2020 Top Picks-The Naughty List!

For my top picks I am sticking to pure escapist fiction! If you are looking for something with a bit more depth be sure to check out the Wish List features!

A pinch wicked, a smidge of mischief, a dash of sass and a bounty of entertainment!!

EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS - Peter Swanson

A book set in or on the periphery of the book world, in this case a starring a bookstore owner, is extra special. Our main character Malcolm finds himself embroiled in a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings outlined in his eight perfect murders in books blog post. 

A mystery lover will especially relish this read as they revisit the intricately written details of the crimes in these other novels.  It’s a homage of the finest kind!

An exceptionally cleverly penned book that summons the plots of unsolved homicides from the greats of yesteryear to unravel its own whodunnit.  Go ahead and unpack that!

SQUEEZE ME - Carl Hiaasen

I’ve been lamenting the length of time since this author’s last book for grown-ups, and thankfully it did not disappoint! 

Hiaasen is a master of satire and leaves no contemporary predilection towards bad behavior unscathed.  

His latest begins at a high society soiree during which a wealthy dowager vanishes during a swanky gala and thus comical calamity is unleashed upon the reader. In the early pages of the book we learn that she has been partially masticated by a rather large snake, and in case you are wondering, that isn’t the wackiest thing that happens in this book.  Not even close.

All of the shenanigans in this story take place in and around the U.S. presidents’ private estate.  An estate where he is residing at the moment, which means he is a character in this book. And the deftness with which this author captures him in dialogue and act is nothing short of inspired.

HE STARTED IT - Samantha Downing

You want a heroine.  Someone to root for, to identify with.  She can’t be perfect though, because that will just make you feel bad about yourself.  A flawed heroine then.  Someone who may break the rules to protect her family but doesn’t kill anyone, unless it’s self defense.  Not murder though, at least not the cold-blooded kind.  That’s the first deal breaker.

If you want to know all the deal breakers you are going to have to read past this intriguing first paragraph.  And trust me, it’s worth the turn of every page.

Beth, Portia and Eddie haven’t seen each other in years, for very good reasons.  But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final request, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross country road trip to fulfill the conditions of their inheritance. Despite the fact that I didn’t believe a single word or deed from any of these characters, I loved them all.  Vividly drawn, they were complicated, droll and utterly unique.

HOME BEFORE DARK - Riley Sager

Question: Who needs a straight up mystery when they can get one that is also a haunted house/ghost story? Answer: umm…everybody! Buckle up if you choose to go on this ride.

Twenty-five years ago, Maggie and her parents fled the house they had been living in for only two weeks in the dead of night.  The culmination of an ordeal, rife with ghostly encounters and malevolent spirits, that her father later recounted in a horror memoir.  A monumental and enduring bestseller that Maggie feels sure is nothing but lies. After her father passes away and she inherits the house, she sets out to prove it.  And things don’t exactly go according to plan.  To say the least!

I loved that this book kept me guessing on the “who done it” through to the last twenty pages.  And just when I thought I had it figured out…the rug was once again pulled out from under me!