The book was a bit slow to start but quickly picked up pace. The concept was intriguing but developed in a way that was a bit unwieldy and far-fetched. It would not be a favorite.

Anne Enright's latest novel is quite good. The characters' lives all seem to radiate from their relationship with the grandfather, father and lover of the women in the book. Phil, the character to which all lives seem to be secondary, is an Irish poet of some success. He truly seems to be the main character in spite of being deceased. Whether the relationship with men that each of the women is a function of their relationship with the poet or not, that relationship does appear to reflect in his image. The women are strong when facing Phil's failure as a husband, grandfather or father and, in spite of the significant impact of their history with him, they are able to overcome. I loved the poems at the beginning of each chapter!

Panther Gap is an unusual story that takes place mainly at a family compound in Colorado. Two siblings, Bowman and Summer suddenly find their lives and their livelihoods threatened by a criminal organization that wants the fortune that was apparently stolen by their grandfather decades earlier. There seem to be a confusing number of people trying to gain access to the fortune and it is not always clear who is who which adds to the sense of adventure.
The two siblings are quite different and were raised in near isolation by their father who appears to be paranoid although his concerns over the safety of his two children turn out to be warranted.
The son, Bowman is an odd character, seemingly more spirit than human. His sister, Summer is far more practical and they are both protected in part by their deceased mother's two twin brothers and a stranger who happens upon their compound.
There is a great deal of action and is generally an interesting read.

I found this to be a quick and enjoyable read. Ella was a delightful young girl full of hope in spite of a very difficult home life. She was fortunate to have two older men to talk to who, I think, helped her to maintain her faith and her positive outlook during the most difficult of times. She had her hopes dashed more than once but most significantly in the time frame written about by a white woman who befriended her and then who failed her. Fortunately, she had a strength I thought unusual in such a young girl and that, combined with her Faith, saw her through the difficult times. Having spent a great deal of my youth growing up in the Deep South in the sixties, the story line itself was very familiar to me and, I think, fairly presented. I definitely recommend this book.

The Sun Down Motel was an interesting and easy read as well as being entertaining. There is a strong supernatural current that runs through the book and is, in fact, necessary given the literary device used by St. James. She writes the book from the perspective of two women, related to one another, but separated by about thirty odd years. The main characters are interesting if a little bit expected. I would recommend this book as a light read when you don't want to have to really concentrate to follow the story but still want to be entertained.

If you are a big fan of mysteries/thrillers like I am, you really should take the time to read 'My Lovely Wife' by Samantha Downing. After reading so many mysteries over the years I frequently find myself fairly certain of the outcome of the book and can sometimes even anticipate the various twists and turns that I'm sure will happen. Well, 'My Lovely Wife' kept me guessing the whole time and shocked and surprised me throughout.

The family involved seems like a fairly typical one to all around them but when alowed to peek inside we see two confused children and a husband and wife team unlike any you have ever encountered in fiction. The couple slowly transform in the eyes of the reader from loving couple and attentive parents to cold killers.

Read it! You will be glad you did.

As someone who enjoys mysteries, police procedurals and crime fiction, I found Lola very enjoyable. The main character is a Hispanic woman in LA who, in spite of a very difficult childhood, has grown into a caring realist. In spite of her involvement with a criminal gang she has developed a strong conscience which she uses in making the terrible decisions sometimes necessary. The author has used to great advantage her insight into poor immigrant communities with not much to offer the individual except a life facing low-pay, high labor jobs or a life in crime.
Even when in terrible circumstances, Lola holds herself to high, although atypical standards to do what for her and her community seems to be 'the right thing'.

I highly recommend this novel.

Edgar & Lucy is a deeply moving book and one that I would highly recommend for anyone. It would be an especially good book for book clubs as there are so many potential areas of discussion. I loved the way Lodato developed his characters and filled them out with both good and bad characteristics, making them so much more believable than might typically be found in fiction. They surprise you at every turn but over and over I suspect most readers will find them saying and doing things that are easily recognizable for most of us. The phraseology is lovely and puts into words the emotions that for most, are only ever felt, perhaps deeply, but never truly expressed in language form.

I would actually reread this book and that is something I have only done perhaps 2-3 times in 60 years of reading avidly. Enjoy...you owe it to yourself.

The basic premise of the book I found fascinating although I had a hard time enjoying it as much as I might have if the main character had been at least a somewhat likeable person. I had trouble recognizing the main character as she was described during her children's upbringing as being the same woman dying at the beginning of the book. I will say that the last ten or so pages of the book were beautifully written and well thought out. Not sure I would read another by this author.

Lawrence Osborne's latest thriller Hunters in the Dark was, not surprisingly, beautifully written. The Far East setting in Cambodia provided a darkly sensual background. Mr. Osborne's residence in Asia allowed him to provide intricate details that made the novel and its characters all the more believable.

The characters developed by the author were all very complicated and truthfully not very likable and in many ways made more real because of it. They seemed to be much less stifled by the mores of their cultures when turned loose in the dark unknown of the place.

I would recommend this book to all lovers of thriller/mystery. Enjoy!

Being a fan of thrillers and mysteries, Trust No One was a complete pleasure to read! There was no way to 'see through' the narrative early on in order to anticipate the identity of the antagonist. Using dementia as a device in telling the tale was very clever!

I do recommend this book to all who like to be kept guessing until the end.

As someone who loves mysteries/thrillers I can say this is a book anyone with similar taste will really enjoy reading. The main character, Reggie/Reeve is a very well-developed protagonist in the novel while Galt is easily imagined as evil incarnate. Supporting characters are believable and excellent foils the main two characters. For me, the plot was similar enough to the stories about abductions and the monsters who do them that we all have read about in the news the last few years to have me looking over my shoulder a little more often than before.

Enjoy if you are a fan of edge-of-your seat reading!

I loved this beautifully written book. Always a lover of mysteries, this book did not disappoint. But I think it important to emphasize this is not just a mystery! The main character, Ruth, is fascinating in her vulnerability and her incredibly confused approach to her closest relationships. Amelia, one of the Sisters and her complicated relationship with Ruth mesmerized me as it exasperated me! I thought the approach to spirituality and its risks when embraced without rationality fascinating to consider.

I would highly recommend this book for book clubs. There are so very many paths discussions might take with this book...I am going to recommend for my own book club! Thank you Catherine Chanter!

Wow! Having read a little about the Kims' regime I was still shocked by the revelations in this book that further exposed their cruel and egotistical indifference to an entire country! Fischer's book was well-researched and with the accounts of the South Korean movie mogul and his wife seemed to support what little most of the free world has read concerning the ruling family of North Korea. I recommend reading 'The Orphan Master's Son' along with this work of non-fiction...it follows along quite nicely. This is one of those books that makes it a little more difficult to sleep at night, knowing there exists a country with nuclear bomb capacity that despises the West ( in particular the U.S.) and is controlled by an egomaniacal family who seemingly will stop at nothing to achieve their bizarre goals.

Wow! I had an impossibly difficult time putting down this book. Not only did the plot have me hooked from the first few pages but Johnston's writing enthralled me. The Courtland family and their difficulties kept the interest level high. The experiences of each of the Courtland's was well developed and so integral to the overall story. I found the novel addictively readable and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good read.