Review: Thirteen, by Steve Cavanagh

Thirteen, by Steve Cavanagh

Flatiron Books - 2019
Thriller - Legal
E-book

368 Pages

* I received this digital ARC courtesy of Flatiron Books, via NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Thirteen, by Steve Cavanagh is an edge-of-your-seat-nail-biter of a legal thriller. 

When Ariellla Bloom - one half of Hollywood's newest power couples is found murdered in their bed alongside the couple's chief of security, her husband Bobby Solomon is put on trial for the brutal double murder. Although the case is convincing, one of the jurors - Joshua Kane, knows that Bobby is not the murderer; he is. With his identity carefully masked, he  now sits on the jury deciding Bobby's fate. 

Defense attorney Eddie Flynn believes in his client's innocence. The evidence is stacked against them though, and the only way to save his client is to prove that someone else not only committed the murders, but framed Bobby as part of some bigger plan. Thus begins a elaborate and deadly game of cat and mouse that keeps the reader guessing and on the edge of their seat to the very end.

While part of a series, Thirteen can easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone. This was a first book for me from this author, and I did not feel the story suffered at all for not having read the previous books. 

Like many writers of legal thrillers, Cavanagh is a trial attorney, so as expected he knows his way around the court-room and its procedures. He is also a darn good writer though.  His characters were well developed, his timing on point, and the plot was tight, original, and wholly engaging - complex enough to not be a giveaway, but not so complicated as to be difficult to follow. I was hooked with the first sentence, and had far more difficulty putting it down than picking it up again.

Fast paced and clever, this book is exactly what a legal thriller should be!

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: Chances Are, by Richard Russo

Chances Are, by Richard Russo

Penguin Random House
Fiction - General, Literary
Print
301 Pages

* I received this ARC courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Emotionally rich and atmospheric, Chances Are is an engaging, character driven literary mystery. 

Set in 1971, amid the political backdrop of the Viet Nam war, three young men; Lincoln, Teddy, and Mickey - friends and roommates, and Jacy - the young woman they all love, are finishing college. As the Memorial weekend comes to an end, they all leave Martha's Vineyard and head into their futures. Jacy immediately disappears, not to be heard from again.

Forty years later,  the men, all in their sixties reunite at the beach house for a weekend. Jacy's absence is palpable and her disappearance has haunted these men over the years. 

Told in alternating points of view, the past and the present are revealed and then blended together to show how each of these very different people became who they were when they met, as they went their separate ways in 1971, and who they became in the years since. As the secrets of their lives are slowly revealed, we eventually find out what happened to Jacy when she left Martha's Vineyard in 1971.

I really enjoyed how this character driven story played out. Russo tells a story of of what differs and what stays the same over the course of time through his characters.  From the mood and the feel of the sixties through the eyes of the three young men having just entered adulthood against the backdrop the war and the draft, to the men they had become forty years later as they look to their their roots, hidden but firmly planted in the past. Russo's characters have a very real feel to them. They are emotionally complex, likable - but not without faults.

Jacy's character was also well developed and likable. The reader wants to know what happened to this young woman, and the truth behind the mystery of her disappearance is carefully revealed to the reader with graceful literary timing.

This was a first book for me from this author, but unlikely to be the last. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Arrangement, by Robyn Harding

The Arrangement, by Robyn Harding

Simon & Schuster 
Thriller
E-book 

352 Pages

* I received this digital ARC courtesy of Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Arrangement by Robyn Harding is a taut, highly enjoyable thriller that pairs biting suspense with the seedy and morally ambiguous underworld of money for companionship.

Tired of struggling to pay her Bills, and at odds with her two roommates, Natalie can't help but wonder how her fellow art student and friend Ava can afford high-end salon treatments, expensive designer clothes, and a sleek apartment. 

When her financial and living situation goes from bad to worse she follows Ava's lead and joins "The sugar bowl", an online dating site for matching young women - "sugar babies", with "sugar daddies" - rich older men willing to pay for their company (sex optional), and sometimes even pay a healthy monthly allowance. 

Natalie quickly finds such an arrangement with Gabe, an attractive, older man who is a highly successful corporate lawyer. Soon she is completely head over heels in love with with her rich benefactor. Gabe is a married man though, and he is not going to risk his family for her. When Gabe sees her infatuation getting out of control he tries to end it, but Natalie won't let go. Soon things spin out of control, and the result is murder.

This book had me drawn in right from the start. Well developed characters, and a well timed and suspenseful plot, made this a very engaging thriller. Harding has a knack for creating thrillers based on issues that we sometimes see in real world headlines. This makes her work feel believable and easy to feel invested in. The Arrangement is well worth reading for fans of suspense.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Lucky Ones, by Tiffany Reisz

The Lucky Ones, by Tiffany Reisz

Harlequin Audio - 2018
Literary Fiction / Suspense
Audiobook
Narrated by Emily Woo Zeller

10 Hours, 28 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐1/2

Ominous and suspenseful, The Lucky Ones was a good story that kept me guessing.  

Allison struggled when she entered the foster system, and was often bullied by older kids. Lucky for her, Dr. Vincent Capello, a well respected brain surgeon and philanthropist took her to live with him and his other foster/adopted children.  In his seemingly magical home, The Dragon (so named because at the right angle it appeared to look like a dragon), she bonded with the other kids and came out of her shell. But one day Allison is horribly injured and very nearly dies in what may or may not be an accident. The details surrounding the event are unclear at best. She is then swiftly removed from this family and all contact ceases. 

Thirteen years later, she is somewhat adrift as she is going through a break-up of sorts, when she receives a letter from Dr. Capello's oldest son Roland, saying his father is sick and dying, asking if she can come.

Back at "The Dragon" she is reunited with her foster father and siblings. But the events that surrounded her injuries and sudden departure all those years ago remain a mystery, and she may not be safe.  Allison hopes to find answers during her return to The Dragon. The real question is - was she lucky to be taken into the house, or lucky to get out? 

The story line was original, and well delivered. Reisz was able to create a subtle sense of danger that lingered in the background and added dimension to the story 

Narration was performed by Emily Woo Zeller with clear and pleasant tone and cadence, and good range of character and emotion.

A good suspense story with themes of morality and romantic undertones.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Sunday Summary - July 21 to August 3, 2019

Welcome to my Sunday Summary.  A look back on my bookish adventures for the past week.

I am sitting outside at the in-laws cottage on a very warm summer morning of a long weekend. Coffee at my hand, my dog contentedly exploring  the limits of her tie-out. 

Yesterday while taking my dog Pepper for a walk, I came across this gem.  We have plenty in the city, but it was a real treat to come across it in this tiny lake community! 

Books Reviewed:

The Favorite Daughter, by Kaira Rouda. My review of this thriller full of characters you will love to hate can be found  HERE

Magic For Liars, by Sarah Gailey. A magical mystery is reviewed in THIS POST

Rooms, by Lauren Oliver. A deep and moving ghost story. My review  is HERE.

Ramblings and Miscellany:

The very first Penguin Paperbacks were first published in 1935. Read more in THIS POST.

Advance Reading Copy (ARC) Books Previously Reviewed and Released this Week:

As I have fallen behind in both reading and reviewing, there are two books released this week that I will be reviewing. Chances are by Richard Russo, and The Arrangement,  by Robyn Harding. Stay tuned for those. 

Currently Reading and Notable Titles on Deck:

As above, I am currently reading Chances Are by Richard Russo and next on deck is The Arrangement,  by Robyn Harding. 

Happy Reading, 

Christine

Review: Rooms, by Lauren Oliver

Rooms, by Lauren Oliver

Harper Audio - 2014
General Fiction / Horror
Audiobook

Narrated by Orlagh Cassidy, Barbara   Caruso, Elizabeth Evans, Noah Galvin, Cynthia Darlow,   and      Courtney Shaw

9 Hours, 20 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rooms by Lauren Oliver is a beautifully haunting ghost story. 

Richard Walker has breathed his last breath. Estranged from his family, he was all but alone when he died...or was he really?

Now his family is coming to settle his estate and collect their inheritance. It is going to take more than the reading of the will to settle the affairs of this house though. His scorned ex-wife Caroline drinks too much, his daughter Minna enjoys the company of men too much, and his son Trenton is depressed and on the verge of suicide. There are other inhabitants in the house. Ghosts. The spirits of people who lived there before, that are bound to to the house itself, wearing it like a shared body.

All of the inhabitants of the house - living and dead, are dealing with painful memories, secrets, and traumatic histories, and they take turns in telling their stories, little by little. When Trenton begins to communicate with a new ghost, the lives of the living and the dead meet. The results are powerful and dramatic.

What bothers me about this book is that it is - in my humble opinion, often misclassified on two fronts. Because Lauren Oliver previously wrote YA books (I LOVED Liesl and Po!), many have mistakenly assumed that this book too is a YA. More importantly, I feel that it is classified as "Horror" just because of the presence of ghosts in the story, but the depth and beauty of the story would suggest something else. Literary fiction or Paranormal Fiction perhaps would seem more accurate to me. It was deeply moving, one of the most touching ghost stories I have ever read. 

One of my favorite passages from this book:

The audiobook was narrated by Orlagh Cassidy, Barbara Caruso, Elizabeth Evans, Noah Galvin, Cynthia Darlow, and Courtney Shaw. The narrators all had clear, pleasant voices and they were all well suited to their characters.  It is always a treat to listen to an audiobook with a cast of performers.

Rooms easily drew me in to its haunting tale and moved me the way few ghost stories do.

Happy Reading,

Christine

On This Day: July 30, 1935. First Penguin Paperbacks

On This Day, July 30th 1935 Penguin's first Parperback books

On July 30th, 1935, Penguin Books Published the first (as we know them) Paperbacks!

Ahhh paperbacks.  The preferred format for many a reader.  Hardcover books are large and heavy, but a paperback slides easily into a purse, tote, or pocket. Lighter and more affordable than its hardcover brethren, it is the also the affordable option for many. 

There was a time that good literature was not easily obtained by the average person.  Books were large, intricately bound, expensive, and sold mostly in upscale bookstores. Affordable options were poor quality in both writing and physical composition.

Ironically, we have a publishing executive's inability to find a good book in  a train station bookstall to thank for the quality, ease and affordability we enjoy today. 

Sir Allen Lane, the chairman of the British publishing house Bodley Head, was returning from a weekend visiting Agatha Christie's country estate, when he searched the bookstall in the train station for something to read on the long trip ahead.  Frustrated by the lack of quality options, he spent his time considering a way to make good literature affordable and more widely available.  

When Bodley Head allowed him to proceed but declined to finance the project, Allen Lane financed the project himself, and called the new line Penguin. He acquired the rights to reprint ten literary titles (You can view the complete list Here).  His plan was to sell the much cheaper format, at low margin, but high volume. To break even, 17, 000 copies of each book needed to be sold.  He set off in search of retail buyers. Woolworth's ordered 63, 500 copes, telling Lane his business plan was solid.  Penguin books was born. 3 million copies were sold the first year. Penguin separated from Bodley Head, becoming its own entity in 1936.

The color coded block design and familiar, friendly looking penguin are still instantly recognizable today.   

On July 1, 2013 Penguin and Random House merged to become the global publishing powerhouse Penguin Random House.  

Happy Reading, 

Christine