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SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews

May 10, 2024

From the publisher:

Book your summer escape with a “mesmerizing mix of mystery and romance” (Publishers Weekly, starred) from the New York Times bestselling author of The Homewreckers and The Newcomer.

Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. . . .

Everyone refers to the St. Cecelia as “the Saint.” If you grew up coming here, you were “a Saint.” If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.” Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders whose family wasn’t rich enough or connected enough to vacation here. But she could work here. One fateful summer she did, and married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days, even as staff shortages and financial troubles threaten to ruin it. Plus, her greedy and unscrupulous brother-in-law wants to make sure she fails. Enlisting a motley crew of recently hired summer help―including the daughter of her estranged best friend―Traci has one summer season to turn it around. But new information about a long-ago drowning at the hotel threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair.

Traci Eddings has her back against the pink-painted wall of this beloved institution. And it will take all the wits and guts she has to see wrongs put to right, to see guilty parties put in their place, and maybe even to find a new romance along the way. Told with Mary Kay Andrew’s warmth, humor, knack for twists, and eye for delicious detail about human nature, Summers at the Saint is a beach read with depth and heart.

“Andrews perfectly balances the second chance-romance with the twisty mystery against a beachy backdrop that will please any armchair traveler.” —Publishers Weekly

“A fun, heart-warming, and intriguing summer read. For readers who’d enjoy a blend of friendships (old and new), budding romance, and secrets held within the walls of a hotel that needs rescuing, as in Elin Hilderbrand’s The Hotel Nantucket.” –Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3QxLAHI

I have been starting my beach reading with Mary Kay Andrews for more years than I care to think about, and I must admit I was surprised by this book – I think it may be her best yet. And that is really saying something!

The Saint is a luxury resort with some full time members who live in beautiful homes on the grounds, other members who live nearby but have full use of the facilities, and the guests, visitors who come for a week or two or the summer. This is a family run business, with Traci running the hotel and resort, and her brother-in-law running the real estate side of things. Her sister-in-law is the design specialist, in charge of redecorating as needed, the floral arrangements throughout the resort, and so forth. Traci’s husband, Hoke, has passed away a few years before the book begins, and she misses him. The people who live over the causeway, many of whom work at the Saint, are called the “aint’s,” as in not rich enough to be Saints.

Things haven’t been going all that well at the Saint. It’s difficult to find help because they can’t afford to live in the community, and her chef and guest relations manager, a married couple, are lured away by another resort with “stupid money” and Traci can’t compete with that. In desperation, she turns an old, falling-apart building into a dorm for a handful of staff. She talks her niece, Parrish, into taking the guest relations job, and hires a new waitress, Olivia, away from a neighboring resort. Livvy, as she prefers to be called, is actually the daughter of Traci’s best friend, Shannon, but they’ve been estranged Livvy’s whole life.

Traci and Shannon were definitely “ain’t” and worked as lifeguards at the pool. One summer when they were about 16 years old, a young boy, Hudson, drowned in the pool. Shannon and Traci did everything they could, but Shannon was blamed and fired. There wasn’t much of an investigation as the owners of the property wanted it kept quiet.

Everything is coming together for a successful summer season at the Saint. There are a lot of characters here, but they are well developed, even the secondary characters. I thought the mystery here was going to be an investigation of Hudson’s drowning. His much older half brother has blown into town, gotten a job on the gardening staff, and is asking a lot of questions. But then Parrish is found dead in the party area of the property that the staff has been using since Traci was a teen. The suspense really gets upped after Parrish’s death, and all sorts of people are coming under suspicion.

There is also a romance brewing here that comes to fruition eventually, but it’s the people at the Saint that make this book so compelling. I was so caught up in their lives that I really hated to turn the last page. There are some unexpected twists, lots of red herrings, and Kathy Trochek’s mystery roots* are on full display here. This was a weekend read for me, fast-paced and totally irresistible. I loved it!

*Mary Kay Andrews is actually a pseudonym for Kathy Hogan Trochek. In the 1990s, Trochek wrote a terrific cozy mystery series featuring Callahan Garrity, a cleaning business owner, set in Atlanta, before she morphed into a chick lit, romance, romantic suspense author as MKA. I highly recommend all of her books!

5/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews. St. Martin’s Press (May 7, 2024). ISBN: 978-1250278388. 448p.

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Spotlight Review: TOURIST SEASON by Brenda Novak

April 16, 2024

From the publisher:

A great new beach read from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookstore on The Beach

A summer by the ocean promises new beginnings—until old secrets resurface.

Ismay Chalmers is ready for a relaxing summer reconnecting with her fiancé at his family’s luxurious beachfront cottage. But before Remy can join her, a hurricane bears down on Mariners Island. Alone in the large house, Ismay makes a disturbing discovery in Remy’s childhood closet. She’s not sure what to make of it, but is relieved when the property’s caretaker, Bo, checks in on her.

Bo’s home is damaged, so they temporarily shelter together, and Ismay is comforted by his quiet strength. But the unannounced arrival of a family member puts Bo back at his place and changes Ismay’s summer into something other than what she wants—or ever expected. With so many reasons to feel unsettled, Ismay finds herself turning to Bo, who gives her more than a sense of security; there’s something about him that makes her feel alive, stirring her to wonder what life might be like if she chose a different path…

As Ismay grows closer to Bo, she begins to hope the reclusive caretaker might eventually let down his guard. But when she finds out that he has secrets, too, she begins to question how well she knows any of the men in her life—and how well she can trust her own heart.

“While this novel is full of romance, Novak elevates mystery elements that will appeal to readers of Colleen Hoover.” —Booklist
https://amzn.to/3vZHCjL

This is a true case of “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” If you are looking for a sweet beach read, look elsewhere.

Ismay and Remy have been together for three years, but Ismay realizes something is off. After she completes her law degree, she agrees to spend a month with Remy at his parents’ beach house on Mariners Island. Remy is in medical school and is in the process of completing his exams, so Ismay goes to Mariners by herself.

The house is lovely, but that first night there is a freak hurricane. The power is out, but there is a caretaker, Bo, who lives in a cottage on the grounds. His cottage suffers serious damage when a tree falls onto the roof, making the cottage uninhabitable and even dangerous. He checks on Ismay to find that the generator hasn’t kicked in, so he fixes that for her. In turn, she invites him to stay in the main house until his cottage can be repaired. The storm rages on for another day, followed by a storm of a different kind – Remy’s twin brother shows up.

Ismay moves into Remy’s old bedroom, and discovers what appears to be a trophy bag of sorts hidden behind the wall of his closet. There is some jewelry, several pairs of women’s underwear, and an old photo of a young woman. It really shakes her up, and she isn’t sure how to broach Remy about it, especially as he is so far away. But she does, and shortly thereafter it goes missing. Since Remy’s twin is the only other person there, Ismay is sure he took it, but she has no idea why or what it’s about.

There is a definite creepiness factor in this story which I wasn’t expecting, but it sure helped keep those pages turning. Bo and Ismay grow close, but she is still engaged to Remy so it goes no further than friends who are majorly attracted to one another. But Bo has a secret as well, and when all these secrets start unraveling, so does Remy and Ismay’s relationship.

This book really is the quintessential beach read, part thriller/mystery, part romance, and it really delivers on both. It may be early for the beach, but grab it anyway!

4/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

TOURIST SEASON by Brenda Novak. MIRA; Original edition (April 2, 2024). ISBN: 978-0778305408. 400p.

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2 Comments | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Contemporary, Romantic Suspense | Permalink
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Spotlight Review: KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE by Leah Konen

February 20, 2024

From the publisher:

Strangers on a Train meets The Family Next Door in this page-turning thriller by the author of The Perfect Escape

How well do you know your friends?

Isolated and embroiled in a custody battle, Mary is desperate for a friend. So when she meets the charming and enigmatic Willa at a Brooklyn playground, their connection feels fated. But during a margarita-fueled moms’ night out, Mary shares her darkest secret about her ex, George, and the next morning Willa simply disappears. No calls, no texts, nothing.

Two months later, Mary’s divorce is almost finalized, and she’s trying to build a new life for her son in upstate New York. On her first day in town, she runs into Willa . . . only Willa’s name is now Annie, and she’s got an entirely new family in tow. When George turns up dead and Mary becomes the prime suspect, she has no choice but to turn to her only friend in town: Willa. As coincidences—and evidence—pile up, Mary begins to wonder whether Willa had something to do with George’s death. Is the woman a friend or a foe, a confidante or just a con? Mary must uncover the truth before she loses everything.
https://amzn.to/3ZqO9hO

Konen (You Should Have Told Me) pens this new domestic thriller in two voices: Mary, a wealthy Brooklyn housewife and mother, and Willa, the friend she makes on the playground. Mary is mid-divorce from George, but George comes from generational family wealth, and Mary only has what he gives her. All she wants is shared custody of their toddler, but George wants her back – and he is used to getting what he wants. Willa has become her sounding board and friend until she abruptly ghosts Mary. Hurt but unsure how to fix things with the only friend she has, Mary is checking out a small town halfway between her family’s home in upstate New York and Brooklyn, when she sees Willa; except this Willa has changed her hair color and insists her name is Annie. Mary quickly figures out that Annie/Willa is lying, and the story really goes off the rails when George is murdered, and Mary is the prime suspect. It seems like everyone is prevaricating in this fraught battle to get to the truth – and the murderer. It all unravels at breakneck speed, careening crazily to the dramatic ending.

Verdict: This twisty tale told by an unreliable narrator should appeal to fans of Gillian Flynn, Shari Lapena, and Paula Hawkins.

©Library Journal, 2024

2/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE by Leah Konen. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (February 20, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593544723. 384p.

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Spotlight Review: RESURRECTION WALK by Michael Connelly

November 10, 2023

Lincoln Lawyer, Book 7

From the publisher:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly: Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller enlists the help of his half-brother, Harry Bosch, to prove the innocence of a woman convicted of killing her husband.Defense attorney Mickey Haller is back, taking the long shot cases, where the chances of winning are one in a million. After getting a wrongfully convicted man out of prison, he is inundated with pleas from incarcerated people claiming innocence. He enlists his half brother, retired LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, to weed through the letters, knowing most claims will be false.

Bosch pulls a needle from the haystack: a woman in prison for killing her husband, a sheriff’s deputy, but who still maintains her innocence. Bosch reviews the case and sees elements that don’t add up, and a sheriff’s department intent on bringing quick justice in the killing of one of its own.

Now Haller has an uphill battle in court, a David fighting Goliaths to vindicate his client. The path for both lawyer and investigator is fraught with danger from those who don’t want the case reopened and will stop at nothing to keep the Haller-Bosch dream team from finding the truth. Packed with intrigue and courtroom drama, Resurrection Walk shows once again that Michael Connelly is “the most consistently superior living crime fiction author” (South Florida Sun Sentinel).

“The most richly accomplished of the brothers’ pairings to date—and given Connelly’s high standards, that’s saying a lot.”―Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“A stunning combination of police and legal procedural. . . As always, Connelly makes the tedious work of investigation fascinating as he shuttles between Mickey’s and Harry’s hard-bitten points of view.”―Booklist (starred)

“Another solid series installment from Connelly. This Lincoln Lawyer/Harry Bosch crossover is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats as Mickey absorbs each legal setback. A brief appearance by Renee Ballard, as well as a few other familiar faces from the Harry Bosch universe, will delight fans.” ―Library Journal
https://amzn.to/47o2Btz

As regular readers know, I generally do Spotlight Reviews on Tuesdays. I am making a rare exception for this extraordinary book. Count on this book topping my best books list of 2023!

The new Michael Connelly book is always one of the highlights of my reading year, and this book is truly exceptional; in fact, it may be one of his best. When someone writes as well as Connelly does, book after book, it becomes difficult to parse, but seeing how he has brought both his beloved characters, Mickey Haller and Harry Bosch, to share pretty much equal billing here makes this a winning read for any fan. All of Connelly’s books can stand alone but are so much better and richer for having read the others.

When we last saw Harry, he was in dire straights, suffering from cancer and refusing treatment. But being Maddie’s only living parent has induced him to try an experimental treatment, courtesy of Mickey Haller, the Lincoln Lawyer, and Harry’s half-brother. By putting Harry on his payroll, Mickey gets him health insurance and a way into this new treatment.

Haller has started a new innocence-type project, and Bosch is the perfect man to handle it. After Haller gets a conviction overturned and wins a mammoth lawsuit against the city, every convict in California is pleading for a chance at the same. Harry is put in charge of reviewing the letters and, if any spark interest, delving into the cases. There is one letter that jumps out at him from a woman who pled no contest and took a plea deal in the murder of her ex-husband. The deeper Harry gets into her case, the more he is convinced that something went very wrong there.

Haller is quickly on board after meeting the woman, but the other factions involved here make this a difficult case. Most of the legal wrangling takes place in front of a judge but no jury, making Haller’s usual charm pretty much irrelevant here but still a delight to read. There are plenty of twists in this legal procedural, but what I really loved was the writing – Haller is in first person, Bosch in third, making it easy to tell whose point of view we are in and how these two very independent men come to rely on each other. Another incredible read from the master of crime fiction.

Note: I love the TV series based on Connelly’s characters. Since Bosch first aired on Amazon Prime, Titus Welliver has taken the Harry Bosch space in my brain. It has continued with Bosch Legacy on FreeVee (also Amazon Prime.) But it didn’t happen when the horribly miscast Matthew McConaughey played the Lincoln Lawyer in the movie, but the Netflix series is so good that I now have Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in my brain as Mickey Haller.

11/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

RESURRECTION WALK by Michael Connelly. Little, Brown and Company (November 7, 2023). ISBN: 978-0316563765. 416pp.

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Spotlight Review: DIRTY THIRTY by Janet Evanovich

November 7, 2023

Stephanie Plum, Book 30

From the publisher:

#1 New York Times bestselling author and “most popular mystery writer alive” (The New York Times) Janet Evanovich is in top form as she sends Stephanie Plum on the trail of a stolen cache of dirty diamonds.

Stephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is offered a freelance assignment that seems simple enough. Local jeweler Martin Rabner wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy), who he is convinced stole a fortune in diamonds out of his safe. Stephanie is also looking for another troubled man, Duncan Dugan, a fugitive from justice arrested for robbing the same jewelry store on the same day.

With her boyfriend Morelli away in Miami on police business, Stephanie is taking care of Bob, Morelli’s giant orange dog who will devour anything, from Stephanie’s stray donuts to the upholstery in her car. Morelli’s absence also means the inscrutable, irresistible security expert Ranger is front and center in Stephanie’s life when things inevitably go sideways. And he seems determined to stay there.

To complicate matters, her best friend Lula is convinced she is being stalked by a mythological demon hell-bent on relieving her of her wardrobe. An overnight stakeout with Stephanie’s mother and Grandma Mazur reveals three generations of women with nerves of steel and driving skills worthy of NASCAR champions.

As the body count rises and witnesses start to disappear, it won’t be easy for Stephanie to keep herself clean when everyone else is playing dirty. It’s a good thing Stephanie isn’t afraid of getting a little dirty, too.

“Those who don’t yet know sassy, spunky New Jersey sleuth Stephanie Plum simply must meet her…An uproarious, crazy, laugh-a-minute caper”—Booklist, starred review

“This is fast-paced and laugh-filled fun.”—Publishers Weekly
https://amzn.to/3tOwIff

Like millions of others, I loved this series but finally stopped reading at book 23. They really started to go downhill around book 20, with ridiculously far-fetched plot lines, including giraffes wandering the streets of Trenton, New Jersey, but once the zombies arrived, I was done. Oh, and please, please skip the movie of One for the Money, it was so miscast and awful.

Then the other day, I received my Book Club email from the Washington Post (highly recommend!) and I read about Evanovich reaching this milestone, the thirtieth book of an uber-successful series. I decided to take a look at it. And I enjoyed it! Things seem to have gone back to where they started, without forcing me to strain credulity and just enjoy the ride. Thank you, Janet!

Some things never change, thank goodness. Stephanie Plum hasn’t aged a day; she’s still a bounty hunter working for her cousin. Her best friend is the former hooker Lula, Connie is still running the office with a loaded gun in her desk, and Grandma Mazur is still kicking and staying on top of all the gossip in the Burg. And somehow, she is still torn between two men – her childhood sweetheart and Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and form Special Forces, current security expert Ranger.

This time Morelli is headed out of town to testify in a case in Miami. While he’s gone, he asks Stephanie to watch his dog, Bob, a loveable mutt who will eat anything, including furniture and car interiors. Stephanie has a few skips to pick up, but is having some trouble and if things don’t turn around, she won’t be able to pay her rent. When a local family-owned jewelry store is robbed, the owner hires her to find his security guard, who he suspects of stealing a tray of diamonds out of the safe the same day as the robbery.

The usual antics ensue, but it finally seems as if Stephanie has gotten at least a bit better at her job. Lula is as feisty as ever, and with Morelli out of town, things start heating up with Ranger again, despite her being in a committed relationship with the cop. There are several surprises along the way, and some nice twists towards the very shocking ending. Maybe taking a few years off helped, but I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Plum adventure, and look forward to whatever comes next.

11/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DIRTY THIRTY by Janet Evanovich. Atria Books (October 31, 2023). ISBN: 978-1668003091. 336pp.

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Spotlight Review: THE SECRET by Lee Child & Andrew Child

October 24, 2023

Jack Reacher, Book 28

The gripping new Jack Reacher thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling authors Lee Child and Andrew Child

A string of mysterious deaths. A long-classified mission. A young MP with nothing to lose.

1992. All across the United States respectable, upstanding citizens are showing up dead. These deaths could be accidents, and they don’t appear to be connected—until a fatal fall from a high-floor window attracts some unexpected attention.

That attention comes from the secretary of defense. All of a sudden he wants an interagency task force to investigate. And he wants Jack Reacher as the army’s representative. If Reacher gets a result, great. If not, he’s a convenient fall guy.

But office politics isn’t Reacher’s thing. Three questions quickly emerge: Who’s with him, who’s against him, and will the justice he dispenses be the official kind…or his own kind?

“This is a terrific novel. Reacher continues to be one of the most compelling lead characters in the thriller genre, and the lean, unadorned writing continues to pull us through the story. If there were any doubts when Lee Child announced his retirement and started cowriting the books with his brother, Andrew, his eventual successor as Reacher’s chronicler, the last few books should have put them to rest.”–Booklist

“The plot gets a bit complicated, and readers will find a few nice twists. But mainly, Reacher provides the entertainment with his not quite believable fighting skills. An enjoyable, fast-moving yarn.”–Kirkus Reviews
https://amzn.to/40b0hEb

I had almost given up on this series as I didn’t much care for the first two books written by Lee Child with his brother, Andrew. The Sentinel was okay, but I hoped the next book would be better. Better Off Dead was worse though, I didn’t really enjoy it, not the way I loved all the earlier books. In fact, I skipped the third book, No Plan B. But then I read that Andrew had gotten a contract for the next four books in the series alone, with no Lee Child involvement. So I decided to give him one more chance, and I’m very glad I did. I enjoyed The Secret; it was a one-day read for me, as it should be!

In an interesting turn, the book was set in 1992, so it was nice getting some more of Reacher’s back story. Reacher is an Army MP and is assigned to an inter-agency task force. There are representatives from Treasury, the CIA, the FBI, etc. The group is told that in 1969, there was a special project in India with a team of seven men, all chemists, working on a project together. One of the men has since died of cancer, but two of them had recently died under suspicious circumstances. The task force is asked to figure out who is behind the possible murders and more importantly, how to stop them.

This was a completely engrossing read with all the usual Reacher tropes; a decidedly taciturn Reacher, a deserted old building, underground passages, an occasional fight with Reacher against multiple opponents, and some really good twists at the end. I am so happy to say I am now looking forward to the next book in this series.

11/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SECRET by Lee Child & Andrew Child. Delacorte Press (October 24, 2023). ISBN: 978-1984818584. 304pp.

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BURNING JUSTICE by Tee O’Fallon

September 22, 2023

K-9 Special Ops, Book 2

From the publisher:

Some cases are hot enough to kill.

After narrowly surviving a childhood fire that killed two of his friends, ATF Special Agent Brett Tanner knows what it’s like to get too close to the flame. The trauma only spurs him and his K-9 partner to track down the arsonists targeting a Colorado town. This latest warehouse blaze looks suspicious as hell…and there’s a body. Now it’s murder.

Fiercely independent insurance investigator Gemma Scott has been burned enough times to know she doesn’t need anyone—especially a handsome agent with an agenda. Teaming up with the hardened and determined ATF agent means not just trusting her instincts…it also means trusting him.

Now they’re racing against an arsonist with a lethal agenda—one who’s willing to burn and kill to hide the evidence. But the killer is only part of a larger mystery. And the searing attraction between Gemma and Brett adds fuel to an already dangerously lethal fire. One that will smoke out a killer…along with Brett’s darkest secret.

“great characterization, action, suspense, attraction, arson, and danger“ – Mystery & Suspense Magazine

“Tee O’Fallon heats the pages up in BURNING JUSTICE, giving us arson, murder, mystery, and a delicious slow-burn romance… Gemma and Brett’s chemistry absolutely sizzles on the pages.” – Fresh Fiction
https://amzn.to/3EL1jwM

I admit it; a dog on the cover always piques my interest. I have read several of O’Fallon’s books from different series, and they are all good. Even more importantly, they all stand alone and this book, the second book of a series, does as well. I didn’t realize this was book two while I was reading it – it wasn’t until I started this review that it came out. That is one of the things I really love about reading on a Kindle, especially e-galleys, pre-publication books. A lot of the time there is no cover art, so there is nothing to help form any preconceived notions, no judging a book by its cover, if you will. So I’m often surprised to learn that the book I just read was part of a series, as was the case here.

Gemma Scott has a unique skill set; she is a National Insurance Crime Bureau Investigator. She digs into suspicious fires, looking for evidence of arson. Unfortunately, the last guy she worked with basically stole her work and presented it as his own. In a job that is completely dominated by men, Gemma stands out, and Brett can’t help but notice that.

Brett is special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, better known as the ATF. He has a working K-9, one of the few in the country that can sniff out accelerants, making him invaluable for arson investigative work. He also survived a fire as a child, but two of his friends died in that fire. Understandably, that has affected his whole life.

They are working together, and the chemistry between them is, well, combustible. And the dog! Can Gemma learn to trust another man? Can Brett get past his own past to help figure out who is setting these mysterious fires? Will Gemma and Brett learn to work together? And will Gemma and Brett give in the fire that is smoldering between them? Of course! This is romantic suspense, so the ending is a given, but it is a dark, twisty road to get there and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Now I’m on the hunt for the first book in the series, Tough Justice.

9/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BURNING JUSTICE by Tee O’Fallon. Entangled: Amara (August 22, 2023). ISBN: 978-1649373397. 400p.

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Spotlight Review: EVERYONE HERE IS LYING by Shari Lapena

July 25, 2023

From the publisher:

Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

“Lapena is a master of manipulation.” —USA Today

Welcome to Stanhope. A safe neighborhood. A place for families.

William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he’s been having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road. So when he returns to his house, devastated and angry, to find his difficult nine-year-old daughter, Avery, unexpectedly home from school, William loses his temper.

Hours later, Avery’s family declares her missing.

Suddenly Stanhope doesn’t feel so safe. And William isn’t the only one on his street who’s hiding a lie. As witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true, Avery’s neighbors become increasingly unhinged.

Who took Avery Wooler?

Nothing will prepare you for the truth.

“As usual, Lapena offers a clever, disturbing page-turner with deeply flawed characters and a stunning conclusion.” —Booklist

“The suspense here is real; Lapena does a great job of exposing layers of domestic dishonesty and betrayal one conversation at a time…[Everyone Here Is Lying] succeeds as a domestic thriller and procedural.” —Kirkus
https://amzn.to/44rsyYo

Shari Lapena has truly perfected the domestic thriller. She takes suburbia to the dark, twisted places that fill our nightmares and the local evening news. This story is based on a missing child, which seemingly happens way too often.

Avery Woolery is a nine-year-old problem child. She’s difficult, headstrong, and disobedient and has caused a lot of trouble in her parent’s marriage. Her mother only sees the good in her and is oblivious to her lying, manipulative ways. Her older brother is 12, and he recognizes how manipulative she can be, as does her father. He is a well-respected surgeon and is having an affair with a neighbor, Nora, who volunteers at the hospital where he works. Nora is also married with two children, and the guilt is really getting to her. She finally tells William that she can’t do this anymore and ends things.

William is upset and decides to go home so he can be alone for a little while. But when he gets home, Avery is there by herself. She is supposed to be at school, and her brother is supposed to walk her home. But she tells William she got ejected from choir practice for misbehaving and decided to walk home alone. She is very mouthy to him, and in his bad mood, he snaps and slaps her so hard that she falls to the floor. He is immediately contrite and begs her forgiveness, but she won’t even look at him. He takes off, leaving her home alone, and drives around for another hour or so.

Meanwhile, Avery’s brother goes to pick her up, but since she’s not there, he hurries home. When he can’t find her, he calls his mom. She starts panicking, running out of her office and heading home. Then William arrives, and there is still no sign of Avery. William figures she must have run away to teach him a lesson, but when a frantic search of the area is fruitless, the police are called. But he doesn’t tell anyone that he had been home and had struck Avery.

The two detectives are fairly new partners, but seem to work well together. They find some inconsistencies with William’s story of leaving work early and driving around for a few hours, ending up treating the home as a crime scene, with William as their prime suspect. But as they canvas the neighborhood and the parents do their TV plea for help, they start chasing down all the info they gleam. There is a lot of finger-pointing from the neighbors, and yes, everyone is lying – or at least appears to be.

The ending was a bit rushed, and not everything is tied up neatly at the end, but it is a page-turner for sure. Pamela Dorman Books never disappoints. Be prepared to see copies of this book everywhere this summer; it is the quintessential beach read, unputdownable, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

7/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

EVERYONE HERE IS LYING by Shari Lapena. Pamela Dorman Books (July 25, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-0593489932. 336p.

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Spotlight Review: ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME by William Landay

May 9, 2023

From the publisher:

A mother vanished. A father presumed guilty. There is no proof. There are no witnesses. For the children, there is only doubt. From the New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob. . . .

“Astonishing, powerful, and provocative, this book is worth the excruciating wait for another William Landay.”—Louise Penny, author of A World of Curiosities

One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her house eerily quiet. Her mother is missing. Nothing else is out of place. There is no sign of struggle. Her mom’s pocketbook remains in the front hall, in its usual spot.

So begins a mystery that will span a lifetime. What happened to Jane Larkin?

Investigators suspect Jane’s husband. A criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin would surely be an expert in outfoxing the police.

But no evidence is found linking him to a crime, and the case fades from the public’s memory, a simmering, unresolved riddle. Jane’s three children—Alex, Jeff, and Miranda—are left to be raised by the man who may have murdered their mother.

Two decades later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The investigation is awakened. The children, now grown, are forced to choose sides. With their father or against him? Guilty or innocent? And what happens if they are wrong?

A tale about family—family secrets and vengeance, but also family love—All That Is Mine I Carry With Me masterfully grapples with a primal question: When does loyalty reach its limit?
https://amzn.to/42k1lFo

I’ve read a couple of William Landay’s books that were excellent; his first novel, Mission Flats, and his bestseller, Defending Jacob. Defending Jacob became a limited drama series on Apple TV+ with Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery, and was very good. I was looking forward to this new book and was not disappointed.

This is a family nightmare – the mother goes missing one day, and no one knows what happened to her. Of course, the father/husband is the chief suspect, but they don’t get anywhere with him because he is a criminal defense lawyer. His kids, on the other hand, have their own theories. The family is split, but they come together when their mother’s body is found twenty years later. The original detective is retired, but he’s never forgotten this case and has always been sure of the father’s guilt. He starts working with the family to try and solve the mystery.

I don’t want to give anything away here. Most of the book explores the family dynamics, at least until the mystery starts unraveling. I found the ending to be a bit muddled, but definitely worth the read to get there. This is a beautifully written, interesting, and gripping mystery.

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME by William Landay. Bantam (March 7, 2023). ISBN: 978-0345531841. 336p.

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TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone

May 5, 2023

From the publisher:

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND NATIONAL BESTSELLER.

Tautly wound and expertly crafted, Two Nights in Lisbon is a riveting thriller about a woman under pressure, and how far she will go when everything is on the line.

You think you know a person . . .

Ariel Pryce wakes up in Lisbon, alone. Her husband is gone―no warning, no note, not answering his phone. Something is wrong.

She starts with hotel security, then the police, then the American embassy, at each confronting questions she can’t fully answer: What exactly is John doing in Lisbon? Why would he drag her along on his business trip? Who would want to harm him? And why does Ariel know so little about her new―much younger―husband?

The clock is ticking. Ariel is increasingly frustrated and desperate, running out of time, and the one person in the world who can help is the one person she least wants to ask.

With sparkling prose and razor-sharp insights, bestselling author Chris Pavone delivers a stunning and sophisticated international thriller that will linger long after the surprising final page.

“This smart, calculating author remains many notches above others in his field” ―The New York Times

“Devilishly clever . . . Wait until you read the ending that Pavone springs on you.” ―St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Nothing is quite as it seems in this energetic thriller that calls into question marriage, loyalty, and truth.” ―The Washington Post

Nominated as best hardcover novel, 2023 ITW Thriller Awards!
https://amzn.to/3L7O5Nc

I haven’t read Pavone in a while, but since I was heading to Lisbon I queued this book up on my Kindle and started reading as soon as the plane left the ground. We were flying to Lisbon from Miami via Air France, so a stop in Paris (always a hardship!) and then a short hop to Lisbon. I finished this book before Paris – it was unputdownable and the twists never stopped coming.

This book came out last year, and the paperback just came out this week. Fortuitous timing! This thriller features an unreliable narrator, an intriguing foreign setting, and a cast of sketchy characters, none of whom is quite what they appear to be. It starts off with a kidnapping – the main character, Ariel, wakes up to find her husband gone. And he’s not answering his phone. Nothing else seems to be missing, so she heads down to the front desk of the hotel but no one remembers seeing him. She then reports it to the local police, but since he’s only been gone a few hours, they are none too interested. Either is the American Embassy. At least they are not interested until she receives a ransom note.

Ariel has connections with someone pretty high up in the American political arena, and has enough dirt on the man to gain his cooperation in raising the ransom money. But nothing is as it appears, and as the layers unfold in this twisty story, things seem to get more and more complicated, instead of the other way around.

I never saw the ending coming, but to be fair I don’t really try and figure out books like this. I just enjoy the ride and this was a terrific ride indeed!

5/2023 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone.‎ Picador; Reprint edition (May 2, 2023). ISBN:‎ 978-1250872302. 448 p.