Book Review: Zero Days by Ruth Ware

While Zero Days may not be my favorite Ware book, it can certainly be described as a page-turner!

Jack and her husband Gabe are experts at testing companies' security systems. Jack attempts to break into their facilities and get to the good stuff. Gabe tries to hack their computers. They are very good at what they do.

Jack arrives home very late from an assignment and finds Gabe murdered while sitting at his computer. The spouse is always the first suspect, and since Jack's alibi isn't airtight, she soon becomes the primary target of the investigation. In order to make sure that whoever did this pays for it, Jack goes on the run to try to solve the case herself.

At first, I thought the setup was a bit too cutsie, but soon things take a dramatic turn. At about 50% you begin to suspect the bad guy. But I think that is by design, and you are only at 50%, so trust me, there's a lot more to it. Jack is one of the most determined and resilient characters I have ever met. The length she goes to is astounding. The twists and turns are exciting.

And the end is a bit cutsie too. But all in all, I enjoyed Zero Days a lot and would recommend it. This was a very quick read for me, during times when I've not been reading quickly at all! That says a lot.

Published by Gallery/Scout Press, June 20, 2023
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+
368 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

I have really enjoyed every Kingsolver book I've read, but Demon Copperhead just didn't do it for me. And to be perfectly honest, I skipped part of it.

From the blurb: Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Relayed in his own unsparing voice, Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. 

Kingsolver writes well. Her text is interesting. But this book was such a downer. For the first 1/3, I slogged through and then was so happy that things were looking up for Demon. But there was a lot of book to go, so as I continued, at about 60% I realized things were going to get depressing again. I went to the reviews. There are many stunningly glowing reviews. Maybe because this is supposed to be a modern retelling of David Copperfield. (I've never read it.) But when I looked at the more harsh reviews, I realized many people felt the way I did. People who were Kingsolver fans. But I did see that the book's ending was worth reading. So I skipped ahead and read the last few chapters.

I was able to glean pretty much what had happened in the part that I skipped. And, as I suspected, it was horrifying. The book is TOO LONG. It just goes on and on. Same stuff over and over. Same complaints. Same hardships. Lots of substance-abuse-related deaths.

Demon Copperhead wasn't for me. Maybe if you are prepped and in the right frame of mind, you will love it, as many others did. 

Published by Harper, October 18, 2022
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+
370/560 pages

Rating: 3/5

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Audiobook Review: Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Stephen King's latest, Fairy Tale, is a bit different than his usual horror-ish stories, but as I have often said, I will read anything he writes because he can write about anything!

It's a story about a boy, Charlie, who ends up in a fairytale land and must save that land from the evil king who possesses it.

But of course, there is so much more. Charlie ends up befriending the local "old guy with the mean dog whose house is haunted." When Charlie hears the man crying out for help, he calls an ambulance and ends up taking care of the man's dog, Radar. Radar is just a sweet, aging German Shepherd that can hardly make it up the steps to his house. And Charlie soon falls in love with him.

After his convalescence in the hospital, the man, Mr. Bowditch, comes home and Charlie takes care of him, as well as Radar. Bowditch begins to confide in Charlie about his life, his past, and secrets that Charlie can tell no one. One secret is about what is in the shed in Mr. Bowditch's backyard.

Now you can probably see where this is going, and I really don't want to tell you much more. It is a fun adventure story, with lots of danger and many references to fairy tales we are all familiar with -- but this isn't a retelling. King, of course, adds his own twists and turns.

The narrator, Seth Numrich, is perfect. The voices are distinct, but not too much. King, himself, narrates a certain part of the book, and it's amazing. I highly recommend the audio version, if you like audiobooks.

Don't go in expecting the usual spooky, twisted, scary tale that you usually get, and you will be highly entertained by Fairy Tale.

Published by Scribner, September 6, 2022, audio by Simon & Schuster
Audiobook obtained from libro.fm
608 pages

Rating: 5/5

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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: The It Girl, by Ruth Ware

It took me forever (over a month) to get through The It Girl, but I really enjoyed how it ended.

I'm not sure if I didn't feel like reading because I wasn't engaged in the book, or if I wasn't engaged in the book because I didn't feel like reading. I have read almost all of Ware's books and enjoyed them, but The It Girl just seemed to drag on quite slowly for much of the story.

Hannah and April are roommates at Pelham, one of the Oxford University colleges. April has money, beauty, and friends. One of them is Will, with whom April quickly begins a romantic relationship. But Hannah can hardly breathe around Will, she has such a crush. 

By the end of their Freshman year, April is dead. She was murdered in their room, and Hannah discovers the body.

Ten years later, Hannah and Will are happily married and expecting their only child. They haven't kept in touch with their other college friends, mostly because the memories are too difficult. Hannah was instrumental in having the murderer brought to justice and is happy that part of her life is over. But, when the murderer dies in prison, the publicity begins again. And this time, new facts are brought up that make Hannah think the wrong person was convicted. She feels so guilty she can't stop trying to find the truth.

The chapters jump from "Before" to "After" for much of the book. So I guess there is a lot of background and buildup. But I just didn't get very much tension or anticipation until the "Before" parts quit--I think at about 70% through the book. After that--wow!

I didn't figure out who the guilty person was, which is always a bonus. There is a small group of characters, so it was pretty easy to keep track. The writing was easy. I just didn't get that jolt--the need to keep reading--until way late in the book.

Like I said, maybe it was just me. I do recommend The It Girl, although I would recommend other Ware books first.

Published by Gallery/Scout, July 12, 2022
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+
432 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: I Must Betray You, by Ruta Sepetys

Sepetys usually writes about little-known aspects of war or politics, and I Must Betray You is no exception.

It's hard to read. The political situation in Romania in the 1970s and 1980s was so horrific -- and pretty much hidden from the rest of the world. Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Communist dictator that ran the most isolated and oppressive nation in the world. People always stood in line for very little food. Coats were worn inside since little heat was available. Students were required to attend school six days a week. But the biggest issue was the fear.  People were afraid of each other. There was no place to talk, no one to trust. Not even within families.

Christian Florescu is a seventeen-year-old high school student who has been turned in to the secret police for supposed illegal activities, and they bribe him to become an informer. He's trying to navigate his teen years with the usual romantic endeavors. He wants to become a writer, but that seems impossible at this time.

The story starts in October of 1989, and if you know history (which I looked up), Ceaușescu is executed in December of 1989. Christian becomes involved in the resistance and is put in grave danger.

I Must Betray You is compulsively readable. The chapters are short and because of the conditions, the tension is constant. As usual, there are detailed notes at the end and an extensive bibliography. This was an eye-opening book for me, and teens, as well as adults, should consider I Must Betray You. 

Published by Philomel, February 1, 2022
Copy obtained from the library
336 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: The Book Woman's Daughter, by Kim Michele Richardson

If you enjoyed The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, then you definitely want to pick up The Book Woman's Daughter. If you are unfamiliar, you should click and go read my review of the first book.

The Book Woman's Daughter continues the story of the packhorse librarians of Kentucky in the 1950s. As the title indicates, this story is about Cussy's daughter, Honey. 

At the beginning of the book, Cussy and her husband are being arrested and taken to jail for miscegenation. The authorities are going to try to take Honey and put her in a workhouse for orphans. So, of course, she runs.

The story involves many old characters and several new ones. I didn't feel Daughter was quite as tense as the original book, but in the end, it ramps up quite nicely.

I highly recommend both books. This book, although a sequel, has been marketed as being a stand-alone, but I would not recommend reading The Book Woman's Daughter unless you have read the original. There is just too much back story in the first book that immediately attaches you to the characters in the sequel.

Published by Sourcebooks Landmark, May 3, 2022
eARC obtained from Edelweiss+
352 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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AudioBook Review: The Plea, by Steve Cavanagh

I continue to be captivated by Cavanagh's Eddi Flynn books after having read the second, The Plea. 

Just like the first book, The Defense, the breakneck pace keeps your heart pounding. David Child, a multimillionaire, swears he didn't kill his girlfriend. But the evidence -- camera footage of him being the only one in the apartment, the gun found in his car, and gunshot residue found on his clothes -- makes it impossible to believe he didn't commit the crime. But Eddie Flynn believes him.

Eddie is being pushed by the FBI to force Child to take a plea, but Eddie can't do it. Even though Eddie's wife is going to be charged with a felony if he doesn't.

It all takes place in about 24 hours and ends with Eddie being shot. That isn't a spoiler, because that is the first thing that happens in the book.  Then we flashback. 

I really enjoy the audio version of this series, read by Adam Sims. I think there is a bit of over-the-top drama, but I can forgive it for the story.

If you like adrenaline-pumping, "how is he possibly going to get out of this" -type books, you need to check out this series. It isn't necessary to read them in order, but why not?

Published by Flatiron Books, 2018, Macmillan Audio
Audiobook obtained from libro.fm
368 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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