An interesting procedural mystery! CW: drug addition, violent scenes, descriptions of death on page, alcoholism, abuse, suicidal ideation
Northwoods waAn interesting procedural mystery! CW: drug addition, violent scenes, descriptions of death on page, alcoholism, abuse, suicidal ideation
Northwoods was a fascinating debut that takes on the big job of tackling addition and it's connection to pharmaceutical companies. This wasn't what I necessarily expected, but I'm glad I gave it a try.
What Worked: This book has a layers and includes a complex narrative. I'm not a huge mystery/thriller reader, but it was nice to pick up a book that carefully and respectfully tackled the theme of addiction and the role that the medical industry plays in fueling addiction. At it's core, Northwoods is still a mystery; however, Pease definitely showcases her knowledge as a nurse practitioner throughout the course of the novel. It accurately highlights the opioid crisis that is plaguing the United States and the greed that comes from the demise of others. This novel is slow in some parts, but I felt that it worked well as Amy paints to different lens of addiction: one that's plaguing the main character and another that is closely tied to the murder of the teen boy. It gave the novel the necessary pacing to understand the interconnectedness of those two things especially has readers
What Didn't Work: Eli is difficult to relate to in some parts of the book, but a lot of that is connected to his addiction. Those parts where he's really struggling are some of the parts where I struggled the most as a reader.
This was an intriguing debut and I'm definitely excited to see what Amy Pease does in the future....more
Shae Sanders definitely is showcasing her ability to write outside of romance with this one. Although I had some issues with the pacing and what ineviShae Sanders definitely is showcasing her ability to write outside of romance with this one. Although I had some issues with the pacing and what inevitably happens to the person who committed the murder, I'm definitely interested in seeing what else Sanders will have to offer in this genre. 3.5 Stars CW: assault, rape, grooming, suicide, teacher/student relationship
They Never Tell is a mystery/thriller that focuses on a set of families that have established a group called The 12 loosely based on the ideology of W.E.B Dubois and the Talented Tenth. These students are forced to maintain a certain GPA and participate in certain activities to set them on the path to becoming successful adults. Unfortunately, during an end of year/beginning of summer party one of the students end up dying. Originally ruled a suicide, the police eventually re-open the case and decide to rule it a homicide.
One of things that I enjoyed the most about this book is definitely the messiness. Shae knows how to right a damn good messy character and situation. I genuinely didn't know who could have possibly killed the student because everyone literally had secrets that were worthy of being a motive for murder. It is also clear that Sanders is a gifted writer. The story flows in a way that is accessible to all readers. Shae also knows how to leave readers on a cliffhanger with major revelations. It makes the reader want to continue to consume the story even if they need to put it down for other things.
Unfortunately, I do think that this book suffers from some pacing issues as well as resolution issues. I can't really give too much away without spoiling the rest of the book, but I think that some readers may want a stronger conclusion once they are able to figure out who killed one of the students. While the intention appeared to create conversation around sexual assault, predators, grooming etc, I think that it could have been stronger and more developed. Everything seems to happen at such a fast rate towards the end of the book. The characters are in a lot of ways morally grey which may not sit well with everyone. For example, a character would be okay with pinning the murder on someone else, but would be enraged by the grooming that was occurring in the community. It didn't always balance out.
Overall, this is a great start into Shae's exploration of mysteries and thrillers. I know that she primarily wrote in this genre before she started romance and I'm hoping that she continues to do this in the future. I can tell that she has some really great ideas that will be paired with some interesting societal issues. Definitely worth picking up during this spooky season. ...more
Holy crap I really am liking this series. I can't say much because it's the 3rd book in the series but I love that we continue to learn so much about Holy crap I really am liking this series. I can't say much because it's the 3rd book in the series but I love that we continue to learn so much about each character. The murders have all been different and really interesting. ...more
I'm enjoying the heck out of this series. It isn't the best writing but goodness it definitely is one of the most relaxing reads I've had in a while. I'm enjoying the heck out of this series. It isn't the best writing but goodness it definitely is one of the most relaxing reads I've had in a while. I'm loving it. And I can't wait to continue listening to them all on audiobook. ...more
You know what?!? I picked this book up on a whim and I definitely enjoyed it. It's one of the first cozy mysteries that I've read and I loved it. If yYou know what?!? I picked this book up on a whim and I definitely enjoyed it. It's one of the first cozy mysteries that I've read and I loved it. If you're a foodie I would recommend picking this up. The author includes recipes for all of the food she talks about considering that our main character owns a cookie shop. Hannah is a great character. I loved her sense of humor and independence. She definitely handled her own in this case. As far as the conclusion of the case, I didn't really see it coming until the very end when there was a little twist. I liked the fact that every time you thought you knew who killed who you were proved wrong. I can't wait to continue reading the rest of the these books (there's currently 21 *gasp*) and I definitely will be doing a full review of this one. ...more
This book was great! It's the first book I've read by this author and I can honestly say that I fully enjoyed every page. It just sucked you in and I This book was great! It's the first book I've read by this author and I can honestly say that I fully enjoyed every page. It just sucked you in and I can't wait to pick up something else by this author! Full review to come soon. ...more
This book was rewarding to read as a history major because it makes you question everything you have ever read in a history text book. There wasn't anThis book was rewarding to read as a history major because it makes you question everything you have ever read in a history text book. There wasn't any action but it really illustrates what people choose to romanticize as history and what is factually documented. As people always say...the winners of war write the history books and this book definitely holds true to that saying. I can't wait to right a full review of this because it has pushed me to do more research about Richard III. ...more
this book was so beautifully written and so heartbreaking but I absolutely loved it. I mean the way the characters changed as a result of the death mathis book was so beautifully written and so heartbreaking but I absolutely loved it. I mean the way the characters changed as a result of the death made me think about how the death of a child affects real families. I also loved the incorporation of identity and how it affected each one of the characters whether they liked who they were or not and desperately attempted to be something else. Great debut book from this author. I look forward to reading more from her. Full review to come. ...more
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