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In the few months since her husband died in a pilot-suicide airliner crash, Tess Clarke has managed not to fall apart completely.  Yet.  Wracked with grief, she's plowing through her days with only enough energy to make meager meals for her 8-year-old son, walk him to school in her pajamas, and cry herself to sleep at night.  Despite her brother-in-law's increasingly desperate attempts to get Tess to move ahead with taking care of her husband's probate, she's too numb to make any big decisions.  All she wants is for time to reverse itself and go back to the days when life made sense.

When Shelley Lange, a concerned grief counselor, comes into Tess' life, it's as if a ray of sunshine has penetrated her gloom.  For the first time since Mark's death, she feels a glimmer of hope.  Then, strange things start happening—threatening phone calls, a shadowy form watching Tess' every move, and disturbing behavior from her brother-in-law.  As things escalate, Tess is forced to question everything she thought she knew.  Was steady, trustworthy Mark involved in something dangerous, something that led to his untimely death?  Are Tess and her son safe?  And who is Shelley, really?  Why is she, a virtual stranger, so obsessed with Tess' son?  As Tess searches for answers, she'll have to face some painful, heart-breaking truths, truths that could destroy what little sanity she has left.

The Perfect Son, a debut novel by Lauren North, is a compelling and twisty page-turner that kept me guessing until the end.  I love psychological thrillers that keep me feeling off-kilter, never quite sure what's true and what's not, and this one did that well.  Novels of this ilk are often gory, graphic, and disturbing—The Perfect Son is milder than the norm, a fact I very much appreciated.  While it's a sad, depressing tale for sure, The Perfect Son also tells a compelling, engaging story that had me reading fast and furious to find out what was going to happen.  I enjoyed it and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this talented debut author.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson and The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I received a copy of The Perfect Son from the generous folks at Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

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Everyone in the village knows the thick forest that looms at the edge of town is full of deep, dark magic.  Tales abound of strange creatures lurking in its depths, just waiting to ensnare too-curious children with their monstrous claws.  The most cynical may think the stories are only that, but even the strangest of cautionary yarns are often based in truth ...

What the townspeople don't realize is that the Wild Wood is losing its magic.  Almost thirteen years ago, a goblin named Kull was tasked with performing an ancient ritual that would restore the balance between the magical and non-magical worlds.  He botched the simple task of switching a rare and powerful goblin changeling with a human baby; the changeling so perfectly mimicked his human counterpart that no one has ever been able to tell the difference between the boys.  Whispered rumors have always hinted that one of the twins is not exactly like the other, but in a town that delights in superstitious stories and paranoid rants, what's one more?

When Cole and Tinn Burton receive a puzzling message from Kull begging for their help and beckoning them into the woods, the boys can't resist the promise of adventure.  Unaware that a dark presence is luring them deeper and deeper into danger, the twins revel in meeting colorful forest folk and enjoying the most diverting of quests.  As their journey brings them ever closer to trouble unlike any they've ever known, the boys must work together, harnessing all their courage, to save not just a magical forest but also themselves and everyone they love. 

Changeling, the first book in a new fantasy series by William Ritter, offers kids a fun read that's exciting but not too scary.  It features a pair of delightful heroes, as well as a supporting cast of intriguing story "people" to keep the tale interesting.  Through it all, the book teaches important lessons about loyalty, love, and belonging.  Even reluctant readers should dig this engaging, enjoyable adventure.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence and scary scenes/scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Changeling from the generous folks at Algonquin in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

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(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Dim Sum of All Fears, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, Death By Dumpling.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Waiting tables at the Ho-Lee Noodle House under the critical eye of her demanding mother was bad enough in high school.  At 27, it's literally the last thing Lana Lee wants to be doing.  Desperate times and all that.  Things are finally looking up, though.  Lana's landed a promising job interview, one that will hopefully get her out of the Asian Village shopping plaza for good.  Then her parents receive an emergency phone call summoning them back to Taiwan.  With no one else to run Ho-Lee Noodle House in their absence, Lana has no choice but to step up.  

To everyone's surprise, Lana is doing a bang-up job, keeping everything running as smoothly as it does under her parents' watch.  Then, something else goes bang, leaving the newlywed couple that runs the souvenir shop next door dead.  Lana's got enough to keep her busy without poking her nose into Asian Village's newest mystery, but she can't help herself.  Despite warnings from handsome Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana's soon knee-deep in a case that's getting more dangerous by the second.  Can she run a busy restaurant, solve a murder, and ensure her meddling mother is kept totally in the dark all at the same time?  It's a tall order, even for Ho-Lee Noodle House's favorite server.

I'm picky about which cozies I read, but I'm loving the Noodle Shop Mystery series by Vivien Chien.  The colorful Asian Village setting is appealing, the quirky characters are endearing, and the mysteries are light but satisfying.  Yes, the books are far-fetched, but who cares?  They're fun, frothy, and all kinds of entertaining.  Dim Sum of All Fears, the second installment, is just as enjoyable as the first.  I've already bought the third book and am looking forward to seeing where this delightful series goes next.

(Readalikes:  Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien; also reminds me of cozy eatery mysteries by Ellie Alexander, Lena Gregory, and Joanne Fluke)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs) and mild violence

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

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Fifteen years ago, two young women vanished from a Baltimore shopping mall, never to be seen again.  The sisters' mysterious disappearance baffled local police then and continues to puzzle cold case enthusiasts now.  How does someone lure away a tween and a teen at the same time?  If the girls were kidnapped and held, where are they now?  If they were killed, where are there bones?  If they ran away together, why haven't they ever returned?  The questions only lead to more questions.  

Then, a 38-year-old woman is involved in a car accident.  When questioned by the police, she claims to be Heather Bethany, the youngest of the missing girls.  Although "Jane Doe" knows enough details about the case to be convincing, the holes in her story are enough to make Detective Kevin Infante doubt the woman is who she claims to be.  The few clues "Jane" is willing to part with only lead to dead ends.  Is the woman just toying with the police to get attention?  Does she know what really happened to Heather and Sunny Bethany fifteen years ago?  Will a 15-year-old crime finally be solved?  Or will the police be left, once again, with more mystifying questions that lead absolutely nowhere?

I find the missing returned trope utterly fascinating, so I'm always drawn to novels like What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman.  Perhaps it's because I've already read several novels with similar plots that I found this one a bit disappointing.  True, What the Dead Know is a tense, fast-paced thriller that kept me frantically turning pages.  Still, with its unlikeable characters, predictable end, and depressing vibe, I didn't end up loving this one.  I didn't hate it either; I just feel kind of ... ambivalent about it.  I've enjoyed other books by Lippman, but What the Dead Know just didn't quite do it for me.  Bummer.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Stranger Game by Cylin Busby; Never Missing, Never Found by Amanda Panitch; and Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

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

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find