"Invisible Girl" by Lisa Jewell

We think we can do things and no one will notice. That we are sly. That we can meet a lover, shower afterwards, and no one will question why that second shower of the day. Sneak a cigarette, spray perfume, and no one will catch a whiff of that underlying scent. Perhaps we slip a shot or two of vodka into our juice, brush our teeth after, and believe no one will be the wiser. We are just fooling ourselves. Our spouse knows; our children know. Eventually, they will get tired of keeping our secrets.

 “Invisible Girl” begins on Valentine’s Night 2019; the night seventeen-year-old Saffyre Maddox literally vanishes from the streets of London. Everyone is concerned as there have been several attacks on women that seem to have escalated; the last sending the target to the hospital. Is Saffyre a victim of the unknown assailant or did she simply run away?

During a series of flashbacks, we learn the last several years have been hard ones for Saffyre. She lives with her uncle who is only ten years older. She has a secret. A secret that causes her to harm herself and has kept her in therapy for years. Her therapist, Roan, believes that she has been healed and quit seeing her. But Saffyre is far from healed. She cannot sleep, eat, or even stay indoors. She roams the streets of London where she eventually sees Roan from afar. Unbeknownst to him, she begins stalking both him, his family, and his lover.

While doing so, she encounters Roan’s creepy neighbor who lives across the street with his elderly aunt. She also befriends Roan’s son,

But what happened to Saffyre?

I love to think about why authors give a book a certain title. Why “Invisible Girl”? Who is the invisible girl and does she choose or try to be invisible or is it just the way life unfolds. All interesting questions to ask while reading this book!

I have read several Lisa Jewell books and this is one of my favorites! Great ending… twisty, turning read to get there.

Publication Date: June, 2020

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Psychological Thrillers, Kidnapping, Incel,
Cover: Good
Rating: 5 stars
Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#InvisibleGirl #NetGalley

"The Long Call" by Ann Cleeves

If you are in the mood for an intriguing mystery/police procedural, British author Ann Cleeves’ “The Long Call” fits that bill! This is the first in a new series, Two Rivers, by the author in some time and it introduces Detective Matthew Venn.

Detective Venn has already had a rough day when he is called to a murder not far from the North Devon beach home he shares with his husband, Johnathan. Earlier, he viewed estranged father’s funeral from distance. He was not welcome because his parents belonged the Bretheren, a religious cult from which he was cast out several years prior.

As the investigation begins, a young lady from the Woodyard Centre goes missing. Everyone in the area wonders if the two events are related as this area has a very low crime rate. As Venn and his colleagues investigate the murder and kidnapping and grow closer to finding the culprit, several suspects emerge. It seems that the murdered man, the Woodyard, the Bretheren, and perhaps even Johnathan are tangled in the scheme.

This is the first book of Ann Cleeves I have had the pleasure to read, but it won’t be the last. Excited to find a new author with so many books from which to choose!

Publication Date: September 3, 2019

Genre: Mystery, thriller, suspense, police procedural, crime, international mystery, detective

Cover: Perfect

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#TheLongCall #NetGalley

"Once Upon a River" by Diane Setterfield

I have been waiting for this book since I closed the cover on “The Thirteenth Tale”! (If you haven’t read it, download it now!) Diane Setterfield spins a tale like no other.

“Once Upon A River” begins with the discovery of a lifeless child at the river. A child whose “corpse was a blank page” and gave up no story about what had happened. The child, a girl, was discovered by a man who stumbles, half dead himself, into the The Swan; an ancient inn that was known for its storytelling.

Rita, the local nurse, is sent to attend to the man and to hopefully discover what exactly happened to the child. Before Rita can finish her examination of the dead girl, for she was indeed dead, the girl comes back to life.

Who is this girl? To whom does she belong? Is she the daughter of a local couple whose child was kidnapped two years ago? Is she the child of a local prostitute who jumped from the bridge a few weeks ago? Is she the ghost of another’s sister?

As the story unfolds, we learn about the characters and the girl. We learn their stories-their hopes, dreams, character. We learn how virtuous people can be and we learn how despicable they can be. We learn about the river. How it gives life and how it takes it away.

The characters are so very well developed that I did not want to say goodbye to them. I wanted to continue, but remember, we all have rivers of our own to attend to!

#OnceUponARiver #DianeSetterfield #NetGalley

Publication Date: December 4, 2018

Genre:  Suspense, Mystery, Kidnapping, Supernatural, Gothic, British

Cover: Perfect

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

"A Christmas Return" by Anne Perry

A cannonball in a Christmas pudding? That is just how “A Christmas Return” by Anne Perry begins. Mariah Ellison receives this odd, anonymous gift a few days before Christmas. However, a card arrives with the last post of the day. It is from Peter Wesley; the grandson of a friend with whom she has not seen for some time… Rowena Wesley. A friend whose husband, Cullen, died under mysterious circumstances twenty years ago after he suddenly refused to represent a man accused of the rape and murder of a fourteen year old girl.

Mariah agrees to assist Peter as “it was something, at her age, to be needed-not to be taken in as a matter of kindness. An overdose of charity could kill something inside you.” The ensuing story is the tale of Mariah and Peter attempting to track down the murderer.

This was a quick, easy read and was not gruesome. It had some great moments, although none better than cutting into a Christmas pudding and finding a cannonball. For example, “… over a lunch of Welsh rarebit. There was always something extraordinarily comforting about melted cheese on toast.”

Very enjoyable, especially with the Christmas tie in and Anne Perry reminds us that “because of Christmas, love never dies’” This was my first Anne Perry book, but it won’t be the last.

Release Publication Date: November 7, 2017

Genre:  Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Crime, Women Sleuths, British

Cover: Perfect

Source: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

Rating: 4 stars