My best reads from November are:
Louise Douglas – The Scarlet Dress
When Alice disappeared from the holiday camp, all that was found was her scarlet dress on the beach. The verdict was that she had drowned herself in the sea. But almost twenty five years later, when the camp is being redeveloped, her remains are found buried beneath it. Marnie was only a child when it happened, but losing Alice, her idol, so soon after the death of her mother, left her traumatised and unable to speak. She thinks she may know secrets that could lead to the identity of the killer. Will, Alice’s boyfriend at the time, has returned, and he’s determined to uncover the truth about her death now. He believes that Guy, the son of the camp owners, has something to do with it. But Will is hiding secrets of his own. So many people have been frozen in time by Alice’s disappearance, and old wounds need to be uncovered and healed before anyone can move on. A touching and gripping mystery.
Liz Talley - Adulting: A Novel
Chase London hasn't had a normal childhood - she's been working as an actress since her early years, with her mother managing her life and her career. Now she's a mess, constantly in rehab, but falling off the wagon readily. She's not fit to take on any new role - but her mother Lorna has other ideas. She hires Olivia Han, who has a reputation for pulling wayward young women into shape. Her 'Adulting' programme is different from other methods, and soon Chase finds herself in a remote cabin belonging to her new therapist, learning how to deal with normal life. But Olivia has plenty of baggage of her own from her past, including a difficult relationship with her sister Neve. When Neve turns up at the cabin, Chase begins to see the cracks in her therapist's cool facade. As she learns her life skills, the three women all begin to work through darkness from their early lives. Old and new love relationships cause added complications. I was drawn into the stories of the women, intrigued at how they work out a way to go forward. A satisfying read.
Jamie Beck - If You Must Know
This family-based novel explores two very different sisters reacting to tumultuous change in their lives. Amanda is the elder of the two, and has always felt closest to her mother. She resented that her younger sister, Erin, was always their father's favourite. But the family was recently devastated by their father's sudden death. Their mother is trying to cope with adjusting to widowhood. Amanda takes comfort in her seemingly perfect marriage to Lyle, and her approaching motherhood. But her own bubble is about to burst. Her husband suddenly abandons her, and it turns out he's been dishonest with the whole family. Erin also has ended her latest relationship, and the two young women are becoming worried about their mother's health. As the three women are forced into closer contact, they begin to realise that maybe they're not as different as they thought. A hunt for Lyle draws them unexpectedly together. The story is an interesting exploration of character and extreme circumstances, and kept me turning the pages.
Louise Douglas – The Scarlet Dress
When Alice disappeared from the holiday camp, all that was found was her scarlet dress on the beach. The verdict was that she had drowned herself in the sea. But almost twenty five years later, when the camp is being redeveloped, her remains are found buried beneath it. Marnie was only a child when it happened, but losing Alice, her idol, so soon after the death of her mother, left her traumatised and unable to speak. She thinks she may know secrets that could lead to the identity of the killer. Will, Alice’s boyfriend at the time, has returned, and he’s determined to uncover the truth about her death now. He believes that Guy, the son of the camp owners, has something to do with it. But Will is hiding secrets of his own. So many people have been frozen in time by Alice’s disappearance, and old wounds need to be uncovered and healed before anyone can move on. A touching and gripping mystery.
Liz Talley - Adulting: A Novel
Chase London hasn't had a normal childhood - she's been working as an actress since her early years, with her mother managing her life and her career. Now she's a mess, constantly in rehab, but falling off the wagon readily. She's not fit to take on any new role - but her mother Lorna has other ideas. She hires Olivia Han, who has a reputation for pulling wayward young women into shape. Her 'Adulting' programme is different from other methods, and soon Chase finds herself in a remote cabin belonging to her new therapist, learning how to deal with normal life. But Olivia has plenty of baggage of her own from her past, including a difficult relationship with her sister Neve. When Neve turns up at the cabin, Chase begins to see the cracks in her therapist's cool facade. As she learns her life skills, the three women all begin to work through darkness from their early lives. Old and new love relationships cause added complications. I was drawn into the stories of the women, intrigued at how they work out a way to go forward. A satisfying read.
Jamie Beck - If You Must Know
This family-based novel explores two very different sisters reacting to tumultuous change in their lives. Amanda is the elder of the two, and has always felt closest to her mother. She resented that her younger sister, Erin, was always their father's favourite. But the family was recently devastated by their father's sudden death. Their mother is trying to cope with adjusting to widowhood. Amanda takes comfort in her seemingly perfect marriage to Lyle, and her approaching motherhood. But her own bubble is about to burst. Her husband suddenly abandons her, and it turns out he's been dishonest with the whole family. Erin also has ended her latest relationship, and the two young women are becoming worried about their mother's health. As the three women are forced into closer contact, they begin to realise that maybe they're not as different as they thought. A hunt for Lyle draws them unexpectedly together. The story is an interesting exploration of character and extreme circumstances, and kept me turning the pages.
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