Amy Stuart

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review here and on my blog Samwise Reviews. I have not read Still Mine or Still Water, so I am reviewing Still Here from a standalone perspective. I found it showed a lot of promise at the beginning, with a really intense setup, but then just drifted along. Clare had a lot of potential but I didn't really connect with her or the other characters. I know I should have read the other books first because then I'd understand Clare better and be more involved in her journey, but she just didn't work for me. The whole mystery seemed a bit predictable and I don't understand her fascination with Malcolm nor do I believe anything he says. Overall it was good, but not my favorite.… (meer)

"A Death at the Party" was a disappointing read, to say the least. The plot was simplistic and my mind was two steps ahead of where the book was throughout. The characters were flat, predictable and uninteresting. The writing was also lacking, with clunky and awkward prose that made it hard to immerse myself in the story. The going back and forth in time with no lead up whenever it changed was difficult to follow, and destroyed the momentum. Overall, I was left feeling underwhelmed and unsatisfied by this novel. I would not recommend it to others.… (meer)

A fiendishly twisty tale of secrets kept and hidden, families intersecting and the strength of maternal love- all perfect for this Mother’s Day weekend.
Nadine is recovering from a terrible fall. This makes her ability to keep the tragedies of her past life from entering her head as she plans a birthday party for her famous writer mother.
The day is also the anniversary of the suspicious death of her aunt Colleen, 30 years ago. Nadine is still grieving her death, perhaps because she has secrets of her own about that night.
Soon, more traumas will be revealed as the story goes back and forth in time. Will she keep it together?
There’s a delightful claustrophobia throughout the story- everyone knows everyone, perhaps too well, and relationships crisscross and double back.
The reveals come along and unfortunately I saw them well back, which is unusual for me as I generally never figure out mysteries for some reason.
Still, a great read, with heart and enough excitement to pull the reader through. A big hand on the heart to the author for writing characters that can matter.… (meer)