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Book Review

Review: If It Bleeds

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If It Bleeds

If It Bleeds
By Stephen King
Scribner, 9781982137977, April 2020, 448pp.

The Short of It:

Once again, I was thoroughly swept up with King’s writing. I don’t know what I will do when his books stop coming.

The Rest of It:

If It Bleeds is a collection of novellas. It contains four stories. Four really good stories and one is a little tidbit of goodness that you will enjoy reliving. Think, familiar character.

I won’t tell you what each story is about because it’s more fun to go into them totally blind, like I did. I was happily surprised that many of the themes explored are timely for our “safe at home” / quarantine pandemic days. Views on technology, mortality, desperation, all have their time in the spotlight.

King is an excellent storyteller. His set-ups are so good. Just a few lines in and I’m hooked. I really enjoyed this collection. It made me wonder what I am going to do when he isn’t around anymore and I don’t even want to think about that.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Book Review

Review: Before She Knew Him

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Before She Knew Him

Before She Knew Him
By Peter Swanson
William Morrow Paperbacks, 9780062838162, February 2020, 320pp.

The Short of It:

Smart, clever, and hard to put down.

The Rest of It:

I don’t know where I’ve been or why I haven’t read Peter Swanson before but I am so very glad that Before She Knew Him made it into my hands.

Hen and Lloyd move to very nice, suburban neighborhood. Their neighbors, Mira and Matthew invite them over to dinner so they can get to know one another and while there, Hen can’t help but notice a fencing trophy on the mantle. Upon closer inspection, she’s almost positive it once belonged to a young man named Dustin. A young man who was murdered not long ago. Why would this couple have it in their house?

Before She Knew Him was a great read. Smartly written with well-developed characters and a story that includes a surprise or two and enough mystery to keep you guessing. This book could easily have been titled “Neighbors with Secrets” because both of these couples have something to hide and it makes for really good reading.

I highly recommend this one. Swanson uses all of the characters to tell this story and it’s so very good.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.