Perhaps one of the best books I've read in awhile as well as one of the saddest. It reminded me of Glass Castle -- the poverty and neglect that both women experienced as children. Glass Castle told the story of the failure of the foster care system in Florida to ensure the safety of the author and her brother while this book is even more shocking how a mother could not protect any of her children. The writing is powerful and while painful to read, I couldn't put the book down. I prayed that all of the children would be okay in the end not just the author. My highest praise for the author! It must have been extremely painful to recount such painful memories of one's youth.

TRUST NO ONE is outstanding suspense thriller! The author takes you into the mind, fears, and darkness of the main character, Jerry, as his life unravels and he begins questioning everything and everyone in his life. What is fact and what is fiction – more importantly how will he know or will he remember?

Henry Cutter is the pseudonym for bestselling author, Jerry Grey, a successful crime writer. Grey's twelve books have earned him much success. At the age of forty-nine Alzheimer's has taken over his life. Some days he is in control, and the next minute without any notice, he everything is blank - he has lost his car, his phone, his family, his thoughts, and his mind. He recalls murders - Is he a killer or simply recalling the events from his books.

Jerry begins writing in his journal, he discovers disturbing items - a gun and hidden items in a floorboard; are they mementos from victims? The illness has a cruel way of rewriting your past. More disturbing is there are new murders and Jerry is always close. Is he a serial killer, is he being set-up or is it all in his mind?

This is cleverly written crime mystery thriller that was almost impossible to put down. TRUST NO ONE should be one of the top reads of 2015!

I love a good thriller and Carla Norton wrote an amazing one - now can't wait to read her first one, "The Edge of Normal" or future ones.

The book is well written with just enough detail so that the story flows flawlessly. Reese, the main character is well developed and definitely portrayed as a strong woman -- not only overcoming years of captivity but also willing to put herself into danger by flying home to help a retired FBI agent find the madman that held her captive. While reading the book you'll feel for the pain Reese experienced, wish her success, but also fear for her safety.

Dark and captivating… Once I started reading it was difficult to stop – finished in four evenings. What made the book so compelling for me? Chanter does an incredible job of making her characters and the patch of land called The Well come alive. Some of the characters you'll love and most of them you'll hate! All have their flaws as do each of us although like the characters we often attempt to hide them.

I was captivated by Ruth's narrative of the events that led up to her husband and her move to The Well. The story begins years later as Ruth returns home after a prison sentence for suspected murder and is set to finish with house arrest. The story quickly shifts to Ruth recounting the past that led to tragedy – the death of her grandson. There were the accusations against husband Mark that led them to move, the religious craziness brought by the Sisters of the Rose, and the normal strains of marriage and family. Although she pleaded innocence she ponders could she have done it and if not then who? Slowly she retells the story as if searching in her memories clues to who committed the crime.

A great debut novel! The mystery isn't really a detective story, but interesting nonetheless. The scope of the book is very narrow – it's literally life within The Well that's explored and nothing more.

I read Sendker's first book, "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats," and loved it so I couldn't wait to read his follow-up. I found it hard to put down; read it within two days. Needless to say, I enjoyed the story. It's more than your standard mystery thriller - the author also gives insight into the setting the story takes place, in this book Hong Kong.
While I have traveled to China, this book gave me a glimpse into the dark-side of the country that you only get a glimpse of in movies. The author focuses on two men, Paul Leibovitz – an American living on an island of Hong Kong and Zheng Lin – a Chinese homicide detective living in Shenzhen. We learn about each character's past and their shared need to find redemption as they search for the Owen's son. Sendker does an amazing job of developing characters and the setting so you can easily imagine yourself witnessing everything that you read. It reminded me of a book that I just finished by Joseph Kanon, "Istanbul Passage." I highly recommend it and I am now a confirmed fan of Sendker!

The writing was good and when I closed my eyes I could imagine that I was someone observing Maud from a distance. It starts slow, but quickly improves to a very interesting ending. I enjoyed the descriptions of works of art at the beginning of several of the chapters. After finishing reading the book this detail gives a great surprise at the end. I love Paris, but this book explores a side of Paris not portrayed in most books. It is more sinister and on the darker side of life versus the romantic and sunny side of life usually portrayed in literature or movies.

I loved the character development of the three central characters, Tanya, Yvette and Maud – especially Maud. What made the book interesting for me was the complexity of the relationships between these characters. What I didn't like was the introduction of so many characters that made it difficult for me to relate to any of them except the main ones.

I highly recommend this wonderful story of secrecy, greed, deceit and revenge to anyone that loves historical mysteries.

The Weight of Blood is a fitting title for this book that becomes more apparent as the story evolves. The book is written with each chapter sharing the viewpoint and situations from the perspective of a different character in the book. The author rises to the challenge of this narrative approach, fully develops each character, and successfully limits the number of characters so the reader doesn’t get confused.

It starts off with Lucy trying to solve the mystery of a friend’s disappearance while in the background attempting to come to terms with the disappearance of her own mother, Lila. The book then shifts back in time and is told from Lila, Lucy’s mother that has led a very difficult life before she arrived in the little town of Henbane, Missouri. The second half of the book is told through the eyes of the other major characters and each shares another piece of the puzzle.

The Weight of Blood is an excellent debut novel, with a well-crafted plot, realistic dialogue, strong character development and a conclusion that is not easily foreseen by the reader.

When I started THE CAIRO AFFAIR the pace was so slow I almost stopped reading it. Since I have always been intrigued with Budapest, Cairo and spy thrillers, I continued reading. It gets better, but the pace remains slower than I prefer. The book shifts between the perspectives of several characters (Sophie, Omar, John and Stan) that can be somewhat confusing. It is an enjoyable spy novel with well-written plot twist near the end. Good, but not a great read.

To the Moon and Timbuktu is the story of a journey -- three in reality: people, places and self-discovery. I have traveled to various parts of eastern and western Africa and her descriptions of people and places made me feel as though I was back. She brought her characters to life and you feel as though you know them personally – the trademark of a great story-teller!

As I indicate it's also a book about self-discovery. Throughout the book, you learn more about two other famous women that traveled Africa, Mary Kingsley – an explorer in the 1800's and Isak Dineson – the author of "Out of Africa". The author feels connected to both women as well as the women she meets in African villages. Despite time and cultural differences she discovers women everywhere share common bonds.

I loved the plot of "A Nearly Perfect Copy" and the writer's ability to keep the reader guessing what lay ahead for the two main characters. If you prefer books where you fall in love with one of the main characters, forget this book – Elm and Gabriel are not likeable. The author is able to craft a story where the reader is able to understand and empathize with the two main characters. It is easy to see how the characters have become their own worst enemy.

"A Nearly Perfect Copy" did get me thinking about the value of striving for perfection and the lengths some people are willing to go in an attempt to achieve it. It is an interesting study of ethics and values.

"Golden Boy" is one of the best novels I've read in years. When I read the plot summary I immediately thought of Jeffrey Eugenides' "Middlesex," but I discovered a much more intimate story told through the voices and perspective of the main characters. Max is a character that you just can't help not to love, root and cry for him. I highly recommend this novel.

The House Girl tells two stories, one about Josephine, a slave on the Bell plantation in Virginia in 1852 and the second about Lina, a lawyer with a major law firm in NYC that has been asked to assist a client with a historical reparations claim for descendants of slaves. At the same time, another legal issue emerges concerning a collection of paintings that have been attributed to Luanne Bell for years – an art critic comes forward to announce that the artist was Josephine, not her master. Lina searches for the truth about Josephine, trying to track down her descendants to see if they will be the plaintiffs in the reparations case.

The House Girl is about finding yourself and finding your history. It's about defining yourself on your own terms and not by how others. Most importantly is about love, regret and the need for justice. I thought this book was excellent debut novel, and I would definitely read another book by Conklin.

My wife and I are extremely active volunteers in the non-profit sectors focused on helping under resourced segments of the population domestically and globally so after reading the description of the book I couldn't wait to read it. Unfortunately the content didn’t live up to the hype.

Ken Budd's memoir is more than a travel journal of his travels to many different places including Ecuador, Kenya, China, and Palestine. The reader does get a brief look into these places and people, one that is not a typical tourist's view. It is the personal journey view that falls short. The author doesn’t express clearly how his voluntourism experiences changes or redefines him. He spends more time describing other volunteers and his interactions with them than he does the people and projects in a very detached manner.

On a positive note the book shares the challenges and rewards of voluntourism and it is presented in a useful perspective for anyone considering such a trip. I did find the Bethlehem and Kenya sections very interesting, but not enough for me to recommend the book.

Katherine Boo's "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" is perhaps the best book that I have read this past year. It is not only well written, but extremely well researched and informative on slum life in India (although the setting is outside Mumbai, it could take place anywhere). Many of the conditions of the slum dwellers apply to life in many developing countries (the inhumanity and challenge to simply exist), but her approach brings them to life beyond what I ever imagined and has changed the way I view the world.

I am not naive about the extent of corruption that takes place in any society, but the level of corruption that the author depicts in Annawadi appears to permeate every institution whether education, health care, the justice system, public utilities, drinkable water and disposal of raw sewage. Her gift for capturing the uniqueness of each inhabitant gives us a brief glimpse of how differently each individual approaches daily life, the varied ways they try to adjust to near impossible living conditions and survive in the poverty.

I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in India s well as anyone concerned about the plight of the poor. I've always been fascinated by the country and read numerous fictional books about all levels of society historically or present times. This book has presented me a whole new way of visualizing future stories I read and most importantly being thankful for my blessings.

I loved Groff's first novel, Monsters of Templeton, so I was excited at the opportunity to reading an advanced copy of Arcadia. While I wasn’t totally disappointed it pales in comparison to her previous book. It doesn’t have a lot of action and is an introspective look at Bit’s life. I also did not like the use the constant present tense used in narration. I did enjoy her descriptions of the community. crazy hippie commune set in the late 1960s and located in Central New York. I felt less connected to and/or interested in Bit.

"The Orphan Master's Son" is an impressive novel about a man called Pak Jun Do's journey from childhood to manhood in a country, North Korea, where little is known about daily life. The story follows Pak Jun Do departure from the orphanage to life as a tunnel soldier, a professional kidnapper, language student, radio operator on a fishing vessel, a hero who visits Texas on a government mission, and then a prisoner. The writer describes in detail how the totalitarian regime operates enabling the reader to understand how people submit to its relentless propaganda and repression. Several times in the book the North Koreans express concern and horror that people in the U.S. must pay for everything. Rather than view freedom of a positive it’s viewed as a negative that people don’t have the protection and safety that comes from a government that dictates every aspect of their lives. Jun Do says he doesn't think he could ever feel free in the US; that everything in North Korea makes clear sense and it's the most straightforward place on earth.

I highly recommend this book to readers that like reading about life in other cultures. It is a wide ride of emotions with periods of very disturbing descriptions of the cruelty, courage and love. Prepare yourself for a slow read - it contains very detailed description of events and the book can be confusing at time as narrator changes and it jumps from one time period to another.

The best part of this novel is the vivid description of pre-World War II Stalinist Russia. If you are interested in Soviet culture, this book will appeal to you. Captain Korolev is a likeable character and truly loves his country, but understands the realities of living in a dictatorship. If you are looking for a good mystery this is not the book for you – it’s more a good historical read with a lot of political intrigue.

When I read the hype for the book it all sounded great, the author's previous success and a different approach to post apocalypse -- what if you weren't taken to heaven after the Rapture? Unfortunately I felt the author took a canned approach to extreme responses to such an event... mother that abandons her family to join a cult, son that drops out of college to follow a prophet, daughter that drops out of high school to experiment with alcohol, drugs and sex. I believe the story could have been much richer by spending more time developing each character and focusing on how the majority of survivors dealt with the Rapture-like event and knowing they were not chosen. Overall it was a good read not great.

If you like historical fiction, traveled to Tuscany and found yourself wondering what life in Siena or the other walled towns was like during the 18th century then you’ll love this novel. The plot centers around the famous horserace in Siena, the Palio. It is a great love story in which the beautiful Pia falls in love for an unknown rider in the race although her father has made arrangements for her to marry another person that would benefit the family. A shocking event puts a quick end to the normal race festivities and the course of Pia's future. The remainder of the story is one of political intrigue and disappointed loves.

If you were hoping for upbeat and light writing of a romance novel then you’ll be disappointed – there are quite a few instances of the darker side of life. The author’s writing style might cause some readers concern – she switches back and forth between character’s perspectives.

I found just what I was looking for in this book – a glimpse of the good and bad of society in Siena during the 18th century. Once I started reading I was unable to put it down and read it through the night! Definitely a fan!