The Finalists (David Bell)

 

The Finalists
David Bell
⭐: 4/5

Pros: great plot idea, loved the historical background, loved the diverse characters. I kind of had a feeling from the start of "who done it", but was wrong, so that was nice.

I was kept guessing the whole while. Props for that.

Cons: politics are not my most favorite subject ever and it felt like they were a light undertone in this. It's good to bring attention to things and I felt it wasn't overdone, I just thought, "really?" several times. Then again, that's how I feel in general with them, so this point may be completely irrelevant for some of y'all.

Conclusion: if you want a fairly fast paced "who done it", see if you like this. You've seen my pros and cons, so hopefully they help!

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Suicide Med (Freida McFadden)

 

Suicide Med
Freida McFadden
⭐: 5/5

First, I must absolutely own this!

Pros: if you love science, specifically anatomy, and have any sort of medical background, you might nerd out like I did while reading about specific lab scenes. I also had to giggle about formaldehyde not being so noticable over time. I remember those days well!

Next, the format of this book surprised me with how well it was done. Essentially, it's one situation seen from a few different perspectives but isn't confusing to follow. I was blown away with how much more depth each character got once their own chapters came along and almost wish I could read more like this!

Last, that ending... Didn't feel overly rushed. Everyone was addressed and when I read "the end", my only words were, "WOW. Also, WTF... It's already 1AM? This was definitely a 'just one more chapter... Yeah, right' book!" Always a great reaction to have!

Cons: there's a specific situation that occurs with a character named Abe that my science brain can't wrap my head around and I know McFadden is a doctor in real life, so it's got to be plausible, but I wish we'd had a little more info about infection aftermath. She gave a lot of info overall, but I'm curious by nature and will probably rabbit hole that topic soon.

Conclusion: if you're a science/health/medical nerd like I am who appreciates well-executed format and character development, as well as a thorough and engaging plot, you really need to give this a "shot"... Pun intended.

Someone We Know (Shari Lapena)

 

Someone We Know
Shari Lapena
⭐: 4/5

Just... WHOA.

Pros: tech isn't really my thing, but I was sucked in from page one of this! The story relies heavily on technology, but still also is character driven and well written.

I had my suspicions throughout about "who done it", though I was quite surprised at the ending! When I wasn't able to be reading, my mind was still soaked up into this twisted tale!

Cons: I really can't think of any. The writing style is unique when it comes to character povs and that might bother some, but it didn't me.

Conclusion: if you're interested in a twisty story with several plausible, get-to-the-point, of-course-they-think-the-husband-did-it, this is your book. Every question I'd have asked in others, this one immediately poses and answers. I loved the rawness of that aspect! This was definitely a great impulse grocery store buy!

All the Blood We Share (Camilla Bruce)

 

All the Blood We Share
Camilla Bruce
⭐: 5/5

Pros: AS ALWAYS, Bruce writes about such fascinating topics and this book is no different!

I had no idea the Bender Family existed until the very end. Bruce knows how to blend fact and fiction so convincingly that I never think to wonder, despite being familiar with her affinity with female true crime, if something is inspired by true events.

I feel she captured Kate Bender's psychopath personality brilliantly, but also really did well developing every character and giving them each their own traits that appeared in their dialogue and movement.

History doesn't know the truth of all the identities or how the murders happened, but I was, once again, sucked into how warped Bruce's mind could be to write such scenes and am always impressed with that imagination!

Cons: given the Bender Family was never found after leaving KS, this book is a bit of a cliffhanger, but at least for that, fiction meets fact.

Conclusion: if you're into twisted, well-developed plots with excellently written characters and hardly a single edit missed in the book... This is your read. Just be sure you don't end up playing the, "Just one more chapter... Yeah right" game that leaves you saying "what the..." at 1A when you finish reading. EASY five out of five stars! Bruce NEVER disappoints for me!

The Perfect Place to Die (Bryce Moore) - Review

The Perfect Place to Die
Bryce Moore
⭐: 3/5

This one has me on the fence. On the one hand, anything H.H. Holmes fascinates me, but on the other, the plot itself didn't have me playing the famous "just one more chapter" game. I hardly thought about it between reading sessions, even.

Pros: this book is fairly well written, the plot is centered around Holmes and the World's Fair, and it was nice to read some historical fiction about it finally! All I've been able to find are fiction or documentary reads, so I welcomed this one. I appreciated the MC's resilience and growth, though. That was nicely executed. There are also excerpts at the start of every chapter written by Holmes himself. I absolutely loved those.

Cons: maybe it was the mood I was in, but it felt a little predictable overall. I also felt like the MC did a lot more thinking and calculating than anything and it felt drug out. I understand some investigations in real life could take a while, but I skimmed over these thinking parts the last 40% of the book. By 50% in, I was ready to have an answer already.

Conclusion : if you're interested in historical fiction based on the content above, as well as a not so quite murder mystery but still one with intriguing details in The Castle, this book could be for you. Just be aware that it can feel a little repetitive and like a slow burn at times. The ending is also pretty predictable, which is fine if that's your thing, but I was hoping for something a little less easy to see coming.

Behind Closed Doors (B.A. Paris) - Review

Behind Closed Doors
B.A. Paris
⭐: 4/5

Pros: as usual, Paris has the ultimate plot twists that leave goosebumps on your arms and you thinking, "what the HECK just happened? Let me go reread that!"

I really loved how forward Jack (one of the MC) was with Grace (another MC). I don't remember seeing a lot of psychopaths in other reads being so honest in his delusions and appreciated that. I also appreciated how resilient Grace was despite having had the life before and during this ordeal that she did.

Cons: there were some edits that were missed such as at one point, it says she heard his phone ringing, but then was mad when he didn't answer it? There are other times like this, too, but if you can just keep going, it's worth it.

You should NOT read this if you're easily triggered by domestic violence.

Conclusion: overall, I'd give this a 4/5. It was my most favorite read ever, but it's one I'd recommend to those who enjoy a good "wtf" book.