The Examiner - Janice Hallett

Janice Hallett is a brilliant writer! I was so excited about her latest book - The Examiner. I just knew it would be another fantastic read. (It was!)

A group of six artists comprises the inaugural group of students hoping for a masters in art degree. They're a very mixed bunch but all are eager to take the course. And their professor is thankful for having the funding to run the program. But...

Oh, there's a fabulous but! Each one has their own agenda - and that's the fun of this book. Can you suss out what everyone is up to?

 Hallett reprises the epistolary style of writing that I adore. The book is told through emails, coursework, texts, message boards, essays and their inner dialogue. The reader is the quiet seventh student, hearing everything that is going on and and trying to put the pieces together.

Good luck with that! The plotting is absolutely brilliant in my opinion. The clues are sometimes right there to see, while other times they're longshots. Hallett throws in more than one twist and turn on the way to the final 'aha'. 

Fantastic! A very easy five stars. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Examiner..

The Christmas Appeal - Janice Hallett

The Fairway Players theater group returns! I absolutely adored Janice Hallett's mystery, The Appeal. I was thrilled to discover that Hallett has written a Christmas novella, again starring the myriad members of the troupe. 

The Christmas Appeal is written in one of my favorite storytelling methods - epistolary. The entire novella is told only through emails, messages, police reports and more, just as The Appeal was. There's a large group of players, but it's easy to keep track of who's who. There's also a handy list at the beginning of the book. 

The group is constantly bickering amongst themselves. The battle for leadership has spanned many years. The level of 'snark' is off the charts and me laughing out loud more than once - and that's hard to do! Things go wrong more than once, but the 'can do' attitude is the group's motto. Each and every characters has a chance to 'speak'. And yes, I had my favorites (looking at you Sarah-Jane). It was easy to imagine being in the midst of the group.

Is there a crime? Of course there is, but I'll let you discover what it is. Clues are dropped all the way to opening night and are slowly revealed from differing viewpoints. Two law students and a retired lawyer are going through all of those missives, also looking for the final answer! I felt like I was in an Agatha Christie novel, trying to ferret out the damning piece of evidence, ready to point my finger with a satisfied ah ha! Well, point I did, but at almost every character along the way. 

Hallett is such a clever, clever writer! Her writing is addictive and so very entertaining. Perfect as a stocking stuffer for yourself  and/or a friend! 

AND Janice Hallett's new novel - The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels - releases on January 24, 2024. I can't wait!!

None of This is True - Lisa Jewell

Oh. my. gosh. I've read and enjoyed all of Lisa Jewell's books. But her latest - None of This is True - is crazy good!! 

Take a second look at that cover. The same image, but with one turned upside down. And that's what you'll find - everything you thought you read, will be turned topsy-turvy.

Alix and Josie are both out for dinner to celebrate their 45th birthday and discover they are 'birthday twins' both born on the same day and in the same hospital. Until tonight they've never met before. Another chance meeting brings an unusual request. Alix is a well known podcaster and Josie would like Alix to document her life as it changes. It's an odd request, but Alix is intrigued...

If you can, I recommend going into this book blind. There are many twists and turns and discovering them as I read was a treat. The plotting is fabulous - unpredictable over and over again. (And had me shouting out loud more than once!)

The two lead characters are very well drawn, but do we really know them? Their inner dialogue belies the faces they show the world. There's a number of supporting players that may or may not be unreliable as well. Who to believe? 

I loved the epistolary element of the podcast episodes. A story within a story.

Kudos to Lisa Jewell for such an addicting, unpredictable read. I couldn't put it down. An easy five stars! See for yourself - read an excerpt of None of This is True.

Gentle readers, there are some triggers.

Camp Zero - Michelle Min Sterling

Camp Zero is Michelle Min Sterling's debut novel. It's a unique, unsettling and addictive read that I just couldn't put down. 

It's 2050 and climate change has decimated much of the world. A group of American investors are secretly planning to build far up in the Canadian North. That's the basic premise - but there's so much more. 

The cast of characters is very different and gives us varying points of view. The investor, the architect, his foreman, the diggers, the six sex workers that were flown in, an English teacher, the 'locals' and women soldiers living in a nearby Cold War-era climate research station. I thought to myself, how in the world will all these players be tied together? They are though - in a devilishly clever plot.

Sterling examines the reasons of each player, what they want, what they need and how they're going to get it. I have to say that I found White Alice's 'whys' and 'hows' were the ones that intrigued me the most.  

There's loads of social commentary in Camp Zero. The stakes are high with the rich building enclaves for themselves, staffed by the lower classes. The blithe idea that they are entitled to the land and it's natural resources. Their own comfort and needs trumps all. Even as the planet is dying. 

Camp Zero's storyline kept me eagerly turning pages as the action and danger is ramped up on the way to the final pages. The ending was not what I had hoped for - but seems to fit the narrative better. 

Camp Zero checked a lot of boxes for this reader - a believable dystopian setting (loved the abandoned mall), interesting characters, a plausible plot and great writing. I look forward to Sterling's next book. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Camp Zero. 

The Family Remains - Lisa Jewell

Lisa Jewell's new book, The Family Remains, is, to a certain degree, a follow up to her bestseller, The Family Upstairs. You could read this newest as a stand alone, but I think you'd get more out of it if you had the background from that first book. 

Quick recap:  Twenty five years ago, Libby was the baby found alive in a rundown manor, with three dead bodies in the house and two others missing. 

Present day: Rachel's husband Michael is found murdered in his house in France.

And these two disparate events will cross paths in unexpected ways. 

I think anyone who read The Family Upstairs, will be eager to find out what happened "after". I know I was!

This book is told in multiple timelines from multiple points of view. I had to refamiliarize myself with names from the past and match them up to the names they are using now.  

Jewell takes the reader on a twisty tale with a satisfying ending and closure for the players. I did find one reconciliation to be a bit of a letdown after it played such a large part in the plot. Somehow for me, it was too jolly. (Yes, an odd descriptor)

But overall, I quite enjoyed The Family Remains. Jewell always pens an addictive read. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Family Remains. 

First Born - Will Dean

I really enjoyed Will Dean's previous book, The Last Thing to Burn. (my review). He has just released a new title - First Born. 

Molly Raven. Katie Raven. Identical twins. Ah, when twins are involved it seems like there's a suspense story just waiting to be uncovered. Molly lives in Britain close to her parents. Katie has travelled to the US to go to school. The girls are very different from each other though. Molly worries, is introverted, but quite smart. Katie is the extrovert and is more daring.

But..... and this is not a spoiler as it's announced in the first few pages... Katie is dead, perhaps murdered. Molly and her parents fly to New York to find out more. Molly takes it upon her self to start an investigation of her own. The book is told by Molly.

I thought Molly was an unusual lead character. I found her and her parents to be somewhat, well, odd in their actions and discussions. Everything is staccato - short sentences, off kilter conversations and more. The parents have spoken to the police, but don't really have any answers to give Molly. When the detective in charge meets with Molly, it's the same side stepping. Would a family be satisfied with this wait and see attitude? The investigation seemed almost sketchy to me. Molly meets another person looking into the murder and she embraces him on face value. Which doesn't match her OCD tendencies that have her preparing for any and all danger that might come her way.

Just as awkward for me was the investigation that Molly mounts. It continues on much longer than would be realistic and the interactions and situations that Molly forces are just as unbelievable for me. There is, of course, a twist involved.It was telegraphed much earlier in the book than I expected to see it. And therefore the ending seemed almost tacked on. And it too, was over the top.

Sorry to say, that this was just an okay read for me. 

The Heights - Louise Candlish

I discovered Louise Candlish last year when I read her previous book, The Other Passenger. It was an excellent read and I added Candlish to my 'must read' list.

Her newest book, The Heights, has just released - and it's an addictive page turner as well. I was hooked immediately with this opener...

"Kieran Watts has been dead for over two years when I see him standing on the roof of a building in Shad Thames. It can't be Kieran Watts, I tell myself. And if anyone can be sure of that it is me. Because I'm the one who killed him."

Oh, the places this plot could go! Candlish's plotting is so very clever. I love the 'book within a book' device. And there's a third level as The Sunday Times is also writing about Ellen Saint. Ellen is penning the story of herself and Watts in her writer's group. We know the outcome, but the how and why are yet to be unearthed. Candlish does this in back and forth, past and present timelines. Again, always an effective device - I can't help but to read 'just one more chapter' to see what will be revealed in each timeline. Foreshadowing at the end of chapters just whetted my need to know. While the first parts are told from Ellen's point of view, a supporting character is given a voice nearing the end of the book - and they bring a different look at things. 

Ellen was a difficult character for me. I understand her tension, stress, emotions (and they do run high), but at the same time she crosses so many lines in her obsessive quest for vengeance. Which is quite different from justice. The supporting characters will provoke strong reactions as well. And the reader may be asking themselves - "What would I do in the same situation?"

And what could make this already good book better? Oh yeah, some twists! My guesses (and emotions) for what the end might bring changed numerous times as Candlish changed things up.

A great page turner for this reader. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Heights. 

The Heights as a title can be applied in so many ways. It's the name of the building Ellen spots Kieran at. Ellen has a condition called high place phenomenon' - "characterized by a sudden compulsion to jump." At the height of, dizzying heights and more.

The Night She Disappeared - Lisa Jewell

I've enjoyed all of Lisa Jewell's previous books, but her latest - The Night She Disappeared - is a new favorite!

Tallulah and her boyfriend Zack disappear one night without a trace. Tallulah's mother Kim knows her daughter would never abandon her wee son. But a year passes and the police are no closer to an answer. That changes when a new headmaster and his girlfriend Sophie, a cozy mystery writer move into the village. When she finds a sign saying 'Dig Here" in her back garden, Sophie does. And the first clue to what might have happened is found...

Jewell tells the tale in three timelines with multiple points of view. I was hooked as every chapter gives us more hints to the past, more information in the present and a cold inkling as to what might have transpired. 

Jewel gives us well drawn protagonists in grieving parent Kim and amateur detective Sophie. These characters are imbued with personal storylines as well, quite believable in their relationships, doubts, loss and more. Jewell ekes out the story of Tallulah before she disappeared and the reader can see what's coming as her narrative progresses. (Don't peek ahead though! I wasn't entirely right in my guess) There are plenty of supporting characters and each and every one of them seems to have trouble with the truth. Who should we believe? 

I really enjoyed Sophie's sleuthing skills. I always wanted to grow up and become Nancy Drew, so mysteries are favorite genre. And Jewell has written a great one - the plotting is excellent, the settings are atmospheric (love the creepy mansion in the woods) and the varying timelines and voices really worked for me. And kept me up late as I really needed to know what (or who) happened to Tallulah. A great page turner. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Night She Disappeared.

Where the Truth Lies - Anna Bailey

Anna Bailey's debut novel Where the Truth Lies has just released.

From Atria Books: "When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn’t believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences."

Where the Truth Lies is a simmering cesspool of a tale. Bailey gives us multiple points of view through a number of characters. Within those points of view, the time frame moves from past to present, allowing the reader access to the background of the players as well as the how and why of what's happening now. While the mystery of Abigail's disappearance or murder is always there, it isn't the driving force of the plot. Instead it serves as a catalyst for an inevitable final reckoning amongst townsfolk and within families.

 I found I had to pick up and put down the book numerous times. I can only take so much ugliness, cruelty, bigotry, abuse of power, brutality and intolerance in one sitting. Gentle readers, this is most def not a book for you.

There are 'good' characters and others that are downright despicable. Those who still have goodness in them struggle mightily to exist in this town. I shouted out loud more than once for them to run, leave, get away and leave this godforsaken place behind.

My visceral reaction to Bailey's novel speaks to the strength of her prose, character development and descriptions of time and place. That being said, I did find overall that while well written, it was also overwrought in terms of the depravity in this town and it's inhabitants.

Bailey was born in England and raised in England but moved to Colorado after university. In 2018, she returned to the UK Where the Truth Lies, Tall Bones, inspired by her time in the US. Which is a little scary.... 

See for yourself - read an excerpt of Where the Truth Lies.

The Last Thing to Burn - Will Dean

Oh my gosh.....okay, so how long does it take you to read 256 pages? And factor in how quickly you can turn pages. That's the length of time you need to block off in your calendar. Because once you start reading Will Dean's newly released novel - The Last Thing to Burn - you're not going to be able to put it down. 

Jane (not her real name, but the one the monster gave her) has been a prisoner in a run down house on an isolated farm for seven years. And then the unthinkable - she's pregnant. And there's someone new in the cellar. Jayne has tried many times to escape, but...

There's more, but I'm not going to spoil it for you. Jayne's internal thoughts and dialogue let us get to know who she really is and how she ended up as a captive in Lenn's house - and what she has endured over the years. It's hard to read, but I kept turning pages frantically - I had to know if the 'right ending' happened. The tension, danger and suspense that lead up to the final pages are nerve wracking! And the scariest thing? Will Dean didn't make this up - what happened to Thanh has happened in real life to many.

If you enjoyed Room by Emma Donoghue, you'd enjoy Last Thing to Burn. But fair warning gentle readers - this may not be the book for you. Here's an excerpt.

The Memory Collectors - Kim Neville

The Memory Collectors is Kim Neville's debut novel. 

From Atria Books: "Perfect for fans of The Scent Keeper and The Keeper of Lost Things, an atmospheric and enchanting debut novel about two women haunted by buried secrets but bound by a shared gift and the power the past holds over our lives."

Ev makes her living dumpster diving. She sells her wares at a night market in Vancouver. But she is particular about what she touches and sells. You see, she can feel the emotion attached to a found object. She has labeled those objects as 'stained'. Harriet also collects found items - she's older and has been at it for many years. And yes, the term hoarder could be used with Harriet. She too can feel the emotions, but refers to her objects as treasures. It seems inevitable that the two will meet.

I must admit to (clears throat) having collected a few treasures of my own. I am fascinated with found bits and pieces. Who loved this object? What were they like? Was the item lost or discarded? But I love the pieces I have inherited from my grandmothers. The idea of being able to feel the history - memories and emotions - was thought provoking. 

In The Memory Collectors, emotions can be felt, but not recognized by those who pick them up. Now, not every emotion is a positive one, is it?  As the book progresses, Ev and Harriet's 'powers' change, strengthen and become more than a little frightening.

The Memory Collectors is told through two points of view - Ev and Harriet. We slowly come to know more about their pasts. And how it might be influencing and changing the present. There are two supporting players - Owen, a friend of Ev's that is calm, thoughtful and caring. Loved him. And then there's Ev's sister Noemi - I have to say that I heartily disliked her. But she is the perfect antagonist. It is Noemi that awakens the past and sends all four lives into a...a battle I would say.

The Memory Collectors was an interesting, unique mixture of magical realism, suspense, family dynamics, emotions and how the past shapes the present. I'm not one hundred percent sold on the epilogue, but it fits.

Neville is a talented writer and this was an impressive debut. PS - That cover is gorgeous.

And I leave you with this quote: "Retail stores disturb her, rows and rows of empty objects. Products with no soul, no energy, people buying and discarding them before they have the chance to take on any kind of life, the world growing more cluttered and at the same time more barren every day."

Invisible Girl - Lisa Jewell

Invisible Girl is the latest novel from Lisa Jewell. Each of Jewell's book has been different - it's impossible to predict what you might find inside - other than a good read that is!

Owen is 30 and lives with his aunt. Owen is a bit, well, a bit different. The Fours family have just rented the house across the street from Owen. Dad Roan is a child psychologist, Mom Cate is a physiotherapist and their two kids are in school. Also on the street, but hidden is Saffyre. She's not sure why she does it, but Saffyre spends many, many hours following Roan and watching his family from the shadows. And then she disappears...and Owen Pick is the main suspect.

The idea of someone watching is not new, but it still gives me the creeps. And as the reader is privy to what Saffyre sees and does, we can see the danger coming before she disappears. You just want to tell her to stop and go home. The book also evolves through Cate and Owen's points of view. Jewell does a great job with her characters. They're all unlikeable and many made my skin crawl. Saffyre was the exception. Owen is socially awkward, but is that a crime? His looks also contribute to what people think of him. Whereas the Roan family present 'better' and are treated differently. Preconception and actions taken contribute to the shape the story takes. A nice bit of social commentary is woven into the book. Bullying also rears its ugly head in Jewell's plot. 

Secrets and lies drive this book forward. Every character is hiding something. And with each new revelation, the direction I thought things were going to go changes. There are some nice twists in Invisible Girl. And I have to say, I love twists! Another addicting read from Jewell. Here's an excerpt of Invisible Girl. 

The Clockmaker's Daughter - Kate Morton

Kate Morton is one of my favourite writers. Every time I finish one of her books, I'm sure it's the best one yet. And it is, until the next one comes along. The Clockmaker's Daughter is her latest - and yes, it's the best one yet!

Morton again employs all the elements that are hallmarks of her work. Past and present narratives, houses, their history, love lost, love found, an element of other otherworldliness this time and so much more.

"My real name, no one remembers. The truth about that summer, no one else knows."

Summer 1862. A group of artists and friends plan to spend a month at Edward Radcliffe's new home, Birchwood Manor. But before the month is out, one of them will be dead, a priceless heirloom is missing and Edward's life will never the same. Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie, a young archivist, uncovers photographs that seem somehow familiar to her....

"The woman in the white gloves unlatched the dull silver buckle and the satchel held its breath. Open me, open me, open me....She pushed back its leather strap and for the first time in over a century light swept into the satchel's dark corners."

The past has always fascinated me, bits of history and lore woven into family stories. Pictures of those now gone, houses now emptied. What is their story? I was immediately drawn to Elodie and couldn't wait to discover and uncover what happened in the past at Birchwood and why she seems to know the house. But it's not only Elodie we hear from. The past is unfolded from many different, yet intertwined viewpoints and time frames. Each and every one of those characters are so very well drawn. All of them have a connection to Birchwood Manor and feel inexplicably drawn to the house.

"Edward used to say that the river possessed a primeval memory of everything that had ever happened. It occurs to me that this house is like that, too. It remembers, just as I do. It remembers everything." It is this voice that I found the most poignant - the voice in the house. (No spoilers, so not saying another word about this.)

Kate Morton's descriptions are so wonderful. The house sprang alive for me - I could feel the warm spot on the turn of the stairs, smell the flowers in the garden, envision myself under a shady tree listening to the sound of the river going by.

I started reading slower as I realized I was reaching the end. I knew what was coming and I just didn't want to face it. But I wanted to see how all of those threads and lives would weave together.

My review doesn't do this book justice. But suffice it to say that I loved it. Absolutely, positively recommended. Pick up a copy for snowy nights reading. Read an excerpt of The Clockmaker's Daughter.

"Each clock is unique, he used to tell me. And just like a person, its face, whether plain or pretty, is but a mask for the intricate mechanism it concealed."

Then She Was Gone - Lisa Jewell

Then She Was Gone is Lisa Jewell's newest novel.

Laurel's fifteen year old Ellie Mack disappeared without a trace ten years ago. The loss of a daughter and sister has affected all members of the Mack family. When Laurel meets a man named Floyd and decides it's time to date again, she is stunned when she meets his young daughter. Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie.

All kinds of roads that this story could go down, isn't there? Astute readers will suss out the most obvious one as the story plays out.

There are multiple points of view in Then She Was Gone. Laurel and Ellie, but also Floyd and another protagonist. The timeline goes from a past to present narrative as well. All of the characters are strongly depicted and the reader will have no problem making up their minds about them. I did find Laurel's decision making to be a bit iffy. But, without those bad choices, there wouldn't be a story!

The plotting of Then She Was Gone was a bit predictable. But, I was surprised by the way Jewell chose to end the book. I wasn't sure about it, but it's fitting.

Then She Was Gone is an entertaining, easy read, perfect for the beach bag this summer.

Britt-Marie Was Here - Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman's first book, A Man Called Ove, remains on my list of all time favourite  reads. But Ove has been bumped down a spot by Britt-Marie.

Britt-Marie Was Here is Backman's forthcoming (May 2016 in the US and August 2016 in Canada) novel. I'm giving you lots of warning - this is one you absolutely have to read.

Britt-Marie's marriage has broken up. After forty years of looking after Kent, she's alone and needs to find a job. Not an easy task, given her age and well - her personality and mannerisms. Britt-Marie is a bit awkward and uncomfortable in social situations and conversations. Britt-Marie's coping mechanisms are cleaning - (baking soda and Faxin - a brand of window cleaner, can do it all) as well as list making.

"A year turned into several years, and several years turned into all the years. One morning you wake up with more life behind you than in front of you, not being able to understand how it's happened.

Britt-Marie in fact does land a job - a three week stint in a run down little town named Borg, looking after their soon to be closed recreation centre. Borg is full of quirky inhabitants, odd little shops and a group of rag-tag children who love to play soccer - and I loved it all. (And you know, I kind of want to live there too.)

But it is Britt-Marie who will steal (and break) your heart. Her stubbornness, her anxieties and her tentative steps in making a life for herself will by turns have you laughing and crying. Brilliant.

Backman is a clever, clever writer - his soccer to life analogies are brilliant and the characters immediately won me over (or in the case of Kent - had me immediately despising him)

"Kent always pushed the shopping cart, while Britt-Marie walks at his side and holds on to a corner of it. Not because she's trying to steer, only that she likes holding on to things while he is also holding on to them. For the sake of the feeling of going somewhere at the same time."

It's simply impossible not to be in Britt-Marie's corner, urging her on and hoping that......well, I had my hopes for her (and Borg). Backman's ending, although not what I expected, is just right.

All I can say is that you must read this book - and recommend it to your friends.

The Truth and Other Lies - Sascha Arango

Sascha Arango is an award winning German screenplay writer. The Truth and Other Lies is his first novel.

I was intrigued from the opening pages....

"Henry Hayden seems like someone you could admire, or even like. A famous bestselling author with the air of a modest everyman. A loving, devoted husband even though he could have any woman he desires. A generous, compassionate friend. But Henry Hayden is a construction, a mask. His past is a secret, his methods more so. Only he and his wife know that she is the actual writer of the novels that made him famous."

What a great premise eh?! But Henry can't seem to help himself. His mistress is pregnant and his carefully constructed life has cracks in it. What to do?

Except that this time Henry makes a mistake..... The Truth and Other Lies is Henry's attempt to correct that mistake. And the problem that is the result of that correction. And....Well, you get the picture.

Henry is not a nice character, and yet he is. His actions are terrible at times, yet he can be kind. But at the root of it all, he is self serving manipulator - but a brilliant one.

"Thanks to his experience of lying, or merely making excuses, Henry was confident that people would continue to believe him as long as he lied. It was only the truth he had to be sparing and prudent with."

Arango's novel was quite unpredictable, as was Henry. There are twists and turns and secrets and I had no idea what was going to happen next. The novel echoes that feel - it jumps about, startling the reader at times and keeping us off kilter.

I could easily see The Truth and Other Lies as a movie - Arango's screenwriting skills translated well to novel format.

Decidedly dark and twisty - and  a deliciously different read.  Read an excerpt of The Truth and Other Lies.

(The Truth and Other Lies reminded me somewhat of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley.)

The Abduction of Smith and Smith - Rashad Harrison

The Abduction of Smith and Smith is Rashad Harrison's second novel.

1868. The Civil War has ended. Jupiter Smith a former slave, is a free man. But he's now making his living by selling others into servitude - he shanghais unsuspecting men from the brothels, bars and opium dens of San Francisco and sells them to ship captains in need of a crew. Jupiter is also looking for his wife - it's been seven long years since he has seen her. But , someone else is looking for Jupiter as well - Archer, the son of his former master, the Colonel, - and his half brother. For you see, Jupiter killed the Colonel. The tables are turned when both Jupiter and Archer are 'crimped'onto a ship with a captain of questionable standards.

That's the backbone of the story, but there is so much more. Rollicking is word that comes to mind. Pirates, magicians, convicts, gun runners and more - everyone has their own agenda and their own pockets to fill.  But amongst all that, it is the relationship between Jupiter and Archer that is the constant. Can they keep each other alive? Come to terms with their relationship? Harrison explores slavery, love, hate, loyalty, family and more with his characters. The time frame and multiple settings also allows Harrison to also explore the changing and growing nation in many facets, as well as farther afield.

I quite enjoyed Jupiter as a character, with Captain Barrett a close second. (He's got more lives than a cat, a finger in every pie and a deal in every port) The Abduction of Smith and Smith is a busy book. The plot is wide and far reaching, sometimes stretching credibility, but always entertaining. Things slow down a bit in the last few chapters with a more serious tone as memories and resolution come together for Jupiter. I did find the timeline of some of these final chapters a bit confusing.

The Abduction of Smith and Smith fell outside of my regular reading tastes, but I really enjoyed it. It's refreshing to not be able to predict what is going to happen in a book. Read an excerpt of The Abduction of Smith and Smith.

Rashad Harrison was the Jacob K. Javits Fellow in fiction at New York University. He is the author of the acclaimed novel Our Man in the Dark (2011) and The Abduction of Smith and Smith (2015). He and his family currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can connect with Rashad Harrison on his website, oron Twitter ,as well as on Facebook.  See what others on the TLC book tour thought - full schedule can be found here.

You - Caroline Kepnes

You is the deliciously creepy new novel from Caroline Kepnes.

When Guinevere Beck walks into a New York bookstore, she immediately catches the eye of the clerk, Joe. A light flirtatious conversation ensues, but for Joe it is much more than that. Beck is the one he's been looking for. They're meant to be together. But Joe wants to make sure everything is right first - so he begins gathering information.... he discovers where Beck lives, begins watching her home, stalking her online profiles and hacks into the cell phone she 'lost' at the bookstore.

You is told entirely from Joe's point of view in an unending, seriously disturbed stream of consciousness narrative. The matter of fact attitude in dealing with roadblocks (Beck has a boyfriend already) to his ultimate goal (Beck) is truly chilling. But just as frightening is his ability to explain and rationalize almost anything. Beck isn't quite the golden girl Joe envisions. But no matter, they will be a beautiful couple. He just has to win her over - bit by bit.

None of the main characters in You are likable. And yet, when I thought about Joe and Beck, it is actually Joe that elicits a modicum of sympathy. I know! Beck is the 'stalkee' and the one in seeming danger, but I really didn't like her at all. Kepnes's character development was excellent.

Kepnes has penned her own version of the 'stalker' novel. It's different - and it's darn good. Kepnes has written for Entertainment Weekly and television. She knows how to grab the reader and hold them. I was hooked from first page to last. And I started getting a little paranoid after the first few chapters.....Read an excerpt of You. And I loved the ending. This one has film written all over it.

You can keep up with Caroline Kepnes on Facebook and on Twitter.

The Disappeared - Kristina Ohlsson

I quite discovered Swedish author Kristina Ohlsson by accident when I picked up her first book "Unwanted". Fortuitous accident - because it was the first in a fantastic crime series featuring Investigative analyst Fredrika Bergman. The third book, Disappeared, is newly released and it too was a fantastic read.

The prologue's opening lines, set in the past, grabbed me immediately....

"When the film begins she has no idea what she is about to see. Nor does she realise what devastating consequences this film and the decisions she then makes will have on the rest of her life."

Present day. Two years after she disappears, the dismembered body of Rebecca Tolle is found by a dog walker in a shallow grave.  When the crime scene team expand their excavation of the grave site, they find another body. But the second body has been buried for at least thirty years.

Are the two connected? Is this the work of a serial killer spanning thirty years?

Frederika and the special unit of the Swedish Federal Police are called in. Their case builds slowly, with multiple suspects - one of them close to a member of the team. I really enjoy Ohlsson's character building. She has given each main character a rich personal life that provides a more intimate reading experience. 

Ohlsson is extremely clever with her plotting and delivery of her story.  Interspersed with the investigation are Internal Affairs interviews held after the case has ended.

"You're here because you were in charge of an investigation that ended in disaster."

We get wee snippets of information that heighten the tension, provide subtle clues, provide teasers - and kept this reader up far too late. Midway through, I went back to read that prologue again as the pieces started to fall into place.

An intelligent, well written series (with a side of grisly) that I can easily recommend. I do hope Ohlsson plans to continue with this series.  Read an excerpt of The Disappeared.

Bellman and Black - Diane Setterfield

Diane Setterfield's award winning, debut novel - The Thirteenth Tale, was a lovely, atmospheric 'ghost' story. Her second novel is Bellman and Black.

Set in the past in England, Bellman and Black opens with young William Bellman launching the perfect slingshot volley - unexpectedly hitting it's target - a young rook. (a member of the crow family) That seemingly innocuous event forever marks young William's life. It isn't even an event he remembers. But he is afraid of birds.....

Initially seen as a bit of a ne'er do well, young William finds his place in the world, successfully moving into a family business, marrying and having a family. But misfortune enters William's life as friends and family members die. And at each funeral William sees a mysterious man in black. A man with whom he eventually  partners with in a new venture - a funeral emporium.  Bellman and Black.

I was very much looking forward the this second novel. But, I found myself somewhat disappointed. The story is slow to evolve, with much detail included in building both time and place. I did find the historical details included interesting, but I wanted more. I wanted something to happen. The man in black is mysterious, but there isn't enough of a build-up to the final reveal for me to be even remotely chilled.

The role of rooks in history, myth and lore is discussed at the beginning of many chapters. Paying attention to that precluded any surprises that came with the final chapters.

British cover versions of this book have added the sub-title of "A Ghost Story". This was not included on the North American cover. And wisely. While it's eerie, it doesn't cross into ghost territory in my opinion. Instead I found myself thinking of Poe's The Raven and Hitchcock's The Birds. (But not near that level of fright) See the publisher's trailer below for how they chose to market the book.

Good, but not great for this reader. I found I was too easily able to put the book down.  However, Setterfield's prose are excellent - I would pick up the next book by this author.  Read an excerpt of Bellman and Black.