{I've Been Reading} Tell Me You Trust Me

 Tell Me You Trust Me by Elle Owens 

This thriller had me immediately hooked. "Tell me you trust me" was the last thing Marissa's husband said to her before leaving that morning. He didn't take his car, didn't go to work, is nowhere to be found. Her loving family is absolutely everywhere, determined to take care of her. They're in the security business, after all, and they want to help her. What they won't give her is a moment to herself, a moment she desperately needs to figure out the message her husband seems to have sent her through a song title that's just appeared on their shared playlist. 

I read this through one one sitting. Marissa's desperation to figure things out kept me turning pages and the author tells the story of their marriages through the messages they're leaving one another. It's a suspenseful read that had me on the edge of my seat and trying to figure things out until the very end.

Sick Houses - Haunted Homes and the Architecture of Dread by Leila Taylor

Haunted houses, the homes of notorious series killers, those places you pass and just wonder about because they're a little odd -- that's what this book is about. And I LOVED it. The author delves into well known properties, both fictional and real, and also several that I'd never heard of. I came away from it with a fairly long list of movies I want to watch (surprising, because I love haunted house movies and have watched so many) and some new insight into movies I'd already watched. There are plenty of spoilers in the detailed plot discissions, but I don't really mind because I probably wouldn't have watched them if I hadn't read about them here. A few, I'll watch anyway. Another I'll go out of my way to avoid. The book sent me down quite a few interesting rabbit trails and I'm glad I picked it up.  

 

Fondue or Die by Korina Moss

Willa Bauer and her friends are always fun to spend some time with. In this mystery, they're running a  booth at the local Dairy Days festival, selling carefully curated snack boxes of different cheeses.  And, after the woman running the annual bauty pageant is found dead under a pile of milk jugs, they're investigating whether it was an accident or a murder. While this isn't my favorite book in the series so far, it was an enjoyable read.

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy. 

{I've Been Reading} Listen to Your Sister

 Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel

If you've ever wondered how characters wind up in those isolated horror movie cabins, and why on earth they stay once they see the place, this book makes sense of it. Things went wrong for Calla and her brothers long before they booked the reservation. By the time they reach the cabin, they have nowhere else to turn. Between the sibling dynamics, their real world problems, and whaetever the supernatural nightmare is that surrounds them, this horror novel is a LOT. At times I felt like the nightmare scenes were all dragging on for a bit too long, but it all does come together....and I've never read anything quite like it. There's a lot of strong language and intense imagry here, but it works with this book. (And I'm feeling way too old because I have no idea which Sponge Bob scene they keep referring to...) 

Her Hiding Place by Shannon Hollinger

This fast paced thriller kept me turning pages until the very end. It's not bad enough that Charlotte is in the path of a hurricane, unable to leave her job at a luxury island resort. She's got to survive while keeping the prescence of a three year old girl hidden. Bits of backstory are woven in, just enough to hint at how she got herself into such dire straits, but the bulk of the plot is set in the days leading up to the storm. I got quickly caught up in the plot and writing style and I look forward to tracking down the author's other books. 

Dead Air by William Elliott Hazelgrove

I was more familiar with Orson Welles's radio show The Shadow than his notorious War of the Worlds broadcast (and I've somehow never seen Citizen Kane at all.) Dead Air: The Night that Orson Welles Terrified America tells the story of the program and its aftermath and, while it's a bit dry at time, it's also absolutely fascinating. I know what I've heard over the years, but I'd never stopped to really thnk of what was going on in the world at the time the show aired. It's easy to imagine those radio listeners as foolish -- but we're part of a generation that fell for The Blair Witch Project and that documentary about real mermaids. If you like historical non-fiction, this is worth a read. 

Disclosure -- The publisher provided me with an advance review copy. 

{I've Been Reading} An Insidious Inherirtance

Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson 

Poe Webb's podcast is made up of confessions. She gives her guest fifteen minutes to talk, then questions them about what they've just revealed.  Whatever the police or her listeners will do with those revelations is out of her hands. The format has made her famous -- but now she's got a man on the other end of her internet connection claiming to have impossible information about her mother's murder. The first confession in the book had me on the edge of my seat. After that, it took a little while for me to figure out the format, but once I did I was hooked and the book held my attention until the last few chapters. I'd recommend this one if you're intrigued by the world of true crime podcasts. 

The Family Inside by Katie Garner 

Iris's husband was murdered, then she lost her house to forclosure, then she lost her job. She's about to become homeless with her eighteen-year-old daughter...then her new love interest suggests that they move in with him. And his mother. He's making repairs to her dilapidated old mansion and there's plenty of extra room. There are also plenty of other family members living there. The old house is creepy and Hugh's siblings are weird and unpleasant. And the plot is a fast paced roller coaster of crazy that just keeps speeding up and finding new ways to twist. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole thing. None of it is plausible, but it was oddly entertaining once I figured out what was actually going on.  

An Insidious Inheritance by Amelie West

This mystery, set in 1930s New York State, conjures up imagery of old black and white movies and Nancy Drew books. When Clara Dawson inherits a dilapidated inn from her estranged father it could be the solution to her problems, or just another source of debt. It was a fun read, but I found myself wishing for a little more detail (did the inn not have electricity because it was an isolated building in 1933....or because it had been shut off?) Clara is smart and self sufficient and I look forward to reading more about her in future books. 

Devil's Island by Midge Raymond and John Yunker

By far the best part of this thriller is the setting. I wish the characters had been as interesting as the wildlife. With an inexperienced guide who has already proven that she's not quite up to the job, dangerous weather, and a missing camper, I expected this to be a lot more suspenseful than it actually was. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. 

{I've Been Reading} Murder in Bloom

 Murder in Bloom by Rosie Sandler 

Steph and her dog, Mouse, are back in the garden, this time as part of a prestigious competition. I loved the first two books in the series, but this one didn't hold my interest in the same way. I found myself missing Steph's previous jobs which had her restoring historic gardens to their former glory. Building a temporary garden from scratch wasn't nearly as interesting. Mouse is always fun to read about and Steph's relationship with her family is explored further so there's plenty to enjoy. 

Pretty Dead Things by Lilian West 

A jar of sparkly baubles that Cora bought for five bucks from an estate sale reveals what appears to be a family heirloom and she decides to return it to the family because she's sure they'll want it back. Sure enough that she won't take no for an answer and insists on contacting several different family members and dredging up unwanted memories. I didn't love this one. The mystery isn't that compelling and it has  which had a small town, Hallmark Movie sort of fee to it, without the fun. Cora is insensitive to anyone else's feelings and feels like a two dimennsional character. 

Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies.