Book Review | EVERY LAST LIE by Mary Kubica

June 27, 2017; Park Row Books

New York Times bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL, Mary Kubica is back with another exhilarating thriller as a widow's pursuit of the truth leads her to the darkest corners of the psyche. 

Grief-stricken and seriously stressed, Clara Solberg is not handling her husband’s death the way she wants to. Too many things are piling up while she is trying to compromise with her current state, along with a four-year-old daughter and a new-born son. A few days later, details emerge and Clara starts to question whether Nick really had an accident or was he actually murdered.

EVERY LAST LIE is another suspenseful novel from Mary Kubica, a slow burn that kept me at the edge of my seat. Whenever I thought I had it all figured out, the clues will pull me in a different direction. With her customary technique, the narration is altered between Clara and Nick, giving me a chance to cross out every mistaken conjecture. The characters are all vividly rendered, they readily hooked this reader and before I knew it, I was totally invested on them.

I love how this book explored marriage and trust in the midst of a tragedy, and how these things ultimately affect how we perceive things. I do recommend this book.

Book details:

Title:  Every Last Lie

Author:  Mary Kubica

Publication:  June 27, 2017; Park Row Books

Genre:  Mystery / Fiction

Rating: ★★★★

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Book Review | DON'T YOU CRY by Mary Kubica

May 17, 2016; MIRA

In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she’s the person she thought she knew.

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside of Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under Pearl’s spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us in the end. ~Goodreads

I LOVE it. Mary Kubica is now officially a favorite. I enjoyed both The Good Girl and Pretty Baby last year. Their stories are not easily forgotten, I can still vividly recall them. And DON’T YOU CRY is another statement of her brilliance.

Like the other two previous books, this one is also narrated from different POVs. I believe that’s one of the book’s attractions. Different POVs get the book to cover more grounds, and although the plot tends to wind, it never gets boring. This style also gives the reader a broader view; diversity of thoughts and ruminations gives a better thrill. And, Ms. Kubica used this style very wisely.

The book is unbelievably well-written. The psychological thrill lies in the chase for some elusive answers. I love how Ms. Kubica dangles those answers right in front of the reader, but always out of reach, until the last stretch, and then, shock takes root and reacting is utterly difficult. Agreeably, everything was cleverly tied together in the end. I believe that a good psychological thriller should be exactly like that.

This review is frustratingly vague, I know, but I don’t want to spoil anything. A warning though, this book challenges the reader with questions from the very beginning of the story. So, you’ll be very tempted to take a peak. Hold on to that temptation, but never peak.

I highly recommend this book.


Book details:
Title:  Don't You Cry
Author:  Mary Kubica
Publication: May 17, 2016; MIRA
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating:  ★★★★★

*Thanks to MIRA and Netgalley for the galley in exchange for this honest review.

TFG-F2F62, February 25, 2017Milky Way, Makati City

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THE GOOD GIRL by Mary Kubica

This novel wowed me. And I don’t believe that just because it was a debut novel it shouldn’t be praised for its merits. Mary Kubica did a great job with this book, and I believe that a lesser hand wouldn’t be able to accomplish what she did here.

     THE GOOD GIRL is alternately narrated by the characters, in a non-constricted timeline, and in spite of that, the book maintained its fast-paced thrill. It was never confusing, nor difficult. In fact, I believe it’s this style that kept me at the edge of my seat all the time. I was pretty hooked from the beginning.

I liked all the characters; they are developed according to their purpose for the story. Sure, there is a weak link, but every story has one, and for me, it did not deter this story in the least. Colin was the most developed character in the story, which was pretty interesting since he is the appointed antagonist. Having said that, Stockholm Syndrome is employed curiously here, because the antagonist is our hero too, and our victim is no ordinary victim.

There is danger in staying here. I know it. She knows it.

But my biggest concern now is not having her with me.

As I said, this is a fast-paced thriller. I admire Kubica for pacing that thrill and withholding the twist until the epilogue. As I get to the end, my anxiety grew stronger. And her simple and unswerving prose made this all the more gripping. I rarely bawled over reading, the last time was The Time Traveler’s Wife, six years ago, until now. This is heartbreaking but complexly satisfying. I listened to the audiobook as well, and it just swept me. It was beautifully done.

The problem with this novel is not its plot, or characters, nor its writing. The problem lies in its promotion. I don’t know where it started, but comparing this with Gone Girl, or quoting this as the “next Gone Girl” is pretty unfair and made the wrong impression/expectation in the reading community. As far as I can tell the similarity of the two books begins and ends with having a missing person in the story. This novel conveys a very different structure and message. As I said from the beginning, this book should be praised for its own merits. 

If you have a taste for suspense, you shouldn’t skip this one.

Book details:

Title:  The Good Girl

Author:  Mary Kubica

Publication:  Blackstone Audio; July 29, 2014 

Genre:  Suspense/Thriller, Fiction

Rating:  ★★★★★

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Book Review | PRETTY BABY by Mary Kubica

July 28, 2015; Mira

A chance encounter sparks an unrelenting web of lies in this stunning new psychological thriller from national bestselling author Mary Kubica.

Instantly, I fell in love with The Good Girl when I read it. Bawled over it when I was done. I was so affected that I soon requested an e-galley of PRETTY BABY just a few days after.

Heidi was consumed by the image of a teenage girl with a baby tucked within her jacket, in the pouring rain, at the L, of all places. When the opportunity struck, she reached out and asked the girl to join her for dinner. Willow was reluctant with strangers and their offer of help, but present circumstances pushed her to accept Heidi’s help, at least for the baby’s sake. From there on, their story spins into a spiral of revelations and bewilderment.

It didn’t take long to figure out I had nowhere to go. People stared at me, and it wasn’t a stare that was kind or concerned, but mean judgmental, uncaring.

Mary Kubica has a proper understanding of psychological tragedies, and it is her strongest point. Second is her confidence in putting them into words. It took me a while longer to finish this, maybe because of the pacing. If you’re like me, then it will probably affect your reading rhythm too. But we have to take into consideration the weight of the book’s premise, which is no simple matter to tackle. So, it is relevant that information was given slowly.

PRETTY BABY may not be as fast-moving as we want, but the shocking revelations are as dynamic as we expect from a Mary Kubica novel. You can avail of your copies by July 28.

Book details:

Title:  Pretty Baby   

Author: Mary Kubica          

Publication: July 28, 2015; Mira

Genre:  Psychological & Suspense

Rating:  ★★★

*Thank you Mira and Netgalley for lending me a copy.

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