Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf

Publication date Feb 2 2016       

available for pre-order at Amazon        

Description

A woman uncovers earth-shattering secrets about her husband's family in this chilling page-turner from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf

"Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. The case rocked the small farm town of Penny Gate, Iowa, where Jack was raised, and for years Jack avoided returning home. But when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, hospitalized in a coma, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.

Upon arriving in Penny Gate, Sarah and Jack are welcomed by the family Jack left behind all those years ago—barely a trace of the wounds that had once devastated them all. But as facts about Julia's accident begin to surface, Sarah realizes that nothing about the Quinlans is what it seems. Caught in a flurry of unanswered questions, Sarah dives deep into the puzzling rabbit hole of Jack's past. But the farther in she climbs, the harder it is for her to get out. And soon she is faced with a deadly truth she may not be prepared for"
 

Sarah and Jack have been happily married for 20 years. They have built a life together and  raised 2 daughters, but Jack has been keeping secrets and just maybe some of them have been deadly. Sarah has always thought Jack's parents had died in an accident. Until they return to his home town where his aunt has been hospitalized, Sarah really never gave it much thought or pressed him for details. Almost immediately upon arrival Sarah is bombarded with one uncomfortable and unpleasant surprise after another. There are so many things her husband has not told her, including his real name, or why his sister Amy refers to their former home as The House of Horrors. The more she finds out the less she feels able to trust him, The tension builds as Sarah investigates the past and the possibility that Aunt Julia's accident was not an accident after all. She begins to question whether she ever really knew her husband at all.
This was a highly suspenseful story I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars.

I received an advance copy for review.

The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert

Description
"A sweeping international love story that celebrates the triumph of the human spirit over the inhumanities of war and prejudice.
Six-year-old Gretl and her sister jump from a train bound for Auschwitz, her mother and grandmother unable to squeeze between the bars covering the windows. The daughter of a German soldier, Gretl understands very little about how her grandmother's Jewishness brought her first to the ghetto, then to the train, and now, to the Polish countryside where she wanders, searching for food and water for her dying sister.
Soon, Gretl finds refuge with Jakob, a Polish freedom fighter, and his family, where she is sheltered until the end of the war. Gretl is then sent away to a new life, a new name, and a new faith in Apartheid-era South Africa. As she comes of age in this strange place, she confronts its prejudices as she hides the truth of her past from her new family.
When Jakob makes his way to South Africa many years later, Gretl and Jakob are reunited in a love story that transcends time and distance and survives the ravages of hatred and war."

This story spans 15 tragic and heartbreaking years during and after World War 2.
6 year old Gretl and her older sister Elza are made to jump from a train bound for Aushwitz by their grandmother who hopes to save them from the horrors of the concentration camp. Just after they get off, the train is ripped to pieces by bombs. Gretl and Zelda are now utterly alone in the world. Orphaned, thirsty, starving, and alone. They are discovered by Jakob who takes them home, but there is very little room for them and Zelda is terribly sick.
As a fan of historical fiction I will say that this is a must read for any other fan. The sheer bravery and strength of character that Gretl shows in the face of suffering such tragic loss in such brutal times had me cheering her on every step of the way.

I received a complimentary copy for review

About the Author
International bestselling author Irma Joubert was a history teacher for 35 years before she began writing. Her stories are known for their deep insight into personal relationships and rich historical detail. She's the author of eight novels and a regular fixture on bestseller lists in The Netherlands and in her native South Africa. She is the winner of the 2010 ATKV Prize for Romance Novels. Facebook: irmajoubertpage

Death Do Us Part by JG Faherty

Description
"Vengeance never dies."

When Art Stanhope's bitter, vindictive wife commits suicide, he believes all his troubles are over. Instead, they're just beginning. For Catherine's fury transcends even the grave, turning Art's world into a living hell as he struggles to keep his son and new fiancee safe from her lust for vengeance.

But there are secrets behind Catherine's death that Art doesn't know. Secrets that could prove deadly for everyone involved as they learn too late that death is not always a permanent condition, and sometimes the ultimate sacrifice can be too great a price to pay."


Death Do Us Part by J.G. Faherty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Catherine is on her way home in a state of rage to confront her husband Art. She never makes it home alive, but her rage still gets there. Strange things begin to happen, a foul odor of decay fills the house and Art must get to the truth behind Catherine's death if he ever wants to be free of her.
This was a fun, quick, and quirky read, reminiscent of the stories I read as a teen in the old horror comics.

I received an advance copy for review

View all my reviews

Heart Land Love and Loss in the Heart of America by by DB Allen

Description
"She is home to Great Plains and even greater rivers, shining towns and people of soul. Her winters are ice-chest bitter, her summers alive with thunder and twisters. Deserts and dust-devils, cottonwoods and corn fields all sing the harmonies of gospel, the melodies of country and the rhythm of the blues, in this church of love and loss. Hers is a bright light slowly fading. She is America's Heartland. These are her stories. Heart Land is a novel of inter-connected stories spanning generations, all set in the American Midwest."

This is an anthology of short stories, some incredibly short and over before they barely start. They are all set in the Midwest. As one leads to the next you will notice mention of characters from the stories that came before. Most notably in "The Swing" which was my favorite story  about Sue Ellen, the little girl from the first story "Last Storm First" now as a grown woman who finds and reads a journal written by her husband long after he is gone. It is a sad tale of loss and regret, as is "Dan 4 Danica" a story about Dan Rensburg, a boy in junior high labeled as "dummy Dan" ever since elementary school and obsessed with Danica Patrick the race car driver. Dan wishes he were smarter like his sister or brother (The brother who is in the next story "A Single Word") "Kaitlin's On The Corner" at first seemed to be entirely about a pubescent boy's masturbatory habits and fantasies up until the end which was a heck of a twist. This was an enjoyable read. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy for review.