Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies - Catherine Mack

 Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies - Catherine Mack

Pub. Date:  April 30, 2024

She read

leanor Dash is a bestselling author of mysteries.  Her first book was a loosely masked fictional account about a real crime/mystery she and her then lover, Connor, were involved with.  Her publisher and the public loved Connor and thus she was locked into including him in all the subsequent installments of her vacation mysteries series.  But, she has had it with him and wants to kill him off in the next book.   On a tour of Italy with Connor, her able assistant/sister, some other authors, her former lover whom she lost when she got involved with Connor,  a group of fans, and an outrageous tour guide, it becomes apparent that someone is trying to really kill Connor and her as well.  Some people do die and, as the blurb boasts, “eight suspects, three bodies”…..

It took me a while to realize I really liked this book.  It was a fun romp through Rome and the Amalfi Coast and, despite the murders, amusing and lighthearted.  Eleanor is quite funny and sarcastic;  I loved that she often broke the fourth wall. The setting, especially along the Coast, is stunning and some of my favorite things about Italy (gelato, Aperol spritzes) are included.  Her digs at Goodreads reviews will resonate with a lot of readers and authors! There is even some romance thrown into the mix. 

Mack includes a number of foot notes…kind of asides that Eleanor made to further explain or emphasize something.   They were clever and entertaining, but distracting and interrupted the flow of reading. Genre bending, this is a mystery/cozymystery/romcom/travelogue/comedy. 

 

Thanks to @NetGalley and @stmartinspress @minotaur_books for the DRC.

****

Circle in the Water - Marcia Muller

 Circle in the Water - Marcia Muller

Pub. Date:  April 23, 2024

She  read

Years ago, I read the Sharon McCone mysteries regularly. She was one of the first fictional tough female PIs. Then school, work, life interfered and I got away from reading them.  It’s been a while since I picked one up and Sharon has come a long way from her first book in 1977 when she was a San Francisco PI, on staff at a legal cooperative.  She is married and in partnership with her husband, has her own agency with staff and resources, including a plane. There are 30+ books in the series. 

In this case, there has been vandalism on some of the privately owned streets (who knew some were privately owned?) in the city and Sharon has been hired to find the culprit. Her investigation puts her in danger as she doggedly pursues the truth  

Not a heart racing thriller, this is more a solid mystery procedural.  It is a fast read and taps into some of the present difficulties in SF with housing prices and homelessness. 

Thanks to @netgalley and #grandcentralpublishing for the DRC.

***

Darling Girls - Sally Hepworth

 Darling Girls - Sally Hepworth

Pub. Date:  April 23, 2024

She read

Twenty five years ago, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia were placed in foster care with Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows in Port Agatha. The placement was a horror show of manipulation and abuse. For survival, the girls bonded together and considered themselves sisters, always having each other’s backs. Now adults, still with strong feelings of sisterhood and their own individual neuroses, they are hurtled back to the past when they receive a call that bones have been discovered on the property that once housed Wild Meadows. They return there to be questioned by the authorities trying to solve the mystery. Are the women witnesses or suspects?

Sally Hepworth is a bestselling Australian author; I have read and enjoyed some of her prior books.  Told in alternating timelines, and POVs, this is a slow burn thriller with excellent character development, twists, and turns.  The  horrors that can sometimes be part of the foster care system especially with a pathological caregiver are chronicled here and endured by three bright, resourceful, loyal to each other young females.  An engrossing, poignant read that is not all sinister; there is also wit, humor (albeit sometimes dark), and hope for the future of these three women who have formed a non traditional, but strong family.

Random thoughts:  Read this book just to find out why Norah’s dogs are named Couch, Converse, and Thong!  I think the ending will elicit varied reactions…..what will you think of it?

****

Next of Kin - Samantha Jayne Allen

 Next of Kin - Samantha Jayne Allen

Pub. Date: April 23, 2024

She read

Annie is now a full partner in the private detective business started by her former sheriff grandfather and Mary Kate, his associate and friend in her hometown of Garnett in hardscrabble Texas.  While the family is preparing for her cousin’s wedding, the best man, the groom’s adoptive brother, Clint, asks her help in finding his birth parents.  As she investigates, she finds that Clint’s father was a bank robber arrested by her grandfather years ago.  When Clint’s biological brother is found dead, it is declared a suicide, but that doesn’t sit right with Annie. She can’t resist further inquiry, even if it puts her and her loved ones in danger.  

This is the third in the Annie  McIntyre series.  Although I have read all of them, this would work as a standalone.  Intricately plotted, and a bit of a slow burn, the writing is atmospheric and descriptive.  It is a good character study of small town Texas and the author paints an illuminating picture of the sights, smells, the feel of the area.  

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress @minotaur_books for the DRC.

****

The Inmate - Freida McFadden

 The Inmate - Freida McFadden

Pub. Date: March 5, 2024

She read

After ten years away from her hometown, Brooke Sullivan returns there when her estranged parents are killed in an auto accident and she inherits the family home.  Hoping to make a fresh start with her ten year old son, the only job this nurse practitioner can find is in a maximum security penitentiary.  She is not looking forward to the job as the man who tried to kill her ten years ago is imprisoned there; it was her testimony that sent him to this institution. 

I chose this book because McFadden’s books are such best sellers and I had never read one.  I can see why she is so popular…she weaves a heck of a story.  There were the requisite twists, turns, and red herrings. There also were cliches, the story was a bit over the top, there were times I wanted to shake Brooke for her naiveté, and I thought there were a few unanswered questions.  Yet, I couldn’t put this book down.  Told in two timelines, it was a fast, engrossing read and my life stopped until I finished it. I loved the epilogue.  

 It is what I would describe as a popcorn thriller. 

Thanks to @NetGalley and @poisonedpenpress for the DRC.

****

Lucky - Jane Smiley

 Lucky - Jane Smiley

Pub. Date: April 23, 2024

She read

Jodie Rattler grew up with a single mother in St. Louis, a city she loves and to which she continues to return.  Influenced by her family’s interest in music and the folk singers and other musicians of the 1960s, her talent brings her to the fringes of success, providing enough income to support her.   Always independent but with strong family ties, she makes conscious choices how she will live her life. As she passes through the stages of her life, she reflects back, determining whether they were the right alternatives for her.

Well written by Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley, this will appeal to fans of literary fiction, although I fear some readers may tire of the constant musical references and Jodie’s wanderings around England. For people of a certain age and fans of the folk rock genre, this is a nostalgic read recounting the songs and singers of the 60s, as well historical events dating from the early 60s.  There are some very poignant and insightful observations of the various stages of women’s lives and the options open to them. 

I don’t like to write spoilers. Suffice to say that there is a turn at the end of the novel that will cause some to say “brava” and others to say “what the…..?”.   Read the book to see in which camp you will be. 

Thanks to @NetGalley and @aaknopf for the DRC.

****

A Calamity of Souls - David Baldacci

A Calamity of Souls - David Baldacci 

Pub. Date: April 16, 2024

She read; he will read it next

It is 1968 in southern Virginia, a place where some of the activities and certainly the attitudes of the abolished Jim Crow Laws are still evidenced to a large extent. Jack Lee is a young White man who has returned to his home town to practice law. Although he does not prescribe to the racial prejudices of many of the people with whom he grew up, he has never really done anything about the hate he sees around him. When a Black veteran of the Vietnam war, Jerome Washington, is charged with murdering the well to do elderly couple for whom he worked, Jack has the chance to do something. When outside forces try to bully him out of defending Jerome, he digs in his heels, just as his mother has taught him to do when facing tormentors.  

Jerome’s wife Pearl is then charged as an accomplice.  Jack worries that he, who has never argued a homicide case, won’t be up to the task. Desiree DuBoise, a Black litigator from Chicago who has participated in many high profile racial cases and even won one before the Supreme Court, partners with Jack as they face all the tension, lies, and grave danger of this racially charged case. As the trial takes on national notoriety, it also becomes a political issue, particularly for the campaign of George Wallace. 

This is a legal thriller; but, oh, it is so much more.  It chronicles the racial tension and injustice of the 1960s while also serving as a cautionary tale for our times as so much of the hate and vitriol expressed by some of the characters is still heard today.

Well written and plotted with characters that truly come to life, Baldacci weaves an edge of the seat tale while making a strong case for equal justice and opportunity for all. As I read this book, I felt an entire range of strong emotions from empathy, to sadness, frustration, anger to fear for our present day political situation.  A five star read that I highly recommend. I think it is Baldacci’s best!

Thanks to @netgalley and #grandcentralpublishing for the DRC. 

*****

The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux - Mandy Robotham

 The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux - Mandy Robotham

Pub. Date:  April 11, 2024

She read

Her publishing house wants to squeeze one more book out of 90 year old author Ruby Devereaux.  She has led a colorful life and her memoir might be just the thing. A Boy Friday is hired to assist her in recording her memories and also in providing her tea and refreshments.  She has traveled the world and had adventures few women of her time have experienced and chooses to recount her history by focusing on her interaction with twelve men in her life. Thus we learn of her history from the days of World War II through the present.  

I have read and enjoyed a number of Mandy Robotham’s historical fiction books, particularly those set during the World War II and Cold War eras.  This book is quite different and yet it is a chronicle of the times spanning the days from the 1940s onward.   While alternating chapters between a book within a book style and interactions with Ruby’s present publisher and staff, Robotham captures well the culture of the various time frames…including the post war peace, the machinations of the Cold War, the haze of the 60s, the hell of Vietnam…while also revealing the personal loves and pains of Ruby’s experiences, as well as a bit of the writing process  

Ruby is an indomitable character, and I enjoyed this romp through life with her. I also loved the different international settings, from London to New York, Venice, Budapest, Vietnam.

Thanks to @netgalley and @ariafiction for the DRC.

****

Weekends with You - Alexandra Paige

 Weekends with You - Alexandra Paige

Publication Date: April 9, 2024

She read

Long Islander (NY) Lucy is living in London developing her skill as a florist working in a small two person shop.  She loves her job but worries that the business might not make it.  When she becomes one of eight twenty somethings sharing a warehouse conversion, she falls for Henry, who is somewhat of an enigma.  The problem is Henry travels for his job as a photographer, returning to his room at the warehouse apartments only one weekend a month.  He makes clear that in his travels he hopes to find a place to call home as London no longer has anything for him.

The book is well written with some sweet (no  pun intended!) aspects and a unique  plot line.  However, I found the interaction between Lucy and  Henry to be very slow moving with no real spark.  That I was more interested in the information shared about the flowers and the monthly activities of the Warehouse Weekend than the relationship  between the two would be lovers does not bode well for the romance aspect of this romcom.  I looked forward to seeing what the group would be exploring on their planned weekends, but I cringed about the interaction between the two main characters. Other than admiring him physically, I couldn’t quite see what Lucy saw in him; he seemed quite emotionless; almost an automaton.  But, who can explain attraction to someone even though at heart we know they may not be good for us? 

I did like Lucy’s talent, ambition, and business acumen. 

Thanks to @netgalley and @avonbooks for the DRC

***

Off The Air - Christina Estes

 Off The Air - Christina Estes

Pub. Date:  March 26, 2024

She read

Jolene Garcia is a TV reporter trying to make a name for herself in the Phoenix market.  Somewhat hapless, she always seems to be one step behind JJ, the golden reporter from a rival station.  When a local contentious radio host is found dead by poison,  Jolene has the advantage of having been the last person to interview him. That advantage soon fades and once again she is playing catch up. When she gets a tip that may lead her to the murderer, will she solve the case, will she avoid endangering her life and will she finally win an Emmy?

Debut author Estes was an award winning reporter and demonstrates she knows her way around this sometimes toxic field.  There is a  fast paced plot, written with humor and characters that were endearing even when they were annoying. This was a refreshing break from some of the dark thrillers I have read recently and I enjoyed the emphasis on the pressure that TV and other journalists are under in this social media crazy world.  Estes even manages to squeeze in some geography and history lessons without being pedantic or preachy. 

I wonder, is this the beginning of a new cozy mystery series?  It  would be fun to read more about Jolene’s adventures. 

Thanks to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and #minotaur for the DRC

A Great Country - Shilpi Somaya Gowda

A Great Country - Shilpi Somaya Gowda

She and he read.

 Ashok and Priya emigrated from India to the United States to build a better life.  They worked hard, and Priya gave birth to three children.  Their dreams are coming true as they have just moved to the exclusive Palisades Hills area.  But when their twelve year old neurodivergent son is arrested, a nightmare begins for the family and the parents learn a lot about their other two children, some cultural realities about America and the American dream. 

I loved this book and recommended it to my husband who also really liked it.  Well written and plotted, with fully developed characterizations, the author has her pulse on our present day social and political climate. It is an engrossing, fast read that I didn’t want to put down.

The immigrant experience felt by so many is captured and brought to life on the pages of this book.  People work hard, pay taxes, support the economy, provide essential services and yet are vilified.  There is prejudice, often inhumane treatment, and ever present feelings of vulnerability, especially if their skin is dark and the ever present conflict between trying to assimilate yet holding on to one’s heritage.  

I think this would make an excellent selection for a book club…so much “grist” for discussion…not only topics mentioned above but also policing, white privilege, systemic racism, stereotyping, generational differences, the price of upward mobility.  As an aside, it was interesting learning about the present day caste system in India.   

Thanks to @netgalley and @marinerbooks for the DRC.

*****