The Furies by John Connolly, recommended by Vicki
In “The Sisters Strange,” the first of two stories, private investigator Charlie Parker is drawn into a threesome involving two sisters and their parttime lover — a fulltime con in over his head after robbing the wrong man. In the title novel, the unsettled spirit of a dead girl haunts a flophouse after two contracted criminals steal mementos from her bereft mother. The woman is on the mob’s radar after her husband siphoned funds for over a decade and quickly was dispatched in prison. Parker, no stranger to grief, feels compelled to recover her keepsakes and calls in old debts.
Connolly is a formidable storyteller and a master at turning a phrase and pace with sly humor and clever detail. Here he delivers another brisk, shrewd addition as fresh as the first in the series. A must read for fans of crime fiction with a twist.
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, recommended by Debbie
What if you witness a murder, and the killer is your son? In this time-travel psychological thriller, Jen awakes the next morning only to discover it is the day before. When each morning arrives a day further back in time, she clutches the idea she can prevent the violence by uncovering the signals she missed that lead up to the murder.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, recommended by Karen
Short but powerful story taking place in 1985 Ireland, loosely based off the Magdalene Laundries scandals (workhouses, frequently laundries, sanctioned by the Irish government and run by Catholic orders from the 18th century until 1996). What is left unsaid is just as powerful as what is written. It leaves something for all of us to ponder regarding our own values and morality.
Your Thoughts: A patron shared that they thought this book is “beautifully written.” Another added, “My favorite part of this book was how it wrote about the simple/everyday parts of life. I enjoyed how it contrasted them to the complexity of our thoughts about the ‘everyday’ parts of life. I would’ve loved to discuss this book in a book club. Thanks for recommending it!”
Infinite by Brian Freeman, recommended by Tracie
Dylan’s life hasn’t been easy and continues to be tragic when his wife dies during a car accident. The whole time Dylan is trying to save his wife’s life he feels, and then sees, a man. The man is in shadow, but Dylan sees him again and it is a mirror image of himself. The mirror image is bent on killing young women and leaves clues that Dylan is the culprit. Dylan eludes the police and determines to solve the mystery of this double look alike and why he is killing young women that look his dead wife.
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng, recommended by Megan C.
From the author of Little Fires Everywhere, this newest novel from Celeste Ng quickly became one of 2022’s most anticipated books. In a not-so-dystopian future, where “preserving American culture” prompts book banning, racial prejudice, child relocation, and an environment of constant fear, 12-year-old Bird lives with his head down. Until he happens upon a quest of defiance to find his ostracized mother, whose poems started a revolution. Ng’s subtle poignancy illustrates the weight of words and the unbreakable love between parents and children. One of my favorite books of 2022!
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, recommended by Megan S.
Celebrity memoirs aren’t usually my kind of thing, especially when they’re written by former child stars a few years past my kid-show-watching days. This one is important, though. In short chapters, each just a few pages long, Jennette shares vignettes from her childhood and adolescence up to her adulthood. We see how her mother manipulated her and everyone around her, forcing her into an acting career she didn’t really want and drastically affecting her mental and physical health. After her mother dies, Jennette has to contend with what her future is like without her, and how she can finally take charge of her own destiny.