Killer Vibes

 

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I think I found my favorite new detective of the year, and he’s a broke, bisexual stoner who trips into the case completely by accident.

Meet Peter Key. When we first find him, he’s a charming, aimless weed dealer living about an hour away from being either homeless or dead. Then a lawyer tells him he’s inherited a big rundown house in one of Austin’s swankiest neighborhoods from an uncle he barely knew. Good news, right? Except the uncle borrowed half a million dollars right before he died, the money’s vanished, and now the debt lands squarely on Peter. 

Everyone from the lawyer to a very intense real estate broker next door wants him to sell, pay up, and disappear. But Peter wants to keep the house. His only shot is finding the missing money before someone else does, and before he becomes the next body.

This one is a total romp and I loved every second, especially Peter’s laid-back charm, the quirky supporting cast, and the twisty hunt for the cash. It went places I never saw coming and stayed fun the whole way through. John Fram, writing here as Jack Friday, keeps the plot moving and the Keep Austin Weird energy cranked all the way up. On audio, narrator Max Meyers is fantastic. He runs the full range of Peter’s emotions and gives every character in the cast their own distinct voice.

If you like your mysteries offbeat, with great lgbtq+ representation and enough twists to keep any armchair detective guessing, bump this to the top of your summer list. It’s already one of my favorite reads of the year, and I’m thrilled it’s the first in a planned series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted early listen. Killer Vibes is out July 14.

One more thing: come hang out with us live. I’m interviewing Jack Friday himself this Thursday, July 9 at 4pm EST / 3pm CST. Join us!

Killer Vibes is out now — grab a copy on Bookshop.org and support an indie store while you're at it.

Jack Friday is a new pen name for horror writer John Fram. Check out my review of his previous book The Midnight Knock.

About the Author

Jack Friday is the pen name of John Fram, the author of several queer supernatural thrillers such as The Bright Lands and The Midnight Knock. He lives in Austin. Follow John on Instagram and visit his website for more news and information about hsi books.

Rebecca

 Rebecca

Author: Daphne du Maurier

Narrator: Anna Massey

Publishers: Hachette Audio

Year: 2013

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” 

One of the most famous opening lines in literature and I finally got around to reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I was familiar with the bare bones of the story. An impressionable young woman falls quickly in love and marries wealthy older widower Maxim de Winter. He brings her to Manderley, his grand imposing ancestral family estate. Once there, she realizes the hold Max’s dead wife Rebecca still has on the estate and on him. There’s also creepy Mrs. Danvers, the head housekeeper, who is intent on sabotaging the new marriage. 

It’s a classic. It won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Century. It’s slow burning and creepy. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Anna Massey. Her performance is powerful and exquisite. She strikes all the right notes from self conscious girl trying to fit in to confused newlywed trying to understand her moody husband to unafraid woman finally standing up for herself. Massey has great material to work with. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’re a big fan of domestic or gothic suspense, this is a must read. Today’s domestic thrillers stand on du Maurier’s and Rebecca’s shoulders. 

This is on Amazon’s list of 100 mysteries and thrillers to read in a lifetime and I certainly see why. 

Shogun

Author: James Clavell

Narrator: Ralph Lister

Publisher: Blckstone Audio

Year: 2015

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a sweeping historical fiction saga set in ancient Japan. Blackthorne, a bold & daring Englishman, pilots a Dutch ship that washes up in Japan after a storm. Blacktorne is an incredibly obnoxious main character. He’s a great sailor, smart & speaks several languages. But all he does is rant and rave. He eventually learns to appreciate the culture and falls in love with a Japanese woman. 

I listened to the audiobook which has a listening time of 53 hours & 33 minutes. I did speed up the narration to get through it faster. Props to Ralph Lister for his narration. He must have really had his work cut out for him voicing this tale. 

I liked the basic bones of the story, but it just took too darn long to unfold and there were too many characters to keep track of. I also thought the author spent way too much time explaining some historical details when the Cliff Notes version would do. We are also promised a big battle that never materializes. Kind of a let down. 

So why did I read this? For some reason this epic is on Amazon’s list of 100 mysteries and thrillers to read in a lifetime. I don’t understand why they considered this a mystery or thriller. There’s no crime to solve. No clues or red herrings. There’s some political intrigue as Torunaga plots to consolidate his power to try to become shogun. But I definitely don’t see this as a thriller. 

Tell No One

Author: Harlan Coben 

Publisher: Dell

Year: 2017

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Complex isn’t the right word for this book. I think convoluted is more accurate. Sure, there’s lots of twists and turns but they are so outlandish they are can’t be taken seriously. 

Dr. Stephen Beck’s wife was murdered eight years ago and he’s still grieving. They were soulmates, together since the tender age of 13. He can’t get over her. Then he gets a cryptic email from an anonymous sender and his life is turned upside down. 

A few years ago Amazon came out with a list of 100 mysteries and thrillers to read in a lifetime. (I’ll put a link to the list in the comments.) Well, I saw the list as a personal challenge and started my way through it. I had already read many books on the list, so now I reading the books that are new to me. The list is interesting with classic older books and modern books. 

Tell No One is on the list and that’s why I read it. And now I’m wondering why it’s on the their list. It’s good, but not great. It’s entertaining but the characters and the story isn’t going to stick with me. I’m sure many other readers liked it more than I did. But I just don’t see it as a “must read” thriller.

Here’s Amazon’s list: 

 https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=nodl_?ie=UTF8&node=8994558011

What book would you designate as a must read mystery or thriller?

Before I Go to Sleep

Author: S.J. Watson

Publisher: Harper Audio

Year: 2011

“What are we, if not an accumulation of our memories?” 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Christine suffers from amnesia after a mysterious accident. Every night when she sleeps, she forgets everything from the day before. She wakes up every morning thinking she’s a single twenty something when in fact she’s a middle aged married woman. Every day her husband Ben has to introduce himself to her and explain that she lost her memory in an accident. 

One morning after her husband leaves for work, Christine receives a phone call from Dr. Nash. She has apparently been working with him on getting her memory back. He has her keep a daily journal to try to recover her memories. As Christine reads her journal and works with the doctor, she realizes the things her husband tells her about her life don’t add up. Slowly, dim memories begin to emerge and frightening secrets surface. 

I really liked the premise of this book and it was a quick and enjoyable thriller. I like really strong female main characters so there were a few times that the main character bothered me a little bit - just too much damsel in distress drama. 

Narrator Orlagh Cassidy gives a fine performance. She easily conveys Christine’s bewilderment upon waking each day and her desperation to regain her memories. 

All in all, an entertaining book that I would recommend getting from your local library. 

I read it because it’s on Amazon’s list of 100 mysteries and thrillers to read in a lifetime. This book was good, but I’m not sure it deserves a place on the list. 

Here’s the list: 

https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=nodl_?ie=UTF8&node=8994558011