BLACKTOP WASTELAND (Thriller-Beauregard "Bug" Montage-South-Cont) – Standalone – S.A. Cosby Beauregard "Bug" Montage: husband, father, honest car mechanic. But he was once known - from North Carolina to the beaches of Florida - as the best getaway driver on the East Coast. Just like his father, who disappeared many years ago. After a series of financial calamities (worsened by the racial prejudices of the small town he lives in) Bug reluctantly takes part in a daring diamond heist to solve his money troubles - and to go straight once and for all. However, when it goes horrifically wrong, he's sucked into a grimy underworld which threatens everything, and everyone, he holds dear.
Gabriel – DNF - I didn't find anything wrong with it, but I just couldn't get into it. Helen – VG+ - She didn't think she'd like it but enjoyed it so much. Fast moving plot, great characters, believable relationships. Kathy J – VG – Likes his writing a lot. Loved the character development. She actually liked his next book, "Razorblade Tears," even more as it gets into more interpersonal relationships and is more complex. Both books are worth reading. Linda M - VG+ - "Southern Noir"? I didn't know it was a thing. I'm not sure I would have chosen this book if you described it to me... opens up with a drag race and is full of action from there. Dark, with so much violence. But the characters! They really came to life for me. And the writing! It's intelligent and approachable. Not too wordy, but just the perfect words, with thoughtful turns of phrases. And who can resist a well-planned heist, with an expert wheel man? Not me. Ron - Ex—Extremely well-written and fast-paced with vivid, complex characters. The characters seem true-to-life, and complex moral issues are raised with no clear-cut answers, particularly for the protagonist. I particularly like the ending where there is no clear-cut answer of whether or not the protagonist and his wife will stay together.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: VG
THE STOLEN HOURS (Thriller-Lila Nash-Missouri, Contemp) – Standalone – Allen Eskens Lila Nash is on the verge of landing her dream job—working as a prosecutor under the Hennepin County Attorney—and has settled into a happy life with her boyfriend, Joe Talbert. But when a woman is pulled from the Mississippi River, barely alive, things in the office take a personal turn. The police believe the woman’s assailant is local photographer Gavin Spenser, but the case quickly flounders as the evidence wears thin. It seems Gavin saw this investigation coming—and no one can imagine how carefully he has prepared. The more determined Lila is to put Gavin behind bars, the more elusive justice becomes.
Christine – VG+ - Loves Eskens as an author. Lives his style, empathy, and clarity. He is one of her favorite authors. Ginny – VG – This was her kind of legal thriller; lots of depth and it moved very fast. Liked the way it addressed Lila's OCD. Liked Andy very much. Loved the twist. Helen – Good – It was an interesting book. Gavin seems to have his head bolted on except for his psychopathic tendencies. The lawyers were interesting. Thought the rock-climbing scene a bit fanciful, but she liked the message. It was fairly entertaining. Kathy BR – VG+ - It was not his best book, but he did show what a strong character Lila Nash was. Very good twists. Linda M - Ex - My third Allen Eskens' book, and with it, he has settled into position among my favorite authors. This is a classic serial killer/prosecution face off, with the story told from both perspectives. The women are complex and strong. The storytelling is reminiscent of Greg Iles and Jeffrey Deaver to me, both of whom I also think are great. Rape and murder are inherently violent and disturbing. Eskens was deftly able to let us feel the impact without being unnecessarily gruesome or detailed. The audio narrators were terrific. LJ – G+ - Eskens' has written books that were unafraid of being deeply disturbing, emotionally charged. In contrast, this book seems too superficial. The story touches on hard, serious topics yet the author skims across them as if they are under the ice. One knows they are there, but they feel glossed over. The Stolen Hours is part police procedural, part legal suspense. While it is a better-than-good read, it's not Eskens' best work. Nancy – Okay – She started with a fear of it being too graphic but liked the twist, and found the characters were well drawn. Liked the psychological view of Nash. She did find some of the scenes a bit unrealistic.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: VG
DEAR CHILD (Susp-Lena-Germany-Contemp) – Standalone – Romy Hausmann A windowless shack in the woods. A dash to safety. But when a woman finally escapes her captor, the end of the story is only the beginning of her nightmare. She says her name is Lena. Lena, who disappeared without a trace 14 years prior. She fits the profile. But her family swears that she isn’t their Lena. The little girl who escaped the woods with her knows things she isn’t sharing, and Lena’s devastated father is trying to piece together details that don’t quite fit. Lena is desperate to begin again, but something tells her that her tormentor still wants to get back what belongs to him…and that she may not be able to truly escape until the whole truth about what happened in the woods finally emerges.
Gabriel – Good - Actually somewhere between OK and Good, so I'm rounding up to good. Not sure what to say about this one. It held my interest throughout. The way the victims dealt with their horrible situation, though grim, was somewhat uplifting. Ginny – NR – She hesitated to read this due to the topic. The captor's total control and the way he used their blind live hot her thinking about how dysfunctional parents change children. The ending felt like an Agatha Christie trope. Helen – NR – The writing was okay, switching POVs was fairly well done. When you find out who is responsible, it's eye-rolling. The reveal was unrealistic. The character of Hannah seemed like tokenism. The plot kept her reading but she wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Kathy BR - Ex - Such a surprise to her. It was fantastic. Loved the author's writing, especially her pacing. Very clear who was narrating when. Very dark, suspenseful. Great twist. Linda M – Okay – She was impressed that the protagonist didn't make stupid choice4s until one scene and it then spoiled the rest of the book for her. She suspected the perp, but wasn't sure. Marcy – VG+ - I read the first page of the book, a woman and children held captive in a cabin in the woods -- after being held captive in my house for two years because of Covid -- I set it down, didn't want to read it. I went back to the reading list for April and wasn't really excited about the other books. I had only 5 days till book club met, this book was already here in my house from the library, okay -- I'll read it. Bam! It's like dropping a watermelon on the floor! The book draws you in without the gruesomeness because it starts in the hospital. The scenes goes back and forth between the hospital and the cabin so you are transported into this dark life gradually. It was an incredible book! I loved it. Ron - VG - A very well-written book that was also a quick read. I like the story told from different angles by the 3 (in a sense 4) narrators. I couldn’t help comparing this book to last month’s The Last Thing to Burn since both stories tell of kidnapped women tortured by men who are supposedly trying to impose a “normal” family life. But while I found the latter tortuous to read, the book spent less time on the actual details of the torture and wasn’t as repetitive. I thought overall it held together pretty well, but I had a hard time accepting the surprise perpetrator since his job would have made it virtually impossible to lead the double life he did. I think it would have made a lot more sense if the author just stayed with the main suspect at the end as the villain. I also found it hard to believe in the end the role the little girl performed to perfection after the accident.
Beauregard "Bug" Montage: husband, father, honest car mechanic. But he was once known - from North Carolina to the beaches of Florida - as the best getaway driver on the East Coast. Just like his father, who disappeared many years ago. After a series of financial calamities (worsened by the racial prejudices of the small town he lives in) Bug reluctantly takes part in a daring diamond heist to solve his money troubles - and to go straight once and for all. However, when it goes horrifically wrong, he's sucked into a grimy underworld which threatens everything, and everyone, he holds dear.
Gabriel – DNF - I didn't find anything wrong with it, but I just couldn't get into it.
Helen – VG+ - She didn't think she'd like it but enjoyed it so much. Fast moving plot, great characters, believable relationships.
Kathy J – VG – Likes his writing a lot. Loved the character development. She actually liked his next book, "Razorblade Tears," even more as it gets into more interpersonal relationships and is more complex. Both books are worth reading.
Linda M - VG+ - "Southern Noir"? I didn't know it was a thing. I'm not sure I would have chosen this book if you described it to me... opens up with a drag race and is full of action from there. Dark, with so much violence. But the characters! They really came to life for me. And the writing! It's intelligent and approachable. Not too wordy, but just the perfect words, with thoughtful turns of phrases. And who can resist a well-planned heist, with an expert wheel man? Not me.
Ron - Ex—Extremely well-written and fast-paced with vivid, complex characters. The characters seem true-to-life, and complex moral issues are raised with no clear-cut answers, particularly for the protagonist. I particularly like the ending where there is no clear-cut answer of whether or not the protagonist and his wife will stay together.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: VG
THE STOLEN HOURS (Thriller-Lila Nash-Missouri, Contemp) – Standalone – Allen Eskens
Lila Nash is on the verge of landing her dream job—working as a prosecutor under the Hennepin County Attorney—and has settled into a happy life with her boyfriend, Joe Talbert. But when a woman is pulled from the Mississippi River, barely alive, things in the office take a personal turn. The police believe the woman’s assailant is local photographer Gavin Spenser, but the case quickly flounders as the evidence wears thin. It seems Gavin saw this investigation coming—and no one can imagine how carefully he has prepared. The more determined Lila is to put Gavin behind bars, the more elusive justice becomes.
Christine – VG+ - Loves Eskens as an author. Lives his style, empathy, and clarity. He is one of her favorite authors.
Ginny – VG – This was her kind of legal thriller; lots of depth and it moved very fast. Liked the way it addressed Lila's OCD. Liked Andy very much. Loved the twist.
Helen – Good – It was an interesting book. Gavin seems to have his head bolted on except for his psychopathic tendencies. The lawyers were interesting. Thought the rock-climbing scene a bit fanciful, but she liked the message. It was fairly entertaining.
Kathy BR – VG+ - It was not his best book, but he did show what a strong character Lila Nash was. Very good twists.
Linda M - Ex - My third Allen Eskens' book, and with it, he has settled into position among my favorite authors. This is a classic serial killer/prosecution face off, with the story told from both perspectives. The women are complex and strong. The storytelling is reminiscent of Greg Iles and Jeffrey Deaver to me, both of whom I also think are great. Rape and murder are inherently violent and disturbing. Eskens was deftly able to let us feel the impact without being unnecessarily gruesome or detailed. The audio narrators were terrific.
LJ – G+ - Eskens' has written books that were unafraid of being deeply disturbing, emotionally charged. In contrast, this book seems too superficial. The story touches on hard, serious topics yet the author skims across them as if they are under the ice. One knows they are there, but they feel glossed over. The Stolen Hours is part police procedural, part legal suspense. While it is a better-than-good read, it's not Eskens' best work.
Nancy – Okay – She started with a fear of it being too graphic but liked the twist, and found the characters were well drawn. Liked the psychological view of Nash. She did find some of the scenes a bit unrealistic.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: VG
DEAR CHILD (Susp-Lena-Germany-Contemp) – Standalone – Romy Hausmann
A windowless shack in the woods. A dash to safety. But when a woman finally escapes her captor, the end of the story is only the beginning of her nightmare. She says her name is Lena. Lena, who disappeared without a trace 14 years prior. She fits the profile. But her family swears that she isn’t their Lena. The little girl who escaped the woods with her knows things she isn’t sharing, and Lena’s devastated father is trying to piece together details that don’t quite fit. Lena is desperate to begin again, but something tells her that her tormentor still wants to get back what belongs to him…and that she may not be able to truly escape until the whole truth about what happened in the woods finally emerges.
Gabriel – Good - Actually somewhere between OK and Good, so I'm rounding up to good. Not sure what to say about this one. It held my interest throughout. The way the victims dealt with their horrible situation, though grim, was somewhat uplifting.
Ginny – NR – She hesitated to read this due to the topic. The captor's total control and the way he used their blind live hot her thinking about how dysfunctional parents change children. The ending felt like an Agatha Christie trope.
Helen – NR – The writing was okay, switching POVs was fairly well done. When you find out who is responsible, it's eye-rolling. The reveal was unrealistic. The character of Hannah seemed like tokenism. The plot kept her reading but she wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Kathy BR - Ex - Such a surprise to her. It was fantastic. Loved the author's writing, especially her pacing. Very clear who was narrating when. Very dark, suspenseful. Great twist.
Linda M – Okay – She was impressed that the protagonist didn't make stupid choice4s until one scene and it then spoiled the rest of the book for her. She suspected the perp, but wasn't sure.
Marcy – VG+ - I read the first page of the book, a woman and children held captive in a cabin in the woods -- after being held captive in my house for two years because of Covid -- I set it down, didn't want to read it. I went back to the reading list for April and wasn't really excited about the other books. I had only 5 days till book club met, this book was already here in my house from the library, okay -- I'll read it. Bam! It's like dropping a watermelon on the floor! The book draws you in without the gruesomeness because it starts in the hospital. The scenes goes back and forth between the hospital and the cabin so you are transported into this dark life gradually. It was an incredible book! I loved it.
Ron - VG - A very well-written book that was also a quick read. I like the story told from different angles by the 3 (in a sense 4) narrators. I couldn’t help comparing this book to last month’s The Last Thing to Burn since both stories tell of kidnapped women tortured by men who are supposedly trying to impose a “normal” family life. But while I found the latter tortuous to read, the book spent less time on the actual details of the torture and wasn’t as repetitive. I thought overall it held together pretty well, but I had a hard time accepting the surprise perpetrator since his job would have made it virtually impossible to lead the double life he did. I think it would have made a lot more sense if the author just stayed with the main suspect at the end as the villain. I also found it hard to believe in the end the role the little girl performed to perfection after the accident.
GROUP RATING AVERAGE: Good