The Likeness by Tana French

If you are reading this from your email box, please click to go to the blog to read the entire review.  Thank you!  ~Rawles



Now THAT is more like it!!!!!!

I was not too impressed by French's The Witch Elm.  I didn't really like In the Woods, the first Dublin Murder Squad book that I read about 5 years ago.  But there must be something about French's writing that keeps me coming back, keeps me hopeful.

Persistence pays off, readers!!!!

I found this storyline the most interesting of all of her weird plots.  She stays more focused here than she did with The Witch Elm, but still very original.  We follow a secondary character from In the Woods, Cassie, a rough and tumble Irish cop, who had a hard time of it in the first book so she moves on, but is lured back to the Murder Squad for an "uncanny" reason - her new boyfriend who does work for Murder Squad calls her in a pure panic, and tells her to get down to the scene of a murder.  Why is he so freaked out?  Well, it seems the victim is a woman who was using one of Cassie's old undercover aliases that no one should know about.  And she looks EXACTLY LIKE CASSIE.

Cue the crazy idea that Cassie jump into the life of the woman to try to suss out the killer.  Turns out she is one of 6 young people living together in a family mansion in a tiny village community that has plenty of opinions about the young, entitled singles.  Cassie returns after the dead woman's housemates are told she did survive, and inserts herself into this tight knit circle of misfits that have formed a weird sort of family.  Yeah, ok, that would never work in real life - she is too changed, I know I know.  Bear with it.  The psychology of living with these people, getting to know them, starting to love them, all while planning to betray one (or more??) of them is fascinating.  It's the best kind of voyeurism.   Can she do her job?  Can she remain objective?  Can she maintain her own relationships while undercover?  What does she really want?  And WHO was the dead woman with the mysterious past???

I could not put it down.  And I will definitely read the next one.  Big fan of perseverance over here.

Auraria by Tim Westover

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Is it just me or are others somewhat deflated to learn that a fantastically imaginative story is in fact, fact???  Just when I think truth cannot be stranger than fiction, I read the author’s note and learn that all this imagination I thought he had was not imagined at all. He based it all on a true story. Even the town name was real once upon a time.  Kind of a bummer.

So while this book is full of Southern lore and spirits who play piano and sprites who appear at the side of the lake, it was a bit much and a bit too long for me.  The main character annoyed me; if he was supposed to be tragic he certainly was.  There is some snappy dialogue here and I actually did appreciate the writing style as being a nice support for this type of story - somewhat clipped, proper (like our main man), and full of tongue in cheek eye rolls.

I found the moral of this story was several fold: leave well enough alone; sometimes “progress” only leads to regression; listen to your heart. A nice little ending but this book is definitely not for everyone. You really have to like the fantastic, the parable, and the unbelievable. Accept it like Holtzclaw does and you may even enjoy this very different ride.

(But Westover, if you went to Davidson, why does your bio say you were educated in England??  Was that in reference to your pre- college Ed? I will blame that on your editor- just confusing.  (Disclaimer: I live in NC and part of the reason I read this was that local connection.))

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson

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Fun read!  Perfect for summer, or lighter fall reading. 
This is an author to watch - great writing, pulls you in immediately, and an interesting if not very surprising twist at the end.  Told in part in flashbacks, we unravel the complicated relationships between Miranda, her parents, and her Uncle Billy.  A Fight, an Absence, and an Inheritance all lead Miranda on yet another (final?) scavenger hunt like she and her beloved Uncle Billy used to do when she was little - before the Fight.  Now an adult, Billy's death saddles Miranda with his Bookstore, so she drops everything, including her nice new boyfriend, to go to Uncle Billy's store and save everything.  Can she?  Should she?  She is met with some hostility from the employees and her mom is not so sure she should be there.  So many conflicts as she begins to discover buried secrets about Billy's life and about why the Absence occurred.   Loved the idea that she was named for a literary character (Shakespeare's Miranda in The Tempest) - and other little literary nods throughout.  How can you not with a title like this and a book about books!!!  Well, not really about books as much as relationships, adult decisions or lack thereof, and loyalty.  Worth a look!!  Plus, that cover, y'all!!!!

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

If you are seeing this review in an email, please click to follow the link to the blog so you can read the entire review!  Thank you! ~ Rawles


This is what happens when you read a book at the beginning of a long vacation (first flight, DONE!), and then don't review it until two months later.   I am suffering a bit from CRS disease (can't remember, um, stuff), so this one will be short, but important enough to include!

I gave this book four stars on Goodreads.  That means it was pretty good, and it was definitely original.  I definitely connected with Sam, and really admired his mother, who stood up for him when he was bullied at school because of his red eyes.  Loved the long-lasting relationship between Sam and his bff and fellow outcast, Ernie.  And Mickey - well, Mickey is the wild card.  And stays that way!!!!

Very interesting how his physical condition defines and shapes his life and his decisions, and his relationships.  Great story about perseverance and deep friendship, and maybe a bit of redemption.  I personally liked the ending, even if it was a bit wrapped up, but what Sam realizes and how he handles who he meets at the end was sort of cathartic.  For the character and the reader.  Well done.