A Dark and Twisting Path

Title: A Dark and Twisting Path
Author: Julia Buckley
Expected Publication August 7, 2018 by Berkley
Format: eBook, 304 Pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: A Writer's Apprentice #3

What a tangled web Lena London has found herself in. Working with her idol, gothic novelist Camilla Graham, in sleepy Blue Lake, Indiana, the duo must delicately wander the path of Sam West, his first wife Victoria, and her abducted infant daughter Athena Lazos.

Since Nikon, the father of Athena, has disappeared with their daughter, Victoria is regularly showing up in Sam’s life, but Lena has decided she is finished with crime solving and is keeping her head down and concentrating on her next book collaboration. All that changes when Lena’s best friend Allison calls in a panic when she discovers the body of her mail carrier Eddie Stack. Upon closer examination, it looks as if the cause of death might be Sam’s letter opener, a replica of King Arthur’s sword, buried in the man’s chest. Did Sam actually kill a person this time or is he once again being framed.

This framing of Sam seems to go a bit deeper; it appears whoever is after Sam wants to include Lena and Camilla in their plot. With this new concern, everyone in Blue Lake is becoming suspect, even Cliff Blake, the newest member of the police force who just happens to be taking a heightened interest in Sam.

By the end, the reason for Eddie’s death understandably follows the plot, but when the reason for Cliff’s attentiveness is revealed, that is definitely a shot out of the dark which you could not see coming.

Us Against You

Title: Us Against You
Author: Fredrik Backman
Published: June 5th 2018 by Atria Books
Format: eBook, Hardcover, 448 pages
Genre: Fiction
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Beartown #2

I had such high hopes for this book, but after the end of “Beartown”, I thought the story was over. A finality, of sorts, was given for each main character and you knew in vague terms where each of their lives had ended up. So when Fredrik Backman started this book on the tail end of the last, I was confused. Is he not telling a story when we already know the end? This was a strange diversion, akin to those movies where they show you the end first and then rewind to show how they got there. Not a tactic I enjoy.

There are a couple of new characters, and how they interact with the original cast, but I was not as invested in them or their oily maneuvers. Maybe he piqued my interest in how they interacted, but not enough for me to give up on those that I knew, and each time they were the center, I wanted to skim to get back to what I considered the important parts.

Beartown, an economically depressed town in the middle of nowhere, continues to struggle with both its people, and its hockey club. This gritty town finds a way to come together when every force comes at them. With most of the previous year's team pulling up and moving over to their rival, Beartown does the unthinkable and hires a woman coach. With her strange ways and three remaining players, she builds not only a team, but also a presence that is stronger than those who are trying to destroy it.

This is a slower book. If you had loved “Beartown”, you will not find the same anticipated drama in “Us Against You”, this is a slower meandering through the remaining parts of their lives kind of story. Though I am not looking forward to it, I have read there will be a final book three to this story somewhere in the distant future. I hope that Backman will bring back the passion and drama that had first brought me to this series, or at least put Beartown to rest.

The Neon Lawyer

Title: The Neon Lawyer
Author: Victor Methos
Published: November 18th 2014 by Thomas & Mercer
Format: eBook, 178 pages
Genre: Legal Suspense
Series: Brigham Theodore Series

The day that attorney Brigham Theodore is sworn into the bar of Salt Lake City, he hits the ground looking for a firm willing to take a chance on him. That is a big ask since he came out of a mid-range school and has been paying his bills as a janitor. He loses his first case, but this is where the book takes a hard swerve when his next case is to defend a woman in a capital murder case.

That seems like a quick leap for a person with no practical experiences and as you read, this wet behind the ears defense attorney seems to have the ninja moves of a seasoned litigator going up against a powerhouse who has never lost a case.

This small book gets to the point quickly without too much fluff, but the reader does need to suspend a bit of belief. From the only law firm willing to take him to the twists, turns, and courthouse maneuvers, Victor Methos takes his lead character through the halls of justice and back to the realities of fighting for a person’s life.

Brigham Theodore is a good man and a good character. It looks as though there is only one more book in this series, which is disappointing since there is no shortage to expand upon.

Aftermath

Title: Aftermath
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Published: May 22nd 2018 by Crown Books for Young Readers
Format: eBook, Hardcover, 371 pages
Genre: Young Adult
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

When it comes to the aftermath of high school shootings, very little notice is given to the family members of the shooters. Kelley Armstrong opens this door with the story of Skye Gilchrist, a sixteen-year-old high schooler who returns to her hometown, to live with her Aunt Mae, three years after her brother Luka was killed by the police.

Skye had no choice in returning, her mother had spiraled further into her depression and authorities said her grandmother was unable to continue caring for her. That left overworked Aunt Mae who had sworn to Skye that her best friend Jesse, the brother of one of the shooting victims, was not at the school and that Skye could have a clean start since no one would remember whom she was. That was wishful thinking on both their parts given that every person and family member who witnessed the tragedy that day remembered. Her brother’s actions affected everyone and no one will let her forget since you are “not allowed to grieve someone like Luka”.

Bullied and the victim of near deadly pranks, Skye continues to brave each day. Her aunt lied -- Jesse is there. This angry sulking boy is now the school’s track star with a chance at college recognition. This is not his dream; he wants to give his parents a place in the stands, the place they held when his brother Jamil was the family standout.

As Jesse and Skye come to terms with their shared past, and where they now fit in the community, they are faced with the need to bring the truth of the shooting to light. There are unlikely alliances, surprising forgiveness, and compassion in this book. No one at the school wants to listen, these two misfits are just odd attention seekers, but the facts are still there and they need to be seen in a new light. The question is -- who is the person behind the scenes pushing for the truth and if not for Jesse and Skye to do the bidding, who will seek justice?

Told in alternating voices, the reader sees their plight unfold. The truth is out there, why did people lie during the investigation? Was there an intentional cover up? Who wants the police report revealed to the public? Will families finally receive answers and the ability to move forward? There are only two people who can put things right, and while in the midst of a budding romance, find their way to the truth and to each other.

Claws for Alarm

Title: Claws for Alarm
Author: Karen MacInerney
Published: May 30th 2018 by Gray Whale Press
Format: *eBook
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: A Gray Whale Inn Mystery #8)

While hosting a yoga retreat on Cranberry Island, where everything should be Zen, Maine innkeeper Natalie Barnes is trying to keep the peace amid the retreat attendees who have begun bickering amongst themselves, and new island resident Francine Hodges who is trying to beautify the island to the annoyance of everyone she meets.

Now with Francine dead and Natalie’s best friend Claudette being questioned, the goats chomping their way across the island, mysterious notes, who really knows whom and from where, threats, ex-wives, new affairs, food fights in the island store, arson, and a few recipes. What more could a reader want? It appears Karen MacInerney is literally throwing everything into this fun romp.

It might be summer on the island, but for me, The Gray Whale Inn is a series I enjoy cozying up with. It is returning to memorable characters that entertain and amuse. Characters who are unique and when not solving murders, add a bit of humor to island life and will share a cookie or casserole with those in need. It might be because the islanders are also looking for information, but hey, a cookie is a cookie and if you have to share a bit of gossip to get it-- that still works.

Then She Was Gone

Title: Then She Was Gone
Author: Lisa Jewell
Published: April 17th 2018 by Atria Books
Format: eBook, Hardcover, 359 pages
Genre: Suspense
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Not thinking Lisa Jewell could outpace her previous book, “I See You”, she does so and more by taking the reader to the day when Laurel Mack’s life stopped – the day ten years prior when her daughter went missing.

Fifteen-year-old Ellie Mack was preparing for her upcoming exams, she was a bit nervous about the math portion, but as a gifted student, she could handle it. Maybe the help of a tutor would not be so bad, but after a bit, she realized the sessions were not going to work out. She would get through this on her own. While taking a break from her studies, she wanders out only to never return. People wanted to believe she was a runaway, the stress was too much, yet that was not the answer. An answer confirmed years later with the discovery of her bones, clothes, and backpack.

Ellie was Laurel’s golden child, she had two others, but in her mind, they were not Ellie and she found herself drifting away from them and from her own marriage. It was not their fault they could not measure up to the idealized Ellie. They were who they were and when Ellie disappeared, her extraordinary light went with her.

While sitting in a café, Floyd Dunn approaches Laurel and quickly the two begin a relationship. He is charming, but what unnerves Laurel is how much Floyd’s daughter Poppy looks like Ellie. How could the two not only shared physical characteristic, but also have the same mannerisms?

Maybe it is seeing Poppy that triggered Laurel to begin a relentless search for answers, yet it is not until the reader jumps ahead of Laurel that a connection is made and the twisted puzzle comes together. With the final piece in place, she will have her answers and hopefully, one by one, her family will forgive her and allow her to be in their lives again.

Told in alternating accounts, the reader bounces back and forth between Ellie, Laurel, Floyd’s wife, and Floyd himself. The narratives are not difficult to follow as Lisa Jewel is a master at giving each their own voice. Voices that will both disturb and satisfy you.

The 17th Suspect

Title: The 17th Suspect
Author: James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Published: April 30th 2018 by Little, Brown and Company
Format: Hardcover, 368 pgs
Genre: Suspense
Series: The Women's Murder Club

As much as I complain about the simplicity of a Patterson book, I always return to the Women’s Murder Club series. I cannot say each book is better than the previous, or even contain attention-grabbing plotlines, but there is something about the camaraderie of these women which brings me back.

Sergeant Lindsay Boxer is itching to get her hands on a series of homicides happening right outside her jurisdiction. Protocol says you do not step on the toes of other investigators even if they are discounting both the number of crimes and the homeless who are involved. Millie Crushing brings her concerns to Lindsay, but it is not until one fateful night when Lindsay can get involved.

Taking a lead from current headlines and flipping the narrative, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano is in the middle of a scandalous case, making headlines all over town. Briana Hill, head of an advertising agency, is accused of assaulting a male subordinate at gunpoint. Sure, they had a previous relationship, but this time things went too far and Marc Christopher happened to record the whole thing. Thinking she has an open and shut case, Yuki does not listen to her own nagging doubts and in doing so, allows things to go too far until the truth is too hard for one person to take.

By the end of the book, there is no neat little bow. Decisions have to be made and futures decided. Yet the writing team will not make it easy for their readers. We will have to wait until the next installment to see how the women move their lives forward and how they will come together to support their own.

The Orphan's Tale

Title: The Orphan's Tale
Author: Pam Jenoff
Published: February 21st 2017 by Mira Books
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

I have no idea how so many people enjoyed this book. By the time I was twenty percent invested I was ready to throw the book against the wall and move on. Yet, there was a nagging feeling, with so many people claiming how they enjoyed it, I had not gotten to the meat of the story yet. I should have put it down at that time. This book, or its characters, never captured my interest. It laid flat and bored me to the point of frustration.

Using the backdrop of a traveling circus during the war to hid their pasts – Noa a Dutch woman having rescued a Jewish infant and Astrid, an aerialist, who is trying to hide her Jewish roots -- form a tumultuous relationship amongst the trapeze of the German Circus Neuhoff.

As the author continues to throw in staid intrigue and bumbling outside forces in an attempt to tear both the women and the circus apart, I found myself checking page counts to see how much longer this monotony was going to take. What did I miss that made this book, and possibly a future feature film, captivating to so many? How could this story hold the attention of so many die-hard fans?

I See Life Through Rosé-Colored Glasses

Title: I See Life Through Rosé-Colored Glasses
Author: Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
Expected Publication: July 10th 2018 by St. Martin's Press
Format: eBook, Hardcover, 352 pages
Genre: Essays
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman #9

Every summer, I look forward to the newest episode of the Lisa and Francesca family saga. Each year, as this mother-daughter writing team releases their Chick Wit column in book form, I cannot wait to sit down with them to share in their laughter and to realize, no matter whom you are, the good and the bad in life finds us all.

In the past, I would listen to their most recent book while driving my daughter back to college or when I wandered on a journey to visit. This year, with her off on her own adventures, I look at their stories with a different eye. An eye of a mother with an adult child and realizing, though our stories are different, we each have those things that make us laugh, cry, confront tough decision, and realize no matter what Francesca says, the dating years, though trying, were also a lot of fun.

Maybe it is an age thing, but Lisa’s stories resonate with me. Aging is not easy, but the lessons from our past are what get us to our future. You have to face each day with humor or you will not make it. As Lisa said, her job is to make us laugh and that is what she did in this book. A moment or two of great aloud guffawing in an otherwise quiet place, may turn heads, but what is life without laughter and listening to the stories of two women whom have turned into friends.