Two Books

I’m trying to catch up on some book talk so I wanted to mention a couple of books I’ve read which I enjoyed and if you are in the mood for some family psychological fiction then you can’t go wrong with these. Just be prepared because it’s all about making you wonder if you really know your family and friends.

“I stood alone in the street, watching the silent house turn down for the night. One by one, the lights blinked out, like stars dying in an inky sky. The upscale suburb was eerily quiet, no sound but my own breath. My own heartbeat. Still, I waited. And then I waited some more. The occupants had to be asleep.”

The Perfect Family
By Robyn Harding
Source: Advance review copy

For anyone looking in, they would think Viv and Thomas Adler are living the perfect life. They live in a nice home, have successful careers and have a son in college and a daughter in high school. Little do they know that each person in the Adler household is hiding a secret.

Viv stages homes for sale but sometimes picks up a memento from where she’s visited, Thomas’ is having a hard time offloading some property and he’s distrustful of his coworkers, Eli would rather not return to university and Tarryn spends too much time online.

When their home is the target of a prank the Adlers get rattled but the attacks start to escalate and each one thinks could it be their personal secrets that are the reason behind the attacks. Things are getting out of hand and each of the Adler family members thinks that they can stop things from getting worse but their actions sometimes lead to greater consequences. Pure escapism but so fun trying to figure out who is behind all of this and why.

“I am thirty-nine, in excellent shape with a full head of hair and a deep set of dimples, and my suit fits better than any glove. That’s why she looked at me, why she smiled, why she is happy I have come over to join her. I am the man she has in mind. I slide my phone across the bar toward her. It displays a message. Hello. My name is Tobias.”

My Lovely Wife
By Samantha Downing
Source: Advance review copy

“Tobias”, not his real name, is the narrator of this novel. He’s married to Millicent and they have a peculiar way that makes them feel closer to one another. They happen to be serial killers. No one would know this of course because Millicent is a successful career woman and he teaches tennis classes at a country club. They have two children and friends but when they need to liven things up they go on a hunt.

Tobias finds the victim and slowly gains her trust and soon Millicent takes over and makes the bodies disappear. These two are very devoted to each other but and have always been very careful about how they will hide their dark side but then a body is discovered and they have to find a way to make sure this doesn’t come back to them. Their new plan will be a test to just how well they know each other and just how much they are willing to trust one another.

Is this story kind of crazy and creepy, yes, but I also wasn’t expecting some of the twists in this one. I found myself anxious to find out how this was going to be resolved and surprised in the end.