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Reviews by Patricia S. (New Canaan, CT)

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I See You
by Clare Mackintosh
Always a new possibie suspect (11/11/2016)
This murder mystery leads one on a chase where many suspects are possible, but deleted one by one. Just when you think you know the culprit, you hit a wall. This is a clever mystery written from the perspective of 3 people, one of whom is the true suspect , but who hasn't been found yet-a cat and mouse game. Can you imagine seeing your photo in a newspaper ad called FindTheOne.com and wondering how the photo was taken and what it all means? Soon you discover there's more to the ads as more photos appear. Women's commutes to and from work each day are involved, and lest I spoil the story, I won't give more away. Just when I thought I had the mystery solved, I was blown away by the ending. A great read!!
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
by Phaedra Patrick
Arthur Pepper Blossoms (3/18/2016)
As Arthur travels to find out what the charms on his now-deceased wife Miriam's bracelet mean, he leaves behind a year of routines from which he didn't deviate. Traveling to a tiger enclosure, to Paris, to an art class and finally reuniting with his family, Arthur's life takes on new meaning and his personality blossoms. It's a wonderful journey which all ages would enjoy, and at the end you feel like you would like to have been on Arthur's journeys.You also wonder how Arthur could have lived with Miriam for 40 years without knowing any thing about her earlier years!
What Lies Between Us
by Nayomi Munaweera
Confession of a mother (11/12/2015)
"Leaving is an act that cannot be undone." This confession is more than the geographical leaving of a young woman who comes of age in Sri Lanka and is then uprooted to live in America. Psychologically she is unable to leave the past behind as she matures, and the story follows all the ups and downs throughout her life. The descriptive writing is like a vivid video, which drew me in quickly as I couldn't put the book down. There were a few times I felt a slight disconnection with the narrator's name not being mentioned until the end, but I could understand the reason for this as I reached that part. Certainly this is a book ripe for discussion and one that will stay with you for a long time.
When the Moon Is Low: A Novel
by Nadia Hashimi
Flight from the Taliban (8/22/2015)
This book chronicling a family's flight from Afghanistan to London is fraught with many perils, but is different from the stories headlining our daily newspapers. The journey is led by Fereiba, mother of 3 children, one of whom was recently born and very ill, after her husband Mahmood was taken away by the Taliban, a woman strong beyond belief. We read and see photos of male migrants crossing the seas by boat, going from country to country and riding the Chunnel from Calais, but no story like Fereiba's can hold you captive like When the Moon is Low. The story builds in intensity as Fereiba and family face one obstacle after another, and it's hard to put the book down. It's even harder to think that this is happening over and over each day as the Taliban and Isis crack down on life in the Mideast. Women are allowed no freedom, yet Fereiba took it upon herself to make sure her family could enjoy a safe life in the future. A love story-- and as the author wrote "love grows wildest in gardens of hardship". Everyone should be reading this book.
Trust No One: A Thriller
by Paul Cleave
Fitting a puzzzle together (5/29/2015)
Reading a very suspenseful novel and trying to fit all the puzzle pieces together is often frustrating, but put a character with Alzheimer's layered on top turns it into a 3-D puzzle, which keeps the reader guessing throughout. New clues to the killings appear just when you start to become a little complacent, shifting your allegiance as your mind becomes manipulated like Jerry's. This book was very challenging at first - until I began to think like I had dementia. This novel almost needs to be read twice - once to see how it ends and again to find the clues you perhaps didn't pick up on the first time. A thrilling murder mystery, which I'm still digesting and will recommend to my friends.
Little Black Lies
by Sharon Bolton
Don't miss this book! (4/20/2015)
This novel entices you from the very beginning as you wonder what has happened to 3 little boys who disappeared on the Falkland Islands. This is a rugged landscape, not a big city, where cruise ships come to see the penguins, so there are always tourists arriving on the islands. Could it be one of them? The tension keeps building throughout this novel, one which was hard to put down as clues mount up. It's narrated by 3 people who have more than a vested interest in the case.

Ms. Bolton's descriptive writing not only draws you into the story, but enhances its readability. ("The reflected moon fell whole and undamaged from the sky … with stars around like litter". She likens the dead bird in Coleridge's poem the Rime of the Ancient Mariner to one of the children. )
The tension mounts as whales pile onto the beach, and another child goes missing. Just when you think you know the answer to the missing boys, you're led in another direction—which doesn't stop until you turn the last page. One of the best novels I've read in ages and bound to be ripe for discussion. Two days after finishing the book, it's stayed in my head, and I find myself wanting to re-read it again to see what I missed as I was hustling through each page to find the answer to this mystery. Don't miss this book!
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