Two young island boys venture to the shore where their little sister, Olivia, disappeared two years ago, searching for clues where her body might be. Two young island boys venture to the shore where their little sister, Olivia, disappeared two years ago, searching for clues where her body might be. They come across these pink goggles which seem to give them insight to another world under water, a view of the dead. A conversation with the grandmother gives the reader a hint that maybe their family is something more than just human. I don't think the boys picked up on that hint, though. I don't even think the grandmother thinks anything of the memory she had. It feels like a secret between the writer and the reader, and I just love the sense of mystery and depth this short story is packing. ...more
I am shaken after this read. Wow. I feel so lucky to have received a copy of this book for an early review by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. Thank I am shaken after this read. Wow. I feel so lucky to have received a copy of this book for an early review by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley. Thank you! My heart is still pounding. There's nothing more satisfying after a good read than the chills left in the wake of a captivating story. The Night Swim is a contemporary mystery novel that follows Rachel Krall, a famous true crime podcaster known for her superlative ability to crack unsolved and unjustified crimes, where she puts the audience in the jury box. Rachel is summoned as an unbiased jury member to cover a trial in a small town called Neapolis, where a town favorite, golden boy and Olympic prospect name Scott Blair is accused of a sexual crime against a sixteen-year-old girl. Rachel accepts and travels to Neapolis and decides to dedicate her third season of her highly praised podcast, “Guilty Or Not Guilty” to it. Rachel encounters more adventure than anticipated upon arriving to Neapolis. Barely hours making it into town, a strange letter appears on her windshield at a truck stop. It’s from a listener named Hannah Stills, desperate for help to solve her older sister’s death from exactly twenty-five years ago to this date. Hannah believes her sister, Jenny, was murdered, but the case was blown off by police and trials, never had a chance to be investigated. Rachel doesn’t scare often, but as hard as she’s worked to maintain her anonymity and privacy, always mindful of never revealing her face or location, she’s slightly shaken by this letter. How has she been found? And to add to that, no one other than her assistant, Pete, knew Rachel would be in Neapolis. Rachel tries to forget about this letter but Hannah is unrelenting. Rachel wakes up each day to a new letter, left feeling violated as she discovers one by her hotel room door and the likes. One day, Rachel decides to entertain one of the letters, where Hannah requests to meet up with her and talk more, but Hannah is a no-show, only leaving a letter in the meeting place before Rachel has a chance to arrive. The Scott Blair trial begins shortly after the first couple letters, and while on jury gathering the facts, and Hannah’s further description of the mysterious death of her sister, Rachel begins to feel a little empathy and begins notice similar details in both cases and becomes heavily invested in solving what she believes to be a strong case. Rachel starts digging around town for more information on Jenny and Hannah Stills and the Blair case. And let me tell you, Rachel is relentless in her own aspect. Rachel has the patience of a saint and a steadfast will, and she won’t stop or scare at anything to get confirmation of the answers she knows to be true. She masterfully connects the dots along the way. I thought I knew who killed Jenny Stills by 60% in the book, but dang, was I wrong. The book is mainly written in third person under Rachel’s POV, but podcast episodes have their own chapters and are written in first person wherein Rachel describes the Blair trial with information she’s allowed to speak of -- which is a fun experience for the reader, allowing us the experience to tune in to the show. Then, Hannah’s letters also have their own chapters, written in Hannah’s first person POV, which feels like an interlude from the main story while still appropriately connected to it as well. Megan Goldin is a master at writing an emotional and mysterious novel and covers a dark yet serious topic that gives you an insight to the heartbreak families are thrown into during a traumatic experience such as the one presented to us in this novel. Lives are ruined, a true tragedy that even once justified, no one can return to the life they once knew. This is a hard review to write because of the lives in our world that have been deeply affected by such a horrendous act. My words can’t give justice to expressing the empathy I feel for those affected. This was a truly gripping and emotional book. Incredibly tense and enlightening. ...more
Wow, where do I start with this review? I ate this book up in less than twenty-four hours! Stolen Hearts is book three in Marci Bolden’s empowering serWow, where do I start with this review? I ate this book up in less than twenty-four hours! Stolen Hearts is book three in Marci Bolden’s empowering series The Women of Hearts. The HEARTS Agency is a team of private investigators lead by women who are all fighting for a cause, devoting their lives to bringing justice to all cases brought their way, all while fighting their own demons. In Stolen Hearts, Alexa Rodriquez is hired by Dean Campbell whose nineteen-year-old sister has gone missing without a trace. Alexa has a soft spot for missing persons’ cases—in fact, they’re what drives her, and what has made her into the woman she is today. She has a big heart, and even bigger determination. Dean Campbell’s life is falling apart all around him. He lost his mother to cancer and now his baby sister has vanished. The police won’t listen, not even what’s left of his family; they all insist she’s an adult and has simply chosen to escape the pressures of life and college. Dean knows better though, she would have told him if that were true--no one is as close to Mandy as he is. Or so he thought. There’s a perfect blend of romance, mystery, and suspense in this novel, but most importantly, this book brings light to two important topics that are very real and happening every day in our world: the youth lost to drugs and human trafficking. The more mysteries Alexa unfolds in Mandy’s disappearance, the darker Dean’s world grows, but Alexa is his shining beacon, keeping him afloat on their mission to save his sister. When Alexa took on Dean’s case, she never fathomed putting her job, or her client, at risk. But when a case hits so close to home that you’re forced to relive your worst fears, and the only person who can relate is the one person you’re under strict policy to not engage any sort of relationship or bond with, more than hearts are jeopardized. The characters in this book are so full of life and each have their own defining, unique qualities. While this is book three in a series, I didn’t feel lost or felt like I was missing anything crucial, it’s written like a standalone novel brushed with enough backstory to make the previous books’ characters feel warm and welcoming. With that being said, I haven’t read the previous two books yet but that is the next thing I do after this post! I LOVE this series! ...more
Unravelled Knots by Baroness Orczy is the third book in The Teahouse Detective series published in 1925. This book features 13 short mysteries all narUnravelled Knots by Baroness Orczy is the third book in The Teahouse Detective series published in 1925. This book features 13 short mysteries all narrated by journalist Polly Burton who runs into an old acquaintance deemed as the armchair detective-- who has a knack for solving the most riddling cases -- The Old Man in the Corner, in the Fleet Street café twenty years later. The stories are in the point of view of Polly who listens intriguingly to The Old Man as he describes each case. One of the things I love about this read, is how it pulled me in, as if I were seated at a table near Polly and the mysterious armchair detective, overhearing their scandalous conversations.
This is a perfect read for this cold and rainy weekend, cozied up under my blankets as Polly and the Old Man sit by a fire unraveling the most mysterious crimes. Orczy paints a great background in her stories, transporting the modern reader to her era of simpler times before the aid of digital computers and advanced forensic science technology, instead, relying on evidence and a sharp noggin.
Reading classics such as this, is a fun way to interact with history, from the fashion, mindsets, and geography of the setting, the modern reader is able to get a pretty good feel of what generations before us experienced before the boom of internet. This is why I cherish these reads, a true portal to the past and a good to honest mystery allowing you to try and solve it with wit alone.
The thirteen stories in this book are as follows: The Mystery of the Khaki Tunic The Mystery of Ingres Masterpiece The Mystery of the Pearl Necklace The Mystery of the Russian Prince The Mysterious Tragedy in Bishop’s Road The Mystery of the Dog’s Tooth Cliff The Tytherton Case The Mystery of Brunenell Court The Mystery of the White Carnation The Mystery of the Montmartre Hat The Miser of Maida Vail The Fulton Gardens Mystery and The Moorland Tragedy all full of mysterious murders and objects and persons gone missing.
If you’ve never read a book by this author, this is definitely a fun start; bite sized mysteries that encourage you to solve them before The Old Man in the Corner does....more
Loading...
