Book Review: "How to Solve Your Own Murder" by Kristen Perrin

This mystery had such a cozy, old-fashioned feel to it, I kept expecting Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple to show up! In all seriousness though, this was absolutely terrific, and I loved the unique angle of this book.

In 1965, Frances and her two best friends visit a fair in the English countryside. It’s a wonderful day until they get their fortunes told, because Frances’ fortune predicts she will be murdered. Even though there are doubts to the legitimacy of the fortune teller, Frances takes this very seriously, and spends nearly 60 years trying to figure out who will be her murderer.

Annie, Frances’ great niece, is summoned to her estate in the village of Castle Knoll, to meet with her and her solicitor. But as they ready for the meeting, Frances is found murdered. Annie, an aspiring mystery writer, wants to solve the murder, but given how much dirt Frances dug up on everyone through the years, there’s no end to the number of suspects.

In Frances’ will, she challenged her potential heirs—her eccentric stepson Saxon and Annie—to solve her murder; whoever does it within a week will inherit it all. If they fail, or the police solve the murder first, the estate will be sold. Armed with Frances’ diary and a list of theories, Annie is determined to find out who killed her great-aunt.

To solve this mystery, Annie must also figure out the truth behind another crime that happened nearly 60 years ago. And it very well may be that the same person could have struck again. The closer Annie gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes for her.

The narrative shifts between Frances’ diary entries from the 1960s and Annie’s investigation into her great-aunt’s death. There are lots of fun and eccentric characters, a dual mystery to solve, and for a while I had no idea whom to trust. I hope that Kristen Perrin might bring Annie back in another book!

Book Review: "All the World Beside" by Garrard Conley

Garrard Conley’s first novel (after his extraordinary memoir, Boy Erased) is beautifully written, impeccably researched, and immensely thought-provoking.

In the late 1700s, Reverend Nathaniel Whitfield and his wife Catherine formed Cana, a utopian community with Puritan values in Massachusetts. Cana is built on principles of equity—everyone is considered to be the same as their neighbor. The idea has caught on with other Christians, who travel to Cana to be a part of this world.

Among those who flock to Cana is Arthur Lyman, a physician, who moves with his wife and preteen daughter. Reverend Whitfield’s words inspire Arthur, but they also fuel an intense desire for the other man. This is familiar territory for Arthur but not Nathaniel, and while he knows the feelings he has for Arthur are wrong, he cannot resist them.

But the relationship between the two men is not as secret as they believe it to be, and both of their wives and their children have to deal with the shock and shame that follows. And as the fervent intensity of the Great Awakening starts to overtake New England, Nathaniel and Arthur are risking their lives and the safety of their families, yet they try to figure out a way to survive without sacrificing their love.

Obviously, LGBTQ people have existed since the beginning of time, even if the world didn’t acknowledge them as such. But part of the appeal of All the World Beside is that it gave a glimpse into the lives of and dangers faced by gay people in 18th-century New England. That gave the book some added weight.

This book definitely has some similarities to The Scarlet Letter although the story is its own. It’s definitely a book that will stay with me for a long while.

Book Review: "How to End a Love Story" by Yulin Kuang

Emotional, steamy, funny, and hopeful, Yulin Kuang’s debut novel is a second chance romance with so much heart.

Shortly before their senior year of high school ends, Helen and Grant’s lives become shockingly intertwined following a tragic accident. It’s something neither of them think they can ever move on from.

Thirteen years later, Helen is a bestselling YA author whose popular series is going to be adapted for television. She’s thrilled by this success, but even more by the fact that she’s going to be part of the writers’ room for the television series.

In those 13 years, Grant moved to the other side of the country and built a career as a talented screenwriter. He tries not to take the job on Helen’s show, but it’s too good to pass up. Yet the moment he and Helen encounter each other again, she makes him wish he hadn’t taken the job. But ultimately, they realize that neither of them can walk away from this opportunity, so they agree to be professional with one another.

Helen begins to realize how talented Grant is, and despite their history, the two strike up a friendship. And the more they let their walls come down, the more intense their feelings get. But theirs is not a love story and could never succeed, especially once it was revealed to Helen’s parents, who have never forgiven Grant.

I loved this book so much. The chemistry and banter between Helen and Grant was truly fantastic, and their story was just so beautiful. Even though I knew how this story would end, I still cried like a baby as it unfolded.

The book will publish 4/9.

Book Review: "Young Rich Widows" by Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan, and Vanessa Lillie

What deliciously campy fun this was! Having spent my tween and teen years in the 1980s, I love that era so much, so I was already sold before the book even started.

Providence, Rhode Island, 1985. The four partners of a law firm are killed when their private plane went down outside New York City. The firm, which had strong Mafia connections, was apparently struggling, but the lawyers were on the verge of a major deal when they died.

There is one tiny complication, however. Apparently the partners owed $4 million to the mob, and now that they’re dead, it’s up to their widows to pay back what is owed—or else.

The four women couldn’t be more different: Krystle, feisty and fierce and determined that her sons reap the benefits of the years of work her husband put in to build the firm; Justine, a former model who traded her ambitions for suburban motherhood; Camille, the younger second wife whose desires went beyond the confines of her marriage; and Meredith, a stripper who was in a secret relationship with the firm’s sole female partner.

In an effort to save themselves from bankruptcy—and save their lives and the lives of those they love—the women must band together to make sure a big deal goes through. But along the way, they discover that there were a lot of things they didn’t know about their spouses. And these things could be more dangerous than they imagined.

This felt like a cross between an episode of Real Housewives and Mob Wives. It was fun, silly, and a bit wild, but it definitely didn’t disappoint.

Book Review: "The Husbands" by Holly Gramazio

One night, Lauren gets home from a party and discovers that there’s a man in her flat. But he’s not a burglar or a stranger; apparently he’s her husband, Michael. The problem is, she doesn’t remember being married and she’s utterly confused. However, her flat is furnished better and everyone seems to like him.

But just as she’s settling into the whole idea of a husband and being married, Michael goes up into the attic and a different man comes down. With the arrival of a different husband, many aspects of her life have changed, like her job or her family’s lives. Armed with this knowledge, she invents an excuse for this husband to go into the attic, and, presto: a new husband appears.

Lauren starts to become slightly addicted to sending her husbands into the attic so they can be replaced. And then one day, she meets someone she actually wishes she were really married to, and they’re stay together for a short while, until he inadvertently goes up to the attic. Damn.

“You can’t stay married to someone for ever just because they climb out of your attic one afternoon.”

I loved how unique The Husbands was. Parts of the book were funny, parts were emotional, and parts definitely made me think. I definitely wondered how Holly Gramazio would tie everything up. I felt as if the story dragged a little bit in the middle—so many husbands come and go that it gets repetitive after a while—but I couldn’t get enough.

What a fantastic debut. I can’t wait to see what Gramazio does next!!

Book Review: "Women! In! Peril!" by Jessie Ren Marshall

Do you ever wonder if your sense of humor is so different from other people’s? I often feel that way when I read a book that’s supposed to be “funny” or “zany,” and I’m sitting there thinking, “do I have no sense of humor?”

Jessie Ren Marshall’s debut story collection, Women! In! Peril!, has been labeled “ferociously feminist.” Indeed, the 12 short stories each have women at their center—either from the present or the future, real or robotic, in a variety of situations. The stories deal with issues from queerness and motherhood to relationship woes and cultural identity.

Some of the stories I enjoyed the most were “Annie 2,” about a sex bot who hopes not to be returned, and “My Immaculate Girlfriend,” in which a woman tries to figure out if her girlfriend really has a miraculous pregnancy.

I love short stories—at times it’s amazing how an author can give a novel-like feel in a short number of pages. At times though I feel like they leave me hanging, and just a little more might give me resolution. I felt a little bit more of the latter with this collection.

Book Review: "Perris, California" by Rachel Stark

“Each other is the whole of what we’ve got. People are there for us to love. It ain’t the other way around. It’s the greatest and most excruciating gift of life.”

Rachel Stark’s debut is bleak, beautiful, and complex, and so well-told.

Abandoned by her mother, Tessa endures an abusive life living with her stepfather and stepbrother. The only saving grace is her friendship with Mel, one of her high school classmates. The two young women are drawn together, each suffering from their own losses and hardships, until Mel is sent away by her mother, forcing Tessa to survive on her own.

One night when the abuse is too much to bear, Tessa finds refuge at the home of Angie, her husband Buck, and their sons. Angie knows the truth of what Tessa endured, but vows to keep it a secret. Years later, Tessa has married Angie’s son Henry, and they’re raising two children (with one on the way), living in a trailer on Angie’s property.

One day, Tessa discovers that Mel has returned to Perris to move back in with her mother and work as a pharmacist. Seeing Mel again stirs up all of the old emotions for Tessa, but at the same time, she knows that her life is with Henry and their children. But she is haunted by memories of their relationship, as well as the abuse she endured and her mother’s abandonment. It’s also hard to endure Angie’s need to be involved in every aspect of their lives.

The book shifts between past and present, and alternates POVs. There are lots of triggers here—sexual assault, physical abuse, accidental death—but at its core, this book is about strength under fire and how we can always find someone to support us through the dark times.