Publisher: William Morrow
Date of publication: July 2014
The Battle siblings are used to disappointment.
Seven years after starting her PhD program—one marriage, one divorce, three
cats and a dog later—Theresa Battle still hasn't finished her dissertation. Instead of a degree, she’s got a houseful of adoring pets and a dead-end
copy-writing job for a local candle company.
Jeff, her so-called
genius older brother, doesn't have it together, either. Creative and loyal,
he’s also aimless, in both work and love. But his new girlfriend, Kim, a pretty
waitress in her twenties, appears smitten. When Theresa agrees to dog-sit Kim’s
puggle for a weekend, she has no idea it will be the beginning of a terrifying
nightmare that will shatter her quiet academic world.
Soon Kim’s body is
found in the woods, and Jeff becomes the prime suspect.
Though the evidence
is overwhelming, Theresa knows that her brother is not a murderer. As she
investigates Kim’s past, she uncovers a treacherous secret involving politics,
murder, and scandal—and becomes entangled in a potentially dangerous romance.
But the deeper she falls into this troubling case, the more it becomes clear
that, in trying to save her brother’s life, she may be sacrificing her own.
What Strange Creatures is a well-written and engaging book. When Teresa's brother is accused of murdering his girlfriend, she makes it her mission to figure out what really happened. This sets her on an unexpected journey where many secrets are discovered. I did enjoy the mystery. There were many twists and possible reasons for Kim's murder. It definitely kept me guessing.
What I liked even more was Theresa. She is such an unlikely detective, yet she made sense to me. Maybe it was her research background that gave her credibility. I liked how she went about trying to help her brother out. I loved her relationship with her brother and how they took care of each other. The game that they played all the time was really cute.
What I liked even more was Theresa. She is such an unlikely detective, yet she made sense to me. Maybe it was her research background that gave her credibility. I liked how she went about trying to help her brother out. I loved her relationship with her brother and how they took care of each other. The game that they played all the time was really cute.
I do recommend this one. The story flows fairly quickly and is a great one for a rainy afternoon curled up with a cup of tea.
About the author:
Emily Arsenault is the critically acclaimed author of The
Broken Teaglass, a New York Times Notable Mystery,
and In Search of the Rose Notes. She lives in
Purchase Links
Emily’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, July 22nd: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Wednesday, July 23rd: Booksie’s Blog
Thursday, July 24th: Kritters Ramblings
Monday, July 28th: From the TBR Pile
Tuesday, July 29th: BoundbyWords
Wednesday, July 30th: Book-alicious Mama
Thursday, July 31st: cupcake’s book cupboard
Monday, August 4th: bookchickdi
Wednesday, August 6th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Thursday, August 7th: Book of Secrets
A rainy afternoon, a cup of tea, and this book sounds perfect!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour.