#audiobookreviewer – Rosepoint Publishing

Malibu Rising: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday #FictionSagas

Best Books of 2021

Award Winner for Readers’ Favorite Historical Fiction (2021)

Book Blurb:

Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, the family drama that ensues will change their lives forever.

Malibu: August 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time for him to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come rising to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.

My Review:

Yes, it’s Taylor Jenkins Reid—and it’s 100% character-driven. Not that I don’t like some character-driven inclusions, but 100%?

No plot. Just characters. Now and back then.

I read Daisy Jones and the Six back in 2023 and really enjoyed it. Then I read Atmosphere in 2025 but didn’t find it up to the level of enjoyment as Daisy Jones.

Malibu Rising - US cover — Malibu Riding – US cover

Having listened to this one some time ago, I’m even having a problem remembering it at all, except that just that fact tells me what I felt about it at the time. It’s a deep dive into the character of four siblings who are facing the annual celebrity party.

Yes, they have daddy issues and each have struggled with it according to their own personalities. The Riva family has a tragic history, creating flawed characters all. Each has widely different interests. I was awed by Nina’s sacrifices. The roles in the Riva family flip early, making the kids the mature, responsible members while the parents abdicated being adults and were more about play time.

Malibu Rising - UK cover — Malibu Rising – UK cover

I did like the well-drawn atmosphere of the California 50s. I could almost relate except that Malibu never figured into our moves. And I liked the way the ending settled the father fiasco and Nina’s rewards. Thank you—gave me another half star. Otherwise, if you’re a die-hard Reid fan, you probably enjoyed it. For me, the glow of Daisy has worn very thin.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Two point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Fiction Sagas, Family Saga Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrator: ‎ Julia Whelan
Release Date: June 1, 2021

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her newest novel, Malibu Rising, is out now. She lives in Los Angeles.

You can follow her on Instagram @tjenkinsreid.

audiobook reader — Graphic image courtesy ChatGPT

He Started It by Samantha Downing #AudiobookReview #TuesdayBookBlog #DarkHumor

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

From the twisted mind behind mega hit My Lovely Wife comes the story of a family—not unlike your own—just with a few more violent tendencies thrown in….

Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan haven’t all been together in years. And for very good reasons—we’ll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross-country road trip to fulfill his final wish and—more importantly—secure their inheritance.

But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.

It’s even harder when you’re all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory, a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won’t stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there’s a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.

But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.

My Review:

Without realizing it, I borrowed two audiobooks by the same author within a month. I previously read and reviewed Too Old For This and greatly enjoyed it, perhaps because it involved a female senior main character. Major dark satire. This book is also dark. Very dark and also quite original.

This one, however, doesn’t include the satire; no sense of humor. At first I thought the bickering between siblings was meant to establish a sense of familial connectedness. Boy, was I wrong. Grandpa died and the inheritance comes after a road trip.

He Started It by Samantha Downing — He Started It – US cover

Beth, Portia, and Eddie Morgan all have widely different personalities and they all remember their grandfather differently. For that matter, they remember their parents differently as well.

Not the first book I’ve read recently with totally unlikeable characters, truly dysfunctional. They all have secrets and are disturbed to varying degrees. You can’t believe what happens on this cross-country trip they are forced to recapture of the one with their grandpa when they were all little—some twenty years ago. There are caveats, of course, but they must all do the trip just like they did before, including the dumps they stayed in and the greasy spoons where they ate. Beth, the middle child, is both the narrator and a liar.

He Started It by Samatha Downing — He Started It – UK cover

This trip is a little more complicated, given that now there is a marriage involved along with another significant partner. Beth was given the edict to find their missing sister by their mother—now in prison. But guess how that goes.

Yes, it’s a mind-blowing, skull-numbing read, with twists and whip-fast, shocking turns. Once I got my eyes back and focused, I’d reread that passage. No, that’s what I read. Who writes this stuff?!

Okay, so the deal was that the siblings had to complete the trip, report back and get their inheritance—no small change. So, how in hell did this ending solve that one? Hated the ending. So much drama, never-ending bickering, one extra little zinger after another. (Who is following them? Why did grandpa whisk the kids away from their parents and what’s with the calls? What’s the deal with Eddie?) It’s clever, keeps you hooked, entertained until the end. And did we find out what happened with the missing sister?

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Dark Humor Literature & Fiction, Dark Humor, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrator: ‎ Karissa Vacker
Release Date: July 21, 2020

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Samantha Downing is an internationally bestselling thriller author. Her novels include My Lovely Wife, He Started It, For Your Own Good, and A Twisted Love Story. Her debut novel, My Lovely Wife, was nominated for Edgar, ITW, and Macavity awards in the US, the CWA award in the UK, and was the winner of the Prix des Lectrices award in France.

Her latest thriller, Too Old For This, was released in August 2025.

#ThrowbackThursday

The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday #psychologicalthriller

Best Books of the Year 2015

Book Blurb:

The #1 New York Times bestseller, USA Today Book of the Year and now a major motion picture starring Emily Blunt.

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple having breakfast on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

My Review:

Sorry, not sorry, that I did not find Rachel sympathetic.

This is a novel I sucked into because it was a book of the year. Not the first time I’ve wondered if I read the same book alluded to in the raves. It wasn’t until I actually started this review that I discovered it also became a successful movie starring Emily Blunt. Well…Emily Blunt. Now I’ll have to go and look for the flick, but it won’t be involved in my review of the novel.

The Girl on the Train - US cover — The Girl on the Train – US cover

There are actually three main characters but Rachel Watson has the predominant POV. Also included in short chapter bursts are Anna and Megan. They all share the storytelling, but it’s Rachel who is the most dominant and unreliable narrator. Excuse me, but did they all have to be so nasty? There’s no one here to invest in.

It’s Megan who goes missing. It’s Anna who is the sweetie who stole Rachel’s hubby (the rat) and became pregnant just to spite Rachel. Anna obviously knew Rachel couldn’t conceive, thank heaven, as with the amount of booze Rachel consumed, the poor thing would come out in the shape of a bottle.

Never mind all that. Rachel manages the money to continue to commute to the city every morning where she was fired for drinking and being totally obnoxious on the job. One morning on the way in though, she believes she witnesses what has to be a crime and she attempts to report it.

HA! No one takes her seriously. Would you? So she decides to find out what happened herself. Does this sound familiar at all?

The Girl on the Train - UK cover — The Girl on the Train – UK cover

The narrative manages a timeline shift as well as POV shifts, some stretching disbelief, some little more than a repeat, but therein lies a heavy philosophical study in the mind of three disparate women. There are twists galore, because…who do you trust to tell this tale?

The denouement, when it comes, may not be one of the answers you’d thought of, but is rather a let down anyway and my summation: meh.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrators: Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, India Fisher
Release Date: January 13, 2015

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: PAULA HAWKINS worked as a journalist for fifteen years before writing her first novel. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Paula moved to London in 1989. Her first thriller, The Girl on the Train, has sold more than 23 million copies worldwide. Published in over fifty languages, it has been a Number 1 bestseller around the world and was a box office hit film starring Emily Blunt.

Paula’s thrillers, Into the Water and A Slow Fire Burning, were also instant Number 1 bestsellers.

Audiobooks with headphones — Graphic books and coffee courtesy Freepik.com

The Music Shop: A Novel by Rachel Joyce #AudiobookReview #bookclub #TBT

Best Literature & Fiction

Another book I’d have never chosen, but a book club selection for September. An older book, albeit one that caught a lot of attention including a star rating of 2 (Kobo) to 4.3 (Amazon-US), that, once again, I struggled with. Being honest, it moved so slowly I might have DNF’d it, had it not been a book club pick we would be discussing at our October meeting.

My Thoughts

The glacial pace, for me at least, was occasionally moved to cruise when discussing the nuances of a particular portion of a popular song, whether contemporary or classic. The ensuing discussion often led to a new understanding of the lyrics and what they might really have meant. Not that the author was just happy at that point that the lines rhymed.

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce — The Music Shop – US cover

Frank has a gift…no, not a gift, as he’s had a lifetime to build that acute sense of music and the acquired expertise, memory for songs instilled in him by a mother consumed by music. More devotion to her music than even for a son, longing for acknowledgment, love, and respect by devouring everything from old to new pieces, artists, and genres.

His loss is palpable. Sad. But his talent is in hearing a customer’s story and recommending the one song that will absolutely resonate with them, bring them back to joy and heal.

There were times when I got annoyed with Frank and his insistence on staying with vinyl. I could imagine, and knew, he’d be left behind with new technology and changes with the delivery of music and that he’d be woefully left behind times. Not that his whole neighborhood wasn’t changing, battling new ideas for development that didn’t include him.

So when Ilse is introduced to the storyline, I couldn’t see where in the world she’d fit in the scenario and what her angle might be. Frank has his secrets, so does she, and both so stubborn they’d lose twenty-one years of what might have been. ARGH!

I perked up near the conclusion and the flash mob idea with Handel’s Messiah Hallelujah Chorus. Still, even that disappointed and I had to search YouTube for a better version.

Book Club Thoughts

Once again, the book provided many a lively discussion, often times getting off topic with music providing such a wide arc for thought and conversation. Lots of sharing favorites—those songs that resonate deeply, personally, the lyrics that spoke to you. A variety of questions, most from author suggestions rather than the publisher.

A few of the questions specifically examined were:

► Why is Frank so insistent on staying with vinyl?

He inherited his mother’s huge collection; that is where his heart is.

► What did the people on Unity Street mean to him?

He was left alone after his mother passed and they were what constituted his family.

► What does Frank’s gift tell us about himself, his childhood?

He had absorbed the absolute meaning and feeling that music represented and could interpret what was most appropriate for the one seeking solace.

► Do you listen to music a little differently now?

Yes.

Reflecting on the music that gives me goosebumps, I can’t listen to Elvis singing, You Gave Me a Mountain without getting them. Of course, there are others. Having lost my brother during the ‘Nam war, it’s hard not to cry when I hear Bring Him Home (Josh Groban).

The book stirred some emotions, but, mercy—slow and sad just doesn’t do it for me. What did you think of the book? Your favorite song?

Book Details:

Publisher: Random House Audio
Narrator: Steven Hartley
Publication Date: January 2, 2018

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Rachel Joyce is the author of the Sunday Times and international bestsellers The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Perfect, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, The Music Shop, the instant New York Times best seller Miss Benson’s Beetle, Maureen Fry & the Angel of the North and a collection of interlinked short stories, A Snow Garden & Other Stories. Her latest novel The Homemade God will be published in April ’25 in UK, and June ’25 in US and Canada.

Rachel’s books have been translated into thirty-seven languages and sold millions of copies world-wide. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book prize and longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. The critically acclaimed film of the novel, for which Rachel wrote the screenplay, was released in 2023 starring Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton, and in 2025 the musical will open in Chichester Festival Theatre, for which Rachel also wrote the script. Miss Benson’s Beetle won the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize 2021, Rachel was awarded the Specsavers National Book Awards ‘New Writer of the Year’ in December 2012 and she was shortlisted for the ‘UK Author of the Year’ 2014. In 2024 she was given an honorary doctorate by Kingston University.

Rachel has written many original afternoon plays and adaptations of the classics for BBC Radio 4 and she is currently adapting Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen which will be aired later this year. You can follow her on Instagram at rachelcjoyce.

The YMCA Bookclub

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday #crimethrillers

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.

Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends.

When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that.

But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime might just be the death of her…

My Review:

The first time the hammer came down, I was shocked out of my wits. She did what? I reread it. No, I was right. OMG!

Here I was, innocently enjoying a new surge in the books with senior main characters. It never dawned on me that what looked like on the surface as a sweet old lady, might instead harbor a serial killer. Well, of course, there is that book cover…

This is definitely not your average serial killer.

Lottie is living the dream. Self-sustaining, she is independent, capable, and wicked smart. She’d have to be to get away with her horrific background all these years, never having been caught.

So when a journalist arrives that wants to interview her, get her story, something has to give. If I had false teeth, I’d have dropped them. This is definitely a hook that will get you listening beyond preparing dinner.

Lottie is never going to win any contest for being an agreeable senior, easy to manipulate. That fiendish sense of propriety, humor and wit, there is very little that gets past her. And there is no way anything about her past could come out. That would just destroy the sweet and comfortable set up with her senior lady friends, circle of church acquaintances, and compelling and relaxed atmosphere she has created for herself in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

How does a writer give you a reprehensible character and make her charismatic enough to actually root for her? Do you? Maybe not. But watching her maneuver the sticky situations that ensue while listening to her new aches and pains attributable to her physical age or complaining about forgetting something important can be, admittedly, hilarious.

Where did she come up with her moral code, the justification? The book is addictive. The septuagenarian can hold her own with any street smart teen, meet them with their language, and best them in clever strategizing.

I think reading this book could be fun, but for even more fun, I’d recommend the audiobook narrated beautifully by Elizabeth Wiley. She hits all the nuances, the inflections, and manifests the dark humor. It’s compelling, engaging, entertaining. Suspend a little disbelief and enjoy the twists; the intellect is delicious.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Suspense
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrator: Elizabeth Wiley
Release Date: August 12, 2025

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Please accept my sincere apologies for accidentally posting the incorrect picture of this author. This is the pic that should have appeared.

The Author:

Samantha Downing is an internationally bestselling thriller author. Her novels include My Lovely Wife, He Started It, For Your Own Good, and A Twisted Love Story. Her debut novel, My Lovely Wife, was nominated for Edgar, ITW, and Macavity awards in the US, the CWA award in the UK, and was the winner of the Prix des Lectrices award in France.

Her latest thriller, Too Old For This, was released in August 2025.

Woman cooking dinner while listening to an audiobook. — AI generated by Gemini.Google.com

Forget You Saw Her: A Thriller by Noelle W Ihli #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Book Blurb:

Seventeen years ago, Sabina made the most difficult decision of her life: giving her newborn daughter, Andrea, up for adoption. She’s lived with the guilt ever since, clinging to the hope that Andrea was safe, happy, and loved.

Then the letter from the police arrives.

Andrea Beaumont is a missing person.

Desperate for answers, Sabina dives headlong into a frantic search for the daughter she never knew. But the deeper she digs, the more certain she becomes that Andrea isn’t coming home.

And yet…as Sabina follows the disturbing trail of evidence, she swears she can feel her daughter reaching through her dreams, warning her—and guiding her toward the truth.

But someone else is watching—and keeping close tabs on Sabina’s search. And they’ll do whatever it takes to make sure the truth stays buried.

Inspired by true events, Forget You Saw Her is a standalone prequel to the blockbuster international bestseller Ask for Andrea, sure to keep readers gasping for air long into the night.

My Review:

Seems like I’ve been bumping into a number of books lately with the same common theme of adoption. It doesn’t sound like being female and adopted is a fun childhood and many of these books would have you kissing the feet of your own parents—if you have both.

I see by the posted reviews that this was a highly successful book, based on a true experience. Perhaps that makes it even more tragic, as this book contains a number of trigger warnings, not the least of which is abuse. With readers disclosing the level of emotion the narrative wrought, it was expected to be very poignant. And to some extent, it was.

Confession here—I have not read Ask for Andrea and, therefore, had no expectation other than the description in the blurb. You’d think then that the long, possible redundancy regarding some of the characters as they are fully fleshed would be familiar enough by those who had to become tedious. It was for me and slowed the pace to the point where there were small portions I might have tuned out.

Once again, noted it contained some elements of paranormal piqued my interest and, indeed, they were a point of re-engagement for me.

Somehow, I always look for the rainbow, good triumphs over evil, everything will turn out okay. In this novel, it is heart-breakingly unattainable. I never really attained a solid connection, still, a tragic event is emotional. The storyline is told through multiple POVs and is well plotted. The writing style is beautiful.

Not what the reader might expect. I didn’t get my happy ever after, maybe that’s my problem. You may very well find this a delicious, can’t put it down thriller. Go for it.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Suspense thrillers, Domestic Thrillers
Publisher: Simon Maverick
Narrators: Andi Arndt, Carlotta Brentan, Brittany Pressley
Release Date: November 4, 2025

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: USA Today bestselling author Noelle W. Ihli lives in Idaho with her husband, two sons, and three cats. When she’s not plotting her next thriller, she’s scaring herself with true-crime documentaries or going for a trail ride (with her trusty pepper spray).

Rosepoint Reviews – September Recap – Did you catch that Harvest Moon?

Rosepoint Reviews - September Recap

Usually we have a beautiful Harvest moon just about the autumn equinox, but with the crazy early fall weather we’ve had this year, pretty hard to see the moon or stars. Do you have a celebration to welcome in the change to seasons now or later?

Perhaps we are more inclined to celebrate the period around Halloween, although we are not due now a full moon on Halloween night until October 31, 2039. I’ve always been fascinated by the origins of the ancient festival celebrations around the end of October as it felt more like the end of the harvest season to us. I must admit, however, that my garden gave it up early this year and I’ve already spent the time to clean it up. I’ve salvaged a few acorn squash and one lonesome bell pepper.

Because the weather took such a turn, I began preparation to move the little water garden critters inside. You may remember that I mentioned setting up a little water feature in my May Recap. The orange Mystery Snails and Rosy Red Minnows have actually made the move successfully (so far) to a small aquarium. The minnows are hardy, look like goldfish, and withstand both water level and temperature fluctuations. Orange Mystery Snails - breathe both air and water The snails are the clowns of the aquarium, breathe both water and air, will go exploring, eat most any veggie and are tolerated because they clean up algae. The downside, of course, is that they reproduce like rabbits and put a heavy load on otherwise clean water. It’s been an education.

Speaking of education, a gal in one of my exercise classes started talking to me about her participation in Mahjong. Well, Mahjong! Mah Jong tiles I was introduced to the original Mahjong over in Japan when we lived there and, fascinated, went out and bought and brought home, a set of Mahjong tiles. I paid 800 Yen back then, or about $2.20, and now approximately $5.08 USD. Of course, no way, shape, or form could the Asian game be close to the now sanctioned National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) game, not that I remember how we played it back then. Needless to say, I’ll be starting a beginner class shortly. I guess it’s really catching on in the States now.

The first week of October will be our third anniversary with Punkin the Pom, who has finally allowed me to pet her (by invitation only), and has jumped up on the couch if we aren’t there and the bed when we are, though doesn’t stay close longer than to say goodnight. She will turn seven years old two weeks after that. I must say, she is a very easy dog to live with, for the most part undemanding.

Despite all the above and another trip to the VA for the CE, I did manage to read and listen to nine ebooks and audiobooks. Still trying to play catch up and not doing a very good job of it while so much is going on. As always, the link is to my review that also includes purchase links.

#RosepointPublishing - September Recap

EBooks

Every Secret Thing by Susanna Kearsley
How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz

Audiobooks

Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (bookclub selection)

Poppy Montgomery Gets Even by Gordon Jack*
The Secrets We Hide by Karin Slaughter*

Dead Men Don’t Play Fetch by David Rosenfelt*
Shadow of the Solstice by Anne Hillerman*

Keep Them Close by David Ellis

Favorite Book of the Month

I went back and forth between Poppy Montgomery Gets Even and How to Kill a Crime Writer, but decided in the end that I enjoyed the unique plot device as well as the paranormal element in How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz just a little more.

Favorite for September – How to Kill a Crime Writer

My Reading Challenges page…Between doctor visits, moving aquatic critters, cleaning up the yard, and trying to learn Mah Jong from YouTube videos, my reading suffered in September. I reduced my Goodreads goal to 125 and posted those audiobook reviews from last month, now showing 98 books completed and 5 ahead of schedule. Hopefully, now I can settle down to an almost indoor reading schedule and complete some goals.

To my readers and fellow bloggers: apologies once again for lagging on blog hopping. I’m also a member of the Amazon Vine community and they are finally beginning to post a few items which I do want and have received, prompting required reviews. A time sink but worth it. Still, I appreciate every view and like and appreciate so much your taking the time to check out my posts and leave your comments.

Audiobooks

*Mini-reviews

Keep Them Close by David Ellis #AudiobookReview #DomesticThriller #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

Two siblings. One murder. So many lies.

Siblings Allison and Luke have been through a lot together. They’ve always stood by each other. They’d do anything for each other.

Or so it seems.

When Allison’s husband, Finley, is murdered, the investigation threatens to expose the siblings’ darkest secrets. An illicit affair. A decades-old accident. A stunning deception. How do these events explain Finley’s death? How far will Allison and Luke go to keep their secrets buried? And can the siblings even trust one another anymore?

As the investigation winds tighter and past and present collide, the most shocking betrayal might lie a little too close to home…

My Review:

I usually love legal thrillers written by an attorney who knows the law, the ins and outs, and the manipulation of it. This is one of those, although the law can sometimes be a rather tedious subject also. That might be my problem here, as I have a notoriously short attention span and when it comes to thrillers, I want action, in court or out.

As much as I was impressed by Allison, sharp, intelligent, and quick witted, she also annoyed the socks off me sometimes. I often viewed her as entitled and there were a few times when she exhibited that arrogance to prove her point.

Several plot points going on in this domestic thriller. Turns out, between the two partners, she is the successful and, shall we say, more powerful person in this marriage. Given her husband is unfaithful and a waste at any of his get-rich schemes, perhaps it’s not wholly shocking that he should be the one who becomes the victim.

When Allison becomes the target of road rage, it appears to kick off a random list of unexpected twists. Allison has a great support team who adds an authenticity depth to the narrative and I enjoyed them. The plot turns complex with split POVs and timelines.

I felt the pacing waxed and waned a bit for me, the twists pushed boundaries of disbelief, but the ending may supply the gotcha you thought avoided. The ending neatly provides acknowledgment but left me angry with Allison.

Domestic history plays a heavy part in the denouement as well as sibling rivalry and tension. Allison plays her cards close, she knows the law, she can handle more than one case—that of her brother—and still handle a couple other nagging issues. Will one of those nagging issues spell the end of her storied career or end her relationship with her brother Luke?

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrators: Robin McAlpine, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Kelli Tager
Release Date: June 30, 2026

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: David Ellis is a lawyer and the Edgar Allan Poe Award winner for Best First Novel for Line of Vision. Ellis attended Northwestern Law School and began his legal career in private practice in Chicago in 1993. He served as the House Prosecutor who tried and convicted Illinois Governor Blagojevich in the Impeachment Trial before the Illinois Senate. He was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court in 2014 and took office December 1, 2014. Ellis currently lives outside Chicago with his wife and three children.