Category Archives: Pamela Dorman Books

Review: The Second Wife by Rebecca Fleet

Title: The Second Wife by Rebecca Fleet
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Suspense
Length:355 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

She’s part of the family now. For better–and for worse . . .

When Alex met Natalie she changed his life. After the tragic death of his first wife, which left him a single parent to teenage daughter Jade, he was desperate to leave the pain of his past behind.

But his newfound happiness is shattered when the family home is gutted by fire and his loyalties are unexpectedly tested. Jade insists she saw a man in the house on the night of the fire; Natalie denies any knowledge of such an intruder.

One of them must be lying, but Alex is faced with an impossible choice: to believe his wife or his daughter. As Natalie’s story unravels, Alex realizes that his wife has a past he had no idea about, a past that might yet catch up with her.

But this time, the past could be deadly…

Review:

The Second Wife by Rebecca Fleet is a riveting domestic mystery.

Advertising executive Alex Carmichael is stunned to discover his home engulfed in flames upon his return from an evening out. Terrified, he frantically searches the crowd for his fourteen year old daughter Jade. He does not find her but he does see his wife Natalie who assures him she tried to rescue her stepdaughter. Fortunately the firefighters soon locate Jade and she is transported to the hospital. 

Alex’s relief soon turns to fear when Jade tells him she saw a man in the house not long before the fire started. Jade also says she has seen this same person around at various places and times. Natalie claims she did not see anyone, but Alex does not doubt what Jade has told him.  Alex realizes he does not know much about his wife and when he begins looking for information, is he prepared for what he might find?

Despite Natalie answering some of his questions, Alex is a little suspicious that she has told him the complete truth. Unable to let it go, he continues digging into her past.  He manages to piece together some of her history, and he relentlessly continues searching for the truth. Alex is fairly certain he has learned Natalie’s secrets, but does he finally know everything?

Weaving back and forth in time, The Second Wife is an engrossing mystery with a clever plot and interesting characters. Alex might make a few questionable decisions but there is no doubt he loves his daughter. With stunning twists,  Rebecca Fleet brings this spellbinding domestic mystery to an unexpected conclusion. Highly recommend this brilliant mystery to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Mystery, Pamela Dorman Books, Rated B+, Rebecca Fleet, Review, Suspense, The Second Wife

Review: The End of Her by Shari Lapena

Title: The End of Her by Shari Lapena
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 347 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

The new domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and Someone We Know

A long-ago accident–and a vistor from out of the blue. . .

Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin girls. The babies are a handful, but even as Stephanie struggles with the disorientation of sleep deprivation, there’s one thing she’s sure of: she has all she ever wanted.

Then Erica, a woman from Patrick’s past, appears and makes a disturbing accusation. Patrick had always said his first wife’s death was an accident, but now Erica claims it was murder.

Patrick insists he’s innocent, that this is nothing but a blackmail attempt. Still, Erica knows things about Patrick–things that make Stephanie begin to question her husband. Stephanie isn’t sure what, or who, to believe. As Stephanie’s trust in Patrick begins to falter, Patrick stands to lose everything. Is Patrick telling the truth–is Erica the persuasive liar Patrick says she is? Or has Stephanie made a terrible mistake?

How will it end?

Review:

The End of Her by Shari Lapena is an intriguing domestic mystery.

Stephanie Kilgour is the sleep deprived mom of colic stricken twin girls. Her husband, Patrick, helps as much as he can during the evenings with their inconsolable babies. Barely coping, Stephanie is stunned when Patrick informs her of the accusations leveled against him by his deceased first wife’s friend Erica Voss.  Reeling from these before unknown details of his previous life,  Stephanie is even more shocked by the next bit of news he tells her. Despite Patrick’s assertions that Erica is a lying, manipulative woman, Stephanie begins harboring doubts about her husband. As Erica ups the ante with her wild claims, will Stephanie unearth the truth about her husband and his past?

Stephanie stays home to care for the babies and she stumbles through her days in a daze of exhaustion.  Patrick’s confessions add to her stress and she is so wound up she finds it impossible to sleep.  When strange things begin occurring, Stephanie starts blaming herself for making careless mistakes.  Is there a logical reason for these missteps? Or is there a more sinister explanation?

Patrick is already struggling to keep up with his end of the business he co-owns with Niall Foote. He too is exhausted with helping Stephanie deal with their colicky babies.  Patrick is horrified when Erica shows up at his office and he is mystified when she pretends not to know him.  He is wary of her sudden presence and he is even more skeptical of some of her claims.  Patrick is fully aware she could destroy the life he has built but is there any truth to what she saying?

Erica thrives on stirring up trouble and she goes after Patrick with a vengeance.  She sets her plan in motion and delights in sitting back and watching her targets suffer. Erica is a little surprised by some of the reactions to her machinations and she always seems to have another plan waiting in the wings.  But is Erica fully prepared for the culmination of her schemes?

The End of Her is an perplexing domestic mystery. The storyline is interesting but slow-paced and several passages are repetitive. The characters lack development and none of them are particularly likable.  With late in the story, unbelievable plot twists, Shari Lapena brings the mystery to an unpredictable conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Mystery, Pamela Dorman Books, Rated C, Review, Shari Lapena, The End of Her

Review: Seven Lies by Elizabeth Kay

Title: Seven Lies by Elizabeth Kay
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Suspense, Mystery
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

It all started with just one little lie. But we all know that it never ends there. Because, of course, one lie leads to another…

Growing up, Jane and Marnie shared everything. They knew the other’s deep-est secrets. They wouldn’t have had it any other way. But when Marnie falls in love, things begin to change.

Because Jane has a secret: she loathes Marnie’s wealthy, priggish husband. So when Marnie asks if she likes him, Jane tells her first lie. After all, even best friends keep some things to themselves. If she had been honest, then perhaps her best friend’s husband might still be alive today. . .

For, of course, it’s not the last lie. In fact, it’s only the beginning…

Seven Lies is Jane’s confession of the truth–her truth. Compelling, so-phisticated, chilling, it’s a seductive, hypnotic pageturner about the tangled, toxic friendships between women, the dark underbelly of obsession and what we stand to lose in the name of love.

Review:

Seven Lies by Elizabeth Kay is a deliciously clever domestic mystery.

Jane Baxter and Marie Gregory have been best friends for eighteen years. Meeting at age eleven, they were inseparable until they went to different universities.  They remained close throughout uni and became roommates once they began working.  But now Jane feels her friendship with Marnie slipping away as her best friend’s romance with Charles Smith become more serious.  She knows if she is completely honest about how much she despises Charles she will lose Marnie forever. So Jane begins spinning a web of lies as she does whatever it takes to hold onto the friendship that means so much to her.

Jane is the chatty narrator of this disturbing tale of obsessive friendship. She has survived a stunning tragedy but she is unhealthily clinging to her friendship with Marnie. She and Marnie are complete opposites with Jane being morose, miserable in her career and devious. Marnie is light and  happy with a  very successful food blogging career.  With a conversational tone, Jane tries to be honest as she recounts each of the seven lies she told her best friend.

Seven Lies is a mesmerizing mystery  with a unique storyline and unreliable narrator. The characters are well-drawn and a few are deeply flawed with questionable moral compasses. Jane is a conniving woman whose dark side is well hidden beneath her pleasant, biddable exterior. Marnie is a wonderful woman who has no idea what Jane will do to preserve their friendship.  Elizabeth Kay brings this unputdownable domestic mystery to a twist-filled conclusion. A brilliant debut that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend to readers of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Elizabeth Kay, Mystery, Pamela Dorman Books, Rated B+, Review, Seven Lies

Review: Someone We Know by Shari Lapena

Title: Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

The new domestic suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, Shari Lapena

Maybe you don’t know your neighbors as well as you thought you did . . . 

“This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out.”

In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses–and into the owners’ computers as well–learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too.

Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they’re telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets?

In this neighborhood, it’s not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . .

You never really know what people are capable of.

Review:

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena is an ingeniously plotted, suspenseful mystery.

When a murder rocks a quiet neighborhood, the residents are quick to place the blame on the husband of the victim. Because, after all, they are newcomers to town and the beautiful wife is quite the flirt. But as the murder investigation progresses, the secrets of the friends and neighbors are slowly, but surely, revealed. But, do any of these revelations point to the murderer’s identity?

Robert Pierce grows concerned about his wife Amanda when she fails to return home from a girls’ weekend.  He reports her disappearance to the police who do not put much effort into searching for the missing woman. Has Amanda gone missing by her own choice or is there a more nefarious reason for her disappearance?

Olivia Sharpe is happily married with a teenage age son.  But her life is about to become extremely complicated after she inadvertently reads a text on her son Raleigh’s phone. His explanation is shocking but she and her husband Paul quickly contact a lawyer for advice.  However, unbeknownst to Paul or Raleigh, Olivia has made a fateful decision that leads their neighbor to begin some amateur sleuthing of her own.

After a shocking discovery, Detectives Moen and Webb begin their murder investigation by questioning the victim’s husband and their neighbors. Secrets are slowly unearthed and people’s lives are turned upside down as these hidden truths come to light. With each new lead, Moen and Webb question potential suspects in hopes of finding the killer. But will any of the people they question prove to be guilty of anything except poor judgment and questionable morals?

Someone We Know is a brilliantly plotted mystery with imaginative twists and sly turns. Just as Webb and Moen think they have solved the crime, new information casts doubt on their theories. With the suspect pool growing then shrinking as each new lead is investigated,  Shari Lapena cleverly keeps the perpetrator’s identity and motive for the crime under wraps until the novel’s shocking dénouement.  I absolutely loved and highly recommend this clever domestic mystery to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Mystery, Pamela Dorman Books, Rated B+, Review, Shari Lapena, Someone We Know, Suspense

Review: A Good Enough Mother by Bev Thomas

Title: A Good Enough Mother by Bev Thomas
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

A riveting page-turner that lets us inside the secret world of therapist and patient, where boundaries get crossed, and events spiral out of control. . .

Ruth Hartland is a psychotherapist with years of experience. But professional skill is no guard against private grief. The mother of grown twins, she is haunted by the fact that her beautiful, difficult, fragile son Tom, a boy who never “fit in,” disappeared a year and a half earlier. She cannot give up hope of finding him, but feels she is living a kind of half-life, waiting for him to return.

Enter a new patient, Dan–unstable and traumatized–who looks exactly like her missing son. She is determined to help him, but soon, her own complicated feelings, about how she has failed her own boy, cloud her professional judgement. And before long, the unthinkable becomes a shattering reality….

An utterly compelling drama with a timebomb at its core, A Good Enough Mother is a brilliant, beautiful story of mothering, and how to let go of the ones we love when we must.

Review:

A Good Enough Mother by Bev Thomas  is a character driven psychological mystery.

Ruth Hartland is a psychotherapist with an NHS trauma unit. She takes on the tough cases and her newest client, Dan Griffin, is clearly in need of careful handling. She is initially struck by his uncanny resemblance to her missing son, Tom, whose disappearance she has kept from her co-workers. Despite her realization that she is not maintaining a professional distance, Ruth continues treating Dan.  Will she help Dan make peace with his traumatic past? Or is Ruth on a collision course with disaster?

Ruth is a caring, compassionate therapist and she is highly respected by her peers. What no one knows is how difficult her personal life has been since the birth of her twins, Carolyn and Tom. Over the years, she has struggled to help Tom who, unlike his popular and smart sister, has never quite fit in. Ruth’s compulsive need to make things better for her son puts a huge strain on her marriage to David.  Tom’s disappearance right before his eighteenth birthday hangs over Ruth as she tries to settle into her new “normal”.  After meeting Dan, she is overwhelmed with memories of her son’s childhood leading up to his disappearance.  On some level, Ruth realizes she is in over her head with Dan.  Yet she passes up numerous opportunities to be completely honest about their sessions.  Ruth also has stunning lapses in judgment, including not being more vigorous in obtaining her new client’s medical records.

A compelling character study of a therapist and patient in crisis, A Good Enough Mother is a gritty mystery with an clever storyline and interesting characters. Ruth is a frustrating narrator due to her inability to recognize her fallibility with Tom and Dan. Each revelation from Dan results in a corresponding memory about Tom. The deeper Ruth is drawn into her past, the less effective she is as therapist.  Bev Thomas’s slow parceling of information keeps the pages turning until a staggering choice late in the story culminates in tragedy.  I enjoyed and highly recommend this engrossing, suspenseful mystery to readers of the genre.

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Filed under A Good Enough Mother, Bev Thomas, Contemporary, Mystery, Pamela Dorman Books, Rated B, Review

Review: The Dead Ex by Jane Corry

Title: The Dead Ex by Jane Corry
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

One man’s disappearance throws four women’s lives into chaos–who will survive?

Vicki works as an aromatherapist, healing her clients out of her home studio with her special blends of essential oils. She’s just finishing a session when the police arrive on her doorstep–her ex-husband David has gone missing. Vicki insists she last saw him years ago when they divorced, but the police clearly don’t believe her. And her memory’s hardly reliable–what if she did have something to do with it?

Meanwhile, Scarlet and her mother Zelda are down on their luck, and at eight years old, Scarlet’s not old enough to know that the “game” her mother forces her to play is really just a twisted name for dealing drugs. Soon, Zelda is caught, and Scarlet is forced into years of foster care–an experience that will shape the rest of her life . . .

David’s new wife, Tanya, is the one who reported him missing, but what really happened on the night of David’s disappearance? And how can Vicki prove her innocence, when she’s not even sure of it herself? The answer lies in the connection among these four women–and the one person they can’t escape.

Review:

The Dead Ex by Jane Corry is an absolutely spellbinding, suspenseful mystery.

Vicki Goudman is currently living along the coast in Penzance where she is getting her aromatherapy business off the ground. However, her quiet life is completely upended when Detective Inspector Gareth Vine and Sergeant Sarah Brown stop by and begin questioning her about her ex-husband, David.  They have reason to believe Vicki might be involved in his perplexing disappearance two weeks earlier. Vicki, whose epilepsy sometimes leaves holes in her memory, is emphatic as she denies having seen him since their divorce several years earlier.  Will Vicki’s story hold up under police scrutiny?

Now in her mid forties, Vicki’s life took a drastic turn following her marriage and divorce. She was blindsided and devastated by David’s announcement he was in love with his assistant Tanya and wanted a divorce. Despite his callous treatment of her, Vicki still pines for him and she is edging up to stalking him with phone calls and revisiting places where they spent time together. She is very concerned about David’s disappearance and she does herself no favors DI Pine with her evasive answers to his questions. Vicki is also less than forthcoming with her lawyer until her situation turns dire and she has no choice but to reveal the truth about her life before and after she married David.

A secondary story arc follows the poignant plight of eight year old Scarlet Darling and her mother Zelda.  Scarlet’s story begins in 2007 with Zelda manipulating her daughter into participating in very nefarious schemes. After Zelda is arrested, Scarlet is taken into care where her first placement proves to be quite damaging to the vulnerable young girl. Her next set of foster parents are absolutely wonderful but Scarlet’s life-long loyalty to Zelda blinds her to truth about her mother’s true nature.

A third story line introduces Helen Evans into the mix as she worms her way into David Goudman’s orbit in the months preceding his disappearance. She obviously has an agenda as she hooks David then gradually begins reeling him in. But what possible reason could Helen have for inserting herself into his life?  Is she somehow involved in what happened to David?

The Dead Ex is an engrossing mystery with a well-executed storyline. Curiosity about how  these three very divergent story arcs intersect keep the pages turning at a furious clip. Jane Corry does an absolutely brilliant job keeping readers wondering how these seemingly unconnected women are linked with the events playing out in the present. With stunning twists and jaw-dropping turns, this clever mystery comes to an very thrilling conclusion. I highly recommend this suspenseful tale to fans of the genre.

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