Jolene by Mercedes Lackey

Jolene is the fifteenth book in the Elemental Masters series, which means this would normally need a spoiler alert, but as it is set in America and not Europe there is no need.  You can read this book independently of the rest of the series and still follow along.  The Fire Rose is also set in America, but is not officially part of the series as it was published by Baen and not DAW.

Anna May Jones has always been a sickly child, plagued with a lack of energy and a constant lack of appetite.  It may be just as well, as Anna and her mother sacrifice their fair share of the food to make sure her father is well fed for his work in the mines.  In other places Anna and her mother may have been able to supplement their meals with food grown in a garden, but the town of Soddy is choking on the coal dust that comes from the mine.  One day Anna learns that her parents have plans to send her to her Aunt Jinny, the woman Anna has never met, but who has sent her potions to Anna and her father to try and keep them well.  Anna is anxious, but surely her own kin won't harm her - especially not kin who has sent potions to her mother to sell to help support the family?

Leaving Soddy is a shock in more ways than one- for the first time in her life it feels like Anna can breath, and when she meets her Aunt at the end of her journey she finds that she is not what she expected at all.  Aunt Jinny dresses like a man and takes no nonsense, but she is also generous with what she has and offers to train Anna up so she can set herself up as a Root Woman.  It is more than Anna could ever have hoped for, as a Root Woman she will have a respectable profession and will be able to provide for herself.  Living with her aunt is a breath of fresh air, she soon learns that she has a talent for seeing and using the Glory, which will make it much easier for her to become a Root Woman.  

That power brings her to the attention of a mysterious woman called Jolene, who has taken an interest in Anna and offers to help her learn how to control her abilities.  Anna doesn't need her aunts caution to treat Jolene with respect, and soon learns that she will be more powerful than her aunt when she has finished learning.  To protect herself Anna must learn all she can and come into her full power - because there are people who would use her power for themselves, not matter what the cost is to Anna herself.

I have been looking forward to Jolene for months, mostly because of all the havoc Covid-19 has wreaked - and it seemed like an early Christmas present!  I have to say it was a relief to read a story that is not tangled up with the stories of Sherlock Holmes, a fresh story to discover.  I had never heard the legend/story that Jolene was based on, and it was a real pleasure to have a fresh story and mythology to enjoy.  I loved the way everything was so connected too, Anna and her Glory were not limited to the traditional magic laws of her own people, she was included in the Earth magic that was native to the area too.  I also liked the flow and rhythm of the story - it wasn't rushed and it didn't drag on.  

It was also a treat to have a story set in America again - for some readers the Fire Rose is not part of the story because it was set in America and had a different publisher, but it was the first book that had the same 'world' and rules as the rest of the series.  Hopefully there are more books set in America as it broadens the series and makes it more interesting, fresh and new - a chance to explore stories from other places and cultures.  

If you like this book then try:

• The Fire rose by Mercedes Lackey (not officially part of the series)
• The serpent's shadow by Mercedes Lackey
• The gates of sleep by Mercedes Lackey
• Phoenix and ashes by Mercedes Lackey
• The wizard of London by Mercedes Lackey
• Reserved for the cat by Mercedes Lackey
• Unnatural issue by Mercedes Lackey
• Home from the sea by Mercedes Lackey
• Steadfast by Mercedes Lackey
• Blood red by Mercedes Lackey
• From a high tower by Mercedes Lackey
• A study in sable by Mercedes Lackey
• A scandal in Battersea by Mercedes Lackey
• The bartered brides by Mercedes Lackey
• The case of the spellbound child by Mercedes Lackey

Reviewed by Brilla

Ararat by Christopher Golden

For local guide Feyiz and his extended family, leading groups of climbers up Mount Ararat in Turkey is their business - from the gentler summer months of tramps, through to the more dangerous winter months they know the mountain and her secrets.  When an earthquake storms across the mountain it causes an avalanche that smashes into Feyiz's village, and uncovers a secret that was buried under the snow and ice.  In the aftermath of the earthquake it is a race against time for climbers and scholars to reach the earthquake site first, because the first people to arrive will be able to lay claim to the greatest archaeological find in modern history - a wooden vessel buried on Mount Ararat, a vessel that many believe may be Noah's Ark.  

Everyone who rushed to the mountain has their own motives for being there - and not all of them are as pure as the white snow that coats the mountain.  Ben Walker has been sent to Mount Ararat along with a scholar priest and a UN observer, and none of them are particularly welcome.  The mountain is a hive of activity with people from all fields of science eager to see the wooden structure and any treasures it may hold - but Walker and his team arrive not long after the remains in the coffin are found.  The leaders of the team are keen to keep the remains under wraps, including from most of the team, and once Walker sees the remains he can understand why - they don't look human.

As the weather closes in the group finds themselves trapped on the mountain.  It's not so bad at first, despite the freezing conditions they can carry on with their work - but then the first people disappear.  The first can be explained away as people wanting to leave and taking their chance despite the storm, but then others disappear.  As tensions rise and people start acting with desperation the team starts running out of choices, and clutches at any hope of escape from the increasingly creepy and dangerous mountain.  Can Walker and the rest of the team make it off the mountain safely, or will they be picked off one-by-one until there is no one left?  

2020 has been a pretty solid year of reading crime and rereading favourites for me, so I thought I would branch out a little and read an author I used to read - and after years of reading his Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels, Christopher Golden seemed like a good choice.  When I borrowed it from the local library I almost didn't read it after all because it had a horror label on it - but I am very glad I persevered.  This was one of the few novels I have read this year where I did not want to put it down, wanting to read it in one sitting as it was so addictive.  

This is one of those books where reviewing too much ruins the little twists and surprises that make it such a good book.  The mythology is well thought out and described, and the characters are well developed and well rounded - easy to see as people rather than just characters on a page.  A great read, and I am looking forward to reading more like it from Christopher Golden.

 If you like this book then try:

• Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong
• Eight million gods by Wen Spencer
• Dark descendant by Jenna Black
• Moon called by Patricia Briggs
• Spiders bite by Jennifer Estep
• Prowlers by Christopher Golden
• Dead witch walking by Kim Harrison
• Blood price by Tanya Huff
• Children of the night by Mercedes Lackey
• Cast in shadow by Michelle Sagara

Reviewed by Brilla

1000 tattoos by Chris Coppola

Tattoos are not to everyone's taste, but there are some truly gifted tattooists out there who can bring skin to life with lines, dots, and coloured inks.  Like millions of people around the world I myself have tattoos, and I frequently find myself admiring the ink other people wear (though sometimes I do wonder what other people were thinking when they got theirs!)  Thanks to programmes like Tattoo Fixers I have found myself admiring designs that I never thought I would, especially some of the hyper realistic tattoos one of the Fixers excels at, alongside the beautiful and feminine point work and flowers of another Fixer, and then of course there are the other designs that are simply stunning in their own unique way.  On top of that I have just recently finished reading The tattoo thief by Alison Belsham, which is all about a tattoo artist which has also reignited my interest in tattoos.

The resulting search of the local public library catalogue lead me to 1000 tattoos which is what it sounds like - a book that collects together images of different tattoos.  I was half expecting a random selection of tattoos with a thematic approach, but instead this is a curated collection of art by artist - art that happens to be on skin rather than canvas.  There is something for every taste in this book, from traditional designs incorporated into modern designs through to amazing and vibrant colourwork.  For some parents this book may be their worst nightmare, but it is a great place to start if you are contemplating a tattoo as you can get an overview of different artistic styles, and options in terms of colourwork and black and white.  Even if you are not contemplating getting ink, there is some outstanding artistry between the covers.

1000 tattoos was a fantastic find to stumble across, and I was impressed to find a local tattooist from Auckland included in the international line up.  A real feast for the eyes (and skin) to enjoy.

Reviewed by Brilla

The tattoo thief by Alison Belsham

Marni Mullins is minding her own business, taking a break from tattooing people at a convention in her home town of Brighton when she stumbles across a dead body - the last thing she needs to see, or try and deal with.  Not keen to get tangled up with the Police, Marni makes an anonymous call to alert them to the body and then disappears back into her work.  She should have known that wouldn't keep her off the radar - especially with a newly promoted Detective Inspector leasing the case.  When DI Francis Sullivan tracks Marni down he is almost hostile, demanding her help and threatening her if she doesn't.  Already in a fragile state from finding the body, his demands for help almost push her over the edge - until they come to an uneasy truce when he asks her for help.

Helping the Police after what has happened in the past is not easy for Marni, but she is a connection to world of tattoos and tattooing for the very fresh faced and straight laced DI Sullivan.  When another body is found with the skin cut off it starts to feel like a serial murder case, and DI Sullivan and his team are put under pressure to solve the case.  Being the new kid on the block is always hard, especially when you've stepped over one of the longer serving members of your team, and Sullivan has to push his ideas onto a boss that doesn't want to hear them.  As the case heats up, Sullivan and Marni reach the conclusion that there is a connection to the tattooing world, that the person dubbed the Tattoo Thief by the media is working on a deadly collection.  Can they solve the case before someone Marni knows falls under the killers deadly blade?

As someone who has tattoos this book was both a fascinating and horrifying idea - though my discreet tattoos would not attract the attention of the killer, I do know people who have tattoos that would certainly make a collection happy.  I entered the story with some trepidation, but was soon thoroughly absorbed by the story which is well written and seems to accurately reflect Police practice and procedure (as much as you can pick up from watching TV series and reading books).  Marni is an interesting character complete with flaws and weaknesses that make her seem 100% genuine, and it is hard not to recognise the somewhat cliché character of the earnest young Police officer trying to prove himself in the young DI Sullivan.  The story was well teased out and well paced - there were little bread crumbs to follow, and it was nice to have my suspicions tested along the way.

The tattoo thief is a well written and perfectly paced thriller, different enough to have a unique voice in the crime/thriller market, but familiar enough to be an easy to follow read.  I look forward to reading more from this author.

If you like this book then try:

• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• Sweet little lies by Caz Frear
• The vanishing season by Joanna Schaffhausen
• Killing trail by Margaret Mizushima
• Safe by S.K. Barnett
• The nowhere child by Christian White
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• The coast to coast murders by James Patterson and J.D.Barker
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• Nine Elms by Robert Bryndza
• The better sister by Alafair Burke
• Gathering dark by Candice Fox
• Spare me the truth by C.J. Carver

Reviewed by Brilla

All of us by A.F. Carter

To the outside world Carolyn Grand is the survivor of an horrific childhood of physical and sexual abuse - but on the inside she is a family of personalities who drift in and out of control of their shared body.  The official diagnosis is dissociative identity disorder (DID), but for Martha, Victoria, Serena, Kirk, Eleni and Tina it is just who they are.  Each member of their unique family has a role to play in keeping the train wreck of their life from going off the rails completely.  Martha is the home-maker, the grown up of the group who takes care of the bills, the shopping, the cleaning, and making every cent stretch as far as it can.  Victoria is the confident face of their collective, the strong voice that speaks up for all of them.  Serena is the hippy, the one who sees light, and beauty, and colour around them.  Kirk is a man trapped in a woman's body with a whole bunch of women, but he has a knack for making friends in all the right (and wrong places).  Eleni is the risk taker, the one who seeks out casual sexual liaisons to ease the sexual tension.  All of them come into play as needed, though Martha and Victoria tend to dominate - and the most reclusive of all is the remnant personality of the child who survived the abuse and remembers for all of them - little Tina.

They have walked a knives edge for years, trying to keep it together enough to avoid being shipped off to the nearest secure mental health unit.  Overall it seems to be working out well, until Eleni decides to chat up the wrong man and brings all of them to the attention of the NYPD - and another stint in a secure mental health unit.  One of the conditions of their release is that they attend therapy, a game they have played many times before - but this time the therapist isn't playing the game and their freedom is in serious jeopardy.  To make matters worse, the collection known as Carolyn Grand has discovered that their father, Hank Grand, is due to be released from prison.  All the safety they thought they had disappears through the manipulations of  their therapist, and the deliberate and calculated stalking of their father.  Just when it seems like things can't get any worse for them, Hank is found murdered and they are suspect.  No one in the collection admits they killed Hank - but does that mean that none of them did it, or that none of them want to confess?  With their freedom under threat from multiple sides, the collective is going to have to make some difficult choices - and difficult decisions.

I picked up All of us after seeing it on the new books list for my local public library and wasn't sure what to expect as it was about multiple personalities and that can go very very wrong - but what I found was very very good.  A.F. Carter has written a novel about a woman who on the outside is a survivor of childhood abuse - but on the inside she is the fractured remains of the personalities that rose up at the time of the abuse and in the aftermath.  The she's, and one he, that are in the body of Carolyn Grand are unique individuals with their own voices.  By moving from personality to personality Carter creates a sense of the chaos that inhabits Carolyn's body, while also showing how the personalities interact and work to control themselves and each other.  The other characters introduced through their eyes add interest and depth to the story and help expose secrets as well as cover them up - no one necessarily knowing one from the other.  This is a fascinating and thoroughly absorbing novel to read, and I had to read it in one session as I didn't want to put it down.

If you like this book then try:

• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• The liar's daughter by Claire Allan
• I've got you under my skin by Mary Higgins Clark
• Safe by S.K. Barnett
• The nowhere child by Christian White
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• Vodka doesn't freeze by Leah Giarratano
• The edge of normal by Carla Norton
• Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
  
• City of fear by Alafair Burke
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• The vanishing season by Joanna Schaffhausen

Reviewed by Brilla

Rattle by Fiona Cummins

The first child to go missing is little Clara Foyle.  She was supposed to stay with Mrs. Smith and the other children, but instead she wandered off because the parents and the other children were ignoring her.  She didn't really mind, but if she had known what was coming maybe she wouldn't have been so quick to leave the safety of the others.  On her way home Clara disappears without a trace, starting a frantic search that will bring Detective Sergeant Etta Fitzroy onto the case.  DS Etta Fitzroy is a capable officer, but after a disastrous mistake she is also skating on thin ice in terms of her career.  From the start the case is a difficult one, Clara's parents are disconnected from each other, and the family lacks closeness.  It seems as though they are both going through the motions, and it quickly becomes clear that not everything in the house is as it seems.  

DS Fitzroy is determined to solve the case and bring Clara home, and knowing that Clara has a disability makes her kidnapping seem even more deplorable and cruel.  With all the energy the team is expending on Clara's case the last thing they need is another missing child, but that is exactly what they get when Jakey Frith goes missing.  Jakey is special like Clara, he has a rare condition called Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva or Stone Man Syndrome, that slowly traps him in a prison of his own bone.  With each accident and flare up Jakey gains more extra bone and loses more mobility.  His family support him, trying to protect him from accidents, but he still spends way too much time in hospital.  When Jakey disappears DS Fitzroy has the unenviable task of trying to balance two cases with a high risk of losing one or both of the children.  As DS Fitzroy digs into the case she comes to the horrifying conclusion that it is not two separate cases at all - that the same person has taken Clara and Jakey, and that they are not his only victims.  Can DS Fitzroy and Jakey's dad Erdman solve the mystery and find Jakey before it's too late?

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up Rattle, I had already read When I was ten by Fiona Cummins and wanted to try her earlier works, but I was not disappointed.  The story unfolds slowly, but not too slowly, moving between the point of view of the kidnapper, the children, the Police, and the families.  Some authors fumble with the switching views, but Cummins uses it to excellent effect, giving you glimpses that provide information and clues without giving away too much.  The different characters are well developed and have genuine emotions and motivations, making them feel more like people than cliches or cardboard cutouts of characters.  Cummins manages to balance sequences of action and drama with world building and background setting, keeping the story moving while providing the background you need to understand whose who and what is happening.  A fantastic start to a great series.

If you like this book then try:

• When I was ten by Fiona Cummins
  
• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• The liar's daughter by Claire Allan
• The nowhere child by Christian White
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
  
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• The vanishing season by Joanna Schaffhausen
  

Reviewed by Brilla

Unravel the dusk by Elizabeth Lim

Unravel the dusk is the sequel to Spin the dawn and there are ***SPOILERS*** in this review if you have not read the first book in the duology.  Before you read anymore of this review I highly recommend reading Spin the dawn first.

Maia has survived her quest and returned to the Imperial Court - but she is not the same Maia who left.  On the surface she appears successful, the dresses of Amana are a wonder to behold, and their arrival means that the marriage of Emperor Khanujin and Lady Sarnai can proceed.  It is a delicate time politically, through their marriage Khanujin and Sarnai will bring an end to the war that has ravaged the land of A'ladi for the past five years.  The dresses of Amana should help bring peace, but Maia soon discovers that only their creator can wear them - a discovery that comes too late to prevent disaster striking at the most inopportune time.

As if the threatened peace is not bad enough, Maia is separated from Edan - and she is slowly transforming into a demon.  Her eyes glowing red is only the first step towards becoming a demon, but it is a visible and startling sign to those around her.  As she slowly changes, Maia must fight against the voice of the demon growing inside her, a fight that gets harder day by day.  As she struggles to resist her demon, Maia has to untangle what the change will mean for her and the dresses of Amana.  Maia has fought all her life to be successful, to be accepted, and to find her place in A'ladi - and now she faces a future where she will be lost to darkness forever.  As the final battle grows nearer Maia must find the strength to fight for all the things she loves - her family, her country, and her love.

As with Spin the dawn, Unravel the dusk is a challenging book to review because the best review would spoil the best twists and turns of the stories.  I loved Spin the dawn and was looking forward to finishing Maia's story in Unravel the dusk and I was not disappointed.  Elizabeth Lim has woven (no pun intended) a story that has all the best elements of a classic legend - an ordinary person who rises above what everyone expects of them, who makes huge personal sacrifices, and who ultimately finds their place in a world that was not prepared for them to find that place.  There are villains, and their are heroes, and there are people who could be either - sometimes both.  This is an epic story built on a well thought out mythology, and deserves to be read one after the other.

Hopefully this is not the last we have seen of Elizabeth Lim and her storytelling because it was a real pleasure to join Maia on her journey - experiencing the highs and lows, facing challenges and betrayals, and watching her find her place.  Highly recommended series for teens and adults alike.

If you like this book then try:

• A court of thorns and roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Throne of glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore
• Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
• The treachery of beautiful things by Ruth Frances Long
• Sea witch by Sarah Henning
• Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell
• Crown duel by Sherwood Smith

Reviewed by Brilla

When I was ten by Fiona Cummins

The murder of Dr. and Mrs. Carter shocked the nation, with images of their daughter wearing blood soaked pyjamas splashed across the front page.  The people from their village weren't shocked, they were outraged that a pillar of their community and his wife had been murdered, stabbed viciously with scissors, by one of their spoilt brats.  No one knew the truth, well no one grown up - their friend and neighbour knew the truth about what it is was like to live in the Carter house.  No one but Brinley Booth knew about the mental torment, the physical abuse, the cruel mind games and manipulations of the adult Carters.  Shannon and Sara have to put up with mind games and near starvation, which makes them the target of other children in the village who have no idea of what is happening to the sisters.  Being a doctor makes it easier for their father to hide the extent of his abuse - he can mend broken bones, put stitches in wounds, and know exactly how far he can push things.  That all changes one fateful night. when he pushes one of his daughters too far.

Years later, in another quiet village Catherine Allen wakes in the night to discover that her world has been turned upside down overnight.  Somehow the press has discovered that she was once one of the Carter sisters, given a new name and a fresh start at life - something she embraced.  Married with a daughter of her own, her carefully rebuilt world starts to crumble as her husband and daughter discover who she really is.  At the same time, Brinley Booth finds herself in an awkward position as a journalist who has an amazing story to tell - if only she can push herself to break trust with her friends and give an exclusive story to the newspaper she works for.  As Catherine struggles to come to terms with her sisters sudden reappearance in the world, she also has to face what happened all those years ago and what it means for her, her sister, and Brinley.

When I was ten is one of those books that uses the technique of moving back and forth between times to tell the story - sometimes that doesn't work very well, but it works brilliantly for When I was ten.  One of the reasons the time shifting works is because it presents what is happening now, shows what happened in the past, shows more about the present, then explains more about the past - but it does it in a smooth manner that feels like a moving conversation rather than just jumping around.  This was one of those brilliant stories where I kept flip-flopping over where I thought the story was heading as Cummins did such an amazing job of dropping hints and tricks equally.  

The characters are what drives the story, and while there is action and drama, it is the characters that carry the story.  What happened to the Carter sisters was horribly awful, and the worst part is that you know there are children out there who are living with the same or worse.  It felt like Cummins handled the subject matter with compassion and respect, rather than just using it as a gimmick.  There are so many themes here that despite the somewhat icky subject matter, it would make a brilliant book club read as there are so many aspects of the story that could open up all kinds of discussions and further reading. 

Highly recommended read, though people who have experienced child abuse and severe neglect may find the subject matter triggering.

If you like this book then try:

• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• The liar's daughter by Claire Allan
• I've got you under my skin by Mary Higgins Clark
• Safe by S.K. Barnett
• The nowhere child by Christian White
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• Vodka doesn't freeze by Leah Giarratano
• Lost by James Patterson and James O. Born
• Orphan X by Greg Hurwitz
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• The vanishing season by Joanna Schaffhausen
• Gathering dark by Candice Fox
• Buried secrets by Lisa Cutts
• Crimson Lake by Candice Fox

Reviewed by Brilla

Sweet little lies by Caz Frear

Catrina "Cat" Kinsella is a Detective Constable with Murder Investigation Team 4 - although if her supervisor Detective Chief Inspector Steele has her way, Cat may be shuffled off on a secondment soon for her 'own good'.  After attending a particularly gruesome murder scene, where a little girl was with her mothers dead body for several days before being discovered, Cat has been forced to go to counselling to help her deal with the emotional aftermath.  The counselling doesn't seem to be doing much good though, it is just stirring up emotions and memories she has no intention to deal with - particularly around her relationship with her estranged father.  Cat and her father have barely spoken for years, partly because of his womanizing way before her mother died. and partly because she kept a secret for him when she was a child - the secret that he had seen Maryanne Doyle before she went missing nearly twenty years ago.

When a woman is found murdered in her patch, Cat has no idea that the murder victim, Alice Lapaine is going to start a fall of dominoes that has the potential to end her career with the Police.  As they investigate her murder, they discover that Alice was keeping secrets from her family and friends - she was not who she said she was.  When Cat realizes that the murder scene is only a stones throw from the pub where her father lives and works, it raises some difficult questions for her - could her father be involved in the death of Alice?  Cat knows she should confess the potential conflict of interest and excuse herself from the case, but she can't do it.  As she gets more and more involved in the case she uncovers secrets that were better left forgotten and buried - Alice's and her own.

When you read as many crime and thriller books as I do it can be challenging to find a book that stands out from the rest of the field, but Sweet little lies managed to do just that.  Cat is a relatable character, she isn't perfect, and she makes mistakes - just like the rest of us.  Through her memories and experiences we learn about Cat and her family, and her family connection to the disappearance of Maryanne Doyle so many years ago.  I was talking with someone recently about what makes a great main characters for a crime/thriller and we came to the conclusion that it was having flaws that make them more relatable.  Cat has flaws in spades, and like so many people she takes an awkward situation and makes it worse by keeping secrets and trying to stay in control - something that never goes well for anyone.  

Sweet little lies is the first book in a series and does an outstanding job of setting Cat up as a character, filling in some of her past, and creating a situation that could make or break her career.  It has elements of a mystery, aspects of a thriller, and just a dash of family drama to make a thoroughly engrossing and addictive read that I had to read in one sitting because I resented every little interruption when I was trying to read.   The advantage of discovering Sweet little lies now is that I don't have to wait ages for the sequel because it is already published!

If you like this book then try:

• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• I've got you under my skin by Mary Higgins Clark
• Safe by S.K. Barnett
• The nowhere child by Christian White
• Breaking Creed by Alex Kava
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• Kill me if you can by James Patterson and Marshall Karp
• Lost by James Patterson and James O. Born
• Orphan X by Greg Hurwitz
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• The better sister by Alafair Burke
• The vanishing season by Joanna Schaffhausen
• City of fear by Alafair Burke
• Gathering dark by Candice Fox

Reviewed by Brilla

Before she was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney

 Helen Stephens has a quiet existence in the Sun City community, surrounded by other seniors and enough diversions to make her retirement interesting.  She spends her days teaching Latin part time, playing cards, and socialisng with her closest neighbours.  It's not an exciting existence, but she doesn't want exciting, she wants peace and quiet - peace and quiet mean no one will uncover her secrets.  The biggest secret she hides is that Helen Stephens is not her real name, her real name is Clementine "Clemmie" Lakefield and she is hiding from her past.  For decades she has hidden from her past, living as Helen Stephens, doing nothing to attract attention to herself - all that changes in a single morning.  Clemmie has a key for her next door neighbours house, a secretive and anti-social man named Dominic "Dom" Spesante.  The key was for emergencies, a grudging little bit of trust after he had a bad fall and wasn't discovered straight away.  

When Dom doesn't answer her daily check in text Clemmie lets herself into his unit, and in the process of looking for him discovers a door in the garage that connects Dom's unit to the end unit - a unit that is empty most of the time, the owners barely seen.  Letting herself into the end unit Clemmie has a look at the sterile looking unit and discovers a glass sculpture that captures her attention.  Snapping a quick picture with her phone she sends the image to her grand niece and grand nephew, two of the only family she has left.  It is a moment that she quickly lives to regret because the glass sculpture is more than it appears, and the owner wants it back.  For years Clemmie has lived in relative safety and security, but that is all about to change in more ways than one - and she may finally have to face her past.

Before she was Helen was a completely absorbing read that I read in a single session because I didn't want to put it down.  This book has two stories woven together by Clemmie.  In the present we have Helen, a single semi-retired woman who carefully keeps her family and community lives separated - complete with separate cell phones.  In the past we have Clemmie as a teenager and young woman who has to deal with something no woman should have to - a past that could be exposed by events in the present.  With a character driven story and fast pace this is a book that is easy to read, despite some of the themes and situations, and it will be very interesting to see if Caroline B. Cooney writes more adult novels as this was a thoroughly absorbing read.

If you like this book then try:

• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• The lost ones by Sheena Kamal
• The liar's daughter by Claire Allan
• I've got you under my skin by Mary Higgins Clark
• Safe by S.K. Barnett
• The nowhere child by Christian White
• The liar's daughter by Claire Allan
• Breaking Creed by Alex Kava
• Good me bad me by Ali Land

Reviewed by Brilla

The coast to coast murders by James Patterson and J.D.Barker

 It all starts with an innocent phone call, a neighbour complaining about water coming from his apartment, and it ends with Michael Kepler finding a body in his bath tub.  This would be a traumatic event for anybody, finding the body of a stranger dead in your apartment, but it is just the start of the nightmare.  The LAPD are convinced that Michael and the victim knew each other, that they had a relationship - and even Michael has to admit the evidence is pretty convincing.  As they dig into the case Michael is forced to admit to his past, that he hasn't been Michael Kepler since he was a child - his legal name is Michael Fitzgerald, and he has spent the last few years working as a long haul truck driver, estranged from his adoptive parents trying to make a life of his own.  Even the death and funeral of his adoptive father isn't a compelling enough reason to return to the 'loving' home he grew up in.

Michael seems to be in a dream he can't wake from, a nightmare in which he is pursued by Detective Dobbs from the LAPD, and FBI Agent Gimble.  The only lifeline he has is his adopted sister Megan, who has faced her own share of challenges over the years at the hands of their parents.  From the outside Michael and Megan were both lucky to have ended up with Doctors Bart and Rose Fitzgerald, a respected psychologist and psychiatrist - but living with them was not the rescue either of them needed or deserved.  Doctor Bart was not raising the children, he was conducting an experiment, and as Michael and Megan know only too well it was not for their benefit.  As Michael runs he experiences crippling headaches, blackouts, and a string of bodies is left in his wake.  As Michael ang Megan race to reach the last two names on what appears to be more of a hit list than patient list, they will uncover secrets that were better left buried.  Detective Dobbs and Agent Gimble are in a race against time, and they don't know what they are facing - no one really does.

The coast to coast murders is the kind of action driven, completely absorbing thriller I have come to expect from James Patterson and his coauthors.  This is a departure from the stories about detectives and agents, although both are included - this is a thriller about a young man who has woken up in a nightmare where he is not a victim but a criminal.  You don't know what to expect, it seems so cut and dried and obvious that he is the killer, but once he is on the run you are confronted with a more startling reality - instead of being nurtured and protected by his guardians he was instead subjected to experimentation that would break most adults.  The true horror of his upbringing is slowly revealed as his story blends with the written statement from his adopted sister Megan.  It is also clear that the two siblings looked out for each and still look out for each other - important when you have been through what they have.

This is one of those stories where I am trying not to say too much because the twists and flow of the story depends on you coming into it with no idea what is coming - it is more enjoyable and awe inspiring that way.  This is a crime thriller unlike any I have read this year and it is going to take some serious skill for anyone (alone or co-authored) to knock The coast to coast murders off the throne of best crime thriller for 2020 for me.  It uses all of it's 554 to drag you on a twisting and twisted ride as you try and figure out what is really happening and why.

If you like this book then try:

• Kill me if you can by James Patterson and Marshall Karp
• Lost by James Patterson and James O. Born
• Never never by James Patterson and Candice Fox
• Good me bad me by Ali Land
• Spare me the truth by C.J. Carver
• Orphan X by Greg Hurwitz
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• Sticks and stones by Katherine Firkin
• The better sister by Alafair Burke
• The vanishing season by Joanna Schaffhausen
• Killing trail by Margaret Mizushima
• Breaking Creed by Alex Kava
• City of fear by Alafair Burke
• Gathering dark by Candice Fox

Reviewed by Brilla

The midwife murders by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo

 Lucy Ryuan is a midwife at the Gramatan University Hospital (GUH), working in a midwifery department that seems to be held in disdain by the CEO Dr. Barrett Katz.  Lucy is used to standing up for herself and her patients, and nothing will stop her looking out for the welfare of her tiny little charges and their mothers.  Highly experienced, Lucy and her fellow midwives have years of training and on-the-job experience, and there is very little that they can't handle.  When one of the babies they delivered goes missing Lucy is concerned, but she is also angry, angry that anyone would steal a baby.  

When another baby goes missing, and then another in rather gruesome circumstances, Lucy is determined to stop the kidnappers no matter what.  That determination leads her right into the path of Detective Leon Blumenthal, who has invaded the hospital along with the rest of his team.  Everyone at GUH is on edge, but there seems to be a frustrating lack of progress on the case.  When Lucy finds her safety, and the safety of her son Willie, at risk she knows she has no choice but to finish what she started.

The midwife murders is an interesting read, mainly because it is not quite in the same style as other books by James Patterson and his co-authors.  It is in a similar, slightly off kilter style as The store which was also co-authored by Richard Dilallo, but it still may not appeal to readers of the 'typical' James Patterson novel.  Lucy Ryuan is a feisty and interesting character to have as a lead - she is determined, stubborn, has her flaws, and has a fantastic temper which leads her into all sorts of interesting situations.  Her flipsides are Detective Leon Blumenthal who seems to be so laid back and dismissive that he seems to belittle her, and the equally cool and calm Dr. Rudra Sarkar who seems to be very interested in Lucy for a number of reasons.

The midwife murders will not appeal to all readers as it is quite a departure from the 'traditional' James Patterson, mainly because it is so focused on one character (Lucy) and everything she feels and sees colours how you see and feel everything too.  This is not an intense action thriller that takes place at a mile a minute, or a detective focused thriller where you test yourself to see if you have solved the puzzle before the end - it is much more emotion-tugging and character driven.  I didn't dislike it, I didn't love it, it was a solid read.  This was an enjoyable read, and I loved the reference to the Call the midwife TV series that appears (because who wouldn't). 

If you like this book then try:

• 1st case by James Patterson & Chris Tebbetts
• Kill me if you can by James Patterson and Marshall Karp
• Lost by James Patterson and James O. Born
• Never never by James Patterson and Candice Fox
• Spare me the truth by C.J. Carver
• Orphan X by Greg Hurwitz
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• City of the lost by Kelley Armstrong
• The better sister by Alafair Burke
• The vanishing season by Joanna Schaffhausen
• Breaking Creed by Alex Kava
• City of fear by Alafair Burke
• Gathering dark by Candice Fox

Reviewed by Brilla