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This is a slow mystery rather than a thriller. There are dual timelines that take you back to the 1960’s and mid-70’s about two missing children’s cases, who happen to be siblings, surrounding a summer camp in the Adirondacks.
A young, female detective is on the case, and you get to meet several people to get various points of views. I liked that it was a character driven mystery, involved a dysfunctional family and it touches on gender and class inequality throughout the story. I found this to be a unique take on a mystery.
If you like slower paced mysteries, character driven stories, dysfunctional families or maybe a visit to 1970’s Adirondacks, I’d recommend this book to you.
- Cortney G. (Odenton Library)
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I would not survive the Ruby Slipper apple. The entire time I read this book, I found myself salivating over apples. I would fall prey to the orchard and not even look back.
Dan Paxton has regained his father's apple orchard back after a long and unfair trial. Hoping to support his daughter's dream to go to Princeton and show the local men that attempted to steal his family orchard that he's worth something, he's able to graft 7 apple trees that produced a new breed of apples. These apples appear to be strange, beautiful, and skin so red, it's nearly black. With a slow start at the local market, Dan's daughter suggest some free samples which cause the apples' popularity to explode. However, the reaction to these apples begin to grow into something that doesn't seem quite natural.
This was my first Chuck Wendig novel and I really enjoyed the writing style. Each character had their own personality and felt genuine in nature. Suspense was built thoughtfully and created a true sense of thrill. Wendig slowly and subtly introduced horrific scenes and descriptions as the novel progressed and I appreciated the build up and anticipation, but it wasn't so slow I would consider this a "slow burn." Very well written and the plot was well rounded. I'm not sure how I was able to read over 600 pages about an evil apple, but Wendig kept me captivated the entire time.
I usually tried to suggest a book similar to this one so you can understand what the vibes are, but I'm having a hard time relating to this one as it was unique from other novels. The closest I can think of is "The Reddening" by Adam Neville or "Hex" by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. However, both of those books were far too slow for me to enjoy and didn't seem to pay off as much as Black River Orchard did. But, they did have an overall encompassing terror that lingered in the air over a small town that is being enveloped slowly be evil. And it's very similar in that fashion. If you enjoy small town stories, a great cast of characters, occultism, body horror, and a paranormal evil, then you'll enjoy Black River Orchard.
- Mackenzie N. (Headquarters)
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Set in Puerto Rico, this book follows childhood friends Gabe, Xavier, Tavo, and *** as they seek revenge after ***’s mother is brutally murdered. As they become more deeply entrenched in solving the mystery of the murder, Hurricane Maria consumes Puerto Rico and encompasses them in darkness. They soon learn that the hurricane was the harbinger of things more sinister than they could even imagine.
This book was harrowing from start to finish, but I couldn’t put it down. The setting of Puerto Rico during and after a major hurricane lends to the haunted atmosphere that this book creates. It starts intense, and it only continues to build as it goes on so be prepared for a chilling and fervent ride.
This book is for anyone who likes the supernatural as well as folklore in their stories. Perfect for readers who enjoyed Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez, this book is one you are sure to remember.
- Crista F. (Severn Library)
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4) The Villa
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Sophia is the heir the Giambelli winery and the young go-getter of the Giambeli clan. Sophia is about to learn some new lessons about the wine business, intrigue, and jealously that will change everything at Villa Giambeli. I have been reading the older Nora Roberts novels that I have never read and I have discovered that these light mysteries are enjoyable (if a little obvious sometimes) and can be read quickly.
- Mary S. (Deale Library)
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Jolene Smith is an admin with large Canadian retailer, Supershops, Inc. A diligent employee, her work consumes her time at the office, often at the detriment to her relationships with her colleagues—which would be fine if she weren't venting her frustrations in petty email postscripts... As a result, Jolene is subjected to sensitivity training with the new HR professional, and all amidst a series of layoffs. So when an IT mix-up gives Jolene access to her entire office's emails and DMs, she realizes she may have what she needs to get a leg up on the competition.
I enjoyed the debut novel for its quick wit and interesting plotlines. While Jolene may not be the most loveable character, she is more similar to the everyman than we may like to admit. I laughed, I cringed, I cheered for her and against her, but all in all I had fun with this read.
- Leslie B. (Maryland City at Russett Library)
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In Colonial New England, Abitha, a recent transplant from England, was sold into marriage to a stranger. Being a strong spirit of a woman, she struggles to accustom herself to the Puritan ways and has to constantly remind herself that her actions could quickly lead her to being locked up in the stocks. When her husband mysteriously dies, Abitha is left fighting for the land he and she put so much work into and fighting against her brother-in-law that desperately wants his brother's land back. She struggles against a patriarchal society to keep her land, her morals, and her sanity.
Just as Abitha is beginning her struggles, an ancient spirit is awoken by the wildfolk near her farm. He has little memory of his past; does he create, does he destroy? Is he good? Is he evil? While he begins to discover himself, strange things begin happening around Abitha's farm and the word "witch" begins to whisper around the village.
I greatly enjoyed this book! It has been placed into my top 10 favorite reads of all time. I love Abitha and the ancient creature as characters. They are both ferocious and charming. As a reader, I had a strong loyalty to Abitha the entire time and was rooting for her even in the darkest moments. Brom did a great job delivering a fantasy world in a bleak Puritan setting. I really appreciated how he handled a respectful approach to Christianity and Witchcraft alike. This was a great read and I suggest it to anyone who enjoys stories about witches or anything a little darker.
If you enjoyed books by Christina Henry or similar to The Death of Jane Lawrence and A Dowry of Blood, you'll enjoy Slewfoot.
- Mackenzie N. (Headquarters)
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