Books of August 2024
I read 14 books in August, and I'll share 12 of them here. I loved three of them, and the rest were pretty good (except for a couple).
The Appeal by Janice Hallett was just excellent. It has a different sort of format, but I had no trouble getting into its clever construction. The book begins with two young lawyers being given a load of emails, text messages, and letters from 15 murder suspects who are all part of the Fairway Players, a theater group. Their job is to read them all, search for clues, and help identify the perpetrator. The basic setup is that the two-year-old granddaughter of the theatrical group's owner and director has been diagnosed with brain cancer. A Go Fund Me type of donation site is set up to pay for expensive experimental treatments. But is the money really going toward medical costs or is it being diverted into someone's personal account? Then, someone gets murdered on the night of the play opening. I was unsure if I could trust the family, the doctor, or the actors in the company. This book was quite brilliant and the reader gets to read along and figure things out along with the lawyers. I loved it! 5 stars
In An Instant by Suzanne Redfearn left me deeply moved. Here is the Amazon description: "Life is over in an instant for sixteen-year-old Finn Miller when a devastating car accident tumbles her and ten others over the side of a mountain. Suspended between worlds, she watches helplessly as those she loves struggle to survive." Did you ever read "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold? If you found that book meaningful, you will enjoy this one. Finn doesn't survive the car crash, but is stuck in between heaven and earth watching (and trying to help) her family and friends who did survive. I was totally gripped by this book. I listened to the audible version which was very well narrated. The Kindle Unlimited ebook is available right now for free. 5 stars
The Wedding People by Alison Espach was a Book of the Month selection that I quite enjoyed. Phoebe Stone has just been left by her husband, and has nothing to lose. She arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island with nothing but the fancy green dress she is wearing and a bottle of pills she plans to take to do herself in. However, she is mistaken for one of the week-long guests of a very elaborate wedding when she arrives and finds herself swept up into much more than she imagined. At times both hilarious and very tender. If you like a book where people get a fresh start, you'll like this. 4.5 stars
A Secret Worth Keeping by Drew Strickland. I saw this free Kindle Unlimited book and borrowed it on a whim. What a lucky thing! I could not put down this short thriller and read it in two sittings. It has short "Cheeto" chapters and a plot that zooms along like a zip line ride. Joel and Stella plan a weekend getaway at a secluded cabin to celebrate their new relationship. Through a series of bizarre events, they find themselves needing to deal with a dead body. But Joel divulges a secret that shows Stella there is no way they can get the authorities involved. Will Stella trust Joel? Is there more he isn't telling her? And what about the secret she is keeping from him? This was a fun wild ride. Everything I want in a thriller: fast pace, lots of twists, and a crazy town ending. 4.5 stars
Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena. I guess I was in the mood for thrillers this month. This fast-paced book kept my attention and kept me guessing. Dr. William Wooler has been having an affair with a neighbor that ended badly one afternoon. He goes home to lick his wounds, only to find his difficult 9-year-old daughter Avery home alone when she shouldn't be. They have words and William loses his temper and leaves again to drive around. When the rest of the family arrives home there is no sign of Avery. She is reported missing and the police become involved. Everyone lies and everyone seems like a suspect. Who took Avery?You will have to suspend belief with this book, but that's the way with most thrillers, right? Very twisty. 4 stars
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson. This is the author who wrote "Major Petigrew's Last Stand" and "The Summer Before the War", both wonderful books that I enjoyed. I was excited to pick this up. Here's the setup: It is 1919 and Constance Haverhill is without prospects. Now that the war is over and the men are coming home, she has been let go from her job (it must go to a man) and her home. She is temporarily working as a companion to Mrs. Fogg, a family friend who is recovering from influenza at a seaside hotel in Hazelbourne-by-the-Sea. In her free time, she meets Poppy, the daughter of a local baronet who is very modern for the times. Poppy has started up a motorcycle taxi service run by local girls. The group is very welcoming to Constance and she becomes swept up in their activities. I loved the description of life in England after WW1, and how things were on the brink of great social change. The characters were well-drawn and the book was very amusing at times. What I didn't like is that the book was way too long and I found the ending to be quite unsatisfactory. Worth the read if you enjoy historical fiction and this author's other books. 3 stars
Do you like a gothic mystery set in a spooky house? You might love The Third Wife of Faraday House by B.R. Myers. Emeline Fitzpatrick is desperate to escape her life in foggy Halifax. She dreams of marrying a handsome lieutenant in the British navy, but he is deemed unacceptable by her guardian. Said guardian is lining up a roster of suitors Emiline finds disgusting and the naval officer is slow to sweep her off to a new life. Finally, Emiline is betrothed to the wealthy Captain Graves, who they have been told has been twice widowed. Emiline is shipped off to isolated and creepy Faraday House to be married, only to find when she arrives that the second Mrs. Graves is still alive... 3.75 stars
This House is Haunted by John Boyne. Continuing in the gothic/ghost story theme, this book is perfect to get you in the mood for Spooky Season. Set in Norfolk in 1967, Eliza Caine accepts a position as governess on a large estate without even being interviewed. After an unsettling journey, she arrives at the manor to find two children, Isabella and Eustace, waiting for her. And no adults to be found anywhere on the estate. Who is her mysterious employer? The children have no explanation and Eliza feels she must stay on and not leave them alone. One terrifying experience after another occurs and Eliza becomes sure there is a malign ghostly presence behind these events. When she learns that she is the sixth governess in a twelve-month period and that four of the previous five have died on the premises she is certain she is in trouble. A completely satisfying shivery ghost story. 3.5 stars
The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey. This book was first published in 1991 and is the first in a very popular series of 22 detective novels featuring wry, curmudgeonly Detective Peter Diamond, the last of his kind. If you like an old-fashioned police procedural mystery, this book will be right up your alley. The setup is: a naked blond woman is discovered floating in a lake near Bath. No murder weapon and no marks on her body. No one reports her missing and no one can identify her. When 12 days later, her husband comes forward to report her missing, the case takes off. Peter Diamond will need to defy his superiors and locate some missing letters attributed to Jane Austen before the case is solved and an innocent person accused of the crime is exonerated. This was a good one, and reminded me of the detective novels I used to read 25 or 30 years ago. 3.5 stars
The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella. I adore this author and his previous two books "A Little Hope" and "A Quiet Life" were both 5 stars for me. His books have been described as "Jimmy Stewart books" because when you read them you get that same warm feeling of comfort as you do when watching a Jimmy Stewart movie. That being said, this book fell short for me. I found it very sad and when it was over, even though it was ultimately hopeful, I was glad not to be in the main character's life anymore. Here's the setup: Jack is the third generation to inherit the family beachfront restaurant "Schmidt's". Jack has devoted his life to running the business, and some of his employees have been with him since his parent's days as owners. He has run the place, but at what sacrifice? His fiance even left him because he seemed more in love with the restaurant than with her. She has recently come back to town and is said to still have feelings for him. Jack is tempted to take the generous offer to sell the place, made to him by the DelDine group and start living his life for once before it's over. Could this be a chance to start over? Maybe sit on the beach in the unused beach chair he bought 20 years ago? Can he let go of what has always defined him? I was frustrated and depressed by Jack's indecisiveness and slowness to let go and found myself unsatisfied and sad at the end. 3 weak stars
Look In the Mirror by Catherine Steadman. I have loved Catherine Steadman's previous books. I have defended her to my daughter who dnf'd her first book because she said the characters were annoying and the plot totally implausible. I looked forward to this latest book "Look in the Mirror" with great anticipation and promoted it on our podcast Reeding Between the Lines. Here is the setup: Nina is in the midst of settling her recently deceased father's estate when she is notified that she has inherited an expensive property he owned in the British Virgin Islands. Wait, what? How did she not know about this property? How could her father even afford it? Multiple points of view which confused me. Batsh%t crazy plot.
All I am going to say is that Catherine Steadman has reached a new pinnacle of weirdness with this latest book. Seriously nuts. 2 stars
Five Star Stranger by Kat Tang. Well, you can't judge a book by its cover, that's for sure. Look at that fun cheery cover. This is going to be a feel-good uplifting book, right? Nope. Not at all. Far from it. Just the opposite. Ok, our main character works as a "rental stranger". People hire him to stand in at funerals, weddings, dates, and other occasions. One of his long-standing gigs has been to show up every Thursday to be "Dad" to Lily, a young girl who is now 10. Our main character has strict rules for himself for not getting attached to his client, but he definitely has protective feelings for Lily. When another nosy client threatens to expose him to Lily as a fake, he starts to question his values and the boundaries he has drawn. This book is about loneliness and abandonment and about being in a truthful relationship with others. It was the most depressing thing I have ever read. I'm not even going to give it a star rating. Just don't be deceived by the cover.
That's it for August. Hope you find something here you might be interested in picking up!