What happens when you find out your story – your life story is a lie? How do you address it? Confront it with your so-called parents?
It isn’t even a What happens when you find out your story – your life story is a lie? How do you address it? Confront it with your so-called parents?
It isn’t even a story about whether you are adopted or not.
It is a story about being kidnapped and then found and returned, but then…is it really you who was found?
This is Paul’s story – or is it?
As a non-fiction book, it reads like a compelling mystery, one that keeps us readers engaged and interested and motivated – we want to know, too!
Will Paul find himself – his true identity?
And...
When he does – what will change, if anything?
Plus...
There is so much to this mystery, so much to unravel, that as readers we are rooting for Paul to find his way, to locate his history, so that he can move forward in his life and find the peace he deserves – and maybe we can be treated to some justice served?
Of course, this isn’t an original Agatha Christie M. Poirot mystery.
Because...
Agatha Christie has since passed on…
So...
We have Sophie Hannah to thankOf course, this isn’t an original Agatha Christie M. Poirot mystery.
Because...
Agatha Christie has since passed on…
So...
We have Sophie Hannah to thank for bringing the master, M. Poirot back to life, so to speak.
And...
This isn’t a simple task for an author to do – that is, to duplicate a famous author’s style of writing – let alone capture the nuances of her character.
However...
In this book, she does M. Poirot quite well, and to her credit, she also employs Ms. Christie’s tactics of keeping the readers uninformed throughout by denying them key clues along the way. Yes, we are given some hints through her Inspector Claypool.
But...
He is clueless, for the most part, like us readers, until towards the end when all is revealed with everyone (all the suspects) in the room.
Of course...
We can play our guessing games – and in some cases, I did feel myself saying...
“Yes, I got that one right!”
But alas...
There were so many characters that there were times I could not keep up with the who is who and should have kept a running list to refer to at some point.
In the end when all was revealed...
(And yes, I stayed with it throughout) there was only one character I felt should have been put away, too. Perhaps when you read it, you may feel as I do.
But...
Please, do read it, if you are an Agatha Christie fan, because I daresay, you may also become a fan of Sophie Hannah, too!...more
The moments that change everything... One Day meets Sliding Doors (movie comparisons?).
So...
Which version in this story worWhat if you had said yes?
The moments that change everything... One Day meets Sliding Doors (movie comparisons?).
So...
Which version in this story works best?
And...
There are 3 versions of this relationship for these two people.
Different versions of a relationship and various possibilities in the lives of these two people make for a thought-provoking and sometimes complicated read.
The question becomes:
How do the choices we make change our entire future and what about fate?
It's hard to talk about the novel without giving away spoilers...
So...
I won't give the details.
But...
I will say that it is about more than who they were together or apart...
But...
Also about who they were as individuals with their artistic talents of writing and painting taking different directions in the different versions.
So...
If you can hang in and not get confused with the going back and forth between versions, this story might be worth your time. Did that all make sense?
I love a good suspense novel with short chapters, and this one does not disappoint.
And...
This is one with reoccurring characters Elvis Cole and Joe PI love a good suspense novel with short chapters, and this one does not disappoint.
And...
This is one with reoccurring characters Elvis Cole and Joe Pike...
But...
It doesn’t mean that you would have to read previous novels to pick this one up – it is truly a great stand-alone.
Still...
Best advice is always to start at the beginning with any series.
With this one...
Private Detective, Elvis Cole is asked to find Adele’s missing son, Josh who does a podcast. He doesn’t appear to be controversial, so what could have caused him to disappear?
As it turns out...
There is more to this case than anybody would expect.
What could this small time podcaster have that would have so many people interested, and cause a one time porn star to get murdered? Enjoy this page-turning thrill ride....more
For those of you who may not be familiar with the series, it is stiLove this cozy mystery series...
It is...
Perfect to read during the holidays.
And...
For those of you who may not be familiar with the series, it is still okay to read as a standalone.
Although...
You gain more if you have already connected to the earlier books.
Also...
What I love too about this series is that the author proves that mysteries don’t have to be dark to be engrossing.
Some background…
Ever since he inherited a large fortune, New Jersey defense lawyer Andy Carpenter takes very few cases.
Instead...
Andy hangs out with his wife Laurie - who's in Christmas mode; son Ricky - who likes to play sports; and three dogs - golden retriever Tara; basset hound Sebastian; and pug Arthur. Andy also schmoozes with his friends at a local sports bar; helps run a canine rescue operation called 'The Tara Foundation'; watches football on television; etc.
And...
Every evening before bed, Andy takes the dogs for a walk in the park.
Which leads readers here...
One snowy night before Thanksgiving Tara digs a hole in the ground and unearths a hand.
Now...
That is about all the background you need, the rest is the story that comes up…
That...
Is for you to read. You will enjoy courtroom drama, humor, mystery, and so much more to unravel along the way....more
I found myself ready for what I thought would just be a simple cozy.
Instead I was taken on a breathless action-packed walk through Paris trying to unravel this mystery whodunnit.
And being the mystery reader I am, it takes a lot to keep me off track.
So kudos to Ms. Penny for doing just that!
The writing is excellent and the story had me invested from the get-go.
The Paris conspiracy is complex and there's a large array of characters, so the story requires a good bit of concentration, but totally worth your time....more
All his clients are innocent. That is the only way he will accept his fee.
No matter that they have been accused of the most heinous crimes, he will gAll his clients are innocent. That is the only way he will accept his fee.
No matter that they have been accused of the most heinous crimes, he will get them off, because he won’t accept his fee unless they are innocent.
And sometimes as readers we wonder, what has he done, this well-dressed, little man criminal attorney, in order to earn his fee?
And then we also wonder, did we really believe these persons were innocent – and/or do we really want them running around the streets again?
There is an interesting eeriness to each short story as we “listen” to the characters describe the(ir) crime(s), and/or “who” actually committed it in the end.
Are they really innocent?
As readers, we have an opportunity to be discerning here.
There is one fact we actually are very clear about… Mr. Martin Ehrengraf is/continues to become a very, very rich man.
And I don’t think that is a spoiler. The title of the book already told you that.
This is probably one of the most clever mystery premises I have ever read.
Not the most perfect...but certainly, one of the most clever....more
This debut is a fast paced, suspenseful legal murder mystery.
It keeps you on the edge of your seats, twisting and turning, knowing that as readers weThis debut is a fast paced, suspenseful legal murder mystery.
It keeps you on the edge of your seats, twisting and turning, knowing that as readers we really are not sure what to expect until we find out the truth – both past and present.
And along the way, the author brings to the table socially relevant and workplace issues that highlight this story.
There is also a Southern atmospheric feel of this story that creates added tension from within and a lot of topics including ethical dilemmas, racial tensions, navigating the old boys club at work, and family relationships.
If you are willing to stay with it, it builds to a satisfying conclusion....more
My very first book from the library after it reopened (after closing at the beginning of the pandemic) was Eight Perfect Murders by this author – I abMy very first book from the library after it reopened (after closing at the beginning of the pandemic) was Eight Perfect Murders by this author – I absolutely loved it. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
So...
When this same author’s book, this one, was donated to our Little Free Library Shed, I was over the moon!
Oh my goodness, I couldn’t wait to read it.
And...
I waited the 3 days for it to be quarantined...
And then...
I anxiously opened it to begin reading...
And…
Well, he definitely knows how to write a psychological thriller.
Is it fast paced? Check.
Creepy? Check.
Dark? Check.
Twisted? Check.
Strange? Check.
Zany? Check.
Outlandish? Check.
Out there? Check.
Surprise ending? Depends on how invested you are in the characters.
In today’s world we have witnessed many antisemitic acts towards Jewish people. The hatred and racism against many have been rancid, and it behooves uIn today’s world we have witnessed many antisemitic acts towards Jewish people. The hatred and racism against many have been rancid, and it behooves us to pay attention.
This book gives us an interesting perspective with character Britta Stern. She is a 92-year-old woman who takes things in her own hands by painting words on a 95-year-old Chicago restauranteur’s building calling him a “traitor,” “collaborator,” “coward,” and “war criminal,” just as he is supposed to be honored as a hero during WWII against the Nazis by the Danish/American Association.
Why doesn’t she see him as a hero?
Her attorney has 30 days to prove that Britta’s words against this man are true.
In the mean time we as readers go back through Britta’s history, as her attorney and team seek the truth.
Pay attention.
What truth will we discover in the end?
Post note: It is interesting as I review this to add shelves today (November 18, 2023) how I can't believe my first sentences still ring true today. I can't help but feel such sadness for our world....more
This author is a master when it comes to writing rich characters in a twisty mystery courtroom drama tale.
We have a man slated to be murdered...
Yes,This author is a master when it comes to writing rich characters in a twisty mystery courtroom drama tale.
We have a man slated to be murdered...
Yes, that is how we enter the story...
And then his ex-wife a respected district attorney as the defendant.
Did she or didn’t she – that is the question.
This author has a way of writing his characters that you either like them or hate them – no real in-between – but either way, you find yourself invested in the story.
Stay with it, the ending might just surprise you....more
I tend to be somewhat skeptical at times of biographies, most-especially celebrity biographies.
But...
Being the fan-girl that I am, I am always open tI tend to be somewhat skeptical at times of biographies, most-especially celebrity biographies.
But...
Being the fan-girl that I am, I am always open to reading them.
What I appreciate in any biography or memoir is not so much that it's just nice tales of people's lives...
But...
That it's as much a history book of the times with "edges" and shadings that give context.
And...
To my great pleasure, this biography accomplishes that beautifully.
This is not a mere collection of stories by a loving daughter putting her family world in the most-shining light...
But...
Rather about the Depression, the Golden Age of Hollywood, war, McCarthyism and more --
At the center of which are the two separate lives of the author's parents until they finally meet.
But since that meeting doesn't come until the last third...
It's like following a winding path of successes and major hurdles -- weaving with many remarkable and also dark figures -- before getting to that point.
Helping too is that it's wonderfully written by a daughter who is herself a terrific, professional writer with great skill and insight.
The risk of all memoirs like this is that it will fall into adulation, and in fairness while there are a few times when the book does creep towards that, it consistently pulls itself away by adding important life details and depth and then moving on from it.
I sense that's because (beyond being so well-written) underneath it all is the running theme that the best biographies have in making them not just specific on fascinating lives, but universally are willing to ask the all-important questions…
Who are we and how did we get here? The book is a gem....more
It is an engrossing documentary style book, which brings three interesting stories together around a series of eveUnexpectedly fabulous and gripping.
It is an engrossing documentary style book, which brings three interesting stories together around a series of events involving two killers, and a famous author who wanted to write about it.
Although a non-fiction story, it reads like fiction.
At times... I wondered if there were too many times that the author veered off on other tangent facts that may or may not have needed to be part of the story.
However... Eventually there was a convenient thread of information that made the factual account of events in a fictional style very impressive....more
Jessica Barry is a pseudonym for Melissa Pimentel, an American writer and publishing professional. Freefall is a well plotted page-turner, and this isJessica Barry is a pseudonym for Melissa Pimentel, an American writer and publishing professional. Freefall is a well plotted page-turner, and this is her debut novel!
The pacing is exceptional, and the intensity continues to build throughout the story. This is a riveting debut thriller about survival and family.
I found this a gripping read with twists. It is far from perfect, but it nevertheless held me enthralled, wanting to know how it would all end....more
There are some stories that leave you wanting more.
Where you come to the last page, and you say to yourself, “Self, is this really the end?”
This is There are some stories that leave you wanting more.
Where you come to the last page, and you say to yourself, “Self, is this really the end?”
This is a book that is a homage to family, to relationships, and to love in all its forms.
There's something etheral, inexplicable about Sarah Winman's writing.
I can't quite put my finger on it.
It's different, it's imperfect, but, it's so darn affecting.
It's like loving someone deeply when you've passed the stage of blind love, the excitement of the newness. You get to know the quirks and the annoying bits, but you're still in love with that person. That's how I felt about this novel.
The cover says this:
“This is the story of a fabulous but flawed family and the slew of ordinary and extraordinary incidents that shape their everyday lives. It is a story about childhood and growing up, loss of innocence, eccentricity, familial ties and friendships, love and life. Stripped down to its bare bones, it’s about the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister.”
This is a very fictionalized account of a very real woman’s life.
Grace Darling, a lighthouse keeper’s daughter, performed a feat of heroism, for whicThis is a very fictionalized account of a very real woman’s life.
Grace Darling, a lighthouse keeper’s daughter, performed a feat of heroism, for which she was admired and recorded in the annals of history.
And...The fictional story is told in a double timeline...
Grace’s story beginning in 1838...
And Matilda’s in 1938.
With beautiful prose and enchanting storytelling, we’re taken on an extraordinary journey of exceptional women who risked their lives to save others....more
There is nothing like a spy thriller that can help get your juices going while you are working out! At This was another audio book experience for me.
There is nothing like a spy thriller that can help get your juices going while you are working out! At least for me, this has been the perfect way to address a book like this one.
Our Mystery Readers Book Discussion group read and discussed a few of Brad Thor’s Scot Harvath adventures.
Spymaster was everything I've come to expect from a Harvath thriller.
The politics of the book are certainly in context with the headlines of the times, which quite frankly, is not unusual for Brad Thor.
But, seriously—
What's with that ending?
I am not going to say anything more – but, when you get to it, tell me what you think!...more
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