April Read: How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

 

I've heard buzz around this mystery and I didn't want to wait for a copy, so I bought my own. Sounds strange, but sometimes a good murder mystery is a good palate cleanser in your monthly reading. 

The premise of this mystery is a bit unusual: Frances Adams believes she will be murdered. It all stems from an encounter with a fortune teller when she was sixteen, way back in 1966. For the rest of her life, she's been unshakeable in her belief that one day she will be murdered. So she spends the rest of her long life trying to figure out just who is going to do the deed. 

Annie Adams is her great-niece, and she's been summoned to Frances' English country estate to meet with Frances and learn about her inheritance. Annie has never met Frances, so she's curious and cautious, since she's heard the stories of a quirky and unusual Aunt. 

Annie arrives, and the first time she sees Frances, she's dead on the floor, with bloody hands and scattered flowers all around. It appears to be a natural death, until Annie discovered sharp little blades inserted in the thorns of the roses--the cause of the bloody hands. Hmmm...sounds like Frances' belief in her own murder has come to pass. 

Here's the kicker: Frances has made her will so that Annie and a select few have a week to solve her murder. Whomever solves the murder inherits her entire estate, and it's a big chunk of real estate and money. If they don't solve it, the estate is sold to a developer and the money is given to charities. 

Frances has left behind all sorts of diaries, diagrams, and potential clues as to who may have murdered her and why. It all ties back to 1966 and the friendship between Frances, Rose, and Emily; three young friends who grow up together but experience some radical changes which lead up to Emily's unsolved disappearance. Are the two incidents tied together, all these years apart?

I enjoyed this murder mystery very much. Loved the setting--a beautiful English country estate; Annie is clever and determined to sift through the clues and find the culprit. Yes, she wants the inheritance, but mostly because she wants to keep her mother's home in London, which is part of the estate. But who does she trust in the village of Castle Knoll? The detective? Rose, Frances' friend who is now an elderly owner of a local hotel? The Vicar, who dated Frances as a teenager? Or Saxon, who has everything to lose? It's an interesting mix of characters, each with motivation. 

The past and the present definitely mesh together in this mystery. There are a few surprises, but nothing head scratching. It's not a hard mystery to solve, but you don't mind at all because it's just an enjoyable read and a fun ride. 

Rating: 4/6 for a truly English murder mystery, with a gorgeous setting, plenty of suspects, and a bit of help from the murder victim herself. Family secrets, friendships that span decades, and all sorts of revelations come to light in this mystery. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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April Read: How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

April Read: Funny Story by Emily Henry

 

Emily Henry returns this month with her latest sure-to-be-a-massive-hit novel, Funny Story. It clocks in at 384 pages, so be prepared to put some time into this one!

I have a love/hate relationship with EH's novels. Out of the four I've read, I've only really, really liked one, and that was Book Lovers. It charmed me and I not only liked the characters, but the whole dang book. Funny Story comes in second as my next most likable EH novel. 

The premise is pretty interesting: Daphne's fiancé, weeks before their wedding, leaves her for his childhood best friend, Petra. Devastated, with nowhere to go in the small Michigan lakeside town she's moved to for her marriage, she ends up moving into Petra's old apartment--the one she shared with her boyfriend, Miles. He's also reeling from the breakup of his relationship with Petra, and loves to play sad love songs 24/7. Two broken-hearted people living together, trying to cope with the betrayal of their ex-relationships. At first, they avoid each other as much as possible. But as the weeks go by, they both start to become friendly, and wounds begin to heal. 

Daphne is an introverted children's librarian, and Miles works at a winery. He's utterly charming in every way, and before she knows it, Daphne is feeling all the feels--especially when  they decide to pretend to be involved in order to attend Peter and Petra's upcoming wedding. It's the old "we'll show them we've moved on" move that backfires when Miles and Daphne begin a slow burn "oh crap I really like this person" with some sexual tension that gets pretty steamy. All the while Daphne is counting the days until she can fulfill her end of summer library readathon and leave Michigan for good. 

Of course, both have baggage that's more of the check-in kind than the carry-on kind, and that interferes in what should be a simple falling in love story. Add in new friendships, a visiting sister, and troubled childhoods, and what could have been a 300 page novel ends up much longer than I think it should be. I had to stop reading for a few days because I was getting annoyed at the slow pace. I guess I'm an impatient gal when it comes to love!

I enjoyed the setting and I'm convinced Michigan is a place I must visit. It was also refreshing to read a romance about two people who are just ordinary, everyday people with jobs that are fulfilling but aren't about climbing the corporate ladder or making the most money. If anything, it reminded me that romance lives even under the worst circumstances, and love wins out if you have the courage to step into it. 

So overall, I did enjoy the book, but felt it was too long. Daphne and Miles are likable characters and a good match that is definitely believable. Secondary characters and the charm of small town Michigan during the summer months round out what will certainly be a HUGE summer hit. 

This novel will be out in the US on April 23rd in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

Thanks to Berkley and Penguin/Random House for an advanced copy to read and review! 

Rating: 4/6 for a summer romance long on build-up but with a charming setting and two likable people who fall in love when it's least expected. 

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April Read: Funny Story by Emily Henry

March Read: What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

 

I've read a few Shari Lapena novels and they always keep me dangling until the last few pages.   This novel, her latest (on sale July 30), kept me completely engaged and unable to put it down. 

The small town of Fairhill, Vermont is a place where you leave your house unlocked and there's never any crime. Until one early morning when a farmer, driving his tractor into one of his fields, discovers a horrible scene: a naked young woman-dead, lying in the field. 

That dead young woman is Diana Brewer, a senior at the local high school. Her single mother works the night shift as a nurse in the next town over, and Diana spends nights alone at their home. Word quickly spreads, and the first suspect is Diana's boyfriend, Cameron. What were they doing together the night before, and why does Cameron lie? Diana's best friends Riley and Evan are devastated Diana's dead--and murdered. The town quickly become filled with a whole lot of people who have secrets to keep; secrets which point at many of them as potential suspects. Will they lie to protect themselves, or fess up and help uncover Diana's killer?

Shari Lapena usually writes thrillers that involve couples, and this was a bit different from her usual in that it centers around a murdered high school student. As police investigate, there's plenty of people who have things to hide that may tie directly to Diana's death, or may have contributed to her murder. It was hard to tell who would be revealed, and the reveal at the end is a bit of a twist that you may or may not see coming. Another twist is that Diana's spirit is "hanging around", and she's confused as to what happened. She has big gaps in her memory, and is slowly understanding she's dead and that someone killed her. Her flashbacks also give a bit of a red herring aspect to the plot because what she remembers may not necessarily be accurate. Plus, she's dead! 

Definitely one theme in this thriller is the endless harassment and sexualization young girls have to endure, even in a small town. Being called a liar, or not being believed at all, are things Diana has to endure. People always going out of their way to protect themselves instead of standing up for truth. 

If you're a Shari Lapena fan, this won't disappoint. If you're new to her novels, and you like thrillers--Heather Gudenkauf fans I'm talking to you--grab this novel for you summer read when it arrives in stores and libraries July 30th. 

A HUGE thank you to Pamela Dorman Books/Viking for a chance to read this thriller a few months before publication. 

Rating: 5/6 for a thriller that keeps you on your toes guessing who the guilty party is--and also, the effect of murder on a small town and how it completely changes the lives of those left behind. 

Available July 30th in the U.S. in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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March Read: What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

March Read: Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

 

This is my second Rebecca Serle novel. I thoroughly enjoyed One Italian Summer and saw the premise of this novel and thought it would be an interesting twist on modern dating, so I grabbed a copy at my library and quickly read it. 

Daphne lives in Los Angeles and is an assistant to a producer. She's in her early thirties, and has a weird quirk: since she was a young girl, she gets pieces of paper that tell her the name of her next boyfriend, and how long the relationship will last. One month, a few years, a night--it takes her a few years to figure out what's going on, and she never shares her quirk with anyone until Hugo, her best friend/ex-boyfriend. You'll get tastes of some of her previous relationships as the story bounces between her past and the now. 

Now she's received a note with a name, but no end date. Is Jake the one?And if he is the one, is she ready for it? 

This plot had some steam and kept me interested for the first half, but a few surprise revelations come to light and they change the tone of the novel quite  bit. I certainly didn't see them coming. Daphne is so sure Jake must be the one, she basks in the simplicity of their life together-he's calm, cool, charming, warm--a golden retriever, if you will. But I felt the chemistry was definitely lacking between the two. It's pretty obvious who she should be with, but Daphne is stuck on those names always having an end date, and there's no revisiting past relationships. Jake must be the one who will be her happily ever after. 

I can't say I liked Daphne a whole lot. She's not a terrible person; she's a good person--but her decisions and actions just didn't vibe with me. 

What I do enjoy about Rebecca Serle's novels are the introduction of magic that is not explained; the characters don't try to figure it out or question it much--it just is, and that's refreshing. 

Rating: 3/6 for an interesting concept, but a lack of chemistry between Daphne and her main squeeze just didn't work for me. It's a quick read, and has some interesting twists, so if you're looking for a semi-romantic contemporary novel with a dab of magical realism, go for it! 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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March Read: Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

March Read: The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang

 

I'm always fascinated by the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, so I immediately grabbed this historical novel by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang. It did not disappoint, and was exactly the kind of historical novel I enjoy. 

This is the story of four women: Nellie, Suling, Gemma, and Alice, who all connect in San Francisco days before the great earthquake. Gemma has arrived from New York as part of the chorus of an opera--she's got an amazing voice, but migraines which have kept her from climbing to the top in the opera world. She's hoping to connect with Nellie; they are friends who keep in touch no matter what. Suling is a young Chinese woman living in Chinatown with an astonishing embroidery talent. Unfortunately, she's days away from an arranged marriage she wants to escape. Alice is a scientist who specializes in botany, and she's living in the same boarding house as Nellie. 

Through interesting connections, the women all find themselves uncovering a terrible crime just as the earthquake destroys San Francisco, putting them all in danger not only from the catastrophe unfolding, but a very dangerous and deadly man who's willing to kill to keep his secrets. 

I can't give anything away, because it would spoil a few reveals and connections that are much more fun to uncover as you read. There's nothing downright shocking, but just a good story that grabbed my attention and I couldn't put it down. What was most interesting was how each woman fought against sexism and the barriers they faced even with obvious and immense talents. I especially loved getting a peek inside each career: opera, embroidery, painting, and botany. 

This is a novel about perseverance, talent, revenge, and healing from traumatic events. It's also a glimpse inside the world of 1906, on the cusp of immense change. There are author notes about San Francisco, the characters, and how they wrote the novel together at the end, which round out the novel. 

Rating: 5/6 for an entertaining novel set just before and after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906--but also a few other places around the world, too. Four strong women facing a deadly enemy and their quest for revenge. 

Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audio. 

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March Read: The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang

March Read: Murder Road by Simone St. James

 

Oh, Simone St. James did it again. Managed to fascinate me while giving me the creeps. She is one of my favorite authors, and I have read every one of her novels, all the way back to discovering her first paperback during my bookseller years a loooong time ago. I'm thrilled she's getting the attention she deserves and becoming more popular with every new novel. 

This one will make you unwilling to drive down a dark, empty road by yourself for quite some time. It takes place in 1995, and starts out with April and Eddie Carter; two newlyweds on their way to a resort for a short honeymoon. It's late at night, and April wakes up in the front seat and discovers Eddie has become lost, and doesn't quite know how he got lost. But lost they are, late at night, on a lonely road with no one in sight. 

Until they see a young woman running down the road, begging for help. There is something very, very wrong with the young woman, and the road. A big black pick up truck comes roaring down the road, chasing after Eddie and April and the injured young woman in the back seat. They get to the town of Coldlake Falls just in time to escape from the black truck, but unfortunately the young woman dies at the hospital. The police are looking at Eddie and April, covered in blood, and in a bit of shock. Strangers in a small town; a dying woman in their back seat. They're forbidden to leave town as the police investigate, and that's where things really take off and get interesting. 

Eddie and April's backgrounds are messy and they both have kept secrets from each other. But murderers they are not, and they become determined to figure out what happened on Atticus Line Road that night. It wasn't natural, what they saw in the back of that black truck...

This is a small town with some eerie back story--hitchhikers found dead, murders unsolved, whispers of strange occurrences on Atticus Line Road. So many unsolved murders on that road, and the police are suspicious of anyone who comes through town. 

Will Eddie and April figure it all out and stay safe and out of jail for a crime they didn't commit? As they unravel the pieces of the puzzle, it becomes clear just why they were drawn to Atticus Line Road that night. It's one heck of a twist!

Anyone who loves eerie thrillers with a definite nod to creepy ghost stories will be all on board with this latest from Simone St. James. I love how her characters are always flawed in some way, and find themselves caught up in bizarre and ghostly events that require them to be stronger and braver than they've ever been. To believe and accept the unbelievable, because it's the only explanation. 

Loved it! Not surprised. I'm never disappointed with this author. 

Rating: 6/6 for a novel that will keep you patiently on the journey with Eddie and April as pieces slowly fall into place. A great ghost story about revenge, redemption, family, and leaving the past behind for a brighter future. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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March Read: Murder Road by Simone St. James

March Read: Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed

 

I decided I didn't want to wait for the physical book to be available so I listened to the audio book instead. I am not a huge audio book person and when I do listen it's usually a non-fiction book so this fit into my audio book checklist perfectly. 

This book is made up of essays the author has written about her love of books, reading, and her experiences as a teacher of literature and writing.  From an early age Shannon inhaled books; she couldn't get enough. She lived at the library, surrounded herself with books, and found a lot of solace in books as a person who is hard of hearing. She could escape into so many other worlds. 

Now, as an adult, she teaches writing and literature at a college level, and is continuously surprised at the connections novels make in a world where reading is often dismissed as "boring". Her stories are pretty interesting. In one essay, she finds herself teaching a class on vampire literature. She herself avoids any kind of horror novels (terrifying nightmares as a child), but has to not only teach a class and read the books, but support a student who is also deeply afraid to read horror novels. In another essay, she talks about the connections modern high school students made with Bronte's Jane Eyre, much to her surprise. She was expecting most of the students to not read the novel at all, but instead, they had robust conversations and couldn't wait to get to class to talk in-depth about Jane and her life. 

She talks about reading for pleasure instead of her earlier years where she raced through books just to be able to say "Oh yes, I read that". And yes, even taking yourself out of your comfort zone and reading something that may be difficult or not at all what you'd normally read. One of her most interesting essays talks about Lincoln in the Bardo, and how she read it to teach a class and for the life of her couldn't understand it, and confessed that to her students. It began a journey they all went on together, and became one of her most interesting reading experiences. 

If you are a lover of books and are interested in exploring the reading life of other book lovers, pick this up. You can read a chapter and put it down without losing any flow. 

Rating: 4/6 for an interesting read about books, a love of reading, and how it all changes with time, life experiences, and the people you meet along the way. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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March Read: Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed