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The Woman in the Window
The Woman in the Window
A.J. Finn | 2018 | Thriller
10
8.0 (42 Ratings)
Book Rating
Did that really happen?
Dr. Anna Fox has been in her house for the past ten months. After an accident involving her husband, daughter and herself, she became agoraphobic. She now spends her days staring out of her windows, spying on her neighbors and keeping up with all the comings and goings of the neighborhood. When a new family moves in across the park from her, she is immediately drawn to the mother and the son, a single child family like her own. They come over to introduce themselves and she feels an instant connection. But then Anna thinks she sees a crime being committed at the neighbors house. Did she really see something or is the combination of medications and alcohol blurring the lines of reality and fantasy? Will the authorities believe her or will they believe the family and the rest of the neighborhood that Dr. Fox is just a crazy, drunk, cooped up lady.

So many people I know have read and enjoyed this book. I loved it, it was so hard to put down. I was totally shocked by the twists and turns that this book dished out.

At first I was rooting for Anna. This poor lady devastated by the accident and her family leaving her because of it. I wanted her to be able to leave her house and live her life and have the opportunity to be with her husband and daughter again. Instead, she spends her days chatting with other agoraphobes and providing council to them, playing chess online and drinking lots of red wine while watching old movies.

When Anna's secrets are revealed I'm not sure if I felt sorry for her or was upset with myself for being on her side. I think this is a book all thriller fans will enjoy. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it.
  
The Last House Guest
The Last House Guest
Megan Miranda | 2019 | Mystery, Thriller
7
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A stand-alone, slow-burn thriller by author of All the Missing Girls
‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

I discovered Megan Miranda a few months after her 2016 novel, All the Missing Girls, was published. Her latest, The Last House Guest, is the 3rd novel I read by her.

This slow-burn thriller is a story of a small, summer vacation town with a definite line dividing the haves and have nots with one exception, Avery Greer. Sadie Loman who only has to say who her family is and doors are opened and police look the other way befriends Avery. For a decade, they are inseparable each summer - until Sadie is found dead.

While it took a long time for me to get into the book, I am glad I kept reading. Told from Avery's point of view, using flashbacks, we are shown the summer of and the summer following Sadie's death.

Miranda is known for creating a small town with a lot of secrets. The Last House Guest is no exception. The characters are not what they first seem to be. She peppers her story with small details that can help you figure out secrets and the big reveal right before the characters.

According to Goodreads, we can expect to see more from Megan Miranda. I cannot wait!

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/22/19.
  
The Secret Admirer (Detective Natalie Ward Book 6)
The Secret Admirer (Detective Natalie Ward Book 6)
Carol Wyer | 2020 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
6th book in the series. Read the other 1st. Worth it.
‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

The Secret Admirer is the 6th book in Carol Wyer's Detective Natalie Ward series. I enjoyed books 1 - 4 and was surprised to learn I had missed the 5th, The Blossom Twins. I read it before beginning this and I am so glad I did.

Detective Natalie Ward is immediately thrust into a case after she returns to work. A student is found dead from an acid attack. As Ward has learned, everyone has secrets. Now, she has to uncover the secrets surrounding Gemma and her murder.

All of the books in the series focus on a crime and the police team's interactions with each other and with their home life. This book continues the storyline well. Ward's family, the team and their families continue to be a large presence in the story.

Often, I will say you could start the series with the current book but you would not understand the characters as well. This is true here but Wyer brings the characters to life in such a way it feels she is writing about real people. I strongly encourage you to read the whole series and start at the beginning. You will be in for a great read.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 4/2/2020.
  
VI
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Luna and Cayetano are doing well, finally coming to terns with all she uncovered in "Valencian Soil." However, now there's a new issue surrounding them: There are other bodies buried at Escondrijo besides those of their relatives. What should they do? Cayetano wants Luna to let it go and give them so peace, seeing as they are to be married soon, but she can't just leave these people here, knowing how she felt looking for her grandfather. Also, Cayetano's family starts to come down on her based on her previous exploits, and Jose especially seems like he has a few secrets to hide. Will Luna be able to cope with this, as well as a multitude of other things thrown her way over the course of this story?

We've picked up right where we left off in "Valencian Soil," and the story flows just as well from first to second installment. This time, instead of regressing back to the 30s, we go back to 1957, a time when Jose was an officer with big aspirations of one day having a farm for his family. To get there, he has to make some rough decisions, and those choices and actions drastically change his life. It coincides perfectly with Luna's discovery at Escondrijo, and the reader knows how it all ties together and go along with Luna and Jose as they butt heads over her choices. Will he ever accept Luna as part of his family? Will any of them, or will she be doomed to live as the outcast foreigner forever?

4 1/2 stars