It’s been a long time since I waxed poetic about a book I’ve read in this space. But more than one person has asked and so I will oblige. Here we go:

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand is about a pair of twins who have virtually nothing in common. Harper is laid back, easygoing, likes a beer and a shot and wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything fashionable. She lives on Martha’s Vinyard. Tabitha is dignified, refined and prefers a fine wine. She lives on Nantucket, just 11 miles from her sister. After more than ten years apart, Harper and Tabitha switch islands – and lives. But they can’t outrun the secrets, lies, and gossip that plague them; by the end of summer, these identical twins are the centre of a storm. Fast-paced, great dialogue, interesting premise, wonderfully entertaining.

Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson. I think I’ve read everything this woman has written. This one did not disappoint. Leia Birch Briggs’ is a graphic novelist who loves the idea of a super-hero, so when Batman propositions her at a comic convention, the sensible but very drunk Leia succumbs to his Bat-charm. When her step-sister Rachel’s marriage implodes and she finds out that her 90-year-old grandmother, Birchie, is losing her mind, she returns to Alabama to sort out her grandmother’s affairs and break the news to her family that she’s pregnant with a bi-racial baby. Skeletons in the attic make for lots of twists and turns. Delightful fun.

Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon is set in Zephyr Alabama, an idyllic little place where 11-year-old Cory Mackenson watches his father’s decent into misery after they both witness a car plunge into a lake. Dad dives in to help and comes face-to-face with a dead man handcuffed to the steering wheel. Dad is shaken to the core. Cory becomes aware of the forces of good and evil that surround him and must confront the secrets that hide in the shadows of his hometown if he wants to save his dad’s sanity. Beautiful words, lovely story. Themes of racism, if that’s a no-go for you, but I found it was handled well. (I often can’t read books with blatant racism because it hurts my heart. This one was fine.)

Paradox Bound by Peter Clines. Another author I love. This book was terrific. Set in Sanders, where nothing ever changes, except those times when a traveler blew into Eli Teague’s life wearing a tricorne hat, carrying a flintlock rifle, and driving a steampunked Model A Ford. This stranger is being pursued and Eli is determined to figure out what the hell is going on. Of course, his hunt yields far more than he bargained for as he crosses state lines and timelines to find the truth.

The Missing Ones by Patricia Gibney is the first in a series (yay!). A woman’s dead body is discovered in a cathedral. Just hours later a young man is found hanging from a tree outside his home. Detective Lottie Parker is called in to lead the investigations, which are connected since both bodies have the same distinctive tattoo clumsily inscribed on their legs. Lottie links the current murders to decades-old unsolved cases. And as she slowly unwinds the knot she finds a connection to her own family history. Good one.

The Drowned Girls by Loreth Anne White   was a page-turner. (Another series start… yay!)  Angie Pallorino is a detective who is called out when a Jane Doe is found mutilated in a cemetery. Etched into her forehead is a cross. That’s the same symbol that was used by a serial rapist who Angie hasn’t forgotten. As part of the task force investigating, Angie’s private life collides with her professional when she’s meets her temporary partner, a man with whom she had an intense, anonymous encounter just the night before.

The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky is a re-imaging of classical mythology with a page-turning plot. Selene DiSilva finds the body of a young woman, gruesomely mutilated and wreathed in laurel. She is furious. But this is no ordinary fury. Selene used to be called Artemis and her campaign is avenging wrongs perpetrated on women by men. She’s been doing it for thousands of years. Now, as the Greek gods fade from cultural memory, she has to catch the killer before she fades away.

Want to win a copy of Debt-Free Forever from Audible? Leave me a review of a book you’ve recently enjoyed in the comments. I’ll randomly pick a winner. You have until midnight on Wednesday. Looking forward to your recommendations.  BTW, if you want to see more book reviews, let me know that too, k?