After a terrible mistake which left her traumatized and with a young, equally scarred son to care for, 33-year-old Tess Henshaw is back in little Rock Harbor, Maine.  Now teaching English at the same prep school she attended as a young woman, Tess is married to a respected man who's also an instructor at the school.  Always a moody, complicated kid, Tess's son Rudy, now 17, is living on-campus and seems to be happier than he has been in a very long time.  With her comfortable, stable life, Tess' tumultuous past feels like ancient history—just the way she likes it.

Then, an early morning text from Rudy shatters Tess' perfect life.  Without waking her husband, she races to the rescue of her trembling son, who's soaking wet, practically mute, and has a stain on his hoodie that looks an awful lot like blood.  A few hours later, she gets an even more shocking message—the body of Rudy's girlfriend, Lila Zeller, has just been found near the place where Tess had gone to pick up Rudy.  As the police investigate the suspicious death, Rudy becomes a suspect as does Tess' husband, Harmon.  Frantic to clear both of their names without implicating either, Tess finds herself lying to authorities and spilling secrets from her own past in a desperate effort to keep her entire world from falling completely apart.  Although Tess can't believe her son capable of such a heinous crime, she's plagued by the question everyone is asking:  What really happened the night Lila died?

I'm always up for a compelling psychological thriller, especially a moody, broody one with deliciously Gothic undertones.  These are Carol Goodman's bread and butter and I, for one, am always eager to sup at her table!  While her newest, The Sea of Lost Girls, isn't my favorite Goodman novel (that would be The Widow's House), it's still a tense, twisty tale that kept me glued to the page.  True, I saw the killer coming, but that didn't keep me from reading this one fast and furious.  Even though it's depressing, the characters aren't super likable, and their actions don't always make sense, I still enjoyed The Sea of Lost Girls overall.   

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other novels by Carol Goodman)

As a first-year English teacher, 27-year-old Benedetta "Bennie" Silva knows she pretty much has to take what she can get in terms of job placement.  Still, she doesn't quite know how she's going to manage her first assignment at an all-black junior/senior high school in little Augustine, Louisiana.  The kids, most of whom are impoverished and jaded, are just as skeptical of her as she is of them.  In a desperate effort to engage them, she begins researching the history of a nearby plantation called Goswood Grove.  When she discovers an incredible story about three young women who set out on a remarkable journey, Benny becomes obsessed with the tale, especially when she finds a connection between it and one of her students.   

Over one hundred years earlier, in the days of Reconstruction, a trio of teens from Augustine hie off for Texas.  Hannah is a freed slave searching for her mother and siblings, all of whom were sold off when she was only six.  Lavinia is the spoiled daughter of Goswood Grove's master, who disappeared without a trace, leaving his plantation and family destitute.  A mulatto, Juneau is Lavinia's Creole half-sister, who goes along reluctantly to keep Lavinia from getting into too much trouble.  Along the way, the unlikely road trip companions will deal with perils of every kind.  Can they learn to rely on each other?  Will each of them find what they're looking for?  Will any of them?

The Book of Lost Friends, Lisa Wingate's newest, has been criticized for being slow and lacking depth.  While I can understand these complaints, I actually really liked the novel.  It introduced me to a piece of Reconstruction era history that I'd never heard of—"Lost Friends" advertisements that helped families torn apart by slavery find each other again.  Not only did I find this aspect of the novel fascinating, but I also enjoyed getting to know Hannah, Lavinia, and Juneau.  Their journey to Texas and into their own pasts had enough drama and intrigue to keep me reading.  All in all, I found The Book of Lost Friends to be engaging, interesting, moving, and thought-provoking.  I loved it.

(Readalikes:  Hm, nothing is coming to mind.  You?)

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of The Book of Lost Friends from the generous folks at Ballantine Books (a division of Penguin Random House) via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

In a very 2020 move, my blood sugar went a little nutso last night.  Dealing with it kept me up late, then I had to get up at 6 a.m. for the first time since February to make sure my sixth grader got off to in-person school (she'll go two days a week), and now I'm tired and cranky!  Top Ten Tuesday always puts me in a good mood, although I'm not feeling today's topic—Cover Freebie—since I just did a list featuring book covers.  My Monday-ish mood (even though it's Tuesday) makes me want to go rogue and do my own topic, so that's what I'm gonna do, darn it.   

If you want to get in on the TTT action (and you do!), head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Since next week's topic concerns our Fall 2020 TBR lists, I decided to make this list a two-parter and take a look at some of the great-looking novels that are coming out in the last few weeks of 2020.  Although we're all probably ready to kick this year to the curb, at least there is something to look forward to (other than cooler temps and the holidays) as we head into Fall.

Top Ten Novels Coming Out in Fall 2020, Part One 

1.  Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (available October 6, 2020)—A family heads to a remote vacation home on Long Island only to have their time together interrupted by a frantic knock on the door in the middle of the night.  The owners have come home in a panic, raving about a sinister blackout in New York City.  With no t.v. or Internet, the two families are on their own—together—as the world falls apart.  The premise of this one is so fun (in a fictional sense, anyway)!  I can't wait to see how the author spins this tale.

2.  A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins  (available November 10, 2020)—Reporting on London's grisly crime scene may not be the most proper profession, but Lady Katherine Bascomb doesn't care.  Especially when one of her articles leads to the arrest of a killer.  To escape some of her newfound notoriety, she hies off to the country, only to witness a murder upon arrival.  The DI assigned to the case doesn't want a woman interfering with his investigation, but he's going to get one whether he likes it or not ... Sounds like a light, entertaining read.

3.  The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher (available December 29, 2020)—Juno, a retired therapist faced with a grim diagnosis, desires to live out what's left of her life in peace.  Moving in with the Crouches, who seem to be the perfect family, seems like the best solution.  Until she overhears a very disturbing conversation.  Juno should keep her mouth shut since she has her own secrets to keep, but the thing about skeletons in the closet is they always tend to creep out ...

4.  When Life Gives You Mangos by Kereen Getten (available October 20, 2020)—This MG novel concerns a 12-year-old living on an exotic island whose memory hasn't been the same since a devastating hurricane hit.  As she tries to recover her shattered memory, she also attempts to save a friendship that hasn't been the same since.  The plot sounds a little thin on this one, but I'm always up for a compelling MG read, so we'll see if this one hits the mark or not.

5.  Millicent Glenn's Last Wish by Tori Whitaker (available October 1, 2020)—On the eve of Millicent's 91st birthday, her estranged daughter moves back in.  Then, Millicent's granddaughter surprises them both by announcing she's pregnant, which brings up sorrows from the past Millicent's never spoken about before.  As three generations of Glenn women come together under the same roof, can they find the strength and healing which they all so desperately need? 

6.  Wishes and Wellingtons by Julie Berry (available October 13, 2020)—Berry's newest MG offering sounds quirky and engaging.  It revolves around an orphan girl who discovers a magical djinni while sorting garbage as a punishment for brawling in the schoolyard.  She's desperate to be granted three wishes, but having a djinni in her possession might turn out to be a whole lot more trouble than it's 

worth!

7.  Above All Else by Dana Alison Levy (available October 13, 2020)—I find stories about Mount Everest fascinating, so this YA offering about teen climbers appeals.

8.  The War Widow by Tara Moss (available December 29, 2020)—Now that World War II is over, war correspondent Billie Walker finds herself out of a job.  The plucky Australian reporter opens a detective agency, which soon has her looking into the disappearance of a young man.  Her investigation will ruffle the feathers of a handsome detective and take Billie deep into Sydney's dark underbelly where it soon becomes apparent that, for some, the war has not ended at all.

9.  The Lakehouse by Joe Clifford (available September 29, 2020)—Todd Norman has been cleared of killing his wife and just wants to move on with his life.  He returns to her small, Connecticut hometown to complete the building of their dream house on the lake.  Todd hasn't been there long when the body of a young woman is found nearby.  Under investigation once again, he will do anything to clear his name.  Who is the woman?  And how did she end up in the lake?

10.  The Truth Project by Dante Medema (available October 13, 2020)—I'm obsessed with genealogy, so I love books about people investigating their roots, even when (maybe especially when) they get unexpected results.  This debut YA novel is about an Alaskan teen who takes a DNA test that reveals her father is not the same man she calls Dad.  If he's not who she thought he was, is she who she thought she was?  Sounds intriguing.

There you go, ten upcoming novels I'm interested in reading.  What do you think?  Do any of them catch your interest?  Are there any books still coming out in 2020 that you're dying to read?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.  

Happy TTT!