Audiobook Review: The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 

The Sequel (The Book Series #2) by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Publication Date: October 1st 2024 by Macmillan Audio

Pages: 304

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 1min

Narrator: Julia Whelan

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm |  Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

You MUST read The Plot before reading The Sequel! I’ve tried to be as vague as I can while still showing how much I loved both stories. I wish I could just say: Read it, read both! I even went back and re-read quite a bit of The Plot before starting The Sequel to refresh my mind with the details. Such a good twisty plot, and bonus, you can read this one right after!

 

Loved this one even more than the first one! I wasn’t a big fan of Anna in The Plot, but then we didn’t get her side of things. Here, I could feel for her and understand her motivations as her story is revealed and getting her POV, and I was outraged in her behalf!  I liked being in Anna’s head more than Jake’s. Not sure how that reflects on my character, haha, but I liked that she didn’t wallow in her situation, just evaluated and proceeded accordingly.

 

The Sequel was thrilling! Anna gets herself into a few dangerous situations confronting the threats coming at her and I was on the edge of my seat, rooting for her every step of the way!

 

The talented Julia Whelan narrates, and her performance of Anna is perfection! Timing, emotion and all the different voices were spot on! Highly recommend the audio version!

5 Stars

Book Description:

After the “insanely readable” (Stephen King) and “perfectly told” (Malcolm Gladwell) New York Times bestseller The Plot comes Jean Hanff Korelitz’s equally captivating new novel: The Sequel.

Anna Williams-Bonner has taken care of business—that is to say, she’s taken care of her husband, bestselling novelist Jacob Finch Bonner, and laid to rest those anonymous accusations of plagiarism that so tormented him. Now she is living the contented life of a literary widow, enjoying her husband’s royalty checks in perpetuity, but for the second time in her life, a work of fiction intercedes, and this time it’s her own debut novel, The Afterword. After all, how hard can it really be to write a universally lauded bestseller?

But when Anna publishes her book and indulges in her own literary acclaim, she begins to receive excerpts of a novel she never expected to see again, a novel that should no longer exist. Something has gone wrong, and someone out there knows far too much: about her late brother, her late husband, and just possibly... about Anna herself. What does this person want, and what are they prepared to do? She has come too far, and worked too hard, to lose what she values most: the sole and uncontested right to her own story—and she is, by any standard, a master storyteller.

Review: I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong

 

I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong

Publication Date: October 1st 2024 by St. Martin's Press & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 327

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 3min

Narrator: Jennifer Pickens

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm |  Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

When Nicola and Anton married, they always thought she’d die first with Cystic Fibrosis, but Anton is killed in a tragic accident and Nicola is mired in grief and haunted by his last word: “I’ll be waiting…” Since then, even though she doesn’t put much stock in spirit mediums, she can’t help holding out hope that she can connect with Anton again. Nic doesn’t let up, because there’s an experience from her past that leads her to believe there’s more after life, even though this experience went horribly wrong!

 

I was hooked from the start, as the story starts with a bang! Hints of Nicola’s past is dangled. Her history is slowly revealed, and I was riveted by the mystery! Built up suspense, crazy things happening, an old home with creaks and noises that shouldn’t be possible! 

I’ll Be Waiting was spooky, and I was a little jumpy reading late into the night! I wondered if there was someone behind all the scary things or if it was some malevolent, paranormal force at work. I had my suspicions.

 

Things got wild, just like the ending of a horror flick, and it was a battle for survival! I enjoyed every minute!

 

I alternately read and listened to an audio copy and I recommend either version. The narration was wonderful! Loved Jennifer Pickens’ voice, rich, and quietly strong, it fit Nicola’s calm, practical character. Definitely enhanced my enjoyment!

4 Stars

Book Description:

From New York Times Bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a spellbinding new tale of supernatural horror involving a haunted-house, seances, lost loved ones, and a sinister spirit out for blood...

Nicola Laughton never expected to see adulthood, being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a child. Then medical advances let her live into her thirties and she met Anton, who taught her to dream of a future… together. Months after they married, Anton died in a horrible car crash, but lived long enough to utter five words to her, “I’ll be waiting for you.”

That final private moment became public when someone from the crash scene took it to the press—the terminally ill woman holding her dying husband as he promised to wait for her on the other side. Worse, that person claimed it wasn’t Anton who said the words but his ghost, hovering over his body.

Since their story went public, Nicola has been hounded by spiritualists promising closure. In the hopes of stopping her downward spiral, friends and family find a reputable medium—a professor of parapsychology. For the séance, they rent the Lake Erie beach house that Anton’s family once owned.

The medium barely has time to begin his work before things start happening. Locked doors mysteriously open. Clouds of insects engulf the house. Nicola hears footsteps and voices and the creak of an old dumbwaiter…in an empty shaft. Throughout it all she’s haunted by nightmares of her past. Because, unbeknownst to the others, this isn’t her first time contacting the dead. And Nicola isn’t her real name.

That’s when she finds the first body....

In this atmospheric, thrilling new ghost story, Kelley Armstrong's full talents are on display to thrill, chill and leave the reader guessing how Nicola escapes with her life--if she can.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Read Because of the Hype

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Artsy Reader where each week they post a new top ten list and ask fellow bookish folk to share their lists on that topic. 

Books I Read Because of the Hype:

Did they work out or not?

Wow, it was hard to narrow this list down! I've read so many books because of the hype, especially before I found Goodreads, because that was really the only way I heard about books. I'm going with (mostly) more recent choices.

Books that lived up to the hype for me:

Moon Called/Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs:

I was fairly new to Urban Fantasy books when I picked this up, but so many fellow blogger and friends on Goodreads loved the series, so I gave it a try. It's one of my all time favorites! I've listened to the entire series several times now!

Magic Bites/Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews:

Another UF that's one of my all-time favorites! The writing is so amazing and Kate is a wonderful character! I'm going to do a re-read (by audio) of it soon.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman:

Several blogger friends featured this when it first came out and so I grabbed up an audio. These octogenarians are hilarious, tackling mysteries, but a lot of the story is so poignant, too!

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer:

SO popular, but I didn't actually pick up the first book until the first movie came out. I was hooked and read the entire series several times. I know there are many readers that look down on these books, but they still hold a special place in my heart as they reignited my passion for reading and led me to finding Goodreads!

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

I had read Happiness For Beginners, and I liked it, but didn't love it. (I need to do a re-read, loved the film adaptation). I saw a lot of praise for Things You Save in a Fire and it was narrated by Thérèse Plummer, one of my favorites, so I tried Center again. Loved this story so much and every new release since! 

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: 

This book is all over the place! The hype is deserved, however I didn't love Iron Flame as much. The audios are the way to go!

The not so much:

Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld

I was hooked by it being a P&P retelling, and it was nominated for "Best Fiction" on Goodreads in 2016, but this was not for me.

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

I've loved several books by CoHo, but this wasn't one of them... 

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix:

Lured in by the promise of fun and horror! Mostly a mixed bag for me.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia:

Another mixed bag...

What books did you read because of the hype?

Sunday Post #266

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Happy Sunday! We're still having warm temps here with high 80s to low 90s, but it doesn't feel like it does during summer. With the shorter days and the sun in a different angle the heat goes away fast. The trees are still turning colors because it's dipping down to 50 at night. I have been tired and not feeling well with a stomach bug. I didn't get out for my normal runs this week. I want to get out for a walk today and I want to plant the bulbs I've bought. Bulbs always sound wonderful until you have to plant 50, lol! And I still want to get more. They're all going along a split rail fence my husband will be putting up. He bought the material yesterday.

The roses are doing really well and I ordered three more from Heirloom Rose Catalog because they were having a sale.

Rose: Brandy

I did a puzzle while listening to Known to the Victim and An Inheritance of Magic:

Moving Day in Amish Country by Charles Wysocki

Read:

(Click on cover for Goodreads link)

An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka: 5 Stars

The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber: 4.5 Stars

Known to the Victim by K.L. Armstrong: 4 Stars

I had a good reading week. I wanted to read the first book in The Inheritance of Magic series before accepting an ARC of the second one. I loved it so I'll be reading and reviewing the next one in a couple of weeks. 

The Cold Light of Day is book 7 in the Verity Kent series and I feel like it opened a new chapter with it taking place during the time of the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921). I didn't know much about the history so I did some reading and want to do some more reading. Huber's books are well researched and she incorporates the time period without taking away from the pacing or plot. The series is excellent with mystery, political intrigue, a dash of romance, and multi-faceted characters I've come to love! Must be read from the beginning. The audios are excellent! 

Known to the Victim is by Kelley Armstrong written under the pseudo name K.L. Armstrong. I tried to request it off of Netgalley not realizing it was only open up to Canadian reviewers. However, it became available at my library so I grabbed it up. Really good and kept me guessing!

Received:

Thank you to Ace, Hachette Audio, Macmillan Audio, Simon & Schuster Audio, Blackstone Publishing, and Catherine Bybee!

Instagram:

Thank you also to Jill Shalvis for the print ARC of Better Than Friends! 

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How was your week?

Review: The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber

The Cold Light of Day (Verity Kent Mysteries #7) by Anna Lee Huber

Publication Date: September 24th 2024 by Kensington

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:

Verity and Sidney are in Dublin, Ireland at the request of Verity’s British Secret Service handler, “C”, to locate fellow spy, Alec Xavier since he’s dropped out of communication after being sent to infiltrate the IRA. With the situation so volatile and dangerous, they’re understandably very concerned. By day, Verity and Sidney go undercover, Verity to track down Alec and Sidney to see if he can locate the phosgene canisters, stolen by their nemesis, Lord Ardmore. At night, they keep up the ruse of only being in Ireland for pleasure by attending dinner parties and rubbing elbows with the elite in society and government.

 

Along with her assignment Verity is tasked by a Lord French, to investigate an attack on a woman, demoralizing her to the point that she took her own life soon after. He wants Verity to find out what happened and get justice for her and her grieving family.  I was outraged for this young woman and so was Verity, which made her more determined to find the culprits responsible.

 

Love Verity and her pluck! She’s quick and clever, even when faced with frightening situations.

 

The Verity Kent series is one of my favorites and best read in order. It’s a captivating combination of mystery, political intrigue, crime procedural, danger and a splash of romance! Verity and Sidney have had to contend with personal struggles stemming from their experiences in World War I. Even several years later (this story being set in 1920) the aftermath is still playing out. While some of the mysteries presented are solved in this installment, some are not, and it ended on an unsettling note. I eagerly await the next book!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

The latest novel in the action-packed historical mystery series featuring Verity Kent, fashionable former Secret Service agent turned intrepid sleuth and high-society darling on her next clandestine mission—from the USA Today bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries. A treat for fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Susan Ella MacNeal.

June 1920, Ireland: The streets of Dublin seethe with revolution as the Irish Republican Army clashes with British authorities. Roving assassination squads mean nowhere is truly safe, particularly for Verity Kent and her war hero husband, Sidney. Given their celebrity as society darlings and intrepid sleuths, they must tread carefully to go unnoticed—nearly impossible when they are called upon to search for Verity’s fellow spy and friend . . .

Captain Alec Xavier has seemingly vanished after traveling to Dublin to infiltrate the IRA at its highest levels. Doing her best to maintain a modicum of normalcy and stay under the radar of both the rebels and British Intelligence, Verity works undercover by day and waltzes through the city’s elite social scene by night. Still, she fears the worst for Alec—until shocking evidence mounts that not only is he alive, but that he has switched sides . . .

Already disillusioned with the British government, the news leaves Verity and Sidney reeling. Worse, they learn of a conspiracy within Dublin Castle, where personal vendettas are being carried out and sanctioned by British Intelligence under the cover of revolution. With the distinction between friend and foe never more blurred—or the margin for error narrower—Verity and Sidney cannot turn a blind eye. Especially when a familiar adversary appears, bringing a threat almost too terrifying to confront—even in the cold light of day . . .

 

Audiobook Review: Break Every Rule By Brian Freeman

 

Break Every Rule by Brian Freeman

Publication Date: September 10th 2024 by Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 354

Audio Book Length: 12hrs 

Narrator: Scott Brick

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Break Every Rule was an exciting action-packed thriller/mystery!

 

Tommy knew his wife, Teresa, had secrets, but he didn’t pry, not realizing how dangerous they were, mostly because he had his own secrets to keep. However, he’s in a race against time when Teresa and their baby daughter are abducted. He’s not certain if it’s because of his past or hers that she’s been taken, but he needs to figure it out quickly.

 

This thriller was fast-paced, and I was riveted by the story as past events from Tommy’s past is revealed through his recollections and Teresa’s past is revealed through Tommy’s investigations. Both of their histories were dangerous and interesting. I was enraged for Teresa and some of the other women. I was also extremely worried for her! It’s sad and infuriating that the situations described happen in real life!

 

I’m a big fan of Scott Brick as a narrator and his talents enhanced this exciting story! His performance of the action scenes, as well as a variety of voices, both male and female was excellent!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne series comes a breathtaking thriller about a man whose only chance to rescue his family is to return to the past he thought he’d left behind.

Tommy Miller is a man with deadly skills, hiding in Florida under a false identity. After being set up on an overseas mission, he’s on the run from terrorists—and from the government who betrayed him. So when his wife and daughter are violently abducted, it seems his ghosts are finally catching up with him.

But Tommy isn’t the only one with secrets. His wife, Teresa, has been concealing her own dangerous past, and as Tommy races to rescue his family, he must peel away the clues she’s left behind. With a hotshot police detective, Lindy Jax, close on his trail, Tommy follows a twisted path from Florida to the Bahamas, one that brings him face to face with ruthless enemies.

His search for answers soon puts him on the wrong side of the law—hunted by the police and pursued by men who want him dead. Worst of all, if he hopes to save Teresa and their daughter, Rosalita, he must become the man he once was—a killer operating from the deepest shadows.

But when the lives of the people you love are at stake, rules are made to be broken.

Review: The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard

 

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard

Publication Date: September 24th 2024 by Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 51min

Narrator: Stephanie Németh-Parker

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm |  Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Capri became interested in true crime when she discovered her grandfather was convicted as a serial killer nicknamed: Overkill Bill. Her father has always refused to talk about it, and so Capri always did research under the radar. However, when a copycat emerges and Capri is implicated, she decides to investigate both cases, not only to clear her name and her daughter’s (also under suspicion), but also her grandfather’s.

 

I was a big fan of Capri, a hardworking single mother who turned her passion of true crime into a way to support her and her daughter, Morgan, now grown, by hosting tours that featured the history of crime and serial killers around San Francisco.

 

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco was superb! I was glued to the pages as Capri ferreted out clues and motivations both for the current murders and the past. I enjoyed her methodical approach to finding the killer and clearing her name. Capri ends up in danger by the end, and the mystery wraps up in a thrilling conclusion!

 

I also enjoyed the setting of San Francisco, mentions of film noir set in the city and some of its crime history! I hope we get more stories with Capri and Detective Pietro in the future! There are hints of a romance in the works and maybe they’ll work together solving crimes? *crosses fingers*

 

I alternately read an e-copy and listened to an audio version. I think you’d enjoy the story through either version. I’ve listened to and enjoyed Stephanie Németh-Parker’s narration in the past and her excellent performance enhanced my experience! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

In Michelle Chouinard’s clever mystery The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, the granddaughter of a serial killer shows readers another side of the beloved city.

Welcome to San Francisco, a city with killer charm.

The chill of a San Francisco summer can be deadly. No one knows this better than Capri Sanzio, who makes her living giving serial killer tours of the city. Capri has been interested in the topic since she was a kid, when she discovered she’s the granddaughter of serial killer William ‘Overkill Bill’ Sanzio. She’s always believed in his innocence, though she's never taken the leap to fully dive into the case.

But now an Overkill Bill copycat has struck in San Francisco. And Capri’s former mother-in-law, Sylvia, just cut off Capri’s daughter’s tuition payments. Needing cash, Capri wonders if this is the time to exonerate her grandfather. The case is back in the news and the police will be looking to understand the past to catch a present-day killer. Capri could finally uncover the truth about Overkill Bill—documenting the process with a podcast and a book—and hopefully earn some money.

Before Capri can get very far, the cops discover the copycat’s latest Sylvia. Capri soon finds herself at the heart of the police’s investigation for an entirely different reason. She and her daughter are prime suspects.