Forensic/medical mystery/thrillers
Kathy Reichs (Temperance Brennan series, Bones TV series) Patricia Cornwell (Kay Scarpetta series) Iris Johansen (Eve Duncan series) Robin Cook Stephen White (Alan Gregory series) Jefferson Bass (Body Farm series)
Boarding School
It’s Back to (Boarding) School Time! (August 2019 blog post) The Broken Girls by Simone St. James This page-turner is a supernatural mystery thriller with two horrifying story lines. A journalist who’s obsessed with her sister’s murder on the grounds of an abandoned boarding school uncovers a reason to look into the school’s past. And,… Read More Boarding School
Cultural Literary Fiction
Japan Arthur Golden. Memoirs of a Geisha Lisa See. Snowflower and the Secret Fan Asha Lemmie. Fifty Words for Rain Julie Otsuka. The Buddha in the Attic China
When All Is Said by Anne Griffin
Anne Griffin somehow manages to give perfect voice to an 84-year-old Irish codger, still grieving the death of his wife two years ago and taking a good, hard look at his life before he moves out of his home and into the next phase of his life. In each section, Maurice toasts five influential people… Read More When All Is Said by Anne Griffin
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
In 2014, journalist Fiona Sheridan finds out that an elderly woman plans to re-open the long-abandoned boarding school where the body of Fiona’s sister was found 20 years ago. In 1950, the school was where “troubled” girls were sent. Four roommates from very different backgrounds form a friendship in the strict, dreary school. When one… Read More The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
Final Girls by Riley Sager
Quincy seems to be fine, years after she was the only survivor of a mass murder at a lake cottage. But meeting another “final girl” will change her perceptions of how well she’s coping. Fast paced and twisty Characters are not likable Nonlinear timeline Some unbelievable plotting Enjoyable thriller if you don’t think too hard… Read More Final Girls by Riley Sager
Faithful Place by Tana French
An undercover cop reluctantly returns to the Irish neighborhood where he grew up when a discovery in an abandoned house forces him to reconsider the event that changed his life over 20 years ago. Though technically part of the Dublin Murder Squad series, this novel functions perfectly well as a standalone. Tana French takes a… Read More Faithful Place by Tana French
Broken Places by Tracy Clark
First in series – Chicago Mystery featuring Cass Raines. Cass was a Chicago cop until the ego-driven actions of a bad cop forced her to shoot a young black kid. The incident didn’t cause her to resign – the commendation she received for her actions did. Now, she’s a private investigator still dealing with the… Read More Broken Places by Tracy Clark
The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
It pains me to give such a high rating to a James Patterson book but I actually enjoyed this story, even at over 500 pages. The plot serves up a compelling, intricate thriller with interesting behind-the-scenes detail of how the U.S. government might react to a cyber-crisis. The main character, President Duncan, is way too… Read More The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie
This book caught my eye because of the Chicago setting but the narrative contains almost no regional detail or flavor. As psychological suspense goes, The Good Liar lays out the story well, creating tension through multiple unreliable narrators who all have something to hide and through flashbacks to build the characters and show the experiences… Read More The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie
