The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher, recommended by Debbie
What would you do if you knew a secret? Keep it to yourself or expose the people involved? Juno, a disgraced psychologist, stows away in the house of a married couple with dangerous secrets. She thinks she should make things right, but is afraid her own past will be uncovered. Can Juno fix her mistakes or is she bound to add more?
Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane, recommended by Leah
This novel captured me from the first page and kept me hooked the entire time. It tells a story of loss and friendship, and of love and finding happiness. It is a wonderful account that shows the power of reading, and how it can change your opinions of a character in simple ways. This is truly a great book with a little bit of everything. It’s a story I will not likely forget.
The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson, recommended by Tracie
June learns her beloved library, where she has worked for 10 years, may close due to budget cuts. The regular library users become incensed and plan meetings, protests, “occupy” a library event and inadvertently entertain the public with an exotic dancer broadcast on the television news. June is banned from being involved but assists with a pseudonym on Twitter. Sampson uses a lot of author and title name dropping along with literary phrases in this entertaining read.
The Man who Died Twice by Richard Osman, recommended by Dennis
This book is the second in the “A Thursday Murder Club Mystery” series. What makes the series unique is the members of the Murder Club are four septuagenarians who live in the same retirement village. This novel focuses on the disappearance of diamonds worth millions of dollars. While solving the mystery of the missing diamonds, the group deals with personal tragedy, deaths and events from their pasts. High humor and intrigue draw you into the lives of the characters in this fun read.
Rizzio by Denise Mina, recommended by Vicki
Much has been made of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots; whether victim, temptress, manipulator or manipulated, she spent her reign either protecting or regaining power. In Mina’s 118 page novella, an attack on the queen and the bloody murder of David Rizzio — her secretary and closest confidant — is magnified, lending a tense unblinking intimacy in to the frenetic coup attempt. A celebrated crime fiction writer, Mina sweeps the reader away in the immediacy of her storytelling. Rizzio will render you breathless.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley, recommended by Craig
At a wedding on a remote island, a server suddenly runs screaming into the wedding hall and faints. The book then takes turns as the guests recall what they were doing when. I liked the format of each chapter starting with, for example, “The Groom, the Day Before” and then taking off from there. The way it was written, any of the guests could have been the culprit. Their histories have brought them together, each with their own beefs. The book was well written, with twists and a great ending. I recommend it!
Your Thoughts: When asked if they had a favorite part, a patron responded, “All of it!”