Category: Book Review

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Author Debut, B, Book Review, Dresden Files, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2014, SERIES

2014.18 REVIEW – Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Tara

Storm Front
by Jim Butcher

Copyright: 2000
Pages: 322
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: April 4 – 15, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 18
Format:  Print
Source: Personal Copy (PBS)
Series: Dresden Files #1


Blurb: Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things – and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a – well, whatever.

There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get … interesting.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

Review: A little while back I asked my Twitter friends for recommendations for a person who wanted to dabble in urban fantasy. Samantha gave me many recommendations, but this one stuck out for me. So I put myself on the wait list for it at Paperbackswap (I have credits out the wazoo) and got it relatively quickly. Then it sat. And sat some more. I finally picked it up when I realized I wanted a guilt-free book, something that wasn’t scheduled, just random.

So what are my thoughts? Well, if you know me very well, you will know that anything sci-fi and/or paranormal is wayyy out of my comfort zone. I’m slowly getting into paranormal, but I still have that “yeah, right” mentality when things get weird.

But overall I enjoyed this one. I won’t lie to you, I found myself losing interest slightly about halfway through. But there was something about Harry’s character that really drew me in. Believe it or not … he’s funny! I never would have thought there would be humor in this book. But there was a bit of it throughout the whole book. He’s just got a lot of sarcasm in him. I liked it!

There’s not much to say about this book that probably hasn’t already been discussed (I hate that part of reviewing older books … it seems like everyone has already read them, what is there left to say?!). Overall I have to say, for my first foray into the real of urban fantasy, it wasn’t all that bad. I kind of liked it. Okay, I really liked it at certain times. And while it will probably take me forever to do so, I will more than likely continue on with this series.

So thanks, Samantha, for a great recommendation!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, R, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.17 REVIEW – Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson

Tara

Children of the Revolution
by Peter Robinson

Copyright: 2014
Pages: 336
Rating: 4/5
Read: April 2 – 11, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 17
Format:  Print
Source: Publicist for blog tour
Series: Inspector Alan Banks #21

Children of the RevolutionBlurb: The body of a disgraced college lecturer Gavin Miller is found on an abandoned railway line by a woman out walking her dog early one winter morning. In the four years since Miller’s dismissal for sexual misconduct, he’s been living like a hermit, listening to music from his college days and existing as frugally as possible on the outskirts of a small village. So where did he get the five thousand pounds found in his pocket?

Leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks begins to suspect that the victim’s past may be connected to his death. Forty years earlier the dead man attended a university that was a hotbed of militant protest and divisive, bitter politics. And as the seasoned detective well knows, some grudges are never forgotten – or forgiven.

Just as Banks is about to break the case open, his superior warns him to back off or risk losing the promotion he has been promised. Yet Banks isn’t about to stop, even if it means risking his career altogether. He’s certain there’s more to the mystery than meets the eye, and more skeletons to uncover before the case can finally be closed.

CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION is available now at
Amazon | B&N  | IndieBound 

Review: I received a copy of this book for free for review purposes in conjunction with a blog tour, all opinions expressed below are my own.

I read and reviewed my very first Peter Robinson book just last month, Watching the Dark. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Enough so that it made me want to sign up for the blog tour for this most recent installment in the Inspector Banks series.

Overall I liked this one quite a bit. There were a few more revelations regarding the main characters that gave a little bit more insight into their backgrounds. Since I’m not likely to go back and read the entire backlist (hey, 19 books is a lot to commit to), I still have a lot of questions, but things are starting to make a bit more sense the more I read.

As I stated in my review of Watching the Dark, this book is not necessarily a page-turner, thrill-a-minute book. Instead it is meant to be savored. The writing sucked me in and I was entirely wrapped up in what was going on. As I felt with the previous book, I so enjoyed working the case with Banks.

I did have one issue, though. The ending. The way that it occurred (no spoilers), well it just didn’t sit well with my opinion of Inspector Banks’ character. I can’t imagine that he would let things end the way it did. Maybe it’s a sign of what’s to come in future books (that promotion?), but for whatever reason it didn’t feel right to me. Obviously, having only read two of these books, I’m no expert on Banks’ character, it just felt off to me.

All that aside, though, I would definitely recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am definitely looking forward to the next Inspector Banks installment!

4/5, A, AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book, TLC Book Tours

2014.16 REVIEW – Duke City Split by Max Austin

Tara

Duke City Split
by Max Austin

Copyright: 2014
Pages: 253
Rating: 4/5
Read: March 30 – April 2, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 16
Format:  E-Book
Source: TLC Book Tours


Duke City SplitBlurb: Bud Knox isn’t your average bank robber. He’s happiest fixing a nice lunch for his wife on her lunch break or watching his two young daughters play soccer. He leaves the boldness and brawn to his partner, Mick Wyman. In the past fourteen years, they’ve hit nearly thirty banks all over the West—everywhere but “Duke City,” their hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

So when Mick calls him about the perfect job, Bud is less than convinced, because the target is on their own turf. But with the potential to haul in millions, Bud simply can’t say no. If they do this job right, Bud may never have to work again.

As it turns out, the heist is the easy part. Holding onto the money while evading everyone from the FBI to the Mafia to the low-life criminals who want a cut will be the hardest thing Bud Knox has ever done—and it might just cost him his life.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free via NetGalley for review purposes in conjunction with a TLC Book Tour, all opinions expressed below are my own.

When I was first pitched this book I was a little unsure to be honest. There was something about the description that intrigued me, but I wasn’t 100% sold. But I have to tell you, I am so glad that I took the plunge and gave this book a shot. It ended up being one heck of a thrill ride!

The concept behind this book … two bank robbers who had been successful for years? That is like so unheard of in real life! And the whole idea that they then proceed to go home and be normal, average, everyday guys?! Insane to consider, right?! So what on earth would make these guys not only take on a third partner but also hit a bank in their hometown? Millions, that’s what! Not that I could really blame them… ha!

If you want a fun book this one will definitely fit the bill. But don’t expect too much out of it. There’s no thinking involved. The characters, while enjoyable, are not very complex. There are no curveballs thrown at you along the way. It’s just a plain jane fun book. I liked it. It works. And I’m dying to know what happens next!

There’s a lot going on in this book. But I found myself actually wanting Bud and Mick to get away scot-free! And let me tell you, they did a lot of unsavory things throughout this book. But for some reason, I wanted them to succeed. Doesn’t make much sense, does it?!

Another great book that I think will appeal to a lot of readers. I hope you give it a chance!

Recommended.

 

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

I hope you’ll take the time to stop by the other blog stops:

Monday, March 31st: Musings of a Bookish Kitty
Thursday, April 3rd: Reading Reality
Friday, April 4th:  A Bookworm’s World
Monday, April 7th: Tales of a Book Addict
Tuesday, April 8th: Mom in Love with Fiction
Wednesday, April 9th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Monday, April 14th: Crime Book Club
Friday, April 18th: From the TBR Pile
Wednesday, April 23rd: Cupcake’s Book Cupboard
Monday, April 21st: …the bookworm…
Friday, April 25th: Patricia’s Wisdom

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3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, H, RATING, Read in 2014, SERIES, Sookie Stackhouse

2014.15 REVIEW – Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Tara

Club Dead
by Charlaine Harris

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 258
Rating: 3/5
Read: March 24 – Mar. 29, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 15
Format:  Print
Source: Personal copy (PBS)


Club DeadBlurb: There’s only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is involved with (at least voluntarily) and that’s Bill. But recently he’s been a little distant – in another state, distant. His sinister and sexy boss Eric has an idea where to find him. Next thing Sookie knows, she is off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. It’s a dangerous little haunt where the elitist vampire society can go to chill out and suck down some Type O. But when Sookie finally finds Bill – caught in an act of serious betrayal – she’s not sure whether to save him … or sharpen some stakes.

Review: Okay, so this is the third book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. And I have to tell you … I was a little bit disappointed in it. I have enjoyed the first two books quite a bit. But this one fell flat for me. It felt forced. And I hate to say it … I couldn’t stop thinking about how much Sookie was reminding me of Bella from the Twilight books … she was so freaking whiney in this installment that it just about drove me bonkers. To be completely honest, if this book had been the first in the series, I never would have read the second one. That’s how much this one did not work for me.

I’m not giving up on this series yet. I still have the next two books, but if they aren’t better than this one … well. We’ll just have to see after that. Hopefully this book was just a random fluke in this series and the next one will be better.

So I’m curious, if you’ve read this series (I know, I’m terribly behind to the party on this one!) did this one fall flat for you? Does it get better again in the next one? Let me know your thoughts!

4.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Fiction, NetGalley, P, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.13 REVIEW – The Accident by Chris Pavone

Tara

The Accident
by Chris Pavone

Copyright: 2014
Pages: 342
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: March 10 – Mar. 17, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 13
Format: E-Book
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

 

The AccidentBlurb: As dawn approaches in New York, literary agent Isabel Reed is turning the final pages of a mysterious, anonymous manuscript, racing through the explosive revelations about powerful people, as well as long-hidden secrets about her own past. In Copenhagen, veteran CIA operative Hayden Gray, determined that this sweeping story be buried, is suddenly staring down the barrel of an unexpected gun. And in Zurich, the author himself is hiding in a shadowy expat life, trying to atone for a lifetime’s worth of lies and betrayals with publication of The Accident, while always looking over his shoulder.

Over the course of one long, desperate, increasingly perilous day, these lives collide as the book begins its dangerous march toward publication, toward saving or ruining careers and companies, placing everything at risk—and everyone in mortal peril.  The rich cast of characters—in publishing and film, politics and espionage—are all forced to confront the consequences of their ambitions, the schisms between their ideal selves and the people they actually became.

The action rockets around Europe and across America, with an intricate web of duplicities stretching back a quarter-century to a dark winding road in upstate New York, where the shocking truth about the accident itself is buried.

Gripping, sophisticated, layered, and impossible to put down, The Accident proves once again that Chris Pavone is a true master of suspense.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley, all opinions expressed below are my own.

I originally put in a request for a print galley through an ad in Shelf Awareness. I didn’t get a print galley, but was sent an email inviting me to have access to an e-galley. I gladly clicked through the link and then let the book sit on my Nook for a while. Well, for months, really. Can I just tell you right now that that was the dumbest thing I could have done?!

This book was awesome. It sucked me in from the first page (I was stupid and started it while on the treadmill and only had about 20 minutes to read before my bootcamp class started). I was tempted to skip that class just so I could continue to read! It definitely has an immediate draw, that’s for sure!

This book has every twist and turn imaginable. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, another curveball is thrown and you’re left with your mouth hanging wide open and your eyes bugging out of your head in utter surprise! At least I was!

If I had to nitpick one thing about this book, it was the sheer number of characters and storylines that were introduced in the beginning. I had a little bit of trouble trying to keep track of what was what and who was who. But once things started to come together, I understood why everything was placed as it was. It definitely allowed for layers to be peeled back, one by one.

I found this book to be really enjoyable. I had figured out who the “author” was relatively early on, but I still had no idea about other revelations at the end of the book. The writing was suspenseful and the characters were well-developed.

This was my first time reading this author, but I can say with certainty, it won’t be my last!

One last thing to mention, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a different side of the publishing business through this book. I had no idea how the agent/editor/publisher, purchasing/owning, and then the film options truly worked. So it was pretty interesting to get an insider look on how the process works.

Highly recommended!!

AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, PICT Book Tours, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.12 REVIEW: The Sound of Broken Glass by Deborah Crombie

Tara

The Sound of Broken Glass

by Deborah Crombie

on Tour Feb 24th – March 31st, 2014

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery

Published by: William Morrow

Publication Date: February 25, 2014

Number of Pages: 384

ISBN: 9780061990649

Purchase Links:

Synopsis:

In the past. . .home to the tragically destroyed Great Exhibition, a solitary thirteen-year-old boy meets his next-door neighbor, a recently widowed young teacher hoping to make a new start in the tight-knit South London community. Drawn together by loneliness, the unlikely pair forms a deep connection that ends in a shattering act of betrayal.

In the present. . .On a cold January morning in London, Detective Inspector Gemma James is back on the job while her husband, Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid, is at home caring for their three-year-old foster daughter. Assigned to lead a Murder Investigation Team in South London, she’s assisted by her trusted colleague, newly promoted Detective Sergeant Melody Talbot. Their first case: a crime scene at a seedy hotel in Crystal Palace. The victim: a well-respected barrister, found naked, trussed, and apparently strangled. Is it an unsavory accident or murder? In either case, he was not alone, and Gemma’s team must find his companion—a search that takes them into unexpected corners and forces them to contemplate unsettling truths about the weaknesses and passions that lead to murder. Ultimately, they will question everything they think they know about their world and those they trust most.

REVIEW: I received a copy of this book for free as part of a blog tour with Partners in Crime Tours, all opinions expressed below are my own.

Once again, I accepted to review this book knowing full well that it’s a recent installment in a long-running series (book #15, to be exact). And once again I am pleased to let you know that it really didn’t impact my overall feelings on this book. There were a few spots where it would have been nice to have a little bit of background information (especially regarding Charlotte and how she came to Gemma and Duncan). So while I think it reads relatively well as a standalone, there were a few questions in my mind that reading the previous books would have definitely been helpful.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Having no knowledge of previous books, I don’t know who is normally the main protagonist. In this particular one its Gemma and Melody doing most of the work on the cases. With the rather large list of characters that appear to be regulars in this series, I think it would be interesting to see who takes the “lead” next. At one point in this book Gemma has to explain to Duncan that the mother that she has met during playdates with Charlotte is actually extremely important, wealthy and famous, and he has absolutely no clue that she is anything other than your typical stay-at-home mom. It definitely made me laugh out loud at how clueless he was! Just little things like that definitely add to the characters’ personalities that make them really appealing to me.

This particular installment has a “past” and “present” storyline going on. The past is interspersed with the present day storyline. I really enjoyed seeing how they eventually began to weave together and in the end came out in a surprising manner. I was scratching my head more than once trying to figure out where they connected, but once they did it was really interesting to see how Gemma and Melody would piece everything together.

Overall I felt like this was a very good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fast paced and there were many times in the second half of the book that I actually had to force myself to put it down. I really liked this one and am definitely looking forward to meeting this cast of characters again!

Highly recommended.

Read an excerpt:

Browse Inside The Sound of Broken Glass: A Novel by Deborah Crombie

Author Bio:

Deborah Crombie is a native Texan who has lived in both England and Scotland. She lives in McKinney, Texas, sharing a house that is more than one hundred years old with her husband, three cats, and two German shepherds. Visit Deborah at her website, connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

Catch Up With the Author:

Tour Participants:

2/25 ~ Review @ My Readers Block
2/26 ~ Review @ Deal Sharing Aunt
2/27 ~ The Reading Frenzy
2/28 ~ Review by Carol Wong
3/03 ~ Review @ Celtic Lady Reviews
3/04 ~ Review @ 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!
3/05 ~ Review @ Deco My Heart
3/07 ~ Review @ A Bookish Girl
3/12 ~ Interview & Review @ Thoughts in Progress
3/13 ~ Review @ Melinas Book Blog
3/17 ~ Review @ Marys Cup of Tea
3/18 ~ Interview @ Writers and Authors
3/18 ~ Review @ Tales of a Book Addict
3/19 ~ Review @ Vics Media Room
3/20 ~ Review @ Views from the Countryside
3/26 ~ Review @ Lazy Day Books
3/28 ~ Review @ Book Dilettante

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, R, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.10 REVIEW – Watching the Dark by Peter Robinson

Tara

Watching the Dark
by Peter Robinson

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 354
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 21 – Mar. 1, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 10
Format: Print
Source: Publicist for blog tour

WATCHING THE DARK is available now at Amazon | B&N  | IndieBound

Watching the DarkBlurb: A decorated policeman is murdered on the tranquil grounds of the St. Peter’s Police Treatment Centre, shot through the heart with a crossbow arrow, and compromising photographs are discovered in his room. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks is well aware that he must handle the highly sensitive and dangerously explosive investigation with the utmost discretion. And as he digs deeper, he discovers that the murder may be linked to an unsolved missing case from six years earlier and the current crime may involve crooked cops. 

Review: I received a copy of this book for free from the publicist for review purposes in conjunction with a blog tour, all opinions expressed below are my own.

For whatever reason, I have never read a Peter Robinson book. Since there are (only) 20+books in the Inspector Banks series, it’s been a bit of an undertaking. I’m usually adamant that I have to read the entire backlist. For whatever reason, I chose to read this book knowing that it is the 20th book in the series. Going into it I didn’t really know what to expect. I had no idea if I would be completely lost by jumping into this series at this point or if it would be just fine. The truth is that it’s somewhere in the middle. I wasn’t completely lost reading this book, but there were some questions about relationships between certain characters that probably would have been helpful to have the background information. 

Now that I have that way, I have to tell you that I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The writing was very good, the storyline was interesting, the characters were extremely well-developed. It was an all-around good book. There’s not much for me to really complain about, to be honest. 

I really liked Inspector Banks’ character. There was something about him that worked. He was a nice guy, but he also knew how to read the situation and react as necessary. I felt it was very interesting to “work the case” with him and Joanna. At times I wondered if he was on a wild-goose chase in regards to the Rachel storyline, but I found it really enjoyable to see how everything came together in the end. Banks has one of those guts that was spot-on in this case. I also liked Joanna’s character. I’m not sure that she has ever been mentioned in previous books, and I’m not sure what kind of a presence she will have in any future books, but I found her to be an interesting character that I would want to know more about after what she reveals to Banks at dinner one night. 

Overall I would most definitely recommend this book. It’s not necessarily a book that will have you up all night turning the pages, but it’s definitely a book to be savored. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to keeping Mr. Robinson on my watch list in the future. 

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2014, READING CHALLENGES 2014

2014.11 REVIEW – Bye Bye, Baby by Max Allan Collins

Tara

Bye Bye, Baby
by Max Allan Collins

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 326
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Mar. 1 – 4, 2014
Challenge: TBR Pile Challenge
Yearly count: 11
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

 

Bye Bye BabyBlurb: Hollywood, May 1962: Marilyn Monroe, the ultimate goddess of the silver screen, is at the peak of her popularity, internationally famous, universally admired by women and desired by men. But she’s also famously insecure and temperamental and is being pilloried in the press for delaying the production of Something’s Got to Give. When the head of Twentieth Century Fox threatens to cancel her contract, Marilyn hires “PI to the stars” Nathan Heller to tap her phones and record conversations that might prove to be important if there’s a lawsuit.

Less than three months later, Monroe is dead from an overdose and, officially, a suicide. But Heller isn’t buying it. He knows that in the weeks before, the star was anything but suicidal. He knows, too, about her affair with JFK, about the secret connections between the Kennedys and the Mob … and about Bobby Kennedy’s blood feud with Jimmy Hoffa. In short, Heller knows too much to accept this bum rap on a beautiful, gifted woman loved by the whole world … including Nathan Heller.

So he investigates, though his efforts might enrage some very famous, very powerful, very dangerous people. But they can’t keep Heller from finding out the astounding truth behind Marilyn Monroe’s untimely demise…

Review: I have had this book on my radar since 2011 when it first came out and I saw it mentioned on Caribousmom‘s blog. I picked up a copy during some online shopping in 2012. And it has sat on my shelf ever since then. What better way to finally get this book read than to add it to my TBR Pile Reading Challenge list? Because for whatever reason, I had let this book sit for far too long considering how much I was interested in this book when I first saw it.

So, what did I think about it? I enjoyed it for the most part. I wouldn’t say that it is necessarily a book that I would go screaming praise from rooftops, but it wasn’t a disappointment either. It lays somewhere in the middle. Not great but not bad. Just plain “good.”

But here’s where I have an issue with it really. I honestly think that this book’s reach will more than likely begin and end with readers who are intrigued by Marilyn Monroe and/or the Kennedy family. That’s it. As you know, I’m obsessed with all things Kennedy. So obviously that’s where my interest in it lies. However, I only have limited knowledge about Marilyn Monroe. I obviously knew who she was and that there were doubts surrounding her death. (Dare I say the word …. conspiracy?!) Regardless, that’s about where my knowledge of her ends. So all this book really made me want to know is where did the truth stop and the fiction start? Because I had no way of knowing what was what. And that makes me want to read more about Marilyn in general. (Hopefully I can get to that someday soon, because I have a couple of books on her in my possession.)

The book is well written overall. I liked Nate Heller’s character. I had no idea that there were so many Heller books out there (17 in case you’re curious). But at the same time, I don’t think it’s likely that I will go back and read the entire back list. However, I have discovered that this book was the first in a planned three-book “trilogy” that involved the Kennedy’s. I think it will be interesting to see where Mr. Collins takes the next two books, so I definitely have them on my radar for the future.

Overall, like I said this isn’t a bad book. I liked it. But I honestly don’t think it will appeal to just any reader.

4/5, AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, E-Book, Fiction, M, NetGalley, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.9 REVIEW – Precious Thing by Colette McBeth

Tara

Precious Thing
by Colette McBeth

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 233
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 15 – Feb. 21, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 9
Format: E-Book
Source: NetGalley

Precious ThingBlurb: For fans of Sister and Before I Go to Sleep comes a stunning suspense novel about two childhood best friends, reunited as adults and then ripped apart.

I know her inside out. I know what she’s thinking, I know what she wants. So I can’t give up on her, she knows I never will.

Some friendships fizzle out. Rachel and Clara promised theirs would last forever.

They met in high school when Rachel was the shy, awkward new girl and Clara was the friend everyone wanted. Instantly, they fell under one another’s spell and nothing would be the same again. Now in their late twenties Rachel has the television career, the apartment and the boyfriend, while Clara’s life is spiraling further out of control. Yet despite everything, they remain inextricably bound. Then Rachel’s news editor assigns her to cover a police press conference, and she is shocked when she arrives to learn that the subject is Clara, reported missing. Is it abduction, suicide or something else altogether?

Imagine discovering something about your oldest friend that forces you to question everything you’ve shared together. The truth is always there. But only if you choose to see it…

Review: I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley for review purposes, all opinions expressed below are my own.

You can be so close to someone for a lifetime and not know who they really are. (p. 90 of e-galley)

What. A. Book.

I don’t even know where to start, to be completely honest. This is another one of those books where you just can’t say too much about it or else you get into some serious spoiler territory. And honestly, the less you know about this book going into it, the better.

First of all this book is written in the form of a long letter from Rachel to Clara. You get flashbacks of when they met in school alternating with what is going on present day. Ms. McBeth slowly reveals things layer by layer. It makes for a completely thrilling read, in my opinion.

The characters. I don’t even know what to say. I went back and forth trying to figure out who was more crazy, Clara or Rachel. Obviously I can’t say much more than that without giving away anything. But I can say that you can know almost immediately that something is definitely amiss.

Best friends who tell each other everything but the truth. (p. 204 of e-galley)

I’ve seen people comparing this one to Gone Girl. I can’t say for sure about that, I haven’t read Gone Girl. But I can tell you that I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

If you’re in the mood for some seriously crazy, psychologically insane reading, pick this one up! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Highly recommended!!

A couple more quotes to share:

I’ve said it before. Truth is subjective. It’s not an absolute. My truth and theirs. Two against one. (p. 165 of e-galley)

My bosses had insisted I take time off until everything sorted itself out, when what they really wanted to say was stay away until we know you’re not a psychotic killer. (p. 216 of e-galley)