Mini Reviews...

I read this one at the gym, whilst on the treadmill. It was a quick and easy read that I was able to dip in and out of. The story follows an anxiety-riddled fangirl who has run off with her pop star dreamboat.  They are hiding out in Mexico when his manager finds them. He's running from his record label - overworked and exhausted to the bone. She's running from her stalker - terrified and paranoid he's always watching her. The two make for quite a pair and as their life becomes enmeshed in his pop star fame, their relationship gets rockier by the tweet.  There's also an obsessed fan called MET, a mother who is convinced her daughter should be locked away in rehab, a police interrogation about a murder, and another pop star who ran away.  Its all a bit much, but its also a bit of fun to read.  Yes, the story gets ridiculous and I rolled my eyes one too many times, but in the end, it was just silly enough to keep my mind preoccupied while I was on the treadmill. All in all, not a bad book for the gym.

Twists and turns a plenty. I was seriously surprised by the ending that I did not see coming. Okay, I saw some of it, but not all of it. This is the story of a mother (Daphne) who belongs to a group for women who suffer from post-partum depression. She friends one of the other mothers (Laurel) and soon they are a duo who vent about their anxieties over motherhood, their crappy husbands, and the other women in their support group. Except things get out of hand at home and Daphne decides to take her baby and run.  She lands a job as an archivist for her favorite author, a reclusive woman who lives next to an insane asylum in the middle of nowhere.  Daphne is worried that her husband will find her, but soon she gets caught up in her new job and her surroundings. She doesn't even realize what is really happening to her until its too late. By this point we start to wonder if we've been reading about Daphne or Laurel - seems that both women kept diaries, but who's been telling the truth? I really did enjoy this one. I thought it was fun, creepy, and filled with enough suspense to keep me up at night. I couldn't figure out what was happening for some time and I really liked not knowing - the guessing was the best part.

Loved this book! I'm a huge fan of Burke's stories - they are always gripping and suspenseful. This new one is seriously my favorite now. I just loved getting lost in this story of infidelity, lies, murder, and betrayal.  This is the story of Angela Powell.  She's married to Jason, a celebrity in the eco-political world. Their marriage appears to be picture-perfect: good-looking couple, a smart son who attends the "right school", a big house in NYC, a fancy car, and a busy schedule filled with meetings, vacations, etc.. Except, their life is not perfect.  Especially when Jason gets accused of sexual harassment by an intern at his office. Only, she's not the only woman to come forward. The next one accuses him of rape.  Yep, looks like Jason may not be the man Angela thought she knew.  Of course, he's not the only one hiding secrets.  Apparently, Angela has a past and its not a pretty one. And that is all I will say. This book is just too good to give anything away - you have to experience all the drama, suspense, and 'whodunit' for your self. The Wife is such a great read! I absolutely LOVED it!! I can't stop thinking about it.

Never Tell by Alafair Burke

About book:

Sixteen-year-old Julia Whitmire appeared to have everything: a famous father, a luxurious Manhattan town house, a coveted spot at the elite Casden prep school.  When she is found dead in her bathtub, a handwritten suicide note left on her bed, her parents insist that their daughter would never take her own life.

But Julia's enviable life was more complicated than it seemed.  The pressure to excel at Casden was enormous.  Abuse of prescription antidepressants and drugs for attention-deficit hyperactivity ran rampant among students; an unlabeled bottle of pills in Julia's purse suggests she had succumbed to the trend.  And a search of Julia's computer reveals that in the days leading up to her death she was engaged in a dangerous game of cyber-bullying against an unlikely victim.

NYPD detective Ellie Hatcher is convinced the case is a suicide, but she knows from personal experience that a loving family can be the last to accept the truth.  When the Whitmires use their power to force a criminal investigation, Ellie's resistance causes trouble for her both at work and in her personal life.

As she is pressured to pursue a case she doesn't believe in, she is pulled into Julia's inner circle - an eclectic mix of overly precocious teenagers from Manhattan's most privileged families as well as street kids from Greenwich Village.  But when the target of Julia's harassment continues to receive death threats, Ellie is forced to acknowledge that Julia may have learned the hard way that some secrets should never be told.

My thoughts:

Riveting!  That is the word to describe this novel.  It was absolutely unputdownable and I loved it!  This past rainy weekend I wanted something with suspense and lo and behold that is exactly what I got with Alafair Burke's, latest book, Never Tell. 

A young girl named Julia is found dead in her bathtub with a suicide note nearby and that leads detective Ellie Hatcher to believe that the kid committed suicide - its an open and shut case.  However,  the girl's family doesn't agree and after some phone calls are made, Hatcher and her partner Rogan are canvassing the streets and meeting up with Julia's friends to find out more about their supposed victim.  And the information they find out is interesting and unbelievable at times - its pretty crazy actually.  Quite frankly, Never Tell, kept me on my toes the whole way through.  Usually, I'm pretty good at figuring out who the murderer is and what really happened, but this time round, my guesses were way off and I didn't find out what really happened until the end.  I actually liked the revelations that were made throughout the book and being surprised in the end - definitely made for a fun read. 

Never Tell is a well written mystery/suspense novel that has some pretty crazy twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat.  The story lines are interesting and dotted with references to everyday trends and news stories; which make for a rather authentic and gripping reading experience.  As for the characters, they are very flawed and relatable - which I loved.  All in all, this was definitely a fun book to read.  I was hooked from the beginning and didn't put the book down until I got to the end and found out "who done it."

I'm definitely recommending this book to anyone and everyone who loves a good mystery/suspense read - you will not be disappointed!

And for fans of Alafair Burke, here's a  link to her site detailing the Duffer Awards that she recently hosted (again) - check it out!

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

212: A Novel by Alafair Burker

From back of book:

A celebrity mogul's bodyguard is slain in his boss's luxurious penthouse at an exclusive Manhattan address.  At NYU, a sophomore is menaced on the Internet, stalked...and murdered.

The two cases, equally sordid and shocking, end up falling to NYPD homicide detective Ellie Hatcher and her partner - who soon find out that this is just the tip of the terrifying iceberg.

Because in the city that never sleeps, death doesn't either. 

My thoughts:

I don't normally read crime thriller fiction, but have read enough of them to know what to expect.  And 212 did not disappoint on that front - it was exactly what I expected - solid writing; somewhat likeable characters; formulaic storyline; and, that description of the dark, gritty reality surrounding cops and their jobs (the kind you see on those L&O TV shows). 

The book consists of five parts that are made up of short chapters, some are merely one or two pages long.  Each chapter begins with either a time or date on it, letting the reader know the breakdown in the days throughout Ellie's investigation.  I suppose it helps the reader keep track of how long it takes for Ellie and Rogan (Ellie's partner) to figure it all out - of course, being that its pretty obvious early on who did what, the reader already has an idea of what's about to happen next.  So, no, this book didn't really have that element of surprise that I enjoy in a good thriller, but it still provided an engaging tone that made it easy for me to keep reading.

As for Rogan and Ellie, they are cops through and through- always working to get the job done.  Albeit, they do take breaks now and again to either go out on dates; call their mom; and hang out with their brother.  Afterall, you have to have some light relief in between all those crime scenes, right?  Oh,and don't forget they also need a boss who comes down hard on them when need be - which they have in Robin, who of course winds up dating one of the killers.  Oops, did I forget to mention that there are two killers in the book?

Now as far as the homicides within the book, well, one revolves around a young college co-ed who was being stalked on a college gossip website that posts salacious details about everyone and anyone at NYU; the other murder involves a bodyguard who happens to be a part of one NYC's most elite resident's security detail.  Both victims are connected by a very tenuous thread, which Ellie and Rogan quickly piece together with the help of google and twitter.  Oh, and also with the information they gather via their interrogations of suspects and witnesses - both of whom are always readily available to talk (not very realistic, eh?).  And, yes, Burke was inspired by the headlines when she wrote this book - can we say, Eliot Spitzer and Craigslist killer? 

Don't get me wrong, the book is a solid read.  Its great for airplane reading, the beach, long car rides and when you want something quick to read.  It kept me entertained for the day - yes, it only takes a day to read.  Overall, the book was okay.  I'm not sure I would read Burke again, but I'm glad I gave her book a go - it was a nice change of pace for me and my usual reading fare.

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