About Book Marks
Recent Reviews
Jade Moon Le
Positive Seattle Book Review I really enjoyed the descriptions of the beautiful scenery in China. The author does a wonderful job of describing the Yangtze River and the immense mountains and large gorges that surround it ... One of the things I had a hard time with while reading this book is that the story would skip timelines ... This made the book a bit difficult to follow. There are also many side characters ... The stories would often go on a tangent ... The story was a powerful one ... I would have loved the book to have read a bit more smoothly in terms of chronology, however. Invisible Orphans is a heartfelt story that will make its readers think about life and the good and bad we all experience.
Linwood Barclay
Rave The San Francisco Book Review Another fantastic suspense novel from Linwood Barclay ... This book had me guessing the whole way through. I love how Barclay develops his characters along the way so the reader can really step into their shoes to see what they see and feel what they feel. I could not stop reading this book once I picked it up. Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Chevy Stevens.
Fiona Barton
Positive The Seattle Book Review Barton does it again ... There are so many characters that are tied together in this story that there were times I became a bit confused as to who was related to who. Barton does a great job of tidying up things as the story goes through its twists and turns that everything just makes sense in the end ... This book was fascinating and I liked how the chapters were told from different points of view. Local Gone Missing is an excellent read for fans of the mystery and suspense genre. Perfect for fans of Kerry Wilkinson, Harlen Coben, and Karin Slaughter.
Stephanie Wrobel
Mixed Portland Book Review This book starts off with a fantastic storyline and interesting, intricate characters but then gets messy once Natalie reaches Maine. There are several unexpected reveals that happened but the ending falls flat and the last half of the book seems to lose focus.
Kat Rosenfield
Rave Seattle Book Review A story that will completely throw you for a loop just when you think you know what’s going on, No One Will Miss Her is an expertly written book with characters you’ll find so interesting and a plot that is equally intriguing ... I was so blown away by the way author Kat Rosenfield was able to twist the story around. This is a thriller you won’t want to miss.
Linwood Barclay
Rave Seattle Book Review ... extremely creepy ... I loved how Barclay developed all the characters so well and did not rush the storyline. The story was intricate yet realistic, and I was left guessing until the very end. It’s an absolute must-read book for fans of Harlen Coben.
Vendela Vida
Positive San Francisco Book Review I really enjoyed this story. Eulabee is an interesting girl who is carefree and has a very inquisitive personality, which is likable. She seems very mature for her age. I didn’t expect the story to fast forward at the end to 2019; however, I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and actually wished the author had made this part of the story longer.
Mark Henick
Positive Manhattan Book Review A wonderful yet intense memoir of author Mark Henick’s struggle with mental health ... The book delves into the extremely sensitive topics of mental health and suicide. The reader can feel the pain in Mark’s voice as he describes the helplessness he feels as he attempts suicide many times ... What I really appreciated about this account of the author’s life is that he does not sugar-coat anything ... I found So-Called Normal to evoke so many feelings—feelings of hopelessness, sadness, excitement, and happiness all come together in Mark’s life. Going through Mark’s journey is both beautiful and heart-wrenching, and if it wasn’t self-written I would have been wondering if he had made it out alive. I feel that anyone could learn many lessons from reading this book, and perhaps it could help someone who is having the same feelings as Mark did growing up and even save a life. This book is brilliant, raw, and a must-read.
Ellie Eaton
Rave San Francisco Book Review The Divines is an excellently written book that will suck you into its storyline. I loved each and every one of the characters and the author did an exemplary job of developing each one. A must-read for fans of the movies Heathers and Mean Girls.
Matthew Dicks
Rave The Manhattan Book Review Dicks does an outstanding job telling the story of fourteen-year-old Michael Parsons ... This book offers so many topics to discuss, ranging from the children of deceased parents, to anger management, to helicopter (or the complete opposite of that) parenting. Michael must find himself and figure out who in his life he can trust. This book was heartbreaking and wonderful.
Charlotte Wood
Rave The Seattle Book Review ... a poignant tribute ... This book is wonderfully written from all three women’s points of view. The descriptions of scenery as well as the expressions of the characters really bring the story to life. The Weekend easily evokes feelings of sadness, happiness accompanied by tears, laughter, and sorrow. Although the plot itself is not complicated, it is a satisfyingly peaceful read.
Carola Saavedra, Trans. by Daniel Hahn
Mixed San Francisco Book Review It was a bit disturbing ... the storyline was very interesting, but the plot fell apart in the end. It was quite unsatisfying. I don’t know if it is because this was originally written in a foreign language and then translated, or if the ending really was this dry. In either case, this book offers a great storyline that led to nowhere.
Mary Higgins Clark
Positive Manhattan Book Review This book was written very well in terms of ease of understanding. There were no crazy plot twists or sudden shifts in the writing, which made it easy to read. I did, however, get a little bored midway through the book as it seemed like the plot just dragged for a bit. The cast of characters was likable, though with several characters being just puppets to the higher-ups. No big surprises with this story, but it was an enjoyable read.
Riley Sager
Rave The Seattle Book Review ... definitely a page turner ... This book kept me guessing until the very end. With a full cast of the most interesting characters, Jules is put through the wringer as she conducts her own investigation into the disappearances and finds that her own life may be in jeopardy. The setting at the Bartholomew is unsettling yet intriguing, complete with hidden rooms, secret passageways, a dumbwaiter, and of course, a gargoyle named George. It is a must-read for fans of Sager and the thriller/suspense genre.
Jennifer Weiner
Mixed The Seattle Review of Books Being a fan of [Weiner\'s] previous works, I was excited to dig in and become engrossed. Instead, I found myself counting the pages until I was finished ... The beginning started out well...Her adventures and the relationships she has are interesting and dynamic ... The middle of the story is where I started drifting off. It became a little boring and I had to reread some of what happened. Then the story picks up again at the end with a wonderful, heartwarming, and satisfying ending. I would love to see this book be condensed. Also, although I realize the author is trying to get the point of women’s rights across and point out how far women have come, I found the insertion of Hillary Clinton’s name into the book two or three times was unnecessary as well.
Cara Hunter
Rave Manhattan Book Review \"In The Dark is a thriller that doesn’t quit. It draws you in from the very beginning and makes the reader ask questions that won’t be answered until much later in the story ... The story about the reporter, Lindsay, is woven into the main storyline very well. In the beginning, the reader might wonder how the two cases are intertwined, but in the end, everything comes out into the open. A fantastic read for lovers of suspense and thriller novels.\