Isabella's Reading Corner: Too Good to Be True

Too Good to Be True

Author: Carola Lovering

Publication Date: March 2, 2021

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Skye Starling, a wealthy young woman with debilitating OCD, is about to marry her dream man, except what she doesn’t know is he’s already married! When the truth is revealed, her world falls apart, but even more startling revelations are to come in this rollercoaster ride of suspense by author Carola Lovering.

Too Good to Be True is told from the alternating viewpoints of Skye, her fiancé Burke and his wife Heather. I’m not generally fond of the multiple narrator technique, but in this case the individual voices are distinct and contribute greatly to the effectiveness of the storytelling.

Character-driven rather than action packed, Lovering creates an in-depth study of the characters, providing an ample amount of backstory to support their motivations. The book contains lots of twists and turns. It takes a lot to surprise me but this unique thriller did just that! The story is well-written and precise and I was anxiously turning the pages until it reached its more than satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended.

From the publisher:

ONE LOVE STORY. TWO MARRIAGES. THREE VERSIONS OF THE TRUTH. 

Too Good to Be True is an obsessive, addictive love story for fans of Lisa Jewell and The Wife Upstairs, from Carola Lovering, the beloved author of Tell Me Lies.

Skye Starling is overjoyed when her boyfriend, Burke Michaels, proposes after a whirlwind courtship. Though Skye seems to have the world at her fingertips―she’s smart, beautiful, and from a well-off family―she’s also battled crippling OCD ever since her mother’s death when she was eleven, and her romantic relationships have suffered as a result.

But now Burke―handsome, older, and more emotionally mature than any man she’s met before―says he wants her. Forever. Except, Burke isn’t who he claims to be. And interspersed letters to his therapist reveal the truth: he’s happily married, and using Skye for his own, deceptive ends.

In a third perspective, set thirty years earlier, a scrappy seventeen-year-old named Heather is determined to end things with Burke, a local bad boy, and make a better life for herself in New York City. But can her adolescent love stay firmly in her past―or will he find his way into her future?

On a collision course she doesn’t see coming, Skye throws herself into wedding planning, as Burke’s scheme grows ever more twisted. But of course, even the best laid plans can go astray. And just when you think you know where this story is going, you’ll discover that there’s more than one way to spin the truth.

You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on Too Good to Be True here.

Isabella's Reading Corner: If I Disappear

If I Disappear

Author: Eliza Jane Brazier

Publication Date: January 26,2021

Publisher: Berkley

When Sera Fleece’s favourite true crime podcaster Rachel Bard disappears, she fears her idol has been kidnapped or worse. She becomes convinced Rachel has left behind a series of clues for her to save her. Sera sets out on a road trip to Rachel’s hometown determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, but what she finds there is nothing like what she expects in this fascinating and compulsive thriller. 

If I Disappear is a novel to immerse yourself in completely. There is a constant feeling of dread and despair as Sera continues on her quest to find Rachel. None of the characters are entirely trustworthy, including the narrator, but you can’t help but give yourself up to her somewhat confusing and unsettling thoughts. Sera leads you down a path you’re not entirely sure you want to go down, but once you start there’s no way to stop! Recommended.

From the publisher:

When her favorite true crime podcast host goes missing, an adrift young woman sets out to investigate and plunges headfirst into the wild backcountry of Northern California and her own dangerous obsession. 

Sera loves true crime podcasts. They give her a sense of control in a world where women just like her disappear daily. She's sure they are preparing her for something. So when Rachel, her favorite podcast host, goes missing, Sera knows it's time to act. Rachel has always taught her to trust her instincts. 

Sera follows the clues hidden in the episodes to an isolated ranch outside Rachel's small hometown to begin her search. She's convinced her investigation will make Rachel so proud. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won't be the last... 

Rachel did try to warn her.

You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on If I Disappear here.

Isabella's Reading Corner: Shiver

Shiver

Author: Allie Reynolds

Publication Date: January 19, 2021

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Five former friends reunite for the first time in ten years for snowboarding and reconnecting at a secluded ski resort in the French Alps. All is not as it seems though, and as old secrets emerge, so does some sinister activity and an approaching snowstorm...

Shiver, the superb debut novel by Allie Reynolds is chillingly suspenseful! The isolated wintry setting is menacing with a sense of unease added for good measure. The characters are elusive and somewhat slippery, fitting perfectly into the ominous mystery. Reynolds writes with flair as she seamlessly alternates between the past and present. I’ve been anticipating reading this book for some time now and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this tense thriller! Highly recommended.

From the publisher:

In this propulsive locked-room thriller debut, a reunion weekend in the French Alps turns deadly when five friends discover that someone has deliberately stranded them at their remote mountaintop resort during a snowstorm. 

When Milla accepts an off-season invitation to Le Rocher, a cozy ski resort in the French Alps, she's expecting an intimate weekend of catching up with four old friends. It might have been a decade since she saw them last, but she's never forgotten the bond they forged on this very mountain during a winter spent fiercely training for an elite snowboarding competition. 

Yet no sooner do Milla and the others arrive for the reunion than they realize something is horribly wrong. The resort is deserted. The cable cars that delivered them to the mountaintop have stopped working. Their cell phones--missing. And inside the hotel, detailed instructions await them: an icebreaker game, designed to draw out their secrets. A game meant to remind them of Saskia, the enigmatic sixth member of their group, who vanished the morning of the competition years before and has long been presumed dead. 

Stranded in the resort, Milla's not sure what's worse: the increasingly sinister things happening around her or the looming snowstorm that's making escape even more impossible. All she knows is that there's no one on the mountain she can trust. Because someone has gathered them there to find out the truth about Saskia...someone who will stop at nothing to get answers. And if Milla's not careful, she could be the next to disappear...

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

Isabella's Reading Corner: In the Garden of Spite

In the Garden of Spite

Author: Camilla Bruce

Publication Date: January 19, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

In the Garden of Spite is historical crime fiction based on the shocking real life murderer Belle Gunness. Enter if you dare! 

Told from the perspectives of serial killer Bella and her sister Nellie, the story is a descent into the mind of a terrifying psychopath. Bella thinks only of herself and displays a callous disregard for human life. She’s completely devoid of any compassion and yet I couldn’t stop reading to see what she could possibly do next. The book started a little slow, but before long so much was happening my head was spinning and I couldn’t put it down. 

Highly recommended.

From the publisher:

An audacious novel of feminine rage about one of the most prolific female serial killers in American history--and the men who drove her to it.

They whisper about her in Chicago. Men come to her with their hopes, their dreams--their fortunes. But no one sees them leave. No one sees them at all after they come to call on the Widow of La Porte.

The good people of Indiana may have their suspicions, but if those fools knew what she'd given up, what was taken from her, how she'd suffered, surely they'd understand. Belle Gunness learned a long time ago that a woman has to make her own way in this world. That's all it is. A bloody means to an end. A glorious enterprise meant to raise her from the bleak, colorless drudgery of her childhood to the life she deserves. After all, vermin always survive.

You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on In the Garden of Spite here.

Isabella's Reading Corner: The Woman Outside My Door

 

The Woman Outside My Door

Author: Rachel Ryan

Publication Date: November 24, 2020

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Georgina’s life unravels when her beloved mom is diagnosed with cancer and passes away. She becomes reasonably unsettled when her young son Cody insists he’s been interacting with an elderly woman who he claims wants to be his ‘New Granny’. However, there are no witnesses to these conversations or proof this woman even exists. 

One night Georgina becomes convinced someone is watching her and her husband Bren through their window. When she comes home to find her outdoor plants destroyed and the pots smashed, she begins to wonder if there may be some truth to her son’s sinister declaration that ‘New Granny’ is angry at her.

The Woman Outside My Door is a fast-paced suspense thriller and quick read with plenty of intrigue and nefarious activities! Alongside the mystery of Cody’s ‘friend’, who may or may not be imaginary, author Rachel Ryan manages to seamlessly add a potentially suspicious neighbour, infidelity and a secret from the past into the mix. Recommended.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the copy provided for review.

From the publisher:

An unforgettable new voice in suspense fiction, Rachel Ryan weaves a thrilling page-turner about a young mother who can’t shake the feeling that her son’s “imaginary” friend is putting him in danger and who will stop at nothing to keep him safe—perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Mary Kubica.

How far would you go to protect your family?

All children have imaginary friends, Georgina tells herself. It’s perfectly normal, and they all grow out of it in the end. But when seven-year-old Cody tells his mother about “New Granny,” the new friend he’s met in the park, Georgina is instantly suspicious. Something—call it maternal instinct—tells her he isn’t making it up.

But maybe Georgina is losing her mind. It wouldn’t be the first time, after all. And with her own mother’s recent death leaving her bereft and trying to cope with life as a busy working mom, it’s no wonder she’s feeling paranoid that Cody has invented a “New Granny” to replace his beloved grandmother.

Her husband, Bren, becomes the voice of reason, assuring Georgina that it’s just a game, the product of their son’s overactive imagination. But what if Cody’s imaginary friend is not so imaginary after all?

You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on The Woman Outside My Door here.

Isabella's Reading Corner: The Vanishing Deep

The Vanishing Deep

Author: Astrid Scholte

Publication Date: March 3, 2020

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Five hundred years ago, the Great Waves destroyed the cities and submerged them beneath the ocean. The inhabitants of the world have learned to live on water. On Palindromena, one of the few islands that exists, the dead can be resurrected for only twenty-four hours. Tempe is desperate to bring her sister Elysea back to life, but her reasons have nothing to do with love or affection. She wants answers surrounding the death of her parents that she can only get from her sister - secrets Elysea took with her to a watery grave. 

Lor lives at the Palindromena facility. He is riddled with guilt for believing he caused the death of his best friend and has firsthand knowledge of the emotional toll bringing back the deceased has on loved ones. Lor secludes himself away in the Aquarium, the facility’s basement where the bodies of the dead are stored awaiting resurrection. When Tempe arrives at the island their lives intersect and the story really begins. After Elysea is revived, she convinces Tempe to help her escape and together they try to discover what really happened to their parents. But a lot is at stake and Lor, along with Raylan, an employee of Palindromena, need to find them and bring them back before Elysea’s 24 hours are up.

The author brings her characters to life utilizing Tempe’s memories to enhance her sorrow for the past and for the sisterly bond she and Elysea once shared. Tempe is relatable not through her experiences, but by the emotions she conveys and her motivations are understandable. Lor is very different in disposition to Tempe, but equally strong and determined. 

Astrid Scholte is a wonderfully descriptive writer. She constructs a fantastical world that is both immersive and believable. Each chapter is introduced with a countdown clock, increasing the tension and suspense. The Vanishing Deep is a thrilling adventure with twists galore in a uniquely dystopian setting.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Penguin Teen Canada for the advanced copy provided for review.

From the publisher:

Bestselling author Astrid Scholte, returns with a thrilling adventure in which the dead can be revived...for a price.

Seventeen-year-old Tempe was born into a world of water. When the Great Waves destroyed her planet five hundred years ago, its people had to learn to survive living on the water, but the ruins of the cities below still called. Tempe dives daily, scavenging the ruins of a bygone era, searching for anything of value to trade for Notes. It isn't food or clothing that she wants to buy, but her dead sister's life. For a price, the research facility on the island of Palindromena will revive the dearly departed for twenty-four hours before returning them to death. It isn't a heartfelt reunion that Tempe is after; she wants answers. Elysea died keeping a terrible secret, one that has ignited an unquenchable fury in Tempe: Her beloved sister was responsible for the death of their parents. Tempe wants to know why.

But once revived, Elysea has other plans. She doesn't want to spend her last day in a cold room accounting for a crime she insists she didn't commit. Elysea wants her freedom and one final glimpse at the life that was stolen from her. She persuades Tempe to break her out of the facility, and they embark on a dangerous journey to discover the truth about their parents' death and mend their broken bond. But they're pursued every step of the way by two Palindromena employees desperate to find them before Elysea's time is up--and before the secret behind the revival process and the true cost of restored life is revealed.

You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on The Vanishing Deep here.

Isabella's Reading Corner: The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly

The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly

Author: Meredith Tate

Publication Date: February 11, 2020

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Ivy and Autumn are sisters, but they couldn’t be more different. Ivy, a self-proclaimed ‘band geek’, enjoys nothing more than hanging out with her friends playing board games. Autumn on the other hand keeps everyone at a distance, including her family. She is also not above selling drugs and theft. She’s complicated and has her own reasons for the way she behaves and doing what she does. 

The sisters were once close, but those days are long since past. Through an extreme error in judgement Autumn is beaten, kidnapped and near death. Unable to physically move, she discovers she can mentally leave her broken body and the only person who can sense her is Ivy. Will the bond she and her sister once shared be enough to save Autumn in time?

The book is told through both Ivy and Autumn’s viewpoints. Autumn is a mysterious character. She has secrets and an unusual outlook on her life and family which makes it difficult initially to feel empathy for her. I enjoyed reading about Ivy and the struggles she experienced as a teen, which enhances rather than detracts from Autumn’s story.

The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly is a highly suspenseful and compelling thriller. It is also heartbreaking as it delves into some deep and serious issues. I read it very quickly - I couldn’t wait to find out if Autumn would be found in time as well as if the intricate relationships within her family would alter as a result.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Penguin Teen Canada for the advanced copy provided for review.

From the publisher:

If I Stay meets One of Us is Lying in this gripping contemporary thriller.

When band-geek Ivy and her friends get together, things start with a rousing board game and end with arguments about Star Wars.

Her older sister Autumn is a different story. Enigmatic, aloof, and tough as nails, Autumn hasn't had real friends--or trusted anyone--in years. Even Ivy.

But Autumn might not be tough enough. After a drug deal gone wrong, Autumn is beaten, bound, and held hostage. Now, trapped between life and death, she leaves her body, seeking help. No one can sense her presence--except her sister.

When Autumn doesn't come home, Ivy just knows she's in trouble. Unable to escape the chilling feeling that something isn't right, Ivy follows a string of clues that bring her closer to rescuing her sister... and closer to danger.

Autumn needs Ivy to find her before time runs out. But soon, both sisters realize that finding her also means untangling the secrets that lead to the truth--about where they're hiding Autumn, and what Autumn has been hiding.

You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly here.