Betsy H

If you're familiar with Jane Harper's previous novels, this stand-alone is very similar in style and set up. The story starts with a dead body and leads us to a full cast of characters/suspects. As with The Dry and Forces of Nature, the Australian outback becomes a character itself. The descriptions of the landscape and climate bring an extra layer of bleakness and urgency to the story that keep the pages turning faster and faster.

I really liked Our House by Louise Candlish and think it has great potential for book clubs. I found the characters interesting and the story-line intense. It wasn't the kind of suspense novel I've read before either. You knew from the start what was happening but learning how the characters got to that to that point kept me anxious. I'll be recommending this to people when it comes out.

I was instantly sucked into the lives of Frances and Malcolm Price. They were both such eccentric characters, that even though I couldn't really relate to them, I was still intrigued by their stories. I also thought the book was quite funny. Their reactions to each other and situations just seemed so off-the-wall compared to the reality I know.

I think this could be a good book for discussion groups. To some degree it reminded me of The Nest (eccentric rich folks who drink a lot and have a complicated family dynamic).