Tag Archives: suspense

Nov8

Lil Red’s Book Club: Not A Happy Family By Shari Lapena Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Not A Happy Family By Shari Lapena Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, without giving any spoilers away, we will be discussing Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena. I got this book in large print from the library and, is it just me, or does reading a large print book go by way faster than a normal print? After a mere five reading sessions, I was done with this four hundred and twenty-two page thriller and it was one that I enjoyed a lot! Now, let’s get to it:

Sheila and Fred Merton are, for lack of better words, filthy rich. Fred made his fortune in robotics and they boast a sprawling estate and a net worth upwards of thirty million. Fred is proud of his life as a businessman but of his children… Not so much, and it all comes to light on a particularly awful Easter dinner when Catherine, Dan, and Jenna’s father screams his poison in a drunken rage. While his disappointment is nothing new, his extreme anger is a surprise but no one is ready for what happens next when Fred and Sheila are found murdered in their own home.

The bodies of the Merton parents are discovered by their long term nanny turned housekeeper and the police investigation begins immediately with the children as their prime suspects. First, we have the eldest sister named Catherine. She is a dermatologist and married to Ted, who both enjoy the finer things in life. Dan is the middle child who is married to Lisa and are currently in a desperate financial situation. Fred also happened to refuse and degrade him when he asked for a loan on Easter Sunday. And, finally, we have Jenna who is the baby of the family. She is a starving artist with a new fling every week, a violent streak, and is currently living off of a monthly allowance from her parents.

Any one of the Merton children could have committed the double murder but who? All of them have secrets to hide about the night of the murder and with their partners lying for them and siblings backing each other up, it sends the detectives on a wild goose chase with the possibility that the case could go cold. Each Merton child has a lot to lose and a fortune to gain from the wills of Sheila and Fred so whodoneit? Read Not A Happy Family to find out!

I have been pretty unimpressed with the books that I have read recently and Not A Happy Family kept me on my toes until the very last page. This was definitely a nice change of pace and, for once, I couldn’t figure out the grand reveal so I really liked it! Not A Happy Family was an unputdownable read with red herrings at every turn of the page, especially because the children weren’t the only players in the investigation. The housekeeper, aunt, and a family friend are all potential suspects too which added to the confusion and suspense of the case.

This book changed narrators either every chapter or paragraph between the children, their partners, or other suspects who all have a lot of money to gain from the murder of Fred and Sheila. I love this type of format and it added so much urgency because you couldn’t put each person’s puzzle pieces together consistently. Just when I thought that I knew who did it, I read another few paragraphs and my opinion would change drastically.

I can’t recommend Not A Happy Family enough if you are looking for a fast paced murder mystery and am awarding it with an eight out of ten stars. Although it wasn’t a groundbreaking story line, it had me hooked and happily reading for hours on end. If you like playing detective as much as I do, then you are going to love 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

Oct25

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Spires By Kate Moretti Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Spires By Kate Moretti Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we are going to be discussing The Spires by Kate Moretti – without giving any spoilers away, of course. 🙂 The Spires was a fast paced read that I finished after a mere four reading sessions. Although it wasn’t my favorite, it definitely qualified as unputdownable as twists and turns seemed to happen with every short chapter. Now, let’s get to it:

Bland, rational, shy Penelope has been living her life on autopilot for the past year. With her unemployed husband not picking up any extra slack, Penelope has been forced to juggle absolutely everything – A demanding job, cooking, cleaning, and two children with tons of extra curriculars. She is run down, exhausted, and closer to reaching her breaking point with every passing day. But, with the arrival of a friend who she hasn’t seen in twenty years on her doorstep, her busy life becomes the least of her problems.

Willa and Penelope were best friends in college and lived with each other and three other roommates for a year after graduating. Willa was the resident life of the party in the renovated church that they lived in, which made her state at Penelope’s door startling. She was terrified of the abusive ex that she escaped from and needed a place to stay.

At first, Willa was a welcome guest in Penelope’s home. She cooked delicious meals, cleaned, and helped out with the kids. Then, things started turning very suspicious. Jewelry of Penelope’s began turning up missing, major boundaries in the home were being crossed, and photos of her life that she can’t recall anyone taking appeared in her bedroom. The worst part? No one believes Penelope, which leaves her questioning her own sanity and sinking further back into her history and the tragedy that took place in the church house.

With no one in her corner, Penelope goes at it alone and the secrets that she uncovers about Willa unravel her even more. In a shocking final stand off where it all began, the truth of the tragedy at the church house is revealed as well as one more grand reveal that will make your jaw drop. Will Penelope survive the show down? Read The Spires to find out!

What I liked the most about The Spires was its format. No one loves a back and forth setup more than Lil Red and this book alternated from Penelope in present and past day to present day Willa. The chapters were short and sweet which is what made it so hard to put down because just a few more pages would uncover even more game changers. And, we all know that just a few more pages means you end up reading fifty more!

While I enjoyed the story line of The Spires because it was different than anything I have read before, I wasn’t particularly fond of any of the characters. Penelope bored me, her husband drove me crazy, and Willa was SO annoying. Not feeling any type of connection to any of the main players made for a lackluster reading experience despite a riveting plot.

Overall, The Spires is one that you could take or leave and I am going to award it with five and a half out of ten stars. These stars were given for the unique plot and enjoyable format. Had I liked even one character, it would have been a much higher star rating. If you are looking for a quick read, give The Spires a try. If you are looking for something deeper than that, it is one that you can pass 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

Sep27

Lil Red’s Book Club: False Witness By Karin Slaughter Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: False Witness By Karin Slaughter Edition

Hi everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we will be discussing a book called False Witness by Karin Slaughter – without giving any spoilers away, of course. Before we begin, however, I will be placing an extreme trigger warning on this book and post. False Witness covers every type of abuse imaginable, violence, rape, and drug addiction. It is definitely not a book to be read by the faint of heart. With that in mind, let’s get to it:

Big sister Leigh and little sis Callie spent their childhood in poverty and immersed in abuse at the hands of adults who should have been protecting them. Finally, the hunted became the hunters and the sisters murdered one of their abusers – the father of the child that Callie was babysitting. They cleaned house, covered their tracks, and lived their lives as if nothing happened afterwards.

To cope, Leigh worked hard to the point of obsessive and became a defense attorney for a major law firm. Callie, on the other hand, turned to hard drugs to ease her pain from scars both mental and physical. She would show up in Leigh’s life occasionally to steal money and possessions but mainly lived on the streets or seedy motels.

For over twenty years, the girls thought that they had gotten away with the perfect crime and did their best to keep it in the back of their minds. That is, until Leigh is hired to defend a new client on brutal rape charges. Who is he? None other than the boy that they babysat all of those years ago.

Andrew Tenant is clearly guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and everyone seems to know it. However, he expects to get off scot free because he has leverage over Leigh that will incriminate both her and Callie if she doesn’t succeed in trial… He knows that they killed his father. How, you may ask? Read False Witness to find out!

Let me start off by saying that False Witness in its entirety was insanely hard to read. Its content was nothing short of heartbreaking and deeply disturbing. Having said that, it was a book that kept my attention to the very end with twists, turns, and complete curve balls on every page.

The subject matter was, at times, unbearable. However, Karin Slaughter crafted the two sisters in such a way that I was rooting for them harder than I have for any other character in the books that I have read recently. Despite their flaws, both Leigh and Callie were likeable, smart, so strong, and sometimes absolutely hilarious. In fact, I liked them even more because of everything that they have gone through.

Slaughter hit hard in this book to the point that it was almost grueling. She shined a light on very real issues and wrote in such a way that it felt like you were reading a true story. The sense of urgency in this book was palpable. There were also delicious moments of comic relief that had me in stitches, which was much needed and appreciated.

I am going to award Karin Slaughter’s False Witness with a six out of ten star rating. While I can’t say that I enjoyed this book due to its graphic nature, I loved how it was written as well as the two main characters. If you can stomach it, False Witness is certainly worth the read. If not, please don’t bother with it because it is not worth damaging your own mental health.

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

 

Sep7

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Last Thing He Told Me By Laura Dave Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Last Thing He Told Me By Laura Dave Edition

Hello and welcome to a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we are going to be discussing a thriller by Laura Dave called The Last Thing He Told Me – without giving any spoilers away, of course. This book kept me on the edge of my seat with twists and turns on every page and an ending that almost made my cry. I simply could not put it down and devoured it in less than a week! Now, let’s get to it:

Hannah and Owen have been married for about a year and everything is going picture perfect. They live in a charming houseboat with Owen’s teenage daughter, Bailey, in Sausalito, California and Hannah constantly wonders how she got so lucky. Even though Bailey is not particularly thrilled over the relationship!

Hannah thinks that she knows everything there is to know about Owen until he doesn’t return home from work. Instead of calling, he has a note delivered to their front door with the simple message of “Protect her.” on it. Shortly after Hannah receives the note, we learn that the CEO of the tech company that her husband works for has been indited for major fraud and embezzlement. Fast forward a few days later and Owen has seemingly disappeared without a trace… That is, except for the huge bag of cash he left in Bailey’s locker at school.

As if Hannah didn’t have enough to stress about, the FBI and U.S. Marshals are hot on her trail and she knows that she needs to act fast to save herself, her step daughter, and husband. With the unlikely help of Bailey, they begin to uncover dark secrets of Owen’s past that could put all of them in unspeakable danger. This begs the question of if Hannah and Bailey really even knew him at all.

The Last Thing He Told Me was a fast paced, urgent read because every twist that occurred put everyone closer to being in harm’s way. This is why I couldn’t stop reading if I tried and it was definitely a nice change of pace from the lackluster Such A Quiet Place, which I finished recently. The Last Thing He Told Me also offered a story line that was incredibly unique which made trying to figure out the grand reveal pretty difficult. There were some things I got right and others that I missed and that made it even better.

What I liked the most about The Last Thing He Told Me were all of the different emotions that I felt while reading. Hannah and Bailey’s anxiety was palpable and they were both so easy to root for as they were thrown into such a life altering situation. I felt bad that Hannah’s fairy tale was cut short and awful that the only parent Bailey has left had disappeared off the face of the Earth. This made all of their discoveries and final heart wrenching sentence even more triumphant to the point that I was almost moved to tears.

I really can’t go into detail about Owen’s past because it would ruin the point of reading this book. I can tell you, however, that if you like a good thriller, then The Last Thing He Told Me is definitely worth the read. I am going to award it with an eight out of ten star rating. Laura Dave delivered with flawed but insanely likeable characters and a book that will keep you guessing until the very end. I highly recommend it!

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

 

 

Aug4

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Last Flight By Julie Clark Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Last Flight By Julie Clark Edition

Howdy and welcome to a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we are going to be discussing the thriller that I just finished called The Last Flight by Julie Clark – without giving any spoilers away, of course. Right from the start, The Last Flight had me on the edge of my seat and it was an unputdownable read revolving around two strong women. Now, let’s get to it but, first, I will be putting a trigger warning on this book as it deals with spousal abuse:

If you saw Claire Cook in the news or in a gossip rag, you would think she had it all. She is married into the powerful Cook family and her husband, Rory, is about to begin his campaign to become a New York senator. What you don’t see in the pictures, however, are Claire’s expertly covered bruises and utterly fake smile as she tip toes around her husband to keep him from losing his temper. The beatings have worsened and an incident unraveling from Rory’s past leave Claire fearing for her life. The only thing she can do now, is plan her escape.

On the opposite end of the country in California, there is Eva James. If you were a student on the Berkeley campus, you would be sure to have seen Eva skulking about and would brush her off as a loner just trying to get by. Eva’s hard facade is not by choice but, rather, out of necessity. If you passed Eva on the street, you would never guess that she is the chemist for a drug lord named Fish. With a DEA agent hot on her trail and murders being linked to Fish, Eva very well could be next. The only thing she can do now, is plan her escape.

After months upon months of creating a master plan, Claire and Eva are ready to execute them and come to find themselves in the same airport. A chance encounter brings them together and they decide to add one more curve ball to the mix: They are going to swap plane tickets. Will the escape of Claire and Eva be successful? Or will they wind up even worse off than they were before? Read The Last Flight to find out!

If you have read any Lil Red’s Book Club posts before, then you will know that I am partial to the back and forth narrator thrillers. The Last Flight alternated between Claire and Eva each chapter, which made it so hard to put down because I couldn’t read about one without reading about the other too! I devoured this Julie Clark novel and my only regret is that it wasn’t longer because I thought it was excellent.

In the world of “unstable narrator” suspense novels, it is rare to find one that revolves around two women who are both in a sane state of mind. The very real threat of danger for Claire and Eva rather than something possibly imagined added such a sense of urgency to The Last Flight because their lives are completely dependent on the success of their ticket swap. Each page introduced new twists and turns and it was exciting to read how Claire and Eva used their intelligence to evade their problems.

Although both of these women have their flaws, you will find yourself rooting for them the entire time and will be blown away by the outcome of The Last Flight. I highly recommend this read and will be awarding it with an eight out of ten stars for the fresh story line, strong heroines, and the anticipation I felt with every turn of the page.

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

 

Jun23

Lil Red’s Book Club: Before She Disappeared By Lisa Gardner Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Before She Disappeared By Lisa Gardner Edition

Hi! This past month has been so busy, I feel like I barely had any time to read. However, after an afternoon reading marathon over the weekend, I finally finished the book I had been working on called Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner. I can’t say that I was overly impressed with the way the book ended but I really liked it as a whole due to the strong female lead, Frankie Elken. So, without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss:

Frankie Elken is a middle aged former alcoholic who drifts from place to place trying to solve missing person cases that have gone cold. She is not a professional and does her investigating without getting paid, so she picks up odd jobs in whatever city she ends up in. Due to Frankie’s own demons, she is highly passionate about what she does. But, unfortunately, she has never brought anyone home alive in the fourteen missing person cases she has worked on. This time, she desperately wants to get it right and heads to Mattapan in Boston to search for teen aged Angelique Badeau.

Angelique and her family are Haitian immigrants who came to America during the earthquakes. She is described as an incredibly gifted student with dreams of being a doctor and has a deep love for her family and Haiti. According to everyone who knows her, the last thing Angelique could be described as is a troublemaker and has never acted rashly before.

Eleven months ago, quiet and determined Angelique disappeared after school without a trace. After months of tracking evidence and following leads, the Boston Police Department came up with nothing and the case eventually goes cold. Cue Frankie Elken.

In a handful of days, Frankie uncovers secrets that the police weren’t even close to discovering on their own. As you can imagine, this leads to much tension between her and the professionals. In a missing person case, every minute is crucial and newly found intel leads Frankie to believe that Angelique is running out of time and fast. Can Frankie bring Angelique home? And just what in the heck happened to her? Read Before She Disappeared to find out!

Although I wasn’t particularly blown away with the way Before She Disappeared ended, I had a good time reading it. The entire book had such a sense of urgency to it and as I read, I felt like I was a detective right alongside Frankie. She is an unlikely heroine and her tenacity and street smarts blew the case wide open when she arrived in Boston. I found myself liking and rooting for her even more with every page.

The entire book felt like waiting for a bomb to blow because time was of the essence and, although the finale was a bit of a dud, I still recommend reading this book. I am going to rate it with a six out of ten star rating and it actually would have been a seven if there weren’t So. Many. Typos. in the book. It’s me being nit-picky, but it drove me nuts! Lisa Gardner has written a plethora of other books and I wouldn’t mind reading more of her work 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

 

 

 

Apr13

Lil Red’s Book Club: Every Vow You Break By Peter Swanson Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Every Vow You Break By Peter Swanson Edition

Hi everyone and welcome to a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we are going to be discussing a thriller by Peter Swanson called Every Vow You Break – without giving any spoilers away, of course. It took me a while to finish this book as I have been pretty busy lately but I really enjoyed it and I did not see the grand reveal coming at all. Every Vow You Break was suspenseful and downright scary at times and I am looking forward to reading more from Peter Swanson. Now, let’s get to it:

After several failed relationships, Abigail has seemingly hit the jackpot with Bruce. He is kind, handsome, and filthy rich. However, despite all of the good times that they have shared, Abigail often feels the overwhelming sensation that she is marrying a complete stranger. During her bachelorette party at a vineyard, Abigail’s reservations skyrocket while she chats with a handsome man on the patio and ends up having a one night stand days before her wedding.

What could possibly be worse than that? Literally everything that follows. Despite the infidelity, Abigail gets married to Bruce anyways and plans on taking her secret to the grave. Unfortunately for her, that is going to be a lot easier said than done when the man she cheated on Bruce with ends up at the exclusive resort that they are honeymooning at called Camp Passamaquoddy or the “Quoddy” for short.

The Quoddy is located on Heart Pond Island and is designed for people who work with technology to take a break from the screens and enjoy nature. There is no cell phone reception or internet, rather, lots of alcohol, lush furnishings, and gourmet meals. And, oh yeah, Bruce just happens to be a partial owner. Abigail can deal with the lack of communication to the outside world but what really creeps her out is the fact that she is the only other woman staying at the resort. Needless to say, Bruce’s choice for the honeymoon wasn’t exactly what she expected but she tries to make the best of it.

The Quoddy is, essentially, a boy’s club so of course Abigail seeks out the company of the woman from the other couple honeymooning on the island named Jill. Over drinks, Jill tells Abigail that her ex-fiance is on the island as well and shakes it off as a strange coincidence. But is it really? Because the man who Abigail had an affair with is on the island too.

Abigail decides to tell her new friend her story the following day for a lunch date but Jill never shows up. She does see Jill later that night, however, running frenzied through the woods and bleeding. What is going on at the Quoddy? And is Abigail next? Read Every Vow You Break to find out!

Despite it taking me longer than usual to finish this book, I was kind of glad to stretch it out because it was that good. I, truly, had no idea what was going to happen with the turn of each page and felt disappointed every time I had to wrap up my reading sesh. Every Vow You Break is basically everyone’s nightmare and the eerie Quoddy resort provided the perfect backdrop for that awful moment when you realize the person you thought you loved is not who they said they were at all.

I cannot give any hints about the grand reveal because it would completely ruin it. Just know, that my stomach dropped when I read it and that doesn’t happen very often. The situation also felt even more desperate because I really liked Abigail. I thought she was such a strong, resourceful heroine and, like me, you will find yourself rooting for her the entire time.

I highly recommend Every Vow You Break and, although it is not quite a ten star rank book to me, it comes damn close. I am going to reward it with eight out of ten stars for its gripping plot, jaw dropping grand reveal, and characters that draw you in. Honestly, my only regret is that it wasn’t longer and I would have really liked to have read more about the aftermath of the honeymoon from hell.

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

Sep29

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Family Upstairs By Lisa Jewell Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Family Upstairs By Lisa Jewell Edition

Hello! While I had to take an entire week of work off for being sick, I was able to finish the book I’ve been working on called The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. Despite enjoying this book very much, it is easy to say that it is not for everyone. Before we discuss (Without spoilers, of course!), I’ll be putting a trigger warning on The Family Upstairs for child abuse and heavy cult activity. Now, let’s get to it:

Libby Jones lives the average life of a freshly turned twenty-five year old. Struggling to make ends meet, constantly attempting to climb the corporate ladder, and trying to figure out just who the heck she is in this world (Ringing more true for her, as she is adopted). But Libby has been somebody to her real family since she’s been born and now it’s time to find out where she came from.

Shortly after Libby’s birthday, a letter arrives claiming that she is the inheritor of a mansion as well as learning about her real parents. Although ramshackle, abandoned, and with a dark history the home is still worth a fortune. A dark history, you say? Well, what else would you call a home in which children have gone missing and a perfectly healthy ten month old baby girl is living among the corpses of three adults in black robes?

This entire story is honestly just weird. But good weird! The mansion Libby inherits was once magnificent with fine furnishings, designer clothes in each closet, and the best of the best or it wouldn’t do. So how in SAM HILL was there nothing left in the home when the baby was found by the police? What was the baby doing there to begin with?!

The baby was not old enough to take care of herself so who was taking care of her? While Libby is searching for herself, there are others hot on her trail. The “baby” has now turned twenty-five and a handful of people have been waiting a quarter of a century for it. Friends? Foes? Family? Read The Family Upstairs to find out!

Told in an interweaving round between Libby and two others who may or may not have lived in the home previously, there are surprises and red herrings during every chapter making it impossible to put down. In fact, just talking about it is almost giving too much away. Life changing secrets are looming in the dark of the once grand home that Libby is now the owner of and each sick twist brings her one step closer to who she was, is, and will be.

Now, if you think my description of this book is intense, then you are in for a wild ride if you actually read it. The Family Upstairs turned and writhed throughout each sentence into a fireworks finale of the grand reveal. It was a great reveal, by the way, but I am proud to say I figured most of it out beforehand, thank you very much! 😀

I highly recommend this book if you can stomach it and am awarding it with an eight and a half out of ten stars. This has been one of the best story lines I’ve read in a long while and each and every character will leave you shocked for good or bad. Tuck into this page turner and enjoy, you won’t regret it.

Which book are you currently working on? Who is your favorite author? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep14

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Guest List By Lucy Foley Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Guest List By Lucy Foley Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, we’re going to be talking about a total dream wedding gone totally wrong in Lucy Foley’s The Guest List. Without giving any spoilers away, of course, let’s discuss. But, first, I will be placing a trigger warning on this book for references to self harm, suicide, and plenty of relationship wrong doings.

Now, let’s get to it:

^^^ Peep how my nails match the title text! 😀

Jules and Will. Will and Jules. The ultimate power couple, as Jules runs her own online magazine and Will is the host of the popular TV show, Survive The Night. Their fast moving relationship resulted in a wedding less than a year later and this should be an event for the ages with both of their celebrity status.

Do dream weddings always end happily ever after, though? Told in a back and forth style between Jules, Will, the bridesmaid (Jules’ little sister, Olivia), the best man (Will’s “best friend”, Johnno), the plus one (Hannah, wife of Jules’ best friend), and the wedding planner named Aoife we learn that not everyone is who we think they are.

Everyone in this wedding party is seemingly connected and you must finish the book to find out how. As the cover says, it’s an event so big and posh that you would “kill to be in on it”.

I really enjoyed The Guest List for several reasons. I loved the back and forth between the five main characters and it was cool how each chapter filled in a blank piece that was missing before. This build up made for tension so thick you could cut it with a butter knife and I had to make myself put it down so many times just so I could get to bed!

The grand reveal was also one which I didn’t see coming – a rarity as I like to consider myself a bit of a sleuth! Although some of the characters were absolutely horrendous in their past and current actions, there were others that shined like beacons and it’s up to you to figure out which bad seed ruined this whole bunch.

I am going to rate The Guest List with an eight out of ten stars. I have never read anything by Lucy Foley before and this was an excellent introduction. The unputdownable story line combined with a startling location and unique characters left for a “put you on the edge of your seat” thriller and I can’t wait to read more from Foley!

Which book are you reading? Have you finished anything good recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct23

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Death Of Mrs. Westaway Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Death Of Mrs. Westaway Edition

Helloooo everyone! I recently just finished the fifth book out right now by Ruth Ware called The Death Of Mrs. Westaway. I, for the most part, have had a very positive experience with this author. Though there were a few books like The Woman In Cabin 10 and In A Dark Dark Wood that I wasn’t wild about, I highly enjoyed The Turn Of The Key and The Lying Game. Unfortunately, The Death Of Mrs. Westaway was a big miss for me with the grand reveal so, without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss:

book3

The Death Of Mrs. Westaway revolves around twenty-one year old Harriet AKA Hal, a tarot card reader who runs a small stand on Brighton Pier. She inherited the shop from her mother after she was killed in a car accident and needed to take up shop immediately to try to make ends meet. Young, broke, orphaned (she doesn’t know who her father is), and owing money to a dangerous loan shark Hal is in way over her head when bills pile up, her stand is lacking customers in the winter season, and the threats from the man she owes to turns dangerous.

Hal feels the need to escape and she can do that if she can swing fooling an entire family into believing she’s related to them. When she receives a letter in the mail claiming that she is the recipient of a substantial inheritance from the deceased Mrs. Westaway, it seems almost too good to be true – especially considering that she believed her grandparents to be dead. Despite committing a major act of fraud, Hal has nothing left to lose and everything to gain and heads to the funeral with the claim that she is the daughter of the deceased woman’s daughter, Maud.

At the funeral, Hal encounters the three brothers of her “mother” and, though lots of questions are raised, she is supposedly in with a family that she seemingly has no connection to. Or so she thinks. Because when she discovers her real mother in a photo of the siblings at their elaborate Victorian manor, everything she thinks she knows about herself and her mother becomes flipped. Does this family know who her father is? What is Hal’s mother’s relation to them? Is she a rightful heir to the inheritance after all? Read the book and find out!

I am not sure how to feel about The Death Of Mrs. Westaway. I actually loved it until the grand reveal and, although I saw it coming, I was disappointed with the outcome. I genuinely can’t say anything more than that without giving it completely away. But, what I will say, is that I did enjoy a solid ninety percent of the book. It was well written, suspenseful, downright sinister at times, and I liked almost all of the characters.

I appreciated Hal’s bravery throughout the novel and I liked that she didn’t back down to find the answers that directly pertained to her. She was able to play herself off as the mousy long lost niece and all the while she was making plans and using her intuition to solve the mystery of her own life. She was a heroine that I rooted for the entire time and I wish that the grand reveal did her more justice.

All in all, I’m going to rate this book with a six out of ten. I did not hate it but it was certainly not my favorite Ruth Ware novel by any means. I feel like I ended my reading journey with her on a sour note and am looking forward to a new book by her so that redemption can possibly happen.

What are you reading right now? How did you feel about The Death Of Mrs. Westaway if you read it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah