Some Like it Fudgy by Nancy CoCo
What's drawn me back to this series over and over has been the setting. I love all of the little details about life on Mackinac Island. There was noticably less of that this time around, maybe because the plot left little room for it. (The yummy sounding recipes are still there between the chapters, though!) As soon as Allie discovers this book's murder victim, her new husband's ex-wife, the plot gets moving and doesn't slow down. I didn't care for the dynamic between Allie and Rex in this one. Even after she's cleared as a suspect, a new member of the police department is actively keeping her from investigating. It's interesting to see how she maneuvers around his efforts, but she spends most of the book angry.
In Her Own Backyard by Ashley Hanna-Morgan
This is the most exhausting domestic thriller I've ever read. The events of the book span a year, starting with the birth of Marlowe's second daughter. She struggles with post partum depression, and with breastfeeding, and with balancing the needs of her two children. What makes this one stand out is that she has a supportive husband and network of friends and no one is belittling her or dismissing her concerns. A young woman went missing without her landlords or family noticing that anything was wrong until Marlowe and her friends, who all enjoy true crime podcasts, decide to look into it, but that part of the plot is completely overshadowed by Marlowe's struggles. The author went out on a limb and did something really different, but it didn't work for me. There's just so much time spent on Marlowe's emotions and her three-year-old's emotions and breastfeeding and as a reader I didn't have the patience for this fictional character's struggles. I can see where it could provide great discussion for a book club.
The Personal Trainer by Rebecca Collomosse
Juliet wants to look great on her wedding day, so she hires a personal trainer. At first, she's thrilled with the results. Claudia is exactly what she needed...until she starts overstepping boundaries and becoming more and more pushy. What sets this one apart and makes the book work so well is how much control Juliet's personal trainer has over her life. Far more than a new friend, or housekeeper, or any of the other new "friends" I've encountered in similar thrillers.
The Barn Identity by Diane Kelly
In the eighth House-Flipper mystery, Whitney and her cousin are doing things differently. The historic barn they're converting into apartments isn't for sale. The property has been in the same family since the stone foundation was laid. It might have been part of the Underground Railroad. The two are enthusiastic enough about the place's history to break their rule of only working on their own properties and take on a client, but before they can even get started, a local reporter is murdered and Whitney is investigating. The pace of this one felt different from the previous books in the series, with the job making up less of the plot. There was also a lot of lecturing in the pages. One character keeps an actual soap box on hand to climb up onto when she has an opportunity to educate potential customers.
In and Dark and Lovely Wood by NC James
I'm not sure if there's a term for these thrillers that feel like old fashioned slasher movies, but I'm loving them! A group of friends have gathered to celebrate before a summer camp themed wedding. The whole setup is glamping at it's finest, but there's no phone reception this deep in the woods and they were all dropped off by a party bus. There's no way to leave or call for help. And did I mention that there's an escaped serial killer in the area? This one is fun and fast paced, with a great setting.
Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies.
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