Review: Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent

Title: Lying In Wait 

Author:  Liz Nugent 
Publisher: Gallery Scout Press 

Publishing Date:  June 12th, 2018

Pages: 320
Genre: Adult Domestic Noir/Psychological Thriller

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Audio

 

My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.
On the surface, Lydia Fitzsimons has the perfect life—wife of a respected, successful judge, mother to a beloved son, mistress of a beautiful house in Dublin. That beautiful house, however, holds a secret. And when Lydia’s son, Laurence, discovers its secret, wheels are set in motion that lead to an increasingly claustrophobic and devastatingly dark climax.

I was very excited for this read. I found it on audible and added it to my TBR right away. The book sounds creepy and dark. I was so very excited to find yet another very dark read. I loved the setting, the writing, the darkness. The characters were hard to like.... but I really think it was meant to be this way. It was an easy read and didn't take too long to get through.

Lydia has some dark secrets in her past. Secrets that really could ruin the relationship she has with her son,  which is already on shaky ground. The only thing Lydia wants in her life is for her son to stay close to her. She needs him in her life and would do anything for this reality.

The one secret that could change everything is what really happened the night her husband killed Annie Doyle.  So many secrets surround that one night. 

Laurence is confused on what really happened the night Annie Doyle went missing. Her body has not been found but he knows his father had something to do with this. He doesn't know what but he feels the need to understand. He starts to uncover lie after lie. As he ages, the truth comes out and he is doesn't know what to do with the lies or the truth. One thing he does know is that when he meets Annie Doyle's sister, everything changes. 

This book was good. The creepy dark vibe was for sure there.  The story was told in dual timelines until the past was revealed, then it became the present. The entire story was just so dark and as the pieces came together I started to realize how unstable some of the characters were. There wasn't a bunch of surprises per say in this book, more confirmations on all the crazy. There is some deep unhealthy relationship in this book for sure. 

The characters were hard to get on board with because they all came with their sort of crazy in one way or the other. I was able to connect somewhat to Laurence and I really loved Karen, Annies sister. Lydia was annoying to me from the beginning. I felt her dark and her crazy from the very first page. 

Laurence, I felt for. He was caught in the middle of a web of lies that he didn't know what to do with. He wanted to untangle the web but had no idea how without hurting his mother. He made some bad decisions and couldn't see the truth...even as clear as it was to me. I really was rooting for him. 

Karen was a sweetheart. She had some issues. She had low self-worth and no confidence but she was able to find a way to thrive. It was hard after Annie went missing. She found balance with her focus on work and her focus to find the truth about Annie. I liked her strength and her will to survive. She wasn't going to give up and I truly loved that about her. She truly was focal for me. 

Lydia was just nuts. In my eyes, she was evil and conniving and so unbalanced. I enjoyed reading about her crazy and living her crazy... I did not like her from the very beginning. 

If I had to give the characters a place in the book, Lydia the villain, Laurance the victim, and Karen the heroine. Although I am not sure we can label anyone is this story. 

The pacing was good, the writing was amazing, the characters were a love-hate relationship, the story was dark. My only complaint is that I wasn't surprised or in shock at any time in this book. The secrets never really felt like secrets, and there wasn't any real suspense or thrillers. It was a good read but was missing just a little something for me. I will read more from this author. 

A well-written book that I really enjoyed. 

Liz Nugent worked as a stage manager in theatres in Ireland and toured internationally before writing extensively for radio and television drama.

Unravelling Oliver and Lying in Wait have both been number 1 bestselling and award-winning novels.
In October 2017, Liz won the Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Award in Literature.

Skin Deep will be published in Ireland and the UK in April 2018.

Review: Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

Title: Jar of Hearts 

Author:  Jennifer Hillier
Publisher: Minotaur Books 

Publishing Date:  

Pages: 320
Genre: YA Psychological Thriller/Noir

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Audio

 

This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who's been searching for the truth all these years . . .
When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.
But fourteen years later, Angela Wong's remains are discovered in the woods near Geo's childhood home. And Kaiser—now a detective with Seattle PD—finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.
To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he's something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo's first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.
For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela's death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.
While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.
How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it?

I came across this book on Netgalley and thought "wow what a gorgeous cover, let's see what it's about." I thought it sounded interesting and right up my alley. So I requested it, grabbed it, and then saw it was coming out on audio. So I decided to wait for the audio. I do prefer audio if I can grab it. The audio was very good and I am so glad I did get the audio. This book was pretty intense. Lots of serious issues being addressed and pretty dark. I loved it. It was good. There were a few things that didn't quite leave me satisfied but just the little things. Overall, very good reads. 

Gio was just a teenager when the worst day of her life happened. Her best friend, Angela,  was killed and she was a part of covering it up. It's 14 years and the body is finally discovered. The truth comes out and Gio has to pay the price. In more ways than just one. Gio finally feels free, the truth is out and now the nightmares can stop, she can pay her penance, and she can move on with her life. What's left of her life? 

Brody is the cop that was on the case. He was also best friends with Gio and with Angela. He was there when Angela went missing. He and Gio drifted after that. Now Brody is back in Gio's life. 

Gio's high school boyfriend went to prison for the murder of Angela Wong. It's five years later and he has escaped. Murders are happening again. Brody feels Gio is in danger and together they try to figure out the murder and keep Gio Safe. 

This book had a lot going on. The story is told in multiple timelines. Some back and forth and in order. There are flashbacks to before Angela was murdered and the night she was murdered and flashbacks of the aftermath of the murder. The story also briefly follows Gio in jail and then after she gets out of jail. Many timelines but not hard to follow at all. It flowed nicely and it never confused me. I am a big fan of flashbacks and multiple timelines. I think I say this on every review I write with multiple or dual timelines. But I really do favor stories told this way. It just keeps me in suspense and makes it all the eerier. 

I can't say whether or not I liked Gio or not. I liked her in the present, I didn't like her decisions in the past, but I understood how troubled she was. I understood how scared she was and how she came to the decisions she made. What I didn't understand is the violence that was within her. She had a tough life, but it was so little that happened to turn her into something that someone else could change. It just goes to show how important a teenagers decision can change their entire life. It was quite sad actually. I didn't like her at times but I felt for her many times. 

Brody was a great character. I just wished there was more of him in the story. I thought he was a stand-up guy and as confused and angry as he was he still cared for Gio. At times I wonder how he could forgive so easily then I would think he was so wonderful for forgiving. I really liked him. 

This book has lots of triggers with domestic abuse, rape, and just so much violence. It was pretty dark. I wouldn't recommend this to everyone. I could see how it would be too much for some but I do believe the issues addressed in this book are some important ones. I do like how the author addressed the issues. I do believe that Gio's abusive relationship was true to form. There are so many different abusive relationships out there and not all of them are the same in intensity when it comes to physical, mental, and emotional abuse.... but they are all the same with the danger and damage. 

The author did such a great job with the writing. It was done so well with the setting, the feeling, the tone, the character development. This book was layered so well and had so much depth. 

The ending was a little off for me. This was the only part where it felt a bit forced and rushed. It didn't flow as well as the rest of the book. I guess the believability kind of left me wanting. I didn't hate it and it wrapped everything up. I just think it needed a bit of tweaking for it to be perfect. 

A really fast-paced thrilling read. 

Jennifer Hillier writes about dark, twisted people who do dark, twisted things. Born and raised in Toronto and a proud Canadian, she spent eight years in the Seattle area, which is where all her books are set.

She loves her son, her husband, the Seahawks, and Stephen King. Not equally, but close. She's the author of five novels. Her newest psychological suspense, JAR OF HEARTS, is coming June 12, 2018 from Minotaur Books.

Learn more about her at jenniferhillier.ca.

Review: The Forgotten Ones by Steena Holmes

Title:  The Forgotten Ones 

Author: Sheena Holmes
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing 

Publishing Date:  April 1st, 2018

Pages: 348
Length: 10 Hours 42 Minutes
Genre: Adult Mystery/Domestic Noir

Series: Stand Alone
Source: Audio

 

Elle is a survivor. She’s managed to piece together a solid life from a childhood of broken memories and fairy tales her mom told her to explain away bad dreams. But weekly visits to her mother still fill Elle with a paralyzing fear she can’t explain. It’s just another of so many unanswered questions she grew up within a family estranged by silence and secrets.
Elle’s world turns upside down when she receives a deathbed request from her grandfather, a man she was told had died years ago. Racked by grief, regrets, and a haunted conscience, he has a tale of his own to tell Elle: about her mother, an imaginary friend, and two strangers who came to the house one night and never left.
As Elle’s past unfolds, so does the truth—if she can believe it. She must face the reasons for her inexplicable dread. As dark as they are, Elle must listen…before her grandfather’s death buries the family’s secrets forever.

I came across this book sometime recently and it was an added then forgot about. Then I rediscovered it on Audible. It just sounded too good to pass up. This book was freaking amazing. I could blabber on and on about but it would give too much away. SO this will be somewhat of a short review, too much will ruin it for others. Just know you must read this book. 

Elle only had a mother growing. Her mother, Marie, said that her parents were dead, no siblings, no one. The closest thing they have to family is Grace, the one that helps take care of Marie. Marie has DID and other mental issues. So she can't live alone. Elle is a nurse in pediatrics, lives on her own, but visits her mother frequently. 

Elle's roommate and best friend works in the same facility as Elle but works the elderly. She has one patient that is dying, David. He has been trying to get a hold of his estranged daughter through letters. Giving up on getting an answer from his daughter, he writes a letter to his granddaughter. As it comes about, Elle is his granddaughter. 

This is the story of Elle and David and the stories of Marie's childhood. This story is not quite the happy one. It's full of pain, secrets, betrayals, wrongdoings, and lots of lies. This is Elle's story, to find the truth of her family. To discover who she is. To find roots. This is Marie's story, to uncover her past, her mental illness, and possibly forgiveness. This is David's story, the story of coming to terms, of reaching out, of not dying with secrets. 

This story is a bit of a mystery and a bit of family drama. I felt it was more of a domestic noir and family legacy twisted together to weave a very dark, mysterious, heartbreaking story. This is a crazy story, really it is.

The mystery is pretty easy to figure out at times, or at least till you find out you are wrong. There are some twists and turns. Not the kind that you just weren't expecting this kind of wow moments, more of I pegged it as something completely different kind of twists. 

I feel the mystery is the main course of this book. The mystery of Marie's childhood and the mystery of what happened between David and Marie story. But it's also a story of love and loyalty, family, really bad decisions, and mental illness.  There really is a lot to this story. 

The book is a slow burn but there is so much coming out in pieces that I was never bored and never felt I was growing impatient. Everything kind of leaked out in perfect timing. The writing was beautiful. The characters, well they were interesting and I totally loved something about all of them. 

What I can say about the characters is that there was something to love about them all and something to hate about some... even though I hated them, I loved them and felt for them too. I loved Elle and my heart broke for Marie and even a little for David. Grace was pretty awesome too. There isn't anything easy about this book.  

I can't say that I understood the decisions and choices that the characters made in this book but I could see how they came to the choices and the decisions they made. 

I really can't express how much I loved this book. I was totally immersed in the story and invested in the characters.

So without giving anything away, there went my incoherent thoughts because this book left me a total mess. Book hangover to the max. I recommend this to anyone and everyone. It's just so good! 

So in love with this book. Words can't do it justice! 

NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author - Steena is the author of the heart wrenching Finding Emma series.

The Word Game was included in the Top 20 Novels to be Written by Women in 2015 by Good Housekeeping.

Her latest novel - The Word Game won the 2015 USA Books Award for Best Fiction and her novel, The Memory Child was a finalist in the same category.

Steena Holmes grew up in a small town in Canada and holds a Bachelors degree in Theology.

In 2012 she received the Indie Excellence Award. Holmes was inspired to write Finding Emma after experiencing a brief moment of horror when she’d thought her youngest daughter was missing.

She currently lives in Calgary with her husband and three daughters and loves to wake up to the Rocky Mountains each morning.

Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten

Title: Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls 

Author:  Lynn Weingarten
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publishing Date:  July 7th, 2015

Pages: 320
Genre: YA Mystery/Noir 

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Audio

 

They say Delia burned herself to death in her stepfather’s shed. They say it was suicide.
But June doesn’t believe it.
June and Delia used to be closer than anything. Best friends in that way that comes before everyone else—before guys, before family. It was like being in love, but more. They had a billion secrets, binding them together like thin silk cords.
But one night a year ago, everything changed. June, Delia, and June’s boyfriend Ryan were just having a little fun. Their good time got out of hand. And in the cold blue light of morning, June knew only this—things would never be the same again.
And now, a year later, Delia is dead. June is certain she was murdered. And she owes it to her to find out the truth…which is far more complicated than she ever could have imagined.
Sexy, dark, and atmospheric, Suicide Notes from Beautiful

Girls will keep you guessing until the very last page.

I have recently read Bad Girls With Perfect Faces and loved it. I Loved it so much and I was excited to read more by this author. I was a little disappointed in this book. Just a little. I think if I would have read this book when it was released and then I wouldn't feel the way I feel about this book. I think I was so wowed by Bad Girls With Perfect Faces that I was expecting a little more from this read. It was still good though, I really did enjoy it. 

Delia and June have been friends since before high school started. They did everything together. June was the careful one, the shy one, the one that was always trying to keep up with Delia the wild one, the brave one, the exciting one.  Recently, in the last year, they had a falling out. They are no longer friends and they have gone their separate ways.  June comes back from Christmas vacation and hears that Delia has died. She wants to get to the bottom of her ex-friends death. She is said to have committed suicide, June does not believe this and will prove what really happened. This investigation leads to secrets from the past and in the present.

So where to start with this review. The things I really enjoyed about this boo, the noir feel, the dual timeline narrations, the secrets and the discoveries. I did like the writing. This author really has a beautiful writing style. The story moved at a great  pace, never slowing, never lacking. For the most part, I really enjoyed this read. I liked the writing, the feel, and the tone of the book. I think It just didn't wow me like her other book I recently read. That book was still on my mind. 

The only thing that really stopped me from really loving this book I think was the character connection and the ending. I don't always have to like the characters, but I do like to connect with them, understand them, and feel for them. I just couldn't get on board with these characters. I felt they were too flawed and not redeemable. I felt June was weak and didn't know how to live without Delia paving the way for her, telling her what to do, and making her a road map of life. I didn't like Delia at all. She was too self-centered and too self-sabotaging. She wanted something in life and couldn't figure out what. I never knew if I could believe her and I think June believed her way to quickly. Neither girl knew how to think of the consequences of their actions and never really thought anything out. 

I understood the girls were broken, I couldn't really understand why they were so broken. That was the missing piece for me. This story needed the brokeness. It's about the brokenness and the unhealthy relationships. It's about the lies and the secrets and the questions. But I needed something to get on board with their choices. I needed more of the past that caused all the pain. I just needed more to the story. 

I didn't like the ending much either. I don't feel that it gave me closure or resolution. I was confused still at the end of what really happened. What was made up, what was imagined, what was real and what was perspective.  I just didn't feel satisfied at the end. 

The actual story was interesting and for sure a page-turner. I was never bored and really needed page-turner happened. I think this is why the ending just didn't resonate with me. I needed to know more and it was kind of an open ended ending. I have liked only a handful of those kinds of endings. 

Even though I didn't connect well and didn't like the ending, the story had enough for cause of enjoyment. I still liked the book and would still recommend the read. I would just put a disclaimer with the recommendation. 

 

It had some issues for me but I still actually enjoyed it. 

Lynn Weingarten is a New York Times bestselling author living in Brooklyn. Her fifth young adult novel, BAD GIRLS WITH PERFECT FACES, was released in the US on Halloween 2017. It will be out in the UK on January 11th, 2018.

Her previous books include SUICIDE NOTES FROM BEAUTIFUL GIRLS (a NY Times bestseller, a YALSA Teens’ Top Ten book for 2016, one of Vanity Fair’s list of Best Books for July, and on The Guardian’s list of 5 of the Best in Young Adult Fiction), and WHEREVER NINA LIES (an ALA Top Ten Popular Paperback for Young Adults, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, a YALSA Teen’s Top Ten Nominee and a Sequoyah Book Award Nominee)

In the past, Lynn edited books and developed ideas for Alloy Entertainment. She is currently Creative Director of Dovetail Fiction, a new sister company from the book packager Working Partners.

Review: The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet

Title: The House Swap 

Author:  Rebecca Fleet 
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Publishing Date:  May 22nd, 2018

Pages: 320
Genre: Adult Noir, Thriller/Suspense

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Audio

 

Be careful who you let in . . .
When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap--from their city flat to a townhouse in a leafy, upscale London suburb--they jump at the chance for a week away from home, their son, and the tensions that have pushed their marriage to the brink.
As the couple settles in, the old problems that permeate their marriage--his unhealthy behaviors, her indiscretions--start bubbling to the surface. But while they attempt to mend their relationship, their neighbor, an intense young woman, is showing a little too much interest in their activities.
Meanwhile, Caroline slowly begins to uncover some signs of life in the stark house--signs of her life. The flowers in the bathroom or the music might seem innocent to anyone else--but to her they are clues. It seems the person they have swapped with is someone who knows her, someone who knows the secrets she's desperate to forget...

I am really enjoying the genre Noir lately.  I have read some good ones and this one is no exception. I absolutely loved this book. This book was exactly what I was in the mood for, suspense, psychological, and so creepy at times. I loved the story, the characters, and the writing. It was just so so good. This is a debut book for this author and I can't wait to read more from her in the future. So good guys. 

Caroline and Francis decide to take a little vacation, to save some money the do a house swap. That's not creepy and invading at all. Their marriage has been on the rocks and they need some time together away from their child, stress of life, and jobs. These two have some sins in their past and the sins of Caroline come to haunt her while she is in this stranger's house. The house they are staying at is pretty empty and cold, the only things around the house are items that are reminders of the affair Caroline had some time back. She is starting to question whose house she is staying at and who is currently in her house. Even strange yet is the really nice neighbor lady that is all up in Caroline's business. It all seems to come together in the end and it doesn't look good for Caroline. 

I really love Noir books. I love the victim not really being the nicest person, I enjoy watching lines of morality being crossed for the right reasons. I think I like it because we all mess up and this genre really shows that there isn't a clear division between good and evil. We all have done bad things, we have all been good people. This genre explores all of that. This book completely fits into this genre. 

Caroline has made some bad decisions in her life.  I mean so really messed up choices. She has had to pay consequences in her own way but the choices she made is coming back to haunt her. This story is told in dual timelines and the story of her affair unfolds in the past timeline and the future timeline explores the situation she is currently in.... the creepy house. 

I felt bad for Caroline in the present. She knows what she did wrong and she lives with it every day. In the past, I hate the Caroline for her choices...even though I understand why she felt the need to make the choices she made, I still didn't like it. What I love about the dual timelines is the ability to really connect with the characters and to enjoy the mystery of what happened. Even though I didn't agree with her choices, I felt she was deep down a decent person who wanted her family to work, she loved her son and her husband, but she felt trapped and she found a way to deal with her current situation. I felt she was real. She was normal. She was just like everyone else. I really connected with her. 

The other characters, I didn't really connect as much too. I felt this was more Carolines story. I could feel for the other characters involved in her life. I was angry, sad, excited, I felt the struggles and the celebrations of the other characters, I just didn't feel for them the way I did Caroline. This didn't take away from the story, I think it helped to see the story in a clearer vision. It was all about Caroline. 

In this genre, it's really not about the story as much as the main character. So the story wasn't anything exception... The affair, damaged people, creepy things happening, twists and turns, the normal. I did really enjoy how the house swap fit into everything. That was very well done and creepy as all get out. I would never do a house swap to begin with, now for sure NEVER!

So yea the story was great, the writing was so good, the characters were well done. It all just flowed and ebbed in the right way. 

So loved this book. CREEPY as HELL!

Rebecca Fleet’s brilliant page-turner The House Swap was pre-empted by Transworld for publication in May 2018 and has sold in 16 territories. The novel combines psychological suspense with domestic drama. When a young couple organises a house swap to have a break away – a first step towards rebuilding their faltering marriage – the wife slowly begins to realise from clues left in the house that the person staying back in their home is someone she used to know and, for reasons that gradually become clear, was very much hoping to forget. Rebecca had two literary novels published by 4th Estate under a different name.