THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides

February 5, 2019

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The front piece of this novel indicates that it is the author’s first book. It certainly indicates a promising future for Michaelides as the theme chosen is quite an interesting one.

Alicia Berenson is a famous painter married and quite well to Gabriel, who has made a name for himself as a world class fashion photographer. The couple live in a fancy house, have plenty of money and seem to be quite happy.

Suddenly, and seemingly out of the blue, Gabriel returns home from a fashion shoot and is shot in the face five times by Alicia. When questioned by the police she does not say a word. And silent she remains even when she is shut away in “The Grove,” a secure forensic unit in the northern part of London. There she stays, completely silent, until Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, obtains a position at The Grove with the avowed purpose of treating Alicia.

The idea of the book is a good one and should be a terrific read except for Michaelides’ propensity to drag things out. His idea for an ending is not telegraphed but also seemingly one out of the blue that makes the end a complete surprise for the reader. It also does not make good sense for the reader looking for the one and one make two type of ending. Based on the idea upon which the novel is based and the author’s ability to frame situations quite well, it occurs to me that his books should be looked for. The fumble that I see in this book is, of course, my own opinion, but does not detract from the promise Michaelides shows with his cogent approach and should be evidenced in future novels.

2/19 Paul Lane

THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides. Celadon Books (February 5, 2019).  ISBN 978-1250301697. 336p.

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41 REASONS I’M STAYING IN by Hallie Heald

February 4, 2019

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A Celebration of Introverts

From the publisher:

In a world of seemingly unending social obligations, we could all use a night off.

In 41 Reasons I’m Staying In, illustrator and self-proclaimed introvert Hallie Heald imaginatively portrays engaging and sometimes outlandish excuses to avoid leaving home.

With each page comes a new room and character, pursuing their obsessions, hobbies, interests, and sudden whims with gusto:

plotting world takeover, learning magic, mooning over a crush, evading taxes, and beyond.

This dark and humorous celebration of introverts offers a unique look into their private worlds and reminds us of the deep fulfillment and joy we can find in spending time alone.

 

I am not an introvert but even I enjoyed this charming book!

While the book looks like a children’s book, it is for adults. The illustrations are wonderful, as you can see. And I like the premise of the book. As much of an extrovert as I am, I, too, enjoy staying in on occasion – especially if I can look through a book like this. Buy it for the introvert in your life, they will thank you.

About the Author

2/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

41 REASONS I’M STAYING IN by Hallie Heald. Morrow Gift; 1st Edition edition (January 29, 2019). ISBN  978-0062749895. 96p.

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THE WEIGHT OF A PIANO by Chris Cander

February 3, 2019

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From the publisher:

For fans of Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, Annie Proulx’s Accordion Crimes, Amanda Coplin’s The Orchardist

A tour-de-force about two women and the piano that inexorably ties their lives together through time and across continents, for better and for worse.

In 1962, in the Soviet Union, eight-year-old Katya is bequeathed what will become the love of her life: a Blüthner piano, built at the turn of the century in Germany, on which she discovers everything that she herself can do with music and what music, in turn, does for her. Yet after marrying, she emigrates with her young family from Russia to America, at her husband’s frantic insistence, and her piano is lost in the shuffle.

In 2012, in Bakersfield, California, twenty-six-year-old Clara Lundy loses another boyfriend and again has to find a new apartment, which is complicated by the gift her father had given her for her twelfth birthday, shortly before he and her mother died in a fire that burned their house down: a Blüthner upright she has never learned to play. Orphaned, she was raised by her aunt and uncle, who in his car-repair shop trained her to become a first-rate mechanic, much to the surprise of her subsequent customers. But this work, her true mainstay in a scattered life, is put on hold when her hand gets broken while the piano’s being moved–and in sudden frustration she chooses to sell it. And what becomes crucial is who the most interested party turns out to be. . .

I had read a review of this book that intrigued me, so I started reading it. A few hours later, I read the last page. Cander is a terrific storyteller, she drew me in and kept me turning the pages. There were plenty of surprises throughout the story; although some readers may figure them out, I did not.

The book opens with the construction of a Blüthner piano, a fascinating tale about a brand of piano I had not heard of, that is supposedly in the same class as a Steinway. I quickly realized that the piano would be a character in this book. Cander makes it possible to grow attached to an inanimate object, for her characters and the reader.

The story then moves back and forth in time, following the piano through two storylines. The way the book is laid out they are easy to follow. The main characters are mostly well developed, the secondary characters not as much, but had they been, the book may have gotten too unwieldy. Rather like moving a piano, a task that is difficult and quite the metaphor in this book. I loved the way the stories unfurl and wind around one another, carefully building towards an intertwined resolution.

This is an excellent read sure to be beloved by book groups as there is much to discuss here, from the immigration of Russian Jews to the relationships that are so well depicted. Highly recommended.

2/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE WEIGHT OF A PIANO by Chris Cander. Knopf (January 22, 2019).  ISBN 978-0525654674.  336p.

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LONGEVITY by Rolf Margenau

February 2, 2019

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Should we prolong human life by 30 years?

Wouldn’t it be a welcome gift to all mankind if a means was found that allowed people to normally live 30 or 40 years longer than they do now? You would think that there would be no obstacles to such an improvement being discovered. “Longevity” is a well thought out novel posing just such a situation, and it is obvious that Margenau has given the question a great deal of thought before he began writing it.

Lucy Mendoza is head of a group of scientists at a major corporation testing and looking to commercially market an enzyme that could prolong life about 30 years. If successful it appears that the treatment would also ensure that the cognitive senses of the individuals being treated would keep up with the extra years.

Lucy, hard at work, begins hiring extra staff to help with the processes involved with the development of the product. And just as luck would have it, her staff hires a molecular biologist named Grant Duran who was an old boyfriend of Lucy’s. They were very close to marriage but Grant, who was a Marine at that time, disappeared on her. It is, of course, a safe bet that the plot involves them getting back together again. While doing so Grant safeguards Lucy and has a need to do so. There are several agencies that don’t want the enzyme to be commercialized.

If people add 30 years to their lives social services would not be prepared to handle it. Social Security would be bankrupted and government paid medical care would follow suit and this is not palatable for many government managers. Besides the government a major pharmaceutical corporation is not happy with Lucy’s company not allowing them time to come out with the product in commercial packaging and would not stop at murder to prevent that from happening. And of course there are the normal greedy investors who want to keep the product for use, at steep prices, for only the people that can afford to pay for it.

There are no lengthy explanations of the process nor of the material going into it. The author successfully grabs his readers and grants them an evening’s relaxation while finishing the book. His style makes for an easy read and the novel is well worth the time spent in doing so.

eBook only.

2/19 Paul Lane

LONGEVITY by Rolf Margenau.  Frogworks Publishing (January 5, 2019). ASIN: B07MKHNB1M. 326p.

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Win the February ’19 bookshelf of signed thrillers!

February 1, 2019

Welcome to the February bookshelf of signed thrillers!

This month the International Thriller Writers have provided some excellent thrillers for you to win including signed books from Lisa Gardner, Lee Goldberg and not one, but two books from Allison Brennan, among several others. To enter, go to the Win Books page. More books may be added throughout the month, so check back often.

Best of luck!

NEVER TELL by Lisa Gardner: #1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Gardner returns with an unpredictable thriller that puts fan favorites D. D. Warren and Flora Dane on a shocking new case that begins with a vicious murder and gets darker from there.

KILLER THRILLER by Lee Goldberg: In #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg’s action-packed sequel to the Washington Post bestseller True Fiction, a hapless writer is pitted against an enemy nation mounting a treacherous plot lifted from one of his thrillers.

TRIGGER by David Swinson: In the latest novel from David Swinson, “one of the best dialogue hounds in the business” (New York Times Book Review), Frank Marr, a good cop with a bad habit, must choose between justice and loyalty to an old friend.

PAST DUE FOR MURDER by Victoria Gilbert:  Has a curse fallen on the small town of Taylorsford, Virginia? After a young woman goes missing during a spring bonfire, library director Amy Webber must wade through the web of lies only to find a truth that she may not want to untangle.

THE STRANGER INSIDE by Laura Benedict: What if you came home to find a stranger living inside your house? An “oustanding, ever-twisting, surprise-filled” psychological drama (Publishers Weekly), in the tradition of Shari Lapena and Liane Moriarty, from Edgar- and Thriller Award-nominated author Laura Benedict.

FREEDOM ROAD by William Lashner: Oliver Cross is fresh out of jail. His plans for the future are to live out his days in regret, back pain, and a bottle of Lone Star. But when he finds out his granddaughter, a wild child who reminds him of his late wife, has vanished—bless her hell-raising heart—Oliver jumps parole. He’s taking a dangerous path in search of his missing granddaughter—the only part of his life worth saving.

TOO FAR GONE by Allison Brennan: With everything finally falling in to place, FBI Agent Lucy Kincaid is assigned to investigate the death of a mentally unstable man during a hostage situation who used to be an upstanding citizen and whose story is more complicated—and dangerous—than she thinks.

ABANDONED by Allison Brennan: Max Revere investigates the disappearance of her own mother several years earlier, tracing her activities in a small Chesapeake Bay community where witnesses are keeping dark secrets.

ONE FATAL MISTAKE by Tom Hunt: When her son causes a fatal accident and flees the scene without reporting it, a single mother makes a fateful decision that irrevocably changes their lives.

You can win autographed copies of these books! If you are new to the site, each month I run a contest in conjunction with the International Thriller Writers organization. We put together a list of books from debut authors to bestsellers, so you can win some of your favorites and find some new favorites.

What makes this contest really special is that all of the books (except eBooks) are signed by the author! Books with multiple authors will be signed by at least one of the authors.

Penguin Random House books for giveaway were provided by the publisher. #PRHpartner

Don’t forget, if you subscribe to the newsletter or follow this blog, you get an extra entry into every contest you enter. Check out the Win Books page for more information on all these books and how you to enter this month’s contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

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