buddy reads

Review: Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver

~ megs14malloy

Artificial WisdomArtificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Artificial Wisdom is a near-future SciFi-Thriller set in the year 2050, a decade after millions of people in the Persian Gulf where killed by a unusual heatwave.

One of those killed on that terrible day was Marcus Tully’s wife, who was visiting family prior to giving birth to the couple’s first child. Back home in London, Tully, a well-known and successful investigative journalist, was devastated by her, and their unborn child’s, death.

Even all these years later, he is left with many unanswered questions and doubts. He seems one step closer to answers though after information he receives from a source indicates that the heatwave wasn’t actually a natural occurrence, but how is that possible?

With the world on the cusp of a ground-breaking election where they will elect a global leader for the first time, Tully finds himself swept along and up into all the political drama after someone he is closely-acquainted with is murdered.

Though it started out great, Artificial Wisdom was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It had moments where I was completely locked in; mostly those moments involving the murder mystery. Then other times I felt disconnected and wishing it would hurry up and get somewhere.

I did enjoy Weaver’s writing style, and found it easy to digest, however the plot moved too slowly for me and it was way too long.

With this being said, don’t take this as all doom and gloom. This did have a lot of positive aspects, and I know a lot of Readers are going to love it. The tech concepts and ideas for a potential future alone are worth picking it up for.

I would recommend it for SF-fans who enjoy a more literary type of story, set in a futuristic our world. There’s plenty of content here to sink your teeth into, and I actually think it could make a solid series. There’s definitely more to explore following where the author left off with this one.

At the end of the day, I felt this had great writing and strong SF-concepts, it just wasn’t a super good fit to my tastes.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would definitely be interested in checking out more work from this author.

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Review: For the Record by Emma Lord

~ megs14malloy

For the Record: A NovelFor the Record: A Novel by Emma Lord
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

For the Record is a 2nd-Chance Adult Romance from beloved author, Emma Lord, following a former Pop Princess, Mackenzie Waters, and Punk Rocker, Sam Blaze.

Their bands used to work together on some collaborative endeavors. Part of the schtick was that Mackenzie and Sam were opposites and rivals, but there was no denying the chemistry, both off and on-stage.

Just as things were starting to progress into new territory for them though, both of their bands fell apart and they went their separate ways. Now, 2-years later, both are dealing with fairly heavy real life issues that have kept them out of the music scene.

Mackenzie is dealing with some postoperative changes to her voice, trying to find a path for her new sound, and Sam is working through successfully coparenting his young son.

Needless to say, both of them have a lot on their plate, but when they run into each other in NYC, the old sparks, and also grievances, reignite and with them, opportunity.

A comeback is pitched. A potential joint album, but will they be able to put the past behind them and learn to work together, or will old insecurities and frustrations keep them from rising to the task?

For the most part, I really enjoyed my time with For the Record. I felt both MCs were very well developed and I enjoyed both of them and their personalities equally. I also appreciated that we did get both of their perspectives.

While I could have used a bit more drama, I do always enjoy stories featuring music and musicians, so this definitely worked for me in that regard.

A bit Tay Tay-inspired, mayhaps…

Emma Lord is one of my go-to Contemporary authors, both in the YA and Adult space. I love the way she writes budding relationships, and the banter is always so good.

Mackenzie and Sam were both super likable. Additionally, the issues they were going through made them sympathetic. They were easy to relate to and I did enjoy watching their 2nd-chance play out.

Though not my favorite from this author, and I’m not sure how memorable it will be for me long-term, it was still really cute and I’m glad that I picked it up. I would def recommend it to other Emma Lord fans, and to people who enjoy reading about musicians, or celebrities.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. I’ll read anything Emma Lord writes. I hope she never stops!

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Review: This is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller

~ megs14malloy

This Is My BodyThis Is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is My Body is a dark and emotionally-fueled Horror novel following single-mom, Brigid, and her daughter, Dylan. When we first meet them, Dylan has gotten into an altercation at school, and it quickly becomes clear that her behavior has recently changed.

Brigid has noticed that her once fun-loving daughter has become more moody, secludes herself, and suddenly has a hair-trigger temper. Is it regular teenage rebellion though, or something more?

As the days pass and Dylan’s behavior gets more combative, Brigid can’t help but think about a circumstance that played out within her very Catholic household, featuring her zealot uncle, Father Angus.

Through past and present timelines, we learn of the situation in Brigid’s past that’s similar to the one she’s living now with Dylan. Even though she feels like she has moved on, truly escaped her past, will she be forced to return to the home she left behind in order to save Dylan?

At the start, I’ll admit, Brigid rubbed me the wrong way. I found myself asking, who is the child here? This didn’t keep me from getting sucked in though.

The more I learned about Brigid and her past, the more I started to understand her. She’s on such a journey throughout the story, and for her, the stakes, her daughter’s life, could not be higher. It gives the whole story an air of desperation that kept me flying through.

In fact, I read this entire book in one-sitting, which I haven’t done in quite some time. I found the religious and occult elements both intriguing and so well done.

Brigid also begins to explore a possible relationship with a woman from her past, Zandy, and I loved the inclusion of Zandy in the story. She was such a great side character, who provided the perfect balance to Brigid’s personality.

I would also say the past perspective, where we learn a lot about what went on in Brigid’s childhood, was just as compelling as the current perspective. I loved how the two ended up sort of merging as this raced towards the heart-pounding, stomach-dropping conclusion.

Overall, this was a great Possession story, including fantastic, absolutely toe-curling, Body Horror. Tongues, eyes, all the things, nothing was safe; just how I like it.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Possession stories, or Religious Horror, as well as anyone looking for a Horror story with a Queer representation. This is the first that I’ve read from this author, and I’m looking forward to reading more from them.

Thank you, Quirk Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was such a pleasant surprise!!

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Review: The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols

~ megs14malloy

The Marigold Cottages Murder CollectiveThe Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

With a story as fun and cozy as this cover, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective gave me everything I was hoping for and then some. I did not expect to love this as much as I did, but I was pulled in and held so tightly.

The audiobook is a fabulous way to go with this one, as the dual narration of Meg Price and Jim Meskimen helped fuse humor and heart even more so into the story.

The comp to The Thursday Murder Club in the publisher’s synopsis is definitely apt, but whereas with those books, the main characters are all mostly elderly, this story features more of a range of ages and backgrounds.

I feel like their differences, firstly, make them easier to remember, but also made the dynamics among them so heart-warming, interesting and funny.

I adore the Thursday Murder Club series, don’t get me wrong, but I actually think it took me less time to learn this cast of characters and to fall in love with them. Sophie, Mrs. B, Ocean, and all the others, are just so darn lovable.

The mystery was also super compelling and I loved watching them all bumbling around trying to figure it out. They all wanted to protect one another, often with calamitous results.

It’s got a real wacky found family vibe, and the Southern California setting was also an enjoyable backdrop. Overall, I think this is such a fun and carefree Cozy Mystery that I’m definitely hoping will turn into a much longer series.

Thank you so much to the publishers, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I had a fabulous time with this!!

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Review: Matchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell

~ megs14malloy

Matchmaking for PsychopathsMatchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alexandra works for a small, woman-owned matchmaking company, and her area of specialty is with clients who fall somewhere along the psychopathy scale.

Her clients aren’t the murdery-type of psychopaths, though, that we might all think of. At least she doesn’t think so. They actually tend to be quite successful individuals, who are just as deserving as love as the next person.

But what happens when the matchmaker is barely holding her own love-life together?

Alexandra thought she had found love for herself, but boy, was she wrong. A fact she discovered on her birthday, when her boyfriend, Noah, and best friend, Molly, revealed that they were now an item, leaving Alex out in the cold.

Alex has suddenly lost the two people she was closest too in the world, but as the old adage goes, there are more fish in the sea, both in the romance sea and the friendship sea.

Alex soon has a potential love interest, as well as a potential new best friend, but instead of stabilizing things for her, circumstances continue to spiral after her ex disappears, and she fears he’s been murdered on her behalf.

Much like Coryell’s previous novel, Love Letters to a Serial Killer, this story succeeds in pushing boundaries, and potentially Readers outside their comfort zones.

It’s a fun and edgy blend of Romance, Mystery and Horror, all rolled into one tidy little package. I enjoyed getting to know our MC, Alexandra. She certainly contains multitudes.

As the story unfolds, it’s hard not to try to figure out what is actually going on, but Coryell reveals things in such a way, that I found it close to impossible to guess. Sure, I had various theories throughout, but I was never confident, because there were so many darkly-delicious possibilities.

I found the concept of Alexandra’s job super interesting, and it was fun reading about various situations occurring in her workplace. Additionally, Alex has a fascinating history that definitely added its own level of intrigue to the story.

Overall, this out of the box, genre-blending, Romantic Suspense story, full of murder and mayhem, definitely kept me on my toes. I loved trying to guess what was actually going on. The characters were intriguing, and the plot, just wacky enough to deliver pure entertainment!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to picking up more from Tasha Coryell!!

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Review: Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

~ megs14malloy

Too Old for ThisToo Old for This by Samantha Downing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Lottie Jones has worked hard to gain the quiet life she’s currently living in her retirement, and she’s enjoying it. It wasn’t easy, changing her name, moving to a small town, and putting her past behind her.

All that is threatened to be upended though, the day Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep. Plum is an investigative journalist whose been digging into Lottie’s past, wanting to include her in her podcast; her True Crime podcast.

This just will not do. Even though Plum claims she just wants to clear her name, Lottie knows that’s never going to happen, because the things they say about her are true.

Plum has greatly underestimated whose door she just knocked on…

Too Old for This is like a breath of fresh air in the saturated Thriller market, where it sometimes feels like you’ve read everything before.

Downing did an incredible job of creating Lottie’s character. It’s messed up, you shouldn’t be rooting for her, she’s doing awful things, but somehow, you do. At least, I did, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

We get to follow everything she does after Plum shows up, some of it will make your toes curl, and other things, like bingo nights with her friends, seem so wholesome. I guess it’s true, we all contain multitudes.

This story is a ride, almost guaranteed to surprise you. There are so many twists and turns. Just when you think it can’t get any crazier, it does.

Overall, I had a blast with this. I Buddy Read it with a friend, and we both really enjoyed it, plus it was very fun to discuss. I highly recommend it for Readers who are looking for something unique and who aren’t shy about a little murder.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Downing did not disappoint!!

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Review: Evil Under the Sun (Hercule Poirot #24) by Agatha Christie

~ megs14malloy

Evil Under the SunEvil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another fun Hercule Poirot story. Poirot may go on holiday, but he never takes a rest from solving murder.

This one was super fun to try to solve. There were so many suspects, in a gorgeous isolated-island setting. It was wildly-entertaining with red herrings galore.

I feel like Christie brought her true cleverness to these pages. I thought I had it solved, but she fooled me again, and again, and again. So many clues, so little time…

I’ve never heard much buzz about this one, and upon reading it, I’m actually surprised. Mostly, that it wasn’t made into a film when the other big ones were recently redone. I feel like this could translate so well to the screen.

I know it has been adapted before, but I think it’s time for a reboot. The setting alone, the isolated, tranquil resort island, would be worth the price of admission.

I thought Poirot’s personality showed quite a bit in this one as well, which was fun to see. He was witty and engaging with the other guests, all whilst taking it all in. As he does.

I would definitely recommend this to any Christie fan, if you’ve yet to read it. It’s also a perfect Summer read, as a lot of the scenes are set at the beach, giving it a warm summertime feel.

I’m glad I made time for this one, and am looking forward to my next Agatha Christie read!

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Review: The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

~ megs14malloy

The GhostwriterThe Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Ghostwriter is such a beautifully-tragic Thriller. I loved the way Clark constructed this story. The way the truth was revealed, the stellar character work, and the emotions she was able to elicit in me upon completion; wow.

I quickly became invested in this one and loved how it kept me guessing the entire way through. Even when I thought I had the answer, I was never 100%, and I got so much wrong.

The Ghostwriter is told in two timelines. Presently, our MC, Olivia Dumont, is returning to her hometown to help her estranged father write his memoir.

Olivia makes her living as a ghostwriter, and it seems she is perfect for the project. Her father is an iconic Horror writer, infamous for the family tragedy that took the lives of his two siblings when he was just a teen.

Olivia has always hidden the fact that THE Vincent Taylor is her Dad. It’s complicated.

The past timeline is set in 1975, the year Vincent’s siblings, Poppy and Danny, were brutally murdered in their home. As the case went cold, many suspected that Vincent had something to do with the crime.

Decades later, Vincent has been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a progressive brain disorder that disrupts his behavior and memories. It’s at this point, he decides he needs to tell his side of the story, before he no longer can.

We’re told this story through this beautiful blend of these different points in time; through Vincent telling his version of events, and Olivia putting her Journalism education to the test, digging into the events of the past via outside sources.

This book has a lot of my favorite things in it, so that was working in its favor right off the bat. I love characters returning to their hometown after a long period away, looking into some sort of mystery of their past. Additionally, I love journalism as an occupation for main characters.

They frequently make the most fun investigators to follow.

I was so invested in both timelines and loved trying to figure out the truth of what happened to the Taylor siblings. It was completely gripping and entertaining.

I would absolutely recommend this to any Thriller Reader, particularly if you enjoy those of the darker, or more violent variety. Also, check it out if you enjoy dark family secrets and past-present timelines.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This was my first time reading from Julie Clark, and I cannot wait for more!

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Review: Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

~ megs14malloy

Local Woman MissingLocal Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Local Woman Missing is a completely engrossing Thriller. I cannot believe I’ve let this one sit on my backlist for so long.

I actually hadn’t read the synopsis in years, so went into this audiobook completely blind. It wasn’t what I expected, for some reason I was thinking this was about hikers who all went missing from trails around the same small town.

Spoiler alert: that’s decidedly not what this book is about. I’m not sure where I came up with that alternative plot?

This book is about missing women though, hence the title. The first to go missing was Shelby. Then two weeks later, Meredith and her 6-year old daughter, Delilah, went missing too. Both women from the same community, but they were seemingly unconnected.

Desperate searches lead to nothing conclusive. The initial investigations creating more questions than answers. The cases eventually go cold.

11-years later, Delilah, now a teen, suddenly reappears, in terrible shape, both physically and mentally. She was apparently held captive this entire time, until the day she forged a miraculous escape. But what became of her mother, Meredith? And for that matter, Shelby?

Also, why would anyone hold this girl captive for so long? And under the terrible conditions that she claims? Again, more questions than answers…

This book was gripping from the start, as you follow Delilah making her re-entrance into the community. This story follows various perspectives, including Meredith and Shelby, over both past and present timelines.

The way it is all pieced together is quite masterful, as far as building suspense and keeping the Reader on their toes.

I was most surprised that we got Leo’s perspective. Leo is Delilah’s little brother, and he has had to live with the aftermath of the disappearance of his mother and his sister for all these years.

I thought that was so interesting to include, because Leo was too young to have anything to do with the disappearances, but he had a lot of complex feelings following the return of his sister, that’s for sure.

I felt like that was such a compelling aspect to examine, and I was pleased that Kubica chose to include that more personal side of these events, instead of focusing solely on the crimes.

Overall, this was such a wicked web. The deeper you get into the past perspectives, the more the lightbulbs start going off in your head. You begin to see connections.

Nevertheless, there were still things all the way at the end that were dropping my jaw to the ground. I just felt like this was so entertaining. Some aspects felt a little convenient, but overall, a wickedly-wild ride!!

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Review: The Last Room on the Left by Lean Konen

~ megs14malloy

The Last Room on the LeftThe Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Recently, Kerry’s life has been falling apart. She’s completely lost control. Her marriage, career and friendships are in shambles, but her drinking is stronger than ever.

With a deadline looming, Kerry knows she needs a change if she’s ever going to finish her book. Thus, she ends up accepting the position as an off-season Caretaker at a refurbished motel in a remote area of the Catskills.

Arriving at the motel, wholly-unprepared, I might add, for her assignment, Kerry immediately feels something is off. The motel is supposed to be abandoned, but someone’s stuff is littered throughout her room.

Feeling unsettled, but not quite sure what to do about it, Kerry tries to ignore the red flags blowing all around her. With a blizzard bearing down on the motel as well, she’s essentially trapped at the motel.

Circumstances go from bad to disastrous once Kerry notices a lifeless hand poking out of a snowbank. She thinks she may have found the owner of all those belongings, but who is it, and how did they end up dead and buried?

The Last Room on the Left had its moments. At times, it had me intrigued enough to think that it could turn out to be a 4-star read. By the end though, it just felt lackluster, predictable, and don’t even get me started on Kerry.

Additionally, I wish that it hadn’t been the comp to The Shining that sold this one to me, because it’s absolutely NOTHING like The Shining.

It’s funny, the more I think about this one, the less enthused I feel about it. I wanted so much more of an atmosphere and eerie/claustrophobic vibe, of which I got none.

Additionally, it left me with unanswered questions. Were there plot holes, or does my brain just not want to think about this one anymore?

From the very start I was annoyed by Kerry. Stupid mistake, after stupid mistake, had me feeling like, whatever happens to this woman, she deserves it.

I know that sounds awful. It’s a terrible thought, but you have to understand, I was compelled to feel that way because of the ridiculous stream of choices. Nevertheless, Kerry wasn’t the only character, LUCKILY, and I did end up enjoying the others.

As mentioned above, this did have moments and when I was in it, I was in it. I also felt it entertaining to try to figure out what the heck was actually going on. While certain portions felt quite predictable, others def took me by surprise.

I think perhaps the downfall of this was that I felt it was pitched to me a certain way, so my expectations were high, and focused in a particular direction, and when I didn’t get that, I was disappointed.

I don’t believe the comp phrase, a feminist take on The Shining, is being used anymore, at least I’m not seeing it in the current synopsis, and for that I’m grateful. I wouldn’t want others to go down the same route that I did with this one.

With all this being said, and with apologies for my grumpiness, I do believe I’m a minority opinion on this one, so if it sounds intriguing to you, please do pick it up.

There’s a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book. Sadly, this just wasn’t the best fit for me. In spite of that, I do very much want to thank the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I have enjoyed Leah Konen’s work in the past, and look forward to picking up future releases. This slight disappointment certainly isn’t enough to stop me!

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