2026 is starting out with some really good books. The quantity I've read hasn't been what I'd like - blame that on more work issues as teacher librarians find themselves once again trying to defend the necessity of our jobs as the school district looks to make even more deep cuts - but what I have read, I've enjoyed.
Novels of suspense seem to be working for me right now, at mostly these are books I can burn through quickly.
The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave picks up five years after The Last Thing He Told Me ended. I didn't remember every detail of that story, but I did recall enough that picking this up was no problem. Hannah and Bailey haven't seen Owen for five years and have managed to move on with their lives. When Owen shows up at Hannah's art exhibition, the two immediately begin executing the plan that was put in place for their protection and leave the life they've built. There's suspense, the hope that they will be reunited with Owen, and many questions that need to be answered.
Anatomy of An Alibi by Ashley Elston - Camille is living a picture perfect life. But her husband Ben is controlling and hiding something and Camille is ready to leave their marriage. When she meets Aubrey, a bartender whose name and bar address she finds in Ben's things, the two hatch a plan that involves Aubrey posing as Camille so that Camille can find out what Ben is really up to. Aubrey already has her suspicions about Ben, ever since her parents were killed in a car accidet a decade ago. There are so many twists and turns - and secrets and lies - in this story, but it all makes for a great page turner.
It's Not Her by Mary Kubica- I've been a fan of Kubica since her very first book, and while I found this one engaging, it is the least favorite of the three I am sharing today. Courtney and her husband and daughter have rented a cabin next door to her brother and sister-in-law and their children. When Nolan and Emily (Courtney's brother and S-I-L) are found murdered in their cabin, an investigation begins immediately. I found some of this story hard to believe (Courtney leaving her 10 year old daughter and niece alone in the cabin while she went to the lodge to report the crime is one example) but the plot does move along nicely, and I did manage to read it in one sitting. I was also satisfied with the resolution - and then Kubica adds a final chapter that changes things immensely - and which was unnecessary IMO. I still enjoy her books, but this one is not my favorite of hers.
These three would be easy to pick up and devour on a cold winter day - or while lying by the pool.
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