There was always something strange about Mabel Waller. As a child, she was bigger than average, socially awkward, friendless, caught up in her own imagination, and desperate for affection. Then, there was the fact that the people close to her tended to end up injured or dead. When she became the youngest Australian ever to be convicted of murder, her fate as "Mad Mabel" was sealed. A monster like her was surely insane. Or was she?

Now 81, Mabel has become Elsie Fitzpatrick, an unassuming pensioner who has lived on the same quiet Melbourne street for 60 years. Other than an ongoing feud with her nemesis-neighbor, the irascible Elsie leads an unremarkable life. No one would ever guess she's a notorious criminal, possibly even a serial killer. When her nemesis winds up dead, Elsie's real identity is leaked, and suddenly she finds herself in the spotlight once again. Desperate to clear her name, she decides to tell her story for the first time ever to two young podcasters. As she divulges secrets from the past, deals with an angry public, and tries to fend off the unwanted attention of the 7-year-old "irritating little despot" next door, Elsie discovers—to her great surprise—that Mad Mabel has more friends than she thinks. Daring to care, however, has made her vulnerable. Will she lose everything she loves when she finally spills the truth about what she's done?

I'm a big Sally Hepworth fan, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed her newest thriller, Mad Mabel. The book is a little darker than her others, but it's also humorous, poignant, and heartwarming. Mabel's childhood and adolescence are so horrible that it's impossible not to pity her, even now that she's an old woman. Her sharpness—a defense mechanism if I ever saw one—makes her funny and appealing. Even though she's sarcastic and acerbic, I loved her from the start. Elise/Mabel becomes especially likeable as she opens her heart to the irrepressible Persephone. Their friendship is my favorite part of the story.

Mad Mabel is a character-driven novel, but there's plenty going on in the story to keep the reader turning pages. Hepworth spins the plot out in a way that gradually ups the tension, making it a suspenseful, engrossing read throughout. I did see one of the big plot twists coming from a mile away, but the one at the end caught me by surprise. (Funny enough, I read this book twice in a 6-month period and I still didn't see that last twist coming!) Although not all of my questions about Elise/Mabel were answered at the end of the novel, I still found its ending satisfying. In spite of some sad, dark content, Mad Mabel is actually a pretty warm, uplifting book. I loved it. 

(Readalikes: Reminds me a little bit of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman)

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Mad Mabel from the generous folks at St. Martin's Publishing Group via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Although World War I gave Penelope Jane "P.J." Martindale a unique chance to travel and have an exciting adventure, it also stole two very important people from her. While grieving the deaths of her twin brothers, she visits London's Natural History Museum where she makes an intriguing discovery. A fossil found in a gorge near the Australian town of her birth, a place where her brothers loved to search for ancient treasures, gives P.J. a new purpose—to honor her dead siblings through the fossils they loved to collect. When P.J. returns to Australia, she's shocked to receive a frosty reception from her father, who blames her for his sons' deaths. Hoping to make peace with him and commemorate her brothers' sacrifice at the same time, she heads for Bow Wow Gorge despite warnings from the locals about its sinister reputation. Seventy years ago, an eccentric female paleontologist is said to have disappeared in its bowels under suspicious circumstances along with several of her young pupils. While wandering in the gorge, P.J. stumbles across a skeleton in a hidden cave. Thinking she's just accidentally solved an old mystery, she's stunned when the coroner announces that the unidentified corpse was the victim of a murder. Who was the deceased? What happened to them? And how did they come to lie in a cave full of priceless fossils? 

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Fossil Hunter from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at Edelweiss Plus in exchange for a honest review. Thank you!

As the long-time owners of a prestigious tennis school, Joy and Stan Delaney have coached a number of champions. Their own four children are, however, not among them. While Amy, Brooke, Troy, and Logan all became competent players, none of them quite had what it took to go all the way with the sport. Disappointing, yes, but the Delaney kids have found other ways to be successful adults. And now, with the closing of Delaneys Tennis Academy, 69-year-old Joy and 70-year-old Stan are looking forward to retirement and, most importantly, grandchildren. If the dynamic duo is having a little trouble transitioning from managing a thriving tennis school full of energetic young athletes to finding purpose at home in an empty, ignored nest their busy chicks rarely visit, well, that's understandable. 

When their mother goes missing one day out of the blue, Amy, Brooke, Troy, and Logan are shocked. It's not like dependable Joy to flit off without telling anyone where she's going. Sure, she sent them all a garbled, mystifying text, but now she's not answering her phone. Then there's Stan, who's acting cagey, saying he's too busy to be disturbed. Where could Joy possibly be? And why is her husband behaving so oddly? Could he have...done something? Or does Joy's strange disappearance have to do with Savannah Pagonis, the evasive young stranger who's been staying with Joy and Stan despite their children's protestations?

Knowing the police will automatically suspect their father if they file a missing persons report, Amy, Brooke, Troy, and Logan try to figure things out themselves. Combing over their shared family history provides clues as well as enlightening—and disturbing—insights into dynamics that may well have led to an unthinkable crime...

Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty's 2014 bestseller, introduced lots of delighted readers (including me) to this talented Australian writer. I proceeded to read—and love—all of her previous novels. Her next two, though? Meh. Since Moriarty has been so off her game, I was hesitant to pick up her newest, Apples Never Fall. When I was offered an ARC, though, I couldn't resist. I mean, c'mon, it's Liane Moriarty! And guess what? I shouldn't have been worried because the author hit it out of the ballpark (er, tennis court?) with this one. Yes, Apples Never Fall is different from her other books, but it's got that old Moriarty spark that I have been sorely missing. Her trademark wit and sharp insight infuse this family drama, coating it with warmth, humor, and poignancy. The characters are complex and flawed, which makes them all the more likable (even when they're not). Plot-wise, the story has plenty of twists to keep things interesting. I was feeling very smug toward the end, thinking I had everything figured out and, boy, was I wrong! I'm so glad I was because the book's finale delighted me to no end. I know Apples Never Fall has gotten mixed reviews from Moriarty noobs and dedicated fans alike, but for me, it's a hit. In fact, besides Big Little Lies, it might be my favorite Moriarty novel of them all. I adored it.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books by Liane Moriarty)

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Apples Never Fall from the generous folks at Henry Holt in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Returning to his Tasmanian hometown is never easy for 30-year-old Kieran Elliott.  He still gets the stink eye from Evelyn Bay locals, who blame him for the drowning deaths of two men—one of whom was his older brother, Finn—twelve years ago.  It's only fair since Kieran also blames himself for the accident that stole his idol, rocked his small town, and created a barrier of sorrow and guilt between him and his parents that has never gone away.  Kieran's reluctant to go back, but his father's dementia is worsening, necessitating a move to a nursing home, which means his mother needs help packing.  She also wants to spend time with her only grandchild, Kieran's infant daughter, Audrey. 

Kieran hasn't been in town long when a body washes up on shore.  The dead woman is Bronte Laidler, an art student from Canberra in town for the summer.  Although she drowned, there are some distressing signs that show Bronte's death might not have been an accident.  What really happened to Bronte?  Are the police correct in their suspicions that Kieran's father might have had something to do with her death?  Is this newest drowning connected to the events 12 years ago that turned Kieran into the town pariah?  The more questions he asks, the more Kieran is sure that the secrets of the past are the key to figuring out what—or who—caused Bronte's death.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Harper's other novels)

Ever since Rachel Krall's true crime podcast went viral, she's been searching for ever more interesting content to keep her listeners engaged.  Now, she's on her way to Neapolis, North Carolina, where a headline-grabbing trial is about to begin.  The town golden boy, 16-year-old Scott Blair, is accused of raping Kelly Moore, the teenaged granddaughter of Neapolis' beloved police chief.  Everyone has an opinion about the alleged crime, an event so shocking that it's tearing the town apart.

Rachel hasn't even arrived in Neapolis before she finds a note on her car pleading for her help.  Hannah Stills is begging the podcaster to look into her sister's suspicious death 25 years ago.  Although Jenny Stills' death was officially ruled an accidental drowning, Hannah knows the truth: Jenny was murdered.  Rachel is Hannah's last hope for finding the truth.  Intrigued, Rachel agrees to take the case.  She will find out what really happened to Jenny Stills, even if it means putting herself in the path of a killer whose identity has been kept secret for more than two decades.

On its surface, The Night Swim by Megan Goldin looks like the kind of thriller I go ga-ga over.  Small-town secrets?  Check.  Moody, broody beach setting?  Check.  Intriguing mystery?  Check, check.  These elements were not only what drew me to the book, but they were also the things that kept me reading it.  I certainly wasn't in it for the characters.  The Night Swim's cast features story people who are mostly unlikable, Rachel included.  There's nothing repellant about our heroine (except that she exploits other people's tragedies for ratings), but there's nothing super laudable either.  Perhaps this is because we don't really get to know Rachel well.  Goldin includes little information about the podcaster's past or why she's so interested in true crime, which made me wonder why she was in the novel at all.  Hannah would have made a much better narrator for this story.  Add choppy prose and a predictable plotline to these complaints and you can see why The Night Swim was just an average read for me.  I kept reading because I wanted to know how both mysteries would play out, but in the end, I just didn't end up loving The Night Swim like I thought it would.  Or really at all.  Bummer.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of dozens of other thrillers, although no particular title is coming to mind.  You?)

Five hundred years ago, the Great Waves destroyed the known world, burying its gleaming cities under fathoms of water.  The rusty ruins beckon to 17-year-old orphan Tempest "Tempe" Alerin, who scavenges them every day hoping to find treasures to sell.  She's been scrimping and saving her Notes ever since her older sister, Elysea, drowned two years ago.  When she finally has enough currency, she can exchange it for a wondrous gift—scientists will bring her dead sibling back to life for 24 hours.  That's all Tempe needs.  Five years ago, Elysea caused the death of their parents.  Tempe will do anything do find out why.

Reviving the dead is a carefully-controlled process, one that goes awry right from the start.  First, Elysea claims she had nothing to do with their parents' deaths.  Then, she asserts that they may still be alive.  In addition, Elysea doesn't want to spend her 24 hours of life sitting around in a boring research facility.  When the sisters find a way to escape their confines, 19-year-old Lor Ritter—the son of the scientist who invented the revival process—is charged with bringing them back.  Or else.  What ensues is a desperate race against time with Tempe and Elysea hunting for answers, with Lor in hot pursuit.  The closer the sisters get to uncovering the secrets of their watery home, the more dangerous their quest gets.  Can they find the answers they seek?  Or will both of them die trying?  

Watery dystopian worlds always fascinate me, so the setting of The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte definitely got my attention.  While not everything about the world made sense, it still created an intriguing backdrop for this exciting, action-packed ecological thriller.  I liked the characters at the story's center.  It was easy to empathize with them and root for their success.  As far as plot goes, I saw the Big Reveal coming, but there were other twists that caught me by surprise.  The ending was disappointing, which made the novel feel less than satisfying.  Overall, then, I didn't love The Vanishing Deep.  It did keep me turning pages, though, and I liked it for the most part.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

When Patrick Walsh's dementia gets too debilitating for him to live alone, his children relocate him to a nursing home.  Since she's on maternity leave, child psychologist Beth Evans volunteers to clean out her father's house.  The place has always been spic-and-span, so she's stunned when she discovers that a padlocked room holds a chaotic mess of Patrick's paintings, papers, and assorted junk.  Among the detritus, she discovers loose pages from a journal that seems to have been written by her mother.  Patrick always told his kids that their mother died in a car accident when they were small.  The diary entries tell a different story.  Beth reads about her mother's struggles with postpartum depression—which mirror her own—as well as descriptions of a Patrick Beth doesn't recognize at all.  Who are her parents, really?  What was their marriage truly like?  And why is Patrick hiding dark secrets from his own children?

I'm always up for a tantalizing family secrets novel, so I was intrigued by the premise of Kelly Rimmer's newest, Truths I Never Told You.  While the book is definitely about secrets, they're not all that tantalizing.  Plus, the plot crawls along at such a glacial pace that I struggled to stay invested in the story.  While I empathized with Beth, I found her to be a difficult MC to care about.  She's whiny, self-centered, and victimy—my least favorite kind of heroine.  Add in about 100 pages of unnecessary text and, yeah, this novel is just ... putdownable.  It took me a few days, but I did finish it.  Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy it.  Bummer. 

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Fleur Richards barely has time to be a wife before she becomes a widow.  After a whirlwind courtship and a hasty, secret wedding to a handsome Australian soldier, she's shocked to hear that Hugh's been killed in the war.  Shaken by grief, she's even more stunned to learn that her humble husband was a wealthy man.  With no other family, Hugh's fortune goes to Fleur.  It hardly seems fair that she should inherit all Hugh's money when, really, she hardly knew him.  With nothing to keep her in England, Fleur decides to take the advice of her husband's solicitor and make her way to Australia.  Intent on passing the inheritance to someone more deserving, she determines to find Hugh's kin.

The Woman in the Green Dress by Australian author Tea Cooper is my favorite kind of historical fiction—clean, atmospheric, mysterious, and entertaining.  The setting is colorful and exotic, the characters likable (especially the irrepressible Bert) and interesting, the mystery compelling and engrossing.  True, I saw most of the plot twists coming.  Also true, I didn't care as I just found this novel absorbing and enjoyable.  The Woman in the Green Dress is my first book by Cooper, but it will definitely not be my last.  

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of The Woman in the Green Dress from the generous folks at Thomas Nelson via those at TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

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It's been two decades since Eliza Carmody left her hometown of Kinsale and she's not thrilled to be going back.  Especially because her visit is in her official capacity as a lawyer—for Colcart, the company locals blame for the devastating, deadly wildfire that nearly destroyed the town.  As Public Enemy Number One, her plan is to sneak in and out of Kinsale with no one, not her family, not the few friends she has left, being the wiser.  Stealth goes out the window when Eliza witnesses a startling crime committed by an old acquaintance.  Soon, her presence is known by everyone, forcing her to confront her estranged sister, her father—a former cop who's been in a vegetative state for a year following an accident—and the anger of a town simmering with grief and searching for answers.

When Eliza learns that human remains have been found near a local historic home, she's too curious to leave Kinsale.  She knows the place has secrets, secrets that may be tied to the disappearance of her best friend back in high school.  Against her better judgment, Eliza finds herself becoming deeply embroiled in these hometown dramas.  Determined to find the truth behind the bones, the fire, and the disappearance of her best friend, she must decide whom she can trust and how far she will go to uncover the long-held secrets of the town to which she never wanted to return.

Second Sight by Aoife Clifford is a taut, twisty Australian thriller that kept me totally engrossed.  It's atmospheric, compelling, and surprising.  I didn't see the murderer coming, which is always a bonus.  The novel is unrelentingly depressing and bleak, true, but I still quite enjoyed Second Sight.  I'm looking forward to reading more from Clifford.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of books by Jane Harper, including The Dry, Force of Nature, and The Lost Man)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Book Depository)

"I don't know who I am now the world is different" (261).

In the last three years, Rick Palmer has gone from a relatively normal father to a paranoid doomsday prepper.  After his wife took off, he poured his energy into educating himself and his three teenage daughters on how to survive the apocalypse he claims is imminent.  He drilled his kids on how to find water in the desert, how to conserve resources, how to set bones and perform emergency first aid, and most of all, how to slip out of their house and into their well-stocked bunker without giving away the secret of its existence.  Despite these frantic exercises, life in the Palmers' tiny Australian town is perfectly peaceful, even boring.  Prudence Palmer and her sisters are convinced their father is mad as the proverbial hatter.  They long for a normal, on-the-grid life full of the luxuries the other teens in town take for granted—smartphones, dates, regular school, parents who aren't off their rockers ...

Then, the lights go out in the Palmers' small village.  Communication with the outside world is cut off.  Confusion and chaos quickly replace order and reason.  With Rick missing—he hasn't returned from the distant mine where he works—it's up to Pru to decide the best way to keep herself and her sisters safe.  She knows she should retreat to the bunker immediately, but a chance meet-up with a handsome boy visiting from America, whose parent is also missing, gives her pause.  As fear and desperation settle over their once-peaceful town, Pru must ask herself some important questions.  Does she do what her father taught her and hoard her resources or defy his wishes and aid her helpless neighbors?  What kind of person is she really, when push comes to shove? 

I don't read as many dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels as I once did, but I still enjoy them when I do.  After the Lights Go Out by Lili Wilkinson was mentioned on some best-of-the-genre list, so I knew I wanted to read it.  It's not an easy book to get a hold of, though; luckily, Book Depository came through for me.  While there's nothing really original about After the Lights Go Out, it's still a tense, engrossing novel.  It's atmospheric, gritty, and compelling.  The plot moves quickly, the characters are intriguing, and the decisions Pru has to make throughout the story makes it a thought-provoking tale.  Like all books of this kind, it made me ask myself, "What would I do in this situation?"  It's an interesting thought.  All in all, then, I enjoyed this one, even if it's nothing I hadn't seen before.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of the Tomorrow, When the War Began series by John Marsden and lots of other dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of After the Lights Go Out from Book Depository with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Despite the thin stream of noble blood that runs through her, Rosamund Tomkins belongs neither here nor there.  Especially after the death of her beloved grandmother, a gentlewoman who was teaching her the pretty manners of a lady.  When Rosamund is subsequently taking in by her common, disinterested mother and her greedy, abusive stepfather, she becomes little more than a servant at the family's inn.  Then, a chance encounter with a wealthy London businessman changes the 17-year-old's life in an instant.  Suddenly, she's not just a wife, but also a woman with status and a title.

When Sir Everard Blithman introduces his new wife to his latest business venture—the opening of a chocolate house—Rosamund is immediately entranced.  She's never tasted the exotic beverage, but from the get-go, she proves to be a dab hand at helping to mix it in just the right combinations to entice customers into the shop.  Although having a titled woman so involved in business is considered vulgar by London's wagging tongues, Rosamund feels more at home at the chocolate house than she does anywhere else.  While she senses there is much more going on beneath the surface of her marriage, her husband's mysterious family, and her new friendship with a handsome journalist, she doesn't realize the truth until she finds herself hopelessly entangled in a complex web of deception that threatens to destroy not just Rosamund's beloved chocolate house but everything good in her new life.  With both the business and the fates of the people she's come to love on the line, Rosamund will risk everything to save them.

Although I've been enjoying a grand love affair with chocolate for decades, I knew little about its history.  Thus, I found myself intrigued by the subject of Karen Brooks' new novel, The Chocolate Maker's Wife.  The book's colorful Medieval setting, complete with castles, knights, and the Plague, is likewise intriguing.  Naive, but kind and determined, Rosamund makes for the kind of likable, admirable heroine for whom it is easy to root.  At a hefty 551 pages, The Chocolate Maker's Wife is hardly a page-turner; it did, however, move along fast enough to keep me interested.  Despite a Big Reveal that was obvious from the get-go, the plot offered a few surprises I didn't see coming.  While I didn't end up loving this book, I did enjoy the read overall.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me a little of Chocolat by Joanne Harris)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of The Chocolate Maker's Wife from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

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Despite being both brothers and neighbors, Nathan, Bub, and Cameron Bright don't come together often.  Nor will they ever again.  For the first time in months, Nathan and Bub meet at the fence line that divides their expansive cattle ranches in the lonely Queensland outback.  Cameron, the middle brother, lies dead at their feet.  A victim of the brutal landscape and unforgiving weather, he's been killed by exposure.  The question is, how?  And why?  As a lifelong resident of the place, Cameron knew better than anyone not to stray into the miles of empty outback without proper supplies.  What was he doing out there?  Nothing about Cameron's death makes any sense.

Nathan's got enough problems dealing with issues at his own ranch, trying to communicate with his estranged teenage son, and keeping his distance from the tiny town that banished him long ago, but he can't stop obsessing over his brother's strange death.  The more he questions those that spent the most time with Cameron—his wife, his daughters, their mother, a long-time employee, and two seasonal workers—the more Nathan begins to suspect that something sinister is going on under the placid surface of Burley Downs.  Someone knows more about Cameron's death than they're saying, but who?  And why would anyone want to harm the ranch's charming manager?  The more questions Nathan asks, the more disturbing are the answers he finds.  As long-buried secrets come to light, Nathan will come to realize that the people closest to him, both physically and emotionally, might be the ones he knows least of all ...

Jane Harper's popular debut and sophomore novels are installments in an intriguing mystery series starring Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk.  Surprisingly, her newest does not continue the series.  Although it riffs on similar themes as her first two books, The Lost Man, her third, is a standalone.  At first, I was disappointed to find out it wasn't a Falk book, but it didn't take more than a few pages to convince me that The Lost Man would be just as good as Harper's others.  Maybe even be better.  Like the author's previous novels, this one features interesting, complex characters; an atmospheric, unforgettable setting; and a twisty, compelling mystery.  All of these elements combine to create a first-rate page-turner, which is as engrossing as it is haunting.  Although the story it tells is undeniably sad and depressing, The Lost Man held me completely captive as I raced through its pages to see what would happen next.  If you enjoy the Aaron Falk series or just intriguing crime fiction in general, you'll find this one a riveting, satisfying read.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Dry and Force of Nature, both by Jane Harper)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, mild sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Lost Man from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

The benefits reaped from a visit to Tranquillium House, a remote boutique health and wellness resort, are touted far and wide.  It's a place designed for anyone in need of healing, whether from a toxic diet, a stressful job, or an emotional upset.  Although its methodology is kept quite hush-hush, Tranquillium House has a reputation for being a revolutionary, life-changing facility.  

One week, nine strangers come to the resort for varying reasons.  Some need a health makeover, others a marital one, and still others a chance to reboot and refocus.  As the guests get to know each other, they begin to discover each other's secrets.  But it's the owner of the resort that is the most intriguing.  When the resort goers start to wonder about Masha Dmitrichenko's unconventional methods, they begin asking themselves the most important question—just who is this woman?  With things at Tranquillium House becoming more disturbing by the day, the guests must ask themselves whether they should trust in the process or run while they still can ...

I love Liane Moriarty's books, so I get excited every time a new one comes out.  Since I didn't care much for the author's last one, I've been hoping her newest would charm me the way novels like What Alice Forgot and Big Little Lies did.  Did I get my wish with Nine Perfect Strangers?  Not exactly.  I didn't despise it the way a lot of readers and reviewers did, but I didn't love it nearly as much as I wanted to.  Like all of Moriarty's novels, Nine Perfect Strangers is sharp and funny, with some astute and thought-provoking observations about human nature.  The characters are complex and interesting enough, without being overly original.  As far as plot ... there's not a lot.  There's suspense, of course, as the guests try to figure out what, if anything, is really going on at the resort, but that's kind of it.  I kept waiting for an And Then There Were None kind of situation, but in that I was disappointed.  The story definitely picks up toward the end, but a lot of readers may not last that long.  In the end, then, I liked Nine Perfect Strangers well enough to finish it, although I certainly did not love it.  Like other Moriarty fans, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that her next book will hearken back to the good old days when the author produced sharp, funny novels that were also charming, moving, engrossing, and satisfying.  Here's hoping ...

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of Under a Dark Sky by Lori Rader-Day and Every Single Secret by Emily Carpenter)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, sexual innuendo, and depictions of illegal drug use

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Nine Perfect Strangers from Barnes & Noble with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.