Tag Archives: Secrecy

The Henna Artist (The Jaipur Trilogy Book 1) by Alka Joshi

11 Monday Apr 2022

Posted by in 20th century, Fiction, Historical Fiction

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Lakshmi at 17 years old, escapes an arranged, abusive marriage leaving her village to arrive in the pink city of Jaipur where she cultivates her original artistic designs of henna as she cultivates her upper class clientele.  She can never reveal her past but one day her husband finds her with a high-spirited 13 year old sister in tow that she never knew she had and all begins to unravel…..

“Rich in detail and bright with tastes and textures, The Henna Artist is a fabulous glimpse into Indian culture of the 1950s.”—Bookpage, Starred Review

“Vibrant characters, evocative imagery, and sumptuous prose create a satisfying, unforgettable tale.”—Christian Science Monitor


“Joshi has constructed a bewitching glimpse into the past with a tough heroine well worth cheering on.”—Booklist

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Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan

28 Monday Feb 2022

Posted by in 20th century, detective, Fiction, mystery

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The author does a great job of creating the atmosphere of the 1970’s – it felt nostalgic and like a trip back to a simpler time.

“Amy Mason Doan creates a whole world and mood with her exquisitely crafted novel, Lady Sunshine. It’s replete with late-’70s nostalgia, and Doan masterfully renders the lives of musicians and those who are drawn to them, no matter the price. A delicious daydream of a book.”
—Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of 28 Summers

“With a winning combination of lyrical writing and a page-turning plot, Amy Mason Doan chronicles the evolution and mysterious demise of the friendship between two young women at the California estate-cum-commune of a renowned musician. A tone-perfect evocation of the free-spirited late 1970s and a riveting coming-of-age story, Lady Sunshine captures the highs of artistic creation, the dangers of hero worship, and the costs of trying to outrun your past. This sun-dappled book has it all: heart, smarts, and an irresistible musical beat.”—Karen Dukess, author of The Last Book Party

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The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

13 Wednesday Oct 2021

Posted by in 20th century, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fiction, mystery, suspense, thriller, United States

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With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn – Amazon.   (Reese’s book club selection)

“Dave pulls off something that feels both new and familiar: a novel of domestic suspense that unnerves, then reassures. This is the antithesis of the way novels like Gone Girl or My Lovely Wife are constructed; in The Last Thing He Told Me, the surface is ugly, the situation disturbing, but almost everyone involved is basically good underneath it all. Dave has given readers what many people crave right now—a thoroughly engrossing yet comforting distraction.” — BookPage

“Dave’s neat trick is to unveil revelations at a brisk clip that does not overwhelm character development. The novel’s richness comes from the way Hannah and Bailey realize they need each other in the face of staggering loss; the mutual trust that grows between them is genuinely moving. As both daughter and stepmother come to realize, “That’s how you fill in the blanks — with stories and memories from the people who love you.”  — The New York Times Book Review

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What We Carry: a Memoir by Maya Shanbhag Lang

05 Friday Mar 2021

Posted by in 20th century, Biography, memoir, Non-fiction

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If our family stories shape us, what happens when we learn those stories were never true? Who do we become when we shed our illusions about the past? (Amazon)

“A gorgeous memoir about mothers, daughters, and the tenacity of the love that grows between what is said and what is left unspoken.”—Mira Jacob, author of Good Talk

“A profoundly moving memoir about secrets and trauma . . . In exquisite prose, Maya Shanbhag Lang writes about her extraordinary mother and the cruel circumstances that complicate their relationship. At its heart, What We Carry is about one of the greatest gifts any parent can give a child: the power to save yourself.”—Will Schwalbe, New York Times bestselling author of The End of Your Life Book Club

 “Part self-discovery, part family history. . . [Lang’s] analysis of the shifting roles of mothers and daughters, particularly through the lens of immigration, help[s] to challenge her family’s mythology. . . . Readers interested in examining their own family stories . . . will connect deeply with Lang’s beautiful memoir.”—Library Journal (Starred Review)

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Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

13 Saturday Feb 2021

Posted by in 20th century, action, adventure, Fiction

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The premise of Migrations is one that doesn’t seem too far-fetched: in the not too distant future, many of the world’s animals have gone extinct. Franny, a woman determined to follow a rare flock of birds, convinces the captain of a fishing ship out of Greenland to take her along. As the journey progresses, the crew — and the reader — learn more about Franny’s complicated past. This book is beautifully written, and offers plenty of food for thought about our current climate change crisis.

For fans of Flight Behavior and Station Eleven, a novel set on the brink of catastrophe, as a young woman chases the world’s last birds―and her own final chance for redemption – Amazon

“[Migrations] could be taking place in two years or 20 years, but it could just as well be happening today…A consummate blend of issue and portrait, warning and affirmation, this heartbreaking, lushly written work is highly recommended.”―Library Journal (starred review)

“Transfixing, gorgeously precise…[The] evocation of a world bereft of wildlife is piercing; Franny’s otherworldliness is captivating, and her extreme misadventures and anguished secrets are gripping.”
―Booklist (starred review)

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The Last Flight by Julie Clark

25 Friday Sep 2020

Posted by in 20th century, Fiction, thriller, Travel

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A woman decides to leave her abusive husband by disappearing to start a new life. At the airport, she meets another woman, also in dire straits running from her past. On a whim and to cover their tracks even further, they swap airline tickets. Then, one of the planes crashes….. I thought it was very well done.

“The moral dilemmas that the multifaceted, realistic characters face in their quest for survival lend weight to this pulse-pounding tale of suspense. Clark is definitely a writer to watch.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

 “The Last Flight sweeps you into a thrilling story of two desperate women who will do anything to escape their lives. Both poignant and addictive, you’ll race through the pages to the novel’s chilling end. A must read of the summer!” – Kaira Rouda, internationally bestselling author of Best Day Ever and The Favorite Daughter

“A tense and engaging womancentric thriller.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review

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Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi translated from the French by Shaun Whiteside

10 Friday Jul 2020

Posted by in Fiction, murder, mystery

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A thrilling tale of murder that takes place in Claude Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France. The location provides a lush backdrop to this intricately plotted mystery that takes place over just 13 days in 2010.  The ending is astonishing and you’ll be desperate to find others to discuss the outcome!

One of France’s most celebrated crime authors and winner of more than 15 major literary awards, I rushed to read his first novel, After the Crash.

“A work of genius befitting the masterpiece by Monet at its heart…. Bussi cleverly breaks all the perceived rules of plotting in a story containing riddles within riddles…. But every loose thread is meshed neatly together in the final pages until the jaw-dropping big reveal at the end. The result is simply stunning.”―Daily Express (UK)

“Bussi’s portrait of the difficulties of investigating a closed community is fascinating, and the novel ends with one of the most reverberating shocks in modern crime fiction.”―The Sunday Times (UK)

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Odd Child Out by Gilly MacMillan

06 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by in England, Fiction, mystery

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This is a new writer for me.  Best friends Noah Sadler and Abdi Mahad have always been inseparable.  But when Noah is found floating unconscious in Bristol’s Feeder Canal, Abdi can’t–or won’t–tell anyone what happened.  Noah is British.  Abdi is a Somali refugee.   And social tensions have been rising rapidly in Bristol, England. The writer keeps the tension at high pitch, a real page turner. Against this background of fear and fury two families fight for their sons and for the truth. The writer’s empathy for her characters is spot-on. (Includes reading discussion questions.)

“Macmillan captivates readers with a story just as addictive as her first… [and] shines when exploring the intricacies of relationships… Fans of Tana French, Ruth Ware, and Gillian Flynn will become completely entrenched in the unfolding details.” (BookPage)

“With lovely prose, depth of character and an intelligent narrative, Macmillan lifts the level of suspense with stiletto-like precision: a tiny graze here, a shallow cut there and, eventually, a thrust into the heart. At once profoundly unsettling and richly rewarding.” (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

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The Dry by Jane Harper

24 Monday Apr 2017

Posted by in Fiction, mystery

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This is a #1 international bestseller.  I could not put this book down!  The author writes in beautiful, descriptive language and, at the same time, keeps socking the reader between the eyes with the revelations that unfold in this story of an investigation into a family murder in an outback country town in Australia – a town that seeps with anger, bitterness, violence, and oppressive heat.  I can’t believe this is a first novel.

“A stunner…It’s a small-town, big-secrets page-turner with a shocker of an ending….”–Booklist, starred review

“Devastating debut…a suspenseful tale of sound and fury as riveting as it is horrific.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A nail-biting thriller…A chilling story set under a blistering sun, this fine debut will keep readers on edge and awake long past bedtime.”–Kirkus, starred review

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22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson

18 Friday Apr 2014

Posted by in Historical Fiction

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English writer Hodgkinson won high praise from reviewers when her debut novel was released in 2011.  This is a poignant story that chronicles the struggles of a young Polish couple to recover their lives after several years of separation and suffering during the Second World War.

“Silvana Nowak and her seven-year-old son, Aurek, endure many hardships when German troops invade Warsaw in 1939. Six years later, British soldiers rescue them from the isolated forest in which they’re living and transport them to England, where they rejoin Silvana’s husband, Janusz, an RAF veteran. After successfully adapting to his new country, Janusz hopes to make a fresh start for them at 22BritanniaRoad in Ipswich. Fiercely protective of her son, world-weary Silvana’s hair has become gray. Aurek, a half-wild boy with no memories of traditional home life, has difficulties with school and sees Janusz as the enemy. Alternately presenting each of the Nowaks’ viewpoints on present and past, the novel courageously addresses tragic occurrences and lingering aftereffects. Both adults are hiding things, including complicated extramarital romantic feelings, and suspense steadily builds toward the surprising revelation of Silvana’s most painful secret. A stellar example of literary WWII fiction.” — Johnson, Sarah (Reviewed 04-01-2011) (Booklist, vol 107, number 15, p34)

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