Alex has seemed to hit a dead end. It’s been a year since she had a major following out with her best friend, Wren, and she has suffered from a bad case of writer’s block ever since. So when she was given the opportunity to travel to the remote residence of renowned author (and personal hero) Roza Vallo, to participate in a one month writer’s workshop, she decides to take the opportunity. Yes, Wren will be there but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and Alex is sure she has what it takes to write a great novel. But once Alex arrives at Roza’s estate, she soon learns that the easy writing retreat won’t be what she expects. Between Wren’s presence, Roza’s bipolar mood swings, and the creepy house, the stress and tension reaches a fever pitch. One of the fellow writers goes missing, Alex begins to suspect that something more sinister is afoot.

The Writing Retreat was one of my most anticipated books of 2023 and I was so happy to start reading it when the air became a bit cooler so the atmosphere was just right. As a fellow writer, I found the tension, stress, and anxiety the five applicants were going through during the writing process to be very accurate and I either cringed or felt pity for any one of them when something didn’t go right. And that’s even before Roza is thrown into the mix! Which leads to a major strength of the book. The character development in this debut novel is exceptionally well done. I felt all the characters were flushed out well and I very much appreciate that Ms. Bartz actually created characters who reacted appropriately when strange things begin to happen. Granted, we still have one or two that thinks nothing is amiss, but we also have others that are very much “Get me the hell out of here” when one of the writers going missing.

The book is a very quick read that can be easily digested in one sitting. For the last 150 pages of the book I read it straight through, something I rarely do either because my schedule doesn’t allow it or because I need to take a break. In this one, I could not break away. Discovering what is really going on and who Roza really is was too tempting to not continue. There is also very good representation in this book so if you are looking for a story with LGBTQ+ themes I would suggest picking this book up.

The reason why The Writing Retreat was not a full five stars for me was because the ending could have been worked on a bit more. The lead-up to the finale was very well done, but the conclusion of Roza’s character felt a bit incomplete to me. I would have liked a different ending for the surviving characters, although I do appreciate the ending Ms. Bartz gave Alex.

Overall, this is a very solid 4.5 stars for me. I’ve seen a lot of mixed reactions to this book and this might very well be because of the ending but I wouldn’t allow that to discourage you from picking this thriller up.

4.5 stars out of 5

It’s 1942 and Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, has been caught in the middle of an affair with Ares, the God of War, by her husband, Hephaestus. He’s prepared to take Aphrodite before all the other gods and condemn her but she requests that he hear her story first, to explain why love and war always go together. Back to the first world war, Aphrodite tells the story of James and Hazel, and Colette and Aubrey. These four individuals, all from vastly different backgrounds, manage to find love during this horrific war. But, can their love withstanding the trials they will face and if so, will their love be enough to keep them together?

Margaret Lennox is recently widowed and in dire need of a job as a governess, not just for financial security but to escape the ghosts of her past. When she is offered a position at the mysterious Hartwood Hall, Margaret accepts with little hesitation. There she becomes the governess to a young boy named Louis, whose mother, Mrs. Eversham, is an enigma to Margaret, often leaving on business and seemingly having a crippling fear about Louis visiting the neighboring town. But while Margaret is able to ignore Mrs. Eversham’s odd behavior, she can not escape the feeling that something is not right with Hartwood Hall. From rumored sightings of ghosts to dark secrets about Mrs. Eversham and Louis being revealed, Margaret realizes that she will need to be careful of her surroundings if she wants to ensure this won’t be her last governess position.

I picked this book up almost on a whim, as it was part of Barnes and Noble’s end of the summer sale. The premise sounded very interesting, seemingly heavily inspired by Jane Eyre. The book certainly does have that vibe and although you can sort of guess where the book is going with it’s ending, it was still very enjoyable and atmospheric. Ms. Lumsden did a great job writing the book, using the language and descriptions that you would expect to find in a dark gothic novel set in the 1800s, or even written during that time period. The characters are all very well developed and there was a good little twist at the end.

While there are strengths to the book, the plot could be described as fairly predictable, especially if you have already read Jane Eyre and similar books. I was able to guess the mystery of Hartwood Hall about halfway through the book and while, like I mentioned before, there was a twist at the end of the book, it wasn’t enough to make the book go from a four to a five staring rate.

Nonetheless, this debut novel by Ms. Lumsden is very well written and a great start to what I am sure will be a very interesting writing career.

4 out of 5 stars

Patricia has seemingly the perfect life; a successful husband, two beautiful children, a cheery dog, and a nice home in Charleston, South Carolina. But she lacks friends so she joins a local book club. They read boring, unaspiring books and Patricia wonders about quitting, until several other women break away and form their own non-book club, where they read true crime books and attempt to solve murders themselves. Fast forward a couple of years and Patricia considers Grace, Slick, Kitty, and Maryellen her best friends, who she can go to with anything.

And she’ll need them more than ever.

After a frightening encounter with her neighbor, a mysterious man named James Harris moves into the neighborhood and disrupts Patricia’s normal life. While initially befriending the stranger, Patricia begins to suspect something is not right when a string of children begin to disappear. As Patricia investigates the disappearances, and questions her own sanity, she’ll turn to her book club friends to solve the case.

They better bring their stacks.

Grady Hendrix is a horror author that has grown in popularity over the last couple of years with his fun, campy horror novels. The Southern Book Club is his most famous book and does encompass many of the traits he is known for; friendship, vivid horror scenes, and humor. he book has a lot of strong qualities to it, particularly the character development. When we meet Patricia, she is a stereotypical Southern belle who puts her husband and children first. Her book club is her escape but when someone poses a threat to her happy existence, Patricia learns to push back her introverted personality and take risks to protect her friends and family. Her fellow book club members also have good character development although the character of Grace could have received a little bit more focus as she is seemingly the only one of the group who doesn’t grow much by the end of the book.

The horror elements of this book are also very good. I’m not a huge horror reader and appreciate that while Mr. Hendrix does have some scary scenes in the book, they weren’t so terrifying that I couldn’t sleep. He knows how to mix horror and comedy well, providing a book that can be read by multiple people and not just by humor fans. The other real strength of this book is Mr. Hendrix’s ability to get the reader to sympathize for Patricia. Halfway through the book, Patricia begins to experience some bad luck and as the reader I wanted to scream at the supporting characters for not having her back or listening to her. It was frustrating to read but a sign that the author has done a good job of making you care for the character.

While there were many good parts of this book, I did find a few areas that could have been improved. From the summary of the book I was under the impression that the story would be told from multiple perspectives, or at the very least we would get more scenes that focused on other members of the book club. In reality, the story really follows Patricia and while we get her insights and thoughts, we rarely see how the other ladies feel or what they are going through. This is a shame because Patricia does say some revelations about the other ladies, particularly Grace, that I think would have been interesting to follow. It felt like a missed opportunity. Additionally, the ending of the book felt rushed. We are building up to the women doing something about the vampire, but when the conclusion occurs, it felt a bit empty and rushed.

Overall this is a fun book that is perfect for the autumn season. It is also a great pick for a book club and one you’ll want to discuss with friends, asking the question, how would you slay a vampire?

4 out of 5 stars

What if man could create life? It’s question that has been asked for centuries but Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was one of the first books in literature to look at the repercussions of doing such a thing.

The story of Frankenstein is well known. Victor Frankenstein decides to create life but when his Creature starts to think on his own, violence and death plague Victor and his loved ones. Victor is determined to get rid of the vile creature, but can he do it before he loses everything he holds dear?

Frankenstein is one of those pieces of literature that has had such an impact on society and has had so many variations of the story told that the true meaning of Ms. Shelley’s work can sometimes get lost. As a result, while I knew the general idea of what the story was, I went into the book not quite sure what to expect.

The book is a quick read, under 300 pages, and though the book bares the trademarks of a classic book, i.e. long paragraphs, very descriptive language that borders on being too long, and very little dialogue, it is an excellent story with a strong message to the reader and to society. What is even more astounding about the book is that the idea for it came to Ms. Shelley one night during a dream and while she must have tightened the story and added to it when she sat down to write it, the fact that she had this idea is just unbelievable.

Though this is an easy story to get through, I do wish we might have had more character development with some of the characters. While Victor and the Creature are flushed out, the supporting characters like Henry and Elizabeth could have used some more intention. However, in my experience with classic novels, that seems to have been the norm unfortunately.

Nonetheless, Frankenstein is a classic for a reason and it’s because its message is as relevant today as it was over two hundred years ago. If you are looking to get into reading classic novels, Ms. Shelley’s timeless novel is an excellent place to get started.

4 out of 5 stars

Naomi, Cassidy, and Olivia are best friends. Despite their differing backgrounds, the three form a strong bond that is challenged when they are eleven years old. While in the woods play a game they created, the Goddess Game, the three are attacked. Cassidy and Olivia escape unharmed but Naomi is stabbed numerous times, barely clinging to life. But they saw the man who attacked Naomi and with their positive identification and the revelation that the man killed several other women, Naomi’s attacker is locked up for there. As far as anyone is concerned the case is closed.

Naomi thought the same. Now grown up and a wedding photographer, Naomi has moved away from her small town but is still haunted by that night in the woods. When she receives a call that the man who attacked her has died in prison, Naomi doesn’t feel relief, especially when Olivia wants her, Cassidy, and Naomi to meet and reveal what really happened that night. As Naomi begins to question what she saw that night, secrets are revealed along with the haunting realization that Naomi’s friends might not be who they appear to be.

This is my first Kate Alice Marshall book and also her first adult book. I can say with confidence that this will not be the last book I pick up from Ms. Marshall. From the start I was hooked, wanting to read one more chapter to find out what happened that fateful night. For the most part, the book was reading like a four star but the ending pushed it to being a five star. The revelation of what happened that fateful night is masterfully put together and the big reveal is jaw dropping while also believable, with Ms. Marshall dropping small little hints throughout the book.

The character development was good but the mood of the book was excellent, creating an environment of tension and suspicion among not just the supporting characters but Naomi herself, who is narrating the story. Is she telling the whole truth? Can she be trusted? Soon the reader finds themself questioning everybody and only stops when the last page is flipped.

There isn’t anything about this story that I would change. I will say that the book does read like a traditional thriller, with some similar plot elements that one might see in other mystery/thrillers so if you are expecting something completely different and unique than perhaps you won’t be a big fan. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it be a quick read and very atmospheric for the fall season.

5 out of 5 stars

In 1971 Ann Rule is struggling. She has separated from her husband, is raising four children almost by herself, and she has a struggling career as a crime writer. Despite her many responsibilities, Ann has decided to volunteer for the night shift at a suicide prevention hotline center. There, Ann befriends a young college student named Ted, Ted Bundy. To Ann, there is nothing amiss about Ted but as young women begin to disappear and Ann works to put the pieces together, she is forced to wonder if her friend Ted might not be all he appears to be.

Often coined as the first definitive biography of serial killer Ted Bundy, The Stranger Beside Me is not necessarily a book I would gravitate towards. Just having a broad idea about serial killers and their heinous crimes is typically enough for me, but I also think it is important to know how these killers got to their victims and what are the warning signs. Bundy in particular is an excellent example of how killers can’t be stereotyped. As Ann shows in her book, Bundy was intelligent, educated, and good-looking, seemingly the exact opposite of what a serial killer should be. He was charming and charismatic, creating a false sense of security for the people around him, including Ann.

I’m not going to focus on Bundy in this review for everything that could be said about him has been said and frankly I picked up this book, after seeing it being recommended by a BookTuber, because of Ann herself. She has one of the most unique stories in true crime, knowing Bundy before, during, and after his killing spree. When Ann first meets Bundy, she is in a vulnerable spot and Bundy proves to be someone she can confine in. They form a strong friendship and one that Ann values. So much so that it will be years before Ann fully realizes the horrible crimes her friend has committed and she recognizes his guilt.

The real strength of this book is Ann herself and the conflicting feelings she expresses throughout Bundy’s crimes. Though we can now look back and see the warning signs that Ann missed, the reader can also understand Ann’s apprehension to immediately condemn her friend. And she wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Very early on many of Bundy’s former work friends, acquaintances, family, and girlfriends came to his defense, insisting an intelligent man like their Ted would never hurt a woman. They would all end up being sadly mistaken.

Throughout the book I found myself asking what I would do if I was in Ann’s shoes. Would I believe it if some of the facts of the murders look like it pointed to one of my friends? I would like to think so, but I also think I would have the same mixed feelings as Ann. Could he be framed? Was it just a coincidence? Could the police be wrong? All these questions Ann found herself asking and while she did do her due diligence of letting the Washington police know she did have a friend named Ted who looked like the man seen with two of the victims, she still didn’t believe he could be responsible. However, by the time Bundy’s trial comes along in Florida, Ann is forced to finally see the truth and realize that the young, kind man she met all those years before had never existed.

The book is heavily detailed and excellently researcher. Ann does not hold back in revealing the horrendous details of the murders but also telling the reader who these victims were; young women with hopes and dreams, just beginning their lives with the world at their feet. It’s heartbreaking, terrifying, and top tier true crime reporting. Though the additional sections Ann added after the book’s original publication in 1980 could have been condensed or left out, this was still a very well done biography about a monster.

If there is anything positive that can come out of this story it is that we now know killers can come in any form; an uneducated loner, a middle-class family man, or an intelligent, or a smooth talking law student.

And trust your dog. They know an evil person before you even catch on.

5 out of 5 stars