Book Review: "Burn This Night" by Alex Kenna

“I was in my ninth week of sleeping on an air mattress in my childhood bedroom when I learned that my dad wasn’t my biological father.”

How’s THAT for an opening sentence? It definitely sets the tone for what’s to come in the book.

Kate is a private investigator who is really struggling. Her marriage is over, she’s lost custody of her daughter, and now she’s learned that the man she had always believed was her father wasn’t. And to top it off, she’s just learned she shares DNA with someone accused of murdering a young girl 20 years earlier.

The police recruit Kate to go to the small California town of Inglewood (where another distant relative lives) and see what she can find out about her relative-slash-murderer. At the same time, she takes on another case, one involving arson and murder.

Abby, an actress turned social worker, is killed in a fire that destroys part of Inglewood and leaves two others dead. The police suspect her brother, a drug addict and schizophrenic, but their parents believe he is innocent. They hope Kate finds evidence that exonerates him. But what Kate finds is a much more sinister web of secrets and lies, one that could prove deadly.

This was quite a twisty thriller! It’s a bit of a slow burn, but I liked the way Alex Kenna teased everything out and kept me guessing. The narrative shifts among several people and several timeframes, and I found that a bit disjointed, but this was still a compelling read.

Book Review: "Swan Song" by Elin Hilderbrand

I’ve never been to Nantucket (sounds like the start of a limerick, doesn’t it?), but reading Elin Hilderbrand’s books over the last several years, I feel like I’ve visited multiple times. And Swan Song is reportedly Hilderbrand’s last Nantucket book, so I may have to go for real!

Bull and Leslee Richardson arrive in Nantucket in mid-June. They've moved from place to place, all over the world. For an island like Nantucket, where everyone knows everyone (unless they’re tourists), the Richardsons are like an exotic species that everyone wants to find out more about. Interest increases when word gets out that they’ve paid $22 million for an exclusive house.

Leslee is desperate to fit in, so she throws elaborate parties, ingratiates herself with anyone important to know on Nantucket, and she is a flatterer and a flirt. Shortly after their arrival, the Richardsons are the talk of the island and they can have whatever they desire, from exclusive restaurant reservations to membership in a prestigious club.

But somewhere between June and August, something happens to make the residents turn on the couple. And then one night, when out on their yacht, their house burns down and their “personal concierge,” Coco, goes missing.

What’s the real story behind the Richardsons’ fall from grace? Who set the fire? What happened to Coco? There are lots of mysteries to be solved amidst the rumors and gossip. This book seems overstuffed with characters and events at first, but it’s amazing how Hilderbrand pulls it all together. I’m sad there will be no more Nantucket books, but I’ll be waiting for whatever comes next!