Finding Sophie by Imran Mahmood

My thoughts

What did I just read. From the first page to the last. I truly can't believe I actually stuck with this book. 

This is the kind of review that I HATE to write. I hated this book and still couldn't put it down. I had to stick it out and find out what happened to Sophie. I had to know who possibly murdered Sophie. And what her parents got involved with. 

Sophie went missing and her parents would not rest until she was found. They terrorized the man across the street because he refused to open his door and let them interrogate him. I don't blame him. Then he is murdered. They both are arrested for his murder. But there is more going on and they both get out. The trial is dismissed. Yeah right!!

I read this whole book and it makes my skin crawl to think about. I hope I forget this one fast. It will be the one that sticks with me because it was so bad. Oh my I hate writing this review. The ending was stupid. The start was ok but the middle was stupid too. Where were the police during all the things this couple did. During the time this girl, this seventeen year old, was missing. Good grief. 

I understand that grief will make you crazy but still. Neither of these two were put in a mental hospital and both needed it bad. They used others and each other. They were nuts. Yeah I get that most parents might be in this situation but it happens and parents have to move on and live somehow. Not try and take the law into their own hands. And again WHERE WERE THE POLICE.. 

I'm sorry but to me this book is just no good. I feel bad for this author for this review but I have to be honest. I read this whole book and I have to post my feelings. Better luck next time and this is the last by this author that I will ever read.

Thank you #NetGalley, #RandomHouse, #Ballantinebooks, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

2/5 stars and anyone that knows me knows I never give that low of a rating. I did this time. It earned it.

About

Someone is guilty.

For the last seventeen years, Harry and Zara King’s lives have revolved around their only daughter, Sophie. One day, Sophie leaves the house and doesn’t come home. Six weeks later, the police are no closer to finding her than when they started. Harry and Zara have questioned everyone who has ever had any connection to Sophie, to no avail. Except there’s one house on their block—number 210, across the street—whose occupant refuses to break his silence.

Someone knows what happened.

As the question mark over number 210 devolves into obsession, Harry and Zara are forced to examine their own lives. They realize they have grown apart, suffering in separate spheres of grief. And as they try to find their way back to each other, they must face the truth about their daughter: who she was, how she changed, and why she disappeared.

Someone will pay.

Told in the alternating perspectives of Harry and Zara, and in a dual timeline between the weeks after Sophie’s disappearance and a year later in the middle of a murder trial, Imran Mahmood’s taut yet profoundly moving novel explores how differently grief can be experienced even when shared by parents—and how hope triumphs when it springs from the kind of love that knows no bounds.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week

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Warning:  Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at  MAILBOX MONDAY.

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Here is a shout out to the administrators

Serena @ Savvy Verse and Wit

Martha @ Reviews By Martha’s Bookshelf

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THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive.

Books from NetGalley

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

From the author of The Last Thing He Told Me—the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and the Goodreads 2021 Mystery & Thriller Winner—comes an epic love story wrapped in a riveting mystery.

When the patriarch of a famed hotel empire dies under suspicious circumstances, his daughter and her estranged brother join forces to find out what happened, unraveling a larger mystery about who their father really was.

Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar—notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.

The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora’s brother Sam has other ideas. Sam, who she barely knows. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past—and find an unexpected answer about their own future.

Doubling down on her trademark soulful suspense, The Night We Lost Him is an evocative and unforgettable page-turner about what it means to be the witness to someone’s life.

When The World Fell Silent by Donna Jones Alward

A story of loss, hope and redemption against the most impossible odds.1917. Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Nora Crowell wants more than her sister’s life as a wife and mother. As WWI rages across the Atlantic, she becomes a lieutenant in the Canadian Army Nursing Corp. But trouble is looming and it won’t be long before the truth comes to light.

Having lost her beloved husband in the trenches and with no-one else to turn to, Charlotte Campbell now lives with his haughty relations who treat her like the help. It is baby Aileen, the joy and light of her life, who spurs her to dream of a better life.

When tragedy strikes in Halifax Harbour, nothing for these two women will ever be the same again. Their paths will cross in the most unexpected way, trailing both heartbreak and joy its wake…

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

 

My thoughts

This is my favorite of the ACOTAR books. It gave me more emotion and feels. It's Nesta's story. A raw look at a very misunderstood human turned fae...

This book is basically all about Nesta and Cassian. Nesta is Feyre's older sister. One who never lifted a hand to help Feyre when they were starving and poor. One who only thought about herself. Except when she was worrying over Elain. They had been among the riches of the rich in the human world but their greedy father wanted more. 

Nesta and Elain were taken from their home and turned fae against their will. Nesta had so much anger. So much going on. She hated this life. She hated most everyone in it. During the war she helped bring down the high king. Beheaded him. She protected Cassian who was in fact her mate. She didn't see that yet. When her father was killed she blamed herself. Thus the beginning of her own self destruction began.

Nesta moved into a hovel of an apartment. She drank way to much and took strange men in to her bed. She didn't seem to care about anything. Mostly she hated herself and felt she was not worthy of anyone loving her. Least of all her sisters. She was heading for total destruction until Feyre and Rys along with their friends step in. Nesta is basically given no choice but to go with Cassian and train. Work in the library and train. It's that or be deposited back in the human realm and since the destruction of the wall that would not be good. Not at all.

Now here I got a bit angry. First of all why didn't they care before Nesta got so low. Why wait until they received a bill so huge to get riled up. She was obviously screaming in pain. Her own sister, Feyre, didn't bother to truly check on her. Even if she did keep saying go away. Or I'm fine. Why didn't Feyre sense that her sister was in total distress. She had reached a breaking point that she herself could not see. 

The story gives us lots of insight into what she goes through and the friends she makes. The love she finally accepts and the strength of her Cauldron power. Oh my what strength. And how loving Cassian truly is. Yes he made me so mad at first. Though he did have to wait for her to cry out for that help. In her own way of course. The part where she finally broke truly made me weep. Weep for all the pain she felt. All the guilt she was burdening herself with. All the hate she felt for herself. She did not deserve those feelings. She had been human. She was turned high fae against her will. She watched her dad be murdered. She endured so much in her young life. She had a right to be angry. 

And that ending. That part where Nesta saved... Well I can't say who but she was amazing. Raw. Real. The feelings were so spot on. She's a true friend and sister to all the women in her life.

I hope there will be another book to this series. I hear there will be. This was so much fun to read and it is absolutely wonderful. It was out of my normal comfort range. Not my usual genre, but I am happy I read it. I'll be reading more since I have all of this author's books now... Next will be Crescent City series...

FIVE big stars from me. I loved it.

About 

Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.

The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.

Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.

If Something Happens To Me by Ales Finlay

 

My thoughts

Alex Finlay is one of my favorite authors. This book to me was one of his best. I've enjoyed a few and though I did see what was coming at the end of the first part it did not take away from the story for me. There were to many things going on for it too cause to much stress.... 

A girl goes missing. Her boyfriend is knocked out and dragged from the vehicle. He wakes and both her and the vehicle are gone... What happened? Who could or would do such a thing and why? Alison and Ryan are out in her father's BMW at Lovers' Lane. A make out spot. When it starts raining they run get into the car. After that Ryan's world and life will never be the same. 

What happened to Alison? Did Ryan do something to her or is there really a person with no pinky's who dragged him out of the car and took her. If so why.

This story goes from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Leavenworth, Kansas. From the United States to France to Italy. A journey to find the truth and run from something. This is a story of young love mixed up in so much. Quite a few characters involved. All to find out what happened to Alison? Maybe a bit more. 

There are a couple of gruesome scenes in this story but they are so necessary for you to get the whole picture of how bad a man named O'Leary is. A suicide. Some teens killed or overdosed. A family who will never be the same. Actually at least two families who will be affected. 

I enjoyed this book and read it in one day. I didn't want to put it down. It's very descriptive and makes you cringe in places. Gasp in others. Enjoy the scenery in some. I even cried in a couple places. I laughed a time or two. It was good but not necessarily for the faint of heart. I also loved how the title of this book played into the story.

Thank you #NetGalley, #AlexFinlay, #StMartinsPress, #MinotaurBooks, for this ARC. This is my own honest opinion of this book.

FIVE big stars and a very high recommendation. 

About

For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has relived that terrible night. The car door ripping open. The crushing blow to the head. The hands yanking him from the vehicle. His girlfriend Ali’s piercing scream as she is taken.

With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged, though that doesn’t matter to the podcasters and internet trolls. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He's put his past behind him.

Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali's car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali’s handwriting: If something happens to me…

Then, halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.

As Ryan races from the rolling hills of Tuscany, to a rural village in the UK, to the glittering streets of Paris in search of the truth, he has no idea that his salvation may lie with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case, and a mobster in Philadelphia who’s experienced tragedy of his own.

In classic Alex Finlay form, If Something Happens to Me is told by several distinct, compelling characters whose paths intersect, detonating into a story of twist after pulse-pounding twist. The novel cements Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.

Disturbing The Dead by Kelley Armstrong

 

My thoughts

I usually don't read many time travel books but these have been so good. This author has go beyond the realm of what my imagination looks forward to and I've enjoyed this series very much. 

Mallory has been stuck in 1869 Scotland for what seems a lifetime. It's been six months though. She was a housemaid but has become an assistant to her employer now. They solve crimes. They work well together and seem to like each other. I think it's love but who knows. Maybe in the next book...

While I throughly love this series I was a tiny bit disappointed in this book. In this story. To me it was so obvious what was going to happen with the unwrapping of the mummy. That didn't make me want to stop reading though. I also figured out fairly early on who the actual murderer was. But again it didn't make me want to stop. I could have been wrong. (I wasn't.)

There was another part that I was truly disappointed in but I don't know how to explain that without giving away what is possibly a bit part of this book. I'll just keep that to myself and think on it. No need of ruining it for anyone else. It has to do with Mallory though. After she is attacked in the tunnel. I also knew in my heart who was telling secrets to a writer, about Mallory and Doctor Gray. 

I have enjoyed this series and do look forward to the next book. I think there has to be a next. I like the characters and the storyline. The women who were determined to go to school and become doctors even though it was just not done in this time. That was a good thing for sure. 

This is a very good book. Just because so many things were obvious to me does not mean I didn't enjoy it. It really made it a bit better proving that I was correct. There were clues that gave it away for me. I look forward to reading more about Dr Gray and Mallory. They are truly a force to be reckoned with. I'm anxious to see what they uncover next...

This would have been a five star if not for Mallory's parents. That's all I have to say about that...

Thank you #NetGalley, #KelleyArmstrong, #StMartinsPress, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Four stars and I do recommend this series. 

About

Disturbing the Dead is the latest in a unique series with one foot in the 1890s and the other in the present day. The A Rip Through Time crime novels are a genre-blending, atmospheric romp from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Victorian Scotland is becoming less strange to modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson. Though inhabiting someone else’s body will always be unsettling, even if her employers know that she’s not actually housemaid Catriona Mitchell, ever since the night both of them were attacked in the same dark alley 150 years apart. Mallory likes her job as assistant to undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray, and is developing true friends―and feelings―in this century.

So, understanding the Victorian fascination with death, Mallory isn't that surprised when she and her friends are invited to a mummy unwrapping at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. When their host is missing when it comes time to unwrap the mummy, Gray and Mallory are asked to step in. And upon closer inspection, it’s not a mummy they’ve unwrapped, but a much more modern body.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week

************

Warning:  Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at  MAILBOX MONDAY.

************
Here is a shout out to the administrators

Serena @ Savvy Verse and Wit

Martha @ Reviews By Martha’s Bookshelf

************

THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive.

NetGalleys this week

Exposure by Ava Dellaira

A life-changing moment encompasses conflicting truths that echo across time, in this powerful, provocative debut.

One night, two people, four sides of a story.

In 2004, Juliette Marker, a white college freshman, and Noah King, a Black high school senior, are two lonely souls who enter each other’s orbit, forge a connection, and, after a chance meeting, go home together.

Twelve years later, Noah has done the impossible and made it in Hollywood. His first film is about to be released, and he and his beloved wife Jesse, a successful writer herself, have just had a baby. Meanwhile, Juliette’s best friend Annie, in the throes of grief, makes a decision that threatens to blow up the life Noah has struggled to build.

Spanning decades, from California to Chicago, and told from Annie, Juliette, Noah, and Jesse’s perspectives, this sharp, timely novel delves into one fateful night and the complex lives and relationships of those affected by it, brilliantly exploring how race, artistic ambition, and grief shape the way they—and we—see their story.

The Days I Loved You Most by Amy Neff

Unforgettable and utterly romantic, The Days I Loved You Most is a heart-wrenching, life-affirming novel that asks, How much would you sacrifice for the one you love?

In the summer of 1941, on the New England shores where they were raised, Evelyn and Joseph fell in love. Now, more than sixty years later, with a lifetime between them, they have gathered their three grown children to share the staggering news: she has received a tragic diagnosis, and he cannot live without her. So in one year’s time, they will end their lives on their own terms.

As the couple comes to grips with their fate, they retrace their past—the joys and regrets, the laughter and the sorrow—that brought them to this moment. They embark on a journey to live out their greatest dreams and to comfort and connect with each of their children before they're gone. But as their final days draw closer, they must confront the stark reality of what they are about to do, and make peace with the legacy they will leave behind for their family.

Spanning the twentieth century from World War II to 9/11 and beyond, The Days I Loved You Most is a timeless tale of unwavering devotion -- a moving tribute to the enduring power of love and a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is always hope and beauty to be found.

Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols

 

My Thoughts

I've had a lot of firsts this year. First time reads that is. Another new to me author that I will be looking out for. This book was great.

This is a dark story but it has a lot of things that I didn't expect. From fear to laughter to holding my breath. Yes there is a serial killer out there murdering teen boys. Cutting them open. Yes the killer is evil to the core. Yes he went through a lot in his life. Not an excuse for what he is doing though. I have to admit that I laughed in parts in a scene close to the end. I could not help it and believe anyone reading will do the same. Though I felt bad for the woman and I kind of felt bad for the killer during that scene. It didn't last long though. The feeling bad for him. I also had the killer narrowed down to two people, him being one of them. I was right and it did not at all in anyway take away from the story.

This town is rocked by the murder of a teenage boy. A boy who wasn't even missed by his so called family. "Aw he's just staying with a friend."Yeah right. What mother does not know where her child is. Well obviously this one didn't. I did not like her at all. My heart broke for Shane. He did not deserve anything that happened to him. Most importantly being killed. He had a horrible life at, well I would not call it home, that house. He was well loved by his friends though.

When Shane's body was discovered the other teens in his life were scared. Who could have done such a horrid thing. Who might be next. Though they should maybe have taken it a bit more series. A killer was among them. When the next boy is murdered the two remaining, Ethan and Sohpie, are truly terrified. Ethan is convinced that he will be next. Sohpie's dad is a detective and her mother is a nut. She is still so afraid though. She and Ethan decide to stick together. To leave town and find a safe place but it's not meant to be....

This book is a story of such deep loss. You will see what makes a serial killer. Or at least this one. The depths a mother will go for her child. To keep that child protected. The people in the town of Granite Harbor, Maine are faced with something dark and sinister. Why is this happening in their small town. Who's child is next???

About

A small town in coastal Maine is shaken to its core by a serial killer in this crime novel from Peter Nichols, bestselling author of The Rocks

In scenic Granite Harbor, life has continued on―quiet and serene―for decades. That is until a local teenager is found brutally murdered in the Settlement, the town’s historic archaeological site. Alex Brangwen, adjusting to life as a single father with a failed career as a novelist, is the town’s sole detective. This is his first murder case and, as both a parent and detective, Alex knows the people of Granite Harbor are looking to him to catch the killer and temper the fear that has descended over the town.

Isabel, a single mother attempting to support her family while healing from her own demons, finds herself in the middle of the case when she begins working at the Settlement. Her son, Ethan, and Alex’s daughter, Sophie, were best friends with the victim. When a second body is found, both parents are terrified that their child may be next. As Alex and Isabel race to find the killer in their midst, the town’s secrets―past and present―begin bubbling to the surface, threatening to unravel the tight-knit community.

At once a page-turning thriller and a captivating portrait of the social fabric of a small town, Granite Harbor evokes the atmosphere of HBO’s Mare of Easttown with a villain reminiscent of Thomas Harris’s Silence of the Lambs.