Summer reading is the best time, isn’t it? I started this month off with a bang with 2 fabulous crime thrillers. Then I added a mystery-thriller book and a book all about dishonesty. Quite an array!
I found some great books this month and can’t wait to share them with you! Have fun reading (maybe even at the beach!)
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The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham
It has been a hot minute since I read a book by this author. Once upon a time I had copies of all his books and devoured them as soon as a new one came out. Then I read one that was so disappointing. I swear it read like it was the outline of the book and was published anyway.
So, I quit reading Mr. Grisham’s books.
However, recently this book kept showing up on best-seller lists so decided to give it a try. And I am glad I did!
It’s the story of Biloxi, Mississippi, known for its beaches and vacations. Did you know that this little gulf coast town was also known for corruption, gambling, prostitution, bootleg liquor, drugs, and contract killings? This was all engineered by a gang of Dixie Mafia men and women whose bottom line was making money, regardless of the cost.
Right in the midst of this are two young boys, Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco. Growing up together in the 1960s, the two were friends, athletic rivals, and eventually enemies. Their fathers took two very different paths in life. Hugh’s father became the mob boss of Biloxi and Keith’s father became a prosecutor who wanted to clean up the coast.
The showdown between these two families will keep you on the edge of your seat. Courtroom dramas and investigations of crime are mingled throughout the book, along with the story of the shenanigans of the mob and crooked sheriff.
I give this one 4 stars- only due to the writing style. Mr. Grisham’s work tends to read like a journal and I do wish he would add some emotion to his writing. Overall, a great read!
All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby
If you have read previous books by this author then you know you might be in for a wild ride. This one does not disappoint.
It seems that Charon County has some secrets. Led by Titus Crown, who is the first Black sheriff elected in this little Virginia county, the investigations begin after a school shooting.
Titus is up to the task, using his experience as a former FBI agent. Titus knows his hometown has its quirks and corruption, but a school shooting is unheard of. Especially since it’s a former student that has shot a beloved teacher.
Titus is able to use the evidence he finds to unearth terrible crimes that have been committed against young black children for a long time. Can the perpetrator be someone everyone knows?
Add a crazed community and a pastor that is vocal about the shooting and relentlessly pursues answers to the problems of the county. Titus, of course, fears for his own family. His elderly father and his brother, as well as his current girlfriend, are all threatened as the secrets are being uncovered.
Just a reminder, if you have read Mr. Cosby’s books, and especially if you have not, his writing style is frank and gritty. He spares no words to describe the horrors of the crimes and his pursuit of the killers. The book is fast-paced and another one that will have you on the edge of your seat. I did listen to this book and the narrator was perfection!
4 stars and I do recommend that you listen to this one, too!
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
At the age of 12, Chloe Davis watches as her father confesses to the murders of several teenage girls. This is bad enough, but the aftermath of the trial and his imprisonment changes Chloe and her brother, Cooper, dramatically
Twenty years later, the past comes back with a vengeance.
A young girl is missing in the new town Chloe lives in, where she is a psychologist. In the midst of making wedding plans with Daniel Briggs, Chloe is now faced with the trauma of the missing girl whose disappearance is remarkably like that of her father’s victims.
So, who is responsible for this missing girl? Well, let me tell you I thought I had it all figured out right from the beginning. Is it the fiance? Is it a reporter that is nosing around? Is it Cooper? Is it Chloe herself? And what about Chloe’s mother?
Such a dilemma! This one kept me reading for long periods of time! I raced through this book and was a little surprised at the ending! a 4-star book indeed!
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
This book had moments of trauma and moments of laughing out loud.
It is the story of 2 authors June Hayward and Athena Liu. Both women are expected to be literary stars, but one is fast becoming a social media darling while the other is not.
Despite their differences in success, the women have known each other for a while and are friends. Then one day, the two are having lunch together and Athena begins to choke, and even though June tries to save her, Athena dies.
Of course, June is upset, but she is also completely aware that Athena’s current manuscript is right there in the next room. She very much wants to see the manuscript published and figures it will not hurt to edit and finish it. Well, you can surmise what happens! June is listed as the author and is accumulating a lot of money as she tours and gives book talks.
As evidence emerges about the authenticity of June’s authorship the gossip takes off on a whirlwind of social media posts, stalking, accusatory writing, and the pressure for June to have a follow-up novel quickly.
Ah, you must read this one! It was delicious. I listened to it and suggest you do as well. The narrator was fabulous! I give 4 stars to this book!
Have you read any of these? I enjoyed all four and you will, too!
I also read these books this month:
- Happy Place by Emily Henry (not my favorite book from this author)
- Community Board by Tara Conklin
- Simply Lies by David Baldacci
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