It / Stephen King / 1,138 pages

It is a 1986 horror novel by Stephen King, and is one of his longest books written to date.

Georgie Denbrough was always afraid of what could be lurking in the basement, but when he was playing outside after a heavy rain in Derry, Maine in 1957, he learned too late that It was not in the basement, but in the sewer drain; he was killed as a result.  27 years later, in 1985, after a man named Adrian Mellon was said to be killed by something that looked like a clown, a resident of Derry calls his childhood friends-- "The Losers"-- to come to Derry to destroy It once and for all. Jumping between summer of 1958 and 1985, The Losers have to deal with the psychological tortures It puts them through, a psychopathic childhood bully and escaped convict, and the reasons they forgot EVERYTHING that happened in Derry, including the very existence of Derry.

There were a lot of ups and downs in this book, and I mean a lot; therefore, I'll start with a few of the downs.

Downs:
First off, I wasn't agreeing with Richie's character voices, as a lot of them come off as racist.  I mean, okay, one could argue that It was 1958 when nothing was politically correct, but still.

Another flaw is that the book sometimes flows away to another story almost irrelevant to the plot, mostly backstories to minor characters, but on the flip side...


Ups:
... they all manage to connect to the same problem that is It.

Okay, as someone who usually listens to audio books, I don't really review the narrators, but I'm going to say It right now: Stephen Weber's performance was phenomenal.  I'm serious.  I haven't heard a narrator that really kept me at the edge of my seat since, well, ever (I guess it's my first time).  As for the voices, he gives a distinct voice to each character (especially "Stuttering Bill" Denbrough) that would make Jim Dale proud.

Also, this book isn't really about a scary clown--if I could describe this story using a pie chart, only 9% of It would show the clown.  I'd say a more appropriate definition is that It's about one's worst nightmares, whatever It may be, coming to life to kill them.

Another part that I had both ups and downs about was the ending.  It became a lot more supernatural than just something with various forms, and I almost asked myself, "This is the same book, right?"  But that's kind of the fun of It.

Overall, I'd recommend It to anyone who either has the time to read the whole book or has the time to listen to all 35 CDs (I promise, the latter is worth It).

A Noise Downstairs/Linwood Barclay/356 pgs

One decision changes Paul Davis's life in an instant.  Curiosity killed
the cat and that night it nearly killed Paul Davis.  Suspecting his
coworker might be lost, Paul follows him and soon realizes that
something is amiss.  We soon learn that on that night Paul nearly
lost his life.  Now, months later, he is hearing strange noises coming
from a gift typewriter his wife gave him to help his recovery.  Things
get even crazier when typed "messages" appear written by the two
murdered women from the fateful night.  Worth the read!

Behind Closed Doors/B. A. Paris/293 pages

This book is a great psychological thriller that keeps you engrossed to the last page!  Jack and Grace appear to be the perfect couple until you discover what is behind their closed door.  I kept trying to see a way out of the situation, but the author has every detail thought out to foil escape.  Don't want to give away too much!

When the Lights Go Out/Mary Kubica/8 discs 330 pages

I am a big fan of Mary Kubica's psychological thrillers and was very excited to listen to her new title "When the lights go out" last week. I downloaded it through the Hoopla app and enjoyed the narrators
Julia Whelan and Jayme Matter.  Jessie Sloane has been serving as care giver to her mother who was battling cancer. When her Mom passes she decides to apply for college and start fresh.  But she is shocked to discover she is perhaps the victim of identity theft. As she delves deeper into her life with her single Mother as a child she is shocked to realize everything in her childhood may have been a big lie.  Jessie is also dealing with sleep deprivation from insomnia and starts to question her own sanity. I was surprised by the ending but was not as unhappy with it as I have read many reviewers seemed to be. It kept me guessing until the end.

Find Me/ JS Monroe / 400 pgs

Find Me is a thriller that starts out going in one direction and ends up in a completely different direction. The plot twist was a good one, coming out of nowhere (but in retrospect hinted at). However, and this is a big however, the direction the story ended up going was not one that I wanted to read about. Let me explain.

Jar Costello's girlfriend, Rosa, committed suicide 5 years ago. He loved her deeply and hasn't really got over her death. He's never believed that she died (her body wasn't found). He even imagines that he sees her around London.  Then one day Jar is handed a hard drive by Rosa's aunt and told that there is an encrypted version of Rosa's diary on it. With some help from friends, Jar gets into the diary and soon realizes that Rosa really might be alive and might have become a spy.

So, I'm down with a spy thriller and according to the blurb, that's what I'm reading. But then the plot twist happens and this becomes a whole other kind of thriller and it really wasn't one I wanted to read about (being vague to avoid spoilers but there is violence involving humans and animals). The writing is good and I give points to the author for an innovative, though sometimes unbelievable plot. But in the end (literally) I wasn't happy with this story.

The Girl Before / JP Delaney / 320 pgs

Obviously, this book is being put into the same category as Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, and for good reason. I have every reason to believe that this will become a big bestseller in the coming weeks, and it has already been optioned to be made into a movie with Ron Howard directing. I've already read the books I mentioned above, and I think it was FAR BETTER than Girl on the Train, and I might even like it more than Gone Girl, which I think was an amazing book, because the big reveal at the end of The Girl Before is such a gut punch - completely unexpected and VERY satisfying! I gave the book five stars. Very high praise from me indeed!

The story alternates between two women, Emma and Jane. Jane is in present time. She rents a very austere, modern, smart house in London that is very cheap, but requires a lot of rules to be followed. These rules were put into place by the apartment's architect. Meanwhile, a couple of years before, a woman named Emma moved into that same apartment. Both women are dealing with recent trauma. Emma's old apartment was burglarized and Jane recently suffered a stillbirth. Both become mesmerized by their new house's enigmatic architect. Saying anymore would definitely spoil the book. Check it out as soon as you can!

The Marriage Lie/Kimberly Belle/334 pgs.

Iris and Will have been happily married for seven years. Will takes a flight out to Florida, and on the same day a flight out to Seattle, Washington, crashes--killing all on board. Iris is notified that Will was on the Seattle flight, and as a result, perished. Iris's world is upended: why would Will lie to her about his business trip? What else has he lied about? Digging into his past reveals more secrets--and leads to danger. A fast moving book, and one I highly recommend!

I Let You Go/Clare Mackintosh/369 pgs.

5 year-old Jacob is killed by a hit-and-run driver on a dark, rainy afternoon. It is up to the Bristol police investigators to determine who the driver was who left the scene of the accident, and bring that person to justice. I don't want to give away much of the story, so I will say that I stayed up until 4:00 in the morning to see how all of the twists and turns played out. The book has been recommended for fans of "Gone Girl," but I found it a much more suspenseful, and better written, story. It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel--highly recommended!

Find Her/Lisa Gardner/402 pgs.

Flora Dane was a college student on spring break when she was abducted seven years ago. She was rescued after being held for 472 days. For the past five years, Flora has become somewhat of a vigilante--trying to lure potential predators to exposing themselves, and then taking care of them. Her path crosses with that of Boston detective D.D. Warren who isn't sure if Flora is a victim or a vigilante at a recent crime scene. When Flora goes missing again, it seems as if history might be repeating itself. Highly suspenseful, Find Her keeps the reader on the edge of her/his seat providing a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended!

The Last One / Alexandra Oliva / 304 pgs

Wow! I devoured this book in less than 48 hours, it was so good. I really enjoyed this debut novel by Alexandra Oliva, just published this past month, and thought she did a tremedous job with a very original concept.

A married lady who has had a lot of adventures in travel before setting down to get married decides to do one last crazy thing before trying to get pregnant with her husband. She is cast on a reality survival  type show with 11 others and put in a wilderness to do all kinds of crazy, strenuous challenges. Two weeks into filming, she and the contestants who are left are sent on a solo challenge, but the fatique and hunger has altered her judgment abilities and what she thinks is fake might be real. All of the contestants have nicknames based on their occupation (sometimes even their race). So, the married lady is named Zoo because she works with animals

I don't want to give too much away, but the book does shift between Zoo's present and when the reality show first began, giving you an idea just why Zoo may think that everything she sees around her isn't real despite the overwhelming evidence. My only complaint is that when the book mentions the 12 contestants, they are always referred to by their nickname, but when Zoo is thinking specifically about them, she refers to them by their first name, which can be really confusing. Otherwise, the book is spectacular, definitely a thriller, slightly dystopian, and all around a fun read.

In a Dark, Dark Wood/Ruth Ware/310 pgs.

Leonora Shaw (Lee, to some--Nora, to others) hasn't been in touch with her one time best friend, Clare, in ten years. It comes as a surprise, then, when Nora receives an e-vite for Clare's "hen" party, given by Clare's maid-of-honor, Flo--especially since Nora doesn't know that Clare is engaged, and isn't invited to the wedding. Nora has some unfinished business with Clare, so she decides to attend the bachelorette weekend, going with her friend, Nina. The weekend takes place at Flo's aunt's house--a glass structure deep in the woods. Told in Nora's voice, the story unfolds from scenes from the past to the present. Parts of the story are predictable, but it's a fast, suspenseful read--it's hard to put the book down! Recommended!

The Husband's Secret / Liane Moriarty / 396 pages / 11 Discs

This book follows the intertwining stories of Tess O'Leary, Rachel Crowley, and Cecilia Fitzpatrick and how one singular event, one singular secret has woven their lives together in ways they never would have thought possible.  When we meet Tess, she's leaving Melbourne, her husband, and her cousin (who's also her husband's lover) behind and fleeing to Sydney with her son to mourn her destroyed marriage in the familiarity of her childhood home.  Rachel Crowley is mourning the death of her long-ago murdered daughter as well as coping with the anger she feels for her son and daughter-in-law as they decide to uproot their family and move to New York for two years, taking Rachel's grandson, the light of Rachel's world, with them.  And Cecilia, she has just found a letter, that once opened is going to change the fate of all three women in one crazy and life-altering way.

This book is perfect for those readers who love a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  It contains characters for seem very real.  Moriarty captures the voice of each women splendidly, and tells a story that readers won't soon forget.

One Step Too Far / Tina Serkis / 285 pages

What would cause a mother and wife to up and leave her family one day without seemingly any warning?  That's question readers are trying to answer in this psychological thriller.  Emily Coleman has become Cat Brown and has run away to escape some dark devastation in her past and start a new life in London.  The chapters alternate between a first person narrative of Cat's story to flashbacks of other characters, including Cat as Emily, that help fill in the background of what has brought Cat to this point.  The reader will never see the ultimate twist coming which is as heart-wrenching as it is surprising.  Tina Serkis weaves a story filled with flawed, realistic characters who the reader can't help but keep reading to discover more.  This definitely a book that will keep you up at night in your desire to find out Cat's secret.

The Burning Air / Erin Kelly / 321pgs / Thriller / Horror

  I was drawn to this book by a review I had found on a blog. The author was talking about books that stayed with him long after it had been finished. This guy was right. Burning Air creeped me out so much that I can't remember it without a shudder.

  The MacBride family is a well-positioned part of Saxby University. They are respected within the community and people look to them for leadership. Then there is Darcy, a small awkward boy who has been tutored by his mother in the hopes of making it into the University on scholarship. Their future depends upon him. Then the unthinkable happens: Darcy isn't given the scholarship and his life is changed forever.
  The book is divided into several narrators. We have Lydia, Sophie, Darcy, Rowan who bring a different view point to the events. What happens to one character is viewed differently by others and interpreted yet again by someone else. This brings the horror of what Darcy does and plans to do to a new level of uncomfortableness. Darcy dedicates his life to bringing the MacBride family to his brand of justice and he goes about it with compelling malevolence.
  There were several times I wanted to stop reading. I was completely unnerved by what Darcy did with his life. He was totally unemotional and amoral about everything. All his energy was directed toward the completion of his goal. A totally unsympathetic character. Anyone who wants a read that needs all the lights on for several days this is it.

6 Degrees of Reading: The House at Midnight by Lucie Whitehouse, The Good Girl by Mary Kubica, The Silent Wife by A.S. Harrison.

The Girl on the Train/ Paula Hawkins/325

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning, fantasizing about the cozy suburban houses with their perfect couples all happy and content, nestled along the track. One morning she sees something and knows she has to tell the police. This story is told from three different female point of views, their lives all precariously entwined. Rachel is an alcoholic that binges and blackout. She has lost her job, her husband and has serious self esteem issues.  Rachel is the "girl on the train" pretending to commute daily to London. Some readers have compared this title to Gone Girl, both trying to portray a dark side to domestic life, both have twisty suspenseful plots. 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins/ 336 p.

Rachel Watson is the main character who watches life through the window of a train.  She is alcoholic, needy, divorced, jobless, and removed from reality.  When she rides the train past her former house where her ex-husband, his current wife and child live, she imagines being there again.  She acts on her fantasies at times and her ex-husband tries (unsuccessfully) to restrain her from bothering his family.  You get the feeling that he still loves her and wants to help her, but he needs to protect his wife and child from Rachel's bizarre behavior.  Rachel begins to watch a couple who live a few doors down from her ex.  One day the wife disappears and Rachel believes that she can help the husband in some way so he is not accused of murdering his wife.  The story continues to be quite bizarre with many twists and turns.  Ultimately Rachel practically self-destructs and it is hard to understand or empathize with her.  It reminded me of the movie "Fatal Attraction."  I can't say I recommend this book as it was difficult to hang in there until the end.

Crazy Love You/Lisa Unger/338 pgs.

This is one of the creepiest books I have read in awhile! As an adult, Ian Paine is the successful graphic novelist of the "Fatboy and Priss" series. Priss wields the power in the series, and seeks revenge on Fatboy's behalf. The series reflects, to some extent, the difficult childhood Ian endured. The question is: is Priss "real" or a figment of Ian's imagination. The answer becomes critical when Ian meets Megan, and wants to build a life with her. Priss, however, has other ideas. There is psychological tension throughout the novel, leaving the reader with a very unsettled feeling. Recommended.

The Girl on the Train/Paula Hawkins/323 pgs.

Rachel is a mess. A few years ago her husband, Tom, left her for another woman, Anna. Rachel spends her time riding the commuter train to and from the city in which she used to work. This train passes the house Rachel and Tom used to live in, and in which Tom and Anna now live. In her back and forth train rides, Rachel notices a couple who lives just a few houses up the street from Tom and Anna. In her imagination, Rachel creates a fantasy life for them, until the day she sees the woman kissing a man who is not her husband. Later, Rachel hears about the woman's disappearance, and thinks she has information that might help in finding her. The problem is, that Rachel has become an alcoholic since Tom left her, and is prone to blackouts--she's not the best witness. This is a great psychological thriller, somewhat in the fashion of Gone Girl. Very gripping!

Winter Chill/Joanne Fluke/345 pages

After a terrible accident that leaves their daughter dead and her husband Dan paralyzed, Marian must find a way to pull their lives back together. Dan's paralysis is hysterical, but he's showing no sign of recovering use of his legs. Marian goes back to her job teaching second grade in their small grade school, but Laura's desk is a constant reminder of her loss. Dan is persuaded to go back to teaching high school history and coaching the hockey team. When other horrible accidents start occurring, the town begins to question whether or not they are truly accidents.


Originally published in 1984 and before her successful Hannah Swenson series began, Joanne Fluke's psychological thriller shows great promise. Set in Minnesota, the harsh winter is a perfect setting for the descent into madness for one of the characters. The story itself has some loose ends that aren't tied up and it also has some aspects that could have been explored more fully, but overall, it's a very good story and with a twist ending.

The Wicked Girls / Alex Marwood / 378 pages

     A debut novel from a British journalist writing her first fiction novel. The novel begins with two eleven year old girls wandering the countryside of their small English village. They don't have any where to go as one is avoiding trouble at home while the other has been left home alone by her parents. A shocking event sends the two of them to prison for a portion of their young lives. Fast forward to the present day and Kirsty an up and coming journalist is trying to get a foot in the door of newspaper publishing. She has been sent to a small town which has been under attack from a serial killer. Amber Gordon works at the local carnival as a night cleaner. She is the new supervisor and isn't sure she wants the job. She finds the newest victim and Kirsty tries to interview her for the story. Suddenly past and present collide in a series of events that no one can predict the outcome.
    I will admit I was very skeptical when starting this book. For me, thrillers often run along the same predictable lines. This book however was jaw-dropping. Amber and Kirsty are two women just trying to get by in life and find a little happiness. But something always seems to be getting in their way and as the story goes on the tension gets tighter and tighter till the point where everything just explodes! I read this in two nights. I could not put it down. The writing style is accessible but I will admit to not getting all the English slang. The male characters don't seem to have a backbone among them and I thought that was a little sad. The killer when revealed was totally anti-climatic based on what happened next. WOW!!! I recommend this to anyone who has patrons who love good well-written hard core thrillers. There is language and some sexual content. Excellent start for Marwood. I did receive this from the Penguin First Flights program.

Six Degrees of Reading:  Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger, The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison, The Good Girl by Mary Kubica.