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Domestic

Review

The Vacancy in Room 10

by Brian Kenney

The Sycamores, the brilliant setting for this tale of two young women, is a run-down motel, converted into apartments, on the edge of Santa Fe. The residents—whose lives spill out throughout the building, from the balconies to the pool—are a fascinating lot who love nothing more than getting into one another’s business. Broke and thrown out of her ritzy home by her partner, who technically owned everything, Cass ends up the Sycamores’ handyperson, unclogging toilets in exchange for rent. Throw in a side gig slipping married men roofies, photographing them near naked, then threatening blackmail, and Cass has just enough money to get by. Until she accidentally murders very much the wrong guy. Alicia’s route to the Sycamores is more convoluted. Her painter/husband rented one of the units as his studio, but one day—with no real warning—he calls her up, confesses to a murder, then shoots himself. Alicia moves into her husband’s studio to cozy up to the other residents and try to discover the truth behind her husband’s death. This thumbnail sketch only hints at the depth and complexity of this thriller, in which both women take enormous risks, with help from the neighbors, to learn the truth about the lives they’ve lost. Recommended for readers who like a strong, sophisticated thriller with a dynamic plot and unforgettable characters.

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Review

Invisible Woman

by Henrietta Thornton

A filmmaker whose heyday is past, Joni Ackerman has grown used to living in the shadow of her successful TV-show creating husband, Paul, as well as accustomed to the idea that she can’t make material for the small screen herself because that’s his territory. She drinks too much and is overall unhappy, with small bursts of joy when her daughter Alex returns home and life seems complete (there’s a twist-and-a-half in store there). She often thinks of her broke, early days living with roommate Val in Los Angeles, when they attended a party full of Hollywood glitterati at which Val was raped by a celebrity. Neither told anyone and both tried to move on, growing apart in the process. But now the past is back as the rapist has been outed and whispers abound about a mysterious second man he works with. What follows is a psychologically savvy look at the many victims and the long life of sexual assault, as well as a satisfying tale of coping through taking action. Joni is a lovably flawed but determined character and her decisions and determination will keep readers rooting for her and racing through this fast and absorbing drama.

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Review

The Wife You Know

by Henrietta Thornton

Passing a daycare that’s engulfed in flames, Ashley Driskell risks her life to save several children. During an emotional reunion in the hospital, her husband, Luke, lets her know that someone took a video of her heroics and she’s now the darling of the Internet. Luke knows this won’t make Ashley happy, as she’s very private and dislikes even having her photo taken. Still, he’s surprised at Ashley’s vehemence that he must go, NOW, and pick up her daughter Joy, who is his stepdaughter, from the babysitter. Things become even stranger when the next morning Luke wakes to find that Joy is gone from their home and Ashley is missing from the hospital. Luke uses his desperation and sharp research skills to engrossing effect, digging deeper and deeper into the twisting mystery that is Ashley’s life. You won’t see the answers coming here, nor the satisfying ending; the love, loyalty, and determination shown by Luke are bonuses. A great read, especially for fans of D.J. Palmer’s My Wife is Missing.

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Review

For the Last Time

by Brian Kenney

At first, this novel seems to be a predictable, mildly entertaining thriller. Erin and Will take themselves off to marriage counseling because something has gone wrong, at least for Erin, who is suddenly putting her husband at arm’s length. But what’s the source of the problem? Even their counselor, Maggie, becomes consumed trying to understand what has gone awry in their marriage, especially when Will is, annoyingly, nearly the perfect man. Then, out of nowhere, Perks drops a clue that made my head spin, cranks up the narrative’s pace, and pulls us deeper into the disturbing past of Erin and Maggie. Since this is from multiple perspectives, and jumps skillfully around the narrative time-line, readers will have fun trying to put this complex, fractured and totally compelling story together. A perfect read for fans of Lisa Jewell and B.A. Paris.

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Review

Someone Saw Something

by Jeff Ayers

A parent’s worst nightmare comes true for news anchor Corina and her family in Mofina’s gripping thriller. Six-year-old Gabriel is playing in Central Park with his older sister when he vanishes after going after his model airplane. Initial searches show no evidence of how he disappeared, nor any witnesses to the abduction. With no ransom demand, the police and investigators are baffled. Since Corina is a celebrity, the case brings out some sympathetic thoughts, but those are few. Most of what Corina reads online are vicious attacks and conspiracy theories regarding Gabriel’s true origins that make her life, and that of her family, a living hell. It doesn’t help that her husband and daughter have secrets they don’t want the world to discover. Mofina intelligently crafts the story by never showing Gabriel’s whereabouts or who is responsible for his kidnapping, amping up the conspiracy and paranoia. Focusing on the family’s agony and quest for the truth puts the reader directly into the story, and the final payoff is terrific. Mofina is a number-one bestselling author in Canada—as he should be in many other countries.

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Review

Two Dead Wives

by Henrietta Thornton

This sequel to Woman Last Seen (2022) publishes the day after Christmas, but it’s far from your traditional holiday read. It does, however, provide more than ample entertainment for days off and/or fuel for thinking away interminable events. The main thought provoker is: how does a woman manage to be married with kids in one family while also married to someone else? How are the two husbands and the kids supposed to feel now that Kylie, also known as Kai and Leigh, the bigamist whom they thought they hated, has gone missing? And what’s the second husband to do, accused as he is of Leigh’s murder, when he knows he didn’t do it and nobody even knows if she’s actually dead? Leave this one up to the kids, who are sick of the media firestorm around them, not to mention tired of their mother’s best friend who has moved in just a little too quickly and whom they know visits Dad’s room at night. Philosophical questions quickly give way to a thrilling investigation and final pages that will keep readers on edge and rooting for justice.

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Review

Missing White Woman

by Brian Kenney

This is one wild, suspense-driven tale, equally rich in characterization and plot. Breanna is on a mini-vacation with her new boyfriend, Ty, staying in a beautiful brownstone in Jersey City while touring Manhattan. Ty’s thought of everything, and the long weekend is 95 percent perfect, except for that five percent when Ty won’t stop with the work calls. But when Bree wakes up on their final morning, she can’t find Ty anywhere. What she does discover, strewn in the foyer, is the bloody corpse of a young woman that turns out to be Janelle, who has been missing for days. From here, things really take off, with Bree’s best friend—they’ve been estranged since college—arriving on the scene (she’s a take-charge criminal attorney), while Billie, a super-successful makeup influencer, rallies her thousands of followers into seeking #Justice4Janelle. Garrett does a great job of tracking the racism Bree experiences, from the neighbors’ microaggressions to the stereotypes purported about Ty to the national frenzy that only a white woman’s disappearance could generate (and thus the book’s title). A great cast, a wide-reaching narrative, and a resolution that will leave readers ruminating for days. Can’t wait to introduce this to a book group

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Review

Hollywood Hustle

by Jeff Ayers

Actor and now debut novelist Lindstrom explores the dark side of life in Los Angeles. Winston Greene used to be one of the top actors in the world, but his prestige is gone, along with most gigs. His six-year-old granddaughter arrives in the middle of the night after getting a ride from a stranger; she appears out of sorts, and she’s carrying a stuffed puppy and a thumb drive. The drive contains a ransom video featuring Winston’s daughter, who will die unless he gives her kidnappers all the money from his prestigious career. Going to the police will only put a target on Winston and his granddaughter’s backs. Thankfully, he has some friends who can help, including a former LAPD detective and a stuntman. These characters are all flawed, but that makes the story more engaging than if they were squeaky-clean superheroes. Lindstrom uses his knowledge of Hollywood to deliver a clever and gripping thriller, and he writes like a pro. It is hard to believe this is a debut.

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Review

The New Couple in 5B

by Brian Kenney

Everything is creepy about the Windermere, a ritzy, historic New York City apartment building with Rosemary‘s Baby vibes to spare. But at first, Rosie, an author; and Chad, her husband and an aspiring actor, hardly notice. They’re too busy taking care of one of the residents, Chad’s uncle, who has died as the book opens, and who leaves the apartment to the broke young couple—and not his own daughter. Why? And while the residents couldn’t be more welcoming, Rosie—who’s writing a book about the history of the Windermere, focusing especially on the many murders—can’t contain her suspicions. What’s up with the doorman, who seemingly works around the clock? And the child she would swear she saw crouching in the basement? Why are there cameras absolutely everywhere? And, most importantly, why is Chad acting so weird, disappearing for huge stretches of time? Unger’s novels are textbook examples of perfect suspense fiction, and this title is no different. As we race through the narrative, we watch in terror as “something dark is on the horizon” becomes something dark that is right next to you. And we are helpless to stop it. Love New York? Then this super accurate portrayal of the City is doubly fun.

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Review

Darling Girls

by Henrietta Thornton

WHAT a rollercoaster. The “darling girls” in question–Jessica, Norah, and Alicia–are “foster children,” stuck being referred to that way even now that they’re adults. They aren’t biological sisters, but the mistreatment meted out at Wild Meadows by their foster mother, the psychologically cruel and unpredictable Miss Fairchild, has forced them into a lifelong bond. These days, Jessica is a housecleaner who steals her clients’ prescriptions and is being pursued by the relentless Debbie Montgomery-Squires, who wants her Valium back. Norah is on probation for her latest attack, one in a long string of anger-fueled outbursts. And Alicia is barely holding it together as a social worker who’s terrified to pursue a relationship with a female friend who could be more. The three are thrust back into their awful past when the police call to say that a body has been found buried at Wild Meadows, one that appears old enough to have been from their time at the “home.” What ensues are flashbacks to the children’s bizarre, cliff-edge lives as wards of a tyrant, while the darkly funny present-day tale looks at women who fight the system and their circumstances tooth and nail to avoid being victimized again. This is the rare story that’s equally character and plot driven, with the “sisters” portrayed as distinct and lovable and the plot just packed with twists. Hating Miss Fairchild is the icing on the cake

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