"Let Me Lie" by Clare Mackintosh -- Don't Miss This!

In Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh, Anna does not think that the police reports of her parents' suicide is right!  The more people tell her to drop it, the more resolve she has to find out what really happened.  I thought this book was awesome!  It has great pacing and great character development, plus lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing.  Part 1 was so good but part 2 was even better!  Part 3 adds the finishing touch!  Do not miss this one!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Here's Karen's review:
Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh is one crazy read! Anna, a young single mother, discovers that her parents’ suicides were not suicides after all! What really happened? Were they killed or was there an accident? When the truth comes out, it is a shock to say the least! Not only that, but Anna wonders if she can even trust her live-in boyfriend, Mark. Murray, a retired detective is the one who finally solves the mystery.

The main lesson in this story is not to marry just because a baby is involved. This book is sad and addresses several issues such as alcoholism, deceit, marrying without love, domestic violence, mental illness and grief. The main plot is mind boggling and captivating. This book has a few surprises and both mystery and suspense that mounts as it progresses. It’s a good read that will keep you guessing and draws you in. (Karen’s review, 4 stars)



Karen's Teaser from page 17: I have to stop Anna going to the police. I have to stop her finding out the truth about what happened, before she gets hurt.

Gerard's Teaser from page 15:  I recoil as if I've been punched.  Is this some kind of sick joke?

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"a spark of light" by Jodi Picoult

In a spark of light by Jodi Picoult, Hugh McElroy is a police hostage negotiator.  When he gets a call to go to the Center to talk to a gunman who is holding multiple hostages.  He soon finds out that his daughter, Wren, is one of the hostages.  The Center is a health service clinic.  This book tells the story backwards in time which is different for sure, but not that bad.

I enjoyed how the author told the story of all the characters in the book.  The background material brought it home to me!  This is not my favorite book of hers, but it's good enough to get 5 stars!
(Gerard's review)

Teaser from page 6:  The others held their breath with her.  They had, in the past few hours, become a single organism.

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"DRY" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

DRY by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman is teen fiction about a drought, or Tap-Out in southern California and the story of how teens Kelton, Jacqui, Alyssa and her younger brother Garrett evacuated on their own in search of a place with water. They pick up another teen, Henry, on the way who decided he couldn’t stay where he was. The group dynamics was both interesting and fascinating. Kelton and Alyssa were neighbors. Kelton’s dad was one who was a firm believer in being prepared to protect his family. Kelton was a bit weird and had a crush on Alyssa. Jacqui was a tough chick who helped save Kelton’s life and he offered to help her by giving her some antibiotics for her cut. Henry was an opportunist.  Alyssa and Garret even have a pet dog which I liked.

This book shows how quickly people can lose their humanity when they get desperate. This is a modern-day horror book. I enjoyed this book because of the adventure the teens went through to just survive and also the interaction and vying for leadership among them. I liked how the story is told from the different perspectives of the main five characters. It was easy to follow because the name of the person telling each part was at the beginning of the section. This made me realize how valuable water is and how much we take it for granted.
 (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Here's my husband's thoughts, very different from mine:
Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman is about a group of teens who are dealing with a tap out, which means there is no water to be had!  This book fell flat for me.  There were some exciting parts that made me think, "Okay, here we go," but no!  The story line was okay.  I had no trouble with that, but I only enjoyed a few of the characters and others I found annoying.  I give this book 3.5 because I just really never got into it at all.

Teaser from page 12: As I look around the stacks of drinks, I find a single case of water that someone abandoned there maybe yesterday, when it wasn’t such a precious commodity. I reach for it, only to find it pulled away at the last second by a thin woman with a beak of a nose.

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"Guess Who" by Chris McGeorge

Guess Who (One room.  Five Suspects. Three hours to find a killer.) by Chris McGeorge is this author's first book which is pretty good.  Morgan Sheppard, an 11-yr.-old, solved the murder of a teacher when everyone thought it was suicide.  But now he has a new case to solve!  Five strangers and Morgan are locked in a room and he has three hours to figure out who killed the corpse that is also in the room.  One of the five did it, but who? 

I enjoyed trying to figure out who the killer was along with Morgan, but would have liked more action.  The best part of the book for me was Morgan's interaction with the other people in the room.  Some parts fell flat, but for a first-time author, not too bad at all!
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 16:  What?  He didn't have to time to think about the words because there came a terrible sound.  The dull tone of a dead phone line.

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"Pieces of Her" by Karin Slaughter

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter is a dark thriller that focuses on a mother and daughter who are in danger. The mother has had a very adventurous life but never shared about it with her daughter. The daughter is sort of in limbo, trying to find her purpose and also trying to figure out who her mother really is. The mother is a complex person who loves her daughter very much, but makes her leave and go out on her own when her mother’s past seems to be coming back to haunt her.

As with most conspiracies, this book has a complex story line and lots of characters to keep straight. It is slow moving and drags in places, but if you can stick with it, everything falls into place in the Epilogue. All my questions got answered. I can’t really say much about the details of the story line without giving spoilers, but I can say I’m glad a read to the end and finished it. The writing did not appeal to me though because it alternated throughout the book between the past (1986) and the present (2018). The chunks it time were quite long and it was a bit challenging to remember where the events left off before the time switched. How Nick was so charismatic and able to manipulate people was sort of interesting. I thought the daughter was pretty stupid so didn’t care for her.
(Karen’s review, 3 stars)

Teaser from page 61: “They’re going to take you down harder than him, Laura. You did that kid a favor. This is all going to be about what you did, not what he did.”

SPOILER ALERT--STOP HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS YET:

I was confused because some characters have the same name and I didn’t realize they were different people until much later in the book when it came out the mother was in the witness protection program and had changed her name. I liked the surprise twist that Andrea’s “stalker” was a U.S. Marshall.


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"Another Good Dog" by Cara Sue Achterberg

Another Good Dog--One Family and Fifty Foster Dogs by Cara Sue Achterberg is heartwarming non-fiction. Cara really misses her companion of 17 years--her wonderful dog, Lucy!  Her husband got her a "back-up" dog, but it is not the same!  Cara needs something to ease the pain.  She decides to tackle a new adventure of fostering dogs.

If you are a dog lover, you will love this book!  She has her ups and downs in this new adventure, some funny, some sad.  She writes about her experiences very well.  I think maybe even a non-dog lover would enjoy this.  Keep up the good work, Cara!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 7:  I'd thought I would wait to adopt another dog, wait until I didn't miss Lucy so much and wouldn't compare every potential dog to her.  But months had passed, and I only missed Lucy more.

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"The Death of Mrs. Westaway" by Ruth Ware

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware is a chilling thriller.  Things are not looking up for Hal--bills are starting to pile up and money is scarce.  Then comes a letter that could solve all her problems or make things worse!

I really enjoyed this book a lot!  Hal is a great character and the story line is very well done.  If you can solve this one, you are way better than me.  This is another winner from Ruth, the author of The Woman in Cabin 10.  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 50:  She would not cry.  She refused to.  But she felt something huge and bitter and wild with grief rise up inside her.

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"Alive and Killing" by Jeff Carson (David Wolf Book 3)

Alive and Killing by Jeff Carson is about a Colorado Sheriff and his 12-yr.-old son, Jack, who happened to be in the right place at the wrong time.  While going on a camping trip in the mountains, they have a run in with some armed men who are set on killing them!   Four men who fought in Afghanistan were assumed dead, but turns out they are alive and killing! 

I liked this book because it was full of adventure and suspense with mystery and interest characters.  The love interest I thought would develop for the Sheriff did not.  I was always eager to come back and read more of this one.  It just seemed a bit odd how the Sheriff was so adept at avoiding fire from military personnel. 
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser at Kindle Loc. 308-10:  Wolf's pulse accelerated as he watched the guy scramble toward them with out-of-control speed.  When he saw what was dangling on the guy's backpack strap--a wood-handled .357 revolver in a leather holster--his body tensed for action.

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The Maid, The Eighth Day (The 12 Days of Christmas Mail-Order Brides Book 8) by Rachel Wesson

The Maid, The Eighth Day (The 12 Days of Christmas Mail-Order Brides Book 8) by Rachel Wesson is about a mail-order bride who finds out the man she came to marry is no stranger after all. He was engaged to her older sister before the war and is now a doctor. This book is all about her finding out the truth of Colin’s past. It is a heartwarming story about two kind, compassionate people that I enjoyed and that is a quick read. Although this is part of a series, it can also be read as a stand-alone.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser at Kindle Loc. 65 She couldn’t stop herself from looking out the window. He couldn’t have followed her, changing her name had made sure of that.

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The Hidden Village by Imogen Matthews

The Hidden Village: A Story of Survival in WW2 Holland by Imogen Matthews is takes place during WWII in Holland. A whole village was built deep in some woods for the sole purpose of providing a safe place for Jews and German deserters to hide from the Nazis. Although this is an historical fiction novel, it gives the reader a look into what life was like for those helping the Jews. This book is about families and the underground. 
To learn more about the author, please visit www.imogenmatthewsbooks.com

Until reading this book, I never realized the Nazis reached into Holland. I really liked the characters and it is filled with adventure. It follows a boy, Jan, throughout his life and into adulthood. His father was working in the underground and Jan was eager to help others as well. He aided two pilots that were shot down. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in this time period.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 139-40: “In the meantime, we need to prepare for difficult times ahead. We may need to provide shelter to people unable to defend themselves.”


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"The Unclaimed Victim" by D. M. Pulley

The Unclaimed Victim by D. M. Pulley is historical fiction based on true crime.  In 1938, a madman is going through the hobo jungles of Cleveland killing people and chopping them up!  Ethel needs to take refuge but winds up in a situation that she never thought she would be.  Sixty years later, Kris learns that her father was possibly killed and chopped up!  Can it really be her dad?  Can this killer still be alive?

This book had some really good parts, but about a quarter of it dragged along for me.  Ethel and Kris were good characters, but the others not so much with a so-so ending.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars) 

Teaser from page 9:  "I don't know," she whispered and pressed her forehead to her knees.  A severed arm floated through a dark stream of thought.  A tattoo blurred in the water.

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"Wildcard" by Marie Lu

Wildcard by Marie Lu is the follow up to Warcross.  Emike was able to escape from being killed in the Warcross games.  Now that she knows what hideo is up to, can she put a stop to it?  I enjoyed this book.  Emike is a wonderful character and there was plenty of action to be had.  The middle sort of dragged but the last part of the book more than made up for it!  It's not as good as Warcross, but readable to be sure.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 18:  He pauses to look back at us.  "Okay with what?  That we're all sitting here, talking about the technicalities of how Emi should throw herself into a situation that might kill her?"

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"Oregon Disaster--Trails of the Heart Book 5" by Rachel Wesson

Oregon Disaster by Rachel Wesson is Book 5 in the “Trails of the Heart” series and centers on Sarah, who ran off to marry Edwin Morgan, a violent drunk miner, womanizer and hateful man against her parents’ wishes. Walking Tall had Bear, one of his men, follow her to make sure she was all right and in the process, they fell in love. Tala, Bear’s wolf/dog, helps protect them against a mountain lion. Bear looks after Sarah and she falls in love with him in spite of the fact that he is part Indian

I liked this book a lot because Bear and Tala were in it a lot and Sarah matures and finally shows some concern for others. She is a feisty girl though and wins Bears heart and respect. This book is about forgiveness, and overcoming one’s past. I loved the ending! (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Loc. 933-34 on Kindle: “You can’t leave me with that wild animal” “He is better company than you usually keep.”


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"Bad Man" by Dathan Auerbach

In Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach, Ben's brother disappeared in a local store in a small town.  Ben was with him.  Five years later, Ben needs a job and goes to work at that same store.  Ben has never stopped looking for his brother!  He hopes to find a clue or something in that store.

I thought this book was pretty good.  I think it could have been shorter though.  The characters were brought out well, but it only had a so-so ending.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 18:  Ben jogged uncertainly toward a truck that ambled up one of the lanes and away from the store.  Seat poured down his back and sides, stung in his eyes.  It sped up as Ben approached, but he couldn't run any faster.

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"Oregon Discovery" (Trails of the Heart Book 4) by Rachel Wesson

In Oregon Discovery by Rachel Wesson, we meet Tilly and her friend, Fiona, who was her servant.  This book has highs and lows.  Lots of death, but also a reunion and a wedding.  This book jumps a few years with the children in the previous book now in their teens and centers on Almanzo.  Tilly is engaged to a much older man, Richard, that her father has chosen for her.  The man is despicable and Tilly is determined never to marry him!

I enjoyed this book and look forward to finishing this series.  Almanzo is a great character who has both sadness and happiness in his life in this book.  My favorite part was when Fiona and Tilly were held at the Indian camp where Red Wing took care of them and where Tilly was called "Fire Daughter" because of her hot temper.  This is an entertaining historical read I would recommend, but only after reading the previous books in this series.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 84-86:  "He believes women should look decorative.  Our sole aim in life is to please our menfolk and produce an heir.  Anything else is against God's wishes."  Tilly's face screwed up as she repeated what her father had drummed into her for as long as she could remember.

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"Oregon Destiny"--Trails of the Heart Book 3 by Rachel Wesson

Oregon Destiny—Trails of the Heart Book 3 by Rachel Wesson continues with focus on Indians, the Captain’s revenge, and the romance between feisty Becky and the Captain. They finally reach Oregon but are disappointed in the town so continue farther.

There is a nice balance between adventure and relationship building in this one. Again, another fast, entertaining and interesting read about families on a wagon train going to Oregon.  I am enjoying this light series very much.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 673-77: “He asked why pretty lady made herself look like ugly boy.” David and Johanna laughed but Becky didn’t find his comments amusing. She glared at the Indian.


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"Oregon Dreams" - Book 2 in Trails of the Heart series by Rachel Wesson

Oregon Dreams – Trail of Hearts Book 2 by Rachel Wesson centers on Johanna and Rick with a side story about Rebecca and Captain Scott Jones. There is a lot of traveling in this book and Johanna gets closer to Rick’s nieces, Carrie and Sarah. Sickness hits the camp and Johanna and Rebecca basically become the nurses with help from Eva, Mrs. Newland and Rick. Rebecca enjoys wearing trousers and a flannel shirt to go hunting because being short on men, they had to double up on guard duty Almanzo, a young boy, is found unconscious with a high fever just outside their camp. Johanna nurses him back to health in her wagon. There are many near death experiences and Johanna and Rick get engaged. We find out what Rick and Johanna’s dreams are when they reach Oregon and learn a bit more of the Captain’s background.

I enjoyed this book as much as the first of this series. The relationship between Rebecca and the Captain is quite humorous and entertaining. Johanna and Rick’s relationship is sweet. The suspense during the river crossing and through the mountains kept me glued to the book.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 137-38: Johanna didn’t say anything but she couldn’t help but pity Captain Jones a little. He really had no idea what he had let himself in for with her sister.


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"People Kill People" by Ellen Hopkins

People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins is told by six different people who are all dealing with various issues. They are linked together and are interesting to say the least!  The best part of this book to me was not knowing from page to page what was going to happen next!  The story lines were all good as well as the writing.  The ending came as a complete shock to me!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page pg. 55:  The passing thought sparks a white-hot ignition of rage.  Your mom says some people were "born angry," and you agree because you happen to be one of them.

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"Oregon Bound" by Rachel Wesson (Book 1 in Trails of the Heart)

I just started a new historical romance series: (Trails of the Heart) with the first book, Oregon Bound by Rachel Wesson, and loved it! This first book is about the Thompson family moving to Oregon from Illinois with a wagon train. The father is the one who decided to sell his farm and start all over in spite of his wife wanting to stay. His eldest daughter, Eva, did not want to go either because she was in love with David, the son of the town drunk. Her father did not approve of him because of his background and had her matched up in his mind with Harold, the merchant’s son. Eva had two younger twin sisters, Becky and Johanna, and a younger brother, Stephen.

This is a quick read and I enjoyed it a lot because of the interesting characters, the humor and the different relationships. I liked the characters and especially Eva and her twin sisters who each had different personalities and strengths. I also liked how they teased one another but also supported each other throughout the book. There was always tension between Eva and her father because of her desire to be with David and her father’s prejudice against him. Eva’s mother is fierce and intuitive and loves her family very much. I really liked how she came around to being on Eva’s side and stood up to her husband. David proved over and over that he was better than Harold. I look forward to continuing on with this very enjoyable series.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Loc. 816-17 on Kindle: “Eva, we are going to Oregon. You’ve got to accept that and stop being such a misery guts.”


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"The Second Opinion" by Michael Palmer

The Second Opinion by Michael Palmer is an interesting book with about a medical conspiracy, greed, betrayal, murder and a dysfunctional family including two adult children with Asperger's.  Their father who is a prestigious internist at a well-known hospital is in a coma from being involved in a hit-and-run accident.  His oldest son, Dimitri who has Asperger's, believes it wasn't an accident, but only his sister, Thea, believes him.  She also has Asperger's and came back to Boston from working with Doctors Without Borders in Central Africa to see her dad.  She believes there is a slight chance he could recover but the twin brother and sister want to let him go.  Thea agrees to take over her father's patients and senses something is off.  Her life is threatened shortly after she starts asking too many questions.

This is quite the mystery that also includes a bit of romance, suspense and insights into adult Asperger's.  I liked it once I finally started it and looked forward to getting back to it.  I liked Thea and her devotion to her dad.  The ending was a shock to me that I did not see coming.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)  

Teaser from page 25:  There remained unfinished business between them.  The man had never, in all her memory, told her that he loved her, nor had she taken the initiative and told him.  At the very least, she needed that exchange to happen between them before the end.

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