No Exit by Taylor Adams

 My Rating: 4.9

Darby is driving in a horrific winter storm to see her dying mother. She is lucky to make it into a truck stop, along with four other strangers, to wait out the storm. As she is walking through the parking lot, she sees into a back of a van where there is a young girl trapped in an animal cage!  Who is the girl? Which of the four people in the rest stop drives that van? How can Darby rescue the girl?

Agh, the suspense! This had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. Such a sense of dread was perfect for this spooky time of year. With short chapters and so much suspense, this is another one you shouldn't read if you have to be up early in the morning.

The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels

My Rating: 4.9

Robin has spent most of her life running from her past. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary in her rather unremarkable used bookstore just up the street from the marina in River City, Michigan. But the store is struggling and the past is hot on her heels. 

This book opens with "Now" when Robin wakes up on the day her Father is sentenced to be executed and unfolds from there. It flashes back to "Then" when she is a teenager and she has to move in with her Grandmother and her feisty parrot "The Professor". I thought the writing was beautiful without being ostentatious or distracting. The perfect pitch was hit between feeling for Robin and also wondering what had/was going on. Fabulous read. I also loved this author's last book We Hope For Better Things. Erin - you need to write faster!

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

 My Rating: 4.8

Lakshmi is a soft after Henna Artist in 1950's Jaipur. Not only does she have beautiful intricate unique designs but, she keeps secrets as well as gives advice and potions to help her rich clientele.

This well written story flowed beautifully. I loved all the characters, the story line and the plot twists. I would definitely recommend as well as read more by this author.

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight

 My Rating: 4.8

Lawyer, Lizzie Kitsakis works a lot of hours. Until recently, she was doing her dream job of being an underpaid federal prosecutor but, thanks to her husband, she had to sell her soul to the Corporate law firm of Young & Crane. She is working late at night and gets a call from an old college friend, Zach Grayson, who tells her he is in an inmate at Rikers. Zach is desperate: his wife, Amanda, has been found dead at the in their Brooklyn brownstone and Zach is the primary suspect.

I do NOT recommend this book if you have to but up in the morning. I literally kept reading thinking "one more chapter". It kept me thoroughly engaged. I loved the legal aspects, the character development, the twists and turns and most of all, the not knowing!!!  Don't read too much about it. Just get it....when you can stay up late reading till you are done 😁

Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner

 My Rating: 3.7

Manon Bradshaw is a devoted and respected member of the Cambridgeshire police force, and though she loves her job, what she longs for is a personal life. Single and distant from her family, she wants a husband and children of her own. One night, after yet another disastrous Internet date, she turns on her police radio to help herself fall asleep—and receives an alert that sends her to a puzzling crime scene. 

Edith Hind—a beautiful graduate student at Cambridge University and daughter of the surgeon to the Royal Family—has been missing for nearly twenty-four hours. Her home offers few clues: a smattering of blood in the kitchen, her keys and phone left behind, the front door ajar but showing no signs of forced entry. Manon instantly knows that this case will be big—and that every second is crucial to finding Edith alive. 

The investigation starts with Edith’s loved ones: her attentive boyfriend, her reserved best friend, her patrician parents. As the search widens and press coverage reaches a frenzied pitch, secrets begin to emerge about Edith’s tangled love life and her erratic behavior leading up to her disappearance. With no clear leads, Manon summons every last bit of her skill and intuition to close the case, and what she discovers will have shocking consequences not just for Edith’s family but for Manon herself.

I enjoyed this but, it went in to far too much detail of each character and the story felt bogged down. I didn't care for most of the characters. As much as it dragged on, I felt that the ending had these sudden convenient things thrown in so they could wrap it all up in a bow. The writing was good enough that I read it till the end but the story needed and editor.

Titans by Leila Meicham

 My Rating: 4.6

Texas in the early 1900's. twins Samantha and Neal are born. The mother insists she can only keep one. The father makes the difficult decision and Samantha is whisked away for adoption. The story continues from there of the different paths of Samantha and Neal as well as their parents.

While the good and bad characters were a bit too obviously laid out - to the point where I wasn't sure if the author thought the reader wasn't very bright. I still enjoyed this wholesome read. Meicham captured the quaint period of time, ranching and Texas ranch life very well.