Review of:  The Lakehouse

Joe Clifford

Polis

Publication Date:  9/29/20

Review Date:  9/20/20

I was excited to read this book, thinking that it looked like the perfect murder mystery to get me in the mood for fall and Halloween season, and I wasn’t disappointed!!  Clifford writes with an expert hand, shifting easily between his main characters’ perspectives.  I loved the psychological studies of each, as through each character and scene we learn more about the backstories behind the murder mystery and how everyone’s lives are linked together both past and present. Red herrings abound, and I kept changing my guess of who the killer was and their motivation until the shocking conclusion which will knock your socks off!!  This being said, I would have liked a cleaner ending as there were some leftover questions Clifford failed to wrap up completely. I think this book would make for a great movie – it really reminded me of tv shows such as “Criminal Minds.”  It was a quick, well-paced read that I couldn’t put down until I finished.  I’ll definitely look for more titles by this author!

Review of:  Murder, Forgotten

Deb Richardson-Moore

This is a wonderfully crafted, evocative murder mystery that will have you questioning everything you think you know!  Julianna, a gifted author of murder mysteries, is losing touch with reality, drifting in and out of her own fictional tales and back and forth through time.  Her memory is such that she even forgets that her beloved husband, Connor, was recently stabbed to death in their own home with her letter-opener!  Could she have committed the crime herself?  If not, who did it and why?  Julianna’s adult daughter, Logan, helps her investigate as she shifts through clues in the home and tries to connect with the mother she never really knew.  Could her mother’s unfinished original manuscript hold the key?  There are a lot of potential suspects and red herrings, and I didn’t figure out the true culprit until the very end when all was finally revealed!  This is a psychological thriller at its best, brilliantly imagined and expertly written. I especially enjoyed the addition of Discussion Questions at the end for digging deeper into the book’s themes (family relationships, reality vs. fiction, writing, mental illness).

Review of:  The Whispered Word (A Secret, Book, & Scone Society Mystery)

Ellery Adams

A Cozy Masterpiece!!

Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2019

I absolutely loved everything about this book. In fact, I read it without having read the 1st in the series, which I will now promptly go out and purchase. Ellery Adams is one of the most gifted writers of the genre, and this one takes it to another level! I don't even know where to begin - the writing itself is beautiful, masterful, and poetic. The literary references abound and add layers of depth to the tale. Everything has both surface and underlying/ deeper meanings (from the characters' names to the symbols the author incorporates, not to mention the literary titles cited by the protagonist). Hidden chambers, keys, clocks, Aladdin's lamp, cats, books, and secret identities -- a gorgeous, intricately crafted tale that is a love letter to writers and book lovers alike. I could not put this down once I began reading, and am left with the sense that I saw myself in this book, as will any true lover of reading, literature, and art. This is what it is all about, the magical ways all of our stories are woven together and yet one and the same. This book is a masterpiece, one to linger over, and reflect upon with dear friends. 5 stars truly aren't enough. Ms.Adams deserves all the awards for creating this gift of a novel.

Review of:  That Last Weekend: A Novel of Suspense

Laura Di Silverio

Choose your friends wisely!! An evocative tale.

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2017

The author writes beautifully, but I agree with the other reviewers that this is challenging to get into as there isn't a whole lot of action - it is definitely more of a study in psychology, and a dark, uncomfortable read - each character is haunted by the past, unable to live fully into their present lives. I loved the setting and the supporting characters added layers of depth and intrigue to the tale. I have no idea, however, why any of them kept being friends with Evangeline, getting together for vacations, etc., after she did such horrible things to each one of them! Obviously it means everyone had a motive which is basically the foundation for the whole story, but still, this made no sense at all. I really couldn't figure out why any of them kept going on vacations together, when they didn't seem to like each other or were ever friends at any point in their lives. All of this being said, the red herrings and twist at the end were great and the writing was haunting and evocative. I also liked that each of the remaining innocent characters at the end seemed to gain some closure and hope for a brighter future. This was a well-written book, but not one that I necessarily "liked." Choose your friends wisely!!