Mother Daughter Sister Stranger by Hank Phillippi Ryan

 Domestic suspense with many twists and turns.

Sisters Eliza and Bea share a traumatic bond as the only survivors of the plane crash that killed their parents. Years later, on the exact anniversary of the crash, Bea vanishes without a trace, failing to pick up her 11-year-old daughter, Piper, from Eliza’s home. Eliza embarks on a desperate search that unravels a web of family secrets tied to a serial killer from their past. 

This was entertaining with a good premise, but ultimately was way too wordy with repetitious and unnecessary stream of unconsciousness angst as the story evolves from Eliza’s point of view. For example, at one point, it takes 3 pages of wild speculation to get her from hearing someone at the door to actually going to answer. I personally don’t care for all of that and it bogged down the pace of the story. So all these possibilities of what happened to Bea and we skip from one assumption to another as Eliza sees danger around every corner and in every person. Then come the revelations which jump out one after another as they get more outrageous. It all felt more manufactured drama rather than a good mystery. I tried hard to really feel for Eliza and the other characters but they all seemed so superficial and without depth. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Stevi Incremona, did a decent job of trying to voice all the characters. I always enjoy the immersive experience.

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

Genre and tags: mystery, suspense, family drama, serial killer, pregnancy, adoption, murder, secrets and lies 

They Say a Girl Died Here by Sarah Pinborough

 The genre bending was just too far out for me.

It was more like this book didn’t know what it wanted to be — a suspense thriller, eerie and supernatural, or psychological drama. 

A very traumatized college dropout, Anna Maybourne, moves to the drought-stricken farming town of Harper’s Creek, Nebraska. In a big old sorta spooky type house purchased by her grandmother, Evelyn (who is apparently suffering from extreme dementia), Anna is also joined by her mother and younger sister. The town is haunted by the unresolved “Farmhand” killings, where two local young women were murdered three years apart before the prime suspect was shot dead by police. As the next 3 year anniversary approaches, Anna grows convinced that the real killer remains free and is still right there. At the same time, her grandmother begins speaking weirdly and doing increasingly odd things. Anna decides to challenge the police findings and uncover the real killer.

Anna, who is 22 years old, is the type of character I can’t tolerate. She speaks and acts without any impulse control and behaves abominably to everyone. Of course, everything she does is blamed on “the thing” that happened to her while she was at university. The actual events were not revealed until the very end of the book, but it was quite obvious because of the ever present misandry. I have come to really dislike when a trope of man hating and bashing is so present in a book because of something that happened to the character where all are blamed for the actions of a few. Maybe it’s because I have a lot of lovely men and boys in my life and I get so sick of this on social platforms with sweeping generalizations of anti male rhetoric. In any event, it was a pervasive theme that men can’t be trusted and of course, that bore out with the climax and revelations in this story. This was way too slow a build up and nothing but Anna being a wild card until all of a sudden she pulls out all the stops, solves the crime, and is almost back to whoever she supposedly was before. When, I thought, what she needed from the beginning was some really intense psychotherapy. It was unbelievable and I didn’t buy into the whole Anna is so clever to figure this all out on her own in a minute. It was not suspenseful, the whole intent of trying to create a supernatural element was uneven and I didn’t buy into it, and Anna, as a main character was totally unlikeable. 

I was disappointed because I’ve read and really liked several other of this author’s novels, but this was just frustrating and the stylistic choices made this a frustrating read.  

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, Saskia Maarleveld, was wonderful, but even her skills and dramatic talents were not enough to overcome the shortcomings of the plot and characters. 

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

Genre and tags: psychological, rape survivor, trauma, sexual assault, murder, unwanted pregnancy, marital affairs, supernatural, dementia, small town, cold case, amateur sleuth, mental health

Murder Stage Left by Verity Bright (#26 Lady Swift)

 

Effective blend of artifact theft, arson, and homicide keeps readers guessing in the latest installment of this cozy mystery series. 

The Byron Detective Agency has a new remit when they are visiting Stratford-upon-Avon and find themselves caught up in a theatrical nightmare. The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre is buzzing over an upcoming production of Macbeth starring the charismatic stage icon Richard Ratcliffe. Chaos erupts, however, when it’s discovered that precious Shakespearean artifacts have vanished from the collection, quickly followed by a suspicious fire at the playhouse. As Eleanor, Seldon, and Clifford race to help put the fire out, the grin discovery of a body adds to their investigation. 

Lots of characters with motives, but they are no match for the Agency. Very entertaining and fast-paced, the savvy reader might spot the killer before the set up of the final acts. Another warm and period appropriate treat for fans of this series. 

If interested in Golden Age detective fiction, this is a great series that should be read in order.

Book Blog Tour Stop 9-1-2026
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

Not a Word by Linwood Barclay

 Fast-paced domestic mystery thriller.

The book opens on a disturbing crime scheme when Reece visits his parents’ home and finds his father and mother dead in their bed. The situation collapses into complete chaos when Reece gets a phone call from his actual mother — who is alive and entirely unaware of the tragedy. What looks like a murder-suicide at first soon becomes something quite different as devastating secrets and lies are revealed. 

There’s a lot going on in this story that is told from multiple points of view and shifts in the timeline. Definitely a lot of drama and trauma as family history is unearthed. Every time I thought I knew who had done what to whom, I was course corrected with the next revelation. I’d like to say I was drawn in and hooked by the many characters, but that would not be true as I never really took to any of them. This family was too much a mess and though there was a lot of angst expressed, the resolutions left a lot to be desired. Certainly many characters to loathe. I was a bit disappointed by how it all played out with the climax and conclusion. It also seemed that there were so many coincidences that kept me suspending disbelief. I did enjoy it, however.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book, both provided by the publishers. The narrators, Nan McNamara and Jonathan McClain did a great job handling all the different character voices. As always, listening while reading helps to create a really immersive experience that makes me enjoy the book even more. 

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

Genre and tags: murder, whistleblower, secrets and lies, family drama, trauma, drug addiction

Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier

 A deliciously dark, addictive read with fabulous twists.

In the small town of Seaside, Washington, 25 years have passed since the Carnival Killer admitted to murdering 5 women, including teenager Lorelei Glass. That admission sealed away a nightmare for her best friends, Barb and Nicolette. 

Now, Barb works as a local reporter while secretly posting on a trashy celebrity gossip blog targeting the hit reality show Trophy Wives. Unknown to her readers, one of the show’s stars, Cole Lennox, is actually Nicolette who fled Seaside decades ago to reinvent herself and  set up a new life. Their separation ends after the Carnival Killer recants his confession for Lorelei’s murder, and a new body washes up along the coast. 

There’s a lot going on in this novel, and no spoilers, but the hits just keep on coming. Eventually the truth of what happened on that fateful summer night comes to light. 

I just could not put this down and so read it in a single sitting today. It’s slick, razor-sharp and it so cleverly fuses small town noir with the glossy, voyeuristic world of reality television. It’s a psychological thriller with a dark mystery that has such flawed and compelling characters. We see the messiness of teenage friendships — the insecurity, jealousy, and lingering guilt — and how it projects into their adult lives. The pacing is relentless as it alternates between the original summer tragedy and the present-day drama trauma. 

I did not read Wonderland, the first book that is set in Seaside but that is a companion more than a first of a series. I also listened to the bonus chapter that featured the serial killer Sam Figg.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrators, Brittany Pressley, January LaVoy, Eunice Wong, Ferdelle Capistrano, and Chris Brinkley, were — for the most part — absolutely amazing. I did, however, hate the voice of Kylie Kuhl and can’t find any information to indicate which narrator voiced that character. The others did a great job bringing all the emotion and drama to life and definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book. I highly recommend listening if you get the chance. 

This is a companion to Wonderland but it’s not necessary to have read it in order to enjoy this one.

Genre and tags: so much going on here: sexual assault, pedophilia, trauma, friendship, murder, teen pregnancy, reality shows, domestic violence and abuse, kidnapping

Error in Diagnosis by Gary Birken (Jack Wyatt #1)

 Thoroughly absorbing medical thriller that relies on clinical detail and diagnostic problem solving at her than emotional theatrics.

Dr. Jack Wyatt, a famed neurologist, is called to consult when an epidemic of severe, atypical neurological symptoms starts to affect pregnant patients across the United States. Partnering with Dr. Madison Shaw, a perinatologist, he tries to find the cause and hopefully a treatment for a newly identified fatal condition termed Gestational Neuropathic Syndrome or GNS. As the body count rises and panic spreads through the medical community and into the highest levels of government, the duo races against time to create a team that will try to pinpoint the source of this outbreak and stop an unimaginable crisis. 

This was very fast paced and it was obvious the author had a medical background. Lots of all the fantastic details I love such as realistic hospital protocols, laboratory work, and epidemiological tracking. It seemed technically accurate in the ways that matter and the disease affecting women and their unborn babies made it feel urgent. I’d love to read another in this series.

I was able to listen to the audio book provided by the publisher while also following along in the e-book. The narrator, Eric Jason Martin, did a fantastic job of voicing all the characters. I appreciated the different tones and accents of the male and female characters. His dramatic flair was spot on. The production definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

This is the first in a medical thriller series. 

Genre and tags: pregnant women, neurological illness, medical thriller

The Secrets We Hide by Karin Slaughter (North Falls #2)

 Fast-paced procedural focused on town dynamics and local corruption.

This sequel takes us back to North Falls, Georgia. Sheriff Emmy Clifton and her sister, former federal agent Jude archer, respond to a shooting on the way back from their mother’s funeral. Inside, former police officer Alison Vickery lies dead in her kitchen while her severely insulted teenage daughter, Mandy, falls through from the attic and is taken away by ambulance. Allison’s husband is missing, and since he was known to be abusive, the town assumes a domestic homicide. As Emmy digs into th crime scene, however, she discovers buried secrets, historical patterns of abuse that are familiar to her own situation, and extensive corruption that points to a far more complex sequence of events. 

Though the plot moves quickly, the whole investigation quickly becomes extremely complex and convoluted. There is so much going on it’s hard to keep up. It is also difficult because there are so many characters to keep track of. We focus on physical evidence and timeline reconstruction and trace Allison’s activities before her murder. All the while, the relationship issues between Emmy and Jude are looming large — will the truth out? I was impatient for the truth to be told and alas, it doesn’t happen (sorry spoiler). I felt the weight of all the family drama and trauma going on in the background during the whole investigation. I wasn’t shocked at the revelations and I sort of feel that there wasn’t quite enough weight given to the perpetrator’s guilt in the end. I think there’s a lot rotten in that small town and brushing one more death under the rug isn’t going to provide the clean up the place needs. I’m thinking there will be another installment that I will definitely read, but I do like when justice is served and I didn’t quite feel that it was in this one.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Kathleen Early, did a fantastic job of voicing the characters and creating an intense environment that heightened the immersive experience. The production definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book. 

This is the second book in a series that should be read in order.

Genre and tags: police procedural, murder, domestic violence and abuse, small towns, criminals, family trauma and drama

The Unknown by Riley Sager

 Skip this one.

A feature film recreating strange events that happened in 1926 on New Avalon, a remote island on Lake Faraday in Vermont, is about to start production. The cast is gathered on the island for a weeklong immersion rehearsal complete with period costumes and no phones. Shortly after arrival, a medical emergency leaves them without communication to the mainland. Members of the cast begin disappearing one by one. 

This book collapses under the weight of an absurd premise, thin characterization, and nonsensical logic. The cast of characters makes so many illogical choices solely to drag out the mystery and results in them being artificial rather than believable. I think I should have left this unfinished as I started disliking it almost immediately. I never connected with Marin Keene as the main character and I found the plot so overwhelmingly contrived as to border on ridiculous. I don't care about the author writing female POV and supposedly, according to other reviews, getting it so terribly wrong. What I did mind was how he used it to justify revenge murder. Another episode in the whole saga about how women are and will forever be victims of men. 

What could have been a tight dual-timeline thriller devolved into an unconvincing sequence of cheap misdirection and a convoluted setup of motives. The twists were beyond all. It was so frustrating and I am so mad I wasted my time. I won't say it's the worst book I've ever read but it's very close. 

 I have to comment on the audio book that I listened to while also reading along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. There were three narrators, Maggie Grace, Patricia Santomasso, and Erin Lin. I had to turn it off half way through as the voices of these women made a bad story even worse. All of them had overly breathy tones and some really heavy and unnatural choppy stops and then a very rapid run that disrupted the rhythm and messed up the pacing. Their overly dramatic performances really created a sense of melodrama more than tension. I do not recommend. 

This is a standalone and not part of any series.

Genre and tags: Hollywood, assault, murder, psychological trauma, multiple personalities 

Murder in a Yorkshire Village (Kitty Underhay #24) by Helena Dixon

 

The 24th installment is a straightforward Golden Age whodunit centered on a local crime during a village event.

In 1938, Kitty and her husband, Matt Bryant, travel from Devon to rural Yorkshire to visit Matt’s parents. Their stay is already a bit rocky and takes a turn for the worse when they attend the village’s annual bicycle race. While out walking the dog, Kitty finds one of the racers dead in a ditch alongside his damaged bike. The homicide victim is none other than Inspector James Lewis’s disreputable brother! Apparently he’s made quite a mess of things between being the fiancé of one local girl and having an affair with a married woman. In fact, Bradley Lewis had his greedy fingers in a lot of schemes. When a second person turns up murdered, Kitty and Matt must work with James Lewis and the local constabulary to figure out who has killed them and why. 

Another entertaining episode in the lives of Kitty and Matt. The story relies on the typical classic cozy elements such as secret affairs, local rivalries, and overlapping motives among the suspects in a small village. Not as dramatic as other cases, it’s a solid functional entry in the series. What’s interesting is that Matt and Kitty seem more like friends and partners rather than a newlywed, madly in love married couple. They do a lot of walking, talking, and eating. 

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this e-book ARC to read and review. I do like the series and have read them all, in order, and plan to continue. 

Blog Tour 8-18-26

Genre and tags: cozy mystery, golden age, murder, whodunit

In the Dark Places (DI Vincent Swann#1) by Helen H. Durrant

 A straightforward, plot-driven British procedural.

Detective Inspector Vincent Swann transfers to a new police unit in Manchester. His first major assignment with the team begins with the discovery of a murdered young woman in a skip. She has been beaten so badly that her identity is a mystery. In addition, pram tracks nearby indicate that a child may have been on the scene. Once the team knows this woman's name, they are faced with some real issues as she was the wife of one of the two main gangsters in town and they have to determine if this incident was retaliation or the start of a war between the Pikes and the Fishers. Instead, they find that there is someone else involved and other dynamics at work.

This was a well written and complicated homicide procedural with lots of red herrings and suspects. The story follows standard investigative protocols, following forensic evidence, timeline reconstructions, and witness interviews without straying into dramatics. The characters, especially Vincent Swann and fellow DI Kat Jardine (both vying for promotion within the unit), were well developed and quite interesting. Opposites in many ways, Vincent private and reserved as well as antisocial, and Kat, who is much more outgoing and definitely equal to the tasks, find their way as they navigate the twists and turns the case takes. The pace was steady and maintains a grounded focus as they work.

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, Orlando Wells, did a fine job of voicing all the characters though this definitely would have benefited with a female actor to take on the roles of those women characters. His voice matched the pacing and was appropriately dramatic. This created a nice immersive reading experience that I recommend.

This is the first in a new series.

 Genre and tags: British police procedural, murder, rival gangs, drugs, child abduction, family problems

Dark Harbor (#3 Brock Justice) by Bruce Robert Coffin

 Gripping multilayered police procedural hits the spot.

When multimillionaire Granville Warren and an unidentified burglar are found dead after a chaotic home invasion in a Bar Harbor, Maine mansion, Detective Brock Justice is called to investigate with his partner Detective Chloe Wright and a suspicious new member of the team, Detective Samantha Osborn, who seems to be harboring some hidden motives for being there. 

Granville’s much younger widow, Lily, claims she acted in self-defense but some of the evidence contradicts her story. Brock must navigate the underbelly of the local elite as he discovers that the dead town patron had some serious flaws including the fact that he was blackmailing tons of them. 

I love a good cop story without drama and psycho stuff and this was it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I really like tension and gritty authenticity. It’s obvious that the author has real world experience in law enforcement. This is the third in the series I have read and I really like the main character, Brock Justice, who is a compelling resilient protagonist.  I love the hard boiled mysteries and small town intrigue of these and I look forward to the next installment.

ARC compliments of the publisher.

This is the third in a series that should be read in order.

Tags and genre: police procedural, mystery, thriller, murder

Bitter Fall (#2 Brock Justic) by Bruce Robert Coffin

 Tightly plotted but predictable police procedural,

Detective Brock Justice investigates the death of Summer Randall on a dark backcountry road in Greenville, Maine. What initially appears to be a fatal accident caused by a car quickly turns into a homicide investigation when the medical examiner discovers a hidden stab would. Reunited with his partner, Detective Chloe Wright, Justice navigates a complex web of suspects while facing all sorts of political fallout. 

The police details are authentic because the book is written by someone who was an actual homicide detective. The author blends the rugged Maine wilderness setting with a tense, fast-paced plot line that draws the reader in as the investigative team explores all sorts of potential suspects and red herrings. Unfortunately, before even the half way mark, I knew who the killer was and I was so disappointed that it was so obvious and it was this person. 

The author has created a character in Brock Justice who is a flawed protagonist trying to get back on track but who can’t let go of the past. He faces his nemesis and finally makes a breakthrough

I enjoyed this second book in the series and am moving on to the third. My only  issue was that the killer was so obvious and it took them ages to see it.

This is the second book in a series that should be read in order.

Genre and tags: police procedural, murder, pregnancy, best friends, 

Crimson Thaw (Detective Justice #1) by Bruce Robert Coffin

 Atmospheric police procedural that strikes a nice balance between gritty realism and fast-paced suspense.

Former star detective Brock Justice suffers a career tailspin after breaching the code of silence within the thin blue line of te Main State Police. Banished to the frozen landscape of northern Maine as punishment, Brock is assigned to the Major Crimes Unit there and paired up as trainer and mentor to a newly minted Detective Chloe Wright. Their first case begins when Chloe, on a police dive, finds a submerged snowmobile in a pond up at Blue hill. When it’s brought up to the surface, they have their homicide investigation. The pair uncover a dark web of corruption running through some of the key figures in town — on both sides of the law. Brock and Chloe navigate a new and uneasy partnership while trying to figure out who in town is an ally and who is involved in the high stakes drug operation.

You can tell this must have been written by a former homicide detective as there are so many great details about police investigation and process. There is enough mystery and many questions as the probe continues while the relationship between two dynamic main characters evolves to create mutual respect between them. This is a great series opener and I look forward to reading the next two that I have lined up on my TBR shelf. I really like the mix of small town secrets with authentic, hard-boiled investigative work.

I received this as an ARC from the publisher and recommend it. 

This is the first in a series that should be read in order.

Genre and tags: drugs, police investigation, corruption, dirty cops, counterfeit operation, Maine

Two Degrees by Alan Gratz

 I read this along with my 13 year old grandson in our book club for summer reading projects.

The main focus was on climate change — an increase of two degrees Celsius more will be enough to tip the planet into irreversible changes that will destroy it such as catastrophic sea level rise, severe droughts, wildfires, widespread ecosystem loss, and extinction events. 

The story centers on events in 3 different parts of North America as experienced by teenagers. A wildfire in California, a hurricane in Miami, and the melting of Arctic ice in Churchill, Manitoba. 

Talk about harrowing. Lots of drama and trauma.

I’m sure this will give an opportunity for lots of good discussion on the topics explored. 

Juvenile fiction

Not rated

Climate change, natural disasters, survival, teenagers

Where the Rivers Merge (#1 Rivers Books) by Mary Alice Monroe

 Poignant historical novel with a focus on South Carolina from the start of the 20th century.

Set in the South Carolina Lowcountry, this story follows Eliza Pinckney Rivers across two pivotal eras. In 1988, Eliza is 88 years old and is fighting to protect her family's ancestral estate, Mayfield, and the surrounding ACE Basin from her greedy son's development pans. As she recounts her life to her niece and granddaughter, the narrative shifts back to 1908 and details her childhood as a nature-loving free spirit. She navigates family loss, WWI, and societal pressure. This is a sweeping tale of resilience, a woman's lifelong bond with the land, and a tale of the importance of conservation. 

This lovely novel was a joy to read with the way the author fully develops and delivers multidimensional characters while also putting them into a place undergoing many societal changes including racial issues and women's rights. Eliza is a fierce matriarch whose personal growth mirrors the changing Southern landscape around her. There are vivid descriptions of the land that help the reader understand Eliza's passion to preserve it. 

Since this is marketed as a duology with the second book still a year out in 2027, there are some unresolved issues and story arcs. This is indeed a captivating exploration of legacy, female agency, and ecological stewardship. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book. The narrators, Jenna Lamia and Cassandra Campbell, delivered a fantastic performance. The accents, the cadence, and their dramatic flair added so much to bring this story to life and created a truly immersive reading experience. Highly recommended. 

This is the first in a duology that should be read in order.

Genre and tags: sweeping family saga, book club fiction, historical fiction, 1900s South Carolina, women's rights, racial issues, conservation, nature 

Tradwife by Michelle Brandon

 Domestic thriller with a not so subtle revenge motive.

In Crystal Harbor, the women curate picture perfect traditional lifestyles for social media while also navigating intense petty rivalries behind closed doors. There’s domestic drama and social jockeying while Jennifer, Miranda, and Ariel try to focus on their children and lives in a town where all are expected to follow the norms and behave properly. 

This was really a hard book to like. None of the 3 women are characters that created any feeling other than annoyance. There was always this predictable element and the ever present hovering of the secrets they were keeping but not telling the reader. I guessed immediately what was going on. Truly suburban drama and it was more tedious than compelling. The big event about the body on the beach comes way late to be a part of most of the book and it was all a bit unbelievable how the story wrapped up. 

Perhaps this was written to be some sort of cautionary tale, but the lives of these women weren’t lived in a vacuum and they all knew each other from young on yet they stayed in town. The blurb is very misleading. The story is basically 3 different points of view with only one of them actually living the tradwife lifestyle. The other two are the current wife and ex wife of one of them male characters. 

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 a full cast with narrators Ann Marie Gideon, Eva Kaminsky, Amanda Stribling, And Hillary Huber. Two of the voices were so annoying that I had to fast forward the audio and just read the chapters for Ariel and Tara. The publisher hasn’t indicated which of the narrators voiced which characters so I can’t identify them. Usually the audio book enhances my enjoyment of the book, but nothing really helped this time. 

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

Genre tags: domestic suspense, tradwife, traditional roles, marriage and family, revenge, petty rivalry

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