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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Saturn Run by John Sandford and Ctein

I like a good space opera and am a big fan of John Sandford's murder mystery books, so I was all in when I saw Sandford had collaboratively written a sci-fi book. He didn't disappoint.

It's 2066, and what is presumed to be a spaceship is spotted approaching Saturn by an intern at Caltech. Hoping to keep its appearance a secret, the US government, under the guise of joining an already planned Mars colonization trip planned by China, hopes to be the first country to Saturn to see what is happening. A crew of the best and brightest is quickly assembled, a space station is retrofitted into a galaxy-crossing ship, and the American crew, led by Captain Fang-Castro, settles into the long voyage. Unfortunately for the US, the alien spaceship is spotted leaving the planet, and now the race is on between the US and China to get to Saturn.

What follows is what can be best described as a space thriller. This engaging story has twists, subplots, and perhaps a saboteur. There are sections of hard science fiction that I admit to skimming as they didn't pique my interest, nor could I understand them. The story and characters are excellent and, typical of Sandford's writing, there is humor and great dialogue as the story unfolds quickly. Although he's no Andy Weir, Sandford produces an engaging story in collaboration with Ctein that captured my imagination. 

 4/5 stars.

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The Guest by B. A. Paris

This is the first book by this author I've read, and based on it, I will certainly read more.

Iris and Gabriel are going through a rocky spot in their marriage. The tension between them isn't helped when they return home from a vacation and find their friend Laure has left her husband Pierre and moved into their house. Laure is constantly underfoot and knows no boundaries, and as her stay doesn't seem to be ending any time soon, both fragile marriages are put to the test. Iris turns to her new neighbors for emotional support, but they, too, have a guest in the form of a mysterious gardener whose secrets Iris and Gabriel try to unravel. The tension continues to mount as the couple's lives become more intertwined.

Although not particularly fast-paced, this is an interesting story with secrets abounding. There are twists, but mostly, this is about the delicate nature of relationships. There are deaths, some of which I didn't find especially plausible. Overall, I found this to be a satisfying psychological thriller. 

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is February 20, 2024.

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Lethal Vengeance by Robert Bryndza

 I enjoy Robert Bryndza's Kate Marshall and Erika Foster murder mystery series, and this Erika Foster offering is one of the best so far.

Erika stumbles upon a murdered politician who is hog-tied and suffocated, but before she can get her team together, she is taken off the case, and the death is quickly ruled as natural causes. When another high-profile victim is found, killed in the same manner, Erika digs in her heels and battles upper management to take charge of the case. During her investigation, she uncovers another similar killing, and the hunt for the serial killer is on. The only thing known about the perpetrator is that she is a sex worker who leaves explicit photos at each crime scene, signed "Annabelle." What she looks like, and her motivation is another mystery the team needs to solve to catch the killer before she strikes again.

As usual, Bryndza does an excellent job of plotting and pacing to keep up the tension throughout the book. The reader follows Erika and Annabelle in their cat-and-mouse game, with Annabelle seemingly one step ahead. The more I got to know Annabelle, the more I was rooting for her--odd, I know, but she is so well drawn it was hard not to. Although this is the eighth book in the series, there are sufficient details to read this as a standalone and not feel lost. However, I recommend reading the entire series because it is so good.

4.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing, for furnishing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is February 8, 2024.

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