The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

A special thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Harriet, who goes by Hal, is down on her luck. She reads tarot cards on the Brighton pier and struggles to make ends meet.  Hal is all alone after her mother was tragically is killed by a hit-and-run a few years earlier. When she receives a letter that bequeathes a large inheritance, she knows it to be a mistake but acts on it anyway. Hal only needs a few thousand pounds to change her luck once and for all—she deserves a bit of happiness.

She makes the trip down the English coast to attend the funeral of her "grandmother" and meet her "family". Being able to read people as well as she does, Hal quickly realizes that something is very wrong with the situation and finds herself at the centre of it because it revolves around the inheritance.

It turns out what she thought was a lie, may actually hold some truth, and someone is determined to keep it a secret.

Ruth Ware, this is fantastic! I loved it as much as The Woman in Cabin 10. You truly are a master of your genre.  

She's checked all the boxes: a creepy old house, suspense, symbolism.  But the best part is the writing—Ware reveals just enough to keep the reader completely enthralled, but doesn't give anything away.  I especially loved the use of the tarot cards to help Hal figure out what's going on.  "Don't rush—her mother's voice in her head.  Build your story.  Lay it out—card by card."  That's exactly what Ware does. Brilliant!

RUTH WARE is the international bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, and The Lying Game.

Ware lives near Brighton with her family. 

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott

A special thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kit Owens and Diane Fleming have a complicated past.  Before Diane transferred into her high school chemistry class, Kit was just a regular student.  Diane's brilliance pushed Kit, and the two became friends—that is until Diane confessed a chilling secret to Kit that changed everything between them and almost derailed Kit's life.   

Fast forward more than a decade and Kit is a scientist working in a lab.  Her past collides with her work when she learns that Diane Fleming is her competition for a highly coveted opportunity to work on a groundbreaking new study led by their idol, Dr. Severin.  The two former friends find themselves once again vying to get noticed, only this time, they share a secret that could derail everything that they have worked so hard for.   

Abbott is a master with imagery.  The theme of blood is prevalent, both in the colour red and subject matter.  I enjoyed reading about the PMDD study and the hysteria that ensues as a result.  This makes for interesting material as well as an interesting premise.

The girls have such an complicated dynamic that blurs between friendship and rivalry—an compelling relationship to explore in today's climate where successful women are often pitted against one another.  Abbot further examines this by illustrating how difficult it is for a woman to succeed in a male-dominated field like the sciences.  Her character study is amazing.  Diane is a complete sociopath that oddly captivates everyone she comes in contact with, including the reader.     

It was dark and twisty with just enough suspense that is built by consequence.  Abbot does not reveal her hand, she plays her cards one at a time, her pace is spot-on!  The writing is tight, she leaves nothing to the imagination which is refreshing.   

This was a thrilling page-turner and I could totally see this being adapted into a movie.  Congratulations, Megan, on another master of a thriller.  Well done!

Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen

A special thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tension permeates a close-knit neighbourhood and happy marriage after an unexpected violent act.

Nora and Charlie Nolan seem to have it all.  They live on a dead end street in a lovely home in a New York City neighbourhood.  Their twins are away at college and all is well.  Nora has always loved the city and Charlie loves it even more now that he has secured a highly coveted parking spot.  One morning, Nora returns home from her run only to discover a terribly tragedy has occurred that has shaken her once tight community.  Cracks start to appear in her seemingly charmed life, not only on the block, but at her job, and her marriage.

In Anna Quindlen's latest book, she explores motherhood, being a wife, and a woman in the stages of unravelling.      

Quindlen is a fantastic writer, and this book is no exception.  However, it took me a long time to get into the book and by time the story really started to develop (after the "incident"), I had checked out.

I liked the parallel between Charlie and Nora's dead-end marriage with them living on a dead-end street.  But, the parking space and a mundane marriage seem to eclipse the rest of story.  Or maybe because the first part of the book is so drawn out that the reader is just not as vested in any of the issues.  Maybe it's because I live in the burbs, but I couldn't relate to the parking issue and felt that it had too much presence in the story.  Perhaps because NYC was so integral, the city was almost a character in itself, that Qindlen dedicated so much to the parking space.

Unfortunately for me, this one is a pass.  It was just okay.

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At sixteen, Anglea Wong, one of the most popular girls at school, disappeared. She left behind wonderful parents, and two best friends, Georgina Shaw and Kaiser Brody. 

Fourteen years later, Angela's remains are found in the woods right near the house that Geo grew up in. Her father, a respected physician still lives in the family home. Nobody ever suspected that Geo, now an executive at a pharmaceutical company owned by her fiancé's family, had anything to do with Angela's disappearance.

Kaiser, now a detective with the Seattle PD, learns that Angela was a victim of Calvin James a.k.a. the "Sweetbay Strangler" who is also responsible for the murders of at least three other women. To Geo, Calvin James is something else—he's her first love. It was an instant attraction that grew into an intense, obsessive, and abusive relationship.

For the past fourteen years, Geo has carried the secret of what really happened to Angela until all comes to light with her arrest. Or is there more to the story? Geo is sent to prison while James has escaped from prison. Past and present collide when a string of copycat murders start happening. Did Geo set in motion a new chain of events or is she the missing piece to catch the killer?

This is my first book by Jennifer Hillier and I was super impressed! Her writing is sharp and the pages flew by. Hillier developed the characters enough to not be predictable or stereotypical (but I did want more from Kai). 

Told by alternating points of view between Geo and Kai, past and present, this style really served the story well and helped lay the ground work. 

Hillier does a great job with the pace of the story. She doesn't show her hand, she plays her cards one at a time and lets the story unfold naturally. Sometimes with this genre, I feel that plot twists are forced and I didn't get that sense here. Readers will be intrigued right off the bat when Calvin hands Geo a note in court that says "You're welcome," welcome for what?

The difference between four and five stars is for a couple of reasons. For a detective, Kai is incredibly daft. Is it because he was too close to the case? Actually he shouldn't have even been on this case—wouldn't this be a conflict of interest because he knows both the victim and the perpetrator? I guess you have to suspend your belief on that front. And it was a little too gruesome for me, but if dark and twisty is your bag, you will love it!. All-in-all this was an excellent read.

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JENNIFER HILLIER writes about dark, twisted people who do dark, twisted things. Her novel, Jar of Hearts, was the Winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Hardcover Novel. Jennifer is also the author of Freak, The Butcher, Wonderland, and Creep. 

Hillier was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and lived in the Seattle area for years before returning home to Toronto, where she now lives with her family. 

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kristin Hannah's newest book takes place in Alaska in the 70s and 80s.  The land is wild, unpredictable, and harsh.  The Allbrights think Alaska will be their salvation, but for a family in turmoil, it will become the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright has returned from the Vietnam war a broken and volatile man.  After losing another job, he makes a rash decision to move his little family north, to Alaska, where he has been left property by a fallen soldier.  Here they can make a fresh start, live off the land and by their own rules.

Leni is thirteen and is the voice of reason in her parents' passionate and tempestuous marriage.  She hopes that the new opportunity will lead to a better life for her family.  Her mother Cora would follow Ernt anywhere, even at the cost of a relationship with her parents.

They seem to be adjusting well to life on the great frontier.  They have forged relationships with some men and women in the community that show them the ropes and how to survive.  Winter is coming and they need to learn how to prepare and survive the wrath of Mother Nature.  When winter arrives with dark days, Ernt's mental state suffers and he turns just as dark.  Life outside is nothing compared to life inside their small cabin.  The women are isolated—they are on their own with no one to save them so they must save themselves.

Hannah explores the resilience of the human spirit juxtaposed against the beauty of Alaska.  This is a story of love, loss, survival, and man against nature and himself.  I was completely caught up in the the story, it was absolutely riveting.  Hannah's writing is such a gift.  Her descriptions of Alaska were sweeping and vivid.  Alaska becomes a character and at times is the hero and other times is the villain.

The theme of survival dominates the story—the family are surviving the harsh winter and the women are surviving the harsh realities of living with a POW with post-tramatic stress.  Cora and Leni must carefully navigate Ernst's outbursts that lead to his explosive rage and violent outbursts.  Hannah does an incredible job in her execution—you hate Ernst for his abuse and yet you feel sorry for him because he is living with an undiagnosed mental illness.  The reader also flip flops with their loyalty to Cora—there is a level of frustration for staying with Ernst and exposing Leni to his violence, but on the other hand you pity her because she is a victim of domestic abuse.

Hannah pens some dynamic supporting characters.  I just wish she would've come up with something more original than 'Large Marge'.  She creates a whole town of interesting personalities that are integral to the plot.  This is no small feat.          

The difference between 4 and 5 stars is because of the last part of the book.  There was a disconnect and I wasn't as invested in their journey by that point.  Without spoiling the ending, it didn't work for me.  I wonder if her editor made her rewrite it?  That being said, Hannah fans are going to love this book.