The Reader Bee: Del Ray

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Waiting on Wednesday:

Slow Fire Burning
by Paula Hawkins
Expected publication: August 31st 2021 by Riverhead Books

The scorching new thriller from the number-one 'New York Times' best-selling author of 'The Girl on the Train'.

When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them. When it comes to revenge, even good people might be capable of terrible deeds. How far might any one of them go to find peace? How long can secrets smolder before they explode into flame?

Look what you started.

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Velvet Was the Night
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Expected publication: August 17th 2021 by Del Rey

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a “delicious, twisted treat for lovers of noir” about a daydreaming secretary, a lonesome enforcer, and the mystery of a missing woman they’re both desperate to find.

1970s, Mexico City. Maite is a secretary who lives for one thing: the latest issue of Secret Romance. While student protests and political unrest consume the city, Maite escapes into stories of passion and danger.

Her next-door neighbor, Leonora, a beautiful art student, seems to live a life of intrigue and romance that Maite envies. When Leonora disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite finds herself searching for the missing woman—and journeying deeper into Leonora’s secret life of student radicals and dissidents.

Meanwhile, someone else is also looking for Leonora at the behest of his boss, a shadowy figure who commands goon squads dedicated to squashing political activists. Elvis is an eccentric criminal who longs to escape his own life: He loathes violence and loves old movies and rock ’n’ roll. But as Elvis searches for the missing woman, he comes to observe Maite from a distance—and grows more and more obsessed with this woman who shares his love of music and the unspoken loneliness of his heart.

Now as Maite and Elvis come closer to discovering the truth behind Leonora’s disappearance, they can no longer escape the danger that threatens to consume their lives, with hitmen, government agents, and Russian spies all aiming to protect Leonora’s secrets—at gunpoint.

Velvet Was the Night is an edgy, simmering historical novel for lovers of smoky noirs and anti-heroes.

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• • •

Do both of these books sound exciting, or what? I can't wait to read these!!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Friday, November 13, 2020

My Thoughts: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Audiobook)

An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . .

From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes a novel set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.

After receiving a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find - her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind. (Goodreads)

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was one of my Halloween reads for October, and I am so glad that I read this book! I didn’t initially have the book on my TBR, even though I definitely wanted to read it, but after seeing so much love for the book on Instagram, I decided to give it a shot. I am SO glad I did!

Let me get this started by telling you that Mexican Gothic was not at all what I was expecting. I don’t think I have ever read a book with a storyline like this before, but I very much enjoyed it, and definitely want more! The book was mysterious, and very creepy, which is not usually my kind of read, but it felt like the perfect book to read this season.

I was pretty much fascinated by everything in this novel. Noemí was such an interesting character, and was probably my favorite in the whole book. The storyline for how she goes to find her cousin had me hooked, as did the setting for the book. As I said above, it was very creepy, and left me wanting to read more gothic stories.

I also want to add that while I own a copy of the book, I opted to listen to the audiobook after listening to a sample of it. I am so glad I did! Frankie Corzo was the narrator, and she did a wonderful job of telling me the story. I definitely want to check out more books narrated by her soon!

Overall; Mexican Gothic was not at all what I expected, and not my usual kind of read, but I really, really enjoyed the book! SO much more than I expected to. I definitely need more books like this in my life, and I am now super excited to check out more books by this author!