The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

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

A few years ago, we took a quick trip to the mountains of North Carolina.  We went to see a huge family mansion that still belongs to the Vanderbilts.  The Biltmore.  The grounds were as stunning as the house.  The twisting road, little bridges, hills, hidden waterways, all designed by the same designer as Central Park in NYC.  We were so fortunate, we signed up for a behind the scenes tour which included only one other person beside the guide.  We got to go, peek and snoop into rooms that weren't normally allowed because of our small group size.  Given my propensity to be a nosey-nellie when it comes to historic places, I was in all my glory.  Afterword, we toured the gardens, greenhouse and winery.  Then we enjoyed a delightful lunch in the restaurant that used to be the stable.  When telling my sisters about such a wonderful day, all they could focus on was the stable.  How could I eat a salad where horses had pooped.  Really?  After all that, the focus was on non-existent poop that would have been gone for decades.  I joke my sisters a lot, now you know why!

I recently read The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins.  I've read and reviewed three other books by this author: Reckless Girls, The Villa, and The Wife Upstairs.  I have enjoyed them all.  Hawkins latest offering, The Heiress is by far my favorite.  This time the story focus' on a prominent wealthy family, known for its lavish mansion (Ashby) in the hills of North Carolina. This family has suffered many tragedies, the worst when toddler Ruby McTavish is lost in the woods and later found to be kidnapped.  Although little Ruby is recovered, she is plagued by the doubt of others that she is the real missing McTavish.  Now, decades later, following the death of his uncle, Ruby's estranged adopted son, Camden decides it is time to return.  Having lost his mother and now his uncle, Camden and his wife travel cross country to what is left of his dysfunctional family.  As the couple's experiences unfold, we learn about the life of the recently passed matriarch, Ruby. The truth has been elusive for this family, and everyone has secrets.

I loved the character development in this book. I was rooting for some members of the McTavish family and was disgusted by others, only to remember they all have secrets.  The plot moves quickly with twists coming often making this a very addictive read. Absolutely mesmerizing, my new favorite.  Cannot wait for the next!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press for an early copy of this novel.  Of course, all my views are my own.  Who else's would they be?

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

Hello everyone.  I hope you have been enjoying a nice holiday season.

We had a little Christmas miracle here; prime rib or standing rib roast, went on sale for $6.99 a pound.  Now before you gasp, I'll do it for you.  Prices are ridiculous, but not for this cut.  Usually, it goes on sale for $8 a pound.  This year's price was the cheapest I've ever seen it.  What made me gasp is realizing that hamburger costs darn near close to that every day. HAMBURGER!  It is outrageous.  Hamburger is usually ground from scraps or a cheaper cut like a chuck roast, to have it be approaching what the current cost of prime rib is just shows you how out of whack things are.  I should have bought loads of prime ribs and ground my own hamburger!  If only it wasn't so much work and I'm fairly lazy.  Before you mention it, I am aware I have turned into my dad, complaining about prices.  By the way, name brand butter here is $7.79 a pound.  Butter!  Again, more than prime rib.  I'll just let that sink in...

I recently read The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose.  This is the follow up novel to The Maid, which I read and reviewed last year.  This book follows the same characters in the same settings.  While it is helpful to have read this first book it is not necessary.  Again, we follow the socially inept Molly Gray, the maid at the Regency Grand Hotel.  She has worked hard in the four years that have passed and life has changed.   Currently, she is preparing for the famous author J. D. Grimthorpe to hold a meeting in the Regency's tearoom.  He is about to make some bold announcement when he suddenly drops dead after taking several sips of tea which Molly helped prepare.  As this mystery is solved, we are treated to two timelines, both the present and the past, when Molly was a schoolgirl.  Of course, both timelines are related, the happenings of years ago shedding light on the current death.  

This book was so much fun.  I have lots of affection for Molly and several of the other characters after reading the first novel and I loved seeing them again.  This story is even better than the first.  They mystery is richer and more interesting.  The book is well written and reads quickly.  Although the ending was wonderful, I still want more.  I hope there is yet another volume to come.

I hope all my holiday grocery discussions haven't grossed out all you vegetarians.  Next year I'll try and discuss Brussels sprouts and how they are good for.... well...absolutely nothing!

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

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

The holidays often make me think of the people I've lost, like my grandparents.  I was blessed to have fantastic, loving grandparents on both my maternal and paternal side.  My maternal grandfather was a very pious man, he also was extremely outgoing. He was modest but he was also a politician.  He was mayor and actually secured the land that later became the town's only mall. My grandparents traveled around the world going everywhere but Russia, where they wanted to go but never got the chance.  Every year they went to Hawaii for my birthday...without me...and called me from the pool, while I was in cold New York.  Being the way he was, my granddad knew the name of half the population of Hawaii, and they knew him.  My poor demure grandmother went along with it all.  She surprised me when I got married by giving me the advice to "train him (meaning my husband) right from the beginning".  That makes me think she ran the show more than she let on. Sadly, hubby has proven untrainable.

One time my grandparents moved to the boonies near my hometown.  They were near a swampy area, by a State Park.  When there, they became avid bird watchers. They had a tiny little book, which my sisters and I always fought over, that identified all kinds of birds.  It was so prized, it not only survived decades but was given to my niece when she was little.  For a while, my whole family knew the names of many birds, now sadly they are just known as the mean blue one, or the gray one with the yellow tail.

I recently read Starling House by Alix E. Harrow.  This is the story of Opal, a down on her luck, hard life kind of girl.  She lives in the town of Eden where everyone seems cursed.  She keeps having dreams of Starling House, a local mansion.  Starling House was the home of Elizabeth Starling, who, in the 1800s, wrote a book called The Underland and then disappeared.  Drawn to the house, because of her dreams, Opal meets the rude and brash current owner, Authur.  Opal tries to find the reason for her odd dreams of the elusive house, and why in the dreams the mansion feels like home.  As she does secrets become unraveled, some not only dangerous but life-threatening.

This book was lots of fun.  It was a fast pleasant read.  It is an odd bird (get it...bird...Starling), as it's kind of a gothic horror without being scary, it has a bit of romance, lots of mystery and suspense and a fair amount of thriller thrown in for good measure.  One thing about the way this is written, I usually hate, but is done so effectively here, that I loved it.  I dislike when things are said over and over, I feel like the author is trying to increase book length and is wasting my time.  In this case, it is on purpose and very useful.  We hear the story of Starling House from several points of view, from people with experience with the building, land and family.  The closer we get to the end, the closer we get to the truth.  So entertaining.  I literally could not put this down, reading until my vision was blurring.

I've been on a roll lately.  The last several books I've read have been so creative and fantastic.  Christmas has come early! 

Grimmworld The Witch in the Woods by Michaelbrent Collings

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

I've talked about the neighborhood in which I grew up being called "Peanut Butter Hill."  Once you bought your house all you could afford to eat is peanut butter. Looking at it today, it is laughable, my house payment is ten times what my parents paid. Anyway, it was nice, safe, pretty and family oriented.  Like most kids, we had our suspicions about a certain house.  It was on the corner, with a darkly wooded yard.  The couple that lived there was probably in their 50's, we thought they were well over 100.  The woman, she committed the greatest sin of all; she had gray hair and wore it in a bun.  As far as we were concerned, it was confirmed... the lady down the street was a witch.  We avoided her house at all costs, only observing from a distance - mostly yard work.  They were definitely planting all kinds of poisons and child-eating plants. It was the perfect place for a witch to operate, in a neighborhood filled with young children.

I recently read Grimmworld The Witch in the Woods by Michaelbrent Collings. What if things that you thought were just childhood stories were actually true?  That is the premise for this book.  Willow and Jake Grimm are twins.  Their lives were thrust into turmoil when they move to a new area as their parents accept jobs at a top secret Think Tank.  The town, New Marburg, is far different from anything they've experienced.  The police are charming robots, older people fight with swords made of lasers, their car parks itself, their house walls won't hold pictures and terrible storms with lightning abounds. When they go to their new school, they are surprised to find it all very low tech; except for the cafeteria which moves between floors.  Their class is taught by a horrible woman who detests them and treats them terribly.  Willow and Jack count themselves as lucky to make two friends, a boy and girl, who they are surprised to learn are the children of their disliked teacher.  One day, after a particularly violent storm, the twins find their school has been transformed into a castle and they and their friends have been transported to another world.  Grimmworld is the place from which Grimm's fairy tales originate; where they are real.  While exploring this bizarre place, they discover that their friends have become Hansel and Gretel! Willow and Jack must save them from being eaten by the witch and find a way back home.

I usually don't read fantasy, but I couldn't resist this storyline. I was enraptured by this book.  The writing is absolutely wonderful.  This is a children's/young adult's book, recommended for 8-11 year old readers.  Forget that!  This is a novel for adults too...a creative thriller about children.  Besides the stellar writing, the story pulls you in, rich in details and description.  You will feel transported to each setting; so vivid you will feel the darkness of the woods, smell the cinnamon of the witch's house and see the children as they experience it all.  I simply cannot say enough good things about this book.   It will leave you wanting more.  Amazon lists this as volume one, I will be the first to buy each additional book, anxious to rekindle the deep affection I already feel for the Grimm twins.  

Now for the bad news, this novel isn't available until March 5, 2024.  I strongly suggest you preorder it for your children and yourself. In case you forget, I'll remind you in a couple of months.  The enchanting Grimmworld The Witch in the Woods is spellbinding and should not be missed!

Many thanks to the author Michaelbrent Collings and Cameron, his assistant.  This book was the highlight of my week and I am in awe.  Thank you!

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni

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

With four kids (girls), going on a vacation was always a real adventure for my parents.  My dad had his routine shtick he did asking why we packed so many shoes; which became a huge issue when we threw them all in the trunk loose and then had a flat tire.  It was 4 am...in the cold...with no winter coats...and to get to the spare everything (including each and every shoe) had to come out of the trunk, while we stood on the side of the road ... and it started to snow.  We never had a flat tire before, but had two others on that trip. Naturally, my dad blamed it on the shoes. My mom, on the other hand, wasn't concerned about the trunk; she concentrated on keeping us occupied in the car.  She wanted to reduce the likelihood of my sister complaining that my hair blew into her "airspace."  Anything to keep NASA junior quiet. (It is still quite a feat.)  One of the things Mom did was to bring puzzle books. You know the kind, the ones with paper one step down from newsprint.  They featured connect the dots, crosswords, mazes, and lots of word searches. Don't laugh! It was a time before phones and thumb-orific handheld video games. Those puzzle books led to my obsession with the backs of cereal boxes and finding my way to the bee in the center of the maze, or finding the 47.5 spoons hidden in the picture.

I recently read The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni.  This is the story of Mike Brink.  He suffered a brain injury while playing football.  The result was savant syndrome, a rare medical condition.  Mike became able to read 18,000 words a minute with complete retention.  He could decipher patterns, allowing him to solve the most complex puzzles.  Having turned this unusual situation into a positive, he became a famous puzzle maker.  Mike is contacted by a psychiatrist who is treating a woman in prison, Jess Price.  Jess is serving a thirty-year murder sentence but perplexes all as she hasn't spoken a word since her arrest.  One day Jess draws a puzzle that her doctor doesn't understand.  Could it explain what happened during the murder?  The doctor contacts Mike to help solve the mysterious drawing.  This set of events takes Mike on a wild ride, meeting a slew of interesting characters.  The locations change often as fate the of many hangs in the balance, building the suspense as the story crests to a jaw-dropping ending.

This is a new author for me. Where have I been? I have been missing out!  This book is a edge-of-your-seat thriller.  The writing is wonderful, crisp and concise.  The 362 pages are all plot and no tangents, no meandering. Despite the fast-moving story, the characters are well developed.  Likeable or not, they are often surprising.  The settings are different and engaging, told with just enough description. The storyline is rich with puzzles, ancient traditions, and religion.  I found myself mesmerized, ignoring everything and everybody around me. This heart pounding thriller is a roller coaster, and a ride not to be missed.

Many thanks to the author Danielle Trussoni, Random House and publicist Alexis, for bringing this book to my attention.  Not only was it an honor to read, but I've found a new author to follow.  

The Last Flight by Julie Clark

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

I have written endlessly about how my family can talk strictly in movie lines.  I can't help it.  My parents were big movie fans, especially of mysteries that were also comedies. I like some more serious movies like Gaslight, where I drive my husband crazy afterward saying "Pauuulaaa" like Charles Boyer. Then there is Hitchcock.  If you're a very young person, go check him out, and don't forget Rebecca from the book by Daphne Du Maurier.  Another not to miss is Strangers on a Train, where people meet on a train, each unhappy about someone in their life.  They agree to trade murders, to avoid being discovered because they might have a motive.  It's just a simple trade..."criss-cross".  The same theme is used in the much later comedy, Throw Momma From the Train, with Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito.  They also decide to trade murders, well at least Danny DeVito thinks so and kills Billy Crystal's author book stealing wife but then expects Crystal to kill his annoying mother.  When Crystal refuses DeVito tries wacky methods like blowing a trumpet in her ear while she is sleeping, only she wakes to say, "Holy S*** what a dream I was having, Louis Armstrong was trying to kill me!"  The trading of evil deeds is popular in movies and in books.

I recently read The Last Flight by Julie Clark.  This is the story of a woman, Claire Cook, who has a perfect life.  She is wealthy, wants for nothing and is surrounded by servants.  Her life is elegant.  Claire's husband is a member of a political dynasty, think something like the Kennedys only more flaunting with their money.  The problem is that Claire is deeply unhappy.  Her husband has a terrible temper which frightens Claire and she is certain he tracks everything she does and everywhere she goes.  Bound and determined to find a way out of this dangerous situation, Claire devises a way to disappear. When she goes to the airport to enact her plan, Claire meets another woman, Eva, also in desperate circumstances.  Together they make a plan to switch places (criss-cross).  While they aren't killing anyone like a Hitchcock movie, the two women decide to take each other's flights.  The problem is that the flight Eva is taking, pretending to be Claire, crashes.  Now everyone is looking at a picture of Claire as her famous family's stature has caused the media to post a story and photos of her everywhere.  Hard to disappear when everyone is staring at your face.  As Claire tries to become Eva, she realizes she has traded more than just a airline ticket.

This story is a welcome relief to thrillers in traditional settings.  It is thoughtful and complicated but doesn't get bogged down in too many details.  Characters are well developed but still leave room for the reader to discover more about them as the book progresses. The plot moves forcefully forward making for a quick and satisfying read.  A fun book, it would be great on vacation.

Hubby is about to tell me to "criss-cross" myself into the kitchen to make him some chicken salad.  I wonder what direct flights there are taking off this afternoon.

My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon

Hello everyone. I hope you are well.

Well, it is October.  I'm sure you needed reminding of the date so there is it, you're welcome.  For me, October is a time when I breathe a slight sigh of relief that there aren't as many hurricanes coming up the coast. I now start dreading something new, turning on the heat and its associated cost. Fall also makes me terribly homesick.  I come from a place where the most excellent apples are grown, cider mills dot the landscape, and pumpkin farms host all kinds of fun activities.  Living near the coast where shrimp are plentiful, but locals have never met, let alone tasted, a decent apple. I miss fall in the north. I suppose for many of you, the crisp air dipping down into the country makes you think of chili, football, and trick or treating.  Some of you participate in the great American debate, is candy corn good or the fall equivalent of melted crayons?  I don't want to discuss politics here but for today I will make an exception.  Candy corn is delicious and for you that don't agree, well, I just shake my head and picture you standing in the corner coveting your Twix.  Feel free, I'll take the corn.  One thing many book lovers have in common is seasonal reading.  You want a great beach book on vacation, a cute little Hallmark Channel-ish Christmas novel, and a spooky read in October.  I think I can help.

I recently read My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon. I have read and reviewed several books by Ms. McMahon, one of my favorites is the The Drowning Kind.  I was anxious to "dive" into her latest.  This is the story of Alison, who lives in a Vermont farmhouse with her family.  They are getting ready to celebrate Christmas, she isn't a fan of the holiday but puts up with her husband's love of it.  Out of the blue, Alison receives a call that her mother is very sick and dying.  Reluctantly, she goes to see her mom in the hospital.  Their relationship is not good.  Alison's mom, Mavis, who is now a famous artist, was an abusive mother.  When Mavis asks to come live the last few weeks of her life with her daughter and family, Alison wrestles with the decision.  Finally, she agrees, hoping they can improve their mother/daughter dynamic. As their time together begins it becomes very apparent something is wrong, Mavis is not who she says.  In fact, Alison is sure that her ill mother is a threat to her own family and has to figure out what is truly going on and how to protect those she loves.

My Darling Girl is the perfect October read.  Despite being set at Christmas, this book will give you the major creeps.  The story is fast moving, interesting, and will leave you feeling uneasy.  What else can I say?  It's fall, this is a fun, spooky read by an established author who doesn't disappoint.  Turn on all your lights, grab this book and some candy corn and make a weekend of it.

For those "crayon criticizers," how do you feel about black jellybeans?