by Ally Condie
Grand Central Publishing, 2024. 337 pages. General Fiction.
Ellery Wainwright is alone at the edge of the world. She and her husband, Luke, were supposed to spend their twentieth wedding anniversary together at the luxurious Resort at Broken Point in Big Sur, California. Where better to celebrate a marriage, a family, and a life together than at one of the most stunning places on earth? But now she's traveling solo. To add insult to injury, there's a wedding at Broken Point scheduled during her stay. Ellery remembers how it felt to be on the cusp of everything new and wonderful, with a loved and certain future glimmering just ahead. Now, she isn't certain of anything except for her love for her kids and her growing realization that this place, though beautiful, is unsettling. When Ellery discovers the body of one of the wedding party floating in the pool in the rain, she realizes that she is not the only one whose future is no longer guaranteed. Before the police can reach Broken Point, a mudslide takes out the road to the resort, leaving the guests trapped. When another guest dies, it's clear something horrible is brewing.
This book got me out of a reading slump. It hooked me from the start, and kept me guessing what would happen next, all the way to the end. Not only is there intrigue for finding out the killer, but each guest seems to have a secret, including Ellery, our narrator. A fast-paced story, just enough is revealed at a time to keep the reader wanting more. It’s a suspenseful and intricately-plotted novel, perfect for a rainy fall day with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea. This book is recommended for anyone looking for a book they won’t be able to put down, and people that enjoy hearing about other people's wedding drama.
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by Lucy Foley
William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024. 354 pages. General Fiction.
It's the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; crystal pouches for guests' healing have been placed in the Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches; the "Manor Mule" cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen. And yet, just outside the Manor's immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. The local community resents what they see as the Manor's intrusion into the local woods and attempts to privatize the beach, and small skirmishes have erupted on the edges of the property between locals and the staff. And the whispers keep coming, about an old piece of pagan folklore — it must be folklore? — the Night Birds, an avenging force that can be called upon to make right wrongs that elude the law. Though surely everything at the Manor has been done above board. On the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. There's been a fire. A body's been discovered. Something's not right with the guests. What happened on the grounds of the Manor the past 36 hours? And who — or what — is the cause?
by Kelly Mullen
Dutton, 2025. 310 pages. General Fiction.
Widow Mimi lives on idyllic Mackinac Island where cars are not allowed and a Gibson with three onions at the witching hour is compulsory. Her granddaughter, Addie, is getting over the heartbreak of her fiance, Brian, dumping her and cutting her out of the deal for the brilliantly successful video game, Murderscape, they invented together (with Addie doing most of the heavy lifting). When Mimi gets an invitation from local socialite Jane Ireland—a seventy something narcissist who is having an affair with her son-in-law—to a charity auction, it is the perfect excuse to get Addie to join her for the weekend. What Mimi isn't telling Addie is that a blackmail threat from Jane looms over the party's invitation. In case the scene wasn't already set for a turbulent weekend, a big storm rolls in, trapping everyone in the mansion. And then, Jane's body is found. Soon Mimi and Addie are caught in a dangerous game, relying on their skills... to narrow down the suspects. When another body turns up, the sleuthing pair realize someone else is playing a deadly game, and they might not survive the night.
by Darby Kane
William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023. 354 pages. General Fiction.
Emily Hunt went missing from her affluent liberal arts school on graduation weekend. Her body was found floating in a river, and a quiet loner who most people on campus really didn't know died by suicide. A tenuous link—one text—bound the two dead students together and was enough for law enforcement to close the case. But they got it wrong and now someone is determined to set it right. Twelve years later, college friends gather to celebrate an engagement over a long overdue getaway on a swanky private island in Maine—with only one way in and one way out. Sierra Prescott, invited as a guest and unconnected to past events, is the only person who soon senses not all is what it seems. The tension in the air is ignited when they find a dead man in the trunk of a car with a note: time to tell the truth. And things only get worse. As a torrential storm strands them together, the group’s buried stories begin to surface and secrets are bartered. To survive this deadly party, they'll need to stop a killer before they become prey.
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