Picket Fences by Emma L.R. Hogg

Hello everyone. Have you ever noticed how we all have things we say frequently?  It's just our pattern of talking, or in this case writing.  I'm sure I tell you the same things over and over ( I have chicken to bake and vacuuming to do). Maybe you'd prefer someone who writes brilliantly or who has a dainty, elegant style. Sorry, I have stuff to do, lots of stuff to do...insert sarcastic tone here. Anyway, one thing I always say is that I am a thriller girl. It's true, thrillers are my favorite books to shop for and my favorite to read.  Surprisingly, they are rarely my very favorite book by the end of the year. There are only so many places you can go with the plot while maintaining that frantic tension that I adore. Ahhh, but in general fiction, writers have the world. Those, just good darn story, books are what always edges out my beloved thrillers for favorite. While I don't know what the rest of my reading year will bring (in 2020 it's best not to tempt fate), I have a contender for number one!

I just read Picket Fences by Emma L. R. Hogg.  Ms. Hogg is a Canadian author and they are lucky to have her! I LOVED this book.  I was in the middle of reading a major thriller and foolishly read the first few pages of Picket Fences, two days later I'm finished. I don't know how to describe it to you, it's one of those stories that is about nothing and everything. It is the story of a young woman, Sloane, and her friend from high school, Stephie. They made plans for their lives but, as it does for most of us, life changes. 

The story is straightforward, following Sloane as she lives her life, going to work, dealing with parents, husband, Stephie and desperately trying to make her dreams come true. It's a slice of life. The reader also sees parts of the past, learning more about the early lives of Sloane and Stephie, helping us understand why they are the way they are today. It all sounds so simple doesn't it? On the surface it is, but there are undercurrents galore to be explored and lessons for the reader to learn.  This is all accomplished brilliantly thanks to the author's well defined characters. When people are rude and hateful, she makes us dislike them but still have compassion for them and wonder what happened in their past. When Sloane struggles, I wanted to shake her and tell her to snap out of it, but I also recognized many of her traits in myself. Sloane's parents were adorable, yet her mom often annoying. As for Jason, Sloane's husband, the reader is left wondering if he can't be bothered to accomplish his dream of being a game designer or whether he postpones his wishes because his greater wish is for an income that will bring them a happy life now. We don't know if he's unkind, or the nicest, most patient husband ever. Stephie's "friend" Randy, appears to be a loser but then we're reminded not to judge people, as we see how he is smart and sensitive.  I know all these character names and traits mean absolutely nothing to you now, I only include them to show you that this book that has no boat crashes, museum robberies, or mysterious murders, yet it is absolutely amazing.  

I cannot do this book justice with a description. It is about nothing and everything. It's complicated yet simple, happy yet sad. I found myself laughing out loud and then teary eyed.  The storytelling is masterful and I will not forget Picket Fences for a very long time.

This book is being published in Canada so I want to give you some help finding it if you live in the United States. First, you can order it directly from the distributor at https://www.fitzhenry.ca/Detail/1777010144 .  Or you can get it at good old trusty Amazon and have it delivered right to your kindle (gotta love that instant gratification)...actually if you are in the US just give the name to any bookstore and they can get it for you. Need a reminder, it is Picket Fences by Emma L.R. Hogg, read it and it's a name you'll long remember.

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

 

Hello everyone.  I hope you are well.

My husband says I should have been a lawyer.  I used to be fascinated by court cases broadcast on television.  Perhaps he thinks I'd make a good lawyer because I always win our arguments. I can't help it, I remember things from the past to support my point and when he accuses me of something I insist he give me specific examples, which he never can. It doesn't give him more confidence knowing that over the last year I've read several thrillers that feature court cases.

I recently read The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. If the author sounds familiar to you, she wrote the very popular The Escape Room, which I  enjoyed.  The Night Swim is the story of, Rachel, an owner of a podcast that looks at true crime. When she arrives in a small North Carolina town for a real time rape trial, Rachel finds that she is being stalked.  The person following Rachel desperately wants her to review an old case, the death of the stalkers sister, which is ruled drowning but the stalker believes was murder.  Of course, the town is full of a rich cast of characters some of which lived there during both crimes.  

The thriller part of this novel, is page-turning and suspenseful. The legal areas may have some procedural errors but unless you are a criminal attorney, I doubt it would detract from your experience. One thing I want to warn you about is rape. This book is about rape, no way around it. Some of the descriptions are disturbing. If you have been the victim of this crime in the past, I would skip this book. All other thriller lovers you might want to find this book a spot on your "to be read" list.

One by One by Ruth Ware

                                               
Hello everyone.  I hope you and your family are doing well.

Do you ski?  It was a big deal where I grew up, the high school even sponsored skiing trips. Of course, many of my classmates went skiing whenever given the opportunity.  Not me though, my mother absolutely refused to let any of her children hurdle down the side of a mountain on two sticks.  I admit, it does look a kind of frightening.  For the record, we were forbidden to ever even so much as touch a snowmobile as well.

I recently read One by One, by Ruth Ware. I've read all of Ruth Ware's books and count several as my all time favorites, especially The Death of Mrs. Westaway which is so atmospheric I swear it physically transports you to the story setting. Of course, I was very anxious to read the latest offering, One by One. This new book is about a software company that goes on a retreat together to a ski chalet in the French Alps. The London based company, of nine employees, is the creator of a very popular application which is currently the recipient of a lucrative buyout offer. As they start to discuss whether to accept the offer, people start dying. Sounds like a lot of books from the past (Shari Lapena, Agatha Christie, etc), with some interesting twists.  Unfortunately, there really aren't enough twists and it isn't that interesting. For example, the group goes skiing and description of each trail goes on for pages. I guess maybe the snowy feeling came through, because the endless babble about the skiing froze my brain. Then when it gets down to the killer, I guessed it at the very beginning. Granted, I read tons of thrillers so I might be able to pick out writers tricks more easily than others, but this was blatant. The parts in between were slow. Don't get me wrong , I read this in two days and found it difficult to put it down. I kept hoping there was going to be some diabolical genius twist in the very last chapter, there wasn't.  Was this book hideous? No, it's Ruth Ware. Will I be first in line to buy her next book. Yes. It just felt like to plot wasn't as strong as her other novels and she struggled to fill up the pages.

Now, as I said when I disliked something of Stephen King's, remember Ruth Ware is a major writer and I'm tasked with figuring out which vegetable to serve with dinner.  Take my opinion with a grain of salt, just don't spill in on the floor!

By the way, after reading this book, I'm think my mom had the right idea about winter sports. Perhaps snowman building is more my speed.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Hello everyone. I hope you are well.

Does your spouse tell you all their secrets? I doubt we tell our spouses everything. I wish I could say that to you all in person and exaggerate "everything" and have a sly smile on my face. In our case, I am certain my husband has told me most life details.  How do I know? He's told me the same stories over and over, actually to be truthful I should add a couple of more "overs". One time, while driving to Florida I was imitating him talking about his old neighborhood and who painted his house, who left their trash cans out. I was so good (because I'd heard it all repeatedly), he had to pull over he was laughing so hard.  If he gets together with his friends God help you, it's a flurry of where they rode their bicycles, what each obscure corner has been renamed, and how such and such an area is over built. I suppose I should be grateful he isn't some criminal mastermind (stay tuned, just in case) or have some heinous life plan. Anyway, you get the picture, we're boring.

I recently read Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I didn't know anything about this book going in, not even the genre. This is the story of a young socialite, Noemi, whose father gets a letter from his recently married niece.  In this letter, the niece, Catalina, sounds crazy. She's not doing well physically and it is feared perhaps she needs some mental care. It is decided that Noemi will go pay a visit to her cousin and casually investigate to see what the situation requires. Nobody really knows Catalina's new husband and they certainly don't trust him.  Our heroine, Noemi, travels to Catalina's new home, to discover what secrets her new husband holds and why he is keeping his bride so isolated.

This book is a little bit thriller, but mostly horror and fantasy. Not usually my thing, but I raced through this story.  Part of the reason I think I liked it so much is the setting. The majority of the novel takes place in an old mansion at the top of a hill, surrounded by fog. The picture is complete with a road that is often impassible, broken-down outbuildings like a greenhouse and a spooky cemetery.  Naturally the house has unused rooms with furniture covered with dusty sheets, the mansion barely has heat and not any lighting that is usable. The setting, like in The Death of Mrs. Westaway, draws you in and the cast of bizarre characters keep you reading.

If you like horror and fantasy, definitely read Mexican Gothic. If you are not huge fans of those genres but looking for something new, I think you'll find this story well written, interesting, fast moving and the fantasy/horror takes itself so seriously that it will have you believing it too. If you are willing to go where this story takes you, you'll find it very entertaining.

By the way, I appreciate those stories of hubby's just a little bit more now. A peeling house or trash cans blown away sounds pretty darn good now.

The End of Her by Shari Lapena

Hello everyone. I hope you are well.  Last week we had a little issue here.  I was reading the new book by Shari Lapena, The End of Her.  I think I've read everything she's written. For some reason, I thought she was from upstate NY, maybe because that is often the setting of her books.  She isn't, she is from Canada.  Anyway, being originally from upstate NY myself, I often know the areas mentioned and have a strange camaraderie with her stories. I was very anxious to read her latest.  The story was full of twists right from the beginning. Often I'll read portions to my husband...someone has to hear the exciting stuff besides me.  Well, I progressed too far into the book to read him anything.  Frankly, if it continued all twisty and turny I thought he might someday want to read it himself...so I said nothing.  Yeah, I guess I uttered "oh my gosh" one too many times. Pretty soon he wants to read it...not later...now! While I'm reading it! The nerve! Did I mention I've read all of her books and had been waiting for The End of Her? I had been waiting and was finally reading it...waiting and reading.

If you're old enough, you'll remember Battle of the Network Stars, well here last week we had battle of the marital bookmarks.  Every second I put down the book, he snatches it up. I practically became dehydrated avoiding liquids trying not to have to go to the bathroom.  Then the weekend came and I felt guilty for not letting him read it.  He works all the time, really, I mean all the time, until all hours of the morning on weekdays so I felt like it was my wifely duty to let him have the book.  Yes, I know it means something far more to most people, but in this household it means giving up the brand new, highly anticipated Shari Lapena book.  Of course, you know what happened, while I'm watching him read, waiting, postulating my ideas about who did what in the story, he finished the book.  Then while I finish it, he is constantly asking where I am and has this coy little smile plastered to his book stealing face. 

The End of Her is one of those thrillers I love where every character is unreliable.  You not only have to figure out what happened but who is telling the truth.  This is the story of a woman, Stephanie, who has twins that have colic and offer her no time to rest. Things start happening, are they real or a symptom of lack of sleep?  Then her husband is visited by someone he knew long ago, from the other side of the country. What is she doing here? Secrets are revealed, but which retelling of those tales are true? This book is nicely written, fast paced and full of directional turns. My favorite of all Shari Lapena's books and I've enjoyed them all.  Obviously, my husband liked it too.

When you read The End of Her, do yourself a favor. First, stay completely silent, don't express any surprise. Second, I suggest hiding your book within a magazine about house maintenance, that should keep your book safe for your enjoyment.

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight

Hello everyone.  How many of you are married? A show of hands?  Come on, you can raise your hand, nobody is watching. Okay, how many are as happy as you were when you first wed?  Do you like how things get more comfortable or hate it? I'm lucky, I can honestly answer I am happier with our marriage now than when we first tied the knot.  It's something to think about...what makes a good marriage or a great one...what makes it last?

I recently read A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight, It's my first book by this author but I promise you it is not my last.  This psychological thriller also has a legal side, but not overwhelmingly so.  This story follows Lizzie, a lawyer, who is questioning her troubled marriage.  One night, while working late, she receives a phone call from her old friend, Zach.  Shockingly, Zach is calling from Rikers prison where he is an inmate, charged with killing his wife.  The story, full of characters who aren't what they seem and an ever changing possible murderer, this book flies from beginning to heart pounding end. I hesitate to divulge too much and ruin the fun. Suffice it to say, this might possibly be my favorite book of the year with twists, turns and surprises in plentiful supply!

You'd think this story might make me think about my own marriage, but no, it just makes me want to buy more books by Kimberly McCreight!

Karen White's Tradd Street series

Hello everyone.  I hope you are all having a great week.  Gosh, there sure are a lot of things to beware of right now.  Besides the bad stuff going on in the world, which is always heartbreaking, in the USA we have tons of Covid, heat warnings, multiple other problems and I can't forget my nemesis...hurricane season.  In addition, we have bats in our attic. No, nothing fun like saying it is the Scooby Doo house or we are about to send out the bat signal. Nope, ugly, real bats. By law they can't be removed until August 1, but the removal guys are too busy because everyone has to wait until that date, so it will be weeks before they can get to us.  Worst of all I can't get the theme song to the old Batman tv show out of my head!  Needless to say, it's been a great time to read as I'm in need of a big escape.

I recently read The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street by Karen White, the most recent in a series of six books:

The House on Tradd Street

The Girl on Legare Street

The Strangers on Montagu Street

Return to Tradd Street

The Guests on South Battery

The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street

All the books follow Melanie, who is a real estate agent in Charleston, SC. Melanie can see ghosts, of which you can imagine in an old city like Charleston, are plentiful. Each book involves a different mystery, old houses, and interesting people.  As the books progress there is love, hate, family, villains and the constant backdrop of Charleston.  The stories move beautifully from one book to the next, leaving the reader attached to each character.  While ghosts are definitely a huge part of these books, they aren't overdone.  You won't have nightmares or find yourself laughing at someone in white carrying clanking chains.  The reading is comfortable and fast paced,  returning to White's world for each successive book is like putting on your favorite worn, snuggly, sweatshirt.  I think you'll find these books a pleasure to read and will likely leave you craving a trip to Charleston, as real streets, stores, etc. are used as locations. 

If you like Charleston and old houses, you better put this series on your tbr list for this year.  Karen White has stated she will be writing one more book about Tradd Street to finish up the series.  Once you begin your journey with Melanie, don't blame me if you start talking with a bit of a southern drawl.