4 stars out of 5
My taste in mystery/thrillers rarely encompasses
the "cozy" kind - mostly because the "heroine" typically is a woman who has no common sense and charges ahead to put her own life, and sometimes the lives of others, at risk simply because she won't listen to anyone else. This one spoke to me, though, because it's set in Chagrin Falls, Ohio - almost, but not quite, in my own back yard - I've been there many times.
And then I found out the heroine - in this case, ice cream shop owner Bronwyn Crewse - doesn't fit that typical cozy mold, which kept me interested (well, that and an intriguing story that begins when Bronwyn ("Win" for short) bumps into a friendly stranger who claims to have found a lost puppy and is looking for its owner. Not long thereafter, she finds the guy again next to the town's waterfall - where she'd gone to collect newly fallen snow to make ice cream - only this time he's very dead.
She also learns that the stranger not only isn't friendly, but he's a familiar, if unwelcome, person in town. In fact, he's a con man who pulled some shady deals last time he made an appearance; quite a few folks, including Win's physician father, aren't particularly unhappy that he's dead. But when the police get wind of who the guy was and what he'd done, they zero in on her father. Understandably, Win pledges to gather evidence that will clear his heretofore stellar name.
Woven throughout the rest of the book, besides her attempts at amateur investigation, are her efforts to make the just-renovated long-time family ice cream store a success (even in the middle of winter in Ohio) that include a big catering job for the local college. Alas, in the middle of all this entertaining drama is this: Remember how happy I was that Win didn't exhibit that bull-in-the-china-shop attitude common to most cozy heroines? Well, the same can't be said about her friend and part-time employee, Maisie, who is absolutely insufferable - honestly, she's one of the most annoying characters I've run into in a long, long time. I hope she finds a job in New York or California before the next book in this series is released.
Otherwise, though, this is a very enjoyable - delightful, even - book and I look forward to the next one, especially if the author adds some of those yummy-sounding ice cream recipes at the end as she did here. Meantime, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.
A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette (Berkley, May 2020); 384 pp.
4 stars out of 5
With all due respect to the author - because I
really did enjoy this book, an Amazon First Reads pick - I must say there isn't a single character in it who isn't carrying around some level of crazy. In fact, the whole thing seemed like a frantic chase to discover which one is the most dangerous.
At a fairly impressionable age, Elle's father was convicted of trying to kill his then-wife Charlotte, who lost an unborn baby in the process (Elle was living with her mother at the time). Her dad has spent 10 years in jail insisting that he's innocent and that it's Charlotte's fault that he's there. Now, Elle and her father - whom she visits monthly at the prison - have cooked up a plot to get even.
Charlotte lives in an upscale neighborhood and has a part-time job teaching at a local college, but she's terrified of her own shadow. Her husband, Noah, has a job that keeps him on the road almost constantly, so she's double-locked every door and possible entryway into their home (including doors to the interior rooms).
Elle, who on her own is an almost total misfit in society and lives with a nasty foster mom, manages to arrange a "meeting" with Charlotte. After that, with chapters alternating between perspectives of Elle and Charlotte, the rest of the book deals with Elle trying to ingratiate herself with the woman she believes is responsible for her father's incarceration. Elle's boyfriend Justin even gets involved with helping to discredit Charlotte and trying to make her nervous or confused enough that she'll spill the beans about what really happened the night she was attacked.
None is this is pretty, and in some ways it drags on a little bit longer than necessary to get the point across. That's especially the case after both Elle and Charlotte find themselves dealing with a real-life "issue" - one willingly, the other not so much. But as the end approached, I couldn't swallow my need to know how it all turned out; with less than a handful of chapters to go, I put off bedtime so I could find out. And yes, there were a few interesting surprises, so overall, good job!
What We Forgot to Bury by Marin Montgomery (Thomas & Mercer, May 2020); 439 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Every time I start a book by K.L. Slater - this is my sixth - I know I'll be treated to a good story. It's not very often that I stay up later than usual to finish a book, but it happened here (granted, I had only two chapters left, but still).
This one begins not long after Janey Markham lost her mother, for whom she'd been providing care. She and her husband Isaac and young son Rowan have been able to make ends meet - barely - since she stopped working as a teaching assistant. But now, hope is on the horizon; Isaac, it seems, has landed a new job at nearly double his old salary. A bonus of paid moving expenses makes the switch to West Bridgford, England, irresistible. Sweetening the pot even more is the "perfect" house just waiting for them to buy.
Janey is surprised at the turn of events, but relieved; just before her mother passed away, she revealed a secret to her daughter - one that totally changed Janey's view of her world. Now, she thinks, she can start fresh - maybe even land a job at the posh private school Rowan will be attending - and no one will be the wiser.
Early on, though, she gets cold-shoulder treatment from a hoity-toity group of mothers who bring their kids to school each day (I felt a definite Stepford Wives vibe going on). They all dress to the nines and have homes far grander than Janie's, making her wonder whether she'll ever measure up. Gradually, they begin to "accept" Janey - or at least two of them do. The third, seemingly jealous of Janie's new friendship with Tanya, the woman she considers her bestie, sulks and makes snarky comments. That's disturbing to Janey, who doesn't have a clue as to why. But when Janey discovers that something may be amiss with Tanya's teenage daughter Angel - and an elderly neighbor warns her about getting too cozy with the snooty ladies - she begins to suspect her picture-perfect life may have a few cracks in it.
Then one day, Janey and her friend Tanya get schnockered drinking "fizzies" in the hot tub, and Janey spills the beans about her mother's secret. Isaac is livid, but Janey argues that her new friend would never betray her. That works, until it doesn't; something Janey sees threatens to disrupt Tanya's life, and she, in turn, threatens to let the rest of the community in on what she knows about Janey. For his part, Isaac isn't much help; despite his promise when they moved, his new job is demanding even more of his time than did his former one.
What's really going on - with the women and with her husband - is a question Janie desperately wants answered. But who can she trust? No one is talking, and suddenly Janey's life turns into a living hell. Readers learn the truth as the story progresses and comes to an exciting end. I did take a bit of an issue with Janey's so-called "shocking" secret; granted, it's not pretty, but neither did it seem to be devastating enough to nearly destroy her life. But overall, I give this one high marks - and thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.
Little Whispers by K.L. Slater (Bookouture, May 2020); 259 pp.
5 stars out of 5
Count on this series to be consistently good,
and this one - the eighth - fits the pattern well. The story is a bit more "far out" than the others I've read, but it doesn't matter - I stayed up late to finish the last four chapters just because things were moving so fast at that point that I didn't want to wait till morning to find out what happened.
Josie Quinn, a detective in rural Denton, Pennsylvania, has twin sister Trinity. It's been only recently that they discovered each other (background on all that is in previous books); and even now, their interaction can be a bit tense. Trinity, who is a well-known TV news anchor, came to visit Josie and her significant other Noah Fraley, also a police officer. Convinced she was about to be fired, Trinity was on the trail of a major breakthrough story that would revive her TV career big-time.
But about three weeks ago, the twins got into an argument and Trinity stalked out - renting a remote hunting cabin for a reason known only to her. When she can't reach her sister, Josie heads to the cabin, where she encounters a gruesome sight: human bones neatly arranged outside the cabin. Needless to say, she's terrified that the bones are Trinity's, although it seems unlikely that total decomposition could have happened this rapidly.
When the police team come in to investigate, Josie is relieved; dental records confirm the remains are not Trinity, but rather a missing woman from a nearby town. Now, the investigation expands, but it seems to go nowhere fast. Gleaning some clues from a handwritten message Trinity apparently left on her car - which was found outside the cabin complete with her purse and cell phone - Josie determines that Trinity's big story involved an as-yet-unidentified serial killer known for his "artistry" with human bones.
Along the way, other bone formations are found, adding urgency to the investigation. Is Trinity still alive, and if she is, can they find her before it's too late? Josie is hot to trot with ideas and suggestions, but not all are taken seriously simply because of her obvious personal interest in the case.
And tttthhhhhaaat's all from me, folks, except to say it's a dash to an exciting finish with a couple of twists thrown in. Those who are familar with this series will enjoy this one too, I'm sure - and to those who aren't, well, what are you waiting for? Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.
Find Her Alive by Lisa Regan (Bookouture, April 2020); 300 pp.
5 stars out of 5
Of the Parker series featuring Spenser, Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall, the beautiful blonde private eye has for the most part ranked third in my preference order (not that she's very far behind, mind you). But if this book is any example, she just may have edged into second place (no one will ever knock Spenser out of the top spot, even if most of the post-Parker books haven't been exactly standouts in my book).
This one - the eighth in the Sunny Randall series - begins as long-time gangster Tony Marcus asks Sunny - who helped him with an earlier project and then pretty much double-crossed him - to find the woman he claims to be in love with. She suddenly up and left, and he's missing her terribly and wants to know why she took off. Perhaps more to the point, he wants to know that she hasn't hooked up with the enemy; after all, he gave her access to details about his business (which these days is heavy on prostitution) that could bring him down if it got to the hands of a rival - one like Gabriel Jabari.
Meanwhile, Sunny's personal life is stressing her out. Her ex-husband, Richie (now her boyfriend again), had a son by his former wife Kathryn, who moved far away with the boy. Now they're back in Boston, and she wants her son to get to know Richie. Although Sunny knows Richie no longer has feelings for Kathryn - and she and the boy hit it off well - she's understandably nervous about how the situation will play out.
One thing is very clear, though - no one except Sunny wants her to get involved with Marcus again. But he's promised that finding his missing lover will even the score between them (and besides, Sunny is curious about what she's like and what she knows). So against all advice, she sets out to find the former hooker.
Needless to say, doing so puts her on a path toward personal danger; clearly, someone doesn't want the woman to be found. It also puts her on the path to the small town of Paradise, where she meets up with a former lover and police chief who's familiar to readers of other Parker books - none other than Jesse Stone. While I'm on the familiarity kick, it's nice to see Spenser's main squeeze, Dr. Susan Silverman, make a couple of appearances here as Sunny's therapist.
All I'll say from this point on is that some things work out well and others not so well - and there's a hint of what might be in store in the next edition. I enjoyed this one thoroughly, and I'm more eager than ever to get my hands on more. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this one.
Robert B. Parker's Grudge Match by Mike Lupica (G.P. Putnam's Sons, May 2020); 320 pp.
5 stars out of 5
Based on my reaction to the books I've read previously by this author, it's safe to list her among my favorites; not one has been anything close to disappointing. And by golly, she's gone and done it again.
I've said many times, though, that I'm really not a fan of books in which chapters constantly switch between time periods and among characters. On the other hand, it can be a very effective technique, especially when the shifts are clear - as they are here. In fact, I doubt the story would be half as powerful were it not for the the backstory "reveals" - in this case, to 1995, when Maggie Kennedy O'Keefe discovered the body of her best friend, Eve Knox, in a secluded cave in Grotto, Iowa. Maggie's father was police chief at the time, but after a lengthy investigation, the killer was never identified.
Today, Maggie herself is a police officer, with a husband Shaun and a soon-to-be-born daughter. She gets the shock of her life when some kids find a boot in the cave where Eve's body was found - and everyone, including Maggie, recognize it as being Eve's. Shaun isn't happy that Maggie will be reopening and working the cold case with her partner; but Maggie is determined to get to the truth about what happened 25 years earlier.
But clearly, it won't be easy. For one thing, she must deal with Eve's sister Nola - considered by many to be, shall I say, mentally unbalanced back then, possibly even dangerous. These days, she's a veterinarian who specializes in large animals, and she's got her own ideas about who Eve's murderer is as well as what should be done about it. Knowing what the woman is capable of, though, Maggie has the Nola at the top of her own suspect list.
There are a few others on the list, too, and it's pretty clear that Maggie herself has some secrets she'd rather not have come to light. Slowly, readers get a peek into what really led up to Eve's murder - and who might be willing to stop at nothing to make sure their own secrets stay hidden. Very fast-paced and exciting right to the end - thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an advance copy for review. Well done!
This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf (Park Row, May 2020); 336 pp.
4 stars out of 5
If I ever had the inclination to do street drugs, this book would set me straight fast (thankfully, what few painkillers I've been prescribed over the years by my dentist always upset my stomach and did nothing to ease the pain, so even if I get them offered to me in the future, I'll just say no). Alas, that's not true of many of the characters in this book, which puts an ugly spotlight on the widespread illicit drug trade in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Julie Rees, an emergency room physician and toxicology specialist, is thrown in the center of the action one night as several teenagers are brought in - some in cardiac arrest and others already dead. One boy has a chance of surviving, and one of the girls has been put on a ventilator in the slim hope she might pull through. Julie is sympathetic, in part because she once was an addict herself (some of the details are revealed throughout the book), but she's been clean for several years.
Julie is friends (without benefits, at least at the outset) with Anson Chen, a local police detective. Together with other experts, they conclude that an extremely deadly drug - pure carfentanil, said to be thousands of times stronger than fentanyl - has somehow found its way to the public. Their task? Finding the source, and, if at all possible, rounding up all of what's on the street that hasn't already been injested before hundreds more die.
There's not much else I can say without giving away too much, but the trail takes Anson and Julie from dealers on the street to gangs to wealthy "businessmen" who have a lucrative side job (in fact, there are so many characters that early on I quit trying to keep them straight). It still seems incredible that an ER physician with no police training is allowed to tag along on dangerous police business like raids (who you know counts, I guess), but the whole thing adds up to a fast-paced story that carries a strong message. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for letting me read and review an advance copy.
The Last High by Daniel Kalla (Simon & Schuster, May 2020); 320 pp.
