Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Travis Wren has an unusual talent for locating missing people. Hired by families as a last resort, he requires only a single object to find the person who has vanished. When he takes on the case of Maggie St. James—a well-known author of dark, macabre children’s books—he’s led to a place many believed to be only a legend.

Called Pastoral, this reclusive community was founded in the 1970s by like-minded people searching for a simpler way of life. By all accounts, the commune shouldn’t exist anymore and soon after Travis stumbles upon it… he disappears. Just like Maggie St. James.

Years later, Theo, a lifelong member of Pastoral, discovers Travis’s abandoned truck beyond the border of the community. No one is allowed in or out, not when there’s a risk of bringing a disease—rot—into Pastoral. Unraveling the mystery of what happened reveals secrets that Theo, his wife, Calla, and her sister, Bee, keep from one another. Secrets that prove their perfect, isolated world isn’t as safe as they believed—and that darkness takes many forms.

Hauntingly beautiful, hypnotic, and bewitching, A History of Wild Places is a story about fairy tales, our fear of the dark, and losing yourself within the wilderness of your mind.

Review:

Shea Ernshaw is known for writing complex  characters in unusual settings.  I really enjoyed The Wicked Deep with it's supernatural elements, peopled with characters who had many dimensions.   I mostly enjoyed A History of Wild Places, the author's newest offering.  There were a few supernatural aspects to the story, but it wasn't strictly needed.  This is, at its heart, a novel about how people in power use fear to control others.  No matter how you feel about politics, it's obvious that leaders use this tactic effectively in real life.  This book just presents an extreme example.

What I Liked:

Characters:

I really liked the portrayal of Theo and Calla, and Calla's sister Bee.  These are three characters who love living in Pastoral, but keep secrets from each other that put strains on their relationships.

Although he loves Calla, Theo is restless and wishes he could leave Pastoral.  He starts has some risky behavior that could mean brutal punishment, if he is caught.  Plus he worries that Calla will think he doesn't want to be with her, anymore.

Calla loves the security of Pastoral, but also senses that something is wrong.  She knows that Theo is keeping secrets from her, and wonders:  can we ever really know our spouses?

Bee, Calla's sister, is blind, but freer than most of the people in the community,  People often forget she's there and they speak more freely around her. She then gives the leader, Levi, lots of juicy information that he uses as part of his control of the community.  Why would she do this?  Because Bee is in love with Levi.

Themes:

While the leader, Levi,  preaches that the community is based on creating a strong community, with everyone helping each other, he also peddles a healthy dose of fear to keep his flock in line.  He's even gone so far as to convince everyone that there is a terrible illness just beyond the perimeter of the settlement, and if you leave, even for a moment, you will catch it and die.  He has men monitoring the boundaries with guns.  But are they to keep people with the illness out of Pastoral, or to keep the residents in?

Levi uses fear of the outside, and community guilt, to control everyone.  How can you think of leaving Pastoral and put all your loved ones at risk?  When there is severe discipline for some who push back, Levi makes sure that the community feels that it's necessary, in order to keep everyone safe.  These are obvious parallels to issues we face today, with America's boarders, and even with the COVID pandemic.  

What I Didn't Like:

Use of the Supernatural:

One of the characters can touch an object and know things that happened to the people who touched it.  I've seen this device used well in books like The Diviners, by Libba Bray.  But in this story, the character's ability is rarely used.  It could just have easily been dropped from the story with no difference to the outcome of the plot.

Plot Twist:

While I will not give any spoilers away, I was not impressed with the plot twist in the last part of the book.  It didn't make sense to me.  At.  All.  There could have been many other explanations for the cult leader's hold on his flock.  But the reason given is ridiculous.  I was disappointed, because (again), this was an unnecessary stretch.  Given how strong the psychological manipulation was in the cult, several other, more realistic, reasons should have been given.  

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  December 7th, 2021

Author:  Shea Ernshaw

Publisher:  Atria Books

Genre:  Mystery/Fantasy

Page Length: 368 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  Although some of the plot devices may try your reasonable suspension of disbelief, this is a solid thriller about fear among a isolated community.  

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Three women. One mission. Enemies everywhere.
May 1944. When spy Elisabeth de Mornay, code name Cécile, notices a coded transmission from an agent in the field does not bear his usual signature, she suspects his cover has been blown– something that is happening with increasing frequency. With the situation in Occupied France worsening and growing fears that the Resistance has been compromised, Cécile is ordered behind enemy lines.
Having rendezvoused with her fellow agents, Léonie and Dominique, together they have one mission: help the Resistance destabilise German operations to pave the way for the Normandy landings.
But the life of a spy is never straightforward, and the in-fighting within the Resistance makes knowing who to trust ever more difficult. With their lives on the line, all three women will have to make decisions that could cost them everything - for not all their enemies are German. 

Review:

I read author Mara Timon's previous novel, City of Spies, last year.  Although it doesn't advertise it as such, Resistance, her latest book, is a sequel to that WWII spy thriller.  And I couldn't be more pleased!  Elisabeth de Mornay's first adventure takes her to Portugal, where she met (and married) a German officer.  She gets sent back to England, leaving her new husband behind.  Now she's back in the thick of the action in France.  Pretending to be a German, she is actually working with the Resistance.  But will someone recognize her from Portugal?  And where has her husband gone to?

This novel was filled with action, and heart-stopping suspense.  The story follows Elisabeth, and two other women who must each pretend to be helping the Germans.  But how far does one go for the cause?  There are no right or wrong answers, but each woman's ethics are constantly challenged.  If you love spy thrillers, you are sure to enjoy this book!

What I Liked:

Historical Details:

All the details about the Resistance, from how the group operated, to what precautions they took to keep themselves from discovery were fascinating.  There were codes used to check each other's identities (how else can a wireless operator authenticate the information they are receiving?), and backstories to fool the Germans and locals alike.  

The author also doesn't shy away from how challenging these situations were.  Just parachuting in to France, Elisabeth nearly breaks her ankle.  She then must devise a plausible explanation for her injury.  There are also wounds that must be dealt with (often without a doctor), diseases to avoid, and the constant lack of food that made performing at one's best difficult.

Characters:

Elisabeth is a practical person.  She has a mission and will do almost anything to see it through.  But, inside, she is not pleased to be pretending to be a German.  She knows how much she is hated by the local French people.  But she knows that her skills as a wireless operator are invaluable to preparing the Allies to invade France.  I loved how strong she was, but she wasn't a perfect super spy!  She takes a lot of chances that puts the mission in jeopardy when she meets someone from her past.  Her hatred of Germans is also strong enough to cloud her judgement at times.  

Léonie and Dominique, her fellow spies, are also working hard for the Resistance.  Each has strong motivations for hating the Nazis.  And both are even more ruthless than Elisabeth when it comes to getting the job done.  Léone, in particular, is hell bent on revenge.  She is so lost in her hate that she has no plans for the future, other than stopping the war.  When your that driven, you have nothing to lose.

Although this is a female driven novel, this is not a heart-warming story of female friendship.  I believe this is due to each of the women having their own private agendas for being spies.  But what I did like about their interactions was that, like good co-workers should, they kept each other accountable.  They each questioned one another when someone was taking too many risks.

Story:

The story takes place in France just before the Allied invasion in 1944.  As a reader, you know what they don't know:  the invasion will commence soon.  It's critical that the Allies get information on what the Nazis are doing prior to the attack.  I loved the suspense of knowing that time is not on their side. 

Two of the three women (Elisabeth and Léonie) are pretending to be German.  Dominique is posing as a collaborator.  It's fine that they are actually helping the French and English. But who is going to know this when the bullets start flying?  There is a real possibility that the locals, who are unaware of their true allegiances, will kill the women for helping the Nazis.  So while the invasion is wonderful and exciting, it is the most dangerous time for these spies.  

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  September 2nd, 2021

Author:  Mara Timon

Publisher:  Zaffre

Genre:  WWII Historical Fiction/Spy novel

Page Length:  432 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  This book was exciting, fun, and made me stay up very late on a week night because I couldn't put it down.  If spy thrillers are your thing, you are going to love this book. 

Please Note: I received an advance copy of this novel as part of the blog tour to promote this book.  This did not influence the opinions in my review.  I had the option to opt out of the tour if I didn't enjoy the book.

Synopsis:

Bestselling and award-winning author Lisa Unger returns with her best novel yet. Reminiscent of the classic Strangers on a Train, Confessions on the 7:45 is a riveting psychological thriller that begins with a chance encounter on a commuter train and shows why you should never, ever make conversation
with strangers.  

Be careful who you tell your darkest secrets...

Selena Murphy is commuting home from her job in the city when the train stalls out on the tracks. She strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat, and their connection is fast and easy.  The woman introduces herself as Martha and confesses that she's been stuck in an affair with her boss.  Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena's station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again.

But days later, Selena's nanny disappears.

Soon Selena finds her once-perfect life upended. As she is pulled into the mystery of the missing nanny, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, Selena begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she'll discover.

Expertly plotted and reminiscent of the timeless classic Strangers on a Train, Confessions on the 7:45 is a stunning web of lies and deceit, and a gripping thriller about the delicate facades we create around our lives.

Review:

The reason I enjoy Lisa Unger's writing is because she weaves so many truths into her stories that she makes it seem like anyone can become a killer, given the right circumstances.  That is truly terrifying!  Her latest novel, Confessions on the 7:45, has characters we might know: the harried woman juggling a career, children and her marriage, the husband who can placate his wife enough so she won't divorce him, and the mysterious woman who is just a little too friendly.  This was a wonderful book, that I raced through.

What I Liked:

Setting:

The book is set in busy world of a woman trying to keep it all together.  Hers is a world with nannies, working long hours, and having even longer commutes.  Work is everything and an escape from her marriage.  

The book also follows the life of a con artist.  How does she become so good at being so bad?  She moves from city to city as she learns about creating different identities from her mentor, known as Pops.  It's strangely fascinating to see how they target lonely women and con them into giving them money.  It's a life I don't know, but now feel like I might understand. 

Characters:

Selena is such an identifiable character.  She seems to have it all: two children, a loving husband, and an enviable career.  She is very eager to show all the good parts of her life on Instagram.  But is her life really so great?  She works long hours with a soul crushing commute.  Her husband is "between jobs", growing more and more resentful as the months go on.  And she feels immense guilt over not having time to be the mother she wants.  She's too busy to have many friends.  So she is a prime target for Martha, the con artist.

Martha goes by dozens of names depending which con she is working on.  And actually she has many enviable organizational skills.  But she is totally lacking in an morals or empathy.  How did she get this way?  The novel takes us on that journey.  I found it scary and fascinating.

Much as I didn't like him, Graham's charismatic personality made him fascinating to me.  How and why did Selena marry him in the first place?  Little by little we see his true nature.  How is it that a man who truly is an attentive parent also be a terrible husband?

Story:

The story revolves around the disappearance of Selena and Graham's nanny.  There are so many questions.  Is she dead?  Kidnapped?  Did she just get sick of taking care of other's children and voluntarily leave?  No one knows.

But, as the investigation continues, Selena and Graham's marriage is dissected bit by bit, putting even more stress on their marriage.  

Then there's the strange encounter between Selena and Martha, from the train...  Who is she?  As Selena confesses her marital problems to Martha (a total stranger), Martha exits the train with a thought, "Who knows, maybe your problems will just disappear".  Could Martha have something to do with the nanny's disappearance?  Or is she primed to blackmail Selena?

About the Author:

Lisa Unger is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of eighteen novels, including CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 (Oct. 2020). With millions of readers worldwide and books published in twenty-six languages, 

Unger is widely regarded as a master of suspense. Her critically acclaimed b

ooks have been voted "Best of the Year" or top picks by the Today show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, Amazon, IndieBound and others. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her
family. 

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Rating: 

Release Date:  October 6th, 2020

Author:  Lisa Unger

Publisher:  Park Row Books

Genre:  Thriller

Page Length:  368 Pages

Source:  Publisher

Format:  Ebook

Recommendation:  This is a riveting reading experience.  If you enjoy thrillers, I would highly recommend this novel.