The Stranger's Wife

The Stranger's Wife is a riveting psychological thriller with a surprise ending. It is the 3rd book in the Detective Dan Riley Series, a police procedural mystery. It reads easily as a stand alone novel and is the first book that I have read in the series. It was published on January 16, 2020.

Beth and Cath are leaving their husbands. One is wealthy and having an affair with a man who gives her the kind of love that her cold, detached husband does not. One is living hand to mouth, suffering at the hands of a violent partner who would rather see her dead than leave him. You may think you know these women already and how their lives will unfold.  Beth will live happily ever after with her little girl and her soulmate. Cath will go back to her abusive husband and these two women will never cross paths.  But you will be wrong.  On the 3:15 p.m. train from London to Bristol, Beth and Cath are about to meet and discover they share one shocking thing in common.

A clever plot and suspenseful writing make this novel a page turner.  I read it in about two and a half hours and loved every bit of it.  I thought that is was a pretty good read until I got to the ending.  I was not prepared for how the plot was resolved and was pleasantly surprised by how the loose ends were woven together.  The story alternates between the point of view of Beth, Cath and Dan Riley. Cath's story did not take off until the midway point but was essential to the plot.

This was a relaxing read and I am putting the earlier two novels in the series on my TBR list.  5 out of 5 stars.

Seven Days

Seven Days is a spellbinding psychological thriller with a great plot premise.  Maggie has seven days to save her third son.  In seven days her son Max will turn 3 years old. However, she is not planning a birthday party for him. Instead she is dreading it because it means that she will lose her son.  For the last twelve years Maggie has been imprisoned in a basement after being abducted at the age of fifteen. After being raped repeatedly by her captor she gave birth to two sons before Max. Both of them were taken away by her captor on their third birthday. Not wanting this to happen again, Maggie needs to come up with a plan to save her son.

Seven Days is a superb read. It has an eerie atmosphere and along with its sense of urgency I could not put the book down. I devoured the book in one sitting. The suspense factor was huge. Each chapter ended with a chilling dilemma for Maggie and also for her family. The story alternates between Maggie in the basement and her family's search for her. If there is anything that might feel unbelievable it is that Maggie is still alive and is able to handle living for twelve years in a basement with no light. However, we know from the news media that this has happened in real life so it is believable.

I highly recommend this book for mystery fans.  5 out of 5 stars.

Some Days are Dark

As a woman it's hard not to love a book that begins with "I was happy my husband died."  I loved this novel where the main character is accused of killing or trying to kill 2 husbands and another man who was supposedly helping her solve the second husband's death. Olivia Miller is a likable character who just happens to have no skills in picking friends. It's not her fault people around her die. It's their lifestyles, not hers.

The novel takes place in 2018 in Whitaker, TN and opens with Olivia being interviewed on a true crime TV station by the book's version of Nancy Grace. Interviewer Vanessa Hardgrave asks Olivia questions that were not agreed upon when they discussed Olivia appearing on the show. Vanessa then distorts Olivia's answers on subsequent programs where she discusses the death of Olivia's 2nd husband Dane Miller. The novel is written with chapters that alternate from before the murder and after the murder.

The publisher's summary:

Before 

Olivia knows she is lucky.  She has a loving husband, Frank, an adorable son, Jake, and a beautiful new home.  It couldn't be more different from her childhood on the outskirts of Whitaker, dirt poor and dreaming of getting out.  But at the end of long days with no one to talk to, always feeling like she's not quite good enough, she starts to wonder if there's a better life waiting... 

After 

Everyone in Whitaker knows who Olivia is.  She's the woman who left her family for no-good Dane Miller, and the one who most likely shot him.  Now, there's gossip about her everywhere she goes, she's too scared to leave the house most days, and she barely gets to see her beloved son. 

But if the police and the world think she's guilty, there's only one thing she can do - prove her innocence herself.  Even if that means putting her own life in danger.

This was a gripping suspense novel that had me hooked from the first page. The opening line is one of the best that I have ever seen. There are a number of biting comments just like it so you know that the author is a woman. While the plot was packed with twists and turns, I chuckled throughout the book at the author's sarcastic commentary, through her characters, on the male species.  There is a modern flair to the story as well as Olivia becomes addicted to prescription pain killers after an injury in an automobile accident. She struggles to get through the pain of her boring life with the assistance of the pills.

It's amazing that this is Miranda Smith's first novel. I look forward to reading more from her.  5 out of 5 stars.

In Her Eyes

In Her Eyes by Sarah Alderson is a gripping psychological thriller that takes place in California. Ava's life is the kind other people envy: loving husband, great kids, beautiful house, until a violent home invasion turns the dream into a nightmare and leaves her daughter fighting to survive. This wasn't a random attack and Ava is reeling from the knowledge that someone is targeting her family. To save those she loves from even greater danger Ava must find out what really happened that night.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat as the drama unfolds. It grabbed me from the first page until the ending, which surprised me. At one point, I suspected every character.  The twists and turns were spectacular, sometimes eery. All of the characters were great, but I felt that Ava sometimes made stupid decisions. If there is any criticism of the book, it is that Ava's conclusions when new evidence was unveiled were over the top.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Three Women

The Three Women is Valerie Keough's third novel.  It is advertised on the front cover as being a jaw-dropping psychological thriller and it most definitely is.  The ending was such a surprise. I was not expecting it. I think the author did an awesome job in creating this plot.

The publisher's summary:

"When Beth, Megan and Joanne meet at university, they become inseparable friends who'd do anything for one another - even agreeing to keeping what happens on one shocking night a secret. Now in their forties and outwardly successful, each of the three has dealt with what happened in their own way. But secrets and lies leave their mark. When Megan decides to tell her fiancé the truth about that night, it threatens to ruin the lives of everyone around her. And someone is prepared to do anything to stop that happening."

The Three Women scared me straight! The consequences of telling lies is huge here. Of course, I am not really a liar but if you are then you might want to read this novel. It starts out as just the stories of the 3 women but toward the midway point the reader begins to see how lies transform people.  Lies transform the hearers as well as the people speaking the words.  Within the plot, you will be shown how the choices that people make in their lives are impacted by lies.  ooh...scary!

I loved this book!  The characters were compelling but after reading the ending one of them became my favorite. The makeup of her psychology makes sense at the end. While this particular character seemed a little dull during the unfolding of the plot, at the conclusion of the book you see her shining in all her nasty glory.

5 out of 5 stars!

The First Husband

The First Husband is McGarvey Black's second novel. It was a fast paced psychological thriller that I was unable to put down. It opens with Trina Holmgren and her best friend Jenn Fairfield arriving in India for a vacation. When they step off a bus in Kashmir they are met with the loud shouts of men trying to rent their boats. When they meet Sam Ayad, who is quiet among this crowd, he offers them his parents' houseboat as a place to rent while they are there. They agree. Sam stays with them all day guarding the boat and provides tours in the Kashmir area. Trina and Sam begin to fall in love with each other and Trina decides not to return to America at the end of her stay. She agrees to remain in Kashmir for another two weeks in order to spend time with Sam. Just before her departure she agrees to marry Sam and gives him her grandmother's silver locket as a promise that she will return to India for him. When Trina returns several months later Sam refuses to return the locket unless she marries him. In order to get it back, she and Sam are married and Trina returns to the U.S., promising him that she will begin the process of getting him entry to America. However, she has no intention of seeing him ever again. Trina returns to her life in New York City and ignores all of Sam's letters. After 18 months of writing to Trina with no response from her, Sam resolves to get revenge. He comes up with a plan that will devastate her and many others.

Wow! This book was fantastic. The suspense began in the first chapter and continued until the last page. The ending was unexpected but brilliant. The characters were compelling and believable, although I felt that Trina was superficial in all of her relationships. She was presented as a sweet woman but deep down I thought she had a cruel side. I don't think that I can find any fault with this book. It was written tight as a psychological thriller should be written and was a satisfying read. I am just blown away with how Sam gets his revenge. Not wanting to be a spoiler, I will leave it at that. The First Husband is a must read!!

5 out of 5 stars.

Dreamland

Dreamland is Nancy Bilyeau's latest book.  It takes place in New York City in 1911 with 20-year-old Peggy Batternberg agreeing to spend a summer with her wealthy family at the luxurious Oriental Hotel.  The Hotel is about one mile from Coney Island but because her family disapproves of that type of entertainment she is forbidden to go there.  Peggy preferred to spend her summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore in New York City instead of socializing with her controlling and snobbish family.  In order to help her sister Lydia set a wedding date with Lydia's fiancé Henry Taul, she leaves her job at the bookstore and travels with them for the summer.  A marriage between Lydia and Taul will save the Batternbergs from financial ruin.  A chance visit to Coney Island captivates her even before she meets a poor artist named Stefan in the Dreamland section of the amusement park.  It is love at first sight for both of them and Peggy agrees to meet Stefan often.  However, she has to keep this love affair a secret from her family as they would disapprove of her seeing a poor immigrant. Before long, there are murders occurring with Peggy and Stefan at the center of them.

I loved this book!  It was an engrossing read.  While the beginning was a little slow as the author set up the characters, once the family was settled at the Oriental Hotel the action increased the speed of the novel.  What sets this historical mystery apart from others is that the author addresses discrimination issues such as immigrant rights, women's rights, socioeconomic status, and privilege within the plot.  It works seamlessly with her superb writing.  If there is anything to criticize about the novel it is that the murders do not begin to occur until well into the book.  I expected a historical fiction story based upon the beginning but it turned into a mystery as well.

5 out of 5 stars!

Hide Away

Jason Pinter's latest book is the first in a new series.  I am not sure what type of mysteries the Rachel Marin Series will be. It is hard to tell from Hide Away. Rachel is not in law enforcement so I am assuming that she is an amateur sleuth. However, in Hide Away Rachel did not do an investigation of the crime. She was present at a number of events but did not go out and look for evidence or interview witnesses. 

The publisher's summary of the book:

"On the surface, Rachel Marin is an ordinary single mother; on the inside, she’s a fierce, brilliant vigilante. After an unspeakable crime shatters her life, she changes her identity and moves to a small town in Illinois, hoping to spare her children from further trauma…or worse. But crime follows her everywhere. 

When the former mayor winds up dead, Rachel can’t help but get involved. Where local detectives see suicide, she sees murder. They resent her for butting in—especially since she’s always one step ahead. But her investigative genius may be her undoing: the deeper she digs, the harder it is to keep her own secrets buried. 

Her persistence makes her the target of both the cops and a killer. Meanwhile, the terrifying truth about her past threatens to come to light, and Rachel learns the hard way that she can’t trust anyone. Surrounded by danger, she must keep her steely resolve, protect her family, and stay one step ahead, or else she may become the next victim."

I think the book has a few failures.  Rachel does not have a defined role.  Being a vigilante, as the publisher summary states, is not enough.  She needs to be involved in the investigation of a crime and the author has not shown if she will be an amateur sleuth.  If she is not a sleuth then who is she?  Also, I did not think that she was a likable character.  She bored me.  Other characters stated that she was crazy but the author did not give her any attributes of a crazy or eccentric person.  How can a series have a heroine that is undefined in the first book? The reader does not know what to expect in future novels. 

Hide Away was an OK book.  I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.

Trap Door

Trap Door is pure suspense.  This psychological thriller was published last month on February 11, 2020.  It is scary and I had shivers down my spine as I read it.  I think you will like it.  Here is the publisher's summary:

"100 years ago young women were killed in this workplace.  Is history about to repeat itself?   

Rachel, a young woman in serious debt, needs to find a job fast before she's made homeless.  She gets a lucky break when she is offered a great position in a successful company.  Then she discovers that the building was once a Victorian sweatshop with a tragic history. Is this why Rachel feels something increasingly sinister?  Soon her new job becomes a living nightmare.  Rachel desperately wants out, but she has no other way of escaping her debts.  She's trapped.  Then she makes a shocking discovery.  Haunted by the death of others and as the present and past begin to close in, Rachel needs to find ans 

What is really going on in her workplace?  And can she ever escape her inner demons?"

I loved this book!  It had many subplots and shocking twists that kept me reading until I finished the book in one sitting.  Secondary character Keats was an interesting character, more so than the protagonist Rachel.  Keats is quirky and has secrets of her own. In fact, I did not even know that she was female until the midway point!  Rachel seemed like the typical whiny, privileged girl who cannot stop spending money.  She was not as compelling as Keats but the plot was intriguing and that kept my interest in the book.

I will definately read author Dreda Say Mitchell's other books.  She is a fantastic writer.  After reading her online biography I learned that she received a MBE from Queen Elizabeth II this year for her service to literature and educational work in prisons.  She received several other awards and has written for the Guardian, Independent and Observer newspapers in Britain.  I feel like a dummy for never having heard about her until I found this book on Kindle.

Mystery and suspense lovers need to read this book.  5 out of 5 stars!

Apartment 6

Apartment 6 was just published two months ago and it is one heck of a spellbinder. This gripping psychological thriller opens with a five-year-old Meagan trying to help her mother who has been physically abused by her husband. The story then switches to the present day with an adult  Meagan trying to cope with her abusive husband Rob. The novel alternates between twenty years past and the present.

The publisher's summary:

"Do you have the courage to escape?  Be careful what you wish for.  When Meagan was five years old her mother was viciously attacked and murdered.  Now as an adult, she herself is the victim of an abusive relationship.  Meagan is so desperate to escape but doesn't have the courage to leave.  So, when Meagan meets Oliver, a decent guy who is on the rebound after a failed relationship, the two strike up a connection.  But when Meagan confesses that her husband is abusive, it leads Oliver down a dark and dangerous path.  Just how far would you go to protect someone?  Oliver is about to find out and be pushed to his very limits."

This book was written in Hitchcock style. Every chapter ended with an eerie, suspenseful cliffhanger. The tension begins with the first chapter and continues through the unexpected ending.   If you decide to read it, prepare yourself with some snacks and a beverage because you won't be able to put it down.  I am still spellbound 3 days after reading this book.  It is that good.

5 out of 5 stars!

Sugar and Spite

After reading two steamy historical fiction novels this month I thought it best to switch to a cozy mystery. Sugar and Spite is the 22nd installment of the Ettie Smith Amish Cozy Mystery series by Samantha Price. This is the first book in the series that I have read.

Amish sisters Ettie Smith and Elsa-Mae Lutz decide to bring a cake as a peace offering to Brunhilde Hoffman whom Elsa-Mae believes is angry with her. Upon entering Brunhilde's candy shop they find her dead body. The cake is accidentally dropped on the floor. Thinking that the cake contaminates the crime scene, they clean it up. Since the Amish people don't like speaking to outsiders, the police ask the sisters to talk to their Amish neighbors about what they know about Brunhilde. Ettie and Elsa-Mae then begin to interview their suspects and gather evidence.

This book is a traditional cozy with no violence or sex described within its pages. The main characters are an amusing set of sisters whose back and forth commentary on everything imaginable will make the reader chuckle. There is no sibling rivalry here. Etta and Elsa-Mae get along well, sweetly nudging each other when their habits annoy the other sister. The plot was more complicated than I expected for a cozy. The sisters find plenty of people who had bad experiences dealing with Brunhilde, both personally and in business, and these issues needed to be fleshed out by them in order to solve the crime.

Sugar and Spite is a relaxing read. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Old Bones

Old Bones is the first book in a new series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. It is the Nora Kelly Book 1 with character Nora Kelly being the curator at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute. Nora is approached by historian Clive Benton for help in putting together an archeological expedition to locate the Lost Camp of the ill-fated Donner Party. The Donner Party were headed west in 1847 to California but got lost and starved to death. They killed and ate their horses, dogs and then each other. Benton has just found a diary of one of the victims that has clues to the location of the Lost Camp.  He needs the assistance of Nora and her team of explorers and scientists to find the camp as well as a possible treasure grove of gold coins worth twenty million dollars. Nora agrees to lead the expedition. Her team soon discovers that finding the camp and uncovering what the Donners experienced has modern-day repercussions.

Old Bones was an enjoyable read. The pace was steady and the intricate plot gradually unveiled its mysteries. What I find exceptional is that there are two strong female characters that will most likely be working together in future novels.  They make a great pair. Nora Kelly is an archeologist and Corrie Swanson is a rookie FBI agent. Both characters have been in previous Preston and Child books but not together. These two worked side by side in Old Bones after one of Nora's team died unexpectedly. What is unusual is that two male authors are writing about two female protagonists. Usually women write about women and vice versa. It's exciting to see two intelligent women in authoritative positions working in tandem on cases.

While the wild west setting of the book is not something I care for, Old Bones had enough archeology, history and crime to keep me happy. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

The King's Justice

This is the first installment  of the Stanton and Barling Mystery series by E. M. Powell. It takes place in 1176 England with Aelred Barling, court clerk to Henry II's justices, and Hugo Stanton, Barling's messenger. They are sent from the traveling royal courts to investigate a murder in Claresham after Sir Reginald Edgar arrives at the court in York to request permission to hang a suspected murderer. Edgar is a little drunk and a lot obnoxious and since he has no witnesses his request is denied. Barling and Stanton are ordered to investigate the matter and administer the king's justice, if necessary.  The case initially appears to be an open and shut case with a suspect already locked up in jail. Additional bodies begin to be found but with the suspect escaping from jail, the villagers in Claresham are demanding that he be caught and hung immediately.

The king's justice is the name of a test that determines if a person is innocent or guilty. The test is performed by tying the suspect's hands to their ankles and submerging them in water.  If the suspect drowns, he is innocent.  If the suspect floats, he is guilty and is hung later in the day.  I wondered while I was reading this whether the person controlling the rope that submerges the suspects was able to decide who was guilty. It seemed to me that this person held onto the rope at all times and could submerge you in a way that you floated as a guilty person.

I enjoyed the book but with 6 or 7 murders to investigate it was a bit exhausting. There were several intriguing suspects and many twists and turns, perhaps too many twists and turns if that is even possible. The back and forth between new victims, new suspects and new twists should have been suspenseful but it just seemed to be too much for one book.  With each new victim there was a new suspect. Also, it was surprising that Stanton was a more cerebral sleuth than Barling. I expected the opposite. It will be interesting to see how their work relationship grows in subsequent novels.

4 out of 5 stars.

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge

The Cloak and Dagger Challenge is a new (to me) mystery book challenge. You can join at several reading levels but I will be selecting the Detective Level and will read between 16 and 25 books. The challenge runs the 2020 calendar year. All mystery genres/subgenres count for the challenge.

This challenge replaces the My Kind of Mystery challenge that I have participated in for several years. This challenge is not returning in 2020.