The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars 

Duration: 09:46:00
Published: January 2022

I snagged a copy of The Housemaid during on of Audible's annual 2-for-1 sales (along with The Guncle by Steven Rowley, but I haven't gotten to that one yet.). Because my work book club had chosen it for our monthly selection and I have a 50-mile commute to work, the Audible sale came in handy. A couple of coworkers had mentioned that the book was good ... but, oh boy, was it unputdownable good! 

The story centers around Millie, a young down-on-her luck ex-con living in her car, who takes a job as a housemaid and nanny for a family that, at the outset, seem too good to be true. As the story evolves, she finds that Nina, the woman of the house, seems to have some mental health issues. (As I was reading, I thought she might be suffering from biopolar personality disorder.) Her young daughter, Cecelia appears to still be struggling with her terrible twos several years late. And Nina's poor husband, Andrew resembles the perfect victim. However, all things aren't as a they seem and a mid-book plot twist flips the story on its head, propelling the reader to a captivating, albeit disturbing, conclusion. 

The author did a great job of creating a suspenseful tone that has the reader questioning the narration. The emotions evoked grip the reader into making an investment to finish the story. I enjoyed McFadden's writing style and the fast-paced nature of this mystery thriller. I wouldn't classify it as scary, but it is definitely creepy. 

There is a second and third book in the series, The Housemaid's Secret and The Housemaid is Watching, that I have yet to read. I'm not a fan of series as I like reading different types of books by a variety of authors, but if the second two are anything like the first, hold on to your seats! 

Recommendation: This was a fun listen, and I suspect reading an e-copy or hard copy would be just as compelling. Book club choice for the win with this one. Highly recommend for a fall, spooky story. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Murder up to Bat by Elizabeth McKenna

Synopsis | My Review | Buy Now | About the Author

Series: Book 2, A Front Page Mystery
Category: Adult fiction; Genre: Cozy mystery
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Pages: 186 pages
Published: August 2022

Mystery with a whiff of romance … After falling in love with the quiet lake life and a certain police detective, former Chicago Tribune reporter Emma Moore trades interviewing jocks for chasing champion cows at the county fair. As a small-town newspaper reporter, she covers local topics both big and small, but when her friend Luke is arrested for the murder of the head coach of his club softball team, she’ll need to hone her investigative skills to clear his name. Emma calls up best friend Grace for help, and together the women go up against cutthroat parents willing to kill for a chance to get their daughters onto a premier college sports team.

Murder up to Bat is my third read written by author Elizabeth McKenna. In all three novels, I have found McKenna to be a talented writer with an attention-grabbing story. In her latest novel, which is the second in the Front Page Mystery series, we again meet friends Emma and Grace. Emma, who is now living in the town where she last investigated and reported on a robbery, and plans on spending a weekend with Grace, while she's in town, along with her police detective boyfriend Ryan. However, just before the festivities begin, one of their close friends, Luke, is arrested after the head coach of the softball team he sponsors is found dead in his fitness center. The fast-paced book covers the effect this homicide has on the friend group and Emma's relentless pursuit to find the truth and save their friend from decades in prison. 

As in her previous books, it took me little to no time to get into and be captured by the story. McKenna does a great job of creating suspense while also making the story easy to follow. With a total page count of just under 200, this is a quick read that covers a weekend in plot timeline and also could easily be completed in one. But don't mistake the shorter page count for lack of depth. McKenna explores themes of competition in student sports as well as overly-aggressive parents of those athletes. While the story if fiction, I am sure readers can relate (in some way) to the seemingly unrealistic (read: they're not) behaviors of sideline parenting. 

I was glad for the opportunity to revisit some previously-read characters and get involved in their lives again. My only critique of this book is the believability that Emma's character would be able to get so involved in an investigation and her brazen questioning of police tactics. However, I would say this is a minor fault when reviewing the book as a whole. 

Recommendation: I would definitely recommend this book for cozy mystery fans. It would be a great read to get baseball lovers ready for the season as well. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene).

Her novels reflect her mercurial temperament and include historical romances, contemporary romances, cozy mysteries, and dark mysteries. With some being “clean” and some being “naughty,” she has a book for your every mood.

Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband and Sidney, the rescue dog from Tennessee. When she isn’t writing, reading, editing, or walking the dog that never tires, she’s sleeping.

Connect with Elizabeth: 

Website | Facebook | Instagram

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The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

Pages: 320 pages
Published: 1955

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith is the first book in a series featuring the titular character. In this first installment, Tom Ripley manipulates his way into Dickie Greenleaf’s life by way of his father. A chance meeting in New York with the senior Greenleaf results in an expense-paid trip for Tom to Italy to convince Dickie to come back stateside to be with his ill mother. 

Once Tom arrives by sea, he quickly meets Dickie and his female companion, Marge. Tom is swept into the lifestyle of the well-to-do in Europe and finds a way to not only get involved in Dickie’s life but take it over. As the plot progresses, the readers wonders how far will one man go to achieve what he deems success? 

Mr. Tom Ripley evolves into a sociopath reaching far beyond the bounds of normal social behaviors. The book is fast-paced. I finished it in a just a few days, and it left me questioning what is right and who is right. I read this book for my monthly in-person book club discussion, and overall, I enjoyed it. The additional discussion made the book more meaningful. Highsmith’s style of writing definitely matches the time (~1950s) in which the book was written, and her personality and personal life shine throughout the story. I would suggest reading an eBook copy of this novel as there are several Italian sentences, and an eReader should offer the opportunity to translate it, thus giving the story more meaning. 

Recommendation: This book is a classic. I intend to see the 90s movie now that I finished it. As always I would recommend reading the book before seeing the movie, and I would encourage readers to read this book with someone as the discussion enhances the experience. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

Read More