Grace is Gone by Emily Elgar

This novel actually arrived in my mail a few weeks ago, thanks to HarperCollins Publishers. It was a welcome surprise, and gave me the chance to read a new author that hit it out of the park with her first novel, If You Knew Her. Her second effort--wow, it really does sit with you for some time after you've finished it. 

The plot is fairly simple: Meg and Grace. Mother and daughter. Meg takes care of Grace full-time; Grace is almost eighteen and has lived most of her life as a very ill young girl. She's in a wheelchair, has a feeding tube in her stomach, and suffers from seizures, food issues, headaches... you name it. Meg has spent years taking Grace to doctors and specialists, getting her every bit of care she can find. Both Meg and Grace are beloved by the small town of Ashford, in Cornwall. Folks around there see Meg and Grace as their own, and are fiercely protective of them. 

The novel begins with the horrific murder of Meg, in her home, in her bed. Grace is missing. Jon, a journalist who wrote an article about the two women that riled up the town and made him a pariah, hears about the murder and can't help but drive over to see what is going on. His article questioned why Grace's father Simon wasn't allowed to see his daughter. Meg has told everyone that Simon is abusive and crazy, and pushed her down the stairs. Everyone in Ashford agrees with Meg, and Simon is never allowed to see Grace. Jon, reeling from the effects of the article on his marriage, still feels on edge about the article, and knows something just isn't right, but doesn't know what. 

Cara, the young woman who finds Meg, has known Meg and Grace for most of her life. She befriended Grace when they moved in next door, and even though Grace was a few years younger, Cara felt a bond with Grace. She was always amazed at the obviously close relationship between mother and daughter. Except in the last few years, Cara has gone away to school, and seen less and less of Grace. She's haunted by the idea of Grace being kidnapped and without her vital medications. Is she still alive? Who took her? Everyone believes her father Simon did it all, and there's a manhunt out for him. Meanwhile, the whole town gears up for a search effort, with their minds already made up that Simon must be the murderer. 

Cara and Jon meet, and between the two of them, they slowly start to pick up little clues, and the whole novel is the two of them putting the puzzle together. It's sharp observation, going over and over the little bits of information they do have, and following their instincts that lead them to resolving the disappearance of Grace, and the murder of Meg. It's quite the twist at the end.

It took me a bit to get into the story. Everyone, seriously, is a disaster. Jon's marriage is falling apart, he's sleep deprived, has to stay on the down low so no one recognizes him as "that reporter". Cara is traumatized by finding Meg and her guilt for not being there for Grace. Simon is nowhere to be found, but his story is one of a troubled man driven mad by grief. The whole town is under the spell of Meg and Grace, and ready to paint Simon guilty without any shred of evidence. 

I figured out really quickly what exactly was going on with Meg and Grace, but that's only part of the puzzle. It's a big part of the puzzle, but there's much more to it. Slowly, the story gathers steam and then races along towards a conclusion that will keep you thinking about all of it long after you've finished the book. I'm still putting it all together a day later. Definitely a good thriller!

This novel will be out  in the U.S. on Tuesday, January 7th, 2020 in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook. 

Rating: 4/6 for a thriller that seems fairly simple at first, but has many layers that will have you working along with Jon and Cara to figure it all out, and wow--an ending that packs a wallop. A big thanks to HarperCollins for the advanced reading copy.  

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Grace is Gone by Emily Elgar

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

This novel was like a little mental break for me in the midst of a busy month. I feel like I've been slogging through some of my reading choices, and not making much progress. However, I picked this up off my TBR pile Sunday morning and quickly became engrossed in it-and settled down to power read. I just finished it this morning before work. I was a bit annoyed at myself for being too sleepy last night to finish the last 30 pages before bed. So annoyed! 

I have to say, I was expecting a bit more of a ghost story similar to  Simone St. James (a favorite author of mine). While I had a very mild disappointment, it was more than made up by the romance between Alva Webster and Sam Moore, the two central characters. I wasn't expecting so much of the plot to be about their unfolding relationship, but it was, and the sparks between the two were the best part of the whole book. The ghost story had an interesting twist, for sure. Something I hadn't ever read about in any other ghost story I've come across. 

The basic plot: Alva Webster, widow and infamously known as a woman of *ahem* salacious appetites and oodles of gossip, returns to New York after living for years in Europe. Her husband was murdered, and she's come back to start over where she grew up, the only daughter of privileged parents who now have nothing to do with her. She's purchased Liefdehuis, an abandoned Hyde Park mansion that is rumored to be haunted. Her goal is to renovate the home and write a book about home decorating in the process. It's 1875; she's a widow with some money but not a lot, and has to find a way to make a living. Malicious gossip has followed her home, and even though none of it is true, she can't seem to escape it. 

Professor Sam Moore is in town, eager to test his paranormal equipment on the rumored ghostly hauntings in Liefdehuis. He's quite the genius--and hot, too. He's famous for his many inventions and his family is widely known as the "royalty" of the science world. Alva, however, is not impressed by Sam, and refuses to let him test out his scientific theories on her home. 

Unfortunately, Alva's past returns to create chaos, and she reluctantly agrees to let Sam study Liefdehuis in order to get her project moving along. Local contractors refuse to work in a haunted house, and it's costing her money she can't afford to lose. 

This is where the plot really turns to the relationship between Sam and Alva. Sam is quite appealing and he's impossible to resist. Alva finds herself falling for him hard and fast, even while fighting her despair that she's just not good enough for him, and permanently damaged from her horrible marriage. But those qualities in both Sam and Alva are what make the haunting take an interesting turn, and help them solve the puzzle of what drives people from Liefdehuis in complete fear and terror. 

This really is more of a romance than anything else, but I loved it. Sam is quite possibly the most fun character I've read in quite a while. I can see why Alva falls for him. Alva's journey from frightened, abused woman to one that is trusting and finds love again is a big part of the novel, and very satisfying. All in all, a fun novel that helped lift me out of the November doldrums. It reminded me of Amanda Quick novels, so if you like her, you will enjoy this first novel by Diana Biller. I'll be reading more, without a doubt. 

Rating: 4/6 for a delightful romance with a dash of science, a dash of mystery, and a happy ending. I wish there had been more about the haunted mansion, but I was satisfied and give a kudos to the author for the unique haunting. 

Available in paperback and ebook. 

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The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

At the Corner of King Street by Mary Ellen Taylor

I love Mary Ellen Taylor's books.  She's previously written a series (right now it's at 3 and I hope it's not done!) that featured the Union Street Bakery.  Now she's started another series, centered on the Shire Salvage Company, just a short scoot away from the Union Street Bakery set in Alexandria, Virginia.  At the Corner of King Street is another winner, combining local history, family drama, and a bit of romance mixed in with just a touch of paranormal.  

Addie Morgan had left her troubled sister behind years ago to begin a new life as the marketing director at a vineyard.  In love with the owner, happily planning the launch of a new wine, Addie does not want to be reminded of her past, her sad childhood, and the mental illness that has claimed her mother and sister.  It made her life hell as the one who had to take care of everything and make it all right.  A phone call from her Aunt Grace lands like a bomb in Addie's life.  Janet, her sister, has just given birth to a daughter, and Addie needs to come home.  Janet has been roaming the country, not taking her medicine, and is in serious trouble.  Addie reluctantly comes back to Alexandria for what she hopes is a very short trip to arrange for her nieces' placement in a foster home.  Addie has no intention of staying, nor of raising Carrie.  

But life is funny, and Addie's reluctance to face the past, and deal with Janet, comes to a head.  Also adding to the mix is her Aunt Grace's decline in health, which has led to the potential closing of the family business, Shire Salvage.  In between Addie's drama, we also get the back story of the roots of what Addie has always called the family curse:  the mental illness that plagues at least one sister in each generation of the Shire family.  How does an accused witch banished to Virginia in the 1740's and a doctor's wife living in Colonial Alexandria at the same time haunt the Shire women today?  

This is a book that has many levels:  the frustration and destruction mental illness puts on a family, the needs of an infant that can't be raised by her mother, a woman's desire to have a "normal" life, and for a bit of lightness, the fascinating history of a city that has many secrets to keep.  Characters from the Union Street Bakery novels are part of this one, too.  Mary Ellen Taylor has the potential to create a series of novels that bring to mind the world building of Debbie Macomber and her Rose Harbor and Blossom Street series of novels.  

Definitely for fans of Karen White!  If you loved the Union Street Bakery novels, you'll be thrilled to have another treat.  The next novel in the Shire Salvage  series comes out in January:

 Rating:  7/10 for a tale of a family curse, a woman's search for happiness, and compelling characters.  Makes you want to pack your bags for Alexandria.  

Available in paperback and ebook.

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At the Corner of King Street by Mary Ellen Taylor

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Aw heck.  I really wanted to like this teen novel, but it fell short of my expectations.

Asylum by Madeleine Roux is similar in look to Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children (which if you haven't read, please do now!).  But unfortunately, the story was a bit jumbled and not compelling enough for me to be super excited over this novel.

Asylum takes place at a college in New Hampshire that just happens to have an old asylum on the premises.  The New Hampshire College is tucked away in a small town and hosts a summer program for high school students to participate in classes and potentially become future students at the college.  It's a beautiful place, but it is surrounded by the evil that took place at Brookline, the asylum, over fifty years before.

Enter Dan Crawford.  He's sixteen, adopted, and is eager to have a fun summer exploring his interests at the summer program.  He soon meets Abby and Jordan, two other students who click with Dan.  Dan's roommate, Felix, shows Dan a few pictures he found in the basement of Brookline:  photos of a man with his eyes scratched out, and pictures of patients.  They are disturbing, and soon Dan is drawn into investigating the basement of Brookline--which is strictly off limits to the students.  Because the regular dorms are undergoing a renovation, the summer school students are housed in Brookline on the upper floors.  It's a bit of a creepy idea, and I'm not sure an actual college would ever do that.  But it keeps Dan, Abby, and Jordan in close proximity to danger.  

Strange notes, texts on Dan's phone, and nightmares begin plaguing all three kids.  What is going on at Brookline?  And is Dan simply crazy, or is the warden haunting him?  

It's all there to be a good novel.  Unfortunately, the action doesn't really move much at all until the last 50 pages.  The photos in the books are interesting, but don't really add too much to the storyline.  And so many questions are left unanswered that it's obvious a sequel is required to answer them.  Which leaves me dissatisfied.  Lots of strings left untied that just left me losing interest.  

Rating:  4/10 for a great idea, but a weak story.  

Available in hardcover and e-book.

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Asylum by Madeleine Roux

The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison

Well.  This one is certainly worthy of a book club discussion or two.  The "wife" in this novel is Jodi, who has lived with Todd for 20 years.  They've never married; Todd wanted to get married, Jodi never did due to issues with her childhood.  No kids.  Again, Jodi didn't want them.  She keeps a tight reign over her emotions, her life, and her part-time practice as a psychologist.  She lives a good life with Todd as long as she ignores his chronic cheating.


Todd is struggling through bouts of depression; his inability to stay faithful to Jodi is never an issue with him.  It's just the way he is and he offers no excuse for it.  They have an unwritten rule:  it's never talked about directly; innuendoes are used to refer to his overnight trips and weekends away; and unbeknownst to him, Jodi gets back by doing little things to Todd that make his life miserable for brief moments of time.  He has no idea Jodi is behind such small things; small blips that disrupt his daily schedule.

Until the day his young girlfriend tells him she's pregnant and they have to get married.  

This is the turning point in the story; this is the beginning of the descent on the highest hill of the roller coaster.  Todd and Jodi are nuts.  Plain and simple.  Both are so fundamentally damaged they can't even begin to see it.  And this will cost them both.

This novel is a quick read; you will find that you don't like anyone in the novel.  Not one person.  There is no one to like.  It makes you wonder just how many people are clinging to a life they think they want and ignoring all the wrong things that are in it.  

Read it.  Discuss it with someone.  It is a page turner, and it will leave you dwelling on the story of Todd and Jodi for a long time.

Rating:  8/10 for a few twists and turns, and characters that are deeply flawed and don't even know it.  

Available in paperback and e-book

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The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison