HOLIDAY Reading : Gillian McAllister and Nayantara Roy

 I've been reading thrillers by Gillian McAllister over the holidays, having finished several of Shari Lapena's mysteries. 

Also, a marvelous literary novel, family drama by Nayantara Roy

That Night: Frannie is the youngest of three siblings and has been coddled by them as the baby of the family. When Frannie hits and kills someone in a car accident in Italy, the siblings fly to her rescue, to bury and hide the body.  As time goes by, family ties and loyalties are tested when the cadaver is discovered in the forest where they had buried it.

What will close family members do for each other? How far will they cover up for each other? These and other questions are posed in this novel of death and blame. The questions multiply when a blackmailer is added to the list of people who know about the accident. I found this a suspenseful and gripping plot with very good character development. 

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC

Wrong Place, Wrong Time is about a woman who sees her teenage son stab someone one night. When she wakes the next morning, she finds it's yesterday, similar to the setting of Groundhog Day, so she plans to stop the stabbing from happening, by fixing the problem with her son before he commits the murder. 

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ebook

 

Famous Last Words: Literary agent Camilla is confused when she finds a strange note from her husband Luke who shows up later on television as a kidnapper who has killed two hostages in a warehouse and then disappeared. Cam tells herself and everyone else that Luke is a good man, in spite of what he seems to have done.

I had expected twists in the plot but was surprised at what they turned out to be. The story keeps the reader going, as we learn whether or not Luke is a "good man." An enjoyable plot with interesting characters and plot.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC

Now ReaAn enjoyable plot with interesting characters and plot.

Caller Unknown:  When Simone's daughter Lucy is kidnapped from their rental cabin in Texas, Simone decides to follow the kidnapper's demands in order to get Lucy back home safe. Even if means driving into Mexico to pick up an unknown package for the kidnappers. 

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC

Just Another Missing Person:  Julia, a detective, is being blackmailed by a kidnapper into framing someone else for the kidnaping and murder of the missing teen, Olivia.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review ebook

Finished reading -Literary Fiction

Sisters of a Halved Heart will be published June 2, 2026. Algonquin Books. 

It's available now as an advance reader copy on NetGalley. 

About: a masterful story of rivalry and conflict between two Indian-American sisters and the strength of family love in the face of heartbreaking betrayal.

My review: This story of betrayal in a family of two Indian-American sisters is heartbreaking, especially since the sisters grew up close and responsible for and to each other. When Joy, the younger sister and a successful lawyer, "takes" what her sister Mira, a poetry editor, values most in life, Mira feels betrayed and there is estrangement between the two for some time.

Determined to get back together in spite of her heartbreak, Mira mentions the sacrifices she has made for her sister Joy, but does not get into the details. This sacrifice is revealed at the end of the book, but only to the reader and not to Joy. It came as a shock, leaving the reader with a feeling that there was deserved though unintended "retribution" that one sister secretly has over the other.

A masterful story of family betrayal mixed with family love and unity, well told.

What books are on your reading list now? 

Memes:  The Sunday Post, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, Sunday Salon, and Stacking the Shelves