The Last Thing He Told Me

 The Last Thing He Told Me

Author: Laura Dave

Narrator: Rebecca Lowman

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Year: 2021

🎧 Audiobook review 🎧

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the gifted copy of this audiobook! 

Hannah’s life changes when she receives a quickly scribbled note from her husband Owen. The note simple says “protect her” referring to Owen’s 16 year old daughter Bailey. Soon after,  the news soon breaks that the tech company Owen works for is under federal investigation, Owen’s boss has been arrested, and Owen has disappeared. Hannah must find out what happened to Owen and keep Bailey safe. But from who? 

Author Laura Dave’s compelling thriller pulled me right in. Hannah is a strong, level headed, and likable main character. Her strength shows in her decision to be proactive in her search for answers and her focus to keep Bailey safe. Her relationship with her stepdaughter isn’t perfect. Bailey’s spent most of her life with just her dad because her mom died when Bailey was a small child. Bailey isn’t used to sharing Owen with anyone else and she resents Hannah’s inclusion in their lives. Kudos to the author for making Bailey a believable teen character. She’s sullen and snarky at times, but her character never becomes an eye-rolling teen cliché. 

Rebecca Lowman’s excellent narration adds nuisance and depth to Hannah’s character and the story. The story races along at a fast pace and the plot twists and turns to kept me guessing. This is an  enthralling thriller about betrayal, secrets, family, lies, and sacrifice. Available now!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Sanatorium

 The Sanatorium 

Author: Sarah Pearce

Publisher: Penguin 

Year: 2021

Happy Sunday! Happy Mother’s Day to all the caregivers who love, nurture, and inspire others. 

The Sanatorium seemed like it was all over bookstagram when it was published.  Bookstagram didn’t make me buy it, but it made me read it. I waited patiently for it from the library instead of running out to buy it. 

Quick synopsis- this is a locked room mystery that takes place at a former TB sanatorium that’s been turned into a luxurious, but controversial hotel, high in the Swiss Alps. As a brutal snow storm rages, people start dying. 

Elin, the main character, is at the hotel to celebrate her brother’s engagement. She’s a police detective on leave after her first big case goes bad and she’s dealing with grief and family trauma. She takes over investigating the murders when a storm cuts off the hotel and police can’t get there. 

My quick take- it’s an ok read, but I didn’t love it. Here’s why- I thought it had a lot of potential, but the story didn’t add up for me. The setting was supposed to be creepy. But it didn’t feel that creepy to me. The author spent a lot of time describing the minimalist decor of the hotel with it bare furnishings and huge windows. All I kept thinking was reading a book by a roaring fire and watching it snow through those huge windows sounds kind of cozy to me. Honestly, Elin’s boyfriend Will came across as creepier than the setting to me. 

Elin goes to the hotel to celebrate her brother Isaac’s engagement.

She and her brother have a rocky relationship. Their younger brother Sam died when they were children. Elin always blamed Issac for Sam’s death. There’s a big build up to her confronting Isaac about Sam’s death. And then when Elin and Issac finally discuss what really happened when Sam died, it was rather anticlimactic. 

Here’s the part that really bothered me- the motive for for murders was very convoluted. As Elin investigates the murders, she keeps noting that the killer was obviously trying to say something because of how the murders were staged. But here’s the thing- the murders didn’t have to happen. The motive for the murders was revenge and to let the world know a terrible secret about the sanatorium. But a simple interview with the press would have achieved the desired result without the murders. It all seemed too contrived to me. I spent most of the book waiting for a huge avalanche to destroy to hotel. To be honest, I was disappointed it didn’t happen. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

This is perfect for readers who love locked room mysteries or who really enjoyed Ruth Ware’s One by One or Lucy Foley’s The Guest List. 

#thesanatorium #sarahpearse #penguinpublishing #thriller #mystery #swissalps #snow #blizzard #policeproceedural #hotel #murders #libbyapp #librarybook #bookstagrammademereadit 

Joyland

Joyland 

Author: Stephen King

Publisher: Recorded Books

Narrator: Michael Kelly 

Year: 2014

Is there a better author than Stephen King who can set the scene creating the perfect atmosphere for a story? I don’t think so. 

Joyland is set at a small amusement park along the North Carolina coast. Devin, a college student, decides to work there for the summer. He’s heartbroken after the girl he loved dumped him and he needs a change of scenery. Joyland amusement park is populated by all sorts of characters and tourists and a ghost. That’s the creepy part. It’s the ghost of a young woman who was murdered in the House of Horrors attraction and her killer was never found. Devin sets out to find the killer. Along the way he befriends a seriously ill ten year old boy who has a special gift and the boy’s mother. 

This story just pulled me right in. It has a great mix of murder mystery, creepy horror and tugs at your heartstrings. Actor Michael Kelly lends his considerable talent to the audiobook narration making this a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me. 

We have some chilly rain in my little corner of the world. How’s life where you are? 

#joyland #stephenking #recordedbooks #audiobook #audiobookreview #amusementpark #northcarolina #ghost #ghoststory #murdermystery #houseofhorrors #serialkiller #sharpshooter #carnylife #carnyfromcarny #summerjob #arcadegames #libbyapp #librarybook #libraryaudiobook #michaelkelly 

The Lost Apothecary

 The Lost Apothecary 

Author: Sarah Penner

Publisher:Park Row Books/HarperCollins

Year: 2021

A woman trying to distance herself from her unfaithful husband discovers long buried secrets and crimes in London. 

Caroline’s devastated by her husband’s infidelity and flies to London without him on what would have been a trip celebrating their anniversary. She impulsively joins a mudlarking expedition on the Thames where she finds an old apothecary bottle. The bottle peaks her curiosity, re-awakens her love of history, and sets her on a journey to discover more. Caroline begins to do some research and discovers an 18th century apothecary serial killer who supplied poisons to women who wanted to be rid of the troubling men in their lives. 

The story is told from three different POVs- Caroline in the present day, Nella the apothecary who dispenses the poisons, and Eliza, a 12 year old maid who procures poison on behalf of her employer and becomes intrigued with Nella and her potions. 

Honestly, the 18th century timelines worked better for me than Caroline’s modern day timeline. I thought Caroline’s  story relied too much on coincidences and the whole subplot with her husband dragged a bit for me. I wish the author had focused more on Nella and Eliza’s timelines and stories. They were the more compelling characters and I wanted more about them. I enjoyed the book, but I thought it didn’t live up to it’s potential. This is perfect for fans who like multiple points of view or who like historical fiction with a little mystery involved. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dead of Winter

 Dead of Winter 

Author: Stephen Mack Jones

Publisher: Soho Press

Year: 2021

August Snow, former Detroit Police detective and current good guy with a gun, returns in Stephen Mack Jones’s new book Dead of Winter. 

This is the third installment of the August Snow series and it just keeps getting better. This time around August gets tangled up in a sketchy real estate deal while trying to protect his beloved Mexicantown Detroit neighborhood. This is a high-octane thriller that features lots of guns and lots of action. 

Snow is a great complex character- intelligent, funny, loving, and ready to go to war if he has to. He’s a good guy with some demons and a heart of gold. He’s willing to work outside the law to bring down the bad guys. Perfect for fans of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series or Ludlum’s Jason Bourne.  Dead of Winter is out today! 

Thanks to NetGalley and Soho for the review copy. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And special note to the author - I would love to meet you in Detroit at any time so we could go on a tour of all the fabulous restaurants that you describe in the book. My treat! The food sounds amazing! 

I survived my root canal yesterday and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. A little tender this morning but not bad at all. Thanks for all the good vibes yesterday! ❤️ 

#deadofwinter #augustsnow #stephenmackjones #sohopress #detroit #mexicantowndetroit #thriller #pubday #actionpacked #netgalley #bookreview #thrillerreads #crimefiction #crimefighter #vigilante 

April Reading Wrap Up

 April Reading Wrap Up

April came and went with lots of great reads for me. I participated in several buddy and group reads which were awesome. I think this is the most audiobooks I’ve read in a single month. 

Tough to pick a favorite for the month because the five star reads were all great. But I’d have to say my favorite for the month was We Begin at the End because I loved the main character Duchess Day Radley. She’s a character that stays in your heart long after you’ve read the book. 

The Mountains Sing is a beautiful story of family, love, and survival set against the backdrop of the Viet Nam war. 

I’m a sucker for police procedurals and Rachel Howzell Hall’s City of Saviors did not disappoint. Two other high octane thrillers were Stephen Mack Jones’s Dead of Winter (publishing on Tuesday) and S.A. Lelchuk’s One Got Away (badass female main character). 

Stephen King’s Joyland was creepy, atmospheric, and fun. And Jenny Lawson’s Furiously Happy is so honest, hysterical, heartfelt, and full of grace. Plus- I love that cover! 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Huntress 🎧

The Mountains Sing

We Begin at the End

City of Saviors 🎧

Joyland 🎧

Furiously Happy 🎧

Dead of Winter

One Got Away 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While Paris Slept

Give Us a Kiss 🎧

I, the Jury 🎧 

The Last Place You Look

Station Eleven 🎧

The Other Side of the Door

The Lost Apothecary 

Daniel Woodrell give us a kiss is just a funny short rural noir novel that’s really kind of quirky. If you haven’t read his book Winter’s Bone I suggest that one because that’s just amazing or at least watch the movie starring Jennifer Lawrence. 

Mickey Spillane’s I, the Jury is the first appearance of his detective Mike Hammer. Hammer seeks revenge to find the killer of his best friend. This is on Amazon’s list of 100 mysteries in thrillers to read in a lifetime. It’s good and it’s a classic. The racism and sexism throughout the book is cringe worthy and  doesn’t stand up in today’s day and age. But is is classic post WWII noir where the men were tough and didn’t talk about their feelings and the women were femme fatales. 

I’ve seen lots of reviews and how creepy and scary Station Eleven is. It’s about a worldwide pandemic,  but I didn’t think it was all that scary. It’s a good solid read, but I didn’t find it that particular scary or frightening and I didn’t need my handheld while I read it. I’d call it more pandemic light then something really hard core and truly terrifying.

So bring on May! Hoping for warm weather and sunshine. My May reads will be a mixed bag. My IRK book club is reading Water for Chocolate. I read it ages ago when it was first published. I don’t remember too many details of the story, but I do recall not loving it. I’m interested to see if my attitude changes upon rereading it. 

The Mountains Sing

Author/ Nguyen Phan Que Mai

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Year: 2020

The Mountains Sing is a sweeping multigenerational novel set in Viet Nam. It tells the story of the Tran family and set against the backdrop of the Viet Nam War. This is a gripping story of survival, love, hope, and determination. It is a beautifully written story of one woman’s courage and determination to keep her family safe and together when their world falls apart. 

This was a compelling look at the Viet Nam War and it’s after effects on the people, their culture, and land. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m so glad bookstagram pals @thereadingteapot and @rjs.readingnook asked me to join their buddy read for the book. We had an excellent video chat about the book and I enjoyed getting to know new bookstagram friends!