9. The Running Man

9. The Running Man. Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman). 1982. 317 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: She was squinting at the thermometer in the white light coming through the window. Beyond her, in the drizzle, the other highrises in the Co-Op City rose like the gray turrets of a penitentiary.

Premise/plot: Ben Richards enters the games out of desperation. His young daughter is sick and the family who is already struggling to pay for the barest of bare necessities cannot afford to get her medical help. He may not be of much worth to his family as he is, but if he entered the games then there's a chance his death may help his family just enough. And, of course, he may beat all odds--unlikely--and bring home money as well. It's an option that he feels is his one and only option.

The book is set in the bleakest of bleak dystopian worlds. The games on Free-Vee offer entertainment amidst the bleakity-bleakness of life. BUT they are anything but fun.

Ben Richards agrees to the rules of the game. He'll send in TEN MINUTES OF VIDEO FOOTAGE per day while being hunted by those professionals IN the game and those outside the game. There's a reward for ANY person reporting his whereabouts. There is no continual surveillance. There is not a studio where this game is filmed. He can literally GO anywhere in the world--so long as he can manage his own way around. 

This is a game of strategy and some luck.

My thoughts: I saw the movie from the 1980s recently. This book is absolutely NOTHING at all like it--not even a little bit. Two or three names are the same, perhaps. Do not expect the book to be like the movie.

I didn't love the movie, so I was happy to see the differences. That being said, the first two-thirds of this one was a bit on the slow side. I joked with my best friend that it was 80% hiding and 20% running. And I wasn't wrong--at that point in the book. The ending IS fast-paced. You reach a point where it is ALL thriller-action-intensity.

© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

28. Famous Last Words

 

28. Famous Last Words. Gillian McAllister. 2025. 336 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars]

First sentence: It is one hour before Camilla's life changes, though she doesn't yet know it.

Premise/plot: Readers are promised (but does it deliver?!?!) a twisty-turny crime novel. Camilla, our heroine, is returning to work from maternity leave on the day her husband, Luke, commits a crime. Allegedly commits a crime. He never stands trial. He goes on the run. Her life changes forever--as does her daughter's Polly. Most of the novel takes place seven years later. (And to a smaller extent, an additional seven years after that]. This one is told through two perspectives that of Camilla and that of Niall, the hostage negotiator assigned to the case. Though the narration is not even: readers will go [long] stretches without Niall's narration.

My thoughts: It had one job. One job. ONE. To be twisty-turny. To keep *this* reader guessing, guessing again, guessing yet again. To keep me doubting my instincts and delivering punchy surprises. Things that would only supposedly make sense at the end. Did it deliver????

NO. That's the short answer. No, it did not keep me guessing because I guessed correctly essentially about anything where clues were provided. No big thrills. No big surprises. It has me doubting a review by a famous author that uses words like "brilliant" and "blindsided." (How many books has she read?) 

I don't consider myself particularly outstanding when it comes to "solving" crime books or thrillers. So did I just happen to be lucky in my guess? Or is it poorly constructed to make readers feel smart when they guess? 

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So the jacket flap intentionally spoils a lot of the early suspense. That's a choice. For better or worse. It's a way to get a reader, perhaps, to pick up your book. Though with her NAME and reputation, I don't know that it's necessary to spoil that much.

So the big question throughout is *WHY* and to a much lesser degree *how*.

I guessed VERY early on that Charlie was NO GOOD, VERY BAD. I don't know how she could have made it more obvious. So that zaps a lot of suspense out of the book.

I guessed VERY early on that Luke was the true author of her "new book by Adam" that she received in the mail. Was this a lucky guess? Maybe. Maybe not. But the way we were getting excerpts and the fact that it was crime related....it just made the most sense to me.

I did not guess about Luke witnessing the murder of two teens in April---however, that clue was sprinkled so late in the book that it almost doesn't contribute to the suspense in the first place. The only clue for the longest time being that his location was turned off that one night in April. Not any clue with which to build a back story.

I did guess that Isabella was HIDING something big. I was a little suspicious of her husband as well. Though her husband takes up so little space in the story it was easy to forget he existed at all. 

So did I guess that Luke's actions could 1000% be explained away. Yes. Mostly. I guessed that as the most obvious "blindsiding" twist and turn.

I think the book would have been more suspenseful without Charlie's "short" and not-so-subtle perspective.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

157. The Blonde Identity

The Blonde Identity. Ally Carter. 2023. 304 pages. [Source: Library] [spy thriller; adult fiction; adult romance]

First sentence: Here's the thing about waking up with no memory in the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in the middle of Paris: at least you're waking up in Paris. 

Premise/plot: The Blonde Identity is a premise-driven spy thriller with a dose of romance. The main character, Zoe, finds herself waking up in the middle of a Parisian street injured. She's discovered soon after, by "Hot Guy," aka Sawyer. He thinks that Zoe is Alex, at least for a few seconds. He soon realizes that Alex--someone he knows very well--must have an identical twin sister. Alex may be an agent and able to take care of herself, but, Zoe seems vulnerable, unable to take care of herself in this new reality. The BAD GUYS are after Alex and want her dead. Zoe's life is in danger...at least until Alex turns up again...maybe longer than that. So Sawyer decides to help her--but is he trustworthy? Will Zoe ever get her memory back?

My thoughts: Imagine two book manuscripts from two different genres being shuffled together. The good news is that I think fans of adult romance novels will probably find it to their liking. It is very rom-com. Sawyer and Zoe in dozens of different scenarios--having somewhat enjoyable banter back and forth. There's insta attraction and lust. (Though some restraint.) Circumstances keep throwing them together into compromising positions. It is super predictable. I think it is more romance than some readers might prefer. Maybe. Again, I'm just one person. I liked this one okay.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

90. The Choice

The Choice. Gillian McAllister. 2020/2017. 368 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: It starts with a selfie. He is a random; we are not even sure of his name. We are always meeting them whenever we go out. Laura says it's because I look friendly. I think it's because I am always daydreaming, making up lives for people as I stare at them, and they think I'm inviting them over to chat.

Premise/plot: Joanna Oliva has a choice to make--a big one. She's been followed home from the bar--or she thinks she has. Someone is in pursuit, she can hear his steady footsteps, getting closer, closer. What happens next is quick, fast, and life-changing. He falls--she pushes? Should she flee the scene? stay and help? Report the crime? Or try to cover it up? The novel alternates between her choice(s). One set of chapters is the 'reveal'--what happens when she reports the accident. The other set of chapters is the 'conceal'--what happens when she flees the scene and does not tell anyone about the accident. The facts do differ in the two stories--a bit. Because her choice will have consequences on the guy in question...

The book is told in first person narrative. The readers get to know Joanna's friends and family through both choices...

My thoughts: It is compelling without a doubt. I had to keep reading to figure out which choice--if either--was better or better for her. I don't know that the ending was ultimately satisfying to me. (The two choices lead to the exact same ending as the two Joanna's merge, if you will). But if you are looking for a book that's hard to put down to read in a single weekend, or perhaps even a single sitting, this one may satisfy. It is set in the UK. It's format is unique, I think.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

84. Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone. Benjamin Stevenson. 2022. 384 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I'm not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth, and when I was faced with writing this down, difficult as it is with one hand, I realized that telling the truth was the only way to do it. It sounds obvious, but modern mystery novels forget that sometimes. They've become more about the tricks the author can deploy: what's up their sleeve instead of what's in their hand. 

Preview of my thoughts: I WAS HOOKED by the opening sentences. So onto my library's hold list I went. It took its own sweet time to get into my hands, but it was so worth the wait! I enjoyed this one so much.

Premise/plot: This one is written in first person. Ernest Cunningham is the narrator. He's an author who writes books about how to write books. The novel starts out with him sharing Ronald Knox's 10 Commandments of Detective Fiction. They are as follows:

1. The criminal must be someone mentioned in the early part of the story, but must not be anyone whose thoughts the reader has been allowed to follow.

2. All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course.

3. Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable.

4. No hitherto undiscovered poisons may be used, nor any appliance which will need a long scientific explanation at the end.

5. Author's note: Culturally outdated historical wording redacted. [If you should be curious and want to seek out why Stevenson decided to skip over commandment five.]

6. No accident must ever help the detective, nor must he ever have an unaccountable intuition which proves to be right.

7. The detective must not himself commit the crime.

8. The detective must not light on any clues which are not instantly produced for the inspection of the reader.

9. The stupid friend of the detective, the Watson, must not conceal any thoughts which pass through his mind; his intelligence mus be slightly, very slightly, below that of the average reader.

10. Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we have been duly prepared for them.

The premise of this one is that the Cunningham family is having a reunion at a ski resort (in the middle of a big storm, it turns out). A Cunningham extended-family reunion. The family is not known for getting along; Ernest Cunningham is on the outs with his family for testifying against his brother at his murder trial. But this reunion is set to celebrate his brother, Michael, getting released from prison. But this reunion may just turn deadly...

 This one features plenty of flashbacks as Ernest reveals just how everyone in his family has killed someone....

My thoughts: The narrator won me over. It has DOZENS of twists and turns. Plenty of reveals. And plenty of twists lurking in those reveals. By the end, it's been quite a dance. In case you couldn't tell, this one has a dark sense of humor. But if you enjoy dark/dry humor....then this one has plenty to satisfy. I liked seeing how everything unfolded. 

GoodReads says this is "Ernest Cunninham #1." Could it really be the first in a series??????? Just checked and apparently there is a second book coming called EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT. Squeal!!!! Isn't that a great title!!!!!!

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

63. A Time to Kill

A Time to Kill. (Jake Brigance #1) John Grisham. 1989. 738 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Billy Ray Cobb was the younger and smaller of the two rednecks. 

Premise/plot: Can Jake Brigance, a defense attorney, get his client, Carl Lee Hailey, to be declared not guilty by an all-white jury in Clanton, Mississippi. Carl Lee Hailey's VERY young daughter, Tonya, is gang-raped by two men--two rednecks. They are arrested and charged with the crime, but, Carl Lee Hailey dispenses his own justice--murdering them at the courthouse shortly after their arraignment. The rape AND the murder have turned the town--the county--upside down. People taking sides, feeling strongly on the subject. It also brings the Klan back to the county/town, and things escalate VERY quickly.

This one is packed with violence, with threats, with the n-word. It is an intense read. 

My thoughts: This one is so graphic, so violent, so in-your-face with racism. I knew it involved rape....and murder. I was expecting it to be rough and gritty--if you will. This one is packed with so much ugliness. And warning, you are THROWN right into it. The novel opens with a VIOLENT, disturbing, horrific crime in progress. 

I did find it compelling. I don't know that it was ever a pleasant read. It was almost always disturbing. But I am glad I read it. I'll be watching the movie soon. I may seek out more of his books. 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

60. Wrong Place Wrong Time

Wrong Place Wrong Time. Gillian McAllister. 2022. 402 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Jen is glad of the clocks going back tonight. A gained hour, extra time, to be spent pretending she isn't waiting up for her son.

Premise/plot: What's a mother to do when she witnesses her teenage son murder a stranger (or stranger to you)????? This mother, Jen Goodbrother, somehow, someway, manages to live life BACKWARDS after this traumatic event as she scrambles to prevent the crime that will utterly ruin their lives. This isn't a proper time-loop premise. Jen isn't living the same twelve to twenty-four hours over and over again--a loop. But it does feature Jen experiencing time backwards--falling through time, slipping through time. She'll have unique opportunities to experience her life again--make change after change after change. Her perspective changes day by day as she wrestles with the meaning of it all. These close encounters with her immediate family--her husband, Kelly; her son, Todd; are different seen 'from both sides now.' She's actually getting to live her life with hindsight. But how many days, weeks, months, years, decades must she slip--relive--in order to "fix" or "course correct" the tragic event of that October night???? 

My thoughts: Obviously premise-driven. But it didn't fall short on characterization or action. There's some contemplation and reflection. There's plenty of suspense and action. It perhaps isn't a thriller in the traditional sense or any sense. So don't expect direct danger and gore. (You won't find it). Do expect some mental anguish as a woman wrestles with big questions of how, where, when, why, and what. 

There are alternating chapters. But I won't be spoiling who's doing the narration on those alternate bits. The less you know the better.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

57. All Good People Here

All Good People Here. Ashley Flowers. 2022. 312 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The residents of Wakarusa, Indiana, could spin gossip faster than a spider spins its web. 

Premise/plot: Dual timelines. Multiple murder victims. That is the shortest way to sum up this one.

Margot Davies (our 2019 heroine) is a crime reporter for a newspaper. When she was a child, her next door playmate, January Jacobs, was murdered. Police suspect it was the mom. But there's no conclusive evidence--enough to bring a case--because the crime scene was handled so messily. The murder has haunted her for decades. Haunted the whole town really. Everyone has thoughts, ideas, opinions about the crime. Margot can't help making mental connections between January's tragic death and every other kidnapping/murder case in the surrounding areas. For better or worse, she can't help thinking that January's murderer is still out harming children. She returns to her hometown to care for her uncle with dementia. She arrives around the time of a new kidnapping/murder in a small town just eight or ten miles away. Once again, she's snapped back to January's case. But are the cases connected? Margot goes into full detective mode without thought or consideration to her own safety. 

Krissy Jacobs (our 1994 heroine, though we progress through the years with this one) is January Jacobs' mother. She has MANY, many secrets...but is being a murderer one of them???? 

My thoughts: There are about three thousand red herrings in this murder mystery. For better or worse. I don't know if it's more annoying or less annoying to have so many. Maybe I exaggerate slightly. I do think the author is purposefully trying to trick/fool readers into making wrong guesses with every page or two. And I'm not sure a second reading would work. (Though maybe I'm wrong about that). 

I don't expect mystery novels to automatically be 'clean' in terms of content--language, sex, etc. So don't expect it to be squeaky clean, it isn't.

My first thought is that Margot isn't the brightest amateur detective. In that she puts herself into situations that seem risky--at least to me. She's so determined to tell the whole story and to uncover/discover new facts that will help solve the murder(s), that she doesn't really ever think am I risking myself trying to unmask this murderer? If the murderer is still in town, still living in the midst of us, still active as a serial offender, then am I going to be his NEXT victim?  Is she trusting the wrong people? 

I personally HATED the ending. I don't know how others feel about it. It has two endings--in a way. The epilogue from the murderer...and Margot's ending that comes right before. With that ending, it is almost impossible for me not to have my impression changed...on if it's something I'd recommend.

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2. Magpie Murders

Magpie Murders. Anthony Horowitz. 2016. 477 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: A bottle of wine. A family-sized packet of Nacho Cheese Flavoured Tortilla Chips and a jar of hot salsa dip. A packet of cigarettes on the side (I know, I know). The rain hammering against the windows. And a book. What could have been lovelier? Magpie Murders was number nine in the much-loved and world-bestselling Atticus Pünd series. When I first opened it on that wet August evening, it existed only as a typescript and it would be my job to edit it before it was published. First, I intended to enjoy it.

Premise/plot: Susan Ryeland, our heroine, is an editor. She edits Alan Conway's mysteries. Alan Conway's newest book [and final book] is Magpie Murders. The book opens with an entire book-within-a-book. Readers are reading alongside Susan, the manuscript for a mystery novel. Readers discover along with Susan that THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS are missing from the manuscript in front of her. Soon after she realizes this, news breaks that Alan Conway [the author, if you remember] is DEAD. Susan has mysteries to solve. Where are the missing chapters? In the book, who did it??? who was the murderer??? And in real life, WHY did Conway choose to take his own life???? Or did he??? Was this a set up??? Was he murdered??? Are these two events connected???? Did the murderer [if there was a murderer] take the last chapters of the manuscript??? If so, why????

My thoughts: I watched the television show first. For better or worse. You are probably wondering, ARE THEY THE SAME????? And the answer is there are differences, definitely differences. The book is a thousand times easier to follow. And there are differences in DETAILS and clues as well. Ultimately, who did it in both mysteries is the same. But there are differences in the journey and how everything unfolds. I definitely preferred the book. But the television show prompted me to pick up the book. So it was definitely worth watching for that alone.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

52. Fan Fiction

Fan Fiction. Brent Spiner with Jeanne Darst. 2021. [October] 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: The second worst part of my job is wearing makeup. The worst part is taking it off. The only thing that will cut through my thick mask at the end of a sixteen hour day is a kerosene-based product called Eliminate.

Premise/plot: Fan Fiction is a premise-driven mystery/thriller by Brent Spiner. The what-if premise of this one is simple: What if Brent Spiner received a HORRIFYING and DISTURBING package in the mail by an obsessed fan? What if following that bloody package, he received dozens and dozens of stalker-y threatening letters? 

How would a fan's obsession (or fans' obsession) impact his personal and professional life? As Brent shares these disturbing messages (and objects) with those closest to him--his fellow cast, security, police, the FBI--his life gets a little bit crazy.

Fan Fiction is fueled by fan or super-fan culture. 

I should also mention it is set in 1991.

My thoughts: I called it a mystery-thriller. The book's description calls it a noir comedy. I had to look up the definition of noir to refresh my memory: "crime fiction featuring hard-boiled cynical characters and bleak sleazy settings." Fan Fiction is NOT your typical comedy. Or perhaps it is if your sense of humor never matured? I found it on the crude side. I honestly can't say I laughed once. It could just be me--I wouldn't be surprised if it was--but what is funny about a person (celebrity or not) receiving death threats? Nor did I find it amusing and laugh-out-loud when Spiner was recalling the fear he grew up in because of his step-father.

I do think the text explores various levels of fan obsession and the blurring of lines of what's appropriate (and healthy) and inappropriate (and SCARY).

For me one of the most thought provoking scenes in the novel is when Brent Spiner attends the funeral of Mrs. Spiner. There is a super-super-super-super obsessed fan who goes to the video rental store often to check out Star Trek videos. It is the same store Brent Spiner uses. She calls herself "Mrs. Spiner" and refers to Brent as HER HUSBAND. When something tragic happens he feels compelled to go to her funeral. Every person in attendance only knows her as Mrs. Spiner. No one knows her actual name or anything about her. She has no family, no friends that know her and are honoring her. (She may have family and friends living, but NO ONE knows her real identity and she's not being buried under her real identity).

I don't regret reading this one even though it was a bit more adult and crude than what I usually read. But it's not going to be topping my best books of the year list. Still I liked it.

If I'd known that 1991 was the year he released an album, I would have appreciated the song quotes a bit more.

Quote:

"But we know that she related to something in us! And we related something in her. And you know that she related to good things inside you! Those things that you brought to your character, whether you want to admit that or not. You know that parts of you resonated with parts of her! So we all actually know a lot about her, because we know a lot about ourselves! And those parts of her that we share, those emotions, they are real! No matter what you think!"

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

46. John Eyre

John Eyre. Mimi Matthews. 2021. [August] 312 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: John Eyre stood over the freshly turned heap of earth, his head bent and his gloved hands clasped behind his back. The sun was breaking over the bleak Surrey Hills, a slowly rising rim of molten gold. It burned at the edges of the morning fog that blanketed the valley, pushing back the darkness, but doing nothing at all to alleviate the bone-numbing chill that had settled into his limbs.

Premise/plot: Mimi Matthews' newest book is a retelling of Jane Eyre. But it isn't your traditional retelling; it isn't a light update or a slight remix.

For one thing she reverses the genders of many of the characters. John Eyre is a tutor advertising for a new job, looking for new pupils. Mr. Fairfax contacts him about tutoring TWO wards of a widow woman, a Bertha (Mason) Rochester: two young lads Stephen and Peter. He makes his way to Yorkshire and Thornfield Hall...but his new job holds some surprises for him.

It keeps the historical setting--Victorian England 1840s. But it turns up the horror and thriller aspects by a thousand degrees. All while managing to hold onto the threads of romance.

My thoughts: John Eyre is the third Jane Eyre retelling I've read in the month of May. It is probably the most successful in my opinion. (I am not talking successful in terms of sales--it's not even releases yet--or even others ratings of it--again not released yet--but successful in terms of working for me personally.)

I loved the narrative. It is told from TWO perspectives. The present story is told from the perspective of John Eyre. (Though it is NOT told in first person--either first person past or first person present). Readers experience events as they unfold. Mystery is added in with the second perspective that of Bertha (Mason) Rochester. We come to know her story through LETTERS AND DIARIES. (A very Victorian way to add mystery and suspense and just plain old tell a good story. I can think of a handful of Victorian novels that use multiple narrators and multiple narrative techniques--including letters, diaries, etc.)

I love how the story is woven together. Trust me TWO stories are woven together--quite brilliantly in my opinion. The two stories are both CLASSIC NOVELS. One being Jane Eyre...the other being equally famous, equally dark (if not more so), both Victorian. I will NOT be the one to name names.

I love how she incorporates some of the best bits of Jane Eyre.

“You examine me, Mr. Eyre. Do you find me beautiful?” “No, ma’am.” The reply passed his lips before he’d fully deliberated on it. A feeling of horror followed. Had he just said…? Good lord. If a hole in the floor had opened up at that moment, he’d have gladly jumped into it. “Upon my word, sir, you’re a man of decided opinions. And you don’t cringe from uttering them, for all that you sit there as quiet and contemplative as a man of God.” “I beg your pardon. I ought to have said that questions about appearances are difficult to answer. Tastes differ so widely.” “I’m not to your taste, is that it?” He inwardly groaned. He was making things worse, but couldn’t seem to stop himself. Why couldn’t he have simply admitted to her beauty? He’d thought her beautiful before, hadn’t he? Strangely beautiful. And oddly forbidding.

I would recommend it to readers who love Victorian literature and are up for a good, solid spin on two of the best. 

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

42. The Wife Upstairs

The Wife Upstairs. Rachel Hawkins. 2021. [January] 290 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: It is the absolute shittiest day for a walk. Rain has been pouring down all morning, making my drive from Center Point out here to Mountain Brook a nightmare, soaking the hem of my jeans as I got out of the car in the Reeds’ driveway, making my sneakers squelch on the marble floors of the foyer. But Mrs. Reed is holding her dog Bear’s leash, making a face at me, this frown of exaggerated sympathy that’s supposed to let me know how bad she feels about sending me out in the rain on this Monday morning.

Premise/plot: If Rod Serling and Alfred Hitchcock got together to retell Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, it might look a little something like Rachel Hawkins' The Wife Upstairs.

What should you know going into it? Well, I'd say very little. I'll keep this section to a bare minimum. It's contemporary. Set in Alabama. A psychological thriller.

My thoughts: No doubt about it if I'd read this one in my night-owl days I'd have stayed up all night to read it in one sitting. As it is I had to split it into two readings. I definitely found it engaging and thought-provoking. (These characters stayed on my mind when I wasn't reading the book. I thought about them throughout the day as I was anticipating picking up the book again.)

It isn't strictly just a retelling of Jane Eyre. It's more like Jane Eyre is the jumping off place for a crazy psychological thriller. Crazy mostly in a good way.

One element completely lacking from The Wife Upstairs is what my mom would call the preachiness of Jane Eyre. Gone are all the religious/moral overtones and imagery. I doubt they'd work well in a contemporary novel anyhow.

I think the gothicness of Jane Eyre AND Rebecca combine well with the Southern setting.

It is told from three perspectives: Jane, Bea, and Eddie. (Though Hawkins keeps us waiting until the (very) end for Eddie's perspective). Because it isn't told in alternating chapters--rigidly going from one to the other in a strict pattern--the suspense builds and builds and builds. (In my opinion).

 Did I love it? I wouldn't say love is the right word. Depending on if you look for premise-driven and/or plot-driven books OR if you are mainly a fan of character-driven works. One or two words about the characters, I can't think of a single character (perhaps with the exception of all the dogs) that I'd classify as likeable. In other words, Hawkins isn't all about sympathetic characters that you cheer on and care about.

Is it clean? Not really. I'd say the number one reason it isn't clean is the language--lots of casual cussing. The language is far from ideal if that matters to you. The smut is kept to a bare minimum of description and gets very little page space. So I wasn't horribly bothered by the content.

Would I recommend it to Jane Eyre lovers that don't like psychological thrillers? No. Yes. Maybe.
No. I would not recommend The Wife Upstairs if Jane and Edward are your most favorite romantic couple of all time and one that you revisit a couple times a year. If what you love is the romance of the original--reader, I married him--then you'll probably be disappointed and not even call this a retelling. You might even call it a murder.
Yes. I would recommend if you enjoy the atmosphere of JANE EYRE and REBECCA and DRAGONWYCK. (Dragonwyck is by Anya Seton). This one is all about SUSPENSE, DANGER, MYSTERY, HORROR, THRILLS. If the actual feel-good romance and happily ever after ending was your least favorite part of the original, this one is for you.
Maybe. If you enjoy the original novel a great deal--perhaps even love and adore it--BUT are also open to psychological thrillers and suspense novels in general, then this one may appeal. If you're open to deconstructing and rearranging, then this one may just work well for you.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

32. The Historians

The Historians. Cecilia Ekback. 2021. [January] 464 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Clicking typewriter keys, muttering voices, shrilling phones . . . the barrage of noise in the office was constant. Whenever Laura left work, the echo in her ears made her feel for a while that she had gone deaf. Jacob Wallenberg, Laura’s boss, mentor, and Sweden’s chief negotiator with Germany, walked through the room and they watched him, to see whose desk he would stop at, so they could try to guess the latest twist.

Premise/plot: The Historians is a historical thriller set during the Second World War in Sweden. There are two primary narrators--Laura and Jens. But the book alternates between THREE focuses. (I'm sure that makes NO sense whatsoever. But the third pov isn't really so much one person as one location--a mountain with a mine--with shifting perspectives. In many ways it's a murder mystery, but, there's definitely some suspense/thriller vibes as well. Laura and Jens' lives are in danger almost the whole time as they try to get to the bottom of what's going on.

My thoughts: The Historians is historical FICTION. It flirts with the idea that Nazi Germany wasn't the only ones to do experiments on humans. Jens and Laura are on the hunt to figure out Sweden's secrets--secrets that apparently are costing people their lives if they ask too many questions. I think it is important that readers know this is fiction. 

I liked this one well enough. I did. I found it a compelling enough read. The more the three shifted into one big story the more I liked it. If there was one thing I didn't quite like about this one, it was that the ending just felt a bit too abrupt. Like you've invested hours into the book and then that's the ending?!?! It is definitely an ending with some ambiguity. I don't know if there's enough to make a sequel though. 

I do feel it was a premise-driven book examining how IDEAS and BELIEFS shape people, motivate people, lead to decisions, etc. For better or worse, one of the ideas is related to race and how 'the pure' Scandinavian race is superior to all others that have been tainted by mixing.

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

World at War: Christmas on the Home Front

Christmas on the Home Front. (Land Girls #3) Roland Moore. 2019. 273 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: It was one day before Christmas. And Joyce Fisher wondered whether she would live to see it. This winter-bleak thought wasn’t borne of fatigue from living through so many years of war. It wasn’t even the result of having lost so much along the way. No, Joyce knew, totally rationally, that today was one of those days that can change a life forever; a crossroads in which taking the wrong path could cost everything. She wished with all her heart that it wasn’t the case, that there was some rosy alternative, another path to take. But she couldn’t see any way out of it.

Premise/plot: Roland Moore's Christmas On the Home Front is not a stand-alone read; it's the third book in the series. I have not read the first two books in the Land Girls series. Joyce Fisher, our heroine, is a land girl. She's survived the war so far, despite hardships and stress. But will she survive to see the war end?! Will she live to see the year 1945 welcomed in?!

My thoughts: Christmas On the Home Front is not a cozy mystery, nor a cozy romance. It isn't set in a cozy little village starring dozens of super-eccentric characters that all come together to make the best of things always. If I had to describe this one it would be THRILLER. Thrillers aren't a genre I read all that often. Mysteries, yes. Cozies, often. But THRILLERS, not so much. But once I started reading Christmas on the Home Front I could hardly stop. I'm guessing you won't be able to either.

The good news is that it is fast-paced and intense.

The bad news is that the writing is a bit confusing. It will back track to show you the same exact scene from a different point of view. You might spend several pages--or even chapters--with one character and have time be moving forward. And then be thrown back a few hours, a day even, with the focus on different characters. Eventually the two will collide again--collide may be just the right word. But it has a sloppy feel to it. For the record, I am NOT talking about the prologue. It isn't all that unusual for a book to begin with a dramatic flash-FORWARD. And then have the novel lead you up to that climatic moment in time.

The less you know about the plot specifics, the better. Just allow yourself to be thrown in. Now, I am curious how this one fits in with the other books in the series. Are they equally thriller-esque?

© 2019 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The One

The One. John Marrs. 2018. (2016 UK) 416 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Mandy stared at the photograph on her computer screen and held her breath.

Premise/plot: What if finding "the one" was as simple as taking a DNA test and waiting to be matched with your one and only perfect match? The premise of this one is simple: for the past ten to twelve years, people have been joining Match Your DNA. Some wait weeks to hear back about their match; for others the wait is longer--much longer, YEARS longer. Once your match has been found, you're emailed the results. But, of course, love is a business, and you have to pay for contact information. The One follows the lives of five characters: Mandy, Christopher, Jade, Nick, and Ellie. All have recently got that all-important email. But their results differ.

The One is supposed to eliminate the "prejudices" and "biases" of dating, changing your expectations if you will. You might be matched with a male or female. (The process never once asks you your sexual orientation.) You might be matched with someone (much) older or (much) younger. Your perfect match might be a different religion and live on the opposite side of the world. Your perfect match might be rich or poor. Your perfect match might be married--with or without children--to someone else. Love has no boundaries or limitations. People are using the idea of a "perfect match" to end engagements, end marriages, abandon their children, quit jobs, and/or move around the world. Gone is the idea that love is a choice.

Who should read The One? Those that love HORROR just as much as SOAP OPERAS. It's melodramatic like a soap opera--with some near-graphic sexual scenes--but also GORY. It is not a suspense, in my opinion, because one of the main characters is up-front about being a serial killer. In that character's introductory chapter, readers learn this. And while other characters face dangers of their own, I personally saw most of the twists coming. The stories of these five characters do not really ever connect with one another.

My thoughts: Objectively, I suppose I don't have any problems with The One. The chapters are short; the action is well-paced. The narrators are unique enough that you can easily tell their voices--their stories--apart even if they weren't clearly marked. The characters, if not well-developed, are developed enough. What it lacks in suspense, it makes up for with some twists and turns.

Subjectively, I didn't care for it at all. I didn't realize it was published by Harlequin until I'd already said yes to reviewing it. I usually have a strict policy in terms of "adult" romance and a book's graphic-ness. I was looking for a suspense with plenty of action. But not Harlequin-type action. I also prefer less GORE.

That being said, the narrators alternate chapters. If this one was a book with five novellas, I definitely would have enjoyed some stories more. I preferred the stories of Mandy, Jade, and Ellie. Though there were elements within those stories that I didn't care for completely. And here's the thing: many of these elements weren't really all that necessary to the plot.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Wife Between Us

The Wife Between Us. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. 2018. St. Martin's Press. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: She walks briskly down the city sidewalk, her blond hair bouncing against her shoulders, her cheeks flushed, a gym bag looped over her forearm. When she reaches her apartment building, her hand dips into her purse and pulls out her keys. The street is loud and busy, with yellow cabs racing by, commuters returning from work, and shoppers entering the deli on the corner. But my eyes never stray from her.

Premise/plot: Who knew that reading Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green would ultimately help me to review The Wife Between Us?! Shari Green has her character, Macy, thinking:

Why do we think
we can know anything about a person
by how they look
what they can do
what life is like for them now?
Because it turns out
we really can't.
The only way to know that stuff
is if someone
tells you the story.

Which, in my opinion, is a perfect spoiler-free description of the premise/plot of The Wife Between Us. 

My thoughts: Have you ever judged a book by its cover? Be honest. To judge a person--a book--by appearances, by what we think we know--by what we're so sure we know--can be a dangerous thing indeed.

I read The Wife Between Us in three days. In a perfect, perfect world, I would have finished in just one. If I'd ignored eating, sleeping, and other people. (I'm much too fond of all the above these days.) Yet I want to stress that this is a compelling read.

The Wife Between Us is a rare read indeed. Let me explain--or try to explain. To those seeking a thriller, a plot-driven thriller with twists and turns, I can honestly say that The Wife Between Us satisfies. Readers meet a woman--an emotionally distraught woman--and follow her through the darkness, into the darkness, and perhaps out of the darkness too. (Or I could be trying to trick you.) Through this woman's story readers get to know Richard and "the replacement." (One woman is getting replaced by another. One woman has been cast aside. Another has been chosen as the perfect wife.) It's all about the suspense and drama. Who wronged who. Who's telling the truth. Who's lying. Is it a matter of life and death? To those seeking a character-driven novel that is complex and thought-provoking, The Wife Between Us more than satisfies. I can honestly say that to me more than anything it's the CHARACTERS that stand out as unforgettable. It's a rare read because it's both.

I loved the characterization. I loved that the characters lived. I loved the brokenness and vulnerability. I loved the fragility of everything. I loved the writing. There was never a place you "wanted" to stop reading. Because the moment you read the opening sentence of the next chapter, you needed to keep going.

I loved that it would pair so well with many classics I've read and loved in the past. Jane Eyre. Rebecca. To name just two.

I think this could easily be a great movie. But would a movie trailer spoil it all?! Probably. There are three trailers for the book. One. Two. Three.

One of my favorite quotes:

In my marriage, there were three truths, three alternate and sometimes competing realities. There was Richard’s truth. There was my truth. And there was the actual truth, which is always the most elusive to recognize. This could be the case in every relationship, that we think we’ve entered into a union with another person when, in fact, we’ve formed a triangle with one point anchored by a silent but all-seeing judge, the arbiter of reality.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews