Zero Days

Author: Ruth Ware
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press, 2023
Pages: 368
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Hired by companies to break into buildings and hack security systems, Jack and her husband, Gabe, are the best penetration specialists in the business. But after a routine assignment goes horribly wrong, Jack arrives home to find her husband dead. To add to her horror, the police are closing in on their suspect - her.

Review: With the completion of Zero Days, I have read all of Ruth Ware's novels. After reading two Ruth Ware novels back-to-back with similar plots and feel, this was a refreshing change. 

Ruth Ware Novels
One by One
One Perfect Couple
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
The It Girl
The Lying Game
The Turn of the Key
The Woman in Cabin 10

Visions, Trips, and Crowded Rooms: Who and What You See Before You Die

Author: David Kessler
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Hay House, Inc., 2011
Pages: 192
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: David Kessler, one of the most renowned experts on death and grief, takes on three uniquely shared experiences that challenge our ability to explain and fully understand the mystery of our final days.

The first is "visions." As the dying lose sight of this world, some people appear to be looking into the world to come. The second shared experience is getting ready for a "trip." The phenomenon of preparing oneself for a journey isn't new or unusual. In fact, during our loved ones' last hours, they may often think of their impending death as a transition or journey. These trips may seem to us to be all about leaving, but for the dying, they may be more about arriving. Finally, the third phenomenon is "crowded rooms." The dying often talk about seeing a room full of people, as they constantly repeat the word crowded. In truth, we never die alone. Just as loving hands greeted us when we were born, so will loving arms embrace us when we die. In the tapestry of life and death, we may begin to see connections to the past that we missed in life. While death may look like a loss to the living, the last hours of a dying person may be filled with fullness rather than emptiness.

Review: First, a little back story. I was close to my maternal grandmother, and she passed two weeks before my youngest child was born. She was 96 yeas old and had told me nearly one year earlier, on her birthday, that she did not want to live to see 97. She was ready to be reunited with her family, all of whom had passed on before her, her husband, and it was time to just rest. Her mind was good, but her body was failing.

I was at peace with her passing. I had her in my life for 37 years, she had met my daughters and they were old enough to have lasting memories. There was nothing left unsaid, and she had told me herself that she was ready. I attended her funeral, very very pregnant, but not going was never an option.

I packed my bags and had my closure, or so I thought.

She passed away on February 1, and my son was born on February 15. Either later on the 15th, or it could have been the 16th, he and I were alone in the hospital room. He was napping, and I was in that weird in-between state between awake and asleep. Laying there with my eyes closed and about to drift off, I felt my grandmother speak to me. Right in my ear I felt her say, "he's perfect, and we love him." At the same time, eyes still closed, I had a vision of a veil (or scrim), and behind it a mass of people (unrecognizable to me) standing shoulder-to-shoulder, and as far back as I could see. Trying to see both my grandmother and those who were in the room with us behind the veil, I rolled my head from side to side against the pillow and struggled to open my eyes. Finally, I forced my eye muscles to work and wrenched them open. I saw a flash of burgundy, the color of the only winter coat I ever remembered her wearing, and she was gone.

I've reflected on this experience for almost a decade now. When this book came to my attention, it was a no-brainer to read it. I had a glimpse into life after death.

The Rose Arbor

Author: Rhys Bowen
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Amazon Publishing, 2024
Pages: 379
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: London 1968: Liz Houghton is languishing as an obituary writer at a London newspaper when a young girl's disappearance captivates the city. If Liz can break the story, it's her way into the newsroom. She already has a scoop: her best friend, Marisa, is a police officer assigned to the case. Liz follows Marisa to Dorset, where they make another disturbing discovery. Over two decades earlier, three girls disappeared while evacuating from London. One was found murdered in the woods near a train line. The other two were never seen again.

As Liz digs deeper, she finds herself drawn to the village of Tydeham, which was requisitioned by the military during the war and left in ruins. After all these years, what could possibly link the missing girls to this abandoned village? And why does a place Liz has never seen before seem so strangely familiar?

Review: I enjoy Rhys Bowen's historical fiction. This novel was a bit different than others I've read. Since becoming a mom, I've had a really hard time reading novels where children are injured, abused, or kidnapped, and this had it all. As a result this took me longer to read than a Rhys Bowen novel typically would. The way this wrapped up had 1960s Nancy Drew mystery vibes. 

Other Rhys Bowen Novels
Above the Bay of Angels
In Farleigh Field
The Tuscan Child
The Venice Sketchbook
Where the Sky Begins

One by One

Author: Ruth Ware
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Gallery / Scout Press, 2021
Pages: 384
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Getting snowed in at a luxurious, rustic ski chalet high in the French Alps doesn't like the worst problem in the world. Especially when there's a breathtaking vita, a full-service chef and housekeeper, a cozy fire to keep you warm, and others to keep you company. Unless that company happens to be eight coworkers. . .each with something to gain, something to lose, and something to hide.

When the co-founder of Snoop, a trendy London-based tech start-up, organizes a week-long trip for the team in the French Alps, it starts out as a corporate retreat like any other: PowerPoint presentations and strategy sessions broken up by mandatory bonding on the slopes. But as soon as one shareholder upends the agenda by pushing a lucrative but contentious buyout offer, tensions simmer and loyalties are tested. The storm brewing inside the chalet is no match for the one outside, however, and a devastating avalanche leaves the group cut off from all access to the outside world. Even worse, one Snooper hadn't made it back from the slopes when an avalanche hit.

As each hour passes without any sign of rescue, panic mounts, the chalet grows colder, and the group dwindles further. . .one by one.  

Review: I wondered if I should read One by One so soon after reading One Perfect Couple since the premise sounded similar. There were some differences, but yeah, basically the same book. One by One was the more interesting of the two. It was also published four years earlier. 

Ruth Ware Novels
One Perfect Couple
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
The It Girl
The Lying Game
The Turn of the Key
The Woman in Cabin 10
Zero Days

Women Behind the Wheel

Author: Nancy A. Nichols
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Pegasus Books, 2024
Pages: 240
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: Since their inception cars have defined American culture, but until quite recently car histories were largely written by and about men - with little attention given to the fascinating story of women and cars.

In this engaging non-fiction narrative, Nancy A. Nichols, the daughter of a used car salesman, uses the cars her father sold and the ones her family drove to tell a larger story about how the  car helped to define modern womanhood. From her sister's classic Mustang to her mother's Chevy Convertible to her own Honda minivan, Nichols tells a personal story in order to shed light on a universal one.

Cars helped women secure the right to vote, change the nature of romance, and influenced both fashion and child rearing customs. In the just over 100 years since their inception, cars have created possibilities for commerce and romance even as they expose
d women to new kinds of danger.

Women Behind the Wheel explores the uniquely gendered landscape of the automobile, detailing the many reasons why cars are both more expensive and more dangerous for women drivers.

The automobile is on the cusp of momentous change. As we advance into the era of electric, connected, and autonomous vehicles, Nichols shows us why we should hit the brakes and look back in the rear-view mirror at this long and fascinating history.

Review: This book did not know what it wanted to be. The author tried a mash-up of a memoir and non-fiction, and I think had she chosen one or other, the book would have been more successful and more interesting. As a big fan of road trips and travel and general, I usually enjoy reading books about the history of transportation, but this one didn't do it for me.

One Perfect Couple

Author: Ruth Ware
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2024
Pages: 400 (14 hours)
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: Lyla is in a bit of a rut. Her post-doctoral research has fizzled out, she's pretty sure they won't extend her contract, and things with her boyfriend, Nico, an aspiring actor, aren't going great. When the opportunity arises for Nico to join the cast of a new reality TV show, One Perfect Couple, she agrees to try out with him.

A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla finds herself whisked off to a tropical paradise with Nico, boating through the Indian Ocean towards Ever After Island, where the two of them will compete against four other couples - Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana - in order to win a cash prize.

But not long after they arrive on the deserted island, things start to go wrong. After the first challenge leaves everyone rattled and angry, an overnight storm takes matters from bad to worse. Cut off from the mainland by miles of ocean, deprived of their phones, and unable to contact the crew that brought them there, the group must band together for survival. As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla finds that the game show is all too real - and the stakes are life and death.

Review: As per usual, I opted to listen to Ruth Ware's latest novel. Once again, reader extraordinaire, Imogen Church, narrates this novel. If I'm being honest this was not my favorite Ruth Ware novel. The premise is attractive 20 / 30 somethings trying to survive on a remote island for an unforeseen amount of time. There was a lot of rationing and complaining about the lack of food and water, more desperately water. I mean, that's a reasonable worry and focus, but maybe it isn't the best plot for a story. 

The best part of this novel was the ending because it offered explanations and tied up all the loose ends. However, I can confidently say that this is not Ruth Ware's best novel. Moving on.

Ruth Ware Novels
In a Dark, Dark Wood
One by One
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
The It Girl
The Lying Game
The Turn of the Key
The Woman in Cabin 10
Zero Days

The Husbands

Author: Holly Gramazio
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2024
Pages: 351
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late on night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There's only one problem - she's not married. She's never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they've been together for years.

As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can't remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a light bulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating and infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a light bulb, how do you know you've taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living.

Review: This book was recommended to me by a librarian, and I actually loved it. Fans of Cassandra in Reverse and Oona Out of Order will love it too. I imagine most of us wonder what our life would look like had we chosen another path, or even another man (or woman). This kept me entertained and kept me turning pages.