The Princess of Las Vegas

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian 400 pages

 

There is nothing more exciting than getting my hands on the latest Chris Bohjalian novel.  I love to sink down into my favorite chair and enter another compelling and entertaining world that this master storyteller creates. In this outing, “The Princess is fake, but the murders are real.”

 

The main character, Crissy Dowling, is a sensation on the Las Vegas stage. In a town full of impersonators, Crissy stands out as a Princess Diana look-alike, which draws British royals fans from, all over the world. However, it’s not “The Strip,” but the seedy portion of the strip where the casinos are down on their luck, looking rundown and out of date. But the tickets to shows are cheaper, so that’s some consolation.

 

By day, Crissy lounges in her private cabana, enjoys an Adderall and Valium cocktail, eats until her heart’s content, then purges so as not to gain weight.

 

Crissy’s life is the same, day after day. That is until Betsy, her estranged sister who could be her twin, blows into town with a newly adopted daughter and a rich boyfriend. Betsy has barely made her presence known when then bodies start to pile up.

 

First, it’s the two co-owners of the Buckingham Palace Casino where Crissy pretends to be a long-dead princess. Then things start to twist and turn. The mob (What’s a Las Vegas tale without the mob?) is trying to bring cryptocurrency to Vegas, but it is not without its price tags. Sometimes I felt as if I was in a James Bond novel.

 

A lot of the action takes place around cryptocurrency that I admit I don’t understand. Therefore, The Princess of Las Vegas receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Now comes the hard part, waiting until March 2025 when Bohjalian’s next novel is due to be released. It sounds more my cup of tea: historical fiction set during the American Civil War.

 

 

 

Girl In Ice

 

Girl In Ice by Erica Ferencik 320 pages

 

As the heat turns up in St. Louis, I always try to find a book that is set somewhere cold. Well, you can’t get much colder than the research facility, Tarrarmiut Artic Science Station, off the coast of Greenland. The temperature and wind chill are so cold, they don’t register on thermometers. There are five other people living and working there, well at least until five months ago.

 

That is when Andy Chesterfield walked outside in the middle of the night in nothing but his boxers and froze to death. How could that have happened? His twin sister, linguist professor Val, is skeptical,

 

Val, an expert in dead Nordic languages, receives an email from the lead scientist, Wyatt, to the research station asking her to come and help him identify the unknown language a girl found frozen beneath the frozen landscape speaks. Unfortunately, Val (as had Andy) suffers from crippling anxiety that prevents her from hopping on the next plane bound for Greenland. It takes her ninety-nine-year-old father and a large dose of her anxiety pills to convince her to help Wyatt and search for indications that Andy did not kill himself.

 

Wyatt, Andy and the two other scientists believe the girl they found and slowly, slowly, slowly thawing out is about seven hundred years old. How she got there and how she is as much a mystery as her guttural speech.

 

When the girl thaws out, she is alive. Scared and confused, the young girl lashes out at anyone who comes near her. After the thaw, Wyatt insists that Val be the only one to have contact with her. The two develop a bond, and Val learns that her name is Sigrid. But that is the only word Val can understand. Sigrid speaks in a language Val has never heard.

 

Val does get Sigrid to draw pictures, but she draws the same scene over and over. No one can figure out what they mean. But Val is about to find out. When Sigrid gets sick, no one at the facility knows what is wrong? Could it be the food they eat? Could she be dying?

 

Ferencik draws beautiful pictures of the landscape, so cold and so beautiful I needed a sweater in the 90+ degree weather. The tension throughout the story runs high and low. Girl In Ice receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Lemon

“Lemon” by Kwon Yeo-sun; translated from the Korean by Janet Hong 168 pages

During the summer of 2002, eighteen-year-old Kim Hae-on was murdered. Although the police investigated and had two notable suspects, the cases quickly grew cold.

Cold that is for the police, but for Hae-on’s family and friends, the case burned white hot. Her sister, Da-on has been traumatized by the event and is unable to move past it. Seventeen years later, Da-on and two of Hae-on’s friends, who were also deeply affected, decide to conduct their own investigation.

This short novel moves between Da-on and the two classmate as narrators, but it is almost impossible to determine who is speaking. You can imagine how confusing this was to read! Still I was able to piece it together through the chapter titles. I think.

This is a crime novel which is unlike any other crime novel I have ever read. “But identifying the perpetrator is not the main objective here: Kwon Yeo-sun uses this well-worn form to craft a searing, timely exploration of privilege, jealousy, trauma, and how we live with the wrongs we have endured and inflicted in turn.”

Sometime I felt as if I had read this book twice by the time I was finished with it because I had to read most chapters twice to really understand what was happening. I was intrigued with the format.

However, by the end, I’m not sure if the killer was named, and if it was, who it was.  Therefore, “Lemon” receives 2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

The Photographer

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter 304 pages

For fans of Tarryn Fisher’s ‘The Wrong Family.”

Delta Dawn is the children’s photographer to New York City’s elite. She specializes in children’s birthday parties. She is magic behind the camera, thanks in part to a boatload of editing software. She can make the most disastrous party look like fun was had by all. For the most part, she is just a fly on the wall, unseen and unnoticed.

Then Delta is hired by Amelia and Fritz Straub to shoot eleven-year-old Natalie’s party. It’s there that she realizes this is the perfect family and longs to be noticed, to play an important role in their lives.

She develops a plan that will integrate her into their lives and becomes indispensable to the Straub’s. The plan begins with Delta taking an interest in the neglected little girl. She begins babysitting on Friday nights when Amelia and Fritz have to go out. The Straub’s are famous architects who have clients around the world. Delta tries to seem like a friend who can help. She runs errands for Amelia; talks with Fritz about a myriad of subjects.

When Delta isn’t at the Straub family home, she is in her apartment, manipulating photos to include herself. The pictures are of her and Fritz…in bed and naked; of her and Amelia…laughing and drinking wine, standing extremely close together…photos of her and Natalie having fun.

Delta learns Amelia deepest desire, and how that desire has been thwarted over the years. But Delta knows how to help make her dream come true.

Carter, a first-time novelist, has created a super-duper creepy thriller that will have readers looking twice at anyone who comes into their homes. I read it in one day! There was only one problem in this pageturner. There is no explanation as to why Delta needs this family so much. What triggered this obsessive need to fit in with the Straub’s. Not that it impedes the creep factor, but as I read the last page, I wondered what was Delta’s motive?

I was going to give “The Photographer” 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. However, due to the lack of motive, “The Photographer” received 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Those Girls

 Those Girls by Chevy Stevens  376 pages

Summary from Goodreads: Life has never been easy for the three Campbell sisters. Jess, Courtney, and Dani live on a remote ranch in Western Canada where they work hard and try to stay out of the way of their father’s fists. One night, a fight gets out of hand and the sisters are forced to go on the run, only to get caught in an even worse nightmare when their truck breaks down in a small town. Events spiral out of control and a chance encounter with the wrong people leaves them in a horrific and desperate situation. They are left with no choice but to change their names and create new lives.

Eighteen years later, they are still trying to forget what happened that summer when one of the sisters goes missing and they are pulled back into their past.

This time there’s nowhere left to run.

And here's what I thought: I discovered one book by Chevy Stevens and now I've started working my way through the rest of her books. This story isn't just a tense, psychological suspense story, but also an exploration of the bonds of sisters and family and how far someone will go to protect the ones they love. As you can tell from the summary, the story begins with something pretty bad . . .  and it actually gets worse.  The tension starts in the first pages and doesn't let up, even as the thread of it might wax and wane throughout the story. The characters are believable, and actually, even the horrific situations are pretty realistic. This is a nail-biter type of pageturner.

The Downstairs Neighbor

 The Downstairs Neighbor by Helen Cooper  369 pages 

Summary from Goodreads: From her downstairs apartment in suburban London, Emma has often overheard the everyday life of the seemingly perfect family upstairs–Steph, Paul and teenage daughter Freya–but has never got to know them. Until one day, she hears something that seizes her attention: Freya has vanished and the police are questioning Steph and Paul about their life. Do either of you have any enemies? Anyone who might want to harm or threaten you?

The effects of Freya’s disappearance ripple outward, affecting not just her parents, but everyone who lives in the building, including Emma and local driving instructor Chris, who was the last person to see the teenager before she went missing. Each character’s life is thrown into sharp focus as devastating mistakes and long-held secrets are picked apart and other crimes come to light–including a child gone missing 25 years before, and a shocking murder–that make clear that the past never stays where we leave it, and that homes can be built on foundations of lies. 

And here's what I thought: This was a nice page-turner of a story and uses different perspectives, as well as one person's perspective set in the past, to move the story along. As you can see from the summary, a young girl has gone missing --- and you start to wonder if some of the neighbors are involved. After all, Chris, the guy giving Freya driving lessons, seems awfully nervous and he's clearly hiding something. Emma, who lives downstairs from Freya, has issues of her own, including a relationship with Zeb (who at first you can't tell who he is at all, and then that's revealed). On top of that, both of Freya's parents seem to have secrets of their own that they are hiding from each other. And what about the person whose perspective we keep getting from 25 years ago?  That's revealed far into the story.  Plenty of twists and turns here, so if you like suspense (especially British suspense), this might be your kind of read.

The Photographer

 The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter.  296 pages.  ARC read - book is on sale 5/25/2021

Summary from Goodreads: WHEN PERFECT IMAGES

As a photographer, Delta Dawn observes the seemingly perfect lives of New York City’s elite: snapping photos of their children’s birthday parties, transforming images of stiff hugs and tearstained faces into visions of pure joy, and creating moments these parents long for.

ARE MADE OF BEAUTIFUL LIES

But when Delta is hired for Natalie Straub’s eleventh birthday, she finds herself wishing she wasn’t behind the lens but a part of the scene―in the Straub family’s gorgeous home and elegant life.

THE TRUTH WILL BE EXPOSED

That’s when Delta puts her plan in place, by babysitting for Natalie; befriending her mother, Amelia; finding chances to listen to her father, Fritz. Soon she’s bathing in the master bathtub, drinking their expensive wine, and eyeing the beautifully finished garden apartment in their townhouse. It seems she can never get close enough, until she discovers that photos aren’t all she can manipulate. 

And here's what I thought: It's clear from the beginning that something is completely off about the main character, Delta Dawn. What's not quite clear is just how completely off she is and as the story continues, more and more becomes revealed. What I really liked was that although I was picking up on clues and making my own assumptions, Delta would make an offhand comment in the story that would really open something up. I thought it was interesting that the way the story is set up in the summary, you might expect one thing --- but Delta's manipulations don't always play out as expected. Kind of a disturbing main character, but I found the story to be a page-turner. 

Little Secrets

 Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier  340 pages  

Summary from Goodreads: Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their son Sebastian is taken.

A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix.

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I liked this thriller, with the cat-and-mouse games between Marin and Kenzie, Marin and her husband, and Marin and her best friend (who just happens to know a contract killer). The description early on of Marin and her son and how she loses him on a busy shopping day, is written realistically -- which means it's scary and heartrending. I appreciated that this was realistic, along with Marin's grief.  And, I admit it, I appreciated Marin's dedication to revenge when she finds out that her husband is having an affair. What starts out as a story that seems obvious takes some pretty strong twists and turns partway through the story, which is a lot of fun.  This is a pageturner that's got some surprises up its sleeve.

The Woman in the Mirror

 The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James  351 pages   

Summary from Goodreads: In 1947, Londoner Alice Miller accepts a post as governess at Winterbourne, looking after Captain Jonathan de Grey’s twin children. Falling under the de Greys’ spell, Alice believes the family will heal her own past sorrows. But then the twins’ adoration becomes deceitful and taunting. Their father, ever distant, turns spiteful and cruel. The manor itself seems to lash out. Alice finds her surroundings subtly altered, her air slightly chilled. Something malicious resents her presence, something clouding her senses and threatening her very sanity.

In present day New York, art gallery curator Rachel Wright has learned she is a descendant of the de Greys and heir to Winterbourne. Adopted as an infant, she never knew her birth parents or her lineage. At long last, Rachel will find answers to questions about her identity that have haunted her entire life. But what she finds in Cornwall is a devastating tragic legacy that has afflicted generations of de Greys. A legacy borne from greed and deceit, twisted by madness, and suffused with unrequited love and unequivocal rage. 

And here's what I thought:  I usually don't pick up this type of Gothic-suspense-haunted kind of story, but I got this book on Christmas Eve (our annual tradition) and actually, really liked it. I found the back-and-forth narrative between the past (Alice in first person) and the present (Rachel) to be really interesting. Alice is a little frustrating as a character -- I often was muttering "Don't open the door!" or "You're getting obsessive and weird!" at her when I was reading.  But, I was really curious to know what was going to happen and what was actually going on. A haunted object? A haunted house? Sociopathic children?  I will admit that when a supposed cursed object is handled, and then something is discovered later --- I had a Supernatural moment and was saying "Salt and burn it, dumbass!!!"   Overall, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this and how easy it was to get caught up in the story.  Definitely a thumbs-up!

One by One

 One by One by Ruth Ware  372 pages  

"Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?"

Yes, another "closed room" mystery that I read this month. Ruth Ware's books tend to be like this, where they might not be high literature, but you get pulled into the story. With this story, there was an added element of the weather which complicated things --- and then there was the added element of a reveal close to the end, but then you weren't sure how the other person was going to extricate themselves from the situation. So, an interesting story with some likable and some unlikeable characters. Good for a quick read.

The Lying Game

 The Lying Game by Ruth Ware    370 pages  

"Fatima, Thea, and Isabel—receive the text they had always hoped would NEVER come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, “I need you.”

The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty, with varying states of serious and flippant nature that were disturbing enough to ensure that everyone steered clear of them. The myriad and complicated rules of the game are strict: no lying to each other—ever. Bail on the lie when it becomes clear it is about to be found out. But their little game had consequences, and the girls were all expelled in their final year of school under mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the school’s eccentric art teacher, Ambrose (who also happens to be Kate’s father)." (Goodreads)

I had an odd sense of deja vu when I started this book --- had I already read it?  Actually, no -- but I've read other books by Ruth Ware, and other books with stories about friends keeping secrets. Maybe that was why? 

This story is a slow burner --- it takes a while to develop, so you need to be patient and stick with it to really feel like you're getting somewhere. Once I got to that point, I started reading more quickly because I thought I knew what had happened and wanted to find out. However, the slow pace and slow story development make this a less than ideal read --- because you get partway in and have to figure out if you care enough about the characters to keep going. I admit I wasn't burning with curiosity. Instead, I had a weekend day to sit and read, so I just kept going.  Ok book, not great. 

Dead to Her

 Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough  388 pages

"Being the second wife can be murder . . ."

Marcie Maddox has worked hard to get where she is, considering the illicit affair that started her new life as a second wife a few years ago. However, maintaining herself and her life isn't easy, no matter how hard she tries. And it's also not easy to keep her husband, Jason, interested in her. When Jason's boss brings home a beautiful new wife named Keisha from his trip to London, Marcie quickly learns that Jason definitely isn't that interested in her. Determined to make sure Keisha can't replace her as Jason's wife, Marcie sets out to undermine Keisha. However, there's more to Keisha than meets the eye.

As it turns out, there's also more to Marcie than you expect. This is a story that follows the "revenge is a dish best served cold" and as you might expect, Marcie and Keisha form an alliance. However, what happens next came as a surprise to me, which made the story more interesting than I had first expected. Not the best book in the world, but an entertaining read.

The Perfect Wife

 The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney   412 pages

Love is eternal . . . especially if there's AI.

Abbie wakes up with no memory of who she is and can't figure out why she feels so strange. The man in the room with her claims to be her husband. A titan of the tech industry and the founder of an innovative start-up, he tells Abbie she is a gifted artist, mother to their young son and his perfect wife. And that five years ago, she had a terrible accident. Now, with an amazing technological breakthrough, she's back.  Or is she?

What she is is a miracle of science, an amalgamation of brain waves and memories in a synthetic body. Horrified at first, Abbie is then curious to learn more about her accident, and then why she can't access any of those memories. As the story continues, and we get her perspective and the perspective of an unknown character, it becomes clear that her husband isn't telling her everything. Definitely not the whole truth. And just who is it that keeps contacting Abbie and telling her not to trust him?

I found this book to be a slow starter and almost put it down and then it was like something clicked, because I started reading it quickly to see what was going to happen next. Having the different points of view, especially from an outside person, as the story becomes revealed layer by layer made for an intriguing story and it was difficult to predict what would happen next.  

The Dark Corners of the Night

 

The Dark Corners of the Night by Meg Gardiner     337 pages

The Midnight Man appears in the darkness, coming for the parents but leaving the children as witnesses to his unspeakable horror. In Los Angeles, people are scared and the attacks keep escalating.  FBI behavioral analyst Caitlin Hendrix is asked to assist with the Midnight Man investigation and hunt down this terrifying killer. However, something seems off . . .  is this killer somehow connected to Caitlin's own past?

Creepy and disturbing, this story builds in pacing and intensity with each chapter. I didn't realize this was a book in a series, but I didn't feel I was at a loss to understand what was happening or anything about Caitlin's character. This is a gritty, well-plotted story that kept me guessing -- and then I had a bit of a surprise at the ending (which I liked).

All the Beautiful Lies

All the Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson   285 pages

Right before his college graduation, Harry gets a call from his stepmother, Alice, with devastating news that his father has died. Returning to his father's home in Maine, Harry stays with Alice to help her and also figure out what happened to his father. He's always considered Alice to be sexy and beautiful, in a kind of otherworldly way -- which makes staying with her a little awkward. When Harry meets a mysterious young woman named Grace, he starts to suspect she knows his family. And, she's not the only one taking an interest in Harry; Alice has now focused all of her sensuality on him. Harry finds he's falling under the spell of both women, but also starts to fear both of them are hiding some dangerous secrets.

This is a story that's like a guessing game, where you learn details as Harry does - so while you may think you know who is telling the truth and what's going to happen, it's hard to really know. There's an obvious edge to this story with the sexy-stepmother angle. But, there's a hypnotic quality to the story and the taut pacing lends itself to the twists and turns here.

The Other Mrs.

The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica  359 pages

"Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie.

But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light."  (summary from Goodreads)

I am very grateful that Mary Kubica keeps writing books because each time I read one, I enjoy it. Yes, it's another psychological thriller that I read this month. Like her other books, this book has an almost propulsive pacing, where the story starts and just takes off --- reading it is like running after something. The book isn't perfect -- it drags a little once in a while, and there are some disturbing elements that weren't quite 100% believable.  However, I still found it to be an entertaining page-turner, which was all I was asking for.

The Better Liar

The Better Liar by Tanen Jones  306 pages

If Leslie had arrived at her sister's Las Vegas apartment a few hours earlier, she would have found Robin to be alive. It would have been their first reunion in ten years, forced after Leslie learned her inheritance depended on re-connecting with Robin. But now, Robin's dead. And Leslie really needs that money.  However, her salvation may come in the form of Mary, a charismatic young woman who has a startling resemblance to Robin. The two make a bargain: Mary pretends to be Robin, in exchange for half the cash from the inheritance.  Sounds simple, right? Wrong. Mary is obviously hiding something and as Leslie starts to learn more about her, she becomes more disturbed.

And, of course, you find yourself wondering if Robin is actually dead. Does Mary have a connection to Robin? Why does Leslie need the money so badly? If you like books that make you start questioning things, and wondering what kind of twist will come next, this is the book for you. Psychological suspense + sister and family relationships + a touch of thriller/danger.

Imperfect Women

Imperfect Women by Araminta Hall   334 pages   I read a galley - due out June 2020

How can I resist a story that begins with a quote from Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood? Considering I've read that book 10+ times, I figured that was a good sign for this book.

Even close friends have secrets. That's what Eleanor and Mary are learning since the death of their best friend, Nancy. From the outside, Nancy's life looked like it was prefect. However, the investigation into her death is revealing some dark secrets and it's clear now that maybe Mary and Eleanor didn't know Nancy as well as they thought. And maybe they don't know each other, or themselves, very well either.

This is an immersive, gripping psychological suspense story but it's also an exploration into friendship, guilt, and the decisions that friends can make that alter their relationships forever. At the heart of the story, of course, is the mystery of who killed Nancy. With alternating viewpoints, the author uses sharp insights (and sometimes, biting humor) to explore the complex friendship between these three women. The steady pace, combined with interesting (and not always likeable, but compelling) characters, makes for a fantastic read.

For LibraryReads: Even close friends have secrets. That's what Eleanor and Mary are learning since the death of their best friend, Nancy. From the outside, Nancy's life looked like it was prefect. However, the investigation into her death is revealing some dark secrets and it's clear now that maybe Mary and Eleanor didn't know Nancy as well as they thought. And maybe they don't know each other, or themselves, very well either.

Good for readers who like Liane Moriarty and Fiona Barton. Also for readers who enjoy The Robber Bride and/or Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood.

The Lying Room

The Lying Room by Nicci French   417 pages

Neve was just having a mid-life fling, a small indiscretion that should have been a secret. However, when Neve pays a a visit to her lover, Saul, she finds him dead in his apartment. And not just dead, but brutally murdered.  After scrubbing all traces of her existence from the apartment, Neve thinks her life can return to normal . . . but did she forget something in the apartment?  Once the investigation into Saul's murder starts, it's clear that Neve's network of lies is about to unravel. It's also clear that as she tells more lies, that something dangerous is at play and it could have been that it was supposed to be her that was murdered, not Saul.

This psychological thriller starts with the discovery of a murder, and the pace is steady throughout the story. Neve is a great example of a realistic character who gets into something with not much intention, but then finds herself caught up in lie after lie.  The whole time that Neve is trying to stay one step ahead of the investigation, it becomes clear that things are become more and more complicated. Her troubled daughter, Mabel, is clearly involved in something with Saul -- did she kill him?  Did Neve's husband find out about the affair?  There are some interesting twists and turns here that keep the story interesting until the very end.

The Family Upstairs

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell   340 pages

When Libby Jones turns 25, she receives a letter that she has been waiting for her entire life: the letter that gives her the identity of her birth parents. And, as it turns out, she is also the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion in London. Everything in Libby's life is about to change . . . but she has no idea just what's around the corner.  Because 25 years ago, the police were called to this house with a report of a baby crying and when they went in, they discovered a baby --- and several dead adults.  Where were the four other children who lived in that house?

Now, everything (and everyone) seems to be coming together now that Libby has inherited the house. However, are the people who say they can help her really out to hurt her? And just what happened in that sinister house?

This tautly written psychological thriller keeps you on edge and guessing, with a cast of characters who have more than one layer to them. The story goes back and forth in different perspectives of characters, and also back in forth in time, which gives the story a layered effect, as well. And the effect of unwrapping a particularly nasty box of family secrets.  Interesting premise, and I liked it up to the end.