Pleasant Nights

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Blake Crouch really can do no wrong, in my book. I’ve read and loved Recursion, Abandon, Dark Matter, and the Wayward Pines trilogy. All but Abandon deal with heavy scientific themes, which Crouch explains excellently.

Logan Ramsay’s DNA has been upgraded in a freak accident; however, the story behind how it happened and what this means for Logan is the crux of the novel. He is on the run, his family thinks he’s dead, and he has to figure out how to stop an impending genome war.

I’m not a science person at all, but I never struggle to understand his books. His books are funny and clever, creative and tense. I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I loved Darling Rose Gold and was excited to read another from this author. I had no idea what to expect, since DRG isn’t really a thriller, but this book was pretty good.

Alfred owns a Hitchcock-themed hotel and has invited his five college friends to stay for a weekend getaway. They are unaware that Alfred is up to nefarious deeds. He has great plans for revenge.

As the story progresses, we learn that the six friends had a major falling-out in their senior year of college, with Alfred bearing the brunt of the trauma. Alfred has an idea of who he most wants to suffer. But halfway through the book, the plot is turned upside down.

This book was a lot of fun. I’m not a big Hitchcock fan, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book. It was still a great thriller.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’ve read a bit from this author as a co-writer with An Anonymous Girl and The Golden Couple, but I find her solo work so much better. I really enjoyed Gone Tonight and thought this book was outstanding. I was pleasantly surprised by how I was left guessing.

Stella is an attorney who decides what is in a child’s best interests in custody dispute cases. Her newest case is for Rose, whose nanny recently died. It appears that the nanny took her own life; however, Stella has doubts. Rose’s parents are getting divorced, and it is Stella’s job to recommend who Rose should live with. Oh, and Rose has traumatic mutism. She can nod, shake her head, and write notes, but won’t speak.

As Stella gets to know the family, she also has to figure out what really happened to the nanny, since knowing if it was a suicide or murder would mean a lot for Rose’s placement. The author did a great job of revealing information about the nanny’s death, leaving the reader to wonder what really happened. I thought this one was really great.