When She’s Gone by Rea Frey

 

Cora was a victim of a kidnapping and the perpetrators were never caught. She was an Olympic gymnast hopeful and the kidnapping just before the final trials put several competitors in the spotlight. Nothing happened but Cora has lived with the trauma since that Halloween.

Fast forward and with a four year old daughter of her own Cora faces the same horrific crime. Lulu is kidnapped and ransom notes that follow outline a horrific plan. Injure a child gymnast in such a way that they get knocked out of the competition. The same theme with the demands going higher and higher.

The story is detailed and depraved. How ambitious parents will stoop to anything to get what they want. How love can be so possessive and subverted that it can force a normal person to be temporarily insane.

Riveting story.

Sent by Thomas and Mercer for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds’s by Jennifer Moorman

 

The story is a mix of fantasy and what could be unaccounted probability. Not disclaiming anything here but it does make one think that there is a lot we really do not know. Here is a story of a young woman, suddenly widowed, bereft of mental support and just trying to get through one day at a time. Whilst wondering how she going to just survive, her sister with the best of intentions sends her a listing of a house which was owned by their ancestors, and on a sudden whim Josephine buys the place.

It is from this point that the overlap between the present times and the 1920s take place. Her great grandmother Alma was a fun lady who in these days of prohibition ran a speakeasy. Glamorous and patronized by all the top people in town, they did not fear a raid, but going by records Josephine knew this was not accurate. Newspaper records show Alma being shot during a raid, but the fact this that Josephine is living proof that Alma did not die in the raid. So Josephine comes up with a plan to try to circumvent the raid and get Alma to safety. 

The time travel back and forth adds more and more depth to the story because Josephine gets drawn into a relationship and is undecided whether to stay in the 1920s or move back to present times. The entire history of that man would change if that happened.

Altogether a very intriguing read which led to lots of questioning of what ifs and hows. 

Sent by Harper Collin’s Focus, courtesy of Netgalley.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Drowning Game by Barbara Nickless

 

Set in Seattle and Singapore and a rich concern of building yachts for the rich and famous, Ocean House has commenced their biggest endeavor ever, building a super yacht for the rich and famous George Meng.

The story is a superb one set against a history of espionage, murder, a fight for freedom from a man who has everything but seeks freedom for his family and how he unwittingly and then willingly draws two sisters into his plan and bid for freedom. There is also a family history uncovered, unsavory and hidden for decades now open for the world to see.

The story was a page turner, descriptive and emotional, displaying the strong ties that bind family over everything else. Characters were so varied that they added layers of interest to the story. I read it one go myself.

Sent by Thomas and Mercer for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Big Ben Strikes Eleven by David Magarshack

 

Sir Robert Boniface’s body was discovered in his limousine and it was a toss up between murder or suicide. A leading industrialist he was a well known figure, but one who had plenty of enemies. He knew how to cut people down with biting talk, using his power to coerce those working for him or with him.

The story starts with a legion of suspects and then gets whittled down.  Three main suspects and each gets handled differently by the two Detectives heading the case. The attention to detail as each piece of evidence is unearthed is rather tedious and you wish it could just be hurried along. The story set in the 1930s is classic vintage mystery and it evolves like that.

Characters are varied which add depth and interest to the story. 

Sent by Poisoned Pen Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley 

Crimson Leaves death of an Earl Part I by Jana L. Perkins

 

Two young men one an Earl and one brought up as his brother, swap identities for a very short period, when they discover that their father was murdered.  Their idea is to enter the London season, mix with society and try to get clues as to who murdered their father. The one rule for both of them was to avoid entanglements with the ladies.

Both men failed in following the rules from the beginning. Trying to solve a murder, under false identities and having fallen deeply in love was a dilemma.

The murder mystery being solved went hand in hand with the romances of the two men. Light hearted and a fun read set in the 1800s.

Sent by Victory Editing Netgalley Coop for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Chaatterbox by Pia Mahajan

 

Seems like a light hearted read about a young couples discovery of themselves after an arranged marriage and moving from Varanasi to Silicon Valley. Add to that Isha’s love for food, her extreme talent in the culinary field, her chance encounter with the owner of a food truck and mouthwatering descriptions of food. That is the background.

To that mix add the cut throat business dealings in the Valley, the dog eats dog as competition mounts, love and loyalty, friendships and ethics and the story moves into deeper nuances.

This was an ideal read for me on the last day of the year, with the good over evil victory, the steadfastedness of love, friendships superseding it all. 

I am surprised though that I could not track this book on Barnes & Noble or Goodreads to post a review.

Sent by Chai Lit Club for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.

Crescendo by Joanna Howat

 

The story is stark and you’ve got to force yourself to turn the pages especially hard to read about the disintegration of a family.

Jamie and Caz lose their parents in a home fire. Jamie overnight becomes homeless living with a girl whom he met just once and who kindly allows him to live with her. Jamie is disorganized, does not know how to share chores and is a mess. Losing his job, which he is not interested in adds to the mess. Caz cannot cope with the normal workings of her marriage- caring for two little girls and very very swiftly goes into an abyss of drinking, cutting herself and sleeping her days and nights away. Stevie her husband avoids facing any unpleasant situation or the fact that his home life is spiraling out of control.

Jamie without any idea how to control matters takes up the slack of parenting two confused children, housekeeping the best way he can and trying to salvage his personal life and his destroyed piano in the best way he can (which is not much). The characters ebb and sway this way and that in a constant state of confusion, living for the moment and not caring for consequences. There is no stability or purpose in any of their lives till a crisis blows up in their faces and all of them have to face the consequences of their action and inaction.

Emotional and very pragmatic in its writing this is a good, but hard to read story.

Sent by Flying Dog Press for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.