Blood Sisters by Jane Corry: A Review

Kitty suffered an accident as a child that left her unable to communicate.  While she is able to think clearly, all of her thoughts come out as babbles.  Alison is an art teacher in a community college and takes a job as an artist in residence in a minimum security prison to atone for her perceived role in Kitty's injuries.

Last year, I read Jane Corry's book, My Husband's Wife and really enjoyed it.  I was excited to learn that Corry had released another novel.  I was not disappointed with this one.  Blood Sisters was enough of a thriller to keep one's attention while also including enough about the relationship between sisters.  Sisters' relationships can be complicated and Corry included this in her book.  There were also plenty of twists and turns.  Kitty was a very interesting character.  She is very opinionated and not very nice but she still very much loves her sister.  This was a quick read, for me, and I felt myself feeling as if I could not put the book down before I figured out the ending.  The ending was unpredictable, as well.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers.  I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Corry.

My rating:
★★★★☆

Reviews of books like this one:
My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica


This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.  

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.

The Taster by V.S. Alexander: A Review

"It's a dangerous job.  I was nervous at first.  You never know which meal will be your last."

It is Germany in the middle of World War II.  Magda Ritter's father is worried about Magda's safety in Berlin and sends her to live in Bavaria with her uncle and his Spanish wife.  She can't seem to please her aunt, who wants her to find a job to pull her weight as soon as she arrives.  Her police officer uncle pulls some strings to get her a job working directly with the Fuhrer.  She has been awarded a job as a taster.  She must be able to find poisons in food meant for Hitler by smell, sight and taste.  This new position has enabled Magda to learn things about the Reich that has been hidden from most of the citizens of Germany.  Soon, she finds out that the SS has been doing horrible things.  Will she participate in brining down the man who rules the Reich?

This is a historical fiction about Nazi Germany from a different perspective.  And it was quite different from any other fiction I have read about the time.  There was very little about the concentration camps or escape attempts by dissidents or any of the other common themes.  Instead, it is about the employees of Hitler, some of whom hate him for what he has done to their country and families, in addition to what he did to the Jewish citizens of Germany.  I appreciated being able to see the story from a different perspective.  At first, I was a bit upset that the author did not spend a lot of time on those who were most hurt by Hitler and Nazi Germany but then I took a step back and realized that there were quite a few books from the perspective of concentration camp survivors (the author suggests some of this reading at the end of the book) and that there should be room for the German victims, too.  The book did, sometimes, drag but I still enjoyed it a lot.  I enjoyed the characters.  Magda was very likeable.  She is the all-around nice girl.  I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially if the reader is open to new perspectives about history.

My rating:
★★★★☆

Reviews of books like this one:
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
My Last Lament by James William Brown
The Patriots be Sana Krasikov

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.  

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.