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Last Night
From the Amazon Charts and New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Box and Last Day comes a breathtaking thriller about a family shaken by lies, vengeance, and a cold-blooded crime.
A fierce blizzard is burying the eastern seaboard, but on the icy Rhode Island shore renowned artist Maddie Morrison finds warm sanctuary from a contentious divorce at the legendary Ocean House. Hours later, her body is found buried under a blanket of snow and her little daughter, CeCe, has disappeared without a trace.
For Detective Conor Reid; his brother, Tom, a coast guard commander; and Maddie’s grieving sister, Hadley, the posh hotel becomes ground zero for an investigation. Trapped by the blizzard, they must hunker down and determine who in the young mother’s life could have possibly wanted her dead. There are stories of a twisted romantic past. Of old jealousies and resentments that still cut to the bone. And a history of greed, rage, and revenge that created the perfect storm for murder. A storm that has just begun.
A fierce blizzard is burying the eastern seaboard, but on the icy Rhode Island shore renowned artist Maddie Morrison finds warm sanctuary from a contentious divorce at the legendary Ocean House. Hours later, her body is found buried under a blanket of snow and her little daughter, CeCe, has disappeared without a trace.
For Detective Conor Reid; his brother, Tom, a coast guard commander; and Maddie’s grieving sister, Hadley, the posh hotel becomes ground zero for an investigation. Trapped by the blizzard, they must hunker down and determine who in the young mother’s life could have possibly wanted her dead. There are stories of a twisted romantic past. Of old jealousies and resentments that still cut to the bone. And a history of greed, rage, and revenge that created the perfect storm for murder. A storm that has just begun.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2024
About the author
Luanne Rice
109 books3,001 followersLuanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-eight novels, translated into thirty languages. Rice often writes about love, family, nature, and the sea. Most recently she has written thrillers, including one based on a murder that affected her family. She received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement in the Literary Arts category.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.
Connecticut College awarded Rice an honorary degree and invited her to donate her papers to the College’s Special Collections Library. They are archived in the Luanne Rice Collection.
Rice has also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from St. Joseph University in West Hartford, Conn.
Several of Rice's novels have been adapted for television. Her monologue for the play Motherhood Out Loud premiered at Hartford Stage and has been performed Off-Broadway in NYC and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Rice is a Creative Affiliate of the Safina Center. She lives in southeastern Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,088 reviews
February 10, 2024
EXCERPT: The path to the beach was deep with snow. It covered the thickets on both sides, creating rounded shapes that looked like sea animals, like the white beluga whales at the aquarium. It softened everything and turned the world cold. The shape in the middle of the path was buried, and no matter how she tried to dig the snow away, the snow just kept falling and falling, so the face wasn't a face anymore; it was just a lump.
ABOUT 'LAST NIGHT': A fierce blizzard is burying the eastern seaboard, but on the icy Rhode Island shore renowned artist Maddie Morrison finds warm sanctuary from a contentious divorce at the legendary Ocean House. Hours later, her body is found buried under a blanket of snow and her little daughter, CeCe, has disappeared without a trace.
For Detective Conor Reid; his brother, Tom, a coast guard commander; and Maddie’s grieving sister, Hadley, the posh hotel becomes ground zero for an investigation. Trapped by the blizzard, they must hunker down and determine who in the young mother’s life could have possibly wanted her dead. There are stories of a twisted romantic past. Of old jealousies and resentments that still cut to the bone. And a history of greed, rage, and revenge that created the perfect storm for murder. A storm that has just begun.
MY THOUGHTS: Last Night is a family/domestic drama that should be suspenseful, but it failed miserably in this respect for me. I felt like I was being told a story, whereas I like to feel like I am experiencing the events.
This is a story of the violent death of a mother; of a loving sister and aunt; a treasured child; a marriage (or two) gone wrong; secrets, old grudges, greed, betrayal and revenge. It has all the ingredients of a great read. Instead, I found it to be average. Not bad, but not great either. It should have been suspenseful and thrilling; it was neither. There was not one moment when I caught my breath in anticipation or dread. There were, however, a few eyerolls and the occasionally muttered 'Really?' However, at no point did I consider abandoning this read - I did want to know who had killed Maddie and why.
The characters were mostly likeable (with the notable exception of Bernard), until they weren't. Although there is quite a large cast of characters, it never got confusing and for this I must commend the author. Each character had a distinct identity and role to play. The one character I did feel empathy for, surprisingly was Ronnie. He was a young lad who just wanted to please his father, to make him proud, but who ruined his own life trying to do this.
There was a LOT of dialogue in this book, and I mean a LOT. It's hard to create atmosphere with so much dialogue and atmosphere was sadly lacking here.
Unfortunately, a distinctly average read.
⭐⭐.5
#LastNight #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-seven novels and lives on the Connecticut shoreline.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Last Night by Luanne Rice for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT 'LAST NIGHT': A fierce blizzard is burying the eastern seaboard, but on the icy Rhode Island shore renowned artist Maddie Morrison finds warm sanctuary from a contentious divorce at the legendary Ocean House. Hours later, her body is found buried under a blanket of snow and her little daughter, CeCe, has disappeared without a trace.
For Detective Conor Reid; his brother, Tom, a coast guard commander; and Maddie’s grieving sister, Hadley, the posh hotel becomes ground zero for an investigation. Trapped by the blizzard, they must hunker down and determine who in the young mother’s life could have possibly wanted her dead. There are stories of a twisted romantic past. Of old jealousies and resentments that still cut to the bone. And a history of greed, rage, and revenge that created the perfect storm for murder. A storm that has just begun.
MY THOUGHTS: Last Night is a family/domestic drama that should be suspenseful, but it failed miserably in this respect for me. I felt like I was being told a story, whereas I like to feel like I am experiencing the events.
This is a story of the violent death of a mother; of a loving sister and aunt; a treasured child; a marriage (or two) gone wrong; secrets, old grudges, greed, betrayal and revenge. It has all the ingredients of a great read. Instead, I found it to be average. Not bad, but not great either. It should have been suspenseful and thrilling; it was neither. There was not one moment when I caught my breath in anticipation or dread. There were, however, a few eyerolls and the occasionally muttered 'Really?' However, at no point did I consider abandoning this read - I did want to know who had killed Maddie and why.
The characters were mostly likeable (with the notable exception of Bernard), until they weren't. Although there is quite a large cast of characters, it never got confusing and for this I must commend the author. Each character had a distinct identity and role to play. The one character I did feel empathy for, surprisingly was Ronnie. He was a young lad who just wanted to please his father, to make him proud, but who ruined his own life trying to do this.
There was a LOT of dialogue in this book, and I mean a LOT. It's hard to create atmosphere with so much dialogue and atmosphere was sadly lacking here.
Unfortunately, a distinctly average read.
⭐⭐.5
#LastNight #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of thirty-seven novels and lives on the Connecticut shoreline.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Last Night by Luanne Rice for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
July 31, 2023
I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half for me was meh – I didn't like it, I didn't hate it, and I didn't feel much of anything about the characters one way or the other. The second half was better because the plot finally started to progress, which in turn made the characters more interesting.
The mystery itself – who killed Maddie Morrison and why? – was pretty middle-of-the-road. I saw a good portion of the big reveal coming, and I'm not at all clever at solving murder mysteries. There were small twists of the plot here and there but nothing that felt particularly surprising. Still, while Last Night wasn't a shocking read, it wasn't a terrible way to spend a few hours. It's well written and absent of any major plot holes. The main characters were mostly likable and Conor Reid was a competent (but rather conventional) detective. Despite a decent number of suspects and characters investigating Maddie's murder, the plot never got confusing and I was easily able to keep track of who was who.
I didn't especially enjoy the chapters written from the point of view of CeCe, but I've never really been fond of narratives written from a young child's perspective so that's not something that's unique to this book.
Overall, I felt that Last Night was a decent, but not especially novel, murder mystery. I might go back and read Last Day (which focuses on Conor and Kate and the murder of Kate's sister, Beth) just to finish the story … or to start the story, I suppose?
3.4 stars, rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review!
The mystery itself – who killed Maddie Morrison and why? – was pretty middle-of-the-road. I saw a good portion of the big reveal coming, and I'm not at all clever at solving murder mysteries. There were small twists of the plot here and there but nothing that felt particularly surprising. Still, while Last Night wasn't a shocking read, it wasn't a terrible way to spend a few hours. It's well written and absent of any major plot holes. The main characters were mostly likable and Conor Reid was a competent (but rather conventional) detective. Despite a decent number of suspects and characters investigating Maddie's murder, the plot never got confusing and I was easily able to keep track of who was who.
I didn't especially enjoy the chapters written from the point of view of CeCe, but I've never really been fond of narratives written from a young child's perspective so that's not something that's unique to this book.
Overall, I felt that Last Night was a decent, but not especially novel, murder mystery. I might go back and read Last Day (which focuses on Conor and Kate and the murder of Kate's sister, Beth) just to finish the story … or to start the story, I suppose?
3.4 stars, rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review!
February 17, 2024
LAST NIGHT is a murder mystery/family drama set during a blizzard on the coast of Rhode Island. A famous and very wealthy artist is found dead in the snow, and her 6-year old daughter goes missing. The premise grabbed me, but overall, I wasn't wowed. The writing was dry, and I never felt truly invested in the story. There was a lot of bland dialogue that came off as unnatural and wooden. The mystery itself was quite complex, but unfortunately too much dull filler slowed down the plot.
October 18, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
It is strange that one of my last books to be shelved in 2023 isn't out until February 2024 but let's generate some buzz, shall we?
Back in my university days, I fell hard for the books of Luanne Rice( it was all because of Follow the Stars Home) and they pretty much held me in their grip until my mid-20s. So I guess it was with nostalgia that I saw this title and decided to take a trip down memory lane. Without even reading the synopsis. Imagine my surprise to find out that Luanne Rice isn't just a contemporary romance author but has evolved to put some suspense into her tales.
I was very pleasantly surprised
In the middle of a Rhode Island snowstorm, a woman's body is discovered, her daughter kidnapped, and several characters find their lives wrapped up in the mystery.
There were many character perspectives and a good number of suspects to keep me entertained and invested in seeing the book through to the end. I liked the book but I wanted more of Conor Reid as he was the most intriguing character to me.
Expected Publication 01/02/24
Goodreads review published 15/10/23
#LastNight #NetGalley.
It is strange that one of my last books to be shelved in 2023 isn't out until February 2024 but let's generate some buzz, shall we?
Back in my university days, I fell hard for the books of Luanne Rice( it was all because of Follow the Stars Home) and they pretty much held me in their grip until my mid-20s. So I guess it was with nostalgia that I saw this title and decided to take a trip down memory lane. Without even reading the synopsis. Imagine my surprise to find out that Luanne Rice isn't just a contemporary romance author but has evolved to put some suspense into her tales.
I was very pleasantly surprised
In the middle of a Rhode Island snowstorm, a woman's body is discovered, her daughter kidnapped, and several characters find their lives wrapped up in the mystery.
There were many character perspectives and a good number of suspects to keep me entertained and invested in seeing the book through to the end. I liked the book but I wanted more of Conor Reid as he was the most intriguing character to me.
Expected Publication 01/02/24
Goodreads review published 15/10/23
#LastNight #NetGalley.
January 18, 2024
Cannot continue. Her writing style does not do it for me, flat characters, boring dialog. Not even going to skim to see "whodunnit" because I don't care.
April 2, 2024
It will keep you guessing as to who the murderer is, and will the surviors survive. 3.5 rating
March 6, 2024
The author describe things beautifully. She wrote this so well I could hear the ocean waves in my mind. Good character development without boring details. A good who done it.
August 22, 2023
I have to admit, i'm a huge Luanne Rice fan and was so excited to receive a galley of this one. A murder happens at the Ocean House in Rhode Island at the beginning of the book. Rice writes what she knows and loves- the Ocean House, Newport, Galilee, the fishing fleet, and the special relationship that's shared by sisters. A page-turner with a twist that I only partially saw coming. Highly recommend
March 6, 2024
I got this book for free thanks to Amazon’s First Reads program. I’ve never read anything by the author before, but the description sounded interesting.
It was just okay. The writing wasn’t bad but felt very bland. There were too many characters that weren’t fleshed out enough. Some of the plot points were just weird and felt random.
Overall, I liked it enough to finish reading but not to read another by this author.
It was just okay. The writing wasn’t bad but felt very bland. There were too many characters that weren’t fleshed out enough. Some of the plot points were just weird and felt random.
Overall, I liked it enough to finish reading but not to read another by this author.
January 30, 2024
Maddie, a famous artist, is killed on a snowy beach near a luxury hotel in Rhode Island.
Her six year old daughter CeCe is missing. Her sister, Headley, who just arrived to visit the two for the holidays is devastated and just wants to find her niece. Fortunately a cop, Colin, and his girlfriend Kate are staying at the hotel too and Colin tries everything to uncover all the mysteries...
Who killed Maddie and why?
And where is CeCe??
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
═══════════════
Great Luanne Rice mystery novel!
I loved everything from the pretty cover to the last word!
The whole snowy, wintery, christmassy mood is just my thing. Add in the murder and the kidnapping and all the mystery stuff - perfect book for a cuddly afternoon with a hot beverage!
I should add - if you're weird like me about book series.... There was another book before this one called LAST DAY. That was Colin and Kate's love story. Her sister was killed too and Colin was the cop on the case. And after that book came another one where Colin was the cop too! THE SHADOW BOX! So if you're a series-weird reader like me - read those first! 🤣
LAST NIGHT was such a great mystery novel. Exciting. Heartbreaking. Sweet. Sad. Full of secrets. Mysteries. Families. Sisters. Lies. And so much more! And we get so witness all of that in this perfect snowy, wintery coastal setting. I just loved it!
💜
💜
January 15, 2024
Sadly, I just wanted it to be over. This was almost a DNF. Sooooo many coincidences, so many characters, and so many characters who turn out to be related. Plus a six-year-old child who acts 3 one minute and 30 the next. Not a fan.
January 19, 2024
Ugh. What a terrible book! The writing was horrendous. The author jumped around erratically. The detective work was not realistic at all. The only reason why I finished this book was because I’m not a quitter, but the struggle was real with this one.
January 20, 2024
I don’t even want to go into all the reasons why this book is awful.
March 5, 2024
I picked this one up as a Prime First Read and I have no regrets. Last Night was more of a murder mystery than a thriller, imo, and I can honestly say that I didn't immediately figure out who the doer was, which is always a bonus for me. It took a while to even guess who might be involved and I couldn't begin to understand the many moving parts to this plot. The author did a great job of feeding me misleading clues and I loved that. From the cop who was out of his jurisdiction, the seemingly bumbling cops who took over the scene, the grieving sister, and the cop's girlfriend who was an amateur sleuth, I was entertained. I'd definitely be down to read another mystery from this author.
January 20, 2024
OH MY GOD! This book is insane! I can’t stop thinking about it at all!… Super suspenseful, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! Amazing book!!
January 30, 2024
Gawd, what a lousy novel!
What prompted me to read this, and what kept me reading this, was that it was set in an area of Rhode Island not far from where I live in eastern Connecticut. Unfortunately, my location made it terribly obvious how little this person knows about the region.
For example, her hero is a Connecticut State Trooper who is the head of Major Crimes for the area of Connecticut that is the “closest district” to Rhode Island. Hm, I wonder where that could be? Well Tolland County is the site of Major Crimes for all 42 towns in the easternmost end of Connecticut.
Contrary to what Rice may think, eastern Connecticut is *by far* the poorest area of the state. Windham County, for example, used to be known as the "Appalachia of Connecticut." At one point in time, a Connecticut governor suggested using the area as a toxic waste dumping site "since there's really nothing over there." Sound well-heeled, Luanne?
I could nitpick my way through the whole book, but I think it will speak well enough to discerning readers if I mention that
***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!!
***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!!
***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!!
the mastermind of the crime is a woman who, while heterosexual, successfully seduces a woman to entice her into the plot ('cuz that, as we all know, is how sexual orientation and sexual preference works). And she also stabs her sister 28 times and then strangles her because…. Damned if I know. And isn’t it cool how this idiot author manages to have a 100% straight cast of characters but *still* manages to make lesbianism an aspect of the criminality? The extensive (and highly unlikely plot) ends up consisting of three nefarious women ('cuz most crime is due to women, right?), one clueless man, two evil lobstermen, and a 15yo triggerman. (While the book shows much concern over a 6yo rich girl, the author spares not a thought for the impoverished 15yo kid who will bear the brunt of this conspiracy, BTW.)
This author is celebrated as being a New York Times bestselling author—are New Yorkers really that dumb?
What prompted me to read this, and what kept me reading this, was that it was set in an area of Rhode Island not far from where I live in eastern Connecticut. Unfortunately, my location made it terribly obvious how little this person knows about the region.
For example, her hero is a Connecticut State Trooper who is the head of Major Crimes for the area of Connecticut that is the “closest district” to Rhode Island. Hm, I wonder where that could be? Well Tolland County is the site of Major Crimes for all 42 towns in the easternmost end of Connecticut.
Contrary to what Rice may think, eastern Connecticut is *by far* the poorest area of the state. Windham County, for example, used to be known as the "Appalachia of Connecticut." At one point in time, a Connecticut governor suggested using the area as a toxic waste dumping site "since there's really nothing over there." Sound well-heeled, Luanne?
I could nitpick my way through the whole book, but I think it will speak well enough to discerning readers if I mention that
***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!!
***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!!
***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!! ***SPOILER ALERT!!!
the mastermind of the crime is a woman who, while heterosexual, successfully seduces a woman to entice her into the plot ('cuz that, as we all know, is how sexual orientation and sexual preference works). And she also stabs her sister 28 times and then strangles her because…. Damned if I know. And isn’t it cool how this idiot author manages to have a 100% straight cast of characters but *still* manages to make lesbianism an aspect of the criminality? The extensive (and highly unlikely plot) ends up consisting of three nefarious women ('cuz most crime is due to women, right?), one clueless man, two evil lobstermen, and a 15yo triggerman. (While the book shows much concern over a 6yo rich girl, the author spares not a thought for the impoverished 15yo kid who will bear the brunt of this conspiracy, BTW.)
This author is celebrated as being a New York Times bestselling author—are New Yorkers really that dumb?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2024
Sooo slow. A lot of descriptions and some of it repetitive. Only so many ways you can describe snow before it’s repetitive in my opinion. The twist was somewhat predictable, and one of the characters involvement was not fluid in my opinion.
December 12, 2023
This book was simply amazing. You are pulled in to a major event early in the story and you just can’t put it down . I read this book in 2 days!
January 17, 2024
I was bored to tears with this book. Tons of useless information. This is stated to be a thriller it lacked how to grip the reader. I also feel that there was wayyyyy too many characters.
March 31, 2024
I picked this on up from Amazon First Reads, but had never read this author before. This book got off to a good start and grabbed my attention right away. I thought the author did a great job writing the setting and making you see and feel the hotel and the weather. The mystery moved along and the characters were interesting and varied. The last 20% of the book got a bit frantic and I had to really pay attention to how all the connections were being made. I enjoyed the ending.
January 13, 2024
In Jan we were offered two free selections from Amazon Kindle First Reads. Typically I do not enjoy the books I read from that program, and this one doesn’t change that pattern.
I never really like books about art. To me, art is so personal and individual. Just like reading books. Or drinking wine. It is such a matter of personal taste and opinion. (I actually would value good books and good wine higher than ‘good’ art).
I didn’t like the characters. I didn’t think their actions or dialogue or decisions rang true.
The ‘villain’ made no sense to me. I thought Maddie didn’t sound like a good mom. Cece was annoying. Ronnie at 15 was horrifying. I didn’t empathize with Hadley. All of the back story/motivation of the Garsons and the other locals felt forced and artificial, and very very lame.
Just overall not my kind of book, although I did stick with it just to see how it shook out. Disappointing. Now, on to my other January selection - here’s hoping it’s not nearly as ho-hum!
I never really like books about art. To me, art is so personal and individual. Just like reading books. Or drinking wine. It is such a matter of personal taste and opinion. (I actually would value good books and good wine higher than ‘good’ art).
I didn’t like the characters. I didn’t think their actions or dialogue or decisions rang true.
The ‘villain’ made no sense to me. I thought Maddie didn’t sound like a good mom. Cece was annoying. Ronnie at 15 was horrifying. I didn’t empathize with Hadley. All of the back story/motivation of the Garsons and the other locals felt forced and artificial, and very very lame.
Just overall not my kind of book, although I did stick with it just to see how it shook out. Disappointing. Now, on to my other January selection - here’s hoping it’s not nearly as ho-hum!
August 9, 2023
This is a mystery set in the middle of a blizzard in a Rhode Island hotel. Maddie takes her small daughter, CeCe out in a blizzard to meet someone. When her sister Hadley shows up and they are still gone she too runs out into the blizzard and finds Maddie's body but CeCe is nowhere to be found.
A really solid read..
The police are called, but there is also a detective from another precint staying there with his girlfriend. They are there when Hadley discovers the body, and they get involved.
I have some mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I loved it, and was sucked right in. I read it in a day! I could see this as a movie.
So why not 5 stars? I struggled with the numerous people. Maddie, Cece, Hadley, Maddies' ex husband, the detective and his girlfriend, the police actually assigned to the case, the bad guys.. It was a little much at times. And the bad guy who wasn't as much of a bad guy didn't ring true to me.
One the other hand.. ; Like I said I couldn't stop reading it. And I had to know who she was meeting in the blizzard and why. So I am going with a soldi 4 stars.
.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review.. This did not impact my review.
A really solid read..
The police are called, but there is also a detective from another precint staying there with his girlfriend. They are there when Hadley discovers the body, and they get involved.
I have some mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I loved it, and was sucked right in. I read it in a day! I could see this as a movie.
So why not 5 stars? I struggled with the numerous people. Maddie, Cece, Hadley, Maddies' ex husband, the detective and his girlfriend, the police actually assigned to the case, the bad guys.. It was a little much at times. And the bad guy who wasn't as much of a bad guy didn't ring true to me.
One the other hand.. ; Like I said I couldn't stop reading it. And I had to know who she was meeting in the blizzard and why. So I am going with a soldi 4 stars.
.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review.. This did not impact my review.
January 6, 2024
“But, Bernard, CeCe lost her mother. She needs her father now.” Why on earth would Hadley say this, knowing how awful he was? It doesn’t ring true.
I liked some of this story. Enough to keep reading it, anyway. But it had lots of leaps of logic. Lots of tidbits of “history” woven in to make the story more “authentic,” I guess. They just padded the pages, though.
Cece was the only truly smart one.
Also, what kind of mother takes her little girl out into a blizzard? Ridiculous to begin with.
I liked some of this story. Enough to keep reading it, anyway. But it had lots of leaps of logic. Lots of tidbits of “history” woven in to make the story more “authentic,” I guess. They just padded the pages, though.
Cece was the only truly smart one.
Also, what kind of mother takes her little girl out into a blizzard? Ridiculous to begin with.
January 28, 2024
I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it was a DNF for me. It started out great, with the first two chapters hooking me, but I slipped off the line when it seemed to transition into nothing about pieces of art and the art world- something I couldn't care less about. I don't need paragraph after paragraph about one piece that was hung on a wall somewhere, and frankly, the victim's famous artwork with a swan riding a whale sounded hideous to me, and not something I'd enjoy in reality. The plot refused to move forward by 30%, just stuck in idle. Besides that, there were time issues that bothered me. It was 12am when the sister changed rooms and police were on the beach, but then the guy went down to the empty beach to look around, and came back to the bar, which was somehow still open? From there, they had a long talk around the lounge.. Come on, that place would've been shut down for the night by then. The whole book just irritated me, so I had to quit.
February 19, 2024
Not one thing in this book was believable!
January 15, 2024
The vivid picturesque description of everything written in this suspense thriller brings the story to a terrifying and swirling in frantic directions.
December 18, 2023
I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I loved many books by this author in the past but I could not get into this book and I just couldn't finish. It started off really intense but it just went downhill for me after that point. I have no interest in art and there was just too much talk about it for my taste. The overall descriptions of everything was just too much.
February 17, 2024
Clumsy writing, flat characters, stilted dialogues and a ridiculous story plot
February 26, 2024
CeCe is the best! This was a very strange story with very strange characters. Love and greed is always bound to bring trouble.
February 3, 2024
A must read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,088 reviews