There aren’t many authors whose latest book I eagerly await, and who maintain a consistently high level in terms of plot, character, and entertainment value. John Sandford has been one of those (along with Michael Connelly, Michael Robotham, Robert Crais, and Elizaeth George (OK, a few clunkers in the Lynley series, but overall still a …
I confess, the cover caught my eye. Then I saw the blurb that said “A thrilling debut novel for fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng.” That did it, I was hooked. And once I started reading, I was all in. Now I want to suggest it for a book club, but how to describe …
Harlan Coben’s latest, Run Away, is another reliably entertaining thriller from a prolific author. In this one, Manhattan-based member of the elite Simon Greene lives a privileged life with his wife Ingrid and their 3 children: Sam, Anya and Paige. These kids have always had everything they wanted in terms of material possessions, but once …
The Night Before is one of many recent psychological thrillers, with the whole woman-in-danger thing, but on steroids. The publisher’s blurb was vague, and that is probably a good thing, as it made the surprises more effective. As the story opens, a woman named Laura is getting ready for a blind date, and she isn’t …
When I read Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, I THOUGHT I didn’t really like it, but because I kept thinking about it, I came to realize it was very effective, even if the actual read wasn’t happiness-inducing. So reading the blurb that said Richard Roper’s How Not To Die Alone was “for fans …
I don’t recall reading anything by Adam Mitzner, and I have no idea why! It seems he has written other financial/legal/social issue thrillers prior to A Matter of Will, but it was my first Mitzner book, and thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley I had the opportunity to read it and review it in …
I have read a few things by Heather Gudenkauf, and while I couldn’t tell you a title or storyline, I do know I have enjoyed them as escapist fiction. So, I was happy to read and review Before She Was Found in return for my honest review (thanks to Harlequin/Park Row and NetGalley). The story …
Diane Fanning is one of the more prolific writers in the true crime genre, and I have read several of her titles, being appropriately creeped out and generally entertained by them all. Usually, I am not familiar with the topics, but I either had read something about this one, or possible listened to a podcast …
Back in 2017, I gave four stars to Karen Cleveland’s Need To Know, a thriller featuring a strong female protagonist. Happily, thanks to Random House-Ballantine and NetGalley, I was given the opportunity to read an advance copy of Ms. Cleveland’s next book, Keep You Close, in exchange for my honest review. Once again, we have …
Back in 2012, I read The Expats by Chris Pavone. I loved it! It was an international thriller, telling the story of a couple who pick up and leave the US so the husband, Dexter, can take a lucrative job in Luxembourg. They jump at the chance to start a new life abroad with the …
I was happy to receive a copy of Alafair Burke’s The Better Sister from Harper Collins and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Why happy? Alafair Burke is a terrific writer, “domestic thriller” is one of my fave genres when done well, and the story just sounded kind of juicy. There are two Taylor …
I am the perfect demographic for this book, subtitled “Essays From the Grown-Up Years”: I loved the “Cathy” comic strip, and found it so frequently absolutely NAILED situations/relationships/dilemmas in my own life as a woman who spent a boatload of time in the 70s-80s-90s reveling in the feminist energy I felt all around me while …
When I was studying at U.C. Davis in the late 1970s-early 1980s, one of my absolute favorite classes was an English Lit class that met twice a week: on Tuesdays we would discuss a book, and on Thursdays we would either have the author of that book as a guest speaker or we would go …