The Neighbor

by Lisa Gardner

Quickie Recap: It's a "detective" novel, so I can't give too much away. Let's just say that a wife disappears in the middle of the night under suspicious circumstances, leaving behind not just her cash and ID, but also her young daughter. The police identify two suspects very quickly: her husband who is clearly hiding something, and the convicted sex offender down the street who is guilty just by virtue of his record. Now the squeeze is on to find her body and make the arrest - but which one will it be?

Quickie Review: It's a mystery, and it bears some reference to her last fare, Say Goodbye, which I read and reviewed last summer. My sister considers Gardner to be at the top of her game in this genre, and I suppose she must be right. After all, The Neighbor did have that page-turner quality. Bonus points that I found this one to be a little less predictable and it attempts to touch on some real-life issues in a not insensitive way.

Quickie Recommendation: A book to read while floating in the pool.

The Story Sisters

by Alice Hoffman.

Quickie Recap: After suffering some trauma, the Story sisters invent a fantasy world complete with their very own language. But as they grow through adolescence and beyond, they learn that their other world can't keep them safe.

Quickie Review: Of course I wish this book was better than it was. I breezed through it of course, because it's "easy-reading" and it has a huge readership I'm sure. At least one seems to be the better sort for its genre, and I didn't dislike it. In fact, I read it knowing exactly who it would be perfect for. It's the kind of book that would be great to throw in your beach bag for the summer.

Quickie Recommendation: Not for serious readers.

Die For You

by Lisa Unger

Quickie Recap: Isabel's husband goes missing, but that turns out to just be the tip of the iceberg. She finds out she's been married to a stranger these last 5 years - and not a very nice one. Not content to just let him get away, she chases after him, unadvisably, of course.

Quickie Review: Lisa Unger is like mousse cake. Not junk, but a treat. Indulgent. I read this to pre-screen for my mother, who will love it. I can picture her now, on the hammock, in the sunshine, with a frosty drink by her side.

Quickie Recommendation: Total tub book! It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, but guilty-light. :)

The Almost Archer Sisters

by Lisa Gabriele.

Quickie Recap: Peachy is a "stayer" and Beth is a "leaver". Beth left the family home (a farm in rural Ontario) as soon as she could, and fled to a life of glamour in New York City. Peachy stayed behind, dropping out of school to marry and have a family. Years later, Peachy's life is comfortable and Beth's is beginning to fray but - guess what!? - all that's about to change!!

Quickie Review: So I was thinking to myself that I needed a serious injection of fiction, stat, so I reached for a strong injection of the guilty pleasure, forgivable\unforgivable sort. This is exactly the kind of book I read when I'm alone at night because I'd be too embarrassed to be caught with it. But then it surprised me. It was actually a bit meatier than I expected. Okay, it's not a feat of literature or anything, but it was its moments. It definitely went down easily and I have to say, when it's sandwiched between an exploration of a failing auto plant and the glory days of Saddam Hussein, it was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Quickie Recommendation: I can see this appealing to a wider audience that the book I reviewed before this, and after this. Is that a good thing? Bad thing? I don't know. I do know that I enjoyed it, and that Gabriele has a place in this world, and that when my brow was furrowed with too much information, her words have soothed me and made it possible for me to read on.

The Importance of Being Married

A Novel by Gemma Townley.

Quickie Recap: Jessica Wild has never lived up to her name. Jessica Wallflower, more like it. But that's all about to change, because her elderly, interfering friend has big plans and Jessica can't help but get dragged in, despite her better judgement...

Quickie Review: Okay, so I'm pretty sure it's not on the short list for a Nobel Prize. It is, however, sinfully fun to read while baking on a hammock by the pool with a daiquiri in hand. Sinful, I tell you. And I should know.

Quickie Recommendation: This review could also be titled The Importance of a Good, Light Read.

Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA

A novel by Kris Radish.

Quickie Recap: Addie and Lucky are depending on an exotic trip to "paradise" to save their marriage, but when an accident prevents them from travelling, the whole thing implodes as their whole neighbourhood watches. Lines are drawn - boys vs girls - and all of suburbia goes to war.

Quickie Review: If you're thinking that this isn't my usual kind of book, you're right. It isn't. It is, however, my mother's kind of book, and so we read this one together. I was prepared to be shocked and appalled, but to smile bravely through it, but the real shock was that I wasn't at all appalled. Yes, it's light reading. Perfect for the hammock. But it's not bad reading. It had me laughing, and nodding in appreciation, and it was exactly the kind of book that was fun to read with someone else so that we became part of the bitching, too. My mother particularly enjoyed the bits that were told from the male perspective - somehow, the fact that men always say something dumb, even when they know it's dumb, rang really true. It's not going to win any literary prizes, but I bet it will get tossed into umpteen beach bags this summer.

Quickie Recommendation: Have some time to kill sitting by the pool, mai tai in hand? This, then, is the perfect solution.