The statistics tell a disturbing story: not only do a disproportionate number of Black people go missing in the U.S. every year but their disappearances are also less likely to be widely covered by the media than those of their white counterparts. (See The Black and Missing Foundation.) I've long known about this disparity. However, I'm not sure I've ever read a book on the subject, fiction or non. We Don't Talk About Carol, a debut novel by Kristen L. Berry, brings the issue to light in a poignant and impactful story about one woman's plight to find answers about her missing aunt. 

When Sydney Singleton's grandmother dies in Raleigh, North Carolina, Sydney flies out to help her mother and younger sister clean out Grammy's home so it can be sold. Formerly an investigative journalist, Sydney's curiosity is piqued when she discovers a hidden photograph of a young woman who looks just like Sydney. Although her deceased father professed to be an only child, she soon discovers that he, in fact, had an older sister who vanished without a trace in 1965 when she was 17 years old. Not only that, but she was one of six teenaged girls who disappeared from the same Black community around the same time. Sydney's even more shocked—and angry—to discover that the string of disappearances were barely mentioned in the newspapers at the time or investigated by local law enforcement. After suffering a mental break caused by covering a heart-wrenching story, Sydney is no longer a reporter. In the middle of IVF treatments, she's supposed to be avoiding stress. Plus, her mother insists she forget all about Aunt Carol, citing her famous refrain: what happens in this house stays in this house. Sydney knows she should let it go, but she can't.

Sydney launches her own investigation into the disappearances of the Raleigh Six 60 years ago. It's not an easy task. While some people are eager to talk, others are reticent. It's clear that, in spite of the decades that have passed, someone out there knows what really happened to the girls. As Sydney digs deeper and deeper, she unearths dark secrets about her family and herself, secrets that only deepen her questions about her identity and her uncertainty about her ability to be a good mother. The more her investigation disrupts Sydney's ordered life, the more dangerous it becomes. Desperate to find answers, she puts everything on the line to solve six very cold cases.

Although We Don't Talk About Carol presents as a mystery/thriller, it's actually more of a family drama. Yes, suspicious deaths are being dug into, but the story is mostly about Sydney and her struggle to define herself within her roles as a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a journalist who has settled for a less-than-satisfying career in PR. As she probes Carol's life for clues, she also examines her own repressed memories of a tense childhood, her mother's reluctance to talk about anything of substance, her sometimes rocky relationship with her sister, and her conflicting feelings about the possibility of becoming a mother. Her personal struggles makes her sympathetic and relatable, while her determination to find the Raleigh Six make her admirable. It's easy to root for Sydney. I wanted her to find all the answers she sought.

As far as plot goes, We Don't Talk About Carol moves a little slowly. It's not exactly a page turner, but I quickly got invested in the story, wanting to know what had happened to Carol and the other missing teens. Although the answers are a bit predictable, I was surprised by at least one plot twist. The story kept me turning pages. In the end, I found it to be an affecting read that is, despite its sad subject matter, surprisingly hopeful.

Because of its eye-opening subject matter and the fact that it's a solid, satisfying debut, I wish We Don't Talk About Carol was getting more attention. I received an e-ARC of the book from NetGalley last year, but forgot all about it until I randomly came across it again the other day. I'm glad I did. I recommend picking up this novel if you're looking for an absorbing, memorable read on an important subject.

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

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of We Don't Talk About Carol from the generous folks at Random House Publishing Group via those at NetGalley. Thank you!

Ten years ago, two vans full of high school students ran off the road in the middle of a raging storm, plunging down a ravine into a swiftly-moving river. In the chaos, eight students managed to scrabble to safety. Ten of their classmates and two of their teachers did not. Wracked with guilt not just for surviving when so many others didn't, but also for some of the questionable actions they took that fateful night, The Eight reunite every year to mourn, to commiserate, and to ensure that their vow to never speak of what really happened that night remains unbroken.

A decade later, Cassidy Bent has had enough of wallowing in the past. The 28-year-old has a job she loves, a great new boyfriend, and a future that looks brighter than it ever has. After deleting the numbers of the other survivors, she has no intention of traveling to the Outer Banks for their annual reunion. Then, she receives devastating news: one of The Eight is dead. Not only that, but someone is talking to the press about the accident, hinting about dark deeds. With no other choice, Cassidy rushes to the North Carolina coast to meet up with the other survivors.

The Eight's reunions have always been melancholy; this one's turning downright sinister. Not only does Cassidy find a dead man's phone on the beach, but she also receives notes warning her to leave while she still can. And then there's the distinct feeling that someone is watching all of them...Who is targeting The Eight? Which of them is talking to reporters? What will happen when the truth about the accident gets out? With another vicious storm bearing down on the survivors, who will make it out alive this time?

I've read and enjoyed all of Megan Miranda's adult thrillers, so I always get excited when I hear she has a new book coming out. The premise of The Only Survivors sounded right up my alley, too. (In fact, it fits perfectly with the theme of my last Top Ten Tuesday list.) Unfortunately, Miranda's newest is just not up to her usual standards. To begin with, it's boring. Although the story toggles between past and present, hinting at sketchy decisions made ten years ago to ramp up the suspense, not a lot happens in the present, making the tale feel quite dull. In addition, Cassidy and her friends aren't the most charming bunch. They're not exactly unlikable, but they're not all that appealing either. I didn't feel connected to any of them. Also, the identity of the "bad guy" tormenting the survivors isn't much of a surprise. Although The Only Survivors kept me engaged enough that I finished it, I considered DNF'ing it a few times. I'm not sure why I bothered finishing it, honestly, because the ending wasn't any more satisfying for me than the rest of the book. Bummer.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of other books by Miranda as well as those by Carol Goodman, Riley Sager and Gilly Macmillan)

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

2010—Both architects, Kayla Carter and her husband designed their dream house together, excitedly anticipating the day they and their young daughter could move in. After a freak accident during the building, Jackson is dead. Now a grieving widow, Kayla can hardly face the idea of living in the home, beautiful as it is. All of her misgivings come to the fore when a strange woman visits her at work, warning her away from the property. It doesn't help when Kayla's new home is vandalized and her own father fills her head with stories about the haunted woods in her backyard. Although she's completely unnerved, Kayla decides no one is going to scare her off her own property. It's time to face her future head on by making the house she and her husband built together into a place of refuge and healing for herself and their beloved daughter. 

1965—Raised in a proper Southern household, 20-year-old Ellie Hockley's future has already been written. She'll marry her banker boyfriend, raise a passel of children, and grow old hosting meaningless tea parties and society galas. Longing to do something significant, Ellie decides to join a campaign to help Black people register to vote. Her family and friends react with disbelief, shock, and anger. Defying them all, Ellie goes to work, where she experiences—for the first time—harsh realities like poverty, racism, hate, and violence. As they work together, she finds herself falling for a fellow campaigner, a young Black man named Winston. The forbidden romance will lead to consequences far beyond anything either one of them could imagine... 

When Kayla meets Ellie, who has moved in next door temporarily to take care of her elderly mother and terminally ill brother, she learns the real story about what happened during the fateful summer of 1965. Devastating secrets, kept for decades by her father and others, will finally come to light, revealing shocking truths about Round Hill and its residents.

I've enjoyed all of the hard-hitting past/present novels I've read by Diane Chamberlain. Her newest, The Last House on the Street, is no exception. While it's not my favorite of the author's books, it's still a compelling, well-written story that is thought-provoking, moving, and engrossing. The plot is engaging, even if it doesn't contain any real surprises. Kayla, Ellie, and Win are all sympathetic characters, who are easy to root for. None of them is really unique or memorable, but they're all warm, compassionate story people. Although the novel ends on a hopeful note, overall it's pretty sad and depressing. This surprised me as I wanted happier endings for this cast. On the whole, then, I didn't absolutely love this book. I liked it and I will always read more by Diane Chamberlain. The Last House on the Street just isn't my favorite of hers.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of other books by Diane Chamberlain as well as those by Susan Meissner)

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Last House on the Street from the generous folks at St. Martin's Press via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Everything has changed since Annie Lee Fitzgerald's father died two months ago.  Not only did the 11-year-old and her mom have to move to a tiny apartment in a rundown neighborhood, but now that her mom is working full-time as a housekeeper, Annie Lee is on her own a lot more.  Despite cutting costs in every possible way, they are still barely making ends meet.  The constant struggle just adds to the overwhelming grief that already looms between them.

Despite her father's absence, there are things that haven't changed.  The bathroom still smells like his aftershave, the radio plays his favorite music, there's stubble in the sink every morning, and the coffeemaker sometimes brews his preferred brand of coffee—even though no one buys it anymore.  Annie Lee's getting used to these strange things, so she's not all that surprised when she notices more magic while she's listening to an old man playing the piano at the mall.  It seems like a sign, maybe even from her dead father, that Annie Lee needs to go back to the lessons she abandoned long ago.  When she learns about a piano competition that pays out a significant prize, she persuades the elderly pianist to teach her.

As Annie Lee attends her clandestine piano lessons, loses herself in books, and gets to know a new friend, she starts to process her grief and even feel a little bit of hope.  When an emergency threatens to blow everything apart, however, she has to make a choice that could ruin everything.

Beginners Welcome, a new middle grade novel by Cindy Baldwin, covers a lot of territory, so it's tough to describe its plot.  In fact, the story's more episodic than tightly told, which makes it seem unfocused at time.  Nevertheless, it features warm, likable characters; an engaging storyline; and solid prose.  While magical realism, even lightly sprinkled, isn't always my favorite, it worked for me in this case, giving the story an extra punch to make it more memorable.  I also appreciate that although this novel deals with some tough subjects, it remains upbeat and hopeful throughout.  While I didn't end up absolutely loving this heartfelt novel, I did enjoy it.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin as well as other middle grade grief novels, although no specific titles are coming to mind.)

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Beginners Welcome from the generous folks at HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

Ever since her dad died three years ago, Maddy Gaines' anxiety has been out of control.  The 11-year-old sees danger lurking around every corner, even if no one else does.  She's made so many emergency calls to local authorities that they don't take her seriously anymore.  So, when she meets a mysterious boy setting booby traps in the cemetery, a boy who looks an awful lot like one who went missing six months ago, Maddy knows she can't take her knowledge to the police without proof that the kid really is Billy Holcom.  Maddy is warned off the hunt by her arch enemy, who insists the boy is just his visiting cousin.  She won't be thwarted that easily, not when she's discovered a real emergency, but she will be sure to gather proof this time.  The boy is Billy and Maddy aims to make sure he's found.  When she discovers a reason he might need to stay hidden, however, she realizes that not everything is as it seems.  Is she truly rescuing the kid or putting him in more danger?

Every Missing Piece by Melanie Conklin is a nuanced middle-grade novel that's part mystery, part family drama.  Maddy has a lot to deal with—grief over losing her dad, managing her anxiety, accepting her new, trying-too-hard stepfather, and grappling with a BFF who's leaving Maddy behind as she grows up too fast—even before she starts playing detective.  Her earnestness is appealing, making her a character who's easy to like and root for.  Plot-wise, Every Missing Piece is exciting and engrossing.  The book is also full of subtle lessons about friendship, family, and figuring out how to adapt when change rocks your safe, orderly world.  Every Missing Piece is a touching novel that I very much enjoyed.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a bit of Closer to Nowhere by Ellen Hopkins)

Even though there's a terrible war raging in Europe, 25-year-old Tess DeMello is safe in her tight-knit Little Italy neighborhood living a happy, contented life.  She's engaged to her childhood sweetheart, pursuing a career as a nurse, and looking forward to a future full of love, adventure, and joy.  In a moment of weakness, however, her life is changed forever.  She finds herself pregnant with a stranger's baby.  Kicked out of her home by her mother, Tess is alone and terrified.  With no other choice, she breaks off her engagement, leaves school, and flees to North Carolina, where she'll beg her baby's father for enough money to start a new life in some far-flung city.  

To Tess' surprise, 27-year-old Henry Kraft suggests they marry and raise their baby together in his tiny hometown of Hickory.  While this seems like the perfect solution, Tess soon finds that an opinionated Italian woman from Baltimore is not exactly what Henry's family and friends had in mind for him.  While she does finally find some purpose and acceptance by volunteering at a polio hospital, her strained relationship with Henry brings only distress and worry.  Not only is he definitely concealing something from her, but he treats Tess with politeness rather than affection.  What is he hiding?  What will it take for a regretful Tess to find happiness in her strange new life?

The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain is a compelling novel set in an interesting time period and populated with complex, well-drawn characters.  None of them are perfect—all are authentically flawed.  While not all of them are likable, their individual conflicts and dramas keep the story engrossing, even when the plot gets a bit predictable.  The tale did throw me at least one curveball, though, which led to a surprise ending that I loved.  While I didn't end up absolutely adoring The Stolen Marriage, overall, I found it heartfelt, intriguing, and, ultimately, hopeful. 

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a lot of Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain and a little of At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

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?)

Twenty-two years old and newly married, adventurous Jane Forrester is ready to set the world on fire.  Although her straight-laced husband would prefer she spend her days sipping iced tea at the country club with the other wives in their circle, Jane is anxious to begin her career as a social worker with the Department of Public Welfare.  She can't wait to play Superwoman to Raleigh's most pitiable citizens.  

When Jane begins making house calls in poor, rural Grace County, she's shocked to see her charges living in absolute squalor, the likes of which she has never experienced in her privileged life.  Her heart especially aches for 15-year-old Ivy Hart, an epileptic orphan who labors tirelessly on a tobacco farm just to keep a roof over her family's heads.  As caretaker of her ill grandmother, her sister with special needs, and her sister's toddler, Ivy's barely got enough strength to make it through the day.  When it's suggested that Ivy might be a prime candidate for North Carolina's eugenics program, Jane's torn.  While it's obvious the young woman can't handle one more stressor, "voluntary" sterilization seems extreme, even for a penniless child with no future.  The more time Jane spends with the Harts, the more she longs to ease Ivy's burdens.  When dark secrets start to surface, she must decide just how far she's willing to go—how much she's prepared to risk—to give Ivy the chance she deserves.

Until I picked up Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain, I had never heard of North Carolina's eugenics program, which operated between the 1930s and 1970s.  While the aim of the initiative was to sterilize only the mentally-challenged inmates of public institutions, it was more widely applied, leading to the sterilization of over 7500 people.  Many of the operations were coerced and performed on impoverished Black women.  Chamberlain brings the issue to vivid, heartbreaking life in Necessary Lies, an emotionally-charged historical novel that definitely hit me right in the feels.  The women at its center—Jane and Ivy—are both sympathetic characters who are so well-drawn they feel real.  My heart ached for them both.  Their stories are compelling and riveting, which made for a novel that is as gut-wrenching as it is engrossing and thought-provoking.  Although Necessary Lies tells a grim story, in the end it's a hopeful novel.  The tale moved me with its complex characters, intriguing conflict, and powerful storytelling.  I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book, which I enjoyed very much.

(Readalikes:  I haven't read The First Lie by Diane Chamberlain yet, but it's a novella that tells Ivy's story.)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

Twenty years ago, 6-year-old Arden Maynor made national headlines after being swept away during a flood while sleepwalking outside her home.  Her miraculous survival following three harrowing days in a drainage pipe brought all kinds of attention to Arden and her mother.  While they welcomed donations from well-meaning donors, they also received disturbing communications from people with less honorable intentions, especially after Arden's mom memorialized her young daughter in a bestselling tell-all. 

Tired of being exploited by both the media and her mother, Arden fled Widow Hills.  Now known as Olivia Meyer, she's made a new life for herself in rural North Carolina.  Desperate to move on from her past, she's panicked about the upcoming twentieth anniversary of her rescue.  No one in her new town knows who she really is and she wants to keep it that way.  When the stress causes her to start sleepwalking again, just as she did as a child, Arden becomes understandably distressed.  When she awakes outside her house with a dead body at her feet and blood on her hands, she's terrified.  Did she kill the man, a figure from her childhood?  Why?  What did he want from her?  As Arden's past and present collide, she searches frantically for answers.  Fame almost suffocated her once—she'll do anything to prevent it from happening again ...

If you dig a twisty, propulsive read, you've probably already discovered Megan Miranda's pulse-pounding thrillers.  I'm a fan, so I'm always excited when the author comes out with a new book.  Miranda's latest, The Girl From Widow Hills, isn't my favorite of hers, but it's still a riveting story that had me flying through its pages.  The novel uses intimate first-person narration to draw the reader into Arden's present as well as a series of articles, interview transcripts, and other snippets to fill in Arden's back story, which keeps the tale fresh, engaging, and suspenseful.  Although the ending is abrupt, leaving me with questions, it still caught me off-guard.  I read so many of these kinds of books that I'm rarely surprised by them anymore, so it's nice when that happens.  While The Girl From Widow Hills didn't absolutely knock my socks off, I still enjoyed it overall.  Miranda is a master of her craft and I'll never not be interested to see what she does next.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books by Megan Miranda as well as those by Lisa Jewell and Gilly Macmillan)

Grade:  

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for A Conspiracy of Bones, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier Tempe Brennan mysteries.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.

Forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan is one of my favorite crime fiction heroines, so I'm always excited when her newest adventure is published.  Because the latest installment in the series, A Conspiracy of Bones, was delayed due to Kathy Reichs' ill health, I was especially pumped when it finally came out in March.  My elation was well-merited, too, as Tempe is not just back but also better than ever.

Despite still being in recovery from surgery for a brain aneurysm, Tempe is anxious to continue her forensic work.  If only her new boss didn't carry an old grudge that makes her reluctant to look Tempe in the eye, let alone ask for her help.  When Tempe gets a gruesome heads-up about a corpse that's missing its hands and face, she's more than ready to get to work on the case.  Unfairly shut out by her boss, Tempe refuses to give up.  With the help of a few old colleagues, including the always amusing Erskine "Skinny" Slidell and the ever sexy Andrew Ryan, she vows to get to the truth she knows is hidden in the bones of the dead.  Of course, these things are never straightforward.  Soon, Tempe is once again smack dab in the middle of an intriguing mystery that could very well get her killed ...

While some of Reichs' books are better than others, I always love Tempe.  She's a smart, funny, determined heroine who I'm willing to follow anywhere.  Reichs' side characters are just as entertaining.  True, A Conspiracy of Bones is a bit lacking in the Ryan department.  Still, the novel offers plenty of twists to keep readers turning pages.  As always, I especially enjoy the way Reichs explains forensic science—she uses simple explanations that everyone can understand without talking down to the reader.  All of these features combine to make the Tempe Brennan series one of my favorites.  The newest installment is Reichs at her best.  Not surprisingly, I loved it.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books in the Tempe Brennan series, including First Bones [novella]; Deja Dead; Death Du Jour; Deadly Decisions, Fatal Voyage; Grave Secrets; Bare Bones; Monday Mourning; Cross Bones; Break No Bones; Bones to Ashes; Devil Bones; 206 Bones; Spider Bones; Flash and Bones; Bones Are Forever; Bones in Her Pocket [novella]; Bones of the Lost; Swamp Bones [novella]; Bones Never Lie; Bones on Ice; and Speaking in Bones)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, disturbing subject matter, and blood/gore

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

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Growing up on the wrong side of the hill in a trashy trailer park with a mother who cared more about drugs than her starving children, Charlie never figured her life would amount to much.  Then Paul Keller walked into the gas station where she worked, started flirting with her, and changed everything.  At 26, she now lives in a huge modern house on the other side of the hill with glorious, million-dollar views of the lake.  Twelve years her senior, Paul is the loving, handsome, successful husband of her dreams.  Shucking off her impoverished childhood just as she has her old nickname, Charlotte has become one of the wealthiest women in town.  So what if her childhood friends call her a sell-out or if she sometimes feels like a visitor in her posh new life?  With a baby on the way, Charlotte is about to have everything she's ever dreamed of and more.  

Then, one icy morning, the dead body of a pretty blonde is found beneath the Kellers' dock.  Only four years ago, another corpse was discovered in the exact same spot—that of Paul's first wife, Katherine.  Although Katherine's cause of death was ruled an accidental drowning, town gossip labeled Paul a murderer.  Charlotte has never believed the rumors, but she really hasn't known her husband for long and he's never been very forthcoming about his past.  With the police eager to pin the stranger's murder on Paul, Charlotte must ask herself some tough questions.  Who is the woman in the lake?  Why was she killed?  Is her husband capable of murdering not one, but two women?  Why did Paul take off into the woods as soon as he saw the corpse?  What is he hiding?  As secrets from the past are dredged up for reexamination, Charlotte will learn some terrible truths about her husband, their friends, and a town with plenty to hide.  

You all know I love me a good small-town secrets novel.  Stranger in the Lake (available June 9, 2020), the newest mystery/thriller by Kimberly Belle, certainly qualifies.  Although there's nothing super original about the story, it nevertheless kept me glued to the page.  The premise is intriguing in its simplicity, the prose is propulsive, and the characters are complex and interesting.  Charlotte is a relatable heroine who's easy to root for.  Because there is only a small pool of suspects, it wasn't tough for me to identify the killer fairly early on.  However, I wasn't absolutely sure I was correct until the end of the book, and even then there was at least one plot twist that surprised me.  All in all, then, I found Stranger in the Lake to be an engrossing, entertaining thriller.  I'll definitely be looking for more from Belle.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The First Wife by Erica Spindler)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, and blood/gore

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Stranger in the Lake from the generous folks at Harlequin.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

English teacher Jennifer McGaha was casually going about her happy upper-middle-class life when she got the shock of a lifetime—she and her husband were bankrupt.  Not only that but they owed over $100,000 in back taxes.  Having always left the handling of family finances up to her accountant spouse, McGaha had no idea just how bad their money situation had gotten.  Feeling betrayed, angry, and worried, she realized with alarm that she and her husband could go to jail, even though she had had no clue their yearly taxes weren't being paid.  Although that didn't end up happening, the couple did have to make some major adjustments.  And fast.  

After acknowledging the part her own ignorance played in the situation and forgiving her husband, McGaha pressed on.  Foreclosing on their dream home, the couple moved to the cheapest rental they could find—a ramshackle, 100-year-old farmhouse deep in a remote Appalachian holler.  Even though it was infested with mice and falling down around their heads, at $250 a month, they would have to make do.  With zero homesteading skills between the two of them, the McGahas set about learning how to do things they never could have imagined themselves doing:  wrestling snakes, making their own yogurt, breeding goats, raising chickens, etc.  In the middle of all their adventures and misadventures, the couple made an incredible discovery.  Living closer to the land had brought them closer to each other, teaching them invaluable lessons about contentment, endurance, self-reliance, and the true meaning of home.

Flat Broke With Two Goats is a funny and poignant memoir about everything McGaha has learned from her riches-to-rags experience.  While it deals with some heavy themes, on the whole, the book is upbeat and entertaining.  It does ramble on a bit, making for some dull patches.  It even takes an odd turn into a jarring section on the author's abusive first marriage, which doesn't seem to quite fit with the rest of the narrative.  On the whole, though, Flat Broke With Two Goats is an engrossing, empowering memoir.  Although I could have done without all the animal mating stories, overall, I liked this one, even if I didn't love it.  

P.S.  I listened to the book on audio and thought Pam Ward did an excellent job with the narration.  

(Readalikes:  Coop by Michael Perry)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, and sexual innuendo/content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Twins are rare enough, but 11-year-old Minni King and her sister, Keira, are more unusual still.  Children of a Black mother and a white father, Minnie's skin matches her dad's while Keira's is the same shade as their mom's.  Their parents have always assured them that what matters most is that they're all part of the strong, tight-knit King Family, but that doesn't mean their unique family doesn't attract plenty of stares and ignorant comments from people in their mostly white Pacific Northwest community.  

When the girls' overbearing grandmother calls, insisting Minni and Keira come stay with her in Raleigh, North Carolina, in order to compete in the Miss Black Pearl contest, Keira's over the moon.  She's vivacious and gorgeous, the perfect candidate for a beauty pageant scholarship competition.  Shy and awkward, not to mention pale as milk, Minni can't think of anything more horrifying than being gawked at while prancing around a stage in a fussy dress and high heels.  Unable to talk her way out of going, Minni vows to face her fate with courage—the way her hero, Martin Luther King, always did.  

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

To the FTC, with love:  I received a free audiobook of The Other Half of My Heart through a promotion at Audible.

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

1939—Aspiring artist Anna Dale is thrilled when her sketch wins a federal contest designed to install colorful murals on the walls of post offices throughout the United States.  Unexpectedly, the 22-year-old is assigned to paint in the tiny Southern town of Edenton.  With the recent death of her mother, Anna has nothing to keep her in New Jersey, so she settles down in the North Carolina town, determined to do her best to immortalize its virtues in her mural.  While some of the townsfolk welcome her with open arms, others look askance at her city airs, her unconventional ideas, and the fact that she bested Edenton's resident artist in the contest.  When a shocking turn of events shows Anna just how deep some people's resentment lies, she's forced to decide if completing the mural is really worth the risk.

2018—In jail for a crime she didn't commit, 22-year-old Morgan Christopher is surprised when she receives a visit from two women she doesn't know.  When they offer her a job restoring an old painting, at the bequest of a well-known artist who has recently died, Morgan's shocked.  Especially when she learns the task comes with a generous payout and immediate release from incarceration.  Morgan can't say no.  Although she knows nothing about art restoration and can't fathom why a famous painter would want her for the job, Morgan vows to do the best she can.  When she sees the painting—an old mural that was never installed at the Edenton, North Carolina, post office like it should have been—she's intrigued by the artist's odd renderings of the town.  Was Anna Dale insane?  Why did she paint such weird motifs?  The more Morgan works on the painting, the more she has to know: What happened to Anna Dale, a talented painter who was never heard from again after she left Edenton?

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain combines some intriguing elements—small-town secrets, a mysterious painting, and an impossible task assigned to an improbable underdog—to create an engrossing, entertaining mystery that I quite enjoyed.  Anna and Morgan are likable characters, both of whom are sympathetic and admirable.  Although I know little about painting, it was interesting to learn about the restoration process.  I also enjoyed the pacing of this story, which kept me engrossed and guessing.  The Big Reveal at the end of the book didn't surprise me at all, however, but that's okay because it felt so right.  With all of these winning elements, Big Lies in a Small Town is engaging, compelling, and enjoyable. I'll definitely be checking out Chamberlain's backlist now.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a few F-bombs, plus milder expletives), blood/gore, violence, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Big Lies in a Small Town from the generous folks at St. Martin's Press via those at NetGalley.  Thank you!