Stay Close by Harlan Coben

Exhausting is the best way to describe Coben's latest novel, Stay Close. There are so many characters, settings, twists and turns that reading just tires you out! This is the story of a washed-up photographer, a determined detective, and the secrets and lies that come out of a seedy nightclub. Throw in eighteen missing men, a suburban mom that once danced at the club, two deranged killers nicknamed Barbie and Ken, and finally police corruption, and that's just part of it. Taking place near Atlantic City's boardwalk, the mood is dark and just plain wrong. Fans of novels where you have absolutely no idea what's going on should really get into this!

Karen

Possible read-alike author: Tom Savage

In Search of the Rose Notes by Emily Arsenault

In Search of the Rose Notes begins simply: two sixth-grade friends, Nora & Charlotte, a set of Time-Life books, Mysterious Lands and Peoples, and one very-much admired 16-year-old babysitter, Rose. Just typical stuff until one night, after walking Nora home, Rose disappears. And is never seen again.

Now, jump ahead sixteen years. Nora has moved from her childhood home and is married and happy. Out of the blue, she receives a call from Charlotte, whom she has not spoken to since Rose's disappearance. Charlotte tells her that Rose's remains have been found. Nora reluctantly makes the trip back to Waverly because, after all, she was the last person to see Rose alive...

Shuffling back and forth between past and present, this novel is slow yet powerful and keeps you guessing until the end.

Karen

Possible read-alike author: Laura Lippman

One Amazing Thing by Chitra Divakaruni

The latest book by this award-winning storyteller is a modern-day Canterbury Tales. 

"One Amazing Thing" is the theme of each of the stories told by the characters in this ensemble tale.  The nine pilgrims to India are trapped by an earthquake in a visa office and bare their souls to each other as they await rescue.  Graduate student Uma is the main storyteller, as the stories are channeled through her.  Although the reader may not like all the characters, their stories are compelling, and the reader can't help but ponder what story he would tell in a similiar situation.

If you like this book, you may want to read the following books:

"The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

"The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Dawn

Fall from Grace by Richard North Patterson

Adam Blaine is called home to Martha’s Vineyard when his father, famous author Benjamin Blaine, has died. Benjamin tumbled off a cliff, but no one believes he would have killed himself. When Adam arrives home after being away for a decade, he discovers that his father has written a new will: one that cuts out Adam’s mother and brother. Adam is the executor of the will, which means he must carry out his father’s last wishes, even though it’s the last thing he wants to do. Adam spends the next two weeks trying to figure out if his father was murdered, who did it, and how he can pull off not following through on his father’s will.

I enjoyed this book. It was full of twists and turns., and it keeps you guessing until the very end. Adam Blaine is a very complex character, and his reasons for leaving the Vineyard aren’t apparent until the very end of the book. He isn’t the only complex character in the book. Each and every character has their secrets, which adds to the mystery and intrigue. I’ve been reading Richard North Patterson’s books for a long time, and he doesn’t disappoint with Fall from Grace. After I finished the book, I wanted to start reading it again.

Readlikes for Fall from Grace: The Testament by John Grisham

Carrie

Raylan by Elmore Leonard

Elmore Leonard’s Raylan is a fast paced, violent but often humorous novel about U.S. Deputy Marshal Raylan Givens. The novel has three somewhat separate plots. I was initially disoriented when the first part of the book, Raylan’s pursuit of a group who removes kidneys and then sells them back to their original owners, ended and switched to him guarding a not-well-liked coal company public relations representative. However, I later liked this shift in the story and wondered if Leonard was trying to give the book a day-to-day feel of what a marshal deals with. (Or it could be that he’s such a successful writer that he can get away with this sort of thing.) The book’s third part has Raylan pursuing a group of college girls on a wild bank robbing spree. This part of the novel in particular brings back characters from earlier in the book and at least partially ties things together.

Raylan is also the main character in the FX series Justified. The first episode of that series is based on Leonard’s short story “Fire in the Hole” from the collection When the Women Come Out to Dance:Stories.

John

Into the Darkness by V. C. Andrews

This is a difficult book to talk about, since it is pretty obvious from the start what is really going on. Still, it was done well enough that I wanted to see how it all plays out. Into the Darkness is the story of Amber Taylor, a shy, independent, and beautiful girl that is a bit of an outsider in her small town. The other high school kids just can't quite figure her out, and Amber has no desire to get close to any of them. She is quite content to work in her parent's jewelry store and hang out at home alone reading. That is, until, a new family moves in next door and Brayden Matthews shows up at her door. He is deep and mysterious and obviously a recluse like herself. His reasons are quite different from Amber's as he has some major family issues that keep him from getting close to people. Amber is convinced that she can help him while allowing herself to feel "normal" for once in her life. But, of course, things aren't always as they seem... (especially in a V. C. Andrews novel!)

Karen

Possible read-alikes: any other book by V. C. Andrews

Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music by Judy Collins

My interest in Judy Collins’ autobiography Sweet Judy Blue Eyes came more from wanting to hear her stories of crossing paths with various folk and rock musicians during the sixties than an interest in her own life. (I don’t have anything against Judy Collins. I’m just not very familiar with her music.) The book is certainly full of Collins’ recollections about musicians ranging from immortals such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Janis Joplin to lesser known artists such as Phil Ochs and Dave Van Ronk. Collins even toured with bassist Bill Lee, Spike Lee’s father, for a time. She has great anecdotes about all of these people.

I ended up finding Collins’ own story quite engaging as well. She suffered from alcoholism for over two decades and also had problems with developing long term relationships. Ironically, she went to a therapy group, the Sullivanians, who believed alcohol was good for relieving stress and monogamy was unhealthy. I guess that sums up the sixties. Collins eventually realizes many years later from a different therapist that she is an alcoholic and that it runs in her family. Her father drank for years and Collins’ son Clark struggled with and never fully overcame his substance abuse problems.

Sweet Judy Blue Eyes is a consistently interesting memoir that will entertain both her fans and those not as familiar with her career.

Read-alike: Positively4th Street : The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Farina, andRichard Farina by David Hajdu

John