Thanks so much to @MulhollandBooks and @netgalley for an eARC of GUIDE ME HOME by Attica Locke, on sale tomorrow, September 3, 2024.
In this final bookThanks so much to @MulhollandBooks and @netgalley for an eARC of GUIDE ME HOME by Attica Locke, on sale tomorrow, September 3, 2024.
In this final book of the Highway 59 trilogy, Texas Ranger Darren Matthews joins forces with the most unlikely of allies, his mother. A newly sober Bell, who for all of Darren’s life thus far has been an untrustworthy addict, appears to ask for his help. A Black college student has disappeared from the all-white sorority where she is a housekeeper, and Bell found all the girl’s belongings in the dumpster.
Darren doesn’t trust Bell, but when his inquiries lead to dead ends and obfuscations, he senses the girl may be in real trouble. Though he has been warned against pursuing the case, Darren moves forward, baffled that the girl’s parents insist she is fine. He also can’t believe that Joseph, the patriarch, is a committed Trumper.
Still, he must tread lightly because the DA, another far right politician, is determined to indict Darren for obstruction of justice to gain currency for his congressional campaign.
Darren strives to be righteous and bring justice to Blacks in East Texas, but his best efforts are thwarted by prevalent subtle institutional and overt societal racism. His excessive drinking may be understandable if it weren’t so self-destructive, but seeking annihilation through alcohol becomes even more tempting as he learns secrets about his family that shake the very foundations of his self-concept.
GUIDE ME HOME is such a phenomenal book: it weaves politics (set in 2019), economics, and the central mystery of the missing student while infusing the book with the flavors of East Texas.
The book is also a satisfying end to the series, giving a fitting end to Darren’s story but leaving enough ambiguity for his character that the novel doesn’t seemed contrived. That is not to say I am happy the series is over! I’d love to see Darren Matthews again. ...more
Thanks so much to @severnhouseimprint and @berittalksbooks for providing me an advanced reading copy of THE HOUSE ON COLD CREEK LANE by @lizalterman (Thanks so much to @severnhouseimprint and @berittalksbooks for providing me an advanced reading copy of THE HOUSE ON COLD CREEK LANE by @lizalterman (on sale 8.6.24).
Laurel and Rob West move into their dream house in suburban New Jersey, a house Lauren can’t believe they can afford. A pastry chef by trade, she is unable to work with a toddler and newborn, so she tries to make a comfortable home and connect with her neighbors—but her husband seems to constantly second guess her and push her to be more friendly, especially with Marian, an elderly woman who lives next door and is overly familiar with the children while criticizing ever move Lauren makes.
Corey Sutton, in the wake of a devastating divorce, has moved to Florida, staying with her mother at her retirement community, with some of the other residents none too pleased. Corey wants only one thing—answers—and she had a plan to get them, no matter what it takes or who it hurts.
Corey and Lauren, though they’ve never met, have much in common, and their fates could be in each other’s hands.
This was a quick read, and just what I was looking for at the time. What mothers will do for their children—for good or ill—colors every narrative thread. Lauren, unfortunately, is vulnerable and made to feel she isn’t doing enough. For her part, Corey is an unrepentant and messy, with a soft spot only for one of her teenage coworkers who dreams of attending college.
The story is fairly predictable, and I wish Rob had been more complex. I also thought the motivations of some of the characters was unclear. I did like that the ending was rather uncompromising!
This book mentions scents a lot. What other books can you think of that describe aromas?
Detective Cara Kennedy thought her husband, Aaron, and her son, Dylan, died in a tragic hiking accident. However, when their picture is found on a ganDetective Cara Kennedy thought her husband, Aaron, and her son, Dylan, died in a tragic hiking accident. However, when their picture is found on a gang member’s phone, she begins to suspect foul play and makes the harrowing decision to exhume them to autopsy their bodies.
Her subsequent investigation leads to shocking results and takes her back to Point Mettier, Alaska, a remote town that lives virtually under one roof in a former military facility. Working again with officer Joe Barkowski, still recovering from injuries from their last case, as well as unexpected allies from the Point Mettier community, Cara meticulously unwinds clues that uncover a link with Mia Upash, a woman who grew up in an isolated village called Unity—a village in the dark where women have taken refuge from abusive men.
It seems Aaron and Dylan weren’t the only targets—and the closer that Cara gets to identifying the shadowy forces behind the deaths and disappearances, the more she and those around her become targets themselves.
Something about remote areas of Alaska makes it an ideal setting for a thriller—the snow, the isolation, the stark and inhospitable landscape. These Cara Kennedy books, too, highlight the epidemic of domestic violence in the state where over half of the women have reported intimate partner violence, sexual assault, or both. (It is also a state with one of the highest rates of gun ownership.) I love that Point Mettier and Unity are refuges for women and places where women are leaders.
The mystery itself in this volume had a few layers and the context was interesting to me, though it seemed a bit far-fetched, though the ultimate baddie, the person pulling the strings, did shock me. I did not see it coming! I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I like Cara Kennedy (though she does sometimes go rogue to her disadvantage). The real stars, though, are the characters from Point Mettier. I did love the chapters from Ellie’s point of view. She’s so irreverent and has no f*cks to give. If I have a quibble with the book, it’s that the ending works out a little too perfectly. This will not at all deter me from looking forward to and reading the third book as soon as it is available!
Thank you so much to @berklypub and @netgalley for an advanced e-copy of VILLAGE IN THE DARK, publishing on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. ...more
Ruby McTavish, the richest woman in North Carolina is infamous for her four marriages that ended in the tragic deaths of her husbands—and for her kidnRuby McTavish, the richest woman in North Carolina is infamous for her four marriages that ended in the tragic deaths of her husbands—and for her kidnapping when she was a young girl. Her adopted son, Cameron, wants nothing to do with the McTavish family, the fortune he inherited, or Ashby house, the sprawling estate that seems to swallow up everyone who lives there. Since Ruby’s death ten years ago, he’s made a life for himself in Colorado, marrying Jules and teaching English at a boys’ high school.
However, after his uncle Howell dies, Cameron’s cousin entreats him to return to Ashby House for one last visit. Cam and Jules drive cross-country, anxiety mounting as they get closer to the town were Cam grew up—the town he swore he’d never return to. Upon arrival, they are greeted with scorn by Nelle, Ruby’s sister, and Howell’s children, Ben and Lil who have never considered him a real McTavish—but what does it mean to be a McTavish and is it really an honor?
Through letters, newspaper accounts, and narratives from both Cam and Jules’ perspectives, THE HEIRESS reveals the astonishing secrets and driving motivations of Ruby and the other members of the McTavish family.
Far and away, this is my favorite Rachel Hawkins book. It has characters you love to hate and characters you feel guilty about loving. So many times, I thought to myself, “I can’t believe they just did that!” The book is absolutely, deliciously twisted.
The book is adorned with wonderful details—the lovely (and sometimes dangerous) landscape of the area surrounding Ashby House; the uncomfortable relationship between the nearby town, Tavistock, and its benefactors, the McTavishes; and the horrible upbringing Cam endured—having to forget his real birthday to share Ruby’s or being given a bedroom that is “all chinz and florals with a canopy bed”; and all of Ruby’s clothing and jewelry!
Highly recommended for those who like twisty domestic thrillers with rich people behaving badly.
Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an advanced reading copy of #TheHeiress which went on sale 1.9.24....more
Thank you so much to @stmartinspress for sending me an advanced reading copy of DARLING GIRLS by Sally Hempworth (publication date 4.23.24).
Sisters JeThank you so much to @stmartinspress for sending me an advanced reading copy of DARLING GIRLS by Sally Hempworth (publication date 4.23.24).
Sisters Jessica, Norah, and Alicia met as young girls after family tragedies sent them to Miss Fairchild’s large and peaceful bucolic home. Soon, though, they realize they aren’t as fortunate as all the adults say that they are placed with area’s best foster mother: Miss Fairchild requires complete obedience even as they struggle to manage her capricious moods. Finally, Miss Fairchild’s cruelty outweighs the security from living together and the girls make a bold move to escape forever.
Years later, the women are still as close as ever, relieved to be outside of Miss Fairchild’s orbit. However, when workers find a body under Miss Fairchild’s house, they return to Port Agatha, two hours and a lifetime away from Melbourne, their current home. There, they anticipate being key witnesses… but when they arrive, the police treat them more as suspects.
I loved this book, as much as (or more than) THE GOOD SISTER, which until now had been my favorite Sally Hempworth thriller. With very different backstories and personalities, the sisters are great characters. A compulsive liar and math whiz, Norah should be unlikeable but I found her completely endearing. Jessica hides her trauma under a veneer of perfectionism which she has parlayed into a career. And Alicia exudes compassion and insecurity in equal measures but is a talented social worker.
What they experienced at Miss Fairchild’s was disturbing and enraging, and the unveiling of the mystery had my eyes agog.
Aimee Dars
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