Category: Traveling Sisters Reads

From Our Shelf of Read and Unread Books by Authors, Not Just Another Book on Our Shelf, Reviews, Traveling Sisters Reads, witches words reads, Word Witches

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Posted on by Brenda~Book Witch

Alex Michaelides is a masterful wordsmith, skillfully wielding a pen dipped in mystery and intrigue. His writing, much like a well-crafted spell, intricately weaves plots that ensnare the reader’s mind while dancing around the realms of sanity, reality and mystery. Possessing a knack for spinning spellbinding narratives and conjuring characters that linger in the shadows, he makes each chapter feel like a potion of suspense, drawing readers into his bewitching tales.

The Fury

The Fury is a mesmerizing tale that masterfully interweaves mystery and psychology, skillfully blurring the boundaries between sanity and reality. Taking place on a secluded Greek island with a cast of seven, the narrative unravels in five acts, each chapter unfolding like a compelling scene in a dramatic production, with the characters taking on their roles with theatrical flair. The fury, a wild Greek wind, serves as a symbol of the intense emotions swirling through the story.

Amid a murder mystery on the island, Michaelides brings a fresh perspective to the locked room mystery trope. Our storyteller, Elliot Chase, adopts a conversational tone with a touch of messiness, delving into the web of jealousy, ambition, obsession, and infidelity surrounding the characters.

But

Elliot unfolds the characters’ backgrounds through flashbacks, easing tension and slowing the pace to a snail’s crawl. This approach, while momentarily agonizing, sets the stage for the upcoming juicy drama, which might have felt exaggerated if not for the backdrop of characters immersed in the entertainment industry.

However

Michaelides possesses a remarkable talent for catching readers off guard, skillfully orchestrating unexpected actions by his characters. These surprising twists, woven throughout the narrative, culminate in a satisfying payoff by the story’s conclusion.

The Silent Patient

In 2019, “The Silent Patient” garnered significant attention and sparked widespread discussions. The publisher’s extensive promotional efforts played a pivotal role in propelling the book to soaring reviews and securing its place on numerous TBR (to be read) shelves. It was a popular one and a large Traveling Sister Group read, that captured our praise and inspiring lively discussions among us.

If you haven’t already delved into its pages, it’s a compelling read that should not be overlooked. For an unbiased experience, it’s advisable to avoid preconceived notions and refrain from perusing reviews on platforms like Goodreads. Embrace the unknown and immerse yourself in the author’s narrative without being influenced by external opinions.

The Maidens

While not as extensive as the promotional campaign for “The Silent Patient,” Alex Michaelides’s second novel, “The Maiden,” also generated significant hype. However, the book became the subject of scrutiny from reviewers who did not embrace the hype.

My review

I didn’t find The Maidens as exciting as The Silent Patient. Alex Michaelides left those twisty, shocking twists and turns I love to The Silent Patient and created a more emotional charge twist for our characters here. The Maidens is a stand-alone however, it has a clever tie-in to The Silent Patient. If you haven’t read it, you are in for a treat to read them back to back.

The Maidens is set at Cambridge University, where a secret society of female students called the “Maidens” are murdered. Group therapist Mariana returns to the campus to support her niece, and the story centers around Mariana’s obsession with proving professor Edward Fosca is the killer.

I was drawn in by the first few chapters of “The Maidens” that focus on Mariana’s grief and her work as a group therapist. I found the psychological side of the group dynamics and Greek mythology the most interesting part of the story. A lot of time was spent on Mariana trying to convince everyone who the killer is and them dismissing her. This slow down the story for me and I would like more time spent delving into the group dynamics. The suspense is light and the danger was not as tense as I usually like but Alex Michaelides manages to create a compelling and engaging story that had me turning the pages as fast as I could. There are plenty of red herrings to guess from and keep you distracted and maybe a bit too many as Alex Michaelides delves more into the psyche side of the characters with that a final twist that I almost missed. I enjoyed how we see into the emotional side to the characters with that final twist rather than a shocking plot twist. I look forward to seeing what is next because I have a feeling it will tie into the ending here.

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Another Book On Our Shelf We Recommend, From Our Shelf of Read and Unread Books by Authors, Not Just Another Book on Our Shelf, Reviews, Traveling Sisters Reads

Thrill for the Week: The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson

Posted on by Brenda~Book Witch

Both The Kind Worth Killing and The Kind Worth Saving were on my winter reading list, and I am now just posting reviews for both. While they offer more chills than the cold weather outside, they will also send enough chills up your spine to cool you off on a summer day.

I read TKWK a few years ago and loved it. However, I reread it before reading TKWS and loved it as much as the first time. Lindsay, who hadn’t read it yet, joined me.

The Kind Worth Killing and Saving are both gripping and kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Peter Swanson weaves a suspenseful, complex web of deceit, and manipulation with unexpected twists, making reading them back-to-back an exhilarating reading experience. He introduces us to a cast of complex unlikable characters with their own unique motivations and flaws who had me question who was worth killing and saving. He creates a fascinating game of cat and mouse, making it fun to root for who you think is worth saving.

I loved Lily, and she is one of the most fascinating characters I have seen in fiction. She is cunning and deliciously devious. She is one worthy opponent in the game of cat and mouse. It’s exciting to see her play the game and see who outsmarts who and what the characters will do next.

The Kind Worth Killing

What is going on between the covers

During a chance encounter at an airport bar, Ted Severson meets mysterious Lily Kintner. After a few too many drinks, Ted reveals his deepest secrets and desires about his unfaithful wife, Miranda. Lily proposes a shocking plan to help Ted solve his problems because some people are worth killing. As the story unfolds, secrets are exposed, alliances shift, and the lines between right and wrong blur, leaving me questioning each character’s motives and true intentions.

Brenda’s Two Cents

Ted, Lily, and Miranda are memorable characters, each with their own secrets and hidden agendas. As the layers of their personalities were peeled away, I went back and forth while thoroughly entertained, deciding who could be trusted and what secrets were worth killing for.

The pacing is fast, and the character’s POV builds suspense and gives us insight into the different motivations at play, increasing the tension with plenty of twists and turns. The well-crafted dialogue is entertaining, with wit and intelligence to keep you engaged with the character. The exciting climax makes it impossible to put the book down until you see who the last player standing is.

Lindsay’s Two Cents

This is a sneaky, snarky, twisty, suspenseful, multiple perspective thriller that will have you rooting for the manipulative, self-centred, opportunistic main characters. It was a fun, well-written escape read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t get enough of these immoral, selfish, audacious characters — what does that say about me? Ha!

As with most thrillers, there are unrealistic elements to the storyline, but nothing too far out there that took away from my connection or enjoyment (this says a lot about the book because I don’t have a large threshold for suspension of disbelief). The storyline was fast-paced, unique, shocking and unputdownable!

The Kind Worth Saving

The story begins with Henry Kimball, now a private investigator hired by Joan to prove her husband is cheating. He knew Joan when he was a high school English teacher when he was the center of a tragedy. But something feels wrong to Henry, and he enlists Lily to discover Joan’s real intentions.

Brenda’s Two Cents

Lily is still the star of the show for me, but we don’t see her until later in the story. She is lying low until she gets a taste of that cat-and-mouse game she is so good at playing. She is just as devious and cunning as ever, but she might have met her match this time, causing her to up her game. My heart pumped so fast as I clicked the pages to see who controlled this game.

Joan has some dark secrets she is hiding, forcing Henry to go back to one of the worst days of his life to uncover the truth, adding a darker tone to the story than TKWK. Peter Swanson expertly maintains a sense of unease throughout, and bolding adds an unsettling uncomfortable storyline line that left me feeling a sense of dread driven by some intense moments. I constantly questioned the characters’ true nature, actions, and motivations. The climax is intense and exciting, with a rewarding payoff.

Lindsay’s Two Cents

I was late to the party in reading Book 1 in this much-loved psychological thriller series, The Kind Worth Killing. I read and loved it at the beginning of this year in anticipation of Book 2 releasing in March. I’m happy to report I enjoyed this book just as much as Book 1! 🙌🏻 That doesn’t happen very often!

Told from multiple perspectives changing with each chapter, this was a sneaky, suspenseful, twisted, thrilling, fast paced story that had me fully invested from start to finish. The new characters are a brilliant addition to this series — I loved following their backstories.

Although not fully realistic, the storyline had me hooked and engrossed throughout. I was rooting for the manipulative, selfish characters and had a lot of fun following along their paths.

If you’ve read and enjoyed Book 1, then this is a must read! If you haven’t, then I strongly suggest you start with Book 1 as it would make this book much more impactful having that storyline as background.

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From Our Shelf of Read and Unread Books by Authors, Reviews, Traveling Sisters Reads

From my Shelf of Read books by Lisa Regan: The Detective Josie Quinn Series

Posted on by Brenda~Book Witch

Setting

In what might seem at first like a sleepy small town of Denton, Pennsylvania, there is more to this town than meets the eye. Many murders land in Detective Josie Quinn and her team’s laps. Lisa Regan loves that missing and murder girls trope and uses it quite often. With 16 books, she still manages to create an exciting edge-of-your-seat case that has me clicking the pages as fast as I can.

Detective Josie Quinn

Detective Josie Quinn starts off as a harsh, cold, and flawed character that is hard to connect with, and it took me a bit to warm up to her. Once I did, I could not get enough of her. When we first meet her in Vanishing Girls, things are not going well for her. She is currently suspended from the force for misconduct, struggling with her alcohol consumption, her failed marriage to high-school sweetheart Ray, and her past demons.

Lisa Regan does a fantastic job creating and developing Josie’s character, allowing us to think and feel differently for her with each book. The story’s strength is the relationships Josie develops and the growth we see from one book to another. A natural talent and a gift from an author who can have us more invested in the characters with each book

While you can read the books as stand-alone for the crime, you will miss out on the character’s development and relationship growth. Lisa centers her stories not only around Josie but also around the other characters. Some of the investigations are centered around the team members or family, which might enhance the story if you knew some background about them.

But do you have to read all of them? No, I have added on each book which ones I think are a must-read, if you could skip it or when I think you could start the series.

Book 1: Vanishing Girls Pub Jan 2018

Everyone is searching for 17-year-old Isabelle Coleman. Josie Quinn, currently suspended, takes matters into her own hands and digs deeper into the case of 17-year-old missing Isabelle Coleman. She discovers more girls have vanished over the past few years.

Josie is not an easy character to warm up to, and she is not all that likable in this one, but don’t let that put you off from reading the series. Josie and her high school sweetheart Ray’s relationship is the heart of the personal side of the story. I became entirely invested in the dynamics of their relationships and found myself cheering for Josie and Ray.

Must read/ Start here

Book 2: The Girl With No Name Pub April 2018

Josie is back on the job, and she is in charge now. She is called to a crime scene where a woman is found beaten and her newborn baby snatched from her arms. A woman caught fleeing the scene is Josie’s only lead, but it seems the woman doesn’t know who she is, where she’s from, or why she is so terrified. As Josie digs deeper, she finds a connection to her fiance, and the story becomes interesting as I try to piece together the crime

Must read / Read after book 1

Book 3: Her Mother’s Grave Pub July 2018

After discovering human remains, we start to see a connection between Josie’s past and the present. As she battles the demons from her past, it becomes clear that someone close to Josie will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried forever.

Lisa Regan takes us back to Josie’s childhood, and we see who that demon is and into her dark past. It was a little darker than I except, and Lisa Regan shocked me with how dark it was. I loved all the secrets and lies from the past that haunted Josie, and I was hooked while I clutched my kindle right to the end, unable to put it down.

Must read / don’t start here

Book 4: Her Final Confession Pub Nov 2018

One of Josie’s team members is arrested for murder. As always, Josie is the first on the scene and is determined to prove Gretchen didn’t kill the young student found dead. She digs into Gretchen’s secretive life and uncovers a link between the boy, a photograph, and a devastating case in Gretchen’s past.

Secrets come to light, adding suspense and tension to the story. When it seemed like things were coming together in the case, another twist comes, and Josie races against time to find the killer.

There is a little romance going on here, and I was happy to see Josie find some happiness there

Still a good one but can be skipped

Book 5: The Bones She Buried Published March 2019

When Josie and Noah lose somebody they love, their murder is connected to a famous missing person from Denton. While grieving, Josie is driven to find the killer and find answers. Just when I thought Josie was catching a break, the murder threatened her relationship with Noah, and some of Josie’s flaws started to emerge. And there I was again, yelling at the characters.

The twists and turns kept coming, and I started along with Josie spinning in circles, trying to follow the leads and clues. In the end, everything came together quite well with the case.

A good one but can be skipped

Book 6: Her Silent Cry Published Aug 2019

Seven-year-old Lucy Ross is taken from the carousel in Denton city park, and Detective Josie Quinn is in a race to find her kidnapper. How Lucy goes missing is chilling and unsettling, but not in a graphic way. It’s eye-opening and had me rethinking a few things when I am out and about. In this installment, we see another side to Josie, and again I loved her even more.

Must read / You can start here but will miss some connection to the characters however the case is strong enough to pull into the series.

Book 7: Cold Hard Creek Published Dec 2019

Josie is called to the woods to investigate the death of two campers as she deals with the darkness that haunts her at night. I love the intensity here with that, along with the warmth that guides Josie through the darkness. The crime is engaging with a little something different that kept me on my toes.

My favorite part of the series is the dynamics between Josie and her past; we see more of the demons that haunt Josie as she investigates the crime.

Must read

Book 8: Find Her Alive Published Dec 2020

In this story, after her twin sister Trinity goes missing, we learn more about Trinity and her childhood. Josie determined to find her alive, puts her feeling aside and follows the clues. I love how Lisa Regan layers those clues for us to follow along with Josie and figure some out as she does while also surprising us with the final twist to the story.

The ending and that final reveal left me feeling a bit disappointed, and I wish it didn’t go there, but after reading eight books in the series and loving them up to this one, I can let it go because I love Josie!!

You can miss this one but will miss some backstory to Josie and her sister.

Book 9: Save Her Soul Published Aug 2020

The story starts off exciting and tense here as Josie is caught up in a flood and finds a body flooding. She soon discovers the body is connected to her past and what she finds rattles her soul, and she is left questioning everything she believes what makes her, her. I loved the connection between Josie and Ray and seeing more of their past. I love it when we see more into Josie’s past and see a raw, vulnerable side to her, and here in this one, we are taken back to Josie’s high school years with Ray. I was glued to the pages, my heart breaking for Josie and rooting that she doesn’t lose herself.

The case is exciting, with plenty of action, suspense, and tension, with some great twists and turns that had me tapping my kindle as fast as I could. Lisa kept me guessing until the end, and I loved everything about this story!

Must read / Can start here and you will get some backstory to Josie but will miss connections to the characters.

Book 10: Breathe Your Last Published Dec 2020

Lisa Regan changes things up a notch here in this one by adding a bold and bizarre case that had me asking many questions. She tests Josie and her team and us readers with those exciting “what is going on” twists to the crime and our beloved characters.

My love for the series is all about Josie and her dynamics with the people in her life. That takes center stage rather than the case for me. However, here it was all about the case. The crime touches on a dark reality that is not often explored, and at times, I questioned some of the story’s truth and how Lisa would pull off that line between reality and entertainment. In the end, she pulled it off.

The intense action and climax to the story were like nothing I had seen from Lisa, and I was on the edge of my seat with my mouth wide open in shock at the heart-wrenching turn the story took. That heart-wrenching turn pushed my surprise to the point I almost messaged Lisa to ask what she was thinking, throwing that at us readers!! In the end, I enjoyed the emotional pull she brilliantly layered on us.

Must read / Can start here but you have missed a lot of dynamics between the characters. The case is strong enough to read on it’s own

Book 11: Hush Little Girl Published April 2021

When a twelve-year-old’s body is found on the steps of a mountainside church, Josie Quinn rushes to attend the scene. She recognizes her from when her mother had offered her  help when she’d needed it. While searching the girl’s house, Josie is devastated to find her mother is dead too, and her little sister hiding. Just when Josie is closing in on the killer, a tragedy shakes her to her very core and Josie will never be the same.

I loved this one and I am leaving it at that!!

Must read / I won’t suggest jumping in on the series after reading this one.

Book 12 Her Deadly Touch Published Aug 2021

Her Deadly Touch picks up where Hush Little Girl left off, and Josie is grieving after significant trauma in her personal life. Josie comes across a body that leads to a group of grieving parents who lost their children in a devastating bus crash. Another body is found dead, and it’s looking like someone connected to the bus crash is out for revenge. Josie starts to investigate the parents of the crash, and secrets begin to come out about what happened on the day of the bus crash.

Lisa Regan throws a lot at Josie, and we see so many different sides to Josie because of that. That can get a little tiring and old after a while, but with Josie, she grows more with everything thrown at her, keeping her character from feeling tired as another side of her is fleshed out. But Josie doesn’t do it alone; she continues to be surrounded by people who love and support her, and that is the heart of the series for me.

I loved how Lisa Regan weaves in Josie’s, the parent’s, and her personal grief and creates a heart-wrenching realistic exploration of grief while creating a mystery with plenty of twists and turns that kept me on my toes.

Must read / But don’t start here

Book 13: The Drowning Girls Published 2021

Josie is afraid when one of her team members, Amber, is missing. When she rushes to a dam, she pulls a body from the freezing water, thinking it’s Amber, but it is not Amber. Josie is determined to discover who the woman is and how she is connected to Amber.

Lisa Regan delivers another twisty and thrilling story with something different than I accepted from that missing and murder trope she loves. She never ceases to amaze me with how she can use that trope and still keep the plot exciting. I had on my sleuth hat, trying to follow the clues, and I was ready for that final twist that I am excited to say I saw coming.

Must read / But don’t start here

Book 14: Watch Her Disappear Published April 2022

After 14 books, I am realizing Denton is one violent little town!!! Josie is called to the scene of the murder of another girl. I am just starting to realize Lisa Regan loves to use tropes around murdered or missing girls. However, after fourteen books, she still creates exciting, fresh, unpredictable twisty plots around those tropes.

I love that Lisa continues to write stories involving other characters; however, this one focuses more on the investigation than on the other characters in Josie’s life. A girl’s murder has similarities to a cold case that feels a little too similar to a team member.

Lisa Regan is known for the twists and turns in her stories that keep readers on their toes, and this time I was ready for her. However, even though I saw some things coming, I was still pleasantly surprised in the end

Book 15: Local Girl Missing Published April 2022

While I am getting a little tired of the missing and murdered girl trope, Lisa Regan has again delivered us something fresh and exciting here with that trope.

Josie finds the body of a local teenage girl, and a second girl is missing, and Josie won’t rest until she is home safe

Must read but don’t start here

Book 16: The Innocent Wife Published Dec 2022

Lisa Regan strays from that murder and missing girl trope (whew!) and takes a unique spin on that woman in trouble because of a man trope in this cat-and-mouse game for revenge.

Beau and Claudia Collins were idolized for being the perfect couple, but like all couples, they have their dark secrets. Josie is called to the scene of Claudia’s murder and races as bodies fall to discover the secrets to this perfect marriage as a game begins between Beau and a killer.

I loved that a damaged character from the past returned to help the team find the killer. Josie shows kindness and compassion for the character, which is refreshing.

Lisa has a way of drawing things out instead of tightening up the pace, and it feels repetitive sometimes; however, it’s all about the characters for me!!

Must read but don’t start here

Book 17 Close Her Eyes Published May 3, 2023

It’s not my favorite one in the series, but it happens. I still love Josie, her team, and her family, who really make the series as strong as it is.

Skip this one

Book 18 My Child Is Missing Published Sept 8, 2023

Lisa Regan’s books consistently garner high praise, with reviewers often exclaiming that she continues to impress and craft captivating page-turners.

Lisa Regan’s masterful ability to rejuvenate that Missing girls trope with something fresh and unexpected always amazes me. In this instance, she weaves the chilling legend of the Woodsman, who takes children who go in the woods, creating the best creepy “Don’t go in the woods” feeling that never fails to send shivers down my spine. Twist after unexpected twist kept me engaged and my expectations were challenged, but this time, Regan blindsided me with an outcome I didn’t see coming.

Must read

Book 19 Face Her Fear Published Jan 30, 2024

Lisa Regan surprises and delights me yet again and continues to defy expectations, leaving me in awe once more. In a departure from her well-known “missing or murdered girl” trope, she delivers a thrilling locked-room mystery, showcasing her versatility as a storyteller, earning her the title of a word witch.

Through the 18 books, Detective Josie Quinn has experienced plenty of loss and Josie is taking some time to address the losses in her life as well as her childhood trauma. Josie’s home town Denton and the area have become quite a dangerous place and it’s nice to see a fresh setting. The refreshing shift takes us out of Denton in focus and takes Josie to a hunting Lodge in the mountains used as a trauma retreat. However, once again, a dead body finds Josie, presenting her with another mystery to solve. This time, it’s not just about the dynamics between the characters that I love so much. Josie is on her own with a few suspects and must navigate the investigation without Noah and her team by her side.

Joined by a cast of characters, each harboring their haunting scars, the retreat transforms into a gripping crime scene, where secrets are revealed and intensifying the suspense. Lisa Regan intricately weaves together elements of suspense, psychological depth, and atmospheric tension, focusing on the intricate dynamics of the characters, the unexpected twists and turns, and the enthralling journey of unraveling the truth and motives behind their presence at the retreat. The isolated and eerie setting of the retreat added layers of complexity to the unfolding drama. With each startling revelation, the strands of this captivating tale intertwine, holding me spellbound until the climactic and riveting conclusion.

Not to be missed / can be read alone

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Reviews, Thrill of the Week, Traveling Sisters Reads

Thrill of the Week: The Personal Assistant by Kimberly Belle

Posted on by Brenda~Book Witch

Kimberly Belle, who has often been referred to as the queen of domestic suspense, is back with another thrilling, entertaining twisty story not to be missed!! However, I think Belle is the queen of women in trouble twists!! No matter what she writes, I am on the edge of my seat, turning the pages as fast as I can.

What is going on between the covers

This storyline is a current hot topic and was easy to fall into. It was interesting to get an inside glimpse into a social media influencer perspective. Alex is a social media influencer. Her motivational messages and real life shared family moments have earned her a huge following. Her social media success demands more than she can manage and she hires a personal assistant. Things quickly turn against Alex when a controversial post goes viral — a post that Alex did not create or know about. ~ Lindsay

Themes

Revenge, betrayal, putting things in perspective, reality versus fake, and the dark side of social media. Somewhat darker than I expected from Belle, with themes of revenge and betrayal, but that’s the thing about her stories, you can expect the unexpected. ~ Brenda

Twists and Pay off

Belle does have a favorite trope that makes her book feel similar to each other, but the twists are all in that trope. The suspense and tension increase with new information as questions are answered, and new ones are opened up right up to the explosive climate and unexpected rewarding ending. ~Brenda

Belle’s writing grabbed me from the start and kept me curious to the very end. The multiple perspectives kept the story fresh and multi-layered. I did find pieces of this story similar to this her last release which was a bit disappointing. ~ Lindsay

Believability element: 

It’s an entertaining read that sometimes felt over the top, and I needed help to buy into the plot itself. However, Belle is a thoughtful writer as she quietly layers in takeaways with the character’s motivations and themes to her stories. ~ Brenda

I liked Alex immediately and felt invested in her situation. My connection to the characters and storyline did lessen in the last third of the book as the plot believability wasn’t there for me and some of the writing felt rushed and overdone. ~Lindsay

Overall

A fun, current and intriguing book that kept me entertained. It lacked the “wow” and shock factor I usually expect from this author but was fresh and unique. I look forward to what this author comes out with next! ~ Lindsay

While the timing is a bit off with the whole social media plotline, I thought it was an easy, entertaining, and thought-out story with a fantastic takeaway!! ~ Brenda

Published in Nov 2022 by Park Row /Read in Nov 2022

Source: EW

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Thrill of the Week: Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Posted on by Brenda~Book Witch

I can always count on Alice Feeney to thrill me with her killer twists!! In Daisy Darker, she gives a nod to the queen of crime fiction Agatha Christie and her golden age mystery classic, “And Then There Were None.”

While the And Then There Were None trope is one of my favorites, I couldn’t compare any books using the trope as I haven’t read the book. So after reading Daisy Darker, I finally read it, and I thought Alice Feeney did a brilliant job creating a modern unique spin to it but still keeping a likeness to the classic structure.

The Hook/Pacing

The Darker family is gathering at Nana’s remote cottage home for her 80th birthday. Tensions are high as they haven’t been together in years. Once the tide rolls in, they are stuck together under one roof until the next morning when the tide rolls out allowing them to use the beach causeway again. As the hours tick by, dark and deceitful deeply buried family secrets are revealed and dead bodies are discovered. ~ Lindsay

While using the clock-ticking element of finding out who the killer is before they find you, Daisy flashbacks to her childhood. She fills us in on everyone’s backstory as their secrets are revealed, which slows down the pace, and at times not gripping enough to create the suspense to drive the story forward. Alice Feeney should have taken fewer pages like Christie and shortened up some of the backstories to develop more of a page-turner that would have you wanting to read it in one setting. One of the brilliance of ATTWN. ~Brenda

Setting

Alice Feeney creates a claustrophobic atmosphere with the descriptions of Seaglass, an old Victorian house on a tiny tidal island just off the Cornish coast.

I loved the tension-filled, moody atmosphere. ~Lindsay

The Characters

Like the characters in ATTWN, none are likable, and none are worth rooting for, but they still had me glued to the pages to find out who will die next, where, and how. ~ Brenda

The characters were quirky and fun. ~Lindsay

Twists and Pay off

Alice Feeney has been referred to as the Queen of the killer twist, and I agree, but I think she is more of the Queen of misdirection. I love Feeney for her “I should have seen that twist coming, but I didn’t.” The clues are layered in the story for us to figure out, but Feeney has this way of distracting me from picking up on them. I find she holds out for a while before revealing that twist, and just when I start to lose a little patience, she gives us that payoff. It really has me wondering if boring us a little is her way of distracting her readers. LOL ~ Brenda

Believability element: 

I’m not usually a reader who enjoys books revolving around any sort of unrealistic plot lines and/or character behaviours (and this was full of them), yet I found myself thoroughly entertained and intrigued from start to finish. Was the plot absurd and outlandish? Yes. Were the characters’ thoughts and actions unrealistic? Yes. Did either of these things matter to me? No! Was this fun, highly entertaining, twisty and addictive? Yes! The perfect popcorn thriller escapism read! Grab a copy and check it out for yourself! ~ Lindsay

Another Book On Our Shelf We Recommend, Reviews, Traveling Sisters Reads

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell

Posted on by Brenda~Book Witch

The Family Remains is marketed as a standalone sequel to The Family Upstairs. So did it work as a standalone for me? Unfortunately not; however, it can work as one. I did read The Family Upstairs, but three years later, I forgot most of what happened. I didn’t know what I should have remembered and what I didn’t know yet, which took away some of the suspense in the story. I didn’t need to remember anything, as Lisa Jewell provides us with the background we need to know. Reading both back to back would be the best reading experience to get to know the characters and the horror they endured while living in the house of horrors. If you read The Family Upstairs and don’t remember much or haven’t read it, you are in good hands with Lisa Jewell

The hook and pace: Was the story a page-turner?

Brenda: The story opens in 2019, when human remains are discovered, creating questions about who and how long they have been there. Then we are taken back to 2018 London, where Rachel Rimmer is awoken by a phone call informing her that her husband, Michael, was found murdered. DCI Samuel Owusu suspects the bones are connected to a cold case that left three people dead in a Chelsea mansion thirty years ago, known to us as “the house of horrors.” Then we’re taken back to 2019, where Henry Lamb now lives with his sister Lucy and her children in London.

It sounds a bit confusing with a lot going on, and Lisa Jewell had me turning the pages as she juggles the three storylines and weaves together four narratives that eventually overlap and come together nicely. However, she takes her time, slowing down the pace, and waits too long to show us the connections. That was slightly off from her signature writing style. BUT Lisa Jewell has given her readers what they ask for here in The Family Remains: to find out what happens next for the characters who survived the house of horrors after that last line in The Family Upstairs.

Lindsay: The Lamb siblings are back together. I read Book 1 in this series a few years ago so some details weren’t as fresh in my mind as I would have liked, however, Lisa Jewell had me hooked and hanging on every word regardless. I was able to put most the pieces of the characters lives and plot backstory together with the little reminders scattered throughout the book. I enjoyed being lost in the mystery of what was happening to this family (again). Following along on their quirky, dark and unforgettable journey was extremely entertaining.

The plot unfolds through multiple perspectives and timelines which flowed brilliantly. Each perspective added the perfect layer of tension, mystery and intrigue. I really enjoyed the police investigation sections and thought those new characters were a fantastic addition.

The Characters

Brenda: Jewell dives back into the psyche of Henry Lamb, one of her most unsettling characters from TFU. Libby locates her birth father, Phin Thomsen, who also survived the house of horror. Phin disappears again, and Henry becomes obsessed with finding Phin. I loved the creepy feeling Henry gave me in TFU, and the last chapters left me chilled to the bone. With so much going on, I didn’t get that chilling feeling I wanted from Henry in this one, which detracts from the suspense of Henry’s pursuit of Phin. I wanted to spend more time in Henry’s head.

Lisa Jewell introduces us to a new character Rachel Rimmer as she remembers her disastrous marriage with her abusive husband, Micheal.

Payoff: Are the twists and turns exciting and shocking with a rewarding payoff in the end?

Yes, Even though things didn’t quite go as I wanted them to, I did find them exciting and rewarding in the end.

Overall:

Lindsay: A highly enjoyable read! I loved spending more time with these characters. I highly recommend this series and strongly encourage you to pick up Book 1 first to get the whole Lamb family experience. This is “the sequel I didn’t know I wanted!”

Brenda: I, too, thought it was an enjoyable read, and I am glad Jewell allowed us to see what happens next for the characters. It was the sequel, I didn’t know I wanted to read too!

Published in Aug 2022 by Atria / Read in Sept 2022

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Setting: London, England / Chicago, Illinois
Source: I received a copy from the publisher through NG

The Family Upstairs

Brenda’s thoughts

Lisa Jewell is moving a little towards the darker side from what this “Lisa Jewell reader” has come to expect. However, I have moved a little ok a lot to the darker side myself, so I think she and I still make a great match. She still has all those significant elements that make for her signature suspenseful style with those well-layered unpredictable plots and reveals and twist that come just at the right time to figure some things out.

The Family Upstairs is a compelling family saga with devilishly, deliciously chilling narrative along with disturbing dark characters. I enjoyed the three POVs along with the different timelines that had me questioning the reliability of some characters. The last few pages are so chilling and I loved every one of them. I was left feeling delightfully chilled to the bone with how it all came together. I highly recommend.

Lindsay’s thoughts

Deliciously dark, creepy and twisted!

Lisa Jewell does it again! I loved this highly suspenseful, spine-tingling tale! This author is SO extremely consistent in her writing. She has the ability to suck me into a storyline from the first chapter barely letting me up for air before the last sentence. This book was such a treat and a great escape during these stressful and isolating times.

The engrossing plot is dark and disturbing – it involves a wealthy family, an eerie old mansion house, a creepy cult and several strange and peculiar characters.

If you like edgy, dark, eerie stories filled with mysterious, foreboding atmosphere and secretive, intriguing characters, then this is the book for you! It was excellent!

Published in November 2019 by Atria Books / Read in Oct 2019

Source: NetGalley