My Darling Girl (Jennifer McMahon)

I belong to a "Spooky Book Club" group, and Jennifer McMahon is definitely an author who fits well in that group. McMahon's Island of Lost Girls was one of the very first books reviewed on this blog back in July 2009(!) -- she's an author I never miss. So I was really excited to get my hands on My Darling Girl, with a planned release in October (not surprising) of 2023.

I've read all of McMahon's books, and I "think" this is her first book about demonic possession. So if you're not into that, you may want to pass on this one! This is the story of Alison, who gets a call one day that her estranged mother is dying. Alison goes to see her, but her brother cannot forgive what their mother put them through as children. Her mother has one request -- to die in Alison's home. Admirably, (or stupidly?), she agrees. When her mother arrives, strange things start to occur - some even involving Alison's two children, who Alison will do anything to protect. 

I read this one before bed with the lights off, and it really scared me at times. While I didn't like it quite as much as her best (the aforementioned Island), this still has the classic slow-building creepiness that McMahon is known for. Can't wait for the next one!

MY RATING - 4

The Children on the Hill (Jennifer McMahon)

I've reviewed all of Jennifer McMahon's books on this blog, from one of my absolute favorites, to one I didn't like so much. The Children on the Hill falls square in the middle for me. 

In 1978, Dr. Hildreth is a famous psychiatrist working in Vermont at her own treatment center for the mentally ill. Her grandchildren, Vi and Eric, live with her after their parents were in a horrific accident. One day, Dr. Hildreth brings another child, Iris, home to live with them. Iris won't talk and is skittish around the family. But Vi treats her like a sister, and before long, Iris comes out of her shell a bit. 

The Children on the Hill also has an alternating timeline in 2019. Lizzy Shelley is the host of a popular podcast about monsters. She is called back to the same Vermont town where she grew up -- a town where there has not only a monster sighting but a girl has gone missing.

Obviously when you're reading, sometimes you need to suspend some disbelief. But I found the connections between these two timelines implausible and confusing. Also, I would have liked to have learned so much more about Dr. Hildreth. This book still offers the same feelings of suspense and dread that McMahon is known for, but it is definitely not her best.

MY RATING - 3

Expected release date: April 26, 2022

The Drowning Kind (Jennifer McMahon)

I've loved Jennifer McMahon ever since I took Island of Lost Girls on vacation and didn't want to do anything else but find out what happened next. She has had some misses over the years (looking at you Burntown), but for the most part, I've enjoyed the books she's written. I've heard her called the modern-day Shirley Jackson -- her books are creepy and atmospheric and leave you wanting more.

The Drowning Kind might be her creepiest book yet. One day, Jax receives a slew of missed calls from her sister, Lexie. She is tired of Lexie's manic episodes, and so, doesn't answer the phone. The next day, she is devastated to find out that her sister has drowned in the pool at their late grandmother's house. Jax discovers that Lexie has been researching the history of the house, and that may have had something to do with her death.

But Jax is not the only one whose eyes readers see this story through. They also go back in time to 1929 to meet Ethel Monroe, who desperately wants a baby. Her husband takes her to a hotel in Vermont which has a natural spring on its grounds; this spring is said to grant wishes but it also takes something in return. The stories of Jax and Ethel run parallel to each other until the reader discovers how they are connected.

I've found that so often, a book like this is ruined by the ending, but that's definitely not the case here. I didn't see it coming. Read this one with the lights on!

MY RATING - 4

Available April 2021

The Invited (Jennifer McMahon)

I have been reviewing for almost ten years now, and when people ask me who my favorite authors are, Jennifer McMahon is always at the top of my list. Her Island of Lost Girls was one of the very first books I featured here, and what I always say about it is this: don't make the mistake of taking it on vacation with you because you won't want to do anything else but read! With The Invited, McMahon continues with that creepy, haunting vibe she does so well in her books.

Helen and Nate decide to chuck it all and move from the comforts of their Connecticut home to rural Vermont. At first, everything is exciting to them: they buy a piece of land and begin building their beautiful new house. As the days pass, however, they discover the dark history of their land, which includes the hanging of a supposed witch, Hattie Breckinridge. Helen becomes consumed with learning everything there is to know about Hattie and her descendants. In her quest to use salvaged materials with history to design her new home, Helen also inadvertently builds her own haunted house.

McMahon's use of short chapters makes The Invited positively addicting. Readers will be caught between a rock and a hard place: you won't want to know what happens next but you won't be able to stop reading. As far as I'm concerned, McMahon is the queen of the dark, creepy book.

MY RATING - 4

Burntown (Jennifer McMahon)

Jennifer McMahon and Jodi Picoult are the two authors I most look forward to seeing on the “Coming Soon” list.  In fact, I made the mistake of taking McMahon’s Island of Lost Girls on vacation one year.  I say “made the mistake” because reading that book was all I wanted to do -- no sightseeing or anything. In fact, that was one of the first books I reviewed on this blog back in July 2009.  McMahon has always succeeded in creating that creepy, “just one more chapter” atmosphere.  Until now, that is -- unfortunately, Burntown was no winner in my book.

The plot is quite difficult to explain, but I’ll make an attempt.  Eva grew up close to her father, Miles, and loved watching him invent wonderful things.  There’s one invention, however, that’s wanted by someone dangerous; this person will even resort to murder to get it.  Eva (later changing her name to Necco) has always believed that her father drowned in the Great Flood, but it’s only after the death of her mother and boyfriend that she begins to think differently. 

Helping Necco to find out what really happened is a motley crew of characters, and I found it difficult to care about any of them.  There were so many stories and threads going on here, and when they finally all came together, the payoff was less than rewarding.

I began reading Burntown in January, and it took everything in my power to finish it by March.  I found it boring, and far beneath McMahon’s usual standards.  Unfortunately, this was no Island of Lost Girls.

MY RATING - 2

The Night Sister (Jennifer McMahon)

Jennifer McMahon, along with Kate Morton and Jodi Picoult, is one of the authors I most look forward to reading new books from.  Her Island of Lost Girls was reviewed the very first month I began this blog six years ago, and I continue to love her novels to this day.  There are very few authors nowadays writing such suspenseful fiction that scares the you-know-what out of you, and McMahon is one of those; her latest, The Night Sister, is no different.

The Tower Motel stands in ruins, and it is here where a family (except for their little girl) is killed in a most brutal way.  We know that Amy, the mother of this family whose grandfather built the motel (along with the tongue-in-cheek Tower of London next door), saw something coming for them before they all were brutally murdered.  However, it's widely thought in the community and by the police that Amy was the one who slaughtered her family.  Depending on the time period, there have been many secrets at the motel: in the '50s, it housed sisters Rose (Amy's mother) and Sylvie (Rose's sister); Sylvie mysteriously disappeared and was never heard from again, thought to have run away to California to make it in movies.  When Amy is a teenager, she tries to uncover what really happened to her Aunt Sylvie, with the help of her friend Piper and Margot, Piper's little sister.  Now adults, Piper and Margot try to make sense of what happened to Amy and her family.

The thing I love most about Jennifer McMahon is that her books are so satisfying.  Nothing is left open ended, everything makes sense when you're finished, and you're scared to the nines while reading. 

MY RATING - 4

The Winter People (Jennifer McMahon)

Bottom line…Jennifer McMahon is one of my favorite authors (probably only behind Jodi Picoult).  You can tell that every single page of her novels is crafted with the utmost care and designed to creep the heck out of you, her reader.  The Winter People is one of her scariest yet and is utterly suspenseful and strangely moving at the same time.

Alternating between the early part of the 1900s and present day, this is the story of how far someone would go to see a lost loved one again.  In 1908, Sara Harrison Shea is living with her husband, Martin, and her beloved daughter, Gertie.  Sara is completely devoted to Gertie, and when she loses her in a freak accident, seemingly goes out of her mind.  All along, she’s kept a diary; she hides the last few pages containing fragile information in a secret hiding place in her house.  In present day, Ruthie, Fawn, and Alice (their mother) are living in Sara’s old house, which is said to be haunted by the ghosts of Sara and Gertie.  One day, they discover their mom missing and go to great lengths to find her.  This will take them into dangerous territory, crossing paths with people who desperately want to find either Alice or those pages at any cost.

While not my favorite McMahon novel (I didn’t find it as multilayered as the others), it still proves that she’s one of the most talented authors writing today.  The Winter People chews you up and spits you out until you don’t think you can be creeped out anymore. 

MY RATING - 4

The One I Left Behind (Jennifer McMahon)

I first discovered the genius that is Jennifer McMahon back in 2009 when I was browsing my local bookstore for something to read on vacation.  I came across a book called Island of the Lost Girls with a haunting picture of a little girl on the cover.  So engrossed was I in this book that I literally did not want to go sightseeing with my husband JUST so I get continue to read the darn thing!  Here's my review of that one:  http://1776books.blogspot.com/2009/07/island-of-lost-girls-jennifer-mcmahon.html.  Since then, I've been hooked, and you'll find reviews of other McMahon novels in this blog.

In her newest, The One I Left Behind, she shows why she is one of the most preeminent mystery writers of our day.  What happens when someone you thought was long dead shows up very much alive?  Reggie is a gifted architect who has tried to rebuild her life after her actress mother, Vera, was thought to be the last known victim of the serial killer Neptune.  Vera's body was never found, but her hand was left on the steps of the police station.  When Vera is found alive but disoriented years later, Reggie must come back to her childhood home to try to piece together what the police cannot.

With a slew of interesting characters and an ultra-suspenseful plot, the reader is always left breathless and wanting more.  McMahon seamlessly weaves together chapters narrated by Reggie's 13-year-old self, her adult self, and pages from a crime novel written about the case.  In less capable hands, this becomes a dangerous way to tell the story, as things can become discombobulated.  But McMahon does it masterfully, and it only enhances her storytelling.  I can't recommend The One I Left Behind strongly enough.

MY RATING - 5

Silver Girl (Elin Hilderbrand)

I was looking through my posts today and noticed that it has been quite awhile since I was able to give a book a "5" rating. The authors I normally love, such as Jodi Picoult (a "2" for Sing You Home???) and Jennifer McMahon just didn't put out the work that I expected from them this year. I love, love, love Bethenny Frankel, but she can't really write a book. The last "5" I gave was to Jane Green on June 2 for the lovely Promises to Keep. I was getting a little discouraged. Then came Silver Girl.

Ironically, it was Jane Green herself who told me about Hilderbrand. I e-mailed Ms. Green to let her know how much I enjoyed Promises. Imagine my surprise when, within minutes, this New York Times bestselling, very busy author, e-mailed me back to thank me and tell me about Elin Hilderbrand. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Hilderbrand grew up right down the street from where I am living now!

Silver Girl is just a treasure, and I was actually sad when it ended. It is a fictional account that is ripped from the headlines. Meredith Delinn is the wife of Freddy Delinn, who is in jail for life for cheating investors out of billions of dollars. People think that Meredith knew what Freddy was up to, and so she is scorned and rejected by everyone she knows. To make matters worse, she and her son (who she is forbidden to have contact with) are under investigation by the FBI.

Connie is Meredith's old friend, who she has not seen or talked to in years due to a falling out. Out of Meredith's desperation, she contacts Connie, who reluctantly agrees to give her refuge at her summer house in Nantucket. Even though Meredith is out of Manhattan, she still is in danger by people who want revenge for her husband's dealings. Meredith never truly feels safe, even as she begins to get some people back into her life, including her ex-lover, Connie's brother, Toby. This is not only Meredith's story of trying to get her life back, but also Connie's, who is still grieving for her deceased husband and trying desperately to get back in touch with her estranged daughter.

What a beautiful, beautiful book. From the gorgeous cover, to the picturesque setting throughout, the reader will become enchanted with Meredith's story. Read this book slowly, and treasure every word. One realizes from reading this that life is not about what car you drive or how big your house is, but who you can count on when life unexpectedly goes awry.

MY RATING - 5 (YAY!!!!)

Part of this review can also be found on http://www.bookloons.com.

Don't Breathe a Word (Jennifer McMahon)

The trademark of Jennifer McMahon's books are "creepy-looking children" on the cover (Think Village of the Damned). I have often wondered if the kids who pose for the covers are told that they are supposed to have a "creepy child" face. I think I would be rather insulted. Oh well...on with it.

Don't Breathe a Word is a dark, sinister, unsettling book that makes your heart beat just a little faster. McMahon has a rather twisted mind, and it shows deeply here. Phoebe and Sam are a couple with a history. Sam is the brother of Lisa, a young girl who disappeared many years before searching for the Fairy King, Teilo. Strange phone messages and notes begin to be delivered to Sam and Edie, their cousin, supposedly coming from Lisa...."I am back from the land of the fairies. I'll be seeing you soon." Is this truly Lisa, or is someone playing a dark, twisted trick on everyone involved?

This book is well-written for about the first three-quarters, and then just gets too implausible for me. The ending was deeply unsatisfying, especially because I normally love McMahon's books. While certainly not my favorite (I didn't want to do anything else on my cruise vacation except read Island of the Lost Girls.), if you would like a twisted read, this may be the book for you.

MY RATING - 3

Look Again (Lisa Scottoline)

I am the first to admit that I have not always been a fan of Lisa Scottoline's books. I know that readers love her, particularly in the Philly area, where she lives. Having the good fortune of meeting Ms. Scottoline a few years back, I know that she is unbelievably nice, even going so far as to hug her fans. However, to me, I just never thought her books were of substance. That is, until Look Again came along.

This is the story of Ellen Gleeson, an ordinary woman who came home from work one day and noticed one of those "Have You Seen This Child?" cards in the mail. One of the child looks unbelievably like her adopted son, Will. Not being able to get this out of her mind, she sacrifices family and her job as a reporter (convenient, isn't it?) to get to the bottom of it. When she does, well, you can only imagine, there is heartbreak involved.

I found this book haunting, especially the cover, which reminds me very much of Jennifer McMahon's covers. However, while the book was fast-moving and suspenseful, I tend to not enjoy books that wrap things up in the end with a neat little bow. Scottoline fans can be rabid, and this one will certainly not disappoint them. While this is certainly the best book I have read by this particular author, I still cannot call myself a fan.

MY RATING - 3

Dismantled (Jennifer McMahon)

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Jennifer McMahon has the most disturbing covers in the book business.....real pictures of creepy children staring out at you. It's like a whole shelf of "Children of the Corn" and "Village of the Damned" at the bookstore. I told you before that I read "Island of Lost Girls" on vacation and did not want to do anything else but read. I was so anxious to read "Dismantled", McMahon's latest. Wow! It did not disappoint!

One of McMahon's strong points is going between time periods throughout her stories. With a less-talented author, this can be extremely jarring. In "Dismantled", the effect is seamless, alternating between the summer when four people formed the Dismantlers and a decade later, when two of them are unhappily married with child. This child, Emma, is desperate to get her parents back together. One seemingly innocent act sets off a chilling chain of events that will answer the questions about the summer of the Dismantlers.

Part murder mystery, part character study, part ghost story, I can easily see this turned into a movie directed by Hitchcock, if he was alive. The spine-tingling ending will make your heart beat out of your chest.

MY RATING - 5

Dark Places (Gillian Flynn)

I stumbled across "Dark Places" one day in the library. It immediately struck me how similar Gillian Flynn's style is to one of my favorite authors, Jennifer McMahon. There is one key difference, however. The reason you cannot stop reading a McMahon novel is because you just have to find out what happens. The reason you cannot stop reading a Flynn novel is quite the opposite. You actually DON'T want to find out what happens, but you are powerless to stop yourself. As the king of macabre, Stephen King, says in a blurb on the jacket of "Sharp Objects" (which I am currently reading and will review in a future post), "I found myself dreading the last thirty pages or so but was helpless to stop turning them."

Let's start with the main character, Libby Day. When she was seven years old, most of her immediate family was murdered in front of her. She testified that her brother, Ben Day, was the killer. Fast forward twenty-five years later. Ben is in prison, and Libby lives off the money she makes from her trust funds. You know Libby is a not-so-nice girl when she regrets new murders that occur because they will take attention away from "her".

The Kill Club, a group of people obsessed with famous crimes, contacts Libby when they become convinced that Ben did not commit the murders. Money-hungry Libby decides that this is her prime opportunity to make more money. She will tell the club what she knows and contact key players in exchange for hefty fees.

Who is the killer? What is the motive? What happened twenty-five years ago? Libby is certainly not a Pollyanna, and she is not a character you will root for. However, you will desperately want to find out the answers to these questions.

MY RATING - 4

Island of Lost Girls (Jennifer McMahon)

"Alice in Wonderland" was a book that I enjoyed in my childhood, but that somehow creeped me out. There is something very unnatural about someone named the Mad Hatter, who, by the way, will be played by Johnny Depp in an upcoming version (run to your local theater and see "Public Enemies"). While some kids (and adults) just fell into this world with no problem, the analytical side of me did not really want to read about a cat who smiled all the time and about two creatures named Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

McMahon masterfully takes this strange world that Carroll created and inserts it into "Island of Lost Girls". It begins with Rhonda watching, unbelievably, as a six-foot tall person dressed as a rabbit kidnaps a young child.

Feeling guilty about doing nothing, she helps the investigation. McMahon reminds me of Picoult; however, instead of telling the story from different viewpoints, she tells it from different time periods. The book chillingly weaves together the story of the present with the past....Rhonda's best friend, Lizzy, vanished years ago when they were kids.

It will leave you breathless as you try to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Don't plan on reading this on vacation, as you will not want to do anything else but read!

MY RATING - 5