Shell Games - Bonnie Kistler

I was excited to hear that Bonnie Kistler had a new book out. I really enjoyed her previous book - The Cage. But I have to say that this new novel - Shell Games - is even better!

Have you heard the phrase "Shell games" before? "A shell game is a swindle, a fraud, especially one in which items or information are shifted around in a secret manner to avoid detection." Meet Kate, her daughter Julia and her extended family. Oh, did I mention that Kate is very, very rich? Huh uh.....she is.

And how about the word gaslighting? "To manipulate someone using psychological methods into questioning their own sanity or powers of reasoning."  

Well, I was totally caught up from the first few pages. We meet all of the characters and I started to slot each of the into their 'place' in the plot. And....they changed their narrative, their standing, their loyalty and more. Just when I thought I had the answer to the whodunit, someone changed their story. I loved being unable to find the answer all the ways to the last pages. (Truly, the last two pages)

Kudos to Bonnie Kistler - a clever writer! See for yourself - read an excerpt of Shell Games. 

The House of Wolves - James Patterson and Mike Lupica

James Patterson and co-writer Mike Lupica's latest collaboration is The House of Wolves. It was a page turner for me and I devoured it in a couple of days.

What's it about? Well, let's talk dysfunctional families. When Joe Wolf is murdered, his three sons expect to inherit and take control of Joe's empire. But when the will is read, it's their sister Jenny will now be in charge of it all - including the Wolves - a California NFL football team. Uh huh....it doesn't sit well with her brothers at all.

That's just from the first few chapters. What follows is a deadly game between the siblings. And others. Patterson and Lupica have done a fabulous job with the twists, turns and the 'oh my gosh, didn't see that coming' moments. And there are a lot. Not one character in the book is telling the truth. There's no way to predict which direction the plot is going to take. I really like being unable to predict how a book is going to unfold. 

Jenny is a great lead - smart, savvy and strong. I was behind her all the way. But, she too kept me on my toes. To reiterate - they all lie. As readers, we see the book unfold through Jenny's point of view. 

Now, we know that James Patterson writes suspense thrillers - and does it well. Add Mike Lupica's name to that list. Lupica is a sportswriter and The House of Wolves benefits greatly from his insider knowledge. Although I don't faithfully watch football, I do understand the game. Lupica brings the reader on to the turf, inside the dressing room and into the meeting rooms where deals are made and broken. He's also written many fiction titles himself. 

This duo have penned an excellent story, one that kept me engaged from first page to last. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The House of Wolves.

This comparison from the publisher is quite apt...a family more ruthless than Succession's Roys and Yellowstone’s Duttons."

The Party Crasher - Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella's newest  book is The Party Crasher. 

This latest is a stand alone. And it's also the perfect read for a dreary, rainy day. 

Kinsella always creates a lovable lead character. In this case, its Effie. Now, she is an adult, but when you find out your parents are divorcing and everything you remember about your childhood may not be true, and your cherished family home is up for sale, well, it's devastating. How can her brother and sister be so accepting of their father's new girlfriend Krista? When Krista decides to throw one last party at Greenoaks, Effie doesn't receive an invitation. But, that's not going to stop her from attending....

And this is how it begins - Effie sneaks onto the grounds, into the house, hides in cupboards, attics and most spectacularly - underneath the dining room table. I totally remember hiding under a table as a youngster, hidden by a long tablecloth! I laughed out loud so many times while  reading The Party Crasher. 

So, with all the creeping about, Effie hears her own name being mentioned - more than once. Her clandestine skulking offers up a different picture than she had painted for herself. Or does it?

At it's heart, The Party Crasher is all about families and friends - the good, the bad and the ugly. Kinsella explores those relationships with humor, candor and wit. Indeed, I'm sure each reader will find something or someone that they can identify with. And it wouldn't be a Kinsella novel without some romance! There's a lovely will they, won't they storyline that is written just right.

The Party Crasher was perfect escapist, laugh out loud, heartwarming read sprinkled with some truths we can all identify with. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Party Crasher. 

Take Me With You When You Go - David Levithan and Jennifer Niven

David Levithan and Jennifer Niven's new YA novel is Take Me With You When You Go.

Fifteen year old Ezra wakes up one morning to find that his almost eighteen year old sister is gone. Things are bad at their house - Darren is an abusive stepfather and their mother is no better, turning a blind eye. Bea and Ezra have talked about getting out, but how could she leave without him?

The authors have chosen to present the book using an epistolary method, which is one my favourite literary devices. The story unfolds through a series of emails between the siblings. Along with Ezra, the reader learns where Bea has run to, what she is looking for, and what the future might hold for her. And along with Bea, we worry at the escalating situation that Ezra finds himself in. 

The missives between the two are hard to read at times. (There are trigger situations) But on the flipside the love between the two is tangible. The two main characters are well drawn and are believable. And sadly, the situations and emotions are also believable. The reader can't help but be behind these two as they try to find a safe place for themselves where they can thrive. 

The supporting cast is just as well drawn. There are some wonderful characters such as Ezra's boyfriend, but you won't have any problem hating Darren.

The authors throw in some unexpected turns for Bea and Ezra that kept the story fresh for me. Endings are only perfect in fairy tales. And sadly, life for many young people is anything but. But the ending the authors imagined is just right. This is a story of sibling love, finding your footing and making your own future. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Take Me With You When You Go.

The Family Plot - Megan Collins

The Family Plot is Megan Collins' third novel. 

Dahlia Lighthouse and her three siblings were raised in a secluded house on an island. They were also homeschooled by their parents - and murder was a large part of the curriculum. Not committing it, but learning about, researching and reenacting high profile cases and holding ceremonies to honor the dead. The four eventually all leave their island home, but one goes missing or chooses to distance themselves. On returning home for a funeral....

I'll leave you to discover what has happened - and who might be responsible. 

I have to admit that I thought the whole schooling in murder idea was a bit far fetched. But not improbable. I liked the setting - an old mansion on an isolated island gave the setting a lovely Gothic feel. Collins adds in some reclusive neighbors, suspicious townsfolk and a sketchy cop to round out the cast. And....the Blackburn Island serial killer. Yup, there are a number of women who have been murdered on the island over the years.

The story is told from Dahlia's point of view. But can we trust her memories or her perspective on the current events? We are given a lot of information early on and I was quite happily turning pages, but by mid book, I felt like the momentum had slowed. Delilah's recounting seemed repetitive, with the same emotions voiced over and over again. A lot of the situations required more than a few grains of salt. 

Collins gives us a number of options for the final whodunit, with each suspect being quite plausible. I placed money on one suspect in the middle of the narrative and was proven right in the end. 

I chose to listen to The Family Plot. The reader was Emily Tremaine. Her voice absolutely matched the mental image I had of Dahlia. She has a clear, strong speaking voice, easy to understand. Her pace of narrating is just right. Tremaine is a very expressive reader and captures the tone of Collin's work very well. A really good performance. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt of The Family Plot.

The Family Plot was definitely a different read and I enjoyed it, but not as much as I was hoping to.

Not A Happy Family - Shari Lapena

I've enjoyed each and every one of Shari Lapena's suspense novels. I was eager to read her newest - Not A Happy Family.  And like the ones gone before, I tore through it in two days!

Check out the synopsis below - you'll be hooked! From the publisher, Doubleday Canada:

"Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live. You have to be rich to have a house there, and Fred and Sheila Merton certainly are rich. But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes to call. The Mertons are brutally murdered after a fraught Easter dinner with their three adult kids. Who, of course, are devastated."

 

Or are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their vindictive father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of the siblings is more disturbed than anyone knew. Did someone snap after that dreadful evening? Or did another person appear later that night with the worst of intentions? That must be what happened. After all, if one of the family were capable of something as gruesome as this, you'd know. Wouldn't you?"

Lies. Secrets. Greed. Conniving. Scheming. Murder. Each and every character is unlikable and yes - detestable in one way or another, even the spouses of the Merton adult children. But it is Catherine, Dan and Jenna that are truly unbelievable. Their blatant desire to know how much they're going to inherit is brought up even before the funeral arrangements have been discussed. There are quite a few other players added to the mix - all with ties to the deceased Mertons. It did take me a bit of back and forth to keep track of who was who. But I loved having so many suspects. Kudos to Lapena on her characterizations.

Lapena lays a bread crumb trail of dropped hints, twists and turns on the way to the final whodunit. There's absolutely no way to predict the final aha moment. But I had a lot of fun guessing and re-guessing. Not A Happy Family had a bit of an Agatha Christie feel for me. (a good thing!)

I really enjoyed this latest. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Not A Happy Family.

American Daughter: A Memoir - Stephanie Thornton Plymale with Ellisa Wald

The most fascinating, captivating, gut wrenching, heart breaking tales are those that are true. Such as Stephanie Thornton Plymale's memoir - American Daughter.

Stephanie and her five siblings grew up in chaos - neglect, abuse, hunger, homelessness, extreme poverty and more. Their mother fought many demons - substance abuse, alcoholism and mental illness.

Despite the odds, Stephanie educated herself, got married, had children, ran a college and lived an enviable life. From the outside looking in, she was a success. But like that old saying goes - she was '...like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath."

It was not until she was in her fifties that Stephanie decided to try and find answers, reasons, cement her sketchy memories and finally ask her mother for truths This was a last chance as her mother was dying. 

What she found was not at all what she expected. She learned more about her family, discovered relatives and saw her mother in a different light as she grew to know her as a person with her own struggles and demons. Stephanie found answers, healing and reconciliation. And herself.

This is not an easy read, so gentle readers be forewarned. But it's a true read. I am sure that Stephanie's story will resonate with many readers - for what happened to her and perhaps themselves. Sadly, there are many children living the same childhood she did. 

It's impossible to judge someone's life. I applaud her honesty in sharing her life and her goal to "inspire others to share their stories, receive support and feel empowered by their ability to survive, forgive, heal, transcend and live the life of their dreams." 

This was a five star read for me. If you enjoyed North of Normal, Educated or The Glass Castle, you'll enjoy American Daughter.

The Cousins - Karen M. McManus

Teen fiction makes for great escapist reading. My latest escape is New York Times bestselling author Karen M. McManus' new book, The Cousins.

The Cousins has all the right elements - three teens who are related, but haven't seen each other since they were young. Their parents don't speak to each other either and everyone has been estranged from the family matriarch for twenty five years. Her choice. She made it clear with a "You know what you did' letter to her four children. So, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are quite surprised to be invited to Gull Cove Island to work for their grandmother's resort. The three are excited and hope to meet her. But things don't go quite as imagined...

The three leads are great - all with different personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Their interactions ring true with believable dialogue. I think Aubrey was my favorite character - she grows as the book progresses. They are each given a voice with their own chapters. Also given a historical voice are the parents - from when they were teens on the island. This gives the reader a chance to have a different perspective, knowing more about the why and the what of that ' You know what you did' letter. 

The setting is well imagined and easy to picture. (I want to be on the beach!) But it is the mystery of what happened all those years ago that drives the book forward. The three are slowly putting things together....and then BAM....McManus throws in a twist, a revelation and promptly turns things in a different direction. I love being caught off guard and kept on my toes. And the last page provides one last gotcha.

The book moves along at a good clip with those twists. There's a romantic subplot that is well done and doesn't overshadow the mystery. There are some truths woven into the book as well - family relationships are complicated and messy sometimes.....

The Cousins was a fun, lazy Sunday read for me. See for yourself - here's an excerpt of The Cousins.

Girl Unknown - Karen Perry

Girl Unknown is written by two authors - Paul Perry and Karen Gillece. I mention this right off the bat as Girl Unknown is told in alternating chapters from a husband and wife and I wonder if each author took on one of the  personas writing the book.

David is a university professor. He is stunned when one of his first year students comes to his office professing to be his daughter. When DNA results prove that she is, he wants her to be part of his family, along with his son and daughter. But his wife Caroline, while welcoming Zoe on the surface, has her own doubts about Zoe's motives. And being privy to both David's and Caroline's take on the situation, the reader does as well.

I did not like David at all. Even though he starts out trying to do the right thing, I found him somewhat entitled and smug. Without giving anything away, as the book progresses, his thoughts and actions became increasingly disturbing to me. Caroline has made mistakes in the past and is far from perfect, but she is the character I was on side with the most. Zoe is a manipulator, beguiling David and toying with his wife, children and friends. I wondered what her end game was.

Kudos to Perry and Gillece for creating such strong reactions in this reader. Their depiction of this couple's interactions is really well done. And I liked the back and forth of the chapters, seeing the same events through different eyes. As the cracks in their foundation widen with the addition of Zoe, the reader knows that things are not going to go well. And it was here that I grew saddened (and a little frustrated) with the inability of this couple to actually be honest with and listen to each other and to actually see what is going on in their lives.

Those looking for a fast paced thriller won't find it in Girl Unknown. Instead it is a slow burn, with the tension and the inevitable outcome building with every chapter.  But, I was caught unawares by the final turn the ending took. An unsettling, literary family drama. Read an excerpt of Girl Unknown.

Cr: Edmund Ross

Karen Perry is the pen name of Dublin-based authors Paul Perry and Karen Gillece. Together they wrote Girl Unknown.

Paul Perry is the author of a number of critically acclaimed books. A recipient of the Hennessy Award for New Irish Writing, he teaches creative writing at University College, Dublin.

Karen Gillece is the author of several critically acclaimed novels. In 2009 she won the European Union Prize for Literature (Ireland). Connect with them on Facebook.

See what others on the TLC book tour thought - full schedule can be found here.

North of Normal - Cea Sunrise Person

North of Normal is Cea Sunrise Person's own story.

Cea was born to a teenaged mother, living off the grid, in a tepee in the wilderness, alongside her counter-culture grandparents. No electricity, running water, formal schooling and few, if any rules. Drugs were a daily part of the life of the adults around her. The approach to sex and nudity is casual and open. When she is five, Cea's mother Michelle takes her on the road with her latest boyfriend, living a nomadic life. And this life is just as chaotic and unusual. As Cea grows, she begins to question the lifestyle - and yearns for a more 'normal' life. She makes her own way - at thirteen years old.

Wow. The most intriguing, gut-wrenching, amazing stories are not fictional, but those that are true. Cea's upbringing, life and the changes that she herself implements are almost unbelievable. My heart broke for this young girl, who has no idea that her life isn't 'normal' until she grows older. I was torn on my feelings for Michelle. Her hedonistic ways are a product of the way she has been parented. Papa Dick (her father) is the force behind the step back from society. While seeing this as an idyllic lifestyle, he has damaged all four of his children irrevocably.

Person narrates this audiobook herself. And it brings to much to the listening, knowing that she is recounting her own story. Her voice is clear and easy to understand, with a slight gravelly undertone. The emphasis and inflections given to passages and events reflect Cea's reliving and retelling of her life. Listen to an excerpt of North of Normal.

I was entranced by Cea's story from start to finish. Highly recommended.  Those who enjoyed The Glass Castle will enjoy Person's memoir. And there's more to Cea's story - it continues in her follow up book, Nearly Normal.