Tag Archives: suspense

Sep16

Lil Red’s Book Club: Just The Nicest Couple By Mary Kubica Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Just The Nicest Couple By Mary Kubica Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we are going to be discussing a thriller by Mary Kubica called Just The Nicest Couple. This book was pretty good, but suffered from a horrible case of an extremely lackluster grand reveal. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Just The Nicest Couple for murder, violence, and miscarriages. Now, let’s get to it:

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Lily and Christian really are just the nicest couple. They are self proclaimed “math nerds” and Lily is a beloved math teacher at the local high school. This is where she met her good friend, Nina, who is an English teacher and her neurosurgeon husband, Jake. The two couples have shared many an outing together for drinks and dinner and consider themselves to be close friends. But do the couples know each other or even their own partners as much as they think?

Nina and Jake’s marriage is on the rocks because the possessive husband doesn’t like Nina caring for her ailing mother. Meanwhile, Lily and Christian are in a very sensitive situation as Lily is with child and they have suffered many miscarriages before. Both couples are experiencing different changes, but it’s nothing in comparison to how their worlds are about to be turned upside down drastically. One day, Christian returns home to find Lily beside herself and her story drags them into a high stakes game of cat and mouse.

Lily says that she ran into Jake on a hiking trail and he brought her to a secluded area in the woods to look at a mother deer and her babies. Instead of seeing a sweet sight, Jake begins to hurt Lily. To defend herself and her baby, she hits him with a rock again and again and runs away. The only catch? Lily has no idea if she killed him or not. That day, Nina waits up for Jake almost all night and he doesn’t return home. He is nowhere to be found the following day, either, and won’t return any of Nina’s calls or texts.

Nina is not surprised to not hear from Jake as they had a tumultuous fight the day before. She assumes he’s crashing at a hotel blowing off some steam. It isn’t until the hospital Jake works at calls to say that he isn’t shown up for surgeries when she begins to worry. He loves his job even more than he loves her. Lily and Christian determine that there is no possible way Lily could have killed Jake and Lily tiptoes her way around Nina to gain intel and be the “good friend”.

The cops are less than helpful to Nina since Jake is an adult and can disappear if he wants to. So, she takes matters into her own hands and plays detective. It isn’t until a body is found in the woods that Lily and Christian’s panic surges. They have to be one step ahead of the cops’ investigation and Nina’s. As the story continues and Nina’s suspicion of the nice couple intensifies, Nina and Christian are all but ready for the cops to arrive and arrest them. But, what if Lily really didn’t kill Christian after all? And if not, who did? Read Just The Nicest Couple to find out!

Just The Nicest Couple went back and forth from the perspective of Christian and Nina, and you all know how much I love an alternating narrator. I also enjoy a cat and mouse thriller so I thought the story line was an exciting and interesting one. I can’t say that any of the characters were particularly likeable, but I liked the plot and it kept me turning the page at a rapid pace. I finished it in just three sittings!

I was very much into this book until the last fifty or so pages and then it took a drastic turn for the worse. The grand reveal was just so dumb that it completely took away from everything that I had read leading up to it. I was expecting to give Just The Nicest Couple a fairly high star rating and it instantly plummeted. I, myself, did not figure out the reveal because it was just so unlikely and out of left field I didn’t even consider it. A book can be great, but if the ending is terrible then what’s the point?

In terms of writing, Mary Kubica was just alright in my opinion. Her writing style seemed very repetitive and I didn’t like how she used the same word or two so frequently in close proximity to each other. Just The Nicest Couple was also riddled with typos – at least ten and that is unacceptable to me. At times, this made the writing feel juvenile and left me feeling less than impressed. I grabbed another Kubica book from the library when I checked out Just The Nicest Couple, but I don’t think I will read any more after I finish her other book.

I wanted to like Just The Nicest Couple SO badly and was going to rate it highly. However, I can’t overlook such an epic failure of an ending and the massive amount of typos and spelling errors. I am going to rate this book with a four out of ten stars. Give it a read if you want, but it’s one that you’re not going to be missing out on.

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul21

Lil Red’s Book Club: You Know Her By Meagan Jennett Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: You Know Her By Meagan Jennett Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! We will go back to all of the date night vibes tomorrow because I just have to talk about the book I finished. Today, we will be discussing a fantastic thriller by Meagan Jennett called You Know Her – without giving any spoilers away, of course. Before we begin, I am placing a MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING on this book for extremely disturbing content, assault in all forms, murder, and gruesome violence. If this isn’t for you, please skip this post! Now, let’s get to it:

Screenshot 2023-07-19 at 05-42-58 Sarah Mushenheim (@lifewithlilred94) • Instagram photos and videos

Sophie works as a bartender in a small town where everyone knows everyone. Despite this, she has no positive relationships in her life – especially with men. After years and years of working in the restaurant industry and tending bar, Sophie is fed up. “You would be prettier if you smiled”. “You’re cutting me off? You’re a bitch.” and so on and so forth. Normally, Sophie can grin and bear it. Everything changes on New Year’s Eve, however.

After a shift that has dragged with no end in sight, the only thing that Sophie is looking forward to is a glass of wine. A nice glass of wine from a two hundred dollar bottle that she sold to a newly engaged couple. As she closes down the bar, a “friend of the owner” named Mark comes stumbling in drunk as can be. He has been hassling Sophie all night, went to another bar, and wants one more drink.

Against her better judgement, Sophie pours a drink and agrees to give him a ride home. She leaves Mark to polishing glasses while she has a cigarette and returns to find him with her bottle of wine in hand and the remnants dribbling down his chin. Sophie has had enough. And, when Mark gets way too friendly in the car with her, she snaps. Mark is every man who has ever cat called her, groped her, and told her to smile – and she kills him.

Nora is soon to be detective and is shadowing Detective Murph until the switch happens. When Mark’s body is found, there is no usable evidence, no good leads, and the case grows cold. As the police force grasps at straws, Sophie is hard at work. After taking Mark’s life, she realizes that she quite enjoys murder and is good at it. Now, it’s time to make men pay. It could be anyone, it could be everyone. All Sophie knows is that she knows her perfect victim when she sees him.

As Sophie’s body count rises, she develops a friendship with Nora. Not out of the goodness of her heart, though. Rather, to get close to the case and keep the police blindsided to the idea that it could be a woman killing all of these men. Nora senses something off about Sophie, but tells herself that she’s just an intense person. She’s also new in this town and not in a position to say no to a friend.

Bodies are turning up constantly at this point and the police are none the wiser to Sophie’s killing spree. All the while, Nora’s instincts that the killer could be a woman is laughed off in the boy’s club of the police. It is up to her to go with her gut and solve the case herself. Can she crack it before it’s too late? Or will Sophie simply vanish into the wind? Read You Know Her to find out!

You Know Her was one of my favorite books that I have read in a long while and was such an interesting take on serial killers. This is the first time that I have ever read anything from the perspective of a woman killer. I completely disagree with everything Sophie stands for. Having said that, a resounding theme in the book is that “you know her”. Not a killer, but a woman who has been assaulted at the hands of a man. This is the driving force underneath the story itself and it’s one hundred percent true.

This book flip flopped between Sophie and Nora, which is something that I always like. I also really enjoyed Meagan Jennett’s writing style. She had a remarkable way with words and a picture was painted with every sentence. At some points, it almost felt like reading poetry and was such a juxtaposition to the horror of the plot. So many parts of this book stood out to me and I have never read anything like it before.

You Know Her featured a unique plot as well as a great supporting cast. Nora’s sensitivity and thoughtfulness paired with Murph’s old man hilarity were like a salve to Sophie’s darkness. Despite all of Sophie’s flaws, Jennett still managed to invoke a feeling of sympathy for her. Moments where she spoke of her grandma were tender and full of love. This begs the question of the person she could have been rather than the killer who will forever be infamous in her small town.

I am going to award You Know Her with the coveted ten out of ten stars. This was Meagan Jennett’s first novel and she knocked it out of the park. I am very much looking forward to reading whatever she writes next!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul3

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Twenty By Sam Holland Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Twenty By Sam Holland Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to the return of Lil Red’s Book Club!! It has been over two months since our last book club review as my life was crazy and I had no free time to read. But now I’m back, baby, and we are going to start things up with a bang. Today, we will be discussing The Twenty by Sam Holland. Before we go any further, a MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING will be placed on this book and it is not for the faint of heart. The TW is for gruesome violence, murder, assault and abuse in all forms, cruelty to animals, and severe mental health disorders. Still interested in finding out more in a spoiler free setting? Let’s get to it:

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Head detective Adam Bishop lives a lonely life and we find our lead character at the bar, once again, drinking his sorrows. His bender is cut short, however, by his second in command, Jamie, informing him that bodies have been found. This sobers Adam up immediately and they head to the scene, a desolate wasteland of abandoned construction projects. This location is now home to the homeless, years of discarded trash, and five bodies.

The scene bustles to life with techs, cops, and detectives who are confident that they have found the dumping grounds of a serial killer. And, this serial killer likes to keep count. Upon closer inspection around the bodies, Roman numerals from sixteen to twelve are found spray painted by the unofficial graves. An image from the scene is reported on the news where one of the numerals is just barely visible. But, the fleeting glimpse of it by Dr. Romilly Cole as she settles in for the night means everything to her.

Romilly Cole is the daughter of the infamous serial killer, Dr. Elijah Cole, and is none other than Adam’s ex-wife. At eleven years old, she turned her father into the police and the world wasn’t ready for what was hidden away in his work shed on the edge of their property. It was hell on Earth for four women who he murdered and one who made it out alive. Only Romilly and the cops working the scene will know that Roman numerals from twenty to seventeen were scratched on the side post of the shed door.

After the realization dawns on Rom that this can only be the workings of her incarcerated father, she calls Adam. His response? Not the one she was looking for and he shrugs it off without a second thought. His marriage to Rom didn’t end on the best of terms and any interaction with her is salt in his wounds, especially now that she is living with her new boyfriend. He also has more pressing issues to tend to, as he is the head investigator on his first serial killer case.

The leads from the burial site are slim and, as more bodies marked with numerals are found, the team is further stumped. The victims have been killed in the most gruesome of manners and the crime scenes continue to tell them nothing. Whoever this killer is, is very good. It isn’t until Rom receives mail from her father requesting her to visit, that Adam puts his pride aside to consider that she might have been right this whole time.

Yes, Rom’s father is in jail, but that doesn’t mean he can’t find someone else to do his bidding. With prison guards wrapped around his finger, “fans” of his, and former patients that were saved through his expertise – anyone could be his “helper”. But who? The clock is ticking as the body count starting with Elijah’s four murders continues to work its way down. Adam, Jamie, and Romilly need to solve this case and fast because one of their own could be next. Will the killer reach their goal of twenty murders? Read The Twenty to find out!

Oh. My. GAWD. was this book insane. The Twenty was, honestly, one of the most harrowing, disturbing thrillers that I have ever read. It was disgusting, terrifying, and completely unputdownable. Every page turned was one step closer to answers or another death and I devoured it in four or so sittings. Obviously, everything the killer did was horrid, but the dream team of Adam, Jamie, and Rom were SO likeable that one more page turned into fifty every time.

The Twenty was written exactly how I like it. Short chapters of at maximum four pages. Multiple narrators between Adam, Jamie, Rom, and the killer. And, it toggled between past and present with the childhood of both Adam and Elijah Cole examined. The case in this book was urgent and I could literally feel that urgency pouring out of every single page. Nay, every single sentence. With every passing minute, another murder could take place and I was so far on the edge of my seat that I almost fell off!

As you all know, I love to play detective when I read. I figured out the first grand reveal of the killer’s identity with time to spare and it STILL left me shocked. Don’t get complacent, though, if you figure it out too… This book delivered a one two punch of grand reveals and I never saw the second one coming in a million years. I had tunnel vision of only finding out who the killer was and was blindsided by the fact that there could be another twist. As I said before, it was INSANE.

Although The Twenty was very difficult to read, I still have to award it with the coveted ten out of ten stars. I have never read anything like it and am very eager to read Sam Holland’s first novel, The Echo Man, as the case was referenced in The Twenty. A trip to the library ASAP? Definitely!

What book are you currently reading? Who has read some good thrillers recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr13

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Club By Ellery Lloyd Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Club By Ellery Lloyd Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing a thriller by Ellery Lloyd called The Club. I have been nursing this book for a while because I haven’t had much free time to read and I was very happy to be done with it; Partially because it took so long and partially because it wasn’t my favorite book in the world. It definitely fell under the “pretty good” but not great category! Before we begin, I will be placing a big fat trigger warning on The Club for murder, violence, and rape. Now, let’s get to it:

Screenshot 2023-04-12 at 06-48-24 Sarah Mushenheim (@lifewithlilred94) • Instagram photos and videos

The Home clubs are a celebrity’s playground with ultra lux resorts in locations ranging from London to Italy and Manhattan. There is an insanely high membership fee and with that comes the privilege of privacy. No cell phones are allowed on Home properties so the members have no fear of paparazzi or unflattering photos and have the freedom to do what they want when they want. The Home clubs have been in the Groom family for a long time and was passed down to the eldest, Ned, after his grandpa’s death. After a fire burned down the original location, Ned began expanding his empire to what it is today and did it almost all by himself with minimal help from his younger brother, Adam.

Now, Ned is preparing to launch the most ambitious Home club yet; Island Home. Yeah, he bought an entire island for his new resort and the caveat is that it can only be accessed when low tide reveals a causeway from the mainland to the island. Ned is a loud, brash man that can be difficult on a good day to work with, but his staff remains ever faithful. To assist him, there is his loyal PA named Nikki and the Hospitality Manager, Annie. A new staff member named Jess has also been welcomed aboard as the Head of Housekeeping. Before the weekend long launch party begins, it is anarchy on the island as everyone works diligently to turn Island Home into the best one ever.

By the time the rich and famous arrive on the island, it is perfect with huge cabins, a spa, gym, underwater restaurant, and private screening room just to name a couple of the many accommodations. Before a big launch, Ned likes to invite his chosen few to a feast to catch up, eat, drink, and be merry. The night, however, takes a drastic turn when Ned announces that there will eventually be a package waiting in the room of four of his most wealthy, celebrated guests. The packages will arrive at different times and each member is very anxious to find out what it could be. And, what it is is something that they would never expect.

The first package delivered is to a Jackson Crane – well known actor and husband to model and humanitarian, Georgia. After the dinner party, Jackson returns to his cabin to find a memory stick and a demand for an exorbitant amount of money for his yearly membership fee. And, one by one, the other three of the chosen receive their “gift” too. These memory sticks reveal the deepest, darkest, career destroying secrets of each member and all of the recordings were done in their rooms of various Home resorts. The asking fee to keep their secrets at bay is astronomical and even with all of their wealth combined, eventually the well would run dry. Essentially, Ned now owns them.

Other than Ned, Annie, Adam, and the chosen, no one on the island knows that they are constantly being recorded and continue to go about their weekend at Island Home. And why would they suspect anything, anyways? The whole point of Home clubs is to not be constantly recorded. As the celebrities enjoy and the staff caters to their every need, plots of murder begin to form and not just from the guests being blackmailed. It turns out that high ranking members in the Home hierarchy have secrets too. Nikki, Annie, and Jess all have a past that directly correlates themselves with guests on the island and have vengeance on the mind as well.

The grand finale of the Island Home launch party is an immersive theater event that will take the members around the island and back to the Manor to party. To keep everyone’s identity a secret as they wander the grounds and for the name of theater, everyone is required to wear a cloak and mask. It is the ideal scenario for revenge to be exacted and as the night plays out, several people meet their demise. What will become of the blackmailed guests of Island Home and the man who grew wealthy from their secrets? Read The Club to find out!

There were several things about The Club that I enjoyed. I thought that the plot was very interesting and loved the idea of these “private” places where celebrities could let their hair down for good or bad. I admit that I am a sucker for all things lux so I also really liked to read about all of the clothes, accommodations, and locations being described in the book. However, there was something about The Club that just didn’t connect with me no matter how hard I tried to make it happen.

The Club is told from the perspective of Jess, Nikki, Annie, and Adam and you all know I love a multiple narrator book. The problem was that I couldn’t stand any of them! Literally none of the key or supporting players in The Club were likeable in the slightest and it made for a very dry and stilted read. For the most part, I liked the ideas of each individual chapter but I couldn’t get into the characters as they spoke their piece. Not only that, but this book’s grand reveal left a lot to be desired and each twist and turn could be easily guessed before it happened. While nothing pleases me more than getting reveals right, I like to be surprised even more than that.

I feel very torn about The Club because the idea of the book was a winner but the execution just wasn’t there for me. Overall, I am going to give it a four out of ten stars. If this review sounds interesting to you, give it a try because it was still kind of fun. If not, you can most definitely skip on this book!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr1

Lil Red’s Book Club: We Were Never Here By Andrea Bartz Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: We Were Never Here By Andrea Bartz Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving any spoilers away, as always, we will be discussing a thriller by Andrea Bartz called We Were Never Here. Was it the best book I ever read? No. But it was pretty good and a nice change of pace after reading the sweetly sentimental A Man Called Ove. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on We Were Never Here for violence and murder, sexual assault, abuse in all forms, and harm to an animal. Now, let’s get to it:

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Kristen and Emily. Emily and Kristen. Kremily for short. They have been inseparable besties since college and are still going strong over a decade later. While Emily resides in Wisconsin, Kristen moved to Australia for work but they talk all day every day and take a best friends trip once a year. During their travels, they explore locations that are outside of the norm of Paris and London. They much prefer locations like Uganda, Vietnam, and Laos to name a few.

Every trip that they have had left Kristen and Emily giddy and the travel bug continued to bite, until something bad happened in Cambodia last year. What should have been an awesome one night stand for Emily with a handsome stranger went horribly wrong and ended in his murder when Kristen arrived on scene. Panicked and in a foreign country, the best friends put their heads together to dispose of the body, get back to their respective homes, and put the whole thing behind them.

It took a lot of work for Emily to get back to a good place and where she is still isn’t great but better. In fact, she has even got back into the dating scene by going out with the adorable Aaron. She had Kristen to thank for getting her through the toughest time of her life and being strong for the both of them. And, finally, the fear of being caught dwindled into an annoying thought that would sometimes pop up in the back of her head.

Despite what happened in Cambodia, the girls still take their annual best friends trip and find themselves in Chile. The getaway has been amazing and Emily truly believes that her and Kristen are closer than ever and completely made it through their shared horrors. Until the last night of their vacation. In a terrible instance of lightening striking twice, they find themselves in an eerily similar situation to Cambodia. This time, Kristen was the victim and her attacker was dead well before Emily burst through the door.

Emily and Kristen were on a massive time crunch before returning to their homes and had to hastily bury the body in a shallow grave in a remote farming community. Understandably, Emily is freaking out because there is no way they are going to be able to get away with murder twice. Kristen, on the other hand, is acting strange. Really strange. As if nothing happened at all and that everything is A-okay.

Unsettled by her friend’s far from normal reaction, Emily begins to pull away from Kristen and, for once, the distance between them feels like a good thing. Emily continues to avoid until it becomes impossible because Kristen shows up at her front door, claiming to be “over” Australia. Once Kristen is home, she begins popping up everywhere to the point of being stalkery; Emily’s favorite yoga studio, brunch with her boyfriend, even her therapist’s office.

Desperate to get away from Kristen but afraid to say so, Emily agrees to a birthday weekend at the lake house belonging to Kristen’s grandparents. Still wary, Emily decides to do some good old fashioned snooping and is shocked from her findings; Kristen’s childhood best friend committed suicide two weeks after Kristen’s parents died in a house fire. Is Kristen literally the most unlucky person on planet Earth or were three deaths in one month the result of something more sinister?

The walls are closing in on Emily from all sides because the backpacker they disposed of in Chile has been found and a handsome reward is offered for information. She no longer trusts Kristen and for good reason – five people are dead and they might all be at her hands. All Emily knows is that she is not safe and neither is her new beau. Will Emily get to the bottom of Kristen’s dark past once and for all? And will the girls get away with murder twice? Read We Were Never Here to find out!

As I said, We Were Never Here definitely fell into the “just okay” category for me. It was good, but not great. It was also incredibly easy to figure out every major twist and turn, which is both a blessing and a curse. I like the feeling of being right, but I like being surprised by grand reveals much more! Despite consistently knowing where this book was going, I still considered it to be unputdownable and finished it in a matter of four sittings. Perhaps not so much for the plot as much as Andrea Bartz’s writing style being very similar to Rachel Hawkins, an author who I really enjoy.

As far as characters go, I honestly didn’t care much for Emily, Kristen, or any of the supporting characters for that matter. Kristen and Emily were truly Yin and Yang. Kristen was bubbly, vivacious, and strong. Emily was anxious, fumbling, and weak in comparison. Both of the girls remained the same throughout the duration of the book and it bored me. There was no real character development and that was another reason why it was easy to figure We Were Never Here out; Nothing Emily or Kristen did surprised me.

I’ll be the first to admit that the plot of this story is one of the more far fetched ones that I have read and that’s fine. The crazy plot wasn’t supported with major shocks, though, and I never felt like there was a definite climax or resolution. We Were Never Here fired on all cylinders until it was over and it made the read less fulfilling. I wouldn’t recommend this book unless it was a palette cleanser read, but I would read more by Andrea Bartz because she does show promise as an author I could get into.

Overall, I am going to rate We Were Never Here with a four and a half out of ten stars. This is a book that you can definitely skip on if you are looking for something better than just “pretty good”!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan9

Lil Red’s Book Club: Joyland By Stephen King Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Joyland By Stephen King Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we are going to be discussing a super fun read by Stephen King called Joyland – without giving any spoilers away, of course. Set at the old fashioned amusement park, Joyland, in Heaven’s Bay, North Carolina, this book was completely charming. And, yes, I realize that Stephen King’s books don’t get described as that often but Joyland was such a far cry from his usual full fledged horror writing and I couldn’t put it down! Before we begin, I will be putting a trigger warning on Joyland for violence and murder. Now, let’s get to it:

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Summertime is approaching for twenty-one year old college student, Devin Jones, and he is in desperate need of a job. He is utterly heartbroken from his previous relationship, broke, and wants to be anywhere but cleaning up in the dining hall. On a whim, he decides to apply at Joyland as a general employee after seeing an ad in the classifieds. During his trip to the park in Heaven’s Bay, North Carolina for his interview, Devin decides that there are worse places to spend his summer and accepts the gig.

During his tour, Devin learns that Joyland is an old school amusement park with carny flare. There are a few big rides but the majority of attractions offered are for the entire family, making it an ideal summer destination. The games, rides, and vending stands are all ran by year round “carny from carny” folks, which is The Talk for a family of carnival workers. Don’t worry, you’ll get familiar with The Talk (Joyland’s secret lingo) soon enough! Joyland is in the business of selling fun but there is one ride that even the bravest employees don’t like to be around – the Horror House. A young woman, Linda Gray, was murdered on the ride and it is believed to be haunted. Oh yeah, and the murderer is still at large.

After a few short weeks, it’s time for Devin’s summertime job to begin and he enjoys it immensely. Kind employees like Lane, Fred, and Pop take him under their wings and show him the ropes about everything from operating rides to “wearing the fur”. AKA dressing up as the park’s mascot: Howie The Happy Hound. He has even managed to make a few friends, Tom and Erin, who live in the same boarding house as him and also work the park. Devin spends his days working hard and is eager to get a glimpse of the Horror House ghost and maybe even solve the mystery of her death.

As summer continues on, Devin becomes a staple in the lives of Annie and Mike Ross who live in a beautiful beach home that he walks by every day to and from work. Annie is a young mom and her son, Mike, has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy which confines them to their home. And, let’s just say that Annie makes it a bit easier for Devin to forget his ex girlfriend! In fact, Devin decides to stay on as a full time employee at Joyland – half for the Rosses and half for Linda Gray.

Thanks to some research from Erin, who is now back at school, her findings show a pattern of other young ladies killed in a similar fashion. Linda Gray’s killer has murdered several girls and Devin is nowhere closer to solving the crime. But, there’s something about the photos that Erin shows him that bothers him. The pictures of the killer at the park with Linda has a familiarity to them that he can’t put his finger on. Perhaps, the killer has been under everyone’s noses the entire time. Will Devin be able to bring the killer forward and put Linda Gray’s ghost to rest? Read Joyland to find out!

I seriously loved everything about Joyland and my only regret is that it wasn’t longer. After I read the last page, I told Johnny that I wished there was more or that a TV series was made about it. It was just so good and, honestly, really cute. And, once again, it feels weird to me to describe a Stephen King book as such! King’s writing made you feel like you were walking along the Joyland boardwalks with Devin and the carny Talk that the employees used further enhanced the old time park vibes. It was such a fun read that I wanted to take a ride on the Carolina Spin and Delirium Shaker myself!

While this book was based around solving a murder, it was really not as gruesome as you could imagine for a King book. It almost seemed like an afterthought to the story of Devin growing into an adult. It was exciting to read about the unsolved crime but it was even better to read about Devin’s sweet relationship with Mike and the other characters that made Heaven’s Bay special. I enjoyed how character rather than plot driven Joyland was and I wanted to be friends with all of the people who graced the pages.

I will say that the grand reveal was very easy to solve and that’s okay. I think anything too convoluted would have taken away from the overall simplicity of the story. I actually wouldn’t mind reading it again from the perspective of knowing who the killer is because certain parts immediately popped out at me and I’d like to find more. If you like to play detective like me, just keep in mind that everyone puts on a mask when they are in the business of selling fun.

I am going to award Joyland with the coveted ten out of ten stars. Stephen King might not be everyone’s cup of tea but I think that everyone will be able to find something that they like about this book. I highly recommend it and plan on reading it again in the future!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Dec30

Lil Red’s Book Club: Two Nights In Lisbon By Chris Pavone Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Two Nights In Lisbon By Chris Pavone Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we will be discussing a thriller called Two Nights In Lisbon by Chris Pavone – without giving any spoilers away, of course. This book was just okay for me. I liked the story line well enough but the writing style of Pavone didn’t do it for me and there were some parts that dragged on SO hard. I’ll let you be the judge of it if you read it! Before we begin, I will be placing a big fat trigger warning on Two Nights In Lisbon as it deals with sexual assault and violence. Now, let’s get to it:

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Ariel Pryce is nearing fifty and is newly married to John. He is handsome, successful, and ten years her junior. Ariel owns a small farm and local bookstore and is looking forward to her new life with her husband and tweenage son, George. Things seem picture perfect now but that hasn’t always been the case for Ariel. Her current life is a humble one, which is a far cry from her previous life as a New York City socialite with her ex-husband. Ariel paid a highly traumatizing price for her past wealth and fame at the hands of her ex’s business partner. She has been working hard on letting go of the worst time of her life and can’t wait to have a getaway with John in Lisbon, Portugal for one of his business trips.

Ariel and John’s first day in Portugal is amazing and filled with sight seeing, delicious food, and romance. Although Ariel was originally wary of this trip and leaving George with her mom, she realizes a little vacation might just be exactly what she needs. The newlyweds head to bed after a long day and fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. Then, when Ariel wakes up the following morning, John is nowhere to be found.

At first, Ariel thinks that her husband went for a walk and will be back shortly. She calls him to confirm but his phone goes straight to voicemail and he hasn’t even bothered to leave a note. As the hours tick by, panic mode takes over Ariel and she starts fearing the worst. It’s hard not to when she’s in a foreign country, doesn’t speak the language, and she can’t find her husband. The logical place to go is the police. However, the two officers won’t report John missing yet since he has only been gone for a few hours. They also imply, much to Ariel’s distaste, that maybe she doesn’t know her husband as well as she thinks.

Refusing to simply wait around for word from John, Ariel next heads to the American embassy where she hears more of the same thing. It isn’t until a man on a motorcycle hands Ariel a burner phone demanding three million euros as a ransom for John that people start taking her seriously. Despite her husband’s success, they don’t have that kind of money and Ariel has no idea who to call to help. Well… She does. It’s just that she really doesn’t want to.

As the police and the CIA work the case, they have a vague idea of who it might be that Ariel called as well as extorted for the ransom. And, if it is who they think it is, then they have a major issue of national security on their plates because her call just proved that the future vice president of the United States can be extorted. Is John’s kidnapping a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or is it a carefully constructed plot to bring one of Ariel’s attackers to justice? Read Two Nights In Lisbon to find out!

For the first two hundred or so pages of Two Nights In Lisbon, I was really into it. This book moved at a fast pace and began with John being kidnapped right from the jump. It was nerve wracking to read as Ariel navigated through Lisbon and essentially tried to solve the crisis herself, knowing that law enforcement wasn’t completely on her side. Then, it started getting very convoluted very quickly. Between the local law enforcement, CIA, FBI, and journalists on the case, I found it difficult to keep track of everyone. Breaks in the case, new details, and new people all became muddled together and I was ready for the book to end about halfway through. 

I feel torn about this book because I actually really liked the story line and grand reveal. I also am all for the overall message that is being conveyed. I just wasn’t a huge fan of Chris Pavone’s writing. In this book, he was quite fond of going into paragraph long litanies that were essentially one big run on sentence. It drove me crazy! The wordiness bogged down the reading experience and I felt like so much of it could have been eliminated, which would have made for a smoother read. In fact, if it was a different author who wrote the book, I probably would have liked it way more.

One praise that I do have for Two Nights In Lisbon is Ariel’s character. She is a bonafied badass and even though I didn’t love how the book was written, I was still in her corner all the way till the end. Ariel is such a strong, brave heroine and I liked that she was both book and street smart. There were so many times throughout the book when I was thinking “good for her” and those were my thoughts once I read the final page too.

Overall, I am going to rate Two Nights In Lisbon with a five out of ten star rating. There was a lot about this book that I enjoyed and would have rated it much higher had I connected more with Pavone’s writing. I suppose I would recommend it simply for the fact that the grand reveal was pretty awesome. However, you’re not missing out on anything if you choose to skip this one!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Nov12

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Dry By Jane Harper Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Dry By Jane Harper Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Without giving away any spoilers, as always, we will be discussing a thriller by Jane Harper called The Dry. This is a book that has been sitting on my shelf for several years when I got it FO FREE in a library’s give away box. I decided to finally read it because I haven’t been to the library in a while and I am glad I did. I wouldn’t say that it was my favorite book but it was still a really good read. Before we begin our discussion, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Dry for abuse, extreme violence, and murder. Now, let’s get to it:

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Aaron Falk has not been welcome in his hometown of Kiewarra, Australia since he was a teenager. After his friend, Ellie Deacon was found drowned in the river and a note with Aaron’s name was found in her bedroom, he and his best friend, Luke Hadler, became the prime suspects for her death. Aaron and his father were driven out of the small farming community after one too many threats from unfriendly neighbors, fled to Melbourne, and haven’t looked back since.

Now, close to two decades later, Aaron must return back to Kiewarra after learning that his childhood friend, Luke, his wife Karen, and son Billy were killed. Everyone suspects Luke of going off his rocker due to dire financial circumstances thanks to a two year drought. His parents, however, refuse to believe that Luke was capable of such a heinous crime and enlist Aaron’s help to put these rumors to rest. Aaron works with the police in Melbourne for financial crimes and figures looking over their finances is the least he can do. Plus, going through their banking statements means he doesn’t have to talk to anyone because he hasn’t encountered a friendly face since his arrival.

By sharing his findings with the local sheriff, Raco, a full on unofficial investigation begins because things just aren’t adding up. Sure, they have hunches over who might have committed the crime but with no solid evidence, fingers continue to point back to Luke. The death of Ellie has haunted Aaron throughout his life and, now, he begins to wonder if the triple murders were payback for her untimely demise. Ellie’s father and cousin make good candidates for the Hadler family murder but it could be anyone.

Tensions in Kiewarra are high because a drought means no money for the farms and Aaron and Raco poking around puts everyone on edge. With Aaron’s time in his hometown drawing to a close and his safety threatened with every turn of the page, the chances of solving the murders and shining a light on who killed Ellie are bleak. Will the Hadler family finally be able to rest in peace? Or will Aaron return back to Melbourne with his tail between his legs? Read The Dry to find out!

As I said before, The Dry was a great read. It wasn’t the best thing that I have ever read but it was extremely unique and I devoured it in four sittings. This book was unputdownable for several reasons, mainly because it wasn’t just about the Hadler family murder. While Aaron was working on the case, he was also trying to find out once and for all who drowned Ellie and it was interesting to read the similarities in two totally different circumstances. The people in Kiewarra were also unfriendly at best and threatening at worst and it made the danger that Aaron was in feel so much more imminent.

While the story line of The Dry was quite original, what I really enjoyed was the layout of the book. The chapters were always narrated by Aaron. However, there would be segments in the book that would take you back into the past as recalled by other characters. This was something that I had never seen done before and I loved it. As you all know, a multiple narrator book is my favorite and this was a similar set up but so different than what I am used to and kept me turning the page feverishly.

As far as characters go, it was easy to like and root for Aaron as well as Sheriff Raco. While Raco was an open book, Aaron complimented this by being difficult to read, even by people who know him best. In the beginning, this made it difficult to appreciate his subtleties. But, as his character developed throughout the book, I was fully invested in his well being – it just took some time to get warmed up to him.

Finally, in terms of grand reveals, the one in The Dry was alright. I had figured it out prior to it happening and I didn’t particularly care for it but I understood why it happened the way it did. If you’re like me and try to play amateur detective while reading, my advice is to not put your blinders up when reading The Dry. There were so many people who could have committed each crime but it’s not always what it seems!

Overall, I am going to give The Dry a seven out of ten star rating. The dire situations in the book and a format that was different than anything I have read before made for a good reading experience. I would definitely recommend this book and would happily read more by Jane Harper!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov1

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Maid By Nita Prose Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Maid By Nita Prose Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new month here on lifewithlilred! To kick start November, we will be discussing a delightfully charming read by Nita Prose called The Maid – without giving any spoilers away, of course. Both my mom and I read this book and we really enjoyed it. In fact, I liked it so much that I wouldn’t mind reading it again! Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Maid as it deals with the death of a loved one and domestic violence. Now, let’s get to it:

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Molly simply loves her job as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. She loves her uniform, the routine, and returning each room to a state of perfection. Her self worth fully relies on her employment now that her beloved grandma is deceased. So much so that Molly would rather be at work than in the small apartment that they used to share.

Molly sees the world differently than her coworkers and falls somewhere on the autism spectrum. Since the passing of her grandma, her life went from vibrant and rich to incredibly lonely. She does have a few friends, however. Every day, Molly tends to Giselle Black’s room. She is the wife of a business mogul and she is just as lonely as Molly in her own ways. Through this shared bond, a friendship forms. Molly cleans the room and Giselle teaches her about makeup and explains the things that Molly doesn’t fully understand – like when a coworker is making fun of her.

Of course, not all of her coworkers are completely awful and Molly also enjoys her friendship with kindly Mr. Preston, Juan Manuel, and Rodney, whom she has a huge crush on. Rodney is the perfect man for her and surprises Molly through his “thoughtfulness”. For example, after entering one of the rooms she was scheduled to clean, Molly stumbles upon Rodney, Juan Manuel, and two intimidating looking strangers who she assumes are their friends. Rodney explains that Juan Manuel’s work permit has expired and he has no place to live. He asks Molly if she can give him a key card to an unoccupied room every night, stow his overnight bag, and clean up every morning. And she does.

Every day, Molly looks forward to her visits with Giselle and her friends until something awful happens. During her usual rounds in the Black’s suite, Molly finds Giselle’s husband dead in his bed. Originally, she wasn’t a suspect to a possible murder. But, after doing a few favors for some of her so called friends, Molly is arrested for murder, drug charges, and having an illegal firearm. Desperate to prove her innocence, Molly and the people who only wish the best for her rally to fight the charges. But, it’s going to take Molly being pushed out of her comfort zone to do it. Can they pull it off? Read The Maid to find out!

I wasn’t expecting to like The Maid as much as I did but I literally couldn’t put it down to save my own life. I devoured it in three days and wish that it wasn’t such a quick read! This book tapped into every emotion possible in barely two hundred and ninety pages. It was equal parts heartbreaking, hilarious, enraging, and inspiring. If you don’t find yourself rooting for Molly with every turn of the page, then there is a good chance that you don’t have a heart.

Not only did The Maid have me emotionally invested but the plot was great too. There were so many twists and turns cleverly interwoven into the mundane life of a hotel maid. It was so different than anything that I have read recently and that was exciting. Throughout the book, Molly prided herself on being an invisible cog in the hotel machine. Or rather, what her boss describes as a bee in a hive. Being able to watch Molly develop and be seen for the first time in so long was an absolute joy.

I am going to award The Maid with an eight out of ten stars. This was an original and fun read that will make you want to cry as you stay on the edge of your seat. Highly recommend!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Oct14

Lil Red’s Book Club: The It Girl By Ruth Ware Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The It Girl By Ruth Ware Edition

Hello everyone! We interrupt your regularly scheduled bonus pictures from my Pumpkin Patch Party OOTD with a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club. Today, without giving any spoilers away, we will be discussing a thriller by Ruth Ware called The It Girl. To be frank, I have never been overly impressed with Ware’s books but this one was very good. In fact, it’s my favorite book that she has written. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The It Girl for violence and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

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Hannah Jones appears to have it all. A husband, Will, who she has loved since first sight, a baby on the way, and the charming life of a couple in their late twenties. Could she have said the same for herself a decade ago? Not at all. Ten years ago, her roommate, April, at the prestigious Pelham College at Oxford was brutally murdered. Despite her seemingly picture perfect life, Hannah struggles with this on a daily basis. She did not have a role in April’s death but she played a big part in the trial.

During her time at Pelham, Hannah was joined at the hip with the gorgeous, effervescent April. April was, indeed, an It Girl and everyone knew about her beauty and wealth. Their friend circle of Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily seemed to revolve solely around April but her and Hannah shared a bond that only roommates could have. Hannah felt completely at home in her new life at Pelham except for one major issue… John Neville.

Neville was a porter at Pelham and he seemed to have it out for Hannah from the jump. Hannah was uncomfortable walking alone and would plan her routes to avoid John but he seemed to be everywhere. He was also the last person to see April alive and is what sealed his conviction for her death due to Hannah’s testimony. There have always been whispers that Neville was innocent. However, his recent death in prison means he will never see justice and the case is blown back open. If Neville is innocent, then April’s killer is still on the loose ten years later.

After Hannah talks to a journalist who claims to have new information on the case, she begins to doubt her story even more than she already did. Now, it is up to her to put the pieces together and find out what really happened the night of April’s death. If Neville is out of the picture, everyone is now a suspect. Her old friends, teachers, and even her own husband. Will Hannah solve the case of April’s killer? Read The It Girl to find out!

While I have enjoyed previous Ruth Ware books before, I have never felt too excited when she has a new book out. In comparison to other thrillers, her novels always seem to fall just a bit short. Needless to say, I was incredibly surprised with how invested I was in The It Girl right from the start. It was completely unputdownable and I couldn’t wait for free time so that I could read more!

The It Girl featured one of my favorite things of going back and forth between Hannah’s past at Pelham College to present day. This allowed you to get to know the main suspects in their youth and in current times. It also made it very difficult to pinpoint the killer because all of these players were incredibly likeable despite the usual flaws of first year college students. And, any tension in present times from them felt understandable after ten years of trying to get April’s death out of their minds. Every lead felt like a Red Herring and it made you relate to Hannah even more as she continued to second guess everything she thought she knew.

I loved Hannah as a main character and I thought that she was really brave. Her pregnancy also heightened the suspense because her sleuthing could turn dangerous at any moment. It was so easy to sympathize with her after all that she had been through. I definitely spent the whole book rooting for her to have the life she always wanted.

My advice if you read this book and you like to try and figure out the grand reveal ahead of time is to go with your gut. Like Hannah, I second guessed and then vetoed one of my initial instincts and I ended up being right on the money. It’s also very important to pay close attention to everything said and done at Pelham because it will all come back soon enough!

I am going to award The It Girl with a seven and a half star rating. I was originally going to give it an eight but I realized that that was only because I liked it better than other Ruth Ware novels. Was this the most groundbreaking thing that I have ever read? No. But, it was a fun read and it put Ware back on the map for me after years of feeling wishy washy. I think you all will like it too!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah