Book Review- Rebecca Hardiman's Good Eggs

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Rebecca Hardiman’s Novel, Good Eggs, in exchange for an honest review.

Eccentric eighty-three year old widow, Millie Gogarty, has just been arrested for shoplifting, and to make matters worse, her middle-aged son, Kevin, is called to retrieve her from the police station. Worried about his mom’s behavior, Kevin pretends to strike a deal with the police, which includes canceling Millie’s upcoming holiday, and having a young American woman named Silvia employed as a part-time carer.

Initially, Millie is livid at the arrangement, and vows to give Silvia a difficult time, however, Silvia’s charm and friendship quickly melts Millie’s tough exterior. The two women form a bond, and Millie even loans Silvia a large sum of money. The relationship turns sour, when Silvia leaves Ireland, and Millie can’t contact her. Soon, Millie realizes that Silvia may not be the friend that she imagined.

Kevin is dealing with his own troubles, including a marriage that’s on the rocks, and a troubled teenage daughter, Aideen. Aideen’s angry attitude and unpredictable behavior have pushed her parents to send her to a strict private school, where she boards on school nights. Aideen find solace in the other back sheep of the family, her grandmother, whom she helps solve the mystery of the missing Silvia.

Good Eggs explores what it truly means to be a good person, and how we can both seek and give forgiveness, even when tremendous transgressions have occurred. None of Hardiman’s characters are perfect, yet they are all very much human, and I’m certain that all readers can find themselves in one or more of the characters.

I was most drawn to Aideen, who at sixteen, is struggling to figure out her personal identity. She doesn’t feel like she fits in with her family or society, causing her to lash out and make some terrible judgements in error. Yet, despite her troubles, she has a good heart.

One of the more surprising plot twists involves Aideen unwittingly poisoning her headmaster. Another classmate and Aideen steal a bag of fish eyeballs from biology class and put a few in their headmaster’s breath mint jar, intending on a disgusting prank. However, the girls do not realize that the eyeballs have been preserved in formaldehyde, which sends the headmaster to the emergency room. Aideen doesn’t know the extent of her headmaster’s injuries, yet she immediately disregards any repercussions, and fesses up to the crime in efforts to help give information to help her headmaster’s recovery. The other girl stays silent.

Aideen is filled with these moments, mistakes made and regrets. She desperately wants to make the right decisions, but she is also conflicted over how to navigate social situations. I could definitely see aspects of my teenage-self in Aideen.

Good Eggs was an unexpected read filled with plot twists, delightful characters, and a big dose of heart. I fell in love with the Gogarty family. Good Eggs is Hardiman’s first novel and I look forward to her next!

Book Review: Lisa Jewell's Invisible Girl

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Lisa Jewell’s latest novel, Invisible Girl, in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite mystery/suspense authors and she has another winner with her latest novel, Invisible Girl.

Saffyre Maddox is a beautiful, seventeen year old living under the care of her older brother. Her childhood was marked, not only by the loss of her parents, but by a traumatic experience that led her to self-harm. Saffyre spent several years under the care of Roan Fours, a highly-regarded child psychologist. However, Saffyre remained guarded during her sessions with Roan and although he declared her fit enough to end their sessions, she never revealed the truth of her trauma. Years after her final session with Roan, she finds herself interested in his life, including following him, discovering that he has been having an affair with a young colleague. Saffyre is an “invisible Girl” hiding in shadows and even sleeping in an abandoned lot across the street from Roan’s home. She is slowly turning almost feral.

On the other side of town, Roan’s family has been renting a home in a posh, seemingly safe neighborhood. However, tensions are high when several women are sexually assaulted, including Roan’s daughter’s friend. Suspicion falls on Owen Pick, a man in his early thirties who lives across the street from Fours family. Owen is reclusive and socially awkward. To make matters worse, he has recently been suspended from work due to allegations of inappropriate behavior with the young girls that he teaches.

When Saffyre goes missing, her blood and possessions are discovered on the window outside of Owen’s bedroom window and he is arrested. However, days pass and detectives cannot find Saffyre’s body. Is Owen involved with Saffyre’s disappearance or has he been labeled guilty based on circumstantial evidence and wild accusations?

Jewell is masterful at crafting mystery and as with her previous novels, you never quite know the outcome until the very last pages. This story dives into the #metoo movement and takes a close look at the perspectives of both victims and perpetrators. It also looks at those who must confront their inappropriate behavior and take responsibility. The last few years has brought on the concept of “Cancel Culture.” I can understand the desire to “cancel” people who behave in harmful ways, but it also cancels the concept of redemption for those who are open to accepting responsibility and change. Jewell allows one of her characters ( no spoilers), someone who can change and wants to change, the opportunity to be forgiven. It’s quite a beautiful and powerful part of the story. No worries, those who should truly be punished definitely get their reckoning!

Invisible Girl is heartbreaking, surprising and affecting. It is a solid, suspenseful mystery with memorable characters. I recommend Invisible Girl along with Jewell’s other novels. She’s a fabulous writer!

Book Review- Lisa Jewell's Watching You

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Lisa Jewell’s latest novel, Watching You, in exchange for an honest review.

A brutal murder has taken place in one of the beautiful Victorian home in the affluent Melville Heights neighborhood in Bristol, England. In acclaimed novelist Lisa Jewell’s latest crime novel, Watching You, the reader quickly realizes that there are as many suspects, as there are potential victims and we will not know the truth of the situation until the final moments of the story.

I’ve read several of Jewell’s previous novels and she is simply a master at writing crime fiction. This is not a genre that I often read, yet I am thrilled every time she publishes a new book, because I know that I will love it. Watching You is no exception. Jewell knows exactly how to pace her novels to keep readers engaged. She always has a twist that is unexpected, yet makes perfect sense when you rethink through the hints that she has been cleverly dropping throughout the entire novel. At the very start of Watching You, we are told that a murder has taken place and we know that one of the characters is being questioned as a suspect, yet we do not know the murder victim until the last chapters of the novel. It’s brilliant.

More than a crime novel, Watching You is a solid drama. Jewell’s characters are having affairs, teenagers navigating first love, and families in crisis. The drama is as equally important as the crime element. I feel that this is a strong reason for why I gravitate towards Jewell’s novels. She has rich, well-rounded characters who are facing difficult situations. The crime element ups the stakes and intensifies their troubles, but it is not the root or only cause of tension in the story. Jewell’s characters are complex and troubled, even if murder wasn’t on their street.

Watching You is creepy. It has themes of power and dominance, especially through the character of Tom Fitzwilliam, a school headmaster in his early 50’s. Tom has a history of showing attention to young women. He’s charismatic and someone that women, young and old, tend to crush on. Throughout the entire story, we never quite know if Tom is a villain or victim. Is he a predator or misunderstood? The character of Tom reminded me of one of my college professors, who lost his career for predatory behavior. I never had an inappropriate situation with him, but I did get swept up by his charisma and when he was very publicly fired, it was both a shock and not a shock at all. I kept imagining this professor, every time Tom was on the page.

Culpability is a theme throughout Watching You. The recently married Joey Mullens, Tom’s neighbor, is enchanted by Tom and has an affair with him. She knows that she bears blame for this decision, yet she can’t help but focus on Tom’s power over her, as if she is possessed. Another character is confronted with her extreme bullying behavior as a teenager. Many decades have passed, but she never took responsibility and now her past has come back to haunt her. As the title implies, we are all being watched and cannot hide from our sins.

Watching You is a page turner and I was enthralled until the last word. I think this might just be my favorite Jewell novel yet.