The Return
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A group of friends reunite after one of them has returned from a mysterious two-year disappearance...
On Borrowed Time
9.5
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Loving a good cup of coffee runs in the family for Briar Creek library director Lindsey Norris. But...
Pretty Little Liars
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As time has passed since Alison, then the queen bee of the bunch, went missing. Spencer, Aria, Hanna...
The Center of the Universe
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Grace Carter's mother --- the celebrity news anchor GG Carter --- is everything Grace is not. GG is...
On Wings of Silence: Mexico '68
10.0
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Master story-teller and poet Dede Fox offers readers this remarkable novel in verse. It is the story...
Mexico Historical fiction On Wings of Silence Mexico '68 Dede Fox novel in verse
What You Did (Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Book 2)
7.0
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Former FBI-profiler, Eva Rae Thomas, faces the most personal case in her career, as bestselling...
romance mystery police procedural Willow Rose series thriller
The Whisper Man
7.6
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After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde in Books
May 21, 2022
Book
The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde
By Eve Chase
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When four sisters arrive at Applecote Manor to spend the summer, all is clearly not well.
They find their aunt and uncle still reeling from the disappearance of their only daughter, five years before. No one seems any closer to finding out the truth.
Why did Audrey vanish? Who is keeping her fate secret?
As the sisters are lured into the mystery of their missing cousin, the stifling summer takes a shocking, deadly turn.
One which will leave blood on their hands, and put another girl in danger decades later . . .
______
This was good! So well written and such a sad story I love the setting just on the turn from 50s to 60s. I liked how it all tied together at the end and the characters got some closure. I’d definitely read more from this author.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Infinity Chronicles: Book 2 in Books
Mar 2, 2024
Kindle
Infinity Chronicles:Book 2
By Albany Walker
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m learning to accept that my entire life has been a lie, and that with my mother’s disappearance there are mysteries I may never uncover. Not to mention, my abilities are manifesting and I’m just beginning to understand what being part of an Infinity really means.
As my relationship with each guy grows, so does the Infinity bond between us. Living with four moody guys—who give me butterflies with a simple look—can be slightly overwhelming. Still, I need answers, and moving forward is the only way to get them.
But there is a problem—each revelation provokes new questions, and secrets I may not be ready for are rising to the surface.
I found myself enjoying this a lot more than the first book. We had a lot more interest and a bit more story development. The characters were rounding out and coming into their own.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated My Side of the Diamond in Books
Sep 16, 2017
My Side of the Diamond is the latest novel by British author Sally Gardner. Employing the use of science fiction, Gardner explores the concept of love in a unique tale of a covered up alien invasion. The main characters are unfortunately caught up in the drama; however, no one will ever believe their story.
Jazmin Little’s best friend, Becky, has disappeared. Some say she was murdered, others claim she committed suicide, but what everyone agrees on is that she jumped from the top of the Shard in London, but never landed. Jazmin knows what happened but the authorities have torn her witness statement to shreds. Now everyone believes that she is the cause of Becky’s disappearance.
The reader plays an active role as the mysterious Mr. Jones who is interviewing a handful of characters involved with the mystery surrounding Becky’s fate. Jazmin and the others tell the reader, as Mr. Jones, the truth about the lead-up to the moment their lives changed forever. Jazmin explains the events that preceded Becky becoming infatuated with the enigmatic Icarus. From their first meeting, bizarre and frightening things began to occur. From Becky’s sudden recovery from anorexia as though she had just had an epiphany, to being chased by an impossible monster, the friends and their relatives are suddenly in serious danger.
Icarus claims to be an alien who has come to Earth to learn about love. Becky instantly believed him, however, Jazmin and the others remained sceptical. As they open up to Mr. Jones, they wish they could go back in time and change the way things panned out. In hindsight, they know who was good and who was bad, but at the time, it was impossible to know whom to trust.
Although the main story focuses on the relationship between Becky and Icarus and their resulting disappearance, Gardner also explores themes of social classes and friendship. Jazmin and Becky were polar opposite: Becky came from a family made of money, whereas Jazmin was lucky to have a can of baked beans for dinner. Despite this, they were best friends who did not let their backgrounds interfere with their relationship. The significance of their social class comes to light as Jazmin explains what happened at the trial after Becky’s disappearance. Being from such a low caste, it was easy for everyone to pin the blame on Jazmin.
The concept behind My Side of the Diamond is interesting, as is the method of narrating the story, however, it lacks any emotional connection. Mr. Jones, although having no dialogue of his own, comes across as an impassive character, and that is how I felt whilst reading the book. None of the characters were particularly relatable and it was difficult to care about what happened to them. Their circumstances were creepy, but also far-fetched and hard to comprehend.
Although Sally Gardner’s ideas are good, My Side of the Diamond is a disappointment, especially coming from a prize-winning author