Book Review: The Prisoner, by B. A. Paris

After reading a few books by Paris, she is fast becoming a go-to author for me. The Prisoner sealed the deal.

I love when a book jumps right in and grabs you from page one. Amelie has been kidnapped and is in a pitch-black room. She can't understand why she has been kidnapped but knows that she might be safer here than if she is freed and must face her husband, Ned, who she is certain will kill her.

We get flashbacks to find out how Amelie met her friends, and through them, her future husband. And the strange way he became her husband. And, then, how she began to fear for her life.

Ned is everything a reader wants in a creepy, dangerous guy. But everything is not as it seems. I was surprised when the kidnapping ends about halfway through the book. The second half is about finding out who the kidnappers were and why. Paris throws in twist after twist and it's a page-turning rollercoaster ride.

As you can probably tell, I thoroughly enjoyed The Prisoner. And if you enjoy thrillers, you should get your hands on a copy. Sure, it's a little far-fetched at times, but I hardly noticed. The surprises make up for it.

Published by St. Martin's, November 2, 2022
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+
304 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: Cold, Cold Bones, by Kathy Reichs

Cold, Cold Bones is a Temperance Brennan Novel--the 21st one! And, as such, it is a familiar trope. But that is not a bad thing--not at all.

If you've read any of Reichs' novels, you will certainly enjoy Cold, Cold Bones. This case is related to several others Tempe has investigated, so having read some of them makes it interesting, although not necessary. Tempe's daughter is back. And Ryan makes an appearance.

I don't really have much more to say about Cold, Cold Bones, except Reichs is a master of drawing you in, leading you down several plausible paths, building up the tension, and then almost breaking you apart at the end.

If you haven't read any of the series, I highly recommend you start. I would begin with an earlier one, but you don't have to. I haven't read all of them, but I think I've read most. I always look forward to Tempe's adventures. If you've watched the TV series, Bones, it is based on this character. But, it isn't the same at all. Read the books.

Published by Scribner, July 5, 2022
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+ & NetGalley
352 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips

I realize Disappearing Earth has won multiple honors and gained a lot of praise throughout the bookish world. But this was just not the book for me.

At the beginning of the novel, set in the Kamchatka peninsula at the northeastern edge of Russia, two young sisters are kidnapped as they are walking home. This happens in August, and each chapter is set during the following month. To me, Disappearing Earth read like a book of short stories where the characters in each are tangentially related to other characters, and somehow connected to the disappearance of the sisters.

It didn't seem like we get any closer to finding the girls. There is no build up of tension. It's just storytelling. And Phillips is a great storyteller. The descriptions of setting and characters are colorful and vivid. As I look through others' reviews I see words like "thrilling," "engrossing," "addictive," and "mesmerizing." And I wonder, what did I miss? The last few chapters are satisfying, and we do get a resolution to the case of the missing girls. (This book was so weird, I sincerely worried that Phillips would leave us hanging.) But I don't understand the purpose of most of the chapters in the middle.

So don't take my word for it; I seem to be in the minority. Read other reviews and decide for yourself. I just had to be honest. And I freely admit I shy away from books described as "literary fiction," although I didn't see that description of Disappearing Earth.

The narrator, Ilyana Kadushin, did a great job. I really only finished this book because I was listening to the audio version. If it were in print, I definitely would not have finished.

Published by Knopf, 2019, audio by Random House
Audiobook obtained from libro.fm
272 pages

Rating: 2/5

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Book Review: The Defense, by Steve Cavanagh

The Defense is a taught thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Eddie Flynn gave up practicing law after a bad experience that is slowly revealed during The Defense. Eddie has been kidnapped by the head of the Russian mob and has no choice but to defend him. You see, they have kidnapped Eddie's daughter.

And they really don't care about a defense. They have Eddie wearing a coat equipped with a bomb, and he must set the bomb off and kill the star witness who has turned on the mob. How in the world is Eddie going to get out of this one?

His history as a con artist before he went to law school will definitely help him out. And a little luck -- there were some parts that were a little bit beyond belief, but still, the plotting was gut-wrenching. The Defense has so many unexpected twists and close calls that I may have had to stop listening once in a while so my heart could stop pounding. The bad guys were scary, the good guys were stupid, and Eddie is a pawn through all of it.

If you are a fan of legal thrillers, The Defense is not to be missed. And the good news is this is the first book of six books in the Eddie Flynn Series. I'm going to be sure to continue, but I may need a little break before I do.

Published by Flatiron, 2016
Audiobook purchased from libro.fm
320 pages

Rating: 4..5/5

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Book Review: Caught, by Harlan Coben

I'm a big Coben fan and had Caught in my stash for some reason. It isn't my favorite Coben, but I enjoyed it.

Wendy is one of those hard-hitting exposé reporters who has a popular TV show. She traps Dan Mercer, a social worker who works with teens, in a compromising position with a teen girl and gets him arrested.

Haley is a 17-year-old teen who has been popular and well-behaved. When she doesn't come home one night and no one can find a trace of her, the community is stunned. And things start to point to Dan Mercer. But is the case that simple?

Wendy is about to find out it isn't. And we readers really don't expect it to be when Coben is involved. The story twists and turns and then twists again. As usual, I couldn't predict how it would all end, and I love that.

If you are a fan of Coben, or thriller/mysteries at all, you should check out Caught. Coben never disappoints.

Published by Dutton, 2010

Copy obtained from ??
400 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Home by Harlan Coben

Coben is one of my favorite authors. I prefer his mysteries that aren't from the Myron Bolitar series, which Home is, but I still enjoyed it.

This time Win gets an anonymous tip about his nephew who has been missing for ten years. Rhys, his nephew, and his friend Patrick were abducted from Rhys' home when they were six years old. Now Win has found Patrick in London, but the boy has fled. So Win calls on Myron to help.

Myron hasn't heard from Win for years, but even though Myron has vowed to his fiance he will stay out of danger, he can't help but answer Win's call. And off he goes.

I think Bolitar (and especially Win) are a bit over the top. But still, the stuff they do is compelling. The story has delightful twists and turns and some shady, as well as colorful, characters. I didn't see the ending coming which is always a bonus.

If you are a fan of Myron Bolitar, Harlan Coben, or if you just love a thrilling mystery with a lot of twists, you should put Home on your list. BTW...Tell No One will always be my favorite by Coben. So if you are unfamiliar with the author, start there.

Published by Dutton, 2016
eBook obtained from the library
400 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Audiobook Review: Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Before We Were Yours is an interesting story, both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

Dual perspective is used very effectively, with our first narrator being Rill, beginning in 1939 when she was twelve years old. Rill is put in charge of her four younger siblings when her mother has difficulty delivering her sixth child and must be taken to the hospital. Rill and her family live on a riverboat traveling up and down the Mississippi trying to survive. They are "river gypsies." While her parents are gone, all five children are taken away to a boarding house serving as an orphanage. They are told they will see their parents soon, but that is a lie.

The second perspective is Avery Stafford, a woman who is about to have it all. She is a successful lawyer who is engaged to be married. The wedding promises to be one of South Carolina's most lavish affairs. We are in the present day, and Avery's father, the senator, is grooming Avery to be his replacement if he must retire. Avery is on a political outing with her father when she meets an old woman in a nursing home named May. When May tells Avery she knows her grandmother, Judy, Avery thinks she must be confused. May simply didn't associate with the kind of people that Judy Stafford did. And Grandma Judy is now in a nursing home suffering from Alzheimer's, so she isn't much help.

Avery is compelled to find out why May thinks she knows Judy. As we are exposed to the absurdly harsh and unjust treatment Rill and her siblings are subjected to, we follow Avery as she secretly works to uncover her family's hidden past, revelations that will possibly redefine all of Avery's hopes and dreams for her future.

Before We Were Yours moves at a pretty slow pace and drags even more in the middle, but the story that unfolds is so unbelievable that you can't stop reading. Because it is based on true events, it is even more fascinating.

Each perspective is narrated by a different person, and both of them read too slowly for my taste. It is a story from the South, so the slow, southern drawl was appropriate, I guess, but I'm too impatient. I had to speed it up.

Overall, Before We Were Yours is a worthwhile read, and I would definitely recommend it. Depending on your taste, you may want to choose to read it rather than listen, but either way, you will enjoy the experience.

Published by Ballentine, 2017, Random House Audio, 2018
Audiobook obtained from the library
352 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Audio Book Review: Split Second, by David Baldacci

Split Second, the first book in the King & Maxwell series, provided all the suspense and unexpected twists that I was hoping for.

Michelle Maxwell has potentially destroyed her career as a Secret Service agent when the presidential candidate she was protecting gets kidnapped. She is relieved of duties and looks up Sean King, who eight years ago, as a Secret Service Agent, had let his presidential candidate get murdered.

Maxwell wants to do her own investigating. Coincidentally, King is recruited by an old colleague from the Secret Service, Joan, to help her find Maxwell's candidate. She now works privately and has been hired by the candidate's family.

These three end up working together and uncovering links between the two events, as unlikely as that may seem. The characters are interesting, as we learn about past relationships and developing new ones. The pace is quick and certainly kept my interest.

There are a lot of characters and sometimes names are thrown out quickly. I think this was a disadvantage to the audio format. If I were reading the print version, I'd page back and remind myself. For the audio version, until I remembered who they were talking about, I may miss something. Or else I would have to back up a few minutes. These multiple characters and many different suspects serve to make for a complex plot that continually surprised me.

That alone makes it a worthwhile read. I really enjoyed listening. The narrator, Scott Brick, did a great job. His characterizations were distinct without being annoying.

I'm not going to rush out and grab the next book in the series (I believe there are six of them), but I would enjoy continuing it someday. Split Second is a good choice if you are in the mood for a thriller.

Published by Grand Central, 2003. Hachette Audio
Audiobook obtained from the library
432 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

I ended up loving Then She Was Gone, even after having my doubts at the beginning of the story.

It's been ten years since Laurel's daughter, Ellie, disappeared. And she's still trying to put her life back together. The disappearance caused a divorce from her husband, who seems to be doing fine with his new love. Her other two children have grown distant. Laurel just needs closure.

And she gets it. Finally, remains of her daughter are found, and they are able to put her to rest. Soon after, a chance meeting of a handsome, friendly man in a coffee shop changes her life. She finds herself unusually attracted to Floyd. He reminds her so much of her husband in many ways. He actually lives in her neighborhood. And she is stunned when she meets his 9-year-old daughter, Poppy, who looks so much like her Ellie. As their relationship progresses, so does Laurel's unease about Floyd, but she won't accept her feelings, because he is such a wonderful man and she's becoming very attached to Poppy.

It starts when she finds out there is a relationship between Poppy's mother (who has disappeared) and Ellie. I won't say much more about it.

At the beginning, I was kind of disappointed because the reader feels he or she knows what has happened to Ellie.  Well, not exactly, and that's what kept me reading. And I had strong suspicions about Poppy. But, the details aren't really known until the very end. Finding out about all of those details kept me enthralled.

The reader is sucked into the story, and we get flashbacks from Ellie, which add to the tension. Each part is from a different character's perspective, and one of them is Floyd, which I think was my favorite.

Very well done, Ms. Jewell. If you like contemporary thrillers with mystery and lots of intrigue, you will certainly enjoy Then She Was Gone. There is a reason the wait list for this book at the library is so long!

Published by Atria, 2018
eBook FREE from the publisher
359 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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