Format: Hardcover

The Close by Jane Casey

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from HarperCollins to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

The Close by Jane CaseyThe Close by Jane Casey
Series: Maeve Kerrigan #10
Published by HarperCollins on 03/02/2023
Genres: Fiction / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths, Fiction / Thrillers / Crime, Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Fiction / Women
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Source: HarperCollins
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // IndieBound
Goodreads

‘If you haven’t read Jane Casey, start immediately’ Marian Keyes, the Sunday Times No.1 Bestseller Suburban bliss

The new neighbours seem just right for Jellicoe Close, a pretty street filled with perfect houses and happy families.

Sinister secrets

But one neat front door hides a ruthless criminal – and the new neighbours aren’t what they seem to be either. DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent are undercover, posing as a couple to investigate a deadly conspiracy.

Murderous deception

As they try to gather the evidence they need, they have no idea of the true threat they face – because someone in Jellicoe Close has murder on their mind...

‘A full-blooded triple-decker mystery...The Close is Jane Casey at her very best’
The Times

‘A deliciously bingeable read’
Ruth Ware

‘Another cracker from Jane Casey’
Cara Hunter

‘Thrums with the tension of a classic crime thriller’
Sarah Hilary

‘The most dangerously addictive series in crime fiction’
Erin Kelly

‘The Close is Jane’s best Maeve Kerrigan novel yet. Absolutely brilliant!’
Liz Nugent

‘A brilliant example of nothing being as it seems’
Harriet Tyce

Content Warning: Domestic violence references, human trafficking, child sexual abuse/molestation

By now we should all know that if a book is a horror, thriller, or mystery, I’m probably going to want to read it. So when HarperCollins reached out and asked if I’d like to read The Close by Jane Casey, I said yes pretty quickly. Thank you to HarperCollins for sending me this book and facilitating my honest review.

Characters

The Close has an interesting cast of characters, beginning with Maeve Kerrigan. I admit, I do quite like our main character and I love the leading man, Josh Derwent as well. They’re well written and even though this was my first encounter with them, I found myself full immersed in their story.

As for characters that should be unique to this particular book, my annoyance with Rhys Vonn has rarely been matched with other characters. Trust me when I say, he’s an ass. Not overly fond of Mike Knox, Tom Thwaites, or Brian[mfn]I don’t remember his last name and don’t feel like getting up to get the book lol[/mfn] either.

All in all, great characters that have enough background to keep you going. And special shoutout to Pippin… you’ll figure it out when you read it.

Atmosphere

I like the tiny suburb feel of the book. I don’t live in England and have never been to England, so I’m not sure if Jellicoe Close is meant to be a suburb, a tiny town, or just a neighborhood. But I love the setting so much. I love that it feels like one of those close-knit neighborhoods where everyone knows everyone, everyone gets along as well as they can, and everyone has a great time together. But it also has the feeling of being creepy, especially when an unknown person seems to be watching everything the neighborhood does. It’s great!

Writing

I really enjoy Jane Casey’s writing style. It is well paced, easy to read, and entertaining. I’m looking forward to finding and reading the first 9 books in the Maeve Kerrigan series and hoping there will be an 11th and beyond.

Plot

I really liked this plot. Posing as a couple to spy on one house because there may be wrongdoing going on, working a prior murder case at the same time, and then stumbling into even more trouble than they thought is a lot, and it works. It works very well. This plot kept me wanting to read more.

Intrigue

Well, it is a mystery/suspense/thriller novel, so obviously there is going to be intrigue! And it will keep you wanting more of it. Who is this mysterious lurker, whose thoughts we occasionally get to read? What is going on at number 7 in Jellicoe Close? What other secrets are the residents of Jellicoe Close hiding?

Romance

I know, it’s a mystery/suspense/thriller. But there is romance. There’s definitely a spark between Miss Kerrigan and Mr. Derwent. Even if they don’t really understand it yet and even if they don’t know what, if anything, they want to do about it. It’s very interesting and I want to know more. Again, hoping for more books…although leaving this budding romance this way makes me think there will be.

Ending

The book’s ending was a surprise but also quite satisfying. All of our cases have been wrapped up neatly and there are no strings hanging – except that pesky budding romance, of course. But this was a seriously great ending.

Conclusion

I gave this one 4.5 stars because it is truly a great read. It kept me on my toes and made me want to read the rest of the series, plus any that come out later on. I highly recommend it to my thriller lovers, especially if you like thrillers set in England.

House of Salt and Sorrows Book Cover

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Published on by Charli
This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. CraigHouse of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
Also by this author: Small Favors
Series: Sisters of the Salt #1
Published by Random House Children's Books on 08/04/2020
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Adaptations, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction / Romance / Paranormal
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal Library
IndieBound
Goodreads

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Get swept away by this “haunting” (Bustle) YA novel about twelve beautiful sisters living on an isolated island estate who begin to mysteriously die one by one. This dark and atmospheric fairy tale inspired story is perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.

"Step inside a fairy tale." —Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last--the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge--and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister's deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who--or what--are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family--before it claims her next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a spellbinding novel filled with magic and the rustle of gossamer skirts down long, dark hallways. Be careful who you dance with...

And don't miss Erin Craig's Small Favors, a mesmerizing and chilling novel about dark wishes and even darker dreams.

I bought House of Salt and Sorrows when it first came out and started reading it right away. But I didn’t finish it. I started reading it again a few months later, but again, didn’t finish it. Finally, after finding out that House of Roots and Ruin, the sequel to House of Salt and Sorrows, was coming out, I got off my butt and read it.

I have no idea why on Earth it took me so long to read this book. Part of it might have been because I’m actually not familiar with the fairy tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, of which House of Salt and Sorrows is a retelling. But whatever the reason, it absolutely shouldn’t have taken me this long to read this book!

I loved Annaleigh! She’s strong but also shows vulnerability, especially when certain events take place. I also loved most of her sisters – Camille wasn’t my favorite, but I did enjoy the triplets and the Graces. They were fun characters. Not particularly sure how I felt about their father and I really wasn’t fond of Morella, their step-mother. But I did quite enjoy Cassius.

I’m a huge fairy tale retelling lover, so it isn’t a surprise that I loved this one. Even though I wasn’t particularly familiar with the fairy tale HOSAS was based on, a quick Google search told me all I needed to know about the original tale. I loved the way Erin A. Craig wove the story around the idea of the Thaumas sisters being cursed because of the deaths of so many of them.

There were several plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that I highly doubt most readers would be able to guess. Especially the big twist at towards the end – that one was definitely not expected! It truly was a great twist!

I really love the ending – mostly because I was so sad at one of the smaller plot twists revealed towards the end of the book. It was the perfect way to end HOSAS and I am looking forward the House of Roots and Ruin.

This one got 4.5/5 stars from me and I highly recommend this book for those who love fairy tales and fairy tale retellings.

The Umbrella Maker's Son Book Cover

The Umbrella Maker’s Son by Katrina Leno

Published on by Charli

Today is my stop on the book tour for The Umbrella Maker’s Son by Katrina Leno. This is a middle grade fantasy novel that is really fun. The tour was organized by TBR & Beyond Tours, thanks for allowing me to participate.

I received an advance copy of this book from Little Brown to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!
The Umbrella Maker’s Son by Katrina LenoThe Umbrella Maker's Son by Katrina Leno
Published by Little Brown on 06/27/2023
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Family / Parents, Juvenile Fiction / Fantasy & Magic, Juvenile Fiction / Science & Nature / Weather, Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
Source: Little Brown
IndieBound
Goodreads

From a critically acclaimed author comes a fantastical middle grade novel about a boy determined to prove there’s more than just the weather behind his rainy town.

Oscar Buckle lives in a city where it’s always raining. And when it isn’t raining, it’s about to rain, so the townspeople have learned to embrace it. Oscar’s father is an umbrella maker—appropriate for a place where you can’t leave home without one!—but while Buckle Umbrellas are strong, reliable, and high quality, they’re expensive . Because of this, people are buying from the competitor instead, which is threatening Oscar’s family’s business.

To make ends meet, Oscar is forced to quit school and work in his father’s shop as an apprentice. But when extraordinary events start to occur in their rainy town, Oscar becomes suspicious of their competitor. Desperate to save his town, Oscar must enlist the help of his best friend, Saige, to discover if there’s more than nature involved in their city’s weather.

Content Warning: Grief, loss of a parent

Ok, I’m not always a fan of middle grade books but I liked the synopsis and decided to give it a chance. This is a really cute book!

We open with a really bad storm, but we’ve gotten ahead of ourselves, so we’ll have to backtrack a bit. And that’s OK. Sometimes that irritates me in books, but this time, I really liked it.

I enjoyed Saige and Oscar. They were a great team and I just thought that it was great to reinforce that boys and girls can be friends, best friends even, and not have to have romantic feelings for one another. They just worked as a team and I loved how Saige was in a wheelchair, but it wasn’t that big of a deal.

The concept of the story was really great and it was a lot of fun. A glossary at the back of the book helpfully explains the different types of rain, different foods, and different places found in the book. However, there are also footnotes when these things first appear and to give little extra notes about things.

I loved the ending – it left room for a sequel[mfn]Which I’m sincerely hoping there is one, because I will be reading it[/mfn] while being sufficient for a standalone novel.

I gave this 4.5 stars and I highly recommend it for not just middle grade readers but for any reader who is at least reading at middle grade level.

Some Shall Break Book Cover

Some Shall Break by Ellie Marney

Published on by Charli1 Comment

Today I’m bringing you a review of Some Shall Break by Ellie Marney. This review is part of the blog tour organized by TBR & Beyond Tours. Thanks for letting me participate!

I received an advance copy of this book from Little Brown to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!
Some Shall Break by Ellie MarneySome Shall Break by Ellie Marney
Series: None Shall Sleep #2
Published by Little Brown on 06/06/2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Horror, Young Adult Fiction / Law & Crime, Young Adult Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories, Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Violence, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / Crime
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Source: Little Brown
IndieBound
Goodreads

This electrifying, chilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller None Shall Sleep focuses on junior FBI consultants Travis Bell and Emma Lewis with a new case that may unravel everything they’ve been working for. 

After a harrowingly close contact with juvenile sociopath Simon Gutmunsson, junior FBI consultants Emma Lewis and Travis Bell went their separate ways: Emma rejected her Quantico offer and Travis stayed to train within a new unit of the FBI Behavioral Science division. But the unit’s latest case is feeling eerily familiar and Kristin Gutmunsson—Simon Gutmunsson’s eccentric twin—reaches out to Travis to send a warning: Emma is in peril.
 
When Travis and Kristin turn up evidence that points back to Daniel Huxton, the serial killer that Emma had escaped, things become more complicated. With a copycat on the loose, Emma returns to Quantico and is thrown back into her past traumas. Compelled to prevent more tragedy—even if it means putting herself in danger—Emma turns to Simon for help once again. But Simon is keeping secrets that could impact their entire investigation. Will the team be able to stop the Huxton copycat before time runs out for his next victims?

Content Warning: Murder, gore, trauma, sexual assault, sexism, violence, drug use, racism

Now you all know I love a good mystery/thriller novel and it doesn’t matter if it’s YA or Adult fiction. This one happens to be YA and it’s amazing! So let’s break down why I gave this book five stars, shall we?

First, we have our characters. I love Emma and Travis. Not so fond of Simon and Kristin… but that’s kind of to be expected. I mean, after all, the more you read, the more you realize their relationship is just… weird. But… Emma and Travis? LOVE these two. They’re just great characters all around. You know what motivates them, even if you haven’t read the first book, None Shall Sleep.

The plot for this book is quite interesting… the survivor of a serial killer helping the FBI to find a serial killer who is mimicking the very serial killer she escaped from. Deal with side plots such as the chemistry between Travis and Emma and the weirdness of Simon’s and Kristin’s relationship with each other. It’s a wild ride but it’s a great plot.

One of the things I like best about this book is that while you can tell it’s the second book in the series, you don’t absolutely need to read the first book to be able to follow what’s happening in this one. You can glean what you need to know to move forward with the story. Will you want to read the first book after this? Probably… I know I certainly do!

I also love the setting – we’re in 1982. There were a few things mentioned I had to make sure existed in 1982 because I didn’t remember them being around then! (Yes I’m old.) But it’s so much fun to see YA novels that go back in time to other eras – especially ones that today’s youth know practically nothing about.

All in all, this was a great read and one that was very difficult to put down. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Ellie Marney’s works. This one got 5 stars from me.

Minerva Keen's Detective Club book cover

Minerva Keen’s Detective Club by James Patterson & Keir Graff

Published on by Charli

Today we have a review for Minerva Keen’s Detective Club by James Patterson & Keir Graff. This review is brought to you in conjunction with TBR & Beyond Tours. Thank you for allowing me to participate in this tour.

I received an advance copy of this book from Little Brown to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Minerva Keen’s Detective Club by James Patterson & Keir GraffMinerva Keen's Detective Club by James Patterson, Keir Graff
Published by Little Brown on 05/01/2023
Genres: Middle Grade / Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Source: Little Brown
IndieBound
Goodreads

James Patterson has just created the most spine-tingling, creepy-crawling, giggle-producing kid’s detective club ever.
That’s ever.
Living in the luxurious Arcanum building—with its interior balconies perfect for playing tag, an elevator like an iron birdcage, and quirky neighbors behind every apartment door—has always been fun and games for twelve-year-old Minerva Keen…until her neighbors start getting poisoned. Anyone could be next, and everyone is a suspect, including Minerva herself.

To clear her name and help the police crack the case, Minerva starts her own detective club. So what if it has only two other members, one being Minerva’s accident-prone daredevil brother and the other being the biggest and quietest kid in school, who happens to be afraid of his own shadow? Minerva knows that with her brainpower, the club’s sleuthing skills, and case files full of suspects, they can unmask the poisoner…hopefully before it’s too late.

This page-turning new mystery series is packed with thrills, chills, laughs, and unforgettable characters and will leave kids eager to join the best club around.

Ok, we’ve established that I’m not the biggest fan of middle grade books, although I have read quite a few and the ones I’ve read have been very good. But I’m a huge fan of James Patterson, so my reading Minerva Keen’s Detective Club seemed like a no-brainer… with the exception of the fact that I’m not a big fan of James Patterson having co-authors. For some reason, the only books I’ve been able to read that he’s had a co-author for were The President is Missing and The President’s Daughter, which he co-wrote with Bill Clinton. Other co-written books have just fell flat for me. But this one? Oh, this one definitely was to my liking.

For one, it was funny. From the hilarious reaction Minerva has to being nervous to a scheme Heck[mfn]Minerva’s younger brother[/mfn] comes up with, I kept finding myself laughing out loud at this book. My roommates thought I’d lost my mind because I don’t often laugh while reading books[mfn]In my defense, I read a lot of fantasy, horror, and thrillers that don’t usually have much humor in them[/mfn].

For another, the book was seamless. One of my biggest pet peeves with James Patterson’s co-written books is that I can usually tell the difference between the authors and it drives me bananas. But with Keir Graff and James Patterson writing together, I couldn’t tell who had written any particular chapter or part of the book. While it seemed at one point there might have been a continuity error, it’s also possible that I just wasn’t paying attention.

Minerva Keen’s Detective Club is a very well written, fast-paced book. I read the entire book in a total of about 3 hours. I didn’t want to put it down because I wanted to know what would happen next. After all, there are several things going on in this book – and an ending you won’t expect. I know I certainly didn’t. I think this a great book to get your middle-grade aged kiddo into James Patterson and into reading.

I gave the book 5 stars because it truly is an amazing middle grade novel that deserves every one of the stars I gave it. I highly recommend this book – even if you aren’t a middle grade reader, if you like James Patterson, I think you’ll like this.

How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from BookishFirst to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle ValentineHow to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine
Published by Penguin on 08/30/2022
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Family / Siblings, Young Adult Fiction / Horror, Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / General
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Source: BookishFirst
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // IndieBound
Goodreads

Scream meets Happy Death Day in this terrifying stand-alone horror novel from YA scream queen Danielle Valentine.

"This terrifying book reads like a horror movie. No, wait. It has the suspense and shocks and screams of TEN horror movies in one. Great nasty fun!" —R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps and Fear Street

Alice Lawrence is the sole witness in her sister’s murder trial.

And in the year since Claire’s death, Alice’s life has completely fallen apart. Her parents have gotten divorced, she’s moved into an apartment that smells like bologna, and she is being forced to face her sister’s killer and a courtroom full of people who doubt what she saw in the corn maze a year prior.

Claire was an all-American girl, beautiful and bubbly, and a theater star. Alice was a nerd who dreamed of becoming a forensic pathologist and would rather stay at home to watch her favorite horror movies than party. Despite their differences, they were bonded by sisterhood and were each other’s best friends.

Until Claire was taken away from her.

On the first day of the murder trial, as Alice prepares to give her testimony, she is knocked out by a Sidney Prescott look-alike in the courthouse bathroom. When she wakes up, it is Halloween night a year earlier, the same day Claire was murdered. Alice has until midnight to save her sister and find the real killer before he claims another victim.

CW: Murder, Gore, Death

If there is one thing I can honestly say about “How to Survive Your Murder” it’s that while it isn’t a totally unique concept, the execution is pretty amazing.

The reason I say the concept isn’t totally unique is that it has the “going back in time to fix things” trope – something found in books like “Again, But Better”. I know some people don’t care for that particular trope, but I don’t mind it if it’s done right. Trust me when I say it’s done right in this book.

One of my favorite things about this book is the main character – she’s a horror-movie loving nerd, an expert on Final Girls. Thrown back in time to try to figure out who the real killer was and maybe save her sister, she runs up against some very interesting twists and turns.

This is one of those books where you’ll come to a point and say “I know who did it!” but trust me, you don’t. You absolutely don’t. Not until it’s time for the final reveal and then you’ll know. Danielle Valentine knows how to keep the suspense going and how to put in enough twists and turns that you’re never quite sure what’s going on or who did the deed.

I highly recommend this book for mystery/thriller/horror fans who like to be kept guessing and love to have lots of twists and turns in their books.

The Grace Year by Kim Ligget

Published on by Charli
The Grace Year by Kim LiggetThe Grace Year by Kim Liggett
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on 10/08/2019
Genres: Dystopian, General, Girls & Women, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

The Instant New York Times Bestseller!A speculative thriller in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power. Optioned by Universal and Elizabeth Banks to be a major motion picture!
“A visceral, darkly haunting fever dream of a novel and an absolute page-turner. Liggett’s deeply suspenseful book brilliantly explores the high cost of a misogynistic world that denies women power and does it with a heart-in-your-throat, action-driven story that’s equal parts horror-laden fairy tale, survival story, romance, and resistance manifesto. I couldn’t stop reading.” – Libba Bray, New York Times bestselling author
Survive the year.No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.
In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.
Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.
With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.

I’ve been meaning to read The Grace Year for quite a while now. I’d tried for it on NetGalley but had been declined. No surprise there. But then, there just seemed to always be other books I wanted to buy or check out of the library. So a couple weeks ago, I bit the bullet and checked it out of the library. Definitely not mad that I did.

The Story

I had a hard time deciding if I could actually call this book a dystopian novel or not. For one thing, most of the dystopian novels I read are set in a more modern era, usually after some sort of apocalyptic catastrophe has happened. The Grace Year seems to be set in a less modern time than most. But the ideas presented are definitely dystopian – and very misogynistic. But that’s actually kind of the point.

Leave it to men to decide that women possess some sort of magic that lures men into their beds. Like really? While I realize it is a central concept to the book, I found myself rolling my eyes every time the people of Garner County or the girls in their grace year mentioned the girls’ magic. I guess I’m a lot like Tierney, since she didn’t believe in any of that bull either.

The Characters

Tierney was a great main character. I loved seeing the story told from her point of view. I especially loved this part of the book:

I wonder what I’d see if I came across Tierney James today. And now I’m talking about myself in the third person.

Tierney James, The Grace Year, Winter, pg 180

I can imagine the sarcasm with which she thought it to herself.

I also enjoyed Ryker quite a bit. The fact that he was willing to sacrifice everything for someone he was taught to fear says a lot about his character.

The Ending

I have to admit, the ending kind of bugged me. I wasn’t expecting it to end the way it did. However – I would love to see a sequel because I really think we need a continuation of the story.

Final Thoughts

This book reminded me a lot of The Handmaid’s Tale. The plots are totally different, but the idea that women are little more than property. That women have one specific purpose and must be useful. It’s kind of why I want a sequel – we all know what happened to Gilead after The Handmaid’s Tale ended thanks to The Testaments. I want to know if Garner County gets taken down in a similar fashion. I know I’d like to read that story.

I gave this 4 stars. If you liked The Handmaid’s Tale, I think you’ll enjoy this.

Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert

Published on by Charli
Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa AlbertTales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert
Series: The Hazel Wood #2.5
Published by Flatiron Books on January 12, 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Dark Fantasy, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy, General, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 240
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
Goodreads

A gorgeously illustrated collection of twelve “lush and deliciously sinister fairy tales” (Kelly Link) by the New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood and The Night Country!
Before The Hazel Wood, there was Althea Proserpine’s Tales from the Hinterland...Journey into the Hinterland, a brutal and beautiful world where a young woman spends a night with Death, brides are wed to a mysterious house in the trees, and an enchantress is killed twice—and still lives.
Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans alike, Melissa Albert's Tales from the Hinterland features full-page illustrations by Jim Tierney, foil stamping, two-color interior printing, and printed endpapers.

CW: Violence, Death

Tales from the Hinterland is the book of fairy tales that is featured in The Hazel Wood and The Night Country. Weirdly enough, I could never seem to get into either The Hazel Wood or The Night Country. Perhaps I just needed to read the fairy tales the fueled the story.

I love fairy tales – the darker the better. I’m a huge fan of the original Grimm’s fairy tales. Yes, I do like the Disney versions as well, but in Grimm’s fairy tales, you don’t always have a happy ending. So it is with Tales from the Hinterland. These tales are dark, grim, and don’t necessarily have happy endings – although I suppose it does depend upon your point of view.

The tales themselves are interesting – although one of them I recognized and I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve read a similar tale or because it might have been featured in the part of The Hazel Wood I did get to read. In either case, the book was filled with deliciously creepy fairy tales. These fairy tales would honestly be a good read around Halloween.

One of the touches I particularly liked was the tie-in with The Hazel Wood. Not only is this the fairy tale book that is featured in series, but there is a title page that marks the tales as being written by Althea Prosperpine and collected by Melissa Albert. I love that touch – it makes it feel like this book really is the extremely rare book of fairy tales.

I gave this four stars because, like I said, I’m not sure that all of the tales were completely original. Again, the tale I recognized may have been told in The Hazel Wood, which is why I recognized it, but I feel like I actually read it in my book of Grimm’s fairy tales.

If you have read The Hazel Wood, I recommend you read this to see what the big deal about this book is.

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Published on by Charli
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. MaasA Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #4
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA on February 16, 2021
Genres: Action & Adventure, Epic, Fantasy, Fiction, General, Romance, Romantic
Pages: 757
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
Goodreads

Sarah J. Maas's sexy, richly imagined series continues with the journey of Feyre's fiery sister, Nesta.
Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.
The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.
Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.
Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.

CW: See this book’s trigger warnings on Book Trigger Warnings.

All I have to say is WOW. If you’ve read A Court of Thorns and Roses and thought Chapter 55 was steamy… wait until you see pretty much this entire book. For steam/spice, A Court of Silver Flames has nothing on Chapter 55! If you’re not a big fan of steam/spice, I’d avoid this book.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’m going to fully admit that I listened to A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) and A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF) on audiobook, but never read/listened to A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOWAR) or A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOFAS). I do plan to go back and read them, but I actually went ahead and read A Court of Silver Flames (ACOSF) first.

If you’ve read ACOTAR and ACOMAF, you really won’t be too lost if you read ACOSF without reading ACOWAR or ACOFAS first. I found that I didn’t really need to read those two books to understand what was going on in ACOSF at all. I know I missed some things, but it seemed to me that for the most part, books 3 and 3.5 really weren’t necessary for complete understanding of ACOSF.

My favorite parts were some of the zingers that the characters tossed around. I found myself laughing out loud enough times that my roommates would give me weird looks. I also enjoyed the banter between Cassian and Nesta – the double entendres that flowed like water between them, which the other characters didn’t miss at all.

Even though Cassian and Nesta were the main focus of this installment of the series, I have to say one of my favorite characters is Gwyn. I loved her character so much. How brave she truly is even if she doesn’t think so. I also loved Emerie.

Of course, there were also the characters I hated – Eris… Bellius… and a few others I could cheerfully reach through the pages and just slap the crap out of.

It’s hard to review this book without spoiling it, so I’ll just leave it at that. It was a definite five star read for me – I didn’t want to put it down and managed to read the entire book in 4 days.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Published on by Charli
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly JacksonA Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Also by this author: Five Survive, Kill Joy
Series: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #1
Also in this series: Kill Joy
Published by Random House Children's Books on January 5, 2021
Genres: Law & Crime, Prejudice & Racism, Social Themes, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal Library

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!
An addictive must-read mystery with shades of Serial and Making a Murderer about an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.
Everyone in Fairview knows the story.
Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.
But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?
Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.
And don't miss the sequel, Good Girl, Bad Blood!
"The perfect nail-biting mystery." --Natasha Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author

If there is one thing I do like, it is a good mystery. This one was definitely one of the good ones. The first thing you learn in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is that Sal Singh killed Andie Bell. At least that’s what everyone in town believes. Except Sal’s family and one other person. That person is our main character, Pippa.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – The Main Characters

Pippa is sort of an interesting character. She’s every faculty member’s dream. Her homework is done on time and very neatly. She studies all the time. Even when she chose to prove Sal Singh was innocent, she worked on that all the time. While she is an interesting character, I don’t think we got to see enough of her real personality. We got more of the workaholic than we did the actual person with Pippa. While she may be the main character in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, she isn’t the best main character I’ve ever seen.

Now we move on to Ravi Singh. Ravi is our second main character and Sal’s younger brother. He and his family have been deeply hurt by town’s belief that Sal killed Andie Bell. He would do pretty much anything to be able to have Sal’s name cleared. His personality has been shaped by the events that took place in 2014, when his brother was declared as Andie Bell’s killer. I wasn’t attached to him either. He just seemed a bit flat to me somehow. Maybe it was because I read most of the book between midnight and three AM.

The Review

I have to say that A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder was a great book – as far as the plot went. The plot had a lot of action in it and it was a fairly fast read once I actually sat down to read it.

One thing I found interesting about the book is that it is clearly set in the United States. However, Holly Jackson lives in the UK (London to be precise) and so some things that are unique to that part of the world are found in the book. They’re just little things, like everyone wanting tea instead of coffee. It doesn’t detract from the book in any way and I actually enjoyed it.

If there is one thing that you will find in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, it is mystery. First, the mystery of why Sal was pegged as Andie Bell’s murderer. Then we have the mystery of who doesn’t want Pippa investigating this case. Finally, we have the mystery of who really killed Andie Bell.

There are some heart-stopping moments in this book and it will definitely have you wondering what the outcome will be. I definitely never guessed it!

If you’ve read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and you liked it, you might also like There’s Someone in Your House by Stephanie Perkins.

The Toll by Neal Shusterman

Published on by Charli
The Toll by Neal ShustermanThe Toll by Neal Shusterman
Also by this author: Scythe, Thunderhead, Gleanings
Series: Arc of a Scythe #3
Also in this series: Scythe, Thunderhead, Gleanings
Published by Simon and Schuster on November 5, 2019
Genres: Action & Adventure, Death & Dying, General, Science Fiction, Social Themes, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 640
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

In the highly anticipated finale to the New York Times bestselling trilogy, dictators, prophets, and tensions rise. In a world that’s conquered death, will humanity finally be torn asunder by the immortal beings it created?
Citra and Rowan have disappeared. Endura is gone. It seems like nothing stands between Scythe Goddard and absolute dominion over the world scythedom. With the silence of the Thunderhead and the reverberations of the Great Resonance still shaking the earth to its core, the question remains: Is there anyone left who can stop him?
The answer lies in the Tone, the Toll, and the Thunder.

I’m going to admit, I was a bit confused when this book first started. I didn’t realize there was a time gap because I hadn’t read the blurb. I’d figured they’d have immediately started trying to salvage Endura, but clearly not.

I’m going to admit this right now, I can’t stand Goddard. He’s egotistical, he’s power hungry, and he’s a grade-A jackass. Yes, I said it. He’s a jackass. The way he treats people makes me want to reach through the pages and punch him. I can see why everyone hates him.

Greyson Tolliver’s character becomes much clearer in this book – he’s more defined than in Thunderhead and his reason for being in the story makes a lot more sense now than it did when I read Thunderhead. He’s not a particularly likeable character for me – he’s more just there because he needs to be, not because I’m intended to like him.

Sycthe Anastasia and Rowan are back, still like Anastasia better than Rowan and have no idea why those two are so much in love with each other, because there really isn’t much of a romantic arc to this story at all. But there you have it, they’re in love, for whatever reason.

I rather liked the Thunderhead and its scheming to save humanity. I understand totally why it was creating the different iterations of itself and how Cirrus came to be. I also understand that quite frankly, humans can destroy anything, even a perfect world. It’s our nature to destroy what is good and perfect.

I do wish for one thing though. Even if it’s just a novella, I want to see the aftermath. Both on earth and in space. I want to know what groups made it, which ones didn’t. I want to know of their lives after they made it to their new homes. I’m sitting here with burning questions and no answers.

This one was fast paced, even though it took me a bit to read it because I paused to read Blood Heir. When I was working on The Toll, I didn’t want to put it down. It’s a definite must read if you’ve already read the first two books.