Dead Letters

Ugh - was not a fan. Premise started ok but then quickly veered into the absurd. And it didn't help that this was one of those books that has ZERO likable characters. Not a redeemable one. Ava and Zelda are twins born into an alcoholic, vineyard owning family. Their dad walks out when their teenagers and their home life gets even more tumultuous. Ava is always the reserved responsible one and Zelda is easy-going, carefree and seeks out trouble. After college the two have a falling out and Ava flees to France for grad school. When Ava receives the call that her sister died in a barn fire she doesn't believe if for a second. Zelda is up to her old tricks and Ava is going to play her stupid morbid game. When Ava starts receiving emails from Zelda's email account - sh knows it's only a matter of time before she beats her at her own game. Dark, disturbing, and hard to feel pity for any of these shallow characters.

Last One to Lie

The twists and turns keep coming in this thriller. Fans of Gone Girl and The Woman in the Window will love this fast paced novel starring an unreliable female narrator that you just can't trust. When Kelsey goes to pick up her three year old from daycare and she's not there - shit hits the fan! Not only that but the daycare has no record of her ever being there and her husband has mysteriously disappeared. Did her abduct her? Why is no one taking her seriously? She starts to get close to Detective Paul Ryan - she'll use sex to get her way and she wants him extra motivated to help her find her daughter; her husband she could care less about. The detective soon realizes that things just aren't adding up. What is this gorgeous wife hiding and why does he keep going back for more? When readers finally get to the "aha moment" nothing is as it seems. Who will you believe when the web of lies is finally revealed? A shocking ending will leave all in awe.

The Thirteenth Tale

This novel is a book lover's dream; it's lush, gorgeously written, and the way the author lovingly talks about reading and the power of books makes you want to curl up with this unique novel even more. Margaret Lea, a book lover of the highest order and part time antiquarian book dealer and amateur biographer, finds a mysterious note. It turns out to be from the world's most famous living author, Vida Winter. Margaret is stunned, she has never even read one of Vida's 50+ novels, and how on earth does Vida even know who she is? Vida knows she is reaching the end of her life and she wants to set the record straight. For years, she has spun tales about her life, fearful for people to peer too closely in at her. However, now she is ready to get it off her chest, so she asks Margaret to be her biographer and thus begins a complex tale of deceit, mental health issues, and overall a most peculiar childhood where nothing is as it seems. Once you get started reading this there is no stopping, you have to barrel along to the end where even more surprises wait. A complex, beautiful, and haunting read. I can't wait to discuss this with my book club!

She Came From Beyond

As one who has religiously read everything by Matthew Quick, I instantly devoured this witty and ridiculous novel. It made me snort with laughter, chuckle, and read passages out loud to my co-workers because they were too funny not to share. The premise of this delightful novel is that Easy Hardwick has had an affair. With a married man who has children. She didn't know about the children until after she sealed the deal, but that eventually becomes a moot point. She feels bad about it and cuts off all ties, but once she realizes she's pregnant with his twins, she calls him. From that point on her cushy life as a b-movie actress is about to get really really complicated. Filled with hilarious dialogue, relatable characters, and enviable jobs, this book has a little something for everyone. A fantastic debut novel and I can't wait for more!