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TO THE EDGE OF SORROW by Aharon Appelfeld

January 27, 2020

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Translated by Stuart Schoffman

From the publisher:

From “fiction’s foremost chronicler of the Holocaust” (Philip Roth), here is a haunting novel about an unforgettable group of Jewish partisans fighting the Nazis during World War II.

Battling numbing cold, ever-present hunger, and German soldiers determined to hunt them down, four dozen resistance fighters—escapees from a nearby ghetto—hide in a Ukrainian forest, determined to survive the war, sabotage the German war effort, and rescue as many Jews as they can from the trains taking them to concentration camps. Their leader is relentless in his efforts to turn his ragtag band of men and boys into a disciplined force that accomplishes its goals without losing its moral compass. And so when they’re not raiding peasants’ homes for food and supplies, or training with the weapons taken from the soldiers they have ambushed and killed, the partisans read books of faith and philosophy that they have rescued from abandoned Jewish homes, and they draw strength from the women, the elderly, and the remarkably resilient orphaned children they are protecting. When they hear about the advances being made by the Soviet Army, the partisans prepare for what they know will be a furious attack on their compound by the retreating Germans. In the heartbreaking aftermath, the survivors emerge from the forest to bury their dead, care for their wounded, and grimly confront a world that is surprised by their existence—and profoundly unwelcoming.

Narrated by seventeen-year-old Edmund—a member of the group who maintains his own inner resolve with memories of his parents and their life before the war—this powerful story of Jews who fought back is suffused with the riveting detail that Aharon Appelfeld was uniquely able to bring to his award-winning novels.

The novel is a well-done story of people forced by circumstances beyond their control into a horror beyond any one’s dreams, or probably nightmares. It is told in the first person by a young boy named Edmund, who at 17 years of age is swept mercilessly from the life of a student living peacefully with his loving parents into the role of a killer.

The story begins with Edmund and his parents being forced by their captors into boarding a train. The train is to take the family to a concentration camp and the captors are German soldiers under the orders of Adolf Hitler. Edmund is told by his parents to run away from the train and hide someplace. He does so due to the prodding by his mother and father and in his traveling away meets a group of other people, all Jews that are seeking to hide from the soldiers.

The style of the narration by Edmund and reactions of other people in the group that he meets and joins is blase and describes the horrors they live with in a manner that makes them just everyday occurrences. In traveling away from the enemy and their own city, they settle on an elevated area and convert it into a defensive position. A member of the group begins drilling them in order to convert peaceful people into a group that can use weapons and fight against soldiers hunting them. They begin raiding homes and farmhouses in the area around them in order to pick up food and clothing. They use weapons taken from the soldiers that they kill as their own and expand their fighting ability.

All the while everyone involved just dreams of a day when the enemy is defeated and they can return to a normalcy that is in a distant past. The group also begins to raid trains taking people to concentration camps until they can no longer feed and care for more people.

The question posed is can these individuals, including a young teen like Edmund, ever really return to a normal life or are they marked by their forced experiences to be perpetually haunted by what has been forced on them. I came away from this read with a feeling that I have just dealt with something that will stay with me for a long long time, whether I like it or not.

1/2020 Paul Lane

TO THE EDGE OF SORROW by Aharon Appelfeld & Stuart Schoffman. Schocken (January 14, 2020). ISBN 978-0805243420. 304p.

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REGRETTING YOU by Colleen Hoover

January 26, 2020

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From the publisher:

The #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller that People Magazine calls “a poignant, addictive read.”

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us comes a novel about family, first love, grief, and betrayal that will touch the hearts of both mothers and daughters.

Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.

Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.

With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.

While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.

There is a lot to unpack in this book but it’s too good to ruin with spoilers. You get the gist of it from the publisher’s synopsis, but I will suffice it to say that there is so much more to this story. The characters come to life on the page, and the relationship between Morgan and Clara rings true. While there is a bit of romance, this is essentially a story about family, what brings them together and what can rip them apart. I read this in one day and was so sorry when I turned the last page.

My only criticism is that some of the details were not addressed, and the thing that could have resolved at least some of it was destroyed. I had a hard time believing that someone would do that. Other than that minor quibble, this is another excellent read from one of my favorite authors.

REGRETTING YOU by Colleen Hoover. Montlake (December 10, 2019). ISBN 978-1542016421. 365p.

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LOST HILLS by Lee Goldberg

January 25, 2020

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Eve Ronin, Book 1

From the publisher:

A video of Deputy Eve Ronin’s off-duty arrest of an abusive movie star goes viral, turning her into a popular hero at a time when the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is plagued by scandal. The sheriff, desperate for more positive press, makes Eve the youngest female homicide detective in the department’s history.

Now Eve, with a lot to learn and resented by her colleagues, has to justify her new badge. Her chance comes when she and her burned-out, soon-to-retire partner are called to the blood-splattered home of a missing single mother and her two kids. The horrific carnage screams multiple murder—but there are no corpses.

Eve has to rely on her instincts and tenacity to find the bodies and capture the vicious killer, all while battling her own insecurities and mounting pressure from the media, her bosses, and the bereaved family. It’s a deadly ordeal that will either prove her skills…or totally destroy her.

Lee Goldberg is an incredibly talented writer. He has written all sorts of things, including numerous series and my personal favorite, the Fox & O’Hare series, humorous thrillers written with Janet Evanovich (sorry, I quit that series when Lee did,) all kinds of mysteries and TV tie-ins, and from his Wikipedia page, “several different TV crime series, including Diagnosis: Murder, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, Hunter, Spenser: For Hire, Martial Law, She-Wolf of London, SeaQuest, 1-800-Missing, The Glades and Monk.” There are lots more, check out his website. My point being, the man has writing chops.

This new series features the very young, new homicide detective Eve Ronin, a Gen Z’er capitalizing on a viral video. But she is also smart and tough and willing to put up with the old boys network to get her job done. She is partnered with a cop on the brink of retirement, and they make a terrific team. The setting is Los Angeles, and Goldberg does a great job explaining the intricacies of jurisdictions and makes it fun. If you like police procedurals, and I do, this is an excellent newcomer to the genre. There are lots of twists and I never saw the ending coming.

This is a smartly written entry into a new series, and I am bummed that I have to wait a whole year for the next book!

LOST HILLS by Lee Goldberg. Thomas & Mercer (January 1, 2020). ISBN 978-1542091893. 240p.

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THE PRINCESS PLAN by Julia London

January 23, 2020

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A Royal Wedding Series, Book 1

From the publisher:

Princes have pomp and glory—not crushes on commoners

Nothing gets the tongues of London’s high society wagging like a good scandal. And when the personal secretary of the visiting Prince Sebastian of Alucia is found murdered, it’s all anyone can talk about, including Eliza Tricklebank. Her unapologetic gossip gazette has benefited from an anonymous tip about the crime, prompting Sebastian to take an interest in playing detective—and an even greater interest in Eliza.

With a trade deal on the line and mounting pressure to secure a noble bride, there’s nothing more salacious than a prince dallying with a commoner. Sebastian finds Eliza’s contrary manner as frustrating as it is seductive, but they’ll have to work together if they’re going to catch the culprit. And when things heat up behind closed doors, it’s the prince who’ll have to decide what comes first—his country or his heart.

This is the introduction to a new series by the fabulous Julia London. It is set in England, but the prince is from Alucia, whatever that is. The political machinations are really what this book is all about, but it is the relationship between Eliza and Sebastian that brings the romance. Everyone loves a good scandal, so a murder in the highest echelons of society keep the gossip going. Eliza is smart, and it is her intellect that really attracts Sebastian.

The secondary characters are so well developed, especially Eliza’s family, including her father, who is blind. Eliza had been badly hurt when she was younger and is determined to never put herself in that situation again. She has declared herself a spinster and is happy with that. She is brash and outspoken and I loved her! But she also can’t help falling for Sebastian, even though she knows that can never be as he is upfront with her about his marriage prospects, which are entirely political. Of course, there has to be a happy ending, and Sebastian is smart, too, and he finagles a way to make that happen.

Lots of suspense, lots of humor and some steamy sex make for a terrific read. I’m looking forward to whatever comes next.

1/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE PRINCESS PLAN by Julia London. HQN; Original edition (November 19, 2019). ISBN 978-1335041531. 400 p.

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DEEP STATE by Chris Hauty

January 22, 2020

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From the publisher:

In this white-knuckled, timely, and whip-smart debut thriller, a deadly plot against the president’s life emerges from the shadows of the Deep State.

Recently elected President Richard Monroe—populist, controversial, and divisive—is at the center of an increasingly polarized Washington, DC. Never has the partisan drama been so tense or the paranoia so rampant. In the midst of contentious political turf wars, the White House chief of staff is found dead in his house. A tenacious intern discovers a single, ominous clue that suggests he died from something other than natural causes, and that a wide-ranging conspiracy is running beneath the surface of everyday events: powerful government figures are scheming to undermine the rule of law—and democracy itself. Allies are exposed as enemies, once-dependable authorities fall under suspicion, and no one seems to be who they say they are. The unthinkable is happening. The Deep State is real. Who will die to keep its secrets and who will kill to uncover the truth?

As the title implies, Chris Hauty’s first novel deals with the possibility that there is a group of people operating behind the scenes that are manipulating national events in the United States. It is a situation that apparently is known to exist by many people without the means to control it. The novel is a work of fiction but based on distinct possibilities could be what is happening.

Haley Chill, a young woman from West Virginia, has just finished a tour in the army and looking for something to do. She has had a good several years, distinguished herself and had the fortune to become the woman’s boxing champion for her army group. She has gotten herself a place as an intern with the newly elected president’s staff working at the White House. Richard Monroe, the new President, is controversial and in many respects divisive. The Deep State group wants him dead due to the many problems surrounding him and his political outlook.

The action starts immediately when the White House chief of staff is found dead in his home. The only clue to who killed him is found by Haley who tells no one of her findings and attempts to launch her own investigation. She understands that it is the work of the so-called Deep State and that is the conspiracy that must be found and destroyed. Quite a mission for a young girl just out of military service but she is up to it.

There is no problem finding action in the story, and the words flow keeping the reader glued to the pages awaiting the outcome. The ending is not telegraphed at all, but is quite satisfying and will do its part in Hauty’s readers coming back for more.

1/2020 Paul Lane

DEEP STATE by Chris Hauty. Atria/Emily Bestler Books (January 7, 2020). ISBN 978-1982126582. 288p.

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ONE SUMMER IN PARIS by Sarah Morgan

January 21, 2020

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From the publisher:

To celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, Grace has planned the surprise of a lifetime for her husband—a romantic getaway to Paris. But she never expected he’d have a surprise of his own: he wants a divorce. Reeling from the shock but refusing to be broken, a devastated Grace makes the bold decision to go to Paris alone.

Audrey, a young woman from London, has left behind a heartache of her own when she arrives in Paris. A job in a bookshop is her ticket to freedom, but with no money and no knowledge of the French language, suddenly a summer spent wandering the cobbled streets alone seems much more likely…until she meets Grace, and everything changes.

Grace can’t believe how daring Audrey is. Audrey can’t believe how cautious newly single Grace is. Living in neighboring apartments above the bookshop, this unlikely pair offer each other just what they’ve both been missing. They came to Paris to find themselves, but finding this unbreakable friendship might be the best thing that’s ever happened to them…

Sarah Morgan is a prolific romance writer and her “From Manhattan with Love” series is one of my favorites. A few years ago, she shifted from writing romance to women’s fiction. One Summer in Paris has been gathering virtual dust on my Kindle for about a year now. As I’ve been trying to clear out the ever-growing number of to-be-read titles on my Kindle it was time to finally go for it. This is a somewhat tricky review to approach. On a surface level, I enjoyed reading One Summer in Paris, it is a quick read, the descriptions of Paris and its food are of course charming, but in the end, the book as a whole didn’t sit well with me. The main highlight of the book is the unexpected friendship that grows between Grace and Audrey as they work together in a quaint bookshop.

After her husband’s devastating betrayal Grace has been struggling with feeling useless and learning how to navigate her life without her husband at her side. Audrey, on the other hand, has already had to be more independent than any teenager should. She has practically raised herself while dealing with a severe learning disability, while her mom struggles with alcoholism and is often neglectful if not downright abusive. Seeing these two women from vastly different backgrounds support and learn from each other was the best part of the book. Each of them begins to overcome their fears and gain confidence, while of course finding a little romance. Then, however, things begin to take a turn plot-wise, all working towards an ending that feels a little forced and not earned. A storyline involving Grace’s beloved grandmother, Mimi, in particular, feels like an afterthought and was not well developed. Most important though, I feel that in Morgan’s desire to give her characters happy endings, Grace and Audrey never get to fully reflect on the trauma and difficulties they have experienced and how they have changed as a result. As a reader this left me with some feelings of frustration by the end of the book.

While One Summer in Paris is packed with beautiful descriptions of Paris, its art, architecture, and food, even the complex friendship between Grace and Audrey wasn’t enough to keep me from feeling that this book still lacked something when it came to actual substance and character growth.

ONE SUMMER IN PARIS by Sarah Morgan. HQN Books (April 9, 2019). ISBN 9781335507549. 400 p.

1/2020 Caitlin Brisson

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WIFE AFTER WIFE by Olivia Hayfield

January 20, 2020

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The basic premise of this new telling of an old story reimagines Henry VIII morphed into a Rupert Murdoch type figure, without having learned a thing in the past 472 years.

Harry Rose is a British business tycoon whose media empire puts him near the top of every list of billionaires worldwide. This fast-paced, fun, yet engrossing read follows Harry’s marital trail of tears. Being married to one woman doesn’t work for Harry; he has one affair after another, and some of the mistresses even become wives. As a young man, he marries Katie, a devout Catholic with infertility issues. Eventually, she bears him a daughter, and not long afterward, Harry falls madly in love with wife number two, Ana, the “ice queen.” Harry’s blindly devoted secretary becomes his third wife, followed by a couple more, and he has children with several of them. But it is the burgeoning #metoo movement that creates a comeuppance for Harry, retribution for at least some of his wives, opportunities for his daughters, and a fitting end to this ultimately feminist tale.

Verdict: This story will resonate with readers, even ones those not familiar with British royal history. For readers who enjoyed the updated Jane Austen books like Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal and Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld, and are ready to branch out.

©Library Journal, 2020

1/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WIFE AFTER WIFE by Olivia Hayfield. Berkley (January 21, 2020). ISBN 978-0593101834. 464p.

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THE COUNTRY GUESTHOUSE by Robyn Carr

January 17, 2020

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Sullivan’s Crossing, Book 5

From the publisher:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr delivers an emotional and triumphant novel about the fierce power of a mother’s love.

A summer rental, a new beginning…

Hannah Russell’s carefully crafted plans for her life have been upended without warning. When her best friend died suddenly, Hannah became guardian to a five-year-old named Noah. With no experience at motherhood, she’s terrified she’s not up to the challenge. She and Noah need time to get to know each other, so she decides to rent a country house with stunning views on a lake in rural Colorado.

When they arrive at the house, they are greeted by the owner, a handsome man who promises to stay out of their way. But his clumsy Great Dane, Romeo, has other ideas and Noah immediately bonds with the lovable dog. As Hannah learns to become a mother, Owen Abrams, who is recovering from his own grief, can’t help but be drawn out of his solitude by his guests.

But life throws more challenges at this unlikely trio and they are tested in ways they never thought possible. All three will discover their strengths and, despite their differences, they will fight to become a family. And the people of Sullivan’s Crossing will rally around them to offer all of the support they need.

Robyn Carr is one of my favorite authors. I love all of her series, and I was really excited when I saw there was a new addition to the Sullivan’s Crossing series. The setting is one of my favorites. But I must admit, I had a little trouble with this book.

I liked Hannah a lot, and I loved Noah. These characters were well developed and believable. On the other hand, Owen was a bit of an enigma to me. I didn’t feel like he was as well developed, even though his background was explored and was very dramatic. Something just felt off to me. Maybe it was the lack of chemistry between Hannah and Owen. They went from platonic to romantic without any real buildup. This book had a lot of telling, rather than showing, and I never like that as much.

Not my favorite, but I’m still glad I read it.

1/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE COUNTRY GUESTHOUSE by Robyn Carr. MIRA; Original edition (January 7, 2020). ISBN 978-0778309055. 336 p.

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A RUSH OF BLOOD by David Mark

January 16, 2020

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From the publisher:

Ten-year-old Hilda’s search for her missing friend has terrible consequences in this gripping psychological thriller.

When her friend Meda fails to turn up for dance class one evening, 10-year-old Hilda is convinced that something bad has happened to her, despite Meda’s family’s reassurances. Unable to shake off her concerns, Hilda turns to her mother, Molly, for help. Molly runs the Jolly Bonnet, a pub with links to the Whitechapel murders of a century before and a meeting place for an assortment of eccentrics drawn to its warm embrace. Among them is Lottie. Pathologist by day, vlogger by night, Lottie enlists the help of her army of online fans – and uncovers evidence that Meda isn’t the first young girl to go missing.

But Molly and Lottie’s investigations attract unwelcome attention. Two worlds are about to collide in a terrifying game of cat and mouse played out on the rain-lashed streets of London’s East End, a historic neighbourhood that has run red with the blood of innocents for centuries.

David Mark gives us a stand-alone novel with his current book. It is a horror story and if you like the genre a good one. The book takes place in England in modern times but with a haunting attachment to the murders by Jack the Ripper in the 1860s. The novel begins with 10-year-old Hilda beginning to worry about her friend Meda who hasn’t shown up for their dance class. Hilda tells her mother about her worries but with the result that Meda’s family doesn’t appear to be overly concerned about their daughter’s whereabouts.

Hilda’s mother, Molly, runs the Jolly Bonnet, a pub with links to the Whitechapel murders of a hundred years before. The scene is populated by characters reminiscent of a bloody past and an overriding interest by leading personnel in blood, its transfusion, discoveries of its nature down through the centuries, and its twisted use by the villain of the piece.

The individual committing crimes including the kidnapping of Meda is introduced at the beginning of the novel. This is done undoubtedly to paint a complete picture of the person, what has twisted him and made a homicidal maniac out of him. For those not averse to reading a novel steeped in horror, “A Rush of Blood” will be a rewarding experience with definite plans to read additional books by this author.

1/2020 Paul Lane

A RUSH OF BLOOD by David Mark. Severn House Publishers; Main edition (January 7, 2020). ISBN 978-0727889058. 224p.

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FROM THE GRAVE by Jay Brandon

January 15, 2020

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Edward Hall Series, Book 2

From the publisher:

Disbarred defence attorney Edward Hall discovers that in order to win his case he has to lose in this tense and twisting legal thriller.

“You want me to represent the most hated man in Houston?”

Disbarred Texas lawyer Edward Hall returns to the courtroom after accepting an offer from the District Attorney to represent the most obviously guilty defendant in town. It’s a poisoned chalice. Not only is his client charged with kidnapping the DA’s sister, he is already well-known for the previous kidnapping of a celebrity’s son.

But if Edward handles this well, he has a chance to regain his law licence. And Edward understand that by ‘handling the case well’, the DA means he needs to lose. Labouring under this impossible conflict of interest, Edward prepares for the trial with the help of his resourceful girlfriend Linda. But as the trial approaches, Edward finds himself having to solve and prove a completely different case: one of cold-blooded murder.

Edward (not Ed) Hall is a disbarred attorney due to having spent time in jail and becoming a convicted felon has gone back to his home town of Houston, Texas where he works at any job he can get. He has also been successful in moving in with Linda, a girl he has fallen in love with. His world looks brighter but he certainly misses practicing law.

Out of the blue, an opportunity presents itself to him in the form of an offer from the District Attorney. A man that was in jail at the same time as Edward stands accused of kidnapping a lady and extorting a ransom from her husband. The D.A. tells him that if he takes the case and goes to court with it his legal license will be returned. It is insinuated that he must handle the case the “right” way – losing and allowing the defendant to be put back in jail.

Edward takes the case and realizes that the lady kidnapped is the District Attorney’s sister and the man he is representing had helped him out several times while they were both incarcerated. He gets help from Linda who proves herself very resourceful. The trial, the preparations of both parties: the D.A. and Edward as the defense attorney is told very well with all the bumps and maneuvers that probably would occur in any real trial.

The story lays the groundwork for continuing Edward and Linda’s appearances in court, and it doesn’t hurt the storyline that Linda receives her court reporter’s license as the events proceed. Brandon has written previous books featuring Edward Hall and the present novel probably represents a new beginning for him with the added help his girlfriend.

1/2020 Paul Lane

FROM THE GRAVE by Jay Brandon. Severn House Publishers; Main edition (January 7, 2020). ISBN 978-0727889003. 240p.