Wow—for as much as I didn‘t love the first book in the #FrankieElkinSeries, I sure did love this second one! Impulsively, nomadic citizen finder of missing persons, Frankie joins the search for Tim O‘Day who went into the WY Shoshone National Forest with his groomsmen for a bachelor party weekend & was the only one to not make it out, despite being the most experienced outdoorsman. 5 years later, they‘re hoping the SAR dog Daisy can bring closure.

Gardner‘s long been one of my favorite authors & now that she‘s 4 books deep into the #FrankieElkinSeries, I am excited to binge them! Unfortunately, this is probably my least favorite of her books… Frankie‘s a nomadic alcoholic who for 9 years has traded her addiction to booze for being a citizen detective finding missing persons— specializing in victims of color. Gardner addresses loosely the optics of a white savior complex, but not smoothly.

The Fall Dance is only 2 weeks away & Jessica‘s determined to win as Fall Queen, since it‘s a guarantee that Bruce Patman will be king. Enid‘s boyfriend, Ronnie Edwards, is on the dance committee so Jess can‘t help but share with him a letter she found in Liz‘s bedroom—from Enid‘s ex, George Warren! Enid‘s wild past (as a 13 year old?!) is revealed & Enid blames Liz for blabbing her secrets. For revenge, Liz gets Winston Egbert crowned king!

This #YANovel is set on a Scottish “ghost island” (meaning it‘s not on original maps), & opens with Fraser, his mute brother & newcomer Hayley, being thrust together on a stormy night— that in the morning washes up a dead whale & then a dead body not long after! Though predictable, I enjoyed the magic of the whales enough to overcome some of the mixed messages & unrealistic dialogue & characters. Fun audio performance with a great accent!

Happy Publication Day! I really think Bishop‘s second novel is even better than her first! With multiple perspectives, timelines & a multimedia slant, this makes for a summer thriller that handles big issues, a murder & family drama— as well as the deeper bonds of friendship & family— making it impossible to put down! I loved it! The characters all come to life— as well as the beautiful Cote de Azur setting! A terrific summer read for sure!

My #SweetValleyReRead is getting to the books I‘m the most excited to revisit! My original copy of this book is actually a misprint so this is the first time that I‘ve read pages 90-123 (56-90 are included twice in mine!)! Grounded from driving, Jessica rebels & sneaks out on a date with dropout Rick Andover. She gets caught at the seedy roadhouse bar, Kelly‘s & doesn‘t correct the cop who thinks she‘s Liz! Liz suffers rumors & mopes about Todd.

Chase‘s latest is another solidly entertaining dual timeline/dual perspective story. Siblings Maggie & Kit are especially close—though their small family certainly has more than its share of secrets. In 2019, a phone call from the past has put Maggie in a tailspin, leaving Paris to return to England. Kit, now in antiques, has also been searching through the past & his own fragmented memories of the time when their mother failed to come home.

Jackson‘s adult thriller debut is solidly entertaining with an engaging hook, a tight timeline & a unique angle. At 27, Jet isn‘t as far in life as she expected to be… living back at home with her parents with a catchphrase of doing everything “later”. This arrested development abruptly comes to a change on Halloween when she‘s attacked in their kitchen & given a week to live. So she sets out, with her childhood friend, to solver her own murder!

The end of #SweetValleyJrHigh! The Wakefield family is headed to Utah & the kids are all devastated. Jessica can‘t bear to tell Damon, & when he finds out from overhearing Liz & Blue, he‘s very upset! Their friends decide to throw a going away party but Sal knows he can‘t keep a secret, so he avoids Liz just as their romance is blooming! Both twins feel lonely until the party, where everyone makes up & Ned gives them the good news they‘re staying!

What an impressive debut fantasy novel! Alma‘s deepest connection is with her mother, largely shunned in their town for being born out of wedlock. When her mother falls ill, Alma reaches out for help everywhere even involving the father she never knew. When she is taken as his heir, she finds an even colder welcome. But in the dark magic swirling around them, Alma finds the friend she always dreamt of! Violent, heartbreaking & hopeful, I loved it!

I enjoyed this standalone more than the last couple of Jackson‘s books that I‘ve read! While it shares a disdain for the justice system & a preference for handling things yourself, it has a similar chemistry of partner investigation that I loved about AGGTM. Bel has lived nearly her whole life in the shadow of her mother‘s sudden disappearance but when the family agrees to a documentary, her mother reappears & Bel‘s determined to find the truth!

Liz‘s love life is at front & center! After her dance & first kiss with Blue, she wants to make sure they are officially dating. When Sal spies them kiss by the bus line, his jealousy flares… but it‘s overshadowed by Ned‘s news that he is considering a new job in Salt Lake City! Jessica makes Liz promise to keep it a secret until they know for sure, but the boys in Liz‘s life can tell she‘s upset. When she confides in Sal, it‘s the end for Blue!

I loved Grodstein‘s WE MUST NOT THINK OF OURSELVES—plus I am a sucker for dogs both real & fictional, so this novel about an American woman traveling to Tbilisi, Georgia to help find a lost dog seemed tailor made for my enjoyment! And while o did read it quickly, a late stage coming-of-age novel coupled with a more political focus than I expected took the fun out. Amy‘s actions were frustrating at times though as a travelogue to Georgia, it works!

Happy Publication Day! I‘m a sucker for all twin stories, & this one hooked me in from the start! Told in alternating perspectives, Georgia is in the titular locked ward within a Charlotte hospital, on a mandatory evaluation hold instead of jail for the murder of her sister. Mandy receives a call from Georgia‘s lawyer with the startling news that Georgia is her twin… and maybe her only hope for freedom. In part predictable but fast paced!

It‘s the first formal at #SVJH & while Jessica‘s happily going with Damon, she really wants Elizabeth to go with Blue. But Liz gets waylaid at Jessica‘s locker & Ronald Rheece‘s crush on Liz is apparently reignited. She can‘t come up with a nice way to say no, so she‘s stuck with the nerd. Blue does ask, but it‘s too late… or maybe they can be each other‘s secret dates. Bethel gets angsty about Jameel‘s age again & Sal brings his grandmother!

Jackson‘s first standalone takes place in a fixed setting over one night. Narrator Red, her BFF Maddy, Maddy‘s older brother & his girlfriend, along with 2 other friends are all in a 31‘ RV on their way from PA to AL for spring break. Their first night doesn‘t go as planned when the RV breaks down & they‘re pinned in place by a mysterious armed person demanding they hand over their secrets! The pace is oddly slow & Red‘s spaciness drove me nuts!

I‘m not sure how this #TrueCrime book first came to my attention but it‘s impeccably researched with the author using her personal connections to the case to give a deeper perspective into Polly‘s case. Cross captures the terror of a young girl taken from a sleepover in her home—the mistreatment of the young witnesses as well as the investigation, & eventual legacy Polly has left behind in terms of laws, protocols & procedures. Sad but riveting.

In a recycled from #SweetValleyTwins plot, the #SVJH‘s history class assigns a time capsule assignment. Liz & her friends make a Sweet Valley Monopoly game while Jess & Bethel decide to make a documentary. But they need a camcorder, so Jess reluctantly calls Lila to ask for a favor. Coincidentally, Lila‘s new group of the Double Ees have been ditching her so she enjoys her old friendship dynamic with Jess. Oddly, Mrs. Pervis is replaced by Hester!

Well, unfortunately this last book in the #AGoodGirlsGuideToMurderSeries is one of those that the more I think about it, the less I like it. Sure, it is a pageturner that kept my attention throughout but I really hated seeing Pip‘s character completely devolve from being such a tenacious hero into, a vigilante unwilling to trust any authority figure or adult in her life. To go from upstanding citizen to complete lawbreaker felt out of character.

I‘ve been looking forward to reading this sequel for 5 years! And I couldn‘t put it down— I read it in practically one sitting! Opening up just a few months later, Pip‘s still in her final year of high school (though I‘ve switched from the US to the UK copies so she‘s not in Fairview anymore but Little Kilton!) when Connor‘s brother goes missing after the 6 year tribute for Andie & Sal. Pip doesn‘t want to investigate but can‘t refuse to help!

My #bookclub read this one for July & I was excited to re-read it—& binge read the rest of Jackson‘s books that have been on my TBR! As a reread, this holds up well! I love the multimedia angle here & honestly, hadn‘t remembered all the twists of the plot! Sure, some clues play out with a heavier hand than others but it‘s a fun #YAThriller & it was definitely well-liked by the whole club! Looking forward to the rest & for seeing the TV adaptation!

This novella prequel to #AGoodGirlsGuideToMurder is certainly a fast read! Connor‘s birthday dinner has a 1920s murder mystery theme (which made me nostalgic for my own 16th birthday party which was the same idea!) & as the clues emerge, Pip is certain she has it all solved! It‘s just a game that shows the motivation for Pip‘s capstone subject. Honestly, had I paid $1.99 for this on kindle, I wouldn‘t have been disappointed but $7.99 was too much!

Brian may have a nice guy reputation but he‘s feeling taken advantage of by his family & his girlfriend, Kristin, who casually blows him off twice in a row to hang out with Lacey. So, naturally, he gets a haircut & borrows cooler clothes from his older brother—& his upset inspires his band, Big Noise, to write a song perfect to debut at their first gig—an open mic night at the Manchester Club. Meanwhile, Liz is getting attention from Blue & Sal!

I actually have been looking forward to listening to this one for years! But maybe my hopes were just too high… it sounded like Addamsville, IN would be a creepy story, but I just needed a more grounded setting to find anything remotely scary. These “fire starters” needed more background & frankly, Zora‘s repetitive angst about feeling like the whole town hated her was so overdone that I started siding with the townsfolk! Wish I had DNF‘ed, truly!

Miranda‘s books are always engaging & fast-paced pageturners & this latest, while not my favorite, is no exception. Narrator Beckett dreads dropping her only daughter off at Wyatt college—not only because of an empty nest but also due to her own past with that college. Her senior year, 2 local men died & her roommate disappeared. When an alarming call comes in the middle of the night, Beckett drops everything to investigate, even summoning her ex!

Two events with plenty of build-up happen over the two weeks this installment covers— the student government planned Olympics & the performance of West Side Story. When Bianca, playing Maria, gets strep, Anna moves from playing Anita to Maria— meaning she gets to star with her real-life BF Toby as Tony! But short tempers lose their chemistry— luckily they get it together in time! Meanwhile, Lacey nearly loses it all for her team with her attitude!

I have listened to three of Khaw‘s earlier novels— she writes well & always has an intriguing premise. This latest is no exception, though despite the great performance, the cast size made me wish to have physically read this instead. There‘s plenty of action, but it‘s a bit light on explanations, making it hard to feel truly invested in the characters as they struggle to survive their own magical graduation. #AudioColoring

I‘ve been a fan of Miranda‘s for years & am excited to have two of her books to read this month! Here, Hazel returns to Mirror Lake, NC for her father‘s memorial service & the surprising revelation that she is the sole inheritor of his house, leaving nothing to either of his sons. Uneasy & unsettled by the house itself, Hazel starts poking at the past as a drought brings up its own watery secrets. Engaging & fast-paced, I couldn‘t put this down!

This one is more aptly titled “Pointless” as nothing actually happens! The Wakefield twins may be the center point, but the stories are lame… Elizabeth has writer‘s block & Blue offers to teach her to surf in a week so that she can enter a competition to write about it (Brian‘s plot from the last one) & Jessica tries to have Ronald hack into the computer to change the Olympics team to kick off Lacey…
But Liz doesn‘t learn & Lacey‘s on the team!

This book is a little silly, but I think it‘s one of my favorites of the year so far! It‘s a fantastic debut novel! It opens on Eugenie‘s 30th birthday & when her magical grandmother tells her that any wish she makes will come true, but cannot be reversed, who can blame Genie for not truly believing? The next morning, she wakes up to find her golden retriever is now a man! Enlisting the help of her neighbor (& crush!), Genie sets to righting Rory!

I‘ve really enjoyed this series— though I must admit, the 2020 setting of this third installment probably makes this my least favorite so far (the loaded setting just takes away from the entertainment of murders, hah!). Surrounding the treatment of mustangs in NV, deaths—one particularly grisly—takes place, putting Porter in position to solve them all. As usual, his sister Brinley steals every scene she‘s in & I‘m looking forward to the next book!

Kristen still feels uncertain about the new student government advisor, Ms. McGuire—& she really doesn‘t care for Bethel‘s idea to take the carnival proceeds into an #SVJH Olympics. She‘d rather they take a class trip, but no one else likes her idea. She contemplates quitting, but manages to gain her confidence back. Meanwhile, Blue teaches Brian to surf & learns his surfing compadres aren‘t quite as chill or kind as he‘d thought.Barely any twins!

Michallon‘s sophomore novel is just as compelling as her debut! With dual timelines, Frida & her brother‘s life unfolds with plenty of dark violence. Raised in a Hudson Valley cult until they were 18, years later more notoriety settled on Gabriel in the wake of his wife‘s death. After nearly a decade apart, the pair reunited to discuss participating in an upcoming documentary but while at their UT resort, a woman winds up murdered! Riveting!

What a completely gripping #audiobook! I found myself listening at every opportunity as the tension & menace mounts. With multiple narrators & performers, the high production quality adds to the book‘s strength. While the story revolves around a Hudson Valley serial killer, it‘s really the tale of the women around him. Chillingly tense, this debut makes me excited to dive into Michallon‘s next book! #AudioColoring

Somehow Anna is in the middle of another love triangle! This time with her drama club besties— Larissa & Toby. Toby used to have a crush on Larissa but now he only has eyes for Anna—who realizes she feels the same way. But Larissa keeps asking Anna to intervene to see who Toby “like likes”—so lots of junior high drama here but not much of the twins, unfortunately. Meanwhile, Kristen suffers from a crisis of confidence when her fav teacher leaves.

I‘ve loved the #KateBurkholderSeries for a long time & this latest installment is no exception! Once again, the “quiet” Ohio town of Painters Mill has grisly bodies turning up all over! Three victims all within a few days & with a more firmly police procedural perspective, our favorite chief of police throws herself into the inverse, even endangering herself. A fast-paced & satisfying addition to the series— looking forward to the next murder!

This family drama centering around the Lowe women completely hooked me in from the very start. I didn‘t want to put it down at all—& I honestly, I don‘t care about soccer, but yet I found myself rooting for them. It‘s a compelling story of love & sacrifice spanning decades with multiple perspectives. All of the characters spring to life & while some of the non-soccer aspects seemed lacking in research, I really enjoyed this more than expected!

While I usually love a good Wakefield vs Wakefield book, this one starts with a pretty lame fight… the upstairs is being repainted on Calico Drive, so rather than stay in the den with her twin, Liz asks to spend the week at Anna‘s house. Hurt, Jessica lashes out & the pair make life miserable for all. Their friends scheme to help them make up, and eventually an interview on being a twin does the trick!

I wish that this #ScottishBook had won the vote for last month‘s #bookclub meeting! Set during WWII, Ellis & Maddie are a married couple more intent on fun than the war effort. Their drunken frivolities get them banned from the family & so with flat-footed Hank, they make their way from New England the Loch Ness in the midst of the war! This proves eye-opening for Maddie who finds that Scotland helps her see the truth about herself & her marriage.

Nash certainly commits to the perspective here. Our narrator lives in an assisted living facility & is forgetting many things— names, words & her own past, but she is also certain that all is not right there when her friend and Scrabble opponent is found dead in the parking lot. The narrator‘s struggles with words is consistent but slows the pacing—& I really didn‘t find the humor at all that others seem to have enjoyed… it was sad & frustrating.

The Wakefield twins barely make an appearance here— the main focus is Larissa from the drama club. Used to winging everything, her minimal effort crushes her acting dreams when her GPA isn‘t high enough for her to secure the role of Maria in West Side Story. She finally agrees to let Anna help her. Meanwhile, Sal realizes he needs boy friends but he‘s terrible at basketball & video games. Instead, he, Damon, Blue & Brian form a band—Big Noise!

What a fun debut novel! Had life not intervened, this would‘ve been a #SingleSittingRead for sure! Sophie‘s Sweet Sixteen party in a small TX town is memorable for everyone involved. With multiple narrators-Sophia‘s stepmother, Dani, her mother, Kim & BFF Mikayla & Orlaith, her half-sister‘s nanny—the party & its aftermath makes for a riveting read with fast pacing, plenty of lies, secrets & a sinister dollhouse like home. Lots of drama & tension!

There‘s a lot crammed into this book— missing persons, a potential serial killer, some strange happenings in the Oregon woods… Erin travels to the town her older brother was last seen, desperate for a clue to his fate. It reminded me a little of Mira Grant‘s OVERGROWTH and the TV show THE LAST OF US, but blended into something original with constant action & a fast pace. The audio has uneven transitions though so I wish I had physically read it!

Love is in the air at #SVJH but it‘s not all smooth sailing! Jessica is frustrated that Damon remains a closed off mystery— & starts thinking that he has a crush on the English teacher who has encouraged him to join the committee for a new literary magazine, Our Voices. Her new science lab partner clearly likes Jessica, but she only has eyes for Damon. Meanwhile player Richard Griggs may have met his match in nasty cool girl Lacey Frells!

A missing sister, a seaside cult—complete with its own lioness—& a 1930s setting gave this one a lot of initial promise but it ended up falling a bit flat. May‘s more traditional & passive behavior made her hard to connect with at times. Even the climax felt unsatisfying (& legally questionable) & while the ghostly, supernatural elements added to the historic flair, the predictable romance was disappointing. A great hook but floundered in the end.

In the 31st installment of the wonderful #AndyCarpenterSeries, Rosenfelt takes us all the way back to the beginning! In this prequel, we get to experience Andy‘s meeting Tara (the golden really is ageless— no puppy antics, disappointingly!), as well as Laurie & his first meal at Charlie‘s! Not to mention his first time defending an accused murderer! So much fun that it makes me want to binge re-reading the whole rest of the series! Funny & fun!

The carnival Kristin has been planning for the last three books finally arrives— along with Lacey‘s first period! She winds up being friends with Bethel, who helps her without betraying her secret of Aunt Flo‘s late arrival. And laidback dude Blue starts to act more seriously about school when his drooping grades lands him and his legal guardian brother a surprise visit from a new social worker. He also starts having more of a crush on Liz!

Jewell‘s latest is impossible to put down as the tension mounts! While the plot may not be unpredictable, it‘s nevertheless quite compelling with a villain at its heart that is almost fun to loathe. As more and more truths emerge, and things get darker, the pages really fly by! I couldn‘t tear myself away! Probably better to go in without knowing much at all to maximize your enjoyment! Already can‘t wait to see what she will write next!

Chrissy‘s determined to make her Internet ghost hunting show a success, but it‘s off to a slow start. She‘s certain that their first tip to investigate the IL haunting of the closed Merlin High School could be the break her team needs! In a Homecoming Dance Fire, 67 people died & in their investigation, she finds closer connections than expected. Creepy scenes, but the coincidences are too predictable & I hoped for eerie effects with the audio.

Another Lacey-centric book… this time her fashion photographer mom, Sonia, comes to town. Sonia may not be reliable, but she shares cigarettes with her 13 year old daughter & then offers to take her back to NYC with her… until a better job in Paris comes along. Too bad we almost got rid of her! Meanwhile, Liz finds her #TeamSweetValley volleyball skills & joins—meeting cute surfer Blue, who may be a little too laidback for Liz‘s organized ways!