Good Reads & Views

Private: The Royals by James Patterson with Rees Jones
Fiction

What it’s about: Private is an elite detective agency. When kidnappers threaten to execute a Royal Family member in front of the Queen, Jack Morgan and his team have just 24 hours to stop them. While there are a dozen books before this one, and they do talk about a past case, I believe there is enough information in this book that you could read it alone. 

Why you might like it: It is fast paced with a surprising plot twist.

You might also like: New York, Actually by Sarah Morgan.

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The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Fiction

What it’s about: In this creepy Native American horror story, 4 friends in their 30’s, who all grew up on the Blackfeet reservation, are being stalked by an entity. A decade ago they ignored the hunting boundaries of their community and hunted an elk herd on land reserved for Elders. Big mistake!

Why you might like it: A well-developed cast of characters and a great combination of suspense and creepiness, coupled with beautiful writing, makes this an unusual read for the genre.

Reviewers say: “Jones's writing is raw, balancing on the knife-edge between dark humor and all-out gore as he forces his characters to reckon with their pasts, as well as their culture's. This novel works both as a terrifying chiller and as biting commentary on the existential crisis of indigenous peoples adapting to a culture that is bent on eradicating theirs. Challenging and rewarding” (Publishers Weekly).

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Little Black Dress by James Patterson
Fiction

What it’s about: A young woman determined to experiment with making her fantasies a reality.  With all decisions, there can be delightful and enjoyable consequences OR there can be ghastly and unpleasant consequences. The storyline is enticing to witness how a little black dress transforms her personality. I LOVE Patterson’s new co-author, Emily Raymond. I could not stand to put it down once I started reading it. I’m already looking for more books written by both of them.

Why you might like it: BookShots are an excellent read for people who do not have time to sit down and enjoy a much longer book.

You might also like: Let’s Play Make-Believe, written by James Patterson and co-author James O. Born.

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The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Fiction

What it’s about: Unappreciated suburban housewives tend to their True Crime book club while battling a dark force in the shape of James Harris, a charming new neighbor. FYI: Don’t mess with the housewives!

Is it for you? If you are on the squeamish side and break out in a cold sweat when rats (pgs. 128-132) and cockroaches (pgs. 295-298) are involved, you may want to pass on this one. If, however, you like horror with humor and don’t mind some gross stuff, you should enjoy this.

Reviewers say: “Hendrix draws shrewd parallels between the serial killers documented in the book club's picks and Harris's apparent vampire persona, loading his gruesome story with perfectly-pitched allusions to classic horror novels and true crime accounts. This powerful, eclectic novel both pays homage to the literary vampire canon and stands singularly within it” (Publishers Weekly); “Fans of smart horror will sink their teeth into this one” (Kirkus Reviews).

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Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith 
Fiction 

What it’s about: Private Investigators Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott are looking into the cold case of Dr. Margot Bamborough whose disappearance has some similarities to serial killings committed by Dennis Creed, who is serving a life sentence.

Series info: This is the fifth installment in the series which starts with The Cuckoo’s Calling, and continues with The Silkworm, Career of Evil, and Lethal White.

Reviewers say: “After wading through a barrel of red herrings, … Galbraith delivers the real killer, the least obvious of the lot, and it's a masterful, perfectly thought-through revelation … skillfully told, with a constantly gleeful interest in human awfulness” (Kirkus Reviews).

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Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
Fiction

What it’s about: Rose Gold and her mother, Patty, have a complicated relationship. For the first 18 years of her life, Rose Gold believed she was seriously ill, allergic to everything, wheelchair bound, and practically lived in the hospital. Garnishing sympathy from the town, Patty was given money and sympathy from her community, when, in reality, she was just a really, really, really good manipulator. She serves 5 years in prison. Upon her release, she begs Rose Gold to take her in, give her another chance, and everyone in town is shocked when she says yes.

Why you might like it: This novel was a nail biter. It had great pace and really keeps the reader interested. If you like books with surprising twists and a great revenge story, you’ll like this book.

Content warning: The mother in the novel suffers from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental illness in which the caregiver makes up or causes an illness or injury for the person under their care. While I do not feel the author goes over-the-top, this subject matter may be unsettling or upsetting to some readers.

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Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
Fiction

What it's about: Bookseller and blogger Malcolm is contacted by the FBI, seeking his help. Years ago he created a list of literature's most perfect murders, and now someone seems to be using Malcolm's list as a playbook for unsolved killings. Twists and turns galore, and if you actually figure out the killer early on (I did not), then kudos to you.

Reviewers say: "Swanson will keep most readers guessing until the end. Classic whodunit fans will be in heaven" (Publishers Weekly); "The perfect gift for well-read mystery mavens who complain that they don't write them like they used to" (Kirkus).

Author Notes: Swanson is the author of six novels including The Kind Worth Killing for which he won the New England Society Book Award and Her Every Fear, which was an NPR book of the year.

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Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella
Fiction  

Author Alert: Ghosts of Harvard is her first novel.

Reviewers say: “Every time I thought I knew where Ghosts of Harvard was heading, I turned out to be wrong. Part mystery, part ghost story, part psychological thriller, this novel is all entertainment” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult).

You might also like: Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline or Let me Lie by Clare Mackintosh.

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Conviction by Denise Mina
Fiction

What it’s about: True-crime fan Anna MacDonald’s quiet life as a housewife implodes when her husband leaves her for her best friend, Estelle. Grieving over the betrayal, she sets out on a wild adventure to uncover the real story behind a new true-crime podcast, which may have connections to her own secret past. She is joined by Estelle’s has-been rock-star husband Fin on a wild, fast-moving road trip.

Why you might like it: Good storytelling features a pair of reluctant heroes whose give-and-take relationship adds humor and heart. Anna is tough and endearing, and her back story is compelling and relevant to today’s “me too” movement.

You might also like: The intricately plotted and suspenseful thriller, Let Me Lie, by Clare Mackintosh, also stars a strong female character trying to solve a crime. Humor marks Olga Tokarczuk’s mystery, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, in which a woman fixates on a mysterious death.

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The Mausoleum by David Mark
Fiction

What it’s about: The year is 2010. Two old women are waiting for a dying old man to wake up so they can find out what he knows. The women’s story is told in alternating narratives and skips back to 1967 when the women first met in the graveyard of an isolated village by the Scottish border. WWII, espionage, POWs, Nazis, betrayal, they are all part of the story.

Reviewers say: “Deft writing, a plot filled with strange and unexpected twists, vivid characters, and a constant feeling of foreboding make this a gripping and unusual read” (Booklist). “Mark is writing at the top of his game” (Publishers Weekly).

Author notes: Mark is also the author of an excellent series of police procedurals, starting with The Dark Winter, which introduces DS Aector McAvoy.

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