Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties by Camille Pagan

January 24, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties by Camille Pagan
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s fiction
Length: Full length (274 pages)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

From bestselling author Camille Pagán comes a hilarious and hopeful story about a woman on the verge of a nervous breakthrough.

At fifty-three, Maggie Harris has a good marriage and two mostly happy children. Perpetually anxious, she’s also accumulated a list of semi-reasonable fears: falling air conditioners, the IRS, identity theft, skydiving, and airbag recalls. But never once did Maggie worry that her husband of nearly thirty years would leave her.

On the day Adam walks out the door, everything that makes Maggie secure goes with him. Only then does she realize that while she’s been busy caring for everyone else, she’s become invisible to the world—and to herself.
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Maggie cautiously begins to rebuild her life with a trip to Rome, a new career, and even a rebound romance. But when a fresh crisis strikes and an uncertain future looms, she must decide: How much will she risk to remain the woman she’s just become?

Someone once said “the only predictable thing about life is it’s unpredictability”. That’s certainly the truth that hits Maggie Harris square in the face when her husband of thirty-two years leaves her with very little warning.

I wanted to like this book. I didn’t actually hate it, it was okay, I just wasn’t blown away. I kept expecting, wanting really, to see Maggie display some real backbone but other than quitting her job and taking the lone trip to Rome, life happened to her rather than her taking more control.

It’s possible that this story didn’t connect with me because I haven’t lived Maggie’s experience. Not having been through a divorce may color what I wanted or expected to see in Maggie’s reaction. The story gives some interesting insight into Maggie and Adam prior to marriage, life with her single mother as well as raising her children while Adam builds his business.

There’s an interesting underlying thread to the story about how someone can live, work, shop, raise a family and realize one day that they’re practically invisible and maybe this is the real take away from this story.

There was a point where it seemed Maggie started noticing all of the ways that she had allowed herself to become invisible. In the way she dressed, in the way she let others take advantage of her. She shows a little spirit and that gave me hope for the rest of the book.

Women who may be going through the early stages of separation later in life will connect with this book. It’s realistic to a fault. Maggie is on a journey, a long finding herself type journey. The book ends with a little twist and a decidedly positive note for her future and that helped round out the story for this reader.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Holly Banks Full of Angst by Julie Valerie

November 25, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Holly Banks Full of Angst by Julie Valerie
Publisher: Lake Union
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense, Women’s Fiction
Length: Full Length (378 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Holly Banks could not have made a worse first impression on the seemingly perfect moms in her new affluent community, the Village of Primm. Turns out wearing pink piggy pajama bottoms while dropping off her kindergartener late to the first day of school wasn’t her best look.

Not to mention Holly’s worried her husband may be having an affair, she can’t get her daughter to stop sucking her thumb, her hard-won film degree is collecting dust, and to top it all off, the power-hungry PTA president clearly has it in for her…
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To make matters even worse, Holly’s natural eye for drama lands her smack-dab in the middle of a neighborhood mystery—right as her own crazy mother shows up in Primm “to help.” Through it all, Holly begins to realize her neighbors may be just as flawed as—and even wackier than—she is, leaving her to wonder: Is there such a thing as a perfect mom?

They might all be a little wacky.

This is the first novel by Julie Valerie, but it reads as if she’s been writing for a while. The novel flows well and the characters are intriguing. I read this book in one afternoon. I had to put it down, but I didn’t want to. I enjoyed the time reading it and would pick up others by this author.

The thing about this story? Holly Banks thinks she’s in the middle of a perfect world and has to be perfect, too. Except she’s not. Has she come to accept that? No. That’s what makes her relatable. We’re all trying to be better versions of ourselves and hoping we can strive a little harder. Who wants to coast through life?

The funny part is, while some of the things that happen in this book are a little outlandish, it’s like reading about friends with the life-is-stranger-than-fiction bend to it. Really.

If you want a breezy novel that’s good for reading in an afternoon, then this might be the book for you.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker

November 6, 2019 By Leave a Comment


One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Historical
Length: Full length (545 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

Wyoming, 1876. For as long as they have lived on the frontier, the Bemis and Webber families have relied on each other. With no other settlers for miles, it is a matter of survival. But when Ernest Bemis finds his wife, Cora, in a compromising situation with their neighbor, he doesn’t think of survival. In one impulsive moment, a man is dead, Ernest is off to prison, and the women left behind are divided by rage and remorse.

Losing her husband to Cora’s indiscretion is another hardship for stoic Nettie Mae. But as a brutal Wyoming winter bears down, Cora and Nettie Mae have no choice but to come together as one family—to share the duties of working the land and raising their children. There’s Nettie Mae’s son, Clyde—no longer a boy, but not yet a man—who must navigate the road to adulthood without a father to guide him, and Cora’s daughter, Beulah, who is as wild and untamable as her prairie home.
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Bound by the uncommon threads in their lives and the challenges that lie ahead, Cora and Nettie Mae begin to forge an unexpected sisterhood. But when a love blossoms between Clyde and Beulah, bonds are once again tested, and these two resilient women must finally decide whether they can learn to trust each other—or else risk losing everything they hold dear.

Back in the days of the empty prairies, two families built close to each other. They knew each other but they weren’t very friendly with each other. Things got even worse when one of the farmer’s was walking his property looking for varmints and found the other neighbor with his wife at the edge of the river. Almost without thinking the man lay dead on the river bank. He tells the neighbor lady what he’s done and why he did it. Then he goes into town and surrenders to the sheriff.

His wife finds herself in a bad place. He’s going to jail for two years and he’s not sure if he wants her there when he comes back. Her neighbor lady hates her. And it wasn’t that special to start with, it was just something different. She misses society, the sounds of the city, and her friends.

The only surviving son of the dead man comes to help with farming, the oldest daughter works with him. His mother thinks she’s flighty and doesn’t get much done but she’ll work all day with him. The land and animals talk to her. If she says so, they think she’s nuts. In time she teaches the boy how to hear it. It settles down the mean spirit his father tried to teach him.

There is more trouble as the two households try to get along for survival sake. The two women tolerate each other but that’s about all.

Many of the household duties, garden duties and animal care were very familiar to me. They were things my grandparents did and many of them were done by my family, too. This was a good visit back in history as well as a good look at how two women missing husbands finally resolve their differences and decide to get along.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Poison Garden by A. J. Banner

October 25, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Poison Garden by A. J. Banner
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (208 pages)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Elise Watters seems to have it all—a blissful marriage, a gorgeous Victorian home surrounded by lush gardens, and a dream job running her late mother’s herbal boutique.

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If she is to believe what she sees, Elise has every reason to fear for her life…

On the eve of her first wedding anniversary, Elise Watters is on cloud nine. She has a wonderful home, an amazing husband, and everything she could ever hope for. However, soon enough, she learns that it’s all a lie. What’s real and what’s not? Can she truly trust anyone? It’s hard to know what to do when nothing is as it seems to be.

Elise is an interesting character with quite a backstory. I loved learning about her mother, the apothecary, and herbal lore that was woven throughout the story. After discovering her husband is involved in something he shouldn’t have been, she starts to spiral out of control. This leads to her becoming more than a little paranoid but, at times, it’s a well warranted paranoia. It seems like everyone is lying to her, so how can she trust anyone? At every turn, she’s finding more evidence that her husband is plotting against her and she has no idea who to turn to for help. Honestly, I probably would have found myself feeling the same way she did during most of the book.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this book, some that I saw coming and others that took me completely by surprise. The Poison Garden is a fast-paced, thrill ride of a novel, that left me wondering what was lurking around the next corner. Although at times, the plot is over the top and unbelievable, I didn’t find it to be a detraction. Rather, that kind of insanity feeds my need for drama and made me enjoy this all the more.

Having enjoyed a previous book by the author, After Nightfall, I was excited to be able to read The Poison Garden as well. I now consider myself a full-fledged fan and can’t wait to get my hands on her other two novels. Will be interested to see what her next novel brings as well.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

September 6, 2019 By Leave a Comment


The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (307 pages)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Lila Bennett’s bad choices have finally caught up with her. And one of those decisions has split her life in two. Literally.

In one life, she’s taken hostage by someone who appears to be a stranger but knows too much. As she’s trapped in a concrete cell, her kidnapper forces her to face what she’s done or be killed. In an alternate life, she eludes her captor but is hunted by someone who is dismantling her happiness, exposing one secret at a time.
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Lila’s decorated career as a criminal defense attorney, her marriage, and her life are on the line. She must make a list of those she’s wronged—both in and out of the courtroom—to determine who is out to get her before it’s too late. But even if she can pinpoint her assailant, will she survive? And if she does, which parts of her life are worth saving, and which parts must die? Because one thing’s for certain—life as Lila Bennett knew it is over.

Lila Bennett’s day starts out amazingly well. She won a big case and, despite the anger from the prosecution’s side, she’s flying high on that victory. That is, until her boss convinces her to meet him for a drink before going home. It is her biggest mistake in more ways than she’ll ever know.

This was one of the more unusual books I’ve read this year. At the moment of the attempted kidnapping, Lila’s world splits into two realities. In one, she narrowly escapes her captor and goes on to try and right all the wrongs she’s committed in the past, trying for a better life. In the other, she’s taken hostage and held captive. And right up until the very end, you’re not sure which reality is the real one. Even then, you’re still left wondering if maybe you were duped. I know I put the book down after I finished and wondered whether either reality had been real.

At first, I wasn’t sure what to think about Lila, but the more you get to know her and her past deeds, you realize she wasn’t a very good person. However, she really does strive for redemption though both realities, accepting her faults and wanting to make amends. Captured Lila has no other choice, but Free Lila is making amends as a thank you for avoiding the fate of Captured Lila.

I was very proud of myself with this novel, however. It’s very, very rare for me to figure out who the bad guy is when I’m reading this kind of book. I’m not sure if I’m not paying close enough attention or if I’m too absorbed in the story itself to care, but for the first time in recent memory, I figured it out. That said, every time I thought, “Oh, her captor is…” the next chapter had me doubting myself all over again. After all, Lila had no shortage of enemies. Even though I’d figured it out, the reasons for their behavior hadn’t ever occurred to me, so that was still a surprise in the end.

The Two Lila Bennetts is one of the most unusual and engaging novels I’ve read all year. Each reality grabbed my attention and held it. And those rare moments when the two came together made my nerdy little heart shout with joy. The writing duo of Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke have done it again. Every book gets better and better, leaving me eager for the next. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the next novel.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Valencia and Valentine by Suzy Krause

June 17, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Valencia and Valentine by Suzy Krause
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Fiction
Length: Full length (244 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

For readers of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, debut author Suzy Krause delivers a quirky, colorful story about love, loss, second chances, and what it means to truly live.

Valencia, a timid debt collector with crippling OCD, is afraid of many things, but the two that scare her most are flying and turning thirty-five. To confront those fears, Valencia’s therapist suggests that she fly somewhere—anywhere—before her upcoming birthday. And as Valencia begins a telephone romance with a man from New York, she suddenly has a destination in mind. There’s only one problem—he might not actually exist.

Mrs. Valentine is an eccentric old woman desperate for company, be it from neighbors, telemarketers, or even the funeral director (when you’re her age, you go to a lot of funerals). So she’s thrilled when the new cleaning girl provides a listening ear for her life’s story—a tale of storybook love and incredible adventures around the world with her husband before his mysterious and sudden disappearance.
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The stories of Valencia and Mrs. Valentine may at first appear to have nothing in common…but then again, nothing in life is as straightforward as it seems.

I decided to read this story based on the blurb. It sounded interesting and I thought it might be fun. Well, Valencia and Valentine was absolutely interesting but fun wouldn’t be my word choice. It was a story that spoke to the heart in a way that was unconventional and surprising. There were so many times I expected Valencia and Mrs. Valentine to meet. In the end, they did, but not in any way I could have guessed or imagined or predicted.

There were times during reading where I wanted to skim or skip some paragraphs or pages because I didn’t think the plot was moving fast enough. My advice, slow down, take it in, and keep on keeping on. I ended up doing that because I discovered there was this intangible sense, a knowing that I was heading for a revelation that I couldn’t fathom but I wanted to get to. I needed every little clue to understand.

The author wrote in such a profound and effective manner about Valencia and how OCD affected her life, it made my heart ache. It gave me insight into those whose lives are dogged by the specter of revolving doubts, questions, panic attacks, worries and the ever-present ‘what-if?’ – if they did or didn’t do something, would it cause harm? Then there’s the guilt that comes from the imagining and then the questions, is it really imagination or is it real? I can’t visualize feeling that way all day, every day, yet the author clearly showed me though the heroine’s point of view just how challenging and hard a life can be when dealing with OCD. It was an eye-opener.

The reason I didn’t give this novel five stars was because I did get the feeling like I wanted to skim through parts, to hurry up and get to where the good stuff I believed should be. The kick of it is, I needed all those reminisces from Mrs. Valentine, I needed to read about Peter’s interaction with Valencia and how she tried to like him back – I needed to understand these two ladies which meant I needed to not rush things and let the author guide me to where she wanted me to go.

Because I eventually became so invested in their stories, when I came upon the scenes about the plane ride, I turned into a water faucet. It came upon me so suddenly – the knowledge of what I had been actually reading and what it meant and I cried and sniffled and used many tissues. My heart broke, and yet, there was a nostalgic love and gentleness, and a bittersweet happiness woven into the wrap-up. Even with that little bit of brightness, as I type this, I’m tearing up all over again. My heart was engaged at a much deeper depth than I believed it could be and I credit my emotional response to the care and expertise of Ms. Krause’s writing.

Valencia and Valentine is a difficult book to describe because anything I think to say doesn’t seem to do it justice. It’s not my usual type of book and yet, I feel better for having read it. In my own life, I want to be more like Grace. She was a great secondary character and a wonderful ally for Valencia to have. Readers who enjoy books with serious substance shared with love, character driven plots and protagonists who are brought to life before your very eyes, should definitely consider reading this novel.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

I’m Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagan

March 18, 2019 By 2 Comments


I’m Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagan
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (270 pages)
Heat level: Sweet
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Wife. Mother. Breadwinner. Penelope Ruiz-Kar is doing it all—and barely keeping it together. Meanwhile, her best friend, Jenny Sweet, appears to be sailing through life. As close as the two women are, Jenny’s passionate marriage, pristine house, and ultra-polite child stand in stark contrast to Penelope’s underemployed husband, Sanjay, their unruly brood, and the daily grind she calls a career.

Then a shocking tragedy reveals that Jenny’s life is far from perfect. Reeling, Penelope vows to stop keeping the peace and finally deal with the issues in her relationship. So she and Sanjay agree to a radical proposal: both will write a list of changes they want each other to make—then commit to complete and total honesty.

What seems like a smart idea quickly spirals out of control, revealing new rifts and even deeper secrets. As Penelope stares down the possible implosion of her marriage, she must ask herself: When it comes to love, is honesty really the best policy?

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As an avid reader I come across many books. Some are okay and some I wonder how did they even got published. But this book is a treasure! This is one of those that you don’t find often, that many readers seek. This book offered the thrill of being taken through so many emotions that I can’t help but classify this as a “must read.”

How much do we really know a person? This is the question that Penelope Ruiz-Kar asked herself when she finds out her friend Jenny Sweet’s perfect life has been a facade.

After receiving this new revelation about Jenny, Pen starts to question her life and her marriage and she finds the courage to face her life’s truths instead of keeping the peace.

Pen reminds me so much of myself. Lost in a marriage, a working mother carrying a full load of life. Even though the stress level would increase for Pen it only made her humorous side show. I loved Pen and Sanjay’s love for one another. Both were open and welcomed the chance to open up, try things a new way and work on making their relationship better. Sometimes I think we get comfortable in the roles society creates that we don’t tweak the roles to fit our personal situations. Why does the man have to work and bring home the bulk of the income? Why does the mother have to tend to the children and keep up the house? Everyone’s marriage doesn’t fit this mold. Pen and Sanjay had the courage to reevaluate their relationship roles and execute changes that worked for them.

Penelope is a kind and lovable woman. She has two young children but she made sure to include Jenny’s daughter Cecily. I enjoy seeing the transformation of Penelope. At work she settled but she had coworkers around her that cared about her and knew she had what it takes to move up in the company. She has so much to gain and now her confidence level has a boost. I like how the relationship between Penelope and Matt turned out and Penelope had the courage to continue to speak the truth and not just what Matt wanted to hear. Though Penelope and her dad didn’t have the best relationship Penelope knew she must face the obstacles that has kept her and her dad apart.

This is a life-affirming, funny and delightful read that I highly recommend to readers who enjoy a well-written, satisfying story of humor but also one that deals with real life issues.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Lily in the Light by Kristin Fields

March 15, 2019 By Leave a Comment


A Lily in the Light by Kristin Fields
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (288 pages)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

A harrowing debut novel of a tragic disappearance and one sister’s journey through the trauma that has shaped her life.

For eleven-year-old Esme, ballet is everything—until her four-year-old sister, Lily, vanishes without a trace and nothing is certain anymore. People Esme has known her whole life suddenly become suspects, each new one hitting closer to home than the last.
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Unable to cope, Esme escapes the nightmare that is her new reality when she receives an invitation to join an elite ballet academy in San Francisco. Desperate to leave behind her chaotic, broken family and the mystery surrounding Lily’s disappearance, Esme accepts.

Eight years later, Esme is up for her big break: her first principal role in Paris. But a call from her older sister shatters the protective world she has built for herself, forcing her to revisit the tragedy she’s run from for so long. Will her family finally have the answers they’ve been waiting for? And can Esme confront the pain that shaped her childhood, or will the darkness follow her into the spotlight?

What do you do when your world is turned upside down? Esme is only eleven when her sister, Lily, disappears one night, changing everything she once thought she knew about herself, her family, and the world around her. How will she manage to move forward, follow her dreams, and be all that she knows she can be when they can’t even find Lily?

Esme is a fascinating character and I immediately liked her. Honest, childlike, but more mature than you’d expect, she grabbed my attention and held it. She’s so torn between being free to live her own life and feeling guilty for not having paid more attention to her sister the night she disappeared. It’s heartbreaking to read at times because you can tell she truly had a bond with Lily. Although I have no doubt that her siblings, Nick and Madeline, cared about Lily, it’s also obvious that they didn’t have the same relationship with her that Esme did.

I loved being able to journey with Esme through the horror of her sister disappearing to her adult life as a dancer. She really grows and becomes her own person and I think a lot of that is because she was able to get away from her family who, in so many ways, stagnates and can’t get past Lily’s disappearance. Even though Madeline and Nick manage to move on, they don’t seem to have found the kind of freedom that Esme does with her dance.

A Lily in the Light is more than the story about a missing girl. It’s about faith, hope, and learning how to cope when you feel like you can’t even begin to understand what’s happened. I was totally swept up in this emotional novel, rooting not only for Lily to be found, but for Esme to find herself and a way to help heal her broken family.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Forgotten Hours by Katrin Schumann

March 5, 2019 By 1 Comment


The Forgotten Hours by Katrin Schumann
Publisher: Lake Union
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (330 pgs)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In this evocative debut novel, Katrin Schumann weaves a riveting story of past and present—and how love can lead us astray.

At twenty-four, Katie Gregory feels like life is looking up: she’s snagged a great job in New York City and is falling for a captivating artist—and memories of her traumatic past are finally fading. Katie’s life fell apart almost a decade earlier, during an idyllic summer at her family’s cabin on Eagle Lake when her best friend accused her father of sexual assault. Throughout his trial and imprisonment, Katie insisted on his innocence, dodging reporters and clinging to memories of the man she adores.

Now he’s getting out. Yet when Katie returns to the shuttered lakeside cabin, details of that fateful night resurface: the chill of the lake, the heat of first love, the terrible sting of jealousy. And as old memories collide with new realities, they call into question everything she thinks she knows about family, friends, and, ultimately, herself. Now, Katie’s choices will be put to the test with life-altering consequences.

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I’ve been on a kick of reading heavy books. This one seemed to fit the bill, especially considering the times we’re in.

The writing is striking and kept me fixed to my seat. I needed to know what would happen next. It’s a…I don’t know how else to describe it…a heavy plot. Katie’s father is accused of sexual assault and she says it didn’t happen. I can’t imagine being in her place. The author did an admirable job in making me sympathize with her.

That said, Katie wasn’t the character I thought she might be. For a woman who seems to have it all, she can be a bit…immature. She’s gone through a lot–growing up, having a boyfriend, a degree–but she still seemed flat. I get that the author wanted to show some people just won’t see what’s in front of them and the author did that well. I wanted to give Katie the what-for more than once. So kudos to the author for getting me emotionally involved.

The pacing was a tad slow and I did put this book down more than a few times. I needed to know what would happen next, but I recognized there were spots that just didn’t hold my attention. Also note, this book involves sexual assault, so it might not be for everyone.

Still, there were plot twists that did improve the story for me. I saw the growth in Katie and the hardships that Lulu went through. I wanted closure and got a satisfying one with the ending.

If you’re interested in a book that’s got a tough subject but interesting outcome, then this might be the book for you.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

After Nightfall by A. J. Banner

July 19, 2018 By 6 Comments


After Nightfall by A. J. Banner
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (251 pages)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Imagine your closest friend utterly betraying you. Years later, when she seeks forgiveness, you invite her to your engagement party as a gesture of reconciliation. But seething hostilities rise to the surface, ruining everyone’s evening. After an awful night, your friend’s battered, lifeless body is found at the bottom of a rocky cliff.
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Newly engaged Marissa Parlette is living this nightmare. She should be celebrating her upcoming wedding, but she can’t shake the image of her friend lying dead on the beach. Did she fall? Was she pushed? Or did she take a purposeful step into darkness? Desperate for answers, Marissa digs deep into the events of the party. But what she remembers happening after nightfall now carries sinister implications: the ugly sniping, the clandestine meetings, the drunken flirtations. The more she investigates, the more she questions everything she thought she knew about her friends, the man she once trusted, and even herself.

We all have something we’d rather not tell anyone else. Secrets are the things that make the world go round, it seems, and none of us are immune. While not every secret is bad, sometimes they can be very, very deadly. Just ask anyone who attended dinner for Marissa Parlette’s engagement party. Although, you’d better hurry – one of them won’t make it out alive.

Everything is perfect in Marissa’s world. She’s engaged to the man of her dreams, she’s got a sweet stepdaughter-to-be, and she’s even reconnected with her long-time best friend, Lauren, after a long estrangement. What could possibly destroy her dream life? Although Marissa appears to be happy, she has her problems, too. For the most part, she deals with them well enough and doesn’t let any one thing take over her world. Then Lauren dies and she becomes obsessed with finding the truth at any cost.

After Nightfall is full of complex, suspicious characters, each one hiding something from everyone else. Even young Anna, Marissa’s soon-to-be stepdaughter, has something she’s hiding from everyone. I found myself suspecting everyone but not really having the slightest clue who was actually responsible. The reveal at the end surprised me because I hadn’t even thought that particular person could have been involved. I had believed that it had to be one of the other, more arrogant and obnoxious dinner attendants.

If you’re looking for a page-turning thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat, After Nightfall is an excellent choice. Well-written and told in an easy style that makes it engrossing and engaging, I found myself unable to stop reading, even for the important things like dinner! This was my first book by A. J. Banner but it definitely won’t be my last. I’ve already added the rest of her books to my list. The trouble now is which one to pick?

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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