The Drift by C. J. Tudor

Listen up, people. Have you read C. J. Tudor yet? If not, you are missing out!

I read The Drift when it came out in hardcover, but was very neglectful about typing up my review. Now that it's out in paperback, I'm rectifying that!

The book is told in three parts. But they intertwine in such a way that the connections aren't immediately clear beyond setting. 

A school bus overturns on trip to evacuate a group of students to a place called The Retreat. These chosen few should be safe there. If they can only make it. 

Meg was also on her way to The Retreat when she awakens in a stopped cable car. Neither she or her fellow passengers can remember how they got there. But with no power and temps dropping fast, they must find a way to survive!

Carter lives comfortably in a ski chalet. But they live at the mercy of the generator. And when it starts to fail, it means facing the things both inside and outside that put everyone at risk. 

Tudor says this was a bit of a passion project. One delayed by but also made possible by the pandemic. 

After all, even I as both a reader and agent had my doubts about ever being able to read a post-apocalyptic thriller in the days around and beyond 2020. 

But I actually found it a bit cathartic. And by the time The Drift released here in the States, I was more than ready for this particular book!

First, I have a thing for snowed-in reads. And absolutely fits the bill! Which is perfect because it's February and I especially like to read snowed-in books while it's nasty and snowing outside!

The world of The Drift unfolds somewhat slowly through the eyes of these three narrators. And it's in part because of the structure—alternating short chapters between each of these characters means you get snippets of what each of them are experiencing alongside the world around them. And I have to say that the deliberate delay in what is otherwise an exceptionally fast-paced read made for a deliciously agonizing experience!

I desperately wanted to know what was going on in this world. Why the desperation to reach The Retreat. Why the secrecy around the facility!

And the dawning of understanding that begins to set in at a certain point in the reading was truly a wonderful discovery and reveal. 

Again, if you've not been reading Tudor, you absolutely need to. There's a new adaptation of one of her works (The Burning Girls), there's a new release (The Gathering) on the horizon, there's plenty of backlist to tide you over, and there's even a TV adaptation of The Drift in the works! Add her to your must-read list today and ENJOY!

Order a copy from Bookshop today!

The Ice Beneath Her by Camilla Grebe

When the beheaded body of a young woman is found in the house of notorious "Fashion King" Jesper Orre, suspicion immediately turns to the man. Peter Lindgren and Manfred Olsson land the case and really can't be blamed for suspecting the Clothes & More CEO. Orre has, after all, been the focus of a number of headlines concerning the beleaguered company thanks to poor treatment of workers and even possible misuse of funds. Oh, and Orre is missing too. 

But there are a few wrinkles, the main one being a similar case from ten years ago in which a murdered man was found in very similar circumstances. Hanne Lagerlind-Schön was a consultant on that case and Olsson believes she could be of help again. But Hanne is in the beginnings of a dementia diagnosis, fighting a losing battle where time is her enemy. And yet, being part of the new case could be exactly what she needs to give herself a new feeling of confidence. But being part of the case also means reuniting with Peter...

I wanted to love The Ice Beneath Her. It had all the right elements of a great thriller: a twisted case, a cop with a complicated background, and points of view from a number of characters, any of whom could be of questionable believability. 

And yet, I found that I struggled to stay in the story. 

For one, Peter Lindgren comes off just a tad too similar to Jussi Adler-Olsen's Dept Q lead - and I much prefer the latter. 

Peter is not a nice guy. He has a son he never sees, because he believes he's a bad dad (uh, yeah), leaving sole responsibility on the shoulders of his ex, a woman who comes across as either a saint or an idiot depending on your opinion. And he and Hanne have a history too. 

His selfishness and neglect of others isn't really balanced by any positive or potentially likable personality aspects until we get close to the end of the book. And again I couldn't help comparing him to Carl Mørck who did manage to charm me within a few pages of his own book, in spite of being a grouch who everyone hates. Plus, he's balanced by a cast of equally intriguing and fabulous characters, which Peter doesn't really have in The Ice Beneath Her.

That said, Hanne could have been a real stand out. Had we been limited to her side of the story I actually would have been much more satisfied with the book. Her struggle with her illness and the limits she knows it's going to set on her don't break her determination to do something other than lie down and take it. And while we get good insight into this aspect of her life and her obsession with Greenland and Inuit culture, we don't get much in the way of her actual job. Which is unfortunate as it would have made both the mystery and her character more interesting. 

The story does alternate between Peter, Hanne, and a third character, Emma. Emma takes us back to about two months before the murder, offering us a bit of background on Jesper Orre. And we soon learn she is a possible ID for the dead body as well. 

All in all The Ice Beneath Her wasn't a bad book, it simply fell short of comparable titles. Which is a shame considering I'd hoped it would be one to add to my growing list of Scandi faves.

Rating: 3/5

The Last One by Alexandra Oliva

Twelve contestants have been chosen for a brand new reality show called In the Dark. They know it's a survival based show. They know they'll be cut off from the outside world. And they know they're competing against one another to win. What they don't know is that the show doesn't end until only one of them is left. 

They also don't know that the world around them is fighting for its own survival as a mysterious illness begins attacking and killing off much of the population. 

Zoo, dubbed so by the production team, is one of ten remaining contestants at this point. She's been following the clues - blue, as per her bandanna color - but hasn't seen any of the others for some time. She also hasn't seen the host, her cameraman, or any other crew, but she knows they have drones for filming. She expects it's all supposed to make the show more dramatic, kind of like the dead body she and Waitress and Rancher came upon on their last team challenge. That one didn't look as real as the one Zoo came upon by herself, though. After coming so far, Zoo is determined to win. And she thinks she knows where she's supposed to head next.

Alexandra Oliva's debut rocked my world, readers!

I loved the concept - reality show contestants stuck playing a game they don't know is essentially over as a viral apocalypse wreaks havoc on the real world. I also loved the execution - chapters alternate between the production of the show, with details like how the editors will cut certain scenes to build the characters their contestants are meant to represent, and Zoo's present chapters as she fights to win.

Of course the game is over but Zoo has to use all of the skills she's learned to survive day to day. We see exactly how the initial misunderstanding occurs and how Zoo convinces herself everything that happens to her is still part of the show. All of it meant to bring in ratings and viewers. All of it spiraling further and further beyond what you'd imagine you yourself would believe in her position. And yet, it's understandable that a person would rationalize the things Zoo sees. How else could she - or anyone - stay sane?

I adored this book. It hit all the right notes for me - it was suspenseful and dark but also had a bit of humor to it as well (I know a little about what goes on behind the scenes of reality tv already, but seeing it in a book is that much more amusing and snarky). And of course it's basically an apocalypse tale, which we all know is right up my alley!

The Last One is going down as a favorite of mine for 2016. I highly recommend to anyone in search of a quick and tense read that's also got a fair bit of emotional depth. Fair warning, it's also pretty dark!

Rating: 5/5

Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Nancy Horan's latest, Under the Wide and Starry Sky.

Fanny has had it with her husband's other women! But for a married woman in the 1870s, there are few options for escape. And so Fanny packs up her three children and their belongings and heads to Europe where she hopes to provide her kids with education and worldiness. But tragedy strikes when Fanny's youngest takes ill and eventually passes away. She and the other children retreat to the French village of Grez-sur-Loing where she meets Robert Louis Stevenson. Of course Fanny isn't to know that this fateful meeting will lead to the love of a lifetime.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend last year's regional trade show and speak briefly with the Random House reps. They were raving about Horan's latest and so, when the opportunity to join the tour arose, I could not pass up the chance.

I've not read Horan's debut, Loving Frank, though I am aware of how popular it is with readers. That one focuses on Frank Lloyd Wright and his relationship with Mamah Borthwick Cheney (and the more I learn about Wright the more interested I am in that particular book). Horan tackles yet another real life couple in Under the Wide and Starry Sky with author Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife Fanny Van de Grift Stevenson.

There is a certain amount of trust that must be had between reader and author when it comes to a book based in history. I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that many of Horan's readers will know little or nothing (as is the case with me) about this couple going into the book and so we have to rely on her word that what we're reading is based in fact.

As a reader, all I can judge on is the quality of the writing and the believability of the story. And I have to give Horan top marks in both categories! Through her prose and attention to detail, Horan not only captured my attention and held it through the entire story, but she made me believe that what I was reading was indeed the way it happened. Of course I know that even with primary source material no one can really know what Fanny and Louis (as he's referred to in the story) were truly thinking and feeling, but Horan's version is so warm and appealing that it doesn't matter. It's fiction based in fact. It's an attempt to bring to life a story about two people who existed and obviously loved one another very much (Fanny was with Stevenson through thick and thin, sickness and health). And it works.

Horan's picture of Fanny Van de Grift Stevenson is a formidable woman with a heart and soul, an interest in the arts and literature, but also a woman who set aside many of her own wants and needs to take care of others - first her husband Sam and then Louis, whose writing she supports and nurtures fully. And Horan's version of Louis is of a man who yearns to be great. Someone who wants to make his mark but also someone with an honest love for life and storytelling. Of course prior to this Stevenson was just a classic name in literature to me. The author of works such as Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Kidnapped. I knew nothing of his life, his relationships, his illnesses...

Under the Wide and Starry Sky is an appealing novel for many reasons, just one of which is the vibrancy that Horan brings to these characters and their relationship. It's a book that I so heartily enjoyed!

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here. For more on Nancy Horan and her work, you can visit her website here. You can also like her on Facebook.

 

The Clover House by Henriette Lazaridis Power + A Giveaway

Morning, readers! Today I'm a stop on the TLC book tour for Henriette Lazaridis Powers's The Clover House. My post is a bit short today, I've got family in visiting and we're running the roads having a fabulous time!

While Callie (nee Calliope Notaris Brown) was always fascinated by her mother's stories of growing up in Greece, their relationship has never been easy. Her mother returned to Greece shortly after Callie's father died and their marriage has left Callie worried about the prospects of her own relationship. When Callie learns that her uncle has passed away and left her the contents of his home, she reluctantly books a trip to Patras even though her last trip ended dreadfully. She immediately starts on rocky ground with her mother, who for reasons Callie can't understand would prefer that Callie had left her uncle's things in her hands. Callie's uncle collected and kept everything he could get his hands on: photos, radio recordings, even fruit pits from the families farm. But as Callie digs into the years worth of items it becomes clear just how little she really knows about her mother's past. 

Henriette Lazaridis Powers's debut is the kind of book you can literally lose yourself in. Much of story itself is based on her own family history and her experiences as a first generation American. Patras is where her family lived and the stories her mother shared with her were as entrancing to her growing up as Callie's mother's stories are in the book. I think it's this strong connection to her subject that's helped in making The Clover House such a wonderful book.

I did find Callie to be a bit off putting at times. Her personality is a result of her experiences and the author does a great job of explaining that throughout the book, but it's one of those stories that develops more the further you go. It's unclear at the start just why Callie and her mother have so much friction between them and how this affects her relationship with Jonah and with the rest of her family.

Clio's chapters were my favorite. The glimpses of her life and the pieces we learn about Greek history are fascinating.

Throughout the book, however, the author's descriptions of Greece and Patras make The Clover House a real stand out. She's able to bring the setting to life in such a wonderful way!

The Clover House brought to mind one of my absolute favorites books of all time Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris. Harris always creates an intriguing story and a lush setting. In this case it's France during WWII occupation, which could be why I was reminded of it so much.

Rating: 4/5

To see what everyone else on the tour thought, check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on the author and The Clover House (including an excerpt) visit her official website. You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

As a little bonus, I have one copy up for grabs. If you're interested, leave me a comment here (with a way to contact you in case you're the winner) before midnight Sunday, April 14 (US only please).