A Spell of Good Things - Ayòbámi Adébáyò

 A Spell of Good Things - Ayòbámi Adébáyò

This is a story of modern Nigeria with its wide economic disparity and political upheaval.  It is a world where who your parents are is more important to your success than your abilities; an environment where children whose parents can’t afford to pay their private school costs are beaten.  Wuraola’s parents are wealthy; she is a doctor doing a medical residency, about to be engaged to the son of another wealthy man with political aspirations.  Eniola’s family is dirt poor ever since his father lost his teaching position when history jobs were eliminated.  They barely have anything to eat, owe back rent and back tuition.  Wuraola and Eniola’s world collide tragically when Eniola tries to help his family by working for a local politician. This same politician is running against Wuraola’s intended’s father.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I chose it, but I really liked it.  It is heartbreaking, but so well written with fully developed characterizations that it quickly won me over. There are many important concepts here, presented with poignancy and a bit of humor. I did feel that the ending was somewhat rushed; I wish there would have been more of an explanatory denouement.   It takes a while to get into the book, but don’t give up; it is a very worthwhile read.

Thanks to #netgalley and #knopf for the ARC.

****

Maureen - Rachel Joyce

 Maureen - Rachel Joyce

Release Date: February 7, 2023

In an earlier novel, Harold Fry undertook a walk across England.  Ten years later, disturbed by some information about a memorial garden, his wife, Maureen,  travels a similar route by car. It is not an easy journey for her, as she has become accustomed to a quiet life with her husband and is not the most pleasant or social of women. Yet, she feels this journey may help her find some solace about her son’s suicide which occurred thirty years earlier 

This is the third book in a trilogy and it was as distinct disadvantage that I had not read the first two; I kept feeling that I had come in on the third act of a play. 

More of a novella, this book poignantly addresses loss and the nature of grief, as well as Maureen’s emotionally painful childhood.  Maureen’s tale is both heartbreaking and hopeful.  As a standalone, it is a touching story, but I would recommend reading the prior novels before this one.

Thanks to #Netgalley and #RandomHouse #Dialpress for the ARC.

****

The Sanctuary - Katrine Engberg

 The Sanctuary - Katrine Engberg

Publication Date:  Feb. 7, 2023

She read

Annette Werner and Jeppe Kørner are partners in Copenhagen’s police department.  Jeppe, after a failed romantic relationship,  has taken a leave of absence and is recovering on Bornholm, an island.  When two parts of the same body which was sawed in half are found in Copenhagen, Annette’s inquiries take her to Bornholm where she enlists her partner’s assistance.  Coincidentally, a mutual friend, Esther, is also on the island researching the life of an anthropologist about whom she is writing a book.

This is the fifth in the Kørner and Werner series; it is the second I have read.  I really like this author’s writing and particularly the main characters. This is a Nordic noir novel, so it is characteristically a bit dark.  With a clever plot, good character development, it is a well written, fast read; I couldn’t put it down. It is quite suspenseful, full of on-the-mark observations of life and aging and I really liked the literary device of parts of the story being revealed through historical letters.

Although one of a series, this can work as a standalone.  However, the characters are so enjoyable, I would suggest going back and reading some of the prior books.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #gallerybooks for the ARC.

Find Her Alive - D.S. Butler

 Find Her alive - D.S. Butler

Release Date: February 7, 2023

She read

Someone has been spiking the drinks of young women in the bars in Lincolnshire. 

Meanwhile, a friend of Detective Karen Hart reports that one of her friends is missing. Could she be another victim of the serial spiker or is it related to her business dealings?

This is the seventh in the Karen Hart series; it is the fourth that I have read.  I like this main character.  She is engaging, capable, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly.  Her team is composed of likable, supportive, well developed characters.    The story is fast paced; I didn’t want to put it down and, in fact, read it in one day.  

Fans of British police procedurals will enjoy this well written book,  along with  others in the series.  Although there is mention of events from Karen’s background that are not fully explained, this will work as a standalone.  I look forward to the next issue in this series for another entertaining read.  

Thanks to #Netgalley and #ThomasandMercer for the ARC

****

Unnatural History - Jonathan Kellerman

 Unnatural History - Jonathan Kellerman

Release Date:  Feb. 7, 2023

She read

This is the 38th book in the Alex Delaware series and I have read all of them. Obviously, I enjoy the investigative duo of Detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist  Delaware, as well as all the supporting characters and look forward to each new addition. Whenever I crack open a Kellerman book, I can’t seem to put it down.  

When a photographer is found dead, the investigative duo look into the victim’s wealthy but eccentric family as well as his recent shoot involving homeless individuals.  

Kellerman writes true police procedurals, albeit a little different due to Milo being unconventional and Alex along to provide psychological insight.  True, they do tend to be a bit formulaic, as Alex and Milo chase down leads, generate and discuss different theories, interview persons of interest, enjoy a few good meals. Kellerman’s descriptions are particularly picturesque and entertaining and he always seems to put a fresh spin on cases, although I wasn’t as fond of number 38 as some of the prior in the series.  

This can be read as a standalone, but if you are familiar with this series,  it is always enjoyable to meet up with these familiar characters. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouse #ballantinebooks for the ARC

****

The Doctor's Wife - Daniel Hurst

 The Doctor’s Wife - Daniel Hurst

Release Date: January 31, 2022

She read

Fern was happily married to Dr. Drew Devlin, proud to be a doctor’s wife and loving living in the busy city of Manchester.  When he wants to relocate to a small village up near Scotland, she reluctantly agrees.  Both of them are harboring secrets and have ulterior motives for making the move.  For those who hate spoilers, I don’t want to give away any more of the plot; for those who want to know, read the synopsis on Amazon or Goodreads.  

The story is told from alternating POVs, Fern’s and Drew’s.  This was an engrossing, fast read; I couldn’t put it down.  You may hate some (or all!) of the characters, but you will enjoy this domestic thriller with its twists and turns.  A very entertaining read!

Thanks to #netgalley and #bookouture for the ARC.

****

Central Places - Delia Cai

 Central places - Delia Cai

Release Date: January 31, 2023

She read

Audrey Zhou grew up as one of the very few Asian Americans in small town central Illinois, had a difficult relationship with her mother and couldn’t wait to get out.  After college, she moved to New York where she obtained a good job and a white fiancé, Ben. She hasn’t returned home for eight years but his called there over Christmas when her father has to undergo a medical procedure.  Ben travels with her, but her visit is complicated by her difficulties with her mother as well as encountering her high school crush and her former best friend with whom she had a falling out years ago.  

There are many emotional rabbit holes in this story. There is the poignancy of being ethnically different in a white bread American  town where kids can be really cruel, the effects of parents who are different from the “norm”, and never feeling that you truly fit in,  the often fraught mother daughter relationship especially when the mother is demanding and seemingly cold. There is dealing with parents who are aging and the inner conflict in a child about what debt is owed them. There is the draw of a first love; finding equality in a mature human relationship, and letting go.

This is well written by a debut author.  She captures so well those feelings about returning to your parental home (your “central place”) as a young adult when your parents are moving on and you see your childhood room for the last time.  I really liked the first half of the book. It became a tad tedious for a while because I thought Audrey was a bit immature and bratty and Ben a bit snobbish and dickish.  But it ended strong with the satisfaction of resolution. This is a worthwhile read. 

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouse  for the ARC

*****

One Day with You - Shari Low

 One Day with You  - Shari Low

Release Date: January 20, 2023

She read

One day in the lives of two couples and a widow who live outside of Glasgow; a day that will change them forever.  I am not going to give more of a synopsis for those of you who do not like spoilers.  If you want to know more specifics of the story, you can check it out on Goodreads or Amazon.

 Each chapter focuses on the alternating perspectives of the main characters.  It is poignant, bittersweet, tragic (but not maudlin), and hopeful. It demonstrates how you can make a family from those who surround and support you.  

While “women’s fiction” is not my go-to genre,  I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would; I didn’t want to put it down.  I particularly enjoyed the humorous bantering among the widow and her friends, women “of a certain age.” Shari Low weaves a great tale. My first five star read of the year.

Thanks to #netgalley and #boldwoodbooks for the ARC

****

Killer Story - Matt Whitten

 Killer Story - Matt Whitten

Release Date: January 17, 2023

As a camp counselor, Petra Kovach mentored young Livvy and treated her like a sister. Petra went on to become a print journalist while Livvy attended Harvard, started an alt right YouTube program and was murdered in her dormitory. Although someone was arrested for the crime, he was acquitted. In the troubled days of the newspaper business, Petra lost two jobs.  Her next job offer finds her in the same city where Livvy was killed.   About to lose this job, she makes a last ditch effort to save it by pitching a story about finally solving Livvy’s murder as well as hosting a podcast about it.  As her career becomes more and more threatened, Petra becomes desperate to succeed.   How far will she go, who will she hurt and is she willing to sacrifice her own personal happiness?

True crime podcasts have become a popular device in mysteries/thrillers.  This story is riveting and raises many ethical issues as well as what people will do or say for clickbait.  I found some of the characters not only unlikable, but difficult to believe.  Whenever there was a minor clue or mention of another suspect, Petra jumped right on it and felt that she had solved the crime. Could she really be that naive to be so easily convinced? I also found it appalling that the editor of a supposed respectable paper would act as though it was a tabloid. As annoyed as I was with the characters, the story totally drew me in and I didn’t want to put it down.  

  

Thanks to #netgalley and #oceanviewpublishing for the ARC

****

All The Dangerous Things - Stacy Willingham

 All the Dangerous Things - Stacy Willingham

Release Date: January 10, 2022

She read

Isabelle and Ben’s eighteen month old son went missing from his nursery a year ago.  Now separated from Ben, Isabelle devotes her life to trying to find out what happened to her son. Her well being is hampered by her chronic insomnia.  But, this is not the first time she has had a sleep disorder.  Isabelle begins to feel that suspicion is falling on her and wonders if maybe she did have something to do with it.  After all, there is that “thing” in her background.

It took a while to get into this story, but for those who like psychological/domestic thrillers, it is worth staying with it through the slower beginning.  I suffered my own insomnia with this book, as I couldn’t put it down and stayed up most of the night to finish it.  Told from one POV, there are multiple timelines in this well written novel. I did feel there was one fallacy in the resolution of the book, but don’t want to mention it as it would be a spoiler.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the ARC

****

The Devil You Know - P.J.. Tracy

 The Devil You Know - P.J. Tracy

Release Date: January 17, 2023

She read

This is the third in the LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan series; I have read all of them.  After a possibly fake video of a popular actor caught in a compromising position with an underage female surfaces, his body is found in the rubble of an earthquake induced landslide.  As his agent scurries to do damage control, his brother-in-law, a Disney executive, is found murdered, also in a compromising situation.  Nolan and her team pursue the truth as yet another body is discovered.  

There are a number of characters in this book, along with a side story about Sam Easton, a wounded veteran suffering from PTSD.  In the first of this series, the story focused more on Sam; here he is more of a peripheral character. In fact, if you have not read the prior books, you might wonder what he is doing in the story.  

One thing that I noticed, particularly in the first few chapters that I don’t remember from the prior novels, is the author’s abundant use of adjectives!  The Devil You Know is a fast paced, entertaining police procedural. Maggie is a strong, capable, likable protagonist.   If you can overlook confusion/questions about some of the secondary characters and their backgrounds and just focus on the case, then this may work as a standalone.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the ARC

****

City Under One Roof - Iris Yamashita

 City Under One Roof - Iris Yamashita

Release Date: January 10, 2023

When body parts wash up on shore in a small, isolated Alaskan town, Anchorage detective Cara Kennedy travels there to look into the situation.  When the tunnel that is the only entrance/exit to the town is closed due to bad weather, she teams up with the local sheriff and his assistant to investigate.  Along the way, she encounters the idiosyncratic residents of the town who all live in the same building “under one roof.”  Many of them have reasons they chose to live in such a secluded and harsh place.  Aside from what they may be hiding, are they all in danger?

Told from three points of view, this atmospheric tale reflects the claustrophobic feeling from living so close together and traversing the underground tunnels to get any place…not to mention the bitter cold and blizzard conditions.  You just might want to wrap up in a cozy blanket when you read this book.

I learned a bit about Alaska, although I didn’t check the accuracy of some of the facts.  It took a while to get to the climax and then I thought the denouement left some things not fully resolved.  Still it was a solid debut novel by the screen writer Iris Yamashita who wrote Letters from Iwo Jima.

Thanks to #netgalley and #berkeleypublishinggroup for the ARC

****