Review: Friends and Other Liars

Friends and Other Liars was given to me in exchange for an honest review. I was first attracted to the cover because it added to the mystery of the title but I was also concerned it might be geared to the YA genre. I do read a lot of YA but I was currently looking for something different.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that, while the characters weren't always extremely mature, they were adults living their lives, trying to find their way and put their pasts behind them.

Summary:

To all my old friends:
So here you all are. Nice to see you can show up for a person once he's dead.
When Ruby St. James returns to her hometown, it is to the grave of her old friend Danny, a member of a group that was, ten years ago, Ruby's whole world. The crew made a pact back then: stay together, stay loyal, and stay honest. But that was before all of the lies. Because even friends keep secrets. They just don't stay secret for long. Now Danny has left behind a letter for each of them, issuing one final ultimatum: share your darkest betrayal to the group, or risk it coming out in a trap he has created. When past mistakes resurface, the lines of friendship blurb, and four old friends are left trying to understand what it means to lie to the ones you love best.

The beginning of the book packs such a punch that you have no choice but keep reading to find out what other secrets will be revealed throughout the story. Once the initial hook, the book takes the reader back to the character's high school days and, little by little, their true stories are revealed. Chapters rotate perspectives and story development does take some time but I enjoy books about people and relationships so it kept me completely engaged.

The pacing was decent and as the end drew closer, the tension grew until finally, all was revealed. There was a bit of a twist as well where we weren't sure whose secret was whose. Without giving away any spoilers, I liked the way the story wrapped up in the end. It could have gone a different way and I would have been a little bit more satisfied if that were the case but I'm ok with the closing.

All in all, I really liked the book and I would definitely read other books by this author.

Can't Wait Wednesday, March 21st

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.

As usual, there are several I'm waiting for such as the newest Throne of Glass book or the next book in the Stoker and Holmes series. Most of the titles I am looking forward to are coming in the fall.

This is one that I am particularly excited about.  I discovered this series a few months back and read the first two books, Stalking Jack the Ripper and Hunting Prince Dracula.  I really enjoyed them.

Escaping From Houdini

Kerri Maniscalco

Release Date: September 2018

Summary:

Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they're delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It's up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer's horrifying finale?

What are you waiting for?

Review: The Woman in the Window

I was a little bit leery when approached about reading The Woman in the Window with my friends for book club. I had read The Woman in Cabin 10 and The Girl on the Train and I just wasn’t really satisfied with either of them. I was concerned that this would be the same type of story however, the only aspect of this concern that came true was the fact that the main character had a drinking problem, which seems to be a trend for female lead characters these days. Aside from that, I loved this book. The characters were real and I was invested in their well-being.  The main character, Anna, was likable even though she was emotionally unwell and I rooted for her from beginning to end. I loved the fact that I didn’t exactly know who committed the crime right away even though I had my theories. I liked the fact that there was a twist that I didn’t see coming. I was also very excited when I found the clue that led us to the criminal right before it was revealed in the story. 

Also, the pace of the story was steady and I found that I didn’t want to put the book down (even though I had to on several occasions). The story wrapped up completely with all questions answered and I felt satisfied when I closed the book. I immediately lent it to another friend and I can't wait to see if she enjoys it as much as I did.