In a Dark, Dark Wood

In a Dark, Dark Wood  by Ruth Ware

Lenora Shaw lies battered and badly bruised in a hospital bed, trying desperately to remember why she's there. She hears the whispers of the police outside her door. With a racing heart, Nora clutches the sheets in her sweaty, trembling hands. They think she's committed murder.

Lenora (some call her Lee, others Nora) is a reclusive crime writer who is quite content living alone. When the email arrives inviting her to attend the hen party for Clare Cavendish, she is taken aback. It's been ten years since she's seen Clare, her former best friend. Ten years in which she's been able to exist without anyone knowing about her secret. But now she's faced with a huge decision; regretfully decline or graciously accept the opportunity to celebrate the upcoming wedding of her once dear friend. She says yes. A weekend of horror is about to begin.

Flo is the effervescent hostess who welcomes five guests into her aunt's home, known as the Glass House. A massive structure of steel and glass, the home seems to beckon anyone fearless enough to enter, if they dare. Uneasy and intimidated, Nora and friend Nina, regret their decision as soon as they walk through the front door. From the beginning, there is an eerie feeling of bad things to come in the days ahead. The strange noises in the night, mysterious footprints in the snow, unexplained ouija board predictions, and an overall unsettling fear that something catastrophic is going to happen. Each guest anxious to leave. But it's not that easy leaving the Glass House as they are all about to learn. The hours tick by, until an explosive event takes place that no one could have imagined. Putting aside grief and terror, Nora must unveil who is plotting to make her look like a calculated murderer.

British writer Ruth Ware shines in her debut novel. Like Agatha Christie, Ware gives the reader all the elements for a great mystery, told with a modern day twist. The hen party (better known here as bachelorette) is an ideal setting to bring together a motley crew of characters harboring petty past grievances. Then add a bizarre house of glass in  the remote English countryside on a snowy, dreary weekend and you have the elements for a great whodunit. Parts are predictable, but the reader will enjoy being a detective and unraveling the puzzle. The author's distinctive descriptive passages add to the overall spookiness of the book; a wise choice as Halloween approaches. You might even hear your own strange noises in the night.

Actress Reese Witherspoon plans to develop Ware's book into a movie. Much like Gone Girl and
The Girl on the Train, It will be interesting to see how another compelling story translates onto the screen.








   

Mrs.Sinclair's Suitcase

Mrs. Sinclair's Suitcase by Louise Walters

The suitcase is small, brown in color, with a muted tartan lining. Mrs. Dorothy Sinclair proudly writes her name with a flourish on the label inside, bursting with joy, knowing this little satchel will be filled with all the things her precious baby will ever need. World War II may be raging in England, but her thoughts are only happy ones as she awaits the birth of her son.

Roberta works diligently at her favorite place, the Old and New Bookshop.  Lost in her literary world, she loves to collect the little hidden treasures that seem to appear when she opens a used book; postcards and notes written on paper-thin stationery, yellowed with age, revealing secrets, musings, and tidbits never meant for her eyes. She is lonely and unable to admit her true feelings for her boss, Philip, knowing he is in love with another. This quaint shop where the"books are alive" is her refuge.

One fateful day, Roberta's father brings to her an an old suitcase that belongs to her 109-year-old grandmother, Dorothea Pietrykowski. In it, she finds an intriguing letter dated from 1941 written by Jan Pietrykowski, the grandfather she never knew. The letter chastises her grandmother for making a horrible decision that will haunt her the rest of her life, bringing pain and sorrow to a nameless young woman and her child. "Your soul shall not return from this that you do."  If only she could ask Dorothea or her father about this mysterious correspondence in a suitcase that bears the name of a Mrs. D. Sinclair. But her father is in failing health, and Roberta doesn't want to upset her grandmother who drifts in and out of the past and the present. Perhaps it's best to accept the fact that some memories are not meant to be revisited.

This is a mellow, satisfying, and beautiful story of two exceptional women at two different times, eighty years apart. The stories run alongside one another, and mesh in a truly extraordinary way.  In her debut novel, Louise Walters paints a vivid picture of life in the 1940s. Warplanes flew over peaceful farmland while people below, like Dorothea, struggled to maintain a normal life. Years later, a young, restless woman also struggles to find a purpose in her life, never realizing that the answers may lie in a battered suitcase from long ago.

A rich story of lost and reclaimed love, irreversible decisions, and what might have been.....
 

Black-Eyed Susans

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Yellow, orange, and gold wildflowers blanket the open fields, swaying in the summer breeze, their "black eyes" winking at you as you pass by. A lovely sight to see...

Unless you know that hidden below their beauty, are the graves of innocent girls.

Twenty years ago Tessa Cartwright survived a nightmare. Her body was dumped in a deep hole with those of two other girls who weren't so lucky. Wildflowers bloomed over the bodies until Tessa was miraculously discovered. The victims will be forever be known as the "Black-Eyed Susans". Her testimony helped to send the alleged killer to Death Row.

But now she knows the wrong man was sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. The real killer is free, taunting her with disturbing clues, daring her to guess his identity. When she finds these trademark flowers planted outside her bedroom window in the middle of winter, she realizes that this cruel guessing game is real. Tessa fears for her safety and that of her teenaged daughter, Charlie. Slowly and methodically, she begins to work with the innocent man's legal team and a forensic doctor to chip away at suppressed memories that may reveal the true killer's identity. What they don't know is that Tessa fears for her own sanity.The "Black-Eyed Susans" speak to her, encouraging her to keep reaching for the facts, even though the pain of the past is best left untouched. She begins to put names with decomposing faces. Tessa can't stop when she's come so far, even though the shocking truth is hard to accept.

The author weaves a somewhat complicated yet fascinating story about the power of the mind. The alternating chapters between the present and the year 1995 reveal the traumatic memories that a young girl repressed in order to survive. Even more revealing is the healing that comes from allowing those agonizing memories to surface to free the innocent. Not only is this a suspense thriller, it's also a timely reminder about the scientific gains made in the study of crime today.  

Best Boy

Best Boy by Eli Gottlieb

Meet Todd Aaron. An autistic, contented man in his fifties who loves to read The Encyclopedia Britannica (Mr. B) and research interesting facts on the computer (Mr. C).  At the Payton LivingCenter, he's one of the veteran residents. Todd has called this place home since he was eleven-years-old. He's been happy with the quiet seclusion Payton offers, but now he feels a restlessness deep inside his soul. After all these years, he wants to go home.

Home, however, only exists in his memories. And some of those memories are painful. Like the beatings and humiliation he endured as a child at the hands of a father who could not accept a son that was "different". Or a brother who enjoyed tormenting him in front of friends for a cheap laugh. But then he thinks of Momma and Todd's heart swells with love. His mother was special, a crusader for her precious son diagnosed with this mystery affliction called autism. Now that both of his parents are gone, Todd desperately hopes his brother, Nate, will finally agree to reunite with him. But Nate carries a resentment and a secret that make Todd's dream unlikely to come true.

As the story progresses, Todd's world begins to trigger anxiety. There's the taunting brain-injured roommate who loves to watch the "volts" in Todd's brain explode.  A new man on staff with wicked intentions pretends to be a friend; how it reminds him of his vile father. A pretty girl with one eye teases Todd with romantic overtures, convincing him to stop taking his medication in order to feel normal once again. If only he could go home to that place of tranquility and peace. So he plans his escape.

Eli Gottlieb has written an emotional, insightful story examining the fascinating mind of a high-functioning autistic man. Written in the first-person narrative, the reader soon becomes empathetic towards Todd and his struggle to survive in a world he often doesn't understand. By the end, I think you'll agree that this courageous man deserves admiration rather than pity.

As Momma said, "You were a best boy who became a beautiful man and made everybody who knew you very proud".

Who Do You Love

Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner

This is the love story of Rachel and Andy. So pure and simple from the start, but like all love stories, the journey to happiness is not an easy one. You'll find yourself rooting for these two flawed characters, wishing they could go back to the days of innocence, knowing that the obstacles they face may never lead to happily ever after.

They meet in the emergency room of a hospital, both just eight-years-old and in need of a friend. Rachel's congenital heart defect defines
her life; the endless surgeries, the constant fretting and over protectiveness of her devoted mother, the restrictions involving physical activity, and the ever-present pink, jagged scar running down the center of her chest. Andy is a lonely, often angry child, not knowing where he belongs. Being biracial and never meeting his father has already jaded his view of the world. This particular night, he's waiting for a doctor to set his broken arm, a result of a careless unsupervised walk on a railing, while his mother partied with friends. The connection between Rachel and Andy on this fateful night is apparent from the beginning. Little do they know it's the start of a romance that will be tested over time.

Over the course of many years, Rachel and Andy will meet again and again. And over the years, their differences become quite apparent. Rachel's doting and indulgent parents enjoy treating her like the"Jewish Princess" that she is. In comparison, Andy's poor upbringing, hand-me-down clothes, and meager surroundings make him feel resentful and unworthy of her affection. Eventually, as they go their separate ways, hard work pays off for both of them. Andy's superb running skills take him to The Olympics, and Rachel's promising career in social work becomes a reality. However, with success, comes scandal and infidelity. Thoughts always return to that first chance meeting years ago.

In typical fashion, Jennifer Weiner uses her skill as a writer to engage the reader in a compelling  and emotional story that offers an astute insight into the perils of falling in love. Much like her All Fall Down  (reviewed August 2014) this novel appeals to the hope in all of  us that we can survive even in the darkest of times.

Only in the end will you find out if Rachel and Andy's fairy tale comes true.

Day by Day

Day by Day
The Chronicles of a Hard of Hearing Reporter
by Elizabeth (Liz) Thompson

Author Liz Thompson knows what it's like to face adversity. She's lived with severe hearing loss since childhood. This deeply personal narrative, told with grace and dignity, is undoubtedly a triumphant story. Her journey was not easy, the obstacles many, and the struggles real. This is her diary of success.

Liz Thompson is currently a columnist featured periodically in the This Week suburban newspapers distributed throughout the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan area.  Her career as a writer has spanned many years and taken her countless places across the United States. She and her husband are pleased to call Ohio home once again. The numerous articles she has written over time (and letters written to her by grateful readers) actually motivated her to write this book published in 2008. These pieces are liberally interspersed throughout the book, offering an enlightening insight into the world of those who live each and every day with hearing loss. They reveal the struggles and challenges she faced along the way. The reader has the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge about the deaf community, about the art of communication, and how all individuals deserve acceptance and respect.

Liz describes the isolation and loneliness often associated with hearing loss ; the elementary-school teacher, who turned her back on the class making lip-reading impossible, the impatience of others when she couldn't respond to a comment or question, and the lack of self-confidence when tackling a new job. Her love of music and singing began to slip away as her hearing deteriorated, leaving a major void in her life. The added diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis at age thirty-six would be the final "straw" for many people, a reason to stop trying. But as Liz reiterates over and over in her book, life is about attitude. And that positive attitude is quite evident if you look at her life today.

Liz found true love with her second husband, she's the proud grandmother of three, and is a successful writer.  She received a cochlear implant on April 22, 2002, opening up a world that others take for granted. Her words of encouragement have buoyed the spirits of so many of her readers and given hope to those who may experience despair. As Liz says, "separate the word dis-ability and put special in front and you have special ability". Wise words that put a whole new perspective on living and functioning with a "disability".

As an individual working in the field of education, I have seen first-hand the progress made in our schools and society. Watching a child with a cochlear implant interact with peers is extremely gratifying. Seeing that same child accepted and embraced by friends is hard to describe.  People like Liz Thompson paved the way for those facing challenges today. Very few of us have picture-perfect lives. Liz chooses to live hers with courage and faith; a fine example for all of us to follow and teach our children.

I encourage readers to take the time to read this book. You will learn interesting facts about the background and history behind the groundbreaking Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990, and the complexity in learning American Sign Language. You will also marvel at one woman's success against all odds. A true inspiration about living life to the fullest, regardless of limitations.


      

The Night Sister

The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon

Alfred Hitchcock was known as the "master of suspense". He had the uncanny ability to put movie goers on the "edge of their seats" in so many of his acclaimed films.

References to Hitchcock are throughout Jennifer McMahon's latest novel; a riveting, eerie tale flavored with fantasy. Much like her popular The Winter People (reviewed March, 2014) she writes about the paranormal, leaving the reader with unanswered questions.

The year is 2013. Policeman Jason Hawke is summoned to the Tower Motel to investigate a grizzly murder scene. A difficult job under any circumstances, but even more so tonight. He stares down at the long blond hair covered in a massive pool of sticky blood. Even with her face turned away from him, he knows it's Amy, his childhood friend. Now she is an accused murderer. A rifle lies next to her body. A scrawled piece of paper with the words "29 rooms" flutters on the floor. A clue from the dead? Upstairs, he finds the bodies of her husband and son. Then Jason hears a soft whimper outside the bedroom window on the roof. The mirror image of Amy huddles against the chimney, soft moonlight shining on frightened eyes. Miraculously, Amy's daughter has somehow survived.

The Tower Motel was once a successful tourist spot in rural London,Vermont in the 1950s. Now it's a crumbling mass of broken windows, rotting boards, and overgrown weeds. As children in the 1980s, Amy, her friend, Piper, and Piper's little sister, Margot, used to spend their summers exploring the abandoned grounds and solving mysteries like the disappearance of Amy's Aunt Sylvie. She was an aspiring actress who told her family she was leaving for the lights and fame of Hollywood. She was never heard from again  When the girls unearth her packed suitcase, they realize Sylvie may never have left at all. After another appalling discovery, Amy decides to break all ties with her friends. They must never reveal to anyone what they know.

Until today, twenty-five years later, when Margot tells Piper Amy is dead.  Childhood  memories return.....

Like a good old-fashioned horror movie, this is one of those books best read with the lights on. Outlandish, ghoulish, and scary, it's a page turner in every sense of the word. Pay attention to the span of years, as it changes from chapter to chapter. I found myself reading passages over again to establish the relationship between characters. From there, it was hard to put down...

Sometimes "it's easier to pretend the things that frighten us the most don't exist at all".