What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

Five much-deserved stars.

This might be the most perfect psychological/domestic thriller I've ever read. Let me tell you why.

What Lies Between Us is the story of Maggie and Nina, a mother and daughter whose lives are so intricately intertwined that it's hard to know where one begins and the other one ends. But as cliche as that sounds, this story is nothing of the sort. These two women are so vastly different and yet so similar that from one paragraph to the next you will find yourself rooting for one and then the other. The character development is divine.

Narrated in alternating chapters by Nina and Maggie, we are privy to each woman's life 25 years ago, when Nina was 14, and today when their dysfunctional relationship has reached its apex. Marrs begins the story with Maggie in her room on the top floor of the family home, where she has been chained and unable to escape for two years, ostensibly to punish her for something she did to her daughter many years ago. We aren't told what, exactly, and that's a big part of the allure of this book.

But it's not all. Marrs is striking in his ability to delve deep inside Nina's head, as both a teenager and an adult who comes to believe has had everything she ever wanted taken away from her through no fault of her own. She is passionate, obstinate and willing to do anything it takes to get what she wants and right the wrongs of long ago.

Bit by bit we learn about the mother/daughter relationship and how it became so inflamed. Marrs teases us with little pieces of the story here and there, never giving up too much so as to keep us guessing just a bit before dropping the next bombshell. And there are so many bombshells.

Yes, I had put some of the pieces of the puzzle together long before the truth was revealed, but this was one of the few books where I really didn't mind. I relished not knowing for sure and the way in which Marrs gave hints as to his characters' true intentions.

Everything about this novel is new and refreshing. What Lies Between Us sucks you in on page one and doesn't spit you out until that final scene of utmost perfection. I do feel like I've been through the wringer with this one, but that doesn't mean I won't go back and reread those last couple of chapters to experience again the perfect ending.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. See this review on Goodreads.

The Light in the Hallway by Amanda Prowse

I chose to read this beautifully written novel a month after I lost my mom to dementia. That's perhaps not the best timing on my part because the book opens with Nick losing his wife to cancer following a long battle with the disease. Prowse deftly maneuvers the emotions of watching someone close to you die: the pain, the grief, the rage and the guilt are written with such expertise as to ensure you'll need a box of tissues near you as you read.

When Kerry dies, Nick is left alone to see their son off to college, a son who refuses at first to acknowledge his mother's death. Soon, though, Olly experiences the entire range of emotions and Nick finds himself comforting a boy who is at odds with himself and his feelings.

The remainder of the book delves into moving on and beginning to find pleasure and happiness again. Nick finds a new friend and has to deal with his sister-in-law's and son's feelings about that. Prowse expertly writes Nick's character as a man who is both sympathetic but firm. I love how he handled all of the issues that were thrown at him.

Interspersed in the modern-day story are tales of Nick, Eric and Alex during the summer of 1992 when the three friends truly became best buds. I loved those stories so much that I found myself eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Prowse tidies things up nicely at the end for us. I'm not always a fan of that, but given the heartwrenching and emotionally draining beginning of the Light in the Hallway, I was happy to see where she went with the final chapter of the book.

Four well-deserved stars to this great read.

Many thanks for Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Read this review on Goodreads.

Little House on the Wasteland By Laura Ingalls-Wei

It's not often that I refer to a post-apocalyptic book as a "joy" to read because, well, the subject matter usually isn't that joyful, but it's the perfect descriptor here. Little House on the Wasteland is the story of Laura and her family and their desire to find some semblance of peace at a time when it's every man for himself.

We aren't privy to the year this story takes place or what caused the Great Bust that pulled the U.S. apart financially and physically, but we do know one thing: a plague (or "ague" as our characters refer to it) has wreaked havoc on the world and the things we take for granted in 2020 are no longer available. There is no electricity. No running water. No cars, trucks, buses, manufacturing, restaurants, newspapers. Even buildings and roads have gone by the wayside. It is what it is.

But you have little Laura, her two sisters and ma and pa eking out an existence in what was once Wisconsin. Until they can't any longer. And that's when they take to the (former) road in search of a new life in the wastelands, what once was the midwest.

This is the story of that journey and the trials and tribulations the family faces on that long trip. They must take shelter in places you and I wouldn't dream of. They must stand up to villains and those exhibiting signs of the illness. They must make friends with those they might not otherwise interact with and trust in people who might otherwise be untrustworthy.

When I call this story a joy, I mean that while the subject matter is tough and heavy and mostly not pretty, the writing is simply superb. The story elements are a delight and the character development deep and most worthy of something with the "Laura Ingalls" name attached. Our storyteller's cleverness with spelling and pronunciation made me laugh out loud at times, and I adored the song choices that dotted the pages of this read. I'd love to see a sequel.

Many thanks to Reedsy/Discovery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Little House on the Wasteland is available here. See this review on Goodreads.

Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison

From the publisher:
J.T. Ellison’s pulse-pounding new psychological thriller examines the tenuous bonds of friendship, the power of lies and the desperate lengths people will go to in order to protect their secrets.

Goode girls don’t lie…

Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond.

But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.

In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder.

When a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.

But look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.

Don’t miss this fast-paced suspense story from New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Long books usually intimidate me. This one didn't ... Primarily because of the author's provocative prologue and opening chapters. She had me, hook, line and sinker.

I liked Ash, mostly, but every other student? Detestable, and that's putting it lightly. But that's what was so great about this novel. Ellison took what we know about private boarding schools, bullies and spoiled rich kids and made this story just shine.

There were a few twists and turns that you couldn't possibly see coming, so anything you think may be true could just as easily be false. And I savor that kind of writing.

And it is great writing, to be sure. I nicked half a star because I had to look up so many words. It seemed to me she used million-dollar words far too often. And, I'll admit, it was longer than I would have liked, but the extra scenes added to the story.

I enjoyed the epilogue. You may not, but I found it fitting.
Find this book here.