The prologue has Rowan, the nanny in prison for the death of one of her charges, writing letters that explain her situation. She explains wanting the job of nanny and taking a few shortcuts to obtain the lucrative position. The reader already knows she is in prison, but Rowan recounts the events that led to the death of the child for the lawyer (and the reader).
Is Rowan a reliable narrator?
I'm not sure the technique of using the prologue works that well--sometimes knowing the end works well, sometimes it doesn't. It may have been better to simply follow Rowan's journey from applying for the job and through the events that followed afterwards. There would still be plenty of perplexing circumstances to keep the reader in doubt about what is going on.
I looked forward to this one and wanted to like it more than I did.
A modern take on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, but lacking the chilling ambiguity.
Read in May; blog post scheduled for July 26.
NetGalley/Gallery
Psychological Mystery. Aug. 6, 2019. Print length: 384 pages.
Fourteen-year-old Carly Liddell is on her way home from school unaware that she has attracted the attention of a predator. Although a reasonably competent kid, the attack and her ability to fend off the attacker initiates some profound changes in Carly.
Her remarkable escape is caught on a security camera, and when Carly watches, she gains a new perception of what she is capable of accomplishing. The event is both traumatic and eye-opening for Carly.
The video helps the police catch Carly's assailant quickly; it also catches the public's attention and the video goes viral. Most people are simply impressed with Carly's ability to incapacitate her assailant and escape, but at least two people who see the video are interested in the painting hanging on the wall--a painting by Flinck that was part of the famous (and very real) Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist in 1990.
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Mason has the ability to create characters whose predicaments pull you in--and even the bad guys elicit some empathy. Carly, a girl on the cusp of womanhood, must reevaluate what she knows about family, trust, and things that have been hidden in all kinds of ways.
I just wish Jamie Mason would write faster. If you haven't read Three Graves Full and Monday's Lie you are missing something.
Read in June; blog review scheduled for July 26.
NetGalley/Gallery Books
Mystery/Thriller. Aug. 13, 2019. Print length: 352 pages.
The Turn of the Key is a must-read to me since it's Ruth Ware's. :) And The Hidden Things sounds good.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like Turn of the Key better than I did! I had looked forward to it, but it just didn't work that well for me. If you try Jamie Mason, read Three Graves Full first.
DeleteI've read three books by Ruth Ware (I just finished The Death of Mrs. Westaway) and I have to admit she's just not for me. I keep reading them because she is so beloved and the set up of the books is always intriguing.
ReplyDeleteThe Hidden Things sounds good! I prefer interesting villains over one-note ones.
I enjoyed the first book, In a Dark, Dark Wood, but Turn of the Key doesn't come close to the creepy quality of Rosemary's Baby and is certainly not Turn of the Screw. However, I've enjoyed every one of Jaimie Mason's books. :)
DeleteHa! That's the kind of triathlete I am! :D
ReplyDeleteI didn't love The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ware. I liked The Death of Mrs. Westaway better, but I'm not intrigued by this new one of hers. The Hidden Things sounds like a much better book!
I train for these triathlons. I'm especially good at eating and reading.
DeleteMy favorite by Jaimie Mason is still the first one, Three Graves Full. A man goes to bury a body in his backyard, only to find there are already two bodies there. :)
Those Jamie Mason books sound great. I especially like the one-sentence summary you just included in your answer to Lark. Now I have to find that one when I get home.
ReplyDeleteThey are unusual, suspenseful, and darkly funny. :)
DeleteI've only read The Woman in Cabin 10 and it was just okay for me, but I've heard Ware's other books are better. Sounds like this one isn't the one to try though.
ReplyDeleteTurn of the Key felt like it was written in a hurry and with nothing especially new, but I'm sure there are a lot of folks who really like it. We aren't all looking for the same things in a book. :)
DeleteI do like Ruth Ware but her last book wasn't as enjoyable as the earlier ones for me. I do plan t read this one so I'm hoping I'm happy with it??
ReplyDeleteIt felt very "surface" to me. I was disappointed, but that is always so personal.
DeleteMy review of Turn of the Key hasn't posted yet, but I had hoped for more too. I haven't read anything by Jamie Mason yet, but the books you mention do sound irresistible. Adding them to my wish list.
ReplyDeleteI'll look for your review, Wendy. Turn of the Key felt run-of-the-mill to me, but I've seen a lot of variation in the reviews--from meh to great.
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