Every once in a rare while a new book is written that fulfills every requirement a reader is looking for in a book. Tim Johnston has mastered that in penning "Descent". I cannot heap enough praise on this book. While reading it I was overcome with apprehension, sadness, anger, joy and at times found myself cringing as I continued to read; and read you must, this is not a book you can put down. Bring no assumptions to the table when you begin this book as they will soon be thrown to the wind.
OUTSTANDING writing!

Right off the top upon seeing the cover of the book I was disappointed. I thought it was poorly done,,seemed like an airport quick buy for the long trip.
I admit it was with that attitude that I began the book. It started slowly with no real 'grab effect'..and I put it down a number of times not pleased with the story. Historical fiction is my go-to book but I found myself not warming to this Winter tale.
I found as the novel progressed it captured my interest a bit more..but it never did grab me. The description of the story plot was more interesting.

This is a book I could not put down. I have enjoyed hundreds of books but 'The Hollow Ground' will stand apart from previous reads in that the strength of the story and the spontaneous and profound understanding I felt with the narrator, Bridget, shook me to my core.
I sincerely hope that Ms Harnett feels the inspiration to give us another such gift.
A truly fine work....thank you!

I hesitated on the 'doorstep' of this novel before entering; having read all the previous Chief Inspector Gamache books I knew (or I thought I knew) what was in store. Ms Penny has over the years woven such a tapestry of characters leading to this new release and they are all assembled here to provide the reader with a story rich in personal and societal chaos and ultimately redemption.
This novel could, unlike previous books, 'stand alone'..but to have taken this journey as a 'constant reader' through the previous eight books we are rewarded with a delicious and surprising story.
Draw up a chair...offer Ruth a Scotch..settle before the fireplace at the Bistro...you are in for a treat.
Quel merveilleux voyage cela a été.....

To take a thought put forth early in the story...this book grabs you with both hands by the lapels and does not let go. I read this novel in two reading sessions, could have done it in one, but life got in the way.
The story line, suspense and pace of "Rage Against The Dying" is unfaltering and flawless. Bringing the "Thrill" back in this "Thriller" is executed with unsurpassed skill by Becky Masterman. Bravo! May I have another?!

You may wonder at my 4 rating for this book after reading what I think of the story. But we read to elicit emotion and this novel delivers that. I loved this book until the last 100 pages or so..absolutely enjoyed it. Then the end was so awful, so utterly devastating..that I hated the book. It bothered me for a full day..deeply upsetting.
But I have not forgotten the book...that is key. Thank you Ms MacMahon.

This novel taps into all sensory receptors. One can "feel" the sting of the ocean sprays and the driving rain. "Taste" the salt ever present in the air. The sweep of the powerful light searching the ocean for ships can be "seen" in the mind's eye. It also evokes emotions ranging from joy in the sense of adventure and early bonds formed from a fledgling relationship and anger unfairness felt from the dismissal of a woman's intelligence and her sense of right and wrong.
I can honestly say that this story resonated in me so powerfully that it will take a place in my "inner library" that few novels have found a permanent home within. I walked with the character "Trudy" as she sought to find a home physically, emotionally and intellectually among the rocks and ever present dangers in her Point Lucia lighthouse home. I felt apprehension so acute as the final pages approached that it became almost impossible to continue.
I now stand and offer my applause and admiration to Christina Schwarz for giving me this unforgettable opportunity within these pages to travel to "The Edge of the Earth".

I stumbled and stalled initially...asking myself..:What is going on here?" I am not "getting" this..put the book down, pick it back up..then out of the blue..it became clear..a story with explosive clarity. A first novel by this author takes on a subject written about many times...love. This is a book worth the effort, it explores and reveals love as experienced by a mother and wife in a way I have never read before. I was left with no question of the lengths one will go to find their way to what they call home. In a book that at first seems confusing...clarity is the end result. A must read...I look forward to this authors continued writings...

Moving at the speed of a runaway train, "Afterwards" propels the reader through an otherworld and a very real, painful reality brought about by an unthinkable act of destruction. Pulled by the emotional and physical thread invoked in her debut novel "Sister", Lupton brings home the truth that there are some bonds which can never be broken. Outstanding work....can be felt on a visceral level.