Just Get Home - Bridget Foley

No word of a lie - I read Bridget Foley's new book, Just Get Home in a day (and a bit of the night!)

See the crack on the cover? Uh huh - earthquake time in Los Angeles. Single mom Dessa is on a rare night out with her friends, having left her young daughter with a new babysitter. Beegie is a foster home runaway who is headed back as she has nowhere and no one else. 

Now, I have no experience with earthquakes other than the news. But Foley's descriptions were terrifying. Even more disquieting is the behaviour of those who see this disaster as a chance to loot - and worse. (Gentle readers take not that there are more than a few triggering situations in Just Get Home.) "The earthquake isn't the real disaster, Dessa. The disaster is what happens after."

Initially the two characters are each on their own. Their paths cross more than once and they end up travelling the same way together. It is the action and danger that propels the book forward at a breakneck speed, but Foley has also developed her characters. Dessa loves her daughter Oliva to the moon and back, but she is struggling mentally and financially. Beegie's story broke my heart - "Because if you care about something it has power over you. Caring can give someone else the ability to control you and the only real way to own yourself was to let go." 

Their journey is fraught with danger at every turn. I (barely) resisted the urge to flip ahead in the book to see if things worked out the way I wanted. Just Get Home reads like an action movie - and I can absolutely see it on the big screen. Five stars as I couldn't put it down.

Last Ones Left Alive - Sarah Davis-Goff

I am inevitably drawn to apocalyptic and post apocalyptic fiction, fascinated by what an author imagines our future might hold. And more than a little bit frightened, given the times we're living in.

I read the premise of Sarah Davis-Goff's novel, Last Ones Left Alive, and knew it was one I wanted to read. I picked it up on a snowy Sunday and literally couldn't put it down. Yes, it's that good!

Orpen has been raised by her Mam and Maeve on a deserted island off the coast of Ireland. When she turned seven she started her training. Training to defend herself against the skrake - a threat she's never seen. But as the years pass, Orpen wants to know more. More than the edited version that her Mam and Maeve provide. What's on the mainland? Are there others left? 

Davis-Goff tells her story from Orpen's point of view. We meet her in the first chapter, finally on the mainland, pushing Maeve in a wheelbarrow. What led to this point? Where is she going? What will she find? The answers to those questions and more are provided in a past and present narrative. This is a writing device that I really enjoy. Although, it does keep me up very late as I simply can't stop turning pages. I simply need to know what happened and what is happening.

The skrake are the dead, incredibly fast and their bite will kill you. But, there are indeed other humans still left on the mainland. And yes, you guessed it. Their paths will cross with Orpen's. Those scenes, the danger and the uncertainty all make for an action packed read. Davis-Goff has done a fantastic job - the tension is palpable as we travel alongside of Orpen. (And the urge to flip ahead to see if things 'work out' is very hard to deny.) 

But along with this, Last Ones Left Alive is a coming of age story, a story of mothers and daughters, a finding of ones own self and purpose. Emotions, interactions, loss, desire and more are woven into Orpen's story and journey. 

I mentioned enjoying the imaginings of an author's take on our future. I really enjoyed Davis-Goff's take on what might be left. And how a young woman might find herself and her place in such a world. An excellent, five star read for me. Read an excerpt of Last Ones Left Alive. 

"Remember your just-in-cases. Beware tall buildings. Always have your knives."

The Last Widow - Karin Slaughter

I am a big fan of Karin Slaughter's writing. I've enjoyed the last few stand alones, but have been waiting for a new Will Trent/Sara Linton book. It's here! The Last Widow. With every book, I say to myself oh, that's the best one yet, but I think Slaughter has outdone herself with The Last Widow - it's an amazing read. I literally couldn't put it down.

Slaughter starts off with a prologue guaranteed to hook the reader. A woman out shopping with her daughter is snatched from a parking lot. A month later she is still missing.

Will and Sara are at Sara's parents when a car collision sends them running to the street to help. But there's something off about it....And then the unthinkable happens - Sara is taken as well....but who? why? where?

And where Slaughter takes her plot from there is not so far removed from today's headlines. The current climate of hate, supremacists and domestic terrorism are the basis of Slaughter's intricate plot. The mind set, thought processes and violence of the characters of the alt-right group are frighteningly real.

I was so happy to reconnect with Will and Sara and see how their relationship was progressing. The romantic sub plot that has been building as the series progresses is done so well. Believable and not over the top into saccharin territory. But as the danger to both lead characters increased as the story progressed, I started to worry that Slaughter would do something. (Yes, she has surprised me (and not in a good way) in previous books). And I stayed up very, very late frantically turning pages to make sure that didn't happen. Action packed doesn't even begin to describe this book!

Recurring characters also return. Oddly, I am growing quite fond of Will's boss Amanda, despite her single mindedness. And I've always liked Will's partner Faith. Motherhood is examined through the eyes of many women in this novel.

Slaughter's writing is addictive and The Last Widow is no exception. If you've not read this series before, I encourage you to go back to the beginning and discover the players right from the start.

How many stars? An easy five. Sooooooo good. Read an excerpt of The Last Widow.

The Turn of the Key - Ruth Ware

I absolutely love Ruth Ware's writing! I have been eagerly waiting for her newest - The Turn of the Key.

The cover image makes me wonder what's on the other side of the door and the title itself hints at things hidden away. The premise builds on that initial impression.....

Childcare worker Rowan is looking for a job change. When she sees an ad for a live in nanny for the Elincourt family, she applies - and to her surprise gets the job. One catch - she must start asap. Did I mention that Heatherbrae House is quite isolated out in the countryside? And that it is a 'smart' house - controlled by an app? A Gothic feel with a side of modern.

We know that something has gone very, very wrong right from the beginning of the book. Rowan is writing a letter to a lawyer, explaining what happened and I was caught up in the tale immediately.

Rowan is left in charge of the four daughters right away as Mr and Mrs Elincourt must travel to a convention for work. This was unexpected for Rowan. And the children do not seem to want her there. But is it just the children? The house seems to have a mind of its own as well.....

Ruth Ware is a master at building the suspense. Everyday occurrences take on a malevolent air - items misplaced, unexplained drafts and noises and more. The tension grows and grows - and I found myself mentally shouting at Rowan to just leave the house. The movie equivalent of don't go in the basement applies to the attic in this case.

Ware's description of the house made it easy to imagine the setting. Making the house a 'smart' house adds a layer and more questions to the story. I appreciated the many what if's and possibilities afforded by the isolation and the electronics - and the history of the house and previous nannies. Let alone the family - there are secrets in this house, and Rowan hints at one in her own as well.

The ending provides a twist - one I hadn't thought of, but the finale wasn't the outcome I had imagined.

I chose to listen to The Turn of the Key. Imogen Church was the reader and she was brilliant! Her interpretation of Rowan's fear, frustration and anger are so well done. Listening drew me into Rowan's state of mind and amplified the tension. The description of events was so creepy - I will never hear the word 'creak' again without hearing her voice. I simply couldn't stop listening. I've said it before and I'll say it again - listening immerses me in a book. And The Turn of the Key was a standout! Well done! Listen to an excerpt of The Turn of the Key.

The Stranger Diaries - Elly Griffiths

I absolutely adore Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series. The eleventh book is due out next month. But! Griffiths has penned a stand alone that is an absolutely wonderful read! The Stranger Diaries.....think modern Gothic......

Clare teaches English at Talgarth High. Talgarth is also where Gothic author R.M. Holland wrote his most famous story - The Stranger. Past and present collide when a school colleague is found dead - with a line from The Stranger by the body.

Griffiths opens the book with an excerpt from The Stranger - and I was hooked. Initially Clare is the lead character, but the narrative switches to DS Harbinder Kaur who is in charge of the case. And I was surprised when the narrative switched again to a character I hadn't considered playing a larger part. These switches happen numerous times, giving the reader numerous viewpoints to draw on. We are also given many suspects to choose from. (I must admit, I was surprised by the final whodunit) And then there's the option of there being something more, shall we say, otherworldly, involved.

Excerpts of The Stranger continue throughout the book in addition to excerpts from Clare's diary, giving the reader more fuel for speculation.

Every character is well drawn and fleshed out. DS Kaur was my favourite - I hope she might make an appearance in a future novel.

"It can be a dangerous thing, reading too much." Griffiths' writing makes for addictive reading. The only danger is staying up too late reading 'just one more chapter'. Absolutely a five star read - here's an excerpt.

"Goose-bump spooky, smart, and haunting…I loved this book - Louise Penny"

The Perfect Mother - Aimee Molloy

Aimee Molloy's new book, The Perfect Mother, has just released - and it's one you're going to want to pick up if you love suspense.

I think the publisher's description is quite apt...."With the masterful pacing of Before the Fall, the charged domestic drama of Big Little Lies, and the audacious structure of The Girl on the Train comes a thrilling novel centered around a group of women whose lives become indelibly connected when one of their newborns goes missing." Uh huh, one of the worst things you can imagine happening....

Molloy hooks the reader from the first chapter with some absolutely delicious foreshadowing that had me eager to keep turning pages. "I've been blamed for what happened that Fourth of July night. But not a day goes by that I don't remind myself of the truth. It's not my fault, It's theirs." And turn pages I did - every spare minute I could find. The Perfect Mother is just so...so...well, so readable!

The group of mothers is made of a wide variety of personalities - each with their own secrets. The Perfect Mother is told from many points of view, giving us a behind the scenes look at what is going on in each woman's world behind closed doors, while they try to present the perfect mother personal in public. Molloy's  portrayal of new mothers is so very well done - the fears, the angst, the exhaustion, mommy groups and more.

Molloy's depiction of the media coverage is also spot on and underscores how trial by social media seems to be the new norm these days. The talk show host is particularly despicable.

But the standout is the way Molloy manipulates the reader. I truly did not see the twist at the end coming at all. I really appreciate not being able to guess the final outcome of a book. Well done!

Here's an excerpt of The Perfect Mother. Absolutely recommended - add this one to your beach bag! Film rights are already sold with Kerry Washington to star.

You can connect with Aimee Molloy on her website and follow her on Twitter. 

Closer Than You Know - Brad Parks

Closer Than You Know is the latest stand-alone from author Brad Parks. Last year's Say Nothing was the first time I'd read Parks and it was a book I couldn't put down. (my review) I was eager to read this latest - and I couldn't put it down either!

As he did in Say Nothing, Parks' premise preys upon a parent's worst fear - their child disappearing.

Melanie Barrick goes to pick up her infant son Alex from the childminder, only to be told that Social Services has taken the child. A large amount of cocaine has been found in Melanie's house. Police are on their way to find her - and Alex is gone. Melanie protests her innocence, but at every step of the way, the evidence against her grows - and her chances of ever seeing her son again lessen.

Great premise and Parks only builds the tension with every new plot development, ensuring that I stayed up much too late, reading 'just one more chapter.' Parks manipulates the reader with some red herrings, alternate paths and more than one 'whodunit' to choose from along the way to the final pages. There were a few plot points that I thought were perhaps a bit far-fetched, but I didn't think too hard about them - instead I just kept turning pages. And although my suspicions were proven out in the end, I really enjoyed the journey to the final reveal.

Closer Than You Know is told from more than one viewpoint. I was drawn to Melanie and her inner thoughts. I did find her a bit calm in situations that I would have been losing it. The background Parks has drawn for her addresses this. The next door neighbor Bobby Ray was also a character I quite liked. Amy, the Assistant DA was a character I initially had high hopes for, but as the story progressed, her tunnel vision frustrated me. But my hands down fave was Melanie's rumpled, unprepossessing lawyer Mr. Honeywell.

All in all, Closer Than You Know was a fast paced, entertaining read. Fans of Linwood Barclay and Harlan Coben will enjoy this one. (And this reader will be eagerly awaiting Parks' next book.) Read an excerpt of Closer Than You Know.

You can connect with Brad Parks on his website, like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

The Good Daughter - Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter is simply one of the best mystery/thriller writers out there. I am always eagerly awaiting her next book. Her latest, The Good Daughter was an absolutely fantastic read!

1989. The Good Daughter opens with a grab you by the throat, can't look away, opening chapter. A mother and her two daughters (Sam and Charlie), home when they were expected to be out. Two masked gunman, looking for their father Rusty - a lawyer who defends almost anyone. The consequences of that day - horrific. Seriously, take a deep breath before you start.....

And then Slaughter slams the reader again, jumping forward twenty eight years to that same town and to what has happened in that time span. One of the daughters survives and is working as a lawyer like her father. When a school shooting occurs, it is exactly the kind of case Rusty takes. Daughter Charlie was there when it happened.

Oh, there is so much going on in this book! The relationships between the girls, the girls and their parents, spouses, friends, enemies and selves are intricately complicated and so well written. And just as intricate is the shooting case - something doesn't add up. The crime and investigation is brilliant, with no way to guess where things were going to end.

But best of all are the twists the Slaughter throws into her narrative. Without spoiling anything, suffice it to say that just when I felt I had a handle on what happened in the past, Slaughter pulled the rug out from under me. It's impossible not to become immersed in this story. Emotional, addictive and simply excellent - read an excerpt of The Good Daughter. (Gentle readers take note that Slaughter doesn't shy away from violence in her books.)

Foxlowe - Eleanor Wasserberg

Foxlowe is Eleanor Wasserberg's debut novel.

I loved the cover - creepy, Gothic looking manor - there can only be a good story lurking behind those rusty closed gates.

Foxlowe is the name of the estate, tucked away in the moors and crumbling into ruin. But it is home to a number of people living communally. There are three children in the group. One barely remembers the 'Outside', one was born in the house and one arrived as a baby. Their world is Foxlowe - they've never traveled outside it's confines. The narrator of the story is Green - the girl born in the house.

While the adults believe they are living in an idyllic world, this is far from the truth. Relationships begin to crumble, the rituals meant to keep their collective safe don't seem to have the same power and as the children grow, some of them begin to wonder what is Outside the gates. Is it truly the Bad that they've been warned about?

Green's voice is by turns fierce, frightened, clear and confused. The three have no reference beyond what they have learned from the adults in the group. I desperately wanted to rescue them. Freya is the leader of the group and oh, she was easy to despise. We can see that many of her rules and ceremonies are harmful, yet the Family seem to blithely accept them.

Descriptions of the house were detailed - I had a vivid sense of place.

I literally couldn't put the book down, caught up in this 'utopian' setting. The arrival of the end of part one caught me unawares. I had unanswered questions! Part two takes a circuitous route from present to past that again, only encourages the reader to keep turning pages late into the night.

The last chapter and especially the last paragraph were unexpected, negating the ending I anticipated. One last shiver before I closed the cover. I really enjoyed Foxlowe. I had no idea where Wasserberg was going to take her story - I quite appreciate a book being unpredictable. Read an excerpt of Foxlowe.

The Last One - Alexandra Oliva

I always get a little tingle when I realize after the first few pages of a new book that I'm not going to be able to put it down. That's exactly what happened with Alexandra Oliva's debut novel The Last One. I started it early on a Sunday morning and read straight through to the end (somewhat delaying our afternoon plans....)

Admit it, you've watched at least one episode of a reality television show. (There's lots to choose from!)  In The Last One, Oliva has twelve contestants participating in a remote wilderness challenge, seeing how far they can push themselves.

"That's the whole idea behind the show, after all - to break the contestants. Though the twelve who entered the ring were told that it's about survival. That it's a race. All true, but. Even the title they were told was a deception. Subject to change, as the fine print read."

Oliva nicely skewers reality tv, with the producer and editor's comments, the cheesy host, the dehumanizing of the participants by giving them descriptors as names - Waitress, Tracker, Black Doctor, Zoo, Biology and others. It's only the contestants themselves who use their real names. The manipulation of what has been filmed, presenting the storyline they want viewers to see. "All they care about is that the viewers watch to the end." Chat room responses to the show reinforce this.

But while they're removed from society, something happens. Some sort of deadly pathogen strikes the country. While some participants realize this, others don't - they still believe they're on the show - and that the cameras are still rolling. Zoo is one of those who has no idea. The reader walks along with Zoo, who is determined not to quit - she is going to be the last one standing.

We know something has happened and see Zoo's thoughts and choices through that knowledge and question her logic. But seen through her eyes, her choices make sense. She is in survival mode - both physically and mentally.

"I had no idea it would be like this. They didn't say anything about a fake pandemic or props shaped like dead people. About animatronics or feral cats. Empty towns and abandoned children. They didn't say anything about being so alone for so long."

Dystopian/apocalyptic novels are a favourite of mine and Oliva has put a delicious spin on hers. I really liked Zoo as a character (her real name is only mentioned once). Her determination, resilience and stamina to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Oliva's imagining of her journey totally captured me - who knows what's around the next bend, what she will face, if she'll survive. There was no way to predict where the story was going to go and I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book.

Oliva ends the book on a great turn. I had wondered how she could finish off such a great read, but she surprised me. The ending was just right. The Last One is absolutely one of my favourite reads this year. Read an excerpt of The Last One.

You can connect with Alexandra Oliva on her website, follow her on Twitter and find her on Facebook. I can't wait to see what she writes next.