Review: You Are Not Alone (by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen)

My Rating: 4 stars

This is the third book I’ve read by what I now consider the “dynamic writing duo” of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen and I can truly say that they have now become favorite “go-to” authors for me when it comes to the thriller / suspense genre.  As is the case with most works in this genre, it’s necessary to go into this one knowing as little as possible, so I’m not going to expand too much on the plot other than to say that the story revolves around Shay Miller, who witnesses a horrific suicide (a young woman named Amanda jumps into the path of an oncoming subway train) and then subsequently finds herself pulled into the dead woman’s orbit through the Moore sisters Jane and Cassandra and the other women from their group, as they mourn the loss of their friend.  But there’s more than meets the eye here and as we learn each woman’s backstory, the web that is woven becomes more and more complex.

Just like with their previous works, Hendricks and Pekkanen do a good job creating a slow buildup of suspense while giving us a story that is captivating from beginning to end.   Structure-wise, this one fell somewhere in the middle in that it didn’t have the huge shocking twist that we saw in their first book The Wife Between Us, nor did it consist of numerous mini cliffhangers like in their second book The Anonymous Girl.  Instead, there were revelations that made their way to the surface gradually as the story progressed, yet without a whole lot of fanfare, akin to a puzzle where each piece fell into place slowly but satisfyingly, one after another.

One of the things I admire most about this writing team is their ability to create an engaging, well-crafted story of psychological suspense that manages to feel original and creatively different from one book to the next, yet still somehow feel as though they’re connected thematically.  This was an entertaining read, one that I definitely recommend.  I can’t wait to see what Hendricks and Pekkanen have in store for us next!  

  

Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley

Review: Resistance Women (by Jennifer Chiaverini)

My Rating: 4 stars

 

One of the reasons why I love reading historical fiction is because it gives me a chance to learn about people, places, cultures, time periods, etc. that I may not otherwise have known about.  It is also an opportunity for me to better understand aspects of history and the important role we, as human beings, play in shaping and directing the trajectory of this world in which we live.

Even though Jennifer Chiaverini’s latest historical novel Resistance Women is set in a time period that most bibliophiles like me who read a lot of WWII-themed novels are probably very familiar with, the story she tells about American graduate student Mildred Fish Harnack and the many brave women who were part of her Rote Kapelle (Red Orchestra) resistance cell in Germany during Hitler’s rise to power in the 1930s, is not one that I had heard of prior to reading this book.  Spanning a time period from 1929 all the way through the end of the war, this is an epic tale told in meticulous detail, through the eyes of 4 women who bear witness to Germany’s transformation from a thriving intellectual and cultural hub to an oppressive, violent, and much-feared Nazi regime.  In addition to Mildred and Greta, the other 2 perspectives that formed the core narrative were that of Martha Dodd, the lively and vivacious daughter of the U.S. Ambassador, as well as Jewish literature student Sara Weitz (a fictional character based on other Jewish women within the Rote Kapelle network).   

Over the years, I’ve read plenty of books about this particular historical period, but this one is unique in that it tells the story not just from the Jewish perspective, but also from that of anti-fascist Germans who were intent on saving their beloved country from total ruin at the hands of a madman.  This was a fascinating and insightful read that was absolutely well-researched and well-written (I’m blown away by the extensive amount of research that Chiaverini did and how she was able to incorporate all of it into the story so seamlessly).   At nearly 600 pages, also given the subject matter, this was not an easy read by any means, especially the sections that mentioned the horrors and atrocities of what took place during that time – however with that said, being able to learn about these courageous women and getting to hear their inspiring, powerful stories, definitely made this well worth the effort. 

One quick footnote – I also noticed the political “comparison” that many of the other readers mentioned in their reviews and while I admit that it did frustrate me a bit at first because I felt it took some of the focus away from what the story was supposed to be about (namely the resistance women who sacrificed their lives to fight against evil), I eventually decided to ignore it and absorb myself in the women’s powerful stories instead. 

Received complimentary copy from publisher (William Morrow) via Book Browse.

Review: Eight Perfect Murders (by Peter Swanson)

My Rating: 3.5 stars

I’ve been wanting to read one of Peter Swanson’s books for a long time, as I’ve heard so many good things about his previous books.  In fact, I actually have most of Swanson’s previous books sitting on my bookshelf, waiting for me to read.  I probably should’ve started at the beginning with his first book, but instead, I started backwards with his newest work Eight Perfect Murders, which came out this month.  While I liked this one well enough overall, it didn’t impress me the way I was expecting it to.

The premise itself actually had a lot of potential:  we have the main protagonist, bookstore owner Malcolm (Mal) Kershaw, who writes a blog post for his store book that lists 8 books where he felt had “perfect” murders – ones that were nearly impossible to crack and almost unsolvable.  Years later, after a surprise visit from an FBI agent, Mal discovers that someone has been using his list to commit murders that were in the same vein as the ones described in the books.  Things get even more complicated when Mal begins digging into the details of some of the cases and realizes that the murders correlating with the books weren’t a mere coincidence – there is a connection between all the murders, one that threatens to implicate Mal himself.   

As a reader, I definitely appreciated how the premise revolved around books and was fascinated by how well Swanson was able to correlate those books to the plot in his own story.  With that said though, I think I would’ve enjoyed this book more if I were an actual fan of mysteries and thrillers, as this one seemed to be specifically tailored to fans.  While I do read a fair share of books in the mystery / thriller / suspense category, I would only count myself as a “casual” reader of the genre – I haven’t read any of the books mentioned in the story (not even the Agatha Christie ones) and quite a few of them I actually never even heard of. 

In terms of the plot – I felt that some of the plot points were a bit far-fetched and there were also too many “I knew I shouldn’t have but I did it anyway” moments with Mal that annoyed me to no end (it’s actually one of my pet peeves when it comes to characters in books).  The other issue was that there was way too much talking and explaining throughout the book, some of which I felt was unnecessary and made some parts feel repetitious and long-winded.  It also didn’t help that I felt zero connection to any of the characters and at near the end, didn’t really care too much what happened to them. 

Overall, I felt this was a decent read that kept my attention, but didn’t stand out.  This one also didn’t have as much of the suspense element that I was expecting – there were some twists, but a lot of them were predictable and it kind of took the fun out of reading this at times.  I liked the premise, but wasn’t a fan of the execution, mostly as it pertained to the plot and how things played out.  Having said all that though, I’m still interested in reading Swanson’s other books, especially his earlier ones, and of course, his next one.

Received ARC from William Morrow (HarperCollins) via NetGalley.

Review: Hollywood Park (by Mikel Jollett)

My Rating: 4 stars

I’m not sure that I have the words to describe my feelings after reading Mikel Jollett’s truly remarkable memoir Hollywood Park.  The very first thing that caught my attention with this book was the title, as it shared a name with a place that I used to be very familiar with and it made me curious, whether it was merely a coincidence or actually a reference to what I thought it was.  Even after reading the summary, I still wasn’t sure, as there was no mention of the inspiration for the title – all I knew was that Mikel and his brother Tony were born into a commune in California that later became the notorious Church of Synanon cult and this story was about their escape as well as the aftermath, following Mikel’s life as a child through adulthood.  It wasn’t until a few chapters in, when Mikel wrote about him and his brother spending the summer months with their father Jim, who lived in Los Angeles, that I knew for sure what Hollywood Park referred to.  For Mikel, the famous horse racing venue was a place of fond memories, where he got to spend a lot of quality time with his beloved father -- a former heroin addict and ex-con – and also where some of the most important father-son talks of his life occurred.   But Mikel’s story went so much deeper than that – from escaping Synanon at 5 years old, through a childhood living with his emotionally abusive mother in Oregon, in conditions that exacerbated an already volatile relationship with his brother, then later living with his father and step-mother in California, Mikel experienced a coming-of-age fraught with struggles involving drug and alcohol addiction, poverty, delinquency, loneliness, neglect, and abuse (the latter of which had the most impact on him going into adulthood). 

Mikel Jollett’s memoir – the chronicle of his trials and tribulations, joys and triumphs -- resonated deeply with me on an especially personal level, to the point that I read much of the book with tears streaming down my face.   Growing up in Los Angeles, I actually lived in Westchester and worked near the airport up until about 10 years ago, so I was quite familiar with many of the places mentioned in the book that, at one point or another, had a profound impact on Mikel’s journey:  Orville Wright Junior High (now known as Orville Wright Middle School, this was a school my brother and I almost attended except that our parents decided later to put us in a private school instead), Westchester High (the school my brother attended for 4 years, and where my mom and I would wait in our one and only car in the parking lot every day to pick him up), the Red Onion on Manchester Avenue (a restaurant with great food that I remember eating at many times, which closed down decades ago), El Dorado Bowling Alley (which has since changed names and also owners), Playa Del Rey (a now mostly residential beachside town in Los Angeles), and of course, Hollywood Park (the former racetrack turned casino that will soon be the new home of the NFL team Los Angeles Rams).  Hearing all these places mentioned again – places where I had spent countless childhood days – brought back so many memories, both good and bad.  The part that resonated with me the most though, was Mikel’s detailed account of the devastating impact that his father’s addiction and his mother’s illness had on him and his brother.  Despite my background being very different from Mikel’s, one commonality we do share (outside of spending most of our childhoods in Los Angeles) is that, for most of my life, I’ve also had to deal with a father with an addiction (not drugs, but gambling and drinking) as well as a mother whom I now realize (after decades trying to figure it out) has the same “illness” as  Mikel’s mother.  For so long, I’ve had many of the same warped experiences, feelings, emotions that Mikel went through, yet it’s not until now that I truly understand what has been happening.  I am actually floored by how much clarity about my own life and my personal experiences that reading this memoir has given me.

This was a heart-wrenching read for me, one that elicited so many emotions, yet I’m so glad I got the chance to read it.  Most impressive to me is the way Mikel structured his story, which he narrates first from the perspective of a young child, then a teenager, and finally, an adult.  By relaying his story in a way that reflects how he grew up and came to understand the world around him, Mikel Jollett gives us a raw and powerful account of his remarkable journey.   I know for me, this is a memoir that, for sure, I won’t soon forget!

Received ARC from Celadon Books as part of Early Reader program.