Nightcap Books – reading into the night

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t

Posted on January 22, 2019January 21, 2019 by Darinda

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t Get To.

I read a lot of books in 2018, but I didn’t read all the books I had planned on reading. Listed below are 10 books I had wanted to read, but didn’t. Hopefully, I get to these in 2019. I have all of these books, but I have a bad habit of not reading books that I own. I’m hoping to work on that this year.

1. World War Z by Max Brooks

2. The Perfect Nanny by Leïla Slimani

3. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

4. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

5. Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

6. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

7. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

8. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

9. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

10. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Book Review: The Suspect by Fiona Barton

Posted on January 21, 2019January 20, 2019 by Darinda

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means I may receive a very small commission, at no cost to you, if you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase.

BOOK INFO
Title: The Suspect
Author: Fiona Barton
Publisher: Berkley Books
Publish Date: January 22, 2019
Genre: Mystery – Crime
Goodreads Ratings: Me 4.0 / Community 3.87

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight: desperate, bereft, and frantic with worry. What were the girls up to before they disappeared?

Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth—and this time is no exception. But she can’t help but think of her own son, whom she hasn’t seen in two years, since he left home to go travelling.

As the case of the missing girls unfolds, they will all find that even this far away, danger can lie closer to home than you might think…

MY REVIEW
Two eighteen-year-old girls, Alex and Rosie, go missing in Bangkok, Thailand. Kate Waters, a reporter, is working on the story of the missing girls. While Kate makes connections to stay ahead of the story, she is reminded of her son, Jake. He left home and went to Phuket two years earlier, and Kate rarely hears from him.

Told from alternating points of view – the reporter, the detective, one of the girls, and one of the missing girls’ mothers. The missing girl, the mother, and the detective all have quite a few chapters, but most of the book is from Kate’s POV.

Alex and Rosie are young and looking for adventure on their gap year. Unfortunately for Alex, Rosie has no desire to follow Alex’s well thought-out itinerary. Rosie would rather party than visit the places Alex had in mind for the trip. This causes conflict between the girls. Alex and Rosie also have very different relationships with their parents, as is shown after the girls go missing. The characters are from the UK, so the parents are in the international spotlight when the story breaks.

The reporter, Kate, and the detective, Bob Sparkes, were in the previous books in this series. The Suspect is the third book in the Kate Waters series by Fiona Barton. Kate Waters is a journalist who works hard to stay on top of headline stories. Bob Sparkes is a detective who works the cases Kate reports on. I’ve read the previous two books, The Widow and The Child, and enjoyed them. The books can all be read as standalone novels.

The Suspect is a slow-moving mystery with intriguing characters and a compelling story. This reads more as a police procedural rather than a thriller. I enjoy Barton’s writing style, and found this be an interesting and entertaining read. This one is good for fans of Fiona Barton’s other books and British police procedurals.

I received a free ARC of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Weekly Wrap-Up (Jan 12 – Jan 18)

Posted on January 18, 2019January 17, 2019 by Darinda

More reading done this week than last. My birthday was last weekend, and my wonderful husband got me a comfy reading chair for our home library.

THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG

Mon, Jan 14 – Book Review: As Long as We Both Shall Live by JoAnn Chaney
Tue, Jan 15 – Top Ten Tuesday: New to Me Authors I Read in 2018
Wed, Jan 16 – Book Review: Death in Shangri-La by Yigal Zur
Thu, Jan 17 – Book Review: Lie Like a Rug by Donna Huston Murray
Fri, Jan 18 – Weekly Wrap-Up (Jan 12 – Jan 18)

NEXT WEEK ON THE BLOG

Mon, Jan 21 – Book Review: The Suspect by Fiona Barton
Tue, Jan 22 – Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Meant to Read in 2018 but Didn’t Get To
Wed, Jan 23 – Book Review: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
Thu, Jan 24 – Book Review: The Mansion by Ezekiel Boone
Fri, Jan 25 – Weekly Wrap-Up (Jan 19 – Jan 25)

BOOKS READ

Five books read this week – The Killer Collective by Barry Eisler, The Main Line Is Murder and Lie Like a Rug by Donna Huston Murray, Murder at the Mill by M.B. Shaw, and Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter. Lie Like a Rug was reviewed yesterday on the blog. Reviews to come for The Killer Collective, Murder at the Mill, and Pieces of Her.

The Main Line is Murder by Donna Huston Murray

BOOKS LISTENED TO

Five audiobooks listened to this week – Latte Trouble by Cleo Coyle, Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King, Landline by Rainbow Rowell, and Dear John by Nicholas Sparks .

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

CURRENTLY READING

Currently reading three books – one print book (The Hunger by Alma Katsu), one ebook (The Suspect by Fiona Barton), and one audiobook (The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King).

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King

NETGALLEY & EDELWEISS ARCS RECEIVED

No ARCs received this week.

BOOKS PURCHASED

12 books purchased this week. One of my birthday gifts was a gift card to Half Price Books, so, of course, I spent it.

BOOKS BORROWED

No books borrowed from the library this week.

Thanks for stopping by Nightcap Books. Happy Reading!

Book Review: Lie Like a Rug by Donna Huston Murray

Posted on January 17, 2019January 16, 2019 by Darinda

BOOK INFO
Title: Lie Like a Rug
Author: Donna Huston Murray
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: January 18, 2019
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Goodreads Ratings: Me 4.0 / Community 3.07

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
While escorting Bryn Derwyn Academy’s most infamous student downtown to be scared straight by a Federal judge, Ginger Barnes is shocked to find her childhood babysitter, textile professor Charlie Finnemeyer, on trial for fraudulently aging an Oriental rug. Even more alarming, Gin learns that two witnesses against her beloved “Uncle Wunk” suffered suspiciously convenient heart attacks.
Eager to assist the professor’s attorney, the veteran amateur sleuth pries secret information from a university president and uncovers past transgressions of a TV craft show host—all while acquiring an overnight education in early American textiles from experts at Winterthur and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Others guilty of questionable behavior: two antique dealers, and Charlie’s overprotective wife.
Still, damning evidence can’t be swept under a rug. Before Gin can persuade anyone else that Charlie is innocent, she must first convince herself.

MY REVIEW
The seventh book in the Ginger Barnes mystery series by Donna Huston Murray. Ginger Barnes is a wife and mother, who occasionally acts as amateur sleuth to solve mysteries. Her husband is headmaster at a private school, and she often helps out at the school. This novel opens with Gin escorting a troublemaker student to the courthouse, and ends up spotting a familiar face in a courtroom.

Gin discovers an old family friend is on trial for antiquities fraud. She doesn’t believe him to be guilty of the charges, so Gin uses her amateur sleuthing skills to help. Unfortunately, the evidence seems to be against her friend, and the dead key witnesses are not helping his case.

This book is in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. I have read book 1 of the series, The Main Line is Murder, but not the other books. This book was originally published years ago (2001), but has been updated by the author.

An entertaining cozy mystery with some humor. Likable characters in an enjoyable, light mystery.

I received a free ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Death in Shangri-La by Yigal Zur

Posted on January 16, 2019January 15, 2019 by Darinda

BOOK INFO
Title: Death in Shangri-La
Author: Yigal Zur
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Publish Date: August 7, 2018
Genre: Mystery
Goodreads Ratings: Me 3.0 / Community 3.95

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
Ex-Israeli operative turned private investigator, Dotan Naor — to settle a bet — agrees to locate the missing son of former acquaintance, now ruthless Israeli arms merchant, Willy Mizrachi. Willy, who does not hesitate to sell killing machines to the most heinous players in the world, is desperate to find his only son, Itiel, who has headed to an ashram in the Himalayas.

The Himalayas are also host to groups of young Israelis who have completed their mandatory military service—a sort of rite of passage. Now, those innocent kids are being hunted down by violent terrorists.

India and the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan is familiar territory to Dotan, as he searches for Itiel and for the source of these heinous attacks on Israeli youth.

Unwilling to leave this quest in the hands of Dotan, Willy also travels to India, where he is murdered in Delhi, triggering international repercussions capable of ripping the world apart at one of its most dangerous flashpoints.

Nothing is as it seems in this region of the world. Betrayal reigns everywhere.

But love, in its purest form, does manage to shine through in this story of brutal international corruption.

MY REVIEW
Dotan Naor is a former Israeli agent turned private investigator. Willy, an arms dealer and an acquaintance of Dotan, is found dead in India. Dotan travels to India with an Israeli agent to investigate Willy’s death.

Death in Shangri-La is the first book in a new series. The main character, Dotan, is a bit of an unknown. He seems like a smart, spiritual, and dedicated individual, so it’ll be interesting to see where this series goes.

An action thriller with some mystery and romance. While the setting and plot were entertaining, I wasn’t a fan of the characters – they were not as well-developed as I would have liked. Still, a quick and entertaining read.

I won a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

Top Ten Tuesday: New to Me Authors I Read in 2018

Posted on January 15, 2019January 10, 2019 by Darinda

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is New to Me Authors I Read in 2018.

I love discovering “new-to-me” authors. Some authors I hear about for ages before giving them a shot, others I try on a whim. Below are 10 “new-to-me” authors and the books I read by them in 2018. I enjoyed each of these authors, and will be picking up more books by them in the future.

1. Riley Sager

2. Clare Mackintosh

3. Christina Lauren

Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

4. Lauren Oliver

5. Shari Lapena

6. Lisa Jewell

7. B. A. Paris

8. Mary Kubica

9. Carol Wyer

10. Holly Black

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Book Review: As Long as We Both Shall Live by JoAnn Chaney

Posted on January 14, 2019December 31, 2018 by Darinda

BOOK INFO
Title: As Long as We Both Shall Live
Author: JoAnn Chaney
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Publish Date: January 15, 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Goodreads Ratings: Me 4.00 / Community 4.21

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
“My wife! I think she’s dead!” Matt frantically tells park rangers that he and his wife, Marie, were hiking when she fell off a cliff into the raging river below. They start a search, but they aren’t hopeful: no one could have survived that fall. It was a tragic accident.

But Matt’s first wife also died in suspicious circumstances. And when the police pull a body out of the river, they have a lot more questions for Matt.

Detectives Loren and Spengler want to know if Matt is a grieving, twice-unlucky husband or a cold-blooded murderer. They dig into the couple’s lives to see what they can unearth. And they find that love’s got teeth, it’s got claws, and once it hitches you to a person, it’s tough to rip yourself free.

So what happens when you’re done making it work?

MY REVIEW
Matt and his wife Marie may have some issues, but they’ve been together for over 20 years. When they go for a hike, and Marie goes over the cliff, Matt is the first suspect in her death. In questioning if Marie’s death was an accident or something more sinister, the detectives discover Matt’s first wife was murdered. Either Matt’s a terribly unlucky guy, or he’s hiding something.

A twisty psychological thriller full of secrets. It seems everyone has something to hide. The main story of Matt and Marie is very engaging. In addition to their story, there is a subplot with an investigation into one of the police officers. This part of the book was not as interesting, and probably could have been left out.

The mystery seemed fairly straightforward, but then it got more and more twisted. This is not an obvious story, and I love that it kept me guessing. A page-turner for sure. Dark, intriguing, and clever. A good read for fans of domestic thrillers.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Weekly Wrap-Up (Jan 5 – Jan 11)

Posted on January 11, 2019January 10, 2019 by Darinda

Starting off the year with a steady stream of books. I’m in a bit of an unsettled mood, so I’m hopping from book to book and genre to genre. Nothing seems to be sticking, but I’m getting a lot checked off my TBR.

THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG

Mon, Jan 7 – Book Review: Looker by Laura Sims
Tue, Jan 8 – Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2019
Wed, Jan 9 – Book Review: Fireside Chat with a Grammar Nazi Serial Killer by Ryan Suvaal
Thu, Jan 10 – Book Review: The Perfect Liar by Thomas Christopher Greene
Fri, Jan 11 – Weekly Wrap-Up (Jan 5 – Jan 11)

NEXT WEEK ON THE BLOG

Mon, Jan 14 – Book Review: As Long as We Both Shall Live by JoAnn Chaney
Tue, Jan 15 – Top Ten Tuesday: New to Me Authors I Read in 2018
Wed, Jan 16 – Book Review: Death in Shangri-La by Vigal Zur
Thu, Jan 17 – Book Review: Lie Like a Rug by Donna Huston Murray
Fri, Jan 18 – Weekly Wrap-Up (Jan 12 – Jan 18)

BOOKS READ

Two books read this week – Death in Shangri-La by Yigal Zur and The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff.

BOOKS LISTENED TO

Six audiobooks listened to this week – Dead Center, Play Dead, and New Tricks by David Rosenfelt, Song of Susannah by Stephen King, On What Grounds and Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle.

NETGALLEY & EDELWEISS ARCS RECEIVED

One book received this week via Netgalley – Chocolate Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke.

BOOKS PURCHASED

Five books purchased this week – Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine, Find Her by Lisa Gardner, The Mother’s Promise by Sally Hepworth, Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica, and The Breakdown by B.A. Paris.

BOOKS BORROWED

One book borrowed from the library this week – The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger.

Thanks for stopping by Nightcap Books. Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Perfect Liar by Thomas Christopher Greene

Posted on January 10, 2019December 31, 2018 by Darinda

BOOK INFO
Title: The Perfect Liar
Author: Thomas Christopher Greene
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publish Date: January 15, 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Goodreads Ratings: Me 3.00 / Community 3.79

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
Susannah, a young widow and single mother, has remarried well: to Max, a charismatic artist and popular speaker whose career took her and her fifteen-year-old son out of New York City and to a quiet Vermont university town. Strong-willed and attractive, Susannah expects that her life is perfectly in place again. Then one quiet morning she finds a note on her door: I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Max dismisses the note as a prank. But days after a neighborhood couple comes to dinner, the husband mysteriously dies in a tragic accident while on a run with Max. Soon thereafter, a second note appears on their door: DID YOU GET AWAY WITH IT?

Both Susannah and Max are keeping secrets from the world and from each other—secrets that could destroy their family and everything they have built. Thomas Christopher Greene’s The Perfect Liar is a thrilling novel told through the alternating perspectives of Susannah and Max with a shocking climax that no one will expect, from the bestselling author of The Headmaster’s Wife.

MY REVIEW
Max and Susannah seem to have a great life. When a mysterious note shows up on their door, they want to ignore it, but then a second note appears.

Told from alternating points of view, Max and Susannah both have secrets they don’t want getting out. When Susannah met Max, they seemed to fit together perfectly. They met in New York City, but with the success of Max’s career have moved to Vermont. Everything is going well for them, until the mysterious notes start to arrive.

The plot was interesting. The two main characters are both hiding dark secrets. Someone is leaving creepy notes on their door. It seems like a great read, but I never really connected with the story or the characters.

I’ve seen some great reviews for this one, and I imagine it will be a hit with some fans of psychological thrillers. For me, it was good, but not great. Best for fans of dark domestic thrillers with unlikable characters.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Fireside Chat with a Grammar Nazi Serial Killer by Ryan Suvaal

Posted on January 9, 2019January 9, 2019 by Darinda

BOOK INFO
Title: Fireside Chat with a Grammar Nazi Serial Killer
Author: Ryan Suvaal
Publisher: Self-Published
Publish Date: January 14, 2019
Genre: Crime Fiction
Goodreads Ratings: Me 4.00 / Community 3.91

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
Seventeen gruesome murders were reported across the United States, within a span of six months. Ohio, Minnesota, Arkansas and several other states were hit. There was one clear connection among victims, they were all book authors. While media was decorating the murders with sensationalist stories, and law enforcement was playing catch-up, the homicidal maniac remained elusive and secretive. Things got very interesting, however, when one day she decided to appear on an internet talk show for an honest fireside chat. Her reason for being on this show was not a quest for fame, but something much more disturbing.

MY REVIEW
A short story about a serial killer. The fireside chat takes place on the darknet, on a show that interviews some of society’s worst people. The latest chat features an interview with a serial killer who targets authors. The killer has murdered seventeen authors for the atrocious and cavalier grammar mistakes in their books. The killer has been dubbed the Grammar Nazi Serial Killer, and believes she has valid reasons for committing the murders.

A clever and twisted short story. The killings are violent and gruesome. The reasons for the killings are hilarious. If you like dark humor and serial killer stories, then this one is for you.

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.