The Angel Maker by Alex North

Hello everyone.  I hope your week has been a nice one.

Every time I think about Alex North, I think about the things publishers sometimes send along with their books.  There have been pens, bookmarks, bumper stickers, swizzle sticks, anonymous notes in the mail from the thriller's killer, candy and more.  One of the most unique things came with an early copy of The Whisper Man by Alex North.  When you opened the package, it started singing.  Not just singing, no this wasn't any joyous Santa Claus is Coming to Town or Happy Birthday...both songs have me wishful that someone is giving me a new car or dazzling emerald jewelry, of which I have received neither.  I opened the book packaging and it started to sing the creepiest song.  One I still remember and can sing word for word, years later.  The spooky little jingle can be heard on my review of the book on September 16,2019.  Ever since getting that chatty Cathy package, I'm always on the lookout for this author's next book.

I recently read The Angel Maker by Alex North.  I've read The Whisper Man and The Shadows by the same author and enjoyed both.  This time we are following several different people.  Katie Shaw is an adult woman with a husband and young daughter, plenty of responsibilities.  She is contacted by her mother when her brother, Chris, goes missing.  Chris had been the victim of terrible violence when they were teens and Katie still, privately, holds herself responsible.  Then we follow Laurence, a police detective.  He is investigating a bizarre and brutal murder of a wealthy man who seemed to know he was going to die.  You know a wild ride is coming your way when you learn that Laurence had investigated what happened years ago to poor Chris and realized both attacks may somehow be connected.

Although I have enjoyed all North's books, this is by far my favorite.  This might well be my favorite thriller of the year, although I probably say that often.  This story is complicated, like you need a string and pins to map it out on your dining room wall and despite living in North Carolina, I'd end up with my string traveling to New Jersey.  Honestly, it's not that complicated, not too many characters and not overly involved.  This story is intricate enough to keep you anxiously reading and amazed at how the author has connected everything to make a composite story.  So many times, thrillers are heart pounding or plot thick, this book accomplished both seamlessly.  I loved every second and cannot wait for Alex North's next book.

The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner

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

When I was a child, there was a group of neighborhood kids that would all play together.  Since, generally, seven-year-olds can't drive they must play with those that live close by.  One time I was going over to Laura's house, who lived diagonally across the street.  I was very excited as Laura had received a Ouija board. I made the enormous mistake of mentioning the afternoons plans to my mother.  She became very alarmed.  Mom launched into a big talk about why you shouldn't play with Ouija boards, that you never know what will come through and it is best not to even be around them.  I spent the afternoon playing a rousing game of Yahtzee with my mom while my friends all explored the supernatural.  Looking back on it, I don't know if my mom's reaction was because of religion (she wasn't super religious) or did she have some experience of her own.  I wish I had thought to ask her, but when you have to concentrate on getting five dice to match it is hard to entertain ghost chat.

I recently read The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner.  This is the author of The Lost Apothecary, which I liked very much and reviewed here.  This book, like her previous takes a nod from history.  The setting, for the most part, is 1873 Victorian London.  It is about a men's club that supports delving into the supernatural through seances.  Told from two points of view, one belongs to Mr. Morley who works for the Society.  The other side is told from Lenna Wickes, who is studying under renowned medium Vaudeline D'Alaire who specializes in discovering the identity of murders.

Despite having left England because of being in danger, Vaudeline is asked to return as there has been a murder at the Seance Society.  Her talents are needed to get to the bottom of things.  Regardless of the possibility of harm, Mr. Morley convinces Vaudeline and Lenna to return to London to help him solve this disturbing crime.

This suspenseful story is dripping with atmosphere.  Did you ever see the Harry Potter movie where Harry dips his head in the pensieve and he is completely transported and enrobed in a different world? That is how complete the atmosphere is in this book.  Even with the complete immersion, there are not endless pages of description, yet the feel, the sounds, the smells, are complete.  The story moves quickly and carefully letting the mystery unfold, as we get to know and care about the characters involved.  While the tension builds so do the twists.  This book educates the reader about the occult during the late 1800's in the most interesting manner.  

If you like strong female characters, you will appreciate both Penner's books.  This story checks so many boxes and is definitely worth a read.  Very enjoyable, despite the haunting case of book hangover it gave me!

The Drift by C.J. Tudor

Hello everyone.  I hope your week is going well.

Do you get snow where you live?  We rarely get any of the white stuff. Sadly, we make up for it with hurricanes.  Frankly, I'd rather have the snow.  Growing up in upstate New York, we had loads of snow.  I swear we had lots more than they do now.  A year or two ago they received 41 inches of snow in one storm, can you even imagine?  What I am talking about is consistent, winter season long snow. That is what we had, picture me chuckling at southerners complaining about the occasional Snowmageddon.  We lived that for at least a solid four months, I'm quite sure at times winter lasted for six months.  Ask my husband, we visited my parents one time in June, it was so cold they had a fire in the fireplace...IN JUNE!  Then there was the time we went up in May, packed nothing warm. In fact, I brought no socks, just backless sneakers and pedal pushers.  On that trip, surely the temperature dipped below zero. Of course, as a kid I was just the image of beauty and grace on the slippery snow-covered tundra.  Think Elsa, from Disney.  I'm certain I wore the gown too and sang about building a snowman.  Our neighbors, who tried to get me to walk with snowshoes on, might disagree just a tiny bit.  Not that I took a header into a huge snowbank, but I'll just say, you can get in ice cream headache without eating anything, especially when your entire face is submerged.  Who thought it was helpful to walk on soft show with tennis rackets strapped to your feet, all those holes in between those strings (rolling my eyes for emphasis)?

I recently read The Drift by C.J. Tudor.  I read, reviewed and loved her book, The Burning Girls.  I was very much looking forward to Tudor's newest offering.  As the title indicates, this entire book takes place in the snow.  The world is on the verge of something catastrophic happening.  A huge snowstorm leaves people stranded.  The reader follows three groups.  One group is on a trip from a boarding school and their bus has crashed.  They are in the wilderness, the storm is raging, the temperature dropping, people are hurt, and wild animals await their exit from the damaged bus.  Next, we follow a group on a cable car, high above the snowy mountains, headed to someplace called "The Retreat".  As the storm moves in the cable car stops, leaving them stranded in the cold.  They can't jump down or go up, and the dangling car becomes frigid.  Then finally we follow The Retreat employees themselves.  Something odd has happened, as the storm starts their power goes out.  What is usually reliable has suddenly left them in a very dangerous situation.

This book was interesting.  I don't think I'd call it fun.  This book made me cold and uneasy.  It wasn't pleasant, although lots of thrillers aren't but this one felt dark, and I didn't want to read it.  Don't get me wrong, it had a great plot and twists that fooled me, but I came away feeling blah.  Usually, I'm racing to my husband begging him to read whatever story I've just finished so we can talk about it.  In the case of The Drift, I was just glad it was over.  As always, although it wasn't for me, you may love this one.  It is highly rated on Amazon and is Editors pick for Best Thriller.

Oh no, maybe I've living in the south for so long I've developed an aversion to snow.  But where would I wear my Elsa dress?

The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden

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

What is going on with the cost of books?  I thought perhaps it was a temporary thing, but the wacky pricing of books seems to be here to stay. Authors don't get that much of what books cost, so don't blame them.  This leaves me asking why the heck digital books are so expensive. Why are they just a few dollars cheaper than a hardback book?  Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus, and yes, I know that publishers set the price of books.  But if I'm not getting a physical copy, why am I paying so darn much?  My Kindle books have to be formatted, I get it, but so do printed books.  I'm getting no cover, no pages, no paper, no book smell, no book to chuck across the room if it irritates me, and frankly, no book to throw dramatically in case of a fight with hubby. I feel like I've just watched A Christmas Story: no turkey sandwiches, no turkey salad, no turkey gravy, turkey hash, turkey a la king, or gallons of turkey soup.  What? I told you we were a movie line family.  Okay, I'll stop.  Why are paperbacks so expensive?  They are almost as much as a hardback and often more.  What happened to buying a book at the drug store at the beach for $3.95?  Now they are like twenty bucks.  Some big shots at the publishing houses are laughing their butts off at the gullible readers. First of all, if you work for a publishing house, I'm kidding.  Second, you are a lucky duck.  Does your office smell like a library with old books, or like a Barnes and Noble with new books and fresh coffee? These are the burning questions that keep me up at night. And, yes, I am the sucker paying a gazillion dollars for books. I can't help myself; I beg them to take my money.

I recently read The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden.  This is the follow up book to The Housemaid, which was released last fall.  While you'll feel right at home with the same main character if you read the first book, it is completely unnecessary to fully enjoy and understand the second.  This is the story about Millie, who has had a difficult past which she would like to keep private.  Unemployed and in need of money, Millie finds a job as a maid and cook for a couple who live in a lavish penthouse.  When learning of her new duties from Douglas Garrick, he advises her not to go into the guest room.  That is where his wife stays, and she is not well.  Millie must never bother Mrs. Garrick.  This seems reasonable until Millie hears unusual noises coming from the out of bounds room and possible crying from her unseen employer.  Then there is the blood that starts appearing on Mrs. Garrick's nightgowns that Millie is responsible for washing.  

While sequels rarely measure up to their original, The Housemaid's Secret is just as good. The twists remain surprising and worrisome.  The book takes flight on the first page and holds you hostage until the very last word.  A very quick, fun, read that will remind you of why you like thrillers!

This book, worth every penny.

The Lost Summers of Newport by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White

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

Have you ever toured historic homes?  Hubby and I both love history and houses so going places like Monticello and Mount Vernon are a natural fit.  One summer we went to the Biltmore.  This was the home of the Vanderbilts in Asheville NC.  The grounds alone are stunning with gardens, a green house and scenic woods and water everywhere.  I think Olmstead was the designer, the same person responsible for many famous gardens and parks including Central Park in New York. If you ever want to feel really poor, go to a Vanderbilt house, you'll feel like you're just schlepping through life without the use of oyster forks.

I recently read The Lost Summers of Newport by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White.  These popular solo writers often team up to write historic fiction.  I read The Forgotten Room by these three ladies and enjoyed it.  This time their book is about a mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. The story is about the mansion owned by the Sprague family, which is quickly deteriorating like many of the larger houses in Newport.  

Told in three parts, one written by each author, the story rotates through each.  The first part takes place in 2019 and features Andie who is the host of a tv show Mansion Makeover.  She has been enlisted to "makeover" several rooms in the grand house.  While confronted by Luke, Andie is warned never to go certain places, to be gone at a specific time and to never ever bother Luke's grandmother, Lucky, living on the third floor.  

The second part is told from Ellen's point of view.  The time is 1899 and she has been hired to teach the young and lovely Maybelle Sprague to sing.  Maybelle is about to face an arranged, but prestigious, marriage to an Italian prince, so her voice must make him swoon. Interestingly, forces are working against Maybelle's royal wedding and Ellen is not what she seems.

The third area in the rotation is 1958, told from Lucky's perspective.  This is the same older lady and matriarch now living on the third floor.  She has a drunk and serial philandering husband, Stuy and his dying, father who is the epitome of disrespectful.  Lucky also has a married neighbor who loves her dearly and she reciprocates.

The publisher says this is a historical thriller.  I don't think it's a thriller, but it does have several fascinating mysteries.  The stories are interesting and come together masterfully.  If you are a fan of Newport, this is a must read as not only is the lifestyle addressed but several of the real homes are as well.  In any case, you will find this one difficult to put down and will wonder about the well-developed characters when not reading.  I only have one criticism and that is about the 2019 portion with Andie, the tv host.  This part is written by Karen White, and she refers to Melanie, a character from her Tradd Street series.  The Tradd Street series was seven books, which I read all gleefully.  It was cute in the beginning, seeing a beloved character mentioned, however, it got old very quickly.  By the ninth mention all the way back more than 300 pages in the book, it got to be annoying. In addition, it added absolutely nothing to the story and I ended up angry the author was wasting my time with what seemed like a trivial commercial.  

In general, I loved this book.  This might be my favorite of the year and it's only February.  One thing is for sure, we are now planning a trip to Newport to see these buildings.  I'll start hunting for an oyster fork.

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica

Hello everyone.  I hope this week has been great.

Lately it seems that normal things have snazzy new words.  Hiking, even for an afternoon, used to mean something rugged. You definitely wore a heavy backpack loaded with the latest survival gear, despite the hike being only two hours.  You also wore heavy brown, unyielding, boots. When on an official hike, you were in danger of being eaten by a mountain lion, billy goat, or at the minimum you encountered a flirtatious Big Foot. When I was a kid, we hiked all day, without the lifesaving gear.  We roughed it walking, oh excuse me, hiking to the creek where we dared walk in the water discovering waterfalls and crayfish.  You wanna talk about rugged, try walking around in soaking wet sneakers the rest of the day, they squished and squeaked with every step, then there was the wrath of Mom. Forget mountain lions, ruined brand new sneakers was a capital offense.

I recently read Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica.  I read one of her other books, Local Woman Missing, and didn't like the end.  This book is different.  Just the Nicest Couple is the story of two couples, that are friends.  Nina is a schoolteacher and her husband, Jake, is a surgeon.  Lily is also a teacher, and her adoring husband is Christian.  Sadly, Jake goes missing.  Lily tells Christian that she was on the "hiking" trail and saw Jake.  Something bad happened.  Christian tries to help his wife with this dangerous and tricky situation.  As with most thrillers, all is not what it seems.  The reader is presented with multiple scenarios as the picture constantly morphs.

This book was so fun.  The ending was fantastic.  I'm so glad I didn't give up on this author.  The story was fast paced, simply told, easy to read, and interesting.  A fun thriller!

I best hike my way to the kitchen to do dishes. I better find one of those survival backpacks, I'll need it.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

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

Do you like scary movies and books?  I remember being a kid when The Exorcist came out.  My parents wouldn't let me watch it.  Of course, I snuck to the family room and stood behind the door to try and see what the hub bub was about.  The pea soup vomit was all it took to turn me away.  The movie Poltergeist reinforced my fear of dark water, which is odd since I had a lifeguard certification as a teen. Books don't seem to bother me as much, The Shining, I loved.  I disliked the end of King's It.  The Heart Shaped Box, now that was a frightening book that I had to keep putting down, it was so good.  Darcey Coates, now she writes great haunted house books.  I guess horror is difficult to write, but when done well those stories are hard to forget.

I recently read How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix.  This is the story of a brother, Mark, and sister, Louise, who have lost both their parents in a terrible car accident.  They have to clean out their childhood home in order to put it on the market.  The book's jacket says the house doesn't want to be sold.  I don't want to say any more about the story itself or I'll give everything away.  Please be cautious about reading Amazon reviews, they contain lots of spoilers.  

The story moves quickly, I read the 400+ page book comfortably in just two days (a record for me). For more than 200 pages, I was completely onboard.  Although some suspension of disbelief is necessary, the story was enjoyable and very spooky.  Then it seemed like the author gave up and just threw in loads and loads of gore.  I was starting to not be as enthusiastic about the story.  Just when you think it's wrapped up, nope still 100 more pages of increasingly bizarre and improbable things happen.  On top of it all, for me the ending was a complete disappointment.  Uuggh, I've had this on my tbr for six months and was so looking to reading it.  Maybe this is Grady Hendrix's style, and he is just not for me.  I don't know as this is my first of his books. You may love this book.  It is very creative, scary and the characters of Lousie and Mark are well developed.  If you read this crazy, spooky tale, I hope you love it.