The Gutter and the Grave by Ed McBain
Read as part of CBR13Bingo: Self care. I collect Hard Case Crime novels and read at least one a month. I’ve long wanted to finish at least one of the works of Ed McBain. I’ve tried, tried, and tried again with his 87th Precinct books but I just can’t get past the opening pages. I understand what he’s trying to do, and I really appreciate it. But they’ve just never clicked for me. He’s a good writer but I’ll be damned if I can engage […]
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
I’m using this as my REP bingo square. The Good Sister is told from the perspective of two Australian sisters (and twins), Rose and Fern. Rose is an accomplished interior designer married to a wonderful man and all she wants is to be a mother. Through her journal entries, however, we hear about her fraught relationship with her own mother’s narcissistic ways. And Fern, while not explicitly identified as such, seems to have Autism Spectrum Disorder given her sensory processing issues, social discomfort, and love […]
These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! I’m using this book as my “Shelfie” – so here’s the picture of the ebook in my Kindle account. (Not nearly as exciting as a physical copy…) For anyone who has read any of my reviews, it’s probably apparent that I love mystery novels. However, I haven’t read many where the main character is a young black woman who is determined to solve a mystery. Generally, in fact, it’s white women. Middle to upper middle class white women. Which is a […]
The Therapist by B.A. Paris
I’m using this as my PANDEMIC bingo square. I’ve read several of B.A. Paris’s books: Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown, Bring Me Back…. And I generally enjoy them. This one is also generally enjoyable. The plot: Alice and Leo have been dating for a little over a year when they decide to move to The Circle – an exclusive, gated neighborhood in London with 12 houses (kind of like a clock). Alice is surprised when Leo gets the house for a very reasonable price given […]
The Dinner by Herman Koch
Read as part of CBR13Bingo: Libations. Truthfully, this should be a “White Whale” read. I’ve been putting this one off for years and I further buried it when I wasn’t impressed with the beginning of Herman Koch’s Dear Mr. M. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have picked up a copy had I not been stuck at a bookstore with money burning a hole in my pocket and nothing else looking appealing. Sometimes, I make bad decisions regarding impulse book purchases. This is not one of those times. […]
Derailed by Mary Keliikoa
Read as part of CBR13Bingo: New Series. The Kelly Pruett series debuted in 2020. Book two came out this year. In the “About the Author” section, the reader learns that Mary Keliikoa didn’t get the chance to publish this book until she was 50, despite trying to begin a writing career in her 20s. Things like family and work (she is, or was a lawyer) kept getting in the way. I appreciate that story a lot. And perhaps it made me appreciate her debut effort […]
