RaveLibrary JournalHeartbreaking and hilarious ... This book is a must-read for those who like witty, observational novels, family sagas, and sharp dialogue and characterization.
Will Hermes
PositiveLibrary JournalThis title is for mega-fans and those wishing they could’ve lived in New York when it was all going down.
Denise Mina
RaveLibrary JournalEffortlessly segues into Raymond Chandler’s Los Angeles with this perfectly rendered Philip Marlowe noir. She has the world-weary, florid voice of Chandler’s P.I. down pat.
Lara Gabrielle
PositiveLibrary JournalScrupulously researched ... Gabrielle presents a more well-rounded picture of Davies. Though sometimes verging on hagiography ... For fans of old-Hollywood lore and classic movies, especially those starring Marion Davies. With notes, bibliography, filmography, and just enough photos to send readers to the internet in search of more images of Davies and her milieu.
Rachel Howzell Hall
MixedLibrary JournalHall conveys the racist atmosphere of a small town and writes knowingly of extreme family dysfunction, but the meandering narrative, self-gaslighting protagonist, and several plot holes weaken the story.
Laura Lippman
RaveLibrary Journal... a dozen delightful stories ... Even when readers see the punchline coming, they will enjoy the intricate characterizations, excellent sense of place, and eagle-eyed cultural references. The last three stories in the collection are the strongest, especially \'Slow Burner,\' about a cheating husband, a suspicious wife, and an extra cell phone ... A must for Lippman fans and devotees of female-empowerment crime fiction.
Sara Gran
PositiveLibrary JournalSumptuous descriptions of expensive meals, glamorous hotels, and luxurious homes become repetitive, but Lily’s acid narration and gradual reawakening and a \'be careful what you wish for\' finale enhance this quest novel.
Uli Beutter Cohen
RaveLibrary JournalBeutter Cohen photographs readers on the train and at stations and asks about books they’re reading, but it becomes so much more than that thanks to the author’s intelligent, sensitive questions and the famous, semi-famous, and absolutely fabulous reader-riders’ replies ... A vibrant, varied love note to New York. Readers will feel hopeful after hearing from Beutter Cohen\'s delightful subjects, and perhaps emboldened to engage a stranger in conversation.
Wiley Cash
MixedLibrary JournalCash excels at conveying realistic family and community dynamics and creating complex characters, at least with the Barneses. Other characters, especially the cartoon-like villain, are not as deftly written. Mystery readers might quibble with a sizable plot hole and a rushed but shocking ending, but Cash\'s fans and readers of Southern stories will enjoy.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
RaveLibrary JournalMoreno-Garcia keeps the suspense high and the action intense, all while sharing a bit of 1970s Mexican history in this perfectly pitched novel ... Fans of Moreno-Garcia’s other novels will relish this title, as will noir aficionados and readers who like stories about everymen and -women rising to the occasion.
Laura Lippman
RaveLibrary JournalLippman...nods at Stephen King and Alfred Hitchcock in this hair-raising tale, but makes it wholly hers and completely riveting. She conveys the horror of being housebound and reliant on strangers, as well as the fear of losing one\'s mind. It\'s a page-turning, plot-twisting masterpiece.
Stacey Abrams
PositiveLibrary JournalThe language in this novel is often overly ornate, which slows down the narrative; the heroine is a little too good to be true; and some plot points are far-fetched, even for a thriller ... Although it’s not successful as a thriller, the book’s plethora of women role models, including a chief justice, and its \'inside DC\' look at political skullduggery make Abrams’s novel a well-informed political and legal narrative.
Elizabeth Hand
PositiveLibrary JournalHand’s desolate descriptions and Cass’s larger-than-life persona help to carry a story that is not as intricately plotted as her 2019 stand-alone, Curious Toys, with a few characters not fully fleshed out. Still, followers of the series will be happy to see Cass return.
Lauren Beukes
PositiveLibrary Journal... a painfully plausible plague novel ... Fans of chase novels and postapocalyptic stories will enjoy.
David Mitchell
PositiveLibrary JournalMitchell’s sprawling, engrossing look at the psychedelic era is lovingly rendered, though some of the characters’ tolerant attitudes toward homosexuality seem anachronistic. His fans will appreciate the Easter eggs and a metaphysical interlude; those who enjoy revisiting the 1960s will groove on the cameos from many celebrities of the time.
Stephen Rebello
PositiveLibrary JournalSome knowledge of the book and definitely of the film is required, but go ahead: Indulge yourself. Fans will love! love! love!, and newcomers will enjoy the Hollywood insider aspect.
Don Winslow
PositiveLibrary JournalFans of the author will eat up these neat, taut, action-packed stories, told in staccato sentences and one-line paragraphs. Newcomers to Winslow’s world will hope to see more of Lubesnick—or almost any of the characters still standing after the stories end.
David Carr
PositiveLibrary JournalThe mostly chronological layout of this collection allows readers to see Carr develop his style and hone his skills ... His takedowns of media and show business figures are lacerating and precise ... He’s especially tender with reformed and not-so-reformed addicts, having walked that path himself. While some pieces may seem dated, many address issues and people still on the scene today ... This collection will make readers wish Carr was still here to share his observations. A must for aspiring journalists and fans of Carr who want to read more of his award-winning reporting.
Brian De Palma and Susan Lehman
PositiveLibrary JournalDe Palma and Lehman stuff their book with cinematic tropes, unrealistic characters, and predictable plot twists, but somehow it\'s still an overall exciting read.
Peter Swanson
PositiveLibrary JournalAs the story unwinds, Malcolm\'s chilly, dispassionate narration becomes more unreliable and tension increases about who might be next and how it ties in with his list ... The wintry New England setting and eerily cool narration, together with trust-no-one twists and garish murders, will satisfy thriller readers; fans of classic mysteries by Agatha Christie, Ira Levin, and John D. MacDonald will enjoy how Swanson...repurposes the plots. While you may not warm to Malcolm, you\'ll stay to the finish of this one.
Amy Rigby
PositiveLibrary JournalThe glimpses of late 1980s-early 1990s New York are clear and wistful; her struggles with life balance and choices are relatable. Rigby mingled and played with many famous musicians, and her wide-eyed appreciation (of most) is appealing but not cloying ... Rigby vaults readers back to a scarier but glamorous time in New York. Watching her grow up and pursue her dreams is gratifying. Fans of she-punk memoirs and stories of success on one\'s own terms will enjoy this.
John O'Connell
PositiveThe Library JournalWith illustrations and suggestions for read-alikes and Bowie songs to listen to while reading each book, this is a fun peek at what stirred and shaped a legend. For Bowie fans and devotees of offbeat reading guides.
Elizabeth Hand
RaveLibrary JournalGenre-spanning, award-winning Hand once again works the dark side of the street, writing from multiple points of view and skillfully misdirecting readers’ attention. The historical details are fantastic ... When readers reach the end of this thrilling adventure, they’ll see how every choice has been perfectly made ... Hand is a mage of the page.
Lee Child
PositiveLibrary JournalSome villains are dispatched too neatly and some allies are found too rapidly, but it doesn’t matter. Reacher’s plans of attack and wry observations are what fans come for and what they get here. Child touches lightly on current issues—corrupt tech entrepreneurs, economic disparity—but keeps the action flowing in this satisfying entry.
Lisa Lutz
PositiveLibrary JournalLutz makes a promising start with this super-smart and biting novel ... A large cast of characters and multiple narrators slows down the story, but Gemma, Alex, and a scrappy first-year named Linny come alive. The male characters—teachers, a dean, boy allies, boy villains—are less believable but good foils. The ending feels rushed and chaotic, but that’s also fitting ... Lutz’s many fans will enjoy this, as will those who devour boarding-school novels such as Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep or #metoo revenge stories.
Kellye Garrett
RaveLibrary Journal\"I loved joining her as she followed up on lead after lead and engaged in antic after antic. Ultimately, Dayna solves the case and opens the door for many more. I’ll definitely be preordering the sequel, Hollywood Ending, due this August.\
