Porcelain by Jesse Sprague
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It starts with the protagonist, Gabrielle, in an extremely uneasy situation, stuck alone with a guy she really shouldn't have gone home with. Then he's dead and her childhood doll is there soaked in blood and she can't remember what happened. It's a repeat of how her parents died, and her foster father. The book reminds me of a slumber party story we used to tell back in the early 80s and it had a lot of promise, but I don't feel like it quite delivered.
The Beauty Queen by Sally-Anne Martyn
Forty years after her sister's diseappearance, Zoe Kincade has returned to the seaside town of Sunshine Sands. Officially, she's there to report on this year's beauty pageant, but what she really wants is to find out what happened to Jane after she was crowned the winner. I loved the setting, with its aging buildings and faded attractions. Even in the flashbacks to the 80s, the place is far past its prime. The locals are determined to protect their secrets and Zoe and her prying questions aren't welcome. Unfortunately, I felt like by the end the plot was slowly dragging along to a less than satisfying conclusion.
Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies.
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