Quick Update and a blogging break

 

Hello readers,  I've been missing from the computer and blogging in general but, life threw me an unexpected curveball.

On Friday, 9/2, I woke up with low blood pressure and a high heart rate, felt a little little headed and ended up passing out in the kitchen and banging my head on the ceramic floor.  My doctor was concerned about a brain bleed so wanted me to go to the ER.  Good news, no head injury, bad news they found other areas of concern including a blood infection, low BP, elevated heart rate. I spent (4) nights in the hospital after almost constant IV antibiotics and fluids.  They believe dehydration lead to the passing out incident.  I have had other issues I've been dealing with  so, this was just another unexpected setback.

Needless to say,, I came home very weak and am slowly trying to regain my energy.  I'll be following up with a few different doctors over next few weeks.

On a positive note I have finished (2) audio books. (1) I started and finished in the hospital and the other since I've been home - both very good.

We Spread; Iain Reid

Simon & Schuster Audio - 2022

RATING - 4.5/5 stars

Narrator - Robin Miles - excellent

(review at a later date)

                                            Lost Girls of Willowbrook; Ellen Marie Wiseman

                                                        Recorded Books -2022 (library loan)

                                                                   RATING -   4/5 stars

                                                           Narrator - Morgan Hallet - very good

                                                                        review at a later date

                                                                    

                                                                        UPCOMING READs

That's it for now. I'll post some reviews when I feel up to it otherwise you can check my 2022 Books Read Tab to see what I've read.

Book Review - Killers of a Certain Age; Deanna Raybourn

 

Killers of a Certain Age; Deanna Raybourn

Berkley - 9/2022

This is my first time trying this author and the appeal of this book for me was the fact that the main characters were women who were easing intro retirement in their 60s after a career in a non traditional female field - 40 years as female assassins. The all female team worked for a group called The Museum, originally tracking Nazi but over their tenure as the as the world changed so did the kinds of people they went after such as  drug smugglers and human traffickers.

Now Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie are on an all expense paid cruise but, when they spot a former assassin from the Museum among the ship's crew something doesn't feel right and the women wonder if they are suddenly not on a leisurely cruise but targets. Can this group of savvy women use the skills that honed over the years to stay alive? Why has the Museum turned on the women?

The story is told from the POV of Billie and takes the reader into the past as we learn about some of their missions over the course of their career. but, more of the book was set in the present day.  It was easy to get a feel for the individual strengths of the relationships of the women.  I felt the story moved along at a good pace but, I was surprised by the darker details the storyline took at times. There were some moments that made me smile but, the story wasn't at all light and humorous either.  I can't really say that I would even  classify this as a mystery.  In the end this was just another case of a book that wasn't a good fit for me.

RATING - 3/5 stars

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intro - Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six; Lisa Unger

 

Welcome to First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews. Each week readers post the first paragraph (or 2) of a book we are reading or plan to read soon.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six; Lisa Unger

Park Row -2022

Prologue

Christmas Night 2017

The carcass is spread in the middle of the table. Carved, flesh torn away, eaten, ribs exposed.  The turkey when it was removed from the oven, is now just a pile of bones.  Plates are smeared with gravy, wineglasses empty, stained red.  A swath of maroon lipstick mars a white cloth napkin. The lights from the Christmas tree blink, manic.

I used to read everything Lisa Unger wrote but, it's been a while. This catchy title had somewhat of a creep factor for me so I added it to my RIP Challenge list.  What do you think, read more of pass?

Brief Book Review - The Woman in the Library; Sulari Gentill

 

The Woman in the Library; Sulari Gentill

Poison Pen Press - 2022

(library Loan)

This was a book that I passed on initially but, my self-imposed pressure, based on reviews from some who enjoyed it, and the setting of the Boston Public Library held lots of appeal..  Unfortunately, this book was a struggle and ultimately a disappointing read for me.

The setting of the Boston Public Library, a blood-curdling scream early that ultimately ends in the murder of a young woman, makes fast friends of four strangers sitting at the same table who bond after the crime.  The more the group discusses what they recall the plot thickens and suspicions intensify. Hannah Tigone is a mystery writer based in Australia who shares the book she is writing with a Boston based mega fan named Leo who critiques her work it for locale and other accuracies, since the pandemic has preventing Hannah from coming to Boston herself.  Her novel is shared basically through email exchanges at the ends of the chapters and the whole correspondence gets very odd and uncomfortable as well at at times.

I'm not a fan of a story within a story kind of novel and found this one hard to get into and even confusing at times. I think I was expecting more of a traditional mystery. I'm not even sure this can be classified as a traditional mystery as it also seemed heavily character driven. I especially found the correspondence distracting and felt it added very little to the mystery overall. Sorry readers I can't recommend this one.

RATING - 2.5/5 stars

Book Review - The Left-Handed Twin; Thomas Perry

 

The Left-Handed Twin; Thomas Perry

Highbridge Audio - 2022

(audio purchase - 8 hours 49 minute)

(Joyce Bean - Narrator - good)

Jane Whitefield  a 30-something part Seneca woman who is married to a surgeon. she has a unique gift and has helped about 100 people terrified people safely escape their former lives often when it is a life or death situation. After taking a break from her work for a bit, she is asked by a friend to help a young woman named Sara who testified against he badass boyfriend in a murder trial. The former boyfriend is acquitted and he is looking for Sara and even has the help of the Russian mob who are more interested in finding Jane than finding Sara. They have an interest in finding out the real names of the people that Jane has helped start new lives over the years.

From upstate New York, New Hampshire and even along the Appalachian Trail, Jane seems to keep just one step above her pursuers. The pace of this story is fast and the tension nail biting at times including the story's terrifying conclusion.  This is book #9 of the Jane Whitefield series but, it can clearly be read as a stand alone novel.  There is plenty of backstory, almost too much at times IMO.  I've read a few of the previous series books but not in order and,  I like Jane's character. She is a smart, strong and fearless sort of woman who is dedicated to what she does. I think new readers will find the information she provides about charging identities and staying under the radar interesting as they read.

I purchased this audio download and although I've enjoyed Joyce Bean as a narrator previously, her voice to me sounded like a much older woman who did not fit Jane's part as a woman who was in her 30s. A decent thriller overall.

Rating - 4/5 stars

Book Review - Fairy Tale; Stephen King - release date September 6th

 

Fairy Tale; Stephen King

Scribner and Simon & Schuster Audio - 9/6/2022

(Narrators: Seth Numrich and Stephen King)

(length - 24 hours)

In Stephen Kin's latest novel which releases on September 6th we meet Charlie Reade whose life hasn't been easy. His mom died when he was a young boy after being hit by a van.  His dad tried to do the best he could but instead he drowned his grief in alcohol until he eventually found the help he needed to get sober. Charlie in turn for a number of years became the responsible one in the household. He was also a good student and talented athlete.

One day Charlie,  now 17, is riding his bike by the home of a recluse named Howard Bowditch. The man's barking dog summoned Charlie to see that Mr.Bowditch had fallen off a ladder and couldn't get up. After Charlie calls for help and Mr, Bowditch is hospitalized for a fractured hip, it's clear the older man will require a lengthy period of rehab, home care and someone to feed Radar, his German Shepard while he is away from home.  Charlie steps in and an unlikely bond of trust and respect is formed between Charlie, Mr. Bowditch and Radar.  Things at Mr. Bowditch's home are a little retro to say the least but, the most mysterious of all are the contents of a safe and a mysterious backyard shed that leads to an alternate universe where those who enter will grapple with good versus evil.  

After Mr. Bowditch dies and Charlie is left a cassette tape from Mr. Bowditch explaining several thing as well as inheriting the property and his elderly dog Radar, the reader will wonder whether Charlie and Radar have what it takes to survive the battle that they will be forced to face.

Best described as a dark fantasy kind of thriller, something I sometimes grapple with, this story pulled me in immediately. Charlie Reade was such a likable character, the kind of teen you would be proud to have for your son and mature beyond his years.  Charlie had a heavy burden to carry sacrificing much to be of service to others. I loved Radar the senior dog and his bond with former master and then with Charlie was heartwarming.  This book is very good and I never found it disturbing either. Once again it amazes me just how very wild and imaginative King's mind is. In this case he created several deeply complex and memorable characters, a unique and odd alternate universe complete with a beautiful palace, glass towers, and even a magical sundial that could turn time around. King fans will not be disappointed.  The audio version was excellent.

Rating - 4.5/5 stars

(NOTE: An audio download was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.)

RIP XVII Challenge - September 1 through October 31, 2022

 

• Grab your spooky books, because it’s the best time of year again!
• To join the R.I.P. Challenge, just read as many mystery, suspense, thriller, horror, dark fantasy, supernatural, or Gothic books as you’d like September 1st – October 31st, and post/discuss them on your blog, Instagram, or Twitter. The group is also on Discord!
• Use #RIPXVII to connect with other challenge participants.
• Check out this link for all of the challenge details: https://linktr.ee/perilreaders

Possible RIP Choices

1. The Night She Disappeared; Lisa Jewell - 4/5 stars
2. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six; Lisa Unger  - 3.5/5 stars
3. The Couple at Number 9; Claire Douglas
4. The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Victor Hugo (bucket list book)
5. Dark Tales; Shirley Jackson - 4/5 stars
6. The Haunted Hotel; Wilkie Collins (bucket list book)

I’ll be tracking my RIP books for this challenge on this post and on my sidebar:

1. Dark Tales; Shirley Jackson - 4/5 stars
2. The Night She Disappeared; Lisa Jewell - 4/5 stars
3. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six; Lisa Unger  - 3.5/5 stars