Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

 

Title: Home Before Dark

Author: Riley Sager

Rating 📖📖📖📖 / 5

Thank you Riley Sager for making a comeback! 

I’ve been a fan of Mr. Sager’s since Final Girls, but haven’t really liked any of his other books since. The others were ok but lacked that same punch as Final Girls had. Home Before Dark has made up for the others. While not a perfect book, it definitely satisfied my need of a good thriller recently.

Our main character, Maggie Holt, has been plagued her whole life by her father’s book, House of Horrors, detailing their dealings with the supernatural at Baneberry Hall. Her only recollections of her twenty days in Baneberry Hall are limited to the day her family left in a hurry leaving all their possessions behind. After her father dies, she inherits Baneberry and sets out to restore the home to its former glory. Of course Maggie doesn’t believe a word of her father’s book nor does she believe that her family was haunted by malevolent ghosts. However, as she spends more time in Baneberry, she starts to question whether the experiences her family went through may have actually happened after all. 

I must admit this book was a slow burn. That’s probably why it took so long to finish it. I would often put it down as I just wasn’t invested in the story. The characters seemed to lack a reason to invest in their stories and there wasn’t much of a plot to follow either for a while. The story did pick up luckily around halfway through the book. I did start to question whether Maggie was nuts or if the haunting was true myself. Not many books have made me question my own view of the characters like this one did. I only wish Maggie’s chapters were as captivating as the chapters from House of Horrors. Maggie’s chapters just never gripped me as much as they should have. 

Home Before Dark does end on a couple different twists that, in all honesty, I wasn’t expecting. And when I say a couple, I mean it. There were at least three different twists that all happened within the last thirty pages of the book. Had some of these twists come sooner in the story, I probably wouldn’t have put it down so often.

Well done, Mr. Sager!

Crescent City (House of Earth and Blood #1) by Sarah J. Maas

 

Title: Crescent City 

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 4/5

So overall, I liked this book. I know Maas is the queen of re-using plot lines and tweaking them for different situations but I will still read her books anyway. Does this read a lot like ACOTR and TOG? Yes. Did I still like it? Yes. Is it a work of literary genius? No. But does anyone really go into these books and expect marvels of literature? If you do, then you should probably look at your viewpoint.

Anyway, in this new series we are introduced to Crescent City and its penchant for slavery, violence and overall "cityness". I will say this about Maas' writing: she is an expert of world-building. I can always visualize what her cities/towns/kingdoms look like and it really brings me into the story. HoEaB is no exception. Even though it is a fantasy book, I could relate what I was reading to the real world and could see this being any other major city if we all lived in a fantasy world.

I just wish she put as much effort into the characters as she does with the world.

We again have the female who is "sassy" and the males who are jerks (sometimes, though they do get better). Unfortunately there isn't much character building until the last part of the book where we start finding out everyone's secrets. And this is only book one so I'm hoping some of the side characters can get some more spotlight and that we get more depth from Bryce and her friends/family.

I don't want to say too much because every little detail could give away something. So...I recommend this book to Maas lovers, and those who love good world-building along with a pretty decent plot.

#books #reading #sarahjmaas #fantasy #bookreview 

The Other People by C.J. Tudor

Title: The Other People

Author: C.J. Tudor

Rating: 📖📖📖 / 5

Tudor's third book, The Other People, is another thriller that ended up being quite the slow burn. And when I say slow, I mean SLOW. It has been a while since I have read another Tudor book but I remember The Chalk Man being the same way. And for a lot of books the slow burn works but this one just left me wondering "so when do we get to the good part?" 

The story follows Gabe, a father who lost his daughter and wife to a home invasion gone wrong. But something nags him about his daughter Izzy's death when he thinks he sees her in the back of the car in front of him on the night of their murders. He cannot let go of his vision of his daughter in the back of the car and searches for her for years. Nobody believes him of course. Then there's Katie the inconspicuous waitress at the diner that Gabe often frequents. We also follow Fran and her daughter Alice on the run from someone or something that will not leave them alone. We learn that not all is well with Alice and she seems to have an otherworldly fear of mirrors...Finally there are "The Other People", a group on the Dark Web that you turn to when you need just a bit more justice than the law can provide you. And their price is steep.

Overall, the book wasn't bad. I just wanted MORE. It seemed like a perfect book to me and had so much potential but just fell short. Most of the actions and revelations happen in the last 50-60 pages which sort of stinks because had it been a bit more spread out I think I would have gobbled the story up more. There just wasn't enough action. There are supernatural aspects to the book which definitely help the story from being completely stale and predictable. Tudor always delivers on the supernatural. Tudor also writes very well. It isn't difficult to follow her style of writing and her jumping between characters is smoother than many thrillers out there with multiple main characters. Her books are definitely stepping stones into the larger thriller universe.

I recommend this one for the casual thriller lover. Enjoy!

Crisis in the Red Zone by Richard Preston

Title: Crisis in the Red Zone

Author: Richard Preston

Rating: 4.5/5

"If we did some basic preparation for a major outbreak...we could actually make it not such a huge, dramatic, crazy thing. [Referring to a Level 4 pandemic] Why should we be waiting for something that is truly bananas to break out before we start planning for it?...There's not a lot of value in preparing for a war, because what happens in a war is unpredictable. But there is a lot of value in preparing for an outbreak, because what happens in an outbreak is predictable. Let's be prepared, not scared." (Richard, 363)

I'm going to say what I pretty much always say after reading a Richard Preston book...the world is doomed. Not to be a nay-sayer, but if this book isn't timely I don't know what is. It is AMAZING to see the parallels between this book and our current pandemic situation. Now, we don't have Ebola on our hands but we do have Covid-19 which has pretty much decimated the world with little to no trouble at all. Especially in the United States. Once again I am thinking about just how underprepared this country has been in dealing with Covid-19 and I can't even fathom what would happen if Ebola hit the States in the same way Covid has. It would be beyond awful. I truly believe that our country would react in much the same was as the people of the various countries in Africa presented in this book: denial. 

But to get back to the book...a winner! Preston wastes no time re-introducing us to the world of Ebola and how it first ravaged Africa in the 1970s. While reminding the reader of the first outbreaks, Preston talks more in depth about the more recent outbreak in 2014. This was the outbreak that brought Ebola to the shores of the United States for the first time. Preston gives us details of how the disease was brought to our doorstep and does so in a way that reminds us just how close we came to facing Ebola on a national pandemic level. While there is heavy scientific jargon in the book, Preston makes the science easy to understand even for the casual reader. 

Overall, I believe everyone should read this book. And while you're at it, pick up his other books too. And do it ASAP.

#crisisintheredzone #richardpreston #randomhouse #ebola #pandemic #librarybook #reading #currentlyreading #nonfiction #outbreak #mrsmadonnareads #books #bookreview

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Title: The Sun Down Motel
Author: Simone St. James
Publisher: Berkley
Rating: 4/5

The Sun Down Motel is one heck of a ride! This ghost story crossed with a murder mystery leaves the reader not knowing what direction to go in next. The book is told in two different times, in two different points of view and I actually didn't mind it. Usually I hate when this happens because there is one side of the story I just honestly don't want to read about. However, both Viv and Carly's were intriguing and kept me engaged in the story. I couldn't put it down, reading about 2/3 of the book over the span of 24 hours. And it has a few good twists and turns that were A+.

Please read this book if you're into thrillers, mysteries and/or ghost stories.

#books #reading #thriller #ghoststory #murdermystery #thesundownmotel #simonestjames #botm #bookofthemonth #mrsmadonnareads #bibliophile #bookworm #berkley

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Title: The Family Upstairs

Author: Lisa Jewell

Publisher: Atria Books

Rating: 4.5 /5

I just want to state that I read the last 130 pages in one sitting...

AND I COULDN'T PUT THE BOOK DOWN!

For the first book read in 2020, I made a good choice. The Family Upstairs is a constant game of Twister for the reader. I haven't read a lot of books recently that did a twist well but I'm thoroughly satisfied with this recent Jewell book. She may have moved to my top authors list. The differing points of view in the story definitely added to the experience in the past and the future. And man-oh-man does it really play with your mind.

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good thriller.

#books #reading #botm #bookofthemonth #bibliophile #bookworm #lisajewell #thefamilyupstairs #thriller #mrsmadonnareads #reading2020 #pageturner

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

Title: Stepsister

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Rating: 📖📖📖.5 / 5

This alternative telling of the Cinderella story was a decent twist on the old tale. We are presented the story of Isabelle, one of the ugly step sisters, and her family in the aftermath of Cinderella (Ella) becoming queen and leaving her family behind. We learn that Isabelle has cut off her toes to fit in the glass slipper and has become a pariah in her town as a result of her deceit. Forces work for and against Isabelle (Chance and Fate, respectably) as she tries to mend her broken heart and become a better person. To make matters worse, there is a threat by the name of Volkmar that wants to destroy everything and everyone in his path. 

This isn't a love story. Not in the regular sense anyway. There is a love aspect, but it is more a story of redemption with the darkness that is missing from the typical Cinderella story. And I really, really appreciated that. There's nothing I hate more than reading the same story over and over when promised something different. While different, however, I felt like Donnelly's retelling was missing something. It just wasn't different enough to set it apart. In the end it felt like just the Cinderella story but with a different, less girly character. I felt like I liked Isabelle's sister, Octavia more than Isabelle. But that's just me.

Overall, Stepsister is an interesting take on the Cinderella tale and is a welcome twist at that. I do recommend it to those who want the hints of a familiar story but with a different, darker point of view. 

#books #bookstagram #currentlyreading

#librarybook #library #jenniferdonnelly #scholasticpress #yabooks #accordingtomrsmadonna #reading

The Whisper Man by Alex North

Title: The Whisper Man
Author: Alex North
Publisher: Celadon Books
Rating: 📖📖📖/ 5

This score is probably rounded up. I don't even know what I want to give it because I was so thoroughly unimpressed and bored. And I really, really wanted to like this book. 

I'm going to keep this short because I hate writing thoroughly negative reviews. Overall, it was a decent book. The writing was run of the mill, but not terrible. I can hardly call it a thriller as there was almost no thrill in the story at all. It is more of a study about father-son relationships than a murder mystery. There were a few spots where I found myself quickly reading to find out what happened next, but those moments were shadowed by moments where I just wanted it to end. And I wanted a gripping story...but I didn't get it! Sigh. 

It took forever to read this book but I'm glad I finished it. 

Pick it up if you want a book with some creepy elements and a story of the bond between son and father, but don't go into it expecting wonders. At least in my opinion.

#books #bookstagram #botm #bookofthemonth #bookreview #alexnorth #thewhisperman #thriller #reading #celadonbooks

No Exit by Taylor Adams

Title: No Exit

Author: Taylor Adams

Publisher: William Morrow and Company

Rating: 4 / 5

This one is a bit of a doozy. No Exit is a slow burn in the beginning as we learn more about Darby and how and why she ends up at the rest stop with a bunch of weirdos in the middle of a blizzard. I mean, Darby really is an idiot. Who doesn't bring an extra phone charger? Or have one in their car?? Sorry folks but she just doesn't make good decisions throughout this book and it's infuriating. Sometimes I wonder if if the characters in books ever watch horror or thriller movies haha.

But Adams does a great job with building the characters and invoking strong emotions when it comes to each character. I mean, I REALLY hated the villains and felt sorry for the victims. In many other books I don't feel attached to the characters, but Adams got me with this one. Bravo to you sir. While some of the writing was weird in that it made the characters sound childish, I actually believed it given the types of people the characters were.

Overall, the bad guys are pretty obvious and the ending wasn't that big of a surprise, but I still recommend it for thriller lovers. It was actually nice to read a book that was pretty straight forward but not totally devoid of any plot and character development. So if you just want a good little thriller without any crazy frills or deep plot, pick this up!

#books #bookstagram #currentlyreading #accordingtomrsmadonna #noexit #tayloradams
#williammorrowandcompany #thriller #bookreview #reading #bookworm #booklovers #goodreads

Lock Every Door (Audiobook) by Riley Sager

Title: Lock Every Door

Author: Riley Sager

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Read by: Dylan Moore

Rating: 3.5/5

Ok so I'm a bit torn about this one. I listened to Lock Every Door on Audible because we were going on a long road trip and I really wanted to read this book.

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

"No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story—until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent."

So yeah. Makes good for a good thriller, right? Mmm...yeah? Ok, the book was pretty good. Especially the last part where we really figure out what is going on at the Bartholomew. But MAN does Sager really drag this one out. I felt like there was just so much description and minutia and not enough to forward the plot. This was made especially evident when put in Audible form. I honestly fell asleep a few times from the mixture of description and the narrator's lulling voice. 

And then I just...didn't...like...Jules. She's so naive and literally must have no common sense if she got herself into this situation. It's pretty clear that this apartment-sitter job is shady. Why would anyone agree to such rules? But, despite its flaws, Lock Every Door is a pretty good thriller and I'm glad I finished it. Riley Sager is a talented author and I've loved his books thus far. But this one just isn't my favorite. Oh well! I'll read the next one for sure!

#books #audiobook #penguinaudio #rileysager #thriller #lockeverydoor #currentlyreading #audible #reading #bookworm #accordingtomrsmadonna

Recursion by Blake Crouch

Title: Recursion
Author: Blake Crouch
Publisher: Crown Publishing
Rating: 4.5/5

--Thank you to NetGalley and Crown for this ARC to review!--

Wow. Just wow. I knew I was going to like this book because I thoroughly enjoyed <i>Dark Matter</i>, but I wasn't expecting this. From synopsis: "Memory makes reality. That’s what New York City cop Barry Sutton is learning as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived." How could you not want to know what happens next?

<i>Recursion</i> follows main characters Barry Sutton, a NYC cop, and scientist Helena Smith who both find themselves intertwined in the mystery of FMS in ways that will change them forever. Helena has good intentions for her machine that can preserve memories, especially for people like her mother suffering from Alzheimer's. But, like the fears many have of new technology, Helena's science goes haywire and thus we have the story. I won't say much more because basically anything I could say could be a spoiler.

You HAVE to check out this book. It is both relatable and sci-fy-trippy and I challenge you to not wish you had some of this technology in your own life for one reason or another. The writing is thorough and paints a vivid picture of what the characters are going through. Nothing in this book is really too far-fetched. Even the acknowledgements mention that this science isn't too far off.  Crouch has done it again! There is even a deal with Netflix to bring this story to the screen! Can't wait!

#crownpublishing #netgalley #blakecrouch #recursion #books #currentlyreading #accordingtomrsmadonna #sciencefiction #pageturner

Watching You by Lisa Jewell

Title: Watching You
Author: Lisa Jewell

Publisher: Atria Books
Rating: 📖📖📖📖 / 5

From the book jacket:
"Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Bristol, England, home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics. It's not the sort of place where people are murdered in their own kitchens. But it is the sort of place where everyone has a secret and prying eyes lurk behind every curtain."

Jewell focuses her book around a group of characters that, to be honest, are all a bit dodgy. You have the flawed female character, Joey, who got married to her husband, Alfie after knowing him for less than a month. They move in with Joey's "perfect" brother Jack and his wife, Rebecca. Then you also have the well-known school head, Tom and his wife Nicola and son Freddie, "the watcher in the window". Finally, you have student Jenna and her mentally troubled mom.

We find out that a gruesome murder has occurred but have little to no context to work with at first. As the story goes one, Jewell reveals details about the murder through police interviews that keep the reader hooked. Jewell does an excellent job of not revealing too many vital details early in the book. I usually find myself figuring out who the perpetrator is too soon and it utterly ruins the book. However, I didn't see this one coming at all until the end. And it was great! The characters are developed in such a way that it is hard to tell who is "good" and who is "bad". EVERYONE is flawed and it is easily believable that any of the characters could be the killer.

Pick this one up if you're looking for a good thriller with a twist you likely will not suspect!


#lisajewell #atriabooks #librarybook #currentlyreading #accordingtomrsmadonna #thriller #mystery #bristol #books #reading

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Rating: 📖📖📖/ 5

Caraval, the magical isle of deception and fantasy. The only way you can visit is by invite. After many, many letters to Caraval's leader, Legend, Scarlett Dragna has been invited to partake in the adventure of a lifetime! This year the prize for winning Caraval is a wish. The only problem is that Scarlett is to be married in a week to a man she has never seen. Along with her headstrong sister, Donnatella and a stranger whom she just met, Julian, the girls run away from home and their abusive father to finally have an adventure of their own. Soon Scarlett finds out just how easy it is to get swept away in the game as she tries to save her sister from the dangers Caraval poses while at the same time trying not to change entirely herself.

Garber's Caraval is a mixed bag for me. I loved the premise of a magical game where you don't know what is real and what is fantasy. Who doesn't want to get whisked away in a game like that? But on the other hand, Caraval fell short. We have Scarlett who literally will not make a decision or be honest that maybe not everything revolves around Tella, while at the same time she repeatedly says Tella is all that matters. Which is it Scarlett?? I loved Garber's whimsical writing style as it helped create in my mind the world we were traveling through. I do applaud her for this aspect as many authors forsake the imagery for character development. But, frustratingly, I have no idea why Caraval exists or really any backstory to it at all other than that Legend is a scorned lover with a wicked carnival as a result.

It just had so much potential mixed in...why couldn't it follow through??

Anyway, I believe the story is good enough to tell others to read it if they like a light fantasy, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to my heavy fantasy readers due to a lack of substance. I will likely check out the second book at the library just to see if the series gets any better.

#caraval #stephaniegarber #fantasy #carnivals #fantasy #currentlyreading #librarybook #flatironbooks #mrsmadonnareads #accordingtomrsmadonna

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

Title: The Dreamers
Author: Karen Thompson Walker
Publisher: Random House
Rating: 📖📖📖📖/ 5

The small town of Santa Lora, California is soon rocked when news spreads that students on the local college campus are mysteriously falling asleep and cannot wake up. Soon the number of sleeping rises and spreads throughout the town, but no one can figure out why. But what they do find out is that the afflicted are dreaming more deeply than has ever been been studied. The Dreamers follows various characters in the town affected by the sickness and gives multiple points of view to add a depth to the already complicated story.

If I were to describe the types of books I often pick up, it would be obvious that I love a good science-y mystery. A mysterious disease where people randomly fall asleep and can't be roused? I'm all over it. That's why after reading the book jacket I knew I had to pick up The Dreamers from the library. And I certainly wasn't disappointed. Unlike the typical "rampant disease" story where the death toll rises quickly, Walker weaves a situation where the illness in question is peaceful. There is no bloodshed and often, especially in the beginning stages, nobody can tell who is just sleeping and who is ill. Such confusion is often more scary than the typical mass infection. At the same time, the illness itself is not all that interesting. I hesitate to say it, but nothing really happens. The patients either die or wake up. There is no real resolution and no reason why it happened in the first place. I understand that it adds to the mystery to end it this way, but it's also very disappointing.

Walker's writing style is amazing. The way she weaves the story through the different characters' experiences really lends a different level of storytelling to the events of the story. The reader can really feel the emotions and understand the thought process of the characters as opposed to the typical disaster story. The story is more focused on the people involved rather than the disease itself and it is a breath of fresh air. Even if not much happens action-wise in the book. Overall, The Dreamers is an intriguing story in an often oversaturated and over-played "plague" genre. I would recommend it to basically any reader as, even though it a story of a spreading disease, there is no gore or anything that would turn many readers away.

#thedreamers #karenthompsonwalker #randomhouse #disease #mystery #illness #dreaming #reading #books #librarybook #currentlyreading #accordingtomrsmadonna

The Catherine Howard Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh

Title: The Catherine Howard Conspiracy
Author: Alexandra Walsh
Publisher: Sapere Books
Rating: 📖📖📖.5 / 5

When you think about the wives of Henry VIII, there are definitely certain names that are most memorable such as Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. But for the lesser known wives, books such as these can be enlightening. Although fiction, The Catherine Howard Conspiracy does help to paint a picture of what life could have been like for Catherine Howard. The queen with such a short rule can often be overlooked as not much seems to be known about her. In Walsh's book, we are shown that not everything you read in history should be viewed at face value. There can be a little mystery in anything.

Perdita Rivers and her sister Piper are thrown into chaos when they find out that their estranged grandmother has died and they are left with her hefty fortune which includes Marquess House. Marquess House is full of history and art, along with their grandmother's research and unfinished manuscript of her latest book about Catherine Howard. Following the clues left behind, the girls and their new acquaintances soon find that maybe the documented fate of Catherine Howard is not in fact true. And not only that, but there may be outside forces that are trying to cover up any discoveries Perdita uncovers.

The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is a good introduction to Walsh's new trilogy. Walsh does a good job of introducing the characters involved as well as the setting and the history of what Perdita is uncovering. The story could have used a bit more background into who Catherine was, for those readers who may not be as familiar with Tudor history. Though, when information is sparse, perhaps this is the best that could be done. I found myself wishing for the Howard chapters more than Perdita's chapters.

I don't feel as if the mystery in the present day was built up enough to hold my interest. It wasn't until the last 10% of the book that the intrigue and the real "action" heated up. I couldn't get a real feel for what Perdita was doing as she uncovered the clues. They seemed to fall too easily into her lap. However, I felt more invested in Catherine and her plight than the people that were trying to find out more about her. However, as the first installment, I do believe that Walsh did a good job of building the suspense and I am for sure going to seek out the next book to figure out what happened to Catherine and the mystery surrounding her. Tudor buffs should check out this book for sure!

#catherinehoward #tudors #history #mystery #mrsmadonnareads #currentlyreading #books #henryviii #alexandrawalsh #saperebooks