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Monday, July 27, 2020
Tempe Brennan is Back and Better Than Ever (Cliché But True)
6:19 PM
(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.
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
A Splishy-Splashy Top Ten Tuesday List
11:49 AM
Top Ten Tuesday is my hands-down favorite meme and the only one I really participate in. However, some weeks I'm just not feeling the topic. I usually find a way to twist it to suit me better, but today's has me stumped. The topic du jour is: Top Ten Book Events/Festivals I'd Love to Go To Someday (real or fictional). As much as I love to read, I don't love crowds so I usually avoid these kinds of shindigs. So, I went totally rogue today and came up with my own topic.
Another thing I try to avoid is the heat. I live in Arizona (not by choice), so it's not easy! Luckily, I have a backyard pool to cool off in. All the pool time my family and I have been enjoying lately makes me think of book covers featuring swimming pools. So, my topic of choice today has to do with that.
Before we get to my list, though, I need to give a shout-out to our lovely Top Ten Tuesday host. Be sure and check Jana out at That Artsy Reader Girl. All the TTT deets are on her blog.
Top Ten Books I Want to Read That Feature Swimming Pools on Their Covers
1. Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm—This MG Newberry Honor book revolves around a young Italian-American girl living in New York City. Set right after World War II, it deals with prejudice against Italians, fear of polio, and the coming-of-age of our heroine.
2. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson—I've loved several of Jackson's novels, but I haven't read this one yet. This Southern family drama concerns a woman who is visited by the ghost of her 13-year-old neighbor. The apparition leads her to a dead body and a mystery that will reveal shocking truths about her family's past.
3. The Safe Place by Anna Downes—This thriller concerns a young woman who's in desperate need of a lucky break. When a wealthy couple offers her a lucrative housekeeping job at their remote French estate, she jumps at the chance. All is not perfect in paradise, however, as she soon finds out ...
4. The Swimming Pool by Louise Candlish—Another thriller, this one is about Natalie, a woman whose routine wife/mother/teacher life is shaken up when she meets wealthy, charismatic Lara who pulls her into a lavish lifestyle unlike any she's ever known. Who is Lara, really? And what is Natalie getting herself into?
5. Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster—Like The Safe Place, this novel is about a down-on-her-luck young woman who takes a glamorous job in Martha's Vineyard as a nanny for a wealthy couple. As she tries to fit in with the upper crust, she discovers that nothing in that glittering world is quite what it seems ...
6. The Vacation by T.M. Logan—The teaser says it all: Seven Days. Three Families. One Killer.
7. The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis—The plot summary on this one doesn't reveal a ton. Apparently, it involves two frenemies who need to let go of the past in order to secure a happy, successful future.
8. Swimming Between Worlds by Elaine Neil Orr—This historical concerns three very different people whose lives converge in tumultuous North Carolina during the Civil Rights Movement.
9. Up For Air by Laurie Morrison—This MG novel stars Annabelle Wilner, a 13-year-old who excels at swimming. When she's invited to join the high school swim team, she becomes desperate to impress an older boy who's paying her a surprising amount of attention. Her ploys, however, might just cost her everything that means anything to her, including friendships, family relationships, and a swimming scholarship. Is her crush really worth it?
10. For the Best by Vanessa Lillie (available September 8, 2020)—When her wallet is found next to a freshly-killed corpse, Jules Worthington-Smith becomes the chief suspect in the man's murder. Despite the fact that she was drunk out of her mind on the night of the murder, Jules is sure she had nothing to do with it. Now, she just has to prove her innocence ...
Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a dip in the pool! What do you think of my "splashy" list? Can you think of any other books with swimming pools on the cover? What's on your TTT list today?
Happy TTT!
Monday, July 20, 2020
The Last Time I Lied Another Engrossing Thriller from Sager
5:29 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
With its lush Adirondacks setting and its sparkling lake, Camp Nightingale was once an exclusive summer camp attended by Manhattan's wealthiest young women. Then, three campers disappeared, never to be seen again. Its reputation in ruins, the place closed, remaining shuttered for 15 years. Now, it's reopening.
A first-time camper, Emma Davis was roommates with the missing girls. She saw them sneak out of their cabin that night. If only she had followed, maybe she could have stopped whatever tragedy befell them. A decade and a half later, Emma is still wracked by guilt and grief. An up-and-coming artist, she has painted the vanished girls obsessively. Until six months ago, when her muses abandoned her just like they did 15 years ago. Desperate to paint again and to find out what happened to the girls, Emma accepts a job as an art counselor at Camp Nightingale.
Just as its man-made lake hides a flooded town, the camp is covering up its own secrets. As Emma looks into the place's past and present, she discovers some unsettling truths about Camp Nightingale. The more she digs, the more she realizes just how much danger she's really in. Someone doesn't want her what really happened 15 years ago. Emma escaped the camp with her life once—can she do it again? Or will Emma become Nightingale's next missing woman?
I'm always drawn to a premise involving people returning to familiar places to confront secrets from the past. Something about that particular setup just seems to guarantee drama, tension, and suspense. The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager definitely makes good on that promise, offering a tense, twisty story set against a creepy, atmospheric backdrop. Drama, tension, and suspense absolutely ensue, making for another thrilling page-turner from Sager. I can't say I liked the characters in this one much, though. The plot, while exciting, also left some unanswered questions. For these two reasons and more, I enjoyed my previous read by Sager—Lock Every Door—more than this one. Still, The Last Time I Lied kept me burning through its pages, eager to find out what was going to happen next. While I didn't end up loving it, the novel did keep me engrossed and entertained.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of books by Carol Goodman, especially The Lake of Dead Languages, and of I'll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie)
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: Another library fine find
Saturday, July 18, 2020
My First Sager Thriller Won't Be My Last
5:53 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
After being let go at work and being let down in a relationship she thought was really going somewhere, Jules Larsen is at loose ends. With no family to turn to and few friends, the 25-year-old could use a break. That's just what she gets when she answers a Help Wanted ad for an apartment sitter. Suddenly, she finds herself living in a luxurious suite at one of Manhattan's most exclusive addresses. Other than some light housekeeping, Jules barely has to lift a finger to earn her $4000 a month paycheck. It feels like she's won the lottery. Sure, the job comes with some strange rules—no one is allowed to visit the apartment, Jules can't mention her new home on social media, and she's forbidden from speaking to any of the building's residents—but it's a small price to pay for such a large amount of money.
It's not long before Jules starts to realize something's not quite right at the Bartholomew. Not only does she hear strange sounds in the night, but the one person she's befriended in the building—another apartment sitter—has vanished without a trace. As Jules starts digging into the disappearance, she begins to uncover the Bartholomew's many secrets. And that's when things go from strange to downright sinister ...
I don't want to say too much about Lock Every Door by Riley Sager for fear of spoiling the story. It's a twisty tale, one that went in a totally unexpected direction for me. The setting is atmospheric and creepy, the plot is propulsive and engrossing, and the characters are complex and interesting. When it comes to unputdownable thrillers, Sager is a well-loved star. Now I know why. This definitely won't be the last time I read him.
(Readalikes: Um, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language, violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
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