Last night the crime book club discussed The Maidens by Alex Michaelides. It was an interesting conversation that covered the Greek mythology themes and the recognition that a character from Michaelides’ debut novel, The Silent Patient, makes an appearance.
You can watch the video below. Be aware that it contains full spoilers so please don’t watch if you have’t yet finished reading the book or if you’ve yet to read it.
Next month the book club is meeting at 8 p.m. GMT on Monday 10th November. There is no theme this month, it’s a free nomination month.
If you haven’t yet joined the book club you can do so HERE. This is required to obtain the login details for the meetings.
The books to vote on for November’s meeting are below. Please read the blurbs and leave your vote in the comments before the end of Saturday 18th October.
Things we do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, and her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future.When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom—covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her—she knows she’ll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it’s not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it’s only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she’s worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.
Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she’s unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris’s secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.
Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges.
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of liquor, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple who live in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is rich; and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous. One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage is not as perfect and placid as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey becomes consumed with finding out what happened to her. In the process, she uncovers eerie, darker truths that turn a tale of voyeurism and suspicion into a story of guilt, obsession and how looks can be very deceiving.
55 by James Delargy
There were 54 victims before this. Who is number 55?Wilbrook in Western Australia is a sleepy, remote town that sits on the edge of miles and miles of unexplored wilderness. It is home to Police Sergeant Chandler Jenkins, who is proud to run the town’s small police station, a place used to dealing with domestic disputes and noise complaints.
All that changes on a scorching day when an injured man stumbles into Chandler’s station. He’s covered in dried blood. His name is Gabriel. He tells Chandler what he remembers.
He was drugged and driven to a cabin in the mountains and tied up in iron chains. The man who took him was called Heath. Heath told Gabriel he was going to be number 55. His 55th victim.
Heath is a serial killer.
As a manhunt is launched, a man who says he is Heath walks into the same station. He tells Chandler he was taken by a man named Gabriel. Gabriel told Heath he was going to be victim 55.
Gabriel is the serial killer.
Two suspects. Two identical stories. Which one is the truth?
The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North
Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child—narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?The Search Party by Simon Lelic
The entire town thinks sixteen-year-old Sadie Saunders is dead. Missing now for a week, they say she was murdered. And they think they know who did it. Sadie’s five best friends aren’t so sure, and they vow to find out the truth. So they pack their bags and head into the woods where Sadie was last seen. But they’re not just friends, they’re suspects. And each of them has a secret. As the landscape opens up, and the darkness closes in, the reality of their situation becomes clear… This was never really a search party. It’s a witch hunt. And not everyone will make it home alive.
55 gets my vote
2nd The House Across The Lake
3rd The Search Party
55 by James Delargy for me!
Thank you, Rebecca.
It’s 55 by James Delargy for me!
Thank you, Rebecca.
Thanks, as always, for doing this, Rebecca. My vote’s for The House Across the Lake.
Things we do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
Hello all
Sorry to miss you all yesterday.
My vote is for 55!
See you in November
Gillian
Things we do in the Dark
Thank you
Sorry to have missed yesterday’s meeting! But I’ve read the book and will be watching the video.
My vote goes to Things we do in the dark. See you in November.
The House Across The Lake please
Hi Rebecca and all,
My vote is for The House Across the Lake. However, they all look good.
Craig.
they do all look fab
The Man Made of Smoke
The Man Made of Smoke for me
Thanks Rebecca