Novel but Nice

My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland My rating: 4 of 5 stars ***3.5 stars for a wonderful police procedural debut*** This book is a strong start to a new police procedural series with a twist by Stephanie Marland, who has also published as Stephanie Broadribb. I did a bit of research into this book and it appears to be the beginning of a new series about Stark and Bell, who are our two narrators and lead characters. When I found out that this may be the first in a series, I felt that it was much easier for me to place this book in context of what to expect, and where some stories were left with threads hanging (presumably to set those up for the next installment). This book had some outstanding twists and some polarizing characters—all of which made for an interesting read! I thought Stephanie did a particularly good job with keeping the reader guessing with the way the plot unfolded. It had many of the distractions that are some common in real police investigations...

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book had me completely hooked from page one! I have to give this 5 glowing stars for Ruth Ware—who if I’m being honest never disappoints me! This book was positively haunting!!! It was spooky yet meaningful, with lovely prose and compelling plot twists. I cannot recommend it enough! I finished this book last night. It was one of those books that I stayed up late on a work night to finish, because I was so invested in the story. Hal’s dilemma had me completely immersed in the book. I think most readers will find themselves wondering what they would do if they were in Hal’s position! One thing that Ruth Ware does so well in this book (and in her previous work) is to write about characters that are cut off from society in some way. Sometimes this is done through a setting or an experience, and other times it is done through their social predicament. Hal fell into the latter category, with a dash of ...

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow! The number of twists in this book had my head spinning! Jessica Knoll brings us a wonderful but terrifying portrayal of the dark side of sisterhood, leaving the reader wondering if the drama we see on Reality TV is actually less twisted than the truth. I found this novel absolutely captivating! Jessica’s use of alternating narrators kept me on my toes—I didn’t know who to trust or believe. Once I thought I had the dynamics and characters figured out, the narrator would change and everything I thought I knew was turned over. I have followed Jessica Knoll’s work since her days at Cosmopolitan Magazine, when she wrote her Josie stories. From there, I followed her blog as she kept Josie alive. Though I liked the Josie stories, it was really when she began writing about Elizabeth that I saw what is so special about Jessica as a writer. She writes damaged characters so well; I hate them, I love them, they...

Lethally Blond by Kate White My rating: 4 of 5 stars Gosh, do I love a Bailey Weggins Mystery! If you've never read Kate White's Bailey Weggins series, I've heard them referred to as Cosmo Girl meets Nancy Drew. Fitting, since the author is the former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine. I absolutely love these books. They are fun, light-hearted, and usually have some good twists to them. This one was enjoyable for me, and could absolutely be read on its own (though the character develops across books, so it is also nice to read these in order). It doesn't spoil any of the previous books in the series, so a reader could dive in to this one as a solo book. Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free) Lethally Blond picks up with our heroine Bailey Weggins still working for Buzz Magazine. Buzz is sort of a celebrity gossip magazine, and Bailey writes about celebrity crimes. But now Bailey is about to find herself involved in a celebrity murder case that hits very close...

The Advice Column Murders by Leslie Nagel My rating: 4 of 5 stars What an adorable cozy mystery! A perfect weekend read :) I enjoyed this book immensely! One of my favorite aspects of this genre (the cozy mystery genre), is that you get the mix of the mystery/detective work, with this running commentary of the quirky lives of the town's residents. I actually discovered in the end of the epilogue that the author, Leslie Nagel, is from a real town of Oakwood, OH. Though there are likely less murders in the real Oakwood, I fell completely in love with this town, and Nagel's true experiences are why this town felt so authentic. This book made me want to live in that sweet town, with it's wacky residents and sweet hometown newpaper! Leslie Nagel's The Advice Column Murders is actually the third in her Oakwood Mystery series. I haven't read the first two, but any reader can absolutely go into this book as a standalone. At first I felt a bit thrust i...

I Know Where You Live by Pat Young My rating: 4 of 5 stars A fast, thrilling read! I just finished I Know Where You Live by Pat Young and I enjoyed this book so much! This book is a very plot-driven, quick read. Once I started, I had a hard time putting the book down because there truly weren't any slow points where I was waiting for the story to move forward. The pace of this story is quick and engaging. Also, I found out after I started this book that it actually involves a partial follow-on to a story told in a previous book. I worried that since I didn't read the first book, I may not understand some of the plot points--but that wasn't the case at all! This book really isn't a sequel. It stands completely on its own as a novel, and the events from the other book--though related--aren't really the point of this book. Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free) This novel tells the story of Penny and her husband Seth. They live in Texas, but decide to m...

Lie to Me by J.T. Ellison My rating: 5 of 5 stars Better than I could have imagined! This book was truly fantastic and worthy of the domestic noir/psychological thriller genres. I finished this yesterday and my head is still spinning from all of the twists and turns. I went into this book with some pretty big expectations, because so many of my favorite bloggers spoke highly of it. I have to say, it exceeding my expectations. Plot Teaser (Spoiler Free) A perfect couple... Ethan and Sutton Montclair are both successful authors, and the darlings of the literary world. They seem like the perfect couple, but there is so much darkness and deception lurking behind the doors of their beautiful Victorian mansion in Tennessee. There's is a marriage so full of passion, that at times it it becomes unhealthy. And then one day, Sutton disappears... Ethan awakens to find Sutton missing. Her normal routine has been broken, and he finds a note from her. Sutton says sh...