Good Husbands - Cate Ray

Good Husbands is Cate Ray's new novel.

From the publisher - "Three wives, one letter, and an explosive secret that will change everything. He said, she said. Who do you believe?"

And that's the question that three women struggle with after receiving a post mortem letter from a young woman who claims she was conceived after her mother was raped. By all three of their husbands. 

The book is told in alternating chapters by their wives - Jessica, Stephanie and Priyanka. Now, the alleged crime is horrific, but Ray's focus is more on the women and their decisions. Could their husband have done this? They begin their own investigation. But, not every wife is on board with opening up old wounds. This was the most interesting part of Ray's premise for me. She takes us inside every marriage, the wives' actions, thoughts, reasoning and decisions. She also explores the interactions between the three women, as well as their own thinking. As a reader, I too made a decision based on my own thoughts about the husbands. We do hear from the past in the form of a diary and more on the road to conclusion.

I think Ray has handled tough subjects with candor and thoughtfulness. Those looking for a thriller won't find it here. But instead a, well written slow burning suspense novel.

There's a nice twist in the final pages. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I was caught off guard for sure. And it somewhat negated what had come before. If' you've read it let me know what you thought. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Good Husbands. 

Gentle readers, there are trigger situations/descriptions, this may not be the book for you.

Take Your Breath Away - Linwood Barclay

I know I'm in for a fantastic read when I see that Linwood Barclay has a new book out! His latest is Take Your Breath Away. And yes, it was every bit as good as I knew it would be. 

Six years ago, Andrew Mason went on a fishing trip with a friend. When he returned home, his wife Brie was missing. Despite having an alibi, Andy has always been the prime suspect for her murder, despite there being no body. He's moved on both physically and personally. Until a woman who bears more than a passing resemblance to Brie shows up at his old address. And then disappears again.... 

Oh, what a great premise! There's so many ways this could unfold. Barclay keeps the reader guessing from start to finish, with a wealth of characters (all with their own secrets) to choose from for the 'whodunit'. There's nothing I like better than a good twist and turn that I don't see coming. There's more than one of those in Take Your Breath Away. 

I love the level of detail Barclay puts into his settings, his players, the dialogue and of course, his clever, clever plotting. There are many sub plots and I wondered how the heck they would be woven together in the end. Barclay's writing is addictive, making it really hard to turn off the lights at night. I was happily entertained from first page 'til last. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Take Your Breath Away. 

And now the wait begins until the next Barclay book....

The School for German Brides - Aimie K. Runyan

There’s a wealth of World War II fiction just waiting to be read these days, told from many different points of view. Land girls, air taxis, nursing, codebreakers and more. Aimie K. Runyan gives us another view point in her latest historical fiction novel - The School for German Brides. 

What's different you ask? The book takes us to 1938 - 1939 Germany and is told from the sympathetic view of three young German women. One of them, Tilde, is Jewish. She and her mother make a living as seamstresses. Hanna has been sent to live with her aunt and uncle in Berlin. Her aunt is determined that Hanna will marry well. Hanna has other ideas, but her future is already written when an SS officer takes an interest in her. The third woman is Klara and her future looks just like Hanna's. I quite liked all three women and thought they were well drawn. The reader can't help but behind them. And of course there are those on the other side of the equation. Just as well done and you can't help but dislike them!

Now, about the School for German Brides. There actually were Bride Schools that taught the skills needed to be the (supposedly) perfect SS wife. Runyan has also woven historical figures and settings into her novel. 

Runyon does a great job of giving us an inside view of Germany at this time. She makes it personal as we see it through the girls' eyes. Their stories build towards an inevitable meeting of the three. Lives hang in the balance and their bravery, sense of rightness and their own ideals are called upon. There’s love, loss and hope and an ending is satisfying. 

Fashion funnily enough plays a large part in uniting these three women. I really enjoyed the descriptions of fabrics, patterns and the dresses worn. 

WWII fiction fans, this one's recommended for you. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The School for German Brides.   #BooksofHCC   @harpercollinsca

The Clockmaker's Wife - Daisy Wood

WWII fiction is all the rage these days. And if you're a fan of historical fiction, you're going to want to add Daisy Wood's new novel, The Clockmaker's Wife to your TBR list.

Nell and Arthur Spelman and their wee daughter Alice are living in London in 1940. With the blitz hitting too close to home, Nell and Alice go to live with her parents in the country. But, Arthur's job is too important for him to leave - he is a clockmaker who keeps the iconic Big Ben chiming.

Fast forward to present day America. Ellie finds a beautiful but broken watch in her mother Alice's belongings. It once belonged to - yes, you guessed it - Alice's mother Nell. Ellie knows nothing of her grandparents and her mother doesn't have much to offer her either. Ellie is determined to find her history for both herself and her mother. But what she finds isn't what she expected.

I love stories like this that go back and forth from past to present. I was initially caught up short when a crucial piece of Nell's life is presented very early on. But once I discovered this bit, I realized it wasn't a spoiler, and instead I became very curious.

I loved the 'past' chapters so much - characters that 'just got on with it', the sense of community, camaraderie and stalwartness. Wood did an admirable job creating wonderful characters that I easily engaged with. The settings were just as well drawn to with detailed descriptions that created vivid mental pictures. I loved Nell - and her love for Arthur. Nell's got gumption, smarts and a strong sense of duty to her country. The supporting cast is just as well drawn.

Ellie in present day was just as engaging. She's curious, kind and determined as well. I enjoyed the romantic thread woven into this narrative. What Ellie finds in Britain isn't what she had expected. She continues to search for bits of Nell's life even as the reader become privy to what happened to Nell in the past. The lead up to the final answer is action filled. The ending to the present day thread is perfect. Of the two timelines, I have to say I was drawn more to the war years. 

The Clockmaker's Wife was a wonderful read and I recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Clockmaker's Wife.

Lady in the Lake - Laura Lippman

Laura Lippman takes us back to the Sixties in her new stand alone novel Lady in the Lake. Its also set in the city she knows so well - Baltimore.

The prologue had me hooked - its the voice of a dead woman, cursing the woman who wouldn't let her lie in peace. Curioser and more curiouser....

Maddie is the perfect housewife, but she's growing bored with her life, wondering if this is all there is and seeing nothing but the same for years to come. So - she leaves her husband, gets an apartment and a lover and an unexpected job at a local newspaper. Determined to make her mark as a reporter,  she latches on the story of a young woman found murdered.

Now, here's the neat thing about this book. While Maddie is the driving force, almost every person she comes into contact with is given the next chapter in the book. The reader gets an in depth look at many characters and their connection to both Maddie and the dead woman. (Cleo) This format provided a very different reading experience. It had the feel of a serialized news story. With so many points of view, I felt like I knew something about each player, but didn't really know them - and I wanted to know more about many of them. (This speaks volumes about Lippman's characterizations!) Maddie is the exception as her voice and chapters are updated as the book progresses. I felt one way about Maddie in the beginning and quite liked her. But as the book progresses, she grows harder, becoming quite conniving when it comes to getting a story and I found I was becoming disillusioned with her. But - you don't have to like a protagonist.

Lippman always brings the city of Baltimore to life for the reader. The racial tensions, mores of the time, gender and class divides, the newspaper industry (always well done as Lippman herself was a reporter) and more are woven into the story.

The ending provides a great twist - I like being surprised with unexpected turns. And it was only on finishing the book that I discovered that Lady in the Lake  takes inspiration from an actual murder.

Lippman is an excellent wordsmith. I quite enjoyed this character driven, different style of narrative. Have a look for yourself - here's an excerpt of Lady in the Lake.