I was delighted to find a crime novel set in the rural Midwest…specifically Iowa cornfields! I was most pleased to be caught up in the fast paced story with so many unexpected twists and turns almost immediately.

This is a police procedural filled with complex characters, well fleshed out. It contains a serial killer, corrupt politicians, three women missing from the small community, a drug crisis and much more. It focuses on Ms. Riley Fisher, a newly promoted Sargent on the small local police force. She has plenty of baggage to bring to the job as well as a number of relatives and friends and others she has been surrounded by most, if not all, her life.

The pace is very fast and elegantly written. It is particularly deserving of praise for it is the debut of Erin Young's writing a crime thriller. I was very pleased that Ms Young plans to make this the basis for a series. Put me down for the next one! I happily recommend this book as a really great read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this true story of Italian immigrants beginning a new life in a small western Pennsylvania town and their evolution from low level steel mill workers to organized crime.

The author, Russel Shorto, researched the history of his family and the "mob" through interviews with senior relatives, their friends and associates in addition to researching documents, newspaper accounts, etc . It encompasses the era of prohibition to present day. It all provided him answers to many mysteries, large and small, existing between family members and great insight to their character.
The finished product is a beautifully written story of both his family and the mob. I found the history of the 1930's and details of various "business ventures" of the mob fascinating. The inclusion of several photos of his family members added to my enjoyment and I appreciated it.

I recommend this book to all.

I looked forward to this read, believing it was to be "wildly entertaining", even "darkly hilarious" according to reviews. Upon meeting Majella O'Neill, I found very little amusing. I did, however, become involved with Majella and her little community and found it very interesting and sad.
She grew up in the small village of Aghyogey in an area of Northern Ireland slowly recovering from the Troubles. She and her alcoholic mother still reside there in a deteriorating home in a deteriorating neighborhood. Her father disappeared a few years prior under suspicious circumstances, likely related to the Troubles, and her beloved grandmother was murdered in her rural home recently. No one has been arrested for this crime.
Majella's main contact with the community happens at the chip shop, where she has worked for several years. Here she is expected to interact with the local customers and dislikes doing so. Her coworker, Marty, is generally kind to her. They have known each other since childhood. The customers include many unusual local characters, some quite amusing.
Occasionally she goes to the local pub, drinks more than she should, and engages in sex, which she does like. This activity is on her list of "likes". That's a short list. Many things are on the "dislike" list, first and foremost being Other People.
The writing was excellent. Characters speaking with an Irish accent stopped being a chore to read in short order and I enjoyed the novelty of it and the flavor it gave the story. The last few pages of this story finally let in a ray of hope for Majella's future, thank heavens. I am waiting for more from this talented author.

Beginning with the immediate demise of the main character, Hennie, this book is loaded with twists and turns. It switches often from present to past, and all are worthwhile to navigate. Hennie's spirit remains tethered to the community to assist with their grief mixed with some alternative lifestyles and tangled lives.
The story is centered in a small, economically depressed, town in Oregon. The Pine Away Motel and Cabins resides at the edge of same. It houses and/or employs Hennie's dearest friends and family. They are surrounded by others in the community with varying degrees of very rigid conservative views of religion, sexuality and politics. Tolerance becomes very limited.
I found this book to be a very enjoyable read. I did not want to put it down and was disappointed to reach the end. This is the first book I've read by Katarina Bivald and it will not be the last. Kudos to her translator, Alice Menzies, for a flawless job also.

I found the book to be beautiful, disjointed, raw, tender, and disturbing at points. I did not regret reading it, ever.
The island setting for this tale is wonderfully described by the author and I was quickly drawn in. Details of the sea's creatures surrounding the island are sprinkled throughout the story.

Evangeline is the child of an addicted, loving father and a mostly absent mother. In adulthood she struggles learning how to love and accept love. No surprise. The setting and some unique circumstances she experiences kept me engaged.

Well done, Crissy Van Meter.
I will be recommending this book to others.

A fascinating memoir by a most talented writer. She provides us with large servings of humor and hostility through, in part, unique glimpses into the world of classical musicians involved in "sham" performances for unsuspecting audiences in order to sell CD's. The famous creator of these musical events and recordings is never named, only referred to as "The Composer". A mystery in itself.

She also shares her beginnings in rural West Virginia and her childhood dedication to the violin. She allows us a remarkable view of her young adult struggles to determine what is real in this world and her place therein.

Her description of the post 9/11 era are particularly insightful as well.

I was intrigued from the beginning page. I strongly recommend reading this.

Well written, fascinating and complex plot, especially from a debut author. Terror and torture abound. Certainly not my usual reading but I'm glad I persevered. The ending was very unexpected. I would recommend this book If you're not prone to having nightmares.

Nicole becomes drawn strongly to Buddhism while still a teenager. Her home is not a happy one. Her mother is a very devoted Catholic and has raised her children in this religion. Her mother also suffers lengthy severe attacks of depression and subjects Nicole and her older brother to all that entails.

Thus begins her journey, first as a teen runaway and later an adult, running towards and immersing herself in the Buddhist faith. She also becomes the victim of sexual abuse through her lengthy involvement with a Zen master.

The author skillfully and beautifully shares a good deal about the religion itself along the way that I found most interesting. She also includes glimpses of Catholicism, equally of interest and well written.

I was unable to become invested in Nicole's life because I simply didn't like her enough. I found some of the other characters portrayed to be thinly described, very sad and, therefore, not easy for me to become involved with, as well. I well may have experienced these feelings because of the long term abuse portrayed.

I hope you will consider reading this book. The writing is definitely above average.

Skillfully written, this book teeters between sharp comedy and full blown tragedy. An acidic widowed mother and developmentally arrested adult son are driven from their decadent lifestyle in New York's Upper East Side by self-inflicted scandal and potential bankruptcy.

They flee to Paris by cruise ship…and take their aging cat along for the bumpy ride. Lest you think this was an act of kindness towards the cat, let me hasten to add the mother believes that her late husband's spirit inhabits the cat and she's afraid to desert it.

The characters they encounter and bring into their imploding lives are also deeply flawed and fascinating. It ends in yet another tragedy, of course. I really wanted an epilogue with a ray of sunshine attached, but there is not one.

All said, this book had my attention throughout. I give the author full marks for skill and imagination.

Set in the rugged Australian Bush, a corporate retreat designed for "team building" goes horribly wrong.

The terrain and climate are described beautifully as are the five women participating with complicated back stories and interesting ties to one another. I was left with a very clear vision of the land and the physical challenges her characters experienced.

The author in her debut novel "The Dry" introduced Aaron Falk, a federal police officer, and I was most happy to find him returning as a strong character in this book as well. I sincerely hope to find him again in her next book.

I found this book filled with suspense and surprise. It was extremely hard to put down. I recommend it to all.

Contemporary LA region, from desert to ocean with people in desparate need to change their (almost) hopeless lives.

The author skillfully takes them one by one, filling in pieces of their lives, their experiences, their back story and skillfully intersecting their paths.

From Skid Row to mansions, I found it fascinating and often disturbing. Both physical violence and emotional abuse exist throughout the book. Hope exists too.

I find that occasionally experiencing some discomfort in a story leads me to expand my world and, therefore, grow. I recommend this well written novel to any and all.

The Barrios of East L.A., where poverty, drugs, violence and gangs are the norm, serves as the backdrop of this chilling fast paced mystery. The people here are primarily Latino, as is Lola, the protagonist.

The writer skillfully brings Lola to life, complete with her complex family relationships and her horrendous life experiences. Her brilliant ability to lead her small gang while hiding her role as leader is necessary, sadly, due to the extremely rigid gender roles of the culture in which she is a part. I also was fascinated with the many other characters contained in this story. . I will note that violence and profanity are a part of this great read.

Days after I finished this book I still find myself thinking of her. That is unusual for me. The mystery itself was first rate and complex enough to make it difficult for me to put down. This is the author's first novel and I'm more than ready to see the next. Hopefully, there will be one soon. I will strongly recommend this book to others.

A young attorney and his wife make the leap from New York City to America's Heartland with their small children seeking a better, more wholesome environment for their family. The small rural community they settle in provides the very best and worst of both people and the land during the 1950's and beyond.

This author provides descriptions and voices to them all with great skill. The dialogues seem completely genuine to my ear. That is a rare and very pleasant experience for me having grown up in a similar place during the same period.

Based on a true story, the author provides a chilling picture of the Cold War era, complete with the accompanying fanaticism and fears as the young attorney pursues a political career against powerful opposition. The resulting successful libel suit and, years later, the gruesome murders that occurred made this book impossible for me to put down.

A small town experiencing the unexplained disappearance of a woman, three sets of single parents and their teen offspring wounded by this event. One of these is the victim's best friend who continues to seek answers.

I've read a number of books that I didn't want to put down. I was disappointed to find that after reading 50 or so pages of Since She Went Away, I didn't relish continuing. I did, however.

I found the characters lacking dimension and their thought processes flawed. I wanted to like them, really, but I didn't.

I am not familiar with this author, David Bell's, previous works. I do see that they had positive reviews from readers so, I will read more of his books to be sure this wasn't a fluke.

This book was such a pleasure to read! Watson tells this story of a woman's courage and grace throughout her life in the rural South, dealing with a birth defect that deems her socially challenged beyond our imagination.

The quiet flowing rhythm of his words describing the landscape, the people in her life, and the dignity she maintains throughout is remarkable.

Instead of being depressed and saddened by her plight when I finished this, the author managed skillfully to leave me uplifted. I strongly recommend this book to everyone to enjoy, as I did.

A great read that I simply could not put down! A single mother, willing to go to great lengths to help her small child's deep distress with unexplained, tragic memories that defy all logic.

Beautifully written, with characters who leap off the pages. Ever since finishing this book, I find myself daily thinking about the possibilities in the way we view our past and our future.

I can't wait for more from this author. I will just be better prepared to be totally absorbed in the read. Thank you, BookBrowse, for an author I likely would not have found otherwise. It's that good!

One of the most absorbing books I've read this year! I was blessed to receive it. Exquisitely written, using the psychiatrist as narrator for the story of a young teen brutally raped at a party and his care of the victim and her family. The small town setting lends itself to many others' involvement as well.

Because of the writer's skill introducing the many intricate twists and turns , I could not put it down.

A successful mystery author suffering from early onset dementia is believed to be guilty of multiple murders. His struggles to find the truth in his weakening grip on reality, hindered by those he would trust most.

I found it a challenge to track his journey and impossible to put down. The author is new to me but I want to read more of his work.

Completely gripping psychological thriller set in the Falkland Islands, I found I was unable to put it down.

The startling twists and turns are skillfully woven into this dark, chilling story of missing children in a remote island community. The setting is beautifully described and provides a glimpse of the fascinating history of this area as well as its' marine life.

It's the best read I've had in quite a while! I strongly recommend it to everyone.. .

Brilliantly written with characters beautifully detailed and their environment brought to life. One of those rare authors that left me thinking about this story and its' people long after I had finished the book.

Amazing this is Catherine chanter's first novel. I'm most anxious to find more from this talented author soon.