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Never Never

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Never Never by James Patterson and Candice Fox
Who it’s for: Adults
Format: eBook, digital audiobook

Detective Harriet Blue never would have imagined that her brother would be arrested for murder.  She never would have anticipated the media onslaught.  And she never would have pictured herself utilizing her survival skills in the middle of the desolate Australian Outback, the Never Never.

Harriet Blue, better known as “Harry,” was reassigned temporarily.  Pop, her police chief, wanted her away from the investigation of her brother Sam.  As much as she wanted to clear Sam, Harry knew that her involvement would taint the process.

Soon Harriet was traveling down a dusty road towards a mining camp in the Never Never.   Seated next to her was a complete stranger, her temporary partner, Edward Whittacker.  “Call me Edward,” he said.  “Okay, Whitt.” she replied.  Harriet and Witt soon found out that more than one employee were missing from the Bandya Mine.  It seemed more than coincidence.  Had they wandered into the desert?  Did the Bilbies, local prostitutes, know more than they were telling? Were Richie and his gang dealing more than drugs?  Had the nomadic eco protesters elevated their opposition to murder?

In spite of the coarse lifestyle of the miners, I found myself drawn to Harriet Blue.  Tough and private from an unstable upbringing with her brother in the foster care system, Harry had honed her self-defense and detecting skills.  She was rough around the edges yet intelligent and a bit vulnerable inside.  I want to read more about Harry and see how her brother’s story unfolds.  I am also intrigued by the Australian setting.  And this book is the first book in a series!

Find it on OverDrive/Libby!

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

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The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

An isolated mansion in the hills of Scotland. An app that controls every lock and camera. A mysterious noise in the attic. And a nanny sitting in prison, explaining how she did not kill a little girl.

The Turn of the Key is the perfect mix of a Gothic ghost story, as it is based on Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw, and a cautionary tale of what happens when we let technology invade every aspect of our lives.

Rowan is a young woman moving to the Scottish Highlands to work as a nanny for three little girls. The pay is high, and the house is an amazing hybrid of Victorian architecture and modern style. The mansion is equipped with state-of-the-art technology that allows everything to be controlled through an app.

As Rowan tries to settle into her new role, she is disturbed by footsteps in the attic and whispers about ghosts scaring away the girls’ previous nannies.

Told through Rowan’s perspective as she recounts what happened after she arrived at the house, the novel’s twists and turns kept me guessing until the very last page.

I devoured this book in one day, because I just had to know what happened to land our protagonist in prison. This is easily my favorite Ruth Ware novel, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

Find it in the catalog!

The Shallows

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The Shallows
Format: DVD
Who its for: Adults and Teens

Summer’s almost here! So while you’re planning your big, beach vacay, let’s talk about sharks!

In the movie The Shallows, despite the danger of surfing alone, Nancy decides to hit the waves. When a great white shark suddenly attacks, Nancy is forced to swim to a giant rock for safety. Left injured and stranded 200 yards from shore, Nancy must fight for her life as the deadly predator circles her in its feeding ground.

The Shallows sets the bar for what a shark attack thriller can be. Marketed as horror film, the movie is largely grounded in survival drama but also fantastical in its action and suspense. One of the things I appreciated most about this movie is that it gave the shark a purpose, a reason for its aggression that is almost believable.  I preferred this to the more common idea that sharks are mindless, bloodthirsty monsters (that roar?  I’m looking at you, Jaws).  Not to mention, the cinematography used in this movie is just…pretty. While you’re sweating on the edge of your seat, holding tight to your limbs, be sure to enjoy the vibrant colors and slow motion effects that make the film both terrifying and aesthetically pleasing.  Other than the CGI shark, Blake Lively’s performance is easily the best in the movie (of course she is pretty much the only person in the movie so that isn’t saying much).  If you’re feeling brave, dip your toes in and check out The Shallows. Find it in the catalog.

 

My Sister, the Serial Killer

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Recommended Book
My Sister, the Serial Killer by  Oyinkan Braithwaite
Publication/Release Date: November 20, 2018
Format: Book or ebook
Who it’s for: Adults

Below is the publisher’s blurb. I’d suggest only reading this much of it. It gives away too much of the story, IMHO. I picked this book based solely on the cover, title, and the author’s name.

Satire meets slasher in this short, darkly funny hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends.

“Femi makes three, you know. Three and they label you a serial killer.”

Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola’s third boyfriend in a row is dead. Korede’s practicality is the sisters’ saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning. -Publisher’s blurb

I read an Advanced Review Copy ebook from NetGalley. We call them ARC’s. If you subscribe to different services or get on publishers’ lists, you can receive ARC’s of books to review before they are released. It’s pretty cool. (NetGalley is a site where book reviewers and other professional readers can read books before they are published, in e-galley or digital galley form. Members register for free and can request review copies or be invited to review by the publisher).

I am not sure how to comment on this without giving anything away. Basically, I really like it even though I don’t like any of the characters in the book. Although I can’t really tell they are in Africa, I was glad it was a novel written by an African woman.  I was disappointed about that part. This story reads like any other story of a place I have never been in the USA; except for a few words (that I hope will have definitions in the finished publication), the traffic police, and a mention of a chief. As I read, I thought they must be in Nigeria because that is where the author lives but I never could recall the name of the city. Since it’s a great character driven story, not much detail about the city/country where they live.

Korede is the older sister who enables Ayoola, her younger spoiled sister (as does the entire world cuz she is just that pretty). Right off the bat, I am not that sympathetic to either of the sisters. Korede cuz she complains bitterly about Ayoola but says nothing and keeps enabling.  Ayoola cuz she is a killer and a spoiled brat. Yet I really liked this book. It was quite thrilling in some parts and the other parts were equally fascinating.  I did read parts out of order. The chapters titled Father intrigued me. I had a theory about his death and wanted to see if I was correct. I also read ahead because I wanted to know if Ayoola killed Korede’s crush. It’s a short read so I had already read a third of the book by the time I skipped around. It was a great, fun read. I hope she writes more and that they get published/released in the USA as well.

Find this thriller here

 

A Delicate Touch by Stuart Woods

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A Delicate Touch by Stuart Woods
Format:  Audio book
Who’s it for:  Adults

Be on the lookout for a new audio release on December 31, 2018!

Stuart Woods has a new novel! Stone Barrington has been approached by an old acquaintance to solve a puzzle.  The solution to a part of the problem will blow the lid open on a decades old scandal involving many prominent New Yorkers who would prefer the past stay buried.  Stone Barrington has to weigh his options.  Should he play it safe to the detriment of others, or see justice done and risk fatal exposure?  Listen to this new title read by Tony Roberts, available on CD December 31st.
Find it in the catalog.

Contagion

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Contagion by Erin Bowman

Publication Date: July 24, 2018

Who it’s for: Teens

 

Are you a fan of the Alien and Outbreak movies? If so, then this first of two books is for you.

In this science fiction/ thriller/ horror novel, an ordinary search and rescue mission on a hostile planet turns into a fight for survival for two teen girls. Althea, a microbiology intern, and Nova, a pilot, are sent with a rescue group to respond to a distress signal received from a drilling base on Achlys. When they arrive they find a disturbing video and a cryptic note left by a dead engineer, leading them on a search for survivors and answers to what happened to the inhabitants. They soon learn that something was lurking below the surface and experience first-hand what went wrong on this fringe planet.

Find it in the catalog.