Horrorstör

Horrorstör

by Grady Hendrix

Blurb:

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör is designed to retain its luster and natural appearance for a lifetime of use. Pleasingly proportioned with generous French flaps and a softcover binding, Horrorstör delivers the psychological terror you need in the elegant package you deserve.

My Reaction:

This was my first time reading anything by this author, and it was a shared read-aloud with Donald.  I happened across it on Goodreads; the idea of a horror story set in an IKEA was too intriguing to pass up.  Since Donald is Swedish, I thought he might be interested, too.  

I didn't know exactly what to expect, but I guess I was picturing very mild, even goofy horror.  Something like a slightly more adult version of Scooby-Doo, maybe.  It started out kind of like that, but then it turned into more traditional horror.  Unfortunately, that part of the novel wasn't really to my taste. 

There is one genuinely creepy scene where people are trying to navigate the empty store and simply can't find their way around.  That's my kind of horror.  After that, when the scary stuff is actually there in the flesh and starts inflicting torture and blathering on and on, I basically lost interest and just wanted it to be over.  On a positive note, it did get a tiny bit better again at the very end.   

The catalog format is clever, and I did like the humorous IKEA references.  I've never worked retail, but I can see how the book is tailored for those who have or do.  Still, I think suggesting (even in jest) that working retail is akin to being imprisoned and tormented is extremely silly, to put it mildly.  

I feel the novel as a whole lacked polish.  There are major plot points that are never fully explained (such as why the police couldn't find the store for so long), and it lagged a lot in the middle (again, the horror-heavy part).  Still, I'm intrigued by the blurbs/titles of some of the author's other books, so I'll probably try another.  

Rock Paper Scissors

Rock Paper Scissors

by Alice Feeney

Blurb:

Think you know the person you married? Think again…

Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.

Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts—paper, cotton, pottery, tin—and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.

Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.

My Reaction:

(I listened to the audiobook version of this one.)

I didn't see that coming. Not sure if it was because I was listening with divided attention while doing other things (piecing a quilt, mainly), or if it was just that deftly handled, but the twist caught me off guard.  I'm not sure it makes complete sense under closer scrutiny, but as a casual listener, I found it entertaining to have the rug pulled out from under me.  

I'm only getting around to writing this a fair bit of time after finishing the audiobook, so I'm probably forgetting things... I vaguely remember burning out on the story and giving it a break for a while, reverting to podcasts for entertainment.  I think I found the characters tiring and frustrating, perhaps, and the pacing a little slow.  

The author again displays her usual tendency to insert "clever thoughts" (described by some as cheesy cliches or fortune cookie sentiments) here and there throughout her work.  It's a very distinctive style, and while a little of it is fine, after a certain point it can be wearying, if not annoying.  I most certainly rolled my eyes at the gibe at people who dare write one-star reviews.  (I imagine it was supposed to be amusing, but it came across as thin-skinned to me.)  

Ah, more of it is coming back to me, now... I remember wondering what on earth was about to happen after the book ended.  I can't get into it without revealing too much, but... Well, what's supposed to happen next?  What were two of our characters expecting to happen?  What's their plan?  It feels odd that they just left evidence behind (on display, even) for someone to inevitably find and question.  Very weird behavior from apparently sane, intelligent people.  Did they actually believe that no-one would ever go there and see it?  

Also, now that I see that this is being adapted for TV, I find myself wondering how they'll handle the element of the anniversary letters without giving too much away.  I'll be interested in seeing it when it comes out.  

I'm going for 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars (despite my irritation with the 1-star reviewer comment).  

A Killer Christmas Affair: A Cozy Mystery

A Killer Christmas Affair: A Cozy Mystery

by Sussie Jordan

Blurb:

The Christmas party is in full swing as Darbie and Marisol show off their new business venture, Sunflower Hacienda, as a magnificent Mexican style resort on Lake Travis, when suddenly, Santa is found dead. The Sheriff announces it was an accident. Now it’s up to Darbie and Marisol, with the help of their loveable Saint Berdoodle, to find the killer before anyone else gets hurt and to save their business! Who would want Santa dead?

My Reaction:
Oof, I don't know how to rate this one...!  It's another 372-Pages selection—this year's cozy mystery for the lead-up to Christmas.  It's not uncommon for books featured on this book club podcast to be a bit challenging to rate:  Sometimes I'll rate one highly simply because it was unintentionally hilarious and therefore fun to read.  Other times, my rating more closely aligns with my opinion of the book's... quality (or lack thereof).  This time, there's an extra complication in the fact that so much of the story seems to have been "borrowed" (lifted directly) from another book (one that guides would-be cozy authors through the process of writing Christmas cozy mysteries).  

Well, I can heartily recommend the episodes of the podcast about this book.  The book itself needs a lot of work, to be honest.  I wasn't expecting much complexity, given how short the book is, but there is barely any investigation at all before the guilty party goes nuts and brings everything to a too-hasty conclusion.  Not a satisfying resolution to the mystery, though I have to admit there were some funny bits to enjoy before the precipitous ending.

The Land of the Moepek

The Adventures of the Teen Archaeologists: The Land of the Moepek

by Larry Elis and Denise Brown Elise

Blurb:

Three teenagers Billy who is seventeen, Thomas who is sixteen and Rebecca who is fifteen are from Britain and are the children of archaeologists. During a family vacation to Africa they meet Samirah and her two best friends Adam and Atikah. The six teenagers travel through the Pyramid of the Moepek and find their way to the underground city of the Moepek civilization using an ancient map. They not only encounter wild animals, dinosaurs, warriors, and assassins, but also realize they they are prisoners in the strange underground world. There is Naeduur who is the head warrior in charge of protecting the king and his royal family. Naeduur is furious at the six teens for entering into the Land of the Moepek. Naeduur would like nothing more than to destroy the teenagers. There is also Isabella. She is very powerful and can perform all kinds of magic. She will stop at nothing to destroy her enemies and those that get in her way. The Land of the Moepek is full of traitors and plots to destroy the entire royal family. Princess Assuenta with the help of the Teen Archaeologists must work to stop the assassination of her father the king and the destruction of her entire family. Not even her parents believe their daughter the princess. Princess Assuenta must find a way to make them believe or her father will die. The people of the Moepek are an extremely wealthy civilization with riches beyond the teens' imaginations. But all their wealth means nothing if they can't survive the gigantic flying dinosaurs and the gigantic gorilla creature that threatens them.

My Reaction:

(This was another 372-Pages We'll Never Get Back selection and a shared read with Donald.)

So.  What can one say about The Land of the Moepek, really?  It is utterly bananas and hilarious—just read the blurb for a tiny taste of the writing style.  

If you're the right kind of reader, this book (and the podcast episodes devoted to it) will be a source of amazing entertainment.  If you're not, you'll be convinced we're all nuts, my friend.  (Sorry, that was more a reference to the authors' other novel, Antigua: The Land of Fairies, Wizards and Heroes—also covered by 372 Pages and also highly recommended.)

I'm giving it 5 stars out of appreciation for the joy it gave.  

The Lost Village

The Lost Village

by Camilla Sten

translated by Alexandra Fleming

Blurb:

Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and ever since, the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left—a woman stoned to death in the town center and an abandoned newborn—have plagued her. She’s gathered a small crew of friends in the remote village to make a film about what really happened.

But there will be no turning back.

Not long after they’ve set up camp, mysterious things begin to happen. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. As doubt breeds fear and their very minds begin to crack, one thing becomes startlingly clear to Alice:

They are not alone.

They’re looking for the truth…

But what if it finds them first?

My Reaction:

This started off promisingly, with a creepy and interesting premise—abandoned village, about 900 people disappearing without a trace, evidence that something went terribly wrong—but at some point the plot began to run out of steam, and the ending didn't win me back, unfortunately.  I can't get into my issues with the book without spoiling it, so keep reading past the spoiler alert, if you're interested in why this is only a 3-star read for me...

SPOILER 
ALERT!!

Spoilers follow.

So, where to start?  As I mentioned above, the premise is intriguing and creepy.  I love the idea of a whole village vanishing without a trace—shades of Roanoke—and the fact that the book has it happen in the relatively recent past (1959), gives an interesting twist.  The prospect of a Swedish ghost town, preserved untouched, like a time capsule?  That's fascinating, too.  Then there's the evidence of a brutal crime, the mystery baby, etc.—all very good.  

Our modern-day ("Now") characters are a bit of a mystery, themselves, at first.  Some of them are connected and have obvious history, but what are their different backstories?  What's the source of the tension?  What are the secrets they're keeping from one another?  Some of it is precisely what you'll probably guess, but that's fine. 

As for the "Then" characters (those living in the mining town in the 1950s)... Eh.  That was a bit mixed.  The dual timeline thing is sometimes effective, but at other times I groaned when we switched perspectives yet again.  I think it interrupted the flow, at times.  

Maybe this is just me.  So many of the books I've read lately do this, splitting the story into multiple perspectives or different timelines, then flashing from one to the other throughout the novel.  It can work, but it doesn't always work, and it almost feels like a crutch.  I think it's overdone at the moment, and I'm ready for some thrillers that don't do this!

The set-up—getting to the village, starting their exploration—I loved it.  

But then things started to unravel for me.  I didn't know whether to expect something supernatural or not, but either way, it could have worked.  Except it just didn't, really.  It's not exactly surprising when "all is revealed", because by then you've pretty much worked it out on your own, but it's simply unbelievable.  

So here are the things that annoyed me or didn't work for me:

First, I loathe the whole cult angle of the book.  It's such a terribly boring explanation for what happened—so disappointing!!—and also not very believable here, in my opinion. 

Yes, cults exist, but as I understand it, unless the members are raised in the cult (groomed from an early age, with no idea that there's any other way of living), they're targeted and gathered together from a wider area.  It's not like a wannabe cult-leader can go somewhere and expect to recruit everyone in a five-mile radius into his madness, no matter how charismatic he may be.  I find it doubtful that it's this easy to "convert" almost everyone in a whole, single village.  

These characters are people who were raised in a normal, mainstream society (isolated, but definitely normal for the time).  Surely there should have been more people who would be steadfast in their faith—strong enough in their personal convictions to resist the pressure to succumb to the mass hysteria.  I guess the mine shutting down is supposed to be the disruption or catalyst that makes something like this possible, but... I strongly dislike that plot element, too, which brings me to the next point:  What were these people thinking, staying in the village so long after the mine closed down?    

I suppose I can accept that Elsa can't bring herself to abandon Birgitta, though what miracle she was waiting for to save the day, I can't say... As for everyone else in this town, why wouldn't they accept the inevitable and get out while they still had some savings?!  It's not easy to leave behind your home, I know, but if you have no way of earning a living there and no prospect for improvement, you have to leave and start over!  No-one was stopping them from leaving; they simply didn't want to, I guess.  It's just... Well, it's just stupid that so many of these characters were just watching their savings dwindle away and refusing to take action.  I don't believe that is likely, either.  (Maybe I'm overestimating the level of common sense in the average human.)  

But okay, you have a community of mostly good, Christian Swedes in the late 1950s.  Times are tough (because they're too darned stubborn to take the plunge and get out of their dying town to start a new life somewhere else).  Men have no work, and some of them turn to drink for escape (since apparently they lack the gumption to plan a literal escape for themselves and their families).  Then this new, androgynous-faced pastor comes to town, and before you know it, he's converted everyone to his twisted cult religion.  

(Ugh, I hate that plot point.)

And then he gets them riled up against one mentally ill (or challenged?) woman who can barely communicate and stays shut away in her own little hut, bothering no-one. ...Why do they go along with him on this?  We're all familiar with the concept of a witch hunt, but this is modern times and all targeted at one single, solitary woman who doesn't have anything of value to covet and doesn't even venture out her own door!  I find it difficult to believe that a whole village in 1959 Sweden could be so easily and quickly brainwashed to believe that she was any kind of threat to them, purely because some newbie preacher-man told them so.  

Oh, good grief!  I just can't bring myself to get into most of the rest of the nit-picking, because the basic premise annoys me so much, but I can't go without commenting on the king of all "um, what?" aspects of this novel:

Aina has survived for 60 years in complete isolation, with no human companionship, no medical attention, no technology, no nothing.  All she has is what the other villagers had in their homes, for her clothes, shelter, and food.  She's been living for 60 years on the old canned food left by people who were already starting to struggle for money.  ...No, I don't believe that, either.  No mention at all of her having a vegetable garden, hunting, or fishing, so I'm assuming she didn't.  She just lived off a very limited supply of slowly disintegrating canned food for SIXTY YEARS.  

And after a lifetime of this meager diet and no medical care, now in her 70s, she manages to overpower healthy young people who are fresh from civilization, with all the benefits of a consistent diet and modern medicine.  Yes, in at least one case there are circumstances that work in her favor, but in general, I'm not convinced that this is at all likely.  

Before wrapping up, I'm annoyed that the book tries to have it both ways:  We have the physical threat of the Amazing Aina, 70-something-year-old miracle who doesn't need no stinkin' nutrition or medical care to take down those young whippersnappers—and yet we also have some supernatural elements that I don't think can be explained rationally.  

Anything that Aina thinks she hears, sees, or knows can be discounted, because she's obviously cuckoo, but the others see and hear spooky, supernatural things, as well—things that I don't believe can be explained away by the existence of Aina.  And then there's the odd case of Tone, who seems to have been temporarily possessed by the spirit of her grandmother, only to immediately return to her usual self as soon as the crisis has passed.  

This probably shouldn't irritate me as much as it does, but there you have it.  It was a disappointing ending.  I didn't even get into how annoying the present-day characters are, but plenty of other reviewers covered that.  

A Heritage of Shadows

A Heritage of Shadows

by Madeleine Brent

Blurb:

When Hannah MacLeod, established independently in Paris, the secrets of her past well hidden, takes pity on an Englishman who has been assaulted, a sinister train of events is set into motion.

My Reaction:

I've read and enjoyed six of Madeleine Brent's novels, before this one.  I believe I started with what is probably the best of them, Moonraker's Bride.  Though "Madeleine Brent" is the pen name of a male author, he did a marvelous job of writing a female perspective and creating strong female characters.  I've enjoyed everything of his I've read, so far.  Nothing else has quite matched Moonraker's Bride, in my opinion, but they've been very readable.  They tend to rely on some unbelievable coincidences, and they're formulaic, but they're still highly enjoyable.

While A Heritage of Shadows fits that same "proven formula" in many ways, in some key elements it's significantly different.  To spell out how it differs, however, would reveal a huge spoiler, so I won't go into it.  Suffice it to say that it's much darker in subject matter than everything else I've read from this author.  I didn't care for this, and unfortunately, the way that the heroine reacts to certain events in her life makes her less relatable to me.  I suppose I understand what the author was going for... The character has a defense mechanism that has allowed her to survive shocking and horrific experiences—but at some point it's frustrating to see someone keep turning the cheek.  She's a little too perfect for me.  I can't completely believe in her absolute self-control and lack of negative human emotion.  

I do like that we get a fair bit of interaction between the hero and heroine, but... Well, it leads to more spoilers if I get into details.  I just didn't find this book quite as enjoyable to read, for a variety of reasons.  

A Head Full of Ghosts

A Head Full of Ghosts

by Paul Tremblay

Blurb:

The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia.

To her parents’ despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie’s descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts’ plight. With John, Marjorie’s father, out of work for more than a year and the medical bills looming, the family agrees to be filmed, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show. When events in the Barrett household explode in tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend.

Fifteen years later, a bestselling writer interviews Marjorie’s younger sister, Merry. As she recalls those long ago events that took place when she was just eight years old, long-buried secrets and painful memories that clash with what was broadcast on television begin to surface—and a mind-bending tale of psychological horror is unleashed, raising vexing questions about memory and reality, science and religion, and the very nature of evil.

My Reaction:

Hm.  I'm feeling ambivalent about this book.  

First things first:  I listened to the audiobook version, and while this is the first book of this author's that I've "read"/listened to, I did watch Knock at the Cabin, the film adaptation of The Cabin at the End of the World, then went and skimmed a synopsis of the novel (after reading that the movie went in a different direction from the original story).  Based on that experience (both the movie and reading the synopsis), I wasn't feeling confident I'd love A Head Full of Ghosts—but I'd already put it on my list a long time back after seeing it recommended highly, so when the opportunity presented itself, I gave it a try, anyway.  

It's not bad, but it's also not a favorite.  There are a few good, chilling moments, but in my view it doesn't live up to the hype.  Maybe I missed something, but... Eh, I wanted more answers rather than questions and hints and suggestions that, more often than not, seem self-contradictory.

Specifics:

—I've never watched The Exorcist and have no desire to do so.  It's one of those "classic" horror movies that holds no allure for me.  The whole "exorcism genre" has never appealed to me, and any time a movie includes an exorcism, I wish it would finish quickly so we can get on with the interesting parts of the story.  I just don't get the appeal.  The idea of actually being possessed (or being around someone who is or believes they are) is, of course, horrifying, but the actual exorcism itself?  No, not interested in that.  Since so much of the book revolves around that plot point, that's a strike against the book right away.  

—I see that I'm not alone in finding the blogger character's writing style frustrating to read.  I believe I understand why the author did it this way, but it's still deeply irritating to read, after a while.  

—Didn't care for how the narrator voiced male characters... And her way of pronouncing "always", shortening the second half of the word so it sounds like "alwys", makes me shudder, for some reason.  Funnily enough, I catch myself saying it that way sometimes, too—but not alwys.  (Ha ha.)  Oh, and the "yeah?" that the two sisters kept tacking onto the ends of sentences drove me up the wall, too.  (Okay, maybe I'm a bit too easy to irritate.)

—Marjorie really annoyed me.  "Mom" annoyed me. "Dad"?  Also annoying.  Young Merry is mostly relatable, though even she is occasionally annoying.  The whole cast kind of rubbed me the wrong way, at one point or another.  (Let's just get it all out there... Grump, grump, grump!)

—This novel is also being made into a movie, evidently.  I'd be interested in seeing it, at some point, to see how they adapt it.  It might work better on the screen, though I'm not sure how they'll handle the blog element...

Painting Happiness: Creativity with Watercolors

Painting Happiness: Creativity with Watercolors

by Terry Runyan

Blurb:

Combat stress and anxiety and release your own inner creative with this beautiful mindful watercolor book.

In this simple and vibrant guide, hugely popular Instagram muse @TerryRunyan explores the art of watercolor through the lens of mindfulness, presenting activities and projects which you can paint along with as you allow your creative side to flourish.

This watercolor guide is easy and accessible for beginners, as Runyan gently delves into the basics of the artform, starting with simple techniques which you can follow along with, as well as presenting some fun projects ideas for painters to explore.

Alongside beautiful examples of the techniques and styles explored in the book, Runyan also encourages readers to practice mindfulness as they paint, and explores the ways in which art can be used to help improve mental health. Exploring the idea of 'perfectly imperfect watercolors', Runyan places emphasis on self-expression and allowing yourself to make mistakes.

Painting Happiness  also includes fun projects for readers to try at home, From technical skills and notes on materials to insight into the creative process, this book has everything you need to start flourishing in watercolor.

My Reaction:

I wanted to use up some points I had accumulated on Amazon and was interested in spending more time getting familiar with watercolor.  When I came across this book, I thought the style was cute and "do-able" for a beginner like myself.  To summarize the review to follow, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to people who are more interested in encouragement and enjoying the experience of painting than in highly detailed tutorials of specific techniques.  The book does include exercises and introduces basic techniques, but it's more about the experience and letting go of preconceptions—accepting and even embracing imperfections instead of feeling you must strive for an unobtainable ideal.  My takeaway was this:  Let go of perfectionism and overthinking.  Live in the moment—and just let yourself have fun painting!

I didn’t realize it until I started reading, but I’ve actually seen this artist’s work before, in fabric.  She has a very specific “mid-century” illustration style that reminds me of children’s books from the 1960s, like many of the books I loved so much as a child.  It’s a simple, happy, playful style that is less likely to be intimidating to a beginner.  And while the book isn’t really a step-by-step guide to learning or mimicking her unique style, looking at the illustrations is fun and inspires me to try to take some of her ideas (and that retro look) and put my own spin on them.

The book is mostly about letting go of self-critiques and just enjoying the process—releasing your own innate creativity—with suggestions for exercises to help you get more out of the experience.  It’s about exploring the joy of creative self-expression with less judgement and worry, approaching art as a journey rather than a destination.

To be honest, some of the language is a little more reminiscent of a self-help book than I was expecting.  One phrase in particular—”you are made of well-being”—is particularly befuddling to me, and I’ve never felt I completely understood the whole “mindfulness” thing.  But I do value activities that are supposedly conducive to “being present”, etc., and maybe this language makes more sense to others and helps them silence their overbearing inner critic.  It’s definitely an encouraging book and one I’d recommend to anyone who struggles with self-doubt in their creative endeavors.  

The first suggested activity involves simply painting for at least five minutes every day for 30 days in a row.  It goes into a little more detail than that, and there is a list of prompts, if you’re in need of inspiration.  I decided to give it a try, and I found it beneficial.  It can take time to really let go of worrying about whether what you're making is good enough, whether you're wasting materials, etc., but if you stick with it, it does get easier over time.  

I see now that the author has just published another book about painting cats, titled... Painting Cats.  While cats are cute, I'm really more of a dog person—but I'm adding it to my wish list anyway! (I'd assume that many of the ideas can be applied to any animal you prefer, and I'm sure there's plenty of inspiration to be had.)

(I originally posted most of this review in this post on my craft blog, back when I first read the book.)

Home Before Dark

Home Before Dark

by Riley Sager

Blurb:

What was it like? Living in that house.

Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.

Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father's book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father's death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.

My Reaction:

I believe this is my second time "reading" (listening to an audiobook version) anything written by this author.  The previous one, The House Across the Lake, was more to my liking, though the major plot twist comes out of the blue and feels odd and out of place.  Home Before Dark, on the other hand, had essentially the opposite twist—a comparison that will make no sense unless you've read both books...

I found it more entertaining before it became obvious that... Well, without going into spoilers, before that twist I referred to before.  

The atmosphere through much of the book reminded me of the recent(ish) miniseries adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House.  But unfortunately, part of that similarity was a pervasive feeling of sadness.  It feels less frightening than depressing.  So much wasted potential, in so many lives!  

Another problem was that I couldn't warm to the main character, or feel much of anything for her, one way or the other.  Her father, who speaks through his "book within a book", is more engaging, but there are issues with him, as well.  (For one thing, you never know—until the end—how much of what he's saying is true.)  

Ultimately, it's fine, but not something I'll revisit.  I'd happily read or listen to more by the author, though.  This type of book doesn't need to be amazing and unforgettable to be a perfectly decent read, in my opinion.  I'm just looking for something fictional to think about while I quilt, and this did the trick!

Nitpicky Specifics:

• The title doesn't make much sense.  I like it as a title, but it doesn't fit with the story.  
• I really don't understand the need for a father to discuss any aspect of his sex life with his daughter.  Gross.  Should have been left out, as it was completely unnecessary. 
• The regional accents adopted by the two narrators are strange and distracting.  Every time the male narrator voiced the teenage girl I cringed, and all the "locals" voiced by the female narrator sound like a version of Rhoda Morgenstern from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which I very much doubt was intentional.  
• The female protagonist keeps making unforced errors, putting herself into stupid situations for no apparent reason.  Not uncommon in fiction, but always annoying!

3.5 stars, but not rounding up this time. 

No Exit

No Exit

by Taylor Adams

Blurb:

On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.

Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm . . . and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in an animal crate.

Who is the child? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?

There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out. One of her fellow travelers is a kidnapper. But which one?

Trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation, with a child’s life and her own on the line, Darby must find a way to break the girl out of the van and escape.

But who can she trust?

My Reaction:

The blurb sounded like something I'd like, but it didn't work out that way.  Based on the information in the blurb, I knew there was probably going to be some medical content, but when the specifics unfolded... and it just kept coming up... that was a problem for me.  I've mentioned on here before that I really dislike books to focus what I consider to be too much on certain medical problems/diseases.  I'm reading for pleasure, and that is the exact opposite of pleasurable reading, for me.  

So, there were frequent references to a horrible disease that I don't want to think about, and then there was the fact that it felt like I was making slow progress (and constantly in the back of my mind dreading the next gotcha moment with the disease).  Oh, and I'd just read far enough (not that far, really) to see that a villain was identified.  So... What?  Was that it?  No more mystery?  That was disappointing and essentially finished off my interest in reading the book.  

There's a movie adaptation of the book available, so I decided to just watch that instead.  The adaptation was okay (though somewhat more depressing that I expected), but at least now I don't "have" to finish the book to know what happens.  Phew.  

(It was interesting to note that someone saw fit to change the nature of Darby's mother's medical problem.)

What Lies Between Us

What Lies Between Us

by John Marrs

Blurb:

They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.

Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.

But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her.

Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.

My Reaction:

This started off well enough, but by the end I was disappointed and just glad to be done with the sorry thing.  

The premise is intriguing, and I was curious to see how it would all play out.  I quickly developed some theories, and sure enough, they were correct.  Ordinarily, that would leave me uncertain of whether to be proud that I'd been so perceptive or annoyed that it was too predictable (a sentiment amusingly shared by one of the characters as she ponders her own penchant for reading mystery-thrillers), however, after my "twist" predictions all came true (and yes, it was a bit annoying that they were presented as twists, when they were so obvious), there were a few more twists and turns waiting in the wings.  

So, was that a positive or a negative?  I just don't know!  On one level, yes, it was unexpected.  On another, some of it was unexpected because it was either straight out of Cuckoo Town, relying heavily on characters behaving stupidly.  After a while you find yourself mumbling to the book, "Oh, come on!"  Eye-rolling and sighing may occur.  And in the end, you just kind of shrug.  Okay, book, if you say so.  Whatever, I guess.  

Another reviewer described this book as simultaneously predictable and unrealistic, and that encapsulates my feelings completely.  I found the reading of this book morphed from an interesting experience into one of frustration.  And worse yet, one of the plot points I didn't see coming until it smacked me in the face is among my least-favorite things to read or think about.  (It's health-related, and I'll leave it at that, to avoid a direct spoiler.)  I just can't bear reading books about this topic.  Because it cropped up so late in the book, I didn't want to just drop the book entirely, so I skimmed around those parts, to the best of my abilities, but it certainly didn't improve my enjoyment of the reading experience!

Ultimately, it wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a good choice for me.  I found it very lacking in any sort of satisfying conclusion.  Maybe that was meant to be "the point", but... Blah to that!

The Starlight Barking

The Starlight Barking

by Dodie Smith

Blurb:

Dodie Smith's The Hundred and One Dalmatians, later adapted by Disney, was declared a classic when first published in 1956. The Starlight Barking, Dodie's own long-forgotten sequel, is a thrilling new adventure for Pongo and his family, lavishly illustrated by the same artist team as the first book. As the story opens, every living creature except dogs is gripped by an enchanted sleep. One of the original Dalmatian puppies, all grown up since the first novel, is now the Prime Minister's mascot. Relying on her spotted parents for guidance, she assumes emergency leadership for the canine population of England. Awaiting advice from Sirius, the Dog Star, dogs of every breed crowd Trafalgar Square to watch the evening skies. The message they receive is a disturbing proposition, one that might forever destroy their status as "man's best friend."

My Reaction:

(This was another 372 Pages We'll Never Get Back read with Donald.)

It's been decades since I've seen Disney's adaptation of the first book, and I've never read it (though I have read I Capture the Castle multiple times, and seen the film version).  I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I certainly wasn't expecting this.  It's... Well, it's just weird.  

It's impossible to say how I'd have felt about this as a member of its target audience—that is, a child, or at least someone who had read and loved the first book as a child.  Would I have found it charming or dull?  As an adult, I found there were a few oddities that stuck out (such as the strange bits about the different dog breeds and the importance of maintaining breed standards), but for the most part it was simply a bit boring.  Some elements were rather dark for children, too (thinking specifically of Sirius' motivation for whisking all the dogs away from Earth, which is a spoiler, but... Eh, I don't think it'll be a problem!)

It's a strange book, to say the least.  

 

I didn't know much about Dodie Smith's life before starting this, and was surprised to learn that she and her husband moved to live in the U.S. during WWII, because he was a conscientious objector.  That's interesting, given some of the jokes made on the 372-Pages podcast.  

I hardly know how to rate this one.  Personally, I didn't enjoy the book. 

His & Hers

His & Hers

by Alice Feeney

Blurb:  

There are two sides to every story: yours and mine, ours and theirs, His & Hers. Which means someone is always lying.

When a woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Detective Jack Harper is suspicious of her involvement, until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. Someone isn’t telling the truth, and some secrets are worth killing to keep.

My Reaction:

This novel kept me guessing right until the end!  I developed a theory, changed it, then changed it again.  The final reveal took me back to one of my earliest suspicions, but hey, the author did a good job of luring me away from it!  You just can't be sure what's really going on, because there are too many equally good possible solutions.  

On the downside, there are some coincidences that are honestly too big to swallow, and most of these characters are fairly repugnant in one way or another—but I can't deny that I enjoyed reading most of the book.  (It always feels weird to say you "enjoyed" a book of this sort!  It's pretty dark in spots, not to mention enraging.)

I'll be keeping this author in mind for future reads.

Random Thoughts:

• There's an odd mix of UK and US English here... My guess is that whoever was responsible for editing the book for the American edition missed a few things.  We have American "candy bars", "chips" that are clearly the American version (as opposed to "crisps"), yet there are "biscuits" that really ought to be "cookies" in US English.  There are other examples of this strange blending of terms, but those are the only ones I bothered noting.
• Based on this and Daisy Darker, this author has a weakness for deep / meaningful / clever comments.  Here's one that didn't quite land for me:  "Lives are like light bulbs; they’re not as hard to change as people think."  Only... Do people think changing light bulbs is difficult?  Maybe the ones that you can't reach without a ladder...

These last two are a bit spoilery (I guess), so here's your spoiler warning, if you're worried about it...

• "Jack accused me of a few bad things when we were married, and a few more when we weren’t, but never murder. It makes me wonder whether he always had a negative view of me, even when we were together."  Sorry, but that just made me burst out laughing!  He'd never accused her of murder?  Well, I should hope not!  
• I'm not buying that the teenage craft-queen character would have known how to prepare fur.  I mean, you have to do something to the skin, right?  Tan them?  You don't just skin an animal, dry out the pelt, and use it as a fur, do you?  (Well, maybe it works for the short-term.  I could be wrong here.)  That whole part of the story felt really odd to me.  I can't picture that character being all excited about skinning dead pets... 

Don't Let Her Stay

Don't Let Her Stay

by Nicola Sanders

Blurb:

Joanne knows how lucky she is. Richard is a wonderful husband, Evie is the most gorgeous baby girl, they live in a beautiful house… Life couldn’t be better.

Until Richard’s twenty-year-old daughter Chloe turns up. Chloe hasn’t spoken to her father since the day he married Joanne two years ago. But Chloe wants to make peace. She’ll even move in for a few weeks to help Joanne with the new baby.

It sounds perfect, but when things happen that make Joanne feel like she’s losing her mind, she begins to wonder: Is Chloe really here to help? Or has Joanne made a terrible mistake by letting her move in?

And is it too late to ask her to leave?

My Reaction:

Oh. My. Gosh.  Look, I know people have different tastes, but I cannot fathom why this book has such a high collective rating!  It's simply inexplicable, except for the fact that it is/was included in Kindle Unlimited, which I suspect often bumps a book's ratings by virtue of the sheer number of people reading it.

This took much longer to read than it should have because I kept having to put it down in annoyance.  I knew I should've made it a DNF, but at that point, I wanted to see just how irritating it could be (and yes, what would happen).  I really should have just stopped.  It wasn't worth the frustration.  

These are some of the most infuriating, stupidest, worst-written characters I've ever come across.  As another reviewer put it, the only characters you can remotely care about are the dog and the baby (and even the baby kind of annoys me, if I'm honest).  

If you enjoy spite-reading, give this a try.  If you get a sick thrill out of reading about characters that you actively dislike—characters so excruciatingly idiotic and weak that you want to reach into the book and slap some sense into them—you're in for a real treat with this one.  Otherwise, save yourself the annoyance!

(I don't think this would be something 372 Pages We'll Never Get Back would ever go for, but there's certainly plenty to talk about, assuming you don't mind a ton of "OMG, this is so stupid"...)

On a Quiet Street

On a Quiet Street

by Seraphina Nova Glass

Blurb:

The perfect neighborhood can be the perfect place to hide…

Who wouldn’t want to live in Brighton Hills? This exclusive community on the Oregon coast is the perfect mix of luxury and natural beauty. Stunning houses nestle beneath mighty Douglas firs, and lush backyards roll down to the lakefront. It’s the kind of place where neighbors look out for one another. Sometimes a little too closely…

My Reaction:

Well, I like the cover, and the title is okay... Based on the blurb, I was expecting something a little gossipy and maybe slightly trashy—something inspired by the old Desperate Housewives TV dramedy, which could be okay, since I'm just borrowing it through Amazon.  Desperate Housewives may well be the intended vibe, but it just didn't work for me.  

I found the plot ridiculous.  The irritating characters' behavior is nonsensical and frustrating, to the degree that I lost all patience with them, so I stopped reading at 28%.  

After skimming some of the unfavorable reviews (and completely ignoring the many who apparently loved it), it doesn't sound like I'm missing out on much.  DNF, and relieved to move on to something fresher!

A Flicker in the Dark

A Flicker in the Dark

by Stacy Willingham

Blurb:

When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested as a serial killer and promptly put in prison. Chloe and the rest of her family were left to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. She finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to get. Sometimes, though, she feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. And then a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, and that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, and seeing parallels that aren't really there, or for the second time in her life, is she about to unmask a killer?

My Reaction:

I'm having difficulty rating this one, because I enjoyed reading most of it, but at the same time, there is room for improvement.  Some of the twists are predictable, though you're kept in enough doubt that it's still very readable in that respect—plus I'm always curious about how the finer details will work out.  

One of my main annoyances with this book is the way characters sometimes behave so illogically.  I know, real people do that, too, but... Eh, it frustrates me.  It can also be irritatingly repetitive, some of the metaphors really don't work for me, and at times the science and police procedures are questionable at best.  However, I still found it an interesting enough read.  

I'd certainly consider reading more by this author.  

The Victorian Chaise-Longue

The Victorian Chaise-Longue

by Marghanita Laski

Blurb:

A young married woman lies down on a chaise-longue and wakes to find herself imprisoned in the body of her alter ego ninety years before.

My Reaction:

I've had this one on my list for years, but now that I've finally read it, I never want to read it again—and that's not because it's so horrifying that I couldn't bear to revisit it.  Though this work of psychological horror certainly is unsettling—and it also happens to feature the type of horror that probably bothers me most, body horror, health horror, medical horror—it's not calculated to leave me sleepless or anxious.  

Sadly, I wouldn't care to read it again because I didn't find it a satisfying reading experience.  Though it's already short, as a novella, it felt in need of yet more pruning.  It could easily have been cut even shorter, and I believe it would have been more effective if it had been.  As it was, it felt repetitive in a way that numbed and stupefied rather than heightening the tension.  (On the other hand, it could have been fleshed out into a more engaging full-length novel, but the repetitiveness still would have needed to be addressed.)

There were some interesting ideas to explore here, especially the way that a culture's standards of morality and acceptable behavior shift over time.  What would be an unpardonable sin during one period of time might be almost a mere foible a hundred years later.  When (not to mention where) we are born can be the difference between life and death, joy and misery.  

As for the ending, maybe it's just a matter of taste... I know some people like open-ended stories, but I'm not one of them.  A little ambiguity can be okay, but this felt disappointing.  At least it was short!

The Writing Retreat

The Writing Retreat

by Julia Bartz

Blurb:

Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.

But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she’s desperate to discover the truth and save herself.

My Reaction:

Hm... Not what I was expecting.  This wasn't quite my cup of tea.  (I wasn't expecting it to verge into erotica, for one thing!)

A few thoughts:

—This would have been better without the "book-within-a-book" snippets.  They didn't add much, in my opinion, and ended up being a distraction from the real story.  

—When you have characters speaking about how well-written the "book-within-the-book" is and then include some of said fictional book, there's always the danger of readers thinking, "Eh, this isn't quite the work of genius we've been led to expect."  That's certainly what happened here for me.  Didn't care for it!

—Actually, the entire secondary story about the tragic and/or creepy history of the house feels completely unnecessary.  You may think it's going to be important, but no, it could easily have been left out.  It's supposed to be relevant to the conclusion, helping Alex make realizations and breakthroughs, but... I'm not buying it.  There were other ways to develop the character without dragging in paranormal red herrings and making us read Alex's boring book. 

—I listened to the audiobook, and it took a while for me to get used to the narrator for this one. 

—Had to roll my eyes at a few things, including the scene where the women share their pronouns.  Yes, that felt completely natural and unforced.  No agendas on display here!

—There are a few plot points that may leave you scratching your head, such as a character who looks much younger than she actually is and Alex's mother's bizarre timeline.  (How old is she?!)

—The ending was strange and unsatisfying.  All this build-up to how horrific and crazy a certain character is, then it all just ends with a puff a smoke.  Yes, there are "stakes".  Yes, there are bad things happening, but... 

Ok, I can't write about this without going into spoilers, so...

SPOILER

 ALERT

After all the build-up of danger, even though some characters do die, it feels like the ones you're supposed to really care about are all okay.  And the Bad Guy just agrees to... leave.  It's abrupt, odd, and anticlimactic.  And then when it turns out that Roza is alive (obviously), Alex's reaction is strange and difficult to understand.  She has this bizarre crush on Roza, even after all she's done.  It's gross.  

Since I've already put up the spoiler warning, did Roza really think she'd get away with murder and stealing yet more books?  I mean, I guess it's nothing she hasn't already done, but this feels more visible—more likely to draw the scrutiny of the authorities and possibly raise some eyebrows.  And why?  She's apparently very wealthy, already, and she's established her legacy as a famous literary author, so again, why?  

Artemis

Artemis

by Andy Weir

Blurb:

Jazz Bashara is a criminal.

Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she's stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.

My Reaction:

First things first:  This was another read-along with Donald and the 372 Pages We'll Never Get Back podcast.  If you're familiar with the premise of the podcast, well, you know how this review will probably go...

I've never read The Martian, and though I saw the movie, I have only vague memories of it.  A science-y tale of survival on Mars, a celebration of the indomitable, can-do human spirit, and... potatoes?  Definitely something about growing potatoes.  Anyway, that's not a lot, but that's about it.  I remember that the protagonist had a distinctive voice that amounted to lots and lots of jokes—the kind of thing that is funny for a while, but would eventually drive you 'round the bend.  

From what little I recall (and a few hastily skimmed reviews), it seems that the attitude that people found charming in The Martian didn't quite land as well in Artemis.  

The main thing I remember about this book is rolling my eyes at what passes for humor and yawning through the boring parts.  Between the juvenile "comedy" and the science info-dump sections, there wasn't much going on (except for tedious descriptions of someone welding).  The protagonist isn't someone you naturally feel the urge to root for, and the whole thing is just blah.  So, yes, this wasn't impressive, but it's far (FAR) from the worst thing we've read with 372-Pages.  

A couple of specific nit-picks:

--Chekhov's reusable condom just peters out (ha ha, see what I did there?) and comes (hee hee) to nothing.  Talk about anti-climactic (hur hur)!  I was expecting some stupid joke at the very end between Jazz and (redacted)... Something supremely clever and witty, like, "Hey, Xxxxx, wanna go give that reusable condom a spin around the ol' block?"  But no, not even that.  It's just a gross idea with no real payoff.

--Jazz's entire ambition and driving force through most of the novel is to get rich.  She doesn't want to go back to Earth; she only wants a nicer home in Artemis—something roomier than her coffin-room with just a bed and a communal bathroom down the hall.  She wants a shower of her own, somewhere to cook, etc.  

Hm.  Sounds like homes in Artemis must be prohibitively expensive!  Except... Did I miss something?  

One of her friends, Svoboda, has a place that sounds an awful lot like what she wants, and while he's intelligent and reasonably successful, I don't think he's supposed to be particularly wealthy.  Also, Jazz's father also has a place of his own, right?  It seems like a lot of people on Artemis do...

So why is Jazz's dream out of reach without some once-in-a-lifetime "big score"?  Why can't she just do a normal job, save a bit, and earn enough for a decent home?  She's supposed to be so amazingly bright that it should be easy for her to find a job that pays well enough for that.  I just don't get it.  (Okay, I just remembered, thanks to the blurb, that she has "debts" to pay, but still.  I don't think it makes much sense that she's struggling this hard.)

Actually, a lot of things (economics, population) don't hold up well to serious scrutiny.  If I were having fun while reading, I might not be tempted to pick holes, but without entertainment value, the mind wanders. 

Overall?  No, not a good read for me.  

Hidden Pictures

Hidden Pictures

by Jason Rekulak

Blurb:

Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.

Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.

Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.

Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.

My Reaction:

I found this an enjoyable paranormal thriller.  It made a change to get a Christian main character.  It's been a long time since I've read anything (written in the recent past) that didn't portray Christians as either boring simpletons or evil hypocrites, so this was a nice surprise.  

Judging by some of the reviews I skimmed after finishing the book, this novel has struck a nerve with some readers, to an amusing degree.  I guess a book has to be 100% "woke af" to pass the smell test.  (Purity spirals are so much fun.)  

I, on the other hand, thought the author did a decent job of not being totally skewed in one direction or the other, politically.  I'm bemused that people read this and thought it was "right-wing propaganda" full of "conservative dog whistles", because that's not at all how it came across to me.  I didn't agree with or like everything in it, but on the other hand, it didn't slap me across the face with so many obnoxious political opinions that it was impossible to enjoy the story.  It walked the line better than many other recently published books I've read.

I wouldn't say this was amazing, unbelievably good, or mind-blowing.  On the contrary, some of the twists are predictable, and at times I found the writing style a bit odd, almost as though it were written for a slightly younger audience—but it was an entertaining read, all the same.  The drawings add an interesting element, too.  

This would probably ordinarily be a 3 or 3.5 for me, but I'll bump it up to 4 just because I appreciate reading about a Christian character presented as a normal person.  

The Sea King's Daughter

The Sea King's Daughter

by Barbara Michaels

Blurb:

Since Sandy Frederick first set foot on the volcanic Greek isle of Thera, this breathtaking place of ancient myth and mystery has haunted her dreams. Joining her estranged, obsessed father on a dive to find astonishing secrets from the ocean's floor, she cannot shake the feeling that she was meant to be here; that some ancient, inscrutable power is calling to her. But there are others who have been eagerly waiting for her arrival to drag her into a tangled and terrifying web of secrets, dark superstition, betrayal, blood, and death. And suddenly Sandy's heritage and her destiny could be her doom.

My Reaction:

This is another of Barbara Michael's 1970's gothic thrillers.  I think I've read most of them, at this point, and while not without its faults, I enjoyed it (especially the first half) more than I expected.  I think it was better than the last few of hers I've read.  

What made this one better?  Three things come to mind:

• Exotic locale.
  The beautiful setting of Santorini worked in its favor and gave it a light touch of the Mary Stewart vibe.  It's much more appealing than the last one I remember reading, which was set against the scintillating setting of some boring college, a creepy old grump's deteriorating (?) mansion, and the claustrophobic home of two aging religious obsessives.  (Search the Shadows, if that has tempted you...)
• Non-academic heroine.
  Obviously I don't object to an intelligent heroine, but it does make a bit of a change that this one starts out being more interested in athletic pursuits than books—though she still comes across as unusually well-informed in some rather niche subjects, which was a bit silly.  Either commit to a non-bookish heroine or don't!  Ah well, at least she tried.  It's definitely a break from the author's usual style, and that gave it a fresher feel. 
• Less "male chauvinist pig"-hunting.
  Some of these books are heavy handed with the attitude of, "Oh, what a good feminist am I!  I shall find offense hidden in every little thing, because it's us against them!"  It gets old, and the language feels outdated.  (The funny thing is that there are some very unenlightened, cringe-inducing elements in some of these books, despite the attempt to be oh-so correct.)  There are a few... moments, but it's less than usual.

Those positives aside, I didn't give two figs about the romance and found the whole mystery a bit blah.  The early hints at the spooky supernatural came to naught, and despite some literal earth-shaking developments in the plot (not to mention a few natural fireworks), the whole story felt flat for me.  I just... didn't really care.  

It was okay.  At least I didn't actively hate the heroine by the end of the book, which isn't always a given with these things!