Book Review: Missing Since Monday by Ann M. Martin

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Missing Since Monday by Ann M. Martin follows Maggie and her older brother when their father and stepmother leave on a long-delayed honeymoon, trusting the siblings to care for their four-year-old half sister, Courtenay. When Courtenay fails to come home from daycare one Monday afternoon, Maggie and her brother are thrust into a frightening mystery. With no adults around to help, they must piece together what happened and find a way to alert their parents before it’s too late. This standalone novel for readers ages eight to twelve was one I completely missed as a kid, but as an adult and a longtime fan of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club  series, I couldn’t resist picking it up. The first chapter or two felt a bit choppy to me at first, but once the story found its footing, everything began to come together nicely . Because this is a short children’s book, the characters aren’t deeply developed, which is to be expected. That said, Martin does an excellent job conveying Maggie’...
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Book Review: Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena

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book review everyone here is lying shari lapena books

Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena was published on July 25, 2023.  The story opens with William Wooler having an affair.  When his mistress ends things, William goes home early wanting some peace and quiet only to find his daughter Avery home from school early.  He loses his temper with his daughter and leaves.  Hours later, Avery is missing and presumed dead, leaving William as the suspect.  However, he isn't the only person in town hiding a secret.

Shari Lapena is one of my favorite authors, so whenever she has a new book out, I know that I'm going to read it automatically.  I was hoping that I'd be lucky enough to receive an advanced readers copy from NetGalley.  Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards for me.  However, I was one of the first people to be able to check out Everyone Here Is Lying from my local public library.

Told from multiple perspectives, the story held my attention, and I drew some conclusions on who I thought was involved in the kidnapping of Avery.  I thought the father was too obvious, and I didn't think it was anyone in the immediate family.  My mind briefly landed on the mistress and then on her son.  There were so many twists and turns that I started second guessing myself on who I thought it was.  When the author revealed what happened, I was completely shocked by it.  Looking back, she did give a really good clue as to who was involved, and I ignored it.

Although Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena is a suspense novel, it isn't fast paced at all.  It's more of a slow burn but in a good way.  I do have to say that normally there are a few likable characters throughout the story, but this isn't one of them.  The majority of the characters were unlikable in my opinion, but surprisingly, that didn't detract from the story.

Five out of five stars is what I gave Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena.  I can't wait to see what the author writes next.  Hopefully, she will eventually write a sequel to to this book.

 

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