Darkrooms by Rebecca Hannigan

My son has started taking a "ninja warrior" type class. As much as I try to read manuscripts for edits while I'm waiting, I find it's very hard to turn my editing brain on. And so I often turn to audiobooks!

Roisin O'Halloran went missing decades ago. Her best friend left town shortly thereafter and Roisin's sister has always wondered if she told the truth about what happened that day. The body was never found. 

All grown up, Roisin's sister, Deedee is a cop with a growing drinking problem. She should be happy. She has the man she's always dreamed of, she has a good job...but the mystery surrounding her sister's fate still haunts her. 

Caitlin, on the other hand, has become a criminal. Petty crimes, mostly. Opportunities to pretend to be someone else seem to be the bigger appeal. But when her mother dies, she's forced to return to the home she left so long ago.

As the two women are thrown together once again, they clash on every level. They each harbor animosity for various reasons. They're each suspicious of one another. And rightly so, because they're each hiding their own secrets. 

And yet, if either of them are to move forward, they'll have to work together to reveal the truth behind the events of so many years ago. 

If you enjoy reads with complex, bordering on unlikable characters, Darkrooms is great! 

This is another that I alternated between audio and physical. Clare Harte does a wonderful job as the narrator, so I highly recommend the audio if that's your preferred format!

This is a book about a cold case, a current case, and highly damaged people looking for connection and closure. 

I'm a sucker for a good cold case. I'm also a sucker for a book that leans into local legend and folklore. This is a little lighter in that regard, very much along the lines of the Australian Netflix show Playing Gracie Darling. 

I also have no issue with unlikable characters. In fact, when an author is able to create those characters, as Hannigan does here, while also building enough of their story to make the reader understand WHY they are the way they are, I appreciate it even more. 

Consider buying a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop.org!

(I received this book as an ARC with no promise or guarantee of a review, good or bad. This review is solely my opinion.)

Innamorata by Eva Reid

Hiya! Long time, no blog! I have been reading LOTS of client projects, all of which I want to share as they're getting closer to release.

Last week we traveled for spring break and my sister's wedding and I decided to bring this big honking chonker with me. 

In a land once beset by ghoulish creatures, a soldier from another land arrived and vanquished the enemy. He then crowned himself king and ensured that no knowledge of resurrecting these entities would ever remain. Further to that, the bodies of the dead are ritualistically disposed of in a manner to support this. 

Through all of this Agnes and her cousin, Marozia, have been trained as heirs to the house of teeth. Agnes has been taught the secret ways and prepared to do everything possible to bring back the old ways. Aiding in this effort is the beautiful Marozia, who is to be married off to the king's only heir thereby distracting him and giving Agnes access to the stronghold where they suspect secret knowledge might be held. 

But nothing goes according to plan. 

This is the first in a grim dark duology with wonderful world building and lush writing. It's not for everyone--in fact, it's definitely a better fit for fans of darker fiction. 

I would be remiss by not mentioning that it was the discourse that surrounded this book that forced my hand. I had seen an ARC and assumed it would be too romance-y for my own taste. Which is a shame because there are likely other books being marketed at the romantasy fan base that would likely appeal to me as well. 

But that's beside the point. In this particular case, clearly the book's marketing just didn't quite hit the right readers. 

This isn't a romance! Yes, there is a romance subplot. I have thoughts about it! I'll have to see how it all plays out in book two, though. 

For now, I want to point out that:

1. Yes, this is a dark read. There's abuse, there's cannibalism, there's worse. I don't think that any of it is particularly unnecessary to the overall plot but if you're a cozy romantasy fan, this isn't the book for you.

2. It's the first in a duology and the end is very cliffhanger-y! You will not get a resolution from just the one. 

3. BUT the story that Innamorata sets up for the second book is a DOOZY! Whoooo buddy!

Honestly, if you're a fan of Game of Thrones, this is probably a better fit for you than some of the recent lighter fantasy. 

The world building is great. The writing is affecting! There were times when I did feel that the story could have been tightened up or simplified to get to the point. But again, I'll grant leeway in assuming it's setting up threads that will play out in book two. 

If you're wondering—I left my copy behind for my sister, this weekend's bride, to read. So yeah, I'd recommend it and I absolutely will be waiting with bated breath for the second installment. In the meantime, I have some Ava Reid backlist to tide me over!

Side note: I did listen to quite a bit of this one on audio. It's narrated by Moniqua Plante, who does a truly fantastic job!

Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop.org!

(I received this book as an ARC with no promise or guarantee of a review, good or bad. This review is solely my opinion.)

The Nancys and the Case of the Missing Necklace by R.W.R McDonald

Happy Turkey Day! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things Tour for R.W.R. McDonald's The Nancys and the Case of the Missing Necklace. 

Tippy's mom has won tickets to a cruise, leaving the eleven-year-old under the charge of her Uncle Pike and his boyfriend Devon. 

On the same day her mom leaves, Tippy's friend/boyfriend ends up in the hospital, comatose after falling from a bridge. But what was he doing there? And what did his last message to Tippy and their friend Sam mean?

But in the wake of what seems like an accident, one of Tippy's own teachers is murdered: the body discovered without its head. A lifelong lover of Nancy Drew, something passed down from Uncle Pike himself, Tippy decides it's time to do some investigating of her own. But being a real life Nancy Drew is far more dangerous than it seems in the books!

R.W.R. McDonald has created a nostalgic and fun cozy-ish mystery perfect for anyone who ever adored Nancy Drew themselves!

The Nancys and the Case of the Missing Necklace is a quirky mystery set in a quirky town with a truly quirky cast of characters. It's also the first in a series.

This was a delight to read! Heart warming and enough of that cozy feel perfect for sitting inside snuggled in blankets with a warm cup of of tea. But there's a bit of a mean and gritty edge to it as well. Just enough to satisfy my own usual craving for darker reads. 

This one is out from the good folks at Orenda now in the UK and will be out in the States in the new year.

Huge thanks to Random Things for having me on the tour! 

The Winter Job by Antti Tuomainen

Happy Wednesday! The week is halfway over. Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Antti Tuomainen's latest, The Winter Job. 

All Ilmari Nieminen wants to to buy his daughter a piano for Christmas. With six days to go, his wages as a postal worker in 1982 Helsinki aren't near enough to make the purchase. So he takes a small, last-minute gig, requiring him to take time off from his job, transporting an antique couch across Finland. 

But Ilmari isn't the only one with eyes on this job or this couch. He's being tracked by a Saab and a Lada and the people inside each have their own agendas. 

Ilmari's own vehicle has issues from the start and a fortuitous stop to tackle some repairs not only helps him elude his followers (unbeknownst to him) but also puts him in the path of a friend from long ago who joins him on his journey. 

Antti is known for his humor and heart. There's a reason Steve Carrell is attached to an adaptation of his work Rabbit Factory.

The Winter Job continues that tradition in what is essentially a buddy road trip crime novel. 

Poor Ilmari is so bright eyed and full of hope. The reader wants him to succeed because his motivations are pure: to please his daughter in the wake of his divorce. But he has no money. It's all going to child support and rent. Which is why the job of transporting a couch is impossible to resist. 

 But this isn't an ordinary job from the start. The antique dealer responsible for passing over the couch (and securing the van Ilmari will be using) is only out for himself and tries to trick Ilmari. And the job only fell into Ilmari's lap because the first guy got sick. Ilmari has no idea what is so special about this couch. He has no idea he's being tracked. And he has no idea the lengths the others will go to in order to take it all for themselves. 

Meanwhile, he's thrown into a confrontation with an old friend that's been years in the making as the two men travel cross country. Needless to say, in Tuomainen style, hijinks ensue well beyond just faulty windshield wipers and crazy old aunts. 

This is a perfect addition to Tuomainen's growing list of titles. A great starting place for readers who are new to his work as well.

(This would be a great holiday crime movie, to anyone out there with the power to make it happen!)

Huge thanks to Random Things and Orenda for having me on the tour today!

Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson Anniversary Edition

Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for the 10th anniversary edition of Ragnar Jonasson's Snowblind!

Ari Thorne is fresh out of the academy when he's sent to the isolated town of Siglufjörður. It means leaving his girlfriend behind in Reykjavik. It also means settling into a village that has just one point of entry: a tunnel. And in storms and bad weather, even that is cut off. A call about an intruder leads Ari into a web of intertwined cases that illustrate just how much can be hiding even in the most idyllic situations. 

But first, readers are treated to Fadeout. See, Snowblind isn't Ari's introduction. Fadeout finds the theology student searching for his missing father!

It's amazing to me that Snowblind has been out for over a decade now (ten years in English). It kicked off the Nordic Noir sub genre, as it is today. 

And sure, it wasn't the first to be translated to English. It wasn't THE FIRST of the subgenre. But it absolutely can be argued as one of the first that really got international readers to pay attention.

And Snowblind boasts some of the best hallmarks of Nordic Noir: a small, isolated village; insular culture; a whodunit where anyone could be the killer; and a detective new on the job looking for respite in a small town and getting anything but that!

I actually came to the Dark Iceland series after Hidden Iceland trilogy (now adapted for tv). I've been a fan of the author's work ever since. And in truth, the subgenre has got me through 2020 when I had such a hard time concentrating on reading. 

If you've never read Jonasson, this is your chance! Find out what all the fuss is about (trust me, you'll love it!).

Huge thanks to Orenda and Random Things for having me on the tour!

Darker Days by Thomas Old Heuvelt

Good morning! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Thomas Old Heuvelt's Darker Days!

Bird Street might seem like the perfect neighborhood. The kids are talented--prodigies event, the families seem perfect...but all is not as it seems on this idyllic street. See the residents made a deal. A deal that requires a death. A deal that turns their lives into nightmares every November. A deal that begs the question, is it worth it?

Ha! So first off, I love Thomas Old Heuvelt. His ability to dig into the meat of human fears, human feelings as a whole, is something that sticks with me every time I read his work. 

Second, I don't trust anyone on Bird Street! At least not the adults.

It's a street made up of just five houses. Five families. And the kids are affected the most by the deal these families have made. Because in November they go feral. I don't have a better way to describe it. We know from the start that the kids go on lockdown after Halloween. We know at least one has been hospitalized in recent years. And we know that this behavior is not the norm for these kids. 

We also know they're aware of it and they're exceptionally privileged the rest of the year!

It's not giving too much away to say this is a play on Faust. It's in the description. And yet it's not limited to just one person. It's the whole street. Five households colluding to manipulate fate or whatever may be in order to prosper and get their way. At the risk of everyone around them. See, I don't trust them! Because people willing to make deals with the devil...well, you'll find out what kind of people they are when you read. 

I loved Darker Days. It's told in part from the kids' perspectives, which gives it a shadow of coming-of-age feel, something I very much appreciate. And it balances out the adults' perspectives as well, giving the reader a chance to see who's really getting the short end of the stick. 

I don't want to spoil it in any way though. If you like horror about the human condition you should definitely pick this one up. And if this is your introduction to Thomas Old Heuvelt then congrats! You have a fun ride ahead of you!

Huge thanks to Random Things and PRH UK for having me on the tour!

Darker Days is out now in the UK and will be out shortly in the US.   

Lay Your Armour Down by Michael Farris Smith

Ah! Two posts in a row! Today I'm part of the Random Things tour for Michael Farris Smith's latest, Lay Your Armour Down. 

Keal and Burden have been hired for a job. Sent to a church in a small Mississippi town and told to pick up something—they'd know it when they saw it. 

Cara calls this small town home, for now. She's taken it upon herself to check in regularly on her elderly neighbor. But today the woman is worse: raccoons in her kitchen, scratched up feet and legs, and rolls of cash from who knows where. And this is how she crosses paths with Keal and Burden. 

With a quiet young girl in tow, the three adults come together in a way only chance or fate can manipulate.

I've a confession: I haven't read Michael Farris Smith before. But this one was included in the Pandi pack (a subscription box from Pandi Press), so I jumped at the chance to be on the tour. 

The writing really is trimmed of all unnecessary aspects. It's tight and spare but conveys so much both in the words and between the lines. It's an artful approach, similar to watching a quiet film where the actors convey much of the story through purposeful looks and expression. Lay Your Armour Down is that, in prose. 

Three people at very different stages of their lives but all rudderless and looking for...something. Keal is drawn into the job by Burdean, who's hired by a sinister and nameless man. Details are scarce, making the scene they arrive to even more shocking. 

It's clear throughout that these characters are brought together by a seemingly random series of events. Right place—or wrong place, etc. And while the reader may quickly have theories about where the story is headed, I promise it's not so straightforward. 

I quite enjoyed this pared down but densely told story. It might seem simple, but what the author has accomplished in getting a story like this across with probably half the number of words any other author would use is a sign of true talent! Desperation and loneliness bleed through the pages along with an underlying sense of hope. Of relying on life or fate or what have you to get you where you need to be when you need to be there. This is Southern gothic of the highest order and I'm doing my best not to include spoilers :)

If you're looking for a thought provoking read perfect for sipping iced tea and rocking on your porch, this is it!

Lay Your Armour Down is out now in both the UK and the US!