Read:
Snakeskins by Tim Major
Such A Perfect Wife by Kate White
Chase Darkness with Me by Billy Jensen (audiobook)
Osgood As Gone by Cooper S. Beckett
Turbulent Wake by Paul E. Hardisty
The Favorite Daughter by Kaira Rouda
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim (audiobook)
The Island by Ragnar Jonasson
I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney (audiobook)
Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine
We Love Anderson Cooper by R.L. Maizes
The Missing Season by Gillian French
Gerald’s Game by Stephen King
Stats:
13 books (3 audiobooks)
4,431 pages
Top 3 Reads: The Favorite Daughter, The Island, & Turbulent Wake
What a month! I built myself a ridiculous list of book I hope to read for May and walked away feeling majorly accomplished. Thirteen books is a crazy great amount to get through in one month, but not only did I tackle a lot of books, I also loved the majority of what I read. There was actually only one book that I didn’t love and even that book wasn’t bad.
I kicked off the month with two fantastic new releases and a highly anticipated audiobook. First up was SUCH A PERFECT WIFE by Kate White. I had no idea until I went to publish my review on Goodreads that this was the 8th book in a series. Needless to say, this book can certainly be read as a standalone. I loved reading from the viewpoint of reporter, as opposed to being on the police’s side.
SNAKESKINS is a new science fiction thriller that just hit shelves in early May. I don’t read a ton of science fiction, but when I read the synopsis for this book I couldn’t resist. It was something that you would imagine watching on TV or in a movie. I loved reading this book and it sparked an interest in me to want to tackle some additional science fiction titles this year.
Remember when everyone couldn’t stop talking about I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK? Well if you’ve read that book, they you’ll recognize the name Billy Jensen. He just released his book, CHASE DARKNESS WITH ME, which documents his career in crime. This book was fascinating and the audio was narrated by Billy himself, which I always think adds such a nice touch!
While we’re discussing delightfully well-done audiobooks, we might as well talk about the other two that I concurred in May.
The entire #bookstagram community couldn’t stop talking about MIRACLE CREEK and as I’m never one to want to miss out, I of course bummed this one high up on my TBR. I really enjoy legal thrillers, but sometimes they can come off boring or stuffy. I assure you that this book is nothing like that! This book has a bit of everything and certainly will check a lot of boxes for crime fiction junkies.
Last year I adored Alice Feeney’s SOMETIMES I LIE, so of course I pre-ordered her latest, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. When Instagram’s Black Heart Reads book club decided to read this one for May I figured I would give the audiobook a try. The narrator was brilliant and really made the story come alive! I was willing to give this book a five star rating until it went a bit off the rails with the ending. All in all, I still consider this to be a great read and certainly one I have enjoyed discussing with others!
If you have ever stopped by my blog or even made it this far in this post, you can easily tell that crime fiction is my favorite genre to read from. In order to not fall into a slump or get bored by what I’m reading, I try to change up what I read within the genre. When Cooper S. Beckett reached out to me about his paranormal mystery, OSGOOD AS GONE, I knew I wanted to read it! This was such a fantastic read and the start of a series that I’m looking forward to continuing on with in the future.
I generally don’t pick up short story collections, but I always have an interest in them. They seem like something very easy to throw into a monthly reading line-up, but for some reason I don’t balance them well. Since May was short story month I jumped into a buddy read of WE LOVE ANDERSON COOPER and fell in love! This collection was absolutely lovely with so many stories about people who society doesn’t deem to fit their mold. There’s certainly a bit of something for everyone in this collection.
Speaking of out of the norm, THE MISSING SEASON was a book that the author approached me about reading and reviewing. It falls in the young adult genre, which is definitely something I steer clear of, however, I couldn’t stop thinking about how great this local legend premise sounded. It definitely didn’t disappoint! For a YA book I would say that this book easily works for multiple readers across the crime fiction genre. It doesn’t fit into what you stereotypically deem YA and the story’s pace makes it an addictive read.
Normally I attempt to read my Night Worms subscription box books, but I picked up one of them and didn’t quite jive with the story. Instead of pushing forward I decided to set it aside and pick up a book I knew I would love. I absolutely adore the Stillhouse Lake series by Rachel Caine and immediately set up a pre-order for the latest installment, WOLFHUNTER RIVER. I was worried where I would squeeze this one in and this was the perfect time!
Unfortunately this month wasn’t a winner for my Stephen King selection, GERALD’S GAME. This book was impressive in the sense that it covered so intricately the events of a short time period, but I found it boring at multiple instances. I think the story would have made for a brilliant novella. It just fell flat for me.
Orenda Books asked me to hop on tour for TURBULENT WAKE and I wasn’t sure what to expect. The synopsis sounded interesting, as it focuses on the story of a man who just lost his father and essentially gets to know him through journal entries he left behind. I wasn’t prepared for how emotion this book would make me or how swept away I would feel reading it. This was an absolutely brilliant read and I’m happy to have a paperback of it sitting on my shelves now!
Ragnar Jonasson always writes incredibly atmospheric books and THE ISLAND was no different! This book is the second in his Hidden Iceland series with one of my favorite police protagonists, Hulda. I love that the first book started in present day and this book flashes back in time to Hulda’s earlier career. The mystery at the heart of the book was fascinating and I cannot wait to see what Jonasson dreams up next!
Easily claiming the favorite title this month is THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER! I love when authors can take crime fiction in a dark humor direction and Kaira Rouda is an absolute pro at this. She blew me away with Paul in BEST DAY EVER and now with Jane, who is the star of this book. I had such a fun time getting inside Jane’s crazy mind and watching her work her devious plot.
Interested in snagging a copy of any of these books? Check them out here!:
SUCH A PERFECT WIFE: Amazon | Book Depository
CHASE DARKNESS WITH ME: Amazon
SNAKESKINS: Amazon | Book Depository
OSGOOD AS GONE: Amazon
TURBULENT WAKE: Amazon | Book Depository
THE ISLAND: Amazon | Book Depository
THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER: Amazon | Book Depository
MIRACLE CREEK: Amazon | Book Depository
I KNOW WHO YOU ARE: Amazon | Book Depository
WE LOVE ANDERSON COOPER: Amazon | Book Depository
WOLFHUNTER RIVER: Amazon | Book Depository
THE MISSING SEASON: Amazon | Book Depository
GERALD’S GAME: Amazon | Book Depository
Disclosure: Thank you to Harper Books, Audible, Titan Books, Cooper S. Beckett, Orenda Books, Minotaur Books, Harlequin Books, Celadon Books, and Gillian French for sending me free copies in exchange for my honest review.
Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.
What Jess Reads 