Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey (thoughts)

 

Summary from Goodreads:

"Every night, while the street lamps shed the only light on Wisconsin's most crime-ridden city, police transcriber Hazel Greenlee listens as detectives divulge Black Harbor's gruesome secrets. As an aspiring writer, Hazel believes that writing a novel could be her only ticket out of this frozen hellscape. And then her neighbor confesses to hiding the body of an overdose victim in a dumpster.

The suspicious death is linked to Candy Man, a notorious drug dealer. Now Hazel has a first row seat to the investigation and becomes captivated by the lead detective, Nikolai Kole. Intrigued by the prospects of gathering eyewitness intel for her book, Hazel joins Kole in exploring Black Harbor's darkest side. As the investigation unfolds, Hazel will learn just how far she'll go for a good story―even if it means destroying her marriage and luring the killer to her as she plunges deeper into the city she's desperate to claw her way out of."

My Thoughts:

I was so excited when I received an ARC of this book and then I just let it languish on my shelves.  I truly hate when that happens even if it does happen sometimes more often than I would like.  This book just sounded from the description above like my type of book.  And there were certainly elements that made this my type of read, but there were also things that I struggled with.  Where this book shines in my opinion is in its' atmosphere.  This author can write - that's for certain.  She was able to make me feel like I was right there in this small town where it feels like nothing good ever happens.  If you loved the vibes that Gillian Flynn created in Sharp Objects with Camille's hometown, then you will also love those similar feeling dark vibes that are present in this book.  It's that tense, ominous feeling where it almost feels like Black Harbor is alive from the way that it is described.  And I loved that part of it - I am always here for a book with a strong atmosphere (for lack of a better way to describe it).  Also, this book is dark so be sure to check content warnings if you need them.  Hazel is an interesting main character.  She is one of those characters that we as the reader never quite understand her motivations.  All of this I was on board with.  What I wasn't on board with as much was her questionable choices and the lack of explanation/reasoning behind them.  I'm going to keep things spoiler free but I will say that it felt like Hazel was on self destruct mode but we are never given the full reasons why.  It made it very hard to understand or relate to the choices that she was making.  Basically, this is a nice way of saying that she made me frustrated which caused me to set the book down multiple times.  Don't get me wrong, I was also compelled to pick it back up to see where it was all going and how it was going to end.  But I was also so annoyed by Hazel and the decisions that she was making because there was no real context given on the why's behind it all.  I'll leave it at that because to say more would be diving into spoiler territory.  If you've read this one, what did you think of Hazel and the decisions she made throughout this book?  I'm truly curious!

Readers who enjoy atmospheric, dark reads, those readers who are looking for books with similar vibes to Sharp Objects (notice I say vibes, these are two very different books otherwise), and those readers who enjoy a grittier mystery should pick this book up.  There were enough elements to this book that I enjoyed where I would probably rate this book four stars if I actually still did ratings and I do plan on reading more by this author.  Because the vibes in this book were immaculate if you like darker reads.  If you prefer more mystery, then this book might not be for you.

Disclosure:  I received an advanced review copy from the publisher.  Honest thoughts are my own.

This Golden State by Marit Weisenberg (thoughts)

 

Summary from Goodreads:

"The Winslow family lives by five principles:

1. No one can know your real name.
2. Don’t stay in one place too long.
3. If you sense anything is wrong, go immediately to the meeting spot.
4. Keeping our family together is everything.
5. We wish we could tell you who we are, but we can’t. Please—do not ask.

Poppy doesn’t know why her family has been running her whole life, but she does know that there are dire consequences if they’re ever caught. Still, her curiosity grows each year, as does her desire for real friends and the chance to build on something, instead of leaving behind school projects, teams, and crushes at a moment’s notice."

My Thoughts:

Aren't you just intrigued by that premise?  As soon as I read those five principles included in the summary, I knew that this was a book that I wanted to read.  And I jumped at the chance to read this one not even realizing that this book was young adult which I don't usually read.  Books like this could definitely change that though!  I started this one on a Friday night only expecting to read a chapter or two.  Before I knew it though, I was almost 35% in.  This book was such a page turner (well I was swiping pages since I was reading on my e-reader).  From the very beginning, I found myself completely intrigued by the premise.  I kept trying to guess what her parents were running from and why.  It just made for such a compelling read.  I'm going to be honest that the budding romance was an element of the book that I could take or leave.  I don't mean that in a bad way - it just wasn't what kept me reading and pulled me into the story.  I'm also not the intended audience for this book - and I can guarantee that my daughter would be completely behind the romance that was developing.  I'm actually planning on handing my copy of this book off to her because I'm absolutely sure that she would enjoy it.  The one that I loved most about this book was that even with all of the unknowns and questions - the love that Poppy's family had for one another was strong and present throughout the pages of this book.  It was so nice to see the love that they had for one another.  I just really enjoyed this book and definitely plan on reading more by this author in the future.  

Readers who enjoy young adult mysteries, suspenseful and page turning reads, or those who just want a plain good read should pick this book up!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher.  Honest thoughts are my own.

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka (thoughts)

 

Summary from Goodreads:

"Ansel Packer is scheduled to die in twelve hours. He knows what he’s done, and now awaits execution, the same chilling fate he forced on those girls, years ago. But Ansel doesn’t want to die; he wants to be celebrated, understood. He hoped it wouldn’t end like this, not for him.

Through a kaleidoscope of women—a mother, a sister, a homicide detective—we learn the story of Ansel’s life. We meet his mother, Lavender, a seventeen-year-old girl pushed to desperation; Hazel, twin sister to Ansel’s wife, inseparable since birth, forced to watch helplessly as her sister’s relationship threatens to devour them all; and finally, Saffy, the homicide detective hot on his trail, who has devoted herself to bringing bad men to justice but struggles to see her own life clearly. As the clock ticks down, these three women sift through the choices that culminate in tragedy, exploring the rippling fissures that such destruction inevitably leaves in its wake. 

Blending breathtaking suspense with astonishing empathy, Notes on an Execution presents a chilling portrait of womanhood as it simultaneously unravels the familiar narrative of the American serial killer, interrogating our system of justice and our cultural obsession with crime stories, asking readers to consider the false promise of looking for meaning in the psyches of violent men."

My Thoughts:

Wow, what an amazing book to start my reading year off with!  If there is one book that I convince you to pick up this year, I think that I want this one to be it.  I will say that I want readers to go into this one with the right expectations.  I wouldn't call it a thriller (although I have seen it on lists of upcoming mysteries and thrillers) or really even a mystery.  If I had to classify it, I think that I would go more with literary suspense.  I'm not even sure that fits this book perfectly but I do feel that is more accurate than trying to label it as a thriller or mystery.  This is one of those books that isn't meant to be rushed through.  Instead, this is one of those books where you just need to let go and enjoy the ride that the author is taking you on because it is perfection.  The thing that stood out for me with this book was the focus on the characters and especially on the victims.  This book is about Ansel Packer (who has killed multiple women and is now on death row) but it really isn't.  It's instead about his mother, the sister of his wife, and the female detective who arrested him.  And most importantly it is about his victims and the women they might have been.  I loved how the author took the time to consider those women throughout the story and the impact that they might have had.  It was a reminder of everything that was taken from them - the lives they could have led and the different things that they missed out on.  It was both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.  The writing itself was gorgeous at times and deserved to be savored.  There were just sentences that hit me hard and I had to sit with.  It wasn't always an easy read (especially at the end) but it was a really excellent read that will stick with for some time to come.  

Read this book if you enjoy character focused reads or are looking for a book that isn't your average serial killer story.  I really cannot say enough good things about this book - it is super early to say this but I would be really surprised if it didn't make my top reads list for the year.  Now I'm off to add this author's other book to my TBR because again - wow!

Bottom Line - An easy five stars!

Disclosure - I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher.  Honest thoughts are my own.