The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

 I liked Dave's last book, The Last Thing He Told Me. It was a tightly plotted suspense thriller that kept me turning pages. I expected more of the same with The Night We Lost Him, but while it is a good story, it isn't nearly as suspenseful nor a thriller. It's more of a family drama.

We know that Liam Noone was thrown off a cliff, but the police ruled it an accidental death. His son Sam and Sam's step-sister Nora decide to look into the death - what they find are family secrets and lies spanning decades. The more they dig, the more they discover that they never really knew their father, and they even begin to question past and present relationships.

I was expecting a different book - something more suspenseful than what I got. Dave does an excellent job of slowly revealing Liam's secrets. Unfortunately, it is a little too slow, and the action sometimes dragged. I was surprised at the ending and thought it was a good twist. I recommend this book; just be aware that, in my opinion, it is not a thriller. 

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and S&S/Marysue Rucci Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is September 17, 2024.

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Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz

 

I enjoy Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders and his Hawthorne & Horowitz series. I even liked the TV adaptation of the first Magpie Murders book, and I seldom prefer a movie or series adaptation to the book. With this latest book in the H&H series, he has outdone himself. This book is both mind-bogglingly complex and ingeniously crafted.

All is not as idyllic as it once was in Riverside Close. A new neighbor has bought into this close-knit, six-home community, and the residents are up in arms about the noisy children, loud music, and plans for a swimming pool the Kentworthy family have brought with them. And when Giles Kentworthy is found murdered, suspicion immediately falls on the neighbors. The problem is which one. The police reluctantly call in Daniel Hawthorne and his assistant to help in the investigation, but when one of the neighbors kills himself and leaves a note confessing to the murder, it appears the case is closed. However, Hawthorne is unconvinced and continues investigating--much to the chagrin of the police and the residents.

In a nod to Agatha Christie, this is an excellently plotted and clever locked-room murder mystery with a suspect pool teeming with motives. It is a twisty whodunit that kept me guessing. Although this is the fifth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. 

5/5 stars.

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