Series Spotlight: Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincaid/ Gemma James Series

Deborah Crombie on tour for her novel
No Mark Upon Her, appearing at the Velma Teague
Library, via Lesa's Book Critiques

If you've read this blog for a while or clicked around for a few minutes, it will come as no surprise to learn that I love mystery series. Really, I love almost any kind of mystery, set almost anywhere -- hard-boiled female private detectives (think V.I. Warshawski or Kinsey Millhone), police procedurals (Harry Bosch), medical/ forensic titles (Kay Scarpetta, Tempe Brennan). I also love more literary mysteries, like Tana French's books or Sara J. Henry's novels. And then there are funny, semi-mysterious books like the Stephanie Plum series or the Sookie Stackhouse books. I know, I know -- you get it. I love them all.

Sometimes amidst all the mayhem, you  hanker for something a little more... homey. Inviting. And therein lies the need for a good cozy mystery. Books that involve a mystery, perhaps even a murder, but that give you a warm, fuzzy feeling at the end of the day. Although I've enjoyed many cozy mystery series, Deborah Crombie's Kincaid/James series is one of the best. It has been my go-to series this summer, in between books that hit hard on the emotional scale. While the Kincaid/James books aren't entirely lacking in difficult moments, they always leave you with a feeling that the world isn't such a bad place after all.

First of all, the series is set in Great Britain. I don't know about you, but for me, that marks it up immediately. I love a good British mystery. Or a good British novel. Or movie. Or TV show. (Downton Abbey? Um, yes.) Crombie does an excellent job of describing the series's setting. Notting Hill, other familiar-to-most-readers neighborhoods, even a trip to Scotland every now and again.

The main characters are also exceptionally likable -- not that they have to be in every book you read, but I'd say in a good cozy mystery it might be a necessity. Duncan and Gemma are far from perfect, but as you read the series they really grow on you. They begin as colleagues in the Scotland Yard, Duncan a superintendent and Gemma, a sergeant. As their working lives collide, so do their personal lives. Crombie weaves the two characters' lives together, both their past and present, a little at a time as the series progresses. Trust me when I say things get complicated, both in good and bad ways.

The actual mysteries the duo solves are also great stories in and of themselves. The plot line usually involves someone from either Duncan or Gemma's past (i.e., an ex-wife, an old friend), simultaneously furthering both the main characters' arc and relating an excellent story. I began the series years ago, then abandoned it for a time, as readers do. This summer I simply chose a book I thought I hadn't read, and began again from there. So far I've read And Justice There Is None and Now May You Weep, books 8 and 9 in the series. I'm pleased that Crombie has written 14 books in the series,  meaning I have more to enjoy!

For more information about Deborah Crombie, click over to her website.
For a list of the Kincaid/James series books in order, click here (lacking the newest book, No Mark Upon Her).
To read more about individual titles in the series, visit Crombie's books page.

Book Review: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Confession time, y'all: for all the books I've read in my lifetime, I don't think I'd ever read one set in Australia. In fact, the only thing I can think of when relating fiction to Australia is the terribly scary 2005 horror movie set there -- Wolf Creek. Since that wasn't exactly a glowing account of the country (according to Wikipedia, "the story revolves around three backpackers who find themselves held captive by a serial killer in the Australian outback"), I was delighted to find The Husband's Secret a marked change from that description of the country. 

Liane Moriarty's Australia is largely Catholic, and her focus is on the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. The novel follows the lives of three women: Cecilia, Tess, and Rachel. Cecilia finds a letter from her husband, marked "only to be opened in the event of my death," disrupting their perfectly organized life. Tess hears a confession from her husband's lips, then moves her son miles away to live with her mother. Rachel misses her dead husband each day, but not more than she misses her daughter. The intersection of the three women's lives is tied to the secrets each witnesses and holds. 

Moriarty's novel could probably be titled simply Secrets, rather than The Husband's Secret, for it seems everyone has something to hide. Cecilia keeps her husband's secret with devastating results. Tess has her own secrets after moving back into her mother's house, ones that could affect her marriage more than her husband's confession. And Rachel has held a secret close to her heart for many years, a secret that could lead to her daughter's murderer being brought to justice.

Any description of The Husband's Secret sounds highly confusing and complicated. All those secrets, right? Who can keep up? However, it was a most entertaining novel, and not confusing at all to read. In fact, it was quite engrossing -- a page-turner within a piece of chick lit. I hesitate to tell you more about the plot, because I don't want to give anything away. Part of what made it so enjoyable to read was the way the events unfolded and the manner in which each piece of the story came to light. 

All those secrets can feel a bit overly dramatic, but each could happen (and has happened) to people in real life. It is a work of fiction, after all, and much can be forgiven if it provides entertainment. The Husband's Secret definitely does not disappoint in that realm.

Related links:
Liane Moriarty's website
The Husband's Secret on Amazon
SheReads September Book Club Selection

Book Review: Killer Ambition (Rachel Knight #3) by Marcia Clark

Although I logically know that authors can create main characters who are nothing like themselves (John Green and Chelsea Cain come to mind), when I'm in the middle of reading a book, I automatically liken the character I learn about on the page to the writer. For instance, Patricia Cornwell is Kay Scarpetta in my mind, Sara Paretsky is V.I. Warshawski, and Janet Evanovich is Stephanie Plum. I know they aren't actually the same person (and may have little in common with their on-page counterparts), but in my reading mind, they are.

Therefore, as I was reading Killer Ambition, I continuously paired author Marcia Clark and main character Rachel Knight together in my mind. I mean, let's look at the facts: both live/lived in California, both are/were Los Angeles County prosecutors, both are female. And after Killer Ambition, the third novel in the Rachel Knight series, both have prosecuted high-profile cases. Clark, of course, famously prosecuted O.J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife.

In the previous two novels, Clark introduced Rachel Knight and her comrades, all working for justice and the greater good in Los Angeles, California. Her pal Bailey works as a police detective and friend Toni also works in the D.A.'s office. Those first two books revealed some background on Rachel, which is continued in this latest novel. Her sister Romy went missing during their childhood, prompting Rachel to enter her current career. The case has never been solved, but in each of the novels thus far, Clark has touched briefly on this aspect of Rachel's life. A cliffhanger of sorts at the end of Killer Ambition leads readers to believe (hope) that perhaps more will be revealed in the fourth novel.

The majority of Killer Ambition, however, is dedicated to Rachel and Bailey's current case: a missing teen, the daughter of a famous Hollywood director. At first the victim of an apparent kidnapping, she is soon found murdered. And that is when the real fireworks begin. When the investigating team begins looking into major Hollywood players as perpetrators, the industry launches its own campaign against Rachel and her investigation. Similar, I suppose, to the pressure Clark and her team felt when prosecuting a beloved NFL star.

Clark has once again penned a great procedural novel starring Rachel Knight. This novel reads a bit more true-to-life than the other novels in the series, perhaps simply because more of it takes place in the courtroom and Clark's experience in that arena is well-known. Clark introduces two new characters who round out the novel nicely: a Russian computer hacker with a criminal past and young D.A. Declan, assigned as Rachel's second-in-command. Both add their own special charms to the novel, and Clark sets up the storyline for future novels as though they will both return.

Related Links:
Marcia Clark's website
Review of Guilt by Association (Rachel Knight #1)
Review of Guilt by Degrees (Rachel Knight #2)

Book Review: The Cutting Season by Attica Locke

Two years ago, I called Attica Locke's debut novel one of the best novels I'd read in 2010. Black Water Rising was a phenomenal freshman effort. I don't re-read books, but I may have to revisit it, especially after reading Locke's second book this fall.

A bit about the book: Attica Locke's The Cutting Season takes on a wholly different set of issues and topics than Black Water Rising did two years ago. While Locke's first novel took readers to Houston in the early 1980s, The Cutting Season focuses on both the present day and the Civil War era in Louisiana.

Caren Gray is the manager and curator at Louisiana plantation Bella Vie, where daily pre-Civil War reenactments and tours are available. The mansion is also leased out for parties, weddings, and the like, all of which Caren presides over. She and her nine-year-old daughter Morgan live on the premises, much to the chagrin of Morgan's father Eric. An employee of Obama's White House, Eric would prefer that both Caren and Morgan leave the south behind and move to Washington, D.C.

Louisiana, however, is one place Caren can't bring herself to leave. Raised on Bella Vie, where her mother was the cook for decades, it is the one place Caren feels at home -- and the last place she saw her mother before her death. The Clancy family, her mother's former employers, still own the plantation, although Caren now works for one of the sons.

While Caren's background provides plenty of fodder for plot development, Locke throws a wrench into the storyline from the beginning, when the body of a young field worker is found on the grounds of Bella Vie. The murder mystery becomes intertwined with Caren's life at the plantation, bringing up another murder that was never fully investigated more than 100 years ago -- of a freed slave who just so happens to be one of Caren's ancestors.

Why you want to read it: One of Locke's talents is creating characters with whom her readers will empathize. She also does an excellent job of giving  those characters both good and bad characteristics, so that it is virtually impossible to categorize them as all good or all bad. Caren Gray is a remarkable main character, teeming with life and dynamic in every way. Readers will both feel for her and, at other times, not understand her actions at all -- much as we do with living, breathing people.

Although Houston in 1981 was a feat all its own, Locke does another phenomenal job setting the scene for this novel. The plantation fairly breathes with a life of its own, as does Louisiana. Locke nails the scenes set in New Orleans, as well as the small town where Bella Vie exists. The reader is transported to a time and place, both in the present day scenes and in the references to the Civil War era.

The bottom line: With these two novels, there is no doubt that Locke is making a name for herself in the literary world. She came out of the gate running with Black Water Rising, and she has written another compelling novel with The Cutting Season. While I would choose Black Water Rising as the stronger of the two novels, The Cutting Season was a delight to read, and only makes me wish for more from Attica Locke's talented pen.

About the author: Attica Locke is from Houston, Texas, but now resides in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and daughter. Much of her career has been spent as a screenwriter for major Hollywood film companies. Her first novel Black Water Rising was shortlisted for the Orange Prize and was nominated for an Edgar award, among other accolades. According to her reply to one of my comments about The Cutting Season on Twitter, she is hard at work on her next novel. For more information about Locke and her books, visit her website.

Book Review: Dare Me by Megan Abbott

A bit about the book: Megan Abbott's latest novel Dare Me has been making the rounds on blogs and in newspaper and magazine reviews throughout the last month or so. In Dare Me, Abbott takes on the world of competitive cheerleading squads. Not your mama's squads of old with simple clapping and cheering, Abbott's squad is focused on gymnastics, stunts, and winning.

Like the previous Abbott novel I read (see my review of The End of Everything), Dare Me delves into the darker parts of adolescence. Beth and Addy have long been best friends. Their relationship works because Beth is a bosser and Addy is a follower. For as long as anyone can remember, Addy has followed in Beth's footsteps, for good or bad. Until, that is, last summer. During cheer camp, Addy and Beth had a falling out of sorts, one that everything thought would end their friendship. However, much to their fellow cheerleaders' surprise, Addy and Beth made up and were once again a team to be reckoned with.

Enter their new cheer coach, called simply "Coach" by the girls. Coach is daring and different, a figure who the girls both admire and fear. Except for, of course, Beth. Narrator Addy falls under Coach's spell, drifting further and further from Beth. Things spiral quickly out of conrol, leading to an ending no reader would guess ahead of time.

Why you want to read it: Bloggers and reviewers agree: Megan Abbott can write. She draws readers into her story web and doesn't let go until the last drop of blood is drawn. She writes adolescence with a straight-forwardness many writers avoid entirely or sugar-coat. Her characters are well-written and highly interesting.

However, I can't entirely recommend Dare Me as strongly as others have. It is definitely a page-turner. I was engaged and interested until the last page. But, once again (as with The End of Everything), I can't describe the novel as entirely enjoyable. I heard someone (during a Book Club discussion on Devourer of Books) describe the novel as a car wreck you simply can't look away from. I feel this is wholeheartedly accurate. I did not identify (or sympathize) with the characters; I felt the plot was somewhat unrealistic. Yet, I had to keep reading.

The bottom line: There is no doubt that Megan Abbott has talent. She writes well, and she keeps readers engaged. However, she won't rocket to the top of my list of "favorite authors" anytime soon. While I enjoy a well-written page-turner, I also like to like the books I'm reading and the characters that populate them. I need at least one character who I can empathize with, anyway. So far that seems to be lacking in Abbott's novels, but her writing will keep me coming back to discover if anything changes in the future.

About the author: Megan Abbott is the author of six previous novels, including last summer's The End of Everything. Not only an author, she is also an academic on the subject with a Ph.D. in English and American Literature from NYU. She has taught at several universities, including NYU. She has also been nominated for awards including three Edgars, the Macavity, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. You can connect with Abbott on Facebook and on Twitter.

Book Review: Broken Harbor by Tana French

A bit about the book: An entire family is murdered in their Brianstown home near the sea, and Mike "Scorcher" Kennedy is on the case. After appearing in Tana French's previous novel Faithful Place, Kennedy becomes the main focus of French's newest novel Broken Harbor. This pattern of connecting her novels will be familiar to French's readers. In each novel, beginning with In the Woods, French takes a minor character and transforms him or her into a main character in a subsequent novel.

As with French's previous novels, Broken Harbor is a multi-layered work. One layer is the investigation of the Spain family's deaths. Kennedy and first-time investigator Richie work the case methodically, pairing their detective work with the medical examiner's findings and the team of crime scene technicians' work. They try on first one theory and then another as their information changes.

On a deeper level is the character analysis French provides for Scorcher Kennedy. Always a straight arrow in the Murder Squad unit, he plays strictly by the rules. As a result, he is often the object of ridicule for other investigators. Because he finds partnering with other detectives difficult, Kennedy ends up as the trainer for new recruits; thus, his pairing with rookie Richie. He prefers this somewhat solitary life, and French slowly reveals the secrets about Kennedy's past and present that shape him.

Why you want to read it: Apart from the plot (which is cleverly crafted and engrossing) and the characterization (which is flawless), the thing Tana French does the best in her novels, including Broken Harbor, is describe the setting. She discussed the sense of place in her writing in an interview with Fiction Is Stranger Than Fact, after her third novel Faithful Place was published:

I was an international brat, grew up in three continents, so there’s nowhere I can really call ‘home’; but Dublin’s the nearest I’ve got. I’ve lived here since 1990; it’s the only city where I know all the details and quirks – the connotations of every accent and area, the slang and the sense of humour, where to go for a good pint and where not to go after dark. And I can list all the ways in which it’s crap, while being ready to leap to its defence if anyone from anywhere else suggests it might not be perfect. In a lot of ways, 'Faithful Place' is a love song to Dublin – its bad sides as well as its good ones.

She perfects her writing of Dublin's "details and quirks" in Broken Harbor. After focusing on the tenements of Dublin in Faithful Place, she switches to an entirely different (yet still dark) place in Broken Harbor. Brianstown, the setting for much of the novel, is a small area outside Dublin once called Broken Harbor. During an upswing in the economy, a building boom created what French now terms as "ghost estates" all over the outskirts of Dublin. Subdivisions filled with cheaply-built, fancy-looking houses dot the countryside, including Brianstown.

Few families still live on its mostly-deserted streets, and many houses were never finished because they lacked buyers. What remains is a creepy, ghost town with people struggling to make their mortgages. It is here that the Spain family meets their end, and here where French's Murder Squad detectives try to make sense of the crime.

The bottom line: No one writes about Dublin, Ireland, as well as Tana French. Few people write police procedurals as well as Tana French. And even fewer people are able to delve into a character's soul like French does in her novels. Mystery/thrillers are probably my favorite genre -- I'd say close to half the books I read fit into that mold -- and French is simply one of the best. Scorcher Kennedy and his demons are a perfect addition to the fictional world French is creating through her novels.

About the author: Tana French is the author of three previous novels, all connected to the Dublin Murder Squad. The first, In the Woods, was the winner of the 2007 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Subsequent titles have been 2008's The Likeness, which featured one of the main characters from In the Woods; 2010's Faithful Place, which focused on a character from The Likeness; and finally this year's Broken Harbor, which takes a character from Faithful Place and makes him the star. While interconnected, each novel also works as a standalone title for those unfamiliar with French's previous work. For more information about the author and her writing, you can visit French's website.

Book Review: Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay

Several years ago, I read Linwood Barclay's thriller Too Close to Home. I liked it, but didn't necessarily love it. Then I had the opportunity to read Barclay's most recent novel, The Accident, and whoa! It was a whole different ballgame. In the ensuing years, Barclay perfected his craft. He is a supreme storyteller, as well as a master of suspense. I loved The Accident (read my review here) and couldn't wait to read more of Barclay's novels.

A bit about the book: David Harwood and his wife Jan have hit a rough patch. As a journalist, times are hard for David as the media world moves from small-town newspapers to nationally-owned news and online journalism. David couldn't be more thrilled when Jan suggests a day at a new local amusement park for them and their four-year-old son Ethan. He sees it as a sign that they're both willing to work on their marriage and save their family.

The day of the visit to the amusement park, however, things go from bad to worse. First, Ethan goes missing. Just after he's found, Jan turns up missing. As police search for his wife, David becomes suspect number one. He conducts his own investigation, trying to stay one step ahead of the police who are after him. Was Jan taken, or did she leave of her own accord? Or did David, in fact, have something to do with her disappearance?

Why you want to read it: Mystery and thriller fans will delight in Barclay's ability to keep readers on their toes. The term "page-turner" was invented for novels like Never Look Away. Barclay creates a sense of understanding in his readers, then yanks the rug out from under them, causing readers to question every truth they believed they knew. As in his previous novels, Barclay throws in enough plot twists to make the novel exciting without causing it to become far-fetched.

Secrets are something Barclay does well in all of his novels. We all have them -- we just don't usually have anyone writing about our deepest mysteries. Barclay uncovers the truth about both David and Jan layer by layer, with a precise method that keeps readers guessing until the last page. As Barclay reveals new truths about his characters, he also causes readers to care more deeply about them -- making each revelation truly surprising.

The bottom line: If you are a lover of mystery or suspense novels, you'll love Linwood Barclay's work. Never Look Away is an excellent example of his expertise. You should also give his other novels a try!

About the author: Linwood Barclay is the author of several other standalone novels, including the new novel Trust Your Eyes, set to release in September. He began his career with a series based around character Zach Walker, then branched out into other novels. Although born in America, Barclay has spent the majority of his life living in Canada. You can connect with the author on Facebook, on Twitter, and even on YouTube.

Book Review: Never Tell by Alafair Burke

When Julia Whitmire is found dead in her bathroom from what seem to be self-inflicted wounds, NYPD detectives Ellie Hatcher and her partner Rogan are confused at their being summoned to the scene. Hesitation marks are present on the teen's wrists, as is a handwritten suicide note on her bedroom pillow. The case seems to be cut-and-dried.

However, the victim's parents, Bill and Katherine Whitmire, prove determined to force the investigators' hands. Calls are made to supervisors, a private detective is hired, and a tip line is set up, complete with a cash reward for information about their daughter's death. The family's wealth and influence spur the NYPD to continue with a case Hatcher is certain should have long been closed.

However, as secrets about Julia Whitmire's life emerge, both Rogan and Hatcher are forced to change their opinions. Whether or not Julia's death was murder or suicide, there is definitely a need for investigation. What follows is an exciting journey for the truth, one that takes the detectives from a homeless shelter for teens to an upscale Manhattan child psychiatrist's office, and from New York City's parks to a prep school for future CEOs and political leaders.

Never Tell, the fourth installment in Burke's Ellie Hatcher series, released this week. It is a novel that delves into several controversial current issues -- mental health diagnoses and prescription drug use in children and young adults, the treatment of and social stigma attached to homeless adolescents, and the rigorous expectations placed on Ivy League prep-school students. Burke also explores the ever-growing trend of anonymous blogging as therapy for past abuse.


Along with the twists and turns of the death investigation, Burke also continues to reveal the ins-and-outs of Ellie Hatcher's personal life. Never Tell is the first Hatcher series book I've read -- in fact, the first Burke novel I've ever read -- and I became invested in Hatcher's story nonetheless. While Burke is adding to a character she has already created, she does a fine job of introducing new readers to Hatcher, as well. Although my OCD tendencies would have preferred my reading the series in order, Never Tell works without my having done so. It is a strong novel centered around a strong female character who I will definitely be reading more about. 

Alafair Burke is no stranger to the world of mystery writing. Her father, James Lee Burke, has written more than two dozen novels, most of which feature Louisiana detective Dave Robicheaux. Quite separate from her father's success, Burke has carved a name for herself in the mystery genre, most recently with this series starring NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher.

Burke is the author of seven other books, including three in the Samantha Kincaid series, three in the Ellie Hatcher series, and one standalone novel. She is a former prosecutor and current criminal law professor, a career which enriches her writing. You might say books are in Burke's blood; in addition to her father being a writer, her mother was a school librarian who greatly encouraged her to read. You can find out more about Burke and her books on her website, on Facebook, on Twitter, or by reading her blog.

If you are a mystery reader, you must pop over to Burke's website to explore the 2012 Duffer Awards. The Duffers are zany awards for fictional characters. Last week Marcia Clark's Rachel Knight beat out Linda Fairstein's Alex Cooper as "Most Likely to Beat Judge Judy in a TV Ratings War." Each time you post a comment after you vote, you are entered to win weekly prizes, such as signed copies of Burke's books and $50 gift certificates from booksellers.

Additionally, as part of the promotion for Never Tell, you can purchase the e-book version of Burke's third Ellie Hatcher novel, 212, for only 99 cents! Click here for retailer options.

Never Tell is currently on tour via TLC Book Tours. To read the other reviews of Burke's latest novel, visit their Never Tell page with complete tour information and links.

Gone Girl Thrills With a Tale of Marriage Gone Wrong

On the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne wakes up to find his wife has cooked a gourmet breakfast of crepes. Married life hasn't suited either of them for quite some time now, so this move is out of character for Amy.

What happens next is anybody's guess. When Nick arrives at work around noon, he receives a call from a neighbor saying their cat is outside and their front door open. Amy's disappearance begins a police investigation that quickly spirals out of control. Throughout the media circus that ensues, readers are prisoners to Nick's first-person narration. By using his voice to tell the story, author Gillian Flynn ensures that readers of her third novel, Gone Girl, know only what Nick chooses to share.

As the police detectives increasingly begin to look at Nick as the prime suspect, the reader is forced to question his reliability as a narrator. Further discussion of the novel's plot would spoil some of the fun for those who haven't read the book yet, so I'll stop there. Suffice it to say that Flynn throws plenty of twists in to keep the novel interesting until the very last page.

What could have turned into a sensational, fictionalized version of the Scott and Laci Peterson story is instead a well-crafted masterpiece of a novel in Flynn's skilled hands. Although the storyline seems pulled from the headlines in a very Lifetime Movie Channel sort of way, Flynn manages to relate the story of Amy and Nick in a decidedly un-melodramatic manner.

Told in passages from Amy's diary, Nick's narration, and then a second first-person narrator halfway through, Gone Girl is a larger-than-life tale of suspense that also doubles as a genuine piece of literary fiction. Although the genre could be considered mystery, Flynn's skill as a writer allows a crossover into literary fiction status, as well. The writing elevates Gone Girl to a step above your everyday, run-of-the-mill mystery paperback and pushes it into the field of serious literature.

Gone Girl released last week to high praise from various sources. A smattering of what's being said:

• Entertainment Weekly: "On page 219, Flynn pulls the rug out from under you — and, by the way, you didn't even realize you were standing on one. Now I really am going to shut up before I spoil what instantly shifts into a great, breathless read." 
• New York Times: "Perhaps these sound like standard-issue crime story machinations. They’re not. They’re only the opening moves for the game Ms. Flynn has in mind, which is a two-sided contest in which Nick and Amy tell conflicting stories. . . . Both Nick and Amy are extremely adept liars, and they lied to each other a lot. Now they will lie to you."
• USA Today: "Flynn's 'first two books (Sharp Objects and Dark Places) showed her skill and dark imagination, but Gone Girl sits on another plane altogether. And it's a brilliant, often funny, and gothic take on a hugely fascinating subject: marriage.'"
• nomadreader: "Gone Girl is a thrilling, mysterious, awesomely deranged tale of a marriage. Flynn kept me guessing throughout the novel, but more importantly, she kept me marveling at her mastery of language, suspense, story, character and pace."
• Huffington Post: "Let's just say, you'll never think of marriage and wedding anniversaries the same way again."
• NPR's Morning Edition: "It opens with a rather sinister reflection: 'When I think of my wife,' Nick says, 'I always think of her head.... You could imagine the skull quite easily. I'd know her head anywhere.'"

Additionally, Gone Girl was named one of Amazon's Best Books of the Month for June 2012.

Gillian Flynn is the author of two previous novels: Sharp Objects and Dark Places. I've read both, and I think their darkness is largely what kept them both off bestseller lists. With Gone Girl, Flynn has finally struck the perfect balance between good writing and creepiness, ensuring that just enough nightmarish content is present to thrill, but not turn off, hoards of readers. Let's all hope that Gone Girl is the first in a long line of perfectly executed literary thrillers from the immensely talented Flynn. You can learn more about Flynn on Facebook or on her website.

Beneath the Shadows Tells Haunting Story Set on English Moors

Abandoned, the baby carriage sat on the doorstep, just out of the wind that whipped across the moors.

This is the image that haunts Grace Lockwood in the year following her husband Adam's disappearance. One afternoon as she was out shopping, Adam vanished into thin air, their weeks-old daughter Millie left at their front door. The couple had only just moved from London to the countryside of North Yorkshire, to a cottage Adam inherited from his maternal grandparents.

One year later, Grace returns to the village of Roseby and to the scene of her heartbreak in a determined effort to discover the truth about that day. Under the guise of clearing out the house and preserving family heirlooms for her daughter, Grace delves into the history of her husband's family and the sparsely populated area in which they lived. She discovers a land steeped in tradition and teeming with ghosts from the past.

Sara Foster's Beneath the Shadows, previously published in Australia and the U.K. but a new release in the U.S., is a breathtaking look at the wild moors that comprise the English countryside. The ghosts of the moors factor heartily into the novel, creating a spooky setting for the novel's events. I adored everything about this novel -- the characters, the unsettling mood Foster creates, the chilling landscape she paints, as well as the carefully drafted plot.

Foster peoples her novel with characters as ominous as the setting in which they live. Meredith, the kind but intimidating neighbor, is oddly kind to Grace, leaving her wondering what lies behind such uncharacteristic kindness. Ben, a handsome Australian house sitting for another neighbor, begins renovations on the cottage, but refuses to discuss him past. And a third neighbor keeps to himself, choosing to surround himself with birds rather than humans. Providing a stark contrast to these mysterious characters is Grace's vivacious sister Annabel, who whips into town several times to help her sister.

The mysteries in the village, with Adam's disappearance, and even within the cottage itself, drive the plot to a  crashing crescendo. No one is left unscathed as all is at last revealed in an exciting resolution.

A visit to Random House's Australian website for the book will reveal all sorts of goodies, some of which shouldn't be viewed until after you read the book. For example, Foster wrote a bonus chapter for the book which can be read here. A copy of the (fictional) article that journalist Annabel wrote about the moor ghosts can be found here. The one extra you can peek at before you read is this illustration of the inside of the cottage.

Sara Foster is the author of one previous novel, Come Back to Me, which hasn't yet been released in the U.S. (but via a Twitter conversation, she assures me it's in the works!). A new novel, Shallow Breath, will be released in December 2012. You can follow her on Twitter, add her on Facebook, or read her blog to keep up with the latest news from this author.

Into the Darkest Corner Ups the Creepiness Factor for Psychological Thrillers

Oft compared to S.J. Watson's Before I Go to Sleep, I found Elizabeth Haynes's debut novel Into the Darkest Corner to be a fictional creature all its own. Told in fits and starts, jumping back and forth over a five-year period, it is a tale to be savored in the late hours of night and wee hours of morning -- after, that is, you've checked that your doors are all locked and bolted. 

Checking locks is one of main character Catherine Bailey's primary concerns. She does so dozens of times per day, to the point that it can be diagnosed as a form of OCD. Checking to be sure doors and windows are safely secured sometimes threatens to take over Cathy's life. It's an obsession that causes significant problems for her; she is often late to work and unable to go out socially as a result of her growing anxieties and need to check and re-check her efforts. 

Haynes dates the entries in Into the Darkest Corner, helping the reader make the frequent jumps between time periods in Cathy's life. In a dozen pages, the plot might switch (time-wise) as many as half-a-dozen times. Despite this seemingly disruptive method of storytelling, the novel flows seamlessly. The reader follows Cathy both in 2003 and in 2007 as she goes about her daily life. The ongoing comparisons between the two time periods cause a dramatic contrast between the Cathy of "then" and the Cathy of "now" to emerge. 

"Then" Cathy loved to go out at night and party with friends until all hours of the morning. "Now" Cathy has virtually no friends and has a near-anxiety attack while simply contemplating attending her office Christmas party. Haynes does an excellent job of drawing out the suspense for the reader; although the story fairly quickly begins to take shape, details and plot twists occur at every turn of the page. The events that unfold between the two periods of time answer the questions of how and why Cathy underwent such a marked change.

As a result of Haynes's expert writing abilities, Into the Darkest Corner is a page-turner of the highest caliber. I was on the edge of my seat until the very last page -- and am even still, as the novel features an ending that doesn't quite wrap up all the loose ends. 

Into the Darkest Corner is Elizabeth Haynes's first novel. The book was released in the United Kingdom last year to high acclaim; among its honors was earning the Amazon UK Best Book of 2011. Her second novel, Revenge of the Tide, was released in March 2012 in the UK, and we can only hope soon here in the U.S.! To learn more about Haynes, you can visit her website, follow her on Twitter, add her on Facebook, or read her blog.

This post is part of a summer blog tour for Into the Darkest Corner hosted by TLC Book Tours. To read more of the reviews posted on the tour thus far, visit TLC's Into the Darkest Corner page. Reviews ran on several fabulous book blogs during the last two weeks, and will continue through July 13th.

V.I. Warshawski Tackles Politics and Mental Illness in Sara Paretsky's Breakdown

Sara Paretsky has long been one of my favorite authors, not just one of my favorite genre authors. Her mystery series, set in Chicago and featuring private investigator V.I. Warshawski, is simply one of the best. Beginning with the first V.I. novel Indeminity Only in 1982, Paretsky has penned fifteen V.I. series novels. Breakdown is the latest, published in January, and features some of V.I.'s best detecting and Paretsky's best writing.

Series novels often get off track somewhere after ten or so novels. I've noticed this even in series I love, including Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series, and, yes -- even Sara Paretsky's V.I. series. With Breakdown, however, Paretsky makes a turn back to the heart of the series she began thirty years ago.

V.I. Warshawski is a former lawyer who abandoned the corporate world and went into private investigation practice in order to more easily hold up her ideals -- although "ease" is not exactly in her vocabulary. Standing firmly to her ideals, however, does come easy to the fearless (sometimes to a fault) detective. As the novel begins, V.I. is attending an event for a television personality she strongly dislikes. After making this apparent to him upon their meeting, V.I. flees the party in favor of visiting an old cemetery.

The cemetery isn't her idea of a good time, but an answer to her cousin Petra's panicked call regarding some girls she works with at a local nonprofit. Among the old mausoleums and broken statues, V.I. finds a coven-like circle of teenage girls -- and a murder victim. As V.I. works to solve the crime without a paying client prompting her to do so, Paretsky ties in themes that have occurred freqently throughout the series: women's issues, politics, the long-lasting effects of the Holocaust, and -- of course -- crime in all its various manifestations.

The case takes V.I. to the nearest state psychiatric hospital, which houses both a regular ward for short-term, indigent patients and a lockdown unit for those accused of committing crimes. Mental illness is explored in Breakdown through both this avenue, as well as a look at an old friendship of V.I.'s -- a college friend who has spent time in and out of mental health treatment centers for schzophrenia.

Although with all of these themes, Breakdown could quickly become fragmented and disjointed, Paretsky ties everything together beautifully from beginning to end. The plot flows seamlessly, despite the multiple subplots and semi-red herrings thrown into the mix. V.I., although older, is at her best. She works tirelessly to solve the murder of a man she doesn't know, while simultaneously protecting her cousin Petra and the girls she found that first night in the cemetery. She is a champion of lost causes, but somehow manages to turn things around so that all is not lost. She is the ultimate female hero, rough around the edges but with a heart of gold.

Paretsky in front of V.I.'s childhood home, 1989
(photo via SaraParetsky.com)

Sara Paretsky is the author of more than two dozen books, primarily fiction, but some nonfiction, as well. In addition to the V.I. Warshawksi series, she has written the two standalone novels Ghost Country and Bleeding Kansas and the short story collections Windy City Blues and V.I. x3. You can follow her on Twitter, friend her on Facebook, or visit her website for more information about her and her writing.

The Body Farm's Dr. Bill Brockton Takes Off to France in The Inquisitor's Key

Dr. Bill Bass, of University of Tennessee Body Farm fame, teamed up with journalist Jon Jefferson several years ago to pen a series of books fictionalizing his life. The writing team, known as Jefferson Bass, showcases both their talents -- Jefferson's writing skills combined with Dr. Bass's lifelong forensic anthropology knowledge.

Dr. Bill Brockton, fictional founder of the Body Farm, mirrors his real-life counterpart in many ways. Like Dr. Bass, Dr. Brockton is also a UT anthropology professor, and like Dr. Bass, he works cases brought to him by outside agencies -- both public and private. In the first few books, Dr. Brockton stayed close to home, as all the books were set in Tennessee. In their last novel, the Jefferson Bass duo took Dr. Brockton to Florida to investigate a case at a former boys' reform school.

In The Inquisitor's Key, their new release from William Morrow, Dr. Brockton finds himself far outside his East Tennessee stomping grounds, all the way on the other side of the world -- Avignon, France, to be exact. After a panicked phone call from his long-time assistant Miranda Lovelady, Dr. Brockton flies across the Atlantic to come to her aid. Upon arriving in France, Brockton is roped into helping solve a centuries-old mystery. Asked to examine a set of human bones, he works with Miranda and another bone expert from Miranda's past, Stefan.

Interlaced with the present-day story is a fourteenth century subplot involving the Avignon Papacy, religious art, and medieval religious inquisitions. Jefferson Bass fictionalizes actual historical figures, including the poet Petrarch, artists Simone Martini and Giotto di Bondone, and Pope Clement VI. Bass ties this historical fiction narrative to the real-life religious relic the Shroud of Turin, which purportedly depicts the image of Jesus after his crucifixion.

The end result is a captivating tale in which the historical sections almost overshadow Dr. Brockton's storyline. However, because historical fiction is one of my least favorite genres, it took me about a third of the way through to become truly interested in that aspect of the novel. Once I was hooked (and became familiar with the characters), the historical bits seamlessly flowed with the current-day plot.

I adore this series, and was thrilled with a new novel starring the loveable Dr. Brockton. Although the historical part was difficult for me at first, it was deeply tied to the rest of the story, and worked well. The present-day ending is a bit too cleanly wrapped up, but sometimes that happens with mystery series. No doubt I look forward to what's coming next for Dr. Brockton, and I'll continue to to seek out new titles from writing partners Jefferson Bass.

Jefferson Bass, composed of the writing team of Jon Jefferson and Dr. Bill Bass, has written six other Body Farm series novels starring Dr. Bill Brockton. The pair also co-wrote two nonfiction books, Death's Acre and Beyond the Body Farm, in which they detail the Body Farm's conception and many of Dr. Bass's real-life cases. You can read my reviews of the previous Body Farm novels by clicking the links below:

• Carved in Bone
• Flesh and Bone
• The Devil's Bones
• Bones of Betrayal
• The Bone Thief
• The Bone Yard

Los Angeles D.A. Rachel Knight Is Back In Marcia Clark's Guilt by Degrees

Former Los Angeles prosecutor Marcia Clark, made famous during the O.J. Simpson trial, wowed me with her fiction-writing abilities in last year's Guilt by Association (read my review here). Everything about the novel and the well-penned female main character screamed "series," and I was thrilled when I heard Clark was releasing a second Rachel Knight novel.

Guilt by Degrees is every bit the perfect second novel. Clark tells a refreshingly new story, complete with new murder victims and a truly evil antagonist. In the novel, D.A. Rachel Knight jumps headlong into a case involving a homeless man's death on a busy street, making several enemies in the process. Not only are those higher up on the food chain than Knight angry, but also after her are those responsible for the man's death.

As a result, the case requires Knight to walk on eggshells -- and do some detecting under the radar. Helping her out are her police detective pal Bailey and fellow D.A.'s office coworker Toni. While Toni resides more in the friend department in this novel, Rachel and Bailey are assigned to work the case together. During the course of the investigation, they visit a prison (more than once), make a house call on a neo-Nazi gang leader, investigate a murdered police officer, and generally stir up trouble for themselves.

Knight's personal life is a matter for concern, as well. Her relationship with police officer and video game designer Graden, off to a glowing start in the first novel, is thrown off-course when Graden over-steps his boundaries. Rachel has gone to great lengths to separate her childhood from her current life, and when Graden does a bit of investigative work of his own, the betrayal doesn't sit well with Rachel.

Clark does an excellent job of continuing Rachel Knight's story in Guilt by Degrees. Readers simultaneously follow an exciting new case as the investigation unfolds and learn more about Rachel's past. Clark also carefully draws readers deeper into Rachel's world as relationships are fleshed out and given new depths. The city of Los Angeles itself figures prominently into the storyline, as it did in Guilt by Association. On her website, Clark offers a photo tour of Rachel Knight's Los Angeles, which is a nice glimpse into the D.A.'s world.

Marcia Clark is the author of the nonfiction book Without a Doubt, about her time spent on the O.J. Simpson trial, as well as one previous piece of fiction, Guilt by Association. For stops on her book tour this month, visit her website. You can also follow Clark on Twitter and on Facebook.

Book Review: The Expats by Chris Pavone

Kate Moore has lived a life steeped in duplicity. She was both a loving wife and mother -- and a ruthless CIA agent. Her oblivious husband, Dexter, knows nothing of his wife's career; as long as they've known each other, he has believed that she toils away at a boring government desk job. Somehow the time never seemed right for her to divulge information about her life as a secret agent, and at this point it's become impossible for her to admit the years of lies.

Dexter comes home one evening and offers her a chance to start over. A way to step away from her life as a spy and begin again as the woman she has long posed as: a loving wife to him, a caring mother for their two boys. The family moves to Luxembourg, a tiny country in western Europe that lies between Belguim, France, and Germany. Although just under a thousand square miles total, the country prides itself on being one of the most highly developed countries in the world. It also has a reputation for being a tax haven, due to its somewhat lax banking laws.

Kate resigns from the CIA, Dexter accepts a job in banking securities, and the family settles into life in Luxembourg. The circle of expats in the country is rather large, and Kate finds herself befriended by other young mothers and American wives displaced by their husbands' jobs. For a while -- a week, perhaps -- things move along smoothly. Then Kate meets Julia, an American recently replanted in Luxembourg. As Dexter begins to see more and more of Ben, Julia's husband, and as the couple spends time together dining and drinking, Kate begins to become suspicious of the duo. Are they really who they seem? Are thoughts to the contrary only a result of Kate's years as a spy? Or perhaps a symptom of her boredom without her career?

Chris Pavone takes on a difficult task in The Expats: that of a male author penning a genuine female protagonist. While most of the novel reads fairly smoothly, Pavone trips a few times in this first effort. Julia is a highly intelligent, previously ruthless spy. However, she seems entirely flummoxed at times by her children and husband. Likewise, sometimes she seems too skilled to be believable. She somehow manages to dart in and out of her old spy's life when she becomes suspicious of Julia and Ben, holding clandestine meetings all over Europe without so much as a blink from her husband.

Her suspicions begin to seem like the ravings of a paranoid madwoman at some points in the novel. Pavone does an excellent job of keeping the reader in the dark, never knowing fully if there is reason for Kate to be suspicious of the American couple or if she is losing it entirely. While this isn't particularly flattering for the main character, it is an effective trick of plot, one that causes this debut to become quite the page-turner. The novel kept me up late two nights in a row, and pushed me to complete it in under 48 hours, primarily so that I could learn how it all ended. Pavone is a master of suspense in this first novel. Although some scenes and characters seemed off, overall The Expats is an excellent debut.

The Expats is Chris Pavone's first novel. He has worked for twenty years in the publishing industry as an editor, primarily of cookbooks. He also created The Wine Log, a tasting journal with some background information on wines and a glossary of terms. The web abounds with rumors that the novel will be made into a film; it almost seems to be written for this purpose, and will make a wonderful spy movie if the rumors are true. To read an excerpt of the novel, visit Pavone's website.

The Mapping of Love and Death Continues Maisie Dobbs' Story With Loads of Heart

Maisie Dobbs has loads of life experience, despite the scant thirty or so years she's been on the earth. In the Maisie Dobbs series, set in 1930s England, author Jacqueline Winspear explores Maisie's life thus far, as well as her current career as a "psychologist and investigator."

Although I'd only read the first and second novels in the Maisie Dobbs series before diving into the seventh book, The Mapping of Love and Death, Winspear once again stays true to a certain pattern she has set in her books. Maisie is introduced to a case, she begins her -- seemingly straight-forward -- investigation, and everything promptly falls apart. Other (often unpaid and unrequested) side cases materialize; murders occur; accidents happen. Maisie being Maisie, she never leaves well enough alone -- and she never leaves any stone unturned.

In The Mapping of Love and Death, Maisie is hired by an American couple to find their cartographer son's lost love. As he perished in the Great War, Maisie has only a packet of letters and a diary to use in her investigation. The simple request snowballs into quite a mess as the elderly couple is brutally attacked just after leaving Maisie's office. Compounding the problem are a tangle of family secrets and a bit of violence toward Maisie herself.

Maisie leans heavily upon friends and family in The Mapping of Love and Death. Despite her independent streak, as she has matured, Maisie has learned the value of loved ones. Both in her cases and in her personal life, Maisie has come a long way from her debut in Maisie Dobbs (my review). Although still fiercely self-determined, she has at last come to rely on a select few people, which often changes things enormously both in her career and in her life. It seems in this seventh installment of the series that Maisie may at last have found a suitor, as well.

Although set in the 1930s, Winspear carefully connects each case -- and therefore, each novel in the Maisie Dobbs series -- to World War I. Maisie inevitably finds a link to the war within the cases she investigates. Although a decade and a half has gone by since the war's end, the people in England are only just beginning to recover. Then, of course, the Great Depression occurs in America, affecting Europe, as well. Winspear expertly recreates England in this era in her novels. Although description and setting play a large part, Winspear also manages to write in an old-fashioned manner that lends itself to the time period. Her words are chosen carefully, dialogue meticulously written to echo speech at the time.

The Maisie Dobbs series is a delight for both fans of historical fiction as well as mystery lovers. Winspear manages just the right balance of 1930s era description and page-turning suspense, coupled with an engaging main character.

Jacqueline Winspear is the author of nine books in the Maisie Dobbs series. You can follow Winspear on Facebook, at her website, or on her blog MaisieDobbs.com.

March is Maisie Month, and TLC Book Tours has planned a month-long book tour to celebrate the release of the ninth book in the series, Elegy for Eddie.

For a full listing of stops on the tour, visit TLC's March is Maisie Month page. Last week, the first six books in the series were reviewed. This week is all about The Mapping of Love and Death:

• Monday, March 12th: Lit and Life  
• Wednesday, March 14th: Starting Fresh 
• Thursday, March 15th: Broken Teepee 
• Friday, March 16th: Unabridged Chick

Next week you'll find reviews of the eighth Maisie Dobbs book, A Lesson in Secrets, followed by reviews of the brand-new Elegy for Eddie March 26-30. Haven't yet read a Maisie book? Take this opportunity to pick one up and catch up on the series before Elegy for Eddie releases March 27.

Before I Go to Sleep Presents Worst-Nightmare Scenario in Literary Thriller Format

S.J. Watson's debut novel Before I Go to Sleep had been on my to-read list for months, ever since its release last summer. Several blogs I follow urged their readers to pick up the new thriller, and I fully intended to do so. Last week, in browsing my (small, but extraordinarily well-stocked) local library, I came across a copy -- not even on the "New Books" shelf, but already shelved with all the other fiction books.

I literally came home and -- taking a break to go out to dinner -- did not stop until I'd read the entire book. In one night. Although I love to read, it's rare that I ever do that anymore. During the school year, I'm teaching and planning and grading. I also just got married and became a stepmom. And from November until February, I spent loads of time with my brother and his family -- they live in Africa, and were here on an early furlough for my wedding. So all that adds up to not a lot of reading time -- or, at least, not hours of reading time in a row.

Before I Go to Sleep practically forces reading like that, though. Told in daily journal entries over a month's time, amnesiac Christine Lucas relates the details of her days. The things that happen, the events she miraculously remembers (sometimes). After an accident, Christine has been without memory for an untold period of time. Each day she wakes up surprised to find herself living in a middle-age body beside a man she (moments later) learns is her husband. Christine is capable of neither short-term memory during the day, nor long-term memory for previous events. She relies solely on her husband, Ben, and neuropsychologist Dr. Nash.

The journal begins when Dr. Nash suggests Christine begin logging her memories and the day's events in a notebook. When she re-reads her entries each morning, she is able to come to some kind of terms with the life she is living. Additionally, Dr. Nash's hope is that the notebook will eventually help Christine improve.

Although a book about someone living with such extreme memory loss would be interesting in and of itself, author S.J. Watson pushes the envelope and takes his literary novel to another level with the inclusion of thriller elements. One day, in reading through her journal, Christine finds the words: "Don't trust Ben," penned in the front in her handwriting. No further explanation is given, and so each day Christine must find herself weighing the possibility that it was written in her memory-loss-induced paranoia or that she can't, in fact, trust the one person on whom she relies.

Reviews of this debut novel abound on the internet. If you need further coaxing to read this amazing novel, here are some other reviews from my blog reader feed:

Book Addiction
nomadreader
Book Hooked Blog
S. Krishna's Books
Linus's Blanket
Jen's Book Thoughts
Purple Sage and Scorpions
Jenn's Bookshelves

Before I Go to Sleep is S.J. Watson's first novel. My only hope is that he's hard at work at his home in England on a second novel of the same caliber. Read an excerpt of the novel here.

Maisie Dobbs Introduces a Strong Female P.I. and Post-World-War-I England

I am a reader of series. I love the knowledge that one book is followed by another and another, all about a character I have come to know and love. Because I am not usually a fan of historical fiction, I resisted giving in to the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. As oft is the case, I was wrong.

Beloved female investigator Maisie Dobbs has detected her way through eight novels, with a ninth being released in March. I picked up a copy of the first book at my favorite used book store during my honeymoon in January, but I just started reading it two days ago. Two days ago, and I finished it last night -- in less than 24 hours!

Turns out, I do not dislike historical fiction as much as I thought. In fact, when it comes to Maisie Dobbs, I don't dislike historical fiction at all.

The series begins in 1929 England, as main character Maisie Dobbs opens her first investigative office in a less-than-ideal area of town. Her first case seems to be an open-and-shut one, but it leads -- as many things do -- to a more complicated situation.

Winspear expertly weaves Maisie's present with her past. In this first novel in the series, she takes readers all the way back to Maisie's childhood and relates her story from her father's tiny home to benefactor Lady Rowan's large estate to Cambridge University's Girton College. An important part of Maisie's history is also revealed in her work as a Red Cross nurse in France during World War I.

The first novel in particular (and perhaps the entire series, based solely on back-of-book descriptions) is set in the late 1920s, yet is also tied to the Great War and its long-lasting effects. As Maisie's war story unfolds, Winspear delves into some deeper themes that are still relevant today.

Coming up next month is March is Maisie Month, with a tour from TLC Book Tours, which I will be participating in. I'll be reviewing the seventh book in the series, The Mapping of Love and Death. Up until then, I plan on catching up on all the books in the series! The second and third books are in my possession at the moment, and I've already started the second one.

For more about Jacqueline Winspear, visit her website, check out the dates for her upcoming book tour, and visit her Maisie Dobbs blog.