The Sanctuary by Katrine Engberg

 

Publication: February 7, 2023

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

Source: Publisher

 

Synopsis:

 

From internationally bestselling author Katrine Engberg, the series that is a “gripping addition to the Scandinavian crime fiction pantheon” ( Oprah Daily ) comes to a stunning conclusion as Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner rush to untangle a long-simmering mystery before a brutal killer strikes again.

Jeppe Kørner, on leave from the police force and nursing a broken heart, has taken refuge on the island of Bornholm for the winter. Also on the island is Esther de Laurenti, a writer working on a biography on a female anthropologist with a mysterious past and coming to terms with her own crushing sense of loneliness in the wake of a dear friend’s death. When Jeppe lends a helping hand at the island’s local sawmill, he begins to realize that the island may not be the peaceful refuge it appears to be.

Back in Copenhagen, Anette Werner is tasked with leading the investigation into a severed corpse discovered on a downtown playground. As she follows the strange trail of clues, they all seem to lead back to Bornholm. With an innocent offer to check out a lead, Jeppe unwittingly finds himself in the crosshairs of a sinister mystery rooted in the past, forcing him to team up with Anette and Esther to unravel the island’s secrets before it’s too late.

With her signature “unforgettable characters and brilliant plot twists” (Kathy Reichs, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Katrine Engberg weaves a satisfying and white-knuckled finale to her Korner and Werner series that is a modern classic of Scandinavian noir.

 

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The story takes place through a series of letters from the past and several characters in the present…Annette, Jeppe, and Esther. Though it did not seem like it at first, they each contributed to the story in their own way. It was interesting to read the different points of view and try to figure out how everything would connect in the end. That curiosity kept me turning page after page. 

 

Even though The Sanctuary is book 5 of the Korner & Werner series, I did not feel lost with this being my first book by Katrine Enberg. If anything, now I want to go back and read the other four books to see what I have been missing. The author created a story that is well written and was able to keep me guessing until the very end. There were several times that I thought I knew the who but wasn’t 100% sure of the why…And man was I completely wrong. I never saw the end coming. The Sanctuary is an atmospheric tale that grabbed my attention from the very first page. I didn’t devour the story in one go, but instead I savored it over the course of several days. It was entertaining, dark, and completely satisfying. 

Sometimes mysteries can be predictable, but happily this one was not. At least not for me. 

 

The Sanctuary is an atmospheric tale that grabbed my attention from the very first page. I didn’t devour the story in one go, but instead I savored it over the course of several days. It was entertaining, dark, and completely satisfying.

 

 

 

RATING: 4 OUT OF 5.

 

 

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The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

  

Published: April 6, 2021

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

Source: Publisher

 

Synopsis:

Be careful what you wish for.

When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. And as she dives deeper into the research herself, she discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined.

In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.

 

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“Miracles are not without their price, my darling…”

After checking out the synopsis I was excited to read this book. I really enjoyed the dual timelines and was curious to see how everything would tie into the present day lives of Jax and her family.

Jax feels guilty for not having been there for Lexie when she needed her. So naturally after arriving back at Sparrow Crest, she wants to retrace her sisters footsteps and see what she was working on and discovered before her death. There were some things that Jax found out and that happened during her stay there that I wish had been explored more. I still have some unanswered questions about a couple of things even after finishing the book. 

The Drowning Kind is a creepy and atmospheric tale that is also a little bittersweet…This story perfectly demonstrates that you can never leave the past very far behind. This is a slower paced suspenseful story, that’s well written and entertaining. I enjoyed very much and look forward to reading more books by Jennifer McMahon.

 

RATING: 4 OUT OF 5.

 

 

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The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Publication: May 29, 2018

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

Source: Publisher

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, and The Lying Game comes Ruth Ware’s highly anticipated fourth novel. On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person—but also that the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money. Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the center of it. Full of spellbinding menace and told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, this is an unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.

Harriet Westaway (aka Hal)21 year old is a down on her luck tarot card reader living in London. After her mom died several years ago, things haven’t gone quite right for her. She lives in a tiny top flat and runs a booth on the pier where she reads palms and tarot cards. But she barely makes enough money to support herself. Worse yet, she has final bill notices coming in the mail and loan sharks paying her visits. Hal is the feeling pressure from all sides. All she needs is one break. She thinks she may have found it when a mysterious letter arrives from a solicitor stating that she could be heir to a fortune. Hal thinks there is a mix-up and they have the wrong person, but if anyone deserves this, it’s her. Right? Besides, what harm could it do?

Hal eventually makes her way to the imposing Trepassen house where she meets the family she pretends to be related to. Things seem to be going according to plan until Hal finds out that she is inheriting more than she bargained for. Now duping her new “family” just became a little bit harder and Hal’s conscience may get the best of her.

I enjoyed reading The Death of Mrs. Westaway. It was a fairly easy read. I loved the setting of this book. It was very atmospheric and intriguing. The story is told from Hal’s point of view for the most part. There are flashbacks sprinkled throughout the book, told from the POV of someone else. The flashbacks gave me a slight “Flowers in the Attic” vibe. I remember reading In a Dark, Dark Wood almost three years ago by the same author. That one I liked, but I would have to say for now, this one is my favorite between the two. Ruth Ware is great with words and knows a thing or two about how to set a proper tone for her books. I look forward to reading whatever she writes next.

RATING: 3½ out of 5.

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The River at Night by Erica Ferencik

Publication: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

Source: Publisher

A high-stakes drama set against the harsh beauty of the Maine wilderness, charting the journey of four friends as they fight to survive the aftermath of a white water rafting accident, The River at Night is a nonstop and unforgettable thriller by a stunning new voice in fiction. Winifred Allen needs a vacation. Stifled by a soul-crushing job, devastated by the death of her beloved brother, and lonely after the end of a fifteen-year marriage, Wini is feeling vulnerable. So when her three best friends insist on a high-octane getaway for their annual girls’ trip, she signs on, despite her misgivings. What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare: A freak accident leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive. When night descends, a fire on the mountainside lures them to a ramshackle camp that appears to be their lifeline. But as Wini and her friends grasp the true intent of their supposed saviors, long buried secrets emerge and lifelong allegiances are put to the test. To survive, Wini must reach beyond the world she knows to harness an inner strength she never knew she possessed. With intimately observed characters, visceral prose, and pacing as ruthless as the river itself, The River at Night is a dark exploration of creatures—both friend and foe—that you won’t soon forget.

Winifred (Wini), Sandra, Pia, and Rachel have been friends for eons. Their lives being so hectic, Pia plans a white water rafting trip for the four of them. Wini is hesitant to go, but she fears being left behind by her friends and ultimately decides to go. After all this could be the trip of a lifetime.

It was hard for me to connect or even care for these characters because I knew so little of them. I wished that there was more backstory for them. The story is told through Wini’s POV, so I got to know her a little bit more which was nice. It was kind of strange that one of the characters ended up sleeping with their young tour guide almost immediately and then seemed to fall for him just as fast. It was kind of weird and to me it didn’t add anything of great interest to the story. That action seems to set off a chain of cattiness and tenseness between these friends.

Whatever their differences, they learn fairly quickly that they need to work together in order to navigate the river successfully. The author does a nice job of painting a picture for the reader in regards to the atmosphere in the woods and dangers of river rafting. Especially when things take a turn for the worse and their fun girls trip turns out to be a nightmare and they have to fight for their own survival.

The River at Night was an interesting read, but not exactly what I had hoped it would be. It almost felt like I was watching a made for tv Lifetime movie instead of reading an edge of your seat adventure / thriller book.  Would I call this a suspenseful thriller? Hmmm no. All in all this story was an entertaining adventure read if not a little bit predictable at times. I love suspenseful and adventure stories,  but I think this book fell a little short for me.

RATING: 3 out of 5

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In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Publication: August 4, 2015

Publisher: Scout Press

Source: Purchased/Own

Someone's getting married. Someone's getting murdered. In a dark, dark wood Nora hasn't seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back. There was a dark, dark house Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen do arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind her? And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room But something goes wrong. Very wrong. And in the dark, dark room.... Some things can’t stay secret for ever.

In a Dark, Dark Wood was an atmospheric tale that held my interest from start to finish.

I always appreciate a good suspenseful thriller and this book happened to be just what I was looking for. I loved the setting of this story. Gloomy weather,  thick creepy woods, an out of place glass house and a group of people with secrets and hidden motives.

Nora is a successful crime writer whose past comes back to haunt her so to speak when she gets an invitation to attend a hen party(an English version of a bachelorette party). Clare, her old friend from school is getting married and it’s time to get together and have some fun. Or so she hopes.

She rides down with Nina, a mutual friend who was also invited. I can imagine the surprise and uncomfortable feeling with being invited to a hen party for a woman you haven’t seen in 10 years. But I liked how Nora just sucked it up and went regardless. It’s pretty obvious that Nora is keeping secrets. What it is and what kind of impact it will have remains to be seen. 

When Nora, Nina, Clare, her best friend Flo, and oddly enough her close guy friend Tom all gather in the glass house in the woods, the atmosphere turns a little creepy and suspenseful. Some of the characters acted very strangely. Alcohol did not help this bunch. Everyone was suspicious in my eyes. Unreliable narrators are becoming some of my favorites to read and Nora is a good unreliable narrator.

Ruth Ware created some very interesting and unique characters. This was a story were I did not anticipate the ending. I didn’t even come close to guessing it. Loved that. It felt like the story went on a little longer than was necessary, but I didn’t mind it too much. In a Dark, Dark Wood was a really enjoyable and entertaining read. Super easy to get into and the story was never boring.  I can hardly believe this is Ruth Ware’s first novel. I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next.

RATING: 3½ out of 5.

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