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August 1999—Laura knows little about solar eclipses, but when her college friends decide to take a trip to the Cornish coast to witness one, she's all in.  She meets Kit McCall, a passionate, principled eclipse chaser, at a pre-trip planning meeting and falls swiftly in love.  By the time they travel together to Lizard Point, they're an established couple, both eager to experience the upcoming, sure-to-be-brilliant phenomenon.  But, in the chaotic, carnival-like atmosphere on the Point, Laura witnesses something even more life-changing than the eclipse.  She's not exactly sure what she's seeing; she only knows she has to intervene.  Grateful for her aid, 19-year-old Beth Taylor latches on to Laura, even showing up later on her London doorstep.  Leery of their new houseguest, Kit and Laura do what they can to help.  However, when things with Beth take an unsettling turn, they know they have to distance themselves from the increasingly unstable young woman.

March 2015—Now married to Kit and pregnant with twins, Laura still lives in fear.  Although the McCalls have taken great pains to hide their identities—they have new names, no social media profiles, burner phones, no personal photos published on the Internet, etc—Laura remains anxious, terrified of being discovered by Beth.  Kit's desire to go on an eclipse-chasing trip fills her with dread.  When his excursion triggers a brush with the past, Laura is forced to face the truth about what really happened in Cornwall.  With everything—and everyone—she loves at risk, she must find a way to stop her worst nightmare from coming to fruition.  

He Said She Said by English author Erin Kelly is an engrossing thriller that's both timely (more so when I read it back in July) and terrifying.  Complex and twisty, it kept me guessing and on the edge-of-my-seat until the very last page.  Although the novel is sad and depressing, it's also a tense, suspenseful page-turner from which you'll be hard pressed to look away.  If you're a twisty mystery fan, you'll definitely want to check out He Said She Said as well as other books by Erin Kelly.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of books by Sharon Bolton and Jane Casey)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, sexual content, disturbing subject matter, and depictions of illegal drug use

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of He Said She Said from the generous folks at Minotaur Books (a division of St. Martin's Press/Macmillan).  Thank you!

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When the dead body of an 11-year-old boy is found on the beach in the sleepy, seaside hamlet of Broadchurch, it rocks the small Dorset community to its core.  Danny Latimer had grown up in the town, was well known by many.  Did he purposely jump off the cliffs in order to end his own life?  Did he fall?  Was he pushed?  These are the questions that haunt Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller.  For her, it's a very personal case—Danny was her son's best friend.  Ellie knows the Latimers well.  Their grief pierces her to the soul.

Ellie's keen to solve the case, knowing closure will do the Latimers a world of good.  She's not thrilled, however, when a brusque outsider—Detective Inspector Alec Hardy—is brought in to help the local police investigate Danny's death.  Not only does DI Hardy harbor his own secrets, but he's certain the good folks of Broadchurch keep plenty of their own.  He's not wrong.  As the detectives pummel Ellie's friends, neighbors, and acquaintances for answers, she's shocked by what they uncover.  Someone killed Danny.  Someone from Broadchurch.  Who would do such a thing?  And why?  As the Latimers slowly fall apart, it's up to Ellie—their friend and confidante—to figure out what really happened to their little boy.  The truth will bring an already outraged town to its knees.  It always does when the monster is one of your own ...

You may have heard of Broadchurch, a British crime drama that ran on ITV for three seasons starting in 2013.  Starring David Tennant (best known as the Tenth Doctor on Doctor Who) as DI Hardy and Olivia Colman as Ellie, the series is available to view on Netflix.  Interestingly, Broadchurch the show is not based on Broadchurch the novel, but the other way around.  This is so odd because, to me, the latter is much better than the former.  Perhaps this simply has to do with my preference for print over film, but Broadchurch by Erin Kelly tells a much fuller story than the t.v. version.  In fact, if I hadn't read the book first I think I would have been a bit lost watching the series as its filmed in an artsy way with a choppy storyline and lots of moody, melodramatic scenes that offer more in the way of creativity than clarity.   Still, both versions are complex, compelling, and well-plotted.  The twists mostly caught me off-guard.  As did the identity of the murderer.  I did not see it coming at all.  While I always like a small-town-with-big-secrets story, some are more disturbing than others.  I'm not going to lie—Broadchurch was difficult to read (and watch) at certain points.  It's depressing.  And the ending made me sick to my stomach, truth be told.  Overall, though, the book's an engrossing page turner that I had trouble putting down even when I really, really wanted to.  I'll definitely look for more of Kelly's work at my local library.

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

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

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With the recent death of her father, March Middleton has been left a penniless 21-year-old orphan with few prospects.  Being "unsuited to trade and too proud to go into service," she's relieved when her godfather offers to take her in.  March has never met Sidney Grice, but she learns some startling facts about her mysterious guardian on the way to his home in London.  The man, apparently, has made quite a name for himself as a brilliant, brave personal detective.  Not exactly a people person, Grice is civil to his new charge but hardly enthusiastic.

Fascinated by Grice's daring occupation, March longs for a taste of the excitement.  When a case presents itself, she offers to pay the client's fee if Grice agrees to investigate.  Reluctantly, the detective accepts.  Together, the unlikely duo look into the situation—a young woman has been stabbed to death, apparently by her husband.  The victim's mother insists her son-in-law is innocent.  March believes her.  Grice is less convinced.  Still, as the two dig deeper, they discover inconsistencies and clues that cast a new light on the crime.  The closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous the streets of East End grow for the curious pair.  Will March and her godfather live long enough to solve the case?  Or will they become the newest corpses discovered on the mean Whitechapel streets?

I don't know about you, but I enjoy a good Victorian mystery tale.  The Mangle Street Murders, the first in a new detective series by M.R.C. Kasasian, isn't my genre favorite, but I still found the story enjoyable.  Gruesome, mind you, but entertaining nonetheless.  March Middleton is a likable narrator—she's smart, determined, and more than capable of matching wits with her guardian.  Sidney Grice is an intriguing character in his own right, although the brilliant but socially awkward P.I. is fast becoming a cliché in crime fiction.  Still, The Mangle Street Murders is a compelling, atmospheric mystery that manages to be both bleak and funny.  Its setting can't help but be depressing, its subject matter gory and yet, I liked this one overall.  True, I haven't found myself clamoring for a sequel; that, however, is probably only a matter of time.  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of the Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn [A Curious Beginning; and A Perilous Undertaking] and Scotland Yard's Murder Squad series  [The Yard; The Black Country; The Blue Girl (novella); The Devil's Workshop; The Harvest Man; Lost and Gone Forever; and Dark House] by Alex Grecian)

Grade: 

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find