The Room Next Door by Wendy Walker

 

Brooke, Carrie, and Eve did everything together when they were in high school, until Eve disappeared. Despite the fact that Eve's body was found and her death was ruled an accidental drowning, Carrie, now the chief of police of a small town in the East Bay region of Rhode Island, is still burdened by the case. When another body washes up in the harbor, Carrie finds connections and new ways to look into her friend's death, including ways that involve Brooke. This audio was very well produced. I enjoyed the story, but I did not like the way it ended.

 

 

    An interesting novel about the last family on a tiny island close to Antarctica that houses an important seed bank. The characters are well developed and interesting. The plot has lots of twists. But what I loved the most about this novel was what it taught me about seed banks and the problems they face due to climate change. I had to suspend disbelief about a few things, such as a woman washing up on the shore, still alive after being in such cold water for so long. But overall, a great read!

 

 

Summer's Nightmare starts out with Summer James cowering in front of Marie Laveau's tomb. Laveau was a midwife and a practitioner of Voodoo in New Orleans during the nineteenth century. Summer is calling on her. She needs her help to avoid the guns that can be heard throughout the cemetery.

Summer cuts herself, uses her blood to mark Xs on the tomb, then slumps down and wakes up in a hospital ward for the criminally insane. In the ward, she encounters friends and foes and gradually finds out more about herself, including why she is being held there. Summer has been accused of murdering her husband, whom she has always loved. But she has no memory of what happened.

This is a good read for people who enjoy psychological thrillers involving Louisiana Voodoo and spirits of the dead.

 

  

The Hodin Cabal: Choices is a novel about a secret organization on a mission to deal with a major environmental problem. This complex group deals and acts on decisions made without regard to normal ethics. Debra Ann Wynn, the main character in this story, is an investigative reporter looking into this worldwide network.

One of the many strengths of Avril Maria Serene's writing is her ability to make an organization such as this one seem realistic. She does this by revealing the group's details while Debra Ann is interviewing a dissatisfied member and also in conversations with people she's recruited to help her investigation. These sections are wordy, but intriguing because the concepts are fascinating.

There are several interesting subplots, such as Debra Ann's relationship with Paul, the father of a sick child and the struggles with alcoholism of Debra Ann's friend, police officer Marci Robbins, a person Debra Ann has called on for help. Serene wove these stories into the main plot well.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy complex mysteries with strong characters.

 

Isaac Q. Miller, the author of The Story Behind Broadway's Biggest Hits, clarifies the title he chose in his introduction when he says: “I made a big claim with the title of this book, claiming it to be about Broadway's biggest hits but the truth is that's incredibly subjective.” He's right there. For me, three of my favorites were not included. Those are Jesus Christ Superstar, Miss Saigon and The Secret Garden, all successful Broadway musicals. Yet Miller's list is solid. He chose: Chicago, Wicked, A Chorus Line, Rent, The Book of Mormon, Fiddler on the Roof, Grease, Hamilton, Jersey Boys, and Hadestown. I've seen all of those except for Hadestown. I wasn't thrilled with The Book of Mormon, but I loved the others. So I have to say he made solid and interesting choices.

Miller talks about the history behind the shows, including a little about the sources that inspired them. Sometimes those were short stories or other plays, and, in the case of Rent, a combination of Jonathan Larson's personal struggles and Puccini's opera La Bohème. He also covers the original casts, costumes, the set and lighting designs and the choreography. This is not a book that was written to stand on its own. Instead, it enhances the appreciation of the shows it covers. I'm a theater buff and I loved it.

 

Elin Hilderbrand is my go to author when I'm in the mood for a light read. Swan Song met that expectation. I enjoyed the characters, especially Coco and the exploration of the lengths someone with an unpublished screenplay will take to get it read. The party scenes were interesting and wild, although I skimmed through some of the food descriptions. Overall, this is a good summer read. 

 

A Christmas Caroline is a modern-day version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The plot is the same but the situations are different. For one thing Ebenezer Scrooge is replaced by Caroline Scroggins, a young woman who lives alone and doesn't go out much. Scrooge was a bitter man who made comments such as “If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.” Caroline Scroggins is more of a loner who likes to save her money by keeping her heat low and not partying with her friends. The lighter main character is good for the book because the novel is hilarious.

What I liked most about this novel is the wit of the writer. This is what earned the book a five star rating. Here is an example: “My sibling had been the type of person who would [blank] her pants but still manage to see the positive in it - at least it proved she didn’t need any more fiber in her diet.” The jokes are often bathroom or bedroom humor, but they had me laughing. If you like writers with edgy styles, this novel is for you.