Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones

 

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones  244 pages

In August of 1999, dazzlingly popular cheerleader Clarissa Campbell disappears from a party in the woods outside the rural town of Oreville, Washington and is never seen again. The police question her friends, teachers, and the adults who knew her—who all have something to hide. And thanks to Clarissa’s beauty, the mystery captures the attention of the nation. But with no leads and no body, the case soon grows cold. Despite the efforts of internet sleuths and true-crime aficionados, Clarissa is never found—dead or alive.

Over twenty years later, Oreville high-school juniors and best friends Blair and Cameron start a true crime podcast, determined to unravel the story of what—or who—happened to this rural urban legend. In the process they uncover a nest of dirty small-town secrets, the sordid truth of Clarissa’s relationship with her charismatic boyfriend, and a high school art teacher turned small-town figurehead who had a very good reason for wanting Clarissa dead. Such a good reason, in fact, that they might have to make him the highlight of their next episode…

But does an ugly history with a missing girl make him guilty of murder? Or are two teenage girls about to destroy the life of an innocent man—and help the true killer walk free?

This was an easy read that kept me interested. I would recommend it. 

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell - 384 pages

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Wow, loved, loved, LOVED this book!  If you are a fan of this author or mystery in general this is a must read.  I just could not put this down.  It pulls you in from the beginning; Josie seems a bit odd and I had to find out what her story was.  5 out of 5 stars-highly recommend!

Mostly Void, Partially Stars: Welcome to Night Vale episodes, volume 1 by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

 Mostly Void, Partially Stars: Welcome to Night Vale episodes, volume 1 by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor (281 pages)

Mostly Void, Partially Stars is just as advertised: a transcription of the first 25 episodes of the Welcome to Night Vale podcast. Each episode has a brief missive full of tidbits from one of the creators.  Although I quite miss the sound of Cecil Baldwin's dulcet tones, it is nice to be able to read the episodes directly. I have a difficult time processing things aurally; they sink in further when I read them. This has allowed me to enjoy this most excellent podcast more thoroughly.

If you haven't yet had the pleasure of listening to Welcome to Night Vale or reading any of the growing collection of novels, I highly recommend. It's horror, it's humor, it's heartfelt.

The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey

 The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey-321 pages

I really enjoyed reading this. I was a huge fan of The Office (and I still am). It's really cool that Angela and Jenna are best friends in real life and started their friendship on set while filming the first season of The Office. It's fun to learn some behind the scenes facts and stories. It seems like genuine friendships were made while filming the show and the crew sincerely got along well. The authors share that it was a very collaborative work environment on set and that the actors had some say in the direction of their characters. This is very rare in film and tv, which the authors mention. It's also cool that Jenna grew up in St. Louis and studied theater at Truman State University before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting. I've enjoyed reading stories about happenings on set and behind the scenes. The cast celebrated holidays together in real life in addition to on set. The authors share tips on attending awards shows and share encounters with other celebrities (like meeting Meryl Streep at an awards show and Angela being photographed with Billie Eilish, who is a big fan of The Office, at an airport). Also, Jenna shares some stories and favorite moments from the onscreen relationship between her character and John Krasinki's character, Jim. She titles this chapter "Jam" (Jim plus Pam). I especially enjoyed reading what she writes about the Casino Night episode and the kiss between Jim and Pam. I also enjoyed reading about their filming for the wedding scene at Niagara Falls. Angela writes a chapter about Dwangela (Dwight and Angela). They share a story about an episode during the final season when they have to ride a bus to film the episode and almost die of accidental poisoning. Their chapter on the series finale episode is really good. They share thoughts on different moments from filming the finale and watching the finale months later. The final chapter is about them starting the podcast Office Ladies and how it came about. I would recommend this to anyone who was/is a fan of The Office. I really enjoyed reading it. 

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson -- 401 pages 

Pip is not a detective anymore.

With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late? 

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick -- 384 pages

What happened to Zoe won't stay buried...

When Anna Cicconi arrives to the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year's Eve. Anna bears an eerie resemblance to Zoe, and her mere presence in town stirs up still-raw feelings about the unsolved case. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, stepping further and further into Zoe's life, she becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected--and that she knows what happened to her.

Two months later, Zoe's body is found in a nearby lake, and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Anna's confession is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn't satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina's podcast uncover the truth?

Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark -- 304 pages

The highly anticipated first book by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the voices behind the #1 hit podcast My Favorite Murder!

Sharing never-before-heard stories ranging from their struggles with depression, eating disorders, and addiction, Karen and Georgia irreverently recount their biggest mistakes and deepest fears, reflecting on the formative life events that shaped them into two of the most followed voices in the nation.

In Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered, Karen and Georgia focus on the importance of self-advocating and valuing personal safety over being ‘nice’ or ‘helpful.’ They delve into their own pasts, true crime stories, and beyond to discuss meaningful cultural and societal issues with fierce empathy and unapologetic frankness.

Welcome to Night Vale - Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor

Welcome to Night Vale - Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor - 416 pages

I'm not sure what to say about this one, other than this: if you like it weird, this book is for you.  Underneath all the weird, it breaks down to the story of Josh, estranged from his father Troy soon after his birth and raised by his mother, Diane.  Jackie, who runs the local pawn shop, is drawn into the whole messy affair of finding Troy when a mysterious man in a tan jacket pawns a note that says "KING CITY."  The note sticks itself to Jackie's hand despite her best efforts to remove it, and it ruins her life.  It's a mundane story wrapped in time warping flamingos, sentient hazes, constant surveillance, no-such-thing-as angels named Erika, tree waitresses at the local diner, and extremely fatal libraries.

The roots of this book began in the twice monthly podcast by the writers, which are delivered as community radio commentary on the doings of people and things in Night Vale as narrated by Cecil.  Listen to them (or don't; you don't need to context to enjoy the book by itself), but don't listen to them alone, at night, or if you're generally at odds with reality.  Or what you think is reality.  Actually, probably just don't listen to them.  Don't read the book, either.  Unless you need a traffic report.