Book Reviews: Alafair Burke Standalone Books

The Better Sister

Written by Alafair Burke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars (3.5 STARS)
2019; Harper/Harper Collins

Please note that a secondary character, Olivia Randall, is from a prior standalone novel The Ex. There isn’t anything in this novel that would be a spoiler for The Ex. It’s just a fun thing for fans.

I enjoyed this book, it was easy to read and I was intrigued to see where the case would go. I also wanted to confirm if I had the right killer picked out. At first, I thought this might be one of those romantic triangle books where we have two smart women fighting over a bland-ish guy. It moved into a story about an insecure woman who seemed to be on the edge of a breakdown. Chloe was a bit bland. It seemed like she was a composite of many characters in one without getting a sense of who and what she really felt. Even the #themtoo movement in this book lacked the passion. Chloe, a journalist/writer, seems to have made the #themtoo movement come to the forefront but it doesn’t really sound like she cares about it beyond her own career. I wasn’t a fan of her but I still was invested to see where the story would go, especially with Ethan, her son. When Adam, her husband, is murdered the secrets come out like it always does.

As the title suggests this is a book about two sisters – Chloe and Nicole, and how they battle one another to be the better daughter/sister. Yet, this story line isn’t very prominent until later. It gets mentioned in the beginning and does get sprinkled throughout the book but very inconsistently. (view spoiler)[This and the title kind of gives away who the killer is, and I wanted to see if my guess was correct (hide spoiler)]. I think this one is good for the beach as it is enjoyable read, as long as you don’t think too much about the story. It was only when I was sitting down to write the review that some issues came up for me, lol. I lowered my rating to 3.5 from 4 to reflect some of these issues.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

The Wife

Written by Alafair Burke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2018; Harper/Harper Collins

I am not picky about reading mysteries, but I am picky about what I thoroughly enjoy. This is one suspense novel I really liked. Alafair Burke has created some great characters that are realistic in that they are flawed, and there isn’t good and evil. I don’t need to like or even relate to the characters, but I have to feel some investment…even if it is to see someone get their karma-esque ending. There were a few stories going on in this book, but they do get tied in well together. I have to say I was totally suspicious of everyone in this book. It is like when I watch Dateline Mysteries, I am suspicious of everyone as you never know when they are going to add the twist. I never knew who to believe, and I could totally feel for Angela and what was going on around her. I also liked that we saw the police officer’s point of view in this case so it built more tension and suspense. While I saw some things coming, I didn’t think too far in advance as I was enjoying as the novel unfold. This is my first book by Burke, but I have collected a few of her books, as they sounded interesting. I am looking forward to reading more by her.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

The Ex

Written by Alafair Burke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this suspense novel! This is my second book by Burke and I am have officially put it on my “put it on hold/grab it for request ASAP” list. This book, and Burke’s writing, reminds me of Harlan Coben’s standalone books where the realism is the true suspense. It is every day people getting into sticky situations (of their making or not). Olivia, a defense attorney, is hired by her ex-fiance’s teenage daughter when he is accused of murdering his wife’s killer and two bystanders. She cannot believe the man she once loved could do anything like this. She sets out to prove his innocence, and figure out who would frame him. The twists in this book were great and nothing major or showy. I would recommend this to any fans of suspense.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***