Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn

 

Meh.

Under Story by Chloe Benjamin

 

So this is a hard one to talk about without spoilers. That said, the basic premise I thought was fascinating and fun, especially how Benjamin explored the non-technical implications. However, the instantiation of the premise was weirdly inconsistent, and that was disappointing.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross

 

I liked this.

Natural Disaster by Lisa Owens

 Lots of fun.

Nearshore by Steve Hawk

 

meh

Mother for Dinner by Shalom Auslander

 

Super weird.

Lightbreakers by Aja Gabel

 

meh.

Desperate Spies by Mark de Castrique

 

Not as strong as previous books in the series.

The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian

 

I liked this.

Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty

 

Disappointing.

Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier

 

My feeling is that novels should have no more than one coincidence. This one had a half dozen.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

 

Fun until it fell apart at the end.

New Waves by Ken Nguyen

 

Dumb.

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris

 

meh

My Sister Is Going to Kill Me by Nina Simon

 

Decent.

The People's Republic of Walmart by Leigh Phillips and Michal Rozworski

 

Very interesting.

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

 

Clever.

The Salt King by Natasha Pulley

 

Pulley is one of my favorites, and I adored this -- even though some parts were a little confusing.

Review copy provided by publisher.

A Very Special Episode by Camille Acker

 

Great concept, interesting elements, but it didn't cohere -- maybe because the characters were pretty one dimensional.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Murderland by Caroline Fraser

 

Largely disappointing.

Plowing the Dark by Richard Powers

 

Decent.

Biological War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen

 

Fascinating and terrifying.

With Friends Like You by Amy Chozick

 

Meh.

Drayton and Mackenzie by Alexander Starritt

 

I loved this so, so much.

Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza

 Would have benn good, but too over the top.

Earth 7 by Deb Olin Unferth

 

meh.

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen

 

I normally am not a fan of the split timeline, but that worked well here, as did the exploration of parapsychology. However, the ending was a bit untidy, with one too many coincidences and inexplicable behaviors.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Astronaut by Oana Aristide

 

I loved this.

Sweet Spot by Kemper Donovan

 

So this is definitely one of my favorite mystery series, and this third volume did not disappoint. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The House on Buzzards Bay by Dwyer Murphy

 

This was dumb.

Touch by Courtney Maum

 

I liked this.

Sex on Murder Island by Jo Firestone

 

Decent.

The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders

 

Meh 

All in Her Head by Elizabeth Comen

 

Interesting and infuriating.

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

 

Meh.

The New People by Andrea Uptmor

 

In general, this was quite good, with a few surprising moves and interesting perspectives (although it is hard to say more without adding spoilers). However, there was one character and situation that just felt so one-dimensional, and that was pretty disappointing. Overall, though, this could be a really good choice for book groups.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Night Watch by Iris and Roy Johansen

 

Decent.

Swamp Story by Dave Barry

 

Fun.

One of Us by Elizabeth Day

 

Decent.

The Sorrow Proper by Lindsey Drager

 

Meh

A Philosophy of Ruin by Nicholas Mancusi

 

Meh.

Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein

 

Decent.

Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

 Meh.

Rules for Aging and Larceny by Julia London

 

Fun.

The Au Pair by Teddy Wayne

Decent.

Life Sentences by Laura Lippman

 

Meh.

Very Slowly All at Once by Lauren Schott

 Decent.

The English Problem by Benna Kamlani

 

 Solid.

Get Lost by Justin Halpern

 

I was a bit surprised at how good this was. It was clever, with well-developed characters and a not-predictable plot.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts

 

If you can suspend a lot of disbelief, this is a really fun series. I do wish Thorogood were just a little more careful with some aspects so that wouldn't be necessary. But this is still a fun series.

Review copy provided by publisher.