The Other Girl

Title: The Other Girl
Author: Erica Spindler
Genre: Mystery, Thriller/Suspense
Source: Library Hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws.

Miranda Radar is a highly trusted and respected officer in the small town of Harmony, Louisiana, but she had to work hard to overcome her troubled past.  But when the murder of a prominent college professor comes her way, she must once again face the trials of her past, including an assault that no one believes.  Miranda must now to try solve the case of the murder all the while trying to convince everyone around her that 1) the professor was not the man everyone thought he was and 2) that she had nothing to do with the gruesome and brutal murder.  When another man from her past winds up dead with more links to her, she struggles to prove herself innocent.  Will she be able to solve the issue of why her, why now? Or will the evidence be too much to handle?

 

I seen this one at my library and decided to check it out and see what it was about.  I am glad that I did, while this was my first Erica Spindler novel, I don't think it will be the last. I enjoyed every bit of the story, even though there were some elements that are normally not my cup of tea, but Spindler presents everything in a way that it's easy to handle to hard subjects.  The novel has shorter chapters which makes it feel like it reads fast, which is a good thing.  I finished this one in roughly 5 or 6 hours on a Saturday night.  I devoured the book, it would have been a shorter read time, but conversations were being had while reading.

There is nothing about this novel that I didn't like.  I love than the MC Miranda had a troubled past, run-ins with the law and overcame all of that and became an officer herself.  She quickly becomes the strong female lead that I love reading in novels.  As we read through the story, we see she has faults and weakness but that makes her all the more relatable and likable.  I could have done without the relationship aspect between her and her partner Jake, but it wasn't overdone nor did it overthrow the rest of the story.

The story is not completely predictable and sends a few red herrings your way.  I figured one aspect out, but not the other which blew my mind and I may have whispered "no way" when I got to the big reveal.  Spindler presents a story that holds its own without the need for excessive violence, gore, or sex scenes.  Sure there is a little bit of everything, but it isn't overdone, she presents it neatly and in a tasteful manner.

I would highly recommend this book to other mystery, thriller/suspense readers.  It is definitely one to add to the book shelf or to read shelf.  It will hold your attention and make you crave what happens next.  I have already added some of Spindler's other books to my to read shelf and will search my library for more.

Miss Fortune

Miss Fortune: Albina Hume
Media: E-book: Nook
Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Recommendation:  If you enjoy memoirs and life stories.  Would I return to it?  Probably not, memoirs are not my go to read, but I did enjoy reading this one.  Albina has a voice that resonates off the page.

All Albina Hume wanted was to either hide her inability to pronounce the letter “R” or correct it.  Never did she think her inability would take her down the paths that it did.  She struggled to find ways to hide her mispronunciation including trying to learn English.  Her journey begins with her fear of being unable to find love and get married because a boy in her class called her a “crow” and in her mind ‘who would want to marry a crow?’  This instills her fear of the inability to pronounce R words.  That fear takes her down many roads including a pyramid beauty business, strip clubs, even a prison cell for 51 days.  She encounters con men, unhealthy relationships, endangering friendships, and more.  Everything she goes through drives her force to find her dreams, yet she is held back by her fears.  Once she releases those fears, the possibility for her dreams become endless.

From the very beginning, in the prologue, Albina pulls at the readers’ emotions as she describes her excitement for her wedding.  While reading readers can’t help but also wonder what significance the day has until she reveals it is on the same date she was raped 10 years prior.  She mentions this incident early on in the story giving the impression, the book will have something to do with overcoming it and the emotions related to the act.  But once readers get to that point, it is done and over with and she moves on to something else.  With that being said the rest of the books keeps readers mystified as Albina struggles with her inability to pronounce the letter ‘R’, to being conned into travelling to Greece illegally, and even being in jail for several days among other things.  Despite everything the story is that of a woman who overcomes all her struggles, all the bumps and bruises of life to find all her dreams coming true.  

The tone of the book is very casual as if the author is speaking to a close personal friend; this allows the reader to feel connected with her and her story.  It is a touching tale of a woman struggling to find the happiness we all long for.  Her quest for this happiness causes her to make decisions based on impulse and desire.  She hops from one relationship to another looking for love it isn't until she meets Abelardo and his desire to NOT have children does she look out for her own desires.  She then gets introduced to the man who will become her husband.  Her journey is not an easy one, it is filled with trials, and heartache.