He Said He Would Be Late by Justine Sullivan

 

Is her husband having an affair?

This very cleverly plotted book toys with that question. It's a fun read. However, the narrator did the book a real disservice -- the register was all wrong. And the author deserves an editor who ruthlessly prunes bad similies.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

 

A few funny moments, but otherwise unremarkable.

The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward

 

I loved all of the local Austin references, but that wasn't enough to reclaim a really weak plot.

Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes

 

Super fun and funny.

The Enigma Affair by Charlie Lovett

 

Great set up, but I didn't love the execution.

The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland

 

I really liked this -- it was unusual and captivating.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Guest Lecture by Martin Riker

 

This was amazing. Maybe you have to be a high-anxiety academic to appreciate it, but I have rarely felt so seen.

Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes

 

Surprisingly good fluff. 

The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear

 

I really enjoyed this.

Atomic Family by Ciera Horton McElroy

 

One of the disadvantages of reading as much as I do is that many books feel formulaic. Well, not this one. It's a fascinating reflection on life in the nuclear age and life in nuclear families. It would provide excellent discussion material for book groups, and the ending was amazing.

Review copy provided by publisher.

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

 

meh

I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

 

I read a lot of books, but this one really stood out. I was just completely gobsmacked by it.

The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer

 

Decent, but way too much repetition from the first book.

Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer

 

Fun in the way sweeping epics are fun and problematic the way 80s authors are problematic.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

 

I can't decide if I liked this. It was right on that edge between horror and comedy, and I don't do horror.

Takes One to Know One by Susan Isaacs

 

This was super-fun.

Last Port of Call by Jean Grainger

 

This was just . . . very sweet and earnest, if a bit too inflected with modern sensibilities.

Augusta Hawke by G. M. Malliet

 

A solid mystery. 

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

 

meh

The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix

 

I don't normally do kids' books for myself, but this was quite fun.