Category Archives: William Morrow Paperbacks

November 22, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: The Unheard by Nicci French

Title: The Unheard by Nicci French
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 464 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this new heart-pounding standalone from the internationally bestselling author that People calls “razor sharp,” a single mother suspects her young daughter has witnessed a horrible crime when the girl draws a disturbing picture—but the deadly path to unravel the truth could cost her everything. 

Maybe Tess is overprotective, but passing her daughter off to her ex and his new young wife fills her with a sense of dread. It’s not that Jason is a bad father—it just hurts to see him enjoying married life with someone else. Still, she owes it to her daughter Poppy to make this arrangement work.

But Poppy returns from the weekend tired and withdrawn. And when she shows Tess a crayon drawing—an image so simple and violent that Tess can hardly make sense of it——Poppy can only explain with the words, “He did kill her.”

Something is horribly wrong. Tess is certain Poppy saw something—or something happened to her—that she’s too young to understand. Jason insists the weekend went off without a hitch. Doctors advise that Poppy may be reacting to her parents’ separation. And as the days go on, even Poppy’s disturbing memory seems to fade. But a mother knows her daughter, and Tess is determined to discover the truth. Her search will set off an explosive tempest of dark secrets and buried crimes—and more than one life may be at stake.

Review:

The Unheard by Nicci French is a tension-filled mystery.

Tess Moreau is a single mum with a three-year-old daughter. She is working part-time as a teacher and struggling to adjust to living alone a year after her long-term relationship with Jason Hallam ends.  She shares custody of their daughter Poppy with her ex partner Jason who has recently married.  She has been dating Aidan Otley for the last few months, but she is taking her time with this relationship.  When Poppy returns from her weekend at Jason’s, Tess becomes worried when her daughter’s behavior changes. Then she sees Poppy’s latest artwork which depicts a woman plunging to her death. Tess is convinced Poppy witnessed a death but will the police believe her when she takes her concern to them?

Tess knows the break up with Jason was the right choice and they are committed to a civilized custody arrangement for their daughter’s sake. She is immediately worried about Poppy because of the drawing and the behavior changes. She is a little irritated that Jason does not share her concern. But Tess is determined to get to the bottom of whatever is troubling Poppy and she decides the police might be the answer. Detective Inspector Kelly Jordan patiently listens to her story, but Tess is frustrated when there is nothing the DI can do to help.

Tess makes some changes to her life in order to focus exclusively on Poppy. With the police not taking her fears seriously, Tess starts investigating on her own. When she finds a death that seemingly matches Poppy’s drawing, she once again goes to DI Kelly who brings in her partner Chief Inspector Ross Durrant. But is there any way to prove this death is in any way linked to Poppy or her drawing?

The Unheard is a suspenseful mystery that moves at a fast pace. Tess becomes increasingly unreliable as she becomes suspicious of Jason after learning unexpected information about him. Her anxiety reaches new heights as she attempts to find out what happened to the woman who recently died. The storyline is intriguing with interesting twists and turns. With a jaw-dropping revelation, Nicci French brings this riveting mystery to an edge of the seat conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Mystery, Nicci French, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Unheard, William Morrow Paperbacks

October 18, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Catch Us When We Fall by Juliette Fay

Title: Catch Us When We Fall by Juliette Fay
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 416 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

If you love the emotionally complex novels of JoJo Moyes and the dramatic books of Jodi Picoult, you won’t want to miss this newest book about second chances, redemption, and the power of hope from USA Today bestselling author of Shelter Me, Juliette Fay.

On her own since the age of eighteen, Cass Macklin dated brilliant, troubled Ben McGreavy, convinced he was the smartest person she’d ever known. They partied their way through their twenties, slowly descending into a bleak world of binge-drinking and broken promises, inebriated for most of a decade. Now Ben is dead, and Cass is broke, homeless, scared…and pregnant.

Determined to have a healthy pregnancy and raise Ben’s baby, Cass has to find a way to stop drinking and build a stable life for herself and her child. But with no money, skills, or sober friends or family, the task seems insurmountable. At wit’s end, Cass turns to the only person with the means to help her: Ben’s brother Scott, third basemen for the Boston Red Sox, a man with a temper and problems of his own.

The two make a deal that neither one of them is sure they can live up to. As Cass struggles to take control of her life and to ask for help when she needs it, Scott begins to realize there’s a life for him beyond the baseball diamond.

By turns heartbreaking and humorous, with its message that change is possible, that forgiveness can be freely given, and that life, though imperfect, is worth embracing, Catch Us When We Fall is a story of human connectedness and hope.

Review:

Catch Us When We Fall by Juliette Fay is an emotional novel of recovery, new beginnings and healing.

Twenty-nine-year-old Cass Macklin and Ben McGreavy have been together for eleven drunken years. After his death, she learns she is pregnant and she is struggling to get sober. Cass wants to provide a good life for her unborn child, but without any money or skills, she is barely eking out a living. She reluctantly turns to Ben’s brother Scott for help, but their agreement is dependent on her sobriety. With Scott just waiting for her to make a mistake, Cass finds comfort and friendship in unexpected places.

Cass grew up in foster care after the death of her mother. With Ben as her only source of love for the past eleven years, she is adrift and unbearably lonely after his death. Her pregnancy is an unanticipated lifeline for the opportunity for her to get sober. With sobriety comes clarity and Cass is confronted with uncomfortable truths about her relationship with Ben. Living with Scott is her only chance to get back on her feet and provides her with the chance to make concrete plans for her and her baby’s future. Cass is committed to her sobriety and she attends daily Alcoholic Anonymous meetings. Working up the courage to speak her truth takes time and an unexpected friendship is another step along her way to a better future.

Living with Scott is not always easy because he is a loner who is waiting for Cass to fail. She is shocked to discover Ben met with his brother on a regular basis over the years. Scott and Ben’s childhood was violent and Ben turned to alcohol to cope. Scott turned his athletic abilities into a baseball career but he maintains a distance from his teammates. He has low expectations for Cass’s ability to stay sober, and their arrangement provides an unanticipated opportunity to get to know each other better.

Catch Us When We Fall is a compelling novel that provides an authentic portrayal of addiction and recovery. Cass and Scott are complex characters who continue to carry the scars of their respective dysfunctional childhoods.  Cass’s journey is difficult but the lessons she learns as she fights to remain sober showcase her strength. Scott is gruff and prickly but living with Cass brings out the unexpectedly tender aspects of his personality. With a realistic storyline and winsome characters, Juliette Fay’s newest release is a heartwarming and uplifting novel of hope, grace and love.

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Filed under Catch Us When We Fall, Contemporary, Juliette Fay, Rated B+, Review, William Morrow Paperbacks, Women's Fiction

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

July 9, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman

Title: The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In the tradition of Daphne du Maurier and Shari Lapena, comes the newest mystery thriller from New York Times bestselling author Carol Goodman—a twisty, chilling story set in a former Magdalen Laundry in Manhattan that explores today’s #MeToo complexities.

You’re never really alone

Journalist Joan Lurie has written a seething article exposing a notorious newspaper tycoon as a sexual predator. But the night it goes live, she is brutally attacked. Traumatized and suffering the effects of a concussion, she moves into a highly secure apartment in Manhattan called the Refuge, which was at one time a Magdalen Laundry. Joan should be safe here, so how can she explain the cryptic incidents that are happening?

Lillian Day is Joan’s new 96-year-old neighbor at the Refuge. In 1941, Lillian witnessed a mysterious murder that sent her into hiding at the Magdalen Laundry, and she hasn’t come out since. As she relates to Joan her harrowing story, Joan sees striking similarities to her own past.

Melissa Osgood, newly widowed and revengeful, has burning questions about her husband’s recent death. When she discovers a suspicious paper trail that he left behind, she realizes how little she knew about her marriage. But it seems Joan Lurie might be the one who has the answers.

As these three lives intersect, each woman must stay one step ahead of those who are desperate to make sure the truth is never uncovered.

Review:

The Stranger Behind You by Carol Goodman is a mesmerizing mystery that is quite engrossing.

Twenty-nine-year-old Joan Lurie is a style writer who is also secretly working an expose of newspaper owner, Caspar “Cass” Osgood.  When the explosive story hits the stands, Joan’s life takes an immediate turn. She is attacked in her home and  leaves her fearful of leaving her apartment. She is also experiencing lingering and sometimes debilitating aftereffects of the head injury she suffered in during the attack.

With the advance from an extremely lucrative book deal, Joan moves into the Refuge, a historic building which was at one time a Magdalen Laundry.  Feeling safe within the walls of her new apartment, she attempts to begin working on her book.  Still unable to leave her home, Joan begins exploring one of the unsubstantiated claims she learned during her investigation of Cass. Will Joan uncover the truth about this incident?

Unbeknownst to Joan, Melissa Osgood is determined to prove the allegations about her husband are not true. She is not exactly a kind woman and she is very derisive of Joan both as a person and a journalist. Melissa takes many unexpected steps in her quest for revenge but will she find the proof she is searching for?

Joan is not making much progress with her novel, so she is delighted when her elderly neighbor Lillian begins dropping by to visit. Joan is enthralled by Lillian’s stories of her life in the forties. Lillian’s life took a downward turn after her mother’s death and her brothers became involved with the local mobsters in the area. Joan strives to remain far away from the criminal enterprise but while helping her best friend, she inadvertently finds herself in an increasingly dangerous situation.

The Stranger Behind You is an absolutely captivating mystery with chapters that alternate between two distinct perspectives. The storyline is multi-layered and shines a much-needed light on high-powered men sexually preying on women in the workplace. After her assault, Joan’s fears affect her judgment and ability to make sound decisions. Lillian’s stories are positively spellbinding and very fascinating. Melissa is a snob and she is hypercritical of those she deems beneath her. The mystery surrounding who attacked Joan and why is intriguing and not easy to figure out. With unexpected twists and breathtaking turns, Carol Goodman brings this suspenseful mystery to an edge of the seat conclusion.

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Filed under Carol Goodman, Contemporary, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Stranger Behind You, William Morrow Paperbacks

July 2, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: What to Do When Someone Dies by Nicci French

Title: What to Do When Someone Dies by Nicci French
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

In this ingenious stand-alone thriller from the internationally bestselling author and “razor sharp” master of suspense (People), a grieving wife is forced to ask: Which is worse—infidelity or murder?

Ellie Falkner’s world has been destroyed. Her husband, Greg, died in a car crash—and he wasn’t alone. In the passenger seat was the body of Milena Livingstone, a woman Ellie’s never heard of. But Ellie refuses to leap to the obvious conclusion, despite the whispers and suspicions of those around her. Maybe it’s the grief, but Ellie has to find out who this woman was—and prove Greg wasn’t having an affair. And soon she is chillingly certain their deaths were no accident.

Are Ellie’s accusations of murder her way of avoiding the truth about her marriage? Or does an even more sinister discovery await her?

Review:

What to Do When Someone Dies by Nicci French is a tense domestic mystery.

Ellie Falkner is devastated when she learns her husband Greg Manning has died in a car accident. She is also has complete faith that he is not having an affair with the woman his who also perished in the crash. Ellie is lost without Greg but unable to completely grieve his loss until she understands why Milena Livingstone was in the car with him. His friend and business partner Joe Foreman does not know who she is. Nor does his best friend Fergus Kelly. Ellie wants to get a sense of who Milena was in life, so she  finds herself offering to assist the deceased woman’s business partner in organizing the party planning business. Will Ellie find the answers she is searching for about Greg and Milena?

Ellie tries not to lose faith in her beloved husband. She finds it impossible to believe he would have an affair but what other explanation could there be for Milena to be with him? Ellie tears apart Greg’s life and she still does not find anything that indicates an affair. So, when the opportunity arises for her to delve deeper into Milena’s life, she takes it. In between putting the party planning’s affairs in order, Ellie asks questions she hopes will provide her with a sense of who Milena was. She feels bad for the deception but she is desperate for the assurance that Greg would never betray her with another woman. As Ellie tries to extricate her from a suddenly complicated situation, a shocking discovery puts her in a bit of a precarious legal situation.

What to Do When Someone Dies is an engrossing mystery. Ellie is an interesting woman whose desperation for answers leads her to make very dubious decisions. The somewhat slow burning storyline is intriguing and it is easy to become invested in the outcome of Ellie’s quest. Although savvy readers will most likely guess whodunit, Nicci French brings this suspenseful mystery to an exciting conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Mystery, Nicci French, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, What to Do When Someone Dies, William Morrow Paperbacks

June 25, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Maps for the Getaway by Annie England Noblin

Title: Maps for the Getaway by Annie England Noblin
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

If you love Susan Mallery, you won’t want to miss this novel of three high school friends who find themselves emotionally fractured when tragedy strikes, so they go on a road trip they’ll never forget and rediscover what made them “best friends forever.”

It was the road trip of their lives . . . and they did it without a map.

When they posed for a photo at their high school graduation, they vowed they’d be friends forever, but teenage promises are so easily broken, and now, thirty years later, they’re practically strangers.

Cici—stuck in a rut, married to a cheating husband.

Genie—caring for her ailing father but never getting any thanks.

Kate—everyone knows people who look perfect on Instagram are not.

And Laurie—the most successful of them all—now tragically gone.

So, to celebrate Laurie’s life,  three former friends in a 1962 red Lincoln Continental convertible take the road trip of their lives—encountering male strippers, a boy band that has seen better days, crazy motel rooms, adopting a so-ugly-it’s-cute stray dog…and discovering that it’s never too late to live the wild life.

Because, sometimes, to find yourself you have to get away.

Review:

Maps for the Getaway by Annie England Noblin is a wonderful novel of friendship, new beginnings and self-discovery.

Although they have very different family lives, Cici, Genie, Kate and Laurie are best friends from the moment they meet.  And yet, twenty years after their high school graduation, their only communication is the occasional text. But when they learn of Laurie’s unexpected death, they reunite for their dear friend’s funeral.  Afterward, they make an impetuous decision to take a road trip to Las Vegas to attend their favorite teenage boy band’s reunion concert. Cici, Genie and Kate learn each other’s secrets as they laugh, cry and sometimes get angry, during their journey.

Kate is a lawyer whose long hours away from home have led to her recent divorce. Although not surprised, she is hurt their sons decided to live with their father.  Kate has always projected a happy home life, so she has kept quiet about her divorce. Will she tell Cici and Genie that she is now single?

Cici is married to her high school sweetheart and the mother of two teenage daughters. Up until now, she has turned a blind eye to her husbands philandering. But when she sees him with his latest girlfriend, Cici reacts in a very unexpected and public way that goes viral in their small town.

Genie is a kindergarten teacher and she lives in her childhood home. Until recently, she was taking care of father who has Alzheimer’s. But when his condition worsens, Genie has no choice but to move him to an Alzheimer’s unit. Their relationship has always been fraught, but Genie does not let this get in the way of continuing to care for him.

Although Laurie is now gone, she is with her friends in spirit as they make their way from MO to Las Vegas. Genie is a planner who presents a strict schedule for them to follow on their road trip. Unused to taking time off, Kate is a little surprised that she is able to leave work behind. Cici tries to use the time away to come to terms with the end of her marriage. During their trip, they end up in some laugh out loud situations as well as poignant discussions about their lives past and present.

With chapters alternating between different points of view, Maps for the Getaway is a marvelous friendship novel that will resonate with readers. The characters are well-developed but it takes a little time for their individual voices to become distinct. The road trip is interesting with Cici, Genie and Kate finding themselves in some very unusual but funny situations as they unexpectedly meet unique people along the way. Annie England Noblin brings this heartwarming novel to a very uplifting conclusion.

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Filed under Annie England Noblin, Contemporary, Maps for the Getaway, Rated B, Review, William Morrow Paperbacks, Women's Fiction