In The Solarium

Happy Halloween Bookworms! If you are anything like me than this time of year is your favorite. I love fall with the cooling weather, the leaves changing colors, and of course, Halloween. And I am also a big fan of reading for the season. Of course read whatever you want whenever you want but there is just something very satisfying about reading something spooky or just a little darker for the season.   Especially if you are able to set the mood with cozy blankets, warm tea and lit candles. Bonus points if it is foggy or raining out.  Now, with out further ado time for some book recommendations.     Cackle by Rachel Harrison Fresh starts, new friends, and friendly spiders. This speculative fiction from Rachel Harrison left me speechless.  Everyone has dreamed of starting over in a new town where no one knows you and your past doesn't define you. Here, that happens and so much more. Perfect for: Those looking for a lighter fantasy, powerful friendships...

5/5  ⭐ *Potential spoilers ahead, read with care.  This was so much more than I could have ever imagined. It left me in a state for days after finishing where all I could do was think about it. It consumed me.  The Change  follows three women Nessa, Harriet, and Jo. All at different stages in their lives but come together with a common goal to right the wrongs that led to the death of an unidentified teen that the police seem keen to ignore.  Not all is well in this picturesque coastal town as the women dig deep and investigate they are met with threats, danger and new friends.    Nessa hears the voices of the dead, Harriet grows more than one might think in her wild gardens, and Jo can channel her anger and rage into something fiery. And together they force to be reckoned with that this town is just not ready for. These changes all come about with 'The Change' or menopause. Or if you are Blanche Devereaux, "The Curse."  I was cautiously optimisti...

 4/5  ⭐ Sarah Pearse is back with another destination mystery featuring Detective Elin Warner. A family trip to an all-new eco-retreat to help reconnect and learn more about new family members starts off as they travel to the island clouded with a dark past. The cast of characters presented covers the gambit, self-absorbed influence who scored the tickets, freeloading boyfriends, distant sisters, and cousins with a tragic past. Take your pick there is one of each. And they are all stranded together on this island with a murderer picking them off one by one. We definitely get to see some character growth with Elin which I loved. Instead of being stagnant and making it a focus of her character we get to see her grow from the traumas of her past. As well as see how she does solving a crime in an official capacity and being backed by her department. I love a locked room mystery and boy, does Pearse know how to structure one. The twists in this were flawless and kept me on my toes....

5/5 ⭐ A run-down, falling-down house surrounded by the sea and a visiting family so fractured it’s a wonder if they are even related. Daisy Darker has died so many times. Ever since she was young with a heart too weak to beat properly. Her life has been one big question mark of when will it happen next. It’s no surprise that I was drawn to this one. The mere mentions of anything Agatha Christie inspired whatever has me interested. And I was not disappointed. This novel starts dark and gets darker as it plays out. One by one people start to die, clues and hints, and macabre poems are left for the remaining to find. Building the tension here is something Alice Feeney does masterfully. Blending beautifully tragic laced prose with delicate and deceiving dialogue left me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. While familiar elements to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None were there, Feeney creates her own mystery masterpiece that is sure to please many. Thank you ...

4/5 ⭐ Set in a quiet little town, popular for it's easy access to the Appalachian trail, this atmospheric thriller will keep you on your toes as you race to learn the truth. With 6 missing people in the past 25 years Cutter's Pass has a long history that everyone loves to ask about. After an unexpected guest turns up and jumpstarts an search for answers, Abby becomes embroiled in the search for the most recent missing person and doesn't know who to trust with clues. This mystery is filled with twists and turns and leaves you guess right up until the end. Everyone has a secret they are trying to keep buried. And you never know what might get turned up. *This title is due to be released July 26th, 2022. Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner/Marysue Rucci books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. 6/21/22 *This review was previously published on my Google Site.

  4/5 ⭐ Followed by notoriety she never asked for, Natalie is looking for a way out of the darkness and evil that seems to find her. Even if that means leaving her job on the police force. Let me just start with holy cow, the imagery and language Blanchard sets us up with is... *chef's kiss, perfection. Very rarely do I feel like I am there in the scene following, watching the characters as the story unfolds. But here, I am walking with Natalie as she goes to interview potential witnesses or as she is driving along the snowy landscape of her hometown. It’s mesmerizing. I was disappointed that this was yet another story with a love triangle. And as it was introduced so early on, I knew it was going to be a prominent plot point to the story. But it made me cringe every time an interaction happened between Natalie and the one man she wasn't in a relationship with, Luke, her childhood friend, and boss. That right there should be a good sign that it wouldn't work. Too much histo...

  4/5 ⭐ A family brought up learning about everything through the lens of true crime. Murder, mayhem, and death are the Lighthouse family's close companions. I was looking forward to this book since reading the summary. I have a mild interest in true crime and was interested in seeing how this story would incorporate such a widely talked about topic. For some, true crime is overdone and saturates media. And if anything, I think Collins does a fantastic job of acknowledging that fact and takes on true crime in a new and unique fashion. We are immediately introduced to the main setting, Blackburn Island, home to a serial killer who was never caught and the home of the 4 Lighthouse children and their... peculiar parents. I thought that Collins did a good job with the characters introducing them one right after another without it feeling rushed or like we were missing something. If anything it felt as though we learned a lot about the family within just the first few chapters. Without ...

5/5 ⭐ I have a fascination with the macabre, as many of us do. And I think that is part of why this one called to me. A former sanatorium turned chic hotel on a swiss mountain takes center stage where this drama was to take place. And boy what a drama it was. With quickly deteriorating weather conditions, Sarah Pearse takes us on a dark and twisted journey into the tragic past of the hotel. And her main character Elin who is struggling after a horrific ordeal at work. She gives trauma center stage as she presents the different ways her characters deal with it head-on and in the aftermath. It was refreshing to see it treated not as just an after-effect of an event but as something happening at the moment and how it can have such an impact on a person for years to come. The dynamics Pearse creates between her characters never felt forced or shallow. The differences between Elin and Isaac's sibling issues versus Cecile and Lucas's makes for an interesting comparison. The tragic ev...

4/5 ⭐   Her conviction overturned, Ruby Fletcher has returned to Hollow's Edge putting everyone on edge. A suspenseful and thrilling mystery set in the idyllic community of Hollow's Edge where the residents have been plagued with bad luck and hidden secrets. The cracks are starting to widen as Ruby's presence frightens everyone around her. I felt that at the beginning it felt a little slow and it was hard to get into but eventually I couldn't put it down! I thought the inclusion of the Community Page messages was a nice breakup and also included something that everyone has probably had some experience with. It was definitely a slow burn mystery that made me question everything that happened. Who was telling the truth? Who was lying? What secrets were they keeping from one another? It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and is a perfect summer read. Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss+, and the publisher for my advanced review copy. Out on July 13, 2021. 6/7/21 ...