Our House by Louise Candlish – A Review

Fiona Lawson’s fairy-tale life comes to a screeching halt in this story of betrayal and fraud. She returns home to find it isn’t hers anymore. Her house in the exclusive neighborhood—the one she shares with her estranged husband in a co-parenting arrangement—now belongs to someone else. And they claim she sold it to them!

This story is written in a unique contemporary style, with the MC telling a lot of the story via a podcast titled The Victim, complete with the typical twitter comments following each episode. A sign of the times? Add that to the Word document/suicide note penned by the estranged spouse, along with conventional chapters having POVs of the MC and of her husband, and you get quite an interesting read. Can’t say if I’d like to read this style a lot, but it was certainly fun.

The story centers around an unfaithful husband and his traffic citations. You read that right. Somehow this author manages to take a mundane topic like a speeding ticket and turn it into a full-length suspense that held my interest to the very “OMG” ending! And I mean that literally. The last three paragraphs of the book floored me! I can’t tell you the emotion I was feeling without spoiling the last twist, so I’ll just say, “Wow.”

There were places in the story where I thought it seemed a bit far-fetched, but then the author threw in a little back-story to make me buy it. Many of the twists and turns (and there were plenty) knocked me for a loop! I loved the way Candlish exposed the different characters’ motivations as the story unfolded.

The characters were developed, and the pace was good.

This is a British novel, not my favorite, but I tried to ignore that in my rating. I also tried to ignore the foul language. It’s hard to say if it was excessive. There was a lot, but it was true to character in those places. Structurally, I wasn’t crazy about the writing.

I struggled with how to rate this one but ended up giving Our House 4 stars (with an asterisk for language and content) because I really did enjoy reading it. Three didn’t seem like enough, and the ending alone was worth at least an extra half.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from

Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Formula of Deception by Carrie Stuart Parks – A Review

Murphy Anderson is looking for answers. She’s also running. From the past. From an escaped murderer. She’s changed her name, her looks, and her hometown. Will Kodiak, Alaska bring her the answers she seeks about her twin? Or will she be pulled into a dark mystery that threatens the thread holding her sanity?

As an artist, she is called to draw a ten-year-old crime scene from the memory of a dying man—a crime scene that has ties to secretive experiments of World War II. But soon, people involved in the investigation begin to die by not-so-natural causes.

I liked the unique storyline. The author has knowledge to sprinkle into the details to give it belief. The plot was thick with potential suspects. There were lots of twists and turns to keep the pace going.

I was sympathetic to the main character. I was also surprised by revelations about her personal story that eventually come to light. The ending tied everything up nicely.

I did find it a little difficult to keep track of the characters and the details in the beginning. This is a book you should read in chunks—not bits and pieces—or you risk getting lost.

I give this book four stars, and would read more by this author.

Available for pre-buy now, Formula of Deception releases on July 3, 2018.

I received a complimentary copy of this 

book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. 

Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Something Old and Something New...

I want to tell you all about a new Indie author--Terri Tiffany!

No, Terri is not a new author—she’s been around the block more than a time or two with published stories in many Chicken Soup books, magazines, etc, and even had a novel titled The Mulligan hit the shelves two years ago—via the traditional route. But now Terri has ventured into the land of self-publishing, with her first novel published last week. She has also stepped out of her usual genre into her true love—suspense.

 

 

 This story grabbed me from the start! 

Tiffany does a great job of making the MC’s special “gift” truly believable. Kate Song is a photographer who sees mystifying details that others can’t in her photographs—a puzzling phenomenon she was left with when she became the sole survivor of an massive explosion. Kate has spent her life running from the fame that event brought her—determined to shed the name Miracle Girl.

The setting for this story—the town of Bend, PA—is nothing short of eerie. The perfect backdrop for a suspense novel, complete with a cult-like community. The people of the Bend totally creep me out!

You can tell Tiffany's a seasoned writer. Her descriptions drew me into each scene. The story moves along at a good pace with lots of action—a real page-turner.  The characters are well-developed, and the tension between them kept the story engaging between the action scenes. There are plenty of interesting secondary characters to round out the tale. Tiffany does a great job of creating multiple suspects to keep me guessing the identity of the "trainer".

Tiffany also does a great job of wrapping up all the loose ends. Disappointing—I would have loved a sequel!

Did I mention this one is clean? Yes, a book that you won't be afraid for your teen to flip through. Refreshing to find a suspense that isn’t filled with sex and foul language. This story will appeal to a broad audience. My husband started reading it last night. He said, "Wow. This is a really good book."

Yes, it is a really good book. It's available now as a paperback and for Kindle and Nook. You can purchase The Bend at Amazon, and at Barnes & Noble.

I look forward to reading her next book. Terri Tiffany is an Indie author to watch!

Review of The Gifting by K.E. Ganshert

"If science is right, then I am crazy. And crazy is dangerous." 

      In a world where nothing supernatural exists, Tess Eckhart is positive she’s going crazy. After her complete freakout at a high school party, her family is too. So much that they pack their bags and move across the country, next to a nationally-renowned facility for the mentally ill. 

      Tess is determined to fit in at her new school, despite the whispers and stares. But when it comes to Luka Williams, a reluctantly popular boy in her class, she’s unused to a stare that intense. Then the headaches start, and the seemingly prophetic dreams that haunt her at night. As Tess tries harder to hide them, she becomes increasingly convinced that Luka knows something—that he might somehow be responsible. 

      But what if she’s wrong? What if Luka Williams is the only thing separating her from a madness too terrifying to fathom?

     I used to say I didn’t read much YA. I can’t say that anymore. I have discovered that I’m not too old to enjoy a youthful story. This particular book also fits well on the psychological thriller shelf, which is really my cup of tea. Although not as terrorizing as many PTs, the reader has to decide between what is reality and what is mental illness. The real draw for me is the twisted mind stuff—not necessarily the thriller part—so this book was right up my alley. (Think Secret Window or A Beautiful Mind.)

     For much of the beginning, I did think that the story would really appeal more to teens and twenty-somethings (my grandgirls) than my peers (a.k.a. old lady friends)—there’s a lot of high school social life stuff going on. But I was still entertained. Very entertained. 

     The main character, Tess, appeals to me from the beginning. Empathy pours out for this poor girl who is ostracized from the crowd, with her sanity hanging by a thread. Her world is one in which mental illness is shunned to a much greater degree than even in today’s world. It is considered a defect—even a danger—not worthy of being allowed to exist in society. Stack that kind of pressure on a mixed-up outcast teen! You. Will. Care. About. Tess.

     The story moves along at a good pace. I like Ganshert’s writing style—revealing Tess’s thoughts throughout the dialog. There are plot twists right up to the last page. And speaking of the last page…

     This book is the first in a three-part series. They are not ‘stand alone’ stories, but a continuing chronicle of the main characters’ experiences. Though this book is a good read without the other installments ***TINY SPOILER ALERT***—it has a cliff-hanger ending.  END OF SPOILER You will want to read the next.

     I have to be honest—I downloaded this eBook only because I am familiar with the author Katie Ganshert and it was free. The YA genre was a new branch for Ganshert, who has written many novels in the inspirational contemporary romance genre. I’ve had this eBook since last year, and finally decided to read it.

     I loved this story so much I am buying the other two books of the series! WARNING: Do NOT read the summary of parts two and three if you don’t want any spoilers. I just did and I was so… Nope. Not gonna tell. But the description does let you know what happens after the first book--something I didn’t want to know yet.

     If you can’t fathom reading about high school crushes and popular kids, don’t read this book. But if you want a thoroughly enjoyable story with mystery and a lovable underdog, I highly recommend this one. I’m giving it five stars! And I just now bought book two, The Awakening. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

 *UPDATE: I finished The Awakening and immediately purchased The Gathering. Loved book two even more than the first! I couldn't put it down. I went on to finish book three in a couple of days. I made excuses to sneak away and read. I highly recommend these three books.


This series is one of those where you don't want it to be over. It was amazing! There are lots of surprises in the plot. The characters were great. The pace was excellent. The only negative is there is no fourth book in the series!

 

Do read them in order as they are not stand-alone

stories, but a three-part tale.

This story would make an awesome movie!