THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS

4 stars out of 5 

Almost always, I cringe when I start to read a book that flips back and forth in time; maybe it’s my advancing age, but it takes me half the book to figure out what’s happening when, leaving not enough time to get truly invested in the story. I’m not sure why it didn’t happen here, but I’ll chalk it up to a rather unique style of writing by the author; at no time did I feel lost. Yes, the story was a bit complicated (and “dark” would be an understatement; if you don’t care for blood and guts, very large white teeth and characters who have no concept of what it means to play nice, this isn’t the book for you).

Set in Australia, almost entirely in the fishing town of Kangaroo Bay, the book showcases native daughter Minnow Greenwood, who, under a pseudonym, became a popular TV news reporter in Melbourne. When one of her interviews turned nasty, she was disgraced – and returned to her hometown nearly broke and hoping a print journalist friend could help her find work. Both her parents have been missing for years; her father ran a fishing charter but took out his frustrations on his wife – who ran away several times over the years but always returned home – and their children, Minnow and her very protective brother Heath. In fact, her father has long been suspected of killing their mother, but nothing has ever been proved. Another Kangaroo Bay fishing expert, long-time friend Terry Hargrave, finally tired of their father’s abuse and killed him; but here, too, no body has ever turned up nor any evidence that he’s not among the living somewhere.

But these days, Kangaroo Bay has a bigger problem: infestation by Great White whales, a protected species that is perpetually ravenous. Usually, they don’t hover close to shorelines, but lately they seem to have taken a liking to this town – or more specifically, a couple of humans who went swimming in the bay but should have thought better of it. Not long after Minnow returns home, one of those sharks strikes again – while she’s there to watch the gruesome chowdown.

Long confused and concerned about what really happened to her parents, Minnow begins to share childhood information with her journalist friend, hoping he’ll catch a whiff of a big story. As they poke around and interact with people Minnow knew way back when, chapters flash back to her harrowing childhood and what was really going on that made her who she is today. But as their digging – both figuratively and literally – continues, it becomes clear that someone, or several someones, will do just about anything to keep them from getting too close to the truth.

It’s truly a harrowing tale, softened only because some of the characters truly deserve what they get. A twist near the end comes as a surprise, though in retrospect, it shouldn’t have been. Definitely worth reading (it's short enough to polish off in a day), and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to sink my teeth into it.

The Only One Who Knows by Lisa M. Matlin (Bantam, March 2026); 272 pp.

THE STRANGER UPSTAIRS

4 stars out of 5

In many ways, there's not much to like in this debut novel; certainly not the main character, Sarah Shade, or her meek husband Joe, or anyone in the small but upitty Australian town who are, shall we say, less than welcoming to newcomers. And for sure, Black Wood House, the broken-down old house Sarah and Joe purchased - dubbed the "Murder House" because of what happened there years ago - is less than inviting to all but the most desperate would-be homeowners (readers, however, can be pretty sure it will play a central role - probably a horrific one at that - in this book).

And of course, that's exactly the case - and that's what makes the book as a whole quite likable. The couple are hoping that new identities and a new-to-them house will help them escape secrets in the place from which they came and turn a tidy profit after Sarah and Joe fix it up. But thanks to a not-so-forthcoming realtor, they slowly learn the hard way that the old house - built in 1889 - is harboring more than a few secrets of its own (put another way, things that go bump in the night tend to do it loud enough to wake the dead). 

To make matters worse, all is not well between Sarah and Joe. Sarah, a therapist and successful media influencer and blogger, hopes that getting rich from the house flip will bring her closer to Joe, who for the most part isn't having any part of it. Gradually, readers learn what happened in the couple's earlier years and watch Sarah's not-so-gradual descent into madness as the house takes on a life of its own with a Stephen King-like flair. 

It's a not totally unfamiliar story concept, but it's cleverly written with plenty of twists and turns that made me wish I could finish it in one day (as it was, I managed it in two by postponing dinner by half an hour or so). The ending? Again, a twist - but one that wouldn't have been satisfying done any other way. Loved it, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. For sure I'll be watching for more from this very talented author!

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin (Bantam, September 2023); 278 pp.

THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY

3 stars out of 5

How is it possible that I enjoyed a book but never understood what was really going on? I don't have an answer, but this story-within-a-story concept truly left me shaking my head despite the surprising reluctance to put it down. Even now, I'm not sure what was real and what wasn't (ditto the who) - but I'll try to explain it as best I can. To paraphrase Billy Joel, I may may be wrong for all I know but I may be right.

Hannah Tigone lives in Australia; in part because of pandemic-related travel bans, she sends chapters of the Boston-set mystery she's writing to Leo, a Boston writer who has agreed to contribute background information and correct content errors. Enter another setting: Four strangers in a Boston library include Winifred (Freddie) Kincaid, an Australia native in Boston on a prestigious writing scholarship. Their quiet is interrupted by a terrifying scream from an unknown person - female, all four conclude after they begin to talk with one another and form a collective friendship based on that common bond. Then, an actual body is found - that of a murdered woman. 

Okay, correct me if I'm wrong here, but that second scenario appears to be the book Hannah is writing. Freddie, the star of that show, is writing a book herself - and one of her neighbors is named Leo. From then on, chapters shift from exchanges between Hannah and Leo and the four new friends - make that the story Hannah is writing. That story held my interest most just because, I guess, of the whodunit factor (even though, I think, it's coming from a writer's imagination).

I can't say I much liked any of those characters - at least two of which are likely murder suspects - but the action did hold my attention. The only thing intriguing about Hannah's exchanges with Leo, on the other hand, was his progression from the role of editor to control freak. In the end, the whodunit was resolved, although I'm not totally sure whether that happened in real life or fiction (the latter, I think). I spent maybe half an hour after finishing the book trying to make sense of the whole thing, but total enlightenment never came. To be sure, it's cleverly written, but overall it just wasn't my cup of tea (or the awful American coffee Freddie - or was it Hannah - complained about). Still, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review it.

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill (Poisoned Pen Press, June 2022); 292 pp.

THE SHADOW HOUSE

4 stars out of 5

My overall impression? This is a perfect read while lounging at a sandy beach sipping an umbrella-topped margarita. Or in a recliner in front of a roaring fire sipping an Irish coffee while snowflakes tickle the windows. My personal scenario was nothing so dramatic, alas, but I made the best of my circumstances and enjoyed it just the same.

Living in Australia, Alex has run away from an abusive husband, taking her kids Ollie, age 14, and Kara, 8 months (by two different fathers). They've landed in what's called an ecovillage - a commune of sorts that's under development outside of Sydney. There, she hopes to find peace, love and safety but not divorce - at least that wasn't mentioned at the outset nor anywhere else in the book that I noticed. Love (or the potential thereof) comes early in the form of project developer Kit - a handsome hunk who's single and immediately wants to strike up a relationship with the beautiful Alex. She's interested, but she's got issues to deal with first - not the least of which is that her son - hardly an angel in his own right - is just plain angry about being dragged away from his home and friends - not for the first time, apparently.

The situation goes from bad to worse; amid rumors of supernatural occurrences experienced by other residents, Alex herself becomes a target. Meanwhile, readers (and Alex) learn about similar incidents half a dozen years ago involving a nearby family that led to the rumors. Alex is understandably upset, but she's also curious - and sets out to get to the truth before someone or something gets to her family. In between, she interacts with some of the locals, mostly with skepticism as to whether they really want her to join the community. Between her suspicions about them, the Twilight Zone goings-on and misgivings about Kit, she waffles over whether she should just pack up her kids and meager belongings and run once again.

With a little help from her friends (she's not sure they're really friends, but at least she trusts them enough to let them babysit), everything comes together in the end. And thankfully, most of that Voodoo-type stuff fell by the wayside fairly early on - for me, a little of that goes a long way unless Stephen King wrote it. What bothered me most, I guess, is that none of the characters is especially likable, and a couple of them seemed to be red herrings - thrown in the mix as nothing more than a diversion. Overall, though, this is an engaging story that held my attention (really!) throughout. And I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-release copy to read and review.

The Shadow House by Anna Downes (Minotaur Books, April 2022); 314 pp.

FIFTY FIFTY

3 stars out of 5


My first reaction as I read this book? Wow, what a motley crew of misfits. Every single one, including lead character Detective Harriet Blue, has issues so deep it would take a bulldozer to dig them all out. And quite honestly, with one possible exception (Harriet's partner, Detective Edward Whittacker), I didn't care enough about any of them to look for even a shovel.

Set in Australia, where Harriet is a sex crimes officer with the Sydney Police, the story begins with her efforts to free her brother Sam. Despite a ton of evidence to the contrary, Sam was found guilty of murdering three young women. He insists he's innocent, and Harriet is certain (as is he) that he's been framed.

But best-laid plans often get derailed, and after Harriet - who clearly needs several courses in anger management - smacks a prosecutor in the nose, she's banished to a nine-day stint in Last Chance Valley, a remote area of New South Wales with just 75 residents. Being driven into the community by a local cop turns out to be a blast - literally - wherein the local police chief is blown to smithereens (smaller bits than that, actually). Initially, that gets the attention of an egotistical international terrorist expert who happens to be in the area, giving Harriet a case into which she can sink her teeth while she worries about her brother.

Back home, the aforementioned partner has promised to continue the investigation, and from this point on readers follow two storylines (each detailing, as much as anything else, the horrifying childhoods that I suppose are intended to explain - if not justify - the grown-up behavior of just about every character). 

Both plots thicken till near the end, when there are a few surprises plus a cliffhanger that might entice me to look forward to the next installment - if only I liked the character. Fact is, I may or may not read it; trite as they may be, it's rare for me to pass up a Patterson-and-friends book. This one really isn't awful, but neither will this series ever come close to being a favorite.

Fifty Fifty by James Patterson and Candice Fox (Little, Brown and Co., February 2018); 400 pp.

THE DRY

5 stars out of 5

If you have time to read no more than a handful of books this year, make sure this one of them. Yes, it's that good.

And to think I almost didn't read it. To get it, in fact, I broke one of my cardinal rules: Never trust gushing praise about a book when it comes from other authors. But in this instance, as a subscriber of email from David Baldacci, I got a message saying he'd read, and highly recommends, this one. 

Just delete the message, the law-abiding side of my mind advised. Ah, countered my more adventurous side, but it sounds good, and besides, Baldacci is one of my top five all-time favorite writers. What the heck, I finally decided - I'll go to NetGalley and see if an advance copy is available for review. If it is, I'll request it; if I'm approved, I'll take it as a sign from God.

Well, apparently, somebody up there loves me; it was on my Kindle the same day as my request. I'm joking about the love from on high, of course, but I'm not kidding when I say I absolutely loved the book. In fact, I breezed through it almost nonstop over a couple of days - eager to find out how it ends yet not wanting it to end. The story drew me in from the start, and the well-developed characters are so real it's hard to avoid loving (or in some instances, despising) every single one. The only thing that's hard to believe, in fact, is that this is a debut novel. 

The setting is the small Australian town of Kiewarra, a couple of hours from Melbourne, where Federal Agent Aaron Falk plies his trade of solving financial cries. Aaron, who grew up in Kiewarra, has returned after 20 or so years to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Back then, a young  female friend drowned under suspicious circumstances, and when Aaron became the prime suspect, Luke provided an ironclad alibi. But many local folks weren't willing to believe Luke's story, much less let Aaron off the hook; life turned so uncomfortable that Aaron's father insisted that he and his son pack up and leave, vowing never to return.

Now Aaron's back and Luke's dead, but it seems local folks have clung to their old, unpleasant beliefs. Worse, Luke now is on a hook of a different sort; by all accounts, he killed himself after taking the lives of his wife and son - leaving only their infant daughter alive. But Aaron isn't so sure that's what really happened; and when he gets his head together with a local detective, he learns the detective has doubts as well. Aaron's intent was to stay just a couple of days, wanting to make a relatively hasty retreat from the drought-destroyed land and bad memories. Urged on by Luke's distraught parents, who have taken in their surviving granddaughter, Aaron agrees to give it a week - after all, he's got some vacation time coming - just to help with what's being deemed an unofficial investigation. 

The more he and the detective poke around, though, the more the suicide/murder theory unravels - and suddenly, the loose ends begin to reach back all those years ago to when Luke's faithful buddy stood up for him. In retrospect, did Aaron and Luke's friend kill herself, or was her death a result of something more sinister? Could the events of the past really be tied to the here-and-now murders of Luke's wife and son? If so, how? And who?

The story moves along quickly, with chapters interspersed with Aaron's "recollections" of what happened back then. Little by little, everything comes together, building up to an exciting, and for the most part surprising, ending. I was left wishing there was more to read, but also with the thought that Aaron would be a great character for a series (what say you, Ms. Harper)?

The moral to my own story? Some rules, it seems, are meant to be broken. Get this one - you won't be sorry.

The Dry by Jane Harper (Flatiron Books, January 2017); 336 pp.

PRIVATE SYDNEY

4 stars out of 5

This is, I believe, the 10th book in the author James Patterson's Private series, and while it's nowhere near my favorite of the bunch, it helps cement my opinion that this is one of the best of all the ongoing series with which he's involved. For obvious reasons, I suppose, the co-author on this one is Kathryn Fox, who lives in Sydney, Australia, and is an accomplished author in her own right. If reports that co-written books are written by sending chapters back and forth between Patterson and the co-author du jour are correct, if nothing else it would account for inclusion of Australian British spellings liberally sprinkled throughout (fittingly, given the location).

If you're expecting much from elite Los Angeles-based detective agency founder Jack Morgan, though, you'll be disappointed; except for a couple of phone calls, he's pretty much nonexistent. This time, the focus is on the Sydney operation and its top dog, Craig Gisto, and his team. From the start, there are two storylines; one involves the sudden and total disappearance of high-profile Australian research company CEO Eric Moss. The request for help came via the CEO's daughter, who happens to be a close friend of Jack Morgan (one phone call down).

The other case came about when Gisto meets a couple asking that the agency do a background check on a potential surrogate mother who has agreed to bear a child for them. To be sure, it's not the sort of case Private Sydney would consider, but for purely personal reasons, Gisto agrees to take it on over the objections of his office mates. Early on, however, it turns into a case murder and kidnapping of an infant - vindicating Gisto for his decision but putting him on the wrong side of Australian law, which prohibits the sale of surrogate services.

The chase to find the missing CEO commands the lion's share of attention throughout the book (in fact, by the end it almost seemed to me as if the Babygate scheme, while interesting and well written, was concocted more to fill up pages than anything else). Efforts to conduct any investigation of the CEO's disappearance from the company headquarters quickly run into stonewalling by the new head honcho - who clearly has no love for the missing guy - and further efforts to discern his whereabouts lead only to dead ends (both figuratively and literally). Clearly, there's more to this story than meets the eye, and sticking to their investigative guns could destroy the stellar reputation of Private Sydney and jeopardize the future of the agency.

Private Sydney by James Patterson and Kathryn Fox (Cornerstone, August 2015); 400 pp.

PRIVATE DOWN UNDER

4 stars out of 5

Hard to believe this is the fifth installment that I've read in Patterson's Private series, and nothing here has changed my opinion that this is the best series he and his various partners are serving up (this one is co-written with Michael White). It's also easy to read; I polished the whole thing off in one day of spare time (admittedly on a Saturday when college football games dominated the TV and I was able to keep one eye on my Kindle Fire and the other on the action). I'll also point out that the last 12% is a three-chapter preview of Burn, the next in his Michael Bennett series that I believe is scheduled for publication a couple of weeks from now (that's Sept. 29, 2014).

For those who don't know, Private is a high-tech, highly successful investigation agency with offices all over the world (hence Private Berlin, Private L.A., etc. In this one, Craig Cristo has formed a new office in Sydney, Australia, with the help of the drop-dead gorgeous and highly experienced Justine, who also happens to be the main squeeze of Jack Morgan, founder/owner of Private. As they throw a big bash to kick off the opening, a young Asian man - complete with bullet holes and a few missing body parts - stumbles onto the scene (pretty much putting the kabosh on the party spirit).

As it turns out, it may have been a kidnapping gone awry, and the man's father (who hates the police) believes it's related to the lucrative world of imported drugs and wants Private to do their thing. That gives the new company some serious business, but as if that weren't enough, a friend of the New South Wales Police Department, turns up brutally murdered.  That investigation leads to the discovery that she's not the first - nor is she the last, since more murders start happening in fairly rapid succession.

As with the others in the series, this one is relatively predictable and won't challenge anyone's gray matter  - making it perfect for reading on the beach, by a cozy fire or, as in my case, cheering on "my" Ohio State University Buckeyes (and in any case, preferably with a glass of wine in hand). 

Private Down Under by James Patterson and Michael White (Grand Central Publishing, August 2014); 368 pp.