I was overjoyed at receiving this book to review, so I opened the cover with breath being held and dove right in. I wanted to be able to rave about this book, and for me, this book simply fell short. I was nonplussed by the big "event" that unravels this family. I kept thinking: THAT is it? I had difficulty identifying with Helen (the wife) because I was expecting these mind-blowing PR decisions, and again, I was let down. Were my expectations the cause of this? I'm not sure, but all my fervent hopes that the author could turn this story around, weren't answered. I couldn't identify with the two main characters and I truly am sorry that I can't tell you that this is a good book. A bad book? Not at all. A terrific book? Not at all. Give it a try yourself, maybe you will have a better time than I did. I sincerely hope you do... isn't that why we read?!

This was a really good read! I was able to get wrapped up in the protagonist: Heloise. She was believable and a real fighter. This book is no "Pretty Woman" -- similar only in the fact that she's a prostitute. She realizes at a young age that she shouldn’t rely on others for help because they usually disappoint. (This part I could relate to!) Now she has a young son who she must also look after. She gets into real-life situations, where some of the people she encounters are truly awful. We have all been around people like that. I could understand her and found myself "pulling for her" to get out of some of her more precarious situations. I admired her business acumen and wonder if I could have been as ingenious as she was. She knows what people think of her and she’s got more common sense than any of the others who judge her. She’s a fighter - and even better - she has moxie! I like Heloise an awful lot and I think other readers will too. If Hollywood didn't ruin most of the good stories out there - I would love to see this turned into a movie. I will settle for this book, and hope(!) that I will get the chance to read more about Heloise and how the rest of her life turns out.

When I started to read this book, my first thought was “…. A Lovely Bones influence, but can Lupton keep it believable?” I must say: Yes. This was a terrific book! If you are thinking it’s an “angel” book, stop right there. This is a murder-mystery, a story of a mother-daughter bond and the tribulations a family goes through AND hangs together during the toughest of times. The reading is very quick and I found myself thinking of the book when I had quiet times during my day. I wanted to find out what happens next. The mark of a very good story, if you ask me. OK, some may be able to predict the ending, but, “Who Cares?” It doesn’t detract from a great story that never lost its footing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! 5 Stars from San Diego.

I eagerly awaited this book and it did not disappoint. I love the genre of Preppy & Maladjusted & Karma Coming Around. One part of me wanted to really dislike these entitled rich kids, but the book was written so well that I really felt the emotions of Jason Prosper, the protagonist. He - for the most part - wanted to be a better person, but couldn't rise above the rich-kid-apathy in some areas of his life. I knew this was a good book because I couldn't wait to pick it up and find out what really DID happen to his love interest, Aidan. When it is revealed in the end of the story, I was not disappointed. I think Amber Dermont did a great job of closing the story and wrapping things up. This was truly an interesting and enjoyable book. I highly recommend it!!

Eli Gottlieb did it again for me. He wrote a terrific story and at the same time painted the story for me - with his sublime descriptions of people, feelings and events. This is a great book! I've always wanted to have the ability to speak like he writes. For instance, when Wilbraham describes the theft of Potash's life savings, he says, "Fraud is one of the booming sectors in an economic contraction, alas." And who hasn't felt awful about something they have done, but to have it described as "...plopped down in his easy chair and felt an iceberg of remorse calving gracefully off his body...". It's impossible not to feel as terrible as this character in the book.

Gottlieb creates Hi-Def imagery in your mind. The story has multiple, intriguing levels. If you want to read of revenge - it's here. Duplicity - it's here. Stone-cold larceny - yep, this book has that too! Pardon me for my theft of Gottlieb's description: If you want to read an intelligent novel where there is "a marble of malice and generosity", this is your book. Do yourself a literary favor and read this marvelous book!

To start this review, I want to state that I am a huge Perrotta fan. I wanted to love this book as I have his previous books, but hard as I tried -- this book did not "do it" for me. It wasn't a bad book by any means, but Perrotta has set a high-standard with me due to his word-gymnastics and his pin-sharp wit. This book felt disjointed for my tastes. I enjoyed some of the characters, but was disappointed by the story leap-frogging from one character to the next. I think I wanted to know more about the G.R. members and why they acted as they did. There was an explanation, but I desired more in-depth reasons for their smoking, their wearing white, their following "subjects" around the neighborhood. I would not say that this is a book NOT worth reading -- far from it, but it wasn't Perrotta's best.

This book had such a lovely way in which it described all of the occurrences of “magic” in the world. The way that certain moments were described and how those moments felt mysterious and held extra meaning was just one of the elements of this story that grabbed me! I really got into the story and was rooting for both Pony (even though she had already died) --- the way her spirit kept fighting was like an supernatural sleuth and Jo Beth -- the tough dame who is bent on finding out who killed Pony. I know that sounds corny, but there wasn't anything corny about this book. If I had to describe the book in one word it would be: haunting. Not like a spooky book, but a book that you find yourself thinking about even weeks after you have read it. It was that good! The author has a lovely voice in this book. I found myself hoping that I might be able to use the same eloquence in my life as the author did in this novel. The descriptive language was a joy to read and just roll around the words in your mind. This was such a lovely book.

This story, told in the first-person viewpoint of the 4 main characters: Kate, married to Cary; Cressida married to Luke. Kate and Luke begin an affair with disastrous consequences (not a spoiler). It's the ending that is haunting. For days after finishing the book, I thought about life's “chances”. It's these “chances” (or are they choices?) that are so poignantly described in the conclusion. Did they all end up happy? Or did life's “chances” give them merely a glimpse of what they thought they wanted? It's a worthwhile read. Quite entertaining.

This story was adept at pulling the reader into the lives of a mother and daughter, trying to adjust to their new life after the death of their husband (and father). In the mother's new teaching job at a boarding school, the reader is rooting for their successes at their new life. The story builds palpable suspenseful momentum in connection with some of the creeper things going on at their new home and school. They live in a cottage on the school grounds so there is no escaping from the creepiness. The author weaves a complicated story including some of the inexplicable deaths that have occurred in the school's history. The boarding school is rich with a convoluted mix of benefactors and foul play. Even in the serene setting of an Upstate New York boarding school, everyone has their own motives and secrets for their mysterious behaviours.

The story-line weakened about 3/4 of the way through with too-many characters clouding the reader's involvement with the mother and daughter. In spite of this, I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a light mystery without a tragic ending. At the conclusion of the story, you are able to once again root for the protagonists in their search for a fulfilling new life together.