Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell DIY Mom Book Review and Reader Warning

Oh, dear, how I hate when I believe the hype about a book and go out of my way to read it. I'd seen the rave reviews for Then She Was Gone and nearly rushed out to buy it. I have to say that I'm glad I decided to borrow the book from my local library instead. I was that disappointed.

There's no denying that Then She Was Gone is super popular at the moment. My library request was on hold for weeks before the book became available and I could at long last dive in. I read it in a day, not because it was good, but because I wanted to get it done and over with so I could give it a fair and honest review.

Let me just say upfront that I HATE giving a book a bad review. This is an author's life we're talking about here and it takes tons of courage to put yourself out there for all to see. Yet, as a book reviewer, it's important for me to be as honest as possible when it comes to my book reviews. Clearly, my book reviews reflect my opinions. Some readers might love the book, I just couldn't get there. So here goes...

Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog 

Ellie Mack was a fifteen year old girl when she mysteriously disappeared without a trace on her way to the library. Everyone who knew her was impressed with the beautiful and intelligent teen, especially her mother Laurel. Ten years go by and Laurel’s life hasn’t advanced much, even though her remaining two children and now ex-husband have managed to moved on, Laurel remains stuck. Police seem to have written Ellie off as a runaway. Her mother knows better. 

When new evidence is discovered, the pain of having lost her golden child is a reopened wound for Laurel. When she meets charismatic and distinguished Floyd, Laurel is smitten. Despite repeated warning signs, Laurel finds herself delving deeper into a fast-moving relationship with Floyd and his precocious, and truly odd nine year old daughter Poppy, who happens to look eerily like Ellie.

I decided to put a hold on this book at my local library, just in case. I’ve been duped by raving reviews before and I’m tired of plunking down nearly thirty bucks just to end up being disappointed. So glad I turned to the library for this one.

“More than a whiff of The Lovely Bones wafts through this domestic noir…,” touts Publishers Weekly. I can agree there’s a whiff of something here, but it’s certainly not The Lovely Bones, which is a truly fantastic and beautifully written story. Then She Was Gone doesn’t even come close to the quality of Alice Sebold’s beloved book.

Then She Was Gone was all over the place. POV, tense, time – it all bounced from place to place and I honestly found that the author spoke in the same voice regardless of whose POV I was reading. The majority of the book was written in present tense, which I HATE. I almost stopped reading for that reason alone. In fact, I soon found that my one motivation to continue reading was so I could write a proper book review to warn other readers.

This book, as so many other readers have mentioned, is extremely sad and dark, Dark, DARK. So bizarrely, disgustingly dark I really had to wonder about the author’s mindset. She even mentions at the end of the book that she knew the book was bizarre and apparently, her editors agreed to the point that they proposed a suggestion that “was indeed radical”. I shudder to think what the book was before this “radical change” was made.

Laurel’s character was completely and utterly unlikable. In fact, the phrase dumber than a box of rocks comes to mind. All clues point to some very dastardly doings, but Laurel plows ahead full on with her new relationship with Floyd and the odd little Poppy. And the way Laurel treated and spoke to her family was appalling. She literally had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I never once felt any compassion for her. On the other hand, I was heartbroken for Ellie.

I figured out the What very, very early on in the book. There was absolutely no suspenseful buildup as promised. I just didn’t quite get the How as soon. I do have to say that when we discover the How it ends up being only slightly less disgusting than the How I had begun to imagine in this dysfunctional mess.

If I read one more book about some mess of a nutcase woman who goes around destroying everyone else around her because she’s just that darn self-centered and broken I think I’ll scream. The only thing that surprised me here was that the author and publisher didn’t title this book Then THE GIRL Was Gone.

1 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan DIY Mom Book Review and Thoughts

On a Sunday afternoon, photographer and single mother Rachel Jenner and her eight year old son Ben leave a wooded area of Bristol Park when Ben asks if he can run ahead. Rachel agrees and that’s the last time she sees Ben. A full-scale search is launched, with DI Jim Clemo as point man. 

When media hounds and a nasty blogger successfully turn public opinion against Rachel, the additional stress adds to the family’s mounting grief. The clock is ticking and as the days fall away, the chances of finding Ben alive sharply decline.

What She Knew is a clever suspense novel, filled with many twists, turns, red herrings and revelations. Long buried secrets are dragged out into the light and formerly trusted friends and family members soon find themselves suspects.

I found Ms. Macmillan’s writing to be engrossing, with several story layers to keep things moving at a brisk pace. The book is 560 pages long, but it goes fast. I was thoroughly immersed in the story from beginning to end and was surprised when I finished the book in little over a day.

I had definite mixed feelings about What She Knew. A few things irked me about this book, not to the point where I wanted to stop reading, yet enough for me to mention them in my review. The first thing was that there was much ado made about Rachel allowing eight year old Ben to “run ahead” of her in the park, but I found this to be a bit thin. It wasn’t as if Ben was a toddler and they were walking through Times Square. Rachel beat herself up repeatedly about that one decision and was made out to be a Bad Mother in the public eye because of it. It just didn’t ring true to me.

The second thing was the ridiculous manner in which DI Clemo confronted Rachel’s sister Nicky about their unusual childhood. Why was he holding Nicky accountable for this when Nicky herself was only nine when the event occurred? She was a child at the time and Clemo’s viciousness seemed way out of line to me.

Then, and I’ve noticed other readers mentioning this, why are all the female characters in books lately so darn dysfunctional? And why are female authors still writing about them in this manner? How about writing about some really strong, fully functioning women? They certainly exist, so authors PLEASE start including them in your books.

Lastly, the revelation of who the abductor was came out of left field. I honestly didn't think readers had the proper background regarding this particular character. I also had to wonder how this person managed to pull off the abduction so quickly and conveniently, given that the tree swing was still literally swinging when Rachel entered the clearing. The ending was a bit contrived in my opinion, yet still satisfactory as far as endings go all the same.

Despite what I considered plot flaws, I’d still recommend reading What She Knew to anyone who enjoys a suspenseful whodunit style of read.

3 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

New Detective Novel by Robert Germaux Is Well Worth the Read. Get a FREE Sample of the Author's Work Here and Enter the Giveaway

·                     File Size: 638 KB

·                     Print Length: 253 pages

·                     Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited

·                     Publisher: Robert T. Germaux (April 6, 2016)

·                     Publication Date: April 6, 2016

·                     Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

·                     Language: English

·                     ASIN: B01DX54ZFO

ABOUT HARD COURT:

Miles Bradshaw, the dot-com billionaire owner of Pittsburgh’s first NBA franchise, hires private detective Jeremy Barnes to look into what appears to be a simple case of harassment of one of the team’s players. But when Jeremy (JB to his friends) begins his investigation, the case proves to be anything but simple, eventually involving a local businessman with suspected criminal ties, a major FBI task force, a computer geek in California and a mob boss in Erie. Along the way, JB, who can quote Shakespeare as quickly and easily as he can land a solid left jab, uses his wits and his ever-present sense of humor to wend his way through a cast of characters who range from the ridiculously inept to the ruthlessly lethal. 

As Hard Court unfolds, there are numerous surprises and plot twists, culminating in a dramatic confrontation that neither JB nor the reader could have predicted. 

PURCHASE HARD COURT ON AMAZON

ABOUT ROBERT GERMAUX:

Both my parents were readers. I'm talking stacks-of-books-on-their-nightstands readers. So it's no surprise that at an early age, I, too, became an avid reader. Everything from sports books (especially baseball) to Nancy Drew to the Hardy Boys to almost anything about distant and exotic places.

Although I've always enjoyed putting words on paper, the writer in me didn't fully emerge until I retired after three decades of teaching high school English. I quickly wrote two books aimed at middle school readers, at which point my wife urged me to try a novel for adults. As is usually the case, Cynthia's idea was a good one.

Over the next few years, I wrote several books about Pittsburgh private eye Jeremy Barnes. I took a brief hiatus from the detective genre to write Small Talk and The Backup Husband. Now I’m back and I just released my first Jeremy Barnes novel, Hard Court, on April 11.

In our spare time, Cynthia and I enjoy reading (of course), going to live theater productions, watching reruns of favorite TV shows such as "Sports Night" and "Gilmore Girls," and traveling to some of those distant and exotic places I used to read about as a child. So far, we've been fortunate enough to walk in the sands of Waikiki, swim in the warm waters of the South Pacific and share a romantic dinner in Paris.

I love interacting with my readers and getting their input on my characters and stories. Please feel free to contact me via my website and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

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READ "LOGAN - A JEREMY BARNES SHORT STORY" HERE

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While Princesses Sleep Book Series by Emma Right is Charming, Wholesome Reading for Girls

Looking for wholesome stories that serve a dual purpose? Emma Right has written a lovely book series for young girls. The books are filled with mystery, suspense and teach youngsters about art and art history.

This is a set of books about the adventures of two little princesses that are geared toward young girls. Twelve year old Elle and her ten year old sister Belle live in Chadwick Castle. They’re looked after by their governess, Madame Lovella and their respective ladies-in-waiting. The stories are told in first person, past tense, which I greatly appreciated.

Book One begins with a mystery that the two princesses must solve. Elle has overheard a commotion in the castle and she’s worried about her mother the Queen. Elle had only caught snippets of conversation, but what she’s heard causes her enough distress to devise a plan that might just get her and her sister in trouble…or worse.

Renoir’s classic paintings accompany the text in Book One. They add a charming and appropriately Victorian feel to the books. The author has added a brief artist bio at the end of Book One. In fact, each book in the series is constructed in this manner. What a lovely way to introduce young children to art and artwork! In Book Two, Three and Four the mystery continues and features the works of Degas, William Paxton and Albrecht Durer. A crisis occurs in Book Four that is sure to keep youngsters in suspense.

Ms. Right has a wonderfully engaging style of writing. I loved that although the main characters are proper young princesses they still bicker like all sisters and get into trouble like ordinary little girls. This certainly makes Belle and Elle easily relatable to young readers.

The princess stories are absolutely charming and should appeal to even the very young child. Parents and grandparents can read to little ones and older children should have no problem reading these books alone. These are wholesome, timeless tales for families to share together!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton