For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a nice day.

I had some interesting and memorable teachers.  Two high school English teachers come to mind.  I had a sweet little old man that kind of looked like a Bassett Hound (old to me then, he was probably in his late 40's). He used to exaggerate the way words were said, saying at least every syllable, if not more.  Vegetable wasn't vegetable it was "veg-e-ta-ble".  Hey, it kept our attention.  Another English literature teacher was also the drama coach, he was a natural for both and there was no distinction between the two.  I remember reading The Old Man and the Sea, going around the classroom each person reading one sentence.  Then, he had little pieces of wisdom he wanted to impart.  I still remember him telling us that the words "certainly" and "surely" were interchangeable.  He would chant "When I say certainly, you say ..." waiting for us to say "surely".  When the classroom would respond he would jump up and give a kind of high pitched roar.  His feet would literally leave the ground.  Silly as it sounds today, he must have done something right because I still remember what he taught, and him.

I recently read For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing.  This is the story of a fancy private school and the people that teach and learn there.  We follow several people but mostly Teddy, who was recently named Teacher of the Year.  He is very concerned about making his students the best they can be, even those that really rub him the wrong way.  Given that this is a wealthy school, he feels that several of the students have an elitist attitude that they would be better served without.  But what happens when teachers start getting sick, then dropping dead?  

This book is fairly long at over 370 pages and worth every sentence.  As things start going bonkers at this ritzy school you kind of want to give a bit of an evil laugh, it's like stepping back in time and binge watching a wacked version of Knots Landing (a prime time tv show kind of soap opera from 1979-1993).  While you won't find Joan Van Ark here, you will find plenty of twists and turns.  The author tells us pretty early on who is responsible but that just adds to the fun as we get to see that persons planning as well as the ominous results.  This fun and frantic read features short chapters with many ending in questions or cliff hangers.  A perfect summer read.  My favorite of Samantha Downing's so far.

Beware, this may have you digging out your yearbook and giving your teachers a second look.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

Hello everyone.

Hubby is back to work! I feel terrible about how he spent his vacation. He did some things around the house, one was cleaning out a walk-in closet to make it a mini library for me. After he went out and bought all the wood and brackets to build beautiful shelving I actually looked at the cleaned out closet and admitted I had forgotten how many shelves it already had and didn't want more. When I asked him to return all the lumber I think he might have hit me with it like in an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. In fact, it is still sitting in my hall, days later, unreturned, taunting me. It smells so good, that new wood smell. The boards he picked are so nice, thick and straight, they'd make beautiful shelves. I don't know, maybe I should ask him to build shelves anyway. If you see me in divorce court you'll know why. Likewise, if I suddenly go missing in a very mysterious way, first alert the police, second call my sisters, third write a book about it and make sure you make me an innocent victim with a much smaller butt and better hair!

While we were on our staycation, I read My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. I wanted this book the moment I saw it but resisted buying it. I had just read For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt. Frankly, I was afraid they were they same thing. For Better and Worse is about a murdering couple. They murder for a reason, someone has hurt their child. They have a purpose, a gore filled goal (it isn't really gory). Thankfully, My Lovely Wife is completely different.  I got lucky, my husband is a hopeless romantic, he sends flowers for notable occasions, big beautiful bouquets. In My Lovely Wife, the husband/father is the narrator and honestly, I don't think the author gives his name...ever. He is married to Millicent and they have two children. Life is perfect, their version of perfect.  Instead of showing his affection for his wife with flowers, jewelry or an exciting trip, this husband finds her someone to murder! It is so dark and twisted. They live everyday life like everyone else, making you wonder what the "normal" people you know do in private. Nothing like a Wednesday night of, "honey, can you pass the green beans and how do you think we should torture victim number three?"  As I was telling hubby the story I kept gripping the book, holding it up, laughing, saying it was so good. Makes me wonder about myself!

So, if you have read the latest round of husband/wife killer books, don't worry. You'll enjoy this too. It is well written, fast paced, full of twists that you won't see coming and perhaps a bit shame inducing for how much you'll like it. This was a heart racing rollercoaster from start to finish!

We have our wedding anniversary coming up next month, I'll have to think of "something" to do to celebrate!