A.B. Whelan

Sarah Johnson's husband is planning to kill her. How does she know this? The assassin has called and offered her a way out of that end if she can pay him $50,000 (which she does not have). He has given her 14 days to come up with the money or die...and this book is about those 14 days and how Sarah deals with this situation and her (once considered perfect) husband.

Sometimes you just need to take a break and read something that is fun and has nothing to say beyond the telling of a good story. This fills that bill for me. It was a page-turner that I couldn't quite figure out down to the last page. I didn't particularly like Sarah or Mike but I couldn't help wondering where all this madness would lead to and I did begin to care about her in a detached sort of way.

Happily I did not let broader questions like, "what about these kids" spoil the ride for me, which I can sometimes do when a novel is ignoring some aspect of life that I think is important. I just relaxed into the ride and let it take me where it would.

The closest I can come to a comparison novel...not in plot, but in the feelings I had while reading, was [b:The Girl on the Train|22557272|The Girl on the Train|Paula Hawkins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421709869s/22557272.jpg|41107568]. I find this kind of novel very hard to rate and I always want to put a disclaimer that it is a 4-star read for the genre that it represents. You won't walk away with any kind of enlightenment, but you might enjoy the time you have invested none the less.… (mere)

A B Whelan is a must read author for me, so I was super excited to have another novel from her. AND secrets, I love when secrets are exposed and the shit hits the fan, so let’s get started on the review for Big Little Secrets.

First, we’ll meet Nelli Horvath, a Hungarian immigrant and the wife of Clint Horvath. She made one mistake during her teenage years and it has haunted her ever since. Her life has been gray, with moments of happiness here and there. She keeps tight control of herself, lest her secret from the past escapes. She didn’t expect much from life when she fled Hungary and came to the United States…but then, she met Clint. What can be so bad she can’t share it with her husband?

Things are happening around her and when the invitation for her twentieth reunion came, she felt she had no choice but to attend. She loves her husband, but she will travel to Hungary alone. I can’t imagine living under the weight of her worry, her guilt, just waiting for the anvil to drop and crush her.

She had lived under socialism in Hungary where you learned, ‘It is what it is.’ I learned a bit about Hungary, its people and their cuisine. I love when an author does their research.

My rating: For most of the book I kept thinking my rating would be a three, but the mystery was not easily solved because of so many moving parts and the ending was worth a star, seeing it was unexpected and left me feeling sad and angry, and sad and angry….

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Big Little Secrets by A B Whelan.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com… (mere)

I love the cover for If I Had Two Lives by A B Whelan. The colors pop and the content creeps me out. If I Had Two Lives was inspired by a young woman in a vegetative state. I think I have read another book or saw a TV show about the event, so it made me even more curious about If I Had Two Lives.

I am sickened, filled with disgust, yet oddly drawn to know more.

As Vicki Collins, an FBI agent, investigated the Piggyback Killer, a problem arises that causes her much difficulty…an unknown brother with a criminal record. The FBI frowns on secrets. And there is so much more to come than she could have anticipated.

Doug…he’s a piece of work. I can’t figure out why she is with him, other than an occasional hop in the sack being more convenient than going out and looking for it. The more I get to know him, the less I like him.

Human nature is why I love to read thrillers, and the more damaged the characters, the better. Will they be redeemed? Will they succumb to their baggage? I want to know what happens when the shit flies. My curiosity is a monster with an insatiable appetite that can never be satisfied.

Though If I Had Two Lives seems choppier and more disjointed than other books I have read by A B Whelan, I still loved the story. The blows to Vicki keep on coming and I didn’t see everything coming. I love book surprises and reward them. The more I read, the harder it was to put the book down. I had to know how it would end. I love that through all the suspects, he remained elusive….until we came face to face.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of If I Had Two Lives by A B Whelan.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com… (mere)