Frightful Friday: Save Yourself by Kelly Braffet

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Jenn

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week.  The featured title this week is Save Yourself by Kelly Braffet:

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Crown (August 6, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0385347340
  • Source: Publisher

Patrick and Mike Cusimano’s father is serving time in jail for a DUI during which he hit and killed a small child. It was Patrick who called the police to report the accident…19 hours later. Patrick and Mike live together in their family home along with Caro, Mike’s girlfriend; the accident and what followed continue to haunt them.  While they were not directly involved in the incident, residents of their small town still hold them responsible for what transpired.  Mike blames Patrick for their situation, insisting that they could have covered for their father. Forever tormented by their father’s actions, the two struggle  to get on with their lives.

Layla and Verna Elshere are the daughters of a fundamentalist father. Up until now, they were home schooled, spending hours of their day helping their father promote his church’s message.  Insisting that they need to experience the real world, he enrolls them in public high school.  Both girls are tormented by bullying due to an incident in which one of the school’s most popular teachers was fired.  Layla has rebelled from the conservative life in which she was raised, becoming part of a cult-like group in which Justinian, a young man chillingly similar to Charles Manson. Verna has no one, the tormenting by other students forces her to rely on Layla and her vampiric group of cohorts for protection.

The two families converge when Layla begins a conversation with Patrick at the convenience store at which he works.  The two have a connection, both ostracized from their family for their actions.  Layla is attracted to Patrick, sensing that he is an individual who strives to do what is right. Unfortunately, Patrick sees her as jail-bait, a teen rebelling from a strict family. The result of this odd relationship culminates into one paramount event that shatters the two families’ already battered and bruised lives.

I originally learned about this novel several months ago when inquiring about the “big books” of Fall. Never could I have imagined this novel’s impact and intensity.  Braffet has constructed individuals that really don’t have a lot going for them. That said, they are tremendously genuine and authentic characters, their flaws openly displayed. In doing this the author portrays the loneliness, the isolation that surrounds individuals who just want someone to connect with, someone who can protect them from harm. Unfortunately, in searching for such a result they often perform foolish acts in order to attain a life they think they want.

Braffet tackles the concept of bullying in a brutal, yet wholly honest and genuine way.  She doesn’t sugar-coat the abuse the characters face for each and every one of these actions culminate and permanently shape them as individuals.  No matter what sort of background, be it a happy home with wonderful parents or a battered and dysfunctional home, bullying has lasting effects. It is only when you have a supportive family that you can deal with the bullying properly and directly; unfortunately neither of these families were able to accomplish this.

I’m intentionally being quite vague in describing what makes this novel horrific and terrifying. Doing so would destroy scenes of story and character building that are so outstanding that I feel it would take away from the reading experience.  An incredibly dark and twisted story with seriously tormented and disturbed characters, Save Yourself  is a novel that I continue to think about, months after reading it. While this is my first sampling of Braffet’s work, it will most definitely not be my last.  Highly, highly recommended, a novel that will certainly top my favorite reads of the year!

It’s not secret that Braffet comes from a family of talented authors.  Read this New York Times article about Kelly, her husband Owen King,  and, yes, you guessed it…the rest of the King clan. Can I tell you how much I want to be a part of this outstandingly talented family!?

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to participate in this tour!

Posted in Crown Books, Frightful Friday, Review, Thriller | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Review: Multiple Exposure: A Sophie Medina Mystery by Ellen Crosby

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Jenn

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Scribner (August 6, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 1451659288
  • Source: Publisher

Photojournalist Sophie Medina has just returned to London after an assignment to find her husband missing.  A geologist and undercover CIA operative, Nick’s disappearance opens up a host of implications.  A few months later, Sophie is trying to come to terms with the fact that Nick may be dead.  Instead, she is shocked to learn that he has been spotted in Moscow and is now a suspect in his boss’s death and potentially involved in some pretty devious behavior.  Now, even more so than before, Sophie is under the watchful eye of many interested in locating Nick.  Sophie decides that the only way she can even begin to come to terms with the new news – that Nick is alive, yet hasn’t contacted her- is to leave London and return to Washington, D.C. where she can be surrounded by family and close friends.

Her contacts in London help her land a job photographing an exhibit  at the National Gallery of Art.  Two never-before-seen Fabergé imperial eggs have been unveiled with much attention from many. There, Sophie is confronted by the owner of the eggs, Artaky Vasiliev, a Russian oil tycoon who alleges that Nick is involved in an international oil scheme.  Still unable to evade those out to hunt down her husband, Sophie is left not knowing who to trust.  She struggles with doing what is right and doing what she can to protect her husband’s integrity…and her own life.

Multiple Exposure is the first in a new series by Ellen Crosby, known for her highly popular Wine Country Mysteries.   As a DC-area resident, I appreciated the setting and the wealth of historical back story Crosby shared about some of the monuments in the District, including some that are not as well known.  In my eyes, this setting is perfect for a novel rich with mystery and political intrigue.  While the complexities and many angles of the storyline take quite a bit of focus to embrace, its clearly worth it in the end.  Crosby so brilliantly combines politics, art history, and murder into one brilliantly executed novel. I found myself reading this novel during any spare moment I could find.  I rooted for Sophie, a brilliant and incredibly strong female protagonist,  who was quite used to evading danger but never so close to home.  The intensity began one the first few pages and didn’t decline until the last pages.  Forgive the cliches, but Multiple Exposure is an intense, heart-pounding, whirlwind of a read!

If you are looking for an intelligent, fast-paced mystery, Multiple Exposure is the book for you. I cannot wait to see more in this series. Highly, highly recommended.

I was thrilled to be able to attend the launch of Multiple Exposure at my favorite independent bookstore, One More Page Books!  This area has quite a rich mystery/thriller author network and it was a treat to witness that in person!

Posted in Mystery/Suspense, Review, Scribner | 1 Comment

Gearing Up For Murder, Monsters & Mayhem: 2013!

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Jenn

 

2013MX3In the event you’ve been living under a rock, you may not have heard about my planning for my big feature of the year,  the fourth-annual Monsters, Murders, Mayhem (which I fondly refer to as Mx3)!  It’s a month long celebration of horror and thriller books that takes place in October. Think Frightful Friday, but on a much bigger scale!

You may say “Jenn, it’s only August!” Why yes, that is true. However, Mx3 takes a considerable amount of planning to pull off!  Starting in June, I began selecting and books I’d like to feature in the hopes I will have everything finalized by the end of September.

The response to Mx3 has been wonderful!  I’ve already been contacted by several publishers interested in hosting giveaways and by bloggers interested in participating.  This is where you come in!  I’m soliciting guest posts from readers, authors, bloggers, etc on the following topic: What was the first book that terrified you!?  If you are interested in participating, please fill out this form.

Publishers and/or authors! There are still opportunities for you to participate! If you have a title you would like to submit for review consideration or would like to participate by sponsoring a giveaway email me at jennsbookshelfATgmailDOTcom.

Note: Please see my review policy for more information about what books I will/will not review as part of this feature.

Stay tuned for more information in the coming months!! Let the countdown begin!

 

Posted in Murders, Monsters, & Mayhem | 6 Comments

TSS: The Black Widow Club by Hilary Davidson

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Jenn

Have you ever discovered an author whose books you devour the moment they are published? Literally want/need to read everything that author has written? Well, that’s how I feel with the extremely talented and fellow ginger-haired Hilary Davidson.

I’ve read and reviewed all three books in Hilary’s Lily Moore series (The Damage Done, The Next One To Fall,  and Evil in all Its Disguises), a series that features a female protagonist who is strong, self-assured and not afraid to take matters into her own hands.  A truly brilliant series, I must add.  So, when I learned that Hilary published an ebook only short story collection, I had to read it.

I just happened to start reading it after I had tried unsuccessfully to pick up and start a number of other titles.  I admit not reading very many short stories. I want a series of characters to become invested in, to follow their paths and their growth.  I thought the best way to remedy this is to read the short stories of an author I truly admire…and boy was I right.

To start, the short stories contained in The Black Widow Club are a bit darker and more devious than the Lily Moore series. Each story focuses on lust, revenge, rage, love, and/or murder, taking readers on a far darker path than anything they’ve read from Davidson before.  I hesitate to summarize any of the short stories for I feel that you must experience them yourself, without any preconceived feelings or opinions. Davidson is an author who I trust and can pretty much assume that anything she writes is absolutely brilliant – and I’m not just saying that because I’m mentioned in her acknowledgements.  Davidson a truly talented member of the crime fiction community, a writers whose work I wholeheartedly recommend.

A long-time fan of Davidson’s writing and chomping at the bit for more? New to Davidson’s writing and not ready to take the leap in starting a new series? Download The Black Widow Club. I guarantee you will not regret it.  My only recommendation is that you read with the lights turned on….

Buy it now:
Kobo
Nook
Kindle

Thanks to the author, I have three iBookstore downloads of The Black Widow Club available to give away.  Giveaway terms are listed below.   To enter: leave a comment below answering the following question:

What author’s work do you devour the moment it is released?

I’ll email the three winners with the download code on Friday, August 9, so be certain to include your twitter handle or email address in the comment field listed below (don’t worry, these fields are not public.)

Code expires on August 30, 2013 and is redeemable only on the iTunes Store for United States. Requires an iTunes account, subject to prior acceptance of license and usage terms. To open an account you must be above the age of 13 and in United States. The eBook is viewable only on an iOS device with  compatible software. Compatible software and hardware, and  internet access (fees may apply) required. Not for resale. Full terms  apply; see www.apple.com/legal/itunes/ww/. For more information,  see www.apple.com/support/. This eBook is provided to you by Hilary Davidson

Posted in The Sunday Salon | 6 Comments

Frightful Friday: The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Jenn

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. The featured title this week is The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood:

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (July 30, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0143123866
  • Source: Publisher

In the summer in 1986, two eleven-year old girls meet and by the end of the day are charged with murder. Fast forward to the year 2011: Kristy Lindsay is a journalist reporting on a series of brutal murders in a small, quiet vacation town. Her investigation leads her to a carnival, the latest crime scene. There, she runs into Amber Gordon, one of the many cleaning crew that can be found once the carnival shuts down for the night. She hasn’t seen Amber in twenty-five years, the fateful summer day that changed both of their lives forever.  Kristy and Amber (known back then as Bel and Jade) have since changed their identities, now living a life with families ignorant of their past “crime.”

As Kristy tries to the bottom of these heinous crimes, she must simultaneously work to keep her deep, dark secret buried. She’s had a fortunate life; Amber unfortunately was forced to endure a path less desirable. Can she trust Amber, a woman who shares the same dark past, to help keep her secret safe?

The Wicked Girls is an incredibly dark and haunting psychological thriller. While the actual details of the decades-old crime isn’t revealed early on, readers know the basic details of the devastating crime that forever altered the lives of two young misfits. As the details of the modern day crime are revealed so are snippets of information from that fateful summer day. Despite what transpired, it is difficult not to feel sympathy for the young girls, caught in a situation that has cornered them into action, much like what is transpiring now in their adult lives. A key underlying element within this novel is social class and just how justice is handed down to those less privileged.

Full of twists and turns, the carnival setting of The Wicked Girls is quite appropriate. Marwood takes her readers on an intense ride throughout the entirety of this novel, alluding to a whole host of culpable suspects, leaving the reader incredibly shocked by the time the actual perpetrator is uncovered. Like many illusions contained within a carnival, Marwood’s slowly laid out revelations will play with one’s mind, permitting even the most deductive of readers – myself included – unsure of just which characters to trust.

I started reading The Wicked Girls in the afternoon and by the evening I had devoured it in its entirety. A gripping, moving, and thought-provoking psychological thriller, I guarantee this is a novel that will have people talking. Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in Frightful Friday, Penguin, Review, Thriller | Tagged | 3 Comments

A Month in Review: July 2013 Edition

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Jenn


Books Reviewed

Total books reviewed: 12

Picks of the month:
*Heavy sigh* This is always the most difficult decision I face each month. Never can I pick simply one book, but a short list instead. So here you go:

Favorite genre-crossing books:
The Big Reap
Countdown City

Favorite audio book:
World War Z

Book that I can’t seem to get out of my head:
Tampa

Special Events

For the past several months, I have been an active contributor to Bloggers Recommend, a monthly newsletter that has two goals:

  1. Provide a place for readers to learn about some of the best upcoming books every month.
  2. Highlight the recommendation power of both the blogger community and individual bloggers themselves.

In addition to submitting recommendations of books I’ve adored, I’m also responsible for community outreach, basically working with libraries and independent bookstores create their own tailored version of the Bloggers Recommend newsletter.  Interested in learning more? Contact me at jenn@bloggers-recommend.com.

Following are some of my most recent recommendations:

Love and Lament by John Milliken Thompson
Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker
Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

I really do encourage you to sign up for this newsletter, not just because I’m a contributor and founding member, but because of the wealth of book recommendations it contains. Each month, I discover several books that I promptly add to my must-read list, and in the month of August, you have a great incentive to subscribe!

I’m excited to announce that I have one copy  THREE COPIES of the long-awaited novel by Donna Tartt, Goldfinch to give away, thanks to the generous people at Little, Brown, and Company!   To enter, all you have to do is subscribe to Bloggers Recommend.  Come back and tell me you’ve subscribed in the comments below. Make sure you add the email address you subscribed under to your comment in the email address field. Don’t worry, this isn’t visible to others.  At the end of August, I will randomly select an individual winner three individuals who will receive an ARC of Goldfinch prior to publication! I will verify the subscription so simply commenting that you have subscribed won’t work 🙂 Find out about more chances to win over at Bloggers Recommend!

Ok, now that all that business is aside, what was your favorite book read in July? With fall just around the corner, what books are you looking forward to?

Posted in Month in Review | 18 Comments

Review: A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Jenn

  • Hardcover: 512 pages
  • Publisher: NAL Hardcover (August 6, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0451414187
  • Source: Publisher

Two months ago Cal Weaver’s teenage son, Scott, died in a tragic accident. The grief Cal and his wife, Donna, have endured is forcing them apart. His obsession in learning what really happened that fateful evening has consumed Cal. He uses his experience as a private investigator to begin stalking those that might have information about Scott’s death.

One evening, as he is trolling around town in the rain, someone taps on the window of his car. A young girl, covered in rain, introduces herself as Claire. Despite the fact that Cal knows that inviting her into his car is a dumb move, when Claire admits to knowing Scott he believes he may be able to get some information from her.  Cal realizes something isn’t right with the situation but it’s far too late.

Call gets pulled into an investigation of murder, an investigation that unveils a wealth of secrets kept by those of authority in the small New York town. Lies, murder, affairs…all being covered up to protect those in power. Once Cal begins to slowly peel back all the secrets he soon discovers his own life is in danger but is willing to risk everything if it means that years of corruption are brought to the surface, including information about what truly transpired the night of Scott’s death.

At over 500 pages, A Tap on the Window is a novel in which you really have to invest a lot of time. While I am a long-time fan of Barclay’s work and typically enjoy his writing, this one seemed a bit to lengthy for me. Scenes and dialogue that didn’t deserve a great deal of description seemed long-winded to me, taking away the intensity that might have existed if the writing was more concise.  That said, Barclay makes up for it with his intensely designed characters.

Cal Weaver has serious anger issues.  While he has recently lost his only son, that only serves as a partial excuse, for his aggression in the field is what caused him to lose his job as a police officer, forcing him to move his family to this small town. Several times he crosses the line in order to get answers, coming far too close to killing in the name of gaining more information. It is this general attitude Cal exudes that makes him a difficult character to connect with, but a softer, more human side is revealed as the reader delves deeper and deeper into the book.  It isn’t until the final pages, however, that we get a glimpse of the genuine, vulnerable, Cal Weaver.

While I did have some issues with this novel, I still recommend it to fans of intense psychological thrillers. Barclay is a truly talented writer, praised by many of the thriller greats. If you have the patience to tackle a book of this length, wait patiently as the storyline unfolds, you will be handsomely rewarded.

Posted in Mystery/Suspense, NAL, Pamela Dorman Books, Review, Thriller | 4 Comments

Review: Drift by Jon McGoran

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Jenn

  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Forge Books; 1 edition (July 9, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0765334704
  • Source: Publisher

Doyle Carrick, a narcotics investigator for the Philadelphia police, loses both his mother and his step-father in a matter of weeks. The emotional turmoil sends him spiraling out of control and Doyle finds himself on a twenty-day suspension.  No other plans in mind, Doyle heads to the house he has inherited in rural Pennsylvania. Surrounded by farmland, it seems as though Doyle has found the perfect oasis from his life in Philadelphia. When he meets Nola Watkins, an organic farmer next door, he learns life in this small town isn’t as idyllic as it seems; a large development company is pressuring residents to sell their property.  Nola, desperate to cultivate her crops, has refused despite endless anonymous phone calls and threatening texts. Doyle soon realizes that crime has its way of following him and, despite his suspension, commences an investigation into the mysterious corporation.

Doyle’s pace quickens when suspicious heroin overdoses, one deadly, hit far too close to those around him. Then, dozens of citizens are suddenly struck with strange, flu-like symptoms.  Doyle can’t avoid the possibility that all of these incidents are connected somehow, the commonality being the strange tented field adjacent to his parents’ home. Risking his career and his life, Doyle dives headfirst into an unauthorized investigation that reveals a reality far deadlier than he could have ever fathomed.

McGoran has created in Drift a novel that melds the tone and feel of a thriller with the true-to-life world of genetically-alterned food. I guarantee you will think twice before picking up a random piece of fruit or vegetable after reading this novel. That said, the “lesson” the author has embedded in this novel doesn’t outweigh or overpower the intense plot and storyline.

On the surface, there isn’t much to like about Doyle’s character.  He obviously has very little regard for authority, given his suspension and refusal lay low until his punishment is over.  That said, there is a soft-side to his tough man facade, a vulnerable man dealing with the loss of the last two people that meant anything to him.  Additionally, after losing his mother and step-father, he has come to appreciate the quiet calm of country life and the livelihood that farming has given to residents of the small Pennsylvania town.  Although this quiet peaceful life is no longer an option for his loved ones, he can guarantee it to those that live on after they do.

If you are looking for a thriller with bit of “social” substance, a message, I highly recommend this one!  Thank you to TLC book tours for providing me the opportunity to participate in this tour! Please be sure to check out the other stops in the tour!

Posted in Forge Books, Mystery/Suspense, Review, Thriller | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Frightful Friday: The Big Reap by Chris F. Holm

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Jenn

Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week.

This week’s featured title is The Big Reap by Chris F. Holm:

  • Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Angry Robot (July 30, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0857663429
  • Source: Publisher

*Note: This is the third book in a series. The review below may contain spoilers if you have not yet read the previous books*

Sam is a collector of lost souls, requiring him to collect the souls of the damned in order to ensure their delivery to the proper destination. He’s rid the world of some pretty horrific creatures and his most recent job presents him with an even more difficult challenge: hunting down the Brethren, a group of eight former collectors responsible for evoking vast devastation on mankind. As he embarks on this journey, the storyline flashes back to Sam’s first collection: Hitler. This was a risky and interesting path but boy, did it pan out.

I was worried the flashbacks would interrupt the flow of the current storyline but found it actually enhanced it. Readers got a glimpse of Sam as a “young” and naive collector and followed him as he learned the skills required to be a successful collector (i.e. possessing the bodies of other humans).  Then, when the storyline shifts to present time, readers see just how far Sam has come in his life as a collector. The plot in each of the settings are equally captivating and intense so the reader isn’t really losing anything in the time shifts.

The Big Reap, the first two book in this series, is jam packed with intense action but what really makes this novel stand out is Holm’s truly brilliant writing. Whether it be a steamy description of Sam’s handler, Lilith, or a battle scene with a horrific monster, Holm truly has a way with words. His incredibly descriptive writing allows readers to feel as though they a part of the story, the scenes and setting taking shape before one’s eyes.  The scene that had my glasses fogging is the following, in which Sam sees Lillith for the very first time:

She was, it shames to me to say so soon after selling my soul to save the love of my life, the most stunning woman I’d ever seen.  And apparently, I wasn’t the only one to find her so –  even the radio in the other room had fallen silent upon her arrival. Her eyes glinted emerald and onyx, somehow suggesting throaty laughs and whispered secrets and traded glances from across a crowded room that led wordlessly to clothes discarded and limbs tangled in passion.  Her cheeks and shoulders were dusted with freckles, and the sultry scent of sun-warmed skin clung to her, as if she’d wandered through a summer orchard on her way to these bleak environs.  Her hair tumbled lustrous red across her shoulders in undulating waves and curls, the last of which on either side curved to frame her perfect breasts, which seemed to ever-so-slightly strain the mere molecules of silk that attempted to contain them.  And her lips, painted the color of fresh blood, were so sensuous – so transfixing – I couldn’t help but wonder what foolhardy acts men had perpetrated with the hopes of kissing them, of tasting her breath, of simply seeing them smile.

Hot, right!? Yet Holm’s talented writing goes beyond writing sultry descriptions into truly complex and intense scenes throughout the novel. I imagine him writing many of these scenes, wondering if he realized the moment he wrote them just how brilliant they are?

Additionally, another unique aspect of this series is how Holms so easily and so naturally weaves in a bit of philosophical/social commentary.  It isn’t forced or out of place, but flows naturally within the storyline.  A key message The Big Reap is the concept of forgiveness.  While it isn’t pervasive, it clearly plays a role in Sam’s existence.

Sam, as a character, is vastly complex and tremendously well-developed. This novel in particular provides readers with a far deeper and intimate glimpse into his character. Sure, he’s a big, tough, brute of a man but, despite losing his soul, Sam hasn’t lost track of his human morals and beliefs.

By far, the best thing about this series is the fact that is crosses so many genres, nearly impossible to classify it into just one. While the supernatural aspect is present, Holm’s own history is in writing horror so there are elements of that genre that are present. Honestly, I don’t think there is a reader out there who wouldn’t appreciate the sheer brilliance contained within this series. Highly, highly recommended.

Posted in Angry Robot, Fantasty, Frightful Friday, Horror, Paranormal Fiction, Review | 2 Comments

Review: The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Jenn

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Plume (May 28, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0452298393
  • Source: Publisher

The beginning of the Second World War is eminent. Flora, an amateur botanist, works in her family’s bakery in New York City. Times are tough; her father is often approached by those he owes money to. So, when she is approached by a man offering a large sum of money in return for Flora’s assistance, she cannot possibly turn it down. She soon learns that the man who hired her is part of an international ring of flower thieves. Flora’s task: to infiltrate an English manor an obtain the last surviving specimen of a camellia plant known as the Middlebury Pink. She gains access to the home under the ruse that she is there to serve as a nanny for the children of a widower. Their mother died mysteriously over a year ago. The children, still suffering from the loss of their mother and the near abandonment by their father, are desperate for structure and stability. It doesn’t take long for Flora to bond with them and the other staff at the manor. In doing so, she uncovers a series of dark secrets surrounding their mother’s death.

Fast forward to the year 2000. Addison is a garden designer working in Manhattan. Her business thriving but, due to a threatening past that haunts her, agrees to join her husband, Rex, to an English manor recently purchased by his parents. Livingston Manor is the perfect escape she needs. The lush, yet overgrown, camellia orchard is full of deep, dark secrets. As she begins to explore the manor under the watchful eye of Mrs. Dilloway, Livingston manor’s housekeeper, Addison discovers that it is more than the orchard that holds a secret past.  As she attempts to avoid her own past that has come flooding into the present, Addison reveals a mystery surrounding the enchanting last camellia.

The Last Camellia isn’t the first novel I’ve read by this author but, by far, it is my favorite. It combines attributes of novels I’ve always been drawn to, including a rich gothic setting and a deep, dark mystery. Additionally, Jio creates to incredibly well-developed characters in Flora and Addison. While Addison’s past is a bit more jaded than Flora’s, both characters are genuinely attempting to do what is best, putting aside their own feelings and needs in order to provide for others. While I felt we learned a bit more about Flora than Addison, both women were truly remarkable characters I found myself rooting for.

The setting Jio creates at Livingston manor is breathtaking. From the sprawling grounds to the dark, and elusive orchards, readers will be instantly immersed in the setting, feeling as though you are walking through the grounds yourself. The manor itself seemed absolutely gorgeous, full of hidden rooms and chambers. The perfect setting for a mysterious death unsolved for over half a century.

Fans of mystery and historical fiction will be certain to adore this novel as much as I did. I cannot wait for Sarah’s next novel, Morning Glory, due out in September!

Thank you to TLC Book tours for providing me the opportunity to participate in this tour!

Read my reviews of Sarah’s other books:

Posted in Historical Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Plume, Review | 4 Comments