The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford

ISBN-13: 9780062362858
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 17 March 2015
Format: Paperback, 320 pgs
Source: Publisher

Dana Catrell and Celia Steinhauser are friends and neighbours. They'd share recipes, gossips and any other stuff that women like to talk about, but not secrets. Not until Dana learned of her friend's death and the truth began to hit on her. Is Dana's husband, Peter, being unfaithful and goes after his secretary? Why is Celia's number listed on Peter's cell, and the message she left him was vague yet suspicious? Are they both doing things behind her back? 

Before you could speculate if there's anything going on between Peter and Celia; Dana, as we know from the beginning of the story, is a little mentally unstable. However, that doesn't make her a mad person, just that sometimes she couldn't remember things and she finds there are troubling holes in her memory. And of course she couldn't recall what had happened on the afternoon of Celia's death. Did she kill Celia in a drunken, manic rage? After all, both of them had had some drinks in that afternoon, and that was the moment when Celia had told her that Peter was being unfaithful. 

Detective Jack Moss is assigned to this case. Jack himself encounters some marital woes as his current wife walks out on him. He has a son, Kyle, from his first marriage and they are somewhat estranged, given the circumstances. Kyle isn't what anyone would call a good kid but he does has his own set of problems - mixing with the wrong crowd and so on. 

As Jack runs through his list of suspects, he also fears that his son, Kyle, might be involved in the case. After all, Celia is his teacher. Suddenly, everyone becomes a suspect and he doesn't know what to think and where to begin with. Then, there's Lenora White, the assistant prosecutor, who he thinks is attractive and wants him to close this case as soon as possible. 

The Pocket Wife has all the elements of an intense psychological thriller. And if you are a fan of unreliable narrators, this is another book for you to devour because the characters here all seemed to have their issues. And of course, there's Dana that makes you question over her sanity (or insanity) throughout the story. While overall this was a good read in my opinion, I felt disappointed that the ending was a little anti-climatic (I was still thinking about it while writing this and thought perhaps there is another better ending?). Nevertheless, it was neatly wrapped up and it had kept me engaged throughout my reading journey. This is Susan Crawford's first novel and I'm definitely looking forward to her future releases. 

The Man from Berlin by Luke McCallin

ISBN-13: 9780594638278
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Publication Date: 2 July 2013
Format: Paperback, 448 pgs
Source: Library

Set in war-torn Yugoslavia, military intelligence officer Captain Gregor Reinhardt is called upon to investigate a case involving a death of a beautiful young woman and a German officer. They have been brutally murdered and Major Freilinger, Captain Reinhardt's superior, thinks he's the best person to assist the Sarajevo police, Inspector Andro Padelin. After all, Reinhardt has nearly twenty years as a detective in the Berlin Kriminalpolizei. Homicide and organised crime is nothing new to him. Then again, Reinhardt is also haunted by his wartime actions and the mistakes he's made off the battlefield. 

Back to the case, the Croat wants to find the killer of Marija Vukić, the dead woman who used to be a filmmaker and a journalist. Lieutenant Hendel, the other dead intelligence officer, is the reason why Major Freilinger is adamant to get one of his own men to look into this case. What are the chances that the two deaths are connected and why? As Reinhardt goes around asking questions, he found out that not many people he enquired is interested in Hendel's death but more interested in Marija and her social life with many senior officers. It seems she had the likes of them and her behaviours might have sparked some anger from officers who are younger and junior. But is jealousy and hatred really the reasons? And why Reinhardt has the impression that the Croatian and even Padelin have something to hide? Even Major Freilinger has seemed to warn him not to inquire much further with the senior officers, or the Waffen SS without an evidence. Something's real fishy but what? 

The Man from Berlin is the first of a series introducing Captain Gregor Reinhardt. Set amidst the chaos of WWII, the book is filled with history, military politics and of course, the mystery. Reinhardt is an interesting character; and despite the war scars he's carrying he remains his composure and carry out his duties diligently. It must be these traits that also leads his life into danger and jeopardy, as he wades his way through the political and military minefields. It is also inevitable that personal agendas are involved, given his rank and his past moments during the war. While I wasn't very much interested in ranks and war political, I find these didn't really bother me as I raced through the story due to Reinhardt's determination and efficiency in carrying out his job. I rooted for him and hoped he would crack the case. And what did I think of this book? I thought it was an amazing first novel featuring Captain Gregor Reinhardt. If you are into history, politics and mystery, then this book is for you. 

Under a Silent Moon by Elizabeth Haynes

ISBN-13: 9780062276049
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 24 February 2015
Format: Paperback, 400 pgs
Source: Purchased

Elizabeth Haynes' Into the Darkest Corner has left me a deep impression. Pumped with full intensity and a suspense that leaves you waiting at the edge of your seat, it is one of my top reads in 2013. When I heard she has a new series out I knew I have to read them. 

Under a Silent Moon, the first book of her Briarstone series follows DCI Louisa Smith's first investigation case. Truth be told, Lou isn't anxious to prove her efficiency a month after her promotion so she is hoping it'd be a straightforward case. She didn't get what she wished. The victim, Polly Leuchars, was brutally assaulted in her home, Yonder Cottage. She worked as a groom at Hermitage Farm and Yonder Cottage is part of her employer's estate. 

On the other end, the police also responded to a suicide case at the same time. Barbara Fletcher-Norman's car is found at the bottom of a local quarry near where Hermitage Farm is. At first glance, it seems too much of a coincidence but as Lou and her team gather the evidence they realised that the two cases might be linked. 

Author Elizabeth Haynes has once again written an intense suspense that had me hooked from the beginning till the end. As this book is more of a police procedural, readers are offered more than a glimpse of how the story unfolds as Ms. Haynes included case documents such as police dispatch logs, witness statements, intelligence reports etc to make it look more like an authentic murder investigation. Ms. Haynes knew all the works as she worked as a police Intelligence analyst for many years. 

I find her characters in this book engaging; and I enjoyed reading the exchanges between Lou and Jason Mercer, the analyst. The rest of the team consisted of some interesting characters too; like DI Andy Hamilton who seems to be a natural charmer with women and DS Sam Hollands for a strong female character aside from Lou. I know I'd be reading more of them in this series and I look forward to learning more of them. Suspense wise, I was actually glad I was correct to pinpoint the killer after reading a while but that didn't take away the fun of reading this mystery till the end, as I find the police procedural all so interesting and intriguing. Behind Closed Doors is the next book of this series and needless to say, I'm looking forward to reading it. 

The Daughter by Jane Shemilt

ISBN-13: 9780062320476
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 3 March 2015
Format: Paperback, 352 pgs
Source: Publisher

"How well do you really know your family?"

This caption on the cover is what drawn me to this book from the start. A story of suspense and loss, The Daughter isn't an easy read to begin  with, especially for the parents. How would you react should your child is missing? And how would you feel should you think your child is keeping secrets from you? 

Jenny Malcolm is a family doctor and has three teenage children. Her husband is a successful neurosurgeon and to anyone it seems her life is ideal and complete. Unfortunately, that perfect image is shattered after the missing of their fifteen-year-old youngest child, Naomi. Naomi had told Jenny that she would be going out for a late meal with her friends after their school play but she never returns home. 

Told from Jenny's POV, readers follow her frightening journey of missing and searching for Naomi through flashbacks and a year after that fateful night. Her flashbacks tell us more about her profession as a doctor; her relationship with her family members, and how she felt Naomi's change before of her disappearance. Apparently she didn't understand much about Naomi; and she would wave it off as being adolescence whenever Naomi keeps an emotional distance from her. 

Naomi's good friend, Nikita, claims Naomi was seen with an older guy at their school play but she isn't sure of his identity as she only caught a glimpse of him at the back stage once. There are some scribblings on Naomi's diary but Jenny couldn't decipher them, as she had used alphabetical codes as an identification of the persons she was referring to. Perhaps Naomi has a secret boyfriend? Or is it a vengeful plan by an ex-patient's family? After all, Jenny had failed to diagnose their daughter's illness in a timely manner due to her misconceptions. Or there is something more than meets the eye? Endless possibilities and doubts make her question about herself being a mother. 

Reading The Daughter has allowed me to ponder about many topics; such as the role of a busy working mother, letting go of the children (how to balance and how much is too much?), and of course the biggest issue - How well do you know your family? Do you really know what they want? Jenny's thoughts and her emotional self have inevitably made me think about things. I think these issues have taken much of my attention here in this story, though the mystery itself is intriguing, too. As for the ending... I suppose it has to depend on the reader how he or she interprets it. 

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey

ISBN-13: 9780241968185
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication Date: 1 January 2015
Format: Paperback, 304 pgs
Source: Purchased

So we have read enough of unreliable narrators of the mystery/thriller genre; but an unreliable narrator who's elderly and has dementia? I don't think so. At least not with this reader. 

Elizabeth is Missing centers around an elderly woman named Maud Horsham and her dementia problem; and an unsolved seventy-year-old mystery which everyone has forgotten about except Maud. For one thing, Maud is adamant that her friend, Elizabeth, is missing. How could she when at times she couldn't even remember if she has drank her tea or even recognise her daughter, Helen? But, she does takes down notes to remind her things; what she should do and/or doesn't, and things she has discovered, etc etc. Surely these notes help, unless she got them mixed up. 

What truly makes this literary mystery stands out is the narrator, Maud; who's a real unreliable narrator in her own rights. Unlike other unreliable narrators, Maud doesn't have a motive or an agenda and ironically that makes her tale more believing in a way, if you get what I mean. 

Despite Maud's condition, I find her voice witty at times and even intelligent in some ways. I found her exchanges between Helen as well as her carer, Carla, entertaining although I could understand their frustrations for repeating themselves over and over. That said, within a few pages in I found myself warming up to her, and never mind that she is repeating things over and over. Yes, Maud has that effect on me and it was refreshing given that I'd been reading too many sad or vengeful narrators lately. 

While this is not the kind of mystery that would blow you off in a huge way like a typical police procedural or a thriller will, Maud's tale and her determination would rub off on you the more you flipped through those pages. Aside from the mystery of Elizabeth's disappearance, Maud also recalls bits of her childhood memories (set in the 1940s; post WWII London) when her elder sister, Sukey, had gone missing. These memories intersect with Elizabeth's disappearance and I found the (writing) style to be very well done. This is one great literary fiction about loss as well as an interesting case study of the minds of the dementia patients. 

I was both amazed and impressed that this fascinating story is the author's debut. She is definitely one author to watch for and I will be sure to look out for her future releases. 

Dark Rooms by Lili Anolik

ISBN-13: 9780062345868
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 3 March 2015
Format: Paperback, 336 pgs
Source: Publisher

Prestigious boarding school always give one an impression of wealth and glamour; and sometimes what lies behind the glamour is deceit and secrets. Well, at least in fiction it is. And this is where the main setting is in Dark Rooms, whereby two sisters Grace and Nica Baker attend the Chandler Academy in Hartford, Connecticut. Their parents are teaching there, too. 

Grace and Nica aren't that close, but they aren't distant either. They are only a year apart as of their age. Grace is the quiet girl who is often seen as Nica's shadow, which is weird given she is the eldest. Nica, on the other hand is the opposite of Grace. She is daring, blunt and is known to others to be on the wild side. The night she died she is only sixteen. 

However, the crime is solved quickly the way the bullet hit her gut. They had sum it all up about an unrequited love and that a lonely schoolmate called Manny with a suicide note confession is the guy who had killed her. Nica had a boyfriend called Jamie and they had broken on and off; and then there is this mystery guy whom Nica was seeing secretly before her death. Or is there something more behind? What had happened in Chandler? With these doubts in mind and her own agenda in searching the truth, Grace becomes an investigator in her own rights. 

I have to admit I didn't warm up to Grace (or any of the characters, truth be told); the pacing is somewhat slow in the beginning and I couldn't find myself connected to Grace, who is the main voice here. There is also a part which I disagreed with Grace's motivation of pursuing the truth but I let on and was glad I didn't give it up because the intensity began towards the middle of the book and took my attention away from it. 

Although the mystery (and the ending) isn't as absorbing as I had expected, it still made an engrossing read because like Grace, I wanted to find out who the killer is.