Format: Hardcover

#BookReview And Then He Sang a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu @PGCBooks @groveatlantic @roxanegaybooks #AndThenHeSangaLullaby #AniKayodeSomtochukwu #PGCBooks

#BookReview And Then He Sang a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu @PGCBooks @groveatlantic @roxanegaybooks #AndThenHeSangaLullaby #AniKayodeSomtochukwu #PGCBooks Title: And Then He Sang a Lullaby

Author: Ani Kayode Somtochukwu

Published by: Grove Press, Roxane Gay Books on Jun. 6, 2023

Genres: General Fiction, LGBTQIA

Pages: 304

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

The inaugural title from Roxane Gay Books, And Then He Sang a Lullaby is a searingly honest and resonant debut from a 23-year-old Nigerian writer and queer liberation activist, exploring what love and freedom cost in a society steeped in homophobia.

August is a God-fearing track star who leaves Enugu City to attend university and escape his overbearing sisters. He carries the weight of their lofty expectations, the shame of facing himself, and the haunting memory of a mother he never knew. It’s his first semester and pressures aside, August is making friends, doing well in his classes. He even almost has a girlfriend. There’s only one problem: he can’t stop thinking about Segun, an openly gay student who works at a local cybercafé. Segun carries his own burdens and has been wounded in too many ways. When he meets August, their connection is undeniable, but Segun is reluctant to open himself up to August. He wants to love and be loved by a man who is comfortable in his own skin, who will see and hold and love Segun, exactly as he is.

Despite their differences, August and Segun forge a tender intimacy that defies the violence around them. But there is only so long Segun can stand being loved behind closed doors, while August lives a life beyond the world they’ve created together. And when a new, sweeping anti-gay law is passed, August and Segun must find a way for their love to survive in a Nigeria that was always determined to eradicate them. A tale of rare bravery and profound beauty, And Then He Sang a Lullaby is an extraordinary debut that marks Ani as a voice to watch.


Review:

Pensive, absorbing, and exceptionally heart-wrenching!

And Then He Sang a Lullaby is a tragic, beautiful tale that sweeps you away to Nigeria and into the lives of two boys, Segun and August, one who is confident in his sexuality and not ashamed to be a gay man while bearing all the hatred and violence faced by that decision, and the other who is torn, ashamed and struggling to come to grips with his sexuality but who ultimately can’t resist what his heart truly wants.

The prose is evocative and expressive. The characters are layered, tormented, and vulnerable. And the plot is an exceptionally impactful coming-of-age tale of life, loss, family, friendship, grief, guilt, denial, secrets, heartache, culture, prejudice, homophobia, violence, and love.

Overall, And Then He Sang a Lullaby is one of those books you never forget. It’s raw, timely, powerful, and heartbreaking. It’s an incredible debut by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu that everyone should have to read, and which ultimately reminds us that to love and be loved is one of humanity’s most fundamental needs and to quote Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic words that perhaps we should all remember a little more often, “Where there is love there is life.”

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

        

 

 

Thank you to PGC Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ani Kayode Somtochukwu

Ani Kayode Somtochukwu is an award-winning Nigerian writer and queer liberation activist. His work interrogates themes of queer identity, resistance, and liberation. His writings have appeared in literary magazines across Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America.

A note on naming: Following Nigerian naming conventions, family names come first in the name order, followed by the given first and “middle” names. This author’s family name, corresponding to a “last name” in most European and American names, is Ani.

Photo by Ileleji Prince.

#BookReview No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister @StMartinsPress #NoTwoPersons #EricaBauermeister #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister @StMartinsPress #NoTwoPersons #EricaBauermeister #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: No Two Persons

Author: Erica Bauermeister

Published by: St. Martin's Press on May 2, 2023

Genres: General Fiction

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister’s No Two Persons is “a gloriously original celebration of fiction, and the ways it deepens our lives.”

That was the beauty of books, wasn’t it? They took you places you didn’t know you needed to go…

Alice has always wanted to be a writer. Her talent is innate, but her stories remain safe and detached, until a devastating event breaks her heart open, and she creates a stunning debut novel. Her words, in turn, find their way to readers, from a teenager hiding her homelessness, to a free diver pushing himself beyond endurance, an artist furious at the world around her, a bookseller in search of love, a widower rent by grief. Each one is drawn into Alice’s novel; each one discovers something different that alters their perspective, and presents new pathways forward for their lives.

Together, their stories reveal how books can affect us in the most beautiful and unexpected of ways—and how we are all more closely connected to one another than we might think.


Review:

Compelling, heart-tugging, and absorbing!

No Two Persons is a sensitive, thoughtful tale that takes you into the life of Alice Wein, a young writer who, after the tragic loss of her brother, writes a story that is so special it connects and impacts the lives of nine specific readers who have the opportunity to read it.

The writing is passionate and moving. The characters are stuck, wary, and wistful. And the plot, using a story within a story, sweeps you away into an engaging, touching, heartfelt tale about life, loss, friendship, family, heartbreak, tragedy, the magic of books, and love.

Overall, No Two Persons is a charming, immersive, original tale by Bauermeister that’s a beautiful love letter to books and the power they have to touch, heal, move, and provide hope to anyone lucky enough to read their pages.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

        

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Erica Bauermeister

Erica Bauermeister is the author of the bestselling novel The School of Essential Ingredients, Joy for Beginners, and The Lost Art of Mixing. She is also the co-author of non-fiction works, 500 Great Books by Women: A Reader’s Guide and Let’s Hear It For the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14.

She has a PhD in literature from the University of Washington, and has taught there and at Antioch University. She is a founding member of the Seattle7Writers and currently lives in Port Townsend, Washington.

Photo Credit: Susan Doupé

#BookReview The Postcard by Anne Berest (translated by Tina Kover) @EuropaEditions @PGCBooks #ThePostcard #AnneBerest #PGCBooks #EuropaEditions

#BookReview The Postcard by Anne Berest (translated by Tina Kover) @EuropaEditions @PGCBooks #ThePostcard #AnneBerest #PGCBooks #EuropaEditions Title: The Postcard

Author: Anne Berest

Published by: Europa Editions on May 16, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction, Nonfiction

Pages: 464

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

Anne Berest’s luminous, moving, and unforgettable new novel The Postcard is the most acclaimed and beloved French book in recent years.

At once a gripping investigation into family secrets, a poignant tale of mothers and daughters, and an enthralling portrait of 20th-century Parisian intellectual and artistic life, The Postcard tells the story of a family devastated by the Holocaust and yet somehow restored by love and the power of storytelling. Heartbreaking, funny, atmospheric, and a sheer joy to read, The Postcard is certain to find fans among readers of Irène Némirovsky’s Suite Française, Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life, and Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See.

January 2003. Together with the usual holiday cards, an anonymous postcard is delivered to the Berest family home. On the front, a photo of the Opéra Garnier in Paris; on the back, the four names of Anne Berest’s maternal great-grandparents, Ephraïm and Emma, and their children, Noémie and Jacques—all of whom died at Auschwitz in 1942.

Almost twenty years after the postcard is delivered, Anne is moved to discover who sent it, and why. Aided by her chain-smoking mother, countless family, friends, and associates, a private detective, a graphologist, and many others, she embarks on a journey to uncover the fate of the Rabinovitch family: their flight from Russia following the revolution, their journey to Latvia, Palestine, and Paris, the war and its aftermath. What emerges is a thrilling and sweeping tale that shatters her certainties about her family, her country, and herself.


Review:

Memorable, candid, and touching!

The Postcard is a poignant, absorbing, fictional autobiography that takes you into the life of Anne, a young woman who, after her daughter is the victim of antisemitism in the schoolyard, decides with the help of her mother to delve into her family’s past to finally discover what truly happened to her grandmother’s parents and siblings who were all arrested, imprisoned, and slaughtered in Auschwitz in 1942, and to once and for all uncover the identity of the person who in 2003 mailed a postcard to the family home that only contained a list of their names.

The prose is insightful and authentic. The characters are strong, intelligent, and determined. And the plot is an illuminating tale of life, loss, love, family, sacrifice, courage, survival, selflessness, determination, history, culture, the inconceivable horrors of war, and the special bonds that exist between mothers and daughters.

Overall, The Postcard is ultimately a heart-wrenching, affecting, personal family tale by Berest that highlights the importance and empowerment of self-identity and is a sobering reminder of all the millions of lives that were senselessly violated and lost in this heinous time in history.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

          

 

 

Thank you to PGC Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Anne Berest

Anne Berest is the bestselling co-author of How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are (Doubleday, 2014) and the author of a novel based on the life of French writer Françoise Sagan. With her sister Claire, she is also the author of Gabriële, a critically acclaimed biography of her great-grandmother, Gabriële Buffet-Picabia, Marcel Duchamp’s lover and muse. She is the great-granddaughter of the painter Francis Picabia. For her work as a writer and prize-winning showrunner, she has been profiled in publications such as French Vogue and Haaretz newspaper. The recipient of numerous literary awards, The Postcard was a finalist for the Goncourt Prize and has been a long-selling bestseller in France.

Photograph © DR

#BookReview The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese @PGCBooks @groveatlantic #TheCovenantofWater #AbrahamVerghese #PGCBooks

#BookReview The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese @PGCBooks @groveatlantic #TheCovenantofWater #AbrahamVerghese #PGCBooks Title: The Covenant of Water

Author: Abraham Verghese

Published by: Grove Press on May 2, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 736

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

From the New York Times–bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial new epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala and following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret.

The Covenant of Water is the long-awaited new novel by Abraham Verghese, the author of Cutting for Stone. Published in 2009, Cutting for Stone became a literary phenomenon, selling over 1.5 million copies in the United States alone and remaining on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years.

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. The family is part of a Christian community that traces itself to the time of the apostles, but times are shifting, and the matriarch of this family, known as Big Ammachi—literally “Big Mother”—will witness unthinkable changes at home and at large over the span of her extraordinary life. All of Verghese’s great gifts are on display in this new work: there are astonishing scenes of medical ingenuity, fantastic moments of humor, a surprising and deeply moving story, and characters imbued with the essence of life.

A shimmering evocation of a lost India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the hardships undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. It is one of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years.


Review:

Sensuous, poignant, and elaborately plotted!

The Covenant of Water is a powerful, riveting, emotionally-charged multi-generational story that sweeps you away to Southern India between 1900 and 1977 and into the lives of the Parambil family, especially the women, and all the secrets, smiles, tears, misery, curses, grief, compassion, strength, powerful emotions, and unimaginable tragedy that has tied them together through the years.

The prose is lyrical and expressive. The characters are multi-layered, tormented, resilient, and vulnerable. And the plot is a heart-tugging, incredibly immersive tale of life, love, loss, grief, family, friendship, ambitions, courage, desperation, self-preservation, motherhood, infectious diseases, medical interventions, and devastating genetic afflictions.

Overall, The Covenant of Water is the perfect blend of historical facts and compelling fiction. It’s a hefty book at just over 700 pages, but it’s a book that needs to be read and a book that needs to be savoured, and just like Verghese’s previous novel Cutting for Stone, it is so beautifully written, unique, impactful and memorable that I am sure to be recommending it for many years to come.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

        

 

 

Thank you to PGC Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Abraham Verghese

Abraham Verghese is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the author of books including the NBCC Award finalist My Own Country and the New York Times Notable Book The Tennis Partner. His most recent book, Cutting for Stone, spent 107 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and sold more than 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone. It was translated into more than twenty languages and is being adapted for film by Anonymous Content. Verghese was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2016, has received five honorary degrees, and is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He lives and practices medicine in Stanford, California where he is the Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine. A decade in the making, The Covenant of Water is his first book since Cutting for Stone.

#BookReview Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler @geeewheeler @StMartinsPress #Adelaide #GenevieveWheeler #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler @geeewheeler @StMartinsPress #Adelaide #GenevieveWheeler #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Adelaide

Author: Genevieve Wheeler

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 18, 2023

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 304

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

For twenty-six-year-old Adelaide Williams, an American living in dreamy London, meeting Rory Hughes was like a lightning bolt out of the blue: this charming Englishman was The One she wasn’t even looking for.

Is it enough?

Does he respond to texts? Honor his commitments? Make advance plans? Sometimes, rarely, and no, not at all. But when he shines his light on her, the world makes sense, and Adelaide is convinced that, in his heart, he’s fallen just as deeply as she has. Then, when Rory is rocked by an unexpected tragedy, Adelaide does everything in her power to hold him together—even if it means losing herself in the process.

When love asks too much of us, how do we find the strength to put ourselves first?

With unflinching honesty and heart, this relatable debut from a fresh new voice explores grief and mental health while capturing the timeless nature of what it’s like to be young and in love—with your friends, with your city, and with a person who cannot, will not, love you back.


Review:

Introspective, poignant, and timely!

Adelaide is a passionate, thoughtful tale that sweeps you away to London and into the life of the young American, Adelaide Williams, as she navigates her goals, dreams, expectations, and mental health, all while consistently giving her all to a love affair littered with disappointments, one-sided effort, lack of communication, and heartbreak.

The prose is sincere and evocative. The characters are kind, multi-layered, and vulnerable. And the tightly crafted, effortless plot unfolds in a back-and-forth style, unravelling all the actions, motivations, personalities, desires, needs, tragedy, and complex relationships within it.

Overall, Adelaide is a sensitive, fresh, reflective debut by Wheeler that does a remarkable job of highlighting all the universal struggles of growing up, acquiring self-confidence, battling depression, anxiety, and worthlessness, forging friendships, experiencing an all-consuming love that isn’t reciprocated, and ultimately realizing that everyone is entitled to always be loved fully.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

        

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Genevieve Wheeler

Genevieve Wheeler is an American writer and communications manager. Her bylines have appeared in publications like VICE, Vogue Business, Teen Vogue, Elite Daily, and POPSUGAR, with her work and words cited in The New York Times, Vox, the BBC World Service, Cheddar News, Jezebel, and beyond. She holds an MA in marketing communications from the University of Westminster in London and a BS in Advertising from Boston University. She's currently based in London. Adelaide is her debut novel.

Photo Credit: Chelsea Lesser

#BookReview Simply Lies by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #SimplyLies #GCPInsider

#BookReview Simply Lies by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #SimplyLies #GCPInsider Title: Simply Lies

Author: David Baldacci

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Apr. 18, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A twisting new psychological thriller in which two women—one a former detective, the other a dangerous con artist—go head-to-head in an electrifying game of cat and mouse.

Mickey Gibson, single mother and former detective, leads a hectic life similar to that of many moms: juggling the demands of her two small children with the tasks of her job working remotely for ProEye, a global investigation company that hunts down wealthy tax and credit cheats.

When Mickey gets a call from a colleague named Arlene Robinson, she thinks nothing of Arlene’s unusual request for her to go inventory the vacant home of an arms dealer who cheated ProEye’s clients and fled. That is, until she arrives at the mansion to discover a dead body in a secret room—and that nothing is as it seems.

Not only does the arms dealer not exist but the murder victim turns out to be Harry Lancaster, a man with mob ties who used to be in Witness Protection. What’s more, no one named Arlene Robinson works at ProEye.

In the blink of an eye, Gibson has become a prime suspect in a murder investigation—and now her job is also on the line until she proves that she was set up. Before long, Gibson is locked in a battle of wits with a brilliant woman with no name, a hidden past, and unknown motives—whose end game is as mysterious as it is deadly.


Review:

Captivating, intelligent, and well-crafted!

Simply Lies is an elaborately plotted, suspenseful tale that takes you into the life of Mickey Gibson, a former police officer, now data analyst and single mother of two whose monotonous life is suddenly turned upside down when she finds herself embroiled in the investigation of a murdered man with a dark, devious, dangerous past when she is deceptively sent out to inventory the contents of a vacant estate.

The writing is sharp and tight. The characters are persistent, resourceful, and multilayered. And the plot, including all the subplots, seamlessly intertwine and unravel into a gripping tale full of twists, turns, surprises, revelations, manipulation, abuse, vengeance, mischief, mayhem, and murder.

Overall, Simply Lies is an exceptionally menacing, intricately woven, highly entertaining mystery that has a nice amount of suspense, good character development, and great pace. It’s currently a standalone novel by Baldacci, but something tells me this could quickly turn out to be another must-read series I need to add to my list.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

David Baldacci is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 130 million worldwide sales. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#FeaturePost Not the Ones Dead by Dana Stabenow @danastabenow @KayePublicity @HoZ_Books #NottheOnesDead #DanaStabenow #KateShugakSeries #KayePublicity

#FeaturePost Not the Ones Dead by Dana Stabenow @danastabenow @KayePublicity @HoZ_Books #NottheOnesDead #DanaStabenow #KateShugakSeries #KayePublicity Title: Not the Ones Dead

Author: Dana Stabenow

Series: Kate Shugak #23

Published by: Head of Zeus on Apr. 11, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: Hardcover

Source: Kaye Publicity

The gripping new Kate Shugak novel by New York Times bestselling author Dana Stabenow.

What seems a tragic accident soon becomes a murder investigation as Kate is drawn into a case of political intrigue.

A mid-air collision in the Alaskan wilderness between two small aircraft leaves ten people dead. Was it a bird strike, pilot error… or premeditated murder?

Then an eleventh body is found in the a man shot gangland style, twice in the chest and once in the head.

In an investigation that reaches to the highest levels of government, justice may not be served, but Kate Shugak is determined that the truth will out, even at the risk of her life and the lives of those she loves most.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

     

 

 

Thank you to Kaye Publicity and Head of Zeus for gifting me a copy.

 

About Dana Stabenow

Dana Stabenow is the author of the award-winning, bestselling Kate Shugak series. The first book in the series, A Cold Day for Murder, received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @TundraBooks @PenguinRandomCA #SomeoneIsAlwaysWatching #KelleyArmstrong #PenguinRandomCA

#BookReview Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @TundraBooks @PenguinRandomCA #SomeoneIsAlwaysWatching #KelleyArmstrong #PenguinRandomCA Title: Someone Is Always Watching

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Published by: Tundra Books on Apr. 11, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Young Adult

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

Source: Penguin Random House Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

Blythe and her friends—Gabrielle, and brother and sister Tucker and Tanya—have always been a tight friend group, attending a local high school and falling in and out of love with each other. But an act of violence has caused a rift between Blythe and Tucker . . . and unexpected bursts of aggression and disturbing nightmares have started to become more frequent in their lives.

The strange happenings culminate in a shocking event at school: Gabrielle is found covered in blood in front of their deceased principal, with no memory of what happened.

Cracks in their friendship, as well as in their own memories, start appearing, threatening to expose long-forgotten secrets which could change the group’s lives forever. How can Blythe and her friends trust each other when they can’t even trust their own memories?


Review:

Intense, intricate, and twisty!

Someone Is Always Watching is a complex, psychological thriller that takes you into the life of a close-knit group of teens, all students at a private, prestigious STEM academy who, after one of their friends begins to exhibit unusual behaviours, becomes obsessed with the idea that the security cameras are always watching, and is found covered in blood at the scene of the Vice Principal’s death, begin to try and unravel what actually happened and what their ever-increasing nightmares and troubling, fragmented memories really mean.

The writing style is tight and sinister. The characters are vulnerable, determined, and resourceful. And the plot is an action-packed, ominous tale full of secrets, deception, tragedy, friendship, childhood trauma, red herrings, self-identification, experimentation, and shocking revelations.

Overall, Someone Is Always Watching is a menacing, mystifying, sinuous tale that is the first YA novel I’ve had the chance to read by Armstrong, but with its abundance of intrigue, action, deduction, and adventure surely won’t be my last.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

 

 

 

Thank you to Penguin Random Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Photograph by Kathryn Hollinrake.

#BookReview Deep Fake by Ward Larsen @wardlarsen @ForgeReads #DeepFake #WardLarsen #ForgeBooks #ForgeReads

#BookReview Deep Fake by Ward Larsen @wardlarsen @ForgeReads #DeepFake #WardLarsen #ForgeBooks #ForgeReads Title: Deep Fake

Author: Ward Larsen

Published by: Forge Books on Mar. 14, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Hardcover

Source: Forge Books

Book Rating: 8/10

Absolute Power meets The Manchurian Candidate in this explosive political thriller from USA Today bestselling author Ward Larsen, Deep Fake.

The Cold War is back—but for some it never ended.

Sarah Ridgeway is living the life she’s always envisioned. She has a devoted husband, a loving daughter, and a comfortable home. The path to reach it, however, has not always been smooth. For twelve years her husband, Bryce, served in the Army, deployed to some of the world’s worst trouble spots. After his service ended with a combat injury, the future had seemed precarious, but with Sarah’s support and that of his wealthy family, combined with his exemplary service record, he is elected to congress.

Then, in a moment, everything changes: at a drab Washington fundraiser, the junior congressman intervenes in a terrorist attack, and narrowly escapes with his life. When videos of his bravery go viral, he quickly becomes a national hero. The timing could not be more fortuitous. The presidential primaries are heating up, and Bryce’s party is desperate for a fresh candidate to challenge the vulnerable incumbent.

Amid the whirlwind, Sarah senses something amiss. Since the attack, Bryce has been forgetful and acting strangely. Could it be the stress? she wonders. Might the recent explosion have aggravated his combat trauma? For the first time ever, she finds herself doubting a man she has always trusted. Confessing her fears to her closest friend, together they quietly search for answers. What they uncover is stunning: the man who might soon be president has a deeply held secret. A secret that will likely destroy Sarah’s life—and certainly lead the nation to ruin.


Review:

Ominous, action-packed, and twisty!

Deep Fake is a well-executed, sinister tale that takes you into the life of Sarah Ridgeway, a mother and congressman’s wife who, after sensing something is just not right, decides to ask her friend for help figuring out what’s really going on with her ex-army husband who hasn’t been acting like himself since surviving a terrorist attack and then quickly announcing he’s running for president.

The prose is brisk and tight. The characters are vulnerable, resourceful, and persistent. And the plot is a thrilling tale full of greed, power, deception, coercion, manipulation, corruption, espionage, politics, and murder.

Overall, Deep Fake is a menacing, edgy, satisfying tale by Larsen that highlights just how easily the line between right and wrong can be blurred and reminds us that sometimes there are no limits to the lengths that people and countries will go for control and power.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

                

 

 

Thank you to Forge Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ward Larsen

Ward Larsen is a USA Today bestselling author and a four-time winner of the Florida Book Award.

His first thriller, The Perfect Assassin, is currently being adapted into a major motion picture by Amber Entertainment.

A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Larsen flew over twenty missions in Operation Desert Storm.

He has also served as a federal law enforcement officer, airline captain, and is a trained aircraft accident investigator.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview I Will Find You by Harlan Coben @harlancoben @GrandCentralPub #IWillFindYou #HarlanCoben #GrandCentralPub #GCPInsider

#BookReview I Will Find You by Harlan Coben @harlancoben @GrandCentralPub #IWillFindYou #HarlanCoben #GrandCentralPub #GCPInsider Title: I Will Find You

Author: Harlan Coben

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Mar. 14, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

An innocent father serving life for the murder of his own son receives evidence that his child may still be alive, and must break out of prison to find out the truth in #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben’s latest breathtaking thriller.

David and Cheryl Burroughs were living the dream life when tragedy struck. Now, five years after that terrible night, Cheryl is remarried. And David is serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison for the brutal murder of their son.

Then Cheryl’s sister, Rachel, arrives unexpectedly during visiting hours and drops a bombshell. She’s come with a photograph that a friend took on vacation at a theme park with a boy in the background who has a familiar, distinctive birthmark … and even though David and Rachel realize it can’t be, they both just know. It’s David’s son, Matthew, and he’s still alive.

David plans a harrowing escape from prison, determined to do what seems impossible–save his son, clear his own name, and discover the real story of what happened that devastating night.


Review:

Riveting, thrilling, and suspenseful!

I Will Find You is an unpredictable, menacing tale that takes you into the life of David Burroughs, a father incarcerated for the past five years for killing his three-year-old son Matthew, but when a visit from his former sister-in-law opens the door to the possibility his son might still be alive, David will do whatever it takes, even break out of prison, in order to try and find him.

The writing is sharp and tight. The characters are tormented, resourceful, and determined. And the plot is an intense, mysterious tale filled with twists, turns, mayhem, coercion, politics, power, obsession, lies, secrets, deception, and murder.

Overall, I Will Find You had everything I’ve come to expect in a Harlan Coben novel and more. It’s an intricate, gripping, exceptionally twisty thrill ride that, in my opinion, is a must-read for anyone who enjoys an edge-of-your-seat, action-packed thriller.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

                

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben is a #1 NewYorkTimes bestselling author and one of the world's leading storytellers. His suspense novels are published in forty-five languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with seventy-five million books in print worldwide. His Myron Bolitar series has earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and many of his books have been developed into Netflix series, including his adaptation of The Stranger, headlined by Richard Armitage, and The Woods. He lives in New Jersey.

Photo by Claudio Marinesco.