This months list includes books that are the perfect reads for curling up under the covers with. Whether you’re a traditional book reader, ebook reader or audiobook listener, I have four books you’ll want to add to your TBR pile for the fall season. All of the books except for one are from authors that are new to me including the debut novel novel, Nomad from author Cynthia Johnstone. It Could Have Been Her (Lisa Jewel) and Please Enjoy Your Stay (Tara Goedjen) are in the Crime/Suspense genre that I have an affinity for and finally The Witch (Freida McFadden) is a departure from her usual fare, but one that I know many of my readers will enjoy.
It Could Have Been Her
Lisa Jewell
I was drawn into this one almost immediately. There where parts that got a bit to twisty for me, especially towards the end, but it’s definitely a book you won’t want to put down once you pick it up.
Told from various POVs including Jane, a would be private detective who lives in a crumbling family home in the countryside. She has two ex-husbands, one of which she continues to be on especially good terms with, along with a step-son who she visits whenever she’s in London.
When a case of a missing girl lands on her door-step (in the form of a missing dog, that she is determined to return to it’s owner in London) she finds herself once again standing in front of a house that she hasn’t laid eyes on since her 20s. A house that holds secrets, and one that she narrowly escaped.
As the past an present reveals their clues into the mysteries of the house and the family that lives there, Jane is determined to figure out exactly what happened all those years ago, and how it’s tied both to the missing girl in the present, and a missing girl in the past.
One thing soon becomes apparent… It Could Have Been Her.
Rating: A
The Witch
Freida McFadden
The Witch is the latest novel from prolific author Freida McFadden that just released earlier this month. This one is far different from anything I’ve read from the author, but I have to say it has to be one of my favorites.
Set between the present and the 1692 when neighbor turned against neighbor and women were either burnt at the stake or hung for crimes they never committed, we meet Caroline a newly married young woman whose older husband is one of the founders of their community.
In the present we meet Julia who returns to the family home of Pemberton to help look after her grandmother who is battling dementia. Not long after her arrival Julia begins to experience things that go ‘bump in the night’ which her great aunt Ethel and grandmother attribute to Caroline.
While some might say that the ending was predictable on who did what, I found it satisfying that my suspicions proved correct. There is only one thing that I would change, but you’ll have to give the book a read to see if you agree.
Rating: A+
Nomad
Cynthia Johnstone
Following the death of her brother, Corey drives into the wilderness outside of Sedona, Arizona. At just 18 years old, she buys a remote ranch in the middle of nowhere, no electricity, no phone, just her grief to keep her company.
After 10 years have passed, a mysterious dog wanders onto her property, staying by her side despite her best efforts to send him away. The bead on his neck simply reads Nomad.
When Nomad saves her life for the first time, she takes him into town to the local vet, who just so happens to be the boyfriend she left behind in Phoenix all those years ago.
She’s kept her heart locked away for so many years, will she ever be able to open it again? This beautifully written debut novel is not to be missed.
Rating: A
Please Enjoy Your Stay
Tara Goedjen
This book is perfect for curling up under the covers on a chilly evening. I mostly listened to the audiobook version of this versus the ebook for time sake, but this book will take you on a seriously twisty ride.
The story is told between the POV’s of Mia, the lead character of the story takes a position as a Nanny for the new owner of the castle, and journals of her Aunt Iris a true crime writer who had first come to the hotel in 2015, along with Mia and her cousin Tristan. Their time at the hotel ended in tragedy with Tristan murdered and Mia the only witness.
The new owner of the hotel, Anya has grand plans of reopening it under a new name, Hotel Renew, and she needs a new nanny to look after her precocious 6-year-old daughter Evie in the days leading up to the Gala, which gives Mia the perfect opportunity to search for aunts lost manuscript and diary that were left behind.
This is a book you won’t want to put down, and there is a twist you’ll never see coming!
Rating: A+
