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When Ava Lark's husband abandons her and their young son, she has no choice but to move on.  Waltham, a working-class Boston suburb, seems like a soft place to land while she licks her wounds.  It's the kind of neighborhood where doors are never locked and kids roam freely between neighbors' houses.  It's seems like the perfect place to raise 7-year-old Lewis.  And it probably would be if his mother wasn't an unapologetic divorceé and a Jew to boot.  While Ava's shunned by the other moms, Lewis finds acceptance with the only other fatherless kids on the block—Jimmy and Rose Rearson.  The three misfits become close pals, so close that when 12-year-old Jimmy vanishes in 1956, it rocks his two best friends to the core.  The entire neighborhood is shocked by the boy's disappearance, especially as the weeks drag on with no clue as to his whereabouts.  Suspicion naturally falls on Ava, on whom Jimmy had an obsessive schoolboy crush.  Ava's shocked to find herself being treated as a suspect—she felt sorry for her son's lonely best friend and is as anxious as everyone else to have him home, safe and sound.

Jimmy's disappearance continues to haunt both Ava and Lewis.  In 1963, the latter is still trying to find his way in life.  At 18, Lewis works as a nurse's assistant in Madison, Wisconsin.  It's satisfying work, but he still feels lonely and adrift.  When he receives a disturbing update about Jimmy's disappearance, he's thrown back to his turbulent childhood in Waltham.  Reuniting with Rose, Lewis sets out to find out some truths about the past.  The answers are almost more than he can bear.  Now, he has to decide whether to seek justice for his missing friend or let old secrets lie.  

Although Is This Tomorrow by Caroline Leavitt isn't exactly a light, summer read, it is a compelling one.  With a cast of realistically flawed (although not overly likable) characters, a vivid historical setting and a probing mystery, it's got the makings of a fine suspense novel.  Unfortunately, sloppy copy editing as well as some sagging in the middle of the story distract from an otherwise well-written tale. Is This Tomorrow needs some tightening, true, but, in the end, I enjoyed this moving novel about friendship, family and the power of forgiveness.     

(Readalikes:  Reminded me Lesley Kagen's books, Whistling in the Dark and Good Graces)

Grade:  B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  R for strong language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder invectives), references to illegal drug use and sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Is This Tomorrow from the generous folks at Algonquin Books via those at BookSparks PR.  Thank you!

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Isabelle McAllister and Dorrie Curtis aren't family, nor are they exactly bosom buddies.  But, when the 89-year-old widow finds herself in need of a favor—a very big favor—Dorrie's the only person she can think of to ask.  Despite their differences, the two women have grown close over the years and yet, there's plenty they don't know about each other.  Isabelle's not sure she's ready to spill all her secrets; still, she knows she can't do what she needs to do without Dorrie by her side.  

Dorrie's grown fond of Isabelle during the years she's been styling the old woman's hair.  Still, Dorrie's  dumbfounded by her client's strange request.  She knows Isabelle's too elderly to drive herself from their home in Texas all the way to Cincinatti.  She also knows she'd do anything for Miss Isabelle, even if the woman won't divulge the reason for the trip.  What Dorrie doesn't know is why Isabelle chose her for this task, or what awaits them in Ohio.  Truth is, it doesn't matter.  Dorrie could use a little vacay—all that time on the road will give her time to ponder her own troubles, while learning more about the enigmatic Isabelle McAllister.

The women make a strange pair—Isabelle's an elderly white widow, Dorrie's a black, single mom in her 30s.  But, as the pair drive across the country, they discover they have more in common than not.  And, as Dorrie hears the story of Isabelle's forbidden romance with the son of her family's black housekeeper during the early 1940s in a Kentucky town African-Americans weren't even allowed to step foot in after dark, she realizes that a little of Isabelle's courage might be just the thing she needs to conquer her own fears.  

One glance at the cover of Calling Me Home, a debut novel by Julie Kibler, is all it took to convince me I needed to read this book.  The plot summary just intrigued me more.  It was the author's bio, though, that really sealed the deal.  Why?  Because, it explains that Isabelle's story grew out of a bit of Kibler family lore.  How irresistible is that?  Very.  Even better, Calling Me Home lives up to its gorgeous cover and beguiling premise.  It's warm, tender, vibrant, heart-breaking—everything a great story should be.  Some of the plot "surprises" weren't all that surprising but still, this novel made me laugh, made me think, made me curse, made me cry.  I loved it.    

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of The Help by Kathryn Stockett and Jericho Walls by Kristi Collier)

Grade:  A-

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), racial epithets, violence, and mild sexual content 

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

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(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for The Last Echo, it may inadvertently spoil plot surprises from earlier Body Finder books.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Violet Ambrose is used to keeping her special ability to match the "echoes" of a dead person and his/her killer under wraps.  So, she's having a little trouble with the whole collaboration thing.  Even among the other "special" teenagers who make up the investigation team of which Violet's now a part, she feels like a freak.  The others all have their own brand of psychic power, but no one can do what she can.  And yet, Violet wishes there was more she could do, something to stop murderers before they act, instead of just helping to catch them afterward.

There's one part of working with a team that's really messing with her ability to concentrate on the task—or crime—at hand.  One person, actually:  Rafe.  Violet's felt a connection with the gorgeous bad boy ever since they met.  He drives her crazy and yet, there's a literal spark that ignites whenever they're together.  Violet's boyfriend, Jay Heaton, isn't too thrilled about the guy either.  Which makes it all very awkward and confusing and ... distracting.

Violet can't afford to be focused on anything but the case she's investigating.  A serial killer, dubbed "The Collector," is murdering college girls in the Seattle area.  With no leads for the police to follow, it's up to Violet and her team to find out who's behind the killings.  But, every step she takes toward the murderer brings her closer to a cold-blooded monster—one who thinks Violet Ambrose will make a perfect addition to his grisly collection.  Can she find him before he finds her?  

When I read the first of Kimberly Derting's Body Finder books, I could hardly contain my excitement for this thrilling new series.  The second installment, however, dampened my enthusiasm quite a bit.  With The Last Echo, the third book, I'm still feeling ... lukewarm.  The idea that anyone who kills—whether in the line of duty, while hunting animals, on accident, or intentionally—forever carries with them imprints of their victims still fascinates me.  It's a unique concept and, hands down, my favorite part about this series.  The rest of it is starting too feel stale, like every other teenager-with-supernatural-powers-police-procedural.  Sometimes I can forgive a same ole, same ole story if I absolutely adore the characters, but that's just not the case here.  Still, I have to give Derting credit for writing fast-paced, entertaining mysteries, even if they're far-fetched and none too original.  

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Body Finder [The Body Finder; Desires of the Dead; Dead Silence) series by Kimberly Derting; also the Wake trilogy [Wake; Fade; Gone] by Lisa McMann)

Grade:  C+

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  R for strong language (a few F-bombs, plus milder invectives), violence and sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find