Day: May 30, 2018

Something In The Water – Catherine Steadman

Erin & Mark have been a couple for years – finally marrying and honeymooning in Bora Bora. As the novel opens, Erin is digging a grave deep in the woods, and the grave is for her husband Mark. As she labors over the dig, she opts to let the reader decide whether she’s a good or bad person – and then the story begins.

Mask is an investment banker, and Erin is a novice filmmaker, presently working on a documentary about three individuals who are preparing to leave prison to resume normal lives, one of whom is a crime boss. As they celebrate their anniversary of meeting, and planning a wedding, Mark unexpectedly loses his job. With financial pressures now looming, they modify their wedding plans, and opt for a shortened honeymoon to Bora Bora. While enjoying the idyllic atmosphere, they spend time boating and diving – it is on one of those excursions that they find a locked duffle bag floating in the ocean – they retrieve it, intending to turn it in, but giving into temptation they open it… changing their lives completely…

There’s not much more to say without spoilers…I really, really enjoyed this book – the character development and the nuances of personality change exhibited over time by the findings, are totally believable and make for a great read. I read this book in one sitting – highly recommend!!

I’ve had a GREAT run of reads from Netgalley lately – if you’re an avid reader, but not familiar with the site, head on over to http://www.netgalley.com

The Girl Who Lived – Christopher Greyson

I was fortunate to receive this novel as an Advance Reader Copy, in exchange for an objective review.

Faith is a survivor – if you can call her that. On the weekend of her tenth birthday, she watched helplessly as her father, sister, best friend, and best friend’s mother were murdered at their lake cabin, before running away to avoid death herself. Despite her claims of an unknown man as the killer, (whom she has nicknamed Rat Face), her father is presumed by police to have committed the crimes before killing himself and the case is closed. As the girl who lived, Faith has since been in and out of psychiatric care, developed a substance abuse problem, and has displayed violent tendencies. As the book opens, Faith is hospitalized, but is about to be released back into the community w/ outpatient psychiatric care and parole visits.

Despite warnings to the contrary by her therapist mother, one of Faiths first visits is to a bar, where she downs several shots of whiskey. As she’s leaving the establishment, she sees Rat Face drive by – and he sees Faith as well. But her reports are met with skepticism by the local police. Only Henryka, an FBI agent, appears to take her seriously.

And so begins a novel with so many serpentine twists and turns, you will be racing through the pages just to see what happened next. Every character carries out actions leading you to wonder if they are friend or foe – all racing up to a dramatic conclusion that you can’t even conceive of… Un-put-downable!! I’m still reeling… This is the second novel I’ve read by Christopher Greyson, and it will not be my last! A MUST READ! Fabulous!!