Tag: secrets

Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis

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“Everyone wants something—a lot of the times things that belong to other people. People will play you like a violin to get whatever they need from you.”
― Kayvion Lewis, Thieves’ Gambit

First in a new series by Kayvion Lewis, Thieves’ Gambit is described as The Inheritance Games meets Ocean’s Eleven. As someone who absolutely loves The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, I knew I needed to give this book a try.

Seventeen year old, Rosalyn Quest grew up in a family of thieves, in fact they are a legendary thieving family. Ross wants free of this life, but knows that her mom will never willingly let her go. Working on a plan to escape, Ross has hope for a different future. On the day of her planned escape, things go horribly wrong. Her mother is kidnapped and Ross is at a loss of what to do until she remembers her invite to the Gambit, a thieving competition that brings people together from across the world to complete a series of dangerous heists for the grand prize of anything they want in the world. Ross joins the Gambit hopeful to rescue her mom. As soon as she arrives on site, Ross realizes that this isn’t going to be as easy as she thought. She recognizes one of the other competitors, while another tries to distract her with his charm. Having been taught since birth to only trust people with the last name Quest, Ross is hesitant to get close to anyone, but the nature of the Gambit means that she may have to break her rules and trust someone. Only one can win the prize though. Does Ross have what it takes?

While I enjoyed this series, I will say it doesn’t quite hit the same level for me as The Inheritance Games. Even though I say that, I did enjoy that the characters were well-developed and that the plot’s twists and turns were action-packed. Very seldom did the characters just sit around and do nothing. They were never passive victims. They were constantly planning, scheming, and working to solve a problem. The ending caught me off guard and had me wondering just what was going to happen in the second book, Heist Royale.

If you’re a teen and you’re interested in talking about this book, please join us on Tuesday, December 30th, 2025 at 6:30pm at Eastern for the Teen Book + Club: Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis program. More information about this program can be found on our website here: https://davenportlibrary.libcal.com/event/15660155

Thieves’ Gambit series

  1. Thieves’ Gambit (2023)
  2. Heist Royale (2024)

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

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“I feel special. Like maybe I deserve to be here.”
― Freida McFadden, The Housemaid

Is there an author you have seen everywhere that you have been reluctant to read? For me, this author is Freida McFadden. Her books are flying off the shelves at the library with her new ones having long holds lists. In an effort to figure out her popularity, I decided to listen to The Housemaid, the first book in her Housemaid series. Before I get into the book, let me share something: I love psychological thrillers and the twists, turns, and brutal endings they can have. Because of this, I am a bit picky about what psychological thrillers I read, but I still wanted to give Freida McFadden a try.

Here’s a brief synopsis: Millie is looking for a fresh start. She has been let go from her last job and is sleeping in her car, so when she scores an interview to be a live-in housekeeper for a wealthy family, she is surprised. Given her previous work history and her past, Millie knows she probably won’t get the job, but surprise, she is offered the job! She is tasked with cleaning the house from top to bottom, picking up the Winchesters’ daughter from school, making their meals, and a myriad of other tasks. The lady of the house, Nina, at first seems like a dream, but soon turns into a nightmare. She rips up the house, making messes and blaming Millie. She repeatedly tells lies and gaslights Millie. The constant whiplash between nice and angry pushes Millie close to Nina’s husband, Andrew. Millie doesn’t see how the two could have ended up together. Andrew is extremely attractive, while Nina doesn’t take pride in her appearance and has let herself go. As Nina continues to deteriorate, Andrew grows more broken. Soon Millie believes that Andrew deserves better and that she appreciates him more than Nina does. When Andrew and Millie are given the opportunity to act out their desires, Millie feels like her dreams have come true. She doesn’t realize it’s a trap until it’s too late, but unfortunately for the Winchesters, they have underestimated Millie.

My thoughts: While I enjoyed the twists and the ending, there were other parts I found repetitive. Some scenes also felt tedious and at times I felt this book could have benefitted from another editing round. The Housemaid was a good thriller, but honestly I was hit with dejavu many times, like I had read this book or plot before. This was a solid three star read because of its predictability.

The Housemaid series

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“You are not who you are because of where you come from; you are who you are because of where you choose to go.”
― Lana Ferguson, Under Loch and Key

Keyanna ‘Key’ McKay grew up in a family of secrets. Raised by a single father reluctant to share their family history, Key has never felt like she really fit in anywhere. After her father’s death, Key leaves New York, heading to Scotland to reunite with her estranged family and to explore the world her father never spoke about. All she knows about Scotland is her estranged grandmother’s name and the childhood story of her father’s about a monster that saved his life. Determined to fulfill her father’s last wish to go home, Key finds herself on the shore of a great body of water, unknowingly putting herself in danger, and eventually being rescued by an angry, yet attractive, Scotsman. Key is then escorted to her ancestral home, where the welcome she receives from her family is mixed and she realizes that her cranky rescuer lives on her family’s land.

Lachlan Greer has secrets of his own and this wily beautiful redhead who showed up out of nowhere seems determined to ruin all of his plans. After learning her name, Lachlan is even more weary. He is hunting for answers to his family’s history, but Key is a wrench in his plans that he does not need. Living on her family’s land, Lachlan and Key can’t avoid each other. Their attraction ratchets up higher and higher, despite their mutual efforts to avoid each other. It soon becomes apparent that they will have to trust each other in order to find the answers they are each looking for. Their answers rest in each other’s histories.

I picked this book up purely because of the cover, aka the man in the kilt, (plus the punny title)! Under Loch and Key ended up being an absolute delight and honestly, I’m glad I went into this book without knowing anything about it. This is a magical paranormal romance with spicy scenes that happen on page. The characters’ relationships were silly, emotional, mysterious, yet completely magical. This was also my first monster romance, which was a bit of a shock to the system, but honestly not bad. Also bonus it has two of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers and grumpy meets sunshine. Even though this is a spicy read, the author also throws in several heartwarming themes that deal with forgiveness, family, burdens, and correcting your past mistakes in order to move on in the future. Solid four stars from me!

Booked for Murder by P.J. Nelson

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Cozy mysteries are my go-to read. I’m usually always reading at least one, if not multiple, but my want-to-read list keeps growing! In an effort to cut my list down, I have purposely picked one new-to-me cozy mystery off my list to read every month. My latest read is one that fit this category: Booked for Murder by P.J. Nelson, the first book in the Old Juniper Bookstore Mystery series. The cover of this book is what appealed to me first, but the story and characters quickly pulled me in!

Madeline Brimley left her small Georgia town to follow her aunt’s footsteps as an actress. After going to college, Madeline decided to pursue her dreams on the stage in New York. She ended up working in Atlanta for years, but after her eccentric Aunt Rose passed away, Madeline moves back to the small town of Enigma, Georgia where she grew up. Rose left Madeline her bookstore in an old Victorian mansion. Rolling into town in her old Fiat, Madeline is ready to start her second career as a bookseller.

Madeline’s new life starts with difficulties! Her first night in town turns to disaster when the gazebo in her backyard is lit on fire. The local authorities think Madeline is the one who set the fire. After a phone call in the middle of the night from someone threatening to burn the whole house down if Madeline doesn’t leave the house and Enigma immediately, she decides to stay and run the store, thinking that the threat can’t be serious. Once the store is open, customers flock to purchase books and visit the new owner. Everything seems to be going good until there’s another fire and a murder in the store! Who could want to harm Madeline? Who is trying to destroy her store? Suspicion is all over the newcomer, leading her to investigate the crimes with the help of her aunt’s best friend and the new priest across the street. The town of Enigma, its residents, and her Aunt Rose are full of secrets that Madeline must unearth before someone else she loves is targeted.

This cozy mystery, while predictable, is full of unique characters. The introductions to each character were not overwhelming, while each had something distinctive to add to the story. Multiple sub-plots also run through this book, calling the reader to pay attention to solve the crimes. The setting was also gorgeously described. The plot had me hooked with an intriguing resolution that involved many of the characters. Booked for Murder is definitely darker than the traditional cozy mystery, but that allows the author to highlight the characters’ relationships with each other. The second in the series, All My Bones, is supposed to be released in December 2025 and I can’t wait!

This title is also available in large print.

Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“Nevertheless, this is a cruel game. It’s twisted, and sick, and dangerous. I don’t know if we’ll ever find out who is really behind the show, but whoever it is, brava, you did it.”
― Heather Gudenkauf, Everyone Is Watching

What would you do if you received an email out of the blue from a high-stakes game show saying that you had been chosen as one of five contestants to compete for a ten million dollar prize? Would you think it was spam and delete it? Or would you take a chance and reply to the email hoping it was real? This dilemma is expanded upon in Heather Gudenkauf’s 2024 novel, Everyone is Watching. 

Five contestants nicknamed the best friend, the confidante, the senator, the boyfriend, and the executive are competing for the chance to win ten million dollars on a newly announced game show called One Lucky Winner. No one knows what to expect, no one knows who is in charge, and the set is closed with a skeleton crew. Taking place on an estate in Northern California, the contestants have been told they cannot leave the property and cannot contact anyone in the outside world. If they leave, they will forfeit their chance to win the money. Their phones are locked in a box. Isolated and sleeping in a room altogether, they are at the whims of whomever is in charge, awoken at random times of day to compete in increasingly dangerous challenges that become more personal as time progresses. Each contestant is harboring secrets which are slowly being revealed. As the game marches on, they realize that this isn’t a normal game show and that someone is determined to destroy them. Who is the mastermind? What is their end goal? Will anyone be alive at the end of this game?

I devoured this book in two days. This thriller bounces between timelines and different points of view, which added levels of drama to the story and necessary background information to flush out the story. Heather Gudenkauf was born in South Dakota, but she currently lives in Iowa with her family. This fact is clear in her thrillers as Iowa features prominently. In Everyone is Watching, one of her characters is from a small town in Iowa. As a Midwest native, seeing a state I work in mentioned was fun! I can’t wait to read more books by this author.

This title is also available in large print and CD audiobook.

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“Comprehension is key, and that hasn’t exactly been mastered by the citizens of this country.”
― Tiffany D. Jackson, The Weight of Blood

Tiffany D. Jackson is a young adult writer who writes with gusto and anger. Her books always stick with me for long periods of time and relate to stories in the news. My latest read, The Weight of Blood, was one I went into blind. The Weight of Blood is a retelling of Carrie by Stephen King, telling the story of a Georgia high school hosting its first integrated prom and a biracial teenager navigating a small town’s legacy of racism. This book is heavy and disastrous and necessary to read. Highly recommend.

Maddy Washington is an outcast in her small town of Springville, Georgia. She has always been the target of bullies. Having been homeschooled until her early teenage years, Maddie has never quite fit in. The school bullies are the least of her problems though. She has more serious problems to deal with. The precarious life she has made for herself is destroyed one day with the arrival of a surprise rainstorm. Her secret: Maddy is biracial. Her father Thomas has required Maddy to pass as white for her entire life due to his fanatical beliefs.

The students and some staff at Maddy’s school react badly to Maddy’s news. When a video goes viral showing students bulling Maddy, the school’s racist beliefs and history become news across the country. Things come even more to a head when the news discovers that Springville High holds two separate proms every year: a white prom and a black prom. In order to improve their image, students and administration decide to host their first integrated prom. This doesn’t go over well, especially when the white class president asks her Black quarterback boyfriend to take Maddy as his date to the integrated prom.

Maddy starts to hope that maybe a normal life is possible for her. The closer prom gets, the more excited she becomes. Some of her classmates are angry though, deciding that she needs to be taught a lesson. Flashing back and forth from 2014 and to present day, readers learn more about what happened leading up to prom in 2014 and how the Springville residents left alive after prom night are dealing with the shock of what happened that night.

This title is also available in large print and audiobook.

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

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“Every parent’s an unreliable narrator. We think we know our kids better than anyone. But none of us can see them objectively.”
― Jason Rekulak, The Last One at the Wedding

Have you ever read a review quote that perfectly sums up a book? Grady Hendrix said the following about The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak: “The ultimate middle-class Dad battles the 1% for his daughter’s soul in the best thriller I’ve read all year.” This review quote captures my latest read perfectly!

Frank hasn’t talked to his daughter Maggie in three years, so he’s noticeably shocked and excited when she calls him out of the blue. His shock is even more amplified when Maggie announces that she is engaged and she wants Frank to come to her wedding in New Hampshire this upcoming summer. Full of dreams and hope, Frank eagerly accepts, envisioning a perfect future with Maggie and her new husband. He has a second chance to make things right.

Things starts to fall apart gradually. When Frank first meets Maggie’s fiance, he is shocked. Maggie is marrying into an incredibly wealthy family. Her husband-to-be is Aidan, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Aidan has no interest in meeting Frank however. He shows up late to dinner and spends the entire evening brooding and drinking as much as possible. Hoping his reaction is due to circumstances outside his control, Frank keeps attempting to bond with Aidan.

Months later, when Frank arrives at the wedding venue, he discovers that the wedding is taking place at a private estate. Osprey Cove is secluded, luxurious, and staffed by armed guards who patrol the perimeter fence. Staff swarm the grounds preparing for the pre-wedding activities. Feeling completely out of his depth, Frank decides that he is going to spend this time reconnecting with Maggie and working to learn more about her new family. This is increasingly difficult as Maggie has a million wedding tasks to complete, Aidan is constantly disappearing, and Aidan’s mother is locked in her bedroom recovering from a debilitating migraine. Frank is also confused as he discovers that the locals are hostile to the Gardners due to the disappearance of a local woman. Who is telling the truth? The more Frank starts to poke around, the more he realizes all the secrets that are hiding. His quest to learn more about the Gardners could cost him any relationship with Maggie. Should he keep searching? Or live in the dark? How far is he willing to go?

Hidden Pictures by this same author was my favorite book of 2022, so my expectations were high when I learned he had a new book coming out in October 2024. While I enjoyed The Last One at the Wedding, it didn’t live up to my Hidden Pictures expectations. That didn’t stop my deep enjoyment of all the twists and turns. This book is full of suspicions, red herrings, and plot changes that had me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a domestic suspense thriller full of tension, family drama, and conspiracy.

“Everyone has a story. Some of us are better at telling it than others.”
― Jason Rekulak, The Last One at the Wedding

This title is also available in large print.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

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“You couldn’t question it, or take it for granted. You had to be grateful. Because what had been given to you could just as easily be taken away.”
― Sally Hepworth, Darling Girls

Norah, Jessica, and Alicia may not be blood related, but they are sisters in every other sense of the word. The three women met when they were each placed separately with Miss Fairchild, their foster mother, at a gorgeous and idyllic farming estate called Wild Meadows. Each girl was rescued from a different family tragedy and told how lucky they were to be brought to Miss Fairchild. They hoped for a second chance at a happy family life, but Miss Fairchild had other plans.

Miss Fairchild may have greeted them with positive hopeful intentions, but their childhoods slowly morphed into something for which the three girls were unprepared. Their hopeful fairy tale shattered into pieces when Miss Fairchild revealed her not-so-nice side. Crossing Miss Fairchild by not following her rules or for any unpredictable reason could land the girls in major trouble.

The girls, desperate to escape, search for a way to save themselves. Once they are able to run away from Miss Fairchild, they are hopeful that they will never have to see her or visit Wild Meadows again. Their hopes are dashed when, as adults, they receive phone calls from detectives alerting them that a body had been found under the Wild Meadows house. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia are called back, but be it as victims or suspects is still up for debate. Returning as adults isn’t easy for the sisters. Long-held secrets are drudged up as the three work through issues from their past and their present in an attempt to solve this new crime.

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth had me hooked from the beginning. Set in Australia, Hepworth breaths life into her characters and surroundings with compelling narratives and well-written dialogue. Just when you think you have the story figured out, she throws in twists and turns that push you in a completely different direction. What really drew me in was the deep connection between Jessica, Norah, and Alicia and how that bond was unbreakable. Hepworth doesn’t hesitate to discuss how childhood traumas can affect adults, even taking time to discuss the nitty gritty of the traumas they suffered.

This title is also available in Playaway audiobook, large print, and CD audiobook.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

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“But being surprised by life isn’t losing, it’s living. It’s messy and uncomfortable and complicated and beautiful. It’s life, all of it. The only way to get it wrong is to refuse to play.”
― Rebecca Serle, Expiration Dates

If you’re looking for a romance with a slight magical twist, check out Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle.

Daphne’s romantic future has been decided for her as long as she can remember. The universe sends her pieces of paper with a new man’s name and a number written on it. That number is the amount of time the two will spend together. For over twenty years, these papers have been dropping into her life. As she grows older, she thinks about whether or not she will ever receive one with no number, a paper with no expiration date, a paper leading her to her soulmate. Soon enough, she finds a paper with only a name: Jake.

Daphne meets Jake on a blind date at her favorite restaurant. The more time she spends together with Jake, the more doubts creep in. Daphne finds herself struggling with how truthful she should be with Jake. Daphne has secrets that may destroy Jake, but given that his paper has no number, she is still torn. Deciding what to do will change her life forever.

This read was a delight. It was light, quick, fun, and enjoyable without asking too much of readers. While this book does deal with tough topics, the characters aren’t immune to what’s happening. They face their problems with grace and sensitivity while acknowledging that sometimes life is just unfair, but that it’s all in how we handle ourselves. I love how Serle writes. I’ve yet to find a book of hers that I haven’t enjoyed as her writing style is beautiful while also managing to discuss what it means to live and be a human existing in a world full of glorious highs and devastating lows.

This title is also available in large print and as a CD audiobook.

“I often wonder what our responsibility is to other people, how much we owe them. Whose job is it to look out for our own happiness. Us, or the people who love us? It’s both, of course. We owe ourselves and we owe each other. But in what order?”
― Rebecca Serle, Expiration Dates

QCL Book Club April Wrap-Up

- Brittany Leave a comment

In April, Morgan and I read Someone We Know by Shari Lapena to celebrate National Letter Writing Month. Below is a short synopsis of the book and what I thought of it! 

A teenage boy is breaking into neighbors’ homes hacking into their computers and discovering secrets best hidden. When a woman in the neighborhood’s body is discovered in the trunk of her car in the lake, there are many suspicions as to who did it. Was it her husband, a lover, anything could happen.

I have liked every book that I have read by Lapena, she spins a story with so many twists and turns wrapping up each story with a nice little bow. This story, however, left some room for interpretation.  

Morgan and I have a very exciting lineup of book options for May. Below are our 4 options including our winning title! Feel free to check them out from Davenport Public Library! 

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jessie Q. Sutanto (In Honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month) 

Vera is a woman of a certain age who enjoys sipping her tea and running her teashop. When she finds a dead man in the middle of her shop, Vera begins to launch an investigation. As she searches for the perpetrator, Vera forms unlikely friendships with her customers. The hardest part, one of her new friends might be the killer. — adapted from back cover   

 

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill (In Honor of Mystery Month) 

The beautifully ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is completely silent one weekday morning, until a woman’s terrified scream echoes through the room. Security guards immediately appear and instruct everyone inside to stay put until they determine there is no threat. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers who had been sitting in the reading room get to chatting and quickly become friendly. Harriet, Marigold, Whit, and Caine each have their own reasons for being in the reading room that morning–and it just happens that one of them may turn out to be a murderer. — adapted from back cover 

 

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine (In Honor of Brother and Sister Day on May 2nd) 

Merging two multi-generational storylines in Colorado, this is a novel of family love, secrets, and survival. With Fajardo-Anstine’s immense capacity to render characters and paint vivid life, set against the Sange de Cristo mountains, Woman of Light is full of the weight, richness, and complexities of mixed blood and mica clay. It delights like an Old Western, and inspires the hope embedded in histories yet-told. — adapted from back cover 

 

***May QCL Book Club Pick!
Watching You by Lisa Jewell (In honor of National Teachers’ Day on May 7th) 

Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Bristol, England; home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics. It’s not the sort of place where people are brutally murdered in their own kitchens. But it is the sort of place where everyone has a secret. And everyone is watching you. As the headmaster credited with turning around the local school, Tom Fitzwilliam is beloved by one and all–including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with this thoroughly charming yet unavailable man. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenaged son Freddie–a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5–excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father. One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. For one thing, he has taken a particular liking to her best friend and fellow classmate, and Jenna’s mother–whose mental health has admittedly been deteriorating in recent years–is convinced that Mr. Fitzwilliam is stalking her. Meanwhile, twenty years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam… — adapted from back cover 

If you are interested in any of these titles, or have read them, I want to talk about them! Please consider leaving a comment! Want to converse with other QCL Book Club followers? Consider joining our Goodreads Group!