The Broken Room by Peter Clines

Hector was minding his own business, working his way to the bottom of a bottle as per usual, when Natalie showed up. She said Tim sent her. Problem is, Tim has been dead for quite some time. And apparently he's talking to Natalie. But dead or not, Hector owes Tim.

When Natalie reveals she's been part of the Project, Hector knows he's in for trouble. Everyone in his line of business has heard of the Project but no one knows exactly what it is. That Natalie escaped at all is an insane prospect. That she was helped by a dead agent who continues to guide her, is almost more than Hector can believe. 

But when agents start tracking them, willing to do anything it takes to retrieve Natalie, Hector knows he has to help her. 

I love Peter Clines! I first discovered him with Ex-Heroes, the first in his fantastic series that pit super heroes against zombies, and I have been a die hard fan ever since. So The Broken was already on my must read list. And then one of my other favorite authors, Scott Sigler, blurbed the book calling it "The Professional meets Stranger Things..." and I was sold all over again!

And really, that is the most appropriate comp/description you can give this book!

Hector is retired. Not officially, because in his line of work officially retired basically means dead. But he lives off the grid, ready to disappear at the drop of a hat. And all he really does with his day is drink himself into oblivion. 

In spite of that, he's still very good at his job. And Natalie needs someone at their best. 

The girl is about twelve and as she reveals her story, it turns out she's been through more than any twelve year old should ever have to go through. And that was before she was recruited into the Project. 

Hector wants to protect her, but Natalie and Tim have other ideas. And as Hector and Natalie spend more time together, it quickly becomes clear to Hector that he has to help her any way he can. And that means infiltrating the Project itself. 

This book is weird and excellent! It's everything I wanted out of a new Peter Clines read and so much more! It's cinematic in scope, it's excellently plotted, and the pacing is phenomenal. And it really is The Professional meets Stranger Things!

Highly, highly, highly recommended!

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The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

When Eve was just twelve years old, her family was brutally murdered by a man the media had dubbed "The Nothing Man." 

They called him that because he never left behind any evidence. And his crimes had escalated from serial attacks to murder by the time he targeted Eve's family. 

Years later, Eve has resurfaced as the author of a true crime book about The Nothing Man. 

Jim Doyle knew he shouldn't have let Eve live. And as he reads about his own exploits, he becomes determined to fix his mistake. 

For anyone who's read The Nothing Man, it's no surprise to find that Catherine Ryan Howard was heavily influenced by Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark. This was a book that, although I don't read much true crime, captivated me. McNamara's mission to finally bring the Golden State Killer to justice was a passion that even she said was an obsession. Sadly she passed away before the book was published and the killer was finally caught. And I wonder to this day what else she could have accomplished had she not died at such a tragically early age. 

But anyway! 

In The Nothing Man Catherine Ryan Howard imagines a scenario in which the survivor of a serial killer pens a book about her experience. And the murderer is reading the book as the story unfolds. 

The structure is interesting because it alternates between Jim's narrative and the book within the book. So Eve's story is just that, the fictional true crime book that spurs Jim on. This approach controls the pacing of the book, forcing the reader to read alongside the killer. And just as you're starting to sink into one or the other parts of the tale, you're ripped out of it and dropped into the other. 

I don't mean it to sound violent :) In actuality, I found that this worked quite well for the story. We know Jim is the killer all along. And in his narrative we see him start to deteriorate as he reads more and more of Eve's book. 

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. I'd meant to read it last year when it came out, but...life. And so when a buddy read opportunity popped up over on Instagram, I decided it was past time! In fact, I ended up reading it back to back with the author's latest release 56 Days and now can't wait to go back and read the rest of her backlist!

With all the talk about supply chain issues (yay for even more Covid fallout), there's a push for shopping early and suggestions for shopping backlist. With that in mind, this is a perfect book for anyone who was also drawn into the Golden State Killer news, I'll Be Gone In the Dark, and (another one I read but still need to review) Savage Appetites by Rachel Monroe. 

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56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

Happy book birthday week to Catherine Ryan Howard whose latest, 56 Days, released this week from Blackstone!

56 days ago, Ciara and Oliver struck up a conversation outside of the store. They went to coffee, scheduled a date, then another...

It was the beginning of something. 

But then, thanks to Covid, everything shut down. With rules that would prevent them from seeing one another—and seeing where this new budding relationship might go—they decided to move in together and ride out the lockdown as a pair. 

Not even two months later, though, one of them is dead. 

It was the smell that prompted the call to the police. And now, amidst a global pandemic, the investigators must determine exactly what happened. 

The Covid times have sucked. And I am definitely one of those people who doesn't want any reminder of it all. And yet, this is admittedly the kind of premise that I will make an exception for. Because it is a premise that fits, without question, with those early days. 

What would happen if you met someone you liked just days before the shutdown? Most places had restrictions that limited interaction to those within your household. I, fortunately, have a family of my own. But there are plenty of people who have been alone. And I can absolutely see craving a connection so badly that you would rush into something in order to have that connection during such an awful time. 

But that's not all that's going on here!

Oliver wants a chance to build a relationship with Ciara without outside influence! 

I really loved Ciara and Oliver—and Lee as well. The story plays out in such a way that the reader is almost continuously having to revise their notions about exactly who these characters are and what motivates them (except Lee, she's a detective and her motivations are clear from the beginning). 

Chapters alternate between in timeline, bouncing between Ciara and Oliver's meeting, their moving in together, the investigation, and even prior to their meeting as the plot unfolds. And POVs switch between Ciara, Oliver, and Lee. And it's done in such a way that it doesn't hamper the pacing at all! Which I also LOVE!

56 Days won't be for everyone simply by way of it being set in the early Covid days. But if you're intrigued by the premise, as I was, you'll love this latest from Catherine Ryan Howard. I'm pretty excited to dive into her backlist now that I've met her work :)

Order a copy from your favorite indie via Bookshop!