The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

The Broken Girls is 2/3 psychological suspense and 1/3 ghost story, which, I’ll admit, is not my favorite genre. In fact, it would have worked just as well without the “ghost” parts, but it does add a creepiness to the storyline that might not have been there otherwise. It’s set in small-town Vermont, where a girl’s boarding school has sat empty for decades. Journalist Fiona Sheridan is somewhat obsessed with its locale, as this is where her sister’s murdered body was dumped 20 years ago. Fiona was 17 at the time, and the murder tore her family apart and seems to have kept her in limbo ever since, even though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of the murder. She keeps her police officer boyfriend at arm’s length, and when she learns that someone is renovating the old school she thinks it would be a good idea for her to investigate and write a story about it. Flashing back and forth between this timeline and the 1950’s, we learn that the girls at the school were all afraid of the ghost of Mary Hand, and that one of them, Sophia, is about to be murdered as well. Through her research on the school, Fiona discovers some clues to Sophia’s murder, and unearths some new information about her sister’s death as well. This book will suck you in, and the final dénouement is riveting, with or without the ghosts.

The Naturalist and Looking Glass by Andrew Mayne

Dr. Theo Cray is working on field research in Montana when a former student of his is killed by a grizzly bear, or so everyone thinks. Theo is not convinced, and he lends his considerable intellect to the task of finding the real killer. By approaching the task as a biologist and computer programmer, he sees a pattern of missing people in the state that reminds him of the predatory area of a great white shark. When he gets close to an area where he knows one girl went missing, he also realizes that he can tell where the dead bodies are buried. This leads to the rather gruesome task of Theo trying to dig them up in order to show the authorities that the killer is real. Fans of Andy Weir’s The Martian will appreciate the heavy-duty science Theo uses to “MacGyver” any number of situations, and he finds himself in many, let me tell you! There’s a side romance plot that seems a little like an afterthought, and a final get-the-bad-guy scene that’s right out of the movies. While there are thousands of books and series out there about cops, private investigators, or other law enforcement personnel chasing down the bad guys, it’s a nice change-up to have it be a nerdy science-guy instead. 

After successfully finding a serial killer that no one even knew existed, Dr. Theo Cray is in high demand. He’s working for a shadowy arm of the government, trying to find connections between suspected terrorists. He’s also being hounded by people who’ve lost loved ones, looking for answers where there seemingly are none. The sad eyes of a father missing his only son gets to Theo, and he’s on the case in L.A., looking for missing African American children with light-colored eyes. I’m happy to report that he escapes the physical trauma that beset him in the first novel, though this episode seems to take a more psychological toll. Expect more of the same solid pacing from Mayne’s first installment, along with Cray continuing to “science the shit” out of every situation. The ending did seem slightly far-fetched, and it left me a little sad for Cray – is he going down to the dark side? I’m looking forward to finding out in the third book.

Digging In by Loretta Nyhan

Paige and her teenage son Trey have had two years to deal with the unexpected loss of their husband/father, Jesse. Yet, understandably, they are stuck in a rut. Paige is trying to keep her act together, but after some stressful events at work she starts digging in her back yard, and doesn’t stop until she’s torn her entire lawn up. This one act opens her up to a variety of new experiences and people, including a young farmer named Mykia, her ornery neighbor, and a friendly police officer who makes her realizes that there are some parts of life that she’s missing out on.  There are some truly touching discussions about loss, change, and grief between Paige and Trey which felt completely authentic – it was not surprising to find out in the author’s notes at the end that she has gone through something similar herself. It is a surprisingly dry-eyed book though, given then subject matter, as it takes place long enough after the initial loss that the emotions are not so raw. There’s also the hilarious side-plot of her boss obsessing over a corporate self-help book and subjecting her and her co-workers to endless shenanigans. Overall it’s a funny and heartwarming read.  

The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

Essie’s living a quiet life in suburban Melbourne. She suffered severe postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, and her husband and mother have been on edge since the birth of her second. Cracks are starting to show, and when a mysterious woman named Isabelle moves into the neighborhood, Essie becomes fascinated with her and goes a little Single White Female. Isabelle seems to be looking for a missing child, and thinks Essie might be involved. There’s some side plot drama with two other neighbors, Ange and Fran, (affairs, cuckolding, etc.) that help round out the narrative a bit, but the main, and weird, story is between Essie and Isabelle. It’s not quite full-on suspense, but the twist is interesting and it makes you question the limits and boundaries of human memory. Can we really forget that we did something terrible in a traumatic and psychotic state?

I'll Be Your Blue Sky by Marissa de los Santos

I’ll Be Your Blue Sky is the third installment from Marissa de los Santos about a large blended family. I haven’t read the first two, and while this book does still work as a standalone novel, it might be better to read the other two first if only to know who everyone is. (There is one dizzying paragraph that tries to explain how everyone is connected to each other, but it probably serves better as a reminder than a primer.) This installment features Claire, a young woman who’s about to marry an overly-possessive and easily-angered man, but is having seriously cold feet the day before her wedding. A chance meeting with an elderly woman, Edith, makes her call it off, only to find out a few weeks later that not only has Edith died, but she’s left Claire her beach house on the Delaware coast. This sets Claire off on an adventure, both to figure out what she wants out of love, and also what Edith was up to by leaving her the house. There are flashbacks to the 1950’s from Edith’s point of view, and we slowly learn that the two of them are more connected than just a chance meeting. While some might complain that the ending was too pat, I thought she tied it up nicely, and the whole book was quite beautifully written.   

My Name is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd

Thirteen-year-old Venus suspects her stepdad is peeping at her, but her mom, Inez, is in serious denial and refuses to believe her or act on Venus’s suspicions. The next time he tries to do it, she shoots a bullet through his peep-hole, and after surveying the damage done to Ray’s head, she tells her mom “Good thing Raymond doesn’t peep at me.” Best line ever! This lands her six years in Juvie, and when she gets out she wants to have nothing more to do with her old self or her old name. She tries to reinvent herself in Seattle, but her past keeps crowding in, and she hasn’t really dealt with her lingering anger and guilt. Venus’s seven-year-old autistic half-brother, Leo, was kidnapped only days after his father’s murder, and remains missing all these years. Venus is estranged from Inez, who in the matter of a few days lost her entire family, and is also awash in her own guilt. Will they ever find Leo, and/or forgiveness?

I found Venus to be a compelling character, and you’ll be rooting for her to overcome her rough start as a teenager. The POV switches a lot between Venus, Inez, and the family that kept Leo, which keeps the pace moving. Your heart will also break for kids born like Leo, and the struggles that the people who love him go through. What I’m left confused about is why this book is categorized as general adult fiction. If John Green had written this book, we would be calling it YA with no question. But this “coming of age” story is not? Quibbles for sure, but I feel like this book is being pushed towards the wrong audience.