Suspense – Page 6 – One Chapter

Playing Nice by J.P. Delaney

Does biology trump love? As I listened to this book, I kept wondering what I would do if I were placed in such a predicament. After caring for a young child for 2 years, do you think you could relinquish control because someone made a mistake? Was it a mistake or was it done on purpose? It’s not like you got the wrong car, or the wrong dog (although this would be hard too), this is a small child who has depended on you, someone that you have cared for, protected, loved and bonded with for over 700 days. How could you walk away from that? My mind couldn’t fantom how anyone was going to win in this situation.

So many questions had to be answered after they proved that an error had occurred, and it began with who? Who would commit such an act? What did they have to gain from it? I should have slowed the speed of the audio down as I felt that the book was speeding out of control or was it just the intensity of the situation. I had my suspects but I didn’t feel that their motives were solid enough. I felt an emotional connection to the children, how would they feel now and again, later in the future, knowing what happened to them? Would this mess them up, could they bounce back, or would they need counseling to figure out why they now had another mommy and daddy? Trying to correct the situation, I found myself arguing out loud, as each set of parents had their own idea on what they felt was the best plan. Miles wanted to run the show, he thinks that he has everything under control and it frustrated me how he tries to take charge. As I learned more about the children, the motive of why become clearer and the suspect list dropped to just a few individuals. It was such a great book to listen to and one that completely took over my morning. I highly recommend it.

The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

What a terrific book by Tudor! This was my third book from this author and she never fails to amaze me. From the beginning pages, the story had my curiosity as Jack and her teenage daughter are relocated by Bishop Durkin. I didn’t know what to think as the reverend and her daughter were transferred to the small community of Chapel Croft. As the Bishop talks to Jack about this move and he mentions that Jack will be leaving behind the police observations, the crime scene and her angry congregation, whatever Jack did, it sounds pretty serious. The Bishop felt that this would-be Jack’s best option yet, as I read the book, this was supposed to a good option? I guess I wouldn’t want to know, what the Bishop thought were bad options.

When the mother and daughter arrived at their new community, it’s not all that promising. What happened that first day, should have told them something but I guess the reverend is used to drama. The pair was met by a pair of Burning Girls at their gate, Jack later find a gift that was left for her. Upon opening this gift, Jack finds she was gifted an exorcism kit and later, as their first visitor approached them, they realized that she was covered in blood. Welcome to Chapel Croft.

I liked how the book unraveled itself. I was interested in Jack’s past yet as the book progressed, there were other more intense issues at hand now. It felt as if Jack was trying to separate herself from her past and start anew, as she wasn’t saying much about what happened. As they arrived into Chapel Croft, they were pulled inside Chapel Croft and the events that surrounded this small community. Jack had seen the small church and she thought that it needed to be revived but she didn’t really know the church’s history nor the people who resided in the town. Jack was trying to distance herself from one horrible scene in her past and then, she ends up walking right into another one. As Jack tries to make sense of what has just been uncovered, she realizes that her past is never really gone. There were plenty of twists inside this book, and they were amazing as the stories unfolded.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you for my copy.

One By One by Ruth Ware

It was supposed to be a fun holiday for this small group of co-workers at the ski chalet. My eyebrows shot up a few times as the group made their entrance, as it didn’t seem like some of these individuals were prepared for these winter conditions. It’s a ski chalet and that means snow, cold, and unpredictable conditions. I also didn’t understand why Liz was amongst them, as she was no longer a Snoop employee. Getting comfortable with their new surroundings, the story of this tech company and its employees was laid out.

I felt that the team was catering to Liz for some unknown reason and Miranda, she was totally out of her element. Miranda might break a nail or scuff one of her high heels while on this holiday and where was Topher? Topher is one of the biggest shareholders, he should be there with them on that first night. There’s a big company buyout on the table which will be a huge benefit for some of them but in the meantime, it’s making things complicated.

Deciding to hit the slopes right away, not everyone makes it back. How can that happen, they were all just together, right? They haven’t even been their 24-hours. As they try to piece this mystery together, another member of their group has been discovered dead. When outside, an avalanche has struck their area and has caused major destruction. Wow, double whammy! Outside, the snow has blocked them in and inside, what’s happening to these employees? All I could think of was, let’s get shoveling and then, everyone needs to lock themselves in their room, we’ll be doing maximum social distancing for a while.

I liked the individuals who managed the chalet, I enjoyed their storylines and how they mingled with the guests. This book reminded me a bit of the book, Then There Were None. I liked the short chapters and how the situation deteriorated as the clock ticked. There were quite a few characters to evaluate for a motive in this case. I really thought it was strange how some of the individuals and the chalet wasn’t prepared for such a dangerous event. I would have thought that they would have many backup items on-hand. Having lived though a few disasters, I guess, you learn a few things along the way.

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight

Such interesting lives that some individuals live. At the beginning of this novel, I couldn’t quite figure out what made this novel so interesting. Everywhere I looked, this book was being talked about and individuals were giving it high reviews but it just wasn’t drawing me in. There was some drama occurring in the neighborhood and an area school was having some security issues but I was really hoping that this book would be a twisted mess.

In walks all these individuals and the book bursts open. A phone call from Zach takes Lizzie back to when they first met and she’s determined not to accept his case. As Lizzie investigates the scene where Zach supposedly committed the crime, I’m wondering where’s the authorities are, in all of this? What is the story behind Amanda’s death? Lizzie’s digging deeper and deeper into the case, discovering facts about her client, the victim, and others as the truth comes to light.

Lizzie discovers that Amanda had a lot on her plate. Having recently moved, Amanda was hoping that she had left a stalker behind in California, but did she? There also been a breach of security at her son’s school which had everyone on edge. Amanda had also been informed that the parties held at one of her neighbors are more than just a social gathering. A party has been planned there, a party that Amanda and her husband, have already planned to attend.

Lizzie’s not without her own issues as she flips through Amanda’s journals, traveling back through time. It’s when she closes these journals that she must face her own issues.

Ha! I enjoyed this fun story as these lady’s heads bobbed back and forth, flirting between all the adventures going on in their lives. So many hats to wear but which one will actually fit? As you can see, the book picked up and the ending was actually fun, in a twisted, delightful way. 4 stars

He Started It by Samantha Downing

“Hold onto your seat folks, we’re experiencing some turbulence,” that’s what the last third of the book felt like to me. What started out as a pretty calm read, fired it up by adding in some twists, mixed with some impressive intensity, to end the book with fireworks.

Here they are, twenty years later, reconstructing the family road trip that they had taken with their grandfather. Sure, some things have changed over the years, that much is true, but this is probably the last family road trip they’ll ever be taking together. Grandpa’s sitting in the trunk and he’s the reason they’re all there, just waiting to reach their final destination.

A few have brought along their spouses, a decision that seemed like a good idea in the beginning. While following the same route, they notice a few differences that have occurred over the past 20 years but it’s the individuals inside the car that have changed the most. They haven’t forgotten that journey twenty years ago and it seems that it was just the beginning for each of them. Why are they reliving that journey again? With what each of them thinks on this trip, it doesn’t look like this journey will end well.

I enjoyed riding along with this family as they hit the road. Family dynamics were definitely at work as the sibling reminisced about their childhood and how this trip came into being. I liked how the book time traveled between the two trips as I obtained a clear picture of the two separate events. It was interesting how the characters feel about the events unfolding and where their alliances were. Secrets of the past emerged and I began to see the individuals for who they really were. Oh, that ending…..I think my head is still spinning.

Shadow in the Woods and Other Scary Stories

I loved this little book. I didn’t know what to expect as I thumbed through it but now after reading it, I want to see if my library has more in this series. I didn’t expect such great scary stories inside this book.

There are 5 stories in this book: Shadow in the Woods, The Monster in My Room, Fingernails, The Writing on the Wall, and The Animal Behind the Locker. One of the them, gives me chills, just thinking of it now. The other four stories were fun and entertaining stories that kids will enjoy.

I have read a lot of short scary stories to my own children, to my granddaughter, and to the children I sub for as a substitute teacher. I liked how these stories kept the action going throughout yet the stories were not that long. The illustrations were colorful and enhanced the story. The font is big and easy to read. Great scary stories to put a smile on your face.

In Shadow in the Woods, Hugh knows he’s not supposed to walking in the woods at night by himself, yet he does it. He has to. It seems to be a long walk and he’s supposed to be by himself. In The Monster in My Room, Ruby is sure there is a monster under her bed, she’s sure of it yet no one finds anything when they look. In Fingernails, Tommy has a problem with biting his fingernails so grandmother thinks she can help him. In The Writing on the Wall, Sophie doesn’t like her new house and she thinks that no one is listening to her. In The Animal Behind the Locker, Emma hears noises behind her locker so she climbs in to investigate.

They reminded me a bit of the stories of In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories, only these stories weren’t that dark. I hate comparing books to other books but I don’t want people missing these books because they think they might be too scary, they’re not. These stories make the reader use more of their imagination making them ideal for younger readers. They’re fun, engaging stories that I really enjoyed. 5 stars.

To Tell You the Truth by Gilly Macmillan

Finishing up her 5^th book, author Lucy Harper feels relieved until her husband Daniel takes her for a drive. As they pull up to the Cossley House, Lucy wants to return home, as the haunting memories of her childhood are still here. Lucy writes popular crime fiction books featuring a character named Eliza. Eliza, a popular, money-making character that becomes much more than just an individual in her books.

With two time periods in this book, I wondered when they would meet up. Why doesn’t Lucy like Cossley House? It’s a mansion. What happened in her childhood to cause such a reaction? When Lucy finds out that her husband bought it for her, I was surprised at her reaction. Now, the story is getting interesting.

It’s the summer of 1991, young Lucy sneaks out of the house at night, dragging her young brother with her. It’s early the next morning, Lucy returns home to find her mother rushing out to meet her. Her brother? Isn’t he in the house sleeping?

So goes the story in 1991. What happened the night young Lucy and her little brother snuck out of the house? And now, Lucy is set to move into Cossley House, where this area, the memories of her childhood live on. The drama keeps building as her husband is supposed to be her assistant but now, his actions and comments are making me wonder if he really cares about Lucy and wants what’s best for her. I’m beginning to get an eerie feeling about him. Lucy’s actions and comments are making me wonder about her also.

This was a fun read, I liked trying to figure out what was happening with the characters. Why were they acting the way they were and what was this big secret? The flipping of the time periods was not that hard to keep track of and it all came together nicely in the end.

Found by Joseph Bruchac

This was a fast read that I enjoyed except I thought the ending came on rather quickly. If you’re into survival stories, this one is for you.

Traveling on a train, Nick is headed to summer camp, when he witnesses a tragic event en route to his destination. With only his small bag with him, Nick has a change of plans, when he’s suddenly thrown off the train. Relying on his skills as a survival instructor, Nick moves through the Canada wilderness with great precision and consideration. These skills are put to the test when Nick realizes that the individuals from the train are pursuing him and they’re wasting no time.

This was a fast, engaging read. Nick was a character I liked and enjoyed reading about. He respected the land and he planned out his next move. This wasn’t one of those far-fetched books where the character does outlandish things or the character acts stupid, Nick behaves and thinks intelligentially. I liked how individuals from Nick’s family would pop into his head as he was thinking or doing something, as that provided some information about him and how he felt or knew about an idea. I liked the idea of the rabbit stick too. As I said before, I think the ending was a bit abrupt for my liking. It’s a good, quick story, though. 4 stars.