Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls

 I didn't read Jeannette Walls' best-selling memoir "The Glass Castle," but I'm rethinking that decision after reading this book. Walls is a fantastic storyteller, and I'd like to know more about her background.

Sallie Kincaid, the daughter of Duke Kincaid, the ruler of a small county in rural Virginia, is the apple of her father's eye. Her mother, Duke's second wife, is killed when Sallie is young, and Duke quickly remarries and has a son, Eddie. When eight-year-old Sallie puts her brother Eddie's life in danger, she is sent to live with her poor maiden aunt, and there she remains for nine hard-scrabble years until the death of Eddie's mother. Duke recalls Sallie and tasks her with teaching Eddie how to be more like his hard-charging father, but Sallie, truly her father's daughter, has bigger goals in mind: she wants to help run the family's bootlegging business. Only the Kincaid lines of succession and the view of a woman's place in society hold her back.

This moving family saga set in prohibition-era Virginia captured my imagination and had me rooting for feisty Sallie Kincaid from page one. It is a fast-paced novel filled with plot twists and family secrets. Walls' writing is exceptional, and the characters are true to life. I highly recommend this book.

5 stars.

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The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

 In this fourth outing of the Thursday Murder Club, Osman again combines humor and danger with love, regret, and grief to take the reader on an exciting, emotional rollercoaster ride.

When Stephen's antique dealer friend, Kuldesh Sharma, is found murdered,  the four members of the Thursday Murder Club spring into action. They discover that Kuldesh had come into possession of a heroin shipment that is now missing. Elizabeth, Joyce Ibrahim, and Ron begin searching for the shipment only to encounter two gangsters to whom the heroin belongs, and the race is on as to who can find the shipment first. Oh, and the police are also aware of the shipment but seem more interested in it than in solving Kuldesh's murder. A few exciting subplots also introduce new characters and bring back characters from previous books.

It's so easy to fall into the lives of these characters and feel the pain and love they do. I especially like how minor characters continue to populate the series as it progresses--they aren't just discarded at the end of a book--it's like welcoming back old friends. I love this series and am sorry that Osman will take a break from it. The good news is that it will continue after a hiatus.

I look forward to the next installment.

5 stars.

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Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate

 Ashley Tate delivers the goods in this excellent debut novel. She teases the reader with bits of information to piece together the puzzle about what happened the night of a horrific accident, but what is accurate, and what is misdirection? Tate surprises right up to the end.

Phoebe Dean has it all: brains, personality, and looks. All of that is wiped away one night in an automobile accident with her brother Grant at the wheel and neighbor Becca on board. It's a tragedy that affects the small town of West Wilmer for years and creates gossip about what happened during those twenty-seven minutes between when the accident occurred and when Grant called for an ambulance. Perhaps Phoebe could have been saved had help arrived sooner. On that same night, another teenager, troublemaker Wyatt, disappears and is all but forgotten over the town's grief for the beloved Phoebe.

Ten years after the accident, Phoebe's mother, who has never forgiven Grant for the accident, decides to hold a memorial service for her daughter., thus ripping off the scabs on the wounds that have never healed for either Grant, Becca, or West Wilmer. It is also the anniversary of Wyatt's disappearance, and his sister June, who is grieving for her recently deceased mother, again wonders what happened to Wyatt and if there is a connection between his disappearance and the accident. As the memorial approaches, emotions are ratcheted up, setting the scene for a big reveal about what happened that night.

The story takes place over three days and is told from the perspectives of those closest to Phoebe and Wyatt. The relationship between Grant and Becca is also explored. Both are suffering from survivor's guilt, and Becca's reliance on Grant's account of what happened that night results in a toxic ten-year relationship that is coming to a head. The fast-paced story, combined with well-developed characters, results in a dark psychological thriller that is suspenseful and engrossing. I loved how the author meted out the clues to the accident and the disappearance along the way. The tension built from the first page and never let up. I loved it! 

4.5 stars.

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Survivor's Guilt by Michael Wood

 Once again, Michael Wood delivers in this eighth Matilda Drake mystery. I'm still catching up in the series, and it gets better with each installment.

It's been nine months since the deadly killing spree that claimed the lives of three of Matilda's murder squad team and the son of her best friend, pathologist Adele Kean; all are dealing with survivor's guilt in different ways. Adele and Matilda are now estranged, and Matilda has just been cleared to work after her long rehabilitation from gunshot wounds when news comes in about a body found in a wooded area. As the squad begins to investigate the latest murder, they find cold cases involving similar victims and the body count mounts. They now know a serial killer is on the loose in Sheffield and targeting prostitutes. Pressure from the press and from above is applied to this fragile team of detectives, and they each respond differently, but all eyes are on Matilda: is she truly ready to be back at work? As the pressure mounts, so do the doubts.

Wood nicely ties in previous storylines from the series in moving the characters forward. This is another twisty, fast-paced police procedural that grips the reader and takes them on a rollercoaster ride. We see the characters at their most vulnerable and a different Matilda who questions herself and her methods of leading her team. Wood is the master of psychological thrillers.

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The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

 This is the first book by Rachel Hawkins that I have read, but the premise piqued my interest, so I decided to try this book; I'm glad I did. It grabbed me from the start and didn't let go.

Ruby McTavish, the heir to the vast McTavish fortune, was abducted when she was a child, survived four sketchy marriages, and childless, adopted Camden when he was a child. Ten years after Ruby's death, Cam married and a teacher in Colorado, is summoned back to North Carolina to face his remaining relatives, who feel he has no right to his inheritance. While there, questions about Ruby's past, as well as the untimely deaths of her four husbands, surface. What happened when she was abducted, and were the circumstances of her husband's deaths honestly as reported?

Told from the point of view of Cam and his wife, Jules, and unsent letters written by Ruby, the answers to the above questions are teasingly revealed. This is a fast-paced psychological thriller with twists that are excellently plotted. I rooted for Cam to stay true to himself despite the Siren song of wealth and power.

 4.5 stars. 

The publication date is January 9, 2024.

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The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

 The gang is all back in this third installment of the Thursday Murder Club series, and romance, as well as murder, is the focus of this book.

A decade-old cold case grabs the attention of Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim: TV host Bethany Waites appears to have been murdered over her investigation into a money laundering scheme when her car was sent over a cliff, but the body was never recovered. What became of her body, and who is behind the supposed murder? Focusing on these questions leads them to her former co-host, Mike Waghorn, who is still mourning her even after all these years. While investigating their latest case, they also get involved with a former KGB agent and a mysterious Viking who instructs Elizabeth to kill the former agent, or he will kill Joyce, all because of a misunderstanding involving cryptocurrency. What lengths will Elizabeth go to save her friend?

Osman once again deftly works multiple storylines into a cohesive whole while exploring the intricacy of money laundering and cryptocurrency. Additionally, there are several new, interesting characters introduced who will probably be featured again--or at least I hope so. I loved the intricate plotting and humor the series is known for. This is a terrific addition to the series. 4.5 stars.

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The Collector by Daniel Silva

 

One of the things I like best about Silva's Gabriel Allon series is that they are always relevant. This book deals with the war in Ukraine and Russia's aggression. While that may seem like a downer, Silva's blend of fact and fiction is so good and plausible I had a hard time distinguishing between them.

Retired from the Israeli spy game and now restoring paintings full-time in Venice, Allon is approached by the head of Rome's Art Squad when a murder victim is found in his villa on the Amalfi Coast, and a long-lost van Gogh is also there. What's missing is another stolen painting, this one by Vermeer, and Gabriel is asked to track it down. How does he end up involved in the Russian/Ukrainian war? Well, that's at the heart of the novel, and even with side trips to Denmark and Finland,  it all ties together.

I always learn something from a Daniel Silva book--mostly art-related--but his focus on current world events is always enlightening. I do like the main character with his struggle to lead a quiet life after the everyday violence he seemed to face when he was an Israeli spy. No matter how hard he tries, he always gets pulled back into the game. Although the books are somewhat formulaic, they are always action-packed and entertaining. This latest book in the series is no exception. 4 Stars.

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