Showing posts with label contemporary thriller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary thriller. Show all posts

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Friday Focus: Weekend Reads


 16

 It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

  • Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
  • The Friday 56 hosted by My Head is Full of Books, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring Watch Out For Her by Samantha M. Bailey. The excerpts shared are from an eBook borrowed from the library.
 
I haven't participated for quite a while and am dipping my toe back into the pool, hoping to reconnect with some of my favorite bloggers and post more often.
 

 
 
Book Beginning/First Line:  Chapter One -- Sarah
 
Now

I watch people.

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Page 56:  ". . . I don't know what precipitated this change, what's finally made him really listen when I repeated yet again that I can't handle everything regarding childcare and housekeeping on my own. I hope it's not guilt . . ."

********************  

My thoughts:  I'm several chapters into the book and it's a definite page turner so far. The author is slowly revealing information about a prior relationship between a young family and their babysitter that didn't end well. Something led to a dramatic parting--in fact, the family has moved clear across the country. But what happened and why is there such an unsettling sense of unfinished business between them?

Each chapter, told in the alternating voices of the mother and the babysitter, takes the suspense to new heights. I'm intrigued by each development and eager to find out how the story ends.

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From Goodreads:  Wherever you go…she’ll be watching.

Sarah Goldman, mother to six-year-old Jacob, is relieved to move across the country. She has a lot she wants to leave behind, especially Holly Monroe, the pretty twenty-two-year-old babysitter she and her husband, Daniel, hired to take care of their young son last summer. It started out as a perfect arrangement—Sarah had a childminder her son adored, and Holly found the mother figure she’d always wanted. But Sarah’s never been one to trust very easily, so she kept a close eye on Holly, maybe too close at times. What she saw raised some questions, not only about who Holly really was but what she was hiding. The more Sarah watched, the more she learned—until one day, she saw something she couldn’t unsee, something so shocking that all she could do was flee.

Sarah has put it all behind her and is starting over in a different city with her husband and son. They’ve settled into a friendly suburb where the neighbors, a tight clique of good citizens, are always on the lookout for danger. But when Sarah finds hidden cameras in her new home, she has to wonder: Has her past caught up to her, and worse yet, who’s watching her now?

A spine-tingling, page-turning novel from
USA TODAY #1 national bestselling author Samantha M. Bailey, Watch Out for Her is psychological suspense at its very best—a chilling look at trust, voyeurism, and obsession in the modern age, and how far we will go to watch out for those we love.

 

 

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This Friday Focus: Weekend Reads post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com. It cannot be republished without attribution.

 


 

Monday, October 24, 2022

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, The Heights by Louise Candlish. The excerpt shared is from a trade paperback borrowed from the librry.



First Chapter:  

 First Chapter:  Killing Time

Opening lines are hard to write, says Felix Penney, and he of all people should know. The author of three writing manuals and nine crime novels, he is one of the most high-profile creative writing tutors in the UK, with a prestigious class at King's College London. 


What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The opening lines are interesting, but what really makes we want to read this book is the Goodreads description: 

"The Heights is a tall, slender apartment building among warehouses in London. Its roof terrace is so discreet, you wouldn’t know it existed if you weren’t standing at the window of the flat directly opposite. But you are. And that’s when you see a man up there—a man you’d recognize anywhere. He may be older now, but it’s definitely him.

But that can’t be because he’s been dead for over two years. You know this for a fact.

Because you’re the one who killed him."





 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.

Monday, July 4, 2022

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring a recent read, Deep Into the Dark by P.J. Tracy. It's the first book in the Detective Margaret Nolan series. The excerpt shared is from an eBook version borrowed from the library.



Prologue:  Los Angeles, the City of Angels. The sobriquet promised the divine and its golden facade radiated celestial perfection, but peel back the fragile veneer and the deception was revealed. There were very few angels here, and even less perfection, a testament to how torpid the human race had become.


What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

Deep Into the Dark is a fast-paced, well-plotted start to a new series set in Los Angeles introducing Margaret Nolan, a female detective on the LAPD homicide squad. This first installment features the hunt for a serial killer who is targeting women in the area.




 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.

Monday, March 28, 2022

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring Run Roe Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson. 




First Chapter:  Annie Lee had been standing on the side of the road for an hour, thumbing a ride, when the rain started falling in earnest.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

Although James Patterson has many other co-authors, his partnership with Dolly Parton intrigues me. I recently listened to an interview about their experience writing together and it sounded like they had a great time collaborating. And Dolly has a forthcoming record album related to the novel. 

I'm looking forward to reading--and listening--to the book and album and finding out what Rose is running from.





 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.

Monday, March 7, 2022

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring my current read, The Cage by Bonnie Kistler. The excerpt shared is from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.


The Cage


First Chapter:  February 2, 2014  11:16 p.m.

The motor started up with a chug of gears that sounded like teeth gnashing. The lights flashed on, and I scrambled up off the floor and charged for the doors. The elevator plunged beneath my feet, so fast it felt like free fall, but I didn't care. I wanted down, I wanted out. In seconds we reached the lobby level. The doors opened and I burst out--into a semicircle of waiting men.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The thought of being in a malfunctioning elevator--whether it be stuck between floors or plummeting high speed to the ground--is terrifying. So is the premise of this novel, where two employees leaving the office very late at night share an elevator ride from the thirtieth floor. When the elevator reaches the lobby, only one is alive. What happened? The opening chapter piqued my interest and I'm enjoying the story so far.




 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.

 

Monday, January 3, 2022

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring a current read, State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny. The excerpt shared is from a hardcover version borrowed from the library. 




First Chapter:  "Madame Secretary," said Charles Boynton, hurrying beside his boss as she rushed down Mahogany Row in her office in the State Department. "You have eight minutes to get tot he Capitol."

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

I had been on the library hold list for ages, waiting for my turn at this novel. The timing of its arrival makes it my first read of 2022. From the very beginning, you get an insider's view of the role of the Secretary of State, and I can't wait to see where these immensely talented authors will take the story.



 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog.  

Saturday, January 1, 2022

First Book of the New Year 2022



Happy New Year!!

Welcome to my first post of the new year . . . and my participation in First Book of the Year . . . hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. This is one of my favorite memes and a great way to begin the reading year. Kudos to Sheila for starting--and carrying on--this tradition over the past nine years.  

As I prepared this post, I perused the many tempting titles in my book piles, reminding myself of all the great novels that await me.

With that in mind, my first book of 2022 is . . .

 

State of Terror
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

I am looking forward to reading this thriller written by two immensely talented women. This book is sure to get my reading year off to an exciting start.





This First Book of the Year 2022 post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. 



Monday, November 1, 2021

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

  It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, The Downstairs Neighbor by Helen Cooper. The excerpt shared is from a trade paperback borrowed from the library.



First Chapter: Emma

If it hadn't been for a disruptive hamster and three nights of insomnia, Emma might not have found herself crouched in her understairs cupboard that night. She might not have heard the fear-pinched voice from overhead.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

That's an ominous beginning that makes me want to continue reading.




 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

Monday, October 18, 2021

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

  It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, The Killing Kind by Jane Casey. The excerpt shared is from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.


First Chapter:  I think about death a lot, but I was not thinking about it the day it came for me. I was too busy running up Ludgate Hill, dodging other people's umbrellas so they didn't shower me with icy October rain when they collided with mine. The rain was a curse for two reasons: I hated having wet feet, and otherwise I would have been hiding behind the biggest sunglasses I owned.

I wasn't just wet: I was late, which was the greatest sin of all for a barrister. My pupilmaster had told me as much on my first day. You may have to go to court unprepared, sick, hungover, stressed or even wretchedly unhappy, but for God's sake, get there on time. The whole situation made me furious with myself. I knew better than to cause myself problems for no reason, other than that I'd been up too late the night before.


What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The narrator is certainly having a bad morning--could it be an omen of worse things to come?




 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings

16


It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:
  • Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
  • The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an eBook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight. The excerpts shared are from a hardcover version of the book that I borrowed from the library.


Beginning:  You were the one who started it. So, in a way, you're responsible for how it ended, "That's ridiculous," you'd say. And maybe it is unfair to blame you, under the circumstances. But at this point, all I can do is tell the truth. Anyway, no one could have predicted the exact way things would unfold. Certainly not me. All the heartbreak, all those lives with so much potential, gone in a flash.

********************  

Page 56:  "Early to jump to that conclusion, wouldn't you say?" Seldon says, working his jaw.

********************  

My thoughts:  Novels by Kimberly McCreight are automatic reads for me. In my opinion, she's one of the best contemporary authors in the thriller genre, and I'm really looking forward to starting her latest book.

********************  

From GoodReads:  Everyone has those friends. Doesn’t matter how long it’s been, or how badly they’ve occasionally behaved, or how late it is when that call finally comes—you show up. No questions asked.

Honestly, that’s how the five of us ended up here in the Catskills. We did have the best of intentions. Especially after what happened to Alice all those years ago, we can’t bear to think of losing anyone else. In fact, we’ll do anything to make sure that doesn’t happen. We’ll go so much farther than we ever thought we would.

In the end, maybe that’s what caught up with us. That, and the fact that we’re such a complicated group—so much history and so many big personalities. Secrets, too, that can slip out at the most inopportune moments. Of course, we love each other despite all of those things. We love each other no matter what.

There’s something so beautiful about that kind of unconditional love. It can turn ugly, though. Or maybe that’s just us. After all, we’ve already been through so much together. And we have so very much to hide.
 




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This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. 

© 2021 Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post has been stolen and was used without permission.

 

Monday, August 16, 2021

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.


Today I'm featuring a an upcoming read, Bath Haus by P.J. Vernon. The excerpt shared in from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.


First Chapter:  Oliver

This is a f***ing mistake.

My heart beats against the back of my sternum like it might knock itself still.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The buzz about this book has really piqued my interest. I hope to start reading this thriller soon.




 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

Monday, June 28, 2021

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring a recent read, The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson. The excerpt shared is from an eBook provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.




First Chapter:  "Bloody hell, Kate, this is gorgeous," I say, abandoning my suitcase by the front door and taking a few flabbergasted steps inside the apartment, drawn like a newly hatched moth to the flaming view ahead of me. The sun spills through huge French windows. I take in the jumble of pastel-coloured buildings and, through the gaps in the roofs, a sparkle of blue not too far in the distance. It must be the river, which I think is called the Tagus. Whatever it's called, it's way more inviting-looking than the mud-coloured Thames.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

A weekend getaway to Lisbon goes horribly wrong for best friends Kate and Orla. When one of the two women go missing, the secrets revealed during the investigation will alter the course of their lives forever. 

This fast-paced, twist-filled story is the perfect summer read.





 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

Monday, May 31, 2021

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring Before the Ruins by Victoria Gosling. The excerpt shared is from a hardcover version borrowed from the library.




First Chapter:  Game

The year Peter went missing was the year of the floods. I was on my way home from a meeting in Paris when the call came. it was a Wednesday, late April, and as the train hurtled toward London night was coming on. The heavy clouds were darkest blue and great pools of water lay in the fields like molten silver. I was on my laptop, reading about the latest in a series of leaked financial papers. When I glanced up, the last light slipped away, and my reflection coalesced upon the window as though the darkness was developing fluid.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

I like the setting and the descriptiveness of the first paragraph, and I'm curious about the chapter heading. Since I find stories with missing persons particularly intriguing, I'm looking forward to starting this debut novel.




 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

 

 

Monday, May 24, 2021

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan. The excerpt shared is from an eBook borrowed from the library.




First Chapter:  Nora

Lies have a complicated half-life. Nora--for now--tried to calculate the life span of her most recent one as she waited on the corner of Tremont and Union Park, the evening's first snowflakes beginning to accumulate on her new--to her--black cashmere coat. Boston was new to her too, with its treacherous weather and confusing streets and wary response from newcomers. They'd warned her, laughing, not to ask for directions. You can't get there from here, people told her.


What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The first paragraph drips with suspense--hinting at the lies the narrator is bringing to a new setting. My curiosity is definitely piqued, and I'll find out more when I finish my current read. 




 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

 

Monday, May 10, 2021

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring a new thriller, Until We Are Lost by Leslie Archer. The excerpt shared is from a trade paperback edition borrowed from the library.




First Chapter:  New York City--Present Day

"It started the night Hickory was shot to death. Hickory, my dog." Tara looks forlornly at Dr. Christie Lind. "Like a, I don't know, a premonition of doom."

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The last four words of the opening excerpt--a premonition of doom--are enough to keep me reading on.




 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.

Monday, April 19, 2021

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

 

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 



. . . First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros . . . now hosted by Yvonne at Socrates' Book Reviews, where bloggers share excerpts from a book they have read, are currently reading, or are planning to read.
 

Today I'm featuring a current read, Falling by T.J. Newman. The excerpt is from an eARC, which the publisher granted me access to. The expected publication date is July 6, 2021.



First Chapter:  Giving the duvet a shake, Carrie smoothed the creases with her hand. A whiff of fresh-cut grass drew her glance to the open window. The neighbor across the street mopped his face with the bottom of his shirt before closing the trash can full of lawn clippings with a clunk. Dragging it into the backyard, he gave a wave to a passing car, the loud music fading as it drove on. Behind her, in the bathroom, the shower shut off.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading? 

The chapter opening is ho-hum, giving no indication of the gripping thriller about to unfold. It's merely the calm before the storm. Think HBO Max's The Flight Attendant, based on the book of the same name by Chris Bohjalian, only on steroids. It's a compulsive page turner.




 



This First Chapter~First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled by Catherine for the Book Club Librarian blog. © 2021, Book Club Librarian All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Book Club Librarian without attribution, know that this post is being used without permission.