The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan

 

My thoughts

This is one book you don't want to miss. If you love a good edge of your seat thriller. A mystery to hold your interest from start to finish. If you love a good story that keeps you guessing. I loved this one. It is definitely in my top ten of the year. 

I listened to the audio and I am blown away at how good the narrator, Emily Pike Stewart, did. She made each character her own. The realistic voices were spot on perfection. I'll definitely listen to more by this narrator.

Three girls went missing. One was returned. What happened to these little girls? Who would do this? And why was one returned? When PI Annie Gore takes a job from a young man looking for his missing sister, she has no idea what she's in for. The girl has been missing ten years. Most likely she is never returning. Most likely she is dead. Annie took this job because Max Andrews was so persistent. He had saved so much to hire her. He had heard she was the best. The best at finding missing people. She could not say no. 

This book takes you to the Appalachian mountains. To a small town where everyone knows everyone. But there are a lot of secrets. A lot of things that are well hidden. And there are missing children. Two still missing after ten years. Can Annie find them and if she does will they be alive. 

Some of the people in this town help without blinking an eye while others want it to go away. Want it forgotten. But it can't be forgotten. Not by ones mother and by one brother. 

This book is so well written. It's writing it almost lyrical. The descriptions make you feel like you are there. In the cabin. In the bakery. In the mountains. In the woods. It's so realistic and haunting. It's filled with so much hope and a whole lot of sadness. You want Annie to find these two girls as much as their family does. Then another child goes missing. Was it the same person or a copycat? Will Annie be able to save this child too.

I'm telling all my friends who love a good thriller/mystery to grab this one. From what I can tell this is a debut and so beautifully written. It's not about witches. It's not magical realism. It's just a story about stories told. Told about a witch and her two beautiful daughters. A story of a town where three children went missing and one was returned....

Thank you #stmartinspress, #macmillianaudio, for this ARC. 

About

A ninth generation Appalachian herself, Archer Sullivan brings the mountains of North Carolina to life in The Witch’s Orchard, a wonderfully atmospheric novel that introduces private investigator Annie Gore.

Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore joined the military right after high school to escape the fraught homelife of her childhood. Now, she’s getting by as a private investigator and her latest case takes her to an Appalachian holler not unlike the one where she grew up.

Ten years ago, three little girls went missing from their tiny mountain town. While one was returned, the others were never seen again. After all this time without answers, the brother of one of the girls wants to hire an outsider, and he wants Annie. While she may not be from his town, she gets mountain towns. Mountain people. Driving back into the hills for a case this old—it might be a fool’s errand. But Annie needs to put money in the bank and she can’t turn down a case. Not even one that dredges up her own painful past.

In the shadow of the Blue Ridge, Annie begins to track the truth, navigating a decade’s worth of secrets, folklore of witches and crows, and a whole town that prefers to forget. But while the case may have been buried, echoes of the past linger. And Annie’s arrival stirs someone into action.

Too Old For This by Samantha Downing

 

My thoughts

This book was so much fun to read. Yes it was a book about a serial killer. Yes she was older and had retired. Yes she starts killing again. But..... You may find yourself rooting for her to not get caught. To get away with everything. Just maybe you will like Lottie...

I absolutely loved Lottie. She was quite a character. She did bad things but she had reasons for most. She was a murderer, but still she had reasons for it. You just should not make Lottie mad. Or back her in a corner. She can be mean if provoked. But she's a good mom. She loves her boy. She was a single mom. Now her son is grown and going to be married. For the second time.

You get to know Lottie pretty well. You also get to know her victims pretty well. The reasons why they had to be killed. And what Lottie does with the bodies. Most bodies that is. And the cops. Especially Burke. Burke wanted so bad to prove Lottie's guilt. He tried for over forty years. 

Lottie goes to church. She is very involved. She loves her family. Her son and grandchildren. She cares for her ex daughter in law. She gets to know her future daughter in law and likes her too. She is a fairly peaceful person. Private. Until she's not. That is when the dark side of Lottie shows it's face. I did feel bad for Plum Dixon. She was just a young lady looking to do a docuseries about Lottie's previous life. She was very determined. I could have felt bad for Plum's mom but I didn't. She was never a good mom to Plum. I did feel bad for Cole. Cole was Plum's boyfriend. And the suspect when Plum went missing.

This book made me laugh so much. Yes I did my fair share of cringing and I gasped a few times, but it was still a fun story. I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. Or should. 

I highly recommend this one. If you are up for a few murders or a few chuckles, then I say grab this one and get comfortable. You won't want to put it down.

Thank you #Berkley for this ARC. 

Five big stars from me.

About

A retired serial killer’s quiet life is upended by an unexpected visitor. To protect her secret, there’s only one option left—what’s another murder? From bestselling author Samantha Downing.

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.

Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends. 

When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that.

But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime might just be the death of her…

You Belong Here by Megan Miranda

 

My thoughts

This is Megan Miranda's best yet. Riveting. Thrilling. A story to keep you guessing until the end. 

I throughly enjoyed this story. It had so much. So many good thrills. So much family drama. So much to keep you guessing and most likely you will be wrong. Family secrets can be deadly. Or possibly they can keep your loved ones alive. 

What really happened twenty years ago when two men died in a fire. And who actually started this fire. What was the motive? Did the perpetrator get away alive or did she die never to be seen or heard from. Or at least not to be heard from for almost twenty years whether dead or alive. Someone knows the truth and one mother doesn't want it revealed. A mother will do almost anything for her child. Even cover up a crime. 

When Beckett's daughter Delilah is accepted at the university where she went all those years ago. Where a horrible fire took the lives of two men. Where she had to leave. Beckett is horrified. She didn't ever want Delilah to be caught up in what would always be a part of Wyatt College. During a night of howling winds, called The Howling. During a time when someone was going to have to pay for something. 

This book kept me guessing. I did realize who did what but not until it was almost revealed. There are a lot of secrets in this story. Beckett's parents and Beckett for instance. I didn't much like Beckett's mom at first. She did grow on me after a while. After a long while. I thought Beckett was a little over protective but I also understood why. And I rooted for Beckett and Trevor to finally get together. I hoped things would end well and I suppose they did. In their own way. 

I did love how this story ended. Seems justice did prevail. But at what cost? 

Thank you #SimonElement/S&S/MarySueRucciBooks, for this ARC. Also BOTM... It was a BOTM choice for me and I'm so glad. 

4.75 stars 

About

A decades-old secret that drove a mother from her hometown now threatens her college-bound daughter in this twisty new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda.

Beckett Bowery never thought she’d return to Wyatt Valley, a picturesque college town in the Virginia mountains steeped in tradition. Her roots there were strong: Beckett’s parents taught at the college, and she never even imagined studying anywhere else—until a tragedy her senior year ended with two local men dead, and her roommate on the run, never to be seen again…

For the last two decades, Beckett has done her best to keep her distance. Then her daughter, Delilah, secretly applies to Wyatt College and earns a full scholarship, and Beckett can only hope that her lingering fears are unfounded. But deep down she knows that Wyatt Valley has a long memory, and that the past isn’t the only dangerous thing in town…

The Secret Librarian by Soraya M. Lane

 

My thoughts

I love this author. Her books never seem to disappoint me in any way. This one is her latest. Set in Lisbon during the second World War. About two strong females who happen to be attractive and have the brains we all know females can and do have. 

A story about two females who become the best of friends is always such a pleasure to read. Though the time was harsh and what they were doing was for a very intense and sad reason, Camille and Avery found each other through a book store and became very good friends. 

Camille owns the bookstore. She came to Lisbon in search of the man who betrayed her and her husband. She helps the Jews who are there to receive the papers they need to move on with their lives in America. In the USA they can start over and not have to worry about being killed. 

Avery is in Lisbon as part of her job. She got a job for the US government to put important news articles on microfiche. She is very skilled with this. She also becomes friends with Camille and wants to help her in her quest to help the Jewish people. 

This is a great story. It has such feeling and depth. It pulls you right in and captures your heart. From the time Avery tells her parents she doesn't want to marry but wants to go work for the government to the last page when you find out exactly what her life turns out to be. This is such a compelling story. It is part friendship and part love story. And yes it will make you shed some tears. It will keep you on edge in places. But it's mostly a story about female friendship. 

Well written and thought provoking. Makes you see another side to how women did some things during the war. How they contributed to help humankind.

Thank you #AmazonPublishingUK, #BrillanceAudio, for this ARC.  

About

From the bestselling author of The Secret Midwife and The Berlin Sisters comes an inspiring story of friendship, hope and courage.

New York, 1942: Avery is engaged to be married. Longing for adventure instead, she jumps at an unexpected offer to trade her library job for undercover intelligence-gathering in Portugal. But her new life in Lisbon, known as the Capital of Espionage, challenges everything she thought she knew about herself.

Local bookshop owner Camille, a French widow with access to the enemy newspapers and magazines Avery needs, befriends her. But are the rumours that swirl around Camille true—does she really have a Nazi boyfriend? And what secrets did she bring with her when she fled France? Avery must decide—fast—if she can fully trust Camille. Millions of lives depend on it.

As Avery discovers more about Camille’s world, she realises that living in a city of spies will take all her courage. With suspicions growing, they are both playing a terrifyingly dangerous game. And not everyone will live to tell their story. Can Avery and Camille stay far enough ahead of their enemies to survive?

Threaded through with daring, sacrifice and love, this is the inspirational story of two women prepared to risk everything to help others survive the horrors of World War II.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

 

My thoughts

I enjoyed this book. It drove me crazy in parts but I still enjoyed it. I figured out the twists so no big deal there. I also knew what Mandy had hidden. 

Two sisters, twins, who never knew each other. Both adopted but by different couples. One grows in a luxurious home with all she needed. Except love. Her adoptive mother was mean. She was cruel. Georgia was adopted by the elite family. She also had a sister growing up. But they were not close. Not until much later in life. 

Mandy was raised by a typical family. Not a lot of money but they did owe a bar that was left to her. She did good with it and made a nice living. Mandy knew she was adopted but not any details. She had no idea she had a twin sister. Not until she was in her thirties. 

When Georgia is put in a mental ward for murdering her sister, Annabelle, who is the biological daughter of the Cartwright. She needs help proving she is innocent and there are a lot of powerful people involved. 

I figured out the secrets that Georgia's mother was keeping and what she actually did. I knew the Senator's secret. There were no surprises for me in this story. Two women find out they are related, twins, and they just start having the twin things. They didn't before finding out so what was it? Magic. No it was ridiculous. Also two grown women who had all but hated each other their entire lives suddenly become the best of sisters/friends overnight. Doubtful. And waiting until you are in your thirties to find out who your real father is. I didn't buy that either. Not with things like they are now. DNA testing is way to easy. 

While I did enjoy reading this book I found it to be so unbelievable and unrealistic. I didn't like any of the characters. Not one. The twins were childish. The mother was a witch. The father was a wimp. I just didn't like them. I did appreciate how the story played out in places. I enjoyed knowing true justice was going to prevail. And the atmosphere in The Locked Ward felt real. Though I honestly didn't know they let men and women share a ward. I learned something...

Thank you #StMartinsPress, #MacmillanAudio, for this ARC.

3.75 stars 

About

Was it...
Bitter, all-consuming jealousy?
Pathological sibling rivalry?
Pure insanity?

Whatever the cause—and everyone has a theory—it's the Crime of the Decade when glamorous Georgia Cartwright, who was adopted as a newborn, is accused of killing the biological daughter of her wealthy, Southern family.

Georgia is locked in a psychiatric institution where the most violent offenders are held while she awaits trial. The only words she whispers when her estranged twin sister Amanda visits are, “I didn’t do it. You’ve got to get me out of here.”

Amanda doesn't trust Georgia, but she can't abandon her in a place so eerie and menacing that it seems to exist in another dimension. Is Georgia the victim of a powerful family that's so depraved murder is the least of their crimes? Or is Amanda being led down a path of madness into the web of a master manipulator?

Nothing is as it seems in Sarah Pekkanen’s The Locked Ward, a shocking psychological thriller about the complex bonds of sisterhood—and what happens when they are stretched to the breaking point.

Some doors in the Locked Ward should never be opened.

Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf

 

My thoughts

This is my second book by this author. It was good. I liked this one even better than In The Hour Of Crows. Still about death and things that happen after death. 

This is a kind of strange story. Or at least it was for me. I liked it very much. It's a bit goth and southern charm. A bit of a mystery and thriller. Also a few murders thrown in for good measure. And a handsome stranger who causes a big stir when he strolls into town like he owns the place. Taking the women by surprise. Many of course wanting to get to know him better. 

The story is quite lyrical and haunting. Hollis sees the "Grave Birds" and has what must be visions of what happened to the deceased person. Especially the four whose deaths may be related. Hollis is an events planner and has the towns most prominent family's big event scheduled. She also has uncovered quite a bit of darkness about this family. Many secrets. She doesn't know exactly what to do with this information but can't just sit on it. Or can she?

Cain came to town with purpose. He strode in and bought the big house that was promised to Hollis. They start off not so great. But Hollis learns that Cain can also see the "Grave Birds." Hollis knows the reason she sees them is because she dies once. Could Cain have died also? Is he responsible for all the strange things going on in this town? Can they become friends and find out what is happening? Or is he to sinister?

This book will keep you wanting to find out who did what to whom and why. How certain people died. What is causing some of the crazy things going on. You'll want to find out what can come between Hollis and Cain. If anything. 

Well written and a good story. This book was fun, intriguing, and edge of your seat in a few places. Some characters are awful. You'll hate them. But most are good. Some are even dead. Telling their stories through "Grave Birds."

Thank you #HarlequinTradePublishing, #MIRA, #HarlequinAudio, for this ARC. 

About

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires meets Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in this twisty, fresh take on a Southern gothic that follows a mysterious, charming bachelor as he makes his way into a small town, bringing a plague and the devil with him, from GMA Buzz Pick author Dana Elmendorf.

Grave birds haunt the cemeteries of Hawthorne, South Carolina, where Spanish moss drips from the trees and Southern charm is imbued with lies. Hollis Sutherland never knew these unique birds existed, not until she died and was brought back to life. The ghostly birds are manifestations of the dead’s unfinished business, and they know Hollis and her uncanny gift can set them free.

When a mysterious, charming bachelor wanders into their small town, bizarre events begin to plague its wealthiest citizens. Like blood dripping from dogwood blossoms, flocks of birds crashing into windows of their homes, and faces in paintings morphing into distortion. Hollis knows these are the omens her grandfather warned about, announcing the devil’s return. Despite Cain Landry’s eerie presence and the plague that has followed him, his handsome face and wicked charm win over the townsfolk. Even Hollis falls under his spell as they grow closer.

That is, until lies about the town’s past start to surface. The grave birds begin to show Hollis the dead’s ugly past from some twenty-five years ago. And she learns all about the horrible things these noble families did to gain their wealth. Hollis can’t decide if Cain is some immortal hand of God, there to expose their sins. Or if he’s a devil there to ruin them all. Either way, she’s determined to save her town and the people in it, whatever she has to do.

The Lies They Told by Ellen Marie Wiseman

 My thoughts

This is now my favorite book by this author. Her book, The Orphan Collector, was and it is a great book also. 

This book is very emotional. Even when things are good. When things go as you want them too, it's emotional. I laughed in a few places at the things children said. Overall though I cried many tears for the characters in this novel. The things I read about really happened. It was awful and to know that it happened right here in the USA makes it even more upsetting to me. How could this country be the very one that started such horrid things. The very one who taught other countries how to find and stop people who they deem unworthy to be either killed or sterilized. How dare they. Let us hope it never happens again. Oh how I hope it's not happening now. 

This is a story about a young woman and her family who entered the USA via Ellis Island. Who saved everything they had to come to this country to find a better life. Who had nothing back home or here but were willing to work hard. But who were deemed unacceptable. Or at least the young boy and his mother were unaccepted. This young woman was allowed to enter the country. But only after she went through a vigorous inspection and sprayed with chemicals and humiliated by the people who were suppose to help her. Her and her little girl. Her brother and mother were deemed unfit. Her brother they said was feeble minded and her mother to sickly. Sickly after just departing a ship. After being so seasick. Feeble minded because he refused to answer some questions and could barely speak English. He was learning. He was a hard worker and he was young. Only fifteen. 

The story starts at Ellis Island. May 31, 1928. Magdalena Conti and her family, her mother, brother, and child, landed on Ellis Island and had such dreams of a better life. In Germany they had gone through many horrors after the war. They saw things that no one should ever have to see. Families killed. Bombings. Starvation. They thought coming to America would be so much better. 

What Lena goes through is so sad. She is alone with just her daughter after her mom and brother are sent back to Germany. A distant cousin, Silas Wolfe, had paid for Enzo and Mutti's passage. They would work for him. But since they were sent back it was Lena whom he got. She was to take care of the house and his two children. Their mother had died in childbirth. He needed the help. It was hard work but Lena was willing to work to ensure her daughter Ella had food to eat. And boy did they have food. More food than Lena had thought possible for a single family. 

Lena goes through so much though. It was not a matter of just getting here and working for a person and living happily ever after. Silas's children and Lena's child were taken from them by people who wanted the mountain land. They were taken away and no one knew where or how to find them. Lena was put in an institution and sterilized. Told that the sterilization was the only way she would ever get out. She was deemed dimwitted because she had a child out of wedlock. 

What happened in this book gave me pause. Made me think about this country in a whole new light. How dare they. Who did these people think they were. How can anyone think it's ok to take away a person's ability to have children just because they look different or because you want their land. Yes they took the children from Silas because they wanted his farm. His land. The things he worked hard for. Him and many other mountain people. 

This book is so well researched and written that you will learn what exactly happened back then in Virginia. How the land was stolen from hard working people. People who were citizens of this country. Who had lived here many generations. And how immigrants were  truly treated when entering this country. Most likely still are treated this way. The research shows how the USA set up places to euthanize human beings. It's in the Author's note. Please read that part. It has so much info that you should know. Things I didn't know about. 

Thank you #KensingtonPublishing, #RBmedia, for this arc. 

About

In rural 1930s Virginia, a young immigrant mother fights for her dignity and those she loves against America’s rising eugenics movement – when widespread support for policies of prejudice drove imprisonment and forced sterilizations based on class, race, disability, education, and country of origin – in this tragic and uplifting novel of social injustice, survival, and hope for readers of Susan Meissner, Kristin Hannah, and Christina Baker Kline.

When Lena Conti—a young, unwed mother—sees immigrant families being forcibly separated on Ellis Island, she vows not to let the officers take her two-year old daughter. But the inspection process is more rigorous than she imagined, and she is separated from her mother and teenage brother, who are labeled burdens to society, denied entry, and deported back to Germany. Now, alone but determined to give her daughter a better life after years of living in poverty and near starvation, she finds herself facing a future unlike anything she had envisioned.

Silas Wolfe, a widowed family relative, reluctantly brings Lena and her daughter to his weathered cabin in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to care for his home and children. Though the hills around Wolfe Hollow remind Lena of her homeland, she struggles to adjust. Worse, she is stunned to learn the children in her care have been taught to hide when the sheriff comes around. As Lena meets their neighbors, she realizes the community is vibrant and tight knit, but also senses growing unease. The State of Virginia is scheming to paint them as ignorant, immoral, and backwards so they can evict them from their land, seize children from parents, and deal with those possessing “inferior genes.”

After a social worker from the Eugenics Office accuses Lena of promiscuity and feeblemindedness, her own worst fears come true. Sent to the Virginia State Colony for the Feebleminded and Epileptics, Lena face impossible choices in hopes of reuniting with her daughter—and protecting the people, and the land, she has grown to love.

Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross

 

My thoughts

This is a debut novel and a good one. It's a touchy subject matter but a good one. It has ups and downs. Laughter and tears. A strong teenager. A strong family vibe. 

The Blum family moved to Maine from Brooklyn, NY. A small town in Maine where everyone knows everyone. There are few secrets. Gus Blum got a job at the college. Claire is going to start her own clothing business. Wolf starts middle school. Hazel starts her senior year of high school. All should be great. But then something happens that no one could have seen coming.

On the first day of school Hazel is called to the principal's office. He propositions her saying that every year he picks a girl to have sex with and this year it's her, Hazel. Hazel is flummoxed. Did she really just hear her principle say that. Hazel says no and leaves quickly. 

Hazel has no idea how much her life is about to change. She rushes home and of course she has to tell her mother what happened. Her mother in turn tells her dad. The whole time her little brother is listening and adding his opinion. When word spreads it's not good. Not good for Hazel or her family. The people in this town love Principal White. He's a major upstanding person. He's done so much for the school and the community. How dare Hazel accuse him. Maybe she misunderstood. According to him Hazel made a pass at him. Yeah right. Isn't that what all predators say?

The Blums go through a lot. There are a few who believe them and stand with them but most are on the principal's side. He could and would never do such a thing. 

You get to know this family well. How they stick up for each other. How much they love each other. It's the subtle things. The little things they do. Sometimes big things. Hazel has big ambitions. She wants to go to Vassar. She has dreams. Principal White threatened her dreams. Tried to make her believe he could stop her from graduating if she didn't sleep with him. Hazel said no...

More girls come forward. Hazel did the right thing. But will it all be ok. Will she be able to live in Maine and get into the college of her dreams. Will her brother be able to cope with things. Wolf has ADHD. Though he can be cute and funny at times he is also a very serious kid. He has no friends. Well he had one but turns out she is Principal White's daughter. Go figure.

This book takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions. From laughter to full on tears. From serious to a bit comedic. A family with problems but also there for each other. How will this one end....

Thank you #HarlequinPublishers, #HarlequinAudio, for this ARC. 

4.3 stars. Read this one. It's good. 

About

When a tight-knit family moves from Brooklyn to Maine, their lives are upended by an event that will alter their new community forever in this bighearted, deftly drawn debut for fans of Now Is Not the Time to Panic, Pineapple Street, and Schitt’s Creek

Hazel Blum, please report to the principal’s office. Hazel Blum.

When Hazel Blum’s father gets a tenure-track professorship at a prestigious college, she and her family relocate from the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn to a middle-of-nowhere college town in Maine. With her mother, Claire, an aspiring fashion designer, and her father, Gus, an American Studies professor, Hazel and her eleven-year-old brother, Wolf, spend the summer at the town pool, where they acclimate to their new lives and connect with the town’s sprawling community. That is, until a dramatic fallout on the very first day of her senior year tips the fickle balance of idyllic Riverburg and impacts everyone in her family.

Tracking through the perspectives of each member of the Blum family, this relatable fish-out-of-water story handles big issues with great empathy and humor, capturing the love that unites one unforgettable family and the essence of life in small-town Maine. Emotionally deft, authentic, and compulsively readable, Hazel Says No is a debut novel not to be missed.

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline

 

My thoughts

Another good one from Lisa Scottoline. What a book!! Scottoline does not disappoint. Her books will keep you engaged. 

After Julia's husband is murdered right in front of her Julia becomes reclusive. She orders her groceries delivered. Works from home. She is afraid to go out in case the killer is out there waiting. But when she receives a call about inheriting a lot of money and a villa in Italy what is she suppose to do. She has to go check it out. Of course she doesn't believe it is real. She thinks it may be a setup. But she finds an email she didn't see and it's from the same lawyer. Her best friend talks her into going and seeing what it's all about. If nothing else she can sell the villa and add even more to the large sum she is suppose to receive.

This story takes you from the USA to Italy. There is a lot going on. A lot of intense things. But Julia did really inherit the money and the villa. Julia was adopted and thinks maybe the woman who left all of this too could be her biological grandmother. Who else would leave her such a vast thing. Julia's mother, her adoptive mother, died on her birthday when Julia was only nine/ten. She has lost a lot in her life and wants more than anything to have a family. But things are not all good when she gets to the villa. There are some strange things going on. 

Julia believes strongly in the astrological signs. She's seen things before they happen. Or had feelings of bad things beforehand. Even seen or felt good things. She knew something was going to happen the night her husband was killed. She blames herself for not being more careful when she and Mike were out that night. If she had said something maybe he would not have been killed. 

Seems Julia has a kind of gift. She can communicate with people on the other side. Even on this side in certain circumstances. She is being followed. Stalked. Drugged. Harassed. And she's scared. When Julia meets a guy and there are sparks she feels guilty. But she also really likes Gianluca. He's a good guy and they seem to make a good team. If she can only let go and give it a chance. 

This story takes you on a life altering chase. Julia has to literally fight for her life. She doesn't trust many of the people in Tuscany. Not even the police. With good reason. 

Grab this book and sit back for a scary and intense ride. It's very good and will keep you turning the pages. The ending is perfect and all loose ends are tied up nicely. I enjoyed it.

Thank you #GrandCentralPublishing, #HachettAudio/GrandCentralPublishing, for this ARC.

4.5 stars. 

About

From a #1 international bestselling author, a gothic, suspenseful tale in which a young widow inherits a Tuscan estate from a mysterious benefactor and finds herself thrust into the crosshairs of a dangerous conspiracy—a “compelling thriller with dashes of romance and excellent twists!” (Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author).

Lately, Julia Pritzker is beginning to think she’s cursed. She’s lost her adoptive parents, then her husband is murdered. When she realizes that her horoscope essentially foretold his death, she begins to spiral. She fears her fate is written in the stars, not held in her own hands.

Then a letter arrives out of the blue, informing her that she has inherited a Tuscan villa and vineyard —but her benefactor is a total stranger named Emilia Rossi. Julia has no information about her biological family, so she wonders if Rossi could be a blood relative. Bewildered, she heads to Tuscany for answers.

There, Julia is horrified to discover that Rossi was a paranoid recluse, who believed herself to be a descendent of Duchess Caterina Sforza, a legendary Renaissance ruler. Stunned by her uncanny resemblance to Rossi, and even to Caterina, Julia is further unnerved when she unearths eerie parallels between them, including an obsession with astrology.

Before long, Julia suspects she’s being followed, and strange things begin to happen. Not even a chance meeting with a handsome Florentine can ease her troubled mind. When events turn deadly, Julia’s harrowing struggle becomes a search for her identity, a race to save her sanity, and ultimately, a question of her very survival.

Twisty, transportive, and haunting—this is suspense with a passport.

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day

 

My thoughts

If I had not have the audio of this one I don't think I would have finished it. Not that it's all bad. Parts are very good. But parts are so unbelievable that they made me cringe. Not in a good way either. This story had great potential but alas it fell a bit short.

While the descriptions were wonderful and you certainly felt like you was at this lake, And David's glass mansion was one I could picture, I didn't believe a lot of what happened. 

Three best friends. David, Julia, and Erika have been staying at the lake in the summer since they were all just small children. They know each other better than almost anyone could. Yet they honestly don't seem to know a lot about each other. I know people can become strangers after they grow up and marry, but these three remained friends. They didn't go separate ways and lose touch. Julia and Erika each have a child. Their children have been best friends. And it seems are even more. But they have these major secrets that each has no idea about? I'm not buying it. Especially David's secret. His tie with the mob. 

There were two women who went missing thirty years apart. Then the girlfriend of David up and disappears thirty years after the last girl. No one knows anything. Right. I figured out a lot of it, which truly didn't make it a horrible story. It just didn't help. I saw some secrets coming way early. 

I didn't like Erika or David. I barely tolerated Julia. I did feel so bad for Julia though. I adored Izzy. She was just too cute to be believed. But she was likable. A bit silly and somewhat of an airhead. But still likable. I felt bad for Julia's daughter and Erika's son. They were caught up in so much drama. These people had drama coming out of their pores. 

While I may not have finished this book if not for the audio, I have to admit that the narrators did keep me interested. They made the story well worth listening to. Both did a good job. 

I think maybe Nutmeg was my favorite character of all. He was Taylor's dog. Taylor is Julia's daughter. Lucas is Erika's son. Rick and Erika are married. Julia and Christian are married. David is not married anymore but has twins by his ex-wife. He was at the lake with Fiona. Fiona went missing.

Not a great book but not a total disaster either. I gave it three stars because I did finish it and I liked the ending. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress, #Macmillanaudio, for the ARC. 

About

The next riveting summer suspense by the author of THE BLOCK PARTY and ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY, Jamie Day.

WILL THIS BE THE BEST WEEK OF THEIR LIVES... OR THE LAST?

JULIA, DAVID, AND ERIKA grew up together spending summers at their idyllic Vermont lake homes for as long as they can remember. Now adults— with their own sullen teens, endless mortgages, and low-voltage sex lives— the three friends have amassed secrets over the years.

This summer, David is eager to show off his newly renovated home—which now blocks his friends’ cherished lake views—and his much-younger girlfriend. He also, unwittingly, brings a nanny with a hidden agenda. What could possibly go wrong?

When David’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes after a shouting match, Julia and Erika wonder just how well they know their lifelong friend. The lake harbors a harrowing two young women, with no known connection, vanished without a trace thirty years ago. Did the lake take another?

As a search is mounted, an intricate web of lies, deceits, and betrayals spanning generations starts to surface, and everyone finds themselves in danger of becoming the next victim. Of the lake, or something darker.

Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

 

My thoughts

WOW... What a story. What a book. This one was so full of manipulating and lies and just plain bad that I didn't want to put it down. It was a quick read for me too. 

You meet a lot of women in this story. And a lot of men. Could the women all be the same woman? Or could it be that the men are all the same man. So many liars are involved. So much drama. The cheating and stealing. The setting people up. This is like a nightmare you see in a movie. 

I detested Nick/Al/all the rest of the males. I detested most of the women too. But they were victims, these women. The younger ones who were just walking down the streets. They were the real victims. The innocent ones. Yes the older women were victims but they should have seen something when he was gone so much. Or just up and left for a week or two. 

I enjoyed reading this book even though I really didn't like most all of the characters. I didn't however find any of the victims as weak. They were doing their best. The fell for a con. Some more so than others. And at least one lost way more than all the others combined. And then there were the children who were born to this deceiver. Will anyone of them grow up to be just like their parent? I hope not. I really hope not.

I loved how this one ended. It was justice. I was actually thinking it would end a different way but was so glad I was wrong. Yes I did enjoy reading this. It is something that happens more than we probably know. Scamming people out of everything. Leaving them to deal with tons of debt. 

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC.

I gave this one 4.5 stars.

About

Three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.

“Who are you? Who are you really?”

Nick Radcliffe is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. He’s just what Nina Swann needed in her life after her husband’s unexpected death. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…

“Because there are things that don’t make sense, and I’ve been so patient, so very patient…”

Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn't right.

“You know that’s mad, don’t you? I’m your husband. We know everything there is to know about each other.”

Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. But the past won’t stay buried forever.

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

 

My thoughts

I think this will be another favorite author for me. I loved her book  A Sorceress Comes To Call. It was outstanding. This one was also good. Not quite as good as Sorceress though. I didn't get the Snow White vibe everyone says it's based on. I did enjoy it though and it has a princess named Snow and lots of mirrors. This was just a way darker read than any Snow White book I've ever read. Still good.

When the King asks Healer Anja to come save his daughter she really has no choice. I mean who can say no to the King. Reluctantly she agrees and goes. She is assigned two body guards since the King believes someone is truly poisoning his daughter. 

When they arrive at their destination and Healer Anja gets busy things start to happen. Just not exactly what she expected. The Kings daughter, Snow, is a typical twelve year old. But it's obvious she is very sick. She barely eats and when she does she tends to get violently ill. Anja is flummoxed as to what is happening to the princess. She's tested for everything she can think of. But when she sees Snow eating an apple after telling her and everyone around her to not allow anything that has not been throughly inspected things start to unravel. Also when Anja eats some of the apple and falls through the mirror in her room she's in for a series of events that are most unusual. 

The King had killed his wife because he caught her cutting the heart out of their youngest daughter and he didn't want to lose Snow. She was all he had left. On the other side of the mirrors things are grey/silver. Everything appears to be ok until it isn't. When Anja realizes that Snow has been going through the mirrors trying to find her younger sister she knows she has to help. One of her guards Javier, who caught her coming back through the mirror, helps her. They encounter a host of strange things. And the reason for Snow being so sick.

There is also a very pretentious  cat named Grayling. He can go in and out of the mirrors at will. And he talks. He is quite the hateful creature also. Just your typical cat really. He has only one eye. He does help Anja quite a bit and they sort of become friends. As much as you can be true friends with a cat. I do love cats so don't get upset. They are a bit snobbish and hateful at times. 

This book is different from most I read. It was enjoyable and I'm glad I read it. I loved the ending and that there was a bit of a love story involved. I did think that the King should have stayed to make sure his daughter was going to be ok though. That was one thing I didn't like. He was her father. She his only living child....

A lot of likable characters and a couple that I didn't like. That always to be expected in a good book. A thorough description of the trip to the Princess and what took effect once reached. You get to know the characters well. Most of them. It has some dark parts and will keep you turning the pages to find out what or who is causing Snow's illness. 

Thank you #TorPublishingGroup, #Goodreads, #MacmillanAudio, for this ARC. I won a physical copy from Goodreads. I thank them so much. 

About

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind.

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save— seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.

Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs

 

My thoughts

This was a very compelling story. Based on true events but is fiction. It's very realistic and heartfelt. It's so obvious the author did great research into this. A tough subject matter too. Fiction but based on the truth. Based on what happened way to often by Nuns in the Catholic churches. In the homes they kept for girls who needed love and understanding, not abuse and shame. 

I've said it many times after reading this kind of book but will say again: I do not understand how NUNS can be so mean and cruel. So horrible to young girls and teens. For that matter how can priests do the things they have done. It's heartbreaking what happened between the pages of this novel. But it happened and I'm sure it still happens now in many places. We are suppose to protect the innocent but demean and demoralize them. Abuse them. 

This is the story of a group of teens in a home run by nuns. Sent there for different reasons they are all treated the same. Not in a good way either. The main character, Mairin, was sent because her stepdad tried to molest her. Her mother it seems sided with the stepdad. That hit me right straight in my heart. I almost could not continue this book while reading that part. If not for Mairin's brother there is no telling what the stepdad would have done. Yes, Mairin was sent to the Good Shepard house because she was an innocent fifteen year old who needed protecting. 

There are six girls you read about in this book. Each has a story. Some are worse then others. But they are all bad. The nuns were so abusive. Using these girls like slaves. Locking them in a small closet if they dared so much as speak to each other. No schooling. No exercise. No good food. There was some abuses that happened that made my blood boil. A girl gets pregnant and the nuns accuse her of being a seductress. Of luring a delivery man or a worker into a relationship. They didn't care that she was a child and that it was one of their own, in a way, that caused this. And then took away the baby because she was doomed forever because she was an unwed mother. 

There is a lot. A lot of tears. A few chuckles in places when you see some of the antics from Mairin. She was so strong willed. So determined to get away. But also so caring toward her friends at the home. She tried to teach them some things to help them. 

These girls were lifelong friends. They agreed to meet again on a certain date but Mairin was the only one to show up year after year. Until she wasn't. When one came along. Then when others emerged. When there was a chance at getting back at the nuns for what they did. There was one nun that some I'm sure liked or felt sorry for. Not me. I despised her as much as the others. Sister Bernadette. She was not so innocent. She wasn't much older than they were so she should have been more understanding. I didn't like her until the end. At the end I finally decided she was ok. But it's because of something she did. 

How can a religious group treat human beings this way. There are ways to discipline that does not include abuse. There are things besides slave labor for profit. There are other ways to help girls who are unwanted, abused, pregnant, angry, unruly, and just there because the system has turned on them. Treating them as human beings would be a good start.

This book made me have so many feelings. Anger was a big on. Sadness and horror too. I cried my eyes out in places. I loved the ending though. It was great. This author has a new fan now. I'll be reading more of her books.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC.  

About

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming novel based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption when six girls come together in a Catholic reform school in 1960s Buffalo, NY. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Orphan Train, and The Berry Pickers.

It was a place frozen in time, an ancient fortress haunted by echoes that whispered against the gray stone in a mysterious, heavy rhythm, as though this place was entirely separate from the rest of the world. A sign by the inner door read Our Lady of Charity Refuge and Sisters of the Good Shepherd.

Mairin’s breath caught in her throat as comprehension crept over her. This place was the one mentioned in scandalized whispers from the older girls at school. It was the one people gossiped about when a girl suddenly stopped showing up to class. It was the place angry parents—like her own mother—threatened their daughters “I’ll send you to the nuns, just you see if I won’t.”

Amid the turbulence of the Vietnam Era, in the all-American city of Buffalo, New York, teenage girls were condemned to forced labor at the Good Shepherd, a dark and secret institution controlled by the Sisters of Charity nuns.

In 1968 we meet six teens thrust into confinement at the Good Shepherd—merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.

Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants was committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.

Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, was sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.

Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.

Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.

Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, dared to dream of a better life.

Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.

Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.

Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption...and justice.

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild

 

My thoughts

For a debut this is really good. I was pulled right into the story. It has the best first chapter ever. The end of the first chapter literally made me gasp out loud. I didn't see it coming. 

This is a story of love. Also a story of loss. It's the story of a family. Tom, Honor and their daughter Chloe. They are on vacation in Paris. Honor promised to be there for her family but she can't stop wondering if the surrogate they hired is pregnant yet. She wants a baby so bad. A sibling for Chloe. Tom is so aggravated that he tells her he doesn't want another baby with her. But does he mean it? What will she do?

I can't say to much about this story or I'll give away things that you need to read for yourself. I will say that I think the author did a fantastic job of writing this book. She captured my attention and my heart. Made me shed some tears and even gave a laugh or two. It has some intense parts and some parts that aggravated me to know end. 

I did not like Tom. Not at all throughout the whole book. He was, in my opinion, a weak man. Somewhat of a sissy boy. He was a liar and whined to much. I understand his reasons for holding back some things from Grace but good grief. He just grated on my nerves. I adored Honor. I was all set to hate her mother until something comes out about her. Then I understood. So did Honor I do believe. 

This book starts out around Christmas time. It takes you through a lot. There are a few secondary characters. Some I liked and one I really detested. I mean she just did her thing out of the blue it seemed. That needed more work. Maybe she had a mental problem. Yes, that is what was wrong. Maybe. I really liked the Sunday Blues brigade too. A group of women who were widows. 

Now I wonder if: When Tom first met Grace if he had been honest where would things have gone. Nowhere and fast. I understand him holding back. But he also had so many chances much later. 

Good story. Emotional, funny, aggravating, happy, in love. So many emotions. I did like this story a lot. I hated Lauren and Tom but the rest of the characters I liked a lot. Even Honor's mother. I also adored Henry. 

This story is basically told by Honor and goes from before Paris to while in Paris. 

Thank you #StMartinsPress, #Macmillianaudio for this ARC. 

Four stars and well worth reading 

About

Honor seems to have everything. She adores her daughter Chloe and her husband Tom (even if he does work one hundred hours a week). But her longing for another baby threatens to eclipse all of it―until a shocking event changes their lives forever.

Years later Tom makes a decision that ripples through their families' lives in ways he could not have foreseen. As the consequences of that fateful choice unfold, two women's paths become irrevocably intertwined. But when old love clashes with new, who will be left standing? And what happens when your secrets come back to haunt you?