Review: A Stranger in the House

A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another psychological domestic thriller by Shari Lapena. Tom Krupp arrives home from work one night to see that his wife is not at home. Oddly, her purse and ID have been left but her car is missing. He is very worried and eventually calls the police. Shortly after the police arrive at his door to inquire about his wife. Apparently she has been in an accident and is in the hospital.

A great story with lots of twists and turns and absolute surprises.

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Review: The Rooster Bar

The Rooster Bar by John Grisham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. As usual I was not disappointed in this book by John Grisham. I love books about the law and especially if the scenarios are realistic.

In this case there are four friends who attend Foggy Bottom Law School. One of the friends has bipolar illness, but he is very smart. He uncovers a huge "scam" in the way that law students are recruited. Most of the students at Foggy Bottom are not really qualified to be studying the law according to their marks. But they are accepted and given huge student loans; unbelievably large sums of money go to the school.

Most of the students are in debt to the tune of over $200,000 and with no prospects of decent jobs and no way of ever being out of debt or even of repaying the loans. The average number of students to pass the bar exam is less than 50%. What chances do these students have!

I was very interested in this because I do believe this happens everywhere. Loans are given out to young people (and older people) right here in Ontario and I hear of people who have to hide in order to avoid repayment because they can hardly afford to live let alone pay loan payments. It was impressed on them that if they go to college they will get good jobs. This is usually not the case as to work at any type of job these days require a degree. Starting off their lives with at least $70,000 is just not fair.

A great read with lots of "meat".

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Review: Still Missing

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Annie is a real estate agent and at the end of an open house day her last client abducts her, drugs her and puts her in a van. The beginning of a great story.

Annie is kept prisoner for a lengthy period and meanwhile everyone is looking for her.

But, does anyone have any idea why she was taken or by whom, or does anyone know where she was taken? These are the questions.

A thoroughly satisfying read.

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Review: The Girl Before

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars. I struggled quite a bit with the rating of this book. It was probably not my cup of tea type of book but I did finish it.

The story revolves around a house and its architect who has built a self sufficient "home" that seemingly can only be occupied by a complete minimalist.

Jane and her boyfriend rent the house and sign the papers which amount to about 200 pages of rules and regulations regarding their tenancy. Emma, was a previous tenant who died in the house and Jane resembles Emma and we learn of the similarities between the two.

The story bounces back and forth between then and now and after awhile one story seems to run into the other including that both Emma and Jane become involved with Edward, the architect. This type of bouncing can work with some books but I felt that this one fell short of holding the reader's interest considering that the characters were mostly unbelievable and unlikable.

The description of the book says that its In the tradition of The Girl on the Train, The Silent Wife, and Gone Girl. I have read all three of those books and I don't see the similarities at all. This is its own genre IMO.






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Review: Best Day Ever

Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and literally could not put it down. A married sociopath/psychopath and his wife are going on a weekend getaway and it promises to be the best day ever for both of them. The story unfolds very gradually as we learn things about the couple and especially Paul, the husband. The pacing of the book was excellent. It kept moving forward in a way that was not rushed nor slow.

An amazing read.

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Review: I See You

I See You by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a different, creepy type of crime involving a website and the London underground. What would you do if you found your picture on an advertisement for a dating "type" website in the newspaper?

This is the second book I have read by this author and thoroughly enjoyed both books and looking forward to more from her.

A very good read.

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Review: The Book Club

The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a great book to be completely immersed in. Five long time friends have had a book club since their children were very small and they meet monthly to review and discuss books. A simple pastime for sure and very enjoyable and companionable. Over the years their friendships have become very close and they are more like family to each other.

The story is about how lives are in constant change and how good friends can be the best blessing that a person can have.

An excellent read.



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Review: Lie to Me

Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, what a ride. I absolutely loved this mystery and couldn't put it down. The pages just kept flying by for me and, this doesn't happen with many books, I was very sorry when it ended.

A beautiful couple, Sutton and Ethan, both authors with a baby boy are living an idyllic life. She writes a type of fantasy and his books are of a more serious nature. Money is not a problem as they have their royalties and he also inherited a trust fund. Time is also not a problem as they are both at home and are able to enjoy their lives the way they like.

They have a circle of friends and plenty of help for their baby. So things appear to be absolutely fantastic for them. This is until one day Sutton disappears without a trace, not taking her purse or any identification, plus her cell phone and computer are all left in the house.

An excellent read.


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Review: Everything I Never Told You

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This story was a heartbreaking portrait of a marriage of mixed race in the 1970's. James Lee and Marilyn fall in love and against the odds marry and raise a family of three. The story opens with Lydia, their middle child, going missing.

The story takes us back to the beginning when James first met Marilyn and we learn how a truly dysfunctional family is formed. My heart went out to the children; Lydia who was so favoured that she couldn't possibly live up to her parent's expectations. Nathe, and Hannah, the oldest and youngest in the family were virtually ignored.

Marilyn placed all her ambitions that were not accomplished on to Lydia's shoulders making her into a very unhappy girl.

A beautifully written story and I look forward to reading more from this author.




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Review: The Prince of Tides

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The story opens with our protagonist, Tom Wingo, has been asked by a psychiatrist in New York to help understand why his twin sister Savannah has tried to commit suicide. She feels that there are things in the past that have caused her so many problems. I might add that Savannah is a very accomplished published poet.

The stories of the childhood begin and as time goes on you see a clear picture of what their lives were like while growing up in the south along with their brother Luke, who they both adored. I have hardly ever read a book that had such wonderful character development. Each personality was fleshed out and left nothing to the imagination. Some of the characters were not lovable but all were human.

The book held my attention right from the start and highly recommended.

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