On the run from her abusive boyfriend, Lucy King holes up in Woodstock, New York. Her new neighbors, John and Vera, welcome her with open arms. But are they too good to be true?
In her first non–YA novel, Konen proves herself a master of weaving webs that slowly contract, strangling characters in the threads. Within minutes of meeting Vera, Lucy is warned off the couple by Maggie, who lives on the other side of Lucy’s cottage. She cautions Lucy that Vera Abernathy and John Nolan are charming but only care about themselves. But after Lucy’s hidden all of her valuables under the floorboards beneath her bed and closely documented everything in the cabin, determined not to let her violent boyfriend, Davis, gaslight her ever again, she drops by her neighbors' for dinner anyway. Soon, Vera, John, and Lucy are inseparable, their friendship fueled by alcohol and half-revealed secrets: Lucy confesses to Davis’ abuse but holds back the details of his surveillance; Vera alludes to unfriendly relations in town but won’t say why. And as the weeks progress, Lucy finds herself emotionally dependent on Vera and strongly desiring to kiss John. Yet questions persist: Why did their previous neighbor, Rachel, move out? Why are the townspeople leaving threatening notes in their mailbox and graffiti on their gallery downtown? Who is sneaking into Lucy’s cottage, leaving faucets running and mementoes rearranged? As tensions rise, Vera and John tell Lucy about their plan to escape the hostilities by faking a death, and Lucy seizes the opportunity to help. But when someone turns up actually murdered, Lucy has to solve the mystery before she is arrested and blamed herself.
A swift, compelling thriller with unexpected swoops and swerves.Pub Date: June 30, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-08547-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Categories: PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER | SUSPENSE | SUSPENSE | THRILLER | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE
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An aimless young musician meets the girl of his dreams only to have his newfound happiness threatened by several inexplicable—and possibly supernatural—events.
The story opens as Leeds Gabriel meets with a detective while his girlfriend, Layla, is restrained in a room one flight above them. Through the interview, readers learn that Leeds was wasting both his time and his musical talent playing backup for a small-town wedding troupe called Garrett’s Band when he spied Layla dancing her heart out to their mediocre music at a wedding. When Leeds approaches Layla, their connection is both instant and intense. A blissful courtship follows, but then Leeds makes the mistake of posting a picture of himself with Layla on social media. A former girlfriend–turned-stalker wastes no time in finding and attacking Layla. Layla spends months recovering in a hospital, and it seems the girl Leeds fell for might be forever changed. Gone is her special spark, her quirkiness, and the connection that had entranced Leeds months before. In a last-ditch effort to save their relationship, he brings Layla back to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. When they get there, though, Leeds meets Willow, another guest, and finds himself drawn to her in spite of himself. As events unfold, it becomes clear that Willow will either be the key to saving Leeds’ relationship with Layla or the catalyst that finally extinguishes the last shreds of their epic romance. Told entirely from Leeds’ point of view, the author’s first foray into paranormal romance does not disappoint. Peppered with elements of mystery, psychological thriller, and contemporary romance, the novel explores questions about how quickly true love can develop, as well as the conflicts that can imperil even the strongest connections. Despite a limited cast of characters and very few setting changes, the narrative manages to remain both fast-paced and engaging. The conclusion leaves a few too many loose ends, but the chemistry between the characters and unexpected twists throughout make for a satisfying read.
A unique story of transcendent love.Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5420-0017-8
Page Count: 301
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
Categories: PARANORMAL FICTION | ROMANCE | SUPERNATURAL THRILLER | THRILLER | GENERAL ROMANCE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE
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Lindsay Boxer faces a ton of trouble in the latest entry in Patterson and Paetro’s Women’s Murder Club series.
Senior crime reporter Cindy Thomas is writing a biography of Evan Burke, a notorious serial killer who sits in solitary confinement in San Quentin. She’s kidnapped by thugs wanting her to talk about her best friend, Lindsay Boxer, who’s an SFPD homicide detective and the story’s main character. San Francisco has a restrictive new gun law, and gun-totin’ folks everywhere have their boxer shorts in a twist. A national resistance movement has formed—Defenders of the Second—whose motto is “We will not comply.” They find it outrageous that the new law makes it illegal to own a gun that can kill 50 people with a single clip. Meanwhile, lots of bodies show up: A young girl disappears and is later found dead in a ditch, and ex-cops are found dead with their lips stapled shut and “You talk, you die” written on their foreheads. An inmate is found hanged in prison. And “a massive but unspecified load of military-style weaponry was en route from Mexico to the City by the Bay.” In a “frustrating, multipronged case,” there’s a harrowing shootout memorialized in a video showing “twenty-two of the scariest seconds” of Boxer’s life. She’s an appealing series hero with loving family and friends, but she may arrive at a crossroads where she has “to choose between my work and [my] baby girl.” The formulaic story has unmemorable writing, but it’s entertaining and well told. You probably won’t have to worry about the main characters, who have thus far survived 21 adventures. Except for the little girl, you can expect people to get what they deserve. It's relatively mild as crime novels go, but the women characters are serious, strong, and admirable.
Enjoyable storytelling by two masters of the craft.Pub Date: May 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-49937-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
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