The Inheritance

The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha, 352 pages

When the wealthy Agarwal siblings gather at a remote island for their parents' anniversary, they expect their father to retire and announce the succession plan for his multimillion-dollar company. All three of the adult children are expecting to get the lion's share of the inheritance, with pricey renovations, business plans, and adventures already planned. But when he changes his mind, things get dicey, with all three assuming that the other two have caused the change. As the claws come out, so do some long-buried secrets that threaten to disrupt everything even more.

Told through alternating points of view of the sisters and sister-in-law, this book is certainly intriguing, though it's not always easy to tell who's narrating. So it's OK, nothing to write home about. But if you're looking for a good Succession-like book to read, go ahead and give this quick read a whirl.

The Bane Witch

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn, 384 pages

Since she was a little girl, Piers has always loved poisonous things, including dangerous pokeberries, which she's able to eat without any ill effects. This affinity comes in handy when Piers fakes her own death to escape her abusive husband, and then again when a man on her escape route tries to sexually assault her and she inadvertently kills him in self-defense. But when she eventually joins up with her extended family, Piers learns that her ability to harness the powers of poison comes naturally to the long line of witches in her family. And now she must face a decision — does she embrace her deadly nature or does she reject it to try living a more normal life (albeit one with the ever-present possibility of accidently poisoning someone)?

This was suggested to me as a fantasy novel, though I'd be hesitant to hand this to a reader looking for a straightforward fantasy. It's more of a thriller with a fantasy tinge. Like Gone Girl with magical poison powers or Practical Magic with murderous overtones. It's well-written and a compelling story though, and an excellent read if you want to see some truly horrible people get their due.

The Family Experiment

The Family Experiment by John Marrs, 453 pages

In the near future, having kids is too expensive for all but the most wealthy people. To address that issue, an enterprising tech company has come up with virtual children, which, through the magic of haptic suits and VR headsets, can be raised and interacted with in the metaverse throughout their whole "life." To promote this new offering, the company has created a reality show in which five couples and one single man raise virtual kids at an accelerated rate over nine months, at the end of which one winning couple or individual must choose whether they want to keep their virtual child (who, if they've done everything right, they care for as much as they would a biological kid) or if they want to kill that coding and try for a real world baby.

This is a horrifying concept done disturbingly well. There's emotional manipulation, sure, but this book also features social media judgment, child abductions and exploitation, and, well, reality TV. Oh, and some really unlikeable characters. There is an audience for this book, and I know that when those people who want horrifying books about technology and AI and its impact on our lives ask for a recommendation, I'll have this one ready to hand over. Because it IS well-thought-out and executed. Disturbingly so.

Holy City

Holy City by Henry Wise, 344 pages

For unknown reasons, deputy Will has returned to his small hometown in rural Virginia, despite the fact that his estranged family is long gone and he has a barely functional house to live in. After Will pulls the body of a local man from a fire, the corrupt sheriff immediately pins the murder on a Black man who was seen running away from the scene, though Will is sure that he's not the culprit. Will grudgingly partners with a private investigator to start looking into the murder outside of proper channels, and the pair uncovers all manner of seedy corruption in the small town.

This was suggested to me as a mystery, and while yes, there is an investigation into who killed the guy found in the fire, it's pretty obvious who did it and it gets solved WAY before the end of the book. I wasn't a big fan of this one, as it was really hard to find any redeeming qualities in any of the characters, or to really understand their motives. If you want morally questionable characters in a gritty, racially charged crime novel set in the South, pick up S.A. Cosby and leave this one on the shelf.

The Teacher

The Teacher by Freida McFadden, 393 pages

Addie is headed back to school for her junior year under a cloud of scandal — she's notorious as the girl that got a much-beloved teacher fired for their inappropriate relationship (one she swears didn't actually happen) — and is the target of much bullying from the class mean girl. Also heading back to school are Addie's teachers Nate Bennett (a dreamy English teacher) and Eve Bennett (Nate's less-popular wife, who is a strict math teacher). There are problems in the Bennetts's marriage, and Eve's extramarital affair with a shoe salesman is *almost* as problematic as Nate's new relationship with Addie. It's a powder keg ready to blow up.

This was the first McFadden book I've read, and given her quick pacing and writing, I can see why she's so popular. The book is full of horrible people doing morally reprehensible things and has twists upon twists upon twists. During the read, it was propulsive...but afterward, I found myself questioning some of those bigger twists. It's a decent disturbing read though, if you don't look too closely. 

Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch by Sarah Reida, 320 pages

In the neighborhood of Oleander Court, homes and lawns are perfectly maintained (by hired help, of course), the "book club meetings" are just excuses to gossip and drink wine, and everyone is in everyone else's business. But when a string of murders starts taking out the most judgmental and vapid of the residents, those who remain have a choice: turn toward each other to help solve the crime, or turn on one another to weed out the riff-raff. Can't have it both ways and survive...

There's something wonderful about reading this book and seeing the most horrible people get their comeuppance. The woman who assumes that the Asian American neighbor must not understand English, the lady who reacts to her housekeeper's family emergency with dismay that she may have to wash her own dish for once, the nosy neighbor who thinks the lesbian couple next door needs to stop "flaunting" their lifestyle... it's schadenfreude at its finest. While I have a few minor quibbles with how one character's past life is portrayed, I can see this becoming a very popular book. Perfect for anyone who's ever received a passive-aggressive note about lawns, trash cans, or noise from a neighbor.

Ship of Fools

Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter, 278 of 497 pages

A whole pile of upper-class twits get aboard a ship in Mexico, traveling to Germany in 1931. This, Porters only novel, follows them as they judge each other and the lower-class passengers, professing their opinions and being scandalized at anyone and everyone. From the seasick dog to the demonic twin children to the anti-Semitic husband of a Jewish woman, there is not a single likable character on this aptly named Ship of Fools. 

So why am I blogging about it? I spent several weeks slogging my way through this morass of detestable characters before finally giving up; I earned every last one of the 278 pages I read and darn it, I want them to count. My only saving grace is that everyone who discussed this in the Read the Classics book group ALSO hated this novel.