reecaspieces

Overview

In the early 2000s, a string of abductions rocked the small upstate town of Reine, New York. Only one girl survived: Alex Salerno. The killer, Ken Parsons, was sent away. Life returned to normal. No more girls would have to die. Until another one did.

It’s been twelve years since Kira Shanks was reported missing and presumed dead. Alex Salerno has been living in New York City, piecemealing paychecks to earn a livable wage, trying to forget those three days locked underground and her affair with Sean Riley, the married detective who rescued her. When Noah Lee, hometown reporter with a journalistic pedigree, requests an interview, Alex returns to Reine and Riley, reopening old wounds. What begins as a Q&A for a newspaper article soon turns into an opportunity for money, closure and—justice. The disappearance of Kira Shanks has long been hung on Benny Brudzienski, a hulking man-child who is currently a brain-addled guest at the Galloway State Mental Hospital. But after Alex reconnects with ex-classmates and frenemies, doubts are cast on that guilt. Alex is drawn into a dangerous game of show and tell in an insular town where everyone has a secret to hide. And as more details emerge about the night Kira Shanks went missing, Alex discovers there are some willing to kill to protect the horrific truth.

In the modern vein of Dark Places and Mystic River, The One That Got Away is a dark, psychological thriller featuring a compelling, conflicted heroine and a page-turning narrative that races toward its final, shocking conclusion.

Review

Alex returns back home or back to the place she would rather forget. She was abducted when she was a teenager and kept locked underground until Detective Sean Riley rescued her. This lead to her downfall as well as his. But that does not stop Alex from trying to find out a terrible secret from her home town.

I have been a fan of Joe Clifford’s writing for a few years now. And I will tell y’all something. No one has better characters than Joe Clifford. Alex is one of his bests. She is no nonsense, “hasn’t got time for that” type of woman. But, she is very self destructive. However, there is something so appealing and magnetic about her. I don’t know if it is her terrible ordeal which keeps the reader championing her or if it is her UNIQUE attitude.

Then there is Benny! My heart went out to this man! He is at the center of this mystery. The only problem is Benny cannot communicate in any shape form or fashion. Alex is determined to be his voice.

This is a non stop story which keeps you enchanted with every turn of the page. The great characters, the twists and turns, the non stop guessing makes this a tale not to be missed. Who is the killer and why?

I received this novel via Netgalley for a honest review.

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Overview

In Gilded Age New York, heiress Prudence MacKenzie and ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter investigate crimes that take them from the slums of Five Points in lower Manhattan to the Fifth Avenue mansions of society’s elite. In the late nineteenth century, women are particularly vulnerable . . .

LET THE DEAD KEEP THEIR SECRETS

Childbirth can be dangerous even for the wealthy. So when opera singer Claire Buchanan shows Prudence and Geoffrey a postmortem cabinet photograph of her deceased twin sister and newborn niece, they express sadness but not surprise. The popular black-bordered portraits are the era’s way of coping with the devastating losses that plague every family. What makes this death different is that Claire is convinced Catherine and her child were murdered.

Prudence’s friend is haunted by a sense of her sister’s lingering presence, and by the conviction that her dead twin is demanding justice. Catherine’s widower, Aaron Sorensen, is a cold, controlling man who swiftly remarried. Now his second wife is already pregnant and may be in terrible danger. In order to discover the truth and find evidence of Sorensen’s guilt, Geoffrey will delve deep into his past while Prudence casts herself as his next victim—putting her own life at grave risk .

Review

Prudence and Geoffrey are asked to investigate a possible murder of a mother and child. Very difficult to do in this time period. But, with the help of a postmortem photograph (yes this really was a thing to do!) they are hot on the murderer’s tail!

I have not read any of the other books in this series. This is a stand alone novel with just a few references to the previous books. The only thing, I would like to know more of Prudence’s past so, I must go back and read up! She is one interesting lady. She lets nothing stop her. I enjoy a tough woman and Prudence is definitely ALL THAT!

I am fascinated by all the deductions this group of investigators have to make. There is no modern day techniques and this crew really has to use their brains. This reads like a Sherlock Holmes tale. And the postmortem photo! Wow! Did not know people actually hired a photographer to take pictures of the dead, IN POSES!

As I said, this story reads like a Sherlock Holmes tale, which means it is a little slow in places. It is more deduction than action. But, I was enthralled with all the speculation and historical references.

I received this novel from Kinsington via Netgalley for a honest review

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Overview

The day Mia Jensen died, she finally got to live…

WHAT IF?

We’ve all played the “what if” game. For Mia Jensen, “what if” is a fact of life. Dissatisfied with her choices, she often dreams about what could have been. Now she has the chance to know. But that knowledge is going to cost her dearly. Only through death can she fully realize the value of her life.

Forty-year-old Mia Jensen is home after a terrible day, trying to figure out how she’s come to this point in her life, when she hears a strange noise from the kitchen. She investigates, only to be brutally attacked and left for dead. As she dies, she experiences some of the lives that could have been hers had she only made a different choice.

Can one woman can find peace with the path she’s chosen before it slips through her fingers forever?

Through the unique voices of New York Times bestsellers and rising stars in women’s fiction, A THOUSAND DOORS examines how our smallest decisions can create lasting effects, and allows the thought—can we actually change our lives

Contributors:

Kimberly Belle

Laura Benedict

A.F. Brady

Patti Callahan Henry

Paige Crutcher

Rebecca Drake

Heather Gudenkauf

Joy Jordan-Lake

Alisha M. Klapheke

Ariel Lawhon

Kerry Lonsdale

Catherine McKenzie

Kate Moretti

Lisa Patton

Kaira Rouda

Review

I really don’t know where to start! What unique idea!

Mia has been murdered. As she is dying she experiences what her life, or better yet, what she could have been if she had made alternative decisions.

I cannot explain what a wonderful read this is. If you follow my blog you know I do not read the blurb of a book. And, this holds true for this one. So needless to say, I was a little confused at the beginning of this book. But the more I read, the more I loved this tale! Every chapter is different. And in every chapter Mia is different. Sometimes she is good and sometimes she is bad. With all these various contributors, how could Mia not live a thousand different lives.

This is one not to be missed!

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

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Overview

A story of resistance, complicity, and an unlikely, transformative friendship, set in Paris, from internationally bestselling novelist Sebastian Faulks.

American historian Hannah intends to immerse herself in World War II research in Paris, wary of paying much attention to the city where a youthful misadventure once left her dejected. But a chance encounter with Tariq, a Moroccan teenager whose visions of the City of Lights as a world of opportunity and rebirth starkly contrast with her own, disrupts her plan.

Hannah agrees to take Tariq in as a lodger, forming an unexpected connection with the young man. Yet as Tariq begins to assimilate into the country he risked his life to enter, he realizes that its dark past and current ills are far more complicated than he’d anticipated. And Hannah, diving deeper into her work on women’s lives in Nazi-occupied Paris, uncovers a shocking piece of history that threatens to dismantle her core beliefs. Soon they each must question which sacrifices are worth their happiness and what, if anything, the tumultuous past century can teach them about the future.

From the sweltering streets of Tangier to deep beneath Paris via the Metro, from the affecting recorded accounts of women in German-occupied France and into the future through our hopes for these characters, Paris Echo offers a tough and poignant story of injustices and dreams.

Review

Hannah has moved to Paris to do some research on WWII. Paris has not been very kind to her in the past. She takes in Tariq, totally by accident. Tariq is a refugee determined to make it in Paris. Hannah and Tariq become strange friends but it works for them. Their connection is unique and enjoyable.

I love the matter of fact tone of this author. There is no sugar-coating, no over-dramatizing. It just is. However, the story is filled with mundane, everyday activities. This I could do without. It also repeats itself in several places. But, I could not stop reading. I enjoyed the characters and their struggles. Especially Hannah. She discovers something during her research and it totally knocks her for a loop! This is a game changer in this story.

I enjoy historical remembrance stories. This book did not have as many as I like, but it made up for it in historical references. I learned a lot in this read about the struggles many women had during the occupation of France. Not sure I have every really given that much thought. I love it when an author gives me a different insight.

I received this novel from Henry Holt for a honest review.

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Overview

The feel-good book of the year: a delightful novel of friendship, community, and the way small acts of kindness can change your life, by the bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv

Lucille Howard is getting on in years, but she stays busy. Thanks to the inspiration of her dearly departed friend Arthur Truluv, she has begun to teach baking classes, sharing the secrets to her delicious classic Southern yellow cake, the perfect pinwheel cookies, and other sweet essentials. Her classes have become so popular that she’s hired Iris, a new resident of Mason, Missouri, as an assistant. Iris doesn’t know how to bake but she needs to keep her mind off a big decision she sorely regrets.

When a new family moves in next door and tragedy strikes, Lucille begins to look out for Lincoln, their son. Lincoln’s parents aren’t the only ones in town facing hard choices and uncertain futures. In these difficult times, the residents of Mason come together and find the true power of community—just when they need it the most.

“Elizabeth Berg’s characters jump right off the page and into your heart” said Fannie Flagg about The Story of Arthur Truluv. The same could be said about Night of Miracles, a heartwarming novel that reminds us that the people we come to love are often the ones we don’t expect.

Advance praise for Night of Miracles

“Elizabeth Berg is a master storyteller and one of my personal favorites. Night of Miracles is full of charming, entertaining characters that tug at the heart.”—Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“The thing about an Elizabeth Berg novel is, it’ll always make you feel hopeful. True to form, Night of Miracles is wise and funny, not shying away from life’s troubles but spotlighting the shining small miracles and pleasures of ordinary days. And, of course, there are delicious cakes.”—Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us

Review

Lucille is aging gracefully. She teaches baking classes and she bakes caramel cakes for the local diner. She has touched many lives in her small town of Mason, Missouri. Her classes have begun to overflow so she hires an assistant, Iris. Iris becomes more than an assistant. She becomes a great friend. Then, there is the family next door. Lucille helps with their little boy, Link. And we can’t forget about Monica and Tiny. Will they find what they are looking for?

Every character in this story grabs you and plucks at your heart strings. If you read The Story of Arthur Truluv you have not forgotten how enriching it is! This novel is right up there with it! This is such a sweet and kind story about love, family, friendship and basically…life!

There are quite a few characters in this read. My favorites are Lucille and Link. Their relationship just twisted me in knots. I think it is because Link needs a friend now more than ever. Lucille knows this and she is there when Link needs her the most!

This is one of the sweetest reads of the whole year. And if you are not careful, it will make you shed a tear or two!

I received this novel from Random House for a honest review.

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