HER HUSBAND'S LIES

3.5 stars out of 5

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed two other books by this talented author, so I was looking forward to this one - but alas, it was a little disappointing. While the plot itself is well-written and drew me in, I just couldn't get excited about the characters - especially Callie Sanderson, whose husband Abel is in a coma as a result of an auto accident she's convinced wasn't an accident as the police investigation concluded. The main reason she's convinced is that she was told by a "psychic" named Althea that he drove into a tree while trying to get away from someone.

Honestly, I'm not opposed to the notion that there are folks who "see" things others don't, but Callie's determination to go off on her own despite good advice from people to whom she should listen - i.e., the police - was a turnoff (the main objection I have to the female leads in cozy mysteries, BTW). But not only did she - a grown-up with a college-age son - not listen to reason, her on-my-own sleuthing never once, as far as I could tell, turned up any facts the police didn't already know. Finally, there's that title thing; all the way through, I kept waiting to find out what "lies" her husband told. And for the life of me, while he didn't always spell out in detail what he did and where he was every minute of every day - who does? - I couldn't find a single time in which he told an actual untruth.

All that said, the story itself held my interest throughout (I just sort of ignored Callie's relentless questioning of her own thoughts and actions and those of everybody else) and focused on what was actually happening. It seems that two young girls recently went missing and haven't been found - and little by little, connections between the girls and Abel come to light. Is it possible her beloved husband had something to do with their disappearances? After all, he did go out a few times without telling her specifically where he'd been. Still, Callie can't believe he's involved, but the plot thickens as she digs deeper, egged on by Althea's newfound but incomplete remembrances. Neighbors in the rather remote area of the Adirondacks become suspects just because of something they said (or didn't say); even Abel's estranged brother Garr, who suddenly turns up, isn't immune from her suspicions. Meantime, the police, led by detective Footman, continue to work the case despite Callie's constant harping about issues they've already investigated.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book I think most readers of this genre will enjoy. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for offering me the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Her Husband's Lies by T.J. Brearton (Joffee Books, December 2022); 316 pp.

WICKED RIVER

3.5 stars out of 5

Comparisons with James Dickey's Deliverance are virtually inevitable: Characters set off for what they expect will be an exciting wilderness experience, meet up with a character or characters who have less than honorable intent and emerge with their lives forever altered. Such is the case in this book, which begins as just-married Natalie and Doug Larson head out by canoe on a honeymoon that will take them through a remote area of New York's six-million-acre Adirondack Forest Preserve.

From that point on, though, there are differences - the first of which is that Natalie witnesses interactions among Doug's friends before the ceremony that make her suspect her new husband may be hiding something (that he's a domineering jerk apparently has escaped her notice thus far). Now, she's more than a bit reluctant to head out for a week with no way to contact any other human being besides Doug - she can't even read a map, for gosh sake.

As they paddle along (she clearly struggling), Doug continues to counter each of Natalie's concerns with his know-it-all attitude. That neither is really up to the challenge becomes clear early on as they encounter the almost overwhelming mental and physical consequences of getting lost (the latter requiring near super-human efforts to overcome). All this takes place quite some time before they encounter the inevitable bad guy. His name is Kurt, and he's a wilderness survivor in hiding who more than anything else craves the company of other humans. He's eager to welcome "guests" with open heart and arms, but he's also taken elaborate steps to ensure that whoever enters his lair will remain ensnared till death do him or her part.

The canoe trip is eventful almost from the git-go, and anticipation builds as chapters shift from the couple's perspective to that of the forest pervert (all with full knowledge that at some point, the twains shall meet up). What was most interesting to me, though, was watching the demeanors of Natalie and Doug shift almost full circle - he becoming less assertive and she more confident (not that it made either of them more likable). Kurt, meanwhile, remains true to his damaged self, but readers do get glimpses of how that damage was inflicted and by whom.

Once Natalie and Doug are in Kurt's clutches, their struggle to escape and his efforts to prevent that from happening begins. This section, too, requires the kind of human effort I seriously doubt has ever happened in real life, but it does keep the story moving along. The final section deals with the outcome, which of course I won't reveal.

I didn't mention that Natalie has a sister, who in turn has an estranged husband and recalcitrant daughter, Mia (the latter of whom makes an introductory appearance at the wedding and again near the end but otherwise is pretty much, as her name suggests, missing in action). That omission was deliberate; I mention her here only because I have to wonder why she's included at all. Her "contribution" to the finish is not only totally implausible, but borderline silly. 

All things considered, this is an enjoyable adventure, at least for those (like me) who don't need to fall in love with the characters to like a story. Here's my final thought: Like that other book, this one - with a few tweaks here and there - also would make a pretty exciting movie. If that happens, in fact, I'll be one of the first in line! 

Wicked River by Jenny Milchman (Sourcebooks Landmark, May 2018); 466 pp.