Friday, October 23, 2015

66 Laps by Leslie Lehr

66 Laps by Leslie Lehr is a cautionary tale about what happens when deceit and doubt infiltrate a marriage. Audrey seems to have it all: a successful doting husband and a darling little daughter. When her best friend points out that her hair is turning gray, she does what any LA woman whose currency resides in her appearance would do - she slaps "the bitch."

The story devolves from there, with Audrey's insecurities wreaking havoc with her marriage. Can she trust that Jim will remain faithful even though he's spending more and more time with a younger version of herself? And when she loses hope in him, will she take her own revenge and settle the score?

The obvious answer is, of course! Something needs to happen after all. But the path of her revenge takes an unexpected turn and sets in motion a sequence of events that Audrey could never have anticipated. This book starts with a slap and ends with bang that echoes through her life and haunts her, and the reader, forever.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Smoke by Catherine McKenzie

Smoke is the 5th full length title from Catherine McKenzie, and my favorite one to date. I've been reading her novels for several years now, and it's been great to see her develop as an author. Whereas her first novels were relatively straightforward and told from one point of view, her last book, Hidden, and this one have intricate plots told from multiple perspectives with "soft" mysteries that leave you guessing until the end. (I say "soft" because this is not a "mystery" book, but there is something unknown that is slowly revealed throughout.)

The story is set in a fictional small tourist town in the Rocky Mountains. A fire is set, accidentally or on-purpose, we do not know, and Elizabeth Martin is called in to investigate. She's a retired wildland firefighter who still does arson investigations on the side. She gave up the forest firefighting life to be closer to her husband, Ben, and hopefully start a family, but neither seems to be working out and her and Ben are on the edge of divorce.

The other voice in this story in Mindy, a stay-at-home (and anxious!) mother of two teenagers who, it turns out, used to be Elizabeth's best friend. They had a falling out and didn't speak for some time until Angus, Mindy's son, comes under suspicion for having started this fire. In addition to Mindy's voice, we receive email updates and read newspaper articles about the spreading fire and the unfolding drama. Will the town go up in flames? Will Elizabeth be able to save her marriage and her friendship?

Smoke explores all of those issues and more, including the toxicity of small-town rumor mills, and the tensions between the "haves" and "have-nots" in ritzy tourist towns. It's a page turner that still leaves you laughing out loud. If you were a fan of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies then you'll love this book.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner

The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner, starts off with a bang and never lets up. Someone (or two?) is drowning in a river and about to go over a waterfall, and someone else is on the river bank cackling with glee about it. Rewind a couple of months, and we meet Sarah, settling down for bed alone one night while her husband is out of town at a conference. Next we thing we know her neighbors' house is burning down and she's rescuing their little girl from the fire. (I said it never lets up didn't I?)

The neighbors die and Sarah's own house is burned to the ground, and suddenly things get weird. People, including her husband Johnny, are keeping secrets and acting strangely. Is he having an affair? Was the fire set intentionally? Is someone out to get her? Is she loosing her mind?!!!!

This is a fun romp with tons of suspense and many hints that lead somewhere, just nowhere near where you actually end up. I love surprise endings and this book has several of them. Best of all, it's another Kindle First book and free/$1.99 for the month of August.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

Pretty Baby is the new release from Mary Kubica, author of the bestselling Good Girl. It's told from the perspective of three narrators: Heidi, a bleeding-heart type, her business-before-family husband Chris, and a teenage girl (Willow) whom Heidi picks up off the street one day and brings home with her. Willow's carting around a four-month-old baby and has been living on the streets. Heidi is determined to help her out and fulfill a void left from the inability to have children after the birth of her now twelve-year-old daughter Zoe. Zoe and Chris want nothing to do with this runaway, and you can imagine the confrontations and chaos that ensues.

Kubica does a great job throwing some twists in there, and similar to the Good Girl, all is not as it seems. I'll be honest and say that some of this book is very dark and not for me - I know there are sick people in this world but I don't like reading about them. That being said, it's still a great read, well-written, and she saves a final surprise for the end, of course.

Monday, June 1, 2015

The Perfect Son by Barbara Claypole White

The Perfect Son is a lovely novel about a family upended by a medical emergency. Ella and Felix have a teenage son, Harry, who has Tourette Syndrome, among other things. The family has been operating in a set fashion for years, with Felix lost in his high stakes business world, and Ella managing Harry’s care and education. Then, on a return trip from assisting her father after he had an operation, Ella collapses from a heart attack. Clearly, she has been taking care of everyone else but herself. Her condition is critical, and she must recuperate in hospital while Felix takes over the day to day duties of raising a child with special needs.

The story alternates between the three characters’ viewpoints, with very distinguishable voices for each of them. The real surprise for me was how wonderfully she expressed Harry’s character. It would be easy to feel sorry for a boy with Tourette’s and ADHD, and yet it’s his father who we end up pitying more. He can’t seem to relate to his child, even though he shares some similar traits, and every word of praise that he offers (and those are few and far between) has a stinging critique at the end of it. Harry, on the other hand, accepts himself for who he is and seems to be doing just fine for someone in his situation: perfect SAT scores, reliable friends and even a hot girlfriend.


With a story like this, you’d expect to be in a puddle of tears immediately, but Barbara Claypole White does a great job of not playing up the emotional side too much. While the family is dealing with a sad and potentially fatal situation, there are still many laughs and shenanigans along the way, not to mention plenty of redemption for Felix as he comes to understand, love and accept his perfect son. This is a great read, and as an added bonus it’s a Kindle First selection for June, so it’s either free (Amazon Prime members) or greatly reduced in price this month.  

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

The Tower by Kelly Cordes

Last year I had the opportunity to read and review The Tower by Kelly Cordes, as well as interview the author. If you're a climber, armchair mountaineer, or anyone who likes a good adventure  and mystery story, then be sure to check out this book. Cordes chronicles the history of a remote group of mountains far south in Argentina, as well as the controversy that has surrounded it since it was first purportedly climbed. You can read my interview with Kelly Cordes here.