The Chain

"Something about this place screams denouement." ~ pg. 298

Let me paint a picture. Mother drops off daughter at the bus stop and heads to work. Normal morning routine until mother gets a phone call from an unknown number. The daughter has been kidnapped. The ransom is, of course, money but to also kidnap another child within 24 hours. Whaaaaaat?!

The caller reveals she is a mother herself trying to get her own son back alive. The mother is now part of the chain, a scheme that turns parents into criminals and makes a stranger very rich. And the chain will continue because a parent will do anything for their children, right? Or maybe the latest victim will outsmart the chain and save her abducted daughter.

"But even if it all goes right...it'll still be absolutely terrible." ~ pg. 106

Bookhearts, you know I tend to stay away from bestsellers and over-hyped novels. But The Chain was everywhere! It featured in my public library's newsletter, was mentioned in a lit publication, popped up on Goodreads ads and was endorsed by respected authors. All it took was one click for me to read the synopsis then see blurbs from Stephen King and Attica Locke. The universe wanted me to stop ignoring The Chain and read it already.

So I borrowed my local library's first copy. The front cover is one of the simplest images. It is an empty swing, the title in big bold red letters and the author's name in black font. One of those book covers that it so basic but recognized easily. I imagine tons of people reading The Chain on public transit.

"The Chain has a life of its own." ~ pg. 240

The Chain was thrilling, sure, but not to the level of all the hype. It took me way longer than usual to finish. I read a couple chapters, put it down for days, read one page, put it back down, read while in the passenger seat, put it away, read a couple pages before going to sleep, etc. Eventually I finished.

Overall, was it worth my reading oh-so-popular The Chain by Adrian McKinty? Yes, and I plan to read more from this Northern Ireland author. The premise was super unique, believable and twisted. I have read plenty of thrillers, psychological stories and mysteries in my day so take my book review as is: The Chain is a "masterpiece of tension" albeit in a slow pace.

Title: The Chain
Author: Adrian McKinty
Published: July 2019
Pages: 357
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

 

Brown Skin Girl & The Door: A Memoir

I willingly closed one door and stepped out on faith. What tomorrow brings is unknown. But I know for certain that God's got me. I will not fail because I know my worth, my hustle. See that open door? There is something BIGGER waiting for this BROWN SKIN GIRL.

 

Series Sunday: Peril & Prayer

(Sister Lou Mystery #2) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

"Yes, darling, it's called community involvement. When you roll up your sleeves to get things done for your neighbors, you expose yourself to different people, different experiences. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad. In this case, sometimes they're murder." ~ 42%

My Series Sunday pick is Peril & Prayer, the second book in the Sister Lou mystery series by Olivia Matthews. Sister Louise "Lou" LaSalle is a Catholic Sister from Los Angeles but feeling right at home in New York now. Her nephew, Chris, works at the college founded by her congregation. And her trusty sidekick is a news reporter named Shari. The trio is tasked with solving another murder in their small town of Briar Coast.

It's been barely a month since Sister Lou lost her friend to a tragic death and she solved the murder. Now one of Sister Lou's business acquaintances has been strangled to death hours before their scheduled business meeting. College donors are not happy about the school being linked to the murder. Nor is the congregation. There's a long list of people that threatened to kill the resort owner. It is in everyone's best interest for Sister Lou to solve this murder before deputies arrest the wrong person.

"If you were in law enforcement, would you want your case to be solved by a reporter, a college executive, and a sister? That sounds like the beginning of a bad joke." ~ 27%

Every story needs a villain. In a mystery, the villain is usually the killer. But in the case of Mayhem & Murder and Peril & Prayer, the character I love to hate is Sister Marianna. She is downright rude, bossy and combative. Now she is the #1 suspect. It made for an even more interesting mystery along with deputies proven to be more incompetent. God, I love a good cozy mystery with amateur sleuthing!

This is no fluke. I am finding enjoyment in reading this series featuring a Catholic Sister. Religion is barely mentioned. It is not riddled with spiritual quotes or conversation. Oh, and there is frequent mention of my favorite hot beverage: chai tea. I love it! It really is a wholesome refreshing series that I look forward to reading back-to-back. I'm kind of bummed there is only one more book I have left to read. Olivia Matthews, can a sistah get an in-between novella to tide me over?

Thanks again to the bookheart who recommended this series. Good find, (insert your name here)!

Title: Peril & Prayer

Author: Olivia Matthews

Published: June 2018

Pages: 368

Edition: eBook

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Grab your current read(s).
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author.

"You're giving up coffee for Lent? ... That's like giving up bathing."

~ Alibis & Angels by Olivia Matthews 

Last Time That I Checked

Check on your strong friend.
That's it. That's the post.

  

Lit to TV Review: Big Little Lies

A murder. Arguing moms. Bully kids. School scandal. This is what to expect in Big Little Lies, a novel written by Liane Moriarty five (5) years ago in July 2014. As mentioned in my original book review, Big Little Lies was a drag to read. But the trailer for TV series showed an all-star cast. I had to try, right?

Thank goodness I did! Very rarely is the movie/television adaptation better than the book. But directors, producers and the cast are doing an outstanding job with Big Little Lies. Skip the book but tune in to the HBO series. You will indeed be sucked in.

Title: Big Little Lies
Author: Liane Moriarty
Cast: Shailene Woodley (Jane); Zoë Kravitz (Bonnie); Nicole Kidman (Celeste); Reese Witherspoon (Madeline); Meryl Streep (Mary Louise); Laura Dern (Renata); Alexander Skarsgard (Perry); Adam Scott (Ed); James Tupper (Nathan)
Book Published: July 2014
Show Premiere: S1 February 2017; S2 June 2019
Book Pages: 460
Show Time: 1 Hour
Genre: American Drama
Edition: Hardcover
Book Rating: 🖤 🖤
Show Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: Mayhem & Mass

(Sister Lou Mystery #1) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is Mayhem & Mass, the first book in the Sister Lou mystery series by Olivia Matthews. Never have I ever read a book that features a Catholic Sister (not to be confused with a nun). Sister Louise "Lou" LaSalle is from Los Angeles but feels right at home in New York now. Her handsome nephew, Chris, works at the college founded by her congregation. All seems well for the L.A. transplant.

"He gives me information on a need-to-know basis, and, apparently, I often don't need to know." ~ 56%

Sister Lou invites an old friend to be a guest speaker for the St. Hermione of Ephesus Feast Day. She was not expecting the pushback. Sure, he has controversial views but he is a well-known theology professor. Sister Lou senses something is wrong when she meets him at a diner but chalks it up to his exhaustion from traveling. She was not prepared to find him dead in his hotel room the next day.

Do you see where this cozy mystery is going? Yeah, me too. So Sister Lou's faith is tested. The congregation is treated like suspects. Against her nephew's advice, she teams up with a local reporter to help solve the murder.

"So in addition to being a sister, you're a crack investigator?" ~ 72%

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Mayhem & Mass. I steer clear of Christian fiction and the first lines were like a warning. But I hushed the inner voice telling me to stop reading and kept on flipping those ePages. It was not preachy. It was not full of Catholic views disguised as dialogue. Be it personal experience or research, Olivia Matthews delivers a positive depiction of a Sister. Oh wait—did I mention the author is a woman of color?!

Pseudonym Olivia Matthews created a loyal wise character in Sister Lou who will stop at nothing to get justice. She is quick to dismiss suspects with logic, unlike other cozy mysteries where suspects drag out the entirety of novel. The supporting characters—nephew Chris and news reporter Shari—are just as interesting. If it was the author's hope to help dispel stereotypes, then well done (so far). I got a sense of Sister Lou's compassionate spirit, loving nature and calling to help people in the community.

"Every time he spoke, she swore she heard Frank Sinatra's Nathan Detroit character from Guys and Dolls." ~ 13%

I look forward to reading more of this amateur sleuth team and already have the other two (2) eBooks of this cozy mystery series on deck. Matter fact, I just may read them back-to-back. I cannot remember how I stumbled upon this series but if it was suggested by a bookheart, thank you so much, (fill in your name here). Now I am passing on the recommendation.The Mayhem & Mass eBook is less than the price of an L Dot Dummy Mission ($5). Go download it...Amen 🙏🏽

Title: Mayhem & Mass

Author: Olivia Matthews

Published: November 2017

Pages: 384

Edition: eBook

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤