Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight

Hi, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Kimberly McCreight's latest, Where They Found Her.

Molly Anderson doesn't normally cover front-page news and certainly not the crime beat. She's an arts writer for the local Ridgedale Reader, but when the regulars are out of pocket she's tasked with covering a truly disturbing headline. Early one morning, the body of a deceased infant is found on university property, the cause of death and the exact timeline are uncertain thanks to recent weather. Molly wants to prove herself as a journalist, but her own recent loss makes this a particularly tough assignment. Though the authorities are seemingly helpful, sharing information and taking the time to answer questions for the "local" media, the case is considered to be a pretty limited matter. But Molly's research quickly uncovers a deeper issue in Ridgedale's local crime - a series of unsolved sexual assaults linked to the campus. Whether the crimes are connected remains to be seen, but emotions are running high and the citizens of Ridgedale are demanding answers. 

Where They Found Her is not an easy book to sum up but as with her debut, Reconstructing Amelia, McCreight grabs hold of the reader from page one! The discovery of a dead baby is a pretty tense way to begin any tale, but when you throw in a leading lady with emotional issues, a missing woman, a couple of problem teens, and a bevy of secrets just begging to become local gossip, you've got a sure fire recipe for a winning suspense read.

The book does grind to a screeching halt at the end. As happens occasionally, the resolution doesn't quite live up to the build. The various threads of the story are all resolved, but a bit too quickly and neatly for my taste considering how dark and messy those threads are to begin with. Honestly, though, the ride is so intense that I didn't find the soft end of the last few pages to be that much of a let down. Where They Found Her is still a fine second release for McCreight and yet another read you won't want to put down until you've turned the final page.

Rating: 4/5

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on Kimberly McCreight and her work, you can visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm on the TLC blog tour for Kimberly McCreight's debut, Reconstructing Amelia.

Lawyer Kate Baron was late picking up her daughter. 

In the midst of a big meeting, Kate is called with the news that her daughter, Amelia, has been suspended, effective immediately. The news comes as a shock considering Amelia has always been a good kid. The reason behind the suspension is even more jarring for Kate: apparently Amelia was caught cheating. When Kate finally arrives, Amelia is dead. The police ruled it a suicide but weeks later Kate receives a text reading: Amelia didn't jump.

I stayed up LATE finishing this one! It's the first time in a long time that I've been able to delay passing out long enough to finish a book. And it was totally necessary! From the very start, Reconstructing Amelia grabs you and doesn't let go. I wish I could think of a better word than "gripping," but the book is just that, gripping.

The story alternates between Kate, present day, Amelia in the days leading up to her death, and Amelia's text conversations, and facebook posts. Interspersed throughout are flashbacks to Kate's actual pregnancy with Amelia and posts from the gRaCeFULLY blog, an unofficial and anonymous gossip blog focused on the students at Grace Hall.

The secrets that Kate learns about Amelia are the kind no parent wants to hear. Amelia is a good kid and Kate does her best as a mother, but her job and its demanding hours mean that Amelia spends a lot of time alone, which is exactly what leaves her prey to the events in the book.

I don't want to give too much away, so I'll leave it at that. This is an excellent thriller in the vein of Laura Lippman (for reasons that I can't really explain other than the fact that it involves high school girls, I thought Reconstructing Amelia reminded me a bit of Lippman's To the Power of Three). Definitely recommended. Note some folks have mentioned the issues discussed in the book and while they are certainly timely and terrible, it only made Reconstructing Amelia that much more of an intense read for me. It's strange to say that I enjoyed it but, quite frankly, this was truly a great read!

To see what others thought, check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on Kimberly McCreight, visit her official website here. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Rating: 5/5