THE DEVIL YOU KNOW (2023) - Review

The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On Sale: January 17, 2023

P. J.Tracy's "The Devil You Know" introduces Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Margaret Nolan to a death that threatens the foundation of Hollywood and its upper echelon. The book is #3 in The Detective Margaret Nolan Series ("Desolation Canyon" #1 and "Deep into the Dark" #2) It is recommended that you read the books in order.

FIRST SENTENCE: "The ocean was singing in the hushed, undulating tones of low tide on this still, damp night."

THE STORY: Well-known actor Evan Hobbes is found dead in the rubble of a Malibu rock slide a day after a fake video ruins his career. 'Is it an accident, a suicide; or a murder?' With more deaths, Detective Nolan has a difficult case to solve.

WHAT I THOUGHT: P. J. Tracy is a good mystery writer with lots of readers, but don't start with "The Devil You Know" without reading the first two books. There are lots of characters to try to keep straight and bits and pieces of past stories revealed but not explained.

Descriptive words accentuate every thought and every event, seeming too pretty for a police procedural. If you are more interested in a story than in the fancy writing and if you aren't comfortable with wordy writing, this might not be a book for you.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED If you are a fan of the Monkeewrench Series, you need to read copies of the first two books in The Detective Margaret Nolan Series and then read "The Devil You Know". P. J. Tracy is a pseudonym for the American mother-daughter writing team Patricia and Traci Lambrecht. They became New York Times bestselling authors in the process. Patricia died in 2016.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "The Devil You Know" by P. J. Tracy from NetGalley/St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for my honest review.

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THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY (2022) - Review

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: June 7, 2022

And now for something completely different. Author Sulari Gentill has concocted an unexpected format for her mystery. It's a story within a story within a story. Similar to locked room puzzles, there seem to be only four possibilities for the murderer, but are there?

FIRST SENTENCE: "Dear Hannah, What are you writing?"

QUOTE: "And so we go to the Map Room to found a friendship, and I have my first coffee with a killer."

THE STORY: Hannah Tigone, an Australian author had planned to visit Boston to write her next book. When the pandemic puts a halt to her traveling, Leo, a colleague who lives there becomes her beta reader. Every chapter ends with a letter from Leo offering advice and details about Boston and American life.

Then there's the story of the book itself. Winifred better known as "Freddie" is writing "The Woman in the Library". She has won a Marriot Scholarship to enable her to write her mystery set in Boston. Working in the Boston Public Library, she is attempting to decide the plot for her mystery when a woman screams. Four other people seated nearby begin to talk about what might have just happened and they quickly become friends. When they discover the woman has been killed, they become sleuths.

WHAT I THOUGHT: The author has written a carefully written and plotted mystery adding humor as the story unfolds with its many twists and turns. Besides the puzzle the friends seek to solve, the story is about friendship and writing (every character is writing a book). It's always fun to recognize the current references to things we know that are scattered throughout.

More than once, especially in the beginning, I found myself wondering what story I was reading, but it's worth the struggle. Although you can listen to the audio book, I would expect it could add another level of confusion.

The book also includes A Reading Group Guide and ‘A Conversation with the Author’ about how she stumbled on her plot.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "The Woman in the Library" by Sulari Gentill from NetGalley/Europa for my honest review.


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THINGS ARE NEVER SO BAD THAT THEY CAN'T GET WORSE: INSIDE THE COLLAPSE OF VENEZUELA (2022) - Review

Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse: Inside the Collapse of Venezuela by William Neuman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On Sale: March 15, 2022

We had a rental property in Pittsburgh years ago and our first tenants were a wealthy family from Venezuela. The parents were doctors. I've always been curious about what their country was like.

Author William Neuman writes about the decline of Venezuela from the days of overwhelming riches to the depths of extraordinary poverty. An alarming number of people have fled to other countries.

Having lived in Caracas while he served as the New York Times Andes Region Bureau Chief, Neuman has combined journalism, memoir, history, politics, and interviews into an accessible book for anyone wanting more in-depth understanding of Venezuela.

It's clear that the author has great empathy for the people. His interviews range from the the people who bear the brunt of the damage by the country's leaders to those who surrounded and protected the wealthy. The involvement of the United States of America is also considered. It's hard not to see disturbing patterns between the two countries.

Highly recommended.

My thanks to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

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ABANDONED ISLANDS (2022) - Review

Abandoned Islands by Claudia Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: April 14, 2022

There are abandoned islands in all parts of the world. Claudia Martin's coffee table book includes four sections: North and South America, Europe, The Middle East, and Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Some islands may be familiar like Alcatraz but most are long forgotten.

Many of these abandoned islands housed prisons, leper colonies, immigration, inspection stations, and quarantine hospitals. Others became abandoned when the small number of inhabitants and the resources to support them seemed less attractive than life on the mainlands.

Each island has a brief description which includes what they were used for and the dates when they were abandoned. A variety of beautiful photographs (160), although some seem of a uneven quality, imply the hardships of isolated living.

A sampling of what caught my eye starts with North Brother Island in New York's East River. From 1885 to 1945 it was the site of Riverside Hospital for people who were quarantined. 'Typhoid Mary', whose real name was Mary Mallon, was forced to live there for 23 years.

Bunce Island, Sierra Leone, was a base for European slave traders. England's Royal Africa Company even built a castle there around 1670.

Volcanic Crocodile Island in Kenya is in the center of a lake. And, yes, there are Crocodiles.

Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands was forced to relocate 167 islanders to the United States so 23 nuclear devices could be detonated there between 1946 and 1958.

"Abandoned Islands" is certainly an inspiration for those who want to travel to lesser known places or maybe just research them on the Internet. Not only a coffee table book, this handsome volume would make a lovely gift.

Thank you to NetGalley / Amber Books Ltd, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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GOOD RICH PEOPLE (2022) - Review

Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: January 25, 2022

I have to admit that I am often drawn to a book by its cover, and Good Rich People has an eye-catching one!

FIRST SENTENCE: "There is blood in the fountain turning the water an eerie rust color."

THE STORY: When Lyla married Graham she thought she was winning, but now he is bored with her and every other aspect of his life. His filthy rich domineering mother indulges and encourages the worst aspects of his need for amusement. They play games and there is always a loser.

For their entertainment, they lure successful people to their property by providing housing. Then they ruin them. When Demi moves in, the game takes an unexpected turn.

WHAT I THOUGHT: A dark, psychological comedy, Good Rich People is also a cautionary tale of wealthy people who will do anything for amusement contrasted with the destitute who will do anything to survive.

This is not a book for everyone. The characters are unpleasant. We hope they are not like us but we find them utterly fascinating. The twists and turns are unexpected and will keep the reader turning pages to discover the next outrageous move in the game.

When I got to the end, I asked myself, "What did I just read?" I'm still trying to reconcile and understand the meaning of the title and the ending.

There seemed to be lots of unanswered questions at the end. Perhaps the game just goes on.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you like black comedy with lots of violence. This book is NOT for everyone.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Berkley Publishing Group and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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JULIA MORGAN: AN INTIMATE BIOGRAPHY OF THE TRAILBLAZING ARCHITECT (2022) - Review

Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect by Victoria Kastner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On sale: January 18, 2022

Julia Morgan was often dismissed as a one-time wonder for the elaborate castle she built for William Randolph Hearst, but recently critical thinking has shifted. The American Institute of Architects decided to give their highest honor posthumously to Julia celebrating her work in its entirety.

It was the Spring of 1919 when Julia first visited San Simeon. World War I had ended and the country was on the verge of the Roaring Twenties and an era of prosperity. She would spend nearly thirty years working on this project.

One of the unique things about Julia was that she was a native Californian when most of the San Francisco architects were transplanted Easterners. When she enrolled in Berkley's University of California, there was no architecture department so in 1890 she became one of its first female civil engineering majors and she made an important life long friend Phoebe Apperson Hearst, the mother of William Randolph Hearst.

The description of the 1906 catastrophic San Francisco earthquake and how it affected Julia and her work is compelling as well as how the commission to repair and rebuilt the Fairmount Hotel eventually became hers.

Carefully researched, containing new information, and written in highly readable language, this biography is a worthy addition to understanding the life of Julia Morgan.

Lavishly illustrated with beautiful color photographs, maps, and other ephemera, the book covers the genealogy of Julia's family, her childhood, through every aspect of her life and career. She died at the age of eighty-five on February 2, 1957.

The Hearst Castle was presented to the California state parks system and more than forty-five million have visited since guided tours began on June 2, 1958. I was one of them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

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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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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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GENEALOGY BASICS IN 30 MINUTES (2021)

Genealogy Basics In 30 Minutes: The quick guide to creating a family tree, building connections with relatives, and discovering the stories of your ancestors by Shannon Combs-Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After fifty years of genealogical research, I was not expecting it, but Shannon Combs-Bennett's "Genealogy Basics in 30 Minutes" surprised me with new ideas! This is a concise, up-to-date guideline for getting started in genealogy while avoiding the most common mistakes and pitfalls. Information is shared in a well-organized, conversational style infused with the author's enthusiasm for family history!

Combs-Bennett's explanations are brief and understandable whether she's discussing digital issues, DNA, or record keeping. A helpful appendix and extensive index are included. (Check out her list of what you should have in your portable genealogy research kit for interviewing relatives.) Stressing the importance of record keeping and research logs, as well as ways to preserve records of all kinds, this is a book you'll want close at hand to reference as you grow your family tree. Highly recommended.

Thanks to the author, I30 Media Corporation and NetGalley for a digital copy; opinions are my own.
Publication Date was January 5, 2021 #GenealogyBasicsIn30Minutes #NetGalley


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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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DEADLY EVER AFTER (2021)

Deadly Ever After by Eva Gates
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

FIRST LINE: "Is there anything more perfect than a day at the beach?" 

THE STORY: How could anything go wrong with an opening line like that? Plenty as it turns out. Librarian Lucy Richardson is finally getting engaged to Conner McNeil, dentist and mayor of a small community on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Family and friends are gathering on the beach to celebrate when Richard Eric Lewiston the Third and his overbearing mother crash the party for the sole purpose of convincing Lucy to marry 'Ricky' instead!

From there it isn't long until a body appears and the happenings in this quiet little town again force Lucy into the role of amateur detective (for the 8th time in the series). The suspects pile on and with twists, turns, and a little humor, eventually good triumphs over evil.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I always say I'm not a cozy mystery reader but this is my second by this author in the past year! I love the idea that Lucy's library and home is in a lighthouse. Eva Gates knows what her readers want and gives it to us in a well-written way that doesn't talk down to readers but includes us in the fun. Along the way she works in the names of books and bits of information the reader will recognize. It's not a unique approach but it's well-done here. The book club is reading "The Hound of the Baskervilles", by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and there are shout-outs to fellow cozy writers Ellen Bryon and Essie Lang as well. P.S. In this 8th entry in the series, there is still Charles Dickens (the cat) and now a dog (Fluffy) just to cause added confusion!

BOTTOM LINE: There is nothing more delightful than an enjoyable cozy series. I'm guessing that starting at the beginning with #1 and getting to know the characters would be even more fun. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for cozy mystery readers!

DISCLAIMER: A copy of "Deadly Ever After" was provided to me by Crooked Lane Books/Net Galley for an honest review.

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (May 11, 2021)
ISBN-10: 1643855883
ISBN-13: 978-1643855882

THE AUTHOR: Eva Gates is also known as Canadian crime writer Vicki Delany, "one of Canada's most prolific and varied crime writers." You might want to check out some of her other series: Sherlock Holmes Bookshop; Year Round Christmas Mysteries; Klondike Gold Rush; and novels of Gothic suspense. "Having taken early retirement from her job as a systems analyst, Vicki enjoys the rural life in Prince Edward County, Ontario." 

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THE VINES (2021)

The Vines by Shelley Nolden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The idea of a mystery set on abandoned North Brother Island in New York City's East River, immediately caught my imagination. At one time people were quarantined there for contagious diseases, but now nature has reclaimed the island and designated it as a bird sanctuary. It's the perfect setting for Shelley Nolden's elaborate debut, part historical, part medical, and part supernatural story about a family who discover a woman with extraordinary immunity living on the island and perform invasive experiments over decades to learn her secret.

FIRST LINE: "A thick keloid encircled the young woman's throat like a noose, ready to seize her last breath."

THE STORY: Finn has always been excluded from his family's involvement with Riverside Hospital on North Brother Island. Home from the Peace Corps, he decides to do a little urban exploration of the now abandoned hospital and discovers Cora, scarred and living alone amid the ruins. Their meeting is not a peaceful meeting and Finn begins to feel responsible for his family's past transgressions. Moving back and forth between 1902 and 2007 and years in between, the cruelty and horrors are slowly revealed.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Does the end justify the means? In "The Vines", every character lies and every character keeps secrets. The majority of characters are of questionable morality. Although the chapters were labelled to help the reader navigate, it took me a while to get comfortable with the Gettler genealogy. The author does a good job of describing the over-grown island and the tragic episode of the General Slocum, which burned off shore, brought that event alive.

Halfway through the story got bogged down. Sections focused on descriptions which didn't move the story forward. The ending didn't tie up loose ends no doubt because a sequel will be available soon.

In the meantime, Shelley Nolden's fantastic website has an extensive list of sources including photographs, websites, books, videos, and articles for those who are as fascinated as the author is with North Brother Island's history.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of "The Vines" was provided to me by Freiling Publishing/NetGalley for an honest review.

Publisher : Freiling Publishing (March 23, 2021)
Hardcover : 412 pages
ISBN-10 : 1950948404
ISBN-13 : 978-1950948406

THE AUTHOR: Shelley Nolden is an American author and entrepreneur, who was born in Wisconsin, where she now lives.  Her fascination with North Brother Island in New York, as well as her battle with Leukemia inspired her to write her debut novel, "The Vines".  

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THE LOST MANUSCRIPT (2021)

THE LOST MANUSCRIPT
by Cathy Bonidan
Narrated by Elodie Yong, Rupert Degas, Cecile Delepiere, and Jean Brassaard
My Rating: 4 out 5 Stars

What a charming story perfectly suited to be an audiobook! If you are feeling nostalgic about letter writing, this epistolary tale will delight you.

On vacation in France, Anne-Lise Briaird discovers a manuscript in a nightstand while looking for something to read. She is enchanted by it and resolves to return it to the writer. The manuscript 's journey is slowly unraveled and the simple mystery ends up, as Anne-Lise says "an extraordinary tale full of plot twists, great passions, and missed opportunities."

With their lovely accents, the four narrators have done an outstanding job of adding to the charm of the story.

At first you may think the characters are too literate, too willing to share their stories with strangers. Letters go back and forth too quickly; phones and e-mail are mostly unused even though the year is 2016. But author Cathy Bonidan has taken 'poetic license', requiring the reader to suspend reality and live in the world she has created. It's a magical place to spend time.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, but consider listening to the audiobook.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of The Lost Manuscript was provided to me by Dreamscape Media / NetGalley for an honest review. 

Published: January 21, 2021 by Dreamscape Media / NetGalley

Unabridged Audiobook:  5 hrs and 21 mins

Author: Cathy Bonidan

Narrators: Elodie Yung, Rupert Degas, Cécile Delepière, Jean Brassard

ASIN: B08JHD7LVY

 

 CATHY BONIDAN works as a teacher in Vannes and has been writing since the age of 14. Her debut novel, The Perfume of Hellebore Rose, won 11 literary awards in France. 

Catching My Breath & Getting Organized

I never seem to be able to curb my enthusiasm for new books, which I don't have enough hours in the day to read.

This bothers me the most when I have requested an interesting title from NetGalley with the very best intentions. And I must confess I have fallen behind again.

Currently I am reading a physical book, provided by the author, called The Alexandrite by Rick Lenz (2015). It's a time travel noir that I am finding quite fascinating.

On my Kindle awaiting me are My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem (on sale today), Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning by Timothy Snyder (went on sale September 8), and The Passenger by Lisa Lutz (not on sale until March 1, 2016). If that doesn't sound eclectic, I'll throw out our book group selection for November, On Canan's Side by Sebastian Barry (2011).

ACADEMY GIRLS (2015)

Academy Girls by Nora Carroll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A perfect book to read on a crisp autumn day! Filled with poetry, mystery, and the angst of young women, this book will appeal to those who want a lighter version in the vein of Donna Tart's The Secret History or have enjoyed Carol Goodman's Lake of Dead Languages.

THE STORY:  Thirty-five years after leaving, Jane Milton has come back to Grove Academy with her teen-aged son Charlie. Their world has collapsed and she has one last chance to put it back together. Given the opportunity to teach English, for which she is totally unprepared, Jane fights to overcome her memories of dark secrets in the past. When her least favorite student starts submitting stories that seem all too familiar, Jane knows she has to discover the truth before it is too late.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Told in the present and the past, the layers of deception and deceit are slowly pealed away. The reader becomes invested in the characters. And the poetry of Emily Dickinson woven through the story is a wonderful bonus to this truly compelling mystery.

FIRST SENTENCE: "At the Grove Academy, we learned three immutable lessons" literature is a kind of religion, only failures get married, and though we would eventually leave the academy, the spirit of the Grove would always stay with us."

BOTTOM LINE: I have read that you should write the book that you would want to read. Nora Carroll has written that book for me. Gothic, mysterious, and in a beautiful private school setting, this was a book I didn't want to put down until there were no more pages left.

DISCLAIMER: Invited by Net Galley to request and receive this title for an honest review.

Title: Academy Girls

Author: Nora Carroll

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Publisher:  Lake Union Publishing

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

No. of Pages:512 pages

Copyright: September 15, 2015

ISBN-10: 1503947440

ISBN-13: 978-1503947443

"Nora Carroll is a pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Letts. As Nora Carroll, she writes multi-layered novels filled with the things she loves most-- rambling houses, old letters and manuscripts, and most importantly, the mysteries of love, women, and family." (from Amazon)

Descent (2015)

Descent by Tim Johnston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tim Johnston's novel is very disturbing. I realized it shortly after beginning, but I kept reading.

OPENING LINE: "Her name was Caitlin, she was eighteen, and her own heart would sometimes wake her - flying away in that dream-race where finish lines grew farther away not nearer, where knees turned to taffy, or feet to stones." 

Visiting Colorado on vacation, Caitlin, with her younger brother Sean tagging along, goes for a run leaving her sleeping parents behind. What happens then is every parents' worst nightmare. Only Sean returns.

The story explores the aspect of each person's life as it is affected by the disappearance, not just the immediate family but others in the community as well. The author brings the Colorado mountains to life. As a matter of fact, his descriptions would easily transfer to a visual story telling medium.

For most of the story I was totally anxious about what was going to happen and it only got worse as the end approached.

Don't misunderstand. This is an excellent story beautifully told. Almost like a impressionist watercolor painting, details and feelings are only suggested in beautiful and emotional language. And the reader doesn't see everything all at once. Instead bits and pieces are revealed over time.

This haunting thriller will stay with you for a long time.

BOTTOM LINE: Well written, plotted, and with incredibly real characters, this book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Title: Descent

Author: Tim Johnston

Genre: Literate Thriller

Publisher:  Algonquin Books

No. of Pages: 384

Copyright: January 6, 2015

ISBN-10: 1616203048

ISBN-13: 978-1616203047

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Net Galley

Disclaimer: An advanced copy of Descent was provided to me by Algonquin/Net Galley for review purposes.

Tim Johnston , a graduate of the University of Iowa and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has done a lot of writing and won awards for it, but Descent is his debut novel. He currently teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Memphis.

My Current Net Galley Titles

Initially I found I got a little over eager when I first discovered the wealth of titles available through Net Galley. I requested books and then couldn't find the time to read them.

Recently I have been doing better but September had me stumbling a bit.

Right now I have the following four books on my 'shelf' all with publication dates in September:

1. The Secret Place by Tana French (9/2/14), which 'drops' tomorrow, and which I may actually finish today! FINISHED 9/1/14 10:30 pm
2. Audition Hell by Peter Skagen (9/15/14) promises insider rants and guidance about working as an actor in the film industry.
3. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes (9/16/14), a gender-bending suspense set in Detroit.
4. The Sweetness by Sande Boritz Berger (9/23/14) is the intertwined story of cousins on different continents and how WWII changed the course of their lives.

SMALL BLESSINGS and Simple Gifts (2014)

Although I love thrillers and mysteries, I seem to be following a course set for me by my father, who in his later years preferred to re-read favorite authors and seek out gentler stories. He did not care for the highly descriptive sex and violence that was coming into vogue, instead preferring a good, well-written story, where much is left to the imagination of the reader and the good guys win in the end.

In her debut novel (August 12, 2014), Martha Woodroof has given readers many small blessings and I, for one, am thankful. Her writing is easy and graceful. Her characters are charming and quirky. Perhaps you've dreamed of living in the small town she describes? It even has an independent bookstore! And there's just enough mystery to make you wonder what is going to happen next.

The story is a simple gift. Tom is an aging, kind, and unexciting professor of Shakespeare at a small Virginia college where the faculty live in close proximity and think they know everything about one another.

Tom's burden is his wife Marjorie, who has suffered with mental illness for many years forcing Tom and his mother-in-law Agnes into roles as caregivers.

Small unexpected changes ripple through the community when the charming and mysterious Rose is hired at the local bookstore. (I have a suspicion that author Martha Woodroof is actually Rose.)

The book jacket reminds me of Shaker art and brings to mind the words of the song Simple Gifts. And so everyone “comes down where they ought to be.”

I hate to reveal more of the story. I hope you will be as delighted and surprised by this book as I was. It is so much more than it seems on first glance.

Every time the reader thinks the story is settling into a familiar track, it isn't. Not only does the story surprise, the “characters never stop surprising themselves, and each other.”

Small Blessings put me in mind of the world author JanKaron has created in her Mitford tales, although with an absurdist twist, where foibles and human failings are recognized and tolerated with love. I hope that Martha Woodroof's characters will appear again. I missed them as soon as I read the last page.

Bottom Line: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Title: Small Blessings
Author: Martha Woodroof
Genre: Literature
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
No. of Pages: 320 pages
ISBN: 1250040523
Copyright: August 12, 2014
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Source: Amazon

Disclaimer: A copy of Small Blessings was provided to me by St. Martin's Press/Netgalley for review purposes.

MARTHA WOODROOF was born in the South, went to boarding school and college in New England, ran away to Texas for a while, then fetched up in Virginia. She has written for NPR, npr.org, Marketplace and Weekend America, and for the Virginia Foundation for Humanities Radio Feature Bureau. Her print essays have appeared in such newspapers as the New York Times, The Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Small Blessings is her debut novel. She lives with her husband in the Shenandoah Valley. Their closest neighbors are cows. (Source: Amazon)