Book Review - The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older

 

In Jupiter, a man goes missing on a remote station leaving behind a bunch of unanswered questions. Investigator Mossa is assigned to the case to help find clues to his disappearance. As Mossa investigates his disappearance, she decides to enlist her ex-girlfriend, Pleiti, to help.

I thought the book was an okay read. I normally don't really sci-fi novels as either they spend too much time world building or not enough time world building. I feel like this book had a good amount of world building at times but, I found concepts confusing like the station coordinates and hard to follow. I felt like the story dragged on for a bit and it wasn't very interesting. The characters and their impending romance felt stilted and robotic. Unfortunately, while the book had an interesting premise, it wasn't for me.

Book Review - The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

 

The girls at Camp Nightingale play a game called "Two Truths and a Lie". Vivian, Natalie, and Allison are all veterans at the camp and Emma Davis is a first time camper and the youngest of the group. All the fun and games end when Emma awakes in the middle of the night to see the others sneak out of the cabin under the cloak of darkness. The last time any of the girls were seen was when Emma saw Vivian closing the door behind her and signalling Emma to keep it a secret.

Few years later, Emma is huge on the art scene. Her massive canvases portray the wilderness covering up ghostly shapes in white dresses. One of her painting catches the attention of Francesca Harris-White, who is the wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale.  Franny asks Emma to return to the newly reopened camp as their painting instructor. Emma is hesitant to return but, she sees this as an opportunity to find out more about her friends and seek closure.

When Emma returns to camp again, she feels like she's transported to the past as she is assigned to the same cabin. She notices that the only security camera on the property is pointed directly at her door. She finds cryptic clues that Vivian had left behind about the camp's twisted origins. As she digs into the past, she finds herself confronted by threats in the present. 

I thought the novel was an interesting read but, I felt like it was moving a bit slower than I would have liked. The reader is taken on a drawn out ride and was given small nuggets at a time to keep you reading. The ending was a surprise but, it left me with a few questions and I am questioning how plausible the plot was. However, I would still be interested in reading other books by the author.

Book Review - One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski

 

Maureen Haddaway wants to start over and have a new life. She decides to join the traveling circus and feels that her destiny is calling to her at the wealthy town of Opal Beach. She finds herself lured by the prospect of having new friends, falling in love, and an exciting social scene. Her new life sounds just too good to be true because by the end of the summer, she disappears without a trace.

Years later, Allison Simpson is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to house-sit a home during the off-season. Allison feels this is the perfect chance for her to get her life back in order after a messy divorce. However, she feels herself drawn to a mysterious disappearance of a young woman thirty years prior. She realizes that someone is hiding a dark secret and they are willing to stop at nothing to keep it a secret.

I found the book to be an enjoyable read. I was able to predict some of the twists but, not the last one at the very end. I thought the book moved at a good speed and had enough to keep the reader entertained. I also liked that Allison had common sense because when she didn't feel comfortable with something, she avoided that person or scenario.  However, there were times that I didn't like either of the main characters. Overall, it was a good read and I look forward to reading other books by the author.

Book Review - Rules For Vanishing Rules For Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

Photo Source - Amazon

Once a year, a magical road appears in the middle of the forest. Near the end of the road, the ghost of Lucy Gallow is waiting for new travelers. The game isn't for the faint of heart as losing can cost you everything. 

One year ago, Sara's sister, Becca disappeared. Sara knows that Becca went to find the ghost of Lucy Gallows. However, Becca is trapped on the road and unable to return to back to Briar Glen. Nobody believes that the tale of Lucy is real. However, Sara knows it's real and she is going to prove it.

Sara gathers her friends in the woods to search for Becca when the road appears in front of them. All they have to do is walk down the path. However, they soon learn that the path is filled with mysterious things and many of them are not from this world. They learn that following the path means following its rules and there will fatal consequences for anyone who breaks them. Will Sara be able to pay the toll necessary to find her sister?

The novel was an interesting and engrossing read. I like included "transcripts" of text messages and voicemails. However, I did find portions of the book confusing and the ending left me with a lot of questions. I am hoping that there is a sequel or this is made into a movie because it was a really interesting story!

  **Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**