Devils Way - Robert Bryndza

 Devil’s Way - Robert  Bryndza

Release Date: January 12, 2023

She read

This is the fourth in the Kate Marshall private detective series; it is the second I have read. 

In 2007,  three year old  Charlie went missing from a campsite.  He had been sleeping in his grandmother’s tent, while his parents were in a tent nearby.  Eleven years later, after a chance meeting, the grandmother hires Kate and her partner Tristan to find out what happened to the boy.  Did he really drown in the river as the police supposed?  The discovery that a social worker who had investigated the family was murdered after Charlie’s disappearance nags at Kate.

Bryndza writes fast moving, quick reading, entertaining police/detective procedurals and Devil’s Way is no exception. Although the resolution to this case was not a big surprise, I couldn’t put the book down.  As in prior novels, Bryndza creates a good sense of place; I could picture the fast moving river, the boggy terrain,  the “ear” tree. 

Kate is a bright, capable, strong, but vulnerable female character despite her earlier difficulties in life.  Tristan, her once research assistant, is growing into being a valuable partner.  I enjoy these characters.

Although this is part of a series, I think it can work well as a standalone. This series along with Bryndza’s Erika Foster stories are both on my “don’t miss” list.

Thanks to #netgalley and #ravenstreepublishing for the arc

****

The Things We Do to Our Friends - Heather Darwent

 The Things We Do to Our Friends - Heather Darwent

She read

Release Date: January 10, 2023

Clare has had a difficult childhood and is harboring a deep secret, but now she is set to reinvent herself as she starts college in Edinburgh.  Working in a local pub, she becomes fascinated with some other students she meets there who, in her view,  seem to have it all.  Desperate to be accepted, she clings to them, even going along with an unsavory “project” they propose.  To what extents will she go to be part of the group?

This debut novel is dark, touching upon obsession, toxic dependency, the effects of poor parenting, and what I would view as mental illness. The language is evocative, especially when describing scenes such as Edinburg in January. It is well plotted, but I just didn’t take to any of the unlikable characters or their stories.  I read the book quickly just to get through it. By the end, I felt like, “so what?

***

All the Dark Places - Terri Parlato

 All The Dark Places - Terri Parlato

Release Date: December 27, 2022

She read.

Following a birthday party with close friends in attendance, Jay, a psychologist, is found murdered.  His wife, Molly,  is distraught; he was her rock.  Was it a patient or someone close to him?  The police find a secret he was hiding, but his wife is hiding one also, and perhaps some of the friends?  When the death of a missing girl ties into the investigation, led by Boston detective Rita Myers, the mystery deepens.

Fast paced and engrossing, the story is told from alternating points of view, Molly’s and Rita’s. I thought the book started off a little shallow.  But, as it progressed, so did the depth of the story  With a solid, credible plot and well developed characters, this is a good read for mystery/police procedural lovers.  Kudos for a debut novel. Here’s hoping it may be the beginning of a series featuring Rita. 

Thanks to #Netgalley and #kensingtonbooks for the ARC

****

Brotherless Night - V.V. Ganeshananthan

 Brotherless Night - V.V. Ganeshananthan

He and she read

Release Date: January 3, 2023

Brotherless Night tells the story of Sashi, a medical student, and her family, including four brothers, who are caught up in the unrest, violence, and ultimately, war in Sri Lanka in the 1980s.  They are Tamil in a majority Sinhalese country. Sashi adores her brothers, three of whom become involved with  the organization working for Tamil independence.  

This book was a bit out of my typical comfort zone, but it is good to mix it up once in a while.  A fictional account that reads like a memoir,  It is a tough story because so much of what occurs is not fiction.  It really happened and continues to happen all over the world as in so many cases the revolutionaries fighting for independence turn out to be as dangerous as the oppressors as does the outside forces that intervene.

This account of man’s injustices to his fellow man is beautifully written and engrossing. The author writes of unimaginable atrocities with sensitivity and pathos. Despite the wrenching honesty of the novel, the strength of those who survive is powerful and somehow uplifting. 

It is an important book and should be read. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouse for the ARC

He  liked it also

*****

Better the Blood - Michael Bennett

Better the Blood - Michael Bennett

She read

Release Date: January 10, 2023

 Hana is caught between the blue world of being a police detective and the brown world of her Maori culture. When a body is found followed by a second one, could New Zealand have its first serial killer?  As the bodies count increases and the investigation unfolds, there is an indication that there is a tie between the murders and an historic execution and Hana, her daughter and estranged husband may be in danger.

Over and above an engrossing, well written mystery with strong character development, this is an important story about how NZ (and most other countries) have treated and continue to treat their indigenous peoples. The reader is introduced to Maori customs and language, with well appreciated footnoted translations.

Thanks to #Netgallley and #groveatlantic for the ARC.

****

Their Burning Graves - Helen Phifer

 Their Burning Graves - Helen Phifer

She Read

Release Date: December 19, 2022

A house is on fire in an upscale neighborhood; inside it is the scene of the gruesome murder of three members of a family.  Detective Constable Morgan Brooks and her team are on the case. While they investigate, the perpetrator has already picked out their next target. 

The Morgan Brooks series was recommended to me by a fellow bookstagrammer; it is the first of the eight that I have read.  It was a fast, engrossing read; the kind of mystery I typically like.  While I enjoyed it, I don’t think it completely worked as a standalone. Regarding the members of the team and their past history, I felt as though I was coming in in the middle of a story and would have liked a brief summary to catch up. Some series authors are very careful to help new readers catch up; that did not occur in this book.  I also felt that there were some questions left unanswered about the case.  Despite these concerns, it was a decent read and I will certainly seek out number nine when it is available  

****

The Body Falls - Andrea Carter

 The Body Falls - Andrea Carter

She read

After police sergeant Tom Molloy proposed to her, solicitor Benedicta (Ben) O’Keefe spent six months working in Florida.  She returns to her practice in Glendara, Inishowen just as rains of Biblical proportions cause flooding, bridge collapses, and the immediate isolation of the small town.  It traps members of a cycle group who were staying at the local B & B awaiting the start of a charity race.   When the dead body of the race’s organizer falls from on high onto the local vet’s car, it is up to the two man Garda department to investigate. Of course, Ben, can’t keep her nose out of the investigation and soon many secrets are revealed.  

It was entertaining getting to know the townspeople in Ben’s life as well as the temporary visitors with all their entangled relationships.  The setting was quite atmospheric, especially the descriptions of the flooding waters.  Lots of tea drinking and pub visiting in between the investigating. But the fireplace in the pub certainly warmed up the chilly, wet days and nights. The story was fast paced, engrossing, with great character development.  

This is the fifth in a series that was recommended to me by a fellow bookstagrammer.  It is the first one I have read but felt it did fine as a standalone. I think you could categorize this as a cozy mystery and have seen comparisons of Ben with Miss Marple, although she is much younger. The ending clearly leaves open a storyline for the next installment of the series. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #oceanviewpub for the ARC.

****

The House in the Pines - Ana Reyes

 The House in the Pines - Ana Reyes

She read

Release Date: January 3, 2023

Maya is in trouble. Unbeknownst to her boyfriend, she is going cold turkey off of Klonopin.  She can’t sleep and is using alcohol to try to help.   Her use of the medication dates back to treatment she received after high school when her best friend died in front of her and she swore that her boyfriend at the time, Frank, had something to do with it. Her memories of Frank and her experiences with him haunt her.  When she sees a video on social media showing another young woman dying in Frank’s presence, her paranoia and anxiety are ignited all over again.  She must return to her childhood home to investigate. 

This psychological thriller is told in dual timelines.  It is a debut novel with a unique plot. I have to admit I struggled in the beginning to get through it, but by the end I was totally engaged with the story.  You may buy the resolution or not, but it certainly was intriguing.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #Penguingroup #duttonbooks for the ARC

****

Blaze Me a Sun - Christoffer Carlsson

 Blaze Me a Sun - Christoffer Carlsson

She read

Release Date: January 3, 2023

Police officer Sven Jörgensson discovers the first victim of a serial killer in a small Swedish village on the same night that Prime Minister Palme is assassinated.  Through the years, he becomes obsessed with solving the case.  Years later, after Sven’s death, an author re investigates with very surprising findings. 

This Nordic noir novel is the American debut of a prize winning Swedish author who is also a criminologist.  As is often seen in this genre, Sven is a tortured protagonist. 

Told in various timelines, this slow burn story is so much more than just the exploration of crime.  It explores the nature of obsession,  guilt, motivation, familial relationships, the dark side of life.  It was well written and engrossing with great character development.

I do have to say that I guessed the perpetrator early on, but that in no way took away from my enjoyment of the book. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouse #hogarthbooks for the ARC.

*****

The Innocent Wife - Lisa Regan

 The Innocent Wife - Lisa Regan

She read

Release Date: December 12, 2022

Another enthralling Detective Jose Quinn mystery.  This is the sixteenth in the series, and as I said after the fifteenth, they just keep getting better.

Claudia and Beau Collins are a popular local TV couple in Denton, PA. whose show is all about marital relations.  When Claudia is found murdered the night of their fifteenth wedding anniversary party (which, of course, they were going to film), the scene is set for more murder, secrets, lies, and game playing,  all to be investigated by Denton’s Josie Quinn and her team.  

I really like the Josie Quinn series and typically stay up late to finish each one I read because I can’t put them down! Josie has had a difficult life but she is a strong, competent  female protagonist who remains caring and upbeat despite the adversities she has experienced.  She is surrounded by a supportive team including her husband Lt. Noah Fraley and other repeating characters. 

 If you like well written, character driven, fast paced police procedurals/thrillers, and are not familiar with author Lisa Regan, I recommend this series.   I can’t wait for the next one!

The Innocent Wife can work as a standalone, but I encourage those new to this series to go back and read some of the prior ones. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #bookouture for the ARC. 

*****

The Blackhouse - Carol Johnstone

 The Blackhouse - Carol Johnstone

Release Date: Jan. 3, 2023

She read

As a young child, Maggie MacKay declared she was Andrew MacNeil and had been murdered in a small village in the Hebrides.  Her mother, along with a documentary filmmaker, visited there when she was five to investigate, to no avail.  Twenty five years later, she returns to the village to try to find out just who Andrew was and what happened to him.  Here, she finds friendship, antagonism, love, and danger.  The story is told in two POVs with two timelines.

Extremely atmospheric, Johnstone portrays the beauty and the isolation of the Hebrides, as well as the violence of the storms and sea. I know I am going to be in a minority here, but, despite it being well written, I just couldn’t engage with this book. Reading it for me was tedious.  I frequently found myself skimming through, and not because I was anxious to find out what happened.  There were moments of great wisdom expressed that made me pause and say “this is really good.”  Unfortunately, those moments were overwhelmed by tedium.  Gothic, haunting, touching on the supernatural, there were some important issues and information here, but sometimes there was just too much.

Thanks to #netgalley and #scribner for the ARC

***