The Commandant's Daughter

 

“The Commandant’s Daughter” by Catherine Hokin

Published by Bookouture

Finished 1/24/22 – 3.5/5 stars   

I found this to be a 3.5 star read but since none of the rating systems allow halves, I’m rounding up to 4.  I can definitely see the potential in this book, so it deserves to be rounded higher rather than lower.  The story was good, I just didn’t like the writing style – too many run-on sentences.  Many times I’d get through one and have to go back and reread it to make sure I understood what I had just read.  Unfortunately, that takes away from the flow of the story.

 The novel takes place in Berlin at the end of WW II, during the trials against a handful of SS officers for their war crimes.  The main character is the daughter of a high ranking Nazi officer who has avoided being brought to justice.  She was appalled by his actions during the war and is now trying to make a new name for herself, literally.  She has left her family behind, changed her name, and started a new career as a photographer.  This in turn leads her to become a crime scene photographer for the police department, working with a Jewish officer who lost his entire family during the Holocaust.  And what case are they working on?  Someone is hunting down Nazi officers who haven’t been brought to justice and killing them.  Should they try to stop him or let the killings continue?  Is her father on his hitlist?  Should she be honest and tell her partner about her and her father’s past, risking the loss of his friendship?  These are the types of moral decisions she must make during the story.

 Please know that this is the 1^st in a new series.  The 2^nd book will be out in a few months so if you read and enjoy it, you won’t have to wait too long for the next one.  Which is good because the way it ended made me feel like I’d just read half a book.  I assume the unfinished storyline is picked back up in the 2^nd book.

Thank you NetGalley and Boukouture for an advanced copy to read and provide an honest review.

 “November Road” by Lou Berney

Published by William Morrow

Finished 1/17/22 – 3/5 stars

This novel won multiple literary awards but just fell short for me.  I still enjoyed it, but not to that level.  The story itself was good but I feel like parts of the storyline were repetitive and predictable and the character depth was lacking – for those reasons, it is a 3 rather than a 4 for me. It does have some suspense and action that will keep you entertained, just not on the edge of your seat.

This is historical fiction taking place the week following the assassination of President Kennedy.  The focus is not on the assassination itself, but the mob’s attempt to cover up their involvement in it.  Essentially, anyone involved in any part of the set up and/or cover up needs to be “dealt with”.  The main character is one of those individuals trying to stay one step ahead of the mob.  Can he survive and make it into hiding?  And what about those whose paths he crosses along the way?  What will fate hold for them?  You’ll just have to read it to find out.

A Flicker in the Dark

“A Flicker in the Dark” by Stacy Willingham

Published by St. Martin’s Press

Finished 1/11/22 – 5/5 stars                       

I find it hard to believe that this is the author’s debut novel.  The suspenseful writing and plot twists made for a great page turner.  I changed my mind multiple times as to who did it.  I’d read a line and be convinced it was foreshadowing the ending, but then another twist would come to change my mind.  As more proof that it was a great book - I didn’t like any of the characters.  None.  If I can dislike every character and still love the book, it’s a great story that is holding my interest.  I’m definitely looking forward to her next book.

 This is story of Chloe.  When she was a child, 6 teenage girls went missing in her small town to which her father plead guilty and went to jail.  As the 20^th anniversary of the abductions draws near, 2 teenage girls disappear in her current town and she knows one of them. Chloe is sure they are somehow related to her past.  Is she paranoid? Is it a copycat?  Or is it completely unrelated to the prior case?  I don’t want to say more and accidently give anything away so you’ll have to read it to find out what happens.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy to read and provide an honest review. 

The Last House on the Street

 

“The Last House on the Street” by Diane Chamberlain

Published by St. Martin’s Press

Finished 1/5/22 – 5/5 stars!!

 

What a great way to kick of my year of reading!  Truly a book I didn’t want to put down.  If work and life in general didn’t get in the way, I probably would have read this in one sitting.  I was just drawn to the main characters, especially Ellie.  She was by far my favorite, especially the 1965 version of her.  Her drive, compassion, and wish for a better world for others to live in consumes her and then changes her.  She’s a person I would want to be friends with in real life.

This story is told in alternating timelines, both taking place in the same county in North Carolina.  And as you can imagine, 1965 NC is a much different place than 2010 NC.  In 1965, Ellie is drawn to volunteer for SCOPE against her family’s wishes.  It was an organization that brought in white college students to help the black communities register to vote – and in Klan territory, that is not a simple task.  In 2010, Kayla is a recently widowed single mom, moving into a new house, trying to make a fresh start for her and her daughter.  But there is history on the land her house now sits.  History that will bring Kayla and Ellie together to find answers to exactly what happened on that plot of land in 1965.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this wonderful book.  I had only read one of Ms. Chamberlain’s books prior, although many are on my to-read list.  Those books now need to come to the front of that list because I’m sure I’ll enjoy them too.

When You Are Mine

 

“When You Are Mine” by Michael Robotham

Published by Scribner

Finished 12/27/21 – 5/5 Stars

 LOVED this book from start to finish!  The characters, the storyline, the suspense – it was all great!  There are dysfunctional families, domestic abuse, stalking, gangsters, and corrupt cops all in one book, with a love story thrown in there as well.  This is the first book in a little while that actually had me planning ahead as to when I’d be able to pick it back up to continue reading.  You could definitely say I was invested from the very beginning.

 This is the story of a young police officer in London who is trying to overcome her father’s reputation as the head of a “criminal empire” and make an honest career for herself.  It seemed like things were finally going her way until one day she is called to an apartment because a neighbor hears screaming next door.  What she finds and the actions she then takes will change her life going forward.  You’ll have to read it to find out what happens.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced copy to read and review.  Please note, the above are my own unbiased, personal opinions.

The Maid

 

“The Maid” by Nita Prose

Published by Balantine Books (release date it 1/4/22)

Finished 12/17/21 – 4/5 stars

I fell in love with Molly from page 1.  She is a hotel maid who takes her job very seriously, taking utmost pride in her work. Cleanliness and proper etiquette are essential to her way of life.  It’s never mentioned, but I believe she’s probably on the autism spectrum, although highly functional.  As the reader, you know what is really going on around her but through her innocence and rose colored glasses, Molly sees nothing but the best in people.  It’s her trust in others that puts her in troubling situations, although she doesn’t see it.  Not until she finds one of the hotel’s guests dead in their room and her quirky behavior makes her one of the prime suspects.  Now she’ll have to figure out who her true friends are and who she can trust to try and clear her name. 

This book is a quick and enjoyable read that I definitely recommend.  Although there is a mystery to be solved, I wouldn’t consider it a mystery novel.  Molly is probably the only one not to see what is going on right under her nose.  But since it’s narrated by her, it’s a mystery to her. So, I recommend it as a good book, just not a good mystery.

 Thank you to NetGalley and Balantine Books for an advanced copy to read and review.  Please note the above are my own unbiased, personal opinions.

Once There Were Wolves

 

“Once There Were Wolves” by Charlotte McConaghy

Published by Flatiron Books

Finished 12/9/21 – 3/5 stars

 

My favorite parts of this book were all related to the wolves.  The descriptions of the animals and scenery were beautiful and well written.  And the storyline in general of reintroducing the wolves into Scottland brings hope for their conservation and environment.  If only it were true.  Maybe one day they will follow the United States’ lead and welcome them back.

The storyline involving the humans was good, just not my favorite parts of the book.  I loved the bond the sisters had even though some of the time it was a little over the top.  Maybe that’s because they’re twins.  Most of the story was fairly predictable, however, the ending did have a couple twists thrown in that I didn’t see coming.  Those were definitely done well but as enjoyable as the ending was, the book in its entirety is still just an average book for me. 

I know many people give this book a higher rating so my opinion is not the norm.  Give it a try and decide for yourself how good of a book it is.