Archive for January 2025

The Clinic by Cate Quinn

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Meg has spent years numbing herself to the world. Working undercover in a casino, she uncovers scams by day and plays high-stakes poker by night, with booze and oxy providing her with an escape from emotions she’s spent years trying to bury. But when she learns of her sister Haley’s death, Meg is jolted into a reality she’s been avoiding. Estranged from her country-singing sister for years, Meg is stunned to hear Haley overdosed on heroin. Haley had her demons, just like Meg, but something about her death doesn’t sit right. Especially since she died in the very rehab clinic she checked herself into.

Determined to uncover the truth, Meg does the unthinkable—she voluntarily commits herself to The Clinic, an exclusive and luxurious rehab facility nestled in the Pacific Northwest. She smuggles in her own stash of oxy to get her through, but her real mission is to investigate the secrets hidden behind the facility’s pristine exterior. Once inside, Meg discovers a place where no one can be trusted. The doctors have secrets, the patients have ulterior motives, and every interaction feels like a move in a dangerous game.

As Meg inches closer to the truth about her sister’s death, she finds herself caught in a web of lies and danger. She’ll have to play her cards right to survive. With every revelation, the stakes grow higher, and her own safety hangs in the balance.

Cate Quinn’s The Clinic opens with atmospheric intrigue. She introduces a deeply flawed protagonist in Meg, whose journey is easy to root for despite her rough edges. The setting oozes suspense and unease, immediately drawing you into its creepy allure. As much as I appreciated this initial setup, the novel ultimately didn’t come together for me.

Quinn alternates perspectives between Meg and Cara, the manager of The Clinic, but this narrative choice felt uneven. Meg’s chapters were compelling, and I was fully invested in her journey. On the other hand, Cara's perspective felt underdeveloped, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that the story would’ve been stronger if it had stayed solely with Meg. What should have been a taut, quick-moving thriller felt overly long, weighed down by shifting perspectives and an overabundance of subplots that struggled to find their focus. By the time the twists and revelations began to unfold, I was less engaged, more eager to finish than to savor the story.

The ending was clever and surprised me, but it felt like too little, too late. The potential for a fast-paced, atmospheric thriller is there, and Quinn certainly knows how to create tension and mood. Unfortunately, The Clinic gets bogged down in excess, burying the sharp, focused story it might have been.

For more information, visit Amazon and Goodreads

(2025, 9)

Penitence by Kristin Koval

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Our fleeting week of winter arrived in South Texas, bringing with it freezing temperatures and even a rare snow day. As I busied myself with chores to prepare for the chill, I was completely captivated by an audiobook I couldn't pause. Kristin Koval’s debut novel, Penitence, is a profound and moving exploration of love, forgiveness, and the rippling effects of a tragic crime. Thanks to the generosity of Koval’s publisher, I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, and from the first moments, I was utterly drawn in.

Angie and David Sheehan believed they had already faced the worst tragedy imaginable when their teenage son, Nico, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of Huntington’s disease. The devastating prognosis promised a slow and heartbreaking decline, leaving them bracing for the long road ahead. But just weeks after his diagnosis, their lives were shattered once again when Nico’s life came to a sudden and violent end.

In a chilling 911 call, their daughter Nora tearfully confesses to shooting and killing her brother. Overwhelmed by shock and grief, the Sheehans turn to small-town lawyer Martine Dumont for help. Martine isn’t just any attorney. She’s also the mother of Angie’s former flame, Julian, a prominent criminal defense lawyer in New York City. As Julian is drawn into the Sheehans' case, old wounds and buried guilt resurface, forcing him and Angie to confront a shared tragedy from their youth. Together, they must navigate the legal and emotional aftermath of the shooting, unravel the truth behind Nora’s confession, and confront the tangled web of culpability, grief, and unresolved feelings that binds them all.

With Penitence, Kristin Koval delivers a debut that seamlessly blends deep character exploration with profound thematic contemplation, crafting a deeply engrossing story. While the catalyst for the novel is a teenage girl’s shocking act of killing her brother, the crime itself serves primarily as a lens to examine the intricate lives of those around her. Like the adults in the story, I was initially consumed by the mystery of why such a tragedy occurred. But the true brilliance of Koval's writing lies in her ability to delve into each adult character’s life, unearthing their pasts, revealing their emotional complexities, and tying them all to the present in a natural and profoundly moving way.

Koval’s narrative structure, reminiscent of Celeste Ng's Little Fires Everywhere, shifts perspectives fluidly, offering glimpses into the characters’ inner lives as their stories converge toward the present day. Thérèse Plummer's masterful narration vividly brought these characters and their world to life, making the audiobook an immersive experience. Penitence is a novel about family, love, guilt, forgiveness, and the heavy truths we carry, all woven together with remarkable skill. It is the first truly great book I’ve read this year, one that will undoubtedly stay with me for a long time.

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

(2025, 8)

Boy Erased by Garrard Conley

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What are the ingredients that shape who we are? Identity isn't defined by a single concept or role. It’s a complex patchwork woven from the myriad elements that make us whole. Yes, it's influenced by our roles—our careers, relationships, and hobbies—but it’s also something more complex. At its heart, identity is a dynamic interplay between the internal and external. It is made from values we hold dear, the experiences that leave lasting impressions on our hearts, and the perceptions others cast upon us.

In his memoir Boy Erased, Garrard Conley delves into the struggle of reconciling a part of his identity that many wrestle with: his sexuality. While being gay has gained wider acceptance in recent years, Conley’s story reveals the painful reality that this acceptance isn't universal. His journey offers an intimate, unflinching look at what it means to navigate a world that often seeks to define and sometimes deny who we are.

As the son of a Baptist pastor in a small Southern town, Garrard Conley has been taught to see the world in absolutes: right and wrong, sin and salvation. The desires he’s kept hidden for most of his life fall firmly into the “wrong” category—or so his father’s sermons have led him to believe. When, at the age of 19, Garrard is unexpectedly outed to his deeply conservative parents, he finds himself overwhelmed by a wave of shame and disappointment. His parents, unable to reconcile their love for their son with their rigid beliefs, decide that the solution lies in steering Garrard back onto the “righteous” path.

They enroll him in a conversion therapy program designed to "cure" homosexuality. What follows is a harrowing account of Garrard’s time in the program, a place designed to strip away his identity and reshape him into someone more acceptable to those around him. Amid the manipulation and psychological abuse, Garrard fights to preserve his sense of self, questioning not only the program's teachings but the very foundations of his upbringing.

As a gay man, I recall the challenging path toward accepting that part of myself. Realizing that identity was never meant to be fixed or static was transformative. Embracing my sexuality as just one piece of the larger puzzle of my life brought a liberation I hadn’t thought possible. That sense of discovery and acceptance lies at the heart of Boy Erased. Conley’s story, while more extreme due to the strict religious beliefs of his parents, should resonate with anyone who has grappled with accepting their true self. His journey reflects that universal struggle of reconciling personal truth with societal or familial expectations, creating a narrative that feels familiar to those who have walked a similar path.

What makes Boy Erased even more impactful is its ability to extend beyond shared experiences, offering insight to those who haven’t faced this kind of internal battle. It sheds light on the challenges of acceptance and underscores the profound importance of acknowledgment—of seeing and validating someone different from yourself. This, in turn, sparks broader reflections on identity itself. Who we are isn’t confined to a single aspect or label but is a dynamic mosaic of contradictions, connections, and growth. It’s shaped by where we’ve been, who we’ve loved, and the truths we’ve dared to embrace. As life continues to shift and evolve, our most significant act of self-definition lies in summoning the courage to love and accept the rich complexities that make us who we are.

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

(2025, 7)

The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden

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After devouring Freida McFadden's breakout thriller The Housemaid in a single sitting last month, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I dove into another one of her works. Surprisingly, I discovered The Housemaid had a sequel and even a third installment featuring the same character. Naturally, The Housemaid’s Secret became my next pick. I brought it along on a tropical vacation, and true to McFadden’s reputation, I was instantly hooked. Packed with the shocking twists and breakneck pacing I’ve come to expect from her, I tore through it in just one day.

Finding a job has always been an uphill battle for Millie. With a criminal record hanging over her, most employers hesitate to give her a chance. But after the chaotic events of her last job, the struggle has only gotten worse. Seriously, if you’ve read The Housemaid, you’ll understand why Millie isn’t exactly an employer’s dream candidate. Truthfully, even Millie might think twice about hiring herself. But hey, a girl’s got to eat. Determined to turn her life around, Millie is dating a wonderful guy with a great career who seems head over heels for her. She’s also enrolled in college, inching closer to her dream of becoming a social worker. Things are far from perfect, but she’s trying.

When she’s abruptly fired from her current position, Millie is desperate for a new job. That’s when Douglas Garrick comes to her rescue with an incredible offer. He needs a housekeeper and cook for his luxurious penthouse at the top of a Manhattan high-rise and is willing to pay handsomely for the right person. The salary is so enticing that Millie is willing to ignore a few odd details—like the fact that she’s never met Mrs. Garrick, or that the woman apparently lives locked away in the guest room, completely out of sight. Millie agrees to leave the mysterious wife undisturbed, but things turn chilling when she hears crying behind the door. Spotting bloodstains on Mrs. Garrick’s laundry pushes Millie’s curiosity over the edge. When she finally knocks, and the door opens, she's unprepared for what she finds on the other side. 

The Housemaid's Secret proves that Freida McFadden knows how to keep readers hooked. It delivers all the suspense and shocking twists that made the first novel such a compulsive read while steering Millie’s character in an intriguing new direction. I initially worried this sequel might recycle the same plot beats, but I was pleasantly surprised by how McFadden chose to develop Millie. She feels more in control of her life, even if that control requires carefully hiding her troubled past from those around her.

While some plot elements struck familiar chords—Millie stepping into a new job full of glaring red flags—McFadden skillfully played with that familiarity to subvert my expectations. The result is another wildly over-the-top, twist-filled thriller that kept me tearing through pages late into the night. The Housemaid's Secret cements McFadden as a master of addictive storytelling, and I’m already looking forward to what surprises the next book will bring.

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

(2025, 6)

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

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Samantha Harvey's 2023 novel Orbital captured widespread acclaim upon its release, culminating in a Booker Prize win that solidified its reputation as a literary triumph. After months of anticipation, I finally moved it to the top of my TBR list and was immediately intrigued by its simple premise. With Orbital, Harvey ambitiously attempts to tackle profound questions about life, humanity, and our place in the cosmos.

The novel follows six astronauts aboard a spacecraft orbiting high above Earth. Hailing from different countries, they are united by their mission to advance scientific understanding, yet their shared humanity binds them in unexpected ways. Over 24 hours, they circle the planet 16 times, marveling at its beauty while grappling with the emotional gravity of the lives they’ve left behind. When news of a crewmate’s mother's death reaches them, it triggers a cascade of reflections about loss, connection, and the fragility of human existence. As they drift in the vast expanse of space, the astronauts are drawn back to Earth—not just as a home but as a fragile, irreplaceable entity.

In Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, there's a scene where the protagonist returns to his ship after spending hours on a planet where time moves much faster than on Earth. Though only a brief time has passed for him, decades have passed back home, and he's hit with the emotional weight of realizing that life has moved on without him. This poignant moment, both unsettling and thought-provoking, serves as a catalyst for deeper contemplation. It’s a feeling I anticipated as I began reading Orbital. Harvey crafts an intriguing premise, aiming to explore humanity's place in the vast cosmos. However, the concept behind the novel feels more impactful than the execution itself. Without a solid character or plot to anchor the reader, the story becomes a collection of abstract reflections on human frailty, punctuated by long descriptions of Earth below. While the writing had moments of brilliance, I could not fully connect with it. It’s a bold attempt at something profound, but in the end, it didn’t resonate with me.

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

(2025, 5)

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

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“Life is a fairytale that rarely hands out happy endings.”

Grady Green’s world crumbles on what should have been the happiest day of his life. The moment of his greatest triumph as an author instantly shatters into his worst nightmare. He's on the phone with his wife, Abby, sharing the great news. While driving, Abby stops for something on the road. Despite Grady’s pleas, she steps out of the car. The call goes silent. When Grady reaches the scene, all he finds is Abby’s abandoned car—door open, headlights illuminating an empty cliffside. Abby is gone.

A year later, Grady is a broken man. With Abby still missing and no answers in sight, he drowns in grief and alcohol, unable to move forward. His writing career has collapsed, too. His second novel remains unwritten, prompting his publisher to cancel his contract. Grady's agent, desperate to salvage her client and his career, offers him an escape in the form of a retreat to a secluded writing cabin on a remote Scottish island.

At first, the isolation seems like it might provide the clarity Grady needs. But as he settles into the cabin and its eerie surroundings, unsettling stories about the island’s past begin to surface. Then, Grady sees the unthinkable: a woman who looks exactly like Abby. As reality and grief blur, Grady must confront the mysteries of the island, his wife’s disappearance, and his unraveling mind. Is Abby truly gone? Or is there something on the island that defies explanation?

Beautiful Ugly sees Alice Feeney craft a missing-person tale that intertwines themes of creativity, marriage, and grief. While I’ve had mixed reactions to her previous novels, I eagerly accepted a copy of this one from her publisher. Feeney hooked me immediately with the intriguing mystery of Abby’s sudden disappearance. The novel pulses with a sense of unease, heightened by the eerie setting of an isolated island cabin disconnected from the outside world. The story unfolds through Grady’s present-day perspective as he uncovers the island’s dark secrets, interwoven with flashbacks from Abby’s point of view, revealing her life in the days leading up to her disappearance. Both narrators prove unreliable, keeping readers unmoored and engrossed throughout.

Feeney’s signature shocking twists are in full force here, and Beautiful Ugly culminates in one that I didn’t anticipate. While surprising, though, the twist didn’t feel entirely earned. The best plot twists carry a sense of inevitability upon reflection, with breadcrumbs scattered along the way. Though effective in delivering an over-the-top shock, this one feels abrupt and disconnected from the story's foundation. Despite this, the novel’s suspenseful build-up and immersive atmosphere make it a compelling read. Fans of literary suspense will find much to appreciate in the tension and mood that Feeney so expertly weaves.

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

(2025, 4)

The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart

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New Orleans, a city brimming with life, culture, and music, is overshadowed by a wave of dread. The Butcher—a sadistic serial killer—has made the vibrant streets his hunting ground. Each victim endures harrowing and bizarre medical experiments before meeting a grisly end, their remains left as grotesque evidence of the killer’s chilling methods. With every new arrival at the city morgue, the pressure to catch The Butcher mounts, yet he leaves no trace—no DNA, no physical evidence—only terror and a growing body count.

Dr. Wren Muller, a seasoned medical examiner renowned for her skill and expertise, has faced her share of horrors, but nothing like this. Her meticulous work has helped solve countless cases, but The Butcher remains elusive. His crimes taunt her at every turn. As his killings grow more brazen and the city descends into panic, Wren is locked in a desperate race against time. Can she uncover the truth before The Butcher strikes again? Or will New Orleans succumb entirely to the darkness he brings?

Alaina Urquhart, co-host of Morbid: A True Crime Podcast, is well-acquainted with the sinister depths of human behavior. In her fiction debut, The Butcher and the Wren, she seamlessly channels her knowledge of real-life horrors into a chilling and gripping thriller. The novel's dual perspectives—those of Dr. Wren Muller, a brilliant medical examiner, and the sadistic killer, The Butcher—create a tense, immersive narrative.

Through Wren's perspective, we delve into the meticulous work of forensic investigation, exploring the science and intuition that guide her deductions. Her character reminded me of Patricia Cornwell's iconic Kay Scarpetta. Wren's expertise and determination shine through the darkness of the crimes she studies. Meanwhile, The Butcher's perspective offers a disturbing glimpse into a twisted psyche, revealing the motivations and methods behind his monstrous acts.

Urquhart doesn’t hold back in her descriptions of the crimes, lending an unsettling authenticity to the story that might be overwhelming for some readers. The narrative's mid-plot twist is a standout, reshaping the entire trajectory of the story and adding urgency to the already propulsive pacing. The climax delivers a shocking finale that sets the stage for future installments. It left me eager for whatever comes next. The Butcher and the Wren is a dark, intense cat-and-mouse thriller that showcases Urquhart’s knack for tackling harrowing stories. It’s a must-read for fans of true crime-inspired fiction and anyone seeking a new twist on the genre.

For more information, visit Amazon and Goodreads

(2025, 3)

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall

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It’s not hard to envision a future where our changing climate irreversibly alters the places we call home. I’ve spent more days in shorts and a T-shirt this winter than in any year I can remember. It's been a stark adjustment from the cooler weather Texas usually sees this time of year. The growing threat of flooding from increasingly severe storms looms large for coastal areas, making the topic of climate change feel all the more urgent.

When Eiren Caffall’s publisher offered me a copy of her latest novel, All the Water in the World, I was immediately intrigued by its fictional exploration of a world succumbing to the perils of climate change. Learning that Caffall was inspired by the stories of curators in Iraq and Leningrad who risked everything to protect their collections during times of war made me even more eager to dive in.

Nonie’s family has devoted their lives to safeguarding the world’s history, even as the world itself teeters on the brink of collapse. Alongside a small group of researchers, they have turned the roof of the American Museum of Natural History into their sanctuary amidst a mostly abandoned New York City. They forage and cultivate food in Central Park, relying on the museum’s exhibits only when absolutely necessary. Yet their survival is about more than just staying alive—it’s about preserving the past. Together, they meticulously document every artifact, etching the history of a lost world into a single handwritten book.

When a catastrophic superstorm breaches the city’s flood walls, Nonie and her family are forced to flee their makeshift haven, taking their precious book of records.  Traveling north along the turbulent Hudson River, they embark on a harrowing journey through a fractured landscape, encountering a patchwork of surviving communities, each adapting to the changed world in innovative and deeply unsettling ways. Despite the uncertainty and danger, Nonie and her family cling to their mission, determined to forge a future that honors the legacy of what has been saved.

All the Water in the World is, at times, a speculative thriller and survival story; at others, a poignant reflection on the fragility of humanity and history; and still, at others, a passionate warning about the perils of inaction. Eiren Caffall works to weave these themes into an original and urgent narrative. 

The story’s young protagonist, Nonie, guides us through this hauntingly altered world. Her innocence allows readers to draw their own conclusions about the events unfolding around her while her raw and honest emotions leap off the page, pulling us deeper into her journey.

The novel, however, isn’t without its flaws. The weight of its themes occasionally causes the pacing to falter, meandering from one set piece to the next. Yet, it delivers a conclusion that feels fitting for this story—even as it leaves the sense that more remains unresolved. 

There are no easy answers here, and Caffall seems content to embrace that uncertainty. Whether readers can also accept this inevitability will likely influence their response to the novel. While it poses compelling ideas and delivers moments of brilliance, it is as challenging and uneven as it is thought-provoking.

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

(2025, 2)

The House of Cross by James Patterson

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As we enter 2025, with a promising lineup of exciting new book releases on the horizon, I’m kicking off my reading year with a title from last year. Since high school, my mom has gifted me the latest installment in James Patterson's Alex Cross series each Christmas. It’s a beloved holiday tradition that I look forward to every year. Even though Patterson’s publisher generously provides me with an early ebook copy for review, I always wait until Christmas morning to unwrap the hardcover—it’s become part of the magic. This year was no different. As the decorations came down and the holiday haze faded, I started the new year with a familiar friend, diving into another thrilling adventure with The House of Cross.

The FBI is on edge as some of the nation’s most prominent legal minds are being systematically assassinated. Each murder takes place in a public setting, with the female assassin showing no hesitation in being caught on camera. Criminal psychologist Alex Cross, who has been consulting with the FBI for years, is called in to investigate. Partnering with his longtime friend Ned Mahoney, Alex begins piecing together the clues, but progress is slow. With the inauguration of a new president just weeks away and the interim FBI director desperate to secure her role permanently, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

While Alex focuses on unraveling this deadly conspiracy, his wife, Bree Stone, and best friend, John Sampson, are deep in an equally perilous investigation. The CEO of tech giant Paladin has reportedly died in a mysterious car crash in a remote location. But Bree and Sampson suspect the supposedly deceased CEO is none other than “M,” the elusive mastermind behind Maestro—a shadowy vigilante organization that has haunted the series’ recent installments.

Determined to uncover the truth, Bree and Sampson venture into treacherous terrain to investigate. If their suspicions are correct, Maestro's reign of terror may not be over, and they may be facing the deadliest threat yet. With two high-stakes cases unfolding simultaneously, Alex Cross and his team are about to be tested like never before.

There’s a certain comfort in diving into the next installment of a long-running series, and The House of Cross delivers everything I’ve come to expect from James Patterson. The plot is as gripping as ever, with relentless pacing that keeps you hooked from start to finish. But what really makes these books stand out is the chance to revisit characters I’ve grown to care about over the years.

Patterson has always had a knack for balancing edge-of-your-seat thrills with meaningful character development. This dual focus deepens our connection to the characters and raises the stakes of the dangers they face. The enigmatic “M” has been a shadowy presence in the Alex Cross series since 2019’s Criss Cross, so seeing this storyline finally reach its climax was satisfying.

Admittedly, the narrative leans into the over-the-top territory reminiscent of a James Bond adventure, but that’s part of the charm. I didn’t pick up this book for gritty realism—I wanted a pulse-pounding thrill ride, and Patterson delivered. The House of Cross was the perfect way to kick off a new year of reading.

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

(2025, 1)

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