The Ex: A Novel by Alafair Burke

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Twenty years ago she ruined his life.
Now she has the chance to save it.

In this breakout novel of suspense in the vein of Luckiest Girl Alive and The Girl on the Train, a woman agrees to help an old boyfriend who has been framed for murder—but begins to suspect that she is the one being manipulated.

Widower Jack Harris has resisted the dating scene ever since the shooting of his wife, Molly, by a fifteen-year-old boy three years ago. An early morning run along the Hudson River changes that, when he spots a woman in last night’s party dress, barefoot, enjoying a champagne picnic alone, reading his favorite novel. Everything about her reminds him of what he used to have with Molly. Eager to help Jack find love again, his best friend posts a message on a popular website after he mentions the encounter. Days later, that same beautiful stranger responds and invites Jack to meet her in person at the waterfront. That’s when Jack’s world falls apart.

Olivia Randall is one of New York City’s best criminal defense lawyers. When she hears that her former fiancé, Jack Harris, has been arrested for a triple homicide—and that one of the victims was connected to his wife’s murder—there is no doubt in her mind as to his innocence. The only question is, who would go to such great lengths to frame him—and why?

For Olivia, representing Jack is a way to make up for past regrets and absolve herself of guilt from a tragic decision, a secret she has held for twenty years. But as the evidence against him mounts, she is forced to confront her doubts. The man she knew could not have done this. But what if she never really knew him?

my thoughts:

As a huge fan of Alafair Burke's novels, I was super excited to read her latest, The Ex.  I knew I would be in for an unputdownable read that would be filled with mystery, intrigue, suspense, drama, and so much more.  Lo and behold, I got what I wanted - a terrific new story that kept me up all night!

Liv is a defense attorney who works hard, enjoys a good drink, and doesn't tolerate fools.  Her only weakness is the massive guilt she feels about a very bad breakup that happened twenty years ago.  She blames herself for the breakup and the fall out following the breakup - think infidelity, a death and a psych ward.  Anyhow, that's the past and she's tried to move on.  Until she gets a call from a young girl demanding that Liv help her father - according to the girl, Liv owes him after what she did to him.  Assuming it will be a quick trip to the police station, Liv is shocked to discover that Jack has been accused of a triple homicide - talk about having her work cut out for her.  Consumed by guilt, she immediately agrees to help him.  After all, he's innocent, right?  There's no way that her Jack could ever have killed anyone - even if one of the victims happens to be the father of the teenager who killed Jack's wife.  Hmm....coincidence?  Well, Liv is convinced that Jack is being framed and she's determined to find out why and by whom.  Of course, as more details emerge about the day in question, the people involved, and Jack's past, Liv finds her faith in Jack faltering.  In fact, she's staring to wonder if she ever really knew Jack. 

Talk about an intriguing read!  I absolutely loved the way Burke slowly revealed information about Liv and Jack's relationship, the day of the shooting and Penn Station Massacre, and what happened to Jack after that night he left and never came back.  So many twists and turns had me flipping pages faster than normal - I just had to find out what really happened and who was behind it all.  The Ex was such a riveting read.

I would happily recommend this novel to fans of Alafair Burke and fans of suspense stories - you will LOVE this book!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Ex

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

All Day And A Night: A Novel by Alafair Burke

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

The latest story dominating the tabloids - the murder of psychotherapist Helen Brunswick - couldn't be further from Carrie Blank's world handling federal appeals at an elite Manhattan law firm.  But then a hard-charging celebrity trial lawyer calls Carrie with an offer she can't refuse: Anthony Amaro, the serial killer police blamed for the murder of Carrie's older sister, Donna, has new evidence related to Brunswick's murder that he believes can exonerate him.  Determined to force the government to catch Donna's real killer, Carrie takes on Amaro's wrongful conviction claim.

On the other side of Amaro's case in NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher, who, along with her partner, JJ Rogan, is tapped as the "fresh look" team to reassess the investigation that led to Amaro's conviction.  The case is personal for them, too:  Ellie wonders whether they got the assignment because of her relationship with the lead prosecutor, and Rogan has his own reasons to distrust Amaro's defense team.

As the NYPD and Amaro's lawyers search for certainty among years of conflicting evidence, their investigations take them back to Carrie's hometown and secrets left behind there.  And when Carrie falls victim to a brutal attack, it becomes clear that the young attorney got too close to the truth.

my thoughts:

I'm a huge fan of Burke's books, especially those involving Ellie Hatcher. They are the perfect go-to novels for anyone wanting a quick, thrilling read.  I love the familiarity of the characters, the predictability of the story, and the unexpected twists and turns that do pop up now and again throughout the story.  Plus, I love how Burke is able to make each story feel so relevant - so now (as if its a story you would hear about on the 11pm news).

In All Day And A Night, Burke has brought back Ellie Hatcher and JJ Rogan to solve a new crime.  They are chosen to re-investigate an old solved murder case in conjunction with a currently unsolved murder case (well, the husband is suspected, but its not certain he's the killer) - all thanks to Hatcher's boyfriend who picked them for this job.  Rogan is not a happy camper and neither is Hatcher.  Least of all because they will have to reassess their fellow detectives' work and that is not something cops enjoy doing - questioning each others' work.  Burke has written another fast-paced story filled with murder, intrigue, suspense, tons of red herrings, and the usual tying up of loose ends.  We also get a peek inside Hatcher's relationships with her boyfriend (she's still holding him at a distance, but by the end of the story has made a leap towards moving forward with him), her partner (they butt heads on this case in so many ways, but remain strong partners), and her family (her brother is still there for her in personal and professional ways, whilst her mother fills her old answering machine with one missed call too many).  I love getting to know Hatcher better with each new book and enjoy getting caught up in whatever new murder-mystery her and Rogan get called to solve.  Burke's writing always draws me in and keeps me hooked from start to finish and this book is no exception.

I would most definitely recommend All Day And A Night to fans of Alafair Burke's novels and anyone looking for a great new mystery to read. 

Here's the TLC Book Tour schedule for: All Day And A Night

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

If You Were Here: A Novel of Suspense by Alafair Burke

(Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Chasing a hot story, magazine journalist McKenna Wright uncovers information that sends her back to the past, to the disappearance of a close friend - a classmate of her husband's at West Point - who vanished without a trace a decade ago.

McKenna always believed the truth went deeper than the police investigation ever reached.  To find answers, the former prosecutor turned reporter embarks on a twisting search that leads across New York City - and into dark secrets buried dangerously close to home...

my thoughts:

Hmm. Not sure what to make of this one.  Part of me wishes I had DNFed it, while another part of me kind of liked it. Confusing, eh?  I guess what it boils down to is that I normally enjoy Burke's books - they are suspenseful, tense, and keep me on the edge of my seat.  However, this time round I found myself underwhelmed with the weak story line, confusing array of characters, and anti-climatic ending.  It just didn't work for me.  I kept putting the book down and taking breaks from it, until last night when I made myself finish it.  I just wanted to be done with it.

The story is about McKenna Jordan. She's a journalist who is debating whether she should write a book about something that happened ten years ago - the same something that cost her her job as a DA.  Meanwhile, she's also working on a story about a kid who got rescued after he fell onto the subway tracks.  The woman who rescued him bears a striking resemblance to McKenna's old friend who went missing ten years ago.  Could the old friend be back?  And if so, where the hell has she been all of these years?  Armed with nothing more than a hunch, McKenna starts digging into the past and as a result, all hell breaks loose.  Pretty gripping stuff, eh?  Well, it was and it wasn't.

I enjoyed getting to know McKenna, she was smart, strong, independent, and utterly determined.  As for the rest of the characters, they were more annoying than anything.  I found myself disliking McKenna's husband and pretty much everyone else early on - they all just seemed to lack the depth that McKenna's character possessed.  And the story line was just too ridiculous to even take seriously.  I was baffled that Burke chose to write such a convoluted mystery for McKenna to figure out.  There were just too many instances where the story kept going, when it should have stopped.  I felt like the plot was topped with one idea too many.  So, when the ending came, I wasn't surprised by anything - I was just happy to be done with the book.

If I rated books on a scale of one to five, I would probably give this one a two. I'll still read Burke's novels, but I think I'll wait awhile before I pick up another one.

Here's the link to the TLC Book tour schedule for If You Were Here.  Check it out!  Some people loved this book, so who knows, I could be way off base.

And now I'm off to read The Pleasures of Summer.  Happy reading!!

Thank you to TLC Book Tour and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!