THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES (2021) - Review

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
My rating 4 of 5 stars
On sale: September 21, 2021

FIRST SENTENCE: "They bind our feet and ankles, tear off our clothes, and douse us with alcohol."

THE STORY: Liv Stay, a widow, has impulsively accepted a commission to paint a mural on the interior of an old lighthouse called The Longing on an isolated island off the coast of Scotland. Dragging her three daughters with her she arrives earlier than expected and begins noticing the quirks of the island and it's residents.

The story jumps from what's going on with Liv and her daughters in 1998 to Luna in 2021, the only one to escape the disappearance.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Clear your schedule once your start reading because the tale is addictive and the reader just has to know what happened. The information on witchcraft and the cruel deaths of those accused is engrossing as is the fact that witches were hunted in Scotland. Actually witches were pursued all throughout Europe.

BOTTOM LINE: A perfect read for the Halloween season. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
 
DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley /Berkley Publishing Group for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

THE ARTIST VANISHES (2021) - Review

The Artist Vanishes by Terry Westby-Nunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I picked up The Artist Vanishes, my plan was to read the first few sentences and then add it to the bottom of my virtual stack. Instead I knew I had just discovered a treasure in this literary mystery thriller!

FIRST SENTENCE: "The wind blew last night, taking with it dead things, forgotten things, lost things."

THE STORY: 

THEN: Capetown artist Sophie Tugiers disappeared after one of her controversial installations, Bloodbath, was linked to a participant's brutal suicide. 

NOW: Several years later James Dempster, a film maker in a creative and alcoholic slump, discovers his apartment was once Sophie's home. His curiosity is aroused. What happened to Sophie? James' daughter encourages him to do some research hoping a new project will restart his life and career.

WHAT I THOUGHT: After that first sentence, I immediately started reading. The plot alone was interesting but the creation of the world of the book was even more fascinating. It's impressive how the author managed to touch on so many volatile issues without patronizing or preaching to the reader while writing about big pharmaceutical companies and animal testing, the responsibility of artists and how they are changed by fame and money, and the meaning of friendship.

Characters are distinctly drawn and memorable. The pacing moves the story along with surprises and rewards. It's a delight to read writing this beautiful.

Terry Westby-Nunn is also the author of The Sea of Wise Insects.

BOTTOM LINE: This is an amazing book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Penguin Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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PANIC ATTACK (2021)

Panic Attack by Dennis Palumbo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: September 21, 2021

I love thrillers and the better written and circuitously plotted, the faster I consume the story. Suspending disbelief, sometimes I don't even attempt to solve the mystery. I'm just along for the ride and what a ride this book is! I actually tossed aside a literary novel that I've been reading for weeks and finished "Panic Attack" in a couple of days. At 1 o'clock in the morning.

FIRST SENTENCE: "On a bitterly cold afternoon in late October, I was one of twenty thousand witnesses to a murder."

THE STORY: In front of a football stadium filled with students and parents, the college mascot, dancing on the field, is struck down by a sniper. Pandemonium breaks out. While the authorities scramble to calm the public and find the shooter over the next few days, more deaths occur. Although the victims seem randomly chosen, Dr. Rinaldi suspects there is something that links them all together. Can he find the key to stop these dreadful attacks before it's too late?

WHAT I THOUGHT: This is the sixth entry in the Dr. Daniel Rinaldi series and I have read and reviewed them all. Author Dennis Palumbo hooked me by setting the stories in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I lived for many years. His narrator, a psychologist who consults with the Police on difficult cases, is surrounded by interesting characters, who don't always behave normally, Dr. Rinaldi ends up in all kinds of trouble.With great dialogue, well-drawn characters, and sense of place, you won't have any trouble seeing this as a television series or movie.

For an earlier entry in the series I wrote that although there is the requisite violence and sex, Palumbo knows when to back off and let the reader's imagination take over. I'll have to change that to say violence and sex has been ratcheted up a bit. As a matter of fact the body count in "Panic Attack" is pretty high.

Luckily there are five other Dr. Rinaldi titles and, although you can read them as stand alones, reading them in order is much more fun. In order "Mirror Image"; "Fever Dream"; "Night Terrors"; "Phantom Limb"; "Head Wounds"; and "Panic Attack". Find them. Read them.

BOTTOM LINE: A solid entry in the series. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Poison Pen Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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The Killing Kind (2021)

The Killing Kind by Jane Casey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: September 21, 2021

Back in 2014 I read Jane Casey's first psychological thriller "The Burning", which kicked off a series featuring Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan. It was such a great ride that I went on to read several more in the series. I'm a big fan of UK based mysteries (think Tara French, Paula Hawkins, Erin Kelly).

FIRST SENTENCE: "I think about death a lot; it's my job."

THE STORY: As a successful barrister, Ingrid Lewis had a comfortable life. That is, until a man named John Webster refused to stop following her. The strange part is that she had defended him against an unpleasant stalking case a few years back even though she wasn't convinced of his innocence. He was acquitted.

Now it appears he may be behind all sorts of random acts that have become more and more destructive and seemingly targeting Ingrid and everything that's important to her.

WHAT I THOUGHT: The first thing I notice when I start reading a new book is the style. Jane Casey's writing is intelligent and sharp. I was immediately drawn in and finished the book in two days.

Ingrid is a likeable character although she occasionally makes decisions in her personal life that are questionable and put her in harms way. Telling the story from her point of view allows the reader to get a sense of what a barrister is and does (the author's husband IS a barrister) compared to a lawyer. A few literary tricks flesh out the story.

I don't feel the ending quite lived up to the rest of the book although it was satisfactory. "The Killing Kind" would make a marvelous first entry in a new series. And the fantastic news is that the book is set for TV Adaptation by Sony's Eleventh Hour Films!

BOTTOM LINE: Don't hesitate to pick up "The Killing Kind" or any book with Jane Casey's name on it! Highly recommended. (And it has a great cover!)

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Harper 360, Harper Collins for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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THE SECRET STAIRCASE (2021)

The Secret Staircase by Sheila Connolly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
On sale: August 24, 2021

What drew me to Sheila Connolly's newest entry in the Victorian Village Mysteries? Was it the title "The Secret Staircase" or the book cover featuring a turreted mansion? Having grown up addicted to Nancy Drew, it was probably a little of both.

FIRST SENTENCE: "I looked at the faces of the people around the large oval table in the dining room of the Asheboro Bed & Breakfast - the place I was calling home, at least temporarily."

THE STORY: Kate Hamilton has her heart set on restoring "The Barton Mansion" in a small town a short drive from Baltimore but a world away. The project is formidable and only part of an even bigger concept of recreating Asheboro as a Victorian Village to bring the town back to life.

Just as everything is starting to fall into place, a hidden staircase is discovered and at the bottom, a century old body. When another death occurs, Kate realizes there is something in the past that is still festering and dangerous.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Told in the first person, the reader is aware of Kate's hopes and fears for the project. It's interesting to follow her thoughts, decisions, and plans as she grapples with the complicated process of working on historic properties. I found the book slow-moving and repetitious at times as Kate vacillates. The mystery isn't particularly challenging and gets quickly tied up at the end by an unexpected discovery. (Please realize that I am NOT a cozy fan.)

BOTTOM LINE: This is the third and last entry in the Victorian Village Mysteries. Author Sheila Connolly died in April 2020; but she was a prolific writer of cozys and left many series including Orchard Mysteries, Museum Mysteries, County Cork Mysteries, and Relatively Dead Mysteries among others. A good solid read for lovers of history, Victoriana, restoration, and genealogy.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you NetGalley, and Minotaur Books for the advance copy for an honest review.

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MURDER MOST FOWL (2021)

Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: August 3, 2021

In an amazing Shakespearean synchronicity, I read two books, back to back, featuring MacBeth. How often does that happen? And in case you were concerned, it's only bad luck to say the name of the Scottish Play in a theater.

"Murder Most Fowl", the 29th in the series, was actually my first Meg Lanslow. A friend, who is a true cozy aficionado, reviewed a couple other titles for my blog Book Keeping a while back.

THE FIRST LINE: "Mom?" I kept my eyes firmly closed and focused on breathing in and out in the slow, deliberate way that was supposed to make you feel better when you were stressed. One. . .two. . .

THE STORY: Meg's husband is directing a summer production of Macbeth. Rather than deal with the political nonsense at the local college, he brings the cast and crew to Caerphilly to rehearse lodging them in guest rooms and tents on their property complicating Meg's life. Random incidents and vandalism begin and ultimately a death. Could these acts have been caught on film? Caerphilly’s chief of police, with Meg's help, must uncover the same secrets the filmmaker did if they want to catch a killer.

WHAT I THOUGHT: With titles like "No Nest for the Wicked", "Owl Be Home for Christmas", "Toucan Keep a Secret", and "Gone Gull", you know what to expect in this series. Lots of quirky characters surrounding an amateur sleuth in a small town with lots of suspicious things going on. There will be a crime but nothing too disturbing. You can mostly tell the bad guys from the good guys who will ultimately win in the end. All this will be delivered with interesting information about the world and gentle humor. Donna Andrews has the cozy formula down cold and still delivers a fun puzzle for the reader to try to solve time after time.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly recommended for all cozy readers!

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Minotaur Books for the advance copy for an honest review.

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ALL'S WELL (2021)

All's Well by Mona Awad
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On sale: August 3, 2021

Why, yes, I do often judge a book by its cover, and Mona Awad's "All's Well" has a stunning one - a comedy mask decorated with a variety of colored pills. How could I not read a book concerning chronic illness and theatre?

FIRST SENTENCE: "I'm lying on the floor watching, against my will, a bad actress in a drug commercial tell me about her fake pain."

THE STORY: Miranda Fitch, a once promising young actress, has watched her enchanted life disappear after a fall from the stage. Now burdened with chronic pain, she is reduced to accepting a teaching position at a community college where theater is merely part of the English Department. Determined that "All's Well That Ends Well" will be the fall production, Miranda has to convince her mutinying students who expected to be performing The Scottish Play. How she does that, and all that follows, is fascinating, confusing, and disturbing but in a good way. Am I right?

WHAT I THOUGHT: Although referred to as funny, a dark comedy, it is also painful, a tragedy or perhaps somewhere in between. I was often amused and once brought to tears. Going on this journey with an unreliable narrator is disconcerting and disturbing but also exciting and fascinating. After a straightforward opening narrative, the plot blossoms into magical realism leaving the reader questioning what is real.

BOTTOM LINE: If you want to read something different, something unique; if you've felt alone suffering from chronic pain; if you love Shakespeare and theatre, this might be just the escape you are looking for.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for the review copy for an honest review.

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FALLEN (2021)

Fallen by Linda Castillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

FIRST LINE: "She knew coming back after so many years would be difficult, especially when she'd left so much hurt behind when she departed."

With a dynamite opening, this 13th Amish mystery is off and running.

Rachael Schwartz left her tiny Ohio community, and her Amish faith a decade ago. Returning hoping to right a wrong, she is brutally murdered in her motel room. When Kate Burkholder, the Chief of Police in Painters Mill, recognizes Rachael the pain of it becomes personal. Kate herself had left the Amish community years earlier.

The first Kate Burkholder story I discovered was Her Last Breath #5 (Jul 17, 2015). Then I quickly devoured Sworn to Silence #1 (July 21, 2015) and Pray for Silence #2 (July 26, 2015). Then I stopped. I found the crimes against the Amish, especially the young women, too overwhelming. But because the series is so popular, I decided to try again. I'm glad I did. Although violence and death occurred in Outsider #12, there was more than enough life and happiness to balance the story. Fallen #13 reverts to the ugly violence and lives destroyed, but that didn't stop me from turning pages.

Linda Castillo can be counted on for a captivating plot and the reader is assured of a thrilling read. Although this is a series, the author provides more than enough repetition to remind the reader of the things they need to know. A few chapters labeled 2008 fill in the backstory proving more clues. And, as always, a highlight of the book is the translated Amish phrases and cultural details.

Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Net Galley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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LIGHT PERPETUAL (2021)

Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As a reader who loves stories of alternative lives, the plot immediately caught my attention. A group of shoppers at a Woolworth's in London on November 25, 1944, are suddenly incinerated including five children. Who might they have been? What lives might they have lived?

FIRST SENTENCE "The light is grey and sullen; a smoulder, a flare choking on the soot of its own burning, and leaking only a little of its power into the visible spectrum."

An extraordinary prologue describing the coming explosion in slow motion is unforgettable. Then time returns to normal and the destruction and death is revealed. From there the author constructs new lives for the children by showing the reader snapshots from the lives Alec, Vern, Ben, and sisters Val and Jo might have lived over a period of years as the world changed. Although the characters are the author's creation, the event actually took place and five children were among those who died which makes the stories all the more poignant. The reader is constantly reminded that none of these lives were lived.

Thanks to Francis Spufford, Scribner and NetGalley for a digital copy; opinions are my own.
Publication Date was May 18, 2021 #LightPerpetual #NetGalley

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THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD (2021)

The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One hundred thirty three years ago on January 12, 1888, a terrifying blizzard hit the Northwest Plains. They say the temperature dropped almost 100 degrees in 24 hours. Referred to as the children's blizzard, at least 232 people perished, many of them children just dismissed from school.

Author Melanie Benjamin has taken a true event and shaped it into a compelling story. The first half, "A Disturbance in the West," sets the background for her story of two young sisters, both school teachers, and the impossible choices they are forced to make to protect their students when the unexpected storm hits. The description of the blizzard is overwhelming. The narrative switches among Gerta, her sister Raina, and Gavin Woodson, a jaded newspaper man banished from New York to Omaha.

Part two, "The Maiden of the Prairie," deals with the aftermath of the storm and consequences of the life or death decisions that were made. Holding all the stories together is the reporter who, guilty of having written false copy luring many immigrants to this desolate area, commits to write about the aftermath of the blizzard.

To make sure today's reader understands the conditions in 1888, the author describes the realities of life during that time period that allowed this tragedy to happen.

The narration of events during the unrelenting blizzard are knuckle-biters. This is a story where the reader will have no trouble remembering the characters or their ultimate fate. This is not an 'everyone lives happily ever' story but rather one of survival.

BOTTOM LINE:  This is a book you will read and recommend to all your friends! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 

 

DISCLAIMER: A copy of The Children's Blizzard was provided to me by Delacorte Press /Net Galley for an honest review.

 

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press (January 12, 2021)
ISBN-10: 0399182284
ISBN-13: 978-0399182280

THE AUTHOR: Melanie Benjamin is the New York Times bestselling author of Mistress of the Ritz, The Girls in the Picture, The Swans of Fifth Avenue, The Aviator's Wife, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, and Alice I Have Been. Benjamin lives in Chicago, where she is at work on her next historical novel.

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BUZZ BOOKS 2021: SPRING/SUMMER

 

Buzz Books 2021/Spring/Summer
by Publishers Lunch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A preview of the best of the new books for the season and it's FREE!

Fiction is broken down into categories such as Notables (Kazuo Ishiguro's KLARA AND THE SUN, Jhumpa Lahiri's WHEREABOUTS, and Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeny's GOOD COMPANY); Highly Anticipated (Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray's THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN, Joshua Henkin's MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, and Imbolo Mbue's HOW BEAUTIFUL WE WERE); Emerging Voices; (Will Dean's THE LAST THING TO BURN, Charles Martin's THE LETTER KEEPER, and Flynn Berry's NORTHERN SPY); a very long list of Debut authors; and Commercial Fiction including Linwood Barclay, David Baldacci, Alafair Burke, Harlan Coben, Jean Hanff Korelitz, and Nora Roberts. A whole range of non-fiction categories are included as well as several Young Adult titles.

There are so many enticing new titles and authors in the Spring/Summer edition, that although I tried to be selective, it remains to be seen whether I was successful. I've requested a number of titles already!

First introduced for the 2012 Book Expo America, the FREE digital Publishers Lunch Buzz Books has become the place for both industry professionals and book lovers in general to discover and read about the books expected to spark high demand BEFORE they are published!

What's really great is that after many selections, you have the option to follow a link and request the complete galley copy from Net Galley if you qualify as a 'professional' reader.

Check out Buzz Books on Amazon. Did I mention it's FREE!

THE SURVIVORS (2021)

THE SURVIVORS: A Novel
by Jane Harper
Narrated by Stephen Shanahan
My Rating: 4 out of 5

I was apprehensive when I started listening to The Survivors. Audio books are as much about the narrator as they are about the author but as it turns out Stephen Shanahan is one of the best and with his Australian accent has been the perfect choice for all of Jane Harper's books. He understands the cadence of Harper's writing style.

THE STORY: Having left home for Sydney, Australia after a tragic event, Kiernan Elliott now feels compelled to help care for his father who suffers from dementia. After twelve years he finds himself back in Tasmania with a wife and infant daughter facing the emotional fallout and the friends he left behind.

When the body of a young girl is found washed up on the beach, it brings back memories of the terrible storm in which two young men were lost at sea. Back then another young girl was found dead on the beach as well.

Author Jane Harper's writing is so descriptive the reader can picture the coastal town of Evelyn Bay and the ocean, which is both friend and foe. The rocky caves created by waves are as much characters as are the monuments to the tragic event facing out to sea.

Be aware that the narrative goes back and forth in time. It's a little less obvious then it would be reading. I did find it hard to keep the many characters straight until I got further into the book when their individual stories come into sharper view.

It's highly likely you'll want to search out other books by Jane Harper.

BOTTOM LINE: How to travel when you can't travel! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 

DISCLAIMER: A copy of The Survvivors was provided to me by Macmillan Audio/Net Galley for an honest review.

Published: February 2, 2021 by Macmillan Audio

Unabridged Audiobook: 11 hrs.  56 min.

Author: Jane Harper

Narrator: Stephen Shanahan

ASIN: B0888TMYGZ

Jane Harper is an Award-winning Australian author. Her books include The Survivors, The Lost Man, The Dry and Force of Nature.

 

BEFORE THE RUINS (2021)

Before the Ruins

by Victoria Gosling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The title and cover were intriguing. So was the idea of a group of young people exploring a manor house and competing in a game to discover a rumored treasure. What I discovered was a much more nuanced and beautifully written debut novel.

FIRST LINE: "The year Peter went missing was the year of the floods." 

 

THE STORY: Peter has been Andy's other half since childhood. But Andy now Andrea has grown up and  moved on from bad things in her past especially the events of the summer of 1996. That's when life changed for the friends through one fatal mistake. Now Peter is missing and Andrea feels compelled to find him no matter what memories may resurface. The search leads her to reflect on what is truly important in life and friendship. 

WHAT I THOUGHT: Readers looking for a quick reading mystery will be disappointed. Before the Ruins is character driven and paced to allow the reader to savor the poetic language. It's more likely to appeal to those who have enjoyed Donna Tartt or Tana French.

 

BOTTOM LINE: Slow down, pay attention, and enjoy the journey. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 

 

DISCLAIMER: A copy of Before the Ruins was provided to me by Henry Holt and Co. /Net Galley for an honest review.

 

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (January 12, 2021)

ISBN-10: 1250759153

ISBN-13: 978-1250759153

THE AUTHOR: Victoria Gosling grew up in Wiltshire, England and studied English Literature at Manchester University. She is the founder of The Reader Berlin, hosting salon nights in Berlin and writers’ retreats in Greece and Italy. She also organizes The Berlin Writing Prize. Gosling is the author of Before the Ruins.(from Amazon)

TOKYO UENO STATION (2020)

by Yu Miri

My rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

 

After death, Kazu, a homeless man finds his spirit lingers in Ueno Park, one of Tokyo's busiest stations. Speaking directly to us, he considers his life, his surroundings, and how he ended up 'sleeping rough'.

A little knowledge of Japan will enhance the experience of "Tokyo Ueno Station" although the conditions of homelessness exist all over the world. It's surprising how much seems familiar.

 

FIRST SENTENCE: "I used to think life was like a book: you turn the first page, and there’s the next, and as you go on turning page after page eventually you reach the last one."

Yu Miri, a Korean-Japanese author, has written a post-tsunami work in this relatively short novel, her most recent to be published in English. Her stream-of consciousness writing is gorgeous and haunting and sad. Morgan Giles' translation does not distract in any way.

Narrator Johnny Heller has a slightly raspy edge to his voice which allows the listener to immediately relate to his portrayal and be drawn into the story. His pronunciation of Japanese words and names seems impeccable.

Length: 3 hrs and 58 mins

Release date: 06-23-20

Penguin Audio

Unabridged

Narrated by Johnny Heller

Translated by Morgan Giles 

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