Best Day Ever - Kaira Rouda

Best Day Ever - Kaira Rouda

She read

Publication date:  September 19, 2017

Paul Strom is one of the shallowest, most self centered, chauvinistic characters you will meet.  At first, I thought Rouda was writing a parody of every despicable trait a man could have when it hit me that he was a classic pathological narcissist and men like him really do exist.  

The action in this domestic suspense novel takes place over less than 24 hours with an epilogue one year later. Paul wants to spend the “best day ever” with his wife and is intent on not letting anything interfere with it. Why is he so intent on this?

Paul is so heinous you might be inclined to stop reading this book….but don’t.  You will be rewarded if you stay with it to the end. His sinister actions drew me in; I couldn’t put the story down and finished it in a day. It is well written with excellent character development and a satisfying ending. 

The Last Tudor - Philippa Gregory

The Last Tudor - Philippa Gregory

He read

Having read Gregory's entire Tudor series, he thought this was the best.

Lie to Me - JT Ellison

Lie to Me - JT Ellison

She read

Release date:September 5, 2017

Ethan and Sutton Montclair are successful, prize winning authors who, to all appearances are living the good life.  But, all is not as it seems.  Is he a monster?  Is she?  Did their baby really die of SIDS?

The novel opens with the discovery of a decaying body in the woods. Sutton has disappeared, leaving a terse note indicating she needs some time away; Ethan shouldn’t look for her.  Is the body hers?

Written in short segments from three different points of view, the true story of the Montclair’s lives, filled with betrayals, unfolds.  The suspense builds; just as the reader thinks s/he has figured out what is going on, more is revealed and there is another twist.  This is a well written story that you won’t want to put down.

Close to Home - Robert Dugoni

Close to Home - Robert Dugoni

She read

Release date:  September 5, 2017

I only discovered Robert Dugoni a year or so ago….and I am glad I did.  A prolific writer, he tells a good, cohesive story with strong character development that maintains reader interest.

This is the fifth in the Tracy Crosswhite series. Dugoni revisits familiar characters and introduces two new people whom I think may become recurring figures.

The Seattle Violent Crimes section is investigating two cases.  The first involves a hit and run that kills a young African American boy.  The culprit is a Navy man from nearby Bremerton which results in their official involvement in the case.  Tracy and her partner, Kins Rowe, receive this assignment.  Meanwhile, Del Castigliano and Vic Fazzio pursue the people responsible for selling a strain of heroin that has resulted in a number of fatal overdoses.  It’s personal for Del as one of the victims was his niece.  Add to that Tracy coping with infertility while Kins is facing hip surgery which he is sure will go wrong.  

As the cases unfold, the suspense builds and there are twists and turns that will keep the reader enthralled.  Another hit for Dugoni.

One doesn’t have to have read the prior novels in this series to understand who the characters are. However, if you are unfamiliar with Dugoni’s work, do yourself a favor and go back and read the four prior books.  

16th Seduction - James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

16th Seduction - James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

She read

The Women’s Murder Club series is the only James Patterson work I still bother reading.  I enjoy the four characters who make up this group; the short lived TV series some years ago enhanced this enjoyment.

Despite its flaws, I did enjoy 16th Seduction. I thought there was a big whole in the plot near the end.  I kept asking myself,”didn’t the authorities do a thorough search of the house and the suspect’s background?  Since it was such a high profile case, didn’t they find anything questionable in his history?”

There was a subplot that was a bit absurb; perhaps it was added just to pad the book? And, the denouement seemed rushed and somewhat of a jumble.

Despite those flaws, I couldn’t put this book down and read it in two sittings.  

Unraveling Oliver - Liz Nugent

Unraveling Oliver - Liz Nugent

She read

Release date: Aug. 22, 2017

Handsome Oliver Ryan, rejected by his father and never having known his mother, is a successful writer of children’s books; his somewhat dowdy, reticent  wife, Alice illustrates them.  The novel opens with Oliver rendering Alice unconscious with a brutal blow.  In each subsequent chapter, we learn something more about Oliver from acquaintances of the couple and Oliver himself. 

I almost put this book down after the first chapter; Oliver presented as such a despicable person.  But I forged ahead with this engrossing although somewhat unsatisfying read.  

As the circumstances behind this heinous act are revealed layer by layer, the author is deft in taking the voices of the various characters and the reader learns the consequences of family secrets and the rigidity of society’s mores.  Although I liked this book and would recommend it, at the end I was left with a feeling of “meh”.  Perhaps you will feel differently. 

Good Friday - Lynda La Plante

Good Friday - Lynda La Plante

She read

Release date: September 7, 2017

I enjoy both the old Prime Suspect  and the more recent Prime Suspect:Tennison series on PBS, so I thought I would try this book; I’m glad I did. 

Good Friday features the younger Jane Tennison as she is beginning her career as a detective in the 1970s.  The plot revolves around the bombings  by the IRA in London and is a stark reminder that terrorist attacks are all too familiar for this city.

Recently transferred to a new division and making new acquaintances there as well as settling in to a new home and adjusting to a roommate, Jane is  witness to a bombing that takes place in the Covet Garden tube station. 

The story moves along at a good pace and is believable. La Plante is a

good writer who pays attention to detail.  The supporting characters are well developed and easily distinguished from each other. I was a little uncomfortable with how the males in the department tend to treat her more like a pet than an equal, but that is probably realistically reflective of the times.

I found  myself  lost in this book and didn’t want to put it down. It is a good choice for those who enjoy police procedurals with good character development. 

Beach House for Rent - Mary Alice Monroe

Beach House for Rent - Mary Alice Monroe

She tried to read

I read the first in this trilogy, Beach House and enjoyed it primarily because of the sea turtle interest.  I tried this one, but quit after 100 pages...just too cloying and predictable for my taste.

Don't Let Go - Harlan Coben

Don't Let Go - Harlan Coben

Release date: September 26, 2017

She read

Coben has another best seller in Don’t Let Go.

“Nap” Dumas' twin brother and girlfriend were killed by a train when they were in high school and his great love, Maura, disappeared immediately after.  Fifteen years later, evidence of Maura resurfaces. Others who knew the dead couple are mysteriously killed and just what was going on at that Nike Missile base in town? Nap, now a police detective, is caught up in investigating what really happened those many years ago.  

This novel was fast paced, and suspenseful; my curiosity wouldn’t let me put it down. I didn’t see the ending coming and was glad that Coben tied up all the unanswered questions, leaving nothing hanging.  Coben is an excellent storyteller who writes with humor and insight. His fans will enjoy the Myron Bolitar cameo.

Snap Judgment - Marcia Clark

Snap Judgment - Marcia Clark

Release date: August 29, 2017

She read

This is the third of three in Clark’s series featuring criminal defense attorney Samantha Brinkman. Samantha is not my favorite female protagonist.  A damaged soul due to a childhood history of abuse, I have empathy for her but her professional ethics…and those of people around her…are quite sketchy.

There are two storylines.  The first about the deaths of two college students is multi layered, with twists revealed as the novel progresses. The second involving a criminal known to Samantha from her past is a bit of an intrusion and I think dragged the pace of the book. 

For those who like a good mystery/legal thriller albeit without the courtroom scenes, this will make an enjoyable read.