This month I attended Hamptonswhodunit, a Mystery and crime festival, and in prepping for it, I picked a few books from my shelves by some of the authors I knew would be attending. Not only did this help me get to know some of these authors better but it also allowed me to read some books that had been sitting on my shelf for a while. And now I’m quite eager to read more from them!
TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone
Published: May 24, 2022, MCD / MacMillan Audio
Source: Print – Personal Copy / Audio – borrowed from Library
Summary:
Tautly wound and expertly crafted, Two Nights in Lisbon is a riveting thriller about a woman under pressure, and how far she will go when everything is on the line.
You think you know a person . . .
Ariel Pryce wakes up in Lisbon, alone. Her husband is gone―no warning, no note, not answering his phone. Something is wrong.
She starts with hotel security, then the police, then the American embassy, at each confronting questions she can’t fully answer: What exactly is John doing in Lisbon? Why would he drag her along on his business trip? Who would want to harm him? And why does Ariel know so little about her new―much younger―husband?
The clock is ticking. Ariel is increasingly frustrated and desperate, running out of time, and the one person in the world who can help is the one person she least wants to ask.
With sparkling prose and razor-sharp insights, bestselling author Chris Pavone delivers a stunning and sophisticated international thriller that will linger long after the surprising final page.
My thoughts:
I grabbed this one after seeing a few rave reviews & I was not led astray. This is a fast-paced, entertaining thriller with some very unexpected twists I did not see coming. While it might seem a little on the long side, I was completely hooked and ended up completing this in two sittings…I just couldn’t put this one down! This was my 1st time reading this author & I can’t wait to dig into his backlist. The narration for this one is incredible – January LaVoy, one of my favorites, does an amazing job bringing this story to life!
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ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE by Ashley Flowers
Published: August 16, 2022, Bantam, Random House Audio
Source: Print – Personal Copy / Audio – borrowed from Library
Summary:
Everyone from Wakarusa, Indiana, remembers the case of January Jacobs, who was found dead in a ditch hours after her family awoke to find her gone. Margot Davies was six at the time, the same age as January—and they were next-door neighbors. In the twenty years since, Margot has grown up, moved away, and become a big-city journalist, but she’s always been haunted by the fear that it could’ve been her. And the worst part is, January’s killer has never been brought to justice.
When Margot returns home to help care for her sick uncle, it feels like walking into a time capsule. Wakarusa is exactly how she remembered: genial, stifled, secretive. Then news breaks about five-year-old Natalie Clark from the next town over, who’s gone missing under eerily similar circumstances. With all the old feelings rushing back, Margot vows to find Natalie and solve January’s murder once and for all.
But the police, the family, the townspeople—they all seem to be hiding something. And the deeper Margot digs into Natalie’s disappearance, the more resistance she encounters, and the colder January’s case feels. Could the killer still be out there? Could it be the same person who kidnapped Natalie? And what will it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night?
In the propulsive debut novel from the host of the #1 true crime podcast “Crime Junkie,” a journalist uncovers her hometown’s dark secrets when she becomes obsessed with the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor—and the disappearance of another girl twenty years later.
My thoughts:
I really liked this debut from true crime Podcaster Ashley Flowers. It had many aspects I loved that kept me glued to the story & the case that she took inspiration from is of course one I’m familiar with, so I was immediately hooked. I can’t wait to see what she writes next! This was amazing on audio, narrated by Brittany Pressley and Karissa Vacker, who are also favorite narrators of mine.
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THE LAST THING TO BURN by Will Dean
Published: April 20, 2021, Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Source: Personal Copy
Summary:
A woman being held captive is willing to risk everything to save herself, her unborn child, and her captor’s latest victim in this claustrophobic thriller in the tradition of Misery and Room.
On an isolated farm in the United Kingdom, a woman is trapped by the monster who kidnapped her seven years ago. When she discovers she is pregnant, she resolves to protect her child no matter the cost, and starts to meticulously plan her escape. But when another woman is brought into the fold on the farm, her plans go awry. Can she save herself, her child, and this innocent woman at the same time? Or is she doomed to spend the remainder of her life captive on this farm?
Intense, dark, and utterly gripping The Last Thing to Burn is a breathtaking thriller from an author to watch.
My thoughts:
This is a very tense and completely claustrophobic read that grabbed me from the get-go & never let up. It is one dark & disturbing read – it’s about human trafficking after all – but it’s also about one woman’s strength & perseverance & that’s what kept me reading. Don’t be too quick to dismiss this one! Will Dean has quickly become a must-read author for me and while I wait to get my hands on his upcoming book, I’ll be devouring the rest of his backlist that I haven’t yet read.
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LAST RITUALS by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
Published: October 2, 2007, William Morrow (1st Published January 2005)
Source: Personal Copy
Summary:
At a university in Reykjavík, the body of a young German student is discovered, his eyes cut out and strange symbols carved into his chest. Police waste no time in making an arrest, but the victim’s family isn’t convinced that the right man is in custody. They ask Thóra Guðmundsdóttir, an attorney and single mother of two, to investigate. It isn’t long before Thóra and her associate, Matthew Reich, uncover the deceased student’s obsession with Iceland’s grisly history of torture, execution, and witch hunts. But there are very contemporary horrors hidden in the long, cold shadow of dark traditions. And for two suddenly endangered investigators, nothing is quite what it seems … and no one can be trusted.
My thoughts:
I’ve read Yrsa Sigurdardottir before but this is one of her earlier books and the 1st in her Thora Gudmundsdottir series, which I’ve been meaning to read for a while now. It’s your typical NordicNoir in that it’s dark, gritty & very atmospheric. I loved that this one delved into medieval witchcraft which was quite interesting. Thora is quite an fascinating character & I’m quite eager to continue the series!
Have you read any of these or do you plan to? Have you been to any book festivals lately?
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