My eyes light up at psychological thrillers, True Crime & great literary fiction
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 One-sentence summary:
Lila is trying to navigate adolescence when she begins to experience strange things that make her fear that she may be too similar to her mother, an artist who has been diagnosed with a mental disorder because she hears dogs everywhere, and also there’s a serial killer who is mutilating young girls again, in the same way he did back in the past, when Lila’s mother was a child. -- My inability to capture this in one sentence is part of the problem, in my opinion, with the book: there’s too much going on, which leads to a lack of focus. Now, in all fairness, I did DNF this one at the midpoint, so I’m only really reviewing the first half of the book. Some of the moments with Lila, as an adolescent girl struggling to be accepted, felt incredibly real and poignant and took me back to some moments of my childhood that I hadn’t thought about in years. There’s a real truthfulness, at times, to the writing, which I found very compelling. The writing is strong; my disappointment is with the storytelling. The main selling point of this book, based on the way it’s being marketed, is the social commentary around the sacrifices women must make within the patriarchy and the punishment they receive for fighting back. While I find feminist theory fascinating, I found the exploration of these notions in this book is too heavy-handed and on-the-nose to be effective. So much focus was given to this commentary, along with the elements of horror that were used to drive home the oppression of the female gender, yet the narrative thread never quite hung together. There was a lack of clarity about what exactly was happening. By the midpoint, my intuition was telling me that the end wasn’t going to hold any answers either. I’m perfectly fine with ambiguity if the journey, or the characters or SOMETHING is interesting enough for me to stay engaged. Sadly, this one did not work for me, but some fans of horror or feminist fiction may enjoy it. This comes out Jan. 18. Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!
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 *REVIEW* and Happy Pub Day!
I’m still feeling under the weather, but the good news is that the PCR results were negative, so it isn’t COVID. I hope you’re all staying healthy! About this book… One-sentence summary: After Una lost her mother and broke up with her boyfriend, she moves into a mansion in order to work as a full-time companion for the elderly woman who owns the estate, but when she learns that other young ladies who accepted the same job before her suddenly died or disappeared, she decides she must uncover the secrets the house holds - before she suffers the same fate. -- This has a gothic feel that I loved! The setting is both grand and unnerving, from the interior of the house itself to the bridge nearby, partially hidden by an ominous fog. I also found Elspeth, the old lady that may or may not actually need a companion, and her daughter Kathryn to be perfect gothic characters. And Una’s naivete played right into the setting and feel of the old house. The story, which takes place in England, is told from multiple POVs. There is an enormous twist and shift at the midpoint of the book, which I had mixed feelings about. On the one hand, I thought it was a shocking and bold choice. On the other, I found the second part of the book – the part after that twist – lost some of the tension, and I found myself a bit less engaged in the story. But I’ve seen other readers say that the midpoint is when the book picked up speed for them and they became more interested, so to each his own! I think I just love slow-burning gothic fiction so much, and the first-half of the book scratched that itch for me, before the tone shifted some in the second half. But there are plenty of twists and a faster pace in the second part of the book, which should keep thriller fans happy. And I found the ending to be entirely unexpected. All-in-all, I was pulled right into this story, flipping pages quickly in an attempt to find out what was happening at the house. I’d recommend this for anyone who likes psychological thrillers and gothic fiction. This hits the shelves today! Thank you Harper Perennial/Harper Paperbacks for the ARC!  There's nothing I like more than an unreliable narrator, and I thought this was a great one!
One-sentence summary: At the age of twelve, Chloe watched her father get put away for life for murdering six teenage girls in their small Louisiana town, and when a local teenage girl goes missing twenty years later, she begins to see parallels from her past that she can’t ignore. —-- This psychological thriller is an excellent debut! It’s very well-written, and the protagonist - who is an unreliable narrator – is a compelling character. The narrative alternates between Chloe’s present, as she is retraumatized by the recent disappearance of a teenage girl, and flashbacks from her childhood a couple of decades ago, when she slowly began to realize that her father was a serial killer. Now, in the present, Chloe is an empathetic psychologist, but she has unresolved PTSD from the past. While attempting to soothe that trauma, she’s developed an addiction to anti-anxiety medication that she attempts to keep hidden. This state that she’s in, which may or may not include inappropriate paranoia about her surroundings, causes you – the reader – to doubt her observations and impressions of others. I was able to accurately guess the outcome early on, as I’ve read so many thrillers, but the writing was strong enough that I did have moments of self-doubt. In fact, what I enjoyed most about this book is that I found myself suspecting every character, including the protagonist; that is something that only an adept writer is able to pull off. And even though I may have guessed some things correctly, I was still surprised when the twists unfolded. This was an incredibly well-written psychological thriller, and I look forward to reading more from Willingham! It comes out Jan. 11! Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the ARC!  Happy Pub Day!!
I hope you’re staying healthy, friends! I’m currently isolating and waiting for the results of a PCR test. I had potential exposure and a low-grade fever for a couple of days, but I’m feeling pretty good outside of that, so we shall see. Either way, I think this is going to be a bumpy January for all of us. In the meantime, stay calm. Take good care of yourself. Focus on the simple things that bring you joy. Which leads me to ask… Q: What brings you joy? For me, it’s time with my hubby, cuddling with my puppy and - of course - reading. Now, onto this book. The description of it had me at ‘Clue-like,’ and I’m enjoying it so far! Summary: Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Since her Grandma died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection. But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late? A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.  I hope you had a great weekend!
I’m keeping this review short because life. Q: Do you prefer short or long reviews? I tend to prefer longer reviews personally. Except for when I’m writing them. Then shorter somehow seems better. One-sentence summary: Three once-close friends who have been out of touch for years decide to skip school together and accidentally stumble upon a murder. ----- Karen McManus is a fabulous writer, and the characters and dialogue in this book were of the exceptional YA-caliber that she always seems to deliver. Although nothing about this book could be described as shockingly new to the genre, it was a compelling and easy read full of some fun twists and turns. The climax hit at about the 90% mark of the book, which meant that for something in the mystery and thriller genre, there was a very loooooong epilogue that -- timing-wise -- didn’t feel quite right to me. I just wanted it to wrap up. Despite the long ending, this is a super-solid mystery that is an incredibly fun read, so I recommend it for McManus fans or anyone who loves a solid YA mystery. This comes out Nov. 30! Thank you Delacorte Press/Random House for the ARC!  Happy Pub Day to this one!!
I really enjoyed this read - unique premise, solid pacing, and a few good twists! And I’m always down for books about vigilante justice! Q: Besides this one, I really enjoyed The Killer Collective by Barry Eisler ps We just welcomed a dog into our little family!! And he is the sweetest little guy! He’s peeking out from behind the book here because he’s a little shy, but get ready to see a LOT more of him! I plan to spoil him silly Book summary: Camille Gardener is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible. When her rash actions draw the attention of a secret group of women—the collective— Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability. Fueled by mutual rage, the collective members devise and act out retribution fantasies via precise, anonymous, highly coordinated revenge killings. As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive Thank you William Morrow for the ARC!  I'll preface this by saying that I hate being critical of anyone who has managed to get a book published or even finished a book. Authors pour their artistic souls into their work, and I recognize how difficult that is. So this is just my own, humble opinion of the first third of this book, as I've chosen not to finish it.
This story focuses on an actress who attends the intimate Hollywood Hills birthday party of her ex-husband Richard, who is the director who launched her career, only to wake up in the morning and find him dead. It's a locked-room mystery that starts off with the promise of an Agatha Christie-style mystery, but for me, the mystery and characters didn't deliver. Although the writing is really quite good, I didn't take to the story. The pacing is slow, and I didn't find the characters compelling or interesting enough to warrant learning the minutiae of their lives. Now, I typically LOVE unlikable characters, when done well. To me, the dinner party guests -- there are about eight of them -- seemed both flat and unlikable. They came off as shallow and grating to me, and I couldn't tell if that was intentional or not. If it was clear that this was a skewering of the elite, Hollywood types - who themselves are little lost souls - it may have been very engaging! Honestly, sign me up for that. I've lived around those types of people for a long time, and they deserve a good skewer. But instead, this seemed more like an earnest representation of people I'd prefer to avoid: in real life, and in books. The book description makes mention of David Lynch. While the inclusion of the octopus as a character was interesting and definitely Lynch-ian, that's as far as I'd go in comparison to his semi-surrealist and at times wonderfully disturbing style. There's just more depth and insight and bravery within his work. To be fair, I didn't finish the book. I made it one-third of the way through, which is what I always attempt to do before closing a book for good. The characters just weren't coming to life for me, and I found myself disinterested in finding out who killed Richard, a character who seemed rather pretentious and possibly deserving of a good kill. Although this didn't work for me, this may work well for those who like slightly eccentric, slow-burning mysteries. It came out Oct. 5. Thank you Ballantine Books for the ARC!  This book is being marketed as having similarities to ATONEMENT, which is true. But an important point needs to be made: that book had romance at its core, whereas THE SURVIVORS is entirely centered on one family’s internal dysfunction.
What struck me most about this book is that the author seems to have an astute understanding of psychology. The dynamics between these three brothers and their flawed mother and father seems incredibly well-thought-out and believable. I was struck most by the characterization of the mother, whom I thought was a brilliantly complex character. I also was impressed at how each of the three boys specifically chose to interpret and manage what was lacking in their childhoods in their own unique ways. Overall, I found the writing to be lovely and enjoyable, but I caution anyone who is drawn to this because of the mystery elements that this is much more literary fiction than mystery. The book summary mentions that this is a ‘thrillingly fast-paced narrative,’ and I find that description very misleading. The story, which is told through non-linear, alternating timelines, feels more like a slow unwinding of a haunting and at times confusing nostalgia. (Which is often how our own childhoods can feel, am I right? Or is it just me?). Yes, it does have some elements of mystery to help keep the reader engaged, and it does culminate in a big reveal, but it luxuriates in descriptive memories on its way there. In summary, I’m suggesting that if you go into this expecting something in the genre of literary fiction (for example, while reading this, the work of John Irving came to mind for me), you’ll most likely enjoy the story and not be frustrated by its slower pacing and nostalgic meanderings. This was a beautiful and moving book that I’m glad I read. I’d recommend it to fans of literary fiction who are not afraid of stories with some depth and sadness. This came out in the U.S. on Oct. 5! Thank you Doubleday for the ARC!  I was THRILLED to be able to attend live opera again this past weekend! So I took a pic of this book outside the theater where the LA Opera performs, next to my during-intermission Pinot Noir, since a matinee seems to make day-drinking socially acceptable.
I saw Il Trovatore by Verdi. And spoiler alert: it does NOT end well for anyone. Anyway, about this book, which I really enjoyed... One-sentence summary: Sarah Larsen is struggling to make ends meet in NYC until she is offered the position of Nanny to a glamorous woman who lives in a penthouse on the Upper West Side, but by the time Sarah begins to learn the dark secrets of her employer, it’s impossible for her to escape a job that may very well destroy her. ------- This psychological thriller pulled me in from page one! It was such a treat to read this after a string of upcoming releases I’ve read, over the last few weeks, that didn’t manage to grab and hold my attention. You know what I mean: the types of books that make you feel like finishing them is a chore, and you’re tired after a long day, so you skip the book, go onto social media and scroll through all the posts that come up after you’ve done a search for #brianlaundrie. You get me, right? Anyway, long story short (I know, too late), for me, this book was pure pleasure. I never wanted to put it down at all. In fact, I most likely would have read it in one day if I didn’t have work and other unfair ‘lifing’ obligations that got in my way. First of all, and perhaps most importantly, I LOVED the unique premise of it. Secondly, I really enjoyed the main character. She may not have made the best decisions, but the circumstances surrounding her -- like a desperate financial situation -- helped to lend her choices some solid believability. Overall, I found her very likeable and easily got on her ride. In fact, the character of Sarah, and the desperate situation she finds herself in, reminded me quite a bit of Riley Sager’s LOCK EVERY DOOR, which is also set in NYC and happens to be one of my favorite psychological thrillers EVER. Anyway, there’s very solid thriller plotting here, and the story has a good number of twists and shocks that should keep mystery and thriller fans happy. As an added bonus, it has a nice creepy factor that is perfect for the month of October. This comes out today! Thank you Bantam and Random House for the ARC!  It's Thursday afternoon (in my time zone anyway), so it's time for a fun factoid!
Where does the phrase cloud cuckoo land come from, you might be wondering? The word cloud-cuckoo-land denotes a realm of fantasy, dreams or whimsical, foolish behavior. (Sounds like just my kind of realm!) And the term was coined by the Greek comic dramatist Aristophanes in The Birds. (Thank you, Google, for making me sound smart). Anyway, moving on...I'm excited to be going into the weekend reading this next novel from Anthony Doerr, the Pulitzer-prize winning author of ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE. The NYT review is calling CLOUD CUCKOO LAND 'an ode to storytelling.' 😍 Q: What will you be reading this weekend? Brief Summary: Set in Constantinople in the fifteenth century, in a small town in present-day Idaho, and on an interstellar ship decades from now, Anthony Doerr’s gorgeous third novel is a triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring story about children on the cusp of adulthood in worlds in peril, who find resilience, hope—and a book. In Cloud Cuckoo Land, Doerr has created a magnificent tapestry of times and places that reflects our vast interconnectedness—with other species, with each other, with those who lived before us, and with those who will be here after we’re gone. This just hit the shelves this week! Thank you Scribner and Simon & Schuster for the ARC! |