#rachel howzell hall

[nevinslibrary]

Mystery/Thriller Monday

I mean, private island off of Mexico, six strangers, spotty cell phones, a lottt of ocean, I mean, where could it all go wrong for Miriam? One of the blurbs I read said that it was going to be the trip of a lifetime, I mean, yeah… on multiple levels for sure.

Yep. All of the characters (the number just happens to be seven) were brought there under false pretenses, and everyone has secrets. And then the deaths and the twists start happening. And, the book is off and running.

This is not a straight up re-writing of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (which is good, Christie did it so well). But, I definitely thought that the two books shared a figurative genetic ancestor I think. The characters were all so different and unique, and as I said above, the twists were just plain awesome. The book kept me guessing, and, definitely puts the Thrill in Thriller!

You may like this book If you Liked: Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates, Nine Lives by Peter Swanson, or And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall

[elizabethgrofskyramos]

We Lie Here

I am not going to lie…

I loved the characters in this book. The banter was great. I get the whole I hate Palmdale thing. I want to read more of her books.

[brucedinsman]

Book Review: Scorpions by Rachel Howzell Hall

Scorpions (Never Tell Collection, #4) Scorpions by Rachel Howzell HallMy rating: 5 of 5 starsKindleQuirky weird  But you are in my neck of the woods. I grew up in the desert with rattlesnakes, scorpions, mirages, and heat. I enjoyed the story including the greedy grasping nature of human scorpions. Death Valley Ghost Town got me too.  So yeah I did get this one.View all my reviews Amazon A…

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Scorpions

Author: Rachel Howzell Hall

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2024

Genres: fiction, mystery, thriller

Blurb: Frankie is a caregiver facing a meagre and thankless future until her elderly charge dies...but not before revealing his secret. It's buried in Death Valley - enough money to change Frankie's life forever. All she has to do is follow his instructions and stay on the path, and her prayers will be answered. It's everything Frankie could hope for...but nothing like she expects.

[wttnblog]

Fire Brings Confusion in Rachel Howzell Hall's Newest Novel

What Fire Brings by bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall is a twisty thriller set amongst the wildfires of Southern California.  Bailey Meadows has just accepted a job as writer-in-residence at the Topanga Canyon home of bestselling thriller author Jack Beckham. Her role is to support Jack in writing his next big hit. But little does he know she’s not there to write―she’s there to find Sam…

[jjspina]

Books Read and Reviewed for November 2023!

Here it is already the end of another month. Where does the time go? I have been busy as usual reading some wonderful books for the month of November of 2023. Here are the 10 books I read and reviewed for November. I might have read even more if I didn’t have a few WIP. But I always seemed to have a WIP! That fact never stops me! I hope you enjoy reading these reviews. I love sharing my eclectic…

[bargainsleuthbooks]

What Never Happened by Rachel Howzell Hall #AmazonFirstReads #August2023Books #BookReview #mystery #thriller #ThomasandMercer #BrillianceAudio

Another winner from the #AmazonFirstReads program, where #AmazonPrime members can read a new ebook for free. #WhatNeverHappened #RachelHowzell #BookReview #mystery #thriller #thomasandmercer #brillianceaudio #panademicfiction #audiobookreview

Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, twenty years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to her craft—writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number…

[devonellington]

Wed. Oct. 11, 2023: Finding a Work Rhythm

image courtesy of Brigitte Werner via pixabay.com Wednesday, October 11, 2023 Waning Moon Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde Rainy and chilly How’s your week going? We’re at the midpoint. Over on today’s Process Muse, we’re talking about “Solitude.” You can read it here. There are two serial episodes going live today. The first is from ANGEL HUNT: Episode 75: The Cost of…

[maladaptive-ninja-returns]

It’s The Avengers (04x07)

Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)

Season 4 Episode 07: My Ride or Die

Series Summary: Living in the Avengers facility post-apocalypse in a better timeline   Tony Stark has decided to capture every moment by pulling The Office on the Avengers. All of the housemates are pretty used to the idea except for you, who had just come here to finish her degree, and the newest member- Loki.

Warnings: that there is no fluff content...just an ominous sound of some mystery

Word Count: I know it’s a small chapter but I wanted to wish @tarithenurse a happy birthday and thought of putting this up as a birthday gift? I hope you like it Tari. I love you!

MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)

The camera recorded the silence looming in the private jet with all the Avengers present in that small space. One could hear the clinking of ice with the glass that Ned held in his hand with his pinky out. Half of them slept; Pepper and Tony enjoying a cat nap while holding hands, Bucky snoring in his seat at the back, Wanda dozing off on Vision's shoulder, Bruce murmuring something in his sleep while Natasha softly patted his head with what one would dare say was a hint of a soft smile. Scott and Pietro were out cold, never even budging when the jet hit a little ten-second turbulence. Clint slept like a 'dad'. Arms crossed, head bobbing in and out of sleep, popping his eyes open at any foreign sound.

The other half were busy in their own world. Peter and Ned were sipping their ice water with their headphones on, binging the latest episodes of One Piece. Vision watched Cocomelon. Natasha put on a crime documentary. Steve kept looking out of the window and clicking pictures of whichever cloud he fancied. Sam was lost in his copy of They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall.  And you. You were reading something on your phone. The null expression on your face was not giving away anything. Nada. Zilch. Loki sat next to you, finally getting to adjust his legs, sliding down in his seat and letting out a big sigh before closing his eyes. The camera seemed to settle just there, with you and Loki in the frame, as if waiting for something. You would wriggle your nose, take a deep breath in between and adjust yourself in your seat, scratch an itch on your arm or neck, but you never looked up from your phone. The camera panned in a little. Loki's arm, supporting his chin, went limp and fell in his lap. His head kept shifting to his right to fall on your shoulder eventually. Your body jerked just the slightest. You looked away from your phone and into the camera lens with eyes a bit surprised. You did not move even an inch, frozen in that position in your seat, your face looking like it was trying its best not to scream. Or cry.

Half Hour Later- On the Airport A shriek of 'Oh My Fu****g God!' came out of the ladies' washroom and a minute later you walked out from that direction, refreshed. Your legs did seem a little wobbly though.  The camera pans out and zooms in on a very shaken Steve standing in the back with a hint of worry.

The SUVs all had their dashboard cameras recording the avengers getting in. The vehicle you were in had Scott, Loki, Peter and Sam- who was still buried in his book. All three cars left the airport for a scenic view back home. Your face was stuck on the window, smiling at something only you knew.  "Oh-" your eyes caught something outside, "a big wheel!" Everyone turned in the direction you were looking. "Must be a local fair," Ned chimed in, looking at the big wheel and balloons floating in the air. You hummed. "I've never been to one of those." Without wasting a second, Scott leaned forward and switched a button. "Hey, Tony. Y/N says she's never been to a local fair."  A screech of tires came from the front before the cars in front started to turn towards the fairgrounds.  "Everybody go stretch their legs. We'll leave in about an hour or so." Tony had not finished talking when the camera caught Scott running past him. "I call dibs on the bumper car driver seat!!" he yelled, still running straight for the gate. You, Peter, Ned, Bucky, Pietro and Wanda looked at each other for barely a second before dashing in Scott's direction, giggling and screaming. The camera focused back on Tony, who was disappointed but not surprised.  "Oh, come on! That's not fair!!!" the camera could hear Scott yell in the background.  Tony looked straight at the camera while Natasha joined him. "Tony, I don't think they know they have to buy tickets."

Inside the Fair Grounds The grounds were relatively quiet, giving the people present there a sight to remember- the avengers walking about casually, wondering which game to play first.  You squealed, running towards a stall with toy guns kept on the counter and three sections made at the back. One with balloons, the other made of moving animated targets and the last one a pinwheel with a bunch of heroes and villains painted on them. "I want to try this one," you stated excitedly, taking the toy rifle in your palms. "What do I win and how do I win it?" The camera saw Loki and Clint follow you towards the stall, standing behind you as the man at the counter explained you'll win a stuffed animal for making seven shots out of ten. You nodded with sheer thrill before tilting your head a little. "And how do I shoot from this?"  The camera saw Clint breathe in to start with his in-built instruction manual to help teach you a thing or two about guns.  "Aw, let me teach you, babygirl." A voice came from next to you, beating Clint to it. A well-built white boy with a snarky smile showing unsettlingly white teeth took a step towards you and grabbed the rifle from your hands. "Just know that you're learning from the best marksman here," he chuckled and moved closer to you. You looked in confusion towards Clint, mouthing 'best marksman?'. Before he could plant himself behind you, the camera caught Loki grabbing the back of your shirt and pulling you away from the boy and towards himself, letting Clint gladly take your place. "Come," Clint declared with a smile, wrapping his hands around the rifle and never looking away from that boy's stunned face, "I'll be your baby girl."

The Roller Coaster "I'll pay you seven dollars to whoever rides this coaster with me," Ned declared at the entry gate of the ride. Scott high-fived him and walked in with Bucky right behind him. Sam followed, the book still in his hand as he seated himself in between the two.  "I'll take it!" you announced. "Woah!" Peter tried to stop you. "I thought you suffered from nausea whenever you got on one of these." You nodded and smiled. "But I need seven dollars to visit the ghost house and buy a laser pointer." Peter blinked and stared at you with disbelief before looking at the camera. 

Peter: You are the daughter of a Billionaire, Y/N!! *raises his hands in disbelief* The camera pans out to show you standing right behind him. Y/N: *whispers close to Peter's ear* Tell that to my traumatised childhood  *Peter lets out a shrill scream before jumping away from you*

Four Hours Later Your cackle filled the Facility grounds as everyone walked through the concrete path to get to the building. "Yeah, I think Bucky enjoyed the Pendulum the most," Natasha declared. The camera cut to the footage of Bucky screaming in the pendulum, calling out for Steve as the teens sitting next to him looked at him in awkward silence. Everyone burst out laughing. "No-" Clint tried to complete his sentence through chuckles- "but he got nothing on Scott in the haunted house." Another footage plays of Scott jumping into Vision's arms when the Nun from the Conjuring franchise jumps out at him. The ant-man proceeds to cry for a few seconds. "Should we go back, Scott?" Vision asks. "No," Scott wails, "keep walking. I want that candy at the end of this house." The guffaws and giggles echoed through the night sky. Javier's camera noticed you pressing an inevitable smile as you looked at the God walk at the very back of the pack, smiling with the others. "Now, now, Natasha. That does not mean we'll forget you almost burned down the Chilli Station," Loki purred and everyone else howled. Wanda nodded and high-fived Loki for reminding everyone of that incident.  The camera caught your smile again.

You: How was today? *tilt your head* *smirk* Surprising. The footage of Loki falling asleep on your shoulder plays. Thrilling too, I'd say...

The frame cuts to Loki sitting next to you on the roller coaster and letting out curses the moment your ride reached the top of the track. "You okay?" you ask him in a whisper.  He is breathless at this point. "Loki?" You put your hand on his knee, jerking him out of a trance. "Huh? Yeah. I'm fine. It's just that I forgot how much I despise heights and...and falling down." Without giving it much thought, you shook his sweaty hand away from the support in front of him and wrapped your fingers around his. "Hey...I'm here with you. If at any point you feel like it's not going well just teleport your way to the ground. Easy as-" "And leave you in this death machine alone? I'd rather die," the God objected in a single breath, stopping yours for a moment there.  The rest of the ride seemed to go in slow motion as everyone screamed and cried around you, as Loki cursed the Norns and the Midgardians; and you just looked at the face of the entity who made sure to rest a hand at your end of the cart to prevent you from falling off (if that ever were to happen).

And...um...it was beautiful too *you licked your lips*

Javier's camera saw you waste fifty dollars on the rifle game to finally win the biggest plushie on that counter- Ice Bear from Bare Bears- and sneak to the back of the stalls and text someone.  A few seconds later, Loki came to your spot, only to be handed the Ice Bear to him. "Hug him, you'll feel better," you advised, pushing the plush into his arms before running away to join Wanda for a ring toss game. Loki stood there, perplexed.

The frame came back to you sitting in the recording room trying to hold back moisture in your eyes by smiling and cursing a bit. You: *rubbing your face with your hands* I can't hold it in, Javi. I have got too much love bubbling inside me now. *inhale* *lock eyes with the camera* I'm...I'm gonna confess my feelings to him, Javier. A sound comes from behind the camera. The lens captures your expression going from a tender lovestruck fool to a concerned friend. "What's wrong?" you seemed to be looking behind the camera in Javier's direction, tilting your head to get a better look at him. A sniff can be heard now. You are slowly getting up from your seat, brows furrowed with concern. "Javi, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Late Night Snores of tired Avengers could be heard from the dorms to the Lounge. Friday's lounge clock tick sweetly on the wall while one single camera sat on the kitchenette island and recorded Sam sitting on the sofa turning to the last page of the book. His bloodshot eyes bore into the final page, reading the lines over and over again till he seemed to absorb whatever emotions they were meant to tickle in him. Closing the book, he gently kept it on the coffee table and brought his palms to his lips, sitting there like that for the next three minutes before finally letting out a crackled, "Holy f*****g shit!"

[bookclub4m]

Episode 172 - Domestic Thrillers

This episode we’re talking about Domestic Thrillers! We discuss lies, stressful reading, spoiling endings, characters who are not great people, and whether we’d read other books from this genre.

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Things We Read (or tried to…)

The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter

Recipe for a Perfect Housewife by Karma Brown

The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

I’m the Girl by Courtney Summers

Bad Fruit by Ella King

Glasshouse by Charles Stross

At Least You Have Your Health by Madi Sinha

Other Media We Mentioned

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Big Little Lies (TV series) (Wikipedia)

Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

Archie Meets KISS by Alex Segura and Dan Parent

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

All the Rage by Courtney Summers

Sadie by Courtney Summers

The White Coat Diaries by Madi Sinha

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Links, Articles, and Things

Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss (Know Your Meme)

Gaslighting (Wikipedia)

White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) (Wikipedia)

Commuter town (Wikipedia)

Unreliable narrator (Wikipedia)

Abortifacient (Wikipedia)

"that which will cause a miscarriage"

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (CO)

r/AmItheAsshole

Chinese Indonesians (Wikipedia)

Panopticon (Wikipedia)

Portuguese man o' war (Wikipedia)

10 Domestic Thrillers by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

The After Party by A.C. Arthur

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

The Three Mrs. Greys by Shelley Ellis

And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier

The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson

Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

Join us again on Tuesday, April 18th when we’ll be giving our Spring 2023 Media Update!

Then on Tuesday, May 2nd we’ll be discussing the non-fiction genre of Economics!

[thereaderandthechef]

What will you be reading this weekend? 😍🍂📖 Hi friends! Today we’re excited to help reveal the stunning cover of THE LAST ONE by NYT bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall! ♥️ When a young woman awakens naked in a field, she learns that the world is dying – and that she is the only one who can save it from an evil, destructive force… herself. The first print run of The Last One will feature foil on the cover & stunning sprayed edges (swipe to take a look, it’s GORGEOUS! 😍) so make sure you preorder a copy! Out on October 10th, 2023 from Red Tower Books, Entangled Publishing’s New Adult Fantasy imprint. 🍂INTL TOUR PRIZE🍂 To celebrate, one reader will win a $25USD Amazn GiftCard! TO ENTER: - ♥️ & leave a comment: tell us what’s on your weekend tbr!! - Follow us(thereaderandthechef), @rhowzellhall, @redtowerbooks & @mtmctours EXTRA ENTRIES: - Invite friends in different comments! And make sure to visit #TheLastOneMTMC for more beautiful posts! This ends on October 21st. Must be 16+ or have parental permission to enter. Results announced on MTMC Tours' account. Not endorsed/byInstagram. ___ 🔖: #bookstagramming #bookishcommunity #bibliophilelife #bookrecs #bookishpost #booksarelife #booktography https://www.instagram.com/p/CjtU7TRJiBU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jxrm]

book log - 2023

the librarianist by patrick dewitt

same time next year by tessa bailey

did you hear about kitty karr? by crystal smith paul

lore olympus: volume one by rachel smythe

a court if thorns and roses by sarah j. mass

summer sisters by judy blume

the demigod files by rick riordan

mistletoe and mayhem by carly winter

you shouldn’t have come here by jeneva rose

a house with good bones by t. kingfisher

christmas presents by lisa unger

z: a novel of zelda fitzgerald

the storm runner by j.c. cervantes

just another missing person by gillian mcallister

take me home by beth moran

blood sugar by sascha rothchild

a court of mist and fury by sarah j. mass

the christmas orphans club by becca freeman

under her care by lucinda berry

paris: the memoir by paris hilton

our wives under the sea by julie armfield

the celebrants by steven rowley

keep it in the family by john marrs

housemoms by jen lancaster

the woman in me by britney spears

just like home by sarah gailey

trespasses by louise kennedy

silence for the dead by simone st. james

a good family by matt goldman

the fire keeper by j.c. cervantes

dead silence by s.a. barnes

sunshine nails by mai nguyen

lore olympus: volume one by rachel smythe

the mystery guest by nita prose

her little flowers by shannon morgan

woke up like this by amy lea

legendary children by tom fitzgerald

midnight is the darkest hour by ashley winstead

the leftover women by jean kwok

everyone here is lying by shari lapena

mother-daughter murder night by nina simon

you may now kill the bride by r.l. stone

the man i never met by elle cook

hold my girl by charlene carr

legends & lattes by travis baldree

the golden spoon by jessa maxwell

bright young women by jessica kroll

suddenly a murder by lauren munoz

the only one left by riley sager

zero days by ruth ware

good bad girl by alice feeney

the christmas wager by holly cassidy

fortune by elle won steil

theme music by t. marie vandelly

close to home by cara hunter

the true love experiment by christina lauren

penelope in retrograde by brooke abrams

everyone in my family has killed someone by benjamin stevenson

the modern girl’s guide to magic by lindsay hall

i feed her to the beast and the beast is me by jamison shea

hello stranger by katherine center

the unlikely pilgrimage of harold fry by rachel joyce

gone tonight by sarah pekkanen

the library of the dead by t.l. huchu

what never happened by rachel howzell hall

look out for the little guy by scott lang

the christmas mourner by marian mccarthy

every little breath by keri beevis

this might hurt by stephanie wrobel

the last word by taylor adams

a court of wings and ruin by sarah j. mass

forth wing by rebecca yaros

hello beautiful by ann napolitano

summer rental by rektok ross

the house across the lake by riley sager

a cursed covenant by leigh ferguson

her rebel highness by diana ma

stone heart by katee robert

the perfect match by dandy smith

camp zero by michelle min sterling

one by one by frieda mcfadden

the wishing game by meg shaffer

a court of frost and starlight by sarah j. mass

that summer feeling by bridget morissey

to die for by lisa grey

the wrong family by tarryn fisher

heiress apparently by diana ma

the school for good mothers by jessamine chin

tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow by gabrielle zevin

she started it by sian gilbert

best friends forever by shannon hollinger

the housekeepers by alex hay

secluded cabin sleeps six by lisa unger

lore olympus: volume two by rachel smythe

of women and salt by gabriela garcia

kismet by amina akhtar

the devil wears scrubs by frieda mcfadden

girl, forgotten by karin slaughter

come closer by sara gran

the exorcist’s house by nick roberts

august blue by deborah levy

hang the moon by jeannette walls

the thursday murder club by richard osman

a whole new world by liz braswell

run on red by noelle w. ihli

the last thing he told me by laura dave

lore olympus: volume three by rachel smythe

how to sell a haunted house by grady hendrix

the dead romantics by ashley poston

cassandra in reverse by holly smale

i used to be fun by melanie summers

the showrunner by kim moritsugu

runaway groomsman by meghan quinn

i want to die but i want to eat tteokpokki by baek she-hee

the whispers by ashley audrain

e. aster bunnymund and the warrior eggs at the earth’s core! by william joyce

allergies: poems on grieving and loving by maggie bowyer

hermione granger and the philosopher’s stone by sara baines-miller

the summer house by keri beevis

exiles by jane harper

just the nicest couple by mary kubica

the very secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna

have you seen her by catherine mckenzie

the shallows by holly craig

a love letter to whiskey by kandi steiner

hermione granger and the chamber of secrets by sara baines-miller

the coworker by frieda mcfadden

tiny beautiful things by cheryl strayed

you’re not supposed to die tonight by kalynn bayron

the little old lady who broke all the rules by catharina ingelman-sundberg

hermione granger and the prisoner of azkaban by sara baines-miller

the blonde identity by ally carter

nicolas st. north and the battle of the nightmare king by william joyce

women in white coats by olivia campbell

the ex talk by rachel lynn solomon

hermione granger and the goblet of fire by sara baines-miller

the wife before by shanora williams

gone again by minka kent

know my name by chanel miller

in the lives of puppets by t.j. klune

the homewreckers by mary kay andrews

going dark by melissa de la cruz

all the dangerous things by stacy willingham

counterfit by kirsten chen

the rewind by allison winn scotch

have i told you this already? by lauren graham

beyond the wand by tom felton

jana goes wild by farah heron

the perfect son by frieda mcfadden

america’s next reality star by laura heffernan

the new mother by nora murphy

georgie, all along by kate clayborn

the storied life of a.j. fikry by gabrielle zevin

a flicker in the dark by stacy willingham

the villa by rachel hawkins

device free weekend by sean doolittle

what the neighbors saw by melissa adelman

the library of lost and found by phaedra patrick

motherthing by ainslie hogarth

the block party by jamie day

tanqueray by stephanie johnston

the ex hex by erin sterling

rock paper scissors by alice feeney

the kiss curse by erin sterling

it ends with us - colleen hoover

the summer of broken rules by k.l. walther

the wife stalker by liv constantine

in my dreams i hold a knife by ashley winstead

the family remains by lisa jewell

my secret sister by lauren westwood

the engagement by samantha hayes

if we were villains by m.l. rio

the sleepover by keri beevis

twenty years later by charlie donlea

the doctor’s wife by daniel hurst

[readingforsanity]

What Fire Brings | Rachel Howzell Hall | Published 2024

Bailey Meadows has just moved into the remote Topanga Canyon home of thriller author Jack Beckham. As his writer-in-residence, she's supposed to help him once again reach the bestseller list. But she's not there to write a thriller - she's there to find Sam Morris, a community leader dedicated to finding missing people, who has disappeared in the canyon surrounding Beckham's property.

The missing woman was last seen in the drought-stricken forest known for wildfires and mountain lions. Each new day, Bailey learns just how dangerous these canyons are - for the other women who have gone missing here...and for her. Could these missing women be linked to strange events that occurred decades ago at the Beckham estate?

As fire season in the canyon approaches, Bailey must race to unravel the truth from fiction before she becomes the next woman lost in the forest.

Bailey Meadows has been selected for a prestigious writing residency with acclaimed author, Jack Beckham, at his estate in the Topanga Canyon near Los Angeles, California. But, what Jack Beckham doesn't realize is that Bailey Meadows isn't who she says she is.

Along with her friend, former detective Avery Turner, Bailey is traipsing as a new author hoping to get their name out there as an author. But Bailey is actually a private investigator in training, one her last investigation before becoming certified.

Things start off well. She gets to know both Margo and Luann, both employees of the Beckham family. Margo acts as a personal assistant to Jack in a way, and Luann, once previously incarcerated for murder and now working as Jack's personal chef. Bailey also gets to know Jack on a more personal level, eating meals together and hiking through the canyon.

Bailey's endgame here is to look for Sam Morris, a friend of Avery's who has been missing. Ironically, Sam co-founded a company called The Way Home, that worked to find missing persons. Unknown of where Sam was last seen, Bailey and Avery came to the conclusion that she had somehow been on the property of the Beckham estate.

Despite this, Bailey is certain that she is being watched. Both by a security guard that works for the association named Russell Walker, who first helped her locate the difficult to find driveway to the estate, as well as a strange homeless woman in the woods. Both are acting strangely, and Bailey is beginning to fear for her life.

When a brush fire threatens to make its way to the Beckham estate, Jack begins making preparations to evacuate the premises and urges Bailey to gather everything of importance inside of the cottage she has been staying in. But, Bailey begins having memories that aren't hers...or are they?

We learn that Bailey Meadows is actually Simone Morris, AKA Sam, and she has been working toward information on what happened to her and her mother on November 2, 1993. Her mother had been identified as a Jane Doe, having been found in an abandoned home with a bullet wound to the head and neck, having died on her 29th birthday.

Sam's memories come back, and she realizes that Avery is actually the strange and elusive security guard. The reader is led to believe that Avery was a woman, but we learn that this is not the case. Avery, having worked undercover before, reminds Sam that she is going through dissoiciative fugues, where the memories she has as Sam get overcome by her ability to switch identities, therefore she actually becomes Bailey Meadows.

In the end, we learn that Jack Beckham Junior is actually Jack Beckham Senior, long since thought to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Belize. Sam also locates Kadence, who has been missing for many years as well as Jack Junior's wife, Finley, who has been missing since 2015.

While the fire rages around them, the remaining survivors take shelter inside of the bunker until the fire is contained. But, during that time, Sam reverts back to thinking she is Bailey. Avery explains to the investigating officers on the scene that with time, she will become Sam again. But, when the IO goes to question her some more, he realizes that Sam/Bailey is gone without a trace.

This story was very inception-esque, but the writing went purposefully out of her way to make everything incredibly confusing to follow.

[booksbydlwhite]

Bookcast Episode 81: This is 50

Episode 81 of the Book Cast is now distributing to your favorite podcast app! I celebrate my 50th birthday in New Orleans, so I'm sharing the shenanigans I got into all weekend as well as the usual updates from the writing desk and reading chair.

LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S EPISODE (GRAB A TRANSCRIPT HERE)

I talked about the following books on today’s episode:

Everywhere You Look (Never Tell Collection, #1) by Liv Constantine

The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes

Strictly Professional by Christina C. Jones

See How They Run: A Novella by Rachel Howzell Hall

Scorpions (Never Tell Collection, #4) by Rachel Howzell Hall

The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda

The Other Side of the Road by Andrea Bartz

THE PEARL progress: 50K/75K goal!

Support the show with a recurring gift HERE.

Buy books by DL White at https://BooksbyDLWhite.com/books.

Buy Merch by DLWhite HERE. Find the Bookcast on booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast or your fave podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube

[i-am-still-bb]

november & december 2023

11/09 - They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall (2/5) 📘🌈📚

11/17 - The River's Edge by Joy Ellis (4/5) 🎧📘

11/27 - The Loyal Wife by Natalie Barelli (3/5) 🎧📘

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12/07 - Woods of the Raven by Mary Calmes (4/5) 🎧📘🌈

12/11 - One Night in Winter by Simon Sebag Montefiore (4.5/5) 🎧📘

12/20 - The Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg (3/5) 🎧📘

12/20 - The Helsinki Affair by Anna Pitoniak (3/5) 🅱📘

12/31 - Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica (3/5) 🎧📘

[novelswithariana]

🌸 ARIANA'S BOOK REVIEW 🌸

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Women's Fiction

📚 Synopsis: Three estranged sisters reconnect in their Louisiana hometown to face an unresolved past in a heartfelt novel about family, grief, secrets, and forgiveness.

Savannah was four years old when her twin sister, Georgia, went missing from their small Louisiana town, fracturing their family. Twenty-eight years later, Savannah convinces her estranged older sisters, Rayanne and Sue Ellen, to honor the pact they made as children and retrieve the time capsule they buried in their old backyard. But coming home means confronting old ghosts…and their stubborn grandmother, Meemaw.

Sifting through the artifacts, they come across a photograph taken on the day Georgia disappeared and spot a familiar woman lingering in the background. While Sue Ellen and Rayanne want to move on with their lives, Savannah is determined to find the woman—and perhaps a clue to the past.

When old tensions, rivalries, and memories resurface, the sisters must reconsider what they thought they knew about that fateful day, about each other, and about themselves. On their search to uncover what happened to Georgia, each of them will discover what Meemaw has known all along: family is everything.

📝 Review: ‘Call The Canaries Home’ by Laura Barrow is a dual timeline, multiple point of views debut novel about love, redemption and loss. 3 estranged sisters Savannah, Sue-Ellen and Rayanne return to their small Louisiana town to open a time capsule they buried 25 years ago. Savannah still yearns for closure regarding the disappearance of her twin sister Georgia when they were just 4 years old. The other two are reluctant to explore the past and more keen to move forward in their lives.

I related with Rayanne the most even though my favorite character was Meemaw. Meemaw touched my heart with her unwavering love and the scars she carried from the past. The amount of loss Meemaw suffered was heart-breaking. But it also helped form her character as a person who loves too hard. At the heart of this story, I found the exploration of family dynamics, especially the nuances of sisterhood, to be captivating. I loved seeing the grief, heartache, loss and their way of dealing them from different perspectives. Each of the sisters handled the trauma and tragedy from their childhood differently putting a strain on their relationship. Their character development is the real closure of the story. While the initial pace was a bit slow, I found that the story gained momentum as secrets were unveiled and the mystery of Georgia’s disappearance unfolded. However, I would have loved to delve deeper into the details surrounding Georgia’s vanishing act. Despite this, the overall narrative remained engaging, keeping me invested until the very end.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Call The Canaries Home’. This heartfelt tale of love, redemption, and loss resonated with me on so many levels. As I delved into the lives of the three sisters and their journey of opening a time capsule, I couldn’t help but feel deeply connected to their experiences. The author’s skillful writing allowed me to immerse myself in the small town setting and the intricate dynamics of sisterhood. With each turn of the page, I found myself drawn further into their world, captivated by the complexities and vulnerabilities of the characters.

🔍 Rec: If you like small town, heart-warming, bittersweet family fiction with a hint of mystery or stories of growth and acceptance, this book is for you. People who have read ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’ (Delia Owens), ‘The Road Towards Home’ (Corinne Demas) and ‘What Never Happened’ (Rachel Howzell Hall) may like this book.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend ‘Call The Canaries Home’ to anyone who enjoys stories that delve into the complexities of family relationships, wrapped in a captivating mystery. Laura Barrow has crafted a poignant tale that lingers in the heart long after the final page. Thank you Laura Barrow, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this delightful read. All opinions expressed here are purely my own.

🦋 Have you read this book? Tell me your favourite family centric book.