Happily married librarian, Martha Ratliff, stumbles upon a suspicious stain on one of her salesman husband, Alan's, shirts after one of his business trip. This ignites a spark of doubt, leading Martha to investigate Alan's past visits. As she digs deeper, she uncovers a disturbing pattern in the cities he's traveled to - a series of unsolved murders. Consumed by fear and suspicion, Martha wonders if she's married a serial killer. To find the truth, she seeks help from an old friend, and together they delve into a dangerous web of secrets. The third novel in the "Lilly" series builds ever so slightly on the previous novels, but this despite, the odd twist and turn plays out against a very decent pace. The unfold could have been a bit less straightforward, but the final reveal provided some solace for the lack of a whodunnit. Unfortunately, as is often the case, character development to further the series took over much of the novelm. This let mor...
After failed infertility treatments and a fallen-through adoption, Abby and Sam are on the verge of giving up on a child. Abby's young assistant, Monica out of the blue offers to be their surrogate. As the pregnancy progresses, Monica's behavior changes to becoming secretive and controlling, and Abby starts to suspect that Monica is not who she seems. A somewhat predictable psychological thriller filled with well-known tropes. That said, the novel is fast-paced and action packed. 3/5
"Palace of Shadows" is a gothic horror set in the Yorkshire Moors in 1899. The novel focuses on the lives of a number of people involved in the building of the largest manor house ever built and dark reasons for it being built as well as a number of unexplained deaths which occurred during the building process. Celestin, best known for his mafia-styled "City Blues Quartet", masterfully changes pace and adapts to the eerie oppressive writing style, so well known through the works of Arthur Conan Doyle. On a secondary level, the novel is an absolute treasure trove of metaphors and remarks on the era, human nature, religion and so much more. The juxtaposition between the "Palace of Shadows" and William Morris' "Red House" (Palace of Beauty) is something to behold. 5/5
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