Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

I don't know which Ann Patchett book I like more, "Tom Lake" or "The Dutch House." I enjoyed them both, but I can't pick a favorite. Patchett is good at writing about families and the dynamics that exist, and her writing is excellent, as are her characters.

As the country began to shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Lara and Joe gathered their three daughters on their Michigan farm to help bring in the cherry crop. Seeking to relieve the tedious work, Lara recounts her life before marriage when she was briefly a successful actress and had a fling with a now-famous actor. Typecast to forever play Emily in "Our Town," she reprieves the role at a summer theater production and quickly becomes involved with the handsome and talented Pete Duke. As the cherries get picked and her past is revealed, sometimes uncomfortably, Lara's daughters begin to see their mother in a new light and question some of the choices she made and, in turn, their own decisions.

This is a story about the different types of love we experience, the heartbreaks, and the families we surround ourselves with throughout our lives. It is an engaging read with characters who are flawed but whose redeeming qualities outweigh their negative aspects. Always insightful and sometimes heartbreaking, this is another winner from Ann Patchett. 

5/5 stars.

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Baby X by Kira Peikoff

The premise of this book intrigued me--in the not-too-distant future, there is an illegal dark web company specializing in stealing DNA from high-profile individuals. It targets a renowned singer who hires a bio-security person to thwart them. In this cat-and-mouse thriller, future lives are at stake--literally.

Trace Thorne is tired of being blackmailed by the Vault, a dark website that keeps stealing his DNA and selling it to the highest bidder. He hires Ember Ryan, a bioengineer now specializing in eliminating DNA left by famous people. One year later, Thorne and Ember are confronted by a pregnant woman, Quinn Corrigan, a professional surrogate, who claims to be carrying Thorne's child. Are Ember's efforts ineffective, or has the Vault found a way around her methods? And, for that matter, is Quinn really carrying Thorne's baby?

Meanwhile, an aspiring journalist, Lily has garnered a fellowship at a premiere magazine. She competes for one coveted spot, so the story she pitches must be a hard-hitting piece. Drawing on her background, she pitches the idea of how reproductive facilities hold power to decide who can and cannot have a baby. In this age, when children are Selected based on desirable traits and conceiving a child naturally is frowned upon, the agencies that specialize in the selection process are all but playing God.

This is an engaging story following the lives of Ember, Quinn, and Lily and the reproductive rights of parents. It is both a plausible and frightening futuristic cautionary tale. The characters are well-drawn, with the details of their lives carefully meted out. It is fast-paced with a startling twist I thought I figured out, but it was way off. the mark. If you enjoy a good Robin Cook book, I think you'll enjoy this medical thriller. by Kira Peikoff. 

4.5/5 stars

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is March 5, 2024.

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What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan

Apparently, this book's plot was inspired by the Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie case. Still, the author does an excellent job of expanding and developing the fictionalized main characters and digging into what the parents went through.

Simon and Nina, together since high school, decide to go climbing at Simon's family home outside Stowe, Vermont, during a college break. Unfortunately, only Simon returns home, and the hunt is on to find out what happened to Nina. Simon's account of the events has holes in it, and Nina's parents enlist the help of the Vermont state police to find her. Meanwhile, Simon's parents, knowing Simon will be the prime suspect, hire a firm to focus on Nina and discredit Nina's family on social media. What follows is a story of what desperate parents will do to find/protect their children.

I thoroughly enjoyed McTiernan's book, "The Murder Rule," so I eagerly anticipated this book. Both are psychological thrillers that deal with family, especially between parents and their children and while both are good, "What Happened to Nina?" didn't quite measure up. The pacing and story are good and kept me turning pages, but this book fell apart at the end. The ending felt rushed, and some storylines weren't adequately addressed to my liking. Overall, it's a good, engaging read. 

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is March 26, 2024.

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Under the Storm by Christoffer Carlsson

What an interesting book. Unlike most police procedurals that focus on finding a perpetrator, this book looks more at the lives of those associated with the murder and what has happened to them over the years. It is an engaging and beautifully crafted novel that is by turns unsettling and embracing.

Rookie policeman Vidar Jorgensson is the first on the scene of a house fire, where he finds the body of murder victim Lovisa Markstrom in the ashes. Vidar also discovers the unconscious body of Lovisa's lover, Edvard Christensson, nearby and evidence he had been in the house before Lovisa's death. Edvard and the male members of his family have a history of violence and bad decisions, and it isn't long before he is arrested and convicted of Lovisa's murder. Edvard's ten-year-old nephew, Isak Nyqvist, who adores and defends his uncle, is soon an outcast among his peer group, setting his life path on an unexpected trajectory that intertwines with the young policeman.

The years pass, and although Vidor was on the periphery of the investigation., he can't stop revisiting the crime in his spare time. Edvard has never stopped saying he is innocent, and Vidor starts believing him, but how can he prove it with little evidence?

This is a mystery and a coming-of-age story as the reader follows Isak through his teen and young adult years. It is an expertly plotted and well-written book whose characters are nicely drawn. Carlsson is an award-winning Swedish writer, and this book is already an international bestseller. I'm so happy to have found this book and author.

4.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Hogarth Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is February 27, 2024.

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The Painter's Daughters by Emily Howes

In this excellent debut historical fiction novel, Emily Howes hits a home run with her depiction of the lives of Molly and Peggy Gainsborough, daughters of the portrait artist. It is an intriguing look into their lives and the secret the family tried to hide.

Children Mary (Molly) and Margaret (Peggy) Gainsborough lead a carefree life in the English countryside while their father Thomas tries to earn a living as a landscape artist. Realizing there is more money to be had as a portrait artist and bowing to his wife's wishes for a more societal life for their daughters, the family moves to Bath in the early 1700s. Success finds Thomas, but at what cost to his daughters? Molly's mental health declines, and Peggy, trying to keep the severity of it from her parents, vows to protect her from commitment to Bedlam. Little did Peggy know the implications of keeping this vow would have on her life.

This carefully crafted novel is beautifully written and transported me to 1700s English life. It is well-researched, resulting in an intimate look into the lives of the Gainsborough family and the society in which they moved. It is a fast-paced and engaging story that captured me from page one. Ms. Howes's next book is about the life of Mrs. Charles Dickens, and I can't wait. If you enjoy historical fiction or good storytelling, you should pick up this book. It's excellent.

5/5 stars.

The publication date is February 27, 2024.

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The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

At almost 800 pages, I hesitated to start this book even though it came highly recommended. Having waited for a long time for it at my library, I decided to try it. Oh my! What a wonderfully written, engaging, and unforgettable book.

In 1900, a twelve-year-old girl in India was married off to a 40-year-old man. This could be a more traumatic experience than it already was, but her husband is kind and waits until she is older to consummate the marriage. The girl, later known as Big Ammachi, becomes the matriarch of a family cursed with a condition where members drown in every generation.

Meanwhile, in Glasgow, a young doctor signs on to the Indian health service and is sent to work under the guidance of an incompetent, racist hospital administrator. What follows is his life as he comes into his own in the medical community in India.

I knew these two storylines would eventually meet, but it took a while as I followed the life of Big Ammachi through three generations. It is a story of love, loss, and exploring the political structure in turn-of-the-century India. Big Ammachi is a larger-than-life character, and her life, like most of ours, is filled with happiness and tragedy. How the characters and situations develop is a beautiful trip through a pivotal time in Indian history. Even after nearly 800 pages, I was reluctant to let the characters go. The story never lags, and I often neglected my to-do list to read just a few more pages in this epic family saga. Don't let the size of the book distract you. It's an adventure you shouldn't miss.

 5/stars

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