“Grist Mill Road”–Review

It’s the year 1982, set in an Edenic hamlet 90 miles north of New York City. In the nearby woods, three teenage friends—Patrick, Matthew, and Hannah—are bound together by a terrible crime. One is guilty, the other is a victim, and one is a witness, yet claims to not have been a witness. So what really did happen?

Fast forward to 2008, in New York City.  The three friends unexpectedly meet again. Although the crime occurred 26 years ago, the three are still haunted by the past, and it gets worse as more secrets are revealed.

Each chapter alternates from the past to the present, from the point of view of Patrick, Matthew, and Hannah. While some of the stories were interesting, I’m not quite sure how I feel about the entire book. Although I understand why the crime occurred, I just don’t think the whole conflict was really resolved, in the end, especially when it came to Matthew’s story. But I won’t spoil a thing. Either way, I’ll give it three stars because of the suspense. As always, though, I don’t discourage anyone from reading a book I didn’t really enjoy, so check it out and feel free to post your comments.

Happy reading!

Grist Mill Road will be on sale on January 9, 2018.

*I received this copy from Picador, in exchange for an honest review.

About the author: Christopher J. Yates was born and raised in Kent and studied law at Oxford University before working as a puzzle editor in London. His first novel, Black Chalk, was named a Must-Read by The Boston Globe and New York Post and named a Best Book of the Year by National Public Radio. Grist Mill Road is his second novel. He lives in New York with his wife and dog.

“The Wife Between Us”–Review

When you read this book, you will make assumptions.

You will assume you are reading about a jealous wife.

You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement—a woman who is about to enter a new marriage with the man she loves.

You will assume you know the anatomy of the relationships.

Assume nothing.

When Vanessa was married to Richard, everything was perfect. Richard was charming, handsome, a good provider, and a caring husband. Then, one day, it was over. Wallowing in her own misery, Vanessa learns that her ex-husband is soon marrying a younger, attractive, flawless woman. While Vanessa constantly thinks back to the pros and cons of her marriage, she swears she won’t rest until she can put a stop to the wedding.

When I’d read the beginning of this book, I thought, “Oh, my god, what a psycho.” However, each chapter seems to tell three sides to the story, leaving me wondering where it all was going. Who was the bad guy here? Most chapters had me saying, “What the…?” It was great suspense, don’t get me wrong. In the end, though, I think some parts were unnecessary. When I read the ending, I thought, “I don’t get it,” so I had to flip a few chapters back, and then I said, “Ah, I get it now.” I just don’t think it really hooked me like the first half did.

Although I didn’t really love the book, I’ll still give it three stars because I enjoyed the suspense. The Wife Between Us will be available on January 9, 2018. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

*I received this copy from St. Martin’s Press, in exchange for an honest review.

About the authors: Sarah Pekkanen is the internationally and USA Today bestselling author of seven previous novels. A former investigative journalist and feature writer, she had published work in The Washington Post, USA Today, and many others. She is a mother of three sons and lives just outside Washington, D.C.

Greer Hendricks spent over two decades as an editor. Prior to her tenure in book publishing, she worked at Allure magazine and earned her master’s in journalism from Columbia University. Her writing has been published in The New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly. Greer lives in Manhattan with her husband, two children, and one very needy dog, Rocky. The Wife Between Us is her first novel.