2025 Book Review #37:The Crash

 

I've read one other book by this author.  (The Teacher) 

This was one of the fastest paced novels I've ever read. If you like psychological thrillers with good twists and unpredictability, this is it!

STORY SUMMARY

Teagan is 23 years old, single, a cashier in a local grocery store in small town Maine, and pregnant.  Her life is crumbling apart as her memory comes back about the night she got pregnant.  She feels all alone in the world, although she does have a brother named Dennis, who is a ski instructor in a different part of Maine. 

Dennis invites her to come for a visit as it's winter and she's only another month away from delivering her baby girl. So, after working her shift at the grocery store, because she desperately needs the money (She's also trying to save to go to nursing school), she heads out in her car with her luggage and purse to go visit Dennis. But....a blizzard has been predicted for that evening, and sure enough the snow begins to come down fast and hard. 

She crashes into a tree due to slick snow and ice in a very rural part of Maine.  The car is dead, her ankle feels broken and she's worried that she has made a terrible mistake in leaving her apartment to head to Dennis.  

And then it seems like a miracle happens!

She is rescued by a couple in their late 30s named Hank and Polly who offer her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears. 

But something just isn't right. Staying here might have been Tegan's most deadly mistake yet. 

Why won't Polly call the hospital?? Is Hank really abusive towards Polly or is Polly covering something up? And if yes, then what?? 

MY THOUGHTS

This is one well developed plot and fully developed characters.  The setting is perfect for this type of story. 

I read this book in just two days because you just can't put it down. It's a bit of drama, mystery and psychological thriller all in one. 

It's very chilling in spots and also just breaks your heart in others. 

I don't want to reveal too much about Hank and Polly as I don't want to ruin the plot for you.

Themes in this book are: survival, motherhood, infertility, desperation, mental illness, single parenthood, domestic violence, alcoholism, betrayal, maternal extinct, trust, manipulation, and trauma, justice, redemption. 

The character twist towards the middle of the book is brilliant and the shocking twist that happens towards the end of the book is very well done and kept me on the edge of my seat. 

I like that there isn't a lot of curse words in this book nor any kind of s*xual scenes.  

I found no editing errors in this book from the town library.

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older.

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.

BUSY WEEK FAVES

 

Well, it's August 1st!  I love August as much as I love June. July, here in eastern NYS, was very hot and humid and I think we broke some records for high temps. Cooler air and less humidity has moved in and I'm most thankful for that. I'm also hoping praying the high humidity stays away!!  I can deal with 88 degrees if the humidity levels stay down! 

But...today is Friday as well as the start of a new month, so let's pause, give thanks for FIVE of our FAVE blessings that were part of our week and join in with Susanne from over here to read more. 

Sanderson Brook along the trail
Chester-Blandford State Forest, MA

The MA state forest workers created a path for dogs
so their feet  don't get caught in the webbing of this bridge that spans
Sanderson Brook 

Sanderson Creek Falls, our destination
after just 1 mile of hiking

• SoulSteps Hike: Last Saturday, there were 6 of us from the hiking group I lead, who went to a new to us trail in the Berkshire Mountains of MA. We were planning on hiking the lollipop trail for a 4.4 mile hike but when we got there, the main trail was all loose gravel (not fun to hike on) and the deer flies were horrible! We ended up deciding just to do 2 miles...to the falls and back. A new member of the group rode with me, and it was her first hike with us. She loved it and I was thankful she was able to go.  The other 4 people were a family of 4 who just returned from hiking in the deserts of Utah so they were ready for some green forests and waterfalls.  The 2 little girls wanted to linger at the falls, so their family decided to stay longer than Carla and I did. I'm thankful that it wasn't too hot when we started the morning hike and that my car has good AC because by 11:30, when we were done, the humidity levels and temps were rising!  I'm thankful we had some good fun and fellowship, too. 

the "jungle bird" cocktail
with rum, aperol, pineapple juice, lime, agave

• BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION:  My husband Dave had his birthday on Tuesday but we celebrated with our daughters a couple days early as both were free after choir rehearsal on Sunday afternoon. Our youngest made a late lunch reservation for us at 4 pm which was perfect as the rest of us were super hungry after church and rehearsal. We treated him to this place. Someone had told us it wasn't "authentic" Mexican food but oh my it sure beat any of the other Mexican restaurants in our town. It's actually a fusion place. It's been in our town since 2020 but we had never gone.  We loved it and we will be back. I'm thankful both daughters were free and that we had a lovely couple of hours in a new to us place. 

• VOLUNTEER PICNIC:  The church we attend has 3 different sites. We call them campuses. The main, and largest, site is the Latham campus (the town where we live) which is the campus we attend.  The other two are north of the Mohawk River. Our daughters go to the main one as well. Well, each summer there is a volunteer picnic that our site puts on for those of us who serve in some capacity. This year there were about 350 people who gathered on Tuesday evening. It was catered by Mission BBQ. If you're not familiar with them, click on the link. Their story is super cool and they have sites in 23 USA states. Check to see if yours has one! Anyways i gathered most of the choir members around Dave, while he was enjoying his bbq and all the fixings, to sing "Happy Birthday" in harmony. It was great fun. Because it was so hot and humid Tuesday night with a temp of 96, the church had set up tables in the gym and cafe section of the lobby, with the food at various tables in the main part of the lobby and a bouncy house/slide for toddlers through 5th graders, on the other end of the lobby. Yes, we have a long lobby. I got to talk with our pastor's wife for quite awhile to get caught up on our summers, and we ate with our oldest girl, her boyfriend, and several choir members. It was great fun and a great way for the church staff to say "thank you" for us volunteers. (I was so busy eating and talking, etc that I neglected to get photos!!) I'm so thankful there was a great turn out and that I got a chance to talk to so many people I sometimes don't see during church. 

image courtesy of Nighth*wks website

• DOUBLE DATE: Our friends from church, Diane and Scot, had been trying to find a time to take Dave and I out to lunch since I won a game at her birthday party last Sept. The prize was lunch paid for by them. Our schedules just never seemed to jive until I mentioned that Dave had taken his birthday holiday for Wed vs his actual birthday on Tuesday. So we finally had a day where all 4 of us were free on the same day! We went to this restaurant that everyone raves about but that we had never been to. It's a bit "edgy" but the overall vibe was fun and the food is absolutely amazing. I ordered the veggie burger as it's made from scratch with all whole grains, mushrooms, beans, etc. I had a side salad vs chips or fries. Everyone else got a beef burger and salads. I've had a lot of veggie burgers in the last 10 years, including the vegan "beef" ones and this far surpasses any of the others. It truly was outstanding. I think this will become my place for when I crave a burger. After eating and chatting for over an hour, we walked down the street to this coffee shop to order iced coffees and poke around the building. Before we got coffee though, we went to a taste a wine  at this place.  Then we walked over to Little Pecks. The building has a restaurant (Donna's)  a wine bar (Luca's Confectionary) with talking space, where Dave and I have gone a couple times before with other people.  We also saw space where there is a young vibe that included tables, chairs, a billiard table.  I'm guessing a lot of Gen Zers and young Millenials hang out there. I'm definitely coming back to this coffee shop with a book some day and just relax. The space is wonderful. I will definitely go back to at least the coffee shop! This city is across the river from us and we rarely spend time as we tend to head north. Now that we know of some awesome spaces close to free parking, I might just get over there more often. I'm thankful we had a fun...and tasty.... afternoon...with good friends. 

• POWER OF SCRIPTURE: I'm so very thankful for the Scriptures. Particularly the ones that bring my heart and mind some comfort when I'm feeling anxious or annoyed.  I had an odd email exchange with an extended family member and the person totally misunderstood what I was writing. If she had actually read what I wrote, she would have been fine. Rather, she confessed to not reading the whole thing so missed out on the important parts! I won't go into her hurtful reply but let's just say I'm comforted by praying friends and Scripture. 

That wraps up some of the blessings that made me say "Thank You, God" during a busy week of various activities. 

I hope  whatever you have planned for the upcoming weekend and first full week of August, that you take time to embrace each moment. I covet your prayers as I will be traveling by car about 3 hours northwest to northern NYS with my oldest daughter for a mom-daughter vacation.  We are heading into small Adirondack mountain towns where sometimes the population is less than 800!!  We will be gone the bulk of the week but I hope to be back for the FFF next week. 

HODGEPODGE WEDNESDAY

These are fun questions for today's hodgepodge. Head to this blog to link up!

1. On July 29th 1957 The Tonite Show premiered with Jack Parr as it's host. This marked the beginning of the modern day talk show. Do you watch any daytime or late night talk shows today? Do you have any thoughts on the hubbub surrounding the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, or are you more in the camp of 'who is Stephen Colbert? 

I'm retired from teaching full time but when I was on holidays or a day at home...way back in the 80s, I loved Regis and Kathie Lee, mainly because Kathie is a Christian. And it was a great, fun day time talk show. Now that I'm retired, I don't watch television. I do stream movies on various streaming services that we get via Apple tv. Day time talk shows totally bore me and in today's culture it's so argumentative from what little I've seen about them online/you tube. 

I honestly don't know much about the whole Stephen Colbert fiasco. I mean, honestly, who the heck cares?? So he was vulgar.....it's HIS show! and it's late night television. What do ya expect??? That's all I know of it; that he supposedly made a bunch of vulgar references to Paramount or something?? I honestly have way more important things to dwell on than old white men trying to be funny. 

2. What's the best part of your day? 

When I smell that first brewed pot of coffee around 6 AM. I've always had to get up at 5:30 due to teaching, raising  children, commuting. Now that I'm retired, I don't set an alarm but my natural wake up time is between 6-6:30 AM. The coffee brewer is set to start our drip at 5:45 AM as hubby still works full time. There's nothing like that first Sumatra Starbucks scent! or French Roast...or Veranda....or Nantucket Blend (Green Mountain). 

3. What's something your generation does that you actually dislike? 

hm...well...I'm  in the young baby boomer generation. I'm 65. I  don't like that they complain about politics, changes, teenagers, body aches. I'm married to a Gen X, have a young millennial daughter and a Gen Z daughter. The baby boomers are the worse complainers in the nation! It's embarrassing and I also dislike that they tend to not tip well. (the ones I know anyways...especially the ones in their 70s and 80s). Also, many of the ones I know or who are in my extended family, openly display their implicit biases and I cannot tolerate that. 

4. When you cook do you clean as you go, or clean it all up once you're finished cooking? What's the last thing you cooked/baked in your own kitchen? 

I definitely clean as I go.  I have a glass cutting board for cutting things like chicken or salmon and I have a wooden one for cutting fruit, veggies. I have a bit of OCD when it comes to my white kitchen counters. Dave on the other hand.....oiy....he waits until dinner is done unless I come in and clean while whatever he made is cooking. 

The last thing I cooked in my kitchen was my breakfast about 20 minutes ago:  an over easy egg with a slice of cheddar cheese and "Smart" bacon (overly processed vegan bacon which I needed to use up before I buy the healthier tempah bacon) on an English muffin and I cut up some cantaloupe and watermelon. Dave is off today using his birthday holiday time so we walked at 6:30 AM for a 1.5 mile power walk before the heat  got any higher, and he doesn't eat breakfast so I cooked for my self. It's now 8:45 AM and I need to shower as soon as the kitchen is cleaned up. 😏

5. Sum up your July in ten words or less. 

Hot, humid hiking days; family birthday celebrations

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My Gerberas are bouncing back!!!  

I don't know much about them. It seems like they need a bigger pot.  I need to research this. 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!

2025 Book Review #36: Dead by Dawn

 

This is book 12 in the Game Warden mystery series set in Maine that I discovered a couple of years ago.  As always, it's a fast-paced thriller type mystery.

STORY SUMMARY

Mike Bowditch, Maine Game Warden investigator, has taken on a cold case. He was called to investigate the suspicious drowning of a professor (who was quite wealthy), even though the incident was ruled an accident. The professor's name was Eben Chamberlain, and his eccentric but elegant daughter-in-law insists that her father in law was murdered. She believes the murderer is the survivalist, reclusive, and conspiracy theorist neighbor named Bruce Jewett. Mainly because Jewett accompanied the professor on the duck-hunting trip.  But...what exactly was their relationship? 

And Eben's granddaughter, who has a sharp tongue and who inherited her dead grandfather's fortune, might not be as close to her grandfather as she claims she was. 

This accusation leads Mike to a very sinister local family who claim they have information about the crime. 

But when Mike's jeep ends up in the river and unknown armed assailants on snowmobiles begin to pursue him through the wooded wilderness, the investigation turns into a long night of survival. 

Mike faces a battle to stay alive and he has to go back through the hours leading up to this "accident" which was really an ambush, to solve two puzzles: which one of these dangerous people wants him dead, and what has he done to bring on their wrath??  

MY THOUGHTS

Once again, the author brings a fast-paced story with well developed characters. 

The setting of just before Christmas in a very cold, snowy Maine really sets the scene for the Androscoggin River and the surrounding "trailer trash" towns and wilderness.  I always enjoy the descriptions of this series set in Maine. 

I also enjoyed a twist towards the end which I did not see coming.  This really made the book because I was starting to lose interest and it started to seem to drag (with the subplot which ended up being the actual plot....I don't want to ruin it for you and reveal just who the sinister family really is). Let's just say, you need to read a previous book in the series to fully appreciate the ending of this thriller for survival. 

I found a plethora of editing errors which in my opinion is uncalled for today but yet which I'm finding is so common in contemporary fiction.  Things like extra articles/ pronouns or words out of order. This drops my score down a point. Also, sometimes this author oversues the F word and i just don't find that to be creative at all. I  get why authors do this to set up character development but it's just so crass and over done. 

I did love that a character from previous books in the series is back. I'm super thrilled as to where Mike's character and his romantic life is leading. I hope there's more of this in Book 13. 

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older (due to mature content). 

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this an 8. 

And now I need a break from this  series for the rest of the calendar year.