Say, I could sleep here, forget all the fear: OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES.

Other People's Houses by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's wonderful to be back with DC Ffion Morgan again; this is such a great series.

This time we're hearing from Fi, her boyfriend DS Leo Brady, and--a new twist--Leo's ex-wife, Allie. Leo is investigating a series of burglaries at houses on The Hill, a place for the wealthy and exclusive. And guess what, The Hill just happens to be the place where Allie wants to live (she claims her house nearby is, in fact, The Hill) and where she's trying--way too hard--to fit in.

Meanwhile, Fi is looking into the murder of an estate agent, found dead in a canoe after a weekend away with her colleagues. And Fi finds herself captivated by a podcast detailing a cold case about the murder of a wealthy couple, the Carmichaels.

Because she's Clare Mackintosh, Mackintosh flawlessly weaves all of these intersecting cases together while simultaneously keeping us guessing at every turn. We also get a peek into the houses and lives of the rich. And wow, do we get to see their problems, as well as the secrets they are keeping!

I love the tone in these books; Fi is just the best character, with her sarcasm, humor, flaws, and real nature. It makes the books so easy-to-read, especially because the mystery aspect is full of suspense and tension. It's wonderful seeing Fi growing into her relationship with Leo, even if it's slowly and in Ffion style; it's especially notable with Allie lurking around every corner, ready to tear them apart. At first I was so irritated with the inclusion of Allie in the story, but honestly, she adds a nuance that provides emotional depth to the story.

Overall, this is a wonderful and suspenseful story with excellent characters.

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Don't you come knocking on my door: THE LAST PARTY

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

The locals of Cwm Coed have an annual New Year's Day swim in the freezing Mirror Lake each year. But they'll never forget this swim... when the body of Rhys Lloyd washes up on shore. Once a local, Rhys left town for fame and fortune as a singer and only recently returned to start a fancy lakeside community known as The Shore on the "English" side of Mirror Lake. Suddenly DC Ffion Morgan of the North Wales Police has a dead body on her hands, a New Year's Eve party full of suspects, and an unwanted partner in DC Leo Brady from the Cheshire Constabulary.

"Out of the mist floats a man. Face down, and quite unmistakably dead."

I am a sucker for a good police procedural, but this one took it up a notch, as I didn't guess all the twists, which is so (so) rare. I also really liked the character of DC Morgan, and I'm so thrilled that she'll be back for another book. The narration alternates between the present-day investigation of Leo and Ffion and then chapters from the wealthy English personnel staying at The Shore. Their story is told backward, for the most part, starting with the The Shore's New Year's Eve party and heading back in time. We learn that just about everyone had a good reason to want Rhys Lloyd dead.

The setting of PARTY is wonderfully atmospheric, set right on the lake, and playing up the tensions of the locals from Wales versus the outsiders (seen as rich, snobby English folk). Even better is the fact that Rhys used to be one of "them" from Cwm Coed but now appears aligned with The Shore and all it stands for, including tearing apart landmarks passed down from his father, a member of the Cwm Coed community.

I loved the police procedural aspect of this book, as there is a true investigation going on to discover exactly what happened to Rhys, but there are also character-driven stories everywhere. Many of the characters are despicable, but as secrets unravel and dark pasts are told, you learn why many are the way they are. I loved the nuances and depth to so many in this mystery. Even better, plenty of twists and surprises exist to keep you on your toes.

Mackintosh is a wonderful writer, and it was great to have THE LAST PARTY to remind me of that. I look forward to the next book in this series. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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But I never learned nothing from playing it safe: THE LIES I TELL.

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kat Roberts has waited ten years for the woman who destroyed her life to show up again. And now, Meg Williams is back in California. Kat knows Meg is the consummate con artist, adapting herself into whatever personality necessary to pull off her elaborate schemes. But somehow Meg and Kat become sort-of friends, and as she gets to know her nemesis better, she starts to wonder more about Meg's true intentions all along.

Wow, this thriller sucked me in from the start! Clark weaves an irresistible story, backed by two strong and complicated women. You need to suspend a little bit of disbelief to truly enjoy this one (some of these cons, really, people didn't catch on?) but otherwise, this is a fast-paced and totally engaging read. It's told from both Meg and Kat's perspectives and takes place in both the present-day and ten years ago.

The book flies by and while it has its share of twist and turns, it also delves into such themes as misogyny, assault, family, and friendship. We learn more about Kat and Meg with each page, and its their character development that truly drives this story. Add in a suspenseful plot and boom, a great read! 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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I wonder what we would’ve become: SECRETS OF SOUTHERN GIRLS.

Secrets of Southern Girls by Haley Harrigan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Ten years ago, Julie Portland accidentally killed her best friend, Reba. Even worse, no one else knows. Consumed by guilt, Julie has long left her small Mississippi hometown behind, but she can't escape the memories. They have already ruined her marriage, and they threaten to take over her life. So when Reba's long-ago high school boyfriend shows up, claiming Reba left behind a diary, Julie reluctantly returns home with him to help search. Once there, however, she's caught up in a swirl of memories and secrets.

Oh, I have mixed feelings about this one. The novel switches POV and time periods in an effort to set up suspense. Our main character is Julie, but we hear from others as well, and the author includes snippets from Reba's diary. Bits and pieces of the story unfold slowly, with portions coming from the past and then others as the characters think back and remember. For the most part, this does work; you become almost frustrated, waiting and wondering what on earth happened back then. Reba's diary entries don't always seem to be in the voice of a seventeen-year-old teen, though, and some of the plot (both current and past) just seems odd. Plus, we also get bits and pieces of more recent parts of Julie's life and those really just distract from the real story.

I think the hardest thing for me was that while I really didn't have a major problem with the novel, I just wasn't incredibly connected to it, either. I liked Julie well enough, but I wasn't really invested in her, or really, Reba's story. I was curious about what happened to her, but I didn't particularly care, and there's a big difference there. In the end, I felt like there was a build up for... not much. I found the story intriguing and suspenseful, but somewhat disappointing. I kept waiting for some big shocker, or reveal, but it never happened. The ending felt a little cliche, and I was just sort of frustrated by the end.

So, overall, this isn't a bad book. In fact, it's often quite intriguing and can be a real page-turner at times. Unfortunately, I was bogged down by its uninteresting characters and a plot that I found to be a bit of a letdown. I'd go with 2.5 - 3 stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!); it is available everywhere as of 06/06/2017.

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On the longest night of the year: SOLO.

Solo by Jill Mansell

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Tessa Duvall is an independent artist, who depends on no one but herself. It doesn't matter that she's barely scraping by: she has her pride. When Tessa reluctantly agrees to accompany her best friend, Holly, to a party at the ritzy hotel where Holly works, she isn't expecting much. Tessa isn't one for the lavish affairs that take place at the Grange--a hotel owned by the two incredibly wealthy Monahan brothers. That night, however, Tessa meets Ross Monahan, a renowned playboy. The two have a one-night-stand and Tessa doesn't think much of it: until she realizes she's pregnant. Meanwhile, Holly, spends her entire life throwing herself at Ross' brother, Max, but Max doesn't give her the time of day.

So, while this is a romance, and we're sort of all supposed to know how it ends up, we--as readers--are also supposed to enjoy getting there. It's like the cheesy Christmas movies I've been enjoying during the holiday season. Sure, you know immediately how they will end, but you should like watching the lovelorn workaholic and the handsome Christmas tree farmer fall in love nonetheless. Alas, it just didn't happen for me in this one. The plot was enjoyable at first, but then it just seemed like the same things kept happening over and over. And over. Pregnancies! Weeping! Running away! Angst! Some of the plot twists were just so strange and seemed inserted to keep the book going, but it didn't need to keep going, because it was *lasting forever.*

The majority of the characters annoyed me for most of the novel. Tessa, our supposedly independent heroine, spends a decent chunk of the novel running from her issues. And while I suppose that meant she wasn't running into Ross' arms, it was irritating nonetheless. Ross seemed to just be a cad, and I honestly didn't blame Tessa for avoiding him. The supporting cast was more enjoyable, but after a while, the book seemed bogged down by their own endless problems and "will they or won't they" issues of their own, along with a lot of plot devoted to Ross' exploits. After a while, I really didn't care who ended up with whom, I just wanted it all to be over. I smiled a few times and laughed a bit (Holly is a trip) but overall, this one just irritated me.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.



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