Author: lisascubby

A year ago, there was a horrific tragedy at a prestigious prep school in Indiana.  A teacher went on a grisly rampage and murdered two students, and then threw himself in front of a train attempting suicide but did not die and now is living in a vegetative state. And some of the students who witnessed the incidents have since taken their own lives, by throwing themselves in front of trains.

Now, a year later, the murder and the sordid ordeal are being brought back into the spotlight by a very popular criminal podcast.  They are calling the episodes The Suicide House due to the abandoned boarding house where the tragedy happened.  As the episodes begin, the anxiety of students and teachers at the school increases.  And then another one of the students who witnessed the murder throws himself in front of a train.

That is when cold case expert Rory Moore and her partner Lane Phillips, a forensic psychologist are asked to come to Indiana and recreate what happened that night at the isolated house which was often times used for student rituals. Perhaps clues were missed at the scene and new eyes can shed new light on that night.

Moore, who herself has a few idiosyncrasies, has just finished up solving a cold case and usually needs time to decompress, but Phillips who knows her soft spots convinces her to help him. But nothing is as it seems in this small town and their presence begins to stir things up.  Why?

The story races back and forth between what happened during the days leading up to the murders, to the new investigation and new puzzle pieces. There are chapters in which diary entries from a mysterious unknown person are read while they are in what seem to be counseling sessions.

Is someone lying? What really happened that night? What kind of burden do the students carry with them from that evening that they would want to take their own lives? Why would a teacher snap and kill his students?

The Suicide House is a heart thumping psychological case study in insanity with twists and turns that leave you craving for more.  The ending….a volcanic eruption!

This is the second book in the Moore/Phillips series and as Donlea writes in the afterward, he tries to make sure that all his books can be read as a stand alone as well.  Since I was unaware this was a series book until I read his note at the end, I can certainly say he was able to accomplish what he set out to do.

The Suicide House can be preordered right now.  Publication date is July 28.  Get it!

Thank you #NetGalley #Kensington #CharlieDonlea #TheSuicideHouse for the advanced copy.

Please See Us is the haunting story set on the boardwalk and in the casinos of Atlantic City’s seedier side, where drugs are important and the addicts will do just about anything for a quick fix. Where women will accept abuse from men just to try and escape the life they have been dealt. And some will be killed.

In the vein of The Long Island Killer, there is someone who is killing prostitutes and escorts and dumping their bodies in a marsh.  No one is aware this is happening.  The only solace the dead women have are each other as they lie in wait for someone, anyone, to find them.

Clara is an eighteen year old boardwalk psychic who lives with her aunt above their dilapidated shop.  Her aunt Des is as crooked as they come.  Both have been banned from some casinos for stealing and escorting.  But all Clara really wants to do is put enough money away to get out of Atlantic City and find her mother who she has not seen since she was a child. Des has decided it’s time to put Clara to use and begins looking for men she can date.

When a client comes in for a reading, begging Clara for help in finding his missing niece, she tries to pacify him, but after he leaves she begins to have horrible visions. The same happens when a few other women come in for readings.  She does not understand why they all seem to be connected.

Lily is a former New York gallery worker who through circumstance beyond her control loses her job and moves in with her mom in Atlantic City where she begins working at a spa in one of the casinos. She has a bit of a drinking problem.  When Clara steals her bracelet and Lily goes looking for her she discovers a lost girl who is in way over her head.  They become friends and Clara tells Lily about the visions she is having and asks her for help. Clara believes the two of them working together can perhaps figure out what is happening to them.

As Clara and Lily delve deeper into the mystery, the reader meets the dead women and learn the stories of how they ended up in Atlantic City.  But no one is safe from this killer.  Have Clara or Lily already met him? Could one of them possibly be his next victim? Will the dead girls ever be found?

Please See Us is an incredibly different psychological thriller which not only has suspense, but also heartbreaking and makes the reader truly feel sorrow for the characters in the story who seem to be trying to begin a new life only to have that precious hope silenced.

Thank you Anne Jaconette of Gallery Books for sending me an advanced copy of this riveting book.

Sisters Kate and Lauren and their mom Rose have been dealing with great loss in their lives.  First, the matriarch of their family, their dad and husband, died suddenly leaving terrible grief in the close knit family.  Kate has been desperately trying to get pregnant through IVF with her husband Matt.  This is their last shot.  Lauren, who has three children with her husband Simon is beginning to realize her life is miserable.  Unbeknownst to her family, Simon is verbally and physically abusing her.

But, during their weekly Sunday dinner, a knock at the door will create a chaos no one could ever see coming.  A girl who introduces herself as Jess is looking for her father.  She claims to be his daughter.

Kate who idolized her father knows Jess is lying.  Lauren whose relationship with hem was strained at best welcomes Jess with open arms. Rose is just speechless. And then each of their worlds begin to explode.

Kate, a journalist by trade begins to investigate Jess’ claim.  She uncovers untruths, deceptions and malice.  Lauren on the other hand embraces Jess and agrees to assist her in finding out who her mother could be. Rose will have no part of this circus.  She loved her husband and he loved them all, end of story.

Then Kate and Lauren begin to remember a time years before then they heard bits of conversations and perhaps saw things which at the time meant nothing. When Kate begins questioning her mother, she shuts her down, which only makes Kate more suspicious. DID something happen years ago? What is Rose not saying? Was their father not the person they thought he was? Could Jess really be telling the truth?  What family secrets have been buried and what will happen if and when they are exposed? Will their family survive?

Sandie Jones, author of the best-selling book The Other Woman has once again written a cat and mouse thriller with so much suspense that it allows the reader to just go along for the psychological chilling ride and wait for the stunning conclusion.

My thanks to #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #SandieJones #TheHalfSister for the advanced copy.

This is an enjoyable, yet sad story of secrets, trauma, love, hate and forgiveness.  The emphasis being that no family is without pain, and some families can feel isolation in different ways.  The question is can a family rise above all the mess and become one again.

Ann Gordon’s family owns a summer house on Cape Cod.  The last summer she was there when she was just a teenager with her sister Poppy and newly adopted brother Michael something happened which would not only change her life, but would tear her family apart.

Now, years later, her parents have died and it’s up to Ann and Poppy to decide whether to sell the Cape house or keep it.  Ann and Poppy have not been close since that last summer.  Ann works in Boston and Poppy lives wherever she lands, traveling and working and has never really settled down.  Michael’s whereabouts, after he left mysteriously that last summer is unknown.

So when the decision needs to be made whether to sell or keep the Cape house, Ann, who cannot bare even being in the house decides she wants to sell.  Unfortunately for Ann, Poppy who has come back with her own emotional baggage from the past decides she cannot imagine selling the house.

To complicate the situation even further, Michael discovers what is happening and is furious he had not been notified.  He concludes he cannot let this house go and wants to buy it himself.

Is it possible for three siblings who suffered great trauma, hurt and mistrust in their past be able, without their parent’s guidance, comeback together as a family, not the one they remember from the past, but a new type of family, one their parents would be proud of.

As I thought about the story after I finished it, I realized that the title, The Second Home has many meanings.  There are many seconds in this story for most of the characters.  The Second Home was an uplifting and satisfying read.

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #ChristinaClancy #TheSecondHome for the advanced copy.

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is the sweetest love story I have read in a very long time. It is about a talented chef and newspaper restaurant reviewer who meet and become friends not knowing what the other does for a living. Through a huge mistake one will destroy the other’s dream.

Lou is a hardworking chef/owner of a restaurant named after her beloved grandmother Luella.  Although engaged to be married, nothing makes her happier than cooking for people and watching them smile.

Al is British and misses his homeland.  Hardly adjusting to the Wisconsin weather, he reviews restaurants for a Milwaukee newspaper.  He uses a pseudonym because some of his reviews can be quite scathing.

When he decides to dine at Luella’s, not only does he not know this is his new friend Lou’s restaurant, but he also is unaware that she has just had the worst day of her life.  Needless to day his review is not very pleasant.

As Lou begins to introduce Al to all the wonderful places Milwaukee has to offer, Al not only begins to love the city, but also begins to have feelings for Lou. And the feeling is mutual.

When Al’s review of Lou’s restaurant comes out Lou is unaware that Al is the actual writer.  And Al is unaware that Lou is the actual owner.  But the damage has already been done.  Luella’s starts losing business and Lou is in the horrible position of possibly having to close her beloved eatery.

And then Al discovers what he has done and cannot tell Lou for fear she will leave him. But Lou does find out and breaks all contact with Al. Is their love strong enough to keep them together? How could they give up what they both believe to be true, everlasting, until death do us part and beyond love.

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is a scrumptious tale of love and forgiveness with a recipe for a a mouthwatering coconut cake at the end.

When Nina Garrity’s husband Glen disappears suddenly while on a fishing trip leaving her with two children, a dog and debt she was never aware of, she was not sure how she would be able to cope. But a few months later she is accidently introduced to Simon Fitch, a teacher at her daughter’s high school who as a widower himself, is kind, generous, charming, attentive and even smells like her missing husband. Simon seems to good to be true.

As their relationship progresses, much to the ire of her daughter, but to the excitement of her son Connor, they decide to move into a house together and be their own family. Although Maggie and Simon clash, Nina believes everything is going well.  Until little problems seems to pop up.  Simon gets sick on a night Nina is suppose to go out with her two best friends.  He finds a picture in a magazine and begs Nina to cut her hair in the same way. When Nina decides to get a job, although Simon does not admit his disapproval, she can tell for some reason it bothers him.  Nina blames herself, thinking it must be her fault.  She’s not communicating enough with him.

As she tries to adjust to her work and home life, she finds herself constantly doubting herself and feeling overwhelmed by trying to adjust to work, home and the constant fighting between Simon and Maggie.  When Nina suggests to Simon that they go to counseling to try and put themselves back on track he immediately agrees.  But the night before their session, her counselor’s home is broken into and she is attacked.

Then, Maggie has a terrible accident and Nina begins to question not only herself but what Simon could really be.  There are only so many accidents until they begin to seem like something more sinister.

The New Husband is a psychological rollercoaster thriller with twists and stunning turns you could never imagine.

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #D.J.Palmer #TheNewHusband for the advanced copy.

Author Samantha Irby started out as an accidental blogger who according to her accidentally transitioned into an author.  But her essays and storytelling in her new book Wow, no thank you. are insightful, hysterical, easily relatable and so honest it hurts, but still makes you laugh.

At 40 years of age she is finally coming into herself, which as she is a medical accident waiting to happen, and with her many illnesses and even though ailments are not funny, Irby somehow is able to not only make light of them, but makes the reader laugh out loud and then feel sort of guilty that they did. She immediately catches our attention on the dedication page as her book is dedicated to Wellbutrin!

Her essays explain her pretty sad childhood, being unable to pay her electric bills (and how to steal someone else’s) to becoming homeless and living out of her car.  She writes of her love of music and how she is constantly being confused with writer Roxane Gay, always gladly accepting the compliment.

She explains when she worked as a veterinarian assistant she  would jot down stories on napkins.  She would leave work and go to a club and share her stories, never believing they were anything special, just stories. Everyone else did, but not her.

She explains her life in movements…for example, when she gets up in the morning (afternoon) she retrieves everything she needs for the day then goes downstairs as she refuses to make the trek upstairs more than once! She has a bowel issue…that’s all I am going to write.

This past year she was asked to write for the Hulu comedy series Shrill.  She moved to LA for three months. She describes the differences in living in LA and living in Chicago…just imagination those essays! Yes, I am smiling as I am reliving what happens to her.

But throughout the book I learned many important lessons, laugh at yourself, laugh at other people, push yourself, go ahead, be paranoid in your head because everyone is to one extent on another, don’t take everything seriously, have fun…or try to, hone your craft when you can and finally, listen…to yourself, to others and to your surroundings because boy, there are certainly stories to tell! And quite honestly, Irby seems to have stayed the same throughout her rising fame, only now she and her wife live in a house.

Sunshine Vicram has just been elected Sheriff of her hometown, Del Sol, New Mexico.  She never knew she was running!  Today is her first day on the job.  Although she and her daughter Auri have returned to the place Sunshine calls home, the place seems different, yet very much the same, as if time has stood still.

Her first day and the next few will find Sunshine questioning herself for saying yes to the position. Between a young girl being kidnapped, a prisoner on the run, being worried about her daughter, seeing her first love again, finding a dead body in the mountains and having to navigate a feud between two townspeople over a rooster…what else could life throw at her?  Believe it or not, even more!

The young girl, Sybil goes missing just before her 15th birthday.  A new friend of her daughter’s, Sybil has been haunted for years believing that she would die before her 15th birthday. Was she really kidnapped or is this just a ruse for attention?

While trying to find Sybil, they discover a dead body up in the mountains.  Does this have anything to do with the kidnapping? Or is this just added stress on Sunshine.

All this is happening as Sunshine begins to relive her own abduction from years ago.  Could any of this be connected to her own kidnapping, something she has little to no recollection of because she had a brain injury.

Her daughter Auri is not fairing any better!  On her first day, when her friend Sybil fails to show up at school, she must try and navigate her peers, who know she is the daughter of the Sheriff and want to have nothing to do with her. And when she discovers her friend is missing, decides to play sleuth against her mother’s wishes.

Now, throw the quirky townspeople into the mix, including her own sheriff’s department staff, add a missing deputy that no one seems to know where he is (although they seem to know where he is) and you have a story reminiscent an episode of The Gilmore Girls, sharp witted humor, funny and sarcastic, with a very strong female protagonist.

The creative book chapter headings only make you fall in love with the town and the people in it even more!  Hopefully there will be a second in the series and Sunshine can continue to keep us smiling!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Darynda Jones for the advanced copy.

If you are looking for a book which is funny and sweet and a feel good read, look no further.  The Roxy Letters is all those things and more.  Roxy is somewhat like a Bridget Jones, comical, confused and looking for Mr. Right, but she is much more.  She’s a vegan who works at a deli department at a Whole Foods store  trying to get over a boyfriend she thought was the love of her life, who can’t seem to make a grown-up decision to save her life and she is always broke.

Roxy’s escapades are all told to us through letters which she writes to her housemate, Everett, a past boyfriend living with her now to help her not only split the rent, which according to some of the letters he seems to forget to do, as well as help take care of her pets Charlize Theron, a cat and Roscoe, a dog who needs a nightly insulin shot.

She comically tells tales of being Vegan and having to deal with patrons who order meat, from a deli, which sells meat! And don’t get her started on the run-ins with “Dirty Steve” her manager who seems to dislike everybody and keeps trying to get her fired, or give her food poisoning on any given day.

As she maneuvers through life, dating men who act like children… literally, pining over the one she lost, she befriends a woman name Armetis Starla who is so carefree and put together that Roxy envies her. Why can’t she be more like Armetis? But Roxy seems to become lost in her past unable to see any hope for a promising future.

Until a Lululemon store moves into their quaint block and Roxy, well just does not feel the store belongs. So she gathers her friends to make signs and picket the store. That’s when chaos really begins to ensue! As Roxy starts to stand up for what she believes, her confidence seems to grow and she becomes stronger.

Roxy learns she needs to let go of her past and forgive her ex to move on realizing that he may have actually loved her very much because he did let her go. And something unique begins to happen to her.  She begins to become an adult! And she learns a very valuable lesson…not everything is always what it seems!

The hijinks are never ending and pretty amusing and the dialogue is quick-witted as we follow Roxy and her merry band of misfits to a very satisfying ending.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon&Schuster, Elizabeth Breeden and Goodreads for the advanced copies.

For 25 years Maggie Kennedy-O’Keefe has lived with a terrible secret.  When she was only 15 years old her best friend Eve was murdered.  Maggie and Eve’s sister Nola were unfortunately the ones who discovered her body in the caves below the houses which they lived. But Maggie has always known more than she has told.

In all those years, although there were suspects, no one was ever held accountable for the murder.  There was Eve’s abusive boyfriend who seemed to have an alibi, and even Eve’s sister Nola who was known to be a bit strange to the kids at school and even to Maggie.  Nola had a fascination with death and dissecting animals.

Now, married, pregnant and on the police force which her father had once been Chief, including during the time of the murder, a new piece of evidence has emerged which once again puts the case front and center.  The new Chief wants Maggie to take a look at the investigation, hoping she will see something which was missed all those years ago. Reluctantly Maggie has to reopen old wounds for herself as well as everyone else.

Haunting memories of what happened that day years ago begin to flood Maggie’s mind.  And now with the files and evidence she had never been privy to, it only creates more questions and anxiety for her.  Unable to discuss the case with her dad who has retired and has dementia, Maggie begins to re-interview everyone from back then, some like Eve’s sister Nola who seems to hate Maggie for some unknown reason.  Now a veterinarian, Nola has secrets of her own buried deep in the basement of her house. Maggie is also startled to see potential suspects she never new about.

What skeletons lay in the caves and who would want to kill Eve? What secrets are the suspects keeping?  And what is Maggie keeping hidden that no one should ever know…or do they already? She cannot afford to be exposed from all those years ago. Clearly someone knows something and they aren’t talking…but who?

This Is How I Lied is a psychologically fulfilling story with surprising twists and turns which only make you want to keep coming back for more.

Book Summary:

With the eccentricity of Fargo and the intensity of Sadie, THIS IS HOW I LIED by Heather Gudenkauf (Park Row Books; May 12, 2020; $17.99) is a timely and gripping thriller about careless violence we can inflict on those we love, and the lengths we will go to make it right, even 25 years later.

Tough as nails and seven months pregnant, Detective Maggie Kennedy-O’Keefe of Grotto PD, is dreading going on desk duty before having the baby her and her husband so badly want. But when new evidence is found in the 25-year-old cold case of her best friend’s murder that requires the work of a desk jockey, Maggie jumps at the opportunity to be the one who finally puts Eve Knox’s case to rest.

Author Bio:

Heather Gudenkauf is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of many books, including The Weight of Silence and These Things Hidden. Heather graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education, has spent her career working with students of all ages. She lives in Iowa with her husband, three children, and a very spoiled German Shorthaired Pointer named Lolo. In her free time, Heather enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking, and running.

Social Links:

Author Website

Twitter: @hgudenkauf

Instagram: @heathergudenkauf

Facebook: @HeatherGudenkaufAuthor

Goodreads

1. What is your writing process like? 

I approach each of my novels with the goal of being a plotter – someone who explicitly organizes and outlines her books – but it never quite works out that way for me. I make notes and outline the plot but ultimately the characters take over and do what they want to anyway. My process is messy and meandering. Thankfully, I have a brilliant editor who is able to see through the weeds and pull out the best parts of my plots and keep me on the right path. This is How I Lied completely evolved from my initial intentions. The characters changed, the plot shifted and the final ending poked its head up near the end of revisions and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

2. Which came first: the characters or plot line?

For me, the two go hand in hand. The basic plot line comes first, and close behind comes the characters. It doesn’t matter how suspenseful of a plot I develop, if the right characters aren’t there to mold the story and carry it forward, it won’t work. Before I begin writing, I attempt to give my characters rich backstories. Often many of these details don’t make into the novel, but by fully developing their personalities and biographies, it helps keep me in tune with them as I write. Knowing the characters’ likes and dislikes, their foibles and strengths helps me to honestly and accurately determine their motivations and the decisions they make as they move through the novel.

3. How do you come up with your plots?

I’m a news junkie! I’ll scan newspapers and websites and a story will catch my eye. It can be the smallest detail or a broader theme but if the idea sticks with me and keeps harassing me to write about it, I know I’m on the right track. For my novel Little Mercies, it was an article about a social worker who ended up on the other side of the justice system because of alleged negligence with her caseload. From this I created an entirely new story about a social worker who was fighting for her own child. In This is How I Lied, I was intrigued by news stories that dealt with the use of familial DNA to solve cold cases and it became a key detail in the novel’s resolution.

4. Do you use music to help set a mood/tone for your books? 

I do listen to music as I write. It varies based on the story and what I think the characters might listen to. By curating these playsets, it helps me get into their mindset. As I worked on Maggie’s sections in This is How I Lied I listened to a lot of Avett Brothers and Lumineers. For Nola, I listened to classical music and hard rock – she’s an interesting mix. As for Eve, since she was sixteen years old and living in the 90s, I listened to plenty of Nirvana and Beck.

5. Where did the idea for this story come from? 

Before I started writing This is How I Lied, I read I’ll be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara, about the author’s investigation of The Golden State Killer who, for decades, terrorized northern California. This book both terrified and fascinated me and I became intrigued by how modern technology was being used to close old cold cases. For my project, I thought it would be interesting to explore how this might play out in a small town where the perpetrator thought the truth behind the crime would never be discovered.

As I was writing the novel, I learned about the developments in a 40-year-old cold case not far from where I live where familial DNA was used to ultimately convict the killer. Amazing!

6. Do you find inspiration for your novels in your personal life? 

I often get asked what my childhood must have been like because of the twisty thrillers I write. Thankfully, I can say that I had a blissfully uneventful childhood with parents and siblings that loved and supported me. For me, the inspiration from my own life comes in the settings of my novels – the Mississippi River, farmland, the woods and bluffs – all found in Iowa. In This is How I Lied, the town of Grotto is loosely based on a nearby town until I moved to this part of Iowa, I never realized that we had cave systems.  Visitors to the state park, can literally step back thousands of years. The limestone caves and bluffs are beautiful, haunting and have something for everyone. You can take a casual stroll through some of the caves and have to army crawl through some of the others. Old clothes and a flashlight are a must! The caves made the perfect backdrop for a thriller and I was excited to include them in This is How I Lied.

7. What is the one personality trait that you like your main characters to have and why? 

In looking back at all my main characters, though they are all different ages and come from different walks of life, I think the trait that they all seem to have in common is perseverance. I’ve had characters battle human evil and demons of their own creation but it doesn’t matter what traumatic events they have been through or the challenges they will face, they manage to make it through. Changed for sure, but intact and hopeful for the future.

8. Why do you love Maggie and why should readers root for her?

I do love Maggie! As a police detective, Maggie has dedicated her adult life to helping others and is a loving daughter, sister and wife and is expecting her first child. This doesn’t mean that Maggie is perfect. Like all of my protagonists, Maggie is complicated and flawed and has made some big mistakes, but ultimately she is doing the best that she can.

9. What is one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

As a former elementary school teacher, I had absolutely no insights into the publishing world beyond what I saw on television and in movies – which portrayed it as a dog-eat-dog world. I have to admit, as a new author, I was very intimidated. But to my delight –  and relief – the people I’ve encountered along the way– my agent, editors, publishing teams, fellow authors, booksellers and readers – all have been nothing but supportive, encouraging and kind.

10. What is coming up next for you? 

I just finished the first draft of my next novel, a locked-room mystery about a reclusive writer working on a true crime book when a snow storm leaves her trapped inside her remote home, setting off a series of events that lead to a stunning revelation. It was so much fun to write!

11. Has quarantine been better or worse for your writing? 

It’s been such a scary, unsettling time but I’ve found writing a nice distraction and a great comfort during this extended time at home. I’ve been able to turn off the news and get lost in my manuscript or other writing projects. It’s a lot like reading – a much needed escape from the real world.

12. What was your last 5 star read? 

Julia Heaberlin has a new book coming out this August called We Are All the Same in the Dark and it has surged to the top as one of my favorite reads of the year. It has everything I love in a great thriller: a beautifully written small town mystery, with multilayered, unforgettable characters and a twisty plot. It was absolutely mesmerizing.

Thank you #NetGalley #ParkRowBooks #ThisIsHowILied #HeatherGudenkauf. You can preorder the book now with the following links:

Harlequin 

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

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