Tag: Mystery

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society #1 by Trenton Lee Stewart

Title: The Mysterious Benedict Society
Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
# Pages: 485
Published: 2007
Rating: 4 stars

This is a lively tale of four talented and intelligent children who are recruited to embark on a dangerous mission to save the world. Each child’s individual gifts are needed to succeed, but can they stick together long enough to complete their mission?

I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s nice to pick up a YA book for a fun, quick read. When the plot and characters are as cleverly-written as they are in this book, it doesn’t even feel like you’re reading something meant for a much younger audience. I found myself reading well into the night, desperate to find out what the children would do next. I will definitely read the rest of the series, and I encourage anyone else looking for a delightful adventure series to do the same.

Favorite Quote

Is this what family is like? The feeling that everyone’s connected, that with one piece missing the whole thing’s broken?

The Memory Box

Title: The Memory Box
Author: Eva Lesko Natiello
# Pages: 288
Published: 2014
Rating: 4 stars

The Memory Box is Natiello’s first novel. She studied psychology at The State University of New York at Albany, and her insights into the human mind and character allowed her to write an incredible psychological thriller. I couldn’t put it down, and by the end I think I might have had more questions than answers! This is a great book for a book club since it will allow for lively and thrilling discussions. 

The novel begins with a group of soccer moms who, in typical mean girls’ style, spend their spare time Googling each other trying to find out the biggest dirt. Caroline, one of the moms, decides to Google herself to make sure there isn’t anything the other moms can use on her. What she finds is completely unexpected–her twin sister, who she’s sure she just spoke with, died several years prior. How does one forget the death of a twin? The more she digs, the more unbelievable information she finds, and the reader follows her in her journey to discover reality in a world that has been turned completely upside down. 

Caroline’s journey is centered around the loss of her sister and what that loss means. As a twin, I could not comprehend how someone could forget that their womb-mate has died! How much does her husband know? Where are her parents? Why does she think she has regular conversations with someone who is no longer living? How can her entire life be a lie? Read this book to (maybe) discover the answers to these questions and many more!

Favorite Quotes:

“It’s impossible to un-know a secret. Once you know it, you own it. It can’t be returned like a borrowed book. Or burned like a love letter. The click of a mouse won’t delete it from the conscious mind. It’ll stick to the walls of your memory like dried oatmeal to a dish. The secrets you wish you never knew become a burden to lug.”

“[T]he emotional scars of children can take a lifetime to heal. If they do at all.”

A Game for All the Family

A Game for All the Family: A Novel

Title: A Game for All the Family
Author: Sophie Hannah
# Pages: 433 
Published: 2015 in the U.K., 2017 in the U.S. 
Rating: 3 1/2 stars 

This is the first novel by Sophie Hannah that I’ve read, and to be honest, I only read it because it was chosen for one of my book clubs. Hannah is master of the psychological thriller, and she has earned numerous awards for her works. Her books have been published in 49 countries, which allows readers all over the world to enter her slightly twisted narratives.

At the beginning of A Game for All the Family, Janice Merrison has just fled London with her family in search of a calmer, relaxed life. She had nearly gone crazy in a high-paced, high-stress career, and she is looking forward to doing as little as possible each day. The Merrison’s now live in a beautiful country manor in Devon. It seems perfect in every way. 

One day, Janice gets a call that changes everything. Someone who seems to know her says she and her family need to leave the house immediately. Ellen, Janice’s daughter, is suddenly completely different. Ellen starts talking about a friend the school adamantly states doesn’t exist, and she is writing detailed stories about a murder that took place in the Merrison’s new home. Janice’s languid days full of nothing turn into days of frantic research and discovery as Janice does everything she can to save her family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I’m glad it was chosen by my book club so I could be exposed to Sophie Hannah and her twisted imagination. I couldn’t put it down, and though I did guess some of the turns the story would take, there were many I never saw coming. The ending took me completely by surprise, and I found myself sitting there for several minutes thinking “what in the world just happened.” That’s how you always want to feel after a psychological thriller, right?

Favorite Quotes

If there’s an aspect of your life that’s making you unhappy and you can escape from it, why wait?

Worries are pack animals as well as cowards: too flimsy and insubstantial to do much damage alone, they signal for backup. Pretty soon there’s a whole gang of them circling you and you can’t push your way out.