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Category: Mystery

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

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I know I have said that I am not into true crime podcasts or docuseries about serial killers, but novels written in either format do not count. As a voracious reader, I like to switch things up and read different types of novels, such as epistolary novels, novels written as diary entries or recordings, or mixed media novels such as Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter. Murder in the Family is a mystery novel that invites the reader to solve a (fictional) murder. It is a fun read, but unfortunately, I found it way too easy to figure out who was responsible for the murder at the heart of the story.

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The Whispers by Ashley Audrain

The Whispers by Ashley Audrain

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The Whispers is the second novel by Ashley Audrain. I have reviewed her first novel, The Push, on this blog. Like The Push, The Whispers is a story about motherhood with a central mystery involving a child. Ten-year-old Xavier has fallen from his third story bedroom window and is in a coma with a traumatic head injury. But how did he fall out of the window? Did he jump? Or was he pushed – by his mother? Sounds thrilling, but The Whispers is not a thriller. The mystery of Xavier’s fall is a catalyst for exploring the different roles that women are expected to take on, and what little satisfaction women get out of juggling these different roles. It also leads to an implosion in the female relationships in the novel.

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Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

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Warrior Girl Unearthed is a sequel of sorts to Boulley’s debut novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter. Perhaps not quite as good as Firekeeper’s Daughter, nonetheless I still enjoyed reading Warrior Girl Unearthed and wish there had been more novel to read. I appreciate the opportunity to revisit the Ojibwe community on Sugar Island, Michigan, and the characters from the first novel. I hope Boulley writes more novels about them.

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Homecoming by Kate Morton

Homecoming by Kate Morton

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The first Kate Morton novel I ever read was The Forgotten Garden, about fifteen years ago now, and I absolutely loved it, which is why I have read every Kate Morton novel since. All of Kate Morton’s novels feature a central mystery told through a dual timeline where a protagonist from the present works to unravel the secrets of the past. The kind of novels that are like catnip to me. My love for Kate Morton’s novels has waned over the years, though, because I find them too predictable and the coincidences a little too neat. But it has taken me reading Homecoming to realize that I cannot blame Kate Morton for me becoming too clever for my own good. For the casual reader, Homecoming holds plenty of surprises. And even if it is on the predictable side, Homecoming spins a good yarn.

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Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

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I re-read Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo just before reading its sequel, Hell Bent. I still love it, and you can read my review of it here. I have been waiting over two years to read Hell Bent; unfortunately, I am on the fence over whether it was worth the wait. I did enjoy reading it, but certain elements have been introduced into the series (the way that Hell Bent ends, I am sure Bardugo is turning it into a series) that I could do without.

WARNING: There be spoilers ahead if you have not read Ninth House.

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The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

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The Hacienda is a gothic novel set in Mexico, along the same vein of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic; however, I like this novel better. It features an actual haunting, not a haunting imagined by the protagonist, that made my skin crawl (although it would have been even more creepy if I had read this novel at night instead of in the bright afternoon), and it has vibes of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.

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Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

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I hesitated a little before buying this YA novel, but Belladonna had me at “gothic”, so I could not resist. Unfortunately, Belladonna spends little time on the gothic and focuses most of its energy on the protagonist lusting after two different male characters. Seriously, this is one of the horniest characters I have read about in awhile. I found this novel to be a waste of time, and I definitely will not be reading the sequel(s).

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The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

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The Death of Jane Lawrence is one of those books that sounds like it should be good, but then it turns out not to be. Very disappointing, as I love me a gothic novel. The Death of Jane Lawrence definitely is gothic, and there were definitely creepy moments that I read through very quickly because I did not want to scare myself before going to be bed, but in the end, The Death of Jane Lawrence gets bogged down in the science of magic, and I am not entirely sure what I was that I just read.

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