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Reviews by Labmom55

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A Disappearance in Fiji
by Nilima Rao

Well researched and easy to envision (6/26/2025)

4.5 stars, rounded up

This well crafted, wonderfully researched historical mystery takes the reader to 1914 Fiji. Akal Singh is a young police sergeant who has been banished from Hong Kong to Fiji. He has yet to be received into the good graces of his boss. But a delegation …more

When the Cranes Fly South: A Novel
by Lisa Ridzén

Heartbreaking (6/26/2025)

2025
“At dinner one day, I snapped and asked what the hell the point of life was if I was too old for a dog.” Truly. I hate to think of the day I’m no longer capable of having a dog.
Bo is 89, is still living at home but with the help of caregivers. His wife has Alzheimer’s …more

People Like Us: A Novel
by Jason Mott

Amazing writing (6/26/2025)

It’s been a while since I’ve read anything by Denise Mina, but I’ve liked the ones I’ve read. I’m adding this one to the list. The plot was solid, the characters fully fleshed out. Dr. Claudia O’Sheil is about to blow the lid open on how her forensic evidence falsely …more

The Good Liar: A Novel
by Denise Mina

Well developed characters (6/26/2025)

Daikon: A Novel
by Samuel Hawley

Fabulous alternative historical fiction (6/26/2025)

Daikon combines the best of alternative historical fiction and a thriller. The premise is that in WWII, the Americans had not two but three atomic bombs ready to drop on Japan. But the first plane is shot out of the sky and the bomb doesn’t detonate and is recovered by the …more

The White Crow: Philomena McCarthy #2
by Michael Robotham

Engrossing (6/26/2025)

4.5 stars, rounded up

The White Crow is an engrossing, fast paced second book in the Philomena “Phil” McCarthy series. Phil is a police constable, but she’s also the daughter of a well known criminal boss. Talk about walking a fine line! One night on patrol, she sees a child …more

The Uproar: A Novel
by Karim Dimechkie

Perfect for book clubs (6/26/2025)

I will admit to grabbing an advance copy of The Uproar because of that wonderful cover and understanding it was about trying to temporarily rehome a dog. Not just any dog, Judy is a 150# Bull Mastiff with numerous health concerns. Sharif and his wife Adjoua are expecting …more

King of Ashes: A Novel
by S. A. Cosby

Excellent audio experience (6/21/2025)

S. A. Cosby has done it again. I would award this more than five stars if I could. He excels at writing dark southern thrillers that pit regular folks against the forces of evil. In King of Ashes, Roman returns home to Jefferson Run, VA after his father is in a serious car …more

Broken Country (Reese's Book Club)
by Clare Leslie Hall

Great book club selection (6/21/2025)

Broken Country grabbed me from the first pages and never let me go. It was so intense; such an emotional land mine of a book. It starts when a dog attacks a herd of sheep and is shot dead by one of two farming brothers. Turns out Gabriel, the dog’s owner, has just returned …more

Wild Dark Shore: A Novel
by Charlotte McConaghy

Haunting mystery (6/21/2025)

With Wild Dark Shore, Charlotte McConaghy has once again crafted a haunting mystery based on climate change.

A family of four are the final inhabitants on an island in the Southern Ocean, near to Antarctica. Even they are due to leave, once they finish packing up the seed …more

Too Old for This
by Samantha Downing

Dark humor (6/21/2025)

I love mysteries that have older main characters. And I adore snarky humor. Put the two together with a smart, well thought out plot and you have a five star book. Lottie got away with murder, well multiple murders, when she was younger. At age 75 she was in blissful “ …more

The River Is Waiting: A Novel
by Wally Lamb

Heartbreakingly beautiful (5/1/2025)

The River is Waiting is a heartbreakingly beautiful book. It didn’t take long before my heart was in my throat. And for way too many scenes, it stayed in my throat. It’s not an easy book to read; it’s raw, bleak and dark and doesn’t provide any easy answers.

Corby Ledbetter …more

The Original Daughter: A Novel
by Jemimah Wei

Would work well for a book club (5/1/2025)

The Original Daughter is a debut novel concerning the creation and dissolution of a family in Singapore. Up until she was eight, Genevieve was an only child. But then, seven year old Arin arrives, a half-cousin to Gen, given up by her family in Malaysia. Slowly, Genevieve …more

One Death at a Time
by Abbi Waxman

Snarky more than sappy (5/1/2025)

Lately, it seems it’s the rare book that grabs me from the get go. But One Death at a Time managed to do just that. It was a great combo of unique characters, spot on phrasing and a wild plot. Mason was my kind of main character - lacking impulse control and tact even now …more

Serial Killer Games
by Kate Posey

Great fun (5/1/2025)

I am not a fan of romance novels and with a title like Serial Killer Games, I hadn’t paid attention to the main genre for this book. Luckily, I am a big fan of snarky humor and Serial Killer Games has it in spades. It’s dark and twisted. But it is also heartwarming. I …more

Fagin the Thief: A Novel
by Allison Epstein

Excellent backstory of the characters from Oliver Twist (3/1/2025)

It’s become the hot thing to do, re-imagining classic novels. Allison Epstein has created a backstory for Jacob Fagin, the man who runs the pack of boys in Oliver Twist. Epstein has done a great job of world building. I felt I was in the seedy side of early 19th Century …more

Babylonia: A Novel
by Costanza Casati

Excellent world building (1/23/2025)

With Babylonia, Costanza Casati has once again conjured to life an ancient queen and the empire she ruled, Assyria. She’s taken the bare bones of history and myth and fleshed them out. Semiramis was an orphan living in an outpost of the kingdom, raised by a shepherd. She …more

The Lion Women of Tehran
by Marjan Kamali

Give it time (12/19/2024)

The Lion Women of Tehran was an engaging historical fiction, set in Iran. The story starts in the 1950s, when Ellie’s father dies and she and her mother are forced to relocate from the wealthy suburbs to a much lower class neighborhood. There, she meets Homa and they become …more

Beautiful Ugly: A Novel
by Alice Feeney

Kept me off balance (12/9/2024)

I have a hit or miss relationship with Alice Feeney. I’ve loved some, I’ve hated some. This one was getting so much buzz, I decided to give it a try.
Feeney is a master of creating tension and suspense.

Grady Green’s wife went missing a year ago. Ever since, he’s been …more

King of the Armadillos
by Wendy Chin-Tanner

Slow burn (12/9/2024)

I was really excited to read King of the Armadillos. I loved the premise of Victor, a Chinese teen sent to a leprosarium in Louisiana in the 1950s. The book was well researched and I felt I got a real feel for Carville National Leprosarium. But, it was a very low, slow burn …more

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