinct disadvantage coming into this series without having read the first two installments. Although the narrative referenced the back story often, it didn't really add to the current story and was more off putting because I wasn't familiar. Those many backward reflections seemed to take up a lot of space in this book and it really wasn't needed. 

Tom is one of those good guys who follows the rules and really wants justice, so basically a unicorn in the legal world in many ways. The legal maneuvering felt authentic even though it was quite convenient that Tom had friends in so many high places. It definitely helped him navigate the red tape and avoid getting killed. I liked the plot well enough but it was a bit predictable and some of the drama was over the top along with the trope of the innocent framed by powerful unseen forces. 

The pacing was good and kept me turning the pages so I read this in a single sitting. But the conclusion came quite abruptly after the final clues are revealed. Tom is a polarizing character for me because he is almost too decent and his portrayal is of a man and lawyer who is so amazing and can just do it all. But definitely I'd rather read about criminal cases over civil actions any day. I'm a huge fan of legal thrillers and glad to have had a chance to read this ARC thanks to the publisher. 

3.5 stars

This is part of a series that should be read in order. 

Genre and tags: supreme court justice, murder, framed, political corruption, legal thriller