Face Her Fear - Lisa Regan

 Face Her Fear - Lisa Regan

Pub. Date: Jan. 30, 2024

She read

Still dealing with the trauma of her colleague Mettner’s  death as well as her grandmother’s murder, Josie and five other participants attend a retreat at a remote, mountainous location in Pennsylvania. Focused on treating PTSD,  it is lead by a New Agey therapist.  Josie has had a falling out with husband Noah, so is also carrying that baggage. When a blizzard traps the attendees in that isolated, hard to reach locale, with diminishing supplies, poor phone reception and then one of the participants is found murdered, Josie attempts to preserve the evidence while figuring out just what is going on, who is hiding some secrets, and trying to protect the others from peril. This is not Josie’s usual environment and she has to improvise. Ever faithful Noah sets out in an effort to rescue Josie but puts his own life in danger. 

This is number nineteen in the Josie Quinn series. It is one of my top must read series. This is yet another exciting, page turning read; I did not want to put it down. Regan always grabs my attention and won’t let go. Although this one did stretch the imagination a bit, the plot was intriguing.  I enjoy Josie. Despite all the travails she has met with in her life, she remains a strong, intelligent, though vulnerable, character. I also like all the repeating characters who surround her both in her personal and professional life. 

A new character is introduced…the replacement for Mettner.  As the book concludes, he seems to be off to a bad start with all of the team members.  I’m looking forward to seeing what transpires with him. 

This can work as a stand alone, but do yourself a favor and read at least some of the prior ones. There is a lot of history to Josie and the other players. Regan does a good job of trying to fill in the background stories, but it would be more satisfying to actually read those past histories. 

If you like well written police procedurals/thrillers, I highly recommend this series. I cannot wait for the next one.

Thanks to #netgalley and @bookouture for the ARC.

*****

Twenty Seven Minutes - Ashley Tate

 Twenty Seven Minutes - Ashley Tate

Publication Date: January 30, 2024

She read

As the decennial of Phoebe’s death in an auto accident approaches and a memorial is planned, the main characters from that fateful night converge to reveal what really happened and why it took her brother, who was driving,  twenty seven minutes to call 911.  Phoebe was seen as the perfect child by her mother and community.  Her brother, not so much.  That fateful night had devastating affects on her family and Becca, who was also in the car.  Far reaching, it also touched others including Wyatt who disappeared that night and his family.  

This almost reads like a YA novel,  but it is far too dark to be anything other than an adult read.  I found the characters to be unlikable and could not engage with the story.  The narrative seemed to go on and on in a mosaic of obsession, guilt, and grief.  I did like the different POVs, but the characters were all such sad people.  Curiosity about the real events of that night ten years ago will keep readers hooked. 

There are others who will really like this book, but it just wasn’t for me.  

Thanks to #netgalley and #poisonedpenpress for the ARC

**

Only If You're Lucky - Stacy Willingham

 Only If You're Lucky - Stacy Willingham

Publication Date:  January 16, 2024

She read.

Margot and Eliza were best friends and planned going off to Rutledge College together.  That is, until Levi moved in next door to Eliza, causing a rift in the girl’s friendship. He was with Eliza when she accidentally fell to her death. Margot went off to Rutledge on her own where she spent a nondescript year until she met Lucy who invited her to room with her and two other girls in a house next to and owned by a fraternity.  There’s something mysteriously alluring and dangerous about Lucy who fast becomes Margot’s new best friend.  And then Levi turns up as a pledge at the fraternity….

I read Willingham’s All the Dangerous Things and liked it.  However, I  had a difficult time engaging with this novel.  The characters were not very likable, although many were quite sad,  and all the obsessing just didn’t draw me in.  As timelines went back and fourth, I thought it was a slow burn with a lot of repetition.  I kept waiting for the twists and as the story spiraled downward in the last part of the book, I finally found the tale more compelling.  The novel was a good commentary on the pain and danger inherent in the desperation to belong and the question asked in a Truth or Dare game, “if you knew you could get away with murder, would you do it?” quite thought provoking.

There are many readers who will really like this book…it just didn’t quite do it for me. However, I am looking forward to reading  Willingham’s next work.

Thanks to #netgalley and @stmartinspress #minotaurbooks for the ARC

***

Dream Town - Lee Goldberg

 Dream Town - Lee Goldberg

Publication Date: January 16, 2024

She read

Eve Ronin is a novice homicide investigator. Much to the consternation of many in the LA County Sheriff Department, she was promoted to her position when a video of her taking down and arresting a movie star for abusing a woman went viral. She is partnered with Duncan “Donuts” Pavone who has recently postponed his retirement. 

Mummified and skeletal remains are found in a preserve adjacent to the somewhat unusual wealthy enclave of Hidden Hills.  Eve and Duncan are called away from the site by the robbery and murder of a reality star in Hidden Hills.  Are these two incidents related?  And just how does the rap star, also a resident of the enclave, fit into the plot? 

On a personal level, Eve has purchased and moved into her own home, a house readers will recognize from an earlier story and she is  building a relationship with archeologist Daniel, also familiar from an earlier installment. 

This is the fifth in the Eve Ronin series; I have read all of them.  Obviously, I like Lee Goldberg’s writing. his books are well written, fast moving, with good character development. I particularly enjoy the humor displayed by some of the characters. While the actions and plots may sometimes stretch the imagination, they are  never too far fetched.  

I would recommend this series to fans of mysteries/thrillers/police procedurals, especially those featuring personable main characters. All of the books do work as stand alones.

Thanks to #netgalley and @amazonpublishing #thomasandmercer for the ARC.

*****

My Friends - Hisham Matar

 My Friends - Hisham Matar

Publication Date: January 9, 2024

Growing up in Benghazi, Kahlid is affected by hearing a short story about a man eaten alive by a cat.  He enrolls in the University of Edinburgh where he remains friends with Mustafa, also from his home town.  When Mustafa convinces him to attend a political protest at the Libyan Embassy in London where violence erupts,  Kahlid’s life is forever changed.  The two young men can no longer return to either their home country nor to Edinburgh.  Thus, Kahlid begins the life of an exile living in London.

He does have the opportunity to meet the author of the short story that had such an impact on him and they become friends.  As the Arab Spring dawns and the political situation in Libya escalates, his two friends eventually choose a different path from him, returning to their homeland to be a part of the revolution. 

Khalid recounts his history while taking a walk about his adopted city, passing places of significance, including where that protest took place.  The novel is based on true events in the tortuous history of Libya (and the protest in London) and the effects of this history on three fictional friends. 

Beautifully written and introspective, the novel expresses the pain of living in exile away from family and the countryside one loved as a child, as well as the constant fear experienced by political exiles.  It was a bit of a slow read for me as Khalid’s musings do tend to meander and I wanted to reflect on every one of his thoughts and experiences. 

****

Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhousepublishing for the arc.

One of the Good Guys - Araminta Hall

 One of the Good Guys - Araminta Hall

Pub Date: January 9, 2024

She read

Following some difficult times dealing with infertility and  IVF disappointments, Cole and Mel are divorcing.  She  continues to live in London running a very lucrative PR business.  Cole escapes to the seaside where he works as a wildlife ranger and meets Leonora, a reclusive artist. When two young women who were walking the coastline to raise awareness of violence against women disappear, all of them are caught up in a downward spiral.   

Oh, but there is so much more to this tale. 

I have mixed feelings about this book.  It took me til the halfway point to begin to engage with the story. The plot unfolds and twists are revealed with different POVs and alternating timelines that include interviews, transcripts, social media posts. There are important topics here: misogyny, violence against women, the power imbalance in relationships, the entitlement of straight white men, what  really constitutes permission, and all the fears women have always had to face and continue to face in society.

I don’t usually quote directly from ARCs because narratives can change, but there are some wonderful lines.  Two that particularly resonated with me: “and since they can’t burn us [women] as witches anymore, they have to legislate against us” and “The Virgin Mary set an impossible and  biologically ridiculous standard that’s been hanging over women ever since.”

The writing style may not be for everyone; it is a bit unusual and the characters and their actions will be off putting to many, but One of the Good Guys gives readers much to think about. 

Thanks to #netgalley and @zandoprojects for the ARC.

***

From a Far and Lovely Country - Alexander McCall Smith

 From a Far and Lovely Country - Alexander McCall Smith

She read.

This is the twenty fourth in the simple but charming No. 1 Ladies Detective series. All the familiar characters are here. 

And, yes, the talking shoes do make a cameo appearance!

Precious Ramotswe has two cases on her plate.  The first is yet another pro bono for an employee of Mma Potokwani.  It seems there is a “Cool Singles Evening Club” where married men are paying fees to be admitted and pass for single.  Mma Ramotswe decides to put her apprentice, Charlie,  in charge of the investigation.  When Mma Makutsi gets involved, an unfortunate situation arises that the agency feels compelled to resolve. Those familiar with Gabarone will chuckle when the owner of the club is revealed.  

While dining in a local restaurant, a visitor from Indiana, USA recognizes Mma Ramotswe and asks her help in finding the distant relatives of the man she called grandfather, who is long deceased.  The search brings Precious to her beloved hometown and along the way readers learn of some of the history of British rule in Africa. 

And there is also the problem of the birthday present dress that has been damaged!

Mma Ramotswe always manages to  come up with clever and successful solutions to problems. Her gentle way and penchant for always finding the positive in a situation is balm for the soul.

Usually I binge this series, reading the book all in a day.  For this installment, I decided to read a chapter at a time, taking a break in between and allowing time to savor Mma Ramotswe’s wisdom, profound in its simplicity.  

This is another feel good addition to the series. It makes a nice afternoon or evening read while curled up with a pot of tea. Fans of McCall Smith’s gentle prose and perceptive musings will welcome this latest endeavor.

Thanks to #netgalley and @aaknopf @pantheonbooks for the ARC

*****