One by One by Freida McFadden

One by One by Freida McFadden -292 pages

Claire thought this would be a break from work and raising her two kids. A chance to tell her husband that their marriage is over. A week of hiking and hot tubs with two other couples.

Then Claire’s minivan breaks down on a lonely dirt road. With no cell reception, the group has no choice but to hike the rest of the way to their hotel. Its hot and the bugs are biting.  It seems like they are just going in circles.  Night comes..people go missing...lots of blood...strange claw marks.  Claire is determined to stay alive and make it back to her kids.  But who is hunting who?  

Typical of Ms. McFadden there are lots of twists and turns.  Not one of my favorites by her, but still a good read.

 

The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline

The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline-374 pages 

Two sons, one the black sheep, one the favored child.  Looks can be deceiving and parents can be manipulated.  In the end which one will prove to be the most loyal to the family?  I enjoyed this very much.  

The Coworker by Freida McFadden

 The Coworker by Freida McFadden-358 pages

So when you read the synopsis it really has nothing to do with what the book is about!  Really twisted characters.  Always a shocker of an ending.  This was my least favorite McFadden book thus far.  I did not care for it.

The Inmate by Freida McFadden

The Inmate by Freida McFadden-388 pages

Brooke is the new nurse practitioner at a men's maximum security prison.  Her old boyfriend is also in the same prison, serving a life sentence.  This is one of those books that when you are reading about their interactions you are screaming in your head to not trust him.  But in true McFadden style just when you think you have it all figured out she pulls the rug out from under your feet!!  A must read.  I LOVED it!

 

The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden

The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden-370 pages

A tale that only an author such as Freida McFadden can spin and leave you thinking about all of the possibilities long after you have finished the book.  Highly recommended.  I LOVED it!

The Teacher by Freida McFadden

The Teacher by Freida McFadden-393 pages

Eve and Nate are high school teachers...at the same school.  The twists and turns in this one will keep you guessing.  Things are not as they seem!  A definite read. I LOVED it!

 

Becoming the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar

 

Becoming the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar - 448 pages

A riveting, haunting sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller Chasing the Boogeyman—a tale of obsession and the adulation of evil, exploring modern society’s true-crime obsession with unflinching honesty, sparing no one from the glare of the spotlight. Will those involved walk away from the story of a lifetime in order to keep their loved ones safe? Or will they once again be drawn into a killer’s web? As the story draws to its shattering conclusion, only one person holds all the answers—and he just may be the most terrifying monster of them all.

I love how the author writes himself into this story and how he weaves the story together bit by bit.  I really enjoyed this sequel and how it was written.  Very well done.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley, 319 p.

"A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hunting Party.

The bride – The plus one – The best man – The wedding planner – The bridesmaid – The body

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed. 

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast. And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?"--Goodreads

A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari

A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #2) by Kate Khavari, 352 p.

"1920s London isn’t the ideal place for a brilliant woman with lofty ambitions. But research assistant Saffron Everleigh is determined to beat the odds in a male-dominated field at the University College of London. Saffron embarks on her first research study alongside the insufferably charming Dr. Michael Lee, traveling the countryside with him in response to reports of poisonings. But when Detective Inspector Green is given a case with a set of unusual clues, he asks for Saffron’s assistance.

The victims, all women, received bouquets filled with poisonous flowers. Digging deeper, Saffron discovers that the bouquets may be more than just unpleasant flowers— there may be a hidden message within them, revealed through the use of the old Victorian practice of floriography. A dire message, indeed, as each woman who received the flowers has turned up dead.

Alongside Dr. Lee and her best friend, Elizabeth, Saffron trails a group of suspects through a dark jazz club, a lavish country estate, and a glittering theatre, delving deeper into a part of society she thought she’d left behind forever. Will Saffron be able to catch the killer before they send their next bouquet, or will she find herself with fatal flowers of her own?"--Amazon

This was a fun and engrossing next book in the series. Khavari writes with whit and vulnerability, taking us with Saffron as she navigates an enthralling mystery all while trying to navigate personal feelings. I did miss Alexander in this book and wasn't a huge fan of the love triangle aspect of it, but that's just not a trope I enjoy in general. I will be looking forward to more in this series!

 

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #1) by Kate Khavari, 262 p.

"London, 1923. Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party for the University College of London. While she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon, she doesn’t expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin.

Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect, having had an explosive argument with Dr. Henry a few days prior. As evidence mounts against Dr. Maxwell and the expedition's departure draws nearer, Saffron realizes if she wants her mentor's name cleared, she’ll have to do it herself. Joined by enigmatic Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list?"--Amazon

Great new historical mystery series with a smart female lead. Gave me Veronica Speedwell vibes, and there's nothing wrong with that! Also, maybe you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this is one of the most beautiful covers I've seen in the past few years. 

Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell - 306 pages

A romantic cabin getaway doesn’t go exactly as planned. High up on the windswept cliffs of Pale Peak, Faye and Felix celebrate their new engagement. But soon, a chorus of ghastly noises erupts from the nearby the screams of animals, the cries of children, and the mad babble of a hundred mournful voices. A dark figure looms near the windows in the dead of night, whispering to Faye. As the weather turns deadly, Felix discovers that his terrified fiancée isn’t just mumbling in her sleep – she’s whispering back. Originally a contest-winning story on reddit.com’s horror community NoSleep , Stolen Tongues has received widespread acclaim and is now being adapted into a feature film.

If you are a fan of horror this is a must read.  I normally don't get creepy vibes from horror books but this one did just that.  The thought of something out in the dark woods mimicking loved ones trying to lure you out gave me the willies.  When I finished this book, initially I was let down by the ending.  Thinking on it now I don't think it was terrible, it did end well, just not how I expected it to.

The Guilty by David Baldacci

The Guilty by David Baldacci
(Will Robie #4)
432 pages / 11 hrs, 46 mins

"Will Robie escaped his small Gulf Coast hometown of Cantrell, Mississippi, after high school, severing all personal ties, and never looked back. Not once. Not until...his father, Dan Robie, has been arrested and charged with murder.

"Father and son haven't spoken or seen each other since the day Robie left town. In that time, Dan Robie...has been elected town judge. Despite this, most of Cantrell is aligned against Dan. His guilt is assumed.

"To make matters worse, Dan has refused to do anything to defend himself. When Robie tries to help, his father responds only with anger and defiance. Could Dan really be guilty?

"Unlike the missions Robie undertook in the service of his country, where his target was clearly defined, digging into his father's case only reveals more questions. Robie is drawn into the hidden underside of Cantrell, where he must face the unexpected and possibly deadly consequences of the long-ago choices made by father and son. And this time there may be no escape for either of them."  --from the publisher

I was completely engrossed in this story.  It had a psychological element that added drama to Baldacci's style.  Four out of five stars from me!

The Target by David Baldacci

The Target by David Baldacci
(Will Robie #3)
432 pages / 12 hrs, 51 mins

"Together, Robie and [Jessica] Reel's talents as assassins are unmatched. But there are some in power who don't trust the pair. They doubt their willingness to follow orders. And they will do anything to see that the two assassins succeed, but that they do not survive.

"As they prepare for their mission, Reel faces a personal crisis that could well lead old enemies right to her doorstep, resurrecting the ghosts of her earlier life and bringing stark danger to all those close to her. And all the while, Robie and Reel are stalked by a new adversary: an unknown and unlikely assassin, a woman who has trained all her life to kill, and who has her own list of targets--a list that includes Will Robie and Jessica Reel."    --from the publisher

This volume in the series felt like three short stories. I found it a bit choppy.  On the positive side, I enjoyed Baldacci's new characters and getting Reel's background.  I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith

Lethal White: A Cormoran Strike Novel  by Robert Galbraith --- 650 pages including Acknowledgements and Credits.

The fourth book in the Cormoran Strike mystery thriller series by J. K. Rowling writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith is the "Moby Dick" of the series in the opinion of at least two reviewers.  At 647 pages with the actual murder not occurring until almost 300 pages into the story, I have to agree with that assessment.

The plot is convoluted and diffuse, but centers around an aristocratic family fallen on hard times --- mostly through their own incredibly bad judgement and egotism --- and desperate to keep up appearances. The patriarch, Jasper Chiswell, is the Minister for Culture in the Tory government and working on the logistics for the 2012 Summer Olympics taking place in London. He hires Strike and his partner, Robin Ellacott, to find proof that a political enemy is behind an attempt to blackmail Chiswell over something that happened six years or more ago.  Chiswell won't say what he did, only that it wasn't illegal at the time but is now, and he doesn't want the press to get hold of it and embarrass him.

Another thread of the plot centers on Billy Knight, a forlorn and mentally ill young man who keeps insisting that when he was a boy he saw a child strangled  and buried down in the dell near his father's cottage on the grounds of the Chiswell estate. So Strike is intrigued when Billy's older brother Jimmy appears to be involved in the attempt to blackmail Chiswell.

And of course another part of the plot has to do with the irresistible attraction between Strike and Robin, unhappily married to a husband who is jealous, controlling and self-absorbed. 
The book could have been improved by some judicious editing, but it's still a compelling read and hard to put down. Galbraith/Rowling knows how to engage readers' attention.

The BBC has developed a television series based on the first three books in the Cormoran Strike series, called Strike, starring Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger. It's been shown in the U.S. on Cinemax under the title C.B. Strike. Rowling recently confirmed that Lethal White has been optioned for a fourth season of the show. When she started the book series she said she planned to do at least seven books, so we can expect more adventures for Strike and Robin.

Click HERE to read the review from The Guardian (U.S. Edition).

Click HERE to read the review from the New York Times.

Click HERE to read the review from Publishers Weekly.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.