The Liar Next Door

The Liar Next Door by Nicola Marsh begins with Francesca, aka Frankie, and her perfect life. At the outset, her life with her husband, Andre, daughter, Luna, and her successful vlog career appears perfect. Once the audience manages to peek through the many layers of perfection, at the core, none of it is perfect. Andre had cheated on her, and although she took him back, in her heart, she is unable to trust him completely. With that suspicion lurking inside, the cost of keeping a flawless front for the world is taking a toll on her. Unaware of her internal conflicts and turmoil, her new neighbor, a single mother named Celeste, envies Frankie for her lifestyle. For the sake of her daughter, however, she attempts to bond with Frankie. It’s crucial for her that her daughter, Vi, forms a connection with Luna. Nevertheless, when Frankie learns about Celeste’s dark past, she finds herself conflicted about allowing this friendship to blossom. Unbeknownst to both of them, another scandal is on the brink of revealing itself. Their neighbor, Saylor, both married and pregnant, is finding herself in a very peculiar situation. As much as she loves her husband, she cannot deny the strong feelings she has for one of her neighbors. One thing is common amongst them all: none of them seem to trust Celeste completely.

A Monsoon Lament: A Mumbai Romance

Four entirely different people live in four separate flats of an apartment complex, The Palm Oasis Residences, in Mumbai.  Although much varied than one another in their lifestyles, fears, and hopes, these four people were the same in one aspect: each one of them was equally lost. For instance, Asavari, the housewife — a victim in a loveless marriage — appeared worlds apart from Ravin, the lone painter — living in the past. At the outset, these two characters had nothing in common, yet deep within, they were quite similar. Both Sharat, an entrepreneur, and Evana, a fashion model, establish the age long words of wisdom of never judging a book by its cover.

Jeep Tour by Gail Ward Olmsted

The mysteries of love are as complicated as the webs woven by the spiders. However, can love be found by simply following one’s happiness? In this contemporary fiction, Jeep Tour, Gail Ward Olmsted takes the readers on an exploration of sorts to solve this riddle. Jackie Sullivan, aka Jax, has lived a very organized life, following rules. And still, she finds herself unfulfilled. Even after getting a divorce, Jax and Robbie, her ex-husband, find ways to stay in each other’s lives and beds. This already tricky equation is further complicated when Jax takes a trip to Sedona. The backdrop of the desert becomes all the more fascinating when she falls for her tour guide, Rick. For the first time in her life, she takes a leap of faith and moves to Sedona, leaving her life behind, to give herself a second chance. Her hopes, however, come crashing down when she realizes Rick, the most important factor of her move, doesn’t even remember her. What follows is a series of sleepless nights and stubborn doubts as she attempts to make sense of her life.

Landscape of a Marriage

More often than not the sacrifices, intellect, and devotion of the partners of famous personalities are forgotten. They live in the shadows of the many accomplishments of these stars. In Landscape of a Marriage, Gail Ward Olmsted gives life to Mary Olmsted who was the wife of the famous American landscape architect, Frederick Olmsted. When Mary lost her first husband to tuberculosis, she turned to his family for help with raising three young kids. What she received in return was nothing short of a blessing. Her deceased husband’s brother, Fred, offered to marry her. Although this was a marriage born out of obligation, it soon transformed into a beautiful union of love. As Mary and Fred overcame the early conflicts of marriage, they became stronger as a couple. Together, they weathered many storms that life threw at them: loss of loved ones, financial upheavals, and emotional turmoil. Amidst the chaos, Mary stood tall like an unwavering soldier holding the fort in Fred’s long absences. Unaware of her contributions, she extended all the credit to her husband. Toward the end, however, the realization that she was the integral part of his success became the highlight of her journey.

Primed for Vengeance

Primed for Vengeance by Gill D Anderson is a nail-biting Crime Thriller, cleverly entwined with human psychology and intriguing suspense. Butch is a sadist who finds joy in petrifying people by his horrid actions and formidable looks. To a stranger, he resembles a devil’s minion. Although he enjoys projecting this persona, he cannot waste precious time indulging in this hobby of his; mainly because he is on a mission to kill a woman he called “Heartbreaker.” Since this is his only mission in life, he wishes to formulate a plan that will ensure maximum pain to the “Heartbreaker,” and consequently, a paramount satisfaction to him.

Author Talks: Pramudith D.

Anki: Is the idea of Bayan, in some way, inspired by Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom?
Pramudith D. Rupasinghe: No, It was a random idea that came to my mind during my time in Ukraine after I met Ivan, but if you look at both books, you may see that the world we see as young people is way more profound in the eyes of the old. So I would say why I have Mitch has seen the same and thought putting the same idea into a book? Because we both found it essential to tell the world. And I am from Sri Lanka, and he is from the USA, and irrespective of our cultural and contextual differences, we have recognized it. That is the beauty.

To read the full interview, go to the post. Enjoy!

Rabbit Hole by Mark Billingham

Who do you believe when the detective (albeit a self-appointed one) of a murder case is a patient in the same psychiatric ward where the body was found? Rabbit Hole by Mark Billingham takes the readers on this unbelievable yet fascinating journey. Alice Frances Armitage, aka Al, is a medically retired detective constable, who has been diagnosed with PTSD. After being sectioned, she is undergoing treatment in the acute psychiatric ward of Hendon Community Hospital. However, she believes herself to be a cop still. So, when Kevin, one of the patients, is found murdered in his room, Al takes it upon herself to investigate the case. Soon, she gets the feeling that her own life is in danger.

The Unknown Man

A duo like-no-other comes together to solve the kidnapping of two eight-year-old twin sisters in this Crime Thriller, The Unknown Man by Natalie Hanson. A workplace-relationship-gone-wrong resulted in the FBI agent Zalla Bennbett getting assigned to this kidnapping case. Since the father of the kidnapped girls was the FBI’s CI, the FBI’s involvement was not unusual. However, sending Zalla to another location, Almeda, was strange. With her husband struggling with Cancer, the timing could not have been worse for her. Sensing no escape route in sight, She left for Almeda. As soon as she met with the local law enforcement of Almeda, she realized relocating was the least of her worries. She had to work with Dallon Brown, a young man desperate to prove his worth. With no relevant experience under his belt, Dallon appeared useless to Zalla. His eagerness to show off his skills downright frustrated her. In addition to everything else, a severe lack of clues left Zalla feeling like a headless chicken running whichever way in the hopes of finding something. Anything at all!

The Daemon’s Wish

A cocktail of Sci-fi, Thriller and Paranormal genres, The Daemon’s Wish by Chris Wright is a fascinating murder mystery. The story is set in the year 2410. By this year, humans have habited Mars and Europa as well. The peaceful life of Europa is shattered when a killer goes on a murderous streak. Each gruesome murder is a scene from hell, with the victim’s organs splashed in the stream of their own blood. Detective Johnson and Detective Thomas seek the help of a psychological profiler, Noah Peterson, who had proved instrumental in throwing several criminals behind the bars. Solving these murders, however, will not prove to be an easy feat as the crime scenes do not have any DNA other than that of the victims. As bodies begin piling up, the race to catch the killer, who leaves no human trace, ensures many several nights and quick thinking. At this crucial time, Noah has his own demons to face. His health conditions — migraine and epilepsy — have deteriorated overnight. But, the seizures are the least of his worries; he is having serious memory gaps that seem to coincide with the time of the murder. Moreover, his appearance at every sight of the murder makes him a suspect too.

She’s Mine by A.A. Chaudhuri

She’s Mine by A.A. Chaudhuri is a psychological thriller that explores the dark side of marriage, infidelity, and motherhood. For the world, Christine had it all: a good and devoted husband, a successful career, and stunning looks. However, there was a void that only her lover, who was not her husband, could fill. The physical attraction between Christine and her lover was so strong that she could not resist this raw magnetic attraction. Although she knew it was wrong, she continued the affair even after giving birth to her first child — a beautiful daughter named Heidi. Then, one day, this bundle of joy, her daughter, was abducted while she was busy talking to her lover on the phone.