THE SILENT WIFE
by Kerry Fisher
4.5 out of 5.0 stars

I highly recommend [book:The Silent Wife|33225794] by [author:Kerry Fisher|6907063]. It took me months to read the first quarter of the book and I almost gave up thinking it didn't have a plot. The ebook was entitled: "The Silent Wife: A gripping emotional page turner with a twist that will take your breath away" and that's what got my attention at first. Wow, a thriller, I love those. Now another blurb on the cover is "Would you risk everything for the man you love even if you knew he had done something terrible?" And I'm not sure if either of those subtitles accurately describes the book (FOR ME). The risking everything for the man you love? No, I believe it's more like a woman was bullied and controlled by a man with a personality disorder. But I don't want to use any spoilers so ...

As I mentioned, the book began slowly, and I was going to dismiss it until one of the characters fascinated me. This character, that the family saw as perfect, is a narcissist. But more than that, I believe, displaying all the characteristics of NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder). Note: the author never states this, nor uses the word Narcissist - and I apologize if I got it wrong.

The book revolves around the Farinelli family. Massimo is the golden child, remarried to Lara, seemingly cold and rigid, raising their meek son, Sandro. Next door is brother Nico and his 2nd wife, Maggie, raising Nico's daughter Francesca and Maggie's son, Sam. Nico's first wife, Caitlin, died after a battle with cancer and the Farinelli family considered her a perfect daughter and sister-in-law. Maggie is a little raw around the edges, raised poor by her mother Beryl. The Farinelli mom is a typical Italian mother, cannot see wrong in her own sons and not warm to anyone outside the family.

The last 50 pages changed my mind about the book. And although I still wouldn't call it a gripping page turner, it was an excellent character study. I couldn't stop the tears and felt my heart being gripped by the reality of the family dynamics revealing themselves. And one character in particular, whose evilness built up in little ways throughout and then burst open at the end.

I'd recommend this book as I said and I'm looking forward to reading Fisher's next novel. I give it 4.5 stars, my complaint being how the book was marketed bringing different expectations. If it was billed as a character study, it may have been a 4.9 because I wouldn't have expected something else.
Please do read this one!
 
About Kerry Fisher from goodreads.com

​Website
http://www.kerryfisherauthor.com
Twitter
kerryfswayne

Look for Me (Detective D.D. Warren, #9)
by Lisa Gardner
4 / 5 stars

Another fantastic couldn't-put-it-down thriller from Lisa Gardner. 

One of the best parts of the book? Flora Dane is back in all her darkness. Loved that is still relevant to Lisa Gardner and I do hope to see her again.

The plot was, of course, twisty. Done brilliantly. I still had a full cast of characters that were all possible suspects nearing the end of the book. I was emotionally tied to not just D.D. and Flora but other characters that came to the defense of those weaker than them.

Also, loved that dogs were a large part of the book...the old ones and a brand new one. Rescues, of course. 

Every time I finish a novel by Gardner, I feel a little ... empty. Like I wanted it to just go on and yes, the ends of her novels are just that. Nothing that has you wondering if the plot was plausible or the outcome unrealistic. And more than just a bit of anticipation for the one that comes next. 

I recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys thrillers or contemporary fiction or police procedurals or reading. Really!

About the author from goodreads.com:

​Born The United States 
Website http://www.lisagardner.com/
Twitter LisaGardnerBks
Genre Mystery & Thrillers, Suspense, Romance
aka Alicia Scott

New York Times bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in police procedure, cutting edge forensics and twisted plots into a streak of eleven bestselling suspense novels.

Readers are invited to get in on the fun by entering the annual "Kill a Friend, Maim a Mate" Sweepstakes, where they can nominate the person of their choice to die in Lisa's latest novel. Every year, one lucky stiff is selected for literary immortality. It's cheaper than therapy, and you get a great book besides. For more details, simply visit Lisa's website.

Lisa lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her family, as well as two highly spoiled dogs and one extremely neurotic three-legged cat. Lisa graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in international relations.

The Book of Joe
by Jeff Wilser
4 of 5 stars

​I didn't know what to expect of this book and, initially, I was let down because I thought it was written by Joe Biden.

But I was NOT disappointed. This is a wonderful small book of big thoughts and big moments. Wow, Joe Biden has been through many ups and downs. And his attitude is absolutely remarkable. 

The most impactful portion for me was on grief. We all know that Biden's son, Beau, died of cancer recently. What we didn't know - at least I did not - is that Beau was truly a chip off the old shoulder and then some. And because Beau was so phenomenal, Joe's pain was so great and vast and encompassing. And here we get some wisdom from both Joe and Beau. Heartbreaking but important. 

Really, the small messages here are grand. And I'd recommend this book to anyone, fan or not of the Vice President and his politics.

about Jeff Wilser from goodreads.com:

​Jeff Wilser is the author of Alexander Hamilton's Guide to Life. 

He's also the author of four other books, including The Good News About What’s Bad For You… and The Bad News About What’s Good For You, which was named an Amazon Best Book of the Month.

His writing has appeared in print or online in GQ, New York magazine, Time, Glamour, Cosmo, VH1, Esquire, mental_floss, MTV, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Comstock’s, The Miami Herald, The Baltimore Sun, Detroit Free Press, and The Huffington Post.

The topics? It varies. He has written about health, relationships, film, travel, the folly of juice cleanses, hashtags, monks, architecture, books, fashion (not that he’s fashionable), sneak attacks of World War II, how to pick champagne, the intersection of math and magic, Finland’s school system, and the shortcomings of General Custer. He also collaborated with Marc Ecko, the fashion designer and founder of Complex media, on the book Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out.

Jeff is likely the only person alive to have written for both GQ and The Knot. His TV appearances, where he occasionally pops up as the token male, have ranged from BBC News to The View. Business and marketing stuff? Sure, he does that too, providing customer-segmentation insights to a +$1 billion publishing company. He’s also the founding editor of ThePlunge.com, the primary website for grooms. (Jeff has never been a groom.)

He can’t tan. 

The Good Luck of Right Now
by Matthew Quick
3.5 of 5.0 stars

Although this isn't normally my "type" of book, there's no denying that I was entertained and that this is excellent writing. 

As in The Silver Linings Playbook, it's almost as if Matthew Quick has an inside read on ... not mentally challenged but mentally sort-of-not-there characters. Those with a lot of quirks, let's say! Here we follow a guy who has had a good life in his mind although the reader may have a hard time believing that! And then it unravels as his mom dies and truths are revealed. 

In all honesty, I read the last 20 pages in tears. So poignant and innocent and heart-breaking (not to him, but to me). It takes something special to deliver all this sweetness along with all the tragedies. 

About the author from Goodreads.com: 
​
Born Philadelphia, The United States 
Website http://www.matthewquickwriter.com
Genre Literature & Fiction, Young Adult
https://www.goodreads.com/MatthewQuick

Matthew Quick is the New York Times bestselling author of THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, which was made into an Oscar-winning film; THE GOOD LUCK OF RIGHT NOW; LOVE MAY FAIL; THE REASON YOU’RE ALIVE; and four young adult novels: SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR; BOY21; FORGIVE ME, LEONARD PEACOCK; and EVERY EXQUISITE THING.

His work has been translated into more than thirty languages, received a PEN/Hemingway Award Honorable Mention, was an LA Times Book Prize finalist, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, a #1 bestseller in Brazil, a Deutscher Jugendliteratur Preis 2016 (German Youth Literature Prize) nominee, and selected by Nancy Pearl as one of Summer’s Best Books for NPR.

​The Hollywood Reporter has named him one of Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Authors. All of his books have been optioned for film.