Isabella's Reading Corner: Remember Yesterday (Forget Tomorrow, #2)

Remember Yesterday (Forget Tomorrow #2) by Pintip Dunn

Published October 4th 2016 by Entangled: Teen

Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn is the sequel to Forget Tomorrow which I adored. I have been anxiously awaiting publication and I was certainly not disappointed. Remember Yesterday picks up ten years after Forget Tomorrow ends and builds on the events that happened in the first book. I really don’t want to give too much away! Pintip Dunn has created such an amazingly lush world with intensely strong characters. There is a genuine feeling of depth to the relationships and interactions. This is one of the many reasons why I loved Forget Tomorrow and Remember Yesterday even more. 

Jessa was such an integral part of Forget Tomorrow, but in Remember Yesterday she really shines as we get to know her. There is excitement and there are thrills, along with some unexpected surprises. If you read and enjoyed Forget Tomorrow, you will probably fall in love with Remember Yesterday, just as I did. If you’ve not read the books yet, get started! I highly recommend them.

From the publisher:

Sixteen-year-old Jessa Stone is the most valuable citizen in Eden City. Her psychic abilities could lead to significant scientific discoveries―if only she'd let TechRA study her. But after they kidnapped and experimented on her as a child, cooperating with the scientists is the last thing Jessa would do.

But when she discovers the past isn't what she assumed, Jessa must join forces with budding scientist Tanner Callahan to rectify a fatal mistake made ten years ago. She'll do anything to change the past and save her sister―even if it means aligning with the enemy she swore to defeat.

You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on Remember Yesterday here.

Review: The Couple Next Door

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Published August 23rd 2016 by Pamela Dorman Books

Husband and wife, Marco & Anne, come home from a dinner party at their neighbour's to find their front door open and their baby daughter missing - so begins The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena.

From the opening pages the reader learns of the already strained relationship between Marco and Anne. As the investigation into the disappearance of their child progresses, more secrets are revealed about the parents and the people close to them. 

Lapena effortlessly conveys how suspicion almost immediately falls on the parents by the press and the detectives in charge of the case. The story had me quickly turning the pages to find out what had actually happened to the baby and whether one or both parents were involved. There were so many twists and turns my mind was spinning, but it was definitely an enjoyable ride.

From the publisher:

It all started at a dinner party. . . 

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors—a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . . 

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all—a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco  soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years. 

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family—a chilling tale of  deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

Review: Beautiful Maids All in a Row

Beautiful Maids All in a Row by Jennifer Harlow

Published October 11th 2016 by Alibi/Random House

Beautiful Maids All in a Row is the first in a series about ex-FBI agent Iris Ballard. After her husband is killed by a serial killer from a previous case, Iris relocates to a small town to teach forensic psychology. There is a new killer coined The Woodsman on the loose and Iris puts aside her reservations to help her former FBI partner and close friend Luke track him down.

Iris is a flawed, but not a fragile character. She loses her temper quickly and it's easy for her to head into an emotional downward spiral. Once she becomes involved in The Woodsman case she slowly pulls herself together to focus on bringing the killer to justice.

The pace moves quickly, there's no real opportunity to stop and think about what will happen next, which is something I really loved about the book. Luke and Iris are well rounded protagonists and it's easy to see how they are motivated and what drives them to solve the case over everything else happening in their lives. I would definitely recommend this title to my friends who enjoy suspense and crime thrillers.

From the publisher:

In this white-knuckle thriller for fans of Lisa Gardner and Karin Slaughter, a brilliant, troubled forensic psychologist finds herself matching wits with a frighteningly talented sociopath.

Dr. Iris Ballard’s glory days are behind her, so when Luke Hudson, her former FBI partner and onetime lover, asks for help constructing a psychological profile of an elusive serial killer who murders single mothers and dumps their bodies in the woods, Iris turns him away. She just wants to be left alone with her infomercials, her German Shepherd, and her vodka. That is, until she gets a peek at the case files.

The media has dubbed him “the Woodsman.” But after Iris learns the sickening details held back from the press, and as she sets foot onto the scene of his latest crime, she assembles a portrait of a more complicated, enigmatic, meticulous man. Control is his motivation. He thrives on it. Soon he even tries to manipulate the investigation by contacting Iris, hoping to rattle the woman he considers an intellectual equal.

The game is on. Iris thinks she has a read on her target, enough to push his buttons, to make him lose control. But when the Woodsman gains the upper hand, Iris faces the most painful reckoning of all—with her own violent past.