Oh, hi. It's another round of books. There isn't much to offer as an introduction - Two of these were thrillers, and two were short stories. Cool.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie was quite the ride. This is only my second Agatha Christie (Why is this? I need to fix this y'all), and I just love her timeless storytelling. This story revolves around a murder on a train. Detective Hercule Poirot must figure out who is responsible by interviewing a slew of suspects. Each alibi initially appears to work, and there is no motive that is immediately clear. Then the detective does some work y'all! As the secrets came out and the truth was unraveled, the story was just so damn brilliant. Agatha Christie is truly the queen of thrillers, and I loved the ride (pun intended) this one took me on, especially one heckuva reveal!
Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock was an incredible set of short stories. The difference in this collection is that there is a thread that connects one story to the next, and all of the stories included are then part of a larger overall story. I don't want to say too much because honestly the beauty and intrigue is in seeing those connections come to light. I will also say that many of these connections are through tragedy, so know that this is a story not only full of some twists and turns, but some pretty intense feelings. (Note: The book does have a content warning, and I would definitely suggest evaluating that before you dive in.) This was one of those books that absolutely drew me in so many ways - It was the plot above all else, but it was also just masterful storytelling. Thanks to NetGalley for an early look at this April 2021 release!
Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks was a short story collection that was extremely well-written with words, but also just okay. The stories each had a typewriter involved somehow which was an interesting spin, and I just didn't really find anything truly hit me in the feels. This is frequently my struggle with short stories, so not a new challenge, and I just really missed this as I read. I kept reading, and I appreciated the unique premises of each story, AND I also just feel "meh" about the experience.
Tell No One by Harlan Coben was a book I picked up because I just needed a reliable thriller. When I need that, Coben is often where I turn. This story focuses on David Beck who tragically lost his wife eight years earlier. In present day, it seems that she may still be alive, but that can't be true or can it? David decides to believe it could be true, and the case is opened again. As Coben novels do, this one had some great twists with one big mega-twist revealed at the end. It was told in a way that I also didn't guess what was going to go down which is the mark of an especially great thriller for me.
Onto the next ones!
