The description for Those Empty Eyes had me moving this book to the top of my to read pile.
This book opens with a triple murder. Seventeen-y 3.5 Stars
The description for Those Empty Eyes had me moving this book to the top of my to read pile.
This book opens with a triple murder. Seventeen-year-old, Alexandra Quinlan’s mother, father, and brother are shot to death. Alex survives but is then accused of the horrific crimes.
“If it bleeds it leads”
The crimes result in a media circus. Alex is even given a nickname by the media. They call her “Empty Eyes”. Eventually Alex is proven innocent and in turn brings a defamation case against the state of Virginia who had botched the investigation into her family’s murder, ruining her life in the process. The trial and the defamation case are highly publicized.
Many years pass. A decade later, Alex hasn’t stopped investigating the deaths of her parents and brother. She has changed her last name and appearance to avoid being harassed by those who still believe she killed her family.
Will she finally find the answers she craves?
“Those Empty Eyes” was an intriguing story with an interesting plot. Most of the story was told from Alex’s perspective. However, there were quite a few chapters told from other minor characters points of view. There were quite a few characters to keep track of and I found that I did have to go back and re-read a few pages now and then. There were times when the plot seemed a bit all over the place, heading one way then going a whole different way. I definitely didn’t see or guess everything coming.
Overall I still enjoyed this novel. Once again I was lucky enough to have both the e-book and audiobook to review. The narrators were very good. However with the many characters and their different perspectives, it was easier to follow along with the actual book.
I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own....more
Another excellent psychological suspense novel from Robyn Harding!
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read “The Drowning” . I've enjoyed all of Robyn Harding's previous novels, but I'm pretty sure this is my favorite. A terrific read.
“It’s human nature to think it could never happen to you.”
Covid 19 took everything from thirty-four-year-old, Lee Gulliver....EVERYTHING. Her dreams were crushed. Now Lee is just trying to survive. She lives in her car, sleeping in the driver’s seat with the keys in the ignition, ready to drive away at a moments notice.
“Desperate people will commit desperate acts.”
Lee doesn’t have contact with anyone from her former life. She feels like she’s burned every bridge behind her. But there’s someone who REALLY wants to find Lee. Someone who uses violence to solve problems.
Then one morning Lee wakes to hear a woman crying nearby. She tries to ignore the increasing sobs. Then she hears a splash. The woman is definitely not out for a morning swim in the frigid Pacific. Instinct kicks in and Lee jumps into the freezing cold water dragging the woman to the shore.
Lee has just saved this woman’s life. So why on earth is the woman so angry at her?
“There is no way that this woman, in her designer jogging suit and running shoes that probably cost as much as my car, has a life worse than mine.”
The women share their stories and a friendship of sorts begins. Day by day their friendship grows. Then Hazel asks Lee for a favor.
Lee’s life is about to get even more complicated.
A highly intense story of friendship, secrets, betrayal, redemption and more.
This book took me on quite a ride. I was pulled in to the story right away. This author knows how to keep a readers attention. I could NOT put this book down. Non stop action with so many great twists and reveals.
The story alternates between Lee and Hazel’s points of view. I was invested in both and couldn't wait to read what was going to happen next. I was so positive that I knew what was going to happen but I was WAY off. Even if my guesses had been correct, I still would have enjoyed everything about the story.
I love the way Robyn Harding writes. Her stories are entertaining and easy to follow. A terrific combination of well developed, complex characters and a well written exciting plot. This only thing I'm disappointed about is that I will have to wait a while for her next novel!
I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own....more
I really enjoyed Nora Murphy’s first novel “The Favor” and was really looking forward to reading “The New Mother”.
Natalie Fanning is a lawyer who has
I really enjoyed Nora Murphy’s first novel “The Favor” and was really looking forward to reading “The New Mother”.
Natalie Fanning is a lawyer who has just given birth to her first child, Oliver. Natalie is an overachiever who lives for rules and routine. Her husband goes back to work soon after Oliver’s birth. Natalie is struggling. Oliver is a colicky baby who almost never sleeps, breast feeding has been difficult, and she is beyond exhausted.
Then she meets her neighbor, Paul.
Paul is a stay at home father with a ten year old daughter. He is an unpublished author who has been trying to write a book for over ten years. Paul doesn’t feel like his wife appreciates him and he knows she wishes he would go back to “regular” work.
“Why aren’t you writing more? What is it that you do all day”.
Paul becomes someone Natalie can really talk to and he’s able to soothe Oliver in a way that Natalie feels she can’t.
But does Paul really have Natalie’s best interest at heart?
This novel deals with some very important issues. However, there was a lot of talk of sleep deprivation, breast feeding, and how difficult it is being a new mother. Especially mothering a very colicky baby. All of this was important to the storyline but seemed to go on a bit too long. The suspense didn’t really start until somewhere after the halfway mark.
I was still curious to see how everything turned out so I kept listening. The story is told from both Natalie and Paul’s point of view and two narrators were quite good. It was definitely a slow burn. The ending was good but a little abrupt.
I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own....more
I was really intrigued by the description of this novel. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to rev
An exciting debut novel that kept me guessing!!
I was really intrigued by the description of this novel. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review the e-book as well as the audiobook.
Usually if I like the book then I like the audio too. In this case, I definitely preferred the e-book. I just couldn't get into the audio. Two of the three narrators were fine but the main one was very difficult to listen to. Their voice was robotic and monotone.
However, I still enjoyed the book. A dramatic and twisty tale of love and betrayal. I didn't care for the characters as much as I would have hoped but I still found myself engrossed in the story.
Overall, a good debut from Marie Still. I've already added their next book to my to be read list for 2024. ...more
Loading...
