Book Review: The Immortalists

Author: Chloe Benjamin

Publication Date: January 9, 2018

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?

It's 1969 in New York City's Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children—four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness—sneak out to hear their fortunes.

The prophecies inform their next five decades. Golden-boy Simon escapes to the West Coast, searching for love in '80s San Francisco; dreamy Klara becomes a Las Vegas magician, obsessed with blurring reality and fantasy; eldest son Daniel seeks security as an army doctor post-9/11; and bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immortality.

A sweeping novel of remarkable ambition and depth, The Immortalists probes the line between destiny and choice, reality and illusion, this world and the next. It is a deeply moving testament to the power of story, the nature of belief, and the unrelenting pull of familial bonds.

Book Review: The Wife Between Us

Authors: Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Publication Date: January 9, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

The instant New York Times Bestseller! 

"The Wife Between Us bests The Woman in the Window in the didn’t-see-it-coming plot twist category." ―USA Today

"The best domestic suspense since Gone Girl." ―In Touch Weekly

"A jaw-dropping psychological thriller." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review 

"Fiendishly clever...in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. This one will keep you guessing." –Anita Shreve, New York Times bestselling author of The Stars are Fire

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.

Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage - and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.

Read between the lies.

Book Review: The English Wife

Author: Lauren Willig

Publication Date: January 9, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

From New York Times bestselling author, Lauren Willig, comes this scandalous novel set in the Gilded Age, full of family secrets, affairs, and even murder.

Annabelle and Bayard Van Duyvil live a charmed life in New York: he's the scion of an old Knickerbocker family, she grew up in a Tudor manor in England, they had a whirlwind romance in London, they have three year old twins on whom they dote, and he's recreated her family home on the banks of the Hudson and renamed it Illyria. Yes, there are rumors that she's having an affair with the architect, but rumors are rumors and people will gossip. But then Bayard is found dead with a knife in his chest on the night of their Twelfth Night Ball, Annabelle goes missing, presumed drowned, and the papers go mad. Bay's sister, Janie, forms an unlikely alliance with a reporter to uncover the truth, convinced that Bay would never have killed his wife, that it must be a third party, but the more she learns about her brother and his wife, the more everything she thought she knew about them starts to unravel. Who were her brother and his wife, really? And why did her brother die with the name George on his lips?

Book Review: The Illusionist's Apprentice

Author: Kristy Cambron

Publication Date: March 7, 2017

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Not all illusions happen on the stage.

Wren Lockhart, apprentice to master illusionist Harry Houdini, uses life on a vaudeville stage toescape the pain of her past. She continues her career of illusion after her mentor’s death, intent on burying her true identity.

But when a rival performer’s act goes tragically wrong, the newly formed FBI calls on Wren to speak the truth—and reveal her real name to the world. She transfers her skills for misdirection from the stage to the back halls of vaudeville, as she finds herself the unlikely partner in the FBI’s investigation. All the while Houdini’s words echo in her mind: Whatever occurs, the crowd must believe it’s what you meant to happen. She knows that if anyone digs too deep, secrets long kept hidden may find their way to the surface—and shatter her carefully controlled world.

Set during one of the richest, most vibrant eras in American history, this Jazz Age novel of illusion, suspense, and forgotten pasts is perfect for fans of The Magician’s Lie, challenging all to find the underpinnings of faith on their own life’s stage.

“Prepare to be amazed by The Illusionist's Apprentice.” —Greer Macallister, bestselling author of The Magician's Lie and Girl in Disguise

Book Review: To Catch A Killer

Author: Sheryl Scarborough

Publication Date: February 7, 2017

Publisher: Tor Teen

Series: Erin Blake # 1

“A twisty, cold-case mystery custom made for fans of Sara Shepard, PLL and Veronica Mars! The edge-of-your-seat plot, sinister backstory and smart, brave and irreverent main character made this whodunit unputdownable.”―Justine Magazine

In To Catch a Killer, a contemporary mystery by debut author Sheryl Scarborough, a teenage girl uses forensic science to solve the cold-case murder of her mother. Erin Blake has one of those names. A name that is inextricably linked to a grisly crime. As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case―which remains unsolved―fascinated a nation. Her father's identity unknown, Erin was taken in by her mother's best friend and has become a relatively normal teen in spite of the looming questions about her past.

Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother's killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she's secretly doing on her own.

Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she's close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it's too late.

If you want to spot a liar, just remember that concealing the truth is like swallowing a slow-acting poison. It might take a while, but it will get them in the end.

“It’s okay that you like him,” Spam says. “Serial killers are really popular. They get prison married and everything.”

Fifty percent of human DNA is identical to the DNA of a banana.

The start of this book did not match the ending for me – thus the 3 star review. It is a fast-paced read, the characters are likeable, the mystery has its high points, and the writing is detailed and easy to follow. However, I figured out the killer about fifty pages in and it was underwhelming to say the least. Let’s talk about some of the positives first. I loved the idea behind story. Erin’s past was morbid and completely built this awesome character with quirky tendencies and hobbies that consisted of experimenting with DNA testing and her love of forensic science. The details and tidbits that were shared about Erin’s love for forensic science were much needed and appreciated – so interesting! Her two best friends were eccentric and supportive of her ideas and were totally best friend goals. At the start of the novel, I was enthralled and could not put the book down. The writing was fast and the details were downright creepy and hard to think about. Overall, an amazing start to what I thought would be a 5 star read.

However, about fifty to seventy pages in I verbalized aloud, to myself of course, who the killer was – I was right. By this point, I was starting to deflate. I was also getting irritated with how everyone was characterizing the main character as becoming obsessed with the murder mystery – it was like the author was trying too hard to prove that Erin was keeping secrets. We get it; we already know the secrets. The romance was insta-love and it was a bit unbelievable. I really would have liked more of a buildup to their relationship instead of “oh, everyone thinks you murdered our teacher, but I don’t so let’s start dating.” With all of this being said, I enjoyed the first part of the book but not so much the last half.

Book Review: Daughter of the Pirate King

Author: Tricia Levenseller

Publication Date: February 28, 2017

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Series: Daughter of the Pirate King # 1

There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I've gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map―the key to a legendary treasure trove―seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

In Daughter of the Pirate King, debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling YA pirate tale.

“Lass, you've the face of an angel but the tongue of a snake.” 

“Even a man who’s spent his whole life at sea has reason to fear her when she’s angry. But not I. I sleep soundly. Listening to her music. The sea watches over me. She protects her own.”

“Oh, the ridiculous things one has to do when one is a pirate.” 

What a way to start off 2018! I am an avid lover of the Pirates movie collection and have been really looking for some swashbuckling reads lately to ease the fact that no more Pirates movies will be released. I have watched and read several reviews of this novel and thought I would give it a try since the main character Alosa was described as a “female Capitan Jack Sparrow”, and I must say that I agree one hundred and twenty-five percent. Alosa is fierce and will definitely be one of my favorite female characters of the year. The book is action-packed right from the first page and much of this action follows Alosa – she kicks anyone’s butt in her path, but what makes this so great is that she is a believable character. Levenseller has given readers a character with a past, and a rough one at that, that allows them to understand just why Alosa is so brutal!

It is obvious that our author, Tricia Levenseller, is a fan of the Pirates movies just like many of us, but that is not to say that this book is a reimaging of those movies. This story is original and completely unique. When I first picked up the book I was worried that I would not enjoy a story that was told aboard a pirate’s ship the entire time but there is never a dull moment. I am usually not an action/adventure reader, unless it is done well. I find myself skipping over those parts in many books that I read – but NOT THIS ONE! Alosa is my new best friend and if I am being completely honest I read this book in anticipation for its companion release at the end of February not knowing just how much I would love this story.