Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio

Publisher: Plume
Publish Date: September 25, 2015
Format: Download library
Pages: - 
ISBN - 

Seattle, 1933. Single mother Vera Ray kisses her three-year-old son, Daniel, goodnight and departs to work the night-shift at a local hotel. She emerges to discover that a May-Day snow has blanketed the city, and that her son has vanished. Outside, she finds his beloved teddy bear lying face-down on an icy street, the snow covering up any trace of his tracks, or the perpetrator's.

Seattle, 2010. Seattle Herald reporter Claire Aldridge, assigned to cover the May 1 "blackberry winter" storm and its twin, learns of the unsolved abduction and vows to unearth the truth. In the process, she finds that she and Vera may be linked in unexpected ways...

My Thoughts

Cover love! I really really enjoyed this read, even better than Morning Glory which I listened to earlier this year.  Having read 2 of her novels and the synopsis for The Bungalow (which is up next) I have quickly noticed a pattern to her writing style, but I'm ok with a reoccurring theme in her novels as long as the story intrigues me.  I was so engaged with both story lines and Vera and Claire that it was hard to put this one down.  I love how the stories were woven together and although each story line was a little bit too neat and predictable I still really enjoyed this read.

Sarah Jio has very quickly become a must read author for me and can't wait to dive into the rest of her novels. 

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Publisher: Doudbleday Canada
Publish Date: January 13, 2015
Format: Kobo
Pages: -
ISBN: 978 0385682329

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning.  Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck.  She’s even started to feel like she knows them.  “jess and Jason.” She calls them.  Their life – as she sees it – is perfect.  Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking.  It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.  Now everything’s changed.  Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved.  Has she done more harm than good?

My Thoughts

This novel was a pleasant surprise and you need to read it right now!  Don't read any reviews, just read it.  Told in the voice of 3 female narrators - none are to be trusted.  How easy it is to get caught up in the lives of people you only see as you sit on a passing train, that is exactly what happened to Rachel and it got her into some hot water and making her very unreliable.  A story filled with secrets and full of grittiness.  Amazing character development and very well written, it wasn't hard to figure lout who the culprit was early on, but that didn't deter me from wanting to know what happened along the way while still holding my interest the entire time.

I devoured this novel - and that doesn't happen very often.  I loved the thrill, I loved the mystery.  Would I compare it to Gone Girl?  I don't think you really can.  There is no book that stands up against Gone Girl.  I LOVED Gone Girl and I really really liked The Girl on the Train.  Paula Hawkins has instantly become an author I will be keeping my eye on.

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Morning Glory by Sarah Jio

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Publish Date: November 26, 2014

Format: Audio

Discs: 8

ISBN: 978 1480542006

Fleeing an East Coast life marred by tragedy, Ada Santorini takes up residence on houseboat number seven on Boat Street.  She discovers a trunk left behind by Penny Wentworth, a young newlywed who lived on the boat half a century earlier.  Ada longs to know her predecessor’s fate, but little suspects that Penny’s mysterious past and her own clouded future are destined to converge.

My Thoughts

This was my first novel by Sarah Jio and I quickly fell in love with the characters and her flare for storytelling.   I was instantly pulled in and didn't want to let either Penny or Ada go.  My heart just broke for both of them and their stories were so beautifully woven together I never wanted an ending.  Part love story, part mystery and I really felt like I became part of the houseboat community.  I listened to this on audio and loved the narration - when listening to audio the narrator either makes or breaks a story.  And this narrator was defiantly a winner.  I can't wait to dive further into the tales of Sarah Jio and see where she takes me next.

and P.S. Why haven't her novels been adapted into movies yet?  

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Publisher: Putnam Adult
Publish Date: July 29, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 460
ISBN: 978 0399167065

A murder…a tragic accident…or just parents behaving badly?

What’s indisputable is that someone is dead.  But who did what?

Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads: Madeline is a force to be reckoned with.  She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one.  Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?).  And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is.  This.  Possible?).

Celeste is the kind beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare.  While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn't be, with those rambunctious twin boys?  Now the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body.  But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grapping with how much more she is willing to pay.  New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny.  Jane is sad beyond her years and harbours secret doubts about her son.  But why?  While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realize how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

My Thoughts

This was such a well crafted story of parents behaving badly on the school yard.  It was witty and humourous and the "who done it" kept me guessing up until the end.  I do have to say the the adult playground gossip was a bit juvenile and sometimes it irritated me and then sometimes I would laugh out loud.  I loved the suspense build up and the police questioning snippets at at the end of each chapter - added some nice humour.

The only reason I held back and couldn't give it 5 stars is because the "murder" wasn't as grand as I would have hoped.  The author did such a great job building and building up the ending and then it just fell a bit flat to me.  I was hoping for a juicier murder - If that makes sense.  Other than that I loved it and was very entertained.

This was my first novel by Moriarty, and can't wait to read more!

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

A Place of Secrets by Rachel Hore

Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publish Date: February 1, 2012
Format: Audio
Discs: 12
ISBN: 978 

Can dreams be passed down through families?  As a child Jude suffered a recurrent nightmare: running through a dark forest, crying for her mother.  Now six years later her six-year0old niece, Summer, is having the same dream, and Jude is frightened for her.

A successful auctioneer, Jude is struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband.  When she’s asked to value a collection of scientific instruments and manuscripts belonging to Anthony Wickham, a lonely 18^th century astronomer, she leaps at the chance to escape London for the untamed beauty of Norfolk, where she grew up.

As Jude untangles Wickham’s tragic story, she discovers threatening links to the present.  What have Summer’s nightmares to do with Starbrough folly, the eerie crumbling tower in the woods from which Wickham and is adopted daughter Esther once viewed the night sky?  With help of Euan, a local naturalist, Jude searches for answers in the wild, haunting splendor of the Norfolk forests.  Dare she leave behind sadness in her own life and learn to love again?

My Thoughts

Was this a story about trying to understand the reason for Summer's bad dreams or Jude finding love again or solving the mystery of the Wickham family and what happened to Esther or tracking down her grandmother's long lost childhood friend?  I'm not really sure because there were so many sub-plots going on that each got lost.  It was very slow paced and I just found the overall plot to be boring and uninteresting.  The novel had so much potential - why couldn't it just be about Jude unraveling the mystery of Esther and be done with it.  The dream aspect was just plain unrealistic and held no value to the story.  I also found the love story to be unnecessary and boring.  I felt zero engagement with the characters and couldn't wait for the story to end.

I listened to this on audio and I have come to the conclusion that I strongly dislike British narrators!  I have listened to a number of them and the attempt at doing different voices for each character (especially a man or child) makes my skin crawl.  

It had been a few weeks since I listened to this book and I can't real how it even ended.  Hate when that happens.

My Rating: ««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

A Murder at Rosamund's Gate (Lucy Campion Mysteries #1) by Susanna Calkins

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publish Date: April 23, 2013

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 352

ISBN: 978 1250007902

 Lucy Campion, a seventeenth-century English chambermaid in the household of the local magistrate, life is an endless repetition of polishing pewter, emptying chamber pots, and dealing with other household chores until a fellow servant is ruthlessly killed, and someone close to Lucy falls under suspicion.  Lucy can’t believe it, but in a time where the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent, lawyers aren’t permitted to defend their clients, and – if the plague doesn’t kill the suspect first – public executions draw a large crowd of spectators, Lucy knows she may never find out what really happened.  Unless, that is, she can uncover the true herself.

Determined to do just that, Lucy finds herself venturing out of her expected station and into raucous printers’ shops, secretive gypsy camps, the foul streets of London, and even the bowels of Newgate prison on a trail that might lead her straight into the arms of the killer.

My Thoughts

I'm a cover lover - there is no doubt about that and I found this particular cover so haunting and beautiful I knew I had to read it.  Then reading the synopsis and a promise of a good mystery set in the seventeenth century I was sold.  I loved the time period, loved the setting and the description of London and the premises of the story.  However there too much going on for me to fully engage in the story.  In addition to Lucy trying to solve the mystery of her friends murder there was also a number of other sub stories going on as well.  There was a romance budding with Lucy.  The plague struck and then became a focal point of the story.  There was also the political aspect and how during that time London had a corrupt justice system.  While the author did a great job of weaving everything together I found that it was all a bit too much. 

I liked her writing and glad that she chose to use modern language as opposed to what would have been used in the seventeenth century.  As she explains in her author's notes this is much easier for the reader, and as a lover and avid reader of historical fiction this is something even I appreciate.

This is the first book in a series and while I found the introduction to the series a bit slow I think it is a series worth reading and will continue on with the second book From the Charred Remains as I believe Calkins has so much room to grow as a storyteller.  I think Lucy is an interesting character and although not very complex (which is refreshing sometimes) am intrigued as to where the author takes her.  Although I didn't love the novel I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Calkins or this novel.

My Rating: «««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Confabulist by Steven Galloway

Publisher: Knopf Canada

Publish Date:April 29, 2014

Format: Advanced reading copy

Pages: -

ISBN: -

The Confabulist weaves together the life, loves and murder of the world’s greatest magician, Harry Houdini, with the story of the man who killed him (twice): Martin Strauss, an everyday man whose fate was tied to the magician’s in unforeseen ways.  A cast of memorable characters spins around Houdini’s celebrity-driven life, as they did in his time: from the Romanov family soon to be assassinated, to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the powerful heads of Scotland Yard, and the Spiritualists who would use whoever they could to establish their religion.  A brilliant novel about fame and ambition, reality and illusion, and the ways that love, grief and imagination can alter what we perceive and believe.

My Thoughts

Whether or not this book is historically accurate (which it's not) I still found it to be an entertaining read.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to others, just as long as they don't dissect and really analyze it.  Harry Houdini was a fascinating person - there is no doubt about it.  And his career was only a small part of it.  And I think that's what I wanted more of with this book.  So much of it was fabricated (such as Martin Strauss) that I wanted maybe just a bit more reality.  But on the other hand had I wanted all the facts I would have just read a biography.  I liked the uniqueness of this retelling and learned a few things about Houdini that I didn't know before such as his involvement with the Romanov family and his strange relationship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the spiritualists.  But it did peak my interest enough  that I gave it 4 stars because it grasped my interest and held it, I never struggled to keep going. 

Thank you to Random House Canada via Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Sweet Water by Christina Baker Kline

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publish Date: May 1, 1993
Format: Hardcover
Pages:285
ISBN: 978 0060190330

When a grandfather she never knew bequeaths her a house and 60 acres of land in Sweetwater, Tenn., a restless young artist leaves New York to recover her past and rethink her future.  Cassie Simon’s mother Ellen died when Cassie was only three; raised in Boston by her grieving father, she never knew her maternal relatives.  Unprepared for the thick veil of mystery that surrounds them, Cassie is especially bewildered by her brusque grandmother, whom rumor credits with hiding a terrible secret about Ellen’s death.  In alternating sections told from their respective points of view, Cassie and her grandmother fight their separate battles to cope with the truth about the tragedy.  The result is a powerful, immensely readable tale of loyalty and betrayal, family and memory, made fresh by Kline’s often beautiful and always lucid prose.

My Thoughts

I had recently purchased Orphan Train and then this book came up in a book club and realized it was by the same author.  Sweet Water is Kline's first novel and the first I have read of hers.  Yet again it is one of those tricky 3 star books.  There were a number of good aspects to this novel and then there were some that were not so good.  I liked the concept, of a young girl needing to find herself, and part of the search is to know who her family is and where she came from.  Returning to her birth town after the death of her grandfather, whom she had never met, she starts to develop relationships with her grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins.  While the description states that the book is shroud is mystery...the mystery was a real let down.  Instead of having the mystery aspect woven it I would have rather preferred for the whole novel to focus on relationship building, self discovery and letting go and moving on.

I liked hearing Clyde's point of view and why she was so stand offish - which in my opinion was unnecessary.  I would have preferred Clyde and Cassie to have a typical grandmother granddaughter relationship.  Yes I understand her heartache, but it was not Cassie's fault for everything that happened in her grandmother's life. The ending was terrible - in that it didn't really end.  It almost seemed like the author just got tired of the story and just said the end.  I was also not a fan of the character Troy.  I found him as a love interest was just wrong.  While I liked that the author gave her a love interest I just did not like that it was him. 

You could defiantly tell that it was a first novel by an author - and I'm sure that writing her following novels she developed more depth.  Well I'm hoping so anyways, as I plan to read more of her. 

My Rating: «««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Unwanted (Fredrika Bergman and Alex Recht #1) by Kristina Ohlsson

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Publish Date: February 28, 2012

Format: MP3 CD

Discs: 2

ISBN: 978 1624065590

In the middle of a rainy Swedish summer, a little girl is abducted from a crowded train.  Despite hundreds of potential witnesses, no one noticed when the girl was taken.  Her distraught mother was left behind at the previous station in what seemed to be a coincidence.  The train crew was alerted and kept a watchful eye on the sleeping child.  But when the train pulled into Stockholm Central Station, the little girl had vanished.  Inspector Alex Recht and his special team of federal investigators, assisted by the investigative analyst Fredrika Bergman, are assisting to what at first appears to be a classic custody fight.  But when the child is found dead in the far north of Sweden with the word “unwanted” scribbled on her forehead, the case soon turns into the investigation team’s worst nightmare – the pursuit of a brilliant and ruthless killer.

My Thoughts

I've never really been a big fan of Scandinavian literature.  I have no desire to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series - although I'm sure I eventually will as they are sitting on my shelf.  I don't know exactly what it is that I don't like about them, but it's possible the dark and twistedness of the stories.  I defiantly did not enjoy this book.  It's possible the reason is because I absolutely hated the narrator for the audio book.  Maybe had a physically read the book I may have enjoyed it more, but listening to it made my ears bleed.

The premises for this story is just wrong.  I found it so disturbing that it didn't even want to finish.  A little girl is abducted  and later found dead with her head shaved.  During the whole novel the author does not portray any heartbreak from the family of the murdered little girl.  The father not only never makes an appearance during the entire story, he becomes a suspect...which I found extremely disturbing.  And I didn't feel any closure of his part of the story.  I hated the background story for Fredrika and Alex, it was unnecessary and had no added value to the story.  There was nothing gripping about this story that left me wanting more.  I simply finished it to move on to something else.

I just found the whole story unrealistic and unbelievable and the ending rushed.  The overall plot of the book was just weak and disturbing.  Overall I did not enjoy this and will most likely not read the rest in the series.

My Rating: ««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon

Publisher: Doubleday

Publish Date: January 14, 2014

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 304

ISBN: 978 0385537629

A tantalizing reimagining of a scandalous mystery that rocked the nation in 1930-Justice Joseph Crater’s infamous disappearance-as seen through the eyes of the three women who knew him best.

They say behind every great man, there’s a woman.  In this case, there are three.  Stella Crater, the judge’s wife, is the picture of propriety draped in long pearls and the latest Chanel.  Ritzi, a leggy showgirl with Broadway aspirations, thinks moonlighting in the judge’s bed is the quickest way off the chorus line.  Maria Simon, the dutiful maid, has the judge to thank for her husband’s recent promotion to detective in the NYPD.  Meanwhile, Crater is equally indebted to Tammany Hall leaders and the city’s most notorious gangster, Owney “The Killer” Madden.

On a sultry summer night, as rumours circulate about the judge’s involvement in wide-scale political corruption, the Honourable Joseph Crater steps into a cab and disappears without a trace.  Or does he?

After 39 years of necessary duplicity, Stella Crater is finally ready to reveal what she knows.  Sliding into a plush leather banquette at Club Abbey, the site of many absinthe-soaked affairs and the judge’s favourite watering hole back in the day, Stella orders two whiskeys on the rocks-one for her and one in honour of her missing husband.  Stirring the ice cubes in the lowball glass, Stella begins to tell a tale-of greed, lust, and deceit.  As the novel unfolds and the women slyly break out of their prescribed roles, it becomes clear that each know more than she has initially let on.

My Thoughts

A fictional story based of the actual life of Joseph Crater and his disappearance back when corruption was the only way to the top.  I had never heard of this mysterious tale prior to reading this novel and found myself becoming so interested in the true story itself.  Many times I would stop reading and start googling Joseph Crater to get the real story.  Although no one knows what actually happened to him, it is one still one of the greatest disappearance mysteries in American history.

I loved the way Lawhon wove together fact and fiction and what she thought MIGHT have happened to Crater, as it is still unknown to this day.  My opinion - after doing much research - Owney Madden offed him and buried him beneath the pier of Cony Island.  But that's just my opinion.  He could have remained in hiding for the rest of his life.  Who knows.

I was quickly hooked to this compelling tale and couldn't put it down.  It started slow and quickly gained momentum and didn't slow down.  I really enjoyed the multiple point of views the story was told by, this is always one of my favourite writing styles  as you get everyone's perspective.  I also like the back and forth to past and present, which sometimes can be confusing but in this case worked very well for the execution of this story.  I thought this was such an excellent novel that was well written and highly entertaining.  I love a good gangster mystery set in the 30's - one of the greatest eras for scandal, corruption and love.

I always like when historical fiction novels include an author's note at the end to explain why they chose the writing direction they did and to explain any characters that might be fictional and which are actual people that shaped the history of the story.

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Defending Jacob by William Landay

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publish Date: January 31, 2012

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 432

ISBN: 978 0385344227

Andy Barber has been assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years.  He is respected in is community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob.  But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy.  Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him.  Andy must.  He’s his father.  But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own – between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to burry and a future he cannot conceive.

My Thoughts

This is another one of those books that I wanted to love (cause everyone else has) but it was just ok.  I found parts of it rather slow and boring and wondering when it was going to pick up.  One aspect I really enjoyed was the transcript conversations with Andy Barber and Neal Loguidice, totally led me down a different path than what I was expecting.  There was not one character I enjoyed or was attached to, Laurie just drove me up the wall.

The redeeming quality was the end.  Oh the end.  Mind hole blown.  Was not expecting that what so ever.  The end is want bumped this novel up from a 2 to 3 star.  This was my first book by William Landay and would be willing to give one of his others a read, I never judge an author having only read one of their books.

My Rating: «««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Apple Orchard (Bella Vista Chronicles #1) by Susan Wiggs

Publisher: Harliquin

Publish Date: April 30, 2013

Format: Audio

Discs: 10

ISBN: 978 1455836888

Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners.  People like Annelise Winther , who refuses to sell her long-gone mother’s beloved necklace – despite Tess’ advice.  To Annelise, the jewel’s value is in its memories.

But Tess’ own history is filled with gaps: a father she never met, a mother who spent more time travelling than with her daughter.  So Tess is shocked when she discovers the grandfather she never knew is in a coma.  And that she has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a hundred-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel.

The rest is willed to Isabel Johansen.  A half sister she’s never heard of.  Against the rich landscape of Bella Vista, Tess begins to discover a world filled with simple pleasures of food and family, of the warm earth beneath her bare feet.  A world where family comes first and the roots of history run deep.

And in a season filled with new experiences, Tess begins to see the truth in something Annelise once told her: if you don’t believe memories are worth more than money, then perhaps you've not made the right kind of memories.

My Thoughts

This book has plenty to offer.  It has your romance, your mystery and a little bit of history thrown in there just to make it interesting.  But most of all it is a story about memories and finding something you didn't even know you had lost.  I listened to this on Audio and was not disappointed.  This is my first novel by Susan Wiggs (I know, where have I been??) and it is sure to not be my last...especially because this is the first novel of a new series.

I loved the characters.  The dept of both Tess and Isabel and the simplicity of Dominic.  As the story wove deeper and deeper I couldn't wait for more and found myself sitting in the car (listening) long after I had nowhere to go.

And who doesn't love a novel that involves travel, old artifacts and food...most of all food.  Each chapter begins with a delicious recipe talked about in the book, which I always love when a story is constantly talking about food!  This a a novel that fills your heart and soul with love and gives you that warm fuzzy feeling.  I'm looking forward to The Beekeeper's Ball due out later this year. 

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch

Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: December 29, 2009
Format: Audio
Discs: 10
A mesmerizing thriller – told in reverse The 13^th Hour is the story of a man given the chance to go back in time in one-hour increments to prevent a vicious crime from destroying his life.  Nick Quinn is being held in jail, accused of the murder of his beloved wife, Julia.  He knows she’s dead; he saw her bloody corpse, shot in the head at point-blank range.  The police tell him they found the murder weapon with his fingerprints on it in the trunk of his car.  Nick is confused, grief-stricken – “and completely innocent.”

At 9 p.m. on July 28, a gray-haired gentleman visits Nick in the police interrogation room and asks him a simple question” “If you could get out of here, if you could save her, would you?”  He hands Nick a golden talisman that allows Nick to go back in time, one hour at a time, for a total of twelve hours.  With each hour that Nick travels back, he finds more clues to the identity of Julia’s real killer, but he also discovers that his actions in the past may have unexpected repercussions in the future.

In his race against time to save the woman he loves most in the world, Nick will find that friends become enemies, old loyalties are tested and Julia’s murder is part of a larger scheme that has its roots in greed and vengeance.  Nick has the ability to Save Julia, the chance to put his own world in balance, but he is venturing down a precarious route.  If he doesn’t set things right by the thirteenth hour, his desperate attempts to save Julia’s life may lead to a far greater catastrophe than he could have ever imagined.

My Thoughts

Well-written with a great concept.  The story is told in reverse, which  thought was great, although 13 hours was a bit too much - it got a little repetitive towards the end.  I loved the characters - especially Nick and Julia, very likable.

As the novel progressed I found that it got frustrating.  Frustrating in a sense that every hour Nick went back he would muck something up, but in the end everything had a way of working itself out.  What I love about suspense - thriller novels is the ending is never predictable!  Great read and highly recommend.  I listened to this on Audio and absolutely loved the narration. 

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

Publisher: Other Press

Publish Date: January 31, 2012

Format: download library

Pages: 325

ISBN: - 

A poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats spans the decades between the 1950s and the present.  When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without a trace, neither his wife nor his daughter Julia has any idea where he might be…until they find a love letter he wrote many years ago, to a Burmese woman they have never heard of.  Intent on solving the mystery and coming to terms with her father’s past, Julia decided to travel to the village where the woman lived. There she uncovers a tale of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and passion that will reaffirm the reader’s belief in the power of love to move mountains.

My Thoughts:

This one was tough for me.  Did I like it? Yes.  Did I hate it? No.  But I didn't love it.  I felt that the description of the novel was a bit deceiving.  Reading the synopsis made me think it was more of a mystery and that Julia sets out to find what happened to her father.  Yes, she does set out to Burma to find out the truth, but she then finds a local, U Ba and he starts telling her the story of her father.  It was mostly just about his love story with Mi Mi that he is recalling.  Right at the very end U Ba was all, oh by the way this is what happened to your father.  It was very much a love story first and foremost.  Now as for a realistic love story...no way.  Very much a fairy tale.  Only in your wildest dreams does love like that exist.

Overall the story was beautifully told, and the writing was wonderful and flowed together very well.  This was a tough one to rate as it had highs and lows. 

This was a Book Club pick collectively chosen by the group.

My Rating: «««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Publish Date: September 10, 2013
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 312
ISBN: 978-0316243919

Set against Iceland’s stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.

Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes.  Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her.  But as Agnes’s death looms, the farmer’s wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard.

My Thoughts

I thought this novel was amazing from start to finish.  Beautifully written and researched, it is a heart wrenching story of a remarkable woman.  Based on true events, it is a very dark and gloomy novel which left my heart feeling heavy.  Told with such detail, such as the detailed life of 19th century Iceland was wonderful and the symbolic ravens that seemed to   always be coming back, gave me chills.

It is unlike anything I have read in quite sometime and although the outcome is well known, it was deeply moving.  Agnes has always been branded as evil, and Kent did an amazing job at telling a different side of the story, although much of the novel is fiction, based on true events, it still portrayed a non well known view of Agnes.  It's been a few days since I have finished and the characters are still with me.  I haven't been haunted by a novel in awhile, simply amazing.

My Rating: «««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Publisher: Crown Publishing
Publish Date: May 5, 2009
Format: download library
Pages: -
ISBN: -

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.”  As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their farmhouse into the freezing January snow.  She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived – and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother Ben, was the killer.  Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives of the dregs of a trust fund created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her.

The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes.  When they locate Libby and pump her for details – proof they hope may free Ben – Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history.  For a fee, she’ll admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all.

As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985.  The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members – including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town.  Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started – on the run from a killer.

My Thoughts

Oi! Where to even begin...my head is still spinning.  Dark places is set between present day and 1985 when it (no spoilers) all went down and is told from three main points of view; Libby Day, Ben Day and Patty Day, which a I always enjoy - lets you get inside everyone's head.

When I first started reading I wasn't sure I was going to like it.  I was such a fan of Gone Girl and had set Gillian Flynn on a pedestal for mystery writing I just wasn't sure it was going to live up to my expectations.  Once I started really getting into the story and trying to figure out the "who done it" is when I really started to enjoy the novel.  It is very dark, twisted and horrifying, one of those novel you want to hate for it's content but you just can't help but love it.  This book is disturbingly awesome and clever, pure magic.

I would have given it a 5 star rating had I not been able to piece together the ending before the end.  But overall a great read! 

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publish Date: January 25, 2012
Format: Audio
Discs: 10
ISBN: 978 1611139921

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty is a powerful saga of three generations of women, plagued by hardship and torn by a devastating secret, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of family.  Fifteen-year-old Mosey Slocumb – spirited, sassy and on the cusp of womanhood – is shaken when a small grave is unearthed in the backyard, and determined to figure out why it’s there.  Liza, her stroke-ravaged mother, is haunted by choices she made as a teenager.  But it is Jenny, Mosey’s strong and big-hearted grandmother, whose maternal love braids together the strands of the women’s shared past – and who will stop at nothing to defend their future.

My Thoughts

I really really enjoyed this novel.  It was my first from Joshilyn Jackson and I can't wait to read more of what she has to offer.  It was just such a beautiful all round story with such likable characters.  It was heartfelt and humorous and not at all as predictable as I assumed it would be.  Yes, some was easy to foresee, but for the most part I was very anxious to find out were the plot was going.  Jackson did a wonderful job of telling the story, past and present through all 3 characters.  I like when you get all the characters perspective, not just 1.

All in all, it was a fantastic read (or in my case listen) and recommend it.    

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Dinner by Herman Koch

Publisher: Hogarth
Publish Date: February 12, 2013
Format: download library
Pages: - 
ISBN: - 

A summer's evening in Amsterdam and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant. Between mouthfuls of food and over the polite scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse - the banality of work, the triviality of holidays. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened. Each couple has a fifteen year old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act; an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children, and as civility and friendship disintegrates, each couple show just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.

My Thoughts

Dubbed "European Gone Girl" - huh!?! Have the critics read Gone Girl? They are nothing alike, not even close and as far as I'm concerned this is such a pointless story.  I finished thinking, that's it?  What was the point?

A positive aspect I will give the writer is that the first bit really held my attention.  The way he would reveal just a hint of what you wanted to know but never gave you the whole story.  The mystery was really there for me as to what the "Situation" was, and then just as quickly as it captured me, my interest was lost and the story became pointless. 

My Rating: ««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.