My eyes light up at psychological thrillers, True Crime & great literary fiction
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 I am beyond thrilled to have received an early copy of this one!! Hepworth's latest release, THE GOOD SISTER, which came out in April, has been one of my favorite reads this year.
This is in large part because of how brilliantly Hepworth crafts the character of Fern. Through this character, she allows the reader to experience how a particular person on the autistic spectrum might see the world, and it just feels so empathetic and authentic. According to Hepworth, much of the humor that arises from being in the mind of Fern is because her lens allows neurotypical people to realize just how silly some of the things that they do are. (I got this from an interview she did with Carol Fitzgerald on @thebookreport network). Hepworth’s other bestsellers include The Secrets of Midwives (2015), The Things We Keep (2016), The Mother's Promise (2017), The Family Next Door (2018) and The Mother In Law (April 2019). This upcoming one will hit the shelves next Spring. A huge thank you to St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Copy -- I can't wait to dive in!! Book summary: Stephen Aston is getting married again. The only problem is, he's still married to his first wife, even though she is in a care facility for dementia. But he'll take care of that easily, by divorcing her--even if his adult daughters protest. Tully and Rachel Aston look upon Heather as nothing but an interloper. Heather is the same age as Rachel and even younger than Tully. Clearly she's a golddigger and after their father's money. Heather has secrets that she's keeping close, and reasons of her own for wanting to marry Stephen. With their mother unable to speak for herself, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the truth about their family's secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is. But will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses...in all of them?
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 Look what arrived in the mail! No, I'm not talking about the beautiful handmade woven basket that arrived as part of a gift from my best friend and was purchased from Agowa, which helps empower women in West Africa -- although that was exciting to receive, too! I'm talking about the latest book from Lapena! So, as you may know, Shari Lapena writes great stand-alone domestic thrillers. Apparently, when she sat down to write her first thriller, THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR, she set out to create a 'one-sit' thriller -- common parlance for a page-turner so compelling that you can't put the book down and therefore read the entire thing in one sitting. These are my favorite types of thrillers, and if I think a book on my TBR has that potential, I'll reserve it for the weekend. If a book forces me to finish it in one sitting on a Saturday or Sunday, the thrill at having experienced a one-sit nearly overtakes my shame at still being in my pajamas and on the couch deep into the late afternoon, sometimes evening, depending on the length of said book. As a reader chasing a one-sit, you must be willing to risk subjecting yourself to this type of sloth, and I'm not talking about the cute and furry three-toed kind here. Although on those one-sit days, to be honest, I probably don't look too dissimilar to this guy...  Anyway, when it came to creating one-sits, Lapena wildly succeeded!
This one, her latest book, has been pretty high on the NYT Bestseller List over the last few weeks and was an August BOTM (Book of the Month) pick. I can't wait to dive in! And yes, I'll start it on the weekend. The book summary is below, along with a list of Lapena's other titles. Book summary: In this family, everyone is keeping secrets—even the dead. 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. THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE AN UNWANTED GUEST SOMEONE WE KNOW THE END OF HER  It’s Monday Funday! Wait - that doesn’t sound right..
Oh well. I hope you do manage to have some fun today, which leads me to a hard-hitting question: What is one thing you look forward to today? (A morning coffee? An evening read? If you’re just looking forward to the day ending, that is an acceptable answer, too!) Sometimes this is a good practice that reminds us to appreciate the little things. Today, I’m looking forward to reconnecting with someone I really respect and admire. Also, I’m excited to start my week off with this read! The summary is below -- Wishing you a gentle Monday, friends -- Book summary: Susan Lentigo's daughter was murdered twenty years ago—and now, at long last, this small-town waitress sets out on a road trip all the way from Upstate New York to North Dakota to witness the killer's execution. On her journey she discovers shocking new evidence that leads her to suspect the condemned man is innocent—and the real killer is still free. Even worse, her prime suspect has a young daughter who's at terrible risk. With no money and no time to spare, Susan sets out to uncover the truth before an innocent man gets executed and another little girl is killed. But the FBI refuses to reopen the case. They—and Susan's own mother—believe she's just having an emotional breakdown. Reaching deep, Susan finds an inner strength she never knew she had. With the help of two unlikely allies—a cynical, defiant teenage girl and the retired cop who made the original arrest—Susan battles the FBI to put the real killer behind bars. Will she win justice for the condemned man—and her daughter—at last? This hits the shelves Sept. 7! Thank you Matt Witten and Oceanview Publishing for the ARC!  One sentence summary:
Maite is a day-dreaming secretary who is suddenly thrust into the political unrest of 1970s Mexico when her neighbor suddenly disappears under suspicious circumstances, and her desire to uncover the truth about what happened is shared by an eccentric criminal named Elvis, leading them both into a web of hitmen, government agents and Russian spies. --- Man, I really loved this one!! It’s the perfect mix of gritty noir and political intrigue and thriller and just a tiny touch of beautiful kismet. It’s a slow burn that takes its time luxuriating in character, interesting detail and historical tensions. The pay-off, at the end - in my humble opinion - is HUGE. It’s worth every minute. I’m going to keep this short, so that I don’t reveal any spoilers, but I LOVED the character of Maite and adored Elvis and thought this was unique, fun, fascinating and moving. And then you throw in this title?? And that cover??? Forget about it. As a side note, I really enjoyed this one much more than Mexican Gothic, which was Moreno-Garcia’s last book. But honestly, that probably comes down to personal taste more than anything else. The writing, in both, is very strong. But I am MASSIVELY impressed that the same author wrote both of those books as they are SO very different. This is one of my top reads of the year, so I have officially added it to my 'Favorite Reads of 2021.' (Cue the trumpets!) I recommend it if you like historical fiction, noir or political thrillers. It comes out Aug. 17! Thank you Ballantine for the ARC!  When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened in this slice of small-town America.
--- This is a nuanced psychological thriller that focuses on characters who feel isolated and misunderstood in a small logging town in Colorado. The setting of this insular town creates a feeling of claustrophobia - as if there is no escape for the characters or you, the reader. In this town, through some well-developed and heartbreaking characters, Bailey explores things such as racism, gender discrimination, domestic abuse and family trauma while pulling you along via an engaging mystery. Don’t expect to feel comfortable reading this. It is dark and haunting, most especially for those in the U.S. - I think - because it forces us to focus on the things we feel better pretending don’t exist. But as someone who grew up in a very small town, here’s a hint: they do. Are things in this story heightened? Yes, of course. It’s a work of fiction. But the underlying divisions, traumas and lack of acceptance is VERY real. I only mention this because I’ve seen some readers being critical of how much of those things exist in this story, and I’d be willing to bet that those readers have never lived in small-town America. Over the last few years, many authors have taken the tact of creating a world - within their work - in which society is fully accepting of other races, genders and sexual preferences. I can appreciate that approach, as it sets a good example, but sadly, it is NOT a reflection of how things currently are in many areas of our country. I find it refreshing to see an author represent what IS instead of what SHOULD BE, and I hope we see more of this. Last but not least, the prose here is really quite beautiful. I especially appreciated all of the unique and creative descriptions. This is a very strong debut, and I’m eager to read more by Bailey! This is out now! Thank you Atria Books for the ARC! |