Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 400 pages

I could not put this book down at all! There was mystery, a kidnapping, a masquerade ball, and plot twists. This is a must read! I was able to get an advanced reader’s copy thanks to NetGalley.

Sawyer Taft signs a contract with her grandmother stating that if she lives with her for 9 months, Sawyer will get $500,000. The catch, she must spend that time as a debutante. Sawyer never knew her mother’s family, it was just her and her mother. However, amidst the masquerade ball, scavenger hunt, and other not so legal activities, Sawyer grows closer to her cousin Lily and Lily’s best friend, Sadie Grace. Sawyer does have an ulterior motive for coming to stay with her grandmother. She is in search for her biological father.

The Eagle's Quill by Sarah L. Thomson 224 pages

After finding Benjamin Franklin's original key that he discovered lightning with, Sam, Marty, and Theo are headed to Glacier National Park in search of their second Founding Fathers' key. They are lead to a Montana Ranch in search of Thomas Jefferson's quill that he used to sign the Declaration of Independence. Not far behind them is Gideon Arnold, who kidnaps their chaperone and the ranch owners. Sam, Marty, and Theo must work together with Abby, the daughter of the ranchers. In order to get the adults back, the group must find the quill and give it to Gideon. They enter the wilderness where they encounter a bear, a mountain lion, and the waterfall. Will they be able to find the quill and keep everyone save? Again, this was another fast read with interesting historical facts. 

The Eureka Key by Sarah L. Thomson 240 pages

Sam is a master at puzzles. When he wins a contest, Sam learns that he will get to travel across America for the summer. What Sam didn't know is that he would be taking this trip with Martina, a history buff, and Theo, a descendant of George Washington. Sam was recruited to help solve puzzles and clues that were left behind by the Founding Fathers of America. The Founding Fathers left seven keys that will unlock an invention created by Benjamin Franklin, a secret weapon that would help defend the U.S. While Sam, Marty, and Theo are looking for their first key in Death Valley, they come across a group of thugs who are working for Gideon Arnold, a descendant of Benedict Arnold. Together, Sam, Marty, and Theo must work together to make it out of a secret cave while searching for the key. This book is a fast read and reminds me of National Treasure. 

The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood 390 pages

At fifteen, Mila attended her father Sean’s fiftieth birthday celebration with his newest wife, her twin half-sisters Ruby and Coco and several well to do friends. Before the end of the celebration, Mila, still angry at her father’s defection left early, a new stepmother was on the horizon and three year old Coco disappeared with life altering consequences.

Now twelve years later, most of the same cast of unlikeable, characters return this time to the home of his fourth wife for Sean’s funeral. Mila is asked to bring Ruby whom she hasn’t seen since that fateful night all those years ago. It doesn’t take long for the lies and secrets to surface.

Alex Marwood won an Edgar for her first novel The Wicked Girls a book I still think about even though it’s been couple of years since I read it. She won a Macavity for her second, The Killer Next Door. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a third.  

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz 302 pages

I can’t remember the last time I had to work so hard not to read the last page before the ending—which is something I don’t normally do anyway, unless of course I’ve decided beyond a shadow of a doubt that I won’t be finishing the book—because I literally could not stand not knowing. I was hooked from the very first sentence on the first page, to the last sentence on the last page. It was that kind of a book.

Tanya is on the run. Again. Especially since her husband fell to his death down a flight of stairs. (I’m not giving anything away. This is knowledge imparted in the first sentence.) Because of her past she’s sure the police won’t believe her and might even find out why she’s on the run to begin with.

In the course of her cross country travels she picks up then ditches quite a few identities, meets several shady characters, and some not so shady but since she can’t tell the difference she continues to run until… I don’t want to give anything away so you’ll just have to read it for yourself.

Well written, a great storyline, a plucky protagonist quick on her feet, and seriously fast paced, The Passenger is a great read.

The Lake House by Kate Morton, 593 pages

Kate Morton did it again.  She wrote another spellbinding novel set in England about complicated family secrets.  This story focuses on the Edevane family and the tragedy of the disappearance in 1933 of their youngest child Theo, at 11 months old.

It is 70 years later and Sadie Sparrow is a young detective living in London who is forced to take a month's leave after a botched missing person's case.  She retreats to her grandfather's house in Cornwall and stumbles on an abandoned grand house during a jog in the woods.  Her curiosity is sparked as she wonders what would make a family abandon the home. 

Intrigue, secrets, loyalty and love.  Oh, and don't forget fun!

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson, 311 pages

Lily and Ted meet on a plane and several drinks and conversations later, decide to murder Ted’s wife. Seems a simple enough plan but for a host of psychopathic characters each a bit more evil than the other but still you can’t help but root for them. This well written, fast paced tale gets you hooked fast with lots of twists, turns, betrayals and secrets. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun reading a book. 

Psychological thrilling at its best.

Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux 375 pages

This book is the first in the Edilean series.  Edilean is a small town in Virginia, near Williamsburg.  It was founded by a Scotsman, Angus Harcourt.  The town and the family "manor" are named for his beloved wife, Edilean.  This series is about their descendants and some of the mysteries surrounding the people of the town and the manor. 

Jocelyn Minton has lived most of her life in Boca Raton, Florida.  As a young girl, she was befriended by an elderly, disabled neighbor, Miss Edi, who teaches her about culture and education.  When Miss Edi dies many years later, she leaves behind lots of secrets and a manor house in Virginia, which she bequeaths to Joce. 

It is when Joce moves to Edilean and gets to know everyone in this small town that she discovers many things about Miss Edi, and herself.  Lots of the action in this book takes place during WWII.  I found it to be very interesting, but not something a real history buff would enjoy.  A nice read for a relaxing evening.

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh 302 pages

The Weight of Blood is set in the fictitious town of Henbane, Missouri deep in the Ozark Mountains. When Lucy Dane was a baby her mother disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. Twenty years later Lucy’s friend Cheri also disappears but then her body is discovered in a tree. Lucy, seeing several similarities between the two crimes decides to investigate. With the help of her friend Daniel, Lucy will uncover long buried secrets most especially within her own family.  

There were several reasons besides the actual story why I really liked this book. Sometimes I like knowing right off the bat who the bad guy is. And while the author didn’t come right out and tell us who done it, she did nothing to misdirect our thoughts. Plus I would have had a hard time believing that a 17 year old still in school, having lived all her life in a small town, and having had very little life experience would know how to crack a 20 year old cold case .Fortunately she didn’t have to. All it took were a few bumbling attempts at detection to bring to light the town’s secrets, secrets that everyone knew about but chose not to talk about. And most mysteries end with the protagonist in a fight for his or her life just before they get the bad guy. The Weight of Blood was resolved with barely a whimper and I might add in a very satisfying way.

The Weight of Blood is well written, the subject matter is intense and sometimes not easy to deal with and the characters are real enough to relate to. Really good read!

Stay Close by Harlen Coben 387 pages

I spent the weekend with Harlen and what a wonderful time I had. I started with Stay Close and finished with Six Years.

Stay Close has three main characters. Ray a photographer who drinks too much because he can’t let go of the past, Meagan a stay at home mom with a husband, two kids, picket fence and a secret past and Broome  a detective haunted by his failure to solve a missing person’s case seventeen years ago. When another man goes missing mirroring the same circumstances as the first all three lives intersect. Stay Close has lots of twists and turns, a fast paced plot, coincidences that just keep piling up, and just when you think you have things figured out everything changes again. Where has Harlen been all my life?