A Man Downstairs - Nicole Lundrigan

If you enjoy suspense novels, you're going to want to pick up Nicole Lundrigan's latest - A Man Downstairs.

Molly Wynters returns home to her small town as her father isn't well. And her mother? She was murdered when Molly was very young. Being back in town raises all kinds of questions for not just Molly - but for all of those who remember...

Lundrigan tells The Man Downstairs in a now and then timeline. I've always enjoyed this style. With each new chapter, a clue, a memory, an action is revealed, making it very hard to put the book down for the night.

There's a large number of characters, most of them aware of the death of Molly's mother. But as an adult now, Molly questions the past and the part that she and others played in her demise. We, as readers, are privy to chapters from other players. Molly's father has lost his speech with his stroke, but he is given a voice with a 'past' chapter. I have to say that the chapters attributed to 'Him' were so very creepy! 

Lundrigan has woven her suspense tale with an exploration of marriage, trust, love, family and loss. This is most definitely a character driven book. 

I was so very sure that I had the right character for the final whodunit. And I was happily wrong! I really appreciate not seeing a twist or turning coming.  

An excellent suspense tale. I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for Lundrigan's next book! Read an excerpt of A Man Downstairs. 

Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting - Clare Pooley

I adored Clare Pooley's first novel, The Authenticity Project. (my review) I was very excited to read her second novel, Iona Iverson's Rules For Commuting. And like the first book, it was a fabulous read and is one of my faves of 2022!

Pooley took inspiration from her own experiences on the train. "I also started to wonder what would have happened if I'd ignored the unwritten rule of commuting and had been brave enough to talk to my fellow commuters. What adventures might those conversations taken me on? And that thought became this book." I loved this premise! The story could go anywhere. 

Iona Iverson rides the train to work every day, sitting in the the same seat along with her dog Lulu (who also has her own seat), which funnily enough, no one ever questions. But Iona's life and many others are destined for change from the opening line...."Until the point when a man starting dying right in front of her on the 08:05, Iona's day had been just like any other." 

I knew from Pooley's first novel, that the plot would be character driven. Oh my, Pooley has again created the most wonderful, eclectic, quirky group of players. They're a mixed bunch - different ages, jobs, social strata, personalities, joys, problems and more. But what they have in common is the train - and Iona.

Each of the train riders is given a voice with their own chapters. They're so well drawn, detailed and relatable. Slowly but surely, with every new chapter, their lives become enmeshed. I came to care for them all and honestly couldn't stop reading. I needed to know what was going to happen with everyone! 

Pooley's writing is so easy to read, flows so easily and is utterly addictive. If you're looking for a warm, feel-good, uplifting, unexpected, just be yourself tale, this is one you'll want to read. After I turned the last page, I wondered - what would happen if someone actually did this?

An absolute five star, must read! See for yourself - read an excerpt of Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting.

When We Fell Apart - Soon Wiley

When We Fell Apart is Soon Wiley's debut novel. Which, I have to say surprised me. His writing is simply beautiful. 

Min is a young Korean -American man who has taken a job in Korean. He has always felt like he never quite fit into his life. Perhaps moving to Seoul and exploring his heritage will bring a sense of belonging. He meets and begins to date Yu-jin, a young woman also trying to find peace in her life, a place, a belonging. She is an only child and is expected to excel and achieve the goals her parents have laid out before her.

Now, this isn't a spoiler as it's front and center in the publisher's description. Yu-jin dies. Was she murdered? Or was it suicide? This news hits Min extremely hard. He can't understand why or how she died and takes it upon to seek out the answer to those questions.

Wiley tells his story in dual timelines - the present for Min and the time before her death for Yu-jin. Wiley did a fantastic job of bringing Yu-jin to life for me, from memories as a young child to the young woman questioning her life, her goals, her wants, her needs and more. As an observer, we can see the danger just waiting to cross her path. 

Min becomes focused on nothing but the reasons for her death and who is responsible. We come to know him through his thoughts and actions. The mystery of Yu-jin's death consumes him and as he chases answers, and he realizes he didn't know the real Yu-jin at all. My suppositions on whodunit changed often as I read. 

I loved the vibrant descriptions of Seoul, the people, the food, the attractions, the shops, the karaoke bars and more. 

Wiley deftly explores family relationships and their expectations, the search for one's identity, culture, love and more. His prose are eloquent and nuanced, making for thoughtful, introspective reading. See for yourself - read an excerpt of When We Fell Apart.

"In Korea they call it Han. It's a feeling of sorts A kind of collective despair in response to being conquered and oppressed for long periods of time, over generations. To choose you own destiny - that's what an individual, a nation, craves most. Han is a result of that most basic desire being crushed. "

The Maid - Nita Prose

Happy 2022 to you! It's a new year and there are some great titles coming out in the next few months. 

Nita Prose's debut novel The Maid releases today and it's a brilliant read to start off 2022! I was hooked from the opening pages...

Molly works at the upscale Regency Grand Hotel as a maid. "Every day of work is a joy to me. I was born to do this job. I love cleaning. I love my maid's trolley, and I love my uniform." But one day her ordered life is upset by the death of wealthy Mr. Black, whose room she cleans. It is Molly who finds his body.

Now, the other thing you need to know about Molly is that she struggles with social skills and can't read the nuances of interactions - facial and conversational.  Her beloved Gran, now deceased, left her with routines and rules to help navigate a world that Molly doesn't fully 'get'. "The truth is, I often have trouble with social situations; it's as though everyone is playing an elaborate game with complex rules they all know, but I'm always playing for the first time.

Well, first off, you're going to absolutely love Molly - her innocence, her upbeat attitude, her manner of speaking and those rules and sayings that guide her life. And then there's Gran. Even though she is gone, her presence is felt throughout the book. (It made me miss my Gran too!) The supporting cast of players gives us a large number of suspects for the whodunit. You'll have no problem deciding who you like - and who you don't. The reader can see what's happening - but Molly doesn't. Your heart will break for Molly as she misinterprets what's going on.

But. there's a turn in the story - one that I am not going to expound on, but it's absolutely perfect. Suffice it to say that Molly and her Gran read lots of Agatha Christie and watched all of Columbo...…

What more could you want - characters you'll be rooting for, a murder mystery, and some insightful thoughts about love, loss and life. Prose's writing will keep you turning page after page late into the night. Heartily recommended! See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Maid.

This is the first book that Nita Prose has written, but not the first time she's been involved in the publishing of a book.  From her website: "Currently, I’m vice president and editorial director at Simon & Schuster in Toronto, Canada, where I have the privilege of working with an incredible array of authors and publishing colleagues whom I credit with teaching me, manuscript by manuscript, book by book, the wondrous craft of writing." That experience shines through in The Maid. I'm really looking forward to the next book Prose pens. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Maid.

The Push - Ashley Audrain

There's been a lot of buzz around Ashley Audrain's debut novel. And deservedly so. The Push is going to be 'that book' for 2021.

Blythe is happy in her marriage to Fox. Fox wants a child, but Blythe is reluctant. She has reservations based on her own childhood. When baby Violet arrives, Blythe tries so very hard to be a good mother to her. But....

And I'm going to leave it there - you really need to experience reading this book for yourself. The prologue hints at the end and I couldn't wait to delve into the book. And I literally couldn't put it down. Audrain subtly drops startling turns into her narrative that caught me off guard. Had I really read that? I was torn between stopping to go back and check or just return to frantically turning pages.

Parts of The Push are hard to read, yet it's truthful, capturing the light and dark of motherhood with no filters. Audrain explores generational motherhood with excerpts and memories from and of Blythe's mother and grandmother. Nature vs Nurture? Blythe's own inner dialogue is brutally honest. Again, many truths.

Alongside that perspective is the psychological suspense plotline that's going to leave you stunned. Audrain doesn't hit the reader with it front on. Instead, it is insidious, leaving both Blythe and the reader unsure about their suppositions.....until there is no doubt. And that ending? Perfect!

Cr: Barbara Stoneham

The Push is a great title, being open to many interpretations and applications in the plot. This was a fabulous first book for Audrain - I can't wait to read her next. Here's an excerpt of The Push.

 "Ashley Audrain previously worked as the publicity director of Penguin Books Canada. Prior to Penguin, she worked in public relations. She lives in Toronto, where she and her partner are raising their two young children. The Push is her first novel." You can connect with Audrain on Twitter.

The Midnight Library - Matt Haig

I loved the cover and the premise of Matt Haig's novel, The Midnight Library.

What's it about? From Viking Books:

"“Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?” 

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place."

My Thoughts:

Well, Haig had me at library. And a library of an endless number of books that are alternate possible lives? That opens up so many possibilities. "Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?"

Nora Seed has lost her will to live, but she now has the opportunity to see what might have been if she'd made different choices. The reader can't help but wonder and look back at their own lives to see what difference a single choice would have made. Nora explores many lives and her thinking changes. I liked her as a lead character - her honesty, her curiousness, her exploration of what makes a good life. 

Haig's imaginings of how an alternate 'multiverse' might play out was intriguing. Dropping Nora into each new life with little or now background made for fresh reading each time she travelled. I did find that Nora's possible lives were all fairly successful. I would have liked to see possible lives that were not as fortuitous

There's lots of food for thought in The Midnight Library - Nora has a philosophy degree in her 'root life' and Haig presents much of Nora's introspection through those posits.

Which life does Nora choose? You'll have to discover that yourself - but remember.. "Never underestimate the big importance of small things." 

Read an excerpt of The Midnight Library. A New York Times bestseller | Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction | A Good Morning America Book Club Pick.

Seven Lies - Elizabeth Kay

Seven Lies is Elizabeth Kay's newly released debut novel. And what a debut it is!

Jane and Marnie have been the best of friends since childhood. They have forged what seems to be an unbreakable bond despite being polar opposites. Jane is the first to change their dynamic by marrying. But when her husband dies, she wants to retreat back to the ways things were. But Marnie's life is moving on as well - she too has found a man. But....Jane doesn't like him very much. When Marnie asks her if she does in fact like him... well, that's the first lie she tells Marnie.

Kay does a fantastic job drawing these two characters. Jane is flat out scary. And obsessive. And she wants Marnie all to herself, to have Marnie need her. Marnie is eminently likeable. It's hard to see what she sees in Jane. But that just tells the reader how good Jane is at, well, at lying. Kay does a fantastic job at drawing the dialogue and interactions between the two. Jane's mother and sister are just as wounded and add to the dysfunctional feeling of Jane's life.

The reader sees everything through Jane's eyes. The book is told almost as a confession, with Jane detailing how things got to where they are. The next six lies are revealed as we come closer and closer the final pages. I didn't see what was coming with the end of her confession. Brilliant! And then to discover an epilogue that was just as unexpected. But perfect!

Disturbing, unsettling and an excellent original debut. No lie. If you like domestic noir and suspense, you need to pick up Seven Lies. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Seven Lies.

The Authenticity Project – Clare Pooley

I just knew from the first few pages that I was going to love Clare Pooley's debut fiction novel, The Authenticity Project. Trust me, you will too....

An older, lonely widower/artist who has spent the last fifteen years pretty much by himself in his home is determined to get back out into the world. He comes up with an idea.....he writes his truth in a green notebook and leaves it on a table in a local cafe.....and The Authenticity Project is begun.

"Everyone lies about their lives. What would happen if you shared the truth instead? The one thing that defines you, that makes everything else about you fall into place. Not on the internet, but with those real people around you? Maybe nothing. Or maybe telling that story would change your life, or the life of someone you've not met me. That's what I want to find out."

What a great premise eh? I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Well, the notebook is picked up again and again - and the lives of six strangers intersect.....

I loved Pooley's characters - they're all wonderfully drawn, strengths, foibles and all. (And yes, I'd like to be sitting around the table with them at the back of the cafe.) I was immediately invested in their lives and kept quickly turning pages to see who would next pick up the book. The narrative moves from player to player and again and this only ensured I couldn't put the book down. Those intersections get more and more complicated, changes happen and I certainly didn't see some of them coming. Some I liked, some I didn't, but they were all 'just right' for the book.

Pooley's writing is so easy to read, flows so easily and is utterly addictive. If you're looking for a warm, feel-good, uplifting, unexpected, just be yourself tale, this is one you'll want to read. After I turned the last page, I wondered - what would happen if someone actually did this? Here's an excerpt of The Authenticity Project.

"If we all stopped making each other feel sad and inadequate by pretending to be perfect, and instead opened up about our struggles, we would all be much happier, and feel less alone." Clare Pooley.

This is easily one of my favourite reads for 2020 - and yes, I know we're only in February!

Hideaway - Nicole Lundrigan

Oh Nicole Lundrigan, you have a frightening imagination! I simply could not put down your latest release, Hideaway! Start to finish on a recent day off.

Gloria is a devoted wife to her husband Telly and mother to her teenaged son Rowan and young daughter Maisy. That's what you would see from the outside looking in. But inside it's a different matter. Gloria's moods swing from high to low with little warning. She either loves her children or 'disappears' them by banishing them to a room or a place and not speaking to them. When Telly leaves Glow for another woman, it tips her over the edge. One night Rowan has had enough and runs into the woods. And there, under a bridge, he meets Carl - a kind man who is battling his own demons - and Rowan decides to stay. And Gloria? I just don't want to say any more and spoil your discovery of the lengths a jilted (and unstable)  woman will go to to get her husband back. (But he too is, as my gran used to say, a piece of work) Yep, this is where things get downright terrifying.......

Lundrigan's character building is so very good. I don't even know how to describe Gloria. She's a master manipulator, devious, cunning and cruel. We see her actions, but don't really get a look at her inner thought processes. Instead we see them - and the aftermath - through the eyes of Rowan and Maisy. And yes, these are heartbreaking to read. It was the 'what is going to happen to Rowan and Maisy ?' that kept me reading for the whole day. Lundrigan takes her story places I couldn't have imagined .The tension was unbearable in parts and I really had to fight myself to not skip to the last chapter to make sure things turned out the way I needed them to.

It seems a little off for me to say how much I enjoyed this book given the darkness it explores. But there are patches of light as well. An easy five stars and one of my most addictive reads this year. See for yourself - here's an excerpt. This was a first read of Lundrigan for me - and it won't be the last.

Cr: AnnaLena Seemann

"Nicole Lundrigan is the author of six critically acclaimed novels, including The Substitute and Glass Boys. Her work has appeared on best of the year selections of The Globe and Mail, Amazon.ca, and Now magazine. She grew up in Newfoundland, and now lives in Toronto." You can connect with Nicole on her website and like her on Facebook.

The Witch Elm - Tana French

If it has Tana French's name on it, I'm going to read it. I love the Dublin Murder Squad series. The Witch Elm is however, a stand alone novel.

Toby breezes through life, doing well at work, lucky in love and with many friends and a supportive and loving extended family. But his life changes one night when his apartment is broken into - and he is severely beaten. He retreats to the family home to take time to heal and help out his elderly uncle. But that wished for peace is also broken - by the discovery of a skeleton in the garden of the house.

What can I say? French's writing is brilliant. The plot and the reader's expectations change multiple times. As Toby tries to puzzle out the past and present, new pieces are added and subtracted by his family, the police and his faulty memory until he can no longer discern what is truth and what is not. We become privy to the past even as the present changes direction. My outlook as to the whodunit and the ending changed many times over the course of the book.

French's characterizations are in-depth, rich and full with detail. The reader feels as though these are people they have actually met and conversed with. Many of the characters are not particularly likeable - and for me that included lead character Toby. The exceptions are Uncle Hugo and Toby's girlfriend Melissa. His cousins are particularly well-drawn, evoking a visceral reaction. Detective Rafferty is after the truth and his interrogations and actions are so well done.

The Witch Elm is hard to categorize - it's a mystery and police procedural, but at the heart of it I would say it's a character study.

This one's a chunkster weighing in at over 500 pages. I decided to listen to The Witch Elm this time 'round.  Paul Nugent was the reader and he was wonderful. His voice is easy to listen to, his enunciation clear and his accent appealing. But where he really shines is in bringing the story to life. His interpretation was wonderful. He captures the emotion, angst, action, tension and more, drawing the listener in. Different tones, accents and tenors identify each character. Here's an audio excerpt of The Witch Elm. Or if you prefer, here's a written excerpt.

I will be eagerly waiting the next book from French!

Giveaway - The Winters - Lisa Gabriele

Oh, I love the cover of Lisa Gabriele's new novel, The Winters. Take a second look at those beautiful roses....what story lies within? And what about this first line..."Last night Rebekah tried to murder me again."

The Winters releases tomorrow (Oct. 16) and I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader!

From Viking Books:

"A spellbindingly suspenseful new novel set in the moneyed world of the Hamptons, about secrets that refuse to remain buried and consequences that can’t be escaped

After a whirlwind romance, a young woman returns to the opulent, secluded Long Island mansion of her new fiancé Max Winter—a wealthy politician and recent widower—and a life of luxury she’s never known. But all is not as it appears at the Asherley estate. The house is steeped in the memory of Max’s beautiful first wife Rebekah, who haunts the young woman’s imagination and feeds her uncertainties, while his very alive teenage daughter Dani makes her life a living hell. She soon realizes there is no clear place for her in this twisted little family: Max and Dani circle each other like cats, a dynamic that both repels and fascinates her, and he harbors political ambitions with which he will allow no woman—alive or dead—to interfere.

As the soon-to-be second Mrs. Winter grows more in love with Max, and more afraid of Dani, she is drawn deeper into the family’s dark secrets—the kind of secrets that could kill her, too. The Winters is a riveting story about what happens when a family’s ghosts resurface and threaten to upend everything." Read an excerpt of The Winters.

"Lisa Gabriele is the author of two literary novels. Her writing has appeared in Glamour, Vice, and Salon as well as various anthologies, including The Best American Nonrequired Reading. She lives in Toronto, where she is an award-winning television producer." You can connect with Lisa on her websiteand follow her on Twitter.

Enter to win a copy of The Winters using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends October 27/18

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The Exes' Revenge - Jo Jakeman

The Exes' Revenge is Jo Jakeman's debut novel.

Imogen, Ruby and Naomi all have one thing in common - Phillip. Current wife Imogen desperately wants a divorce and full custody of their son. Ex wife Ruby still believes she has a connection with Pip. And girlfriend Naomi has discovered the kind of man Phillip really is....abusive, manipulating and sadistic. And he's a cop.

I loved the timeline of Jakeman's storytelling. The book opens with Phillip's funeral. So we know the ending....

"There are only three of us here - Naomi, Ruby and I - who know how satisfying it feels to know that Phillip Rochester got the death he deserved."

....but it is the how that makes the book. That how unfolds in chapters starting twenty two days before Phillip's death and moves forward to the day of the funeral. We get to know the background of each woman with a few flashback chapters to set the tone for the present. The Exes' Revenge is not a character driven novel, but is instead driven by action. Jakeman keeps the reader on their toes with many shifts of power between the women and Phillip. And between themselves as well - can they really trust each other?

For pragmatic readers, some of the plot devices will need to be taken with a grain of salt. But go with it as they absolutely work for the tale Jakeman has imagined. The Exes' Revenge was a good debut and an entertaining page turner. I can absolutely see this one as a movie. Read an excerpt of The Exes' Revenge.

Tin Man - Sarah Winman

I read Sarah Winman's debut novel, When God Was a Rabbit, back in 2011. It was a unique first novel that I really enjoyed. Winman's latest is Tin Man - and it is a simply beautiful read - one that I absolutely recommend.

The cover is the perfect accompaniment to the story within. The sunflowers are overlaid by a subtle metallic gold leaf that is only visible when the cover catches the light.

Tin Man opens with a prologue that ties that cover to the story within. And I was hooked immediately. In 1952 Dora wins the painting in a raffle.

"The painting was as conspicuous as a newly installed window, but one that looked out onto a life of color and imagination, far away from the grey factory dawn and in stark contrast to the brown curtains and brown carpet, both chosen by a man to hide the dirt."

We jump forward to 1996 and meet Ellis - Dora's son. Ellis has suffered much loss in his life - his mother, his wife, his best friend Michael and the direction he hoped his life would have taken. My heart ached for Ellis - his sadness and loss is raw and palpable. Winman's prose are so powerful and compelling. The reader is drawn into Ellis's life as he remembers, revisits and relives his life as he slowly allows himself to grieve.

And through those remembrances, we learn more about Michael. From the flyleaf...."This is almost a love story. But it's not as simple as that." Michael is also given a voice with part two. What Ellis has recounted is told from Michael's view, as he too chronicles his life. And it is just as poignant, if not more.

Absolutely recommended. Winman's words will move you to tears.... Read an excerpt of Tin Man.

While I'm not sure of the origins of the title, my thinking is it is from L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz. “A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others” - The Tin Woodman.

Recommended for fans of Rachel Joyce who says..."A beautiful book - pared back and unsentimental, assured, full of warmth, and told with a kind of tenderness that makes you ache."

Giveaway - Eastman Was Here - Alex Gilvarry

Alex Gilvarry's new novel, Eastman Was Here has been named 'one of the most anticipated novels of the summer' by Buzzfeed, Nylon, and Huffington Post. And I have a copy of Eastman Was Here to giveaway to two lucky readers!

What's it about? From the publisher, Viking Books:

"An ambitious new novel set in the literary world of 1970s New York, following a washed-up writer in an errant quest to pick up the pieces of his life.

The year is 1973, and Alan Eastman, a public intellectual, accidental cultural critic, washed-up war journalist, husband, and philanderer; finds himself alone on the floor of his study in an existential crisis. His wife has taken their kids and left him to live with her mother in New Jersey, and his best work feels as though it is years behind him. In the depths of despair, he receives an unexpected and unwelcome phone call from his old rival dating back to his days on the Harvard literary journal, offering him the chance to go to Vietnam to write the definitive account of the end of America’s longest war. Seeing his opportunity to regain his wife’s love and admiration while reclaiming his former literary glory, he sets out for Vietnam. But instead of the return to form as a pioneering war correspondent that he had hoped for, he finds himself in Saigon, grappling with the same problems he thought he’d left back in New York.

Following his widely acclaimed debut, From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant, Alex Gilvarry employs the same thoughtful, yet dark sense of humor in Eastman Was Here to capture one irredeemable man’s search for meaning in the face of advancing age, fading love, and a rapidly-changing world." Read an excerpt of Eastman Was Here.

“With his second book, Gilvarry establishes himself as a writer who defies expectation, convention and categorization. Eastman Was Here is a dark, riotously funny and audacious exploration of the sacred and the profane—and pretty much everything in between.” —Téa Obreht, New York Times bestselling author of The Tiger’s Wife."

"Alex Gilvarry is the author of From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant, winner of the Hornblower Award for a First Book, named Best New Voice 2012 by Bookspan.  He has received fellowships from the Harry Ransom Center and the Norman Mailer Center. He is a professor at Monmouth University where he teaches fiction." You can connect with Alex Gilvarry on his website and follow him on Twitter.  And if you'd like to read Eastman Was Here, enter to win one of two copies I have to give away. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends Sept. 9/17.

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Escape Clause - John Sandford

Virgil Flowers started out as a supporting character in John Sandford's 'Prey' series. But Virgil proved to be pretty popular and ended up with his own series. Escape Clause is the ninth book in his series.

What makes Virgil so popular? He's a 'good ole boy' with a laid back attitude, loves fishing as much as he loves working and his cases are always, well, odd. He's got an eye for the ladies (and the ladies for him) but things seem to be getting more serious with girlfriend Frankie. He's crap with a gun, often not even bothering to carry one and instead relies on his wits and his mouth to get him out of tight situations. Bottom line, I just like him.

So I was eager to see what his latest case was. This time 'round, Virgil is after two tigers stolen from the Minnesota zoo. Is it animal rights activists or has someone stolen them for their value in traditional Chinese medicine?  And on the homefront, Frankie's sister Sparkle has come to visit.  Sparkle seems to be ruffling some feathers at a local business that could mean trouble.

In the zoo case there's no mystery as to who dunnit, but it's enjoyable to ride along as Virgil and his team try to piece it together and make it stick. That journey is a lot of fun, but fair warning - there is some violence.

But for me the real draw of the Virgil books are the characters. The supporting cast of players is just as great as Virgil. I've always enjoyed mainstays Jenkins and Shrake. There's a cameo by Lucas Davenport and faithful readers will spot the tie in to Sandford's last book. The dialogue is the other thing I really enjoy - it's quick, wry and witty.

This series isn't high drama or contain convoluted plotting. What it is, is just plain entertaining. Great quirky characters, left of centre plotting and witty dialogue add up to a quick and addictive read. The trademark phrase 'That f****ng Flowers is always fun to watch for. Read an excerpt of Escape Clause. 

Fans of the television show Fargo would enjoy this series. And upon saying that, I think it would be great to see Virgil on the screen as well. Now, who should be cast as the lead.......

The Trespasser - Tana French

Tana French's books have won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Barry awards, the Los Angeles Times Award for Best Mystery/Thriller, and the Irish Book Award for Crime Fiction. But I only discovered her when I read her previous book, The Secret Place. It was a fantastic read and French is now on my must read list.

Her newest book is The Trespasser - the 6th entry in her Dublin Murder Squad series. It too is a fantastic read, better than The Secret Place in my opinion.

Detective Antoinette Conway set the Murder Squad as her goal when she joined the Dublin police force. She's made it there - but it's not what she had hoped. She's the 'odd man out' and by default so is her partner Stephen Moran. The rest of the squad seems to be hell bent on driving her out of the unit. Conway and Moran's cases are mostly domestics and their hope is for something bigger, one to make their mark.

They're sent to a death - at first glance it looks like another domestic. But when the higher ups send along another Detective to 'help' them, Conway wonders why. And when the pressure mounts to solve the case quickly, Conway digs in her heels.

I love Conway as a character - she's unbelievably tough, tenacious, fearless and smart. But this unrelenting harassment is beginning to chip away at her - there are some chinks in her armour. Moran is just as well drawn - there is more to him that what he presents to the world. He was the narrator in The Secret Place, so he was a character I already knew and liked. The dynamic between the two is evolving, unpredictable and addicting to follow.

The plotting is simply unbelievable - intricate and evolving as the book progresses. At no time did I ever think I could predict where things were going to go. Instead, I felt like I was there with Conway and Moran as they try to puzzle out the latest lead or brainstorm a theory. The procedural details ring very true. What's not as clear are the undercurrents and the unspoken. Everyone lies. Everyone has their own agenda. Who can Conway and Moran trust?

French's settings and descriptions are rich and detailed. I felt like I was walking the cold, damp streets with an eye on the alleyways. French makes her home in Dublin and that personal knowledge enhances time and place.

Dark and gritty, this is mystery writing at it's best. I'm really looking forward to the next in this series - and who will be the narrator. I'm invested in French's characters and intrigued by the cases she imagines. This series is definitely recommended! Read an excerpt of The Trespasser.  You can connect with Tana French on her website

Only the Hunted Run - Neely Tucker

Only the Hunted Run is the newest book in Neely Tucker's Sully Carter series.

I've read the first two books and really enjoyed them, so I happily picked up this newly released third entry.

Sully is a newspaper reporter in Washington, DC. I'm going to borrow from one of my previous descriptions of Sully:

"The best protagonists for crime books are the walking wounded, the ones who buck authority, the ones who just can't let things be or let justice go unserved. Sully Carter fills the bill on every count. He's battling PTSD, alcohol and anger issues, his bosses and manages to step on toes everywhere he goes. He's also a confidant of the one of DC's crime lords. Flawed but driven."

Sully is in the Capitol building on an assignment when a shooter goes on a rampage. Sully, instead of running, moves further into the building, chasing the story. He gets close, manages to hide, and is a first hand witness to the carnage. The shooter himself makes the 911 call, but manages to walk out without being apprehended. After reading Sully's story, he calls him, insisting they have similarities in their lives. And that they should talk.....

I always love keeping an eye out for the title cue as I read. In this case, it comes from Terry Waters, the shooter:

"Sully, okay. You've got to understand this. It's key. Only the hunted run. I, me, I'm not the hunted. I'm not running. I hunt. I am the hunter."

But Sully too is hunting - hunting for who Terry Waters is and the whys and wherefores of his killing spree.

The journey for those answers makes for addictive reading. It was only when I finished the book that I discovered that Neely had (again) woven in fact with fiction. It was hard to believe that these horrific historical details were sickeningly real.

What makes this such a great series? Well, I love the main character, flaws and all. Sully is making progress on the anger, drinking and PTSD, but it's two steps forward, one step back. Tucker has given Sully an expanded personal life with Alexis that I hope lasts - I quite like her. There seems to be an exit for one supporting character that I will be sad to see leave. But I am looking forward to seeing what his replacement will bring to the series.

The writing is fantastic - great pacing, dialogue, setting and plotting. And no wonder  - Tucker himself is a writer at The Washington Post. He's also been a war correspondent in over sixty countries. Tucker brings that experience and knowledge to his writing. And to Sully as well - I do wonder how much of Tucker himself is woven into the character?

Only the Hunted Run was another great read for me. I look forward to number four. Read an excerpt of Only the Hunted Run.

You can connect with Neely Tucker on his website, find him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @NeelyTucker.

Giveaway - A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles

Amor Towles' debut novel, Rules of Civility. was one of 2011’s 'biggest breakout literary bestsellers.'

His second novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, releases September 6/16 and I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader!

From the publisher:

"A big novel that embodies the grandiloquent style and spirit of Russia’s Golden Age of literature, A Gentleman in Moscow is a captivating story of personal and emotional discovery that spans more than three decades and takes place almost entirely within the walls of a single building. In 1922, having been deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, Count Alexander Rostov is ordered to spend the rest of his life under house arrest inside the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. An indomitable man of elegance, erudition, and wit, the Count has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in a cramped attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Though stripped of most of his personal possessions and his social standing, the Count remains determined to preserve his dignity and passion for life. As his days are propelled in profound and unanticipated directions, his relationships with the Metropole staff and its guests unlock the doors to larger worlds within the hotel and ultimately himself.

Brimming with humor and wit, an unforgettable cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this remarkable novel casts a spell as it relates the Count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose." Read an excerpt of A Gentleman in Moscow.

Cr: David Jacobs

"Amor Towles was born and raised just outside Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Yale University and received an MA in English from Stanford University. For many years a principal at an investment firm in Manhattan, he now devotes himself full time to writing. His first novel, Rules of Civility, published in 2011, was a New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and paperback. Towles lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children." You can connect with Amor Towles on his website, follow him on Twitter and find him on Facebook.

And thanks to Viking Books, I have a copy to giveaway. Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Open to US only. Ends Sept 10/16.

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Review AND Giveaway - The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge - Charlie Lovett

Have you started your holiday reading yet? No? Well, here's one to add to your list - The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge by Charlie Lovett. (And I have a copy to giveaway as well as a bonus book!)

You read that right - further adventures. Lovett imagines what might have occurred after Scrooge was visited by the three ghosts and changed his outlook on Christmas - and life - in Charles Dickens' book A Christmas Carol.

Well, Scrooge is celebrating year round - wishing everyone he meets a Merry Christmas each day of the year. But those who benefitted from Scrooge's change of heart twenty years ago have also lost their way. Partner Bob Cratchit is a workaholic, nephew Freddie ignores the plight of those around him and Scrooge's creditors can't see the human side of his largess, only the debts. So one summer's day, Scrooge calls upon the ghosts to help them as they did him so many years ago.

Lovett writes in the style of Dickens (sometimes employing phrasing and referencing Dickens' other works) to recreate the tenor, tone and message of A Christmas Carol.

The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is a lovely reminder that "...scores and hundreds understood the ways of wealth and money and even of philanthropy, but their hearts lacked the true wealth of love, of family, of Christmas joy, which, he now saw, might have been theirs all the year round."

The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is a quick little one night read - here's an excerpt.  Guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit - hopefully year round! You can connect with Charlie Lovett on his website as well as on Facebook and on Twitter.

And thanks to Viking Books, I have a copy of The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge AND A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to giveaway to one lucky reader. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends November 28/15.

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Giveaway - The Secret Chord - Geraldine Brooks

Historical fiction fans, have I got a great giveaway for you today!! Geraldine Brooks's newest novel, The Secret Chord, releases October 6/15 and thanks to Viking Books, I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader!

What's it about? From the publisher:

"A rich and utterly absorbing novel about the life of King David, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of People of the Book and March.

With more than two million copies of her novels sold, New York Times bestselling author Geraldine Brooks has achieved both popular and critical acclaim. Now, Brooks takes on one of literature’s richest and most enigmatic figures: a man who shimmers between history and legend. Peeling away the myth to bring David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage.

The Secret Chord provides new context for some of the best-known episodes of David’s life while also focusing on others, even more remarkable and emotionally intense, that have been neglected. We see David through the eyes of those who love him or fear him—from the prophet Natan, voice of his conscience, to his wives Mikal, Avigail, and Batsheva, and finally to Solomon, the late-born son who redeems his Lear-like old age. Brooks has an uncanny ability to hear and transform characters from history, and this beautifully written, unvarnished saga of faith, desire, family, ambition, betrayal, and power will enthrall her many fans." Read an excerpt of The Secret Chord.

"Geraldine Brooks is the author of four novels, the Pulitzer Prize–winning Marchand the international bestsellers Caleb’s Crossing, People of the Book, and Year of Wonders. She has also written the acclaimed nonfiction works Nine Parts of Desire and Foreign Correspondence. Her most recent novel, Caleb’s Crossing, was the winner of the New England Book Award for Fiction and the Christianity TodayBook Award, and was a finalist for the Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction. Born and raised in Australia, she lives on Martha’s Vineyard with her husband, the author Tony Horwitz." You can connect with Geraldine Brooks on Twitter, like her on Facebook as well as on her website.

If you think you'd like to read The Secret Chord, I have one copy to giveaway. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends Oct 10/15. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

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