What She Knew

by Miranda Rijks

Miranda Rijks writes enjoyable books. Well, enjoyable if you like suspense, psychological thrills, backstabbing, betrayal and reading about characters who, hopefully, live lives nothing like yours. What She Knew is her latest novel about a long time missing college student and her flatmate who has gone on to create a happy life with her former professor and some kids.

Stephanie, stay-at-home mom to two and wife to slightly controlling Oliver is contacted by a documentary researcher trying to solve the case of the missing college roommate. Having had to deal with trauma following the disappearance, reliving this event is hard for her and Oliver wants her to stop cooperating. I swear to you, at various times, I pegged each character as having been involved. There are a couple plot twists, but basically What She Knew is a quick beach read that won’t require a ton of effort and will fill an afternoon with some good storytelling.

I listened to the audio arc and absolutely LOVED narrator Ella Lynch. I have not listened to her work prior to this, but would be glad to listen to more of her work. She has a delightful voice and brought the characters to life.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Book Eaters

by Sunyi Dean

Wow. You think you are reading a sci-fi/fantasy book, and very early in you understand you are reading a valuable, perceptive, impactful allegory about the world in which women live, and have lived, for eternity. 

This debut novel by Sunyi Dean is a homerun. I wouldn’t label it as sci-fi, as it is listed by Macmillan Audio on Netgalley. This is speculative fiction at its best. This is the story of women with no importance other than as breeders. As a citizen of the United States in 2022, I feel every bit of this tale.

Suspend belief and accept that the characters in this novel eat books and gain the knowledge, emo, lessons told in their choice of written word. The few girls in the book eating society are fed fairy tales and cautionary tales and absorb the “wisdom” of those works. There are strong families within the story and Devon, the main character is a Fairweather but she is also a forceful mama bear determined to feed her child who, unfortunately, is not a book eater, but a human brain eater. I know, right? There is a lot to unpack in this story. It is deep. It is poetic. It makes you think.

This is not a beach read. It’s not a quick read. As an audio book its about 13 ½ hours which is long to retain a listener’s attention. The words are magic. The idea behind the words is scarily perceptive. I am excited to have found Dean at, hopefully, the beginning of a long career as an author.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for making me use my brain and allowing me to listen in advance of the August 2, 2022 release.

The Visitors

by Miranda Rijks

Not gonna lie, I LOVE a good domestic thriller. I didn’t even know this genre existed until the world shut down and I was desperate for any audio book I could get my hands on quickly. So, that’s one good thing that came out of the timeline in which we live.

I have seen Miranda Rijks name a lot on Instagram and was excited at the chance to listen to her soon to be released The Visitors. I went in cold only knowing only the author and loving the cover, and this review will not reveal much because all readers should go into a book without expectations or hints at too much of the plot.

In brief, Hannah enjoys a countryside life with a posh cardiothoracic surgeon, two lovely kids and a lifestyle which allows her to start her own business running the equivalent of an AirBnb in converted barn space adjoining her home. The reader gets to see what that experience is like as she welcomes only her second booking of a family of three who can be described as sketchy at best.

I loved this book. The narrator, Penelope Rawlins, did an excellent job voicing all the characters and her style was perfect to keep me invested. This was a one day listen because I wanted to hear everything.

I won’t give away more but I will say at this point: if you are considering joining the short term rental program as a host, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen in advance of the August 2, 2022 release date.

The Pink Hotel

by Liska Jacobs

I’m one of those readers who doesn’t search for info about a book prior to starting – and, gasp, generally select books based only on title and cover. That’s what happened with The Pink Hotel when I requested it from Netgalley.  It’s a pretty cover and listed as general fiction. Of course, given my age and memory, I immediately went to Goodreads to add the audio book and braced myself for the worst. At the time I added the book, Goodreads had it rated 3.22 with over 200 ratings as an ARC. Yikes. That’s when I started rethinking my criteria for book selection.

I was pleasantly surprised to realize the earlier reviewers saw the book in a completely different way than I did as a nearing 60’s reader who grew up reading the classics. The Pink Hotel is deeper than you think and deserves a read.

It’s basically a modern day version of The Great Gatsby – a book I loved in high school (and since) based on the deep discussion it evokes. There are rich and poor (always have been), but the obscene wealth and privilege in America 2022 is disgusting. Liska Jacobs wrote a novel where the rich dance and drink and wear designer clothes as the world burns both figuratively and literally. The guests/aka rich refugees are enjoying the life of the wealthy as the hills around the hotel suffer wildfires. The privilege and expectations that they be entertained by the workers who serve them, including fights arranged for their pleasure, while elsewhere the poor are looting, is a shocking view of a lot currently happening in 2022. I can see why some readers didn’t enjoy this book – it’s hard to acknowledge current circumstances. 

Newlyweds Keith and Kit Collins honeymoon well above their means in the opulent Pink Hotel near Beverly Hills. Kit believes this to be an actual honeymoon, but readers learn early that husband Keith is actually there for a job interview, hoping to elevate his status from average to elite by surrounding himself among the rich. It’s clear from the start that Keith is desperate to be accepted by the elite and Kit was selected (at least partly) based on her beauty, a thing other men want.

There is far too much to unpack in a book review, but I can easily say that The Pink Hotel is a thinker. I enjoyed it and truly fear for the current generation. As dogs of the rich are dressed in designer clothing, while schools and libraries fight for funding, we all need to think about choices.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen in advance of the July 19, 2022 release.

The Stepson

by Mary Renshaw

The Stepson was published in December of 2021 and has great and not great reviews on Goodreads. One of those books you either enjoy, or in some cases, hate. I listened to the arc of the upcoming audio release and for me, it started as a one star (and I fought my instinct to dnf) and ended up being an enjoyable listen.

This is told in multiple POVs bouncing around from 1997 to 2019. The stepson, Nick, later becomes a husband and it’s these two women in his life (step-mom Maggie and wife Lulu) who tell much of the story. He was a troubled youth, and signs are there that Nick suffers some psychological issues. Or does he? Step-mom Maggie also has some baggage and after birthing her own child, wants teenage Nick out of their lives.

Returning home one afternoon Nick discovers his family gone and he always insisted it was evil step mom Maggie who had done away with them. He is left with no family willing to love him, but life goes on.

Fast forward to adult Nick who has managed a good life, financial security and a wife who happens to be a psychotherapist who wants to free Nick from childhood trauma. Defying every reasonable standard that treating ones family members is not wise, Lulu begins EMDR therapy on him which then turns into a trip home to face the trauma.

I enjoyed the storyline. As a person actually in process of EMDR I also liked the explanations of how it works and can confirm – it works!

This part of the review is now strictly about the audio – there were three narrators, Mhairi Morrison, Katherine Littrell and Joshua Manning for this 9 hour book. One woman spoke with an Irish accent while the other was Australian. It took a long time for my brain to be comfortable with the switching of the voices. This could be entirely a personal experience but I found it distracting and it took a moment for the auditory side of my brain to readjust to the new POV being voiced.

Overall a satisfying read and I will definitely be checking out Jane Renshaw’s other work.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen in advance of the August 9, 2022 release.

Mary

by Nat Cassidy

I do not know how to write the review for this 15+ hour audiobook. And seriously, I am never a person without something to say. My fear is if I give away details it will ruin the journey for you, and I want you to experience this as I did – completely cold. 

I request books based on title, cover pic and genre. So, romance is out. Feely feels is out. Memoirs, nope, not interested. On the Netgalley site it’s listed as general fiction, but Goodreads lists supernatural, horror, mystery with a nod to Midsommar, which was all I needed to hear.

From the moment Susan Bennett begins her skillful narration as main character Mary, I was hooked. Mary is a character different than most, and similar (minus a few things) to me – she’s older, she’s enduring perimenopause and not afraid to talk about it, she’s got less years left than behind and a ton of baggage being carried solely on her back. I loved Mary. And her Aunt Nadine was given some of the best lines I’ve read in a book. In fact, this book was filled with things I wanted to write down to share – author Nat Cassidy is a master of dialogue. Not spoiling things but when you read this pay attention to the quote about belly rubs and dogs versus cats. I happened to listen to this on a dark weekend in my country’s history and this quote resonated through every fiber of my being.

So, I won’t tell you more about the plot but I will tell you that I found myself researching the author. I’ve never heard of this man yet he was writing exactly for me. In his prologue he mentions Stephen King, Carrie, being a reader and writer as a kid – that was me too. I LOVE books with depth and Cassidy writes with depth. A 15+ hour audiobook as his first time up at bat???? Wow. Having grown up as a reader of King, Saul, Koontz, Jackson and having escaped deep into stories my whole life, I hope I live long enough to see where Cassidy’s extraordinary ability to tell a story goes. 

That’s it. Great book. Took me longer to process my feelings than it did to listen to the audio book and that is a credit to an author who understands how to tell a story.

The Wife Before

by Shanora Williams

Confession time – as I near my 6th decade, with more than half that time married, I am a sucker for certain words in titles – wife, husband, neighbor, fiance, murder…… If you use one of those words, and throw in suspense and psychological twists, I am your audience. This was my first Shanora Williams book and based only on the title I requested this arc.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Tracey Conyer Lee and at a little over 10 hours, this was a two day listen which kept my attention. This narrator was also new for me (a listener of recorded books since the 80s) and I found her voice to be compelling because it’s very different in tone and accent than most. Good job on selecting her as the reader.

The premise for this one is a new wife to a rich pro-golfer who was believed to have gotten away with the murder of wife number one. Relocated from her Florida hometown, Samira spends much of her time isolated in the dead woman’s house and finds a treasure trove of the woman’s journals. The story pivots from present to past and the unreliable narrator in those journals tells the story of her life. And death? Perhaps.

I’m glad I listened, and can imagine this would be a great quick beach read, but I found the first half of the book a little slow. You must stick with it to get the satisfying conclusion and I’m betting you, like me, will not guess the end. A solid book but one which comes with trigger warnings. Be prepared for some abuse and rape which may impact you as a reader.

Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for allowing me to listen in advance of the June 28, 2022 publication.

Daisy Darker

by Alice Feeney

Often when a book is finished the reader has a ton to say – either good or bad, but words and opinions. With Daisy Darker, I am sitting here quietly stunned. Well done Alice Feeney. This one literally was the rare “unputdownable” thriller. I loved it all. I loved the setting – an old family home on an isolated tiny tidal island only passable during certain times of day. Really one of the keys to this book was the setting which was described beautifully and used smartly for the plot. I loved the characters – each with layers so you never quite know what you are getting. I loved the poems used to give clues and set the tone. All of this was great.

The family gathers for matriarch Nana’s 80th birthday, and a very Agatha Christie “And Then There Were None” vibe begins. Although I’m not usually a fan of screen adaptations, I believe Daisy Darker would make an excellent film. I can’t say more. It would be unfair to the reader. Add this one to your TBR. You will not regret it.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for allowing me to listen in advance of the August 30, 2022 release. With this one, I feel I’ve been given a real gift to know the story ahead of so many future readers.

The New Neighbour

by Miranda Rijks

As a reader there are certain requirements I must have to really enjoy a book – a plot which I cannot guess the ending, characters I like (and dislike), skillful writing and a feeling like the time I just invested was well spent. The New Neighbour by Miranda Rijks checks all the boxes for me. This is my first Rijks book but will not be my last.

The plot centers around a neighborhood (surprise!), Isobel a stay at home mom in a troubled marriage, a new neighbor, a murder or two and an interesting cast of characters with some typical neighborhood squabbles. This one had me guessing right up until the end, and I appreciate when the author is able to fool me.

At only 8 hours on audio it’s a fairly quick listen and would be a perfect beach read. I’m getting spoiled with multiple narrators who complement one another and Danielle Cohen and Chris Devon both have soothing voices with excellent accents. As an American from New Jersey, I am partial to pretty voices.

Thank you to Negalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen in advance of the June 30, 2022 release date.

The Dinner Guests

by Kiersten Modglin

Let me start with the caveat that I am a Kiersten Modglin fan. I’ve read several of her books and follow her writing account on Instagram. She inspires me with her volumes of books and her likeable author persona. When I saw this one pop up on Netgalley, my fingers couldn’t hit request fast enough.

As a 6 hour audiobook, this one was started and finished in a day (plus it kept me company doing the necessary household cleaning). I literally listened from beginning to end in about 7 hours only stopping when my husband was rude enough to want to interact with me WHILE I WAS ENJOYING A BOOK. The nerve.

The setting was a close knit neighborhood of friends, a new unknown neighbor, a “sketchy” invite to dine with the stranger and an Agatha Christie meets Escape Room vibe. But unlike a normal escape room where only shame awaits the loser, this one was set up with disappearances and mystery. A solid book. As an audio I enjoyed the use of three narrators (all female, all with slightly different styles) to move the past/present story to its conclusion.

If you are a KMO fan you may not adore this one as much as some of her earlier work, I’m thinking The Arrangement here, but it’s a good story. Perfect for a beach read. As for stars, I hate that they are required. Was it a 4? Probably not, but it’s definitely higher than a 3. So, let’s split the difference and say 3.49 and I don’t regret spending my day with The Dinner Guests.

Thank you to Netgalley and, especially to Dreamscape Media, for allowing me to listen in advance of the June 30, 2022 release date.