Repo Madness by W. Bruce Cameron MYS Cam

Ruddy McCann from The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man is back - and eighteen months have passed.  Things seem to be going well.  His has a job as a repo man (some would call it stealing cars), a fiancee and a lovable basset hound.  But he hasn't been taking the medication that his court ordered psychiatrist has ordered and if he doesn't start taking it soon, he'll end up violating his probation and going back to jail.  The reason?  He's afraid taking the pills will rid him forever of the voice of Alan Lottner (who just happens to be Katie's dead father - can anyone say "Awkward"?) and as annoying as that voice was, Ruddy finds that he misses it/him.

Suddenly  not only must Ruddy figure out how to deal with the psychiatrist but his boss dies suddenly and Katie wants to take a break.  And then while visiting a medium to try to discover where Alan has gone to, he is approached by a young woman who tells him that the event that defined his life may, in fact, be a lie.  And suddenly Ruddy is on the trail of a serial murder - before his loved ones are threatened.  Oh and then there's the banker threatening the life and happiness of his best friend and there's that sudden death of his boss and father figure.  But thankfully, Alan is back to help him solve the case, or cases.

With laugh out loud humor and lovable characters, this was a fun way to spend a bitter cold day.  The ending was satisfying but there are plenty of loose ends to be dealt with in the next book.  I can't wait.

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In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware MYS War

Another psychological thriller!   Leonora was known to her friends as Lee when she was in school.  But that was a decade ago.  Now she goes by Nora and she is a crime writer who is basically a recluse.  She has very little contact with anyone from her past.  But then she is invited to a hen party for a woman that she was very close to in school - but they have not had any contact.  She hasn't even been invited to the wedding!  But she decides to go with another friend.

When the story begins she is waking up in a hospital with injuries.  She hears people talking outside of her door and to her horror she realizes that someone is dead.  She can't remember what happened.  Did she do it?  In bits and pieces her past is revealed to the reader.  As her memories come back she searches for a motive for the crime.  A twisted tale!

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The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan FIC Mac

I loved Macmillan's first novel and this one is equally great.  The title refers to Zoe Maisey, a teenager who is also a gifted pianist.  But at the age of 14 she made a mistake and it cost the lives of three of her classmates.  She has to pay the price.  Her parents also paid the price in the form of a divorce.  After being released her mother, Maria, is determined to get Zoe's life back on track.  So they move away and decide not to tell anyone about Zoe's past.


When the novel begins Zoe is ready to give a recital that Maria has planned for months.  She will share the stage with Lucas who is her step-brother.  Maria and Chris met because of their children's piano interests.  Now they are married and there is also Grace, a new baby sister.

The recital does not go as planned and by the next morning Maria is dead.  The story takes place during a few days and is told from the point of view of several of the characters.

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The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict FIC Ben

 First of all this is a work of fiction using the facts that are known about Mileva Mari's life.  She was born in Serbia to a family that encouraged her interest and talents in the fields of math and physics.  She attended the Polytechnic Institute in Zurich which was one of the few schools willing to grant a degree to women.  Because of her desire for an academic life and a physical problem she knew she would never get married.  And then she met Albert Einstein.

At the beginning he seems like a likable quirky genius.  He definitely becomes less likable as the story goes on!   There is the part where she becomes pregnant and he does not hurry to marry her nor does he support her in any way.  It is true that she had the baby but it is not known what happened - either the baby was put up for adoption or it died.  Mileva was supposed to be a partner with Albert in the world of science.  How much of his success was due to her?  No one really knows, but a theory is put forth in this book.

I enjoyed the historical aspects of the book and learning about the Einsteins.

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The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena FIC Lap

A debut novel that was filled with turns and twists.  I always thought I knew what was going on - but I was wrong here and there!  Anne and Marco share a common wall with Cynthia and Graham.  Anne and Cynthia were good friends but the relationship has cooled since Anne became a mother to baby Cora.  Cynthia and Graham can't stand babies.  So when Anne and Marco are invited over for a dinner party they hire a sitter - problem solved.  Except that the sitter cancels at the last minute.  Marco convinces Anne that it will be perfectly fine to leave the baby at home with the monitor turned on and the two of them taking turns to go check every half-hour.

It was 1:30 in the morning when the parents (who have heavily imbibed) return home to a front door that is ajar.  And no baby Cora.  Thus begins a nightmare with the police trying to find the baby, the parents trying to ignore the directives of the police, and the public being hateful toward the mother who would leave her baby alone.  A good psychological thriller!

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Paris For One & Other Stories. By Jojo Moyes FIC Moy

I am not a great fan of short stories but I have loved the other books by Moyes so I had to read this one!  I loved it!!!!   It was a great book for the holiday season.  The first story wasn't very short but very entertaining.  Nell works hard and has never been abroad.  But it is time to break out of the rut.  She plans a romantic weekend in Paris, the city of love with her boyfriend.  He's been there which makes her feel safe because she would never be able to find her way around or deal with taxis or anything else that tourists have to do.  She's meeting her boyfriend at the train station but he is late - very late.  Finally she hears from him.  He isn't going to make the train so she should go ahead and he will meet her in Paris.  Total panic.  I love Paris and the French so I loved the characters she meets.

After that story are several very short stories.  I think Moyes has a real gift for capturing a lot in a few words.  These vignettes reminded me of those by Maeve Binchy - and in my world that is a good thing!

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The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard FIC DeB

With one job offer the McGinnis family (Liz, husband Phil, and daughter Danielle) went from living a modest middle-class life to living in the lap of luxury.  Phil was hired to manage a very exclusive gated-community called The Palms.  The house they are given to live in will never be filled with furniture like the neighbors. Phil is busy handling the whims and complaints of the priviledged residents.  Liz is looking forward to going back in the fall to her counseling job at the high school Danielle will be attending.  Liz is worried about Danielle meeting friends, so she is thrilled when a neighborhood girl, Kelsey, starts hanging out with Danielle.  In fact in no time at all Kelsey is practically living at their house.  And there is something about her that makes Liz uncomfortable.

In the meantime Kelsey is becoming obsessed with Phil.  Every time he turns around she is there in her skimpy clothing.  He doesn't tell Liz about it the first time and then it became harder and harder to confide in her.  The story is told from both Liz's and Phil's point of view.  Their lives begin spiraling out of control and ends in a tragedy.

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