Review: The Other Mistress

The Other Mistress by Shanora Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Library Journal for the ARC.

Williams’s latest (following The Wife Before) is a fast-paced, psychological trip with a climax that will shock the most voracious readers. Adira Smith-Cortez has it all. Her women’s clothing company is thriving, putting millions into her bank account. Her husband, Gabriel, and her mansion are both fully Instagram-worthy. Everything’s coming up Adira—until it isn’t. Gabriel starts acting dodgy, and Adira follows him to not one, but two mistresses. Suddenly, Adira’s perfect life is crashing. When one mistress approaches Adira with a plan to take care of the other and get Gabriel back, Adira fights for control and the comforts of her life. What she doesn’t realize is that control was never hers to begin with. The changing POV provides a lens into her murky past and sheds much-needed light on why her future is playing out the way it is. VERDICT Williams has a winner on her hands. Recommended for fans of Alyssa Cole, Liv Constantine, and Megan Goldin.

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Review: Blow Up

Blow Up by Ellen Crosby
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

Thank you to Library Journal for the ARC.

The exciting new Sophie Medina book (following Ghost Image) has enough thrill and historical context to keep readers engaged. Photojournalist Sophie is out for a run with her friend Jack O’Hara, a Catholic priest, when they stumble upon the body of Supreme Court Justice Everett Townsend. Barely hanging onto life, Townsend is rushed to the hospital, where he later dies. Before Sophie can grasp what has happened, an unhoused young man close to her is murdered right after confessing a secret to her. Knowing the two deaths are connected, Sophie searches for answers, putting her own life at risk. Crosby paints a detailed picture of life in Washington, DC, from the food and architecture to the heartbreaking reality of homelessness. The pacing and reveal of the plot are ensconced in social commentary about the violent and disillusioned political state of the country’s capital. VERDICT Recommended for fans of Crosby and of novelists who specialize in intricate plots and amateur detectives. Reviewed by Carmen Clark , Apr 01, 2023

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