The blizzard that was predicted definitely didn't live up to the hype, but between a day off on Friday for dental work, snowy weather on Saturday, and the day off today for MLK, Jr. Day, I've had some pretty good reading time on my hands.
And apparently, I felt like reading mystery and suspense novels. There are some winners and some that I'm meh about, and I only wish that I could have read faster because I still have a rather large pile of these types of novel sitting downstairs.
Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward- this one doesn't come out until March, but I was sucked in from the first page. The book opens with a 911 call from a woman with a child's voice in the background. From there, Maddie narrates most of the book, sharing information about her struggling marriage to Ian, who has some tendencies toward violence and suffers from PTSD. Maddie also reveals things in the writing she does for therapy after an accident she had left her with a brain injury. Of course, nothing is as it seems, and there are twists and turns up until the end.
Last Woman Standing by Amy Gentry- this is Gentry's sophomore novel, and I still have her first waiting for me to pick it up. Stand-up comic, Dana Diaz is trying to make it in Austin, TX. She's been hurt by men before, so when she is approached by Amanda, also new to Austin, the two become "friends" of sorts, and carry out revenge plots on the men that they've been hurt by. However, Amanda has many secrets and Dana begins to realize she is no longer safe in Austin. I didn't really enjoy the revenge plot, and the characters were all unlikable, but I will say that it was suspensful.
Watching You by Lisa Jewell - there are several narrators in this book, which is set in a British neighborhood full of interesting characters, and also the site of a murder. This is also a place where everyone seems to be watching each other. Each chapter reveals some new information and eventually it is the past that helps solve the mystery of a suburban housewife's murder. The last page of this book is perfect and left me satisfied.
Freefall by Jessica Barry- when a mother learns of her estranged daughter's death in a plane crash, she can't help but believe her daughter is still alive. Mother and daughter take turns narrating this story, and we learn of the mother's search, and the daughter's quest for survival as she leaves the crash site and tries to run away from the people who are after her. I read this months ago and am still thinking about it.
And tomorrow I'll be reviewing one more novel of suspense, Fiona Barton's The Suspect as part of a blog tour.
1 comment:
I think I've got all 4 of these on my list. I'm curious about the one set in Austin, but have heard some mixed stuff about it. Probably won't rush to read it. I'm more interested in the others and also interested in what you'll say about The Suspect. Glad you had a nice weekend of reading!
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