Nerd Girl Loves Books

3.5 stars

The book is set at a century-old hotel in Alabama that’s survived every hurricane. The other notable thing that’s happened at the hotel is a local girl accused of murdering a politician’s son in 1984. Geneva grew up in the hotel and is the current owner. It’s about to go under, but she is contacted by a writer that wants to rent a room for a long term stay while he writes a book about the infamous murder.

This is the first book in a new series featuring mild mannered, kind, business genius Walter Nash. He’s got a prestigious job at a financial firm and is good at it. He has a beautiful wife and daughter and is making a good living. After his father’s funeral, he’s approached by the FBI and asked to be their inside man to take down a criminal enterprise that his business is involved in. At the top of this illegal operation is Victoria Steers, an international criminal mastermind that the FBI has been trying to bring down for years.

3.5 stars rounded up

Claire’s older sister Natalie was killed just after her 18th birthday and a man was arrested and sentenced to prison. Claire tries to deal with it by moving to another city and becoming an investigative journalist. She’s not close with her mom, but when her dad tells Claire that her mother injured herself and needs her help, she reluctantly returns home. But, Claire’s mom doesn’t want her there and Claire finds herself drawn to the old vineyard where Natalie worked the summer she died. She stumbles upon a job at the vineyard working with a handsome foreman. She finds an old diary written by one of the vineyard owners hidden in the cabin she’s staying in. Initially it seems like a young rebellion and love, but the more Claire reads, the more sinister the writing becomes. Claire starts to wonder if her sister’s murder is tied somehow to the old events at the vineyard, and whether the right killer is in prison.

This was a slow-burn mystery that occurs over the course of a day-long sweet sixteen birthday party for Sophie, with flashbacks involving almost the entire cast of characters. The mansion high on the hill towering over the town has always been the source of curiosity. The main characters are:

DANI: Sophie’s new stepmother who’s been plagued by self-doubt ever since the birth of her own baby girl

ÓRLAITH: the superstitious Irish nanny who senses a looming danger in this cavernous house

MIKAYLA: the birthday girl’s best friend who is not nearly as meek as the popular kids assume

KIM: the cunning ex-wife who has a grudge she can’t let go of . . .