October Read: Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

 

Another book I started a few months ago, put down, and didn't pick up again until last night. It wasn't because I didn't enjoy it, but because I  was in my reading slump. I zipped through it and throughly enjoyed it. It does require a bit of suspended disbelief but heck I had no problem doing that!

Daisy Darker is a young woman who has had a really lousy life. Born with a heart defect, she's  been told her life would be short. Her mother Nancy feels like a failure having a third daughter who is "broken", and treats Daisy pretty lousy. Her older sisters Rose and Lily were in turn smart and beautiful. Her father Frank is equally messed up, traveling constantly to conduct orchestras around the world. The only constant Daisy has is her Nana, a famous author who lives in a rambling old house on a tiny island off the coast of England. A house you can only reach on foot when the tide is out. 

The family has gathered at Seaglass, Nana's home, for her eightieth birthday--on Halloween. It's family tradition and this time, Nana has required everyone to be there because she's going to read her will. She's convinced this is her last birthday, and wants the family to know exactly what she's leaving them when she dies. 

I've never read And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, but this novel takes a page from it and every hour, someone at Seaglass dies. As a storm rages outside, and all communication with the outside world is cut off, the terror builds as the family watches VCR tapes of years gone by, revealing pivotal moments in Daisy's history. And at the ding dongs of the many clocks strike the hour, someone dies. 

Who could be killing of the family? Who is next? Will anyone survive and escape when the tide finally comes in?

This is the kind of thriller I enjoy. I'm easily able to read it and not stop to question or poke holes. I'm on the roller coaster and staying buckled in until the ride comes to a complete stop. There are a couple of WHATTT moments, but I stuck with it and thought it was a heck of a good read. Dang. Families are complicated. 

This is a perfect read for October nights. 

Rating: 4/6 for a simply enjoyable thriller with all sorts of interesting revelations and moments of WHAT JUST HAPPENED. You may figure it all out, but I didn't even try and just enjoyed the unraveling story. I may read some Agatha Christie after this. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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October Read: Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin by Stephanie Knipper

Well.  I'm a few days late getting this read and reviewed for my September reads, but better late than never!  I had a friend recommend this to me.  She knows I love Sara Addison Allen and that wonderful genre of magical realism.  And she was right about this one, too.

Lily and Rose Martin are two sisters who grew up on the family flower farm in Kentucky.  Rose's daughter Antoinette is ten years old and on the severe end of the autism spectrum.  She also has an amazing ability to heal.  As in, putting her hands into dirt and making flowers bloom, touching birds and healing broken wings.  She can hear the music of the earth and every living creature.  She can't talk, but her mind is as clear as a bell.  Her body doesn't obey her mind, and what others see as a profoundly challenged child screaming and biting is in actuality a frustrated child limited by the physical prison of a body that won't obey her commands. The only problem is that when Antoinette really goes in deep with her healing, it causes severe seizures that are in danger of killing her. 

Rose takes care of the flower farm, and finally calls Lily home after years of exile.  Rose is dying.  She's had a heart condition since the day she gave birth to Antoinette, and her time is running out.  Lily must come home to take care of Antoinette and the flower farm.  Rose is not willing to put her daughter in harm's way by trying to cure her heart condition.  It's time to say goodbye.  

Seth, Lily's childhood love, continues to live next door, and has taken part ownership in the flower farm to help Rose.  He's got a connection to Antoinette that helps keep her anchored and calm.  When Lily arrives, Antoinette is angry, frustrated, and definitely not a fan of Lily.  

Geez, this sounds like an incredibly sad story.  It is sad, but it's also pretty wonderful.  It's all about family, friends, love, sacrifice, and understanding.  I for one loved peeking into Antoinette's personality, and seeing the person she really is inside that physical body.  Rose and Lily love each other, but have lots of issues.  And Lily's love for Seth has never faded, but she's afraid to trust him again.  

I haven't even mentioned Will...the doctor who lives next door to Lily and is competition for Seth.  Oh, he'll break your heart.  

Flowers, magic, flower lore, healing, love.  The sister bond.  What a lovely little gem of a book.  

Rating:  7/10 for a novel that has many compelling characters; a story line that may require tissues, and a cover that was hard to resist.  

Available in hardcover and e-book.    

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The Peculiar Miracles of Antoinette Martin by Stephanie Knipper