darthsansa's reviews
818 reviews

Little Sister by Gytha Lodge

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

The Parlour Game by Jennifer Renshaw

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I gravitate toward dark and gothic books, and that is what drew me to The Parlour Game. The protagonist, Ivy Granger, leads a sheltered life in the country studying botany with her beloved mother. She has a strained, almost nonexistent relationship with her father, half-brother, and overbearing aunt. She has also been haunted by voices and shadows since childhood, which her mother has helped keep at bay. But when her mother dies, Ivy’s father forces her to choose between marriage to a brutish man or committal to an asylum…and the voices and shadows return. At her mother’s funeral, she is approached by the beautiful and mysterious Miss Earnshaw who claims to have known Ivy’s mother. She offers Ivy a home and the chance to continue her botanical studies in London. Initially, Ivy is stunned to learn her mother had a life in London before marriage to her father, but when her situation becomes desperate, she steals away to seek refuge with Miss Earnshaw.

Upon arrival in London, Ivy learns that Miss Earnshaw is a spiritualist and has disappeared. She was last seen conducting a seance in the foreboding Blackham House, home to the seriously creepy and dysfunctional Blackham family. Determined to find out what happened to Miss Earnshaw, Ivy goes undercover as a servant to the Blackham family and is plunged into a dark and dangerous world.

The sinister atmosphere in the book is dialed up to 11. Blackham House is incredibly creepy, and the author does an amazing job of setting the scene. I could picture each room of the house in all its horrifying detail. Toward the end of the book, there is one specific part of the house that mirrored a childhood nightmare of mine, and it seriously freaked me out.

I did find myself occasionally getting annoyed with Ivy due to her sheltered and naive nature. The pace is very slow, and it often feels like Ivy isn’t making any progress. But in the last quarter of the book all hell breaks loose. The ending is satisfying, but leaves the door cracked for book 2.

While I am a big fan of the dark and gothic, I don’t like straight-up horror, especially anything gory. For me, this book hit the right spot….it delivered on the foreboding, while never crossing the line into horror. I rated it 4-stars, and I look forward to the next installment.

Thanks to Net Galley and BooksGoSociall for this ARC edition.

The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Claire Douglas’s The Girls Who Disappeared is a labyrinthine tale of secrets and outright lies with a lot of moving parts. At the heart of the mystery is Olivia, a woman in her late 30s who was involved in a serious car accident in 1998 in which her 3 closest friends disappeared. Olivia bears permanent injuries and guilt from that night and lives a sheltered life caring for horses with her mother. She also maintains a strained and stunted relationship with her boyfriend, Wesley. But she cannot forget her friends and wonders what happened to them. On the 20th anniversary of this baffling accident, BBC journalist Jenna comes to town to produce a podcast detailing the events of that night in 1998. Jenna rents a secluded Airbnb in the forest nearby to the accident site and forms a shaky partnership with the lead detective, Dale. Almost everyone in this story has secrets, and it is hard to know who to trust.

I was immediately drawn to the plot and setting of this book. The rainy, autumn forest with a small town full of quirky characters is certainly interesting, and the mystery of the missing girls is intriguing. The plot is fast-paced and takes place over 5 days with interspersed flashbacks to an undisclosed time. However, I felt the character development fell flat. Jenna was not quite believable as a successful BBC reporter, and Dale did not come across as a particularly skilled detective. Neither of them asked many pertinent or in depth questions in their interviews. And although it worked for Jenna to have a “partner,” I just did not buy that Dale would really involve her as much as he did.

This is the third Claire Douglas novel I have read. I really like her plots, which are very interesting and current, however, her writing style is not for me. I like more character development and fluid writing. I still recommend this book for someone who favors a plot-driven story that is quickly paced.

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Perennial for this ARC edition.

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Medieval Royal Mistresses: Mischievous Women Who Slept with Kings and Princes by Julia A Hickey

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informative medium-paced

4.0

This entertaining book dishes the goods on medieval English royal mistresses and endeavors to center the story on the ladies and not their royal paramours. It even includes a couple of male favorites of King Edward II. The book begins, just prior to the Norman Conquest, with Queen Emma and Ælgifu. It concludes just prior to the Tudor Dynasty with Lady Eleanor Talbot Butler, Queen Elizabeth (Woodville), and Jane Shore.

Author Julia A. Hickey highlights the lives of these women in the context of their times and provides commentary on the contemporary attitudes toward women and how it affected each woman’s life. While the book is well researched, it is not overly in depth or complicated. It is perfect for someone with little prior knowledge of these ladies and who wants to know more.

Admittedly, the information known about many of the women is often sparse and there is some supposition involved. For me, that did not detract from the book. It just further highlights the plight of women during this period in that they were often without advocates and seen as disposable. Some might find the writing occasionally dry, as there is some reciting of facts. However, the curious will likely be delighted with the information, and I definitely fall into the second group. I recommend this for history buffs, especially those that want to learn more about the lives of the women who shaped the history of England.

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a tale of gangsters, cops, starlets, socialites, and family all vying for fame and dominance in post WWI London. It grabbed me from page one and kept me reading late into the night. The dialogue is sharp and witty, the cast is varied and complex, and the setting is colorful and vivid. I felt like I could hear the music, taste the cocktails, and smell the smoke (and even the fetid Thames).

The story centers around ruthless nightclub owner Nellie Coker who has just been released from jail. She returns to an empire imperiled by the police who want to shut her down, criminals who want to steal her clubs, and her 6 children with their own issues. Nellie quietly watches and maneuvers around them while regularly consulting her Lenormand deck for insight.

There is a large cast of characters that includes naive country girls seeking fame in the city, jaded London social climbers, hardened war veterans, corrupt cops, drug addicts and alcoholics, and victims of poverty. Their paths cross and recross. Some will meet with tragic ends and others will make good, although not necessarily in the ways they were seeking.

Atkinson was inspired by the real life of Kate Meyrick, owner of multiple London nightclubs in the 1920s. It is meticulously researched and feels authentic and lived in. I loved this book…highly recommend.

Thanks to Net Galley and Doubleday Books for this ARC edition.

Exiles by Jane Harper

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challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I freely admit that Australian author Jane Harper is one of my favorites, and I devoured both of the previous installments in her Aaron Falk series (The Dry and Force of Nature). So I was more than ready to dive into Exiles, which is the newest book in the series.

The setting itself is often a character in Jane Harper’s books, and this time is no exception. In Exiles, Aaron Falk travels from his home in Melbourne to the wine country in the state of South Australia. He is there to celebrate the christening of the son of close friend Greg Raco, where he will serve as godfather. Members of the Raco family live on their vineyard and winery nestled in rolling hills and thick bushland. In the evenings they sit outside around the firepit and watch the sunset give way to twinkling stars. They wake in the morning and walk their dogs along trails around the reservoir. You can feel the connection between the community and their surroundings.

However, all is not peaceful in this vineyard paradise. In addition to the christening, the community is also celebrating the annual wine festival, where last year, new mother Kim, abandoned her baby and disappeared into the night. Kim’s former partner Charlie Raco is the proprietor of the family winery. Charlie and Kim are parents of teenager Zara, who has not accepted that her mother may have drowned in the reservoir. Zara has embarked on her own investigation into her mother’s disappearance along with her friend Joel, who is convinced that Kim’s disappearance is linked to the hit-and-run death of his father a few years prior. Aaron is plunged into the midst of this intrigue.

This is definitely a slow burn mystery, which works well with the late summer harvest festival setting. I could feel the sense of lazy, late summer days drifting into autumn. Additionally, there is a potential love connection for Falk, who has previously been very unlucky in love.

I don’t think it is imperative to have read the first 2 books in the series in order to enjoy this one. It definitely stands on its own, however, I have enjoyed following Falk’s character arc and recommend reading the other books, too.

Thanks to Net Galley and Flatiron Books for this ARC edition.

The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book grabbed my attention and did not let go for its entirety. I listened to the audiobook, and found extra chores to do and took Louie (my son’s? Mine? Australian shepherd) on 3 walks yesterday, just so I could keep listening. It also scared the crap out of me, in the same way that I’ll Be Gone in the Dark scared me. Imagine someone entering your house at night while you sleep.

I initially heard about author Catherine Ryan Howard on the Currently Reading Podcast where Meredith raved about her books. She is an Irish author, and I am currently missing Ireland, because TimeHop keeps reminding me that 1-year ago, I was there. So I immediately went to Libby and started putting a hold on her books. I first listened to 56 Days, which I also highly recommend, if you are ready for books that take place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nothing Man is told from a 2-person POV, with a unique twist. One POV is from the serial killer, Jim Doyle. The second POV is from Eve, the most famous survivor of his brutal attacks, but it is told from chapters of the memoir she has just written. In it, she tells the story of her life and what happened the night Jim Doyle shattered her existence. She also tells of her decision to hunt him down. What follows is a race between Eve and Jim to see who will find who first.

While this book seriously had me double checking doors and windows at night, I could not stop listening. My fear did not keep me from staying up past my bedtime to hear the conclusion, which was extremely satisfying. I have added all of the books on Catherine Ryan Howard’s backlist to my To Read List, and once I am done with those, I be unpatiently awaiting her new releases.

The World Gives Way by Marissa Levien

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

TW: Suicide.

I heard about this book on one of the Book Riot podcasts, either All the Books or SFF Yeah, and I immediately put a hold on it at the library. The whole premise interested me: a generation ship falling apart a few generations after leaving earth, but before reaching its destination. This ship was built to completely give the feel of a "world" with no visible reminders that they are actually on a ship traveling through space. Unfortunately, society on the ship is stratified, just like on earth. Those that cannot afford the price of passage, sell themselves (and their future offspring) into indentured servitude. The book is told from 2 different POV, Tobias grew up in a privileged, although difficult and dark, life. Myrra was born into indentured servitude (slavery). Myrra serves the Carlyle's, an important government official and his wife. She goes on the run with their infant daughter after the couple commit suicide. Tobias is a newbie Security agent tasked with catching her and bringing her back. However, before their demise, the wife shares a secret with Myrra. There is a crack in the ship's hull that cannot be repaired, and the ship will fall apart in a couple months.

Myrra takes the baby, Charlotte, on a road trip through "the world", as she tries to avoid Tobias and Security agents. She is running from being locked up, but she is also the only family Charlotte has left, and she wants to be there for her until the end. She is also searching for a way to find meaning in her life and to make peace with it. The topography and architecture of the ship is very diverse, and Levien describes it beautifully.

I picked up this book due to my interest in SF, and I was not prepared for the meditation on parenting and what makes a good parent. As a parent whose children are older teenagers and preparing to leave the home, I think about this a lot, and my thoughts are bittersweet, to say the least. If I had known there would be this theme, I probably would not have started this book, BUT, I am really glad that I did. I found that although it is sad, it gave me a lot of peace.

Content Warnings

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darthsansa's reviews 818 reviews

darthsansa's reviews
818 reviews