Never Lie by Freida McFadden

Hello everyone.  I hope your day is going well.

Hubby and I are old house addicts.  Not just ours but other peoples'.  We have talked our way into gobs of various old houses, some personal residences, some historic sites.  I can't help it; I'm curious and poor hubby gets pulled along to insure I don't end up in jail (which one of my sisters insists is coming any day now). One of the houses looked like ghosts would be frightened haunting it, in fact, it had been used in a haunted house movie.  Finally, someone purchased it to restore and we were right there, getting the full tour.  It was amazing inside, great raised paneling under each window.  There were a few, not open to the public, houses in Colonial Williamsburg..."gosh I'm so sorry, isn't this part of the tour?"  Then there were closed off rooms in Carter's Grove, various other James River plantations, all our neighbors' houses and then some.  Old houses are fun and always surprising.

I recently read Never Lie by Freida McFadden.  This is the author of the very popular books The Housemaid and The Housemaid's Secret. I've read, enjoyed and reviewed both.  Never Lie is about a couple that want to buy a house.  Tricia and Ethan are enjoying married life and are ready to purchase a home.  While going to see a listing, they are trapped in a snowstorm and are forced to walk to the house they were hoping to see.  Although the realtor never shows in the dangerous weather, they count themselves lucky to find a key and shelter in their possible new property.  Impressed with the grand rambling estate, they discover curious things. A light on upstairs, yet a thick layer of undisturbed dust on every surface, including the footprint free floor.  They find fresh food in the fridge, yet again, no evidence anyone has been in the old mansion, just the opposite, it has been and remains vacant.  As the story progresses, we find out that the house last belonged to a famous psychiatrist Dr. Adrienne Hale, who disappeared four years ago and is presumed dead. Despite the troubling history it is worth it to live in such an elaborate home, until odd things start happening.  

This story is told in dual timelines following the modern-day homebuyers, Tricia and Ethan, and another exploring the life of Adrienne revealing what happened leading up to her disappearance.  This story is fast moving, never really letting the reader catch their breath.  It is one of those that you gasp out loud wondering how you could have missed the amazing twists that leave you shaking your head and grinning. A wild ride and fun from beginning to end.  A classic domestic thriller.

I might be a bit more careful about seeing old houses, they may hold more secrets than I want to know!

Zero Days by Ruth Ware

 

Hello everyone.  I hope your week is going well.

Well, the part of the year I dislike immensely is here.  Hurricane season, typhoons for you in the east.  So many areas seem to have a bullseye on them, coastal North Carolina is one of them.  There are two storms in the Atlantic already and it is only June.  Of course, I'm watching them like a hawk.  I drive my husband bananas checking each update, looking at all the spaghetti graphs, trying to decide which model looks the most reliable.  It's exhausting and frightening.  If you've never been through a hurricane, count yourself lucky.  I remember one of my first storms, I think it was Gloria.  My apartment was on the Chesapeake Bay and was sure to get a lot of water and wind.  My boyfriend (now husband) wanted me to come stay with his family.  I kept putting it off, baking several coffee cakes.  Don't laugh, for some reason, I thought my mother's coffee cake could work magic.  It is a darn good coffee cake but warding off hurricanes is a bit beyond its abilities. My sisters who still adore that cake and have never been through a hurricane would disagree, don't listen to them. By the time I drove to my boyfriend/hubby's house, the wind was so bad I was terrified. I took in town roads, afraid of the elevated interstate. I literally thought my little car was going to flip just from the wind. The roads were flooded, there was only a tiny passable area in the center of four lanes, and the storm hadn't even hit yet.  I made a huge fool of myself, leaning to the side whenever I had to stop, to prevent blowing over, and bracing myself certain I would be blown miles away, fancying myself as Dorothy without the sparkly shoes. Finally, I arrived at hubby's house regaling him with my harrowing experience and how I had defied death just to see his face, when his mother arrived home.  She, ever the gentile southern lady, took off her coat and straightened her hair, lipstick still in place and said sweetly "I think we're going to have some water to feed the flowers." It was practically a monsoon with cataclysmic winds, and she isn't the least bit rattled with un-smudged lipstick.  I think perhaps she traveled through a worm hole. By the way, she scrubbed floors on her knees with perfect clothes and full make up too...only one step away from Leave it to Beaver's mom's pearls.  I must have given everyone quite a laugh but I'm certain leaning was necessary! This has nothing to do with the book below, but hurricanes are good reading times if you have any lights.  I'm sure I can scrape up a book or two around here (that will make hubby roll his eyes).

I recently read Zero Days by Ruth Ware. I'm not sure if you're aware of it but Ruth Ware and I have a "thing" going on.  It's off and on, hot and cold.  I've read everything she has written.  I have really liked most of her books, really didn't like One by One, and count The Death of Mrs. Westaway as one of my ALL TIME favorites, for the setting alone. I'm thrilled to say, Ruth Ware and I are happily allied again, reader and author.  Zero Days is about a husband (Gabe) and wife (Jack) team, they work as penetration specialists. They are paid to break into buildings to see what security measures are too lax. They are working at a client's business late at night, with Jack inside the building. Gabe, a computer specialist, at home on his computer, directing Jack through the building and around security through her earpiece. Suddenly Gabe stops answering and Jack gets caught, taken to police.  While trying to get Gabe to explain their business to the police, he stops answering the phone. Exhausted herself, Jack finally drives home, mad that Gabe has obviously fallen asleep, leaving her to deal with the cops alone.  Only when Jack gets home, she finds her beloved husband murdered.  The story goes from bad to worse when the police have only one suspect, Jack. 

This is the best thriller I've read this year.  Nothing even comes close to Zero Days.  I am a slow reader, I received the book yesterday morning and had it finished this morning, something I've never done. I wanted to stay up all night reading it, I didn't but wanted to.  It is smart and twisty; the pacing is relentless.  This book does not stop, it grabs you, shakes you by the shoulders and asks cockily "How did you like that?"  Start to finish, a great story and edge of your seat thriller.  If there was thriller writing school, this would be the textbook.  

The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

Hello everyone. I hope you are doing well.

Today we picked up an order from the mart of walls (Walmart).  Despite carefully ordering only items "in stock" in my store and not on short inventory, 15 items out of 36 were out of stock.  I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that very soon when I order groceries, not only are they not going to have anything but are going to request I bring THEM something from home.  Seriously, when they are out of my ordered whole chicken, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, even turkey lunch meat...what am I supposed to serve?  I didn't just read Harry Potter and am unable to swish and flick something on the plate for lunch or dinner.  Okay, housewifey rant over, at least I worked a book in there.  Phew. 

I recently read The Prisoner by B.A. Paris.  It came out last Tuesday, was delivered Thursday, I started it Friday night and was done by early afternoon on Saturday.  I was mesmerized by this story.  I think I slept for twenty minutes and tried getting up to read when hubby protested it was too early...and I read until 6:30 in the morning.  M-e-s-m-e-r-i-z-i-n-g.  I have read hundreds of thrillers but for some reason this one I could not put down...for anything...including sleep.  I have read all but one of B.A. Paris' books and liked them all.  This one, I don't know, it had a grip on me that wouldn't let go.

This is the story of Amelie and she is married to Ned.  Ned, a gazillionaire, is not a very nice person.  One day, they are both kidnapped.  They are kept separately while awaiting the payment of the ransom.  They are also kept in complete darkness.  Sounds like it would be difficult to make a great story out of due to the limited location.  It isn't.  The darkness just amps up the tension, you feel the darkness, the starkness, and find yourself almost holding your breath.  The story becomes more complicated when Amelie sadly realizes that she might be safer with her kidnappers then with her own husband.  Is she experiencing Stockholm syndrome or is Ned really a danger to his own wife? This is only a fraction of this involved, always twisting story.  

This book is under 300 pages, with such an elaborate story and being shorter than many, you know the author doesn't have a word that isn't absolutely necessary.  It also means to fit the whole tale in, this book must move along.  It flies!  Loved it and now have a huge case of book hangover.

If you buy this book, read it with a booklight in a dark room....I dare you. 

The Blame Game by Sandie Jones

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

I can't think of any story that has anything to do with today's book, so I'll just have to rant.  Eggs are now $4.50 for 18.  That is insane, I didn't want to buy the chicken, her house, and 20 of her closest friends just a couple of eggs.  Also, hubby keeps leaving things off the grocery list that he maintains we don't need but are actually desperately short of.  This requires extra grocery buying visits and, of course, you never just buy what you need.  I end up buying eggs for the price that should be enough to feed my whole street omelets for a month!  Okay, enough housewifery.

I recently read The Blame Game by Sandie Jones.  I have read and enjoyed all her books; this is no exception. This is the story of a psychologist, Naomi, who specializes in domestic violence.  Naomi is currently treating Jacob who is mistreated by his wife.  Jacob is afraid of what she might do to him and of snapping himself and hurting her in return.  After letting Jacob stay in her rental property when he decides to leave his wife, he goes missing.  Strange things start happening as the police believe he is in grave danger and the evidence points to Naomi as a possible suspect.

This book was fantastic.  First of all, it's short, 244 pages.  This means that the author has no time to waste.  Most descriptions and connecting information are omitted to leave room for action.  This story races through the plot like it's on fire and running for its life.  I literally had to go back and reread sections as two words like "she imagined" changes everything.  You know how I hate bric-a-brac in books, this is devoid of everything but exactly what you need to know, so you better pay attention.  I wish all thrillers were written like this!

This book would be a great way to start you day, perhaps with your breakfast.  Given the cost at the grocery store, the book might be the cheapest thing.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

Hello everyone.

Have you ever really looked at your house? Really looked?  Several years ago we had a house built. It was a wonderful, but stressful experience. Once completed, we discovered a few feet "missing" from the interior. We finally decided that the missing space was an area that heat and air ducts ran from the first floor, through the second, to the attic.

Our current house is an early 1900's craftsman, a Sears house. Shortly after moving in, the previous owner came to the door and wanted to know if we found the secret room and met the ghost. Having lived in a haunted house I can tell you this house has no ghosts. The owner swears his wife was constantly losing her keys saying a ghost was moving them. Frankly, I think she just forgot where she put her keys. When your house is haunted, you know it. Someday I'll tell you about it. What the old owner was talking about was that there is stained glass in several places on our house. On the second floor there are two stained glass windows on the outside but only one on the inside. One window is in a walk-in closet in a guest room, the other in the master bedroom. Only the master has no such window. For some unknown reason it was long ago walled in on the interior. I'm guessing because it was difficult to decorate around. Our bedroom has double divided glass pocket doors, five windows, a fireplace, a radiator, and closet along with the entry door. Not many good places to put any furniture. I imagine putting a wall over the stained glass was done to have a section of plain wall. Old buildings were built differently, they seem to have a lot more nooks and crannies. Now that you want an English muffin, let's talk about a book.

I recently read Lock Every Door by Riley Sager. I finished this book in one day, something I (the admitted slow reader) have never done before, and we are talking 360+ pages. This is the story of a young woman who lost her boyfriend, job and place to live all at once. She has found a great offer that helps with her situation, apartment sitting. Not only does she now have somewhere to live for the next three months but a great paycheck as well. In addition, this apartment is in an old building in NYC that she has been interested in for years and is the pinnacle of plushness. Because of the noteable people living in the building, the job comes with several rules like no visitors, no discussing the building on social media, and you must spend every night in the apartment. A bit odd, but not that unreasonable for rich people that want their privacy.

This book is a thriller through and through. It starts calmly, gaining the reader's curiosity, but as strange things begin happening it quickly builds to a page flipping frenzy. While the story progresses we are presented with several possible explanations for the events at the old privileged apartment building. Racing from one solution to the next until finally the reader is given a satisfying ending you'll never see coming.

This was my first Riley Sager, but certainly not my last. As soon as my eyes recover and my hands stop shaking I'll have to purchase his other two books. Now I know to clear my schedule and get the economy size eye drops!

The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth

Hello everyone.

I have to give you a bit of housewife trivia. Our daggum (insert swearing like a sailor here, although I've known several sailors that never swore but do your best...make it really profane) ....as I was saying our daggum dishwasher is broken again. Of course, it was right after we cooked a whole bunch. We took several meals to a friend who doesn't cook, then there was Easter which we cooked for at the same time. End result, a kitchen that looked like a bomb went off. Actually, that would have made for a tidier kitchen! We made ham, turkey, boiled eggs, egg salad, chocolate cake, roasted carrots, my grandma's green bean casserole, and the always pain the butt sugar cookies complete with royal icing piping. But wait there is more...that is on top of the normal dinner dishes, errant bowls, and of course endless array of coffee cups. We just had the dishwasher fixed; they installed a new brain/control panel. That was short lived. The problem is that I love this dishwasher. I know there are people that have real problems, I get it, honestly, I do. But I love my dishwasher, like I love air conditioning, heating and skipping through commercials on the heaven-sent DVR machine. Sadly, hubby has informed me that he has figured it out that my beloved scouring friend is 14 years old and not worth sinking any more money into. Hold on, still more.... he has had some big system conversion thing followed by being on call. I don't understand it, all I know is he works 16 hours days and dishwasher mania must wait until the work load lightens.  You guessed it, leaving me with chipped nails and very dry hands and I still can't get dishes done faster than we use them.

During one of these silverware scrubbing sessions, I was thinking about sayings. Just little things people say, usually specific to their geographic region or age. The south is great for these types of things, like "tripping a$$ over tea kettle" or "slicker than cat s$#t on linoleum."  My mom had one she said often, I have no idea where she got it from. If Mom had to go out of her way, she'd say she had to go "round Robin Hood's barn." Now, I don't know about you but I never knew Robin Hood had a barn. Maybe all that take from the rich and give to the poor thing left him in need for storage for his ill-gotten gain. Perhaps Robin Hood's barn was a storage unit. Maybe before donning tights, he was a dairy farmer and housed his cows in the previously mentioned barn. I don't know, honestly..."round Robin Hood's barn." I'm shaking my head at the thought.

I recently read The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth. This is kind of billed as a thriller, but it is really a flat-out mystery. In the book we follow an extended family, but the story is told from the perspective of the two main characters, Lucy and her mother-in-law, Diana. Now despite Diana and her husband being well off financially, she refuses to help her family, yet has a charity that helps others. Hmmmm, curious.  She is cold and uncaring, sometimes completely apathetic. One day, Diana is found dead. A suicide note is found in the drawer of her desk. If you're committing suicide, wouldn't you leave the note in a more prominent place? Then there is the group she is a member of, where they discuss taking certain kinds of poison to end their own life. Diana is found with her mouth full of such a liquid. However, the autopsy reveals that she had no poison in her system and appears to have been smothered. Then why the note and mouth full of bleck? This is the mystery that this book explores. As it does, a saying came to mind.... for Diana "there is a method to my madness".  Ever hear that one? You'll understand by the time you solve this mystery. Yep, that is what ran through my head as I read this book. Read is too normal of a word, I flew through this novel. Two days, start to finish and that is with my constant mountain of dirty dishes beckoning me. Obviously, the pacing of this is fantastic or a pokey reader like me would still be on chapter five.

Don't wait, get yourself a copy of this book, a cup of coffee, and prepare to be dazzled.  I suggest a paper cup. I've got enough to wash!

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!

The First Lady

Hello everyone.

I hope you are having a good day. Not so good here. Well, kind of is, kind of isn't. Hubby is on vacation this week. He has several things he wants to do around the house and was ready for a break from work. First thing on the agenda was to get our taxes done. Ouch! Like I keep hearing on the news, we usually get a refund and this year ended up owing, big time. This is unacceptable. I need my refund for book money. How dare the government want to spend it on things like defense and crummy old roads and bridges. Ok, I'll stop.

One of hubby's "honey-do" list projects is to build a little library. We have an old house, it was actually built with a room considered a library. Unfortunately, it has no bookshelves and lots of windows, a fireplace, and pocket doors, so there is little room for shelving. Besides the ole' spouse uses it as his office. Needless to say, when he is working on a huge problem for work, I do not want to be anywhere close by. Anyway, we have a sitting room attached to our bedroom and it has an unused walk-in closet. I've asked my oh so talented (yes, I'm buttering him up) man, to line those walls with heavy duty, hand built shelves that I can pile high with books. While there really won't be room to read in there, it will be nice to organize my unread books which seem to be everywhere these days.

One book I won't need any shelving for because I've finished it is The First Lady, by James Patterson and Brendan Dubois. I've read books by James Patterson which I very much enjoyed. I have not read anything by Brendan Dubois, so was curious especially when it came up on the NY Times Bestseller Paperback list. When it arrived in the mail, I was in the middle of something else. Something I needed to read right away. Sadly or happily, depending how you look at it, I just "had" to read the first few pages of The First Lady. I should have been patient and waited. Yep, I read the whole thing. I am really a slow reader, I swear I don't know how it happened. I whipped through this book in less than two days, and I didn't really have any marathon reading sessions. The book has 338 pages, it is not like it is a novella. I guess I magically got through this story so fast because it was so good and rapidly paced. The plot was strong and always in the forefront, not wavering. While it is obviously about the President and First Lady of the United States, if you are sick and tired of politics don't worry. The story is about people, supporting characters and settings of a political nature, it really isn't about any governmental issues. It is a great ride of a thriller that races (somehow way faster than I can read) through the twists and turns to the perfect ending. Highly enjoyable.

Too bad voting for politicians is not as fun or thrilling as reading this book! If it was, everyone would vote.

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

Well, since my last review on the 10th of September the world has fallen apart for many people in the state of NC, and others. I am in coastal NC and somehow, by some miracle, our town threaded the needle between bands of the hurricane. We had less than an inch of rain and light wind by hurricane standards. Frankly, I've been through way more storms than I ever should have, they make me crazy. Terrified crazy. Hey, forget Sharknado, when it starts raining TREES for real, you'd be terrified too! Somehow, we were spared. Now we are experiencing a few of the aftermaths, roads are closed in every direction but north, mail just started again two days ago, and our grocery story has not a stitch of produce, meat, or dairy. A very small price to pay compared to those who lost everything. I was convinced we were about to lose everything, so the grief I feel for those around this area is profound. I will be eternally grateful to have been spared and feel guilty at the same time. In any case, I've seen so many wonderful statements of support, just thought I would say thank you and send healing wishes for everyone concerned.

On to happier topics, BOOKS! To take my mind of the storm, I read Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter. Now, before you get your knickers in a twist, yes, I realize I am the absolutely last person on the planet to read a Karin Slaughter book. I blame you, book addicts, for not shoving her novels in my face. How could you let me miss out?!?!? Especially knowing my fondness for thrillers! Ahhh, now that I've passed the blame for my reading shortcomings I feel much better. I felt great after reading this book!

Pieces of Her really resonated with me in so many ways. How could someone with a design background from the prestigious SCAD, Savannah College of Art and Design, end up living in a tiny apartment in NYC taking 911 calls? Of course, the 911 job is very noble and heaven knows, stressful, but not as the main character Andy intended her life to be. What happens when she finds out her parents are not anything like what she thought. They are horrible, terrible people, yet amazing in ways she never knew. What if lives were not what they seem. Andy shares that deep mother daughter bond with her mom, Laura, but then is troubled at that bond existing while her actually knowing nothing about her mother. All of these literally life changing questions are wrapped in a fast paced thriller in this story. It is gripping and shocking, the explanations are complex yet so simple. This novel is amazing. I cannot wait to rocket through another of Karin Slaughter books!

You know, a few years ago I scanned all my parents slides into the computer. There were a couple with some weird mechanical diagrams. My dad did work for a defense contractor. Hmmmmm…...now I'm wondering and I blame it all on Karin Slaughter!

Lies by T. M. Logan

Now, I realize I just posted yesterday and you're likely already at your April limit, (who isn't) but I forgot to tell you about a great book, and it releases on September 11th! While I find it annoying to be bombarded with posts, I also don't want you to miss a great book and if you are a thriller lover, this is a great one!

This book starts with a man Joe, in his car with his son, Ben, who sees his mom's car with mommy driving down the road. Since it is not at a time or place Joe would expect to see his wife out and about, he follows her. What unfolds is a wild ride. Joe discovers a vat of simmering doubt and disappointment. 

The cover asks the question about what if your life was based on lies. Now, frankly, I'm certain many of our lives are based on little lies. Nobody wants to look boring to their Facebook friends from high school. Everyone absolutely MUST outdo each other with the frequency of lavish vacations. That's not what the book is talking about. How would you feel if everything you based your life on fell apart. If you suddenly discover piece after piece of information showing you were one giant Jenga tower about to fall because that solid base you stand on was never really there at all. Those are the questions this book asks. It is terrifying. It could happen to any of us. I guess we all rest our faith on the integrity of those around us, but some people are really good liars. 

Lies was so good. A fast paced, keep you up all night page turner with an excellent twist at the end. If this story doesn't have you awake reading, it will have you examining everyone in your life...just to make sure.