Paula Longhurst's Blog, page 23

Neverworld Wake, Marisha Pessl

Beatrice Hartley and her friends attended Darrow-Harker School; they were the cool kids, the mostly rich kids until Bea’s boyfriend Jim killed himself and then they fractured and Bea hasn’t seen the group in over a year. Their reunion is a mess of awkward silences and lame jokes as the evening careens to a close and the group narrowly survives a car accident; there’s a knock at the door. A stranger has arrived, he explains that the teens are snagged on a shard in time and only the hardest of decisions can set them free. Equal parts mystery and groundhog day.
Even though this is listed as YA/Edgy it easily fits into the mystery category.

Star of the North, D.B. John

The Spy: Dr. Jenna Williams is a woman on a mission, her twin sister vanished whilst studying in South Korea and Jenna is convinced she’s still alive across the border.
The Diplomat: North Korean Colonel Chang is on his first overseas trip to negotiate more aid from the Americans. As his star rises, his bloodline may cause his downfall.
The Businesswoman: Mrs. Moon, old but shrewd founds a business at the local market but her seed money comes from South Korean contraband and she’s skating on very thin ice indeed.
Three very different people whose stories intersect in unexpected ways across the DMZ- in North Korea.

Wicked River, Jenny Milchman

Natalie and Doug Larson are starting their married lives together with a canoeing and camping trip deep into the Adirondack Mountains. The idea sounded idyllic, just the two of them, running the rapids by day, consummating their union by night but now Natalie’s here she’s beginning to wonder why she didn’t lobby for two weeks at the beach. She’s right to be worried because a year ago a hiker went missing in the same area. Natalie and Doug are not alone, someone wants to woo visitors to these woods, befriend them, keep them. All Natalie has is her brain, her determination and Doug.

But can she trust Doug?

Crooked Staircase, Dean Koontz

It’s been three weeks since Jane Hawk, former FBI agent started pursuing the group she knows as the Arcardians. Her five year old son, Travis is hidden away and she is on the tail of a major player with government ties. As Jane is laying her plans to capture and interrogate him, the Arcadians strike back; sending two of their most effective hunters after Travis. Jane becomes aware that he's in danger but is she too late to save him?

A Handful of Ashes, Rob McCarthy

Second outing for Dr. Harry Kent. NHS whistleblower, Susan Bayliss has been found dead. Acting DCI Frankie Noble needs the on call medical examiner, awkwardly it’s Harry. He and Noble are no longer together, her love of the bottle forced them apart.
Harry certifies the death but rules it suspicious like maybe somebody held the victim down and then staged the scene. Noble, with Harry grudingly assisting investigates the main suspects, a grand-standing heart surgeon and the victim’s girlfriend.

The Belgrave hospital is clearly covering something up or at least that’s the view of the parents of the four dead children operated on at the Belgrave and they aren’t the only ones covering things up; whilst Frankie may have beaten her addiction, Harry’s long hours at the hospital have him resorting to taking speed to stay alert ...

Mr. Flood’s Last Resort, Jess Kidd

Mr. Flood is an ancient old hoarder and a ‘stubborn fecker’ according to his latest caregiver, Maud. Maud’s an Irish lass with ‘eyes that have seen suffering’ according to Flood, and he should know. 
When the house begins offering up secrets to her, Maud, her landlady Renata and Renata’s long suffering sister Lillian embark on an adventure full of strange disappearances, greedy heirs and at the centre of it all Cathal Flood, who may or may not have done away with his wife.

Blowing my own trumpet for a change

A Shot of Treason, the second in the Mary Maccallan series is out now! (A Case of Espionage is lurking behind it.)
If you live in the Salt Lake area come and hang out with me and bunch of other book nerds to discuss, hear me read at least one funny scene and get your copy signed.

Event details 7:00 p.m Wednesday April 25th at The King's English 1511 South 1500 East.

Saint of Wolves and Butchers, Alex Grecian

1951, war criminal Rudolph Bormann hides away in a Kansas backwater town setting up a mini fatherland in his enemy’s back yard.
2018, acting on a witness tip, Travis Roan and Bear his faithful companion have come to Kansas seeking Bormann and a missing employee from the Roan Foundation. Travis is pulled over by State Trooper Skottie Foster and while she seems helpful the local Sheriff wants to run Roan out of town. What horrors hide in the blandness of Paradise Flats, home of The Purity Church?

All the Beautiful Lies, Peter Swanson

Alice Ackerson (neé Moss) is a Kennewick Maine native. Four years ago she married Bill Ackerson and now she has had to tell Bill’s son Harry that his father is dead. She wants Harry at her side and a devastated Harry obliges because Alice is all the family he has left but this being a Peter Swanson novel things are never as they seem...

Noir, Christopher Moore

Sammy the San Francisco bartender meets Stilton (a.k.a the cheese) and he’s a goner. Narrated alternately by Sammy and Petey, a scaly operator, this 1940s yarn revolves around Sammy’s attempts to set up a lucrative business sideline using Petey; and ‘taxmen’ in black (sunglasses optional) tasked with ‘removing’ anyone aiding and abetting an alien escapee.
You’ll meet General Remy, Lonius, jazz trumpeter and wannabe FBI agent, Lou, child and self-appointed pain in Sammy’s ass. Sal, the crooked bar owner and Pookie, the on-the-take cop. It’s Looney Toons meets Project Blue Book with a dash of Chandler and, oh yeah, one very PO’d black mamba.