Monday, October 31, 2016

The Fall Guy by James Lasdun

Although cousins, Matthew and Charlie were as close as brothers when they were teens. As adults they have drifted apart, but still have a bond. Charlie has done very well financially. He and his wife, Chloe, have a second home in the Catskills, and he invites Matthew to spend the summer. Matthew has not been that successful in his business endeavors and is struggling with what to do next. He also nurses an unrequited affection for Chloe. When Matthew discovers that Chloe is cheating on Charlie, he faces a dilemma: should he tell Charlie or keep quiet?  As the summer progresses, Matthew's knowledge almost becomes an obsession. There's not any way this can end well...

Friday, October 28, 2016

Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes

This collection by best-selling author Moyes features a novella and eight short stories that explore the relationships between women and men. In the title story, Nell is excited to spend a weekend in Paris with her boyfriend, Pete, but when he fails to show up, she has to decide whether to be adventurous and enjoy Paris on her own or head back to her predictable life back home. The other stories feature a famous man accused of adultery, a woman who finds that an expensive pair of shoes can really change your day, and a woman who yearns for a midnight blue coat, even though her family can't afford it.  While the book is a quick read, I really enjoyed the glimpses into the characters' lives and situations.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand

In this third novel of the Winter Street series, the tale of the Quinn family of Nantucket continues. Youngest brother, Bart, is still missing in action, while oldest Patrick is soon to be released from prison for insider trading. Sister Ava can't decide if she should be with Nathaniel or Scott, so she's dating both of them. Kevin, the middle brother, finally has the life he dreams of with girlfriend, Isabelle, and daughter, Genevieve. Meanwhile, patriarch Kelley is happily back together with his wife, Mitzi. Taking place over nine months, the reader follows the ups and downs of the families' lives among the beautiful island backdrop.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly

As a private investigator, Harry Bosch has been secretly hired by wealthy Whitney Vance to find out before he dies if he has an heir. While in college in 1950, Vance was told by his girlfriend that she was pregnant, but after telling his father about the situation, the girlfriend disappeared and Vance never saw her again. Vance would like his vast fortune to go to his descendants. rather than have it in the hands of the board of directors of his company. Bosch is also part of the San Fernando Police Department reserve unit and is partnered with Bella Lourdes to try and discover a serial rapist in the area that they have nicknamed "Screen Cutter."  With these two cases, the reader accompanies Bosch as he uses his investigative techniques to find the answers he needs. A very satisfying entry in this long-running series.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson

Needing a change of scenery, Londoner Kate Priddy decides to do an apartment swap with a cousin she's never met, Bostonian Corbin Dell. Soon after arriving, Kate discovers that Corbin's next-door neighbor, Audrey Marshall, has been murdered. Being near the location of such a violent event is traumatic for anyone, but it's especially distressing for Kate, since she came to the States to try to recover from the tragic end of a relationship with an old boyfriend, George. As the novel progresses, the reader begins to worry for Kate, not knowing whom she can trust.... Her Every Fear is the third book by Peter Swanson. I had very high expectations for this novel, because his first two books were such great reads and established Swanson as a suspense writer to watch and recommend. The storyline in this one, however, was just not as compelling as the previous books. Fingers crossed for the next one. Her Every Fear will be published in January.

Friday, October 14, 2016

The Trepasser by Tana French

Detective Antoinette Conway does not fit in with her colleagues in the Dublin Murder Squad. She is harassed and doesn't trust any of them. Although Conway is impulsive and suspicious of others, she has a good relationship with her partner, Stephen Moran. Conway, with Moran assisting, finds herself the chief investigator in the murder of Aislinn Murray. They are both displeased, however, to have a third person working with them closely--seasoned detective Breslin. Conway and Moran don't trust Breslin, and throughout the case keep secret some of the information that they have gathered. The prime suspect is Rory Fallon, who had a dinner date at Aislinn's home the night she was killed. Is Rory the killer in a lover's spat gone wrong, or does Breslin's pushing for Rory's arrest indicate a cover-up? In this leisurely-paced sixth book of the Dublin Murder Squad series, French re-teams Conway and Moran from her previous book, The Secret Place. Unfortunately, the mystery did not grip me, and I found Conway to be pretty one-dimensional and an uninteresting character.

Sunday, October 2, 2016

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

When librarian Nina is made redundant, she decides to follow her dream of owning a bookstore. With a gift for connecting people to the right book, she buys a van, which she christens "Little Shop of Happy-Ever-After." However, making her business work is not an easy task. With limited resources, she moves from where she lives in Birmingham to northern Scotland, because it seems that the people there have a real need for a bookstore and her mobile one is even a better idea, because she can travel to lots of small towns. Soon, she finds herself becoming part of a community--and maybe even finding love. The Bookshop on the Corner is a charming novel filled with quirky characters, friendship, and romance.