Thanks to Megan Miranda, Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel.
As a young child, Arden Maynor was famously and miraculously rescued after being swept away into a storm drain. Years later, in a new town with a new name, she is trying to live an anonymous life, when she begins sleepwalking again. Suddenly, her life is thrown into chaos and she is in danger. What really happened to her all those years ago? And who is coming after her now?
The Girl from Widow Hills is a well-executed thriller which kept me eagerly turning the pages until the end. The plot is very well done — I was surprised throughout — and the writing is also quite good. I recommend this novel for readers who enjoy thrillers and I very much look forward to Miranda’s next book.
In The Institute, child prodigy Luke Ellis — who also happens to be able to move objects with his mind — is kidnapped in the middle of the night and imprisoned, along with other similarly exceptional children, in a mysterious facility in rural Maine. Meanwhile, former police officer Tim Jamieson is drifting through the southeast, trying to figure out what to do with his life. Through happenstance and luck, their paths cross and Luke’s fate, as well as perhaps the fate of the world, hang in the balance.
This is the kind of Stephen King book that I fell in love with as a kid — it has an intriguing premise and many memorable characters, and unlike some of his other books, the gore factor is pretty low. The children play the starring roles in this novel and they are very believable. The Tim Jamieson character reminded me of Jack Reacher in some of the best of Lee Child’s Reacher novels.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. My only complaint is that it was too long. I love a long book (indeed, after reading the original published version of The Stand, I happily read the unabridged version when it was released, and loved all 1153 pages of it), but The Institute, at almost 500 pages long, dragged at points. I was tempted to skim. I think the whole book could’ve been tightened up by about 100 pages. Still, the length and level of detail is how King draws you in and makes you feel like you really know the characters (and who am I to suggest edits to Stephen King?).
Highly recommend, especially for fans of Stephen King’s other kid-centered novels (It, The Talisman, etc.).
The Fragments, by Toni Jordan (available September 10)
Thanks to Toni Jordan, Text Publishing Company, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel. The Fragments is a mystery involving the death of a celebrated author in the 1930’s, her much-anticipated novel that was almost entirely destroyed in a fire, and the young woman in 1980’s-era Australia who endeavors to find the missing manuscript.
I was intrigued by the description of this novel, and it did not disappoint! Historical mystery, academic intrigue, a hint of romance, and a love of books — all mix together into a captivating read in The Fragments. I was not ready for it to end – so I found the ending a bit abrupt and that was disappointing, but not so much that it changed my overall impression of the book. I very much enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more from this author in the future! Highly recommend!
29 Seconds, by T.M. Logan (available September 10)
Thanks to T.M. Logan, St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel. In 29 Seconds, Sarah is given the opportunity — by a powerful and mysterious man who is suddenly in her debt — to take revenge on someone who is systematically destroying her life. Will she take him up on his offer? And if so, what consequences will she face for her choice?
29 Seconds is an enjoyable thriller about the choices we make and about the consequences that necessarily follow from those choices. It kept my interest throughout, even though I found the premise a bit hard to believe and also found the protagonist’s actions (or lack of action) frustrating at times. Not too deep on substance, but a good vacation read.
Heaven, My Home, by Attica Locke (Highway 59 #2). (Available Sept 12)
Thanks to Attica Locke, Serpent’s Tail/Profile books, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel. This is the second novel featuring African-American Texas Ranger Darren Matthews, following Locke’s Edgar award-winning novel Bluebird, Bluebird. Here, Matthews is sent to a small east Texas town where a young boy has gone missing, to try to find the boy and also to investigate a gang of white supremacists.
Locke is a gifted writer, as evidenced by the first few pages of the novel which are a master class in description and suspense. She does an excellent job creating characters and situations that seem real. I appreciated those aspects of the novel, but I had the same overall feeling that I had reading Bluebird, Bluebird, which was that as much as I wanted to like Ranger Matthews, I didn’t like him much. It’s really hard to root for the hero of the story when you don’t find him likeable. Matthews seems petty, insecure, and most troubling, ethically compromised. These are all problematic character traits for any protagonist, but in particular for a Texas Ranger. I don’t expect a main character to be perfect — indeed, most successful series characters are flawed in some respect — but there must be something about them that makes us like them. Sadly, that is lacking here.
Also, Ranger Matthews does things that as a Houstonian, I find incomprehensible – like reading a case file on his steering wheel while driving up Interstate 59 at eighty miles an hour….. Seriously, what?
Locke is a talented writer with a unique point of view, but this series has not worked for me so far. Your mileage may vary!
Rachel’s daughter Kylie is kidnapped and in order to get her back, Rachel must pay the ransom and kidnap another child. This is how she becomes a part of “the chain.”
This book has an intriguing premise and had a TON of pre-publication buzz. It’s been on my to-read list for months, and I was so excited to read it that I downloaded it the day it became available. Unfortunately, for me, it just did not live up to expectations.
I found the writing style incredibly choppy. I know that style choice is purposeful, in an attempt to move the “thriller” type of story along quickly, but it kept me distant from the characters and made it hard to suspend disbelief because things were just moving along so fast with so little description/explanation. Also, while I could believe that a mother would comply with the demands of the chain in order to get her daughter back, I had a hard time believing that Rachel — in a matter of a few hours — would go from mild-mannered mom to foul-mouthed, pistol-whipping bad guy. Finally, I found the ending third of the novel to be weak.
All of that said, this is a quick read that would be perfect for vacation, but in my view it is not “the book of the summer.” Set your expectations accordingly, and you may enjoy this one more than I did.
In Recursion, NYPD detective Barry Sutton investigates “False Memory Syndrome,” by which people are tortured with memories of a life they never lived. Meanwhile, brilliant research scientist Helena Smith races to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease before her mother succumbs to the illness. Their paths and timelines cross, as Barry discovers the terrible truth behind the false memories and Helena tries to undo the horrible damage she has unwittingly unleashed.
For me, this novel was kind of like the movie Inception, but in book form, in that I had a hard time following it and I’m still not exactly sure that I understand what happened. That said, I enjoyed it a lot. I found the first half of the book utterly gripping, while the second half was a bit repetitive and probably too long. Still, I really liked this book.
Any story dealing with time travel is tricky. It’s hard to do it well without it seeming gimmicky or falling into all sorts of logistical problems. I think Recursion largely succeeds, though as with all time travel stories, it’s probably best to enjoy the story and not overthink the science. I think I enjoyed the book mostly because I was drawn to the characters and wanted to see how their stories ended.
Thanks to Minka Kent, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sisters Wren and Sage have lived off the grid with no knowledge of the outside world, until their mother leaves them to seek help for their younger sister and never returns. Nearing starvation and desperate as winter approaches, their situation becomes even more dire when a strange man breaks into the cabin. The sisters are forced to flee into the woods where they not only must face the unknown world, but also the revelation of devastating secrets.
Wow! I loved this book and devoured it in one day. Excellent storytelling, good writing, and a plot that did not disappoint. Highly recommend!
The Whisper Man by Alex North, available August 20, 2019
Thanks to Alex North, Celadon Books, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of The Whisper Man. This is an excellent thriller — a multi-generational story of a small town trying to catch a serial killer, but also a study of father-son relationships and the ways in which those relationships dictate the future of both the parents and the children. Well done, engaging read. Highly recommend!
I got lucky at the library last week and scooped up a couple of books that had been on my to-read list (love it when that happens!). My summer reading is off to a great start!
The River, by Peter Heller (available now) I did not enjoy Heller’s previous novel (Celine), so I approached this one with skepticism, despite its good reviews. The River is the gripping adventure of two college-aged boys on a long-distance and isolated canoeing trip that goes horribly wrong when they are caught between a ferocious forest fire and potentially dangerous men in their path. Beautifully written, I loved this book from start to finish! This one will stay with me for awhile. Some of the very detailed descriptions of fishing/canoeing, etc. became tedious but I was so drawn into the saga of the boys’ survival that it didn’t bother me much. Highly recommend!
Daisy Jones and the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid (available now)
Thanks to Michele Grace for the heads-up on this novel, which follows the complicated story of a late 1970’s rock band. It’s formatted like a book-length interview of all the relevant characters, which takes a bit of getting used to, but provides interesting insight into how different characters view the same events. I just loved this book, and was sad when it ended. Side note: I know this was fiction but how do these rocker types do SO MANY drugs and survive? If I have 2 margaritas I pay for it for days! Anyway, highly recommend!
The Nowhere Child, by Christian White (available now)
I’m not sure what’s in the water in Australia lately, but Australian authors are turning out some really fine mysteries! In this debut novel, Australian Kim Leamy discovers that she may actually be Sammy Went – a child who was abducted from rural Kentucky over 20 years earlier. Her journey to discover the truth is expertly juxtaposed with the story of Sammy’s disappearance. Extremely well done. Highly recommend!
Only Killers and Thieves, by Paul Howarth (available now)
Another Australian book (I seem to be reading a lot of those lately!). This book is really hard to review. The writing is exceptional and the story is interesting (two young brothers searching for justice in the 1880s Australian frontier) and I was interested in it because it reminded me of Philip Meyer’s The Son (historical Texas family saga). But I struggled to get through it because it was so graphic and so violent — I had to keep putting it down and reading other books in between. In the end, I’m glad I finished it, but I have reservations about recommending it. You might read some other reviews and decide if it’s for you.
Just no:
Neon Prey (Lucas Davenport #29) by John Sanford (available now)
What is it lately with usually reliable series going off the rails? There’s no need to summarize this one. It was so bad that I have a sneaky suspicion that it was ghost-written. Pass.
Thanks to Ruth Ware, Gallery/Pocket Books, and Netgalley, for providing me with a digital advance copy of The Turn of the Key. Rowan Caine takes a job as a nanny in an isolated Scottish house, which is rumored to be haunted. Will she be scared off like all of the previous nannies? Can she figure out what is really happening? I loved this book and devoured it in less than 24 hours. A Gothic Scottish setting, an old mysterious house, a secret garden, the possibility of ghosts in the attic – what more could one want? This book kept me guessing, and the writing was excellent. Highly recommend.
