Have you ever read a story that takes you by the hand and leads you into a horrible anxiety attack? Or one that makes you panic every time you see a lock on a door?
I just did. And it wasn't pleasant. It was bad enough to drive me out of the house so I could take a walk and breathe fresh, clean air.
I'm not kidding.
'Behind Closed Doors', the first novel from B. A. Paris, took the air out of my lungs.
I could go on and on about her talent for creating memorable characters, and using short, tight paragraphs that make you jump. But I won't.
Paris brought terror right to my front door.
If you loved 'The Girl on the Train', or 'Gone Girl', this new one will really hit you. For a first novel, Paris has written a riveting story that stunned me. I had to put it down a few times, although it really only took me a day to read it.
The narrator, Grace, is married to Jack Angel, a movie-star-handsome, wealthy attorney who champions the cause for abused women. Grace, his perfect, elegant wife, has a down syndrome sister who she loves very much; in fact, Millie, will be living with Jack and Grace in a short while. But Grace learns that the man she's fallen in love with isn't who he seems. Grace and Jack are never apart, and their friends are getting a bit miffed when Grace cancels lunch plans all the time. Soon, Jack lets her in on a secret that could be her life's ruin.
But I'm not saying any more.
This is a story to experience. One that will keep you turning the pages...but one that will make you set it down just so you can find some sort of mental stability.
It's brilliant, it's scary, and it's horrifying, and Grace is an incredible character. And so is Millie, who is more aware of things than Grace realizes.
It has stayed with me. And I think it will be with me for quite a while.
B. A. Paris has found a new fan.
'Behind Closed Doors', by B. A. Paris, will be published on August 9, 2016 by St. Martin's Press. Movie rights have been sold. Put it on your hold list at your local library, or pre-order it from your favorite book store. You won't be sorry.
I'm sure that most avid readers have to step away from stories that are so deep we have to run to our faithful dictionaries (I still have one in paperback; I'll never give it up, even though Google is much more convenient). When a story gets a bit too deep for me (and somewhat confusing), I take a break and gravitate toward books that are entertaining, yet still pose a challenge (something any well-written story should do). I crave stories that don't make my brain ache.
Yeah. An aching brain.
In other words, I look for something fun to read. Something that either makes me cry with happiness, makes my blood run cold, or makes me run screaming into the night (it's great if I experience all three). If you're a serious reader, and one who dips into various genres, you know what I mean.
One of my current favorite series is an interesting one written by Charlaine Harris, she of 'Sookie Stackhouse' fame (the t.v. show, 'True Blood' is based on that series). Her new books are about the very small town of Midnight, Texas, where strange, spooky things happen. Most of the citizens living in Midnight have supernatural ties, and as each book progresses, you learn just what those people can do. They are powerful, and in the third book, 'Night Shift', they all join together to stop a huge threat to the town.
 |
| Author Charlaine Harris |
Harris has written many mystery series peopled by wonderful, well-written characters, and now she has added more to her stable. As with her 'Sookie' series, I grew so fond of the 'Midnight' citizens, especially the witch, Fiji. The others are remarkable in their own right, but there's just something about the earthy Fiji that made me smile.
All of these books are great Summer reads, but the only thing that saddens me is that 'Night Shift' is supposed to be the last one in the series. The most recent news states that NBC has ordered a pilot, so perhaps 'Midnight, Texas' will have a longer life in book form.
I hope I'm right.
The 'Midnight, Texas' series ('Midnight Crossroad', 'Day Shift', and 'Night Shift'), written by Charlaine Harris, is published by Ace, an imprint of Penguin Random House. You can find all of them at your local library or favorite bookstore. ISBN 978-0-425-26322-8
Back in July 2013, I posted a review of 'The Rosie Project', a book I absolutely adored.
It's been a while since I've come across a story like that. A story that doesn't ask a lot of my poor, frazzled brain; except to smile, nod my head, and laugh a little bit. It became a book worth recommending, and I couldn't stop talking about it.
Now, much to my delight, I've found another such story. But this one tugged at my heart quite often. There was a point, however, when I had to step away from it. I knew what was coming, and I had to disengage myself for a short time. It brought back memories of my beloved Molly and the ones who came before her.
But 'Lily and the Octopus', written by Steven Rowley, is a novel that will also take you totally by surprise. It's funny, it's thoughtful and sensitive, it's engaging. Most of all, it's precious. Yes, precious. Many reviewers consider it a cross between The Art of Racing in the Rain and The Life of Pi; both stories asked for a lot of emotional investment, and they were richer for it. 'Lily...' asks much the same.
It's about the little dance of love and forgiveness between a man and his beloved, aging dog, Lily.
I cannot say enough about it. Honestly, I really can't say enough about it because I don't want to ruin it for you.
When it comes out in June, please read it. Recommend it to friends and family. This wonderful story deserves to land in front of as many hearts-and-minds as possible.
Thank you, Steven Rowley, for hitting me in the gut with a story I won't soon forget.
'Lily and the Octopus', by Steven Rowley, will be published in early June 2016 by Simon & Schuster. Book Hog would like the thank the publisher for letting her read such a phenomenal story in advance of publication.
I think I'm in love.
Not love in the romantic sense. More like, I love this story. I love this author (but not in a romantic sense, remember?). I squeal with delight whenever I find that a beloved author has a new book coming out, and better yet, one that will be a great Summer read.
Spencer Quinn's 'Chet & Bernie' books. Anything by 'Little Stevie' King. David Mitchell (his latest, 'Slade House', is the creepiest, weirdest story I've ever read). Kate Morton. Charlaine Harris. Neil Gaiman. I could name more, but for now, I want to concentrate on Lisa Unger.
Yes, Lisa Unger. Lisa Unger, the phenomenal author of stories that are a combination of horror and thriller. Yes, there is a difference. And Unger has a gift for bringing them together in a way that works very well.
Finley, the young psychic in her newest novel, 'Ink and Bone', finds that her gift is becoming too big for her to handle, so she runs to her grandmother, Eloise, a well-known psychic who assists the local detective, Jones Cooper, in investigations in The Hollows, New York. Finley's lover and tattoo artist, Rainer, follows her there, and although she isn't pleased about it, she's quietly grateful that he did.
Drawn into the case where a little girl went missing while she and her family were on vacation in The Hollows, Finley works with Cooper, and finds that the voices in her head are stronger than ever. It is up to her to locate the little girl and find closure for the dead who are drawn to her.
But just when you think you know what's around the corner, or how the story will end, Unger throws us for a loop. Things aren't always what they seem, and in this story, nothing could be truer.
 |
Author Lisa Unger
|
If you love a good thriller, especially one mixed with some good horror, read 'Ink and Blood'.
And the little twist near the end will take you by surprise.
'Ink and Bone', written by Lisa Unger, will be published in June 2016, by Touchstone, a division of Simon & Schuster.
I could go on and on about her talent for creating memorable characters, and using short, tight paragraphs that make you jump. But I won't.
