Small Town Suspense

We are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin

This book is told from the perspectives of three people: Wyatt Branson, whose sister, Trumanelle, disappeared ten years before the beginning of the story; Odette Tucker, a police officer in the tiny Texas town where Trumanelle went missing; and Angel, a character we meet on page one.

Wyatt, Odette, and Angel have suffered tragedy. Their lives are thin threads (thin, but made of titanium) that hover between life and death, that hold untold secrets from everyone—and in one case, I think, even themselves—and that become inextricably linked by the events that led to the disappearance of Trumanelle.

With the exception of a few really low-down characters in this book, I felt sorry for almost everyone. The town has kept people, and not just the main characters, in the grip of an almost manic level of mystery surrounding Trumanelle’s disappearance, and no one seems able to escape or let go. Feelings of anger, rage, frustration, and violence run rampant even ten years after the disappearance, and distrust of Wyatt, especially, is a constant undercurrent in the book.

I would describe this novel as a slow-burn psychological suspense, with enough revelations and dirty laundry to make readers keep turning the pages. Though I knew who the villain was (or at least, who the WORST villain was) before the end, I didn’t know why that person did it and I enjoyed the little-by-little unfolding of the tale.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes psychological suspense, small town mysteries, and dark themes.

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What I’m reading:

2 ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) that I am LOVING and can’t wait to share with you

Audiobook: Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie

A Storm Hits Valparaíso by David Gaughran

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Until next time,

Amy

And the Winner Is…

Thank you to everyone who participated in last week’s poll to choose the next read for my book club. The book I hoped would win (These is My Words by Nancy Turner–I have read another of her books and loved it) didn’t win, but I am pretty sure I’ll be reading all the books on the list eventually. And, of course, I’ll review each one and keep you posted on the last Tuesday of each month.

The winner is Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland. The story actually takes place in Atlantic City, which is about ten miles from my house as the crow flies. When I go for a walk in the evenings I can see the casinos lit up on the horizon.

Now on to my main topic for today. As many of you know, I am currently working on the second book in my Libraries of the World Mystery series, which uses special library collections from around the world to commit or solve crimes. In the first book in the series, Trudy’s Diary, the main character (Daisy) helps solve a crime in the present day by using the dime novel collection in the Library of Congress to solve a related mystery that took place in the 1800s.

In the second book, Dutch Treat, Daisy is working as an associate professor at a college in New York City while she’s on sabbatical from her job at Global Human Rights Journal in Washington, D.C. When one of her colleagues is murdered, Daisy is drawn into the search for the killer and discovers some fascinating information about her own family’s background in New Amsterdam, long before the city became known as New York.

In my research for the book, I’ve done a lot of reading about the New York City Public Library. Today I’m going to share my top ten favorite facts about the library.

1. When the New York City Public Library opened in 1911, it was the world’s largest marble building. Its exterior walls are 12 inches thick and builders used 530,000 cubic feet of marble to construct the magnificent edifice.
2. The two lions guarding the front entrance to the library on the corner of 42nd Street and 5th Avenue, Patience and Fortitude, are both males. Their original names are Lord Lennox and Lady Astor.
3. And speaking of the lions, Teddy Roosevelt was not happy with the choice of mammal to grace the library’s entrance. His vote? Buffaloes. He wanted animals that would symbolize the American West.
4. In 1987, the original Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, and Kanga became permanent residents of the library.
5. In the early years after the library opened, it took 20 tons of coal per day to heat the building.
6. In one of the library’s collections, you will find Charles Dickens’ favorite letter opener. The tool consits of an ivory shaft topped with the embalmed paw of Dickens’ favorite cat, Bob.
7. Lions aren’t the only animals featured in the library’s architecture. There are also dolphins, catfish, oxen, turtles, snakes, birds, rams, bees, dogs, eagles, swans, and roosters.
8. In 1911 all the employees of the library were given rubber-soled shoes to wear at work because the marble floors were so hard on feet!
9. If you’ve ever wondered where you might find a lock of Charlotte Brontë’s hair, you’ve come to the right place (likewise the hair of Wild Bill Hickok, Walt Whitman, and Mary Shelley).
10. The New York City Public Library has the fourth largest collection of volumes in the United States. The library with the largest holdings is the Library of Congress, followed in order by the Boston Public Library and the Harvard Library.

Which is your favorite fun fact? Have you ever visited the New York City Public Library?

Until next time,

Amy

Reading Round-Up: June Edition

It’s been two months since my last Reading Round-Up because I’ve been reading very slowly lately. But I have some great books to share this week and I think I’m back on track for another Round-Up on the last Tuesday in July.

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The first book I read was Man of the Year by Caroline Louise Walker. This was a book of psychological suspense that I enjoyed but thought could have been shorter (it’s about 500 pages). Read my review here.

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The Penitent Priest by J.R. Mathis is the first book in a new series, and I found it very enjoyable. Quick synopsis: a man who joined the priesthood in middle age is sent back to pastor the parish where his wife was murdered. If you like the Father Brown mysteries, you’ll like this book. Read my review here.

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My book club read Let It All Burn by Denise Grover Swank in May. This was a paranormal book with a heavy dose of mythology, and I enjoyed it. I hadn’t expected to, since paranormal is usually not my thing, but I was wrong and happily so. Check out my review here.

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Next up was Murder Aboard the Flying Scotsman by Lee Strauss. Though this is the 8th book in the Ginger Gold Mysteries, it was my first and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes cozies set in the 1920s. This one is set aboard a train, making it appear to be a locked room mystery, but it branches out to other venues and we get to see a bit of England in the process. You can read my review here.

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I read Emerald’s Secret by Iris Chacon in under two hours. It’s a short, delightful novel that is typical of Iris’ fun style, quirky characters, and fast-moving plots. In this book, four police officers go undercover to bust a gambling ring, and each of the four is assigned an undercover identity that is nothing like his or her real personality. A great book that I think you’ll enjoy. Read my full review here.

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The Gallery of Ghosts by Victoria Benchley is the second book in her Marsden Murder Club series. The Marsden Murder Club is a group of people who come together to solve cold case murders. Each member of the club has a specific and unique talent which is the reason he or she has been invited to join. The main character, Charlotte, has an uncanny ability to read people—to discern their pasts and uncover their secrets. This book takes place along the Hudson River and flirts with a hint of mysticism when Charlotte can sense the ancient drumbeats of the original dwellers along the river. This was a great read and you can take a look at my review here.

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The final book this month was Rail Head by Stephen Honig. This is a book of poems all about trains—commuting, traveling, collecting, etc. I don’t read much poetry, but this is the second book I’ve read by Stephen Honig and I find his poetry insightful and interesting. I love the author’s note at the end explaining why he wrote the book. I would recommend it to lovers of unique poetry.

What have you read lately? Please share in the comments.

Until next time,

Amy