Every Fifteen Minutes

Every Fifteen Minutes by Lisa Scottoline

A cunning, conniving sociopath is out to destroy the life of Dr. Eric Parrish, Chief of Psychiatry at Havemeyer General Hospital. It will take time, but all carefully planned scenarios do. Slowly and methodically, the esteemed Dr. Parrish will lose everything dear to him. The individual responsible will feel no remorse, basking in the glory of it all.

Eric has a lot on his mind these days at home and on the job. With his marriage in shambles, he worries about being a single parent to seven-year-old daughter, Hannah. He worries about every patient at the psychiatric treatment facility, too, especially a troubled adolescent boy. The young suicidal man confides deep secrets to Eric; secrets that involve a fixation on an innocent girl. As a physician, Eric struggles to maintain confidentiality while preventing harm to someone he barely knows.

One act of terror suddenly makes the good doctor an active participant in a game he never agreed to play. It's a game with potentially deadly consequences. Slowly he begins to realize that his opponent is dangerous and calculating with only one goal in mind; to ruin his life.

The author's novels always reflect her knowledge as a former practicing attorney. This time she has done extensive research in the complex field of psychiatry. The devious mind of a sociopath is described with chilling accuracy. This is not only a gripping thriller, but also a look into the human psyche. The plot is tangled and intricate, leaving the reader unsettled, chapter after chapter, until the very end.

And what an ending it is.



 

Before I Go

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley

"Dr. Saunders' eyes are the color of sad."  He explains to twenty-seven-year-old patient Daisy Richmond that her cancer has returned with a vengeance. A numbness sets in as she stares at her latest PET scan. "It looks as though it's on fire". She leaves with a diagnosis of six months to live.

The hardest part of knowing that you're going to die is deciding how to live with the time remaining. As Daisy deals with her anger, denial, and depression, she struggles with a way to tell the news to those she loves. Her mother's tears flow incessantly. Best friend Kayleigh takes the news in her usual offbeat manner, when inside her heart is breaking. But it's husband Jack that Daisy worries about most of all. How will he live without her? He is a brilliant veterinary student working on his PhD, but can't seem to remember where he put his keys or when it's time to wash his socks. Daisy realizes that when she's gone he will need someone to take care of him. So in between the endless medical appointments and panic attacks, she sets in motion a plan to find a perfect mate for the man she loves.

The subject of this novel immediately evokes feelings of deep and profound sorrow. However, this first-time author manages to deal with her character's fate with grace and humor. It's the humor that makes the reader laugh even when the passages describe in detail the distressing outcome. As Daisy trudges on with her mission to find the ideal woman for Jack, she realizes that it's easier said than done to let go. Through the pain and misery, there's hope and joy.

A witty, feel-good book that will make you smile through the tears.

       

At the Water's Edge

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

Let's talk about the end rather than the beginning of this novel set during World War II. The author of Water for Elephants shows her penchant for simply telling a good story, leaving the reader feeling happy and content as the tale comes to a conclusion. Simplistic and predictable? Perhaps, but Gruen fans will welcome her ability to take them on yet another journey with memorable characters and a compelling plot.

Madeline Hyde lives the life of leisure in Philadelphia, blissfully unaware (or so she pretends) of the raging war across the ocean. When her rogue, hard-drinking husband, Ellis, fails to meet the requirements to join the service, he proposes they travel to Scotland to verify the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. Maddie finds the whole idea absurd. Her attempts to change his mind are unsuccessful. The married couple embark on a whirlwind adventure to the Scottish Highlands accompanied by friend, Hank, who shares the same fervent desire to prove the Monster exists.

Once they reach the dilapidated lodge in the Scottish Highlands, the story begins, centering on Angus, a sullen, mysterious man who owns the inn. All three are actually frightened by him. With Ellis and Hank gone much of the time in search of answers to their quest, Maddie finds herself alone with Angus and the hard-working everyday people who toil daily at the inn. Her perception of life begins to change. She is forced to look at her disturbing childhood and the reality of her disintegrating marriage. When Ellis becomes cruel and offensive with his addiction to alcohol, Maddie vows to start over without him.  He has become the real Monster.

With historical accuracy, the author describes the horror of a devastating World War. As warplanes fly overhead and Hitler's atrocities come to light, a young, privileged woman experiences her own awakening. It's as much a story of romance, hope, and renewal as it is a period piece; one you'll enjoy reading until the happy ending.

   

Where They Found Her

Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight

News of the newborn baby's discarded remains by the  Essex Bridge spreads quickly in this affluent university town of Ridgedale, New Jersey. Unfathomable that a child could be tossed away like a piece of trash. Everybody has an opinion. Yet questions remain. Who is responsible?

Molly Sanderson finds herself in an enviable position. The editor of the local paper, the Ridgedale Reader, wants her to cover the breaking news of the infant's sordid death. Up until recently, she's only handled light and fluffy columns. Now she has a chance to sink her teeth into big news, even over the objections of her husband, Justin, a university professor. He feels the story of a deceased child hits too close to home. Months earlier, Molly lost a daughter in the late stages of pregnancy. After intense therapy, Molly has made great strides, but still feels she was somehow responsible for the stillborn death of her child. How she ached to give daughter Ella a sibling. It wasn't meant to be.

Molly begins her investigation. At first treading softly, she soon becomes absorbed in the case, realizing that there there is a trail of deceit related to this baby's untimely death. The deception goes back years ago to another death of a popular high-school star athlete near the Essex Bridge.  Molly begins to delve into the past. No longer can anyone stop the lies and cover-ups. It's too late. The upstanding citizens of Ridgedale are about to be exposed, and everyone is going to pay the price.

Three different narrators tell this story of pain and tragedy. How can they possibly know how much they have in common?  Bold, raw, and dark,  author Kimberly McCreight's second novel explores the profound repercussions of betrayal, but not without a glimmer of hope.

"Not everything about where you're going has to be about where you've been".

 

The Stranger

The Stranger by Harlan Coben

The stranger whispers in his ear. "She lied, Adam. Corrine was never pregnant. She made it all up." Chilling, unsettling words from an unknown man with a face that somehow conveys credibility, like he was doing you a big favor. And Adam believes him.

Life in suburbia is pretty much the same in every small town in America. Today is no different in Cedarfield, New Jersey. Adam Price joins his buddies to finalize the draft for his son's sixth-grade all-star lacrosse team. Typical politics permeate the selections as to who makes the cut. The good news is that his son Ryan is on the A team. But none of that matters at the moment because Adam Price is reeling from a few shocking words spoken in haste. As he runs to the parking lot to follow the stranger, he sees a woman with long blonde hair behind the wheel of the "getaway" car. It's time to confront his wife, Corrine.

Corrine's reaction to Adam's questions is troubling. Rather than deny the stranger's allegations, she asks for time to explain. Adam reluctantly agrees, only to find after much probing, that her behavior in the past few weeks is totally out of character. She is no longer showing up to teach at the local high school, and her friends admit that her recent patterns have been perplexing. Then Corrine disappears, simply sending a text pleading for Adam to take care of the kids. A picture-perfect life is shattered.

Once again, this author manages to take the reader on a thrilling ride. Adam is just one of many characters touched by the stranger's words, a mysterious individual intent on righting wrongs. What appears on the surface to be a story of marital disharmony, turns out to be so much more. Complex and intriguing, it's a tale where computer hacking meets the wealth, secrets, and lies of suburbia. The results are explosive.

Harlan Coben at his best.    

Someone Is Watching

Someone Is Watching by Joy Fielding

"I hear the sound of twigs snapping behind me......I taste the gloved hand that covers my mouth....and feel the flurry of fists at my stomach and face, overpowering my resistance and bringing me to the brink of unconsciousness."

Private eye Bailey Carpenter knows the meaning of fear. Ever since her brutal attack, she finds herself unable to function. Instead, she hides behind closed doors knowing that the ghoulish nightmares will awaken her again just like they do every night. Still reeling from her parents' deaths, Bailey is a woman living on the edge. And she can't shake the feeling that someone is watching her every move.

Before her attack, Bailey's life was complicated but manageable. Now it's become overwhelming. Along with her playboy brother, Bailey is independently wealthy, the heirs to their father's fortune. But five half-brothers and sisters are not rich and they've vowed to get what rightfully belongs to them. Her sordid affair with a married man has lost its appeal. The one thing that takes her mind off of everything is the pair of binoculars her mother left to her. It's become a tawdry addiction to spy on the gentleman living in a high rise across the street. That is, until she gets the uneasy feeling he is watching her, too. Could he possibly be her attacker?

The story is now set in motion as Bailey must overcome her fragile state of mind to uncover the truth behind the jumbled pieces of her vicious assault before he strikes again. There are so many suspects. Is there anyone she can trust? Before she loses her sanity, she must find the answers.

Joy Fielding writes a raw heart-pounding thriller. It's a constant guessing game with red herrings galore that will keep the reader thoroughly glued to each and every page. Bailey Carpenter will return in another Fielding novel, and she's a character I look forward to meeting again.

The Life I Left Behind

The Life I Left Behind by Colette McBeth

On the heels of her first successful novel,  Precious Thing, author Colette McBeth, writes another thriller guaranteed to keep you on the edge.

Follow along.......

Melody Pieterson came so close to death six years ago. Her limp, discolored body was found discarded in a local park. In her hand, she was clutching a delicate caged bird on a gold chain. She has no recollection of the attack. Melody survived, but now lives a secluded life removed from society with her overly attentive fiance. Even though her neighbor, David Alden, was arrested for her attempted murder, she lives in fear, now that he has been released from prison. And she is beginning to have nagging doubts about that day as her memory returns in bits and pieces.

Eve Elliott  is a reporter from a cancelled investigative crime show. Her friend, Annie, is David's sister. Reluctantly, at Annie's request, Eve begins to look into David's story that he is innocent of  Melody's attack. Slowly, Eve begins to believe that he's telling the truth. Maybe he didn't have enough time to commit the crime, maybe he wasn't the jealous jilted neighbor like the police portrayed. Maybe someone else with a secret motive to kill Melody is still out there. Maybe David Alden is innocent.

Then Eve is murdered before she can present her suspicions to the police. The crime scene looks all too familiar. She is found clutching a delicate caged bird on a gold chain.

David Alden is arrested again, this time for Eve's murder. The news of Eve's death triggers apprehension in Melody. She comes precariously close to slipping over the edge. If David is not the predator, then who in her immediate circle is? Was Eve too close to uncovering the truth about someone who is purposefully misleading the police?

This novel is cleverly written, full of surprises and twists and turns. The chapters alternate between Melody's voice and the voice of the deceased Eve who has all the answers. She'll give you many clues from her grave but you, the reader, will have to figure it out all by yourself.