The Good Liar. Catherine McKenzie

Published:  Lake Union
Date: 3rd April 2018
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 380
Genre: Mystery/Contemporary Fiction
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
                       

A year later, Cecily is in mourning. She was supposed to be in the building that day. Instead, she stood on the street and witnessed it going down, with her husband and best friend inside. Kate, now living thousands of miles away, fled the disaster and is hoping that her past won’t catch up with her. And Franny, a young woman in search of her birth mother, watched the horror unfold on the morning news, knowing that the woman she was so desperate to reconnect with was in the building.

Three women in this novel and a web of lies and deceits.  

In my opinion as I read :

• One woman is a bit of a mystery
• One woman is socially disturbed and I can't agree with her actions
• One woman seems ordinary and caught in the cross fires of other people's mistakes, poor choices and the victim of disloyalty.

I know this story is going to have lots of revelations along the way, and one comes for sure mid-read. Now my mind is beginning to see many possibilities and schemes. I just need to read on and see where this goes.

There is Cecelia - mother of two, who is on her way to the building where her husband works and is just in time to see that building explode. Why was she going to meet her husband Tom?  Well eventually that is revealed.

Then we have Kate, who is taking care of two delightful twin boys in Canada. But she has only been there  a year and why did she flee the disaster - when she has a family of her own. Not cool.

Finally Frannie who maintains she is adopted and that one of the women killed in the explosion was her birth mother.

All through the story people lie in one way or the other. There was really only one woman I liked, the other two - not so much, although I might have felt sorry, no really I didn't feel sorry or sympathetic towards them.

This was a story that had some good twists and turns and revelations, the kind of book that kept me reading until I had finished it up in a day!

The Moment She Left. Susan Lewis

Published: Random House UK
Date: 28th July 2016
Format: e-ARC
Pages:
Genre: Fiction
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
                    

Some are darker than others; many are shameful. One is even deadly.

Andee is an ex-detective whose marriage is breaking up. So when a young female student disappears without trace, she throws herself into the search.

Meanwhile, the town’s beloved Rowzee Cayne has just discovered that she is terminally ill, and doesn’t want to burden her family and friends with the news.

Andee and Rowzee don't know it yet, but their journeys are going to help them uncover a secret. One that is going to affect them more than they could ever imagine.

Susan Lewis has spun a rather convoluted tale in The Moment She Left, there are so many threads to it, yet by the end they are woven in and make a complete picture.

Jessica is the young woman who has gone missing in London two years previous to the main story. She has left behind a broken hearted mother and father and twin brother Matt. It adds insult to injury as this family has already fled to Kesterley-on-Sea after Blake the dad was falsely accused of a crime he did not commit.

Andee  the ex detective is called in to help find out what might have happened to Jessica as the police have scaled back. In her own life she has decided she wants to divorce her husband who is really a pain in the butt.  Andee starts to ask questions that begin to open up the case again.

Rowzee the sixty five year old is battling a disease that is going to rob her of her life. So we follow her difficult journey as she wrestles with what she wants to do. She is delightful, yet wants to ensure all those around her are happy and will go to any length to ensure things will happen for them. She wants 'her dying wishes' to hold weight and a little power! Rowzee has a sister Pamela and a brother Graeme, and their is nothing  Rowzee would like more than to match them up to someone to love them before she goes.

Other people in the community and further afield wend their way into the story. In the end they are all linked in ways that could not be foreseen. Will Jessica ever be found? Will she be alive? Were the circumstances of her disappearance sinister or just part of going about her daily life?

A story of loss and hope, guilt and depression. But also one of a community that pulls together and people who care.

No Child of Mine Susan Lewis

No Child of Mine
Susan Lewis
Published: Random House
Date: 2012
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Julia Franklin
Length: 16hrs 58 min
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: Own book
Rating:
             

Alex Lake’s day job is all about helping people, especially children. She cares about them passionately and does everything in her power to rescue them from those who mean them harm.

When the case of three-year-old Ottilie Wade comes to her attention, Alex finds herself completely unable to detach from the child the way she should. She feels an overpowering need to make a real difference in little Ottilie’s life, but no one is prepared to believe that Ottilie is in danger.

In the end, Alex makes a decision that has consequences for her, her family and Ottilie – consequences that no one, least of all Alex, could have foreseen.

Oh my! What a novel! This is the first time I have read Susan Lewis, so I wasn't so sure whether I would like it. However one very telling review on Goodreads from a reader I really respect - Laurel-Rain,  had given it 5 stars so that was a good start!

It's a long book, so it took me a few weeks to listen to it. It is set in a small town in England. The narration was excellent and held my attention all the way through. The only very picky thing I have to comment on was the accent of a certain character who came to visit Alex. Sorry - but that is not a New Zealand accent! 

But what of the content? Well it engaged me all the way through. Alex is a social worker, and a very good one. She cares about the children she works with. She puts in long hours and it is often heart breaking and difficult. She has to contend with situations where sometimes her life is at risk. She herself had a very distressing beginning to her young life and so knows first hand being left orphaned.

She has a few minor enemies, nothing outstanding, but enough to niggle and cause damage in small but significant ways. As well as working she is into drama and enjoys directing the local club. She is in a relationship with Jason as the book opens, but even as the book opens that looks a little shaky.

Alex trusts her instincts, and she follows up a phone call about Ottilie Wade and senses that all is not well with the child. The mother is very strange and the father is domineering and seemingly holding down a very respectable job as a deputy head at a local school. The more Alex knows of him the more she suspects. She soon is keeping a close eye on Ottilie, but things move slowly and social workers have to play by the book.

When one terrible night things go pear-shaped in a big way, the press go after Alex in a big way, blaming her for what has happened. As they do! They are out to sensationalise it all and Alex has to hide away at the rectory hoping it will quieten down soon. And she has put herself in a very compromising place.  Go Alex! 

I will certainly be listening to or reading the follow up book to this one, although with a little break in between!

Missing Pieces. Heather Gudenkauf

Missing Pieces
Heather Gudenkauf
Published: Harlequin Australia MIRA
Date: 1st February 2016
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 288
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
                           

Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. For years Jack has avoided returning home, but when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.

Upon arriving, Sarah and Jack are welcomed by the family Jack left behind all those years ago. But as facts about Julia’s accident begin to surface, Sarah realizes that nothing about the Quinlans is what it seems. Sarah dives deep into the puzzling rabbit hole of Jack’s past, but the farther in she climbs, the harder it is for her to get out. And soon she is faced with a deadly truth she may not be prepared for.

Right from the beginning Missing Pieces sucked me in. From an idyllic country setting to a sinister murder in the first few pages. And when we cut to Jack and his wife Sarah, it doesn't add up. Jack is not telling anywhere near the truth of that day, and Sarah has long been kept in the dark. A long time, because they have two college age daughters. 

When they return to Iowa because Jack's Aunt Julia is lying in hospital after a fall down the stairs, Sarah begins to find little cracks appearing. She realises Jack has kept her very much in the dark. He's told Sarah his parents died in a car crash. And as the reader you know that's untrue and have to ask - why? Just as Sarah does. Then there is his sister Amy, who is having problems, seems highly anxious and unhinged.  As well there is Jack's cousin Dean and his wife Celia, and aren't those two just another little item that Jack has been keeping quiet about. It's all very creepy and suspicious.

So who has done it? Who has murdered Jack's mother? And what of Aunt Julia. Accident or Murder? We definitely know "that something is rotten in the state of Denmark Penny Gate, Iowa".

Sarah seeks the truth, all the time becoming more unsure of Jack and their marriage. As a journalist she takes risks and sifts through material that might give her clues. Can she do all that before the murderer strikes again? 

A few small clues are dropped but I have to say when the final revelation came I had not put that person at the top of my suspect list. 

This one had me reading on for sure, a creepy 'who dun it' that I raced through.

 

Strangers in Death. J. D. Robb

Strangers in Death
J. D. Robb
Published: Piatkus
Date: 1st pub 2008, this edition 2013
Format: Paperback
Pages: 446
Genre:
Source: Thank you to Helen @HachetteNZ
Rating:
                           

Scandalous death sells papers. But as the media frenzy feeds on the wealthy Thomas Anders, strangled to death with a black velvet rope in his plush Park Avenue apartment, Lieutenant Eve Dallas grapples with one question: a crime of passion or a cold extermination.

Strangers in Death #26 in the series, and it contains all that is good about this series. This one takes a slightly different tack in that there is no serial killer that Eve and her team are working non stop to get ahead of. Or wait, could there have been one at work?

Loved the little bits like Eve stopping to interact with the young boy Tiko who sold her a scarf a few books back. I also liked the development for Charles and Louise, who when the book opens seem to be struggling in some way.

The mystery of murder with Eve finally cracking the code and stage managing the final showdown, the sharp, witty dialogue, the minor characters all playing their part. For me - another winner.

The Ones We Trust. Kimberly Belle

The Ones We Trust
Kimberly Belle
Published: Harlequin Enterprises
Date: 2015
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Hilary Huber
Length: 9hrs 51min
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: Own audiobook

When former DC journalist Abigail Wolff attempts to rehabilitate her career, she finds herself at the heart of a US Army cover-up involving the death of a soldier in Afghanistan with unspeakable emotional consequences for one family. As the story of what happened comes to light, Abigail will do anything to write it.

The more evidence she stumbles upon in the case, the fewer people it seems she can trust, including her own father, a retired army general. And she certainly never expected to fall in love with the slain soldier s brother, Gabe, a bitter man struggling to hold his family together. The investigation eventually leads her to an impossible choice, one of unrelenting sacrifice to protect those she loves.

Are you responsible for your words? Even if it will deeply embarrass or even ruin someone? If you knew before the outcome of what you were about to publish would you change your mind? Should you feel guilty for the resultant outcome? The other person made their choice after all.

This is about Abigail and her search for truth, and her coming to grips with what happens when she publishes a story that has a huge impact on others lives. It makes her think twice as she pursues a story about a soldier being shot and the army covering it up. That is one story.

She also has Ben a young teen who comes to her because his mother has committed suicide. He can't understand that she didn't love him enough and couldn't face all that has been revealed about her.

There is mystery, suspense and a whole untangling that needs to happen before Abigail can find her way forward in any way.  

There is heartbreak for a mother and brother, guilt for Abigail and anger from Ben. Is the army involved in a cover up and what part in the story does Abigail's father play? And then there is the old family friend "Uncle Chris", an army leader too.  

There comes a time for forgiveness and redemption. A time to recognise loyalty and integrity. For which characters? You'll need to read the book to find out.

I enjoyed the story and the untangling that takes place, with a few little surprise and some changes of heart. Worth the listen, although it took me a little while to adapt my ear to the narrator.  While she didn't have variety for female voices, her male voice was distinguishable and overall easy to listen to.

Smoke. Catherine McKenzie

Smoke
Catherine Mckenzie
Published: Lake Union
Date: October 2015
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 351
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

After a decade-long career combating wildfires, Elizabeth has traded in for a quieter life with her husband. Now she works as the local arson investigator in a beautiful, quaint town in the Rockies. But that tranquil life vanishes when she and her husband agree to divorce, and when a fire started in nearby Cooper Basin begins to spread rapidly. For Elizabeth, containing a raging wildfire is easier than accepting that her marriage has failed.

For Elizabeth’s ex-friend Mindy, who feels disconnected from her husband and teenage children, the fire represents a chance to find a new purpose: helping a man who lost his home to the blaze. But her faith is shattered by a shocking accusation.

As the encroaching inferno threatens the town’s residents, Elizabeth and Mindy must discover what will be lost in the fire, and what will be saved.

Smoke by Catherine McKenzie was a riveting read, that contained mystery, family and friendship drama and the terrifying experience of an out of control fire surrounding a town.

When we meet Elizabeth she is at odds with her husband Ben. They are about to begin pursuing a divorce, although what has caused the rift is not revealed at the beginning. It takes time to gather up all the facts and miscommunications and break down in trust.  One of the heartbreaks that they have had is up until now their inability to have children.

Mindy was Elizabeth's very good friend up until about a year ago when there was a distinct break to their friendship. The hurt thrust them apart and has never mended. Mindy is the mother of two, Carrie and Angus. In the last year Angus has been more distant in his relationships with his family and Mindy worries about him.

A fire has burned down John Phillip's house, it has grown and swept into the surrounding hills and bush. Who started the fire? About half way through I'd picked my person - but I was wrong!

Tension in the relationships, along with the mystery of the fire and the emotions of the characters kept me reading on. Can there be any hope for these people or will distrust and hurt and being unable to forgive win?

This was my first book by Catherine McKenzie but it won't be my last!

Baltimore Blues. Laura Lippman

Baltimore Blues
Laura Lippman
Published: Harper Collins
Date: 2007 (1st published 1997)
Format: Hardback
Pages: 324
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Local Library

In a city where someone is murdered almost every day, attorney Michael Abramowitz's death should be just another statistic. But the slain lawyer's notoriety—and his taste for illicit midday trysts—makes the case front-page news in every local paper except the Star, which crashed and burned before Abramowitz did.

A former Star reporter who knows every inch of this town—from historic Fort McHenry to the crumbling projects of Cherry Hill—now-unemployed journalist Tess Monaghan also knows the primary suspect: cuckolded fiancé Darryl "Rock" Paxton. The time is ripe for a career move, so when rowing buddy Rock wants to hire her to do some unorthodox snooping to help clear his name, Tess agrees. But there are lethal secrets hiding in the Charm City shadows. And Tess's own name could end up on the ever-expanding list of Baltimore dead.

Baltimore Blues is the first in the Tess Monaghan private investigator series.  This tells the story of how Tess became interested in doing this kind of work.  She was a reporter who lost her job in a close down of her paper.  Ever since she has been living in a small apartment above her aunt's book shop, working there a little and doing a little work for an uncle as well.  Not terribly fulfilling but it gets her by.  She rises every morning to go out rowing which she usually does along side her friend Rock.

All that takes a different tack when Rock first asks her to follow his fiance Ava, and even more so when Rock is accused of the murder of Abramowitz.  Rock's lawyer - Tyler then takes on Tess to help him prepare to represent Rock in the trial.  Tess is not that happy with what she is assigned and starts to do some snooping of her own.  This leads to a number of tight corners that Tess finds herself in.  Not all of them benign and some of them downright deadly.

Tess is tenacious and innovative.  More than once I laughed at her ways of getting herself into places she had no right to go.  In the process of the investigation she uncovers all kinds of things, and uses everything she can to her advantage.  I began to get a little confused with all the ins and outs, but Tess had it more or less sorted.

The writing is very good, the characters a little different, the crimes were mostly off scene so it was my kind of book as I don't like too many details, and there was still plenty of action.  I certainly didn't work it all out by the end and I'm not certain I was meant to as there were so many decoys.  

At some point I would like to read a little more of Tess Monaghan, its not my usual kind of genre, but a good read all the same.

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