Author: Marlene Adelstein

Six years ago ten-year old Sophie disappeared from a clothing store in a large mall while shopping with her mother. Sophie was not an easy child; although never diagnosed it sounded like she was somewhere on the Asperger’s or Autism spectrum. Not surprisingly, Sophie’s mother has gone a little mad in those six years as has Star, Sophie’s best friend. When new clues about Sophie’s disappearance come to light it is revealed that both Sophie’s mother and Star have been keeping secrets and feeling guilty about her disappearance.

Is the run-away teen who has arrived in town really Sophie?

Goodreads Rating: * * *

Author: Sara Ackerman

When I’m behind in my Goodreads challenge I can always count on finding something on my Kindle that will catch me up. I’m still behind but this quick read helped.

Violet and her daughter, Ella, are adjusting to life in Hawaii after the disappearance of her husband. It has been a year and no clues have surfaced. The timing of the story is just after the attack on Pearl Harbour when American soldiers have been shipped to Hawaii for training before heading off to fight in the Pacific. When Violet meets a young soldier she is caught in limbo being afraid to let her feelings show and guilt over embracing life not knowing if her husband is dead or alive. From early in the book you know that Ella knows far more than she is letting on; she is a troubled girl but her problems are assumed to be related to her father’s disappearance.

A good story and a quick read.

Goodreads Rating: * * *

Author: Graeme Macrae Burnet

I was confused by this book. The author was searching in the Highland Archive Centre in Inverness for historical information about his grandfather when he came across a memoir written by a 17-year old crofter. Roderick Macrae was awaiting trial for the brutal murder of three of his neighbours.

Is it a true memoir or was it written by someone else? Goodreads says it is a novel but the author says that the memoir itself is real. Wikipedia says the author used fictional historical documents.

Whatever the truth of the book is, it was long-listed for the 2016 Man Booker Prize. And the outcome for Roderick was never in much doubt; he freely admitted to the murders although his advocate was defending him on the grounds of insanity. Or was that defence all part of the ruse?

Goodreads Rating: * * *

Author: Wally Lamb

I don’t know why I put this book into the donation box. It has been a long time since I read it the first time and I guess I forgot how good it was. My interest in it was revived when we watched a Netflix series based on the book. The series was great and as I read the book this second time I pictured the characters as they appeared on the screen.

Dominick and Thomas are identical twins. They may look alike but Thomas is a schizophrenic and gets himself in all sorts of trouble. Dominick has always looked after Thomas and nothing has changed now that they are adults.

The book is about so much more than the brothers though. There is the story of their less-than-perfect childhood, Dominick’s story and one of the best parts was reading the journal of their grandfather.

This one is staying out of the donation box and going onto “my” bookshelf (where I keep all my favourites).

Goodreads Rating: * * * * *