Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a great day.

Have you ever seen Everybody Loves Raymond? If you haven't it is a TV show where a younger couple lives across the street from his overbearing parents.  The parents, Frank and Marie, bicker all the time.  They are full of insults for each other and snarky comments.  At one point the younger couple realizes that it is the way they communicate and show affection for each other.  This makes me wonder whether it is better to keep any complaints to yourself in a relationship or let them be known? For us, I think we do a combo.  We usually have a blowout fight once or twice a year to clear the air.  Frankly, I find it exhausting. Sometimes it is just easier to let things go, pick your battles as they say.  In books, those festering feelings make for a great plot.

I recently read Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney.  This author is responsible for many great books, including the very popular Rock, Paper, Scissors.  In this story we are following a couple, Grady and Abby.  Grady is a bestselling author.  One night, he is waiting for his wife to come home.  She is late and he is on the phone with her as she drives.  Suddenly she brakes sharply as there is a body in the road.  He implores her not to get out of the car, but she feels she must offer assistance.  Grady never hears from his wife again.  Her car is found near a cliff with her belongings, but no Abby.  A year later, Grady is a broken man.  He misses his wife.  He drinks too much, has spent his book money and is up against a deadline to produce another great novel.  The problem, he hasn't been able to write since his wife disappeared.  In desperation, his agent, Kitty, who is also Abby's godmother, offers him a deal.  She has inherited a remote cabin on a secluded Scottish island.  There is nothing to do there but be inspired by the beauty, rest, and write.  In need of both a hit book and a place to live, Grady accepts Kitty's gracious offer and heads to the island.  Of course, being a Alice Feeney novel, all is not what it appears.  Grady is most certainly an unreliable narrator, especially as he starts seeing his wife everywhere. The people on the island bring their own charm, mystery and creepiness.

This book will grab your attention and not let it go.  Seriously, don't start it if you have things to do.  As I've said repeatedly, I am a pokey reader, and I read 280 pages yesterday.  I just couldn't resist.  I figured out part of what was going on about halfway through but was shocked at the ending.  This book is a total escape and very fun.  Makes me wonder what Alice Feeney will think of next.

Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams

Hello everyone. I hope you are having a great day.

I want to make an observation that none of you care about and has nothing to do with books, but it has to be said.  Why do people tasting stuff on YouTube raise their shoulder high that is holding the fork, pull it grandly out of their mouth, then close their eyes to taste the food? It isn't just cooking videos but even with people that are doing reviews at places like Disney World.  Do your taste buds only work if your eyes are closed? I am sorry but this relates to their saying they make "the best" whatever. I doubt it.  I guess I still have my nose out of joint.  I'll be quiet.  Wait, one more complaint...it is not good manners to hold a giant piece of broccoli or sausage to your mouth on a fork and take a bite off.  Does nobody know how to use a dinner knife anymore? Okay, now I think I'm done. Over and out.

I recently read Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams. I've read many books by this author and have always enjoyed them. Williams writes what may be considered historic fiction, but I actually find that true with some of her books more than others. What you can always count on is a good story, with great character development and an interesting plot. Her most recent offering is no different.

In Under the Stars, we are treated to a story about a mother and daughter. The mother, Meredith, is a famous actress, working toward a comeback. Daughter, Audrey is a chef who discovers a mysterious chest having belonged to her estranged father. Despite not wanting to return to their family home on Winthrop Island in New England, both women find they must, in order to address their issues. What ensues is a family mystery, begging to be discovered. This is done with the aid of part of the story being told in a flashback to 1846 where Providence, who has a secret, is fleeing on a steamship which starts to sink near Winthrop Island. Of course, Beatriz Williams brings the whole story together with her normal mastery, holding the readers interest until the very end. As usual, a great read from a consistently good author. I can't wait for more.

Many thanks to Random House/Ballentine and Net Galley for the early look. It was a pleasure.

**review by hubby, he is a huge Beatriz Williams fan.

Inheritance by Nora Roberts

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a great day.

Did I ever tell you that I am an heiress?  I inherited a fair amount of money, far more than small countries are worth.  Five large homes all over the world, which I hardly ever visit.  I hear the butler I employee at my Paris home is very good, although I've never met him.  Then there are the yachts.  Two to be exact, complete with crew.  It seemed like overkill, so I rent one out for that TV show Below Deck.  Yep, life is grand.  Believe me?  I'm usually telling you to stop laughing, but now I am the one giggling.  The only thing I ever inherited is a rocking chair and some pretty pronounced arthritis in my thumbs.  Can you guess what the book I just read is about and that I had nothing to relate to?  Pretty obvious huh?  Oh well, my pretend wealth was fun for the 10 seconds I had it.

I recently read Inheritance by Nora Roberts. This is the story of a young woman, Sonya, who has lost her dad.  She finds out her dad had a twin that he never knew about.  Her newfound Uncle has also passed away and despite not knowing her, has made Sonya his benefactor.  Not only does she get a boatload of money, but a stunning cliff top manor house.  One problem, it is haunted.  For her to get to keep her inheritance she must live the next three years in the house.  Since the manor is a long-time family home, it seems reasonable that most of the ghosts are her relatives.  Naturally she starts researching her extensive family tree.  It becomes obvious that the house carries a secret.  There is a curse in the form of an evil woman that after death, has become an evil long-term resident.  As Sonya meets the town population and becomes more settled, she realizes she must resolve this issue from the past to have a pleasant future.

This is exactly what you expect from Nora Roberts, a solid, well written story. I admit that it seemed a bit too long for me, but perhaps not.  This is the first of a trilogy, so she does a great job on introducing you to the town and people in it.  Hopefully, this setup will pay off in the next two volumes.  The haunting is well done, and is interesting without the cheap trick of gore, or becoming campy.  While it took me a bit to get into this story, for reasons unknown, I look forward to the next installment.

Many thanks to NetGalley and, the always generous, St. Martin's Press.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten

Hello everyone.  I hope your day is going well.

Have you ladies been to a bridal shower?  If you are male and never had to attend one of these societal necessities, count yourself as lucky.  For those of you in a country that doesn't have this traditional gathering, let me explain.  A bridal shower is a party, usually of all women, to shower the bride to be with gifts and good wishes.  Usually, this celebration is accompanied with food, something dainty like tea sandwiches and punch.  Nope, not hot wings and beer, that is what the men have while they are waiting for the women to complete their gathering. The first shower I ever attended was for my cousin.  I was shocked, here were twenty women so enthralled with a gift of a frying pan she just opened. You would have thought that pan could bring world peace.  After a few years, it was my turn.  I had four bridal showers.  I didn't live in my hometown, so had friends in both places and had 2 sets of ex-coworkers and current coworkers, then my fabulous Aunts were so kind to throw a beautiful party too.  Keep in mind this was the place I was shocked over the cookware euphoria.  Now I got it, I was oohing and aahhhing. I had housekeeping to set up and all these gifts were helping greatly.  I still have many of them and can tell you who gave me what.  Seriously, people were so very generous.  By the time my sister got married, things had changed.  She still got gifts, but instead of tea sandwiches, she was showered with attention from a male stripper.  I missed that one.  Probably for the best.

I recently read The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten. This is my second book by this author. I read and enjoyed The Lost Village as well. In this novel, we are following a group of women as they go to a new, not yet opened, hotel on a private island for a bachelorette getaway/party. The island is beautiful and the hotel stunning. There is a dark secret, however. The island was the site of the disappearance of four young women several years earlier. As odd things start happening at the current gathering, similarities to the happenings of the past become apparent.

This story starts quickly, leaving the reader anxious for the wild ride yet to come. It slows slightly as the background is told and the getaway trip progresses, showing the relationship between the members of the bridal party. Once the characters are known and the basis for the story set, it takes off like a world class roller coaster. Told in traditional thriller style, it has the reader flipping pages while almost hiding their eyes as their breath quickens. It was a blast to experience a peek around the corner, nail biting story. So much fun.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy. 

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a great day.

Can we talk?  That sounds like the opening of a Saturday Night Live skit, maybe something by Gilda Radner as Rosanne Rosanna Danna...a classic.  Serious, let us discuss sisters. Sisters share a bond like no other.  They keep each other's secrets, understand each other's problems, and always root for the other. Well, usually.  Occasionally you get a bad egg, literally.  Instead of those endearing qualities you get nothing but brats and betrayal.  Such is my sistuation (yes, I spelled it like that on purpose). The trips as we call them, my three sisters who are actual triplets, are on the brattier side. What do you call people that always cheat at Monopoly?  How about someone who always goes to festivals, while you are stuck at home, then send you pictures...almost every weekend?  What about sisters that go on vacation together each year, without you, to one of the last remaining "balls" in the US?  See I told you; these are critical issues!  Brats, I tell you, brats.

I recently read Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh. This is my second book from this author.  I also read Thirteen and loved it.  In this story we follow two sisters. Both in the house at the same time as their brutally murdered father, they each call 911 blaming each other. The reader basically witnesses the investigation and trial of the siblings, reading from the point of view of each sister. Keeping us guessing we also get the point of view from the unnamed killer.

If you like legal thrillers, this book is for you.  If you are just a thriller addict, you will still love this, while it is rich in legal happenings it doesn't get bogged down in them.  Fast paced, atmospheric and well-constructed, this book had me switching back and forth as to the guilty sister. Lots of fun. My only word of warning, read at your peril, once you start it is very difficult to put down.  

Okay, I feel a smidge of guilt.  I confess, I am the chronic Monopoly cheater.  Hey, as banker it is expected!

FDR Drive by James Comey

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a good day.

Good Gaggama, have you turned on the news lately?  You remember those old-fashioned pinball machines?  They had a metal ball that you released with a giant spring then it is hit with little flappers trying to keep it in play to earn points.  Snicker not, it was kind of fun.  So what if you had a more interesting childhood, I'm not jealous...okay, maybe a little.  These pinball machines were everywhere, they were even in my dad's favorite footlong hotdog place in Myrtle Beach, right next to the Pac Man machines.  I think I am making Atari sound new, so I'll shut up.  Anyway, my point is that I feel like that every time I turn on the news.  It is all politics or plane trouble or terrible weather.  Somehow no matter what the story is, it gets turned into politics.  You know I don't comment on it, but this turning everything into something political and constant he said, she said, he threatened, name-calling....it baffles me.  All this time on this planet and we haven't learned that hate is sad, and love is fun.  The whole thing makes me dizzy.  Needless to say, I have binge watched so many streaming series and old movies.  It is pretty bad when you can make a double feature out of Burnt Offerings followed by Audrey Rose, both kind of dark.  Still it was better than the news.  Enough said.  You'd think I'd be reading like crazy, but I've been in a bit of a slump.  Hubby is reading up a storm.  Speaking of political, he read the new book by James Comey, who was the head of the FBI.  It seemed as if he liked the book but it wasn't a favorite.  His thoughts follow.

I recently read FDR Drive by James Comey. This is a complicated story involving terrorism in New York. Told as a legal thriller, it is a slow burn. There are plenty of characters to meet and legal terms to learn, with revelations along the way. Taking much from recent past and current politics, shades of Comey's real-life shine through. A bit slower in the beginning as the reader learns the situation and those effected but the pacing increasing as the bulk of the story starts to unfold. If you like the legal world and thrillers, as I do, this is for you. An interesting read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Mysterious Press for an advanced copy.

ps.  Next book will have no political connection. I don't want the author to even have been on the committee for the garden club or PTA, heaven forbid the Home Owners Association!

Whistle by Linwood Barclay

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a great day.

I have to be honest, the book today I received a couple of months ago from the very generous publisher.  I have been anxiously waiting to discuss this book with you.  It is about model trains and is blurbed by Stephen King. Enough said?  No?  Okay, we have been together for a long time, reading all kinds of books.  I care about you.  So, I tell you with love and respect to stay away from trains of all sizes.  Please, I beg you!

I recently read Whistle by Linwood Barclay. This is the story of Annie and her son Charlie. To get a break from their lives in Manhattan, Annie and her son take a vacation renting a house in upstate New York. While there, Charlie finds an old train set of which he becomes unusually fond. The vacation seems to be a going well, until odd things begin happening. Unconventional neighbors behaving strangely, real train sounds coming from a train line not used in years, just for starters. There are lots more events I won't spoil for you. The reader also follows an earlier timeline in a different town. In this time period, we meet lots of characters, some briefly, as odd things are happening here too, all seemingly connected to model trains.

Whistle, while most definitely a horror book, is also quite the thriller. It is very fast paced, with most chapters ending on a cliff hanger or major revelation. Despite being fairly long this pacing makes it fly by, with pages turning quickly. Although there are plenty of characters in this story, by necessity, it is not overwhelming. Several characters are stand outs and will have you cheering for them. Entertaining from beginning to end, a very fun read.

For the record, my husband who has had model trains his whole life is now in trouble. Trains are expensive and cause us to have to purchase larger houses than necessary to accommodate his layout. Now I know they are evil (as suspected). Rest assured, I will be purchasing many copies of Whistle to hand out to hubby's train friends, as a cautionary tale. Also, I will be taking my husband's trains to the dump, have them shredded, then compacted, then put in a deep ocean trench. Do you think anyone would mind if we filled the Atlantic Ocean in with concrete?

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the advanced copy and warning!