alternating POV

    Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

    Because I really enjoyed previous selections  of the “Read With Jenna” book club, including White Ivy and The Four Winds,I was inclined to read Maggie Shipstead’s Great Circle, the group’s selection for May 2021. It has received many rave reviews and has one of those plotlines that encompasses two strong female characters in two very …

    Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

    Maybe it’s pandemic fatigue. Or maybe it’s just me. My expectations may be a bit high? But when Mary Kubica is referred to repeatedly as the “queen of the domestic thriller,” and I am so ready for a grabber — you know, the kind where you just want people to leave you the bleep ALONE …

    The Dilemma by B.A. Paris

    I enjoyed both Bring Me Back and Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, so I am grateful to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of her latest book, The Dilemma, in return for my honest review. I read this one yesterday, and I keep thinking about it, which ought to be worth …

    I Will Make You Pay by Teresa Driscoll

    Teresa Driscoll spent years as a reporter writing about crime, and she brings that experience into her writing (The Promise, The Friend, I Am Watching You). Apparently, there are characters from her earlier books in her latest one, I Will Make You Pay, but I haven’t read those and didn’t feel like I was missing …

    The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

    I have a TBR list that is way too long, and Lisa Jewell’s The Family Upstairs has been repeatedly sinking to the bottom of that list for way too long! I generally like the psychological suspense/woman in danger genre, so when Atria Books and NetGalley provided me with a copy in exchange for my honest …

    Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward

    Beautiful Bad sounded like just my thing: psychological thriller, plucky heroine, remote locations, etc. So I was happy to provide an honest review in return for a copy from Harlequin/Park Row and NetGalley. This one has several of the things I like (listed above), and a few that maybe I have just gotten tired of, …

    An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

    “Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.” I was happy to receive a review copy of “An Anonymous Girl,” the second novel by the duo responsible for “The Wife Between Us” (thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley) – so, in return, here is my honest …

    When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica

    (pub date October 2018) OK, here is what I expected to get (publisher’s blurb): “Jessie Sloane is on the path to rebuilding her life after years of caring for her ailing mother. She rents a new apartment and applies for college. But when the college informs her that her social security number has raised a …

    After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

    For some reason, I’d stopped reading Lisa Scottoline. As I recall, the last one I read seemed formulaic and just didn’t grab me. But, when I read about After Anna, a standalone “domestic thriller,” I was looking forward to digging into the copy I received from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in return for my …

    Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan

    Like many Anglophiles, I tend to enjoy stories about the British elite, especially if there is a mystery or (even better) a juicy scandal involved. So I was happy to receive a copy of Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan (thanks to Atria/Emily Bester Books and NetGalley) in return for my honest review. We …

    The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

    I’ve been a fan of Chris Bohjalian for many years…I think possibly Midwives was the first one of his that I read. Anyway, he has written a ton of good books, many of which had unique characters, settings, or situations. In addition to Midwives, I especially liked The Sandcastle Girls because I learned so much …

    The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic

    I’d never heard of Simon Lelic before I got this book, but because his latest book The New Neighbors got a positive blurb on the cover from Tana French, I figured if it’s good enough for Tana, it’s good enough for me! The story revolves around a young couple named Jack and Syd who have …

    The Blackbird Season by Kate Moretti

    The opening of The Blackbird Season by Kate Moretti creeped me out, as it was designed to do: “The day the birds fell, I dealt the tower card.” Based on the title, you might infer the birds mentioned were blackbirds, yes? But no, we learn at the start of chapter 2 that “A month before …

    I Found You by Lisa Jewell

    It’s been awhile since I read a book that I COULD NOT PUT DOWN.  Well, thanks to Lisa Jewell (and to Atria Books and NetGalley, for providing a copy of I Found You in exchange for my honest review), I had that lovely experience during the past 24 hours. The weird thing is, I had …

    The Party by Robyn Harding

    Hannah Sanders is turning sixteen. She’s a good student, she gets good grades and has nice friends, and so her parents trust her. Rather than a big flashy party, they decide to have a sweet sixteen party at their multimillion-dollar home in a wealthy Bay Area suburb (I’m picturing Lafayette or Orinda). She invites four …

    Almost Missed You by Jessica Strawser

    This sounded like just the thing for an escape from reality: a story about a couple who “met cute,” got married and had a child, went on their first vacation as a family, and then…the husband and pre-school-age boy disappear completely! I  thought it had “beach read” written all over it – not a bad …