So I laid in broken pieces on the floor: THE LOCKED WARD.

The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of those crazy page turners that kept me flipping the pages like mad. This reads like a soap opera. There's not always logic here, but it's exciting!

Georgia is in a mental ward, suspecting of killing her adopted sister. Her wealthy family is now shunning her. With no one else to turn to, Georgia reaches out to her birth twin, Mandy, to get her name cleared. Only problem? Mandy has no idea Georgia exists.

Pekkanen alternates the POV between Georgia and Mandy, as Georgia pulls Mandy into her web and forces her to investigate on her behalf. Along the way, we get drama with rich families, ambitious senators, suspicious ward patients, and angry grudges and secrets. It's all a bit histrionic and crazy, but it makes for a compelling and wild tale that dips into sisterhood and family ties.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review.

View all my reviews

And my words shoot to kill when I'm mad: HOUSE OF GLASS.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Whoa, creepy central! Sarah Pekkanen is a master of ratcheting up the ominous creepy tension. Stella Hudson reluctantly agrees to be the guardian ad litem/lawyer for Rose Barclay, a nine-year-old who witnessed the death of her nanny, who fell through a window of the family's third story home. The Barclays live in a spacious mansion, but they are divorcing, and Stella must decide what is best for Rose. Rose is suffering from traumatic mutism and hasn't spoken since her nanny's death. The police could not arrest anyone, but Rose's parents, grandmother, and even Rose herself are under suspicion.

As Stella digs into Rose's life, she finds the Barclay home unnerving. There's no glass anywhere, not even in a picture frame, and she soon realizes her young charge is hoarding sharp weapons. Rose's parents appear to be hiding something about their daughter, as does her grandmother, who is Rose's alibi for the incident. The Barclays empty (and glass-free) home makes for a wonderful and eerie setting.

The small cast of characters keeps you guessing; I love a thriller where you have an inkling but can never be sure. There's nothing quite like a rich, slightly off family, and a spooky kid. Now Stella seemed more like a PI rather than a lawyer, but I guess we have to let that one go. She's drawn to Rose due to her own childhood trauma, and the book explores Stella's own past, as well as her relationship with a cop who is both investigating the nanny's death and helping Stella look into her mother's long ago death. I could totally see these two characters reappear in another book!

This is a quick page-turner that looks at childhood trauma, divorce, and family secrets coupled with an atmospheric and tense story. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review.

View all my reviews

He'd have his foot on the pedal and my heart on the brake: GONE TONIGHT.

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It seems like Ruth and her daughter Catherine are close. It's always been the two of them, even as they've frequently moved around and Ruth has kept much of her past from her daughter. But as Catherine prepares to move away for the first time, Ruth feels panic at the thought of her daughter being apart from her, and their careful little world starts to crumble.

This fast-paced thriller is easy to read, with short chapters that tell us both Catherine and Ruth's point of view, but kept me waiting for a bigger twist that never came. Most of the surprises were pretty obvious. And while I know we needed drama for the story to move forward, I am not a fan of books where being honest would have just saved everyone most of the trouble! Ugh, just don't keep giant life changing secrets that affect everyone's safety, folks.

Pekkanen excels at writing "creepy," so you can't help but turn the pages and feel like something bad is going to happen. There are some eerie personalities at play here. I just wish things were a little more exciting and less predictable. 3 stars.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

View all my reviews

The strains of silence have grown so strong: THE GOLDEN COUPLE.

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Marissa and Matthew Bishop are known as the Golden Couple--they seem to have it all. And perhaps they do, until Marissa is unfaithful. In an attempt to save their marriage, they seek out therapist Avery Chambers. Avery is known for her unusual methods--ten sessions, each with a different name and purpose, that can get her clients back on track after almost anything. This despite the fact that Avery lost her license a while ago. But Marissa and Matthew are desperate, and when they seek out Avery, they set off a series of events that will change everyone's lives.

"I'm also no longer a therapist; I lost my license five months ago."

This was an interesting thriller. It started off a little slow, probably because I wasn't completely invested in the characters. But, overall, it kept me turning the pages--curious to see what would happen to next. There's a lot of plot packed in to this novel--Marissa and Matthew's marital issues, Avery having lost her license, a side plot with Avery and a drug company, Marissa's beef with her assistant, and more. Sometimes it seems like too much, but overall, the authors do a good job of weaving everything together.

The book is filled with red herrings and crazy twists that keep you guessing. Overall, it's pretty fun if you just sort of roll with it. It was not exactly what I expected going in, and honestly, that was okay--I liked these story choices better! Avery also had a rescue dog named Romeo, who was easily my favorite character!

Overall this is a fairly compelling if not somewhat far fetched thriller. It delves deep into marital secrets and weaves together a lot of crazy plot points. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

I won a copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaways and also received a copy from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Smashbomb ~ Instagram


View all my reviews

This is a life of extremes: YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A few seconds change Shay Miller's life forever. It's almost ironic, as Shay, 31, and a market researcher, is obsessed with data. She's been keeping data books since age eleven, listing statistics and facts the way other girls write in diaries. Shay's recently lost her job, and her roommate and best friend, Sean, spends more time with his girlfriend than her. She feels hopeless and isolated. Then everything changes, and Shay finds herself swept up in the glamorous world of the Moore sisters, Cassandra and Jane. They have a way of making Shay feel different. They also seem to be everywhere, shaping Shay's life in strange ways.

I've learned by now when I pick up a book by the Hendricks-Pekkanen duo that I need to just suspend disbelief for a bit and go with it. If I can do that and enjoy the ride, then the book is a fun little escape mechanism. When looked at via this prism, You Are Not Alone was very successful.

The book is told from different points of view that often stray into various time periods, and it took me a while to keep all the characters straight. Cassandra and Jane have a host of friends, and I had to bookmark the page that introduced them all so I could remember who was who for a while. There seem to be unreliable narrators galore for a while--can we trust Shay? The sisters? Their friends?

I don't want to get too much into the plot and give anything away. It's a crazy story and again, not really probable (I hope). However, it's highly addictive, and I found the book to be compulsively readable. I also really grew to like Shay, even if I was suspicious about her.

There are some great twists and turns in this thriller, which I really enjoyed. I liked how this one kept me guessing, even if there was an eye roll or two in there too. It was definitely wild! 4 stars.

I received a copy of this book via a Goodreads Giveaway.

Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ PaperBackSwap ~ Smashbomb



View all my reviews

Let him loose where he can run free: AN ANONYMOUS GIRL.

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jessica Farris, age twenty-eight, is a makeup artist for Beauty Buzz. She lugs her giant makeup kit all around New York City doing makeup for other people who are living their dreams. As for Jess, she's heavily focused on money, as her parents are stressed trying to provide all the medical support they can for her disabled sister, Becky. Even worse, her Dad is about to lose his job. So when she sees one of her clients get a text where she could enroll in a psychology study, answer a few questions, and make some quick bucks, it sounds ideal. But the questions rapidly grow more intense and soon Jess is asked back for further questions and extra sessions. She then meets the doctor behind the study, Dr. Shields, and becomes caught her manipulative web of experimentation--and obsession.

So I liked THE WIFE BETWEEN US but didn't *love* it like so many people did, and hence I wasn't entirely sure about reading this one. I definitely enjoyed AN ANONYMOUS GIRL more. This author duo is certainly adept at writing very readable, very wild books that are hard to put down. I found myself stealing away during the chaos of Christmas Eve to finish this book.

The chapters alternate between Jess and Dr. Shields. Overall, Jess is just your average likeable gal who gets in over her head. I didn't adore her or anything; sometimes she irritated me a bit, but she was fine. My biggest pet peeve with this entire book was the fact that Dr. Shields chapters were written almost entirely in passive voice. This was obviously done as a literary device and part of her character, but ugh! After a while, I could barely take it. I felt like I was at work, reading all of my colleague's proposal sections, and I felt as if I was mentally correcting each sentence as I read it. Not fun.

But, I digress. It quickly becomes apparent that we cannot really trust anything that's happening in this one, which is fun. You know there has to be more to everyone's stories, and the book constantly had me guessing. There are a lot of nice twists thrown in, and unlike the authors' previous book, I didn't guess the main one right away, so I really enjoyed reading the story. It did stress me out a bit, though - sheesh! It's very crazy, very unbelievable (but in a good way), often quite creepy, but an enjoyable ride.

Overall, this is a fun, twisty thriller that lets you just suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. It's different, a bit spooky, and interesting. 4 stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 01/08/2019.

Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+ ~ Instagram



View all my reviews

Did our ashes make a sound: THE WIFE BETWEEN US.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I never do this, but I'm copying in the tagline for this one, because I don't want to give away any spoilers:
When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.

This was a fascinating and twisted thriller, I'll give you that. It flew under my radar for a while, enough that I wasn't interested enough to ask for an ARC. Finally, I read enough GR reviews that I caved and grabbed a copy from the local library. Now I don't know if I'm just cynical or jaded or what, but while I enjoyed this one, I didn't find it to be the rave-worthy thriller that so many others did. Perhaps if I'd picked it up in the ARC stage, before reading so many reviews, it would have been a little different, but I think maybe I went in looking for all the twists.

The book is divided into a couple of parts (4 or 5) and I guessed the big twist of the first part flat out. It's well-executed, but I saw it coming from a mile away. The rest were a little harder to guess, so kudos to the authors for those. I won't lie--this one is quite the compulsively readable thriller, no matter what. I am, however, a little tired of unreliable, female alcoholic protagonists, by now--this trend was kicked off by The Girl on the Train, and I'm sort of over it.

I won't go into much more, because I don't want to reveal anything for those yet uninitiated. I'm still glad I picked up the book - it was a good diversion for a couple of evenings and a fun thriller. Not quite the most amazing book ever I was promised, but still a twisty read. 3.5 stars.

Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+ ~ Instagram



View all my reviews

Wishing things were different doesn't change one memory.

The Perfect Neighbors by Sarah Pekkanen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Newport Cove is one of those perfect neighborhoods, where the neighbors all look out for each other, the parents and children are all friends, and the crime rate is historically low. However, for a small group of neighborhood women, things aren't always what they seem. Kellie has just returned to work after a long stint as a stay-at-home mom. She's busy adjusting to her new life-- and the attention of her handsome (and married) new co-worker. Kellie's neighbor, Susan, is a successful businesswoman. But she's also reeling from her divorce; she can't seem to stop stalking her ex-husband and his new girlfriend (Susan's ex-friend). Gigi, their friend, has a great life - two beautiful daughters and a handsome husband who is running for Congress - but her husband's Campaign Manager seems determined to unearth all her secrets, and her eldest daughter, Melanie, has turned into a sullen, unresponsive grump. And finally, a new family moves to the neighborhood. Tessa and her family seem to fit right in at first. But the women quickly notice that something seems "off" about Tessa and her husband. What exactly are they hiding?

This was an interesting book, to say the least. The central theme is clearly "everyone has secrets" - we are hit over the head with this several times. However, Kellie, Susan, and Gigi are just your average suburban moms, and their lives are pretty straightforward. Some inappropriate crushes, issues moving on, maybe one of them smokes a little pot once in a while. Nothing too insane. Tessa's secret is of a much larger caliber and, honestly, her entire storyline was pretty preposterous and unbelievable to me. I won't go much deeper than that, as to avoid spoilers, but the juxtaposition of Tessa versus sweet Kellie, who just wants to flirt a little, is a little ridiculous.

The book is told from the perspective of each character and in very short snippets at that. As such, it takes a while to sort out who is who and get invested in the characters. The technique of revealing such small details does allow for the building of suspense, I'll give you that. While Tessa's plot is a little crazy, it's certainly suspenseful and had me turning pages rather rapidly. The book does a good job at mocking the idea of these "idyllic neighborhoods" - one my favorite parts was the opening of each chapter, which featured pieces of the neighborhood's listserv (email) postings. They were quite humorous and a great commentary on society as a whole.

Overall, though, I just wanted to like this book more than I did. I was intrigued the entire time by Tessa's story, but then bothered by the craziness of how that turned out. Kellie's storyline bugged me because I just didn't think she was such a terrible person as she was made out to be. My favorite character was probably Susan. I liked pieces of each of them and enjoyed their stories, but overall, I just felt something lacking at the end of this one. Still, it was an entertaining read, with plenty of suspense thrown in.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss (thank you); it is available everywhere as of 07/05/2016. You can read my review of Sarah Pekkanen's previous book, "Things You Won't Say" here.


My Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter



View all my reviews

All of us under its spell, we know that it's probably magic.

I zipped through two books lately. Both tied up their plot-lines a little too quickly and easily for my taste, but I still think they are both worth reading... 

I definitely enjoyed the first, the latest novel by Sarah Pekkanen entitled Things You Won't Say. It's the first of her books I've read and after I completed it, I looked back on Goodreads and saw I've had several of her earlier novels on my "to read" list for a while. I certainly liked what I read here enough to go back and explore some of her earlier works. Probably the only thing that prevented me from giving this a 4-star rating (I'd say this is about 3.5 stars) is that the novel wrapped up suddenly and a little too easily.

The novel follows the story of Jamie, a stay-at-home mom with three young kids and a teenage stepson. Her husband, Mike, is a cop. The story is very current -- not long after his partner is seriously wounded in a shooting, Mike finds himself in another dangerous situation. There's another shooting--at Mike's hands.

The story unfolds from the viewpoint of the women in Mike's life: Jamie; her sister, Lou - a slightly eccentric zookeeper and part-time barista; and Christie, Mike's ex-girlfriend, who is night to Jamie's day, but also mother to Mike's eldest son, Henry.

The characters are well-developed and complex. Jamie is a bit irritating at times, but I really liked Lou. The book is a rapid read and a very easy one, as well, even if it's rather stressful. It's certainly a worthwhile and enjoyable read. I'll be curious to see what some of Pekkanen's earlier books are like.

(Note: I received an advance ebook version of this book from Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review.)

Next, came a short book and a very fast read: Michael C. Grumley's Through the Fog. I read it in less than 24 hours. The story is really far fetched, but almost compulsively interesting. Evan hits his head in a bike accident shortly after he turns 18 and starts having strange visions when he falls asleep. His psychiatrist, Shannon, attempts to help him. As she does, she realizes that Evan, using his visions, may be able to help her find her young daughter, Ellie, who disappeared 18 months ago. The problem is that each vision seems to take a crazy toll on Evan, and it seems likely that finding Ellie may kill him.

So, definitely compelling. Evan seems sweet and likable. None of the characters were particularly well-drawn or complex. We meet Shannon's sister, a nurse, who helps find a similar case to Evan's, from many years ago. We don't learn that much about this person, though. And even when we learn more about what happened to Ellie, it all ties up a little easily, with this "aha" moment that seemed a little to neat for my taste.

Paradoxically, a lot is left unresolved with Evan, and I almost found myself wishing for a sequel, so I could learn more about his future.

Still, I was quite intrigued by this one. It was oddly enjoyable.

(Note: I received an advance ebook version of this book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.)