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The Winter Girl by Matt Marinovich
Published: January 2016 by Doubleday
Source: eARC
Rating: 4 Stars
A scathing and exhilarating thriller that begins with a husband’s obsession with the seemingly vacant house next door.
It’s wintertime in the Hamptons, where Scott and his wife, Elise, have come to be with her terminally ill father, Victor, to await the inevitable. As weeks turn to months, their daily routine - Elise at the hospital with her father, Scott pretending to work and drinking Victor’s booze - only highlights their growing resentment and dissatisfaction with the usual litany of unhappy marriages: work, love, passion, each other. But then Scott notices something simple, even innocuous. Every night at precisely eleven, the lights in the neighbor’s bedroom turn off. It’s clearly a timer…but in the dead of winter with no one else around, there’s something about that light he can’t let go of. So one day while Elise is at the hospital, he breaks in. And he feels a jolt of excitement he hasn’t felt in a long time. Soon, it’s not hard to enlist his wife as a partner in crime and see if they can’t restart the passion.
Their one simple transgression quickly sends husband and wife down a deliriously wicked spiral of bad decisions, infidelities, escalating violence, and absolutely shocking revelations.
This was an amazingly mind-blowing slap to the face that left you wondering where you even where. You've read the summary... you think, "Ahh, another thriller with a little mystery." HA! Not a chance! This book has so many twists and turns that your head will spin - in a good way.
So the bedroom light comes on every night at the same time in the house next door - who cares, right? Scott was bored enough to care and it's amazing how one little light can change so many lives. This may be one of my most vague book reviews yet, but I don't care. I'm not spoiling one single detail. I'm not even really into the mystery/thriller genre, but I tore through this book like a bull in a china shop. And yes... there are still broken pieces that need to be picked up.
These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly
Publish
ed: October 2015 by Random House Delacorte
Source: eARC
Rating: 4 Stars
Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon - like all the girls in her class - she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo secretly dreams of becoming a writer - a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.
Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.
The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie - a young, brash, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper - and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. Only now it might be too late to stop.
The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and the truth is the dirtiest part of all.
Another historical fiction book that furthered my love for the genre. Jo Montfort is a young lady in waiting when her father dies. She immediately doubts her father's death was a suicide and starts to lead a double life. One where she walks the streets at night investigating the possible murder of her father and another where she acknowledges her social status and acts accordingly - like a young lady who looks pretty, has a delicate mind, and is well-mannered.
Eddie, a man she meets at the newspaper her father used to own, becomes her partner in the investigation of her father and her father's company secrets. Jo ends up doing and seeing things that rich young ladies of that time period would be shunned and cast out for if her actions were exposed. Jo throws caution to the wind, deciding the truth is worth any consequence.
I loved following Jo's journey and her perseverance throughout was incredible. She could have her entire future ruined every single time she snuck out at night and yet she still risked it. She was a true journalist during a time when woman were thought of as small-minded and weak.
If you're looking for a good historical fiction with a large dose of mystery, this one is for you.
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
Published:
August 2015 by Scout Press
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4 Stars
Nora hasn’t seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back.
In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house
Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen do arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind her?
And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room
But something goes wrong. Very wrong.
And in the dark, dark room…
Some things can’t stay secret for ever.
This was a decent mystery/thriller for me. I honestly bought it thinking it was a horror novel, but it turned out to be a good mistake. The main character is Nora, a writer who enjoys her independent lifestyle, including her precious alone time. She once dated a boy named James when she was a teenager. They broke it off and kept the secret of why... well, a secret for over ten years. Nora denies it even to herself, but she's still not over James.
Out of the blue, a woman named Flo emails Nora inviting her to a hen party weekend at a secluded house in the woods for one of Nora's old high school friends, Claire. Claire was an amazing best friend ten years ago. Nora and Claire did everything together, but Claire was always the one of the two who shined brightest. Nora was confused when she read the invitation... Nora and Claire had drifted apart years ago. Claire spends a few days thinking on whether or not to accept the invite. She eventually decides to go and rides up to the secluded house with another one of her old friends, Nina. There are a few other characters who come along for the weekend getaway as well such as Mel and Tom. It can't be a party without people, right?
As soon as Claire arrives at the house, she drops a bomb on Nora. Claire is marrying Nora's old flame, James. Nora finally understands why she was invited to a party for someone she hasn't even heard from in ten years. This was Claire's way of making sure that Nora knew, but by breaking the news as easily as possible. Of course, Nora is upset, but she reminds herself that her and James' relationship ended ten years ago. Nora and the rest of the group try to enjoy the weekend as much as possible.
Let me talk about Flo... she is quite the character. Flo, the overprotective friend of Claire, now starts to act strangle. She makes everyone uncomfortable, including me. She's very snippy and reminds everyone how they should be eternally grateful to even be considered one of Claire's friends. Flo even dresses like Claire, which unfortunately looks unflattering because of the body type difference between Claire and Flo. Everyone just assumes Flo is obsessed with Claire and they try to ignore her strangeness and get on with the weekend, or more truthfully... get to the end of the weekend.
So many deceptions, secrets, lies, truths... all unfold during this weekend getaway. It seemed never-ending. I thought I had it figured out several times, but I was fooled. If you're looking for a mystery/thriller with a great well-rounded group of characters, then this one is for you.
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