Review & Sale 8-30-24: The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

Inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.

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On Sale today  8/30/24 for $6.99 (ebook)

 

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What I thought about  The Lost Story 

The past and present merge in this fanciful and sometimes frightening story from Meg Shaffer. People disappear in Red Crow Forest and it's time that someone figures out why. Years ago, Jeremy and Rafe went missing for six months, but don't remember a thing about it. Fifteen years later, their friend Emilie is asking for help to find her missing sister Shannon. What is going on here? One of the three knows.

This is a whimsical fairy-tale like story with adult themes relating to PTSD, homophobia, abuses, and family dynamics. There is a mystery element as well as the team searches for Shannon while trying to resolve some past issues.

This book has quite a few magical and fantastical elements that made for an interesting story and kept things lively. This is an easy read. I wasn't always invested in the characters though and that's why I'm giving this four stars. In some respects it felt like a storytelling experiment with how the story is told, but that was one of the more interesting aspects of the book. It didn't always work for me.

 

About the Author

Meg Shaffer is the USA Today bestselling author of The Wishing Game, which was a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist, a Book-of-the-Month finalist for Book of the Year, a #1 Barnes & Noble bestseller, and a Reader’s Digest Best Book of the Year.

She holds an MFA in TV and Screenwriting from Stephens College. Her second novel, the instant national bestseller The Lost Story, is available now from Ballantine.

Shaffer lives in Kentucky with her husband and two cats. The cats are not writers.

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Release Week Review: The Dark Wives (Vera Stanhope #11) by Ann Cleeves

As New York Times bestseller Ann Cleeves's beloved Vera series explodes in popularity in print and on TV, this stunning eleventh book explores the web of secrets surrounding a young man's death.

The man’s body is found in the early morning light by a local dog walker in the park outside Rosebank, a home for troubled teens in the coastal village of Longwater. The victim is Josh, a staff member, who was due to work the previous night but never showed up.

DI Vera Stanhope is called out to investigate the death, with her only clue being the disappearance of one of the home’s residents, fourteen-year-old Chloe Spence. Vera can’t bring herself to believe that a teenager is responsible for the murder, but even she can’t dismiss the possibility.

Vera, Joe and new team member Rosie Bell, are soon embroiled in the case, and when a second connected body is found near the Three Dark Wives monument in the wilds of the Northumberland countryside, superstition and folklore begin to collide with fact. Vera knows she has to find Chloe to get to the truth, and the dark secrets in their community that may be far more dangerous than she could have ever believed possible.

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What I thought about The Dark Wives

Oops, I did it again.  When I picked up this title, I had no idea that it was the eleventh book in a series! I can safely say that this worked as a standalone, but it did make me want to check out some of the other titles in this series.

Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope has a new case. A man is found dead near a school for wayward teenagers, where a young female student happens to be missing.  Vera and her team must unravel what's going on with both cases. When another body is found at the standing stones called the Three Wives, she really has some work to do to solve these cases. Things do seem to be centered around Rosebank, the facility for the troubled children.

I like reading authors who give me a story with a new perspective, or interesting setting, or anything that makes me feel transported to a new place.  I felt that with this novel.  I don't know much about UK crime processing, but I feel like I know more about the process and the people who undertake these sorts of cases, especially when there are cultural elements to what is happening on page.  There's a great atmosphere to this story that I loved which gave the story a strong anchor and kept me invested in the story.  I liked these characters and this left me interested in learning more about their respective journeys. The addition of a new member of the team brought some conflicts outside of the immediate criminal case.

Overall, I liked this and will look for more Vera in the earlier books in the series.   

 

 

 About the Author

ANN CLEEVES is the multi-million copy bestselling author behind three hit television series―Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall, Vera, starring Academy Award Nominee Brenda Blethyn, and The Long Call, starring Ben Aldridge―all of which are watched and loved in the United States. All three are available on BritBox.

The first Shetland novel, Raven Black, won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for best crime novel, and Ann was awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger in 2017. She was awarded the OBE in 2022 for services to reading and libraries. Ann lives in the United Kingdom.

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New Release Review: 5 stars for The Last Party by A. R. Torre

 

Summary

Perla Wultz lives with her husband, Grant, and their precious daughter, Sophie, in a gated Pasadena community. Affluent, sociable, and accomplished, Perla plays the part of loving wife and mother to perfection. It seems an ideal life, if not for a decades-old crime that has become Perla’s dark and consuming secret obsession.

Twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to murdering two young girls during a birthday party. Though he’s been condemned to a life sentence, his crime is not forgotten. Not by Perla, nor by an inquisitive doctoral student interviewing Folcrum for his dissertation. He’s getting the killer to open up—about his motives, his confession, and the truth of what really happened on that horrible night.

As the past and the present entwine, the deceptions behind the infamous murder begin to surface. But who’s deceiving who now? And why? And as an ingeniously twisted plan is set in motion, who will be the next to die?

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 What I thought about The Last Party

It's been some time since I've finished a book and said "wow" to myself. I'm happy to say that The Last Party is one of those books. I really liked this story, especially how it was told, in spite of it having some very dark themes.

No one is who they seem to be in this story, and their secrets are expertly revealed as the tale proceeds. I can't get into details so I don't spoil things, but I really liked how the bits and pieces were presented to me as a reader. The story is told via short chapters in multiple points of view,  and that helped to keep things moving along at a terrific pace. While the story did leave me guessing at parts, there was only one huge reveal that I didn't see coming, but that was okay. Part of the fun is guessing the hidden relationships.

Even though there were some cringe-worthy parts to this (for good reason), I found the presentation engaging and it had me hooked quickly. There were a few slow spots where the reader gets to catch their breath. Overall, this was a terrific thriller/suspense / mystery and it will be on my favorites of 2024 list!

 

About the Author 

A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Alessandra Torre has written twenty-three novels, including multiple New York Times bestsellers.

Her first book, Blindfolded Innocence, was a breakout hit, rising to the top of the ebook charts on Amazon where it attracted the interest of major publishing houses and garnered Torre her first print deal with Harlequin HQN. Less than twelve months later, Torre signed a second six-figure print deal, this time with Redhook (Hachette) for the Deanna Madden series, an erotic suspense trilogy.

Torre has been featured in such publications as Elle and Elle UK, as well as guest-blogged for the Huffington Post and RT Book Reviews. She is also the Bedroom Blogger for Cosmopolitan.com. In 2017, her New York Times bestseller HOLLYWOOD DIRT, was released as a full-length film by PassionFlix. Torre’s novels have been translated in eighteen languages and are distributed in over thirty countries.

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Review: Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell

 

An aimless young woman starts writing to an accused serial killer while he awaits trial and then, once he’s acquitted, decides to move in with him and take the investigation into her own hands in this dark and irresistibly compelling debut thriller.

Recently ghosted and sick of watching her friends fade into the suburbs, thirty-something Hannah finds community in a true-crime forum that’s on a mission to solve the murders of four women in Atlanta. After William, a handsome lawyer, is arrested for the killings, Hannah begins writing him letters. It’s the perfect outlet for her pent-up frustration and rage. The exercise empowers her, and even feels healthy at first.

Until William writes back.

Hannah’s interest in the case goes from curiosity to obsession, leaving space for nothing else as her life implodes around her. After she loses her job, she heads to Georgia to attend the trial and befriends other true-crime junkies like herself. When a fifth woman is discovered murdered, the jury has no choice but to find William not guilty, and Hannah is the first person he calls upon his release. The two of them quickly fall into a routine of domestic bliss.

Well, as blissful as one can feel while secretly investigating their partner for serial murder…

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What I thought about Love Letters to a Serial Killer

Hannah's unfulfilled life causes her to begin a pen pal relationship with a serial killer. She becomes obsessed with William Thompson who is accused of killing four women.  That pretty much sums up the craziness that is Hannah in this debut novel from Tasha Coryell.

This story was what I expected -- part thriller, part wtf, with a dash of romance that shouldn't be, so if you like that sort of wayout there story, this one might just be what you are looking for.  It does pull you in, and makes you watch the train wreck, so readers should be prepared for the ride. 

I can't say the characters are likeable -- it's more like they are complex and in need of therapy. They are all part of the above-mentioned train wreck.

There are a few twists that I mostly saw coming which is just how I like it with this sort of story.  I've often wondered why women are attracted to criminals. This didn't answer those questions completely, but it did make for good discussion with friends.

Overall, an intriguing debut. 

 

About the Author

Tasha Coryell lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband, son, and greyhound. She holds an MFA and PhD from the University of Alabama. Her stories, essays, and poems have been featured in a multitude of journals, and Love Letters to a Serial Killer is her first novel. In her free time, Tasha can be found running, cross-stitching, and watching copious amounts of television.

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Review:Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong

 

A fun romantic comedy about a woman writing under a male pseudonym and the man she hires to play the role in public.

Daphne McFadden is tired of rejection. After submitting her manuscript to dozens of agents, she's gotten rejection after rejection, and now it's time for something drastic. And so, Daphne submits her manuscript again… under a man's name.

Imagine her surprise when it sells for big money at an auction and soon becomes a publicity darling. Only she needs a man to play her super macho alter ego Zane Remington. Enter Chris Stanton, who absolutely looks the part of a survivalist and has a talent for pressing her piss‑me‑off‑I‑dare‑you buttons while somehow being endearing at the same time. But Chris has a few secrets of his own, including the fact that he’s really an accountant who has no idea how to chop wood or paddle a canoe. When Daphne's book becomes a bestselling sensation and they're forced to go on tour together, Daphne finds herself wondering if this city‑boy geek is exactly what she needs to push her to claim her dreams.

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What I thought about Finding Mr. Write

I love it when an author can take a tried-and-true trope and give it a good spin into something fresh and interesting. Finding Mr. Write does just that. After numerous rejections of her book, Daphne decides to use what would be perceived as a man's pen name, and then ends up having to hire someone to play that role when the book becomes popular.  Oh, and did I mention that she's falling for Chris, the embodiment of her fake author's name?  

With the book doing well, there are plenty of opportunities for Daphne and Chris to get together.  Chris might even have a few secrets himself.  They will have to come clean with each other if they want the prize.  Of course they do, and it's a fun ride getting to the HEA. 

I thought this was a creative and entertaining comedic romance. This usually isn't my go-to with romance, but I do love a rom com that is done well, that has me laughing in all the best spots and satisfies my romantic notions.  Finding Mr. Write does all that.  I really enjoyed this.

 

 

 About the Author

Kelley Armstrong believes experience is the best teacher, though she’s been told this shouldn’t apply to writing her murder scenes. To craft her books, she has studied aikido, archery and fencing. She sucks at all of them. She has also crawled through very shallow cave systems and climbed half a mountain before chickening out. She is however an expert coffee drinker and a true connoisseur of chocolate-chip cookies.

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Release Day Review: All The Missing Girls by Linda Hurtado Bond

 

Once you enter their world, there is no escape…in this gripping and undeniably chilling thriller from Emmy-award winning journalist Linda Hurtado Bond.

As a crime reporter for a Tampa TV news station, Mari Alvarez knows when an investigation enters dangerous territory. But with her estranged sister missing and almost no information to go on, Mari can’t trust anyone but herself to find the truth. Now she has just 48 hours to sneak into Cuba undetected, track down her sister…and pray to her orisha that she’s not too late.

This is nothing like reporting in her neighborhood, though--a place she knows like the back of her hand. In Havana she has no contacts and only an ice-cold trail of cryptic clues. When Detective Tony Garcia offers to help, Mari puts aside her instincts and tries to let someone in. But soon they’re caught in a maze of lies, deception, and an undercurrent of the island’s own witchcraft, a sinister Brujería.

Every lead draws Mari further into this world of shadows, especially when her sister isn’t the only young woman who’s gone missing. Each step pushes Mari and Tony toward a revelation they never saw coming. And as they close in on the horrifying truth, one thing becomes clear…no one will let them leave Cuba alive.

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What I thought about All The Missing Girls

In All the Missing Girls, crime reporter Mari Alvarez travels illegally to Cuba to search for her missing sister.  She finds more than that when she discovers there are a number of missing girls.  Dealing with the local culture and superstitions, she tries to navigate her way around with the help of some local friends.  It's all very tense right from the start.

I really liked this. While there were a few slow spots, it moved along quite nicely and had a good level of action sequences.  I did like the insight into Cuban culture.

This is the second book in a series about crime reporter Mari Alvarez, but it works well as a standalone and it made me want to read the first book in the series, so that's a good thing. 

Overall, an engaging mystery / thriller with suspenseful atmosphere throughout. I found Mari to be an interesting character and wanted to know more about her. There is a cliffie, so beware you will be left wanting more. 

 

About the Author

By day, Linda Hurtado Bond is an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist. By night, she’s an author of James Bond-like adventures and heart-stopping thrillers. Linda met her husband Jorge on assignment in Cuba, twenty-some years later they've raised a doctor, a nurse, a pilot, a paramedic firefighter, and an aspiring psychologist.  A breast cancer survivor, she’s active in the Tampa community raising money and awareness. When not working she finds time for her passions, her husband Jorge, world travel, classic movies, and solving a good mystery. 

 

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New! Deluxe Hardcover Edition: Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

This DELUXE HARDCOVER EDITION features gorgeous sprayed edges with stenciled artwork and bonus content. This breathtaking collectible, available in the US and Canada, is a must have a must-have for any book lover.

Discover the New York Times bestselling series from Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring...until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

Read the entire bestselling series!
#1: Obsidian (from Katy's point of view)
#2: Onyx (from Katy's point of view)
#3: Opal (from Katy's point of view)
#4: Origin
#5: Opposition
Oblivion (Books 1-3 from Daemon's point of view) CAN BE READ FIRST OR AFTER KATY'S POV!
Prequel: Shadows (Dawson's story)

What I thought about Obsidian

This new hardcover edition is just gorgeous and a must for collectors!  It made me want to re-read this series again.  It will always be one of my favorites and a must-read for all young readers. Here's what I had to say about Obsidian when it was first released.

Oh, I liked this more than I thought I was going to, since this is not typically my favorite genre. But I found the characters to be likable, the pacing to be very engaging. By the end of the book, I wanted, no had to know, what was going to happen to Katy and Daemon and Dee. The best scenes were those where Katy and Daemon let down their defenses and communicate, and the action sequences are well done.

I liked the world building here too. Looking forward to Onyx.

A solid 4 out of 5 stars for me on this one.