I See You by Clare Mackintosh

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, November 2016

Genre: Fiction, Mystery/Suspense

Pages: Paperback, 384 pages

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

Every morning and evening, Zoe Walker takes the same route to the train station, waits at a certain place on the platform, finds her favorite spot in the car, never suspecting that someone is watching her...

It all starts with a classified ad. During her commute home one night, while glancing through her local paper, Zoe sees her own face staring back at her; a grainy photo along with a phone number and a listing for a website called FindTheOne.com.

Other women begin appearing in the same ad, a different one every day, and Zoe realizes they’ve become the victims of increasingly violent crimes—including murder. With the help of a determined cop, she uncovers the ad’s twisted purpose...A discovery that turns her paranoia into full-blown panic. Zoe is sure that someone close to her has set her up as the next target.

And now that man on the train—the one smiling at Zoe from across the car—could be more than just a friendly stranger. He could be someone who has deliberately chosen her and is ready to make his next move…

Review:

Well, I can now happily say that Clare Mackintosh is, in fact, a stellar storyteller. Hey, it happens... an author's debut novel is a brilliant one and then, well, the follow ups aren't up to par. However, after reading 'I Let You Go', I knew that as soon as Clare's next book, 'I See You', was released, I would be picking it up and man, am I ever glad that I did because it was just as good, if not better than her debut novel.

While you can classify both of Clare Mackintosh's novels along the same genre, suspense/mystery/thriller... 'I See You' had an extra spine-tingling factor to it in that you had no idea who was behind the crimes and the fact that there could be someone watching your every move is just super creepy. This was definitely an on the edge of your seat type of book and one that I could see many people enjoying in the fall, as things start to get a little dark and mysterious out.

As for the characters, I like both Kelly and Zoe and while they can be classified as 'unreliable narrators', I have come to realize that I quite like that and enjoy not really knowing what's going on. The fact that Zoe is so innocent and couldn't see anyone is her life as a prime suspect made me feel like everyone was. Kelly, being the toughen cop with a mysterious past, made for a very enjoyable, fly by the seat of your pants, character.

Overall, an amazing book and one that I will definitely be recommending to all my friends. Clare Mackintosh is up there with my favourite suspense author, Chevy Stevens, and I cannot wait for her next book to come out.

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

Publisher: Crown/Archetype, November 2015

Genre: Fiction, Short Story/Novella

Pages: eBook, 64 pages

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

A canny young woman is struggling to survive by perpetrating various levels of mostly harmless fraud. On a rainy April morning, she is reading auras at Spiritual Palms when Susan Burke walks in. A keen observer of human behavior, our unnamed narrator immediately diagnoses beautiful, rich Susan as an unhappy woman eager to give her lovely life a drama injection. However, when the "psychic" visits the eerie Victorian home that has been the source of Susan’s terror and grief, she realizes she may not have to pretend to believe in ghosts anymore. Miles, Susan’s teenage stepson, doesn’t help matters with his disturbing manner and grisly imagination. The three are soon locked in a chilling battle to discover where the evil truly lurks and what, if anything, can be done to escape it.

Review:

I really enjoy Gillian Flynn's book and have read all of them so when I saw that she had a short story out, I picked it up from the local library but I feel very conflicted.

While the middle section of the story was amazing, a page-turner that I couldn't stop reading, both the beginning and end were boring. In fact, I almost stopped reading about 3-4 pages before it got interesting and then when it ended, I felt a little like "what the heck just happened... did it actually end that way?". I was left feeling disappointed and unfulfilled... is that possible when you are reading a 'book' that has less than 100 pages? I don't know but if you end a story with a sour taste, it really doesn't make you want to recommend it to others and this is a really cool 'supernatural' story that I think had the bones to be an awesome full-length book.

So, taking all that in, I would say it IS worth the read because of how quick you will get through it but will warn you to be prepared for an ending that may leave you wanting something more.

Holiday Reads | Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber

Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, October 2015

Genre: Fiction, Christmas

Pages: eBook, 256 pages

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

Ashley Davison, a graduate student in California, desperately wants to spend the holidays with her family in Seattle. Dashiell Sutherland, a former army intelligence officer, has a job interview in Seattle and must arrive by December 23. Though frantic to book a last-minute flight out of San Francisco, both are out of luck: Every flight is full, and there’s only one rental car available. Ashley and Dash reluctantly decide to share the car, but neither anticipates the wild ride ahead.

At first they drive in silence, but forced into close quarters Ashley and Dash can’t help but open up. Not only do they find they have a lot in common, but there’s even a spark of romance in the air. Their feelings catch them off guard—never before has either been so excited about a first meeting. But the two are in for more twists and turns along the way as they rescue a lost puppy, run into petty thieves, and even get caught up in a case of mistaken identity. Though Ashley and Dash may never reach Seattle in time for Christmas, the season is still full of surprises—and their greatest wishes may yet come true.

Review:

Imagine trying to get home for the holidays only to be told that you CAN'T book a seat on the flight?! We aren't talking about 'can't' as in there aren't any more available, we are talking 'can't' as in there are RED FLAGS on your name and the government won't let you fly. However, you don't know this and have no idea what is going on so you just find alternate arrangements.

To me, I thought this was such a wonderful and unique was to kick off a novel. It was gripping in that you didn't know why or what Ashley had done to find herself on the no fly list but it was also very entertaining as she looked for alternate means of transportation. I loved the characters... Ashley and Dash were both prickly yet lovable and I thought they were written very well.

I feel like I flew through this book... must be a sign of how much I enjoyed reading it. It was a quick, fun, Christmas (season) read and I found myself smiling along many times throughout the story.

Holiday Reads | Christmas Under the Stars by Karen Swan

Christmas Under the Stars by Karen Swan

Publisher: Pan Macmillan, November 2016

Genre: Fiction

Pages: Paperback, 484 pages

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

In the snow-topped mountains of the Canadian Rockies, Meg and Mitch are living their dream. Just weeks away from their wedding, they work and play with Tuck and Lucy, their closest and oldest friends. Meg and Lucy are as close as sisters - much to Meg's sister's dismay - and Tuck and Mitch have successfully turned their passion for snowboarding into a booming business.

But when a polar storm hits, tragedy strikes. Alone in the tiny mountain log cabin she shares with Mitch, Meg desperately tries to radio for help - and it comes from the most unexpected quarter, a lone voice across the airwaves that sees what she cannot.

As the snow melts and they try to live with their loss, the friendship Meg thought was forever is buckled by tensions, rivalries and devastating secrets. Nothing is as she thought and only her radio contact understands what it is to be truly alone. As they share confidences in the dark, witnessed only by the stars, Meg feels her future begin to pull away from her past and is forced to consider a strange truth - is it her friends who are the strangers? And a stranger who really knows her best?

Review:

I said this in the last Karen Swan review, but I read her Christmas books every year and thoroughly enjoy them. Christmas Under the Stars is a bit of a mixed bag for me though... while I loved it, I don't know if I would classify this as a 'Christmas' story.

To me, a Christmas story needs to take place in December and focus on, well, Christmas. Christmas Under the Stars actually takes place from March through to the end of the year, 2017, however, it's not until page 463 (of 484) that the story even enters the month of December. Literally TWENTY pages of the book was over Christmas and on none of those pages did you get the Christmas-y feel. Oh, wait, I think someone may have said "Happy Christmas" on one of those pages. There were no trees, no Santa's, no cookie, no presents... nothing! Not even a mention of a candy cane or some Christmas lights. The cover was more Christmas-y than the story.

All that said, I really did enjoy the story. I felt like Karen Swan took a step back from what her readers have come to expect with her Christmas stories (hence the lack of Christmas) and almost delved into a bit of a suspense. Not officially a suspense, but I did find myself sitting close to the edge of the seat while I waited to find out how the story would come together. There really wasn't a point in the book that I felt the story was lacking... I enjoyed the characters very much and thought they all melded together well.

Overall, I can really only fault the story for it's lack of Christmas, hence the 4 stars but if you are just looking for a good, quick, read... this is one that I would highly recommend.

Make Me by Lee Child

Make Me by Lee Child

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Genre: Fiction, Action

Pages: eBook, 416 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

“Why is this town called Mother’s Rest?”

That’s all Reacher wants to know. But no one will tell him. It’s a tiny place hidden in a thousand square miles of wheat fields, with a railroad stop, and sullen and watchful people, and a worried woman named Michelle Chang, who mistakes him for someone else: her missing partner in a private investigation she thinks must have started small and then turned lethal.

Reacher has no particular place to go, and all the time in the world to get there, and there’s something about Chang . . . so he teams up with her and starts to ask around. He thinks: How bad can this thing be? But before long he’s plunged into a desperate race through LA, Chicago, Phoenix, and San Francisco, and through the hidden parts of the internet, up against thugs and assassins every step of the way—right back to where he started, in Mother’s Rest, where he must confront the worst nightmare he could imagine.

Walking away would have been easier. But as always, Reacher’s rule is: If you want me to stop, you’re going to have to make me.

Review:

It's been a hot minute since I've read one of Lee Child's 'Jack Reacher' stories and being in the midst of all things Christmas, it took me a couple of chapters before I was able to fully digest what was happening.

Nothing screams action and adventure like a good ole Jack Reacher book. When I think of Jack, I don't see Tom Cruise (as cast in the movie), I see someone more like The Rock. A GIANT, full of muscle and as bad ass as pretty much anyone else on Earth. He's awesome.

What I really appreciate about the way that Lee Child writes this series is that you don't have to read them in order. There isn't really any carry-over from book to book and while there may be the odd detail that comes up from another book, it's not something that would create confusion or take away from the overall story. With 'Make Me' being the 20th book in the series, it's nice to know that you can pick it up and not worry about needing all the back details (even though I've read most of previous books).

Make Me follows the typical pattern of Jack Reacher... he shows up in some random location and stumbles into a crazy situation and from there, chaos ensues. I did find that the story dragged at certain parts with maybe a little bit more detail than necessary but, when the action started... WOAH, what an edge of the seat feeling.

Overall, a decent edition to the series and I will, of course, continue with reading the books as they become available. Always good for a quick read!

Holiday Reads | The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans

The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, November 2014

Genre: Fiction, Christmas

Pages: eBook, 203 pages

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

Elise Dutton dreads the arrival of another holiday season. Three years earlier, her husband cheated on her with her best friend, resulting in a bitter divorce that left her alone, broken, and distrustful.

Then, one November day, a stranger approaches Elise in the mall food court. Though she recognizes the man from her building, Elise has never formally met him. Tired of spending the holidays alone, the man offers her a proposition. For the next eight weeks—until the evening of December 24—he suggests that they pretend to be a couple. He draws up a contract with four rules:

1. No deep, probing personal questions
2. No drama
3. No telling anyone the truth about the relationship
4. The contract is void on Christmas Day

The lonely Elise surprises herself by agreeing to the idea. As the charade progresses, the safety of her fake relationship begins to mend her badly broken heart. But just as she begins to find joy again, her long-held secret threatens to unravel the emerging relationship. But she might not be the only one with secrets.

Review:

Richard Paul Evans was one of those go-to Christmas authors that I read back when I was reviewing books... now that I am back at it, I feel it's only fitting that in the first Christmas season back, I revisit his work.

The Mistletoe Promise is the first book in a trilogy and it adds the romance and happiness that you expect in a Christmas story but it also has an element of mystery and suspense that I wasn't expecting. As mystery/suspense/thriller is my favourite genre, it was a very welcome surprise.

The story centres around Elise, a depressed, divorced woman with a past that haunts her and Nicholas, a man who seems too good to be true but you know there is something beneath the surface... it's just a matter of when and where their stories will come out and how much it will affect the relationship they are working to build. I really enjoyed these characters and found myself wanting to learn more and more about them and while I don't know that their story continues through books 2 and 3, I am hoping they at least make an appearance.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have already requested The Mistletoe Inn from the library... hoping I can get it in before Christmas. Such a good read!

Holiday Reads | Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand

Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand

Publisher: Little Brown & Company, October 2016

Genre: Fiction, Christmas

Pages: Hardcover, 256 pages

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

Some of the stormy weather of the past few seasons seems to have finally lifted for the Quinns. After a year apart, and an ill-fated affair with the Winter Street Inn's old Santa Claus, Mitzi has returned to rule the roost; Patrick is about to be released from prison; Kevin has a successful new business and is finally ready to tie the knot with Isabelle; and best of all, there's hopeful news about Bart, who has been captured by enemy forces in Afghanistan.

That doesn't mean there aren't a few dark clouds on the horizon. Kelley has recently survived a health scare; Jennifer can't quite shake her addiction to the drugs she used as a crutch while Patrick was in jail; and Ava still can't decide between the two lovers that she's been juggling with limited success. However, if there's one holiday that brings the Quinn family together to give thanks for the good times, it's Christmas. And this year promises to be a celebration unlike any other as the Quinns prepare to host Kevin and Isabelle's wedding at the inn. But as the special day approaches, a historic once-in-a-century blizzard bears down on Nantucket, threatening to keep the Quinns away from the place - and the people - they love most. Before the snow clears, the Quinns will have to survive enough upheavals to send anyone running for the spiked eggnog, in this touching novel that proves that when the holidays roll around, you can always go home again.

Review:

This is the third and final book of the Winter series by Elin Hilderbrand and as an avid reader of her summer series, I hope that she continues to write stories that are based in Nantucket throughout the winter because I have fallen in love with the island.

I remember when I first read Winter Street (book 1), I didn't know that it was part of a series and when it ended, I had that "WTF?" feeling and rated the book accordingly. I have since gone back and amended my review because, as a series, it was a perfect cliff-hanger ending.Looking back at the series as a whole, I loved it. It evoked all the feelings I get from Elin's summer books but upped the ante by adding in my love for all things Christmas.

As this is the third book, I already have a love-affair with the characters and the Inn and was very happy to see all of the stories wrap up, whether it was the outcome I wanted or not. I can't 100% recall how many characters are narrators in the previous books but it seems that in Winter Storms, each of the characters gets their own turn at telling the story. At first it seemed a little much and the story jumped but knowing it was wrapping everything up (with a pretty bow), I was okay with it. My preference for that type of writing style is 'fewer is better' because it gets a little confusing and hard to follow.

Overall, a perfect ending to a great series. I recommend whole-heartedly. As I said, I am in love with all things Nantucket and actually feel that Elin Hilderbrand has set up an unrealistic expectation so I will never be able to go there and love it like I do on the pages of her books.