Category: Books

A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie

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A BarksBeachesBooks Review

What I didn’t realize going into A Bitter Feast was that it was part of a series, which quickly became apparent when I started reading. Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are detectives and married and, in this novel, they are traveling to the countryside for a luncheon thrown by the parents of another detective, Melody Talbot. If you have read the series, then you won’t need to do any catching up. But, on the flip side, the beginning will be a little slower–going due to the mass amounts of information and detail as well as the plethora of characters.

A Bitter Feast could almost read as a standalone. I say this because though it was my first of the series, I definitely felt I was missing some back information. However, once you catch up on the who’s who of the many characters, this is a very interesting read. These are long, information filled chapters in a format that I haven’t read before and took some getting used to. (I guess I got spoiled with my usual thriller chapters told by alternating characters or dedicated to just one of the protagonists at a time.)

A Bitter Feast takes a different approach in narrating all characters pertaining to the content of the specific chapter. For example, a kitchen scene would obviously include its chef, Viv, because she is the kitchen. But it might also narrate for each kitchen worker present who witnessed something, plus the customers who were in the bar and which detective showed up and what they saw. It took some getting used to but once I did it sort of made for a more interesting way to read the story.

Now, to the plot. If you like top chef style kitchen drama and you’re a fan of murder mysteries, then this is the book for you. Viv is an amazing chef hiding away in the countryside working for a pub she owns with her partner, Bea. The confusing part to the townspeople is why such a talented chef is working in a pub – not that they’re complaining because she’s that good. Due to a luncheon planned by the Talbots, Fergus O’Reilly (Viv’s old boss, mentor, and rival among other things) shows up. Then he turns up dead.

Talk about a dramatic kitchen, it seems every time Viv catches up another sordid detail or messy death is on the menu. Good thing Detectives Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid quickly partner with local law enforcement to get to work on what seems to be an accident…until people start talking.

Got a long weekend or vacation coming up? This is the perfect sit-in-your-comfy-chair-and-read-a-long-juicy-story book.

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Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris

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A BarksBeachesBooks Review

Cecilia “Cilka” Klein has every reason to hate her life, the people involved in the pain she’s had to endure, and humanity in general. The amazing thing about her is that she doesn’t. No matter what happens to her, Cilka continues to stand up for herself and those around her and be the best person she can be. I would like to think that I would respond to Cilka’s circumstances as valiantly as she did. But based on my reaction to people not using a blinker in traffic I don’t think it’s likely.

Joking aside, this book is incredible. I am so glad Heather Morris decided to continue her work from Lale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz and let us know what happened to an important and influential character. This is a devasting and heart wrenching story, but it is an as important one as any from the Holocaust and World War 2 are.

Not only is this the story of what happened to Cilka, it also the story of how her very soul endured and continued to give humanity chance after chance to be good when she had no reason to believe it ever would. In Cilka’s Journey we follow Cilka after the release of the concentration camps at the end of World War 2. Cilka is pointed out as having aided the enemy as a spy as well as having slept with the enemy. There is no investigation and few questions asked to find her guilty. Did she in fact speak many languages? Was she sleeping with the commander? The facts the she was intelligent and was not sleeping with the man by choice were not factors in condemning a child who went into Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp at 16 and was forced into exile in a Siberian prison upon her release at age 19.

This journey is what happened next. What Cilka’s life was after Auschwitz-Birkenau and during her time in Siberia. Once again unable to go unnoticed, Cilka draws the attention of the male prisoners. She draws the attention of her female prisoner roommates. She finds and tries to protect Josie while she is found out for her past by Hannah and tries to survive her threats. Finally, she captures the attention of a female doctor at the prison who takes her under her wing and teaches her to be a nurse.

This is an incredible journey to be sure. If you are a WW2 or historical fiction fan, then this is for you. If you like human trial and success stories with themes of love and friendship, then this is for you. If you have a heart, then this is the book you need to read.

TH1RT3EN by Steve Cavanaugh

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A BarksBeachesBooks Review

This book was incredible. It was so good in fact that I was sneaking reading in during any possible breaks in work that I could. Shhh, don’t tell on me.

A couple of things about this book:

1) I was about 75% done with the book when I found out that it was the fourth book in the Eddie Flynn series by Steve Cavanaugh.

2) You do not need to read the others to pick this up and know what’s going on. I was immediately sucked in and had a very hard time putting this book down until I was finished reading it.

3) TH1Rt3EN was so good that I immediately called a local book store and had them hold all the other books in the series they had available and am having my sister pick them up as I type this.

4) Mr. Cavanaugh’s writing style reminds me a lot of The Collector Series by Dot Hutchison. They should collaborate and/or create a serial killer writing prodigy child together.

TH1RT3EN alternates between the point of view of the serial killer Joshua Kane and the up-and-coming lawyer and ex-con man Eddie Flynn. Both characters have very different and very entrancing styles of narrative which was a huge plus for me. Kane’s narrative is that of the highly intelligent, narcissistic, and even entitled and cocky serial killer that he is. On the other hand, Flynn is not your typical lawyer. While he is educated and has a law degree, he speaks like a New Yorker. You know the type – that Brooklyn accent? That was how I automatically read Eddie. The dialogue is even written that way. He is a gritty ex-con, now on the good side of the law and using his old tricks to his advantage.

While reading this book I kept thinking it would be so easy to tell who Kane was on the jury since that part is explicitly on the cover. However, Cavanaugh did an excellent job directing you toward the “culprit” and the doing a complete 180. I did not see that reveal coming, and then on top of that there is another twist that I really enjoyed. Without giving away too much, it had to do with the identity of one of the officers. This may or may not be me intentionally leading you in one direction so as not to give it away much in the same way Cavanaugh did to me. (I am.)

This was easily one of my favorite books of the year, and I cannot wait to get the others in the series and race through those as well. That’s another thing about Cavanaugh’s style: the writing is so well done that I flew through the pages trying to figure out Kane’s game and how it would end. Now that it’s over I wish I wish it hadn’t ended. Isn’t that how it always goes?

The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

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 Synopsis

Lila Bennett is a big-time criminal defense attorney whose bad choices have split her life in two – literally. In one reality she is kidnapped and held captive to be tortured with her past mistakes and come to terms with the wrongs she’s committed and lives she’s ruined. In the other reality, she is free. She escaped her captor and is living in fear as she watches the choices she’s made come crashing down around her.

Review

The Two Lila Bennetts is the story of what happens when you make certain choices. In one instance, Lila can choose whether she goes out and “celebrates” after winning a big case. She can go, which will lead her down one road. Or she can pass on the outing and head home, which will lead to consequences of its own. This is the story of the series of events followed by each choice. One choice leads to Lila’s capture. She is held captive in a small cement room, starved and tortured by her past. She does not know the man who is keeping her (alive, for now) but he sure does know all about Lila. He is making her relive her worst moments and watch from her cell as the world investigates her disappearance, alternately blaming the people closest to her, victims from her past cases, and even herself.

The other choice leads to Lila escaping her captor and being free to roam while her world comes crashing down. In both realities her choices are coming back to confront her. Past relationships, cases gone wrong, her marriage. Every choice she has ever made has led her to this point, and what she chooses to do now is life or death.

I really enjoyed this book which is obvious in that I was reading it on work breaks and doctor’s appointments to see what happens next. I was slightly disappointed in the ending(s) though. While they were satisfactory enough, I would have liked to know why or how her life was split into two, literally. I think a couple of things were left out that would have made the book a five-star book for me. Those things are spoilers so do not read the spoilers if you do not want me to spoil the story. Also, please don’t take this to mean the book isn’t worth reading because it is definitely worth it. It will likely be even more enjoyable to people that don’t poke holes in sci-fi theories such as the alternate realty aspect of this book.

*SPOILERS*

Please stop reading if you do not want spoilers.

Spoilers below.

Last chance to avoid spoilers.

Okay here we go with the spoilers.

At the end of the book, Lila is fighting off her captor in one reality and fighting for her marriage and relationships in the other. She sees what happens in the “free” reality, where she gets to make the choices she always knew she should be making: not defending guilty murderers, not cheating on her husband, etc. The captive reality is what happened when she made one last bad choice that landed her directly in the path of her kidnapper.

What I would have liked to know (since she lives in both versions of her realities) is why she gets to live in both? If her one good choice that led to her being free while her life was torn apart which in turn makes her start making good decisions and thus live, why not kill her off in the other? If she is literally two people in the book, why not kill off her bad side? That’s it. That’s the sci-fi of it that is driving me crazy. If she was literally two people, it seems that one of her should have been killed because how can there really be two Lila Bennetts? How are people not going to notice that? Especially because in the end of both situations Lila does make the same decision: to right her wrongs and be a better person. (Which is why I think it may only be “literally” two lives until Lila takes off her virtual reality goggles.) And yes, alternate realities/universes – I know, I know. Like I said, I poke holes in sci-fi.

On A Quiet Street by J.L. Doucette

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Synopsis

Stacy Hart has the perfect life: a great job, a perfect fiancé, a beautiful house. Then, Stacy is murdered. But if her life was so perfect then why was she murdered? Detective Beau Antelope is teaming up with Dr. Pepper Hunt to find out why.

Review

Let me just say first, I loved Detective Antelope’s character. He is a Native American officer who left the reserve to pursue the thing he is best at: solving murders. In this book, he teams up with Dr. Pepper Hunt (from the first book, Last Seen) but he does most of the talking. The narrative of this book is different from the first. In Last Seen, Dr Hunt is the lead character. In this sequel, there are a lot of alternating points of view, but Detective Antelope is the main character. He refers often but also superficially to his ancestry as a reason for his moods and behavior. He is a serious but respectful cop with a dry sense of humor. He also seems real – not an over the top action-movie cop, but one who is instead uses his brain. (and when he hits a dead end he does what any smart person would do-he asks a woman!)

Detective Antelope is the leading character in On A Quiet Street. He is pursuing several people of interest in the murder of Stacy Hart. First, Jack Swailes. He was Stacy’s contractor for home improvement, and per her fiancé he was also interested in Stacy as a love interest. That brings us to Connor Collins, Stacy’s hot shot Assistant District Attorney fiancé. As we all know from every true crime documentary ever, the significant other is usually the killer. Of course, Dr. Hunt is also helping – she is brought on a psychological expert with the police department. She is also the therapist for the third person of interest, Max Hunt, Stacy’s brother.

These are just a few of the POVs we see throughout the book, which seems overwhelming until you start reading and realize that they are perfect for this slow burn of a murder mystery. On A Quiet Street builds very slowly, bringing more and more people into the case, some from over 15 years before. The alternating POVs are short spurts of chapters which make for a relatively quick read.

There a few loose ends which I believe are Easter eggs for the third book. For example (not a spoiler but interesting), we are told that Val Campion (Jack Swailes’ uncle) has a rather sordid history that he doesn’t want anyone looking into but at the same time he owns all the seedy joints in town. As you can see there is a lot going on in this book.

Then ending is wrapped up both satisfactorily and unsatisfactorily in my opinion. Of course, we get our final showdown with the killer, but it seemed a little unrealistic to me in how the killer revealed his/herself. BUT, a major theme in this book is sociopathic and narcissistic behavior so it could be completely accurate. (Maybe I just like a lot more drama?) On the other hand, a lot of the loose ends are tied up very nicely which I like. Then there are the ones that were not, which is characteristic of a series. So, I do believe there will be more books…thus more murder and blood for us thriller lovers!

Huge thank you to BookSparks and J.L. Doucette for my free copy to review and share!

The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup

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My overall impression with this book can be summed up in this one word: WOW. I haven’t been this impressed with a book in a long time. That’s not to say I don’t like what I’ve been reading but this was just SO GOOD. I couldn’t put it down. I started it on a Saturday evening after finishing up a RomCom and I read until I couldn’t keep my eyes open, passed out, picked it up first thing in the morning and read for a few more hours until I finished.

The Chestnut Man is the story of a serial killer who leaves little chestnut men made of chestnuts and matchsticks at the crime scenes. On the case are Detective Thulin, who is on her last week in the Major Crime Division, and Detective Hess who has been transferred to Major Crimes due to behavior issues at Europol. The pair is put together to solve the case of a woman who was murdered. On the chestnut man they find at the scene is the finger print of a missing, presumed dead girl from almost exactly a year before. From there the book heats up as the detectives try to anticipate The Chestnut Man’s next move when he always seems to be one step ahead.

The links between the victims are very interesting on top of the fact that the crimes are linked back to missing girl case with the fingerprint on the chestnut man. The detectives have an good chemistry as well even though they are constantly butting heads. There is drama and bumps in the road every time Thulin and Hess make any sort of progress. The Chestnut Man was one of those stories where there are lots of surprises and twists and (at least for me) none of them were seen coming. I was so excited by how good it was and still am and I just can’t say enough good things about it. I also can’t say a lot of things in general without ruining it because it was such an intricate story with so much going on-which is frustrating because all I want to do is talk The Chestnut Man.

The following could be interpreted as a spoiler even though it’s just my recommendations, so be warned. This book reminded me of The Snowman by Jo Nesbo and The Summer Children by Dot Hutchison, both of which I would recommend as well. Full disclosure: I’m basing my recommendation of The Snowman on the movie version as I haven’t gotten to the book yet – but the book is always better so you can’t go wrong. Anyway, definitely read The Chestnut Man. It’s going to be a movie, I know it already.

The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup

The Vanishing Season by Dot Hutchison

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The team is back in The Collector series by Dot Hutchison! This time Eliza Sterling takes the lead as both detective and story teller in Dot’s most recent case, The Vanishing Season. I am so excited because this is a series that has really stuck with me. Usually I find a series fizzles out after a few books but somehow Dot is doing what others can’t seem to do. I am again, truly, so impressed with her.

Brooklyn Mercer has disappeared. On her walk home from school, the same walk she takes every day, she vanishes without anyone seeing a thing. This throws Eliza and her team into action…a day late. The local authorities didn’t report Brooklyn as a missing child because they were sure they would find her that night. So, their case starts half way to the 48-hour mark, a critical timeframe for missing children.

This is an intense case on top of a currently stressed-to-the-max team as one of their own, Brandon Eddison, is struggling with the time of year: the anniversary of his own missing sister, Faith Eddison. Put all of this together, plus Brandon’s mentor and retired Detective Ian Matson showing up with new links, and suddenly the team has uncovered a chain of missing girls all over the United States. All look alike. All have been the same age. All have been taken during the same time of year, late October to early November, every other year. All have no evidence. It could be a coincidence. It could be a serial kidnapper.

One of the things I love about these books is that each one is told by a different person. Each book also introduces the next likely narrator. In the Butterfly Garden it’s Vic Hanoverian (and a tiny bit of Brandon Eddison) along with Maya telling the unthinkable story of The Gardener. In the next book Brandon takes the lead. It’s incredible how Ms. Hutchison can do this. She tells these amazing stories using all these different characters (from all different backgrounds no less) and yet she does it so seamlessly that I wonder what her real life looks like to do this so effortlessly. (Personally, I imagine she travels all over the world and interviews all kinds of people from different countries and backgrounds to use in her books.)

Another thing that draws me in with this series is that it’s not all serious or all funny or all one tone. Dot seems to really tell the story of a team. Everyone has different personalities, and all are better at something than the others, which contributes to the overall greatness of the team as a whole. Being able to do this makes it harder to stick her books in one genre as well. They are not just horror stories. They also have a true sense of humor as well as drama. They have a true crime sense, as these types of cases are definitely rare but also likely. I’m going to keep calling them thrillers because that’s their best fit but honestly these books would be enjoyable for everyone. Or, mostly everyone. They are “scary stories” after all.

I cannot wait for the fifth book, which there is currently no promise of, but I am placing my bet now: something with dead bodies narrated by the newest team member, Cass Kearney.

A Dog Named Beautiful by Rob Kugler

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When I first saw the title for A Dog Named Beautiful I was sure it was just another tear jerker dog story. When I saw that it was based on the true story of Bella and her marine Rob Kugler I knew it was another tear jerker dog story. I also knew that I had to read it. I was right, I cried. But I also laughed and learned a lot and was completely drawn into the story. Rob does an excellent job of telling Bella’s story as well as relating it to his own and how they ended up as the inseparable pair that they were. 

I’ll be honest, the first few pages I wasn’t sure about this guy because Bella kept calling Rob “daddy”-I mean a man talking to his dog? I don’t know why but it seemed so strange, but then I was like, “well yeah, of course Bella talked. My dogs talk too.” …to my dogs. This whole conversation was with my dogs to be completely honest. So, I kept going and obviously got sucked in because five hours later I was done with the book, having cried through the last quarter of it. And once I was done it would have been weird if father and daughter weren’t talking.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a book where the sole purpose is to make you cry. But it is the true story of a man and his best friend making the most of their time together. Plus, Rob and Bella had such an incredible bond that I could feel their love and it just pulled on my heart.

READ THIS BOOK. After all the heartaches, and ups and downs, and overall good times before Rob and Bella part you are left with a Rob who is still open to loving again (as he shows at the end of the book). I honestly think if I were Rob this story would have broken me, but Rob kept going in the name of Bella and it really is just beautiful.

I absolutely loved this book and it’s because of stories like these (and my inability to turn away from them) that I appreciate my dogs so much and treat them like the four-legged people they are. Cheers, to Bella and Rob – the non-stop duo that will help renew your appreciation and love for your own pup!

From left: Bella, Half of Rob’s Head, Sheriff Raff, Berlyn aka Lingy

The Five by Hallie Rubenhold

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Hallie Rubenhold’s expertly written and filled-to-the-brim-with-(new) information The Five is a true masterpiece. Along the lines of The Trial of Lizzie Borden, The Five delves into the infamous, unsolved Jack the Ripper case using actual documents, news articles and police reports…but with a twist: a beautifully researched work based on the lives of the women claimed by Jack. 

Take a moment to answer this question: who was Jack the Ripper? At the core of the case is one thing everyone has always agreed on: the women were prostitutes, and, for some, that meant Jack was also cleaning the streets. The amazing thing is that this isn’t true at all. Only one woman was a known prostitute, and another was suspected of soliciting a handful of times out of desperation. Why am I telling you this? Because everyone I’ve talked to about the case has said the same thing, “they were prostitutes”, as if that makes their lives worth less. I want to share this book so that people can actually learn about a case that had so much going on yet remains an unsolved mystery to this day.

Hallie not only tells us what these women really had in common, but she starts completely at the beginning. Going as far back as each woman’s parents’ births of the women in some cases, Hallie describes the lives of Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Kate and Mary Jane. She describes the circumstances each was born into. She brings to light the obstacles each faced from merely being born a woman instead of a man to homelessness to loss to alcoholism without treatment. 

I couldn’t put this down and any true crime and murder mystery fans out there are going to have a hard time doing so as well. I also talked about it non-stop the entire time I was reading it, so I need to world to read it and discuss with me because my co-workers and family have had the information drilled into them. In an interesting turn, this book barely mentions Jack the Ripper (as the focus is the women) and yet it is far more interesting than anything I have ever learned or heard about Jack the Ripper. 

Hallie Rubenhold (left) and the cover of The Five, photos courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishing.

When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica

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Mary Kubica is an expert at twists, as you know if you’ve read Pretty Baby or Don’t You Cry. The twists you expect are the breadcrumb clues she lays out for you to follow, only to make a 180 at the last minute. However, what I loved the most about this book was not the plot twists (the last of which was kind of genius), but rather the genre twist. What starts out as a mystery/psychological thriller does not end in the same way. Mary sets you on one path only to realize you were never really going in the right direction.

Another aspect of Mary’s writing that is appealing to me is how much detail she uses. Personally, I have never had an issue going to sleep. It may not be great sleep, but falling asleep in and of itself is not a problem I can say that I have had. Insomnia as a major theme in the book is something that drew me to it. I knew that I would be able to experience it (if only in my imagination) if Mary was the one describing it – and I was not disappointed. My point here is not that I want to have insomnia, but rather that an author that can use details like Mary does is an amazing thing in helping you really be transported into the story. Nevertheless, due to the detail-oriented writer that she is, there were no doubt sometimes that I wanted the descriptions to just “Hurry up already!” so that I could get to the good stuff – what did she find in the closet crawl space? Who was the man in the garden? Did the clues lead where I thought they would? (Almost never.) Instead I found mini-cliffhangers and then I would be hooked again, reading for hours at a time as I followed a new lead.As an avid reader, I rarely don’t finish a book. I always try to push my way through to give every book a chance. Of course, this has been a waste of time on many books; not this one. Even though I did find myself at certain points begging to know whose social security number it really was, I know that if it weren’t for all the scenic descriptions I wouldn’t be as invested in the story. So, instead of judging a book solely based on what I feel while reading it (this time: frustration, anxiety, determination to guess the twists), what I rely on is the feeling I get after I am finished reading. Is it easily forgettable or am I still constantly thinking about it days later? In this case, and this is my mini-cliffhanger gift to you, the ending was in no way what I expected and I am still heartbroken for Eden’s story even days later. I urge you to give this book a chance to play with your mind a little. I challenge you to get ahead of Mary and figure out her ending.

capture*Read in full in “Be At Home Magazine” by the Bismarck Tribune