I seem to be on a “streak” of mysteries – even if one of them is a bit unconventional. Let’s see what’s been on my nightstand lately…
1. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is a bit of a guilty read for me. I was given a copy years ago by a dear friend…but never got around to reading it then. Cue the guilt. Then, Erik Larson came to Evansville recently and I got to hear him speak – he was fantastic, and I so felt super guilty about not having read his most famous book. Anyhoo, I finally picked it up – a bit reluctantly, I admit – and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! Larson does a great job of weaving together two stories – of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and of a man who preyed on women during that same time period. A note to fellow readers: the book starts of densely, with a LOT of characters, but stick with it. It gets better until I couldn’t put it down!
2. The Competition by Marcia Clark was an audiobook listen for me, and the first disc was definitely harrowing. Clark details a school shooting, almost minute to minute, then engages our trusty returning character, Rachel Knight and her friend Bailey, to try and hunt down who did this impossible-to-grasp deed. The race to find the killer(s), and the reason for the killing, is compelling listening (or reading). Another great addition to the Rachel Knight series by Marcia Clark (yes, THAT Marcia Clark).
3. Mean Streak by Sandra Brown was an absolutely fantastic audiobook listen – I was on the edge of my seat throughout! A marathon-training doctor goes for a run one morning, and when she wakes next, she has a head injury and is in the cabin of a stranger. The rest of the book unravels the before and after of her dangerous morning, and is fraught with tension (psychological and sexual), intriguing characters, and a “whodunit” finish. I haven’t read Sandra Brown in a number of years, but after this winner, she’s high on my list! What a great listen!
I also finished reading See How Small by Scott Lockwood, but it wasn’t my favorite read. I found the writing and story disjointed and odd, unresolved, and with less than compelling characters. For such a promising premise, it didn’t hold up at all. Bummer.
All of these books can be purchased on Amazon.
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