A Book A Week

This wasn’t the plan. Sure, Ellery had known the trip was coming up, the date etched in her mind for the past twenty years, a constant reminder of the life she had envisioned. A reminder of promises made and broken. But the deposit was non-refundable. This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and Ellery wouldn’t miss out. She couldn’t have planned for Luke to decide he didn’t want to be married anymore. Despite her protests and promises to do whatever it took to move forward together, he was done. It was that simple.

Instead of celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary with this special trip to the secluded, luxurious Resort at Broken Point, Big Sur, she was utterly alone for the first time in her life. She had gone back and forth about coming, but here she was. Alone. 

In a cruel twist of fate, the resort is hosting a wedding this weekend. Isn’t that nice? The young couple is so full of promise, with a bright future ahead. Ellery longs to warn them of the perils of love, but that isn’t her place. She wouldn’t have listened to herself back then, not when the promise of the future was all she could see. The resort is beautiful, just like that young love. But just as love can turn sour, so too will this trip.

The Unwedding marks Ally Condie’s first foray into adult fiction, and she quickly proves she’s more than capable of settling into the genre. From the first pages, we meet Ellery, a character I instantly connected with. She’s navigating the uncertainty of fresh grief while grappling with the scars of hinted past experiences. The resort was supposed to offer her a catharsis, but it quickly turns into a nightmare when she stumbles upon the groom’s body floating in the pool as a storm barrels into the area. By the following day, another body is discovered, and a landslide has trapped the guests in place. This setup has the makings of a classic locked-room mystery, but Condie’s deft handling of the characters elevates it into something more profound. 

The Unwedding is, at times, a page-turning murder mystery and, at others, a deep exploration of life’s uncertainties and how we cope with grief. It culminates in a twisty ending that left me reeling with the revelations while appreciating the rich character development. If this is any indication of the care and skill Condie brings to thriller writing, I eagerly anticipate her next work.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2024, 45)

With Halloween just around the corner, I decided to intensify the holiday spirit by diving headfirst into a Halloween-themed novel. Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie, intriguingly adapted into a film just last month, emerged as the ideal choice. My affinity for mysteries, which dates back to my earliest reading days, has firmly established Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot as a perennial favorite on my literary roster. There's an undeniable allure to a well-constructed locked-room mystery, and Christie's mastery of this genre is second to none.

Thirteen-year-old Joyce is swept up in the Halloween spirit as she lends a hand with the final preparations for a Halloween party. Amidst the unfolding tricks and treats, she boldly declares that she has been an eyewitness to a murder. Her claim is met with dismissive laughter from the others at the gathering, who chalk it up to the fanciful tales of a young and naive girl. Frustrated and hurt, Joyce abruptly departs from the party. As the hours pass, a macabre revelation shocks everyone.  Joyce's lifeless body is discovered in the basement, submerged in an apple-bobbing tub. In the aftermath of this gruesome find, the celebrated detective, Hercule Poirot, is summoned to lead the investigation. Against the backdrop of a night steeped in trickery and the supernatural, it falls upon Poirot to unmask the true evil presence responsible for this horrifying act.

Agatha Christie's novels excel when they deliver unexpected revelations at the story's conclusion. Others are appreciated for the meticulous unfolding of the mystery's components. Hallowe'en Party falls into the latter category—a novel resembling a complex jigsaw puzzle. It's enjoyable to witness the gradual assembly of all the pieces, yet once they are complete, the intrigue wanes. Placing the story on Halloween injects an additional layer of mystery and whimsy that greatly enhances the narrative. I personally discerned the plot's trajectory early in the book, but the journey to the grand revelation remained an entertaining experience. If you're seeking a last-minute addition to your Halloween reading list, Hallowe'en Party is a delightful choice. It offers a quick and enjoyable adventure for this spooky holiday.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2023, 71)

My profound love for reading has always been closely linked to my affection for mystery novels. As a kid, I was captivated by characters like Nate the Great and Encyclopedia Brown. This love for mysteries has remained a constant throughout my life. Even now, I relish the excitement of solving a case before the book reveals its secrets, and I'm particularly delighted when the revelation catches me off guard. When I had the opportunity to read author Dann McDorman's debut novel, West Heart Kill, I eagerly embraced it. The book promised a modern take on the classic murder mystery, a premise that was too intriguing to ignore.

The novel begins with a setup reminiscent of an Agatha Christie mystery. Private Detective Adam McAnnis reunites with an old college friend for a weekend at the exclusive West Heart Club in upstate New York. This isolated lodge is a retreat for the wealthy elite, a place where they can escape their busy lives. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that these seemingly friendly strangers have their own secrets and disregard for the rules of the normal world. McAnnis begins to hear whispers of financial troubles and the potential sale of the club.

The plot takes a dramatic twist when the lifeless body of one of the club members is discovered on the shore of the lake. Is this a tragic suicide stemming from desperation, or are there more sinister forces at play? As tension mounts, a fierce storm descends upon the area, plunging the property into darkness and cutting off all access. Before McAnnis can even embark on a proper investigation, yet another body is unearthed, all but confirming the presence of a cunning murderer among them. As suspicions intensify and paranoia spreads among the club members, McAnnis faces the daunting task of restoring order to the chaos and unveiling the true identity of this malevolent killer.

At first glance, West Heart Kill appears to follow the conventions of a typical whodunit. McDorman skillfully sets the stage for a classic locked-room mystery, complete with a cast of deceitful characters, an isolated setting, and a young detective who harbors suspicions about everyone in his midst. It doesn't take long, however, for the narrative's contemporary twist to become apparent. The story unfolds through the lens of a fourth-wall-breaking narrator who acknowledges that we, the readers, are seasoned experts in the mystery genre, well-versed in its classic tropes. This narrative approach breathes fresh life into the traditional framework, offering a unique perspective that keeps readers questioning the unfolding events and the reliability of the characters. As the story introduces new revelations and red herrings, the narrator is there to provide insight and encourage readers to scrutinize it all.

A mystery's ultimate success, though, hinges on its resolution, and this is where West Heart Kill will divide readers. While the story weaves an intricate web of mystery and reaches a shocking twist in its third act, it is the explanation of this twist that will be divisive. McDorman's narrator provides historical context to justify this turn of events, but it leaves this seasoned mystery reader feeling unsatisfied. West Heart Kill undoubtedly showcases a promising debut from an author with a fresh perspective on the genre. Still, the absence of a truly satisfying conclusion detracts from an otherwise engaging narrative.

For more information, visit Amazon and Goodreads. 

(2023, 69)

Anyone who has read my reviews will know that I love a good mystery. I've always been addicted to the genre. I remember reading Encyclopedia Brown as a kid and have continued to devour mysteries ever since. All things considered, I can't believe it has taken me this long to read an Agatha Christie novel. As an introduction to the author, I decided to start with her most famous book, Murder on the Orient Express.

This is a classic, locked-room mystery. A train passenger has been killed, the train is snowed in, and one of the surviving passengers has to be the culprit. Fortunately, inspector Hercule Poirot is riding the train. He jumps into action and begins a methodical investigation of the mysterious murder. Poirot creates a list of questions to be answered. He believes that if the answers are revealed, he will be able to discover the identity of the killer.

In a brisk couple hundred of pages, Agatha Christie presents a meticulously plotted mystery that will keep even veteran readers of the genre guessing. I was reminded of the novels by P.D. James as I read this one. Like James's works, this story relies on characters to drive the momentum of the plot. With the static setting of the stalled train, Christie uses her charismatic hero and his incremental revelations to bring depth to her novel. Over eighty years after being published, Murder on the Orient Express is still a thrilling read with a surprise ending that makes it one of the best that's ever been written.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.

(2017, 29)