Leave No Trace - D.S. Butler

 Leave No Trace - D. S. Butler

Pub. Date: Aug. 27, 2024

She read

An eleven year old is taken at Tattershall Castle while his mother is distracted and a blue teddy bear left in his place.  The MO is reminiscent of three children abducted and murdered fifteen years ago, but someone was arrested and is in jail for those crimes.  Could they have charged the wrong person, does he have an accomplish, a copy cat, or is something else at play here?  DS Karen Hart and DI Morgan investigate. 

This is a fast paced, well plotted, suspenseful mystery with enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing. I didn’t want to put the book down. I enjoy this main character.  She is engaging, capable, empathetic and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. D.S. Butler is another author who always captures my attention and doesn't let go. 

The  ninth in the Karen Hart series, it is the fifth I have read.  Although the main players’ stories progress with successive books, each one can be read as a stand alone.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ThomasandMercer for the DRC.

*****

The Dark Wives - Ann Cleeves

 The Dark Wives - Ann Cleeves

Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2024

She read

When a staff member at a home for troubled teens is found murdered and a  fourteen year old female resident of the home disappears, Vera and her team are drawn to the countryside of Northumberland to investigate.  

I really enjoy Ann Cleeves’ writing, having read her Two Rivers series.  This book is the eleventh of the Vera Stanhope series (there are also some short stories); it is the second I have read.  Some may recognize the name Vera Stanhope from the very successful TV series based on these stories starring Blenda Blethyn and available on a number of streaming platforms.

Vera is a bit overweight and unkempt, very forthright, and no fashion plate. She isn’t always a team player. She is, however, a stellar detective. 

Cleeves is an excellent writer.  All of her books that I have read have been engrossing, well plotted, with good character development.  Her atmospheric, descriptive, detailed language draws the reader into the scenes.  

I did like the new addition to the team, Rosie Bell.  She is also quite the character! Although the main players’ stories progress with successive books, each one can be read as a stand alone.

Ann Cleeves is recommended for fans of British police procedurals and other mystery lovers.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress #Minotaur for the DRC.

****

This is Why We Lied - Karin Slaughter

 This is Why We Lied - Karin Slaughter

Pub. Date: Aug. 20, 2024

She read

Will Trent, special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Sara Linton, pediatrician turned Medical Examiner with GBI, have finally married and are honeymooning at a secluded resort in the mountains.The guests must hike in to the individual cabins and lodge.There is no WIFI for guests and phone reception is not the best…and then a storm further isolates them.  When Mercy McAlpine, the manager and daughter of the owners, is viciously murdered, Will and Sara get caught up in the investigation. Good thing they are there as the dysfunctional, vile McAlpine family could care less about Mercy, the local sheriff seems uninterested in the investigation, and many of the guests appear to be harboring secrets.   

Faith, Will’s partner, characterizes the situation as “an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery with a VC Andrews twist” and that is a perfect descriptor for this dark story. It is a long book and I thought it a bit of a slow read, but there were twists, turns, red herrings, near death experiences, and some humor. The McAlpine family is particularly abhorrent and for those who need them, there are lots of trigger warnings here which, as I understand it, is not uncommon in this author’s books.  TWs include child abuse, domestic violence, brutal treatment of women, incest, substance abuse, rape. 

This is the twelfth in the Will Trent series and while the main characters’ stories progress with successive books, each one can be read as a stand alone. I started the series at number eleven.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @WilliamMorrowBooks for the DRC.

****

The Nurse's Lie - Daniel Hurst

 The Nurse's Lie - Daniel Hurst

Pub. Date:  Aug. 1, 2024

She read

In this, the second of The Perfect Nurse series, Darcy, having killed someone and still dealing with amnesia, relocates to Florida where an attractive man hires her to look after his father who is in the beginning stages of dementia.  The father warns her about the son. Are the warnings real or a figment of his condition and is Darcy in danger?  Meanwhile, sister Pippa, having helped Darcy dispose of the body, is becoming further and further estranged from her husband and family because they know she is hiding something. When someone from Darcy’s past surfaces, the family’s involvement deepens.

OK.  I admit it.  I am addicted.  I could not pass up this second in the series by Hurst just as I couldn’t pass up all the books in The Doctor’s Wife series.  I call them popcorn thrillers and I couldn’t resist…I just had to find out what happens next for Darcy and Pippa.  

This one raises the question, how far would you go to save your sibling, your child, your self….not necessarily their  life, but their risk of being locked away in a penitentiary for life.  

Written in the same style as the first one, this story was really over the top and presents a dilemma for me. Can I cure my addiction or do I have to read the next one to find out what happens after this cliffhanger ending? 

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the DRC. 

***

City of Secrets - P.J. Tracy

 City of Secrets - P.J. Tracy

Pub. Date: Aug. 20, 2024

She read

A man is found murdered in his luxury automobile in a seedier section of LA.  Turns out he is Bruce Messane, the CEO of a successful pet food company that is about to be bought out in a mega million dollar deal.  Detectives Margaret Nolan and Al Crawford have a mystery on their hands that deepens when Messane's former partner’s wife is kidnapped. Their inquiry uncovers possible financial discrepancies in Messane’s life as well as his penchant for dark sexual proclivities.  And, is there a connection to the ever present drug trade in LA?

City of Secrets has a creative, complex, but solid story line, full of mystery, twists, some humor, and convivial repeating characters. It is a fast, engrossing read, with the chapters moving along at a good pace. 

This is the fourth in the Detective Margaret Nolan series; I have read all of them.While this could be read as a standalone, I think I enjoyed it more knowing the histories of many of the characters. There are quite a few players and some of the backstories are not fully developed.  That said, I recommend this book and series for fans of police procedurals and mysteries,  particularly those featuring a strong, capable female protagonist.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress #Minotaur for the DRC.

****

Paradise Bronx - Ian Frazier

Paradise Bronx - Ian Frazier

Pub. Date: Aug. 20, 2024

She read

From his fifteen years of walking The Bronx, Ian Frasier has discovered much about this historic locale.  He presents a history of the United States, indeed the world, as it relates to The Bronx and what it, in turn, has given birth to.  It is packed full of interesting names, anecdotes, historical facts and love for that much maligned, very important borough. What was particularly meaningful was learning how bureaucratic decisions affected so much what was visited on the real estate and people of The Bronx. 

I wanted to read this book because my long deceased grandparents and mother lived in The Bronx (Bryant Ave.).  I grew up hearing them speak fondly of “Jerome Ave., Bruckner Blvd., Willis Ave." and other streets and the businesses, parks, schools, neighbors they enjoyed there and I wanted to know more about it. 

I learned so much!  This is a very worthwhile read for anyone interested in The Bronx, or just American history in general as well as urban anthropology.  It is long (almost 600 pages), but Frazier is an excellent writer who held my attention throughout.   

Thanks to #NetGalley and @fsgbooks for the DRC.

***** 

By Any Other Name - Jodi Picoult

 By Any Other Name - Jodi Picoult

Pub. Date: Aug. 20, 2024

She read

There has always been suspicion that Shakespeare was not the author of the works attributed to him and through the years there has been “evidence" presented to support this view.

By Any Other Name tells the fictional story of two women, separated by centuries, but related (distantly) by blood and also by the obstacles they face as women in the literary world. In the 1500s, Emilia Bassano is a talented writer. Yet, as a woman,  she cannot present any of her work just as she has no independence of her own first as the mistress of a titled older man and later as the property of her husband. And so, she must sell her works to Shakespeare so that they can be seen and heard under his name.

In present day, Melina Green, has written a play about Bassano that she knows will be dismissed in the chauvinistic world of theater. When her work is mistaken to be the product of her best friend, Andre, a gay black man, the charade backfires. 

This book will not be for everyone. It is long (544 pages), it goes back and forth between the two timelines, and has violence against women.  In fact, it took me a while to realize I really, really liked the story. The writing is literate, powerful, emotional, thought provoking. As is typical with a Picoult novel, it is well researched and educational. It is gut wrenching to read of the position of women in the 1500s; dispiriting to think about the prejudice that still exists today…not only toward women, but other marginalized people as well. The story also gave me a lot to think about that is happening today politically as it relates to history, especially the control the Puritans tried to enforce over society in the 1500s. 

Thanks to #NetGalley and @RandomHouse #BallantineBooks for the DRC.

A Great Marriage - Frances Mayes

 A Great Marriage - Frances Mayes

Pub. Date: Aug. 13, 2024

She read

What makes a great marriage or even a good one or a good divorce?

Dara and Austin are in love and celebrating their upcoming marriage with family and friends.  Little do they suspect that something will seriously impact their relationship, throwing their worlds into chaos.  With support of those who love them, will they find their way back to each other?

Both literary fiction and romance, this is a beautiful story and I loved it.  With an entertaining storyline, the book explores romantic relationships and partnerships. It is well written, literate, with a cohesive plot and charming intergenerational characters. As she has done with other locales, Mayes paints a beautiful portrait of the South (US). Perhaps a bit fairy talish,  I think it may take a certain level of maturity and experience to truly appreciate this read. 

Thanks to @NetGalley and @RandomHouse #BallantineBooks for the DRC.

*****

Society of Lies -Lauren Ling Brown

 Society of Lies - Lauren Ling Brown

Pub. Date: Aug. 13, 2024

She read

Set among the culture of the secret eating societies of Princeton University, Naomi, graduate of that Ivy League school, sacrificed a lot of herself to enable her younger sister, Maya, to also attend. Visiting the University for Maya’s graduation, Naomi is shocked when her sister is found drowned  on campus. Did her death have anything to do with actions taken or not taken when Naomi was a part of those private clubs?

Written from two POVs with three timelines, this debut, multilayered novel touches on dark academia, the corruption of money, power and privilege, young people trying to find their place in the world while dealing with the social aspects of the multiracial experience. The suspense and twists are there yet slow to develop. Usually I find different POVs and timelines easy to follow; with this book, I needed to often remind myself who was speaking when starting new chapters. 

This is a worthy first novel and I look forward to future works by this author. 

Thanks  to #NetGalley and #RandomHouse #Ballantine #Bantam for the DRC.

***

Gut Health for Women - Empowering your body from the inside out - Christine R. Scott

 Gut Health for Women - Empowering your body from the inside out - Christine R. Scott

She Read

Gut health is important not only to feel good but also because the functioning of the gut and the brain are intertwined.  Women and the influence of their changing hormones make focusing on gut health even more important. 

Utilizing a holistic approach, this book strives to integrate nutrition, exercise, and positive mental health to maintain overall well being.  The different stages of a woman’s life and her needs in those areas are discussed, with practical suggestions provided for each. I particularly liked the specific dietary recommendations.

This is an excellent resource for women looking to improve their gut health or take preventative measures for the future.

A comprehensive approach to women’s health, the only thing addition I would have liked are some specific recipes….Perhaps there will be sequel? 

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ToddRosenthal  for the DRC.

*****

Our Narrow Hiding Places - Kristopher Jansma

 Our Narrow Hiding Places - Kristopher Jansma

Pub. Date: Aug. 13, 2024 

She read

  Mieke is an 80 year old woman living on the Jersey shore. When she suffers a fall, her grandson comes to visit.  While he is dealing with some of his own demons, Mieke shares the family history in World War II torn Holland. Focusing primarily on the time known as the “Hunger Winter” when, as a child, there was no heat, no food and thousands died of starvation, she recounts those devastating years and the effects on family, friends, and acquaintances. 

Beautifully written, heartbreaking, yet hopeful, the story has two timelines; the 1940s in the Netherlands and more modern times in New Jersey.  There are additional chapters from a Dutch book that had been recently discovered by her neighbor, a professor specializing in Holocaust literature.  The provides additional history that is narrated by eels.  Yes, eels!  But, it works! 

Intergenerational trauma is a recurrent theme as it is revealed what people went through and had to do to withstand the atrocities of war. This is a tale of horror, defiance, survival, resilience, and also one of never forgetting.

Thanks to #netgalley and @eccobooks for the DRC.

*****