Category Archives: Domestic Mystery

February 7, 2022 · 12:02 am

Review: The Other Family by Wendy Corsi Staub

Title: The Other Family by Wendy Corsi Staub
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Suspense
Length: 380 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

New York Times bestselling author Wendy Corsi Staub makes her trade paperback debut with a fast-paced thriller in the vein of Lisa Jewell’s The Family Upstairs and Megan Collins’ The Winter Sister. Here, a family making a fresh start moves into a house which was the site of an unsolved triple homicide—and are watched by an unknown person…

The watcher sees who you are…and knows what you did. 

It’s the perfect home for the perfect family: pretty Nora Howell, her handsome husband, their two teenage daughters, and lovable dog. As California transplants making a fresh start in Brooklyn, they expected to live in a shoebox, but the brownstone has a huge kitchen, lots of light, and a backyard. The catch: its previous residents were victims of a grisly triple homicide that remains unsolved.

Soon, peculiar things begin happening. The pug is nosing around like a bloodhound. Nora unearths a long-hidden rusty box in the flowerbed. Oldest daughter Stacey, obsessed with the family murdered in their house, pokes into the bloody past and becomes convinced that a stranger is watching the house. Watching them.

She’s right. But one of the Howells will recognize his face. Because one of them has a secret that will blindside the others with a truth that lies shockingly close to home—and to this one’s terrifying history.

Review:

The Other Family by Wendy Corsi Staub is a thrilling domestic mystery.

Nora Howell, husband Keith, daughters Stacey and Piper have just moved cross country from California to New York. Instead of a spacious home with lots of amenities, the family is moving into a historical brownstone. Seventeen-year-old Stacey is looking forward to a new beginning and she has high hopes for making friends. Fourteen-year-old Piper is bubbly and outgoing so neither Nora nor Keith is concerned about her. Keith works long hours so Nora devotes her time to gardening in their backyard. She makes a discovery that proves to be incredibly distracting even though she has made friends with neighbors Heather Tamura, her wife Jules and their two kids, Lennon and Courtney. Lennon and Stacey are soon hanging out together and Piper and Courtney become fast friends. The more Nora learns about the history of their temporary home, the more apprehensive she becomes. And Stacey is hiding her suspicion that someone is watching her. How long will it take fora  long-held secret to be uncovered?

Nora and Keith have hit a rough patch in their twenty-year marriage. Both are hopeful the move will bring them closer together, but so far, things remain tense between them. Under other circumstances, Nora would be delighted with their newfound friends, but she is having trouble focusing on anything after finding out the tragic history of the rental house. Her distraction does not help her relationship with Keith and Nora is not as attentive to Piper or Stacey as she should be.

Stacey is an introvert but she is  pleased with her friendship with Lennon.  He is intense but they have a lot in common. Stacey is fascinated by the unsolved murders and previous owners of their house and so is Lennon. When their friendship turns into a romance, she is a little uneasy about how much time he wants to spend together. Stacey is also anxious about the person who is watching her and she is uncertain whom she can trust.

The Other Family is a suspense-laden domestic mystery. The plot is well-developed and the short chapters build the tension to a fever pitch. The characters are well-drawn with intriguing backstories. The chapters alternate between three different perspectives and each narrator’s reliability grows increasingly questionable.  With a shocking dénouement, Wendy Corsi Staub brings this atmospheric mystery to an abrupt conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Other Family, Wendy Corsi Staub, William Morrow Paperbacks

October 5, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: A Fire in the Night by Christopher Swann

Title: A Fire in the Night by Christopher Swann
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Suspense
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Acclaimed Southern mystery master Christopher Swann delivers “a book that’s literary fiction, a spy novel, and a relentless thriller all in one” (Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling author), perfect for fans of Linwood Barclay and Michael Farris Smith.

Nick Anthony has retreated to the North Carolina mountains to mourn the untimely death of his wife. Once a popular professor, Nick just wants to be left alone with his grief. But when his estranged brother and sister-in-law die in a house fire, a stunned Nick learns he has a niece, Annalise, who is missing.

At the scene of the crime, the men who set the fire have realized Annalise, and the information they are looking for, got away. Feverish and exhausted, she stumbles onto her uncle’s porch, throwing Nick into the middle of the mystery of her parents’ death and the dangerous criminals hunting her down.

Hired to retrieve the stolen information at any price, private military contractor Cole and his team track Annalise to Nick’s cabin. But Nick has a hidden past of his own—and more than a few deadly tricks up his sleeve.

Review:

A Fire in the Night by Christopher Swann is a spellbinding domestic mystery with a clever storyline.

Former college professor Nick Anthony is grieving the loss of his beloved wife Ellie in complete isolation. He lives off the grid in a remote mountain cabin and he rarely goes to town or receives visitors. Which is why it is such a surprise when Deputy Josh Sams comes shows up. Unfortunately, he is the bearer of bad news. Nick’s brother Jay and his sister-in-law Carol have been murdered. The brothers have been estranged for twenty years so Nick is surprised to learn he has a niece who is now missing. And he is even more surprised when Annalise shows up on his doorstep with information that Jay insisted she give to her uncle in the event something happened to him. Fearing the worst, Nick is soon attempting to figure out what his brother was involved with that resulted in his death. With rusty skills and unexpected contacts, Nick is in a race against time to find the truth before the people responsible for his brother’s death before they find him and Annalise.

Nick and Ellie’s enjoyment of their mountain home did not last long before she died. He is half-heartedly working on a project but he is mostly mourning her loss. Despite not being in touch with Jay, Nick is not at all surprised his brother might have been involved in something shady. He does not take long to figure out some of what his brother was up to and he knows enough to understand he and Annalise are in danger. What Nick does not understand is exactly how determined these people are to retrieve the information that is now in his possession.

A Fire in the Night is a fast-paced domestic mystery with intriguing characters and an engaging storyline. Nick is a likable man who manages to keep his wife’s memory alive even as he is in grave danger. Annalise is an intrepid teenager who careens between anger and grief over her unbearable loss. The mountain setting adds an extra layer of danger to an already tense situation. With unanticipated twists and turns, Christopher Swann brings this suspenseful domestic mystery to a hair-raising conclusion.

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Filed under A Fire in the Night, Christopher Swann, Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Domestic Mystery, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

September 20, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight

Title: Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this relentlessly twisty literary thriller from New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight, a desperate intervention brings together a group of college friends 10 years after graduation—a reunion marked by lies, betrayal, and murder.

Everyone has those friends. Doesn’t matter how long it’s been, or how badly they’ve occasionally behaved, or how late it is when that call finally comes—you show up. No questions asked.

Honestly, that’s how the five of us ended up here in the Catskills. We did have the best of intentions. Especially after what happened to Alice all those years ago, we can’t bear to think of losing anyone else. In fact, we’ll do anything to make sure that doesn’t happen. We’ll go so much farther than we ever thought we would.

In the end, maybe that’s what caught up with us. That, and the fact that we’re such a complicated group—so much history and so many big personalities. Secrets, too, that can slip out at the most inopportune moments. Of course, we love each other despite all of those things. We love each other no matter what.

There’s something so beautiful about that kind of unconditional love. It can turn ugly, though. Or maybe that’s just us. After all, we’ve already been through so much together. And we have so very much to hide.

Review:

Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight is a suspense-laden domestic mystery that is fast-paced.

Jonathan Cheung is hosting his longtime college friends for a weekend at his guest house in the Catskills. Although years have passed since graduation, he, Maeve Travis, Stephanie Allen, Derrick Chism and Keith Lazard have remained fairly close. Their weekend is off to an uneasy beginning when art gallery owner Keith brings his star artist Finch Hendrix with him. Then Jonathan’s contractors show up angrily demanding money for unpaid bills. He is in the complete dark about the past due bill since his fiancé Peter has been handling the renovation.  By Sunday morning, one of the group is dead and Kaaterskill Detective Julia Scutt is asking uncomfortable questions they would very much rather not answer. Who is the victim? And who is responsible for what might just be murder?

Although one member of their friends died back in college, she is very much a part of the weekend get together. Jonathan, Maeve, Stephanie, Derrick and Keith have been keeping a huge secret about something that occurred while they were college students.  Despite what happened back then, most of them have gone on to have lucrative careers. But have any of them truly moved on with their lives?

Over the course of the weekend, the chapters alternate between the various characters’ points of view. Jonathan has the best of intentions with the reason for the weekend but Finch’s unexpected appearance disrupts their plans. He is deliberately provoking reactions from everyone, but for what purpose? Everyone is already on edge when their first evening comes to a tense end. It will be up to Detective Scutt to attempt pry the truth out of them about what happened between then and the death of one of their own. Will she be able to uncover the secrets the group is obviously trying to keep hidden?

Friends Like These is an edge of the seat domestic mystery that is impossible to put down. The characters are well-developed but most of them are not easy to like. The chapters alternate between the different characters perspectives which provides interesting insight about each of them. The victim’s identity is kept tightly under wraps which adds an extra layer of stress to an already fraught weekend gathering. With jaw-dropping plot twists, Kimberly McCreight brings this stunning domestic mystery to an absolutely unpredictable conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Friends Like These, Harper, Kimberly McCreight, Mystery, Rated B+, Review

September 5, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Such a Good Wife by Seraphina Nova Glass

Title: Such a Good Wife by Seraphina Nova Glass
Publisher: Graydon House
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Betrayal was just the beginning…

Melanie Hale is a devoted mother to her two children, a diligent caregiver to her ailing mother-in-law and a trusted neighbor in their wealthy Louisiana community. Above all, she’s a loving partner to her wonderful husband, Collin.

Then there are the parts of herself that Mel keeps hidden. She’s exhausted, worried and unfulfilled. So much so that one night, after a writers’ group meeting, Mel begins an affair with a successful local author named Luke. Suddenly she’s transformed into a role she doesn’t recognize—a woman who deceives with unseemly ease. A woman who might be capable of just about anything.

When Mel finds Luke’s dead body in his lavish rented house, she realizes just how high the stakes have become. Not only does she have to keep her affair a secret in order to preserve her marriage, but she desperately needs to avoid being implicated in Luke’s death. But who would want to kill him? Who else in her life is keeping secrets? And most terrifying of all, how far will they—and she—go to keep those secrets hidden?

Review:

Such a Good Wife by Seraphina Nova Glass is a clever domestic mystery.

Melanie “Mel” Hale is a wife, a mother and her mother-in-law’s caregiver. She loves her family but she feels as if she has lost herself over the years. Her husband Collin is a workaholic so the brunt of the work at home falls on her shoulders. Their daughter Rachel is thirteen years old and just beginning the angsty teen years. Their son Bennett is very intelligent but he is also neurodiverse so he can be quite a handful when frustrated. Mel loves her mother-in-law and she mourns the vibrant woman she was before the cancer and dementia diagnoses.

At Collin’s urging, Mel joins the neighborhood book club only to be disappointed to discover no one is interested in reading the books.  Her husband very thoughtfully finds a local writer’s group that might just be what Mel needs to spark her creativity. They meet at a local bookstore where popular romance author Luke Ellison is promoting his latest release. He and Mel enjoy chatting with each other, but their mutual attraction is undeniable and impossible to resist. When she finally decides to end their affair, Mel discovers Luke’s lifeless body and she is left hoping the police do not uncover their illicit relationship.

Mel is completely overwhelmed by the weight of her responsibilities. She sometimes yearns for the life she planned to have before becoming a stay-at-home mom. She is friendly with their neighbors but Mel is not close to any of them. Once she embarks on her affair with Luke, she experiences guilt at betraying her loved ones, but she cannot find the strength to give up the relationship. Mel also tries very hard to act normal but she is distracted by her memories of her stolen hours with Luke.

After Luke’s death, Mel dreads the local police finding out about her affair with Luke. However, it does not take long for them to learn she knows him. But instead of being honest, Mel lies to the detectives in order to protect her secret. Mel is shocked when it becomes obvious someone does know about her and Luke’s relationship. She is under considerable stress as she tries to uncover the identity of the person threatening to destroy her life.

Such a Good Wife is a deliciously engrossing domestic mystery with an intriguing storyline. Mel really is a good wife and it is easy to relate with stressed she is. Collin is a sweet man but even when he is home, he is preoccupied with work. Luke is a charming man but how well does Mel know him? The plot is engaging and full of tension. With stunning plot-twists, Seraphina Nova Glass brings this domestic mystery to an unpredictable conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Graydon House, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Seraphina Nova Glass, Such a Good Wife

September 2, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton

Title: You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Joshilyn Jackson, Sarah Warburton’s chilling thriller, inspired by the Moors Murders, explores the twisted side of suburbia.

Framed for embezzlement by her best friend Aimee, museum curator Kacy Tremain and her husband Michael move from New Jersey to a charming Texas suburb to escape their past. Kacy quickly makes new friends–preppy, inscrutable Elizabeth, chatty yet evasive Rahmia, and red-headed, unapologetic Lena. But good friends aren’t always what they seem.

As she navigates the unexpectedly cutthroat social scene of her new town, Kacy begins to receive taunting postcards–and worse, discovers cameras hidden in the wall of her home. Lena and her husband, Brady, reassure her that the cameras are just relics of the paranoid previous homeowner . Once the cameras are removed and Kacy’s fears are quelled, Kacy and Michael make the happy discovery that they are going to be new parents.

Months after the birth of their daughter, Michael accidentally makes a shocking discovery about Brady’s past. And when Lena suddenly goes missing, Kacy and Michael begin to uncover the truth about their neighbors–and it’s more terrible than anyone could have imagined.

Interlaced with transcripts of a chilling “true crime” podcast that follow the tangled threads of the drama, You Can Never Tell is a taut and complex psychological thriller that never lets up until its breathless conclusion.

Review:

You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton is a scintillating domestic mystery that will leave readers taking a closer look at their friends and neighbors.

Kacy Tremaine and her husband Michael have relocated from New Jersey to Texas. Kacy left her job in disgrace after her best friend Aimee McFadden framed her crime she did not commit. Unable to seek employment in her career field, she is still battling depression and her anger at the stunning betrayal. Since she cannot  work in her field, Kacy is in desperate need of a distraction. Their neighborhood has a social group that fundraises for various causes but does she have the patience for some of the women’s cattiness?

As Kacy and Michael settle into their new life, they make some unsettling discoveries inside their home. Believing their friends that all is safe, the couple move onto the next stage of life when Kacy learns she is pregnant. After giving birth, their life takes a decidedly shocking turn that culminates with Kacy finding the courage to do whatever it takes to protect her family.

You Can Never Tell is a fast-paced and engaging domestic mystery. Kacy’s journey from depressed and insecure to fierce protector is marvelously captured as she is confronted with the unthinkable. Michael is wonderful husband who will do anything for his wife. Kacy’s friendships heal her wounds but has she once again misjudged the people with whom she interacts with on a regular basis? With plenty of action, Sarah Warburton brings this clever and unique domestic mystery to an exciting yet dangerous conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Domestic Mystery, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Sarah Warburton, You Can Never Tell

August 31, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: The Sister-in-Law by Pamela Crane

Title: The Sister-in-Law by Pamela Crane
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

From the USA Today bestselling author of Little Deadly Secrets comes a gripping story about the frailty of family and a battle of wills between a wife and a sister-in-law, bent on revenge.

She stole my husband. So I’d steal her life.

The Wife
Lane won Candace’s heart over chocolate martinis and karaoke. But weeks into their whirlwind marriage, Candace realized Lane came with burdensome baggage in the form of his possessive live-in sister and her eerily watchful six-year-old son. Lane had a secret that seemed to hold him hostage, and Candace would do anything to uncover it.

The Sister-in-Law
Harper was the kind of woman who cooked homemade meals and dusted under the furniture. It was the least she could do for her brother after her husband’s mysterious death, and Lane took her and her kids in. Then Candace showed up like a tornado passing through, threatening and destructive. But Harper had other plans for her new “sister,” plans Lane could never find out about.

The Husband
All Lane had ever wanted was a white-picket-fence life. The wife. The two-point-five kids. The happy little family. Everything seemed to be falling into place with Candace … until Harper’s jealous streak got in the way, again. But choosing between his sister and wife would be costly … and knowing Harper, the price would be blood.

Review:

The Sister-in-Law by Pamela Crane is a page-turning domestic mystery with a deliciously twisty storyline.

Harper Paris arrives home to discover her husband Ben has committed suicide. Her first phone call is to her brother Lane Flynn who makes it appears as though his brother-in-law was murdered. Much to Harper’s dismay, the investigation is not exactly open and shut and she does not have access to their accounts. In financially dire straits, she and her two children move in with Lane and his (surprise!) new bride, Candace.  Neither of the women can stand one another, Harper’s kids are an emotional mess and everyone is keeping secrets. Lane is caught in the middle but he works such long hours that Candace and Harper are left alone to simmer in their increasing dislike for each other.

Candace is happy for the first time in her life. She loves Lane and she is determined to kick her new sister-in-law, Harper’s strange six-year-old son Jackson and demanding eleven-year-old daughter Elise to the curb.  Candace is also resentful that her new mother-in-law Monica does not make any effort to hide her disdain for her. Candace is a bit of a slob and lacks domestic skills, but she does make Lane very happy. Will she and Harper find common ground? Or will Candace win the battle of wills between her and her sister-in-law?

Harper has no intention of allowing Candace come between her and her brother. She is increasingly frustrated by her sister-in-law’s laziness and she knows Candace is not good enough for Lane. Harper is also unsettled about Jackson’s night terrors and his inability of express his emotions. She is tired of the fighting between her children and the lack of progress on Ben’s case. Harper is working on forgiving her husband about something she discovered about him right before his death. She is  keeping a few secrets that she would rather no one uncover. Instead of focusing on her own problems, Harper is determined to find out the truth about her new sister-in-law and rescue her brother from his wife’s nefarious clutches.

The Sister-in-Law is an engrossing mystery with a delightfully twist-filled storyline.  The characters are intriguing and sometimes not easy to like. The plot is fast-paced with unexpected turns that ratchet the tension to a fever pitch. With a dramatic showdown between Candace and Harper, Pamela Crane brings this mesmerizing domestic mystery to an absolutely shocking conclusion. I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this brilliant mystery to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Mystery, Pamela Crane, Rated B+, Review, The Sister-in-Law, William Morrow Paperbacks