The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Riley feels so alone. She has just lost her father and has to clean out his home and she cannot count on her brother, Danny, to help. He has been through so much, having been wounded as a soldier in Iraq, and is still suffering the consequences. But as she begins to sift through her father’s papers, she uncovers evidence that her sister, who she understood to have died by suicide when she was 2 years old, may actually be alive. Needing to uncover the truth, she pursues this possibility, in spite of all the pressure she is experiencing from those around her to just get the job done.

Here is another quite suspenseful book, with unexpected twists and emotionally charged characters. As we feel the pressure Riley is under to get the house in order and ready to sell, we also feel for her as she digs up so much of her family’s past. Because she was so young when she lost her sister, she was relatively untouched by the loss, with the exception of the impact it had on the family who remained. Her mother was distant, her brother was deeply angry, and her father was kind but distracted as well. We thoroughly understand how Riley came to be a counselor for middle school students, trying to prevent for them what happened to her own sister.

We also question, along with Riley, whom she can trust. Can she trust the real estate agent who has been pressuring her to get through her father’s things so they can put the house up for sale? Or her father’s old friend, who lives in her father’s trailer park and whose wife keeps dropping hints about her family’s secrets? We even doubt, along with Riley, whether she can trust her own brother, whom she adores but worries about his volatile personality.

While mostly plot-driven, with all the family secrets being at its heart, I feel the characters are also deeply sympathetic. Jade, in particular, is one we feel for; forced to live a lie, looking over her shoulder for so many years. We feel her terror, her unease with anything suggesting publicity. But we also feel her yearning, her love for her music that brings her the only joy she thinks she’ll ever experience.

I definitely recommend this book as a suspenseful, twisty page-turner!

My Husband’s Wife by Carla Kovac

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Eva has been through quite a lot over the past 5 years. She has lost her first husband, Hugo, who died by suicide 5 years prior, and she never imagined she’d find love again. Surprisingly she has, and she’s thrilled that her 10-year old son loves her new husband, Zach, as well. Now that they’ve all moved in together, she is starting her new job as a wedding planner for a venue nearby. She’s nervous but excited, as she’s loved her job, loves being there for people on their most special day. As she is about to meet her second couple on her first day, she has the shock of her life: the man in front of her, “Theo,” inquiring about a wedding plan, is her dead husband! She tries to maintain her poise, but her curiosity is overwhelming. As she digs in further to figure out this puzzle, her very life becomes endangered.

This is an absolutely “un-put-downable” suspense thriller, with a complicated and twisty story about identities and lies. Eva does her best to try to warn the woman who is engaged to Theo, but it becomes a quite challenging to do so without appearing as if she herself is not crazy. This repeats again and again, with Eva coming to doubt herself, her judgement because of her own stormy past. A friend she has made in her new town is someone she thinks she can trust, but she comes to doubt this as well, when suspicions surface about this friend and her current husband. There is also a friend she has made, someone she thinks she can trust, but she becomes suspicious that she is having an affair with Zach (her current husband). It may sound as if the story is too convoluted, but it is quite brilliantly laid out, such that even when we think we know what is going on, there are additional twists that keep it just beyond our ken.

If you’re looking for a story that will grab you from the first page and keep you up reading late into the night – here’s your pick! It’s fun, a bit creepy, and utterly suspenseful and will absolutely hold you till the bitter end.

Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

All Jake wants is to reconnect with his son, Ryan. Given all his absences because of having to build his business from scratch, he feels now is the time, before Ryan leaves for college. So when he agrees to pick up Ryan after a movie and Ryan begs to drive home even though it is beyond the legal time for him to be doing so, all Jake can do is agree to it. Little does he suspect that this decision will be the worst he’s ever made. What happens next leads to the need for both to lie, and of course one lie begets the next and the next…

This is every parent’s nightmare scenario, one in which we are responsible for a horrific outcome and all we want to do is protect our child, no matter the consequences to us. We see the tragic outcome of Jake trying to be a friend instead of a parent, a mistake we all make at one time or another. Most of us have been fortunate that the consequences were not fatal, but not everyone is as lucky.

On the whole, this novel was taut, suspenseful, and completely unnerving. As a parent reading this, it was difficult, to say the least.

Getting more into the weeds of the writing, however, I have to say that I found it somewhat repetitive, almost perseverative (which might have been intentional, as the circumstances would warrant a repeated self-flagellation). The plot was intricate and twisting and certainly kept one’s attention – it was literally an accident that one could not look away from – but the entire book was plot-driven. The characters were flat, superficial. We learned some insight into Jake’s character, but his son and his wife were merely cardboard figures created to facilitate the plot.

That said, if you’re looking for suspense, twists and a riveting page-turner, this fits the bill. And perhaps many of us could benefit from reading this – it is truly a cautionary tale!

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Margo and Ian have been searching for her dream house for months now. Thinking ahead, they’d bought an apartment in an up-and-coming neighborhood, anticipating that they’d sell at a higher rate and increase their money for a down payment on their “forever home.” Of course, this was all Margo’s idea; Ian could rarely be counted on to plot this far ahead, being consumed with his job solving the world’s climate crisis. And, as Margo reasoned, one cannot be too aggressive in this overwhelmingly frustrating market. After losing not one, not two, but ten houses because of being outbidden by entitled, cash-wielding competitors, she is ready to do what it takes. No matter the cost…

This is an outrageous story that begins benignly and builds to an utter “Gone Girl” crescendo. We learn of Margo’s repeated disappointments, her challenges growing up in a financially unreliable family, and her first taste of stability upon visiting her husband’s more privileged family. When Margo learns of a “perfect” home coming onto the market – the one she MUST have – she is determined to convince the owners to sell it to her and no one else. In Margo’s world, this perfect home equals happiness and she will make it her own – no matter the cost…

This is the type of novel you can swallow whole. It is that story that keeps you reading until the wee hours, perhaps sneaking it out during your lunch at your desk. Even while Margo becomes more and more unhinged, and Ian, her husband is more and more stumped by her behavior, we also see her humanity, her desperation. Her attachment to her friend’s dog, Fritter, is an example of her more tender and vulnerable side. When Natalie seems to ignore the needs of her own dog, Margo steps in to care for him. At the same time, Margo is also truly flying off the deep end.

If you were held captive by such books as The Girl on the Train or the Woman in Cabin 10, you will be excited to read this one as well. It is clever, twisty, and unputdownable.

The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

The police of Manassus, Virginia, have their hands full. They are being forced to reopen a long-resolved (albeit sloppily processed) murder investigation as well as deal with a missing person. Are the two connected? It appears that the names that keep popping up in relation to both are those of Sarah Morgan, a high-profile criminal defense attorney turned non-profit founder, and her husband, Bob Miller, an attorney as well. As the two become more and more embroiled in their brutal divorce dispute, they both also become more and more connected to the investigation.

I defy anyone to claim they’ve figured this one out before all is revealed! There are more twists and turns in this novel than there are on the Amalfi Coastline! The vicious competition between Sarah and Bob over who will outsmart the other is the beating heart of the plot and with a rotating narration giving insight into their motives and frustrations, we think we will figure it out. But just when we believe we are onto them, the story is flipped on its head and we are given an entirely new perspective. It is an incredibly complex construction and it keeps us guessing until the finale.

Apparently, also, I did it again. I read this in the wrong order, as it is a sequel to The Perfect Marriage, which I didn’t realize. But it absolutely stands on its own and is a delightfully wicked read even without having the knowledge of the first book.

I highly recommend this novel – it’s the perfect escape!

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Jess is exhausted. It is late and all she wants to do is get into her brother, Ben’s apartment so that she can get herself settled in this new city she’s arrived in. So why isn’t Ben answering his phone? Why isn’t he there to greet her, when she’s come all this way. Granted, she has not given him much notice – a sort of habit for her – but she knows he’d try to be there for her, to the extent he’s been. As she learns more and more about the apartment building he’s been living in for the past few months, and as she meets more of the characters who live there, it becomes more and more worrisome that she hasn’t been able to locate him…

This novel, while just a bit creepy, is also great fun. There are more plot twists here than in almost any other book I’ve read, and I dare anyone to say that they guessed the entirety of the final outcome! You’d think that since we hear what is going on in the minds of each of the characters, with the rotating narration, that we’d be able to figure out what has happened to Ben, but it is quite to the contrary. Rather, it builds the suspense and compounds the complexity of the plot. And each character is utterly complex, colorful and surprising.

This is not the great American novel, but it is absolutely worth the read! Allow yourself the fun!

Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

The dual timeline here:

1944: Helene (aka Nancy) finds herself being flown back into France, under the cover of night. From the get-go, she learns that the “rules” don’t count here on the ground and survival is what is of the utmost importance. That and arming, feeding, clothing, and paying the Resistance fighters she is here to safeguard.

1936: Nancy Wake her younger self, one who has boldly talked her way into a job as a journalist (no formal training), one of her first interviews having been with a then little-known, arrogant and aloof politician named Adolf Hitler. Soon after, we are with her as she bears witness to the evil work of his disciples, torturing Jews in a characteristic gruesome fashion in a public square in Vienna. She is immediately spurred on to do something, anything, to fight against this evil force. At the same time, she also attracts the gaze of one of France’s elite and most eligible young men. So as Europe gears up for war, Nancy is falling in love.

This is another magnificent work of historical fiction from the author of The Frozen River (reviewed here relatively recently). We follow larger-than-life Nancy Wake, an Australian national who lived in Paris before the war, just long enough to be tutored by her best friend in the language, the look, and the poise of the French. But Nancy’s accomplishments were all her own. She proved herself in the early days of the occupation by the Nazis, enough to be noticed by the right men in the right positions. Most impressive was the fact that Nancy was able to garner the respect, loyalty, and support of the thousands of men she led in their unofficial battalions of the French Resistance. It was a testament to her courage, bravado, and willingness to put herself in harm’s way for those fighting for justice.

This is most definitely a MUST READ, not only because it is an utterly addictive novel, replete with emotion and suspense, but because it is our duty to honor individuals (and particulary women, who are so often ignored in war stories) who fought so bravely for justice, civility, and democracy.

The Dry by Jane Harper

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Aason Falk feels himself drawn, almost against his better judgement, to attending the funeral of his old high school buddy, Luke, back in his former, small farming town outside of Melbourne. He’s just learned that Luke, his wife and his older child were murdered in and around their home, and rumor has it that it was Luke himself who carried out this gruesome act. Sitting in the pews of the service, he senses many not-so-friendly eyes upon him, even though it’s been 20 years since he’s returned. The only sets of eyes that welcome him are those of his old friend, Gretchen, and Luke’s parents, the latter having been like parents to Falk himself when he was younger. When Luke’s father asks him to utilize his investigative experience to help the local police find out what really befell the family, Falk promises to assist in an unofficial capacity, immediately finding himself embroiled in the weeds of a sinister mystery.

This is a classic crime fiction novel, replete with a main character saddled with a colored past, reluctant involvement in the investigation, and a twisty, sad, and complicated -even dangerous – path to the truth. There are small town politics, with the stereotypic town bully placed at the center of the conflict. Yet despite these common tropes, the novel still manages to be both surprising and entertaining.

If you’re looking for a quick read that will keep you guessing, this is the one for you!

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

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Sam Spade, a hard-driving detective in San Francisco in the late 1920’s, is approached by a beautiful young woman, appearing deathly afraid of men pursuing her. She begged for either Sam or his associate to shadow her, and within hours Sam’s associate was murdered. Thus begins Sam’s journey through a maze of shady characters, suspicious dealings and double crossings, all over a valuable statuette.

This novel, made into a well-known movie with Humphrey Bogart, was likely considered good in its time, but has not aged well. The careless treatment of the women and the stereotypical homophobic comments by the obnoxiously “macho” men in the story were impossible to dismiss. Moreover, the story itself was as melodromatic and corny as they come.

I often like to include some of the older classics in my reading – just wondering how this rose to being considered among those!

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Lo has just gone through a frighteningly traumatic event after which she’s not slept for a week. But she knows she has to pull it together because she has a one and only chance to advance her career in the travel journalism field, with this upcoming, singular event: the maiden voyage of a VERY exclusive, very small cruise ship, hosting Britain’s elite with whom she must connect and impress. But suddenly, in the middle of her first night, shocking sounds have awoken Lo, and she is now distracted from her mission. Is she going mad? Can she rely on her memory of what happened in the middle of the night? She must get to the bottom of this, no matter what…

This is truly one of the most suspenseful novels I’ve read, one I felt I just couldn’t read fast enough! (And if you’ve followed this blog, you know I’ve been on a suspense tear, so this is saying quite a lot!) The story bursts immediately into action and, in truth, never stops. We follow Lo and feel for her, as she has her missteps and miscalculations but we also see that she is thwarted and misled by something devious and dangerous as well. And I NEVER would have guessed the ending – total twister!

This is not a character-based novel. I did not derive great insights or ponder deep thoughts about life’s meaning while reading this. I cannot wax poetic about about newfound wisdom gleaned from this novel.

But it is definitely great fun, a wonderful escape, and damn well what we need right now, so treat yourself and indulge!