Six Weeks to Live by Catherine McKenzie (2021)

 

A familiar tale with a brand-new twist.  Forty-eight-year-old Jennifer Barnes, mother of triplets and grandmother to twins, never expected the news she receives at a routine doctor’s appointment. Jennifer has a terminal brain tumor and only six weeks to live. She also learns that blood tests from the previous year showed a high concentration of lead, but Jennifer is positive she was never told.  Who wants her dead bad enough to deliberately poison her?

The prime suspect is her husband Jake, who asked for a divorce two earlier, a divorce Jennifer is not willing to grant. Jennifer’s three daughters can’t believe their father is responsible for the poisoning and their doubts lead Jennifer to question what she knows is true. Someone wants her dead and she wants to know who.

McKenzie does a great job developing her characters, with chapters devoted to Jennifer and each of the girls. All four women are flawed so be prepared not be real fond of any of them.

What would you do if told you had only six weeks to live?

This book is not available at EPL. Ask any of the reference librarians to get it for you from an area library. 

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber (2013) 364.152 G

 

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber (2013) 364.152 G

Over his 16-year period, nurse Charles Cullen is believed to have killed over 400 hospital patients. His nursing career began at a burn ward where Charles worked hard, was always available, and was likable enough. As Charles moved between various hospitals and states he would immediately start patients. Sadly, it was not a case of mercy killings; most of the victims were not that ill.

During Charles’ career, hospital personnel had their suspicions about the deaths, but no one wanted to bring unwanted attention to their hospitals. The murders seemed innocent enough; people had heart attacks and sugar imbalance issues all the time. Death in a hospital was not that unusual. Finally, an admin officer took it into her own hands to start an investigation. Once she began looking into the issue, other hospitals began to question the sudden deaths that had happened there while Charles was employed. Others wondered how the hospital’s leadership could have just looked the other way.

Soon Charles became a suspect, but no evidence could be found. It took one brave nurse who had once been Charles’ friend to uncover the truth. She began to wear a wire and tape phone conversations with Charles in hopes he would finally confess to these crimes. Charles is finally arrested but only convicted of 29 of the 40 deaths to which he confessed.

This book is both sad and disturbing. How was this killer able to kill for so long? I hated this story and loved it all the same.

3.81 stars on Goodreads, 4.5 on Amazon

Rust and Stardust by T. Greenwood (2014)

 

This novel is based on actual events. In the late 1940’s a young girl who is desperate to be in the cool girl click is given an initiation challenge. Florence (Sally) Horner is tasked to steal an item before being permitted to join the click. As she gathers her courage to do the deed, a man is watching her. When Sally slips the stolen notebook into her coat this man approaches her. His name is Frank, and he tells Sally he is an FBI agent and has witnessed the thief. Frank agrees to look the other way if Sally agrees to check in with him and keep it a secret. Sally readily agrees.

The next day Frank shows up again and tells Sally she must go to Atlantic City with him to face a judge but she must not tell her mother. Sally tells her mother she has been invited to go on vacation with her friend and her family. Sally’s mother is leery but relived that Sally has a friend and agrees to let her go. After several weeks Sally’s mom is getting worried even though Sally is regularly communicating. As the truth slowly comes out all seems lost.

It turns out Frank is a recently released convict who had been convicted of kidnapping and child molestation. As the police rush to Atlantic City to stop Frank he and Sally have fled to Baltimore. There they stay with a friend who believes Sally is Frank’s daughter. Strangely enough Frank still allows Sally to send home messages to tell her mother she is safe. It is while they are in Baltimore that Sally learns Frank is not an FBI agent; instead, he leads Sally to believe he is her long-lost father.

As the police again close in on them, the couple flee to Texas. While living in Texas, Sally confides in a friend that she has been kidnapped and sexually abused by Frank. Suddenly they are on the move again, this time to California. It is here that Sally is finally able to escape the almost 2-year ordeal.

I would like to be able to say things get better for Sally once she is home but that is not the case. Sally is no longer the 11-year-old she was when she left home; she is now 13 and grown far beyond her chronological age. Sadly, what happened to her over that two-year period does not compare to how her story ends.

I strongly recommend this book but please take the time to read the book before searching Google for information on Sally Horner.

4.13 stars on Goodreads, 4.3 on Amazon

We Thought We Knew You: A Terrifying True Story of Secrets, Betrayal, Deception, and Murder by M. William Phelps (2020)

 

Mary Yoder is a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister doctor and friend. One minute she is living her best life and the next she contracts a mysterious illness which lands her in the hospital where she suddenly dies. Mary’s family, overwhelmed with grief, insists on an autopsy. The results leave them all confused and reeling. Mary had no enemies and was loved by all. Who could poison her? No one can believe Mary would take her own life.

The investigation focuses on Mary’s husband; the spouse always being the first suspect. When that proves to be a dead end, family members begin to lose faith. Then anonymous evidence pointing to the son Adam begins turning up but that seems to perfect. Why would Adam have cooperated so fully from the very beginning? The police then begin to look at Adam’s girlfriend Katie. But why would Katie want to kill someone who had been like another mother to her? The reason will astound you.

This book drove me crazy trying to figure out why people try so hard to hurt others and why hurting someone innocent would make anyone feel better.

4.12 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon

Non-Fiction, True Crime

This book is not available at EPL. Ask any of the reference librarians to get it for you from an area library.

Doctor Dealer: A Doctor High on Greed, A Biker Gang High on Opioids, and the Woman Who Paid the Ultimate Price by George Anastasia and Ralph Cipriano (2020) 364.1523 A

 

This book is about endocrinologist James Kaufman, who couldn’t be satisfied with the extraordinary life he led. He had a thriving practice, the perfect house, the best cars, and an amazingly beautiful wife, April. It was the kind of life most people only dream of having.

On a warm spring morning James is at work when he gets a sudden feeling that something is wrong with his wife. James calls the handyman who is scheduled to come to the house that morning and asks him to check on April. Moments later James receives a return call - the handyman has found April dead in the bedroom. James rushes home and when the police arrive, he appears to be a grieving husband. Yet looks can be deceiving and it is soon evident that something else is happening here. April’s daughter from a previous marriage instantly suspects her stepfather is responsible for her mother’s death. Only there is no concrete evidence. It will take a few years for the truth to come out.

That perfect husband and life were lies. James was later linked to embezzlement, biker gangs, and a drug ring which would lead to the truth of what really happened to April. While some justice will be served eventually, the real culprit would take his own life. This story tells how the truth does come out and shows just how far James went to keep his wealth and secrets away from his wife.

I found this book interesting and informative.

3.34 stars on Goodreads, 4.3 on Amazon

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (1993) BIO K

 

This is the memoir of Susanna Kaysen. In the 1960’s Susanna is admitted into a psychiatric hospital with the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder after attempting to commit suicide by overdose. A psychiatrist Susanna had never seen before has suggested she needs a rest. What was supposed to be a couple of weeks turns out to be a 2-year stay. In her book Susanna discusses how she is treated and what the keepers/staff and other patients are like. She also addresses how all of them were able to help her cope with her depression.

I enjoyed reading about the struggles and successes that an emotionally unstable person deals with in their life. I think that many people struggle with emotional disorders and need a pat on the back. This book is that pat.

3.90 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon

Open Season (Joe Pickett # 1) by C.J. Box (2001)

 

Joe Pickett is the new game warden in a small Wyoming town. Joe is far from popular as he can’t be bribed and refuses to look the other way. One chilly morning as he is listening to his two daughters talking, he hears the oldest talking about the monster she saw in the backyard. At her insistence Joe decides to investigate. The dead body he finds in the woodpile starts a series of events that will cause Joe to reevaluate his life and the people in it. This death will be followed by others which leaves Joe with more questions than answers. At stake is an endangered species and the future of an oil pipeline being built in the area.

This is my first C.J. Box novel and I liked it. Many of the patrons have been urging me to read the Joe Pickett series and now I am urging you. If you have not picked up one of these books, please do so. There are currently 21 books in the series, many of which are available at EPL, so it will be while before you run out of reading options.

3.94 stars on Goodreads, 4.5 on Amazon

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

 

 

Piranesi exists in a world of never ending rooms, hallways and ancient statues filling it with classical period ambiance. The only individual besides Piranesi, in this world, he simply refers to as the other. However, this may not be the case. Something else exists in the world Piranesi resides in, and it’s about to change his whole perception of existence. At the onset of this book, it may seem like a dream world where little makes since, and nothing is clear. However, as the reader dives into this book the mystery surrounding the world is revealed. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a short fantasy book incorporating another world, with a sense of mythology.

Goodreads 4.31 out of 5, Amazon 4.5 out of 5

Man of War (Eric Steele #1) by Sean Parnell (2018)

 

In his fiction debut, the author introduces the reader to Eric Steele, a former Special Forces operative, now a member of an elite clandestine operation assigned to a US intelligence unit known simply as the "Program." It’s members, known as Alphas, work solely for the President of the United States, handling situations that cannot be dealt with through normal channels.

When a hostile force attacks a military convoy and steals a nuclear weapon, everyone who should be in the know are blindsided. Steele, who is stationed in the Middle East, is sent to clean up the mess. The hostile leader turns out to be a rogue Alpha and Eric’s former mentor and he leads Steele through the Middle East, Europe, and Africa before things come to a head in Washington, DC.

Parnell’s writing style is both informative and captivating while building the reader’s curiosity and suspense. Chapters shift between character viewpoints—one chapter may be told from Steele’s perspective, while the next is from the Vice President’s or the Director of the CIA or some other character. The suspense builds as the reader tries to find the connecting thread.

The author, Sean Parnell, is a retired Army captain and is well acquainted with the military and how special forces operators walk, talk, and handle themselves on and off the battlefield. He uses military acronyms throughout the book which are always explained but can get confusing if you don’t have a military background or a particular interest in military weapons.

Currently there are three books in the Eric Steels series (all can be found at EPL) and the fourth one is to be published in September. A personal storyline carries through the series, but it is not necessary to read them in order as each book is a complete mission.

3.96 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

 

    The Dutch House tells the story of Danny and his sister Maeve who grow up in the suburbs of Philadelphia over the course of five decades. Danny is the book’s narrator. The two children are brought up in what the locals of their hometown refer to as the Dutch house. The house was obtained by their father Cyril Conroy after WW2 as a gift for his wife, but instead of a gift this house leads to ruin for those he loves. After the war their father pursues a career in real-estate renting out apartments in New York.

    This book is often referred to as a dark fairy tale, and I would have to agree that the onset of this novel shares commonality with fairy tales. At a young age Danny’s mother leaves their father to pursue other interests in life. After she leaves, Cyril takes an interest in another woman and remarries, and moves his new wife into the Dutch house with her two daughters. This new wife despises both Danny and Maeve and is determined to make their lives miserable. In this narrative we can draw various parallels with the wicked stepmother motif often found in fairy tales. This can be drawn from the way in which the stepmother views Danny and Maeve as second class citizens in their own home. After their father passes away, their stepmother wastes no time kicking Danny out of the Dutch house. With Maeve no longer a minor, Danny takes up residence with his sister.

    As the novel progresses, the two siblings learn their father has left a fund for Danny and his two stepdaughters to attend college. With Danny being the oldest of the three children, Maeve devises a plan to have Danny attend medical school to drain the fund, as a way to get revenge on their stepmother. While Danny goes along with Maeve’s plan, he is none too enthused. Instead his goal is to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue real estate. As the book progresses we see how both of the siblings lives unfold, and while they both may have been unwelcomed in the Dutch house by their stepmother they always seem to be drawn to meeting just outside of it.

    I recommend this book if you have an interest in historical fiction taking place in the decades after WW2, with regards to family dynamics. This book may also appeal to those looking for something that feels like a fairy tale written in modern times, but with a historical context.

Goodreads – 4.11 out of 5, Amazon –  4.4 out of 5

The Promised Neverland Vol. 1, by Kaiu Shirai

 

The Promised Neverland appears to be a story about a group of happy orphans and their day to day life’s at Grace Field Orphanage. Where the only concern they have is rigorous testing. However, readers quickly learn this is not the case. Instead the book turns into a story of survival for Emma and the other children. As the story unfolds the reader learns more about Emma’s world, and what it’s going to take make it at Grace Field.

I’m currently in the middle of reading this series, and found it quite enjoyable from the first chapter. The series doesn’t take its time showing its true nature.  As mentioned above right in the first chapter the reader learns that this is a suspenseful series, and can be considered a horror manga. While I don’t want to go into details on what happens in that first chapter I would recommend this manga if you enjoy the horror genre.

This is an ongoing series, needed to be read in order, and not available at Eastpointe Memorial. However, a librarian can place a copy on hold from another library in the cooperative. This review only pertains to Vol. 1.

4.48 on Goodreads, 4.9 on Amazon

The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club #1) by Richard Osman (2020)

 

In a beautiful retirement community, four seniors meet every Thursday in the Jigsaw Room, but they try to solve puzzles of a different sort. The Thursday Murder Club: Joyce, Ron, Ibrahim, and Elizabeth, pore over old files from cold cases, trying to figure out what the police couldn’t. Using each of their particular areas of expertise – Joyce the nurse, Ron the union man, Ibrahim the psychologist, and Elizabeth the…well Elizabeth won’t confirm or deny her previous profession, but it included a very particular set of skills- they are ready to get to the truth. When murders start happening in their community, the group decides to join forces with the local police and help them solve the crimes, whether the police want their help or not. Red herrings abound in this fun and cozy mystery, and everyone is a suspect, even the club members themselves.

The author, Richard Osman, is a British comedian and game show host. His wit makes for some absolutely delightful dialogue that rings true even in its occasional absurdity.

Fans of the movie “Red”, the TV show “Murder She Wrote”, and British humor will thoroughly enjoy this book.

The second book in the series, The Man Who Died Twice, is due to be published in September 2021.

4.02 stars on Goodreads, 4.3 stars on Amazon

I Cosmo by Carlie Sorosiak (2019) (YA)

 

“I was born a puppy. Thirteen years ago in a garage …”

As the title and book cover suggest, this book is narrated by a golden retriever named Cosmo. He is the big brother to ten-year-old human Max and four-year-old Emmaline. Cosmo’s human parents are Mom and Dad. Cosmo has a good life with his human family; his biggest concerns being the evil sheepdog down the block and his arthritic joints. The bond between Max and Cosmo will pull at your heartstrings.

When the family is away, Max leaves the TV on for Cosmo whose favorite channels are Discovery and Turner Classic Movies. His favorite movies are Grease and Singing in the Rain. Deep down Cosmo knows he has the soul of a dancer.

When Max’s parents begin to fight a lot and Dad starts sleeping on the couch, Max confides in Cosmo his concern that his parents will divorce, and the boy and his dog will end up in separate households. When Max learns of a canine freestyle dance contest, he is convinced that winning the competition will be just what is needed to remind his parents of the good times and make them stay together. Cosmo can’t deny Max anything so he is all in, regardless of the stiff joints. With the help of Uncle Reggie, the pair practice and practice until their routine is perfect.

The author, Carlie Sorosiak, must have been a dog in an earlier life. Cosmo’s behavior and thoughts are exactly what I would imagine any dog is thinking. If you have ever shared your home with a dog you will know just what I mean.

Although the book was written for the young adult audience, readers of all ages will enjoy this heart lifting story of the power of love.

4.28 stars on Goodreads, 4.8 on Amazon

This book is not available at EPL. Ask any of the reference librarians to get it for you from an area library.